Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The First Hunter c1-162
The First Hunter c1-162
1
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — ⦘
Source: https://boxnovel.com/novel/the-first-hunter
Generated by Lightnovel Crawler
2
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — ⦘
3
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — ⦘
34. Chapter 34
35. Chapter 35
36. Chapter 36
37. Chapter 37
38. Chapter 38
39. Chapter 39
40. Chapter 40
41. Chapter 41
42. Chapter 42
43. Chapter 43
44. Chapter 44
45. Chapter 45
46. Chapter 46
47. Chapter 47
48. Chapter 48
49. Chapter 49
50. Chapter 50
51. Chapter 51
52. Chapter 52
53. Chapter 53
54. Chapter 54
55. Chapter 55
56. Chapter 56
57. Chapter 57
58. Chapter 58
59. Chapter 59
60. Chapter 60
61. Chapter 61
62. Chapter 62
63. Chapter 63
64. Chapter 64
65. Chapter 65
66. Chapter 66
67. Chapter 67
68. Chapter 68
69. Chapter 69
70. Chapter 70
4
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — ⦘
71. Chapter 71
72. Chapter 72
73. Chapter 73
74. Chapter 74
75. Chapter 75
76. Chapter 76
77. Chapter 77
78. Chapter 78
79. Chapter 79 - The Price Of The Blood, Part I
80. Chapter 80 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Ii
81. Chapter 81 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Iii
82. Chapter 82
83. Chapter 83
84. Chapter 84
85. Chapter 85 - A Time-Limited Life, Part I
86. Chapter 86 - A Time-Limited Life, Part Ii
87. Chapter 87 - Hunting For Snakes, Part I
88. Chapter 88 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Ii
89. Chapter 89 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Iii
90. Chapter 90 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part I
91. Chapter 91 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Ii
92. Chapter 92 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Iii
93. Chapter 93 - Résistance, Part I
94. Chapter 94 - Résistance, Part Ii
95. Chapter 95 - Résistance, Part Iii
96. Chapter 96 - Freezer, Part I
97. Chapter 97 - Freezer, Part Ii
98. Chapter 98 - Freezer, Part Iii
99. Chapter 99 - Freezer, Part Iv
100. Chapter 100 - Check List, Part I
2. Volume 2
1. Chapter 101 - Check List, Part Ii
2. Chapter 102 - Any Room, Part I
3. Chapter 103 - Any Room, Part Ii
4. Chapter 104 - Any Room, Part Iii
5. Chapter 105 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part I
6. Chapter 106 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part Ii
5
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — ⦘
6
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — ⦘
7
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Volume 1 ⦘
Volume 1
8
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 1 ⦘
Chapter 1
The First Hunter Genres:
Synopsis:
On December 31st, 2016, the day before New Year's, Kim Tae-hoon was
just casually out shopping for groceries at his local supermarket, when
monsters suddenly appeared out of thin air. With the skills gained from long
years, he started to hunt the monsters down and managed to win, saving the
other people who were also at the store.
But there are more monsters, and they don't stop coming.
Will he be able to beat the countless monsters, that only seem to get
stronger?
Prologue
9
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 1 ⦘
____________________________
The story follows a man with a murky background, but obviously an experi‐
enced combatant, in the wake of the events above, his continuous improve‐
ment over time, and the changes to the world and people around them as
they are forced to adapt to new lives.
The story starts out sparse on the prose, but improves with time.
10
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 2 ⦘
Chapter 2
Chapter 1. At a Large Supermarket, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
Kim Tae-hoon had experienced the death of many people in his profession.
He had killed a lot, and at the same time was threatened with death by
many.
There were a couple of things he learned in such a terrible life: how to die
easily, and how to not die easily. Of course, he never thought that he would
use what he had learned in his daily life.
"Whew..."
BoxN ovel.com
He saw the green monster for the first time in his life in the car goods cor‐
ner on the first floor of the local supermarket; it suddenly attacked him. He
killed the monster that attacked him, using the methods he had learned in
his profession.
'That's crazy!'
And that was how the story of the first hunter began.
2.
Kim Tae-hoon: this year, as of 2016, the 28-year-old man would be 29 years
old in just one day, and he visited a large supermarket next to Bucheon City
Hall on December 31, to buy washer fluid.
11
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 2 ⦘
'Washer fluid...'
The reason to drop by was really nothing, like most people at a large super‐
market. No one came to the mart to buy great things. Naturally, he was
looking around in the auto section.
But at some point, the horrible shrieks "Kieee! Kieee!", the screaming
"Argh argh argh!", and the crash sounds "Bump! Bump!" started to burst
out in succession.
'Dwarf?', he thought.
The monster had teeth that looked fiercer than a dog, and the red eyes
seemed to have rotten blood. "Kieee!" It ran toward him, shrieking loudly.
He did not show any sympathy for such a monster. He kicked the body of
the monster that had charged toward him as he turned around. The green
monster fell on the floor screaming, and he opened the lid of the washer
fluid he held and inserted the nozzle into the monster's mouth. The washer
fluid entered the monster's stomach and lungs, and he stepped on its chest to
prevent it from struggling.
And that was the beginning! By the time the light disappeared from the eyes
of the monster under his feet, he looked around.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Like dominoes, there was a deafening roar as the racks
fell.
12
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 2 ⦘
"Kieee! Kieee!" He also heard the shriek, probab ly from another green
monster.
The scene was clearly visible to his eyes. 'Oh, my God.' It was a scene
where dozens of child-sized monsters suddenly appeared, hunting the visi‐
tors to the large supermarket.
"Monster! Monster!"
In the face of this absurd sight, he was embarrassed. He had seen humans
hunting humans, but he had never seen monsters hunting humans.
"Shit!" What awakened his spirit was the sound of a young man wielding a
bat at the three green monsters which had surrounded him, wearing a Yan‐
kees baseball cap and a baseball jumper in the sporting goods section.
"Get out! Get out of here, you bastards!" His voice was rough, but on the
contrary, it was a struggle that Kim was familiar with.
Something came into his eyes, and he started to move immediately without
hesitation.
At 4:11 pm on December 31, 2016, the last day of 2016 started like that.
3.
13
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 2 ⦘
"Ahhhh!" Swish!
His action was never wise. Making a sound while swinging a baseball bat
with his mouth open was one of his bad habits, and he was well aware of
the fact. Due to the habit, he was punished by his coach, a former profes‐
sional baseball player, and then recorded 77 home runs in the Korean Base‐
ball League. As a result, his bad habits were no longer punished by his
coach.
"Where the fuck did these monsters come from? No, what the fuck is this?
What is it?"
In his rambling, words that should be swallowed inside popped out of his
mouth.
"Huck, Huck!" It was only his breathing that stopped more of the words
from coming out. It was a natural result because he continuously shouted
while swinging the bat with full power.
If he found another reason, it would be to lie about running ten laps of run‐
ning training on the playground after seven laps, and then smoking a ciga‐
rette that an athlete did not have any business with it.
"Shit..." 'I should have not smoked and trained myself harder...'
Of course, at this moment, he started to feel regret for his lazy and insincere
ways. And he felt faint, even though he was still a young man. The regret
14
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 2 ⦘
he had now is the one people often have before they die.
'Damn it, am I going to die here? I cannot survive against the monsters that
are in sight alone! As I saw a while ago, I will be like that man in his early
thirties who was screaming with his neck being bitten by a monster!'
"Get ahold of yourself!" It was not the weird cry of the monster that awak‐
ened him, but the clear voice.
"Yes?" He was surprised by the voice and turned his head in its direction.
Three monsters turned their heads in the direction of the voice. Only two of
them could see the owner of the voice.
The reason for the third one was simple: the bottom of the frying pan,
which had not even been torn out of its wrapping paper, was flying toward
its face.
Squeak! The monster lost his two front teeth without even saying anything
and then fell back with a few more teeth flying. Thump!
The sudden action of a man who appeared did not stop there. The man
stretched his left arm out toward one of the two monsters.
Chi-i-ik! The paint spray in the man's left hand turned the monster's red
eyes and face black at once.
"Kieee!" The monster waved its arms through the air, screaming at the mys‐
terious attack, before falling on the floor.
Two of the three monsters were on the floor, and naturally, the one left was
nervous.
15
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 2 ⦘
crying out with a ferocious voice. This meant it was turning its back on
Bang Hyun-wook, who it had been fighting.
"Attack!" Bang immediately moved when the man shouted. Once again, the
bat held in his hand divided the air.
Crack! And this time, he hit the monster's temple precisely. The batted
monster did not even scream, it just shook and hit the floor! After falling
down, it only trembled a little. Deep green blood flowed from its nostrils.
"Urgh!" An odd sound burst out of Bang's mouth. It was a mixture of joy
when he killed the monster which had tried to kill him, relief for the fact
that he was alive, and all kinds of resentment.
"I said I would kill you, you bastard! I said I would kill you!"
On the other hand, the man who had suddenly appeared, unlike Bang,
calmly proceeded to his next action.
"Kieee..." Out of the two monsters that fell, he sprayed the black paint spray
in his left hand into the face of the one which was waking up after the im‐
pact of the frying pan. Spray paint was so thick that it drizzled as tears ran
down the face of the monster.
"Kii, kieee!" The monster began to struggle, screaming at this unknown at‐
tack. But the bony arms of the monster which could not see anything only
flailed in the air and did not pose any threat.
The man stomped on the monster's neck. The sound of a vertebra cracking
followed. He stomped on it hard several times. His feet stopped after the
monster stopped screaming.
"There." After that, the man called Bang and pointed to one of the remain‐
ing monsters with his fingers.
"Oh, yes!" Bang realized the intention of the man and began to hit the last
remaining monster with a bat.
16
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 2 ⦘
Crack! Being hammered so hard, the green monster screamed, twisted, and
crouched in front of a ruthless attack. The three monsters could not even
struggle.
"Thud! Aaaargh! help me!" All kinds of noise, the sound of confusion that
he had never experienced before, knocked on Bang's eardrums, and his
worry disappeared like melting snow.
"Get the baseball bats, gloves, and bags, and follow me."
"Kaaah!" The appearance of the monster with the horrible shriek, far more
ferocious than the cry of the dwarf monster that he had heard so far, did not
allow them any more time.
17
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 3 ⦘
Chapter 3
Chapter 1. At a Large Supermarket, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
The most monstrous part of all was its face. Its blackened fangs, longer than
the fingers of an adult man, and protruding through the thick lips of a very
ugly face, were shining with human blood and gore.
"Urgh!" Of course, the monster was not something that a normal adult male,
now in his forties, who had only exercised playing golf online, would nor‐
mally face and be willing to fight back. It was worth running from!
BoxN ovel.com
Nevertheless, the reason why the middle-aged man, Park Jae-woon, blocked
the monster with the hideous grayish-brown skin, was simple.
"Honey, honey!"
He was standing in front of two women. His wife and daughter were now
shedding tears full of despair and fear behind him. So, he wouldn't run in
front of them.
18
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 3 ⦘
'Damn it, damn it, damn it...!' The moment he ran away, he would lose
something more precious than his life.
That was why he made a resolution to stand against this monster by using
the tennis racket purchased today, as always, for the diet that he had decided
to start on the first of the year.
At this moment, in the monster's eyes, they were just a bit of food to satisfy
its hunger.
"Krrr!" As soon as the imagination of the monster reached the point where
it would fill its mouth with fresh meat, the monster no longer cared. Then,
the monster took a step towards him.
Poof! Poof! He wielded a tennis racket that he had never swung in his life at
the monster.
"Aahhhh!" His cry as he swung the tennis racket, was more like a scream
than a cry.
His frantic attempts did not do the slightest damage to the body of the mon‐
ster. But it didn't mean anything. Thanks to his attempts to attract the atten‐
tion of the monster, Bang Hyun-wook was able to approach the monster
without being seen.
Bam! He hit the monster's head with a bat. His attack was powerful.
"Argh!" He shouted out at the vibration that fed back into his hands.
His hit was strong enough that ordinary people would have fallen over, their
skulls broken.
19
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 3 ⦘
"Kaaah!" However, the monster was not an ordinary person. Its thick neck
did not shake, and its hard skull was not cracked.
The strike just got it angry. So it turned around, opened its mouth wide to
the attack, and screamed.
"Kaaah!" Not just screaming, but the strongest threat it could pose!
'Huh!'
Fear, it was fear! The fear pinched his whole body at once.
'What, what...?' The feeling of an invisible chain tied all over him. He felt
like an invisible hand had grabbed his heart. The eerie feeling stopped him
from moving, and the monster did not hurry as it saw him freeze.
It studied at him with its red eyes, and it saw the characteristics of the ani‐
mal that had attacked it. It was the look of a predator looking at its prey.
'The heck!' He was scared and angry at the same time. 'You fucking mon‐
ster!'
It was scary. But on the contrary, the fact that he would be eaten alive while
being treated like a prey made him angry beyond his fear. The anger stimu‐
lated the power in his body.
The wriggling that started in his body rose like a fountain at once. It passed
through his chest, starting from his stomach, and shook off what was hold‐
ing his heart and immediately rose up his throat and burst out of his mouth.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Just like that, a scream came out of his mouth, a cry that
sounded similar to what the monster had just done a moment ago.
He could feel a weird power in his body, and a strange warmth, similar to
that of coming out of the sauna. His eyes also changed. They were now tin‐
gling, with an odd haze around them.
20
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 3 ⦘
The expression of its eyes changed. They were not the eyes of a predator
looking at its prey, but the eyes of a beast looking at a beast. As a beast was
in front of the beast, the monster was wary now in front of Bang, and it fo‐
cused all its attention on him.
It was at that moment that Kim Tae-hoon moved. He came in behind the
monster who was wary at the threat in front of it. His presence was so faint.
'Huh?' Even Park, who was able to watch Kim approaching the monster, did
not notice his appearance and existence until Kim wrapped its neck three
times with the fishing line, using both hands behind the monster's back. In
addition, Kim's skill at wrapping the monster's neck using fishing line was
also very smooth.
It was by no means a lucky trick. It was a level of skill that could only be
demonstrated by those who had practiced hundreds or thousands of times,
and who had experienced at least a hundred real fights.
The fishing line went taut when Kim, who was wearing baseball gloves,
heaved back.
"Ugh ugh ugh!" The monster began to scratch its neck reflexively, trying to
cut away the binding on its neck. But the fishing line that was digging in
was not easily scratched or cut off with its short nails.
Above all, Kim did not even give a little chance to the monster. He pulled
the line, and with his right foot hit the back of its right knee, and the back of
the hamstring.
The tree-like monster was forced to kneel down after the attack on the ham‐
string, and as soon as the monster put its knee on the floor, He pulled it
back.
"Kuck!" The ceiling came into the eyes of the monster, which made a gag‐
ging sound.
"Do it!" Kim shouted, and the tingling with the haze around the eyes of
Bang disappeared like snow.
21
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 3 ⦘
"Yes!" Bang carried out Kim's order. He took something out of the bag on
his back. It was engine oil! He opened the lid quickly and immediately put
the snout of the engine oil into the monster's mouth.
At that moment, Kim loosened the fishing line that he was yanking back.
The monster, which was struggling to suck in more air to live, inhaled at
that moment. "Kuck!" A mouthful of engine oil!
"Kuck! Kuck! Kuck!" The engine oil was immediately sucked into its stom‐
ach and lungs.
"Kuck!" At that moment it felt a burst of disgust, burning heart, and instinc‐
tive sense of crisis. Of course, its instincts screamed at it to pull it out!
He pulled the line tight again so that the monster could not spit anything
out. He was naturally faithful to his instincts, and the line was tight again,
and it began to tremble as if its power to rebel had disappeared.
That's how time passed. One second piled up and became ten seconds, and
when the time reached a minute, the light vanished from the monster's eyes,
and there was no sign of any further movement.
"I think it's dead now." Bang's hand, which was guarding the monster with a
baseball bat, began to relax.
But even in his words, the tightness of the fishing line that was holding its
neck was not eased.
"Big brother? Big brother? I think it's dead now..." Bang narrowed the dis‐
tance with Kim as if he thought that Kim did not hear his words. Of course,
the distance to the monster also narrowed. Bang sat with his butt on the
floor, and the distance from the sagging monster was narrowed enough to
touch one another when they reached out their arms.
"Kaaah!" It reached out with its hand and grabbed his neck as it screamed
out its last word.
22
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 3 ⦘
"Uhhhhh!" From his mouth, the sound similar to what the monster spit out a
while ago came out.
Fortunately, that was it. The power of its grip on Bang's neck quickly
drained away, and at some point, it was no longer able to threaten anything.
Thirty seconds later, the tautness of the line that had been wrapped around
its neck eased.
Kim, who was now free, said to Bang as he removed the monster, "I judge
whether it's dead or alive, not you."
"Yes, yes!" Bang reflexively replied, rubbing his neck where it had grabbed
him.
However, Kim's eyes were not directed toward Bang. He looked down at
Park, who was shaking while sitting on the floor.
"You're the cleaner now. From now on, your role is a cleaner, dealing with
what falls on the floor. If there's anything on the floor, it's your job to kill it
until it dies." Kim finished speaking and rose from his crouching.
Then he found an escalator heading to the second floor of the large super‐
market...
23
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 4 ⦘
Chapter 4
Chapter 1. At a Large Supermarket, Part III
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
5.
"Argh!" This place where visitors were greeted with various kinds of food,
was now a battlefield filled with screams, monsters, and blood.
BoxN ovel.com
Clang Clang! Four men rushed toward the three Goblins, dwarf monsters
with green skin. The only common feature of the four men, who were all
different in age, attire, and shape, was that they each had a crude spear
made of a knife, curtain rod, and insulated tape. The four men used the long
reach of the spears, to stab the Goblins' bellies and eyes.
"Kieee!" the Goblins screamed, and one of them slipped to the floor and
fell.
As soon as the Goblins fell, a baseball bat suddenly hit its head like an ax.
The baseball bat crushed the Goblin's head like clay, and the Goblin went
limp on the floor, spilling blood from its eyes, nose, and mouth.
24
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 4 ⦘
safe either. The eyeballs had burst like eggs. But the pain and despair never
made it scream. Instant death!
'I am full of energy!' Bang was sure at this moment. 'If I'm in this condition,
I could hit a home run in the Major Leagues!'
The strange power that started from his stomach and flowed to the ends of
his arms was not an illusion. The conviction was charged with courage.
"Come on! Come on!" He cried out loudly as if he hoped all the monsters in
the food corner on the second floor of the basement would find him and
come to him. But there was no monster coming toward him.
Hammer! The last monster on the second basement floor, a monster called
an Orc, with gray-brown skin and nearly two meters tall, was just dead. The
cause of its death was a traffic accident. The fork of a forklift was pierced
through its chest, and stuck in a wall, leaving it hanging there.
Kim Tae-hoon, the perpetrator of the terrible accident, came down from the
forklift, and at the same time he pulled out the smartphone he had in his
pocket.
At that moment, the lights that lit the second floor turned off at the same
time with a bizarre sound.
"What? What?"
During the confusion that followed, the light emitted by the smartphone re‐
vealed Kim's face. His expression was not good.
It was a factor that caused him to turn on another warning light in his head.
-----------
25
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 4 ⦘
6.
The end of a battle was always bleak. There was no cheering. The sense of
relief of being alive took away the power of the whole body, the power to
spit out gossip or even complaints. At the same time, the fatigue that has
not been recognized in the extreme situation was doubled.
Pain also came with fatigue. There was no difference between the one hun‐
dred and two survivors who lived through the death fight against the mon‐
sters on the second floor of the large supermarket. Everyone just sat down
on the floor.
Some of them sat back against the shelves, or simply fell asleep lying on the
floor, stunned. The emergency lights that began to come on as the emer‐
gency generator started to operate prompted them to sleep even faster.
If there was no light at all, they would not fall asleep in fear, but this gentle
light gave them relief.
There was one more elem ent of relief here. Fire shutters! The sense of relief
from the fire shutters that completely blocked all the entrances and exits on
the second basement floor was incredible.
Only one person did not relax. 'The monsters suddenly appeared.'
Kim was not relieved, even the battle was over. On the contrary, now he
was much more nervous than the moment he had first met the dwarf mon‐
ster, which he called a Goblin for his convenience.
In other words, after the battle was over, he began to consider the elem
ents
outside the battle. Now he realized something.
26
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 4 ⦘
'If they had come through the second floor or the first floor, at least I would
have felt them first.' The monsters appeared suddenly. There were two ways
to enter this large supermarket where he was. One way was to come through
the ground floor, and the other way was through the subway station con‐
nected to the second basement floor.
If the monsters came in from outside, those on the first basement floor in
between should have noticed the emergence of the monsters before encoun‐
tering them. But no one noticed them, and even he did not notice them.
'Even though I took a year off, I am on active duty.' If his senses were so
dull that he could not see the monsters coming to the first basement floor
through the ground floor or from the second basement floor, he would have
been retired from active duty.
'It's obvious I didn't see anything... These monsters didn't come from the
road. They came out of nowhere. Monsters appeared without any restric‐
tions on space.
'It is useless to build a wall, and it is useless to hide in a bunker.' The worst
situations that could be assumed in his mind began to pass by quickly.
'It could be worse than the worst.' He felt chills run down his spine as his
imagination took hold.
First of all, his hair was very short and was close to being shaved. His ap‐
pearance was unexpectedly naive, and the big eyes reminded him of deer
eyes. He was fairly big, as he unzipped his jumper. It was a feeling of well-
grown rather than simply overgrown.
When Bang handed the canned coffee in his hands to Kim, Kim noticed that
he did not take off his bloody batting gloves. He put down the coffee that he
27
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 4 ⦘
had received on the floor. He was going to take off his gloves and drink
some coffee.
Bang sat down in front of Kim and said, "Big brother, do you know what's
going on?"
Looking at Bang asking the most curious question, Kim said while taking
off his left-handed gloves, "If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have
been here today."
"Haha, I see." Bang, who laughed awkwardly, gave a long sigh and said
again, "A lot of people died. A lot of -"
"There are a hundred and two survivors." Considering the number of cus‐
tomers who visited this large supermarket at the end of the year, it was not a
small number but a terrible number. Not everyone died, of course; most of
them ran away the moment the incident broke out, through the subway sta‐
tion on the second basement floor, or through countless exits on the ground
floor.
But even considering that, the number of dead people was high. Right now,
the number of people who had been killed on the second floor was as high
as that of the survivors, with more than a hundred dead. It was a huge num‐
ber. Even in a severe accident, it was unusual for more than a hundred peo‐
ple to die.
"They died because they didn't fight." However, Kim did not have a big
question about this terrible fact. Regardless of the number of monsters that
appeared, only a handful of people fought back against monsters until he
took part. Naturally, this was the result. It was like that.
A hundred adult men, armed with a knife or a baseball bat, might be able to
kill a lion even if a few people died. But if they ran away, they would never
kill a lion. Moreover, Goblins and Orcs were not simple beasts.
'They were gathering in groups.' They formed packs and cooperate. They
were like wolves, hyenas, and humans. In addition, the efficiency of herd
28
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 4 ⦘
hunting was great, and the history of none other than the humans who sur‐
vived showed why.
Kim was the main factor why a hundred and two people survived. If it had
not been for him, they wouldn't have been able to kill Goblins or Orcs on
the second basement floor.
"Is that so?" Bang did not understand Kim's words directly, only vaguely. It
was clear that he survived because he fought without running away, and it
was obvious that if Kim had not been there, the damage would have been
even greater.
"Anyway, what will happen in the future? Or should we stay here? This is a
food section, so if we're going to stay here, we can hold on. If the fire shut‐
ter had not kept us on the ground floor ... it would have been terrible."
At Bang's question, Kim took off the gloves in his right hand, instead of an‐
swering. At that moment, he could see a black mark engraved on the back
of his right hand, a mark that reminded him of the sun, as if it were blazing.
29
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 5 ⦘
Chapter 5
Chapter 2. The Mark of an Awakener, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
The second floor of the large supermarket, where a storm of blood and fury
had finally passed, was quiet. The moment the tension was released, the fa‐
tigue came, and in the end, sleep followed. Some people slept without even
knowing it, and some were so tired that they could not sleep, so they drank
themselves unconscious.
By the time the large supermarket was filled with the sounds of sleeping
people, Kim Tae-hoon was enjoying his coffee and the farthest from sleep.
Savoring his coffee was really good. He breathed slowly through his nose
after filling his mouth with lukewarm coffee, and he was different from
those who simply drank coffee for the caffeine. It was his only hobby.
He always drank coffee before and after a fight. He prepared for the battle
or organized the battle drinking coffee. It was not different now.
BoxN ovel.com
'Eight people, including survivors and dead, had a mark similar to that on
my hand.' He immediately found those who had the same marks as himself
after confirming the mark on his hand. He checked the back of their hands
with a glance.
Including him, there was a total of nine: five men and four women, not
found on young children, or on the elderly. Of course, there were not many
things that could be sure, as there were still few samples.
30
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 5 ⦘
'Some of them, not all of them, and the marks of Bang Hyun-wook's and my
own are similar, but not the same.' This mark seemed to be as individual as
fingerprints.
'If it's like a fingerprint, it's a mark that represents individual characteris‐
tics... But why does it happen to only some people, not all of them? Or is it
an ominous sign? Is it an augmentation or a disease?'
It was Bang who solved the worries of Kim. Now, as if his body was cold,
he wrapped up in his baseball jumper again, approached Kim cautiously,
tapping his right hand with his left, and said, "Big brother, I've got a pic‐
ture!"
"What?"
"This is the stats, our stats!" Bang showed Kim a picture taken with his
smartphone camera. The photo, which was taken with a screen-filled close-
up of his hand, was accompanied by translucent characters that he had not
seen before.
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 16
-- Health: 13
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: D Rank
-- Defense: F Rank
[Achieved Abilities]
-- None
31
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 5 ⦘
Snap! He took a shot of his hand with the camera, and immediately checked
the picture.
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 19
-- Health: 21
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: F Rank
-- Mana: F Rank
-- Telekinesis: A Rank
-- Defense: F Rank
[Achieved Abilities]
-- None
Bang, who confirmed Kim's ability, looked surprised. "Big brother, are you
a psychic? The level of the rank is different. A rank is the best rank, right?"
'It's like a game system.' It was not hard to understand. It was a system of
abilities that anyone could see in the game. The meaning of Strength and
Health was not worth worrying about.
What he had to worry about was energy and Telekinesis, which were two
kinds of abilities classified as special abilities.
32
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 5 ⦘
'Is Energy like the chi of martial arts novels?' Given the circumstances, En‐
ergy was likely to be the same as the chi in martial arts novels.
Mana was not different. It would be the fuel needed to use Magic, or some‐
thing like that.
Telekinesis was the easiest to understand. It was the most easily recognized
psychic ability of novels, movies, and comics to the public.
The problem was that he now had such an ability showing on his hand. He
was able to make something clear.
'I've never had Telekinesis at A rank. I can't even guess what it is, or how
powerful it is. Of course, it is a new ability.'
At the same time, as the world changed, monsters appeared, and humans
sought to change to fight against them.
To sum up, the mark on the back of his hand was a sign indicating those
who succeeded in changing to adapt to the monster era.
It was not wrong at this time to say such a thing would sound ridiculous,
impossible. But as soon as the monsters appeared, existing reason and prov‐
idence were instantly invalid. Therefore, he ruled out the old reality. He
abandoned the values of being 'realistic'. What mattered was whether the
ability was real or not.
And...
33
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 5 ⦘
"I... might have used it." And Bang already knew how to use this mysteri‐
ous Energy.
Frack! Bang cut it in half! Not a bad grip, mused Kim. Bang, who showed
off his wonderful grip, looked at Kim after dropping the split apple on the
floor. Kim threw the apple he had just received. Bang grabbed the apple
with his right hand in the air like a baseball player and grabbed the apple as
it was.
Smash! Bang's hand began to crush the apple like a paper ball.
"I thought it was an illusion at first, but I had a clear hand mark on the han‐
dle of my baseball bat, and I felt it. It's not an illusion, it's like the ability of
a real hero."
However, unlike Bang's explanation, the size of the power Kim felt in his
stomach was more like a loach than an eel.
'I guess it's the difference in the rank of ability...' Bang's Energy rank was D,
while Kim's Energy rank was F. So, of course, there was a difference!
34
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 5 ⦘
At that moment, Kim's eyes turned to a piece of apple that Bang had split in
half a little while ago.
Telekinesis.
Everyone might have had the experience during their young school days:
the experience of spending a lot of time thinking about moving something
while looking at it with the idea that he might have some kind of telekine‐
sis.
But now, Kim did something embarrassing even at a young age. He looked
at the apple and thought about moving it. He tried to move the apple and
wanted to crush it.
Smash! The apple began to crumble like tissue paper. The apple was
crushed to the size of a table tennis ball. His eyes grew wide. His expres‐
sion was more surprised than anything that had happened in the last ten
years of his life.
"Huh!" It was amazing. It was so surprising. His heart was pounding at this
nonsense.
'Just thinking, just by thought, I grabbed the apple with the intent to crush
it, and I mashed it down to the size of a ping pong ball. This power... this is
dangerous.'
He was not drunk. He has learned through his life that when he was drunk,
he couldn't think straight.
He was annoyed to find a more important thing while ignoring his excite‐
ment and soon found it. 'The important thing is... finding a way to raise the
figures and rankings of my abilities.'
35
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 5 ⦘
Many hypotheses came to his mind. He came up with a way to test the hy‐
potheses right away. 'One of the biggest features of games is that when I
fight a monster, I get experience value and items.'
In his eyes, the dead bodies of the monsters came in. He got up from his
seat.
"Bang Hyun-wook."
"Yes."
"Yes?"
Bang blinked his big deer-like eyes at the unexpected command. 'You want
me to follow you with the monster body? Why do I have to handle that
hard, annoying, bloody thing?'
But his embarrassment was short. Since their first meeting, he did not have
the will to ask why Kim ordered things. At least here, he did not have any
doubts about Kim's orders.
"Well, isn't it heavy? How can I carry it?" There was only one thing to think
about, but he needed to know what the difficulties were when he tried to ex‐
ecute Kim's command.
Kim turned his head before answering and looked around. What he should
do from now on was not something that could be done in front of everyone.
But it was necessary to have specialized tools. Fortunately, there was some‐
thing he needed on the second floor of the large-scale mart. His eyes
stopped right there.
36
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 5 ⦘
"Yes?"
37
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 6 ⦘
Chapter 6
Chapter 2. The Mark of an Awakener, Part II Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
2.
The monsters appeared at 4 p.m. and a fierce battle for survival began. The
battle was over at 5 p.m., and the survivors were sleeping due to the fatigue
and pain they were suffering.
At 10 p.m...
"Ugh ..."
BoxN ovel.com
The survivors began to open their eyes, one by one. It was not, of course,
that their eyes were open in a good or restful mood.
For the first time in their life, they had fought a life-or-death battle. But the
fatigue caused by the battle could not be released by only three or four
hours of sleeping all curled up, consumed and struggling to survive in the
gap between life and death. Nevertheless, they woke up because they
reached their limits.
"Why the hell are our smartphones not working? Why are we like this? We
pay the monthly fee for communication!"
The worries and concerns about their current situation interfered with sleep‐
ing anymore, and as always, their disturbances woke up those still trying to
38
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 6 ⦘
sleep.
"What?"
The starting point of the disturbance was in front of the fire shutter that
blocked the escalator down to the first floor. There were four men in front
of the fire shutter. Park Jae-woon was frightened and shouted at the men, at
a similar age. The four people who seemed to be friends were alert to their
surroundings and trying to lift the fire shutter.
"What are you doing, you idiots? What if there is a monster there?"
Park's reaction was intense. To him, the first floor was hell. It was mere
hours ago that he had experienced a desperate thing that would be a trauma
for the rest of his life. In fact, he was worried and concerned while looking
at the fire shutters blocking off the first floor whenever he was awake. He
was worried that monsters would appear through the fire shutters, threaten
his wife and daughter again, and whether he should stop them again.
His cry to stop them was full of sincerity. Naturally, the cry caught the at‐
tention of the crowd.
One or two, who were still tired, walked to a place where they could see the
fire shutters. The disturbed atmosphere began to spread across the floor.
"Aw, fuck ..." One of the four men, who caught the mood, hurled a curse.
39
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 6 ⦘
"What are you looking at? What are you looking at?" The others showed a
very nervous and sharp reaction towards the gaze of the crowd.
"Eh...?"
"An iPad?"
There were a lot of unwrapped Apple products in plastic bags around the
four of them.
Theft! During all this chaos, the four of them were going to run away with
the most expensive things here. They were caught stealing, and their reac‐
tion was not subtle.
"Hey!"
Eventually, one of them, the biggest and most bulky man, strode toward
Park. Without any warning, he pushed both of his shoulders strongly.
"Ouch!" Park could not withstand the brute force and fell back.
"Honey!" His wife screamed at her husband falling down, and her daughter,
who was sleeping in her arms, began to rub her eyes with her small hands at
the disturbance.
"What's wrong with-" Park, who fell, rose up straight to try conversation.
But as soon as he got up, the big man pushed Park once again. Harder than
before. Harder than a push, so hard that calling it a slap was more appropri‐
ate.
"Huh!"
40
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 6 ⦘
"It's a fight."
The four men glared around in the harsh atmosphere. Their eyes glistened
with murderous spirit. They were not bluffing. They had seen blood, and
not once or twice. They had stabbed a living monster with a knife, chopped
down a lump of flesh with an ax, and swung a baseball bat to break a mon‐
ster's skull. It was enough for a person to learn the murderous spirit.
"It's really fucked. Don't you take off your eyes from us?"
Of course, none of the people in the crowd who were overwhelmed by that
look could say "Stealing is wrong!" to them "What the fuck are you talking
about, man?" In front of the calmed crowd, the four's murderous spirit and
hostility naturally shot toward Park and his family.
"...I'm sorry."
As soon as the spectators became the audience, the four men began to burn
like angry fires. It was a hunch. They were predators here, on the second
41
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 6 ⦘
floor, a closed space. What they saw around them was not something that
could threaten them, but something they could trample on.
Whack! When Park was about to get up, a man with a slim figure behind
him kicked him like a soccer ball.
"Argh!" Park tried to get up, but he fell back to the floor with a scream.
"Daddy!" His daughter, who had finally opened her eyes, gave the biggest
scream that she could from her young throat. "Daddy!"
One of the men saw Park's daughter and wife, smiled and headed toward
the woman, a knife flashing in his hand.
"Oh, no! No." Park, who fell on the floor, saw that and threw himself to‐
ward the man approaching his wife and daughter. He threw himself forward
and clung to the man's left leg.
"Er? Er?" Suddenly, the man who saw Park clinging to his leg was scared.
Park's actions were the only desperate thing he could do, but the guy was
different.
"Get off me! Get off me! Kill him!" It was more than a threat to himself. He
had seen a lot already, how easily a human died. Of course, the remaining
three people, except the man who was holding the leg, set out to take off
Park.
"Huck, huck!" Every time they did that, a harsh breath came out of Park's
mouth.
"What do we do?"
42
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 6 ⦘
The crowd just watched the process with the frightened, disgusting expres‐
sion.
"Dad! Dad!"
In such a situation, Park's wife covered her crying daughter's face with her
body, in order not to show something she did not want her daughter to see.
Terrible things started to fill the second floor and the horror was no differ‐
ent from when the monsters around.
Finally, a woman came out. A woman wearing a thick jumper, with impres‐
sive freckles around her nose, shouted out with a loud voice.
"Oh, someone else?" One of the men looked at the woman with a grim ex‐
pression.
The woman, without fear of him, shouted with malice in her eyes, "If you're
going to steal, be quiet and take off like a thief! Don't bother someone who
isn't worth it!"
At the cry of the woman, one of the men, spitting on the floor, strode to‐
ward her.
The woman put her right hand on a knife, a hand engraved with a mark.
"Uh? Uh!" The man stopped walking. The other three also stopped.
There was a strong reaction, but no violent action was taken. They'd already
experienced how threatening a knife was. There was plenty of evidence.
The blood stains around them, the pools of blood, all were evidence of the
danger of a blade.
43
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 6 ⦘
"The four of you, if you move, I will kill you." The man who appeared in a
bloody plastic apron took care of all the monsters.
44
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 7 ⦘
Chapter 7
Chapter 2. The Mark of an Awakener, Part III
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
"If you move, I'll kill you." After the warning, Kim Tae-hoon slowly took
off his plastic apron. The green blood on the apron, dripping as it hit the
floor, sounded creepier than ever.
"Big brother!" Bang Hyun-wook showed up after Kim dropped the apron he
had taken off on the floor. When Bang appeared, the surrounding area of
people, again grew silent. But this silence was different from the time the
previous time. There was a sense of pressure incomparable to before.
BoxN ovel.com
"'He is the monster..." The four men were not free from this pressure. They
froze as they saw Kim, and they remembered what he had done.
"What do we do?"
"If it hadn't been for that damned bastard, we'd have fled..."
Kim had appeared when they had been struggling and shouting against an
Orc on the second floor, and he had killed the Orc with the ax he was hold‐
ing. Quickly he had sprinkled something on the Orc's eyeballs after splitting
its head with an ax, and then had poured lighter oil on the head of the Orc,
which was rubbing its dark eyes with a shrill cry, and then had lit it.
45
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 7 ⦘
The four were sure of one thing, things were going from bad to worse.
'What do we do?"
"Kill me? Kill me!? Kill me, you bastard!?" Unlike his colleagues, the big
man revealed his hostility to Kim. It was proof that he was quite a strong
man, with fighting spirit and courage.
However, Kim did not hesitate. He used his Telekinesis to grab the neck of
the big man and then lifted the man up. A scene that could not be under‐
stood by normal reason unfolded.
"Huck!" "What, what? What!" "Go..., ghost?" The three remaining men,
stunned, sat down on the floor in horror, knowing their friend had become a
victim.
Kim lifted the man up three meters high and then released his Telekinesis.
There was a gruesome sound, like a corpse falling to the floor.
The silence spread again, and now beyond the harshness and the pressure
was horror. Everyone looked at Kim with a deathbed face, and he looked at
the remaining three people before the eyes of the crowd.
"From now on, the four of you have no right to speak in anything. If you
have a complaint, spit it out, right here, right now."
Kim did not give them any more attention. Kim confirmed that Park Jae-
woon was with his family, and Kim turned to the watch on his left wrist.
After checking the time, he said quietly to everyone, "It's 22:33, but I'm go‐
ing to start reporting on the current situation from now on."
46
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 7 ⦘
4.
He took a sip of canned coffee. His tasting was not brief, but no one asked
him or complained about it. He resumed speaking after savoring coffee to
the end calmly.
"Based on the circumstances, we are in a bad situation, and this area is not
as safe as we think."
It had been about seven hours since the monster raid. The heat of the battle
was now sufficiently turned off, and instead, there were only the aftereffects
of the battle.
Naturally, the survivors did not want to do anything anymore. They just
wanted to wait here until the rescue team or the army came to their safe
place and rescued them. By the common sense of these people, the second
floor of the large mart was safer than anywhere else.
This was mainly because of the fire shutters, making it impossible for out‐
siders to come in without warning, and the food was very abundant, with
enough food and drinking water to last the survivors half a year.
The main problem was that there was limited space for washing their body
or urinating, but it was not reasonable to seriously worry about that problem
in a world where monsters were going crazy.
However, Kim said that the space which everyone judged safe... was dan‐
gerous! "Once the incident occurred, not one outsider, including the rescue
team, has come here, even though it had been more than six hours."
47
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 7 ⦘
At the end of his last words, three men who kept their mouths shut trem‐
bled.
He once again enjoyed his coffee. Again, a short time of savoring passed,
and the crowd began to get anxious during that time.
"He's right if it had been really safe . . . I'm sure someone would have come
here."
"Yes, if it had been safe ... I'd have come here already to get a drink."
At the end of the thought, the moment everyone realized that his words
were not wrong, everyone's face was white. The air grew tense. He con‐
firmed the tension and swallowed his coffee.
"And the situation is quite different from what we have seen or have as‐
sumed."
He showed the back of his right hand to everyone with his words. The
crowd opened their eyes wide at seeing the mark of the burning sun.
"With the appearance of the monster, some of you have a similar mark on
your right hand."
People reflexively checked the back of their hands. The minority was sur‐
prised.
The woman with freckles on her face asked about it; she was the woman
who came out to save Park Jae-woon. She had a mark on the back of her
hand.
48
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 7 ⦘
"An Awakener?"
"I couldn't think of any other expressions, so I'm saying it, and I'm sure the
people with these marks have a mysterious ability."
He did not show what his mysterious ability was. He didn't have to. It didn't
have to be. It was enough to explain, and he looked at the big man laying on
the floor like a dead man.
"There are three major types of abilities, and it's simple to raise your Stats.
You just cut out the heart of a monster, acquire a jewel in it, and then eat it
as it is."
With that word, he held out his palm. As if waiting, Bang also quickly
pulled out a thumbnail-sized red jewel from his pocket and put it on Kim's
palm. Kim put the jewel in his mouth and swallowed it. Everyone stared at
him.
The crowd looked blank at his explanation. It was not a realistic story.
However, Kim continued his explanation without any concern.
"Note that the jewel obtained from a monster can also be valued by taking a
smartphone photo."
Kim pulled out his smartphone and showed the picture he had taken. The
close-up of the red jewel he had eaten a while ago showed clear characters
that were not seen before the jewel was taken a picture.
[Crystal of Orc]
49
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 7 ⦘
"This is all the information I have now." The information Kim prepared af‐
ter butchering the monster bodies in the meat department was not easy to
get.
"This is all I have now, from dissecting of the monster's body after the bat‐
tle with the monster." It was not easy to butcher dozens of monster bodies!
The public would not be able to butcher a monster even if they were given a
day. It was valuable information that only Kim and Bang knew about. Kim
told everyone what he had learned.
In fact, the crowd was grateful to him, but at the same time, some doubted
his intention. "Why are you telling us this?"
They gave him thanks, but Kim did not have the obligation to inform others
about this.
There was not one person who had known Kim for more than a day, but ev‐
eryone could assert that he was not a human being full of sacrifice and ser‐
vice spirit. He was never that kind of person. And it was true. He did not
tell them to show off his kindness and generous spirit.
"The world has changed, and monsters have emerged. If Awakeners are to
fight the monsters, it means it's not a one-time, single event." He had real‐
ized that before anyone else.
"If you want to survive this unspecified change, you must be selfish, and
wisely selfish."
From now on, mankind must fight the monsters. In such a situation, it was
meaningless and worthless to monopolize this basic information. The more
survivors, the more favorable it was for him.
Most of the adult Korean men who survived had experienced military ser‐
vice. It would not be impressive giving them an ax or a knife, but if he
could give them a gun, the story would be different.
50
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 7 ⦘
"The price has already been paid because we ate all the monster stones."
Most of all, he had already collected the information fee. He shared the
monster stones from the hearts of the monsters with Bang. They ate them
all, so there would be no fee for the information. It was a kind of give and
take.
"Do you have any complaints?" All of the giving and receiving was done
under the unilateral leadership of Kim.
"The last thing I know is that this is an unproven hypothes is, but the mon‐
sters appeared without any space constraints as if they came out of
nowhere. The reason for this hypothes is is..."
He stopped talking, and his eyes changed. While everyone was opening
their eyes wide at the change in him, he threw back the coffee in his hand.
He immediately shouted after injecting caffeine into his stomach, not even
tasting it, "Get away from those doors!"
Bang! As soon as he cried out, the fire shutters, which were blocking be‐
tween the second and the first floors, exploded like bombs.
"Kaaaah!" Beyond the fire shutters that had been blown away, a fierce cry
that could not be compared with anything earlier burst out. Soon after, the
owner of the fierce cry appeared.
"Oh, my god..." It was an Orc, over two meters tall and black skin!
51
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 8 ⦘
Chapter 8
Chapter 3. The First Hunter, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
Kim Tae-hoon obtained a lot of information from the monster's bodies, and
he gave the survivors the information he had obtained. But he didn't give
them all the information. There was something he hadn't told the other sur‐
vivors. It was that he had tested his own telekinetic ability against the mon‐
ster bodies he had dissected!
The power of Telekinesis he wielded was not limited to the level of being
able to lift a big man up by the neck. If he had really wanted to kill the man,
he could have twisted his neck 180 degrees on the spot. Now he showed
this as an act, not just words.
Bang! The Black Orc, which was moving to slaughter the survivors merci‐
lessly, was suddenly slammed back into the wall. The wall was cracked, and
broken debris fell to the floor.
BoxN ovel.com
"Ahhhh!" It was a tremendous power, and those who heard the bang sound
screamed out without thinking about it.
"Krrrrrr!" But the Black Orc, which became a victim of its power, was not
very alarmed. Rather, its orange eyes were staring at the one who had at‐
tacked it.
The rest of the countless survivors, at this moment, were trying to escape to
the first floor in a mob.
52
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 8 ⦘
As soon as the image, the imagination, the scene of painting, his focus was
lost, his Telekinesis would disappear.
"Kaaaaaaah!" The Black Orc was screaming, even as it was struggling free
of the wall. The shriek spread quickly, making everyone around it freeze.
"Huck!" Some of the elderly fell to the floor, clutching their chests.
Even Kim was not safe in front of the fearsome warcry of the Black Orc.
'Shit.' Kim's head, stomach, and heart were paralyzed. His focus stopped in
front of the cold fear. And, of course, his mental image disappeared.
However, Kim did not avoid its rush. "Hoo!" As the distance narrowed, he
focused his mind on the situation he was in, frozen in front of the Black Orc
approaching like a train on a railway.
He drew it again in his mind. 'If I can't stop it, I'll catch it!' He imagined
four invisible chains made of Telekinesis, pulling as hard as they could on
the Black Orc's arms and legs. As soon as he pictured it, its rush began to
slow down. In the end, it stopped.
53
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 8 ⦘
It wasn't just a stop. It was like it was straining against the force of the
pulling, trying to prevent its body from being pulled apart.
"Krrrrrrrr!" a cry for strength and endurance erupted out of its mouth, and
its teeth ground together savagely.
From Kim's mouth, a grunt of the will to hold such a monster somehow
came out, and the sound of gritting his teeth.
It was Bang Hyun-wook who moved in the situation. Bang, who was be‐
hind Kim, regained his freedom faster than anyone else in the face of the
Black Orc's fear. Energy! It was due to the power wriggling in his stomach.
Now he narrowed the distance with it by using this full force to shatter its
head.
'Huh?' The Black Orc was so strong! Its body was strong, and his power
was also strong. The problem was that he did not realize it. His attack was
powerful enough to get its anger and attention.
"Kaaaaaah!" At that moment, it threw up the fearsome warcry again with all
its might, but not toward Bang!
'Oh, my god!' It was aimed at Kim since it recognized that his power was
interrupted by its shout before.
"Get out!" As soon as his power weakened in front of its fear, Kim immedi‐
ately warned Bang.
Bam! However, by the time Kim's warning came to Bang's ear, its fist had
already struck Bang's chest.
"Huck!" Bang backed to Kim behind him, without even being able to
breathe. The two of them were tangled together and fell to the floor!
54
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 8 ⦘
'Damn it!' So he should have done it. Regardless of the others, he should
have prepared for a situation where stronger monsters could suddenly ap‐
pear without warning, without a sign.
"Kaaaaah!" The only good luck for him was that the Black Orc was now
confident of its victory and seemed to be relaxing. It shouted with joy at the
fact that it had finished off the man who had hurt it with its fists.
If he had been in the position of the Black Orc, it would surely have killed
him. He did not want to miss the chance. Also, he did not intend to repeat
the same mistake.
'Shut up.' First of all, he shut the mouth of the Black Orc. This time he drew
a picture that he tied its neck with a huge chain, and he pulled it back.
And its body lurched backward. It gasped, but it didn't fall back. It stopped
itself from being dragged back by giving strength to its legs, belly, waist,
and neck. It endured and stared at him with orange eyes. It tried to open its
mouth. Its snout began to twitch unceasingly.
At the same time, the sound of Kim gnashing his teeth began to grow. At
this moment, he wanted to shout, "Anybody, bring a forklift and stick into
that monster's body!"
'Damn it.' But he could not open his mouth. He knew that as soon as he
opened his mouth, his power would be released, and the Black Orc would
55
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 8 ⦘
use the chance to finish him completely this time. So, he expected only one
thing.
56
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 9 ⦘
Chapter 9
Chapter 3. The First Hunter, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
2.
When the Black Orc's fist hit Bang Hyun-wook's chest, he did not feel pain,
because his heart stopped.
It was the Energy from his belly that moved his stopped heart. It thought of
its owner more than any other power, and without hesitation, it ran toward
his stopped heart. And it knocked on the heart. The Energy revived his
stopped heart.
"Kuh-huck!" He was then able to feel the mysterious pain and fear. But the
Energy did not stop there. It knocked on his heart again and again to make
his heart beat harder! Under the repeated beat of such Energy, his heart be‐
gan to pump blood like crazy.
BoxN ovel.com
Ow! It was like someone forced a hand into his heart and squeezed out
blood, or like someone had brought a hot stone into where his heart should
be.
The hot blood quickly circulated around his body. Her head was going to
burst, the nails on his hands and feet were going to fly off like bullets, and
his eyes were already red.
"Ow..."
57
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 9 ⦘
The bloody battle between Kim Tae-hoon and the Black Orc that welcomed
Bang Hyun-wook back. It was a sight that would make him numb all over.
The battle was quieter than any other bloody battle, and gentle. It was a bat‐
tle of the lasting against the lasting; it should be expressed like that. Kim
and the Black Orc were unable to move.
The sounds they were making were also trivial. The sound of hot breath
came out of the Black Orc's mouth instead of the scream, and only the
sound of teeth cracking came out of Kim's tight lips. Both sounds were
buried in all kinds of noises from those who ran away frantically.
If someone who did not know the situation had seen it, he would have
thought of it as a show. If a game addict had seen it, he would have thought
the same thing: the screen stopped during gameplay, or it was lagging.
But Bang, who experienced all of this situation more closely than anyone
else, knew that this was not a show or a game screen lagging.
His Telekinesis was powerful, but there were also weaknesses. The biggest
weakness was that it could not affect the inside of a monster. Although he
could exert Telekinesis outside, he could not exert Telekinesis inside of a
monster. If he had been able to do it, he would have burst the heart or brain
of the Black Orc without difficulty.
How long could Kim hold on to such a terrible Black Orc? Maybe three
minutes?
58
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 9 ⦘
'What do I do?' And for Bang, the three minutes were all the time he could
think how to live or die. Within three minutes, he had to get an answer.
'Do I have to run away? Do I have to fight for my life, or do I have to run
away to save my life?'
His survival instinct urged him to choose the latter. It said that the living
person should live.
'Mom, Dad...' His survival instincts painted his parents' faces in his mind to
convince him to run away: the faces of the parents who had suffered all
kinds of hardships with the intention of making their child a baseball player.
'Damn it, but...' Of course, if it had been for Kim, he would not have been
worried about it now. Bang did not make any choice or decision right away.
No, he could not.
"Hold on!" At that time, a beautiful woman, Ahn Sun-mi, with freckles
around her nose, appeared. "We have to run away!"
Having regained her freedom from the fear of the Black Orc a while ago,
she once again demonstrated the courage she had shown when Park Jae-
woon had been hit by four thieves. As everyone tried to escape from the
Black Orc as soon as possible, she came to save Bang, and she started run‐
ning after catching his left hand with her right hand engraved with the mark
of an Awakener. He was not able to resist and started running with her hand.
"No, wait!" He rejected her hand in front of the fire shutter that the Black
Orc had broken. It was a boundary line. If he moved onto the escalator be‐
yond the fire shutter, he would be able to escape to the first level and then to
the ground floor.
And if he ran away, he would not come back. The moment he stepped on
the first floor, he would not step on the second floor again. At the same
time, he would not see Kim's face again.
Bang looked back at the silent battle of the Black Orc and Kim.
59
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 9 ⦘
Ahn Sun-mi, seeing his face, shouted, "We can't kill it! We have to run
away!"
"Fuck!" Bang also shouted, not for her, but for himself.
'I want to live. I want to live and see my parents' faces, and I want to protect
my parents in a world where I do not know how to go back.'
However, it was true that Kim had saved his life before. His father told him,
"At least, don't live cowardly."
'What do I do?'
At this moment, he remembered the scene that Kim had come up and saved
himself: a paint spray to make the monster blind, the ability to kill it with
fishing line, and the ability to use engine oil to poison it.
"What?"
"Cooking oil!"
3.
60
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 9 ⦘
When Ahn Sun-mi grabbed Bang's wrist and ran to the escalator to the first
floor, Kim bit his teeth harder. He felt like the pillars that he could lean on
in this desperate situation had disappeared like a mirage. But he didn't
blame them.
Humans live to live. Bang's decision was a choice to live on, and at least
Kim did not have the right to blame him, because he has also made many
terrible choices to live.
'If I only make an opportunity, if I can only make an opportunity for them to
escape...' Above all, he knew better than anyone else that resentment at this
moment was not helpful to himself.
'I have to find a way before I lose my power.' He clearly felt his power
weakening. Especially, his physical health, mental strength, and concentra‐
tion were consumed more than anything else.
'Or maybe my body will burst.' Telekinesis required much more physical
health and concentration than he had thought. If the water stream was too
strong, the waterspout would be destroyed. Like that, if he used the power‐
ful Telekinesis, his body would be destroyed since it was still only a hu‐
man-level trained body.
The fatigue that he felt now was terrible. Because he had been trained as a
soldier, he could endure. He was a man who could struggle at the crossroads
of life and death.
'I would drink a cup of coffee before I die... I can't ask the monster for that
kind of consideration.'
In his mind, the image of the death was drawn. And the moment he was
weak...
61
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 9 ⦘
"Keeeeee!" A low but clear cry began to leak from the Black Orc's mouth.
Thump! Its feet also began to move. It was as slow as walking on the moon,
but it took a step at last. 'Shit.'
It started to overcome his Telekinesis, and its orange eyes were shining. It
spoke with its eyes, 'Man, I'm going to chew your head off alive.'
The first Goblins and Orcs he had encountered were just fierce. They were
overwhelmed by hunger because they were faithful to their instincts. That
was why the small Goblins showed their teeth without hesitation to people
larger than them.
But the Black Orc was different now. It was not ignorant, and it knew how
to hunt. It did not just destroy and struggle instinctively. Of course, it wasn't
the only one.
'Now this world would be full of these monsters... It is just the beginning.
There will be some monsters like it, some monsters that are much more
powerful than the Black Orc, with terrible abilities.' He was sure of this.
'We need a proper hunter to kill these monsters; not one, but a group of
hunters... In the era of monsters that start from now on, mankind does not
need only weapons to survive. We need hunters with knowledge, ability,
and experience to fight monsters. Of course, the worries about this part are
the ones that must be done after surviving.'
He forced his thinking to turn. He looked at the present, not the future.
At that moment, an unsuitable sound broke out in the stillness of the blood.
Clank!
62
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 9 ⦘
'That's...?' The source of the sound was a huge can that hit the Black Orc's
head.
'Cooking oil?' It was a big yellow can, an 18-liter can of cooking oil!
"Big brother!" After the jaunty sound of such a can of cooking oil knocking
on the Black Orc's head, Bang's voice was heard.
Kim did not need any more explanation. He immediately changed the pic‐
ture in front of his eyes. He turned the chain around the Black Orc's neck,
which had been pulling it back, 180 degrees, in his own direction. At the
same time, he tied his own body with a chain of Telekinesis and pulled it to
the right.
Thump, thump, thump! In a sudden change, the body of the Black Orc
rushed toward him at the explosive speed.
His body, flying to the right as if hit by a car, was able to avoid the rush in a
breathtaking move.
"Kaaaah!" The Black Orc, which had finally opened its mouth, screamed
during its unceasing sprint, and it stopped only after it had broken five
shelves.
"Krrr!" The Black Orc, who took an instant posture, immediately followed
Kim with its eyes, and it was running toward Bang and Ahn. There was no
hesitation.
"Watch out for the cooking oil!" Just as Kim was warned by Bang, he
slipped on the floor, which had become a sea of cooking oil. At the same
time, he reached out his hands for the ceiling.
63
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 9 ⦘
Just like a spider-man, the hero from Marvel Comics, who fired a web with
his wrist, Kim used his Telekinesis to create an invisible line between the
ceiling and his arm.
He stopped slipping using the line, and said to Bang and Ahn who looked at
him in surprise, "Go!"
At the repeated question, Kim looked at the Black Orc, who had just run
back near them. He looked at it again and reached out his hands, painting a
picture. It was a picture connecting a big line to its two legs. He waited for
the moment it put its huge foot down on the cooking oil!
Thud!
As it stepped on the cooking oil, he began to slip backwards, grabbed its leg
and pulled it the other way. There were many bangs as it broke down the
display stands, and it past him out of sight.
"Keee? Keee? Keee?" In this unexplained situation that it had not experi‐
enced in its life, it cried out in confusion instead of shrieking.
Kim started to run on the escalator, leaving behind the embarrassed cries
coming from the Black Orc. Bang and Ahn followed him. They quickly
headed to the first floor. When they started for the ground floor, Bang
asked, "Big brother, are you going to run away?"
It was more of a plea than a question. 'Please let's run away like this.'
"Kaaaah!" The cry of the Black Orc shook the escalator to the first floor.
64
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 9 ⦘
However, Kim's eyes were not on Bang, but on Ahn Sun-mi. "Do you have
a driver's license?"
She managed to answer, and Kim said, "We are going to steal a car out‐
side."
65
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 10 ⦘
Chapter 10
Chapter 3. The First Hunter, Part III
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
The streets of the night in Bucheon City, just before 2017, were terribly
quiet.
The wide ten-lane road, which crossed in front of Bucheon City Hall, was
filled with vehicles that had hit one another. It looked like dozens of cen‐
tipedes made of cars were on the huge road.
BoxN ovel.com
There were lots of dead bodies. The bodies in the deflated airbags were in
better shape. The scene of a dead body that had been crushed on the ground
as it came out through the glass of a car as it had collided was terrible. But
even that was no match for the dead bodies bitten by monsters that could
not be identified. It was Hell.
13 degrees Celsius, thanks to the cold of the New Year, was preventing the
dead bodies from rotting.
But one thing was clear: December 31, 2016, would be recorded as the most
horrible day in Korean history!
"Krrr!" On that terrible day, the Black Orc came out of the large mart and
onto the road that had become a mess, looking all around wildly.
66
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 10 ⦘
There was no light left on the street, and only the lights of the cars that were
still on sparsely were able to follow the Black Orc with its dark skin in the
night. Nevertheless, the Black Orc was so intense that even the blind could
feel its presence. The fierce, murderous will and hostility in its orange eyes
were not something anyone could ignore.
The Black Orc gave off such a presence and stared at Kim Tae-hoon, who
stood in a spacious area that luckily existed on the road. It only stared at
him.
It was evidence of intelligence. It had not forgotten that he was not alone. It
knew there were other people around him.
Of course, for the Black Orc, those factors were not real threats, although
they were something to be wary of. The previous fight had already proved
that.
Kim was the only one who tried something against the Black Orc in the first
place, and as a result, even he only caught the attention of the Black Orc but
did not give it a fatal blow. In other words, if it finished him, everything
would be over!
Without him, the Black Orc could pick and choose to eat those who had not
yet escaped from the second floor, and those who have fled, but were still
hiding in the first floor, without any interruption.
At this moment the Black Orc imagined filling its stomach with hot blood,
there in the cold that made its strong flesh sting, and it was no longer hesi‐
tant after thinking all that. It stepped again toward him.
Thump! He once again used his Telekinesis against the Black Orc. He tried
to lift its moving body. But...
Thump! The Black Orc blew away his attempt to crush its body with a flex‐
ing of muscle.
67
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 10 ⦘
There was no way to stop the Black Orc from increasing its power, as his
Telekinesis had weakened. His concentration, physical health, and mental
strength had bottomed out. Most importantly, he could not draw an image, a
picture of his own Telekinesis completely overpowering the Black Orc.
"Krrr, krrr!" The fact made the Black Orc laugh, and it was not just a laugh,
but ridicule. It was also a sound of conviction. It was confident that he
could no longer stop itself, and that all he could do was slow itself for a few
seconds at best.
Therefore, the Black Orc once again enjoyed the experience when his
Telekinesis wrapped around it and stopped it from moving. Instead of trying
to overcome the Telekinesis, it looked at him with its ridiculing gaze.
'The clever are usually mean.' He looked at it, and he knew that it would be
careless, with its eyes of a triumphant air in front of a troublemaker who
was weakened.
"Krrr?" At that moment the Black Orc felt something strange in its eyes. On
its left side, the sound of something shattering in the darkness on the road
was heard. With that noise, a black car appeared.
The long black car was the Benz S class, worth over a hundred thousand
dollars, and it charged the Black Orc of similar size and color, with the
force of two hundred and fifty horses under the hood.
The Black Orc could not avoid the sudden rush of the car, as he had caught
itself for a few seconds. A gruesome crunch sounded as if two cars had
slammed together.
The horrible shriek of the Black Orc once more covered the dark road. The
scream was not just a struggle for pain.
It was the sound of the Black Orc, withstanding the power of a big sedan
which had rushed at it, the power of the car with all that horsepower.
68
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 10 ⦘
"Kaaaah!" The Black Orc took a stand and began to lift the sedan up as if it
was going to chew on the car. It was the power of a monster, literally. Two
of the four wheels spinning smoke on the asphalt road began to turn in the
air.
His telekinesis no longer had any effect on the body of the Black Orc. How‐
ever, he was not embarrassed. Quite the opposite.
He was hunting. It was why he didn't run away when he could escape, and
he waited for the Black Orc in the cold weather, in an open space.
'Hunters never prepare only one trap when they catch a huge anim
al.'
At that moment, the sound of another car engine was audible behind the
Black Orc, who was still wrestling with the Benz.
Bang! A huge bus compressed the black lump, and they were tangled to‐
gether.
"Whew!" Only then did he breathe out a sigh for the first time. The white
breath rose like a signal fire from his mouth.
5.
"It's not as cold as I thought it would be, is it?" Ahn Sun-mi frowned at
Bang Hyun-wook at his surprising remark.
"Are you kidding me?" A thorny reply popped out of her mouth. She
thought that Bang was playing a ridiculous pun against her, and it was natu‐
ral to think so.
At 0 am, the weather of the New Year in Korea in 2017 was unbelievably
cold. The cold biting wind was relentless when walking down a vast dark
69
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 10 ⦘
road without a single streetlight, and above all, the fact that there was no
sign of living people anywhere was making the harshness worse.
It was the coldest day that Ahn had felt during her life. If it were not for
Kim Tae-hoon, who was hacking open the Black Orc's chest with an ax to
take out the jewel in its heart, she would not have endured the cold wind
with only a hot pack.
Bang was sincere, of course. "It's not cold..." He was not really cold. It was
thanks to the Energy inside him, which was now taking away the cold that
he felt.
Ahn briefly threw words at his appearance. "It's the worst sign, not feeling
cold in cold weather."
"What?"
"When the body temperature goes down, the human body, first and fore‐
most, concentrates blood there to maintain the functions of the heart and
brain. On the contrary, arms and legs far away from the heart and brain are
rapidly cooled as blood flow is cut off. Then, when the limbs are freezing to
death, the blood flow is concentrated there to prevent the destruction of the
bio-function, and the fever is so great that you can take off your under‐
wear."
Ahn turned her head with the words and looked at the naked and disheveled
bodies everywhere.
'The human body is stronger than most people think, but if the mind col‐
lapses, it becomes infinitely weak.'
"The moment one takes off one's clothes, one's hypothermia gets worse, and
then the countdown starts."
70
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 10 ⦘
"The doctor is a slave, just a slave." she thought. If she had been a really
proper doctor, she would not have come to a large mart for cigar ettes,
sweets, and caffeine drinks to spend the night in the emergency room,
rather than being on vacation at the end of the year.
"A slave who runs a cigar ette errand at the end of the year when everyone
else is resting."
If she was in the hospital, she would be dead now, or not much different.
There were many knives in the hospital, but no weapons or hunters could
have killed that terrifying Black Orc.
Even before half a day, the city had been full of vitality ahead of the end of
the year, but now it turned into Hell. And this was just the beginning.
'In order to survive in the future, I will have to overcome the same crisis
and hardships again.'
"But I am curious, how much is a doctor's salary?" Bang, who did not know
her feeling, asked a question that lacked any sense.
Fortunately, she did not have to answer the question. Kim's ax-chopping
had finally stopped. Of course, the conversation between Bang and Ahn
also stopped, and the two watched his actions.
Kim pulled out the heart of the Black Orc, and then ripped out an orange
jewel attached to the heart.
Monster Stone!
Kim walked over to Bang and Ahn, and ordered Bang, "Take a picture."
71
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 10 ⦘
Bang fumbled to find the smartphone in his breast pocket and hurriedly
pulled it out.
"Ah!" Bang, who took out his smartphone, sighed because the smartphone
liquid crystal had cracked like a spider web. The Black Orc's fist had not
been kind. "I bought it just last month!"
"Take a picture." Kim did not accept such a complaint from Bang.
"Oh, yes!" Bang swallowed a bitter smile and then activated the camera
function.
He turned the camera to Kim's face and saw his face, a little angry over the
broken LCD.
Snap! The flash went off and the picture was taken. In the picture, described
in translucent letters...
------
-- The power of a Black Orc [Black Skin] can be acquired when ingested.]
------
72
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 10 ⦘
Then, before Bang and Ahn could even be surprised, he took the smart‐
phone in Bang's hand, photographed his hand, and checked the contents.
------
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 28
-- Health: 23
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: F+ Rank
-- Mana: F Rank
-- Telekinesis: A Rank
-- Defense: F+ Rank
[Achieved Abilities]
-- Black Skin (Grade 6): The power of Black Orc consumes Energy to in‐
crease Defense.
------
Kim, who confirmed his ability of an Awakener, laughed bitterly. 'I have a
rough idea of what I'm going to do. Damn it.'
73
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 11 ⦘
Chapter 11
Chapter 4. Relic, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
Kim Tae-hoon was shopping at the large mart. Chocolate, salt, almonds,
jam, jerky ... Of course, it was not strange to buy such items at the food cor‐
ner on the second floor of the large mart.
It was getting closer to 2 AM., and most of the shelves had fallen like domi‐
noes, so he had to pick the goods up from the floor and put them in a bag,
not a plastic shopping cart.
But he had to add one more thing here, he wasn't going to pay for them at
the counter. In other words, he was now doing the most bizarre shopping in
the world.
BoxN ovel.com
"What's your future plan?" Ahn Sun-mi was following him and started a
proper conversation with him while he was pondering between the five
kinds of coffee beans in front of him.
Instead of answering her question, he grabbed coffee beans that had been
torn apart and chewed them finely. After savoring the coffee beans, he
replied, "I'm going to leave here as soon as possible, and the remaining sur‐
vivors should try to fend for themselves."
"I can see that, just by looking at what you are doing."
74
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 11 ⦘
"No, I'm curious about what you're planning in the future, where you're go‐
ing if you leave, how you're going to move, what's the purpose..."
He looked at her before she stopped talking. A cold eye dug into her gaze.
His eyes were just beyond the cold level, and there was something there
that ordinary people could not have.
There was something special, something so obvious that even Ahn, who
had a job as a doctor, that knew the boundaries between life and death better
than anyone else, could not fight.
"You love to wonder, but I have no reason to tell you about my plan."
He continued, "What I need is a person who will obey my orders, not a par‐
asite that will cling to my body for safety."
"If there is some give and take, it's like a crocodile bird, and of course
there's no crocodile bird in reality."
"You ..."
At that moment, Kim held out his right-hand palm before Ahn spoke. Ahn
had a blank look on her face. He turned his hand over. His right-hand mark
appeared. When he turned his hand over again and showed his palm, she
pulled out her smartphone and unlocked it, showing him a picture.
------
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 11
75
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 11 ⦘
-- Health: 14
[Special Abilities]
-- Mana: C+ Rank
-- Defense: F Rank
[Achieved Abilities]
-- None
------
Kim spoke after confirming her ability through the mark of an Awakener on
her right hand, "Be a survivor or a subordinate to me. Choose one of them
clearly."
Kim was fighting a desperate battle with the Black Orc, but she ran away
with his subordinate, Bang Hyun-wook. That was the reason. His bias
against Ahn Sun-mi was due to the actions she showed at that time.
'Her Mana rank is C+ and she is in her third year of residency as a doctor.
Once she becomes a colleague, she will become a powerful member.'
He wasn't going to retaliate for what she had done. He could fully under‐
stand her behavior of at that time. She was not his colleague or subordinate
then, but a survivor, and she showed the courage to escape at that moment.
It was embarrassing to have run away with Bang, but it was also clear that it
was a wake-up call for Bang. But to the extent of it, it's was understandable
that she was a survivor. If she did such a thing in the situation where she
was his subordinate, he would never forgive her.
76
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 11 ⦘
'Troops running away from the battlefield where the battle is real were more
dangerous than the enemy.'
Anyway, Kim had now handed the choice to Ahn. Now the decision was
hers. She could become a survivor, and just break up with him and go her
own way. Or, she could be his subordinate and obey him and move along
with him.
"Absolute obedience."
Ahn bit her lip slightly. "Okay. If you order me to take off my clothes, I'll be
happy to take them off."
"I don't want to see such a thing, but it's enough to understand that if you
have my back, you have to risk your life."
With her answer, Kim got up from his seat. Then he did not pick a coffee.
"Big brother!"
Kim heard Bang's voice. Bang had three bags on his back, front, and left
hand. In his right hand, he had a new baseball bat. He has collected the
items ordered by Kim from the first basement floor.
Kim moved to the escalator without hesitation. It was time to leave. Ahn
took a bag from Bang and followed after Kim with it.
"Do it."
"...what are you going to do with the survivors who are here?"
77
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 11 ⦘
At the order of Kim, Bang was taking things from the first basement floor,
and the survivors who fled to the first floor of the basement just watched.
They looked so pitiful and pathetic. The eyes of those desperate enough did
not know how they should ask.
Bang could not ignore their eyes. So, Bang wanted Kim to become a hero.
"Yes?"
"If you want to protect the remaining survivors, do it, but don't ask for my
help."
Kim did not intend to become a hero. No, if he really wanted to be a hero,
he should ignore the survivors here. A true hero would know how to re‐
nounce the small in order to secure the great.
At the words of Kim, Bang was worried about them. On the other hand,
however, he did not worry about it for long. If he left Kim, his eyes would
look the same way as the survivors who were staring at him in a few days.
Kim gave him a brief compliment. "It was wise to use the cooking oil."
"Yes? Ah!" In a sense, Bang laughed at the praise he had heard for the first
time since he had met Kim.
"Really? It was amazing I thought of it. If I had used this wisdom at the last
Blue Dragon league baseball game, I would have been nominated for the
pros... No, if I'd been nominated, I wouldn't have met you."
Ahn, who had guessed that Bang was about to ramble on, cut off Bang's
words at once. "What's the plan for the future?"
78
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 11 ⦘
Ahn could not bear to listen to such chatter as she had not heard what he
wanted.
Kim answered her question this time. "The primary purpose is to leave here
first."
"By the time the sun comes up, this place will be Hell."
At that moment, a man approached them when they reached the ground
floor.
"Well, um ..."
Behind Park, was his wife, holding their daughter, whose eyes were swollen
from crying.
Kim gave quick advice to such a man. "After securing about five days of
high-calorie, easy-to-storage food like chocolate, secure them in the City
Hall right next to you. Also, be careful to keep your body warm."
79
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 11 ⦘
"Don't move using vehicles, but it will be useful if you treat them like a
tent. Finally, in case of an emergency, you'd better have the tools to carry
the child on your backs."
The fact that monsters he had never seen before were overflowing, the in‐
frastructure of society had collapsed, and he had to survive with his wife
and daughter, had made his face so.
But Park bowed his head to Kim, even though his face was pale.
"Thank you. Thank you so much for your help." He never forgot the least
courtesy and reason. If it had not been for that, he would have long aban‐
doned his family and run away.
That was why Kim gave minimal advice to him. As Kim saw it, Park was
qualified to survive.
Bang and Ahn looked at Park, who was stepping back like that, with terrible
expressions.
'The day comes when the emergency room feels peaceful and hopeful.'
But what was even more frightening was that they couldn't even imagine
what would happen tomorrow.
On the other hand, Kim had a cold look, as he could imagine tomorrow
right now and the future more easily.
80
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 11 ⦘
"The population of Bucheon City is about 800,000, and the number of peo‐
ple who died immediately when the atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima, Japan,
was about 70,000. In the face of such a devastating disaster, the number of
deaths could not exceed 100,000. Of course, even if there is an unprece‐
dented disaster, the number of survivors in Bucheon should exceed
700,000."
"In other words, at this hour, seven hundred thousand people in Bucheon
City are waiting for the sun to rise, scared by fear of monsters, without the
help of any social system such as electricity, communication, gas, police, or
firefighting."
"Ah." At that, there was a sound like a soul escaping from Ahn's mouth.
A scene was painted, of what kind of sight would unfold in the city of
Bucheon when the sun rose.
"Most of the monsters that caused this confusion will still be walking or
hiding somewhere in the city, and at any moment a more powerful monster
may appear."
"First of all, it is unlikely that all this has happened only in Bucheon City. If
it had been limited to Bucheon City, help would have come in some way
from Seoul or Incheon. Maybe the whole world is like this."
The important thing was that this hellish sight was not the end, but the be‐
ginning!
"Anyway, what we need right now to survive in this situation is at least two
of my own criteria."
'How do humans act when they think that they are at the end of an era, and
in a place where there is no proper government?'
81
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 11 ⦘
"I'll tell you what I'm planning now. There's a police station nearby. We'll
get something to use as a weapon there. Then we'll move to Ojung-dong!"
"Why Ojung-dong...?"
"At the military base there, we will secure the right weapons!"
82
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 12 ⦘
Chapter 12
Chapter 4. Relic, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
2.
No one stopped Kim Tae-hoon's party as they left the large mart. It was not
that there were no people who wanted to stick to him.
BoxN ovel.com
"Take us with you! We won't let you go if you don't take us!"
"Don't try to live alone, you fucking bastard! If you're a human, be a hu‐
man!"
Some were desperately trying to become a paras ite clinging to Kim's back,
with some threatening them. It was a natural reaction because it was a mat‐
ter of their life. However, he showed them no sympathy.
"I warn you, you'd better not follow me. I don't think it's going to make any
difference if I add a few more bodies in a place full of monsters."
Kim threatened them clearly, and there was no one who showed courage in
the face of his threats. And he did not just end up threatening them
83
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 12 ⦘
"At least, attack them enough to feel the threat of death, even if they don't
die." He made his will clearly known to Bang Hyun-wook and Ahn Sun-mi.
Earlier, Kim had caused a huge disturbance to kill the Black Orc, a huge
disturbance that would have looked terrible if an insurance company em‐
ployee saw it.
He had touched the grass. If there was a snake in the grass, it would not be
sleeping in this disturbance. The snakes that were now hiding in the city
were not just snakes, but terrible monsters.
'If there's another Black Orc, then there's nothing to do but escape.' Kim,
who had already spent a lot of power killing the Black Orc, was in a situa‐
tion where the fight would be even more burdensome.
Of course, it took a long time to get to the police station. They had to move
more quietly on the street of the night and slowly without drawing attention.
It was a cold, frozen body that welcomed Kim and his party at the police
station when they arrived.
Kim briefly clicked his tongue as soon as he heard Bang's words. 'It's as bad
as I expected.'
The scene of the police station that he saw now was not much different
from what he had predicted.
84
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 12 ⦘
"It would be rather strange if people were screaming outside and a police‐
man stayed still."
"Yes."
It was never good. Kim's imagination meant the worst scenario he could
imagine.
'If there was one survivor here at least... I'm sure I could use the network in
some way.' Kim did not hope the police station performed its duty. Instead,
he wanted to have one of the police officers left, to speak to the survivor.
'There are contacts in the army, but there are no contacts on the police side
...'
But this was a clear reality. There was nothing great about the armed forces
of the Korean police.
How good were the weapons of the police officers who had worked at the
police station, not anywhere else?
The armory of the police in Bucheon City would not be greater than that
owned by five or six ordinary people with a hobby of shooting in the United
States. There was no possibility of using them properly.
How many police officers had practiced shooting in preparation for this
kind of situation?
85
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 12 ⦘
'If they'd known this day would come, all countries would have legalized
carrying guns, like the United States.' An unfunny idea passed through
Kim's mind.
"... the army is different, isn't it?" Ahn Sun-mi asked Kim carefully.
"I don't know." But the situation of a military base was not likely better than
here.
Obviously, the level of the armed forces of the military was different from
the police.
The number of automatic rifles and ammunition was different, and it was
impossible to compare the power of a sidearm with a heavy weapon.
However, the Korean military had never trained to fight the sudden emer‐
gence of such monsters.
'No, in fact, most of the Korean army has little experience in combat, be‐
cause most of them consider military life as slave life.'
'It might be faster to beat and kill monsters with shovels than to shoot guns,
if they are not at the forefront, and if they are stationed in the city.'
'The key is the commander's capacity. The greatest advantage of the army is
a clear command system that excludes mercy and powerful weapons.
Therefore, if the commander is excellent, it can produce results more effi‐
ciently than any other group.'
At the explanation of Kim, Bang and Ahn sighed with a look that seemed to
have no hope. Kim frowned slightly at the appearance of the two.
86
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 12 ⦘
Bang had not even been given a warrant for enlistment, and Ahn was a per‐
son who could get drafted because she was a woman. It would not be nor‐
mal for them to answer with confidence in the army.
He could not find a basis to refute these two explanations. One of the big‐
gest symbols of the malformed corruption, unfairness, and irrationality of
the Korean army was Kim Tae-hoon, in a sense.
They were right. If the Korean army had been rational and operated nor‐
mally, Kim would not have been here.
"Where did you learn all this, big brother? Did you learn this in the army?"
Kim found the location of the arsenal, and with a tangible answer, he gave a
signal to Ahn and Bang. It meant to shut up and exec ute the order given
earlier.
Bang nodded and stood near the broken glass door of the police station,
holding the baseball bat tightly in his hands with his batting gloves, and
concentrated all his senses outside the police station.
Ahn began to search the dead bodies in the police station, checking the
pockets of the dead, and took out a smartphone, checked the presence of the
lock screen and the battery residue. She took what she could use, and if not
usable, she took only the batteries.
When Kim started to move to rob the arsenal, Ahn's actions suddenly
stopped.
87
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 12 ⦘
She was searching the dead body hard and felt something with her finger‐
tips. It felt like a tiny spider web touched the back of her hand on the way. It
also felt like nothing. Ordinary people would ignore the feeling, turning
their heads sideways for a moment. But she was different.
She was a doctor whose hands were her most important tools, and with such
important tools, she worked the line between life and death for people.
'Doctors never let things go when they feel bad or strange. Sometimes the
feeling can decide the life and death of a person.'
Ahn was faithful to her feeling. She stopped what she was doing to find
something that disturbed her and started to look around. One of the old-
fashioned bags caught her eyes. Without hesitation, she opened the bag
quickly.
'This is ...'
There was a black plastic bag in the bag, and when she pulled it open, a
bundle of newspapers appeared. When she took out one of the wrapped
bundles and took off the newspaper, she found what was hidden inside.
It was not a normal bowl, but an antique bowl! 'An antique?' Not just a
bowl, but a bowl that looked like an antique. Some were full of cracks, and
some were split in half. She looked at the antique bowl with an incredulous
expression.
'I'm crazy. I came because I felt strange, but it was not gold or money that
showed up, but an antique bowl.' She sighed briefly, and once more her fin‐
gertips felt strange.
'Ah!' This time it was a little more intense. It felt like something was con‐
nected to her fingertips by a transparent thread.
88
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 12 ⦘
"I'll explain how to use a gun before we move." Kim, who had been robbing
the arsenal, appeared to teach Ahn and Bang, who had never used a re‐
volver in their entire lives.
"Wait a minute." Ahn stopped him. "This is weird." She showed him a bun‐
dle of newspapers in her hands.
"Ah, I mean ..." Ahn hurriedly apart the newspaper and pulled out a white
bowl and a glass hidden within. It didn't seem particularly special either. It
was literally an antique, nothing more than a thing.
It didn't seem like a great antique, and more plainly, it seemed so small that
no one would buy it if a merchant asked them to buy it in Insadong. Ahn
knew that well.
"This is weird, or I'm going to look very strange to say this, but ..."
Kim took out a new smartphone from his pocket, instead of answering, and
pointed the camera at her. Before Ahn could react properly, he took a pic‐
ture immediately.
Snap!
Kim, who checked the photo, gave her a hard look and handed the smart‐
phone to her.
"I guess it's not just humans that have changed in this world."
------
[A Glass of Therapy]
89
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 12 ⦘
--------
The world had changed. Everything, not just people, had changed!
90
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 13 ⦘
Chapter 13
Chapter 4. Relic, Part III
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
Bang Hyun-wook admired the magically clear liquid filling the old-fash‐
ioned glass that had nothing in it.
On the other hand, the expression of Ahn Sun-mi holding the glass was not
good. 'I can't move.'
BoxN ovel.com
Her body was just a conduit. Some unknown power was now pouring into
the glass after undergoing a process similar to a water purifier inside her.
The problem was that the moment she moved her body, the moment her
concentration faltered, everything stopped. The concentration required by
this process was beyond imagination.
"Huh, huh ..." She was panting hard. It was not a trick, as the sweat on her
forehead was not from the cold weather.
91
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 13 ⦘
Bang talked to the exhausted Ahn. Kim Tae-hoon silently looked at her and
arranged his thoughts.
It was high risk compared to the Energy of Bang, and the telekinetic power
of Kim. So Kim had to know if there was any merit to taking this risk.
"Did you say the effect was wound recovery?" Kim rubbed the wound on
the back of his hand after taking some transparent liquid onto his finger. It
half-filled the glass that Ahn possessed, and it could only be considered wa‐
ter.
Then the wound started to bubble and it began to heal! The sight took Ahn's
breath away. She looked at Kim's hand with incredulous eyes and shouted,
"Oh my God, this is a mirac le, a mirac le!"
"Lower your voice." Kim gave an order to Ahn, not a warning. She shut her
mouth promptly.
The police station was quiet again. Kim, however, carefully moved his feet
between the bodies without feeling relieved, and he extended his senses out
to the gate of the police station. He examined the darkness around. There
was no particular sign, but a sense of silence.
After Kim made a gesture that seemed to open his mouth with his left hand,
Bang and Ahn exhaled softly.
92
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 13 ⦘
"That's great. It's kind of an item, isn't it?" Bang was the first to open his
mouth, and Kim gave an order instead of an answer.
"Yes?"
"Take pictures of all the antiques and check how many relics are there."
"Ah!" Only then did Bang wake up and take all the antiques out of the bag
and start taking pictures.
Meanwhile, Kim asked Ahn several questions. "How did you feel using
Mana?"
"Mana?"
"I decided to call it in that for the sake of convenience, but if you want to
add something special, it's fine."
"My body feels like a water purifier. It feels like Energy goes through my
heart and then into this glass... But it's really hard. It's like walking on a
tightrope."
'A relic is an item that helps us use Mana or any mysterious power. There
exist relics among the historical objects like antiques. If we consider in the
concept of games, things made by monsters can also be relics or items.'
'Mana requires many restrictions and conditions to use differently than En‐
ergy and Telekinesis.
93
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 13 ⦘
'If we get weapons, the next destination will be the museum. Of course, we
must secure as many of these relics as possible.'
In this world, there was no Sotheby auction, and even if an auction was
held, Kim would not be able to buy the goods at such an auction with just
his lifetime savings.
"Big brother, there's nothing else," Bang reported, after finishing checking
the relics, shaking his head.
Instead of answering Bang, Kim handed over the revolver he had brought
from the arsenal. He also handed one to Ahn.
"The cylinder will open this way, put the bullet into it, and close it." He
taught them how to fill the cylinder of the pistol and how to shoot. "Check
the target, aim, and shoot. Hold it with both hands when shooting. Pull the
trigger only once."
Bang and Ahn began to fill the cylinders with bullets clumsily.
Kim told them so. "Never point a gun at our people. Don't point a gun at me
even when filling the cylinder and practicing."
At his words, Bang, who was about to point a gun in Kim's direction after
filling the cylinder, instantly stopped.
Kim smiled bitterly at his actions. He had anticipated what Bang would do.
It wasn't hard to predict.
'It's one of the mistakes most people usually make when they first touch a
gun. They aim at the person in front of them when they hear the word 'aim.'
'These two are not bad either, but it would be better to have a career man if I
wanted to move along.'
It was something Kim would have to endure to go around with Bang and
Ahn. The two had never been soldiers.
94
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 13 ⦘
'Even if I wanted something like a soldier right away, it doesn't mean they
can't do the job. I hope there's someone who will be helpful in the Ojung-
dong military base.' It would be convenient to find an Awakened soldier,
and that was one of the reasons why Kim was heading for the military base.
'I hope there is a man of sense...' That's what Kim worried about.
"We`re moving now. Take sugar with the chocolate we prepared, and arm
yourself, then let's move on to the next point..."
With the first objective done, it was time to move toward the military base
in Ojung-dong.
4.
'The most fearful thing to those who survive in a city which had been ruined
by bombing is the sound of the fighter jets passing overhead. The sound not
only paralyzes the reason of the listener but sometimes even the heart. This
is the case; on the battlefield, the body is fine, but a dead man with his ears
covered is seen from time to time.
Even trained soldiers are not free from the fear. The moment a bomber
bombs, death is on the way. That kind of fear cannot be overcome. They
just get used to it.'
-------
Kim's ability to go without losing his reason in front of the monstrous fear
that rampaged through his mind was also due to his familiarity with this
kind of fear. He could not overcome the fear. He was lying on the floor, just
waiting for the fear to fade away. Soon after Kim Tae-hoon's fear of every‐
thing exploding disappeared, he rose from his seat.
95
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 13 ⦘
The first thing he did was look at the condition of Bang and Ahn, who were
similar to the dead bodies scattered on the floor. He checked their pulses
immediately. Their pulses were running, but there was no focus in their
eyes.
"Huck!" Bang woke up first, but his eyes were full of fear.
Kim forced the chocolate from his pocket into Bang's mouth after breaking
it.
Kim then approached Ahn. Her condition was worse than Bang's. Her heart
was beating, but her eyes were not focused. She was truly in a state of un‐
consciousness.
Kim slapped her cheek. "Get ahold of yourself, Ahn Sun-mi. Get ahold of
yourself."
The focus returned Ahn's eyes after her cheeks were red.
Kim put the pieces of chocolate in her mouth. "Melt it down on your
tongue."
Kim then spoke to Bang, who was somewhat sober. "Stand here. If anything
happens, shout out to me."
Bang, who had been melting chocolate hard in his mouth, was surprised and
asked, after gulping down the chocolate. "Yes? What about you?"
"We need to figure out what monster passed over our heads. Boil water us‐
ing the portable pot we brought. It's dangerous to move in this condition
right away. Let's warm up and move."
With those words, Kim went out the broken door of the police station.
5.
Tap!
96
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 13 ⦘
With a short sound, the police car's door unlocked itself. Kim stared slowly
at the car's window, and he opened the door right after blinking his eyes a
couple of times. Soon after, he pushed himself into the wide-open door.
"Hoo..." The cold police car was filled with his white breath. Kim's hand
extended through the cloud to the black box installed in the car. He opened
the black box as it was, playing the video that the black box had recorded a
short time ago.
Under the night sky, the image of the dark world, without a street-light, was
of course dark. But it was not difficult to see its presence in the video. The
video taken by the black box was more than enough.
It was about three hundred meters long and large enough to cover a gymna‐
sium with the massive wings that could lift the giant body. It was a dragon.
At least, among the countless human words, the dragon was the only word
that could describe the monster.
The huge dragon was flying past Bucheon towards Incheon, where the sea
was visible.
Kim grit his teeth tightly. 'Black Orcs... are at the level of wild dogs.'
There was already a crazy monster in the world. The chance of beating such
a thing could not even be calculated without the help of a powerful weapon.
Kim did not even dare to dream that such a monster would appear in the
world. Instead, he was able to imagine what would happen when such a
monster appeared.
'If this monster gets settled in Incheon City... I must be determined to return
Incheon City to September of 1950 to kill it.'
How much firepower would be needed to simply kill this monster with hu‐
man weapons?
97
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 13 ⦘
How much property and geographical damage would be taken, and how
many lives would be lost?
Some of the survivors were people who were willing to take the damage
and still survive the ruthless violence.
98
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 14 ⦘
Chapter 14
Chapter 5. Hunter, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
It was about five kilometers from the large mart to the Ojung-dong military
base. Therefore, Kim Tae-hoon aimed to reach the military base of Ojung-
dong by least four AM after leaving the large mart for the first time. In ad‐
dition, he was planning to mobilize all means and methods to achieve the
goal.
He knew better than anyone else the importance of carrying out the goal
and planning thoroughly in a war situation. But now he was in the police
station even though the time was well past three AM. He even had the time
to drink coffee, using a coffee dripper in the boiled water from a portable
pot.
BoxN ovel.com
Kim, who enjoyed his coffee, as usual, said to Bang in a low voice, "It's too
dangerous for us to move with our minds and bodies clouded with fear, and
the first thing we need to do is ease our bodies and minds. Hmm... This cof‐
fee has a good taste. I've never drunk this product before."
Of course, Kim was never able to take a break. However, right now, the
three of them were not in normal physical condition. A huge monster that
could not be explained by anything had scattered fear in Bucheon City, and
99
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 14 ⦘
the fear was now rooted in every corner of the minds and bodies of his
party.
Moving in a situation where it was not extracted properly was like moving
in poison.
"Right now, the situation is different from when the dragon appeared. The
condition has changed."
More importantly, this fact did not apply only to Kim and his party. The
unidentified dragon had scattered the fear of his presence in Bucheon like a
shower. All the things that had settled in Bucheon were exposed to the fear.
After the monsters' attack, which had started around four PM on December
31, the situation came to a lull temporarily and now was out of control.
Like a ship, their boat, which had been drifting quietly, was swept over by
huge waves.
Ahn Sun-mi added her opinion to Kim Tae-hoon's. "The shriek... Most peo‐
ple must have passed out or died because of the fear. Because of the temper‐
ature right now... falling into a state of unconsciousness when they can't ex‐
pect the right help around is virtually the same as freezing to death."
Of the three, the dragon fear hit her the hardest, and at the same time, her
words as a doctor were certainly convincing.
Kim Tae-hoon supplemented her opinion by pouring coffee into her empty
cup.
"I wished all of them would be fine, but it's a bigger problem that all of
them will not be."
"It's more likely that there will be something going crazy then fainting."
Dragon fear was strong. But not everything had fainted to the dragon fear.
100
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 14 ⦘
Just now, Bang Hyun-wook and Kim Tae-hoon were stunned but did not
faint. There must be Awakeners among the survivors, and a high-rank En‐
ergy user among them would surely survive.
As evidence, there were few bodies of the monsters, which made Bucheon
City a ghost city.
So where did the monsters go? Did they leave Bucheon, and go to Seoul or
Incheon?
It was much more plausible that monsters who had already attacked humans
and filled their stomach had hidden in the forests of buildings, taking shelter
to avoid the cold winter weather late at night.
Was it not a shelter that humans loved to use, in places like a subway sta‐
tion?
"And if I were a monster, I would rather come out and fill my stomach than
stay still at this moment."
In such a situation, a monster who felt a sense of crisis due to the emer‐
gence of an absolute upper predator would try to hide in a more secret
place, deep, after filling its stomach before it went crazy or felt hungry
again.
In other words, for the time being, monsters would come out and work.
"The ones who are moving now are strong enough to carry out their pur‐
pose, not fainting in the face of the fear."
At least the monsters that were active at this moment were stronger than
Goblins or Orcs.
101
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 14 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon was waiting for them to quickly fill their stomachs and then
hide deep again.
Kim Tae-hoon's boiled coffee thawed their cold bodies in the cold weather,
and their frightened brains were thawed by chocolate.
In the silence, Kim Tae-hoon looked at his right hand carefully. His right
hand gradually began to turn black by the ability Black Skin acquired after
killing the Black Orc!
Currently, Kim Tae-hoon's force rank could only turn his skin black up to
his wrist. The Black Skin gave him the feeling of wearing an iron glove. It
was actually pretty tough. It was not cut by a crude knife, and even hitting
the wall as hard as possible, it only stung a little.
The evidence reminded Kim Tae-hoon of how he could kill the monster in
his mind, while weighed down by the fear of the dragon.
2.
Two Goblins were eating there. Clinging to a frozen corpse, they were tear‐
ing and swallowing the flesh of the body, using their dog-like teeth.
102
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 14 ⦘
Goblins had the power and sharp teeth to bite the flesh out of a person, but
that was based on the flesh of a living human being.
Bodies of frozen people were different, and there was no shortage of cold. It
didn't even taste good, and their cries complained about it. It was hard to
swallow the flesh that had been ripped off, because there was nothing good
about chewing, swallowing, or filling their stomach. It was a meal to live.
The Goblins, who had been struggling to survive, suddenly grabbed their
necks. "Keck, keck!" The Goblins who gasped began to struggle to live.
"Hoooo!" At that moment, a young man appeared, took a short breath and
hit the head of the Goblin with a baseball bat.
Pak! A single eyeball shot out of the Goblin's head halfway after the attack.
The man used his momentum and hit the other one's head vertically.
Keck! Its open mouth was slammed closed. It bit off its own tongue, and its
teeth were shattered. The Goblin dropped to the ground and spewed out
blood like a fountain from its mouth.
Ahn Sun-mi appeared. She had a sharpened knife, turned the body of the
fallen Goblin over to face the sky, and put a sharp knife into the pit of the
Goblin's stomach. After that, she put her hand into the deep incision she had
made. When she drew her arm out, gory to the elbow, a red jewel was
caught at the end of her finger.
She did the same thing with the other Goblin, cutting into the softest part of
the Goblin's body in its gut, and plunged her arm in up to the heart, taking a
jewel out.
It was then that Kim Tae-hoon appeared. His right hand was holding a plas‐
tic lamp bottle, and he sprinkled kerosene on the Goblin body.
103
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 14 ⦘
"The only one who'll eat this body is a monster. I hope they eat them and
get sick," Kim Tae-hoon explained briefly.
In the meantime, Ahn Sun-mi wiped the blood off her hand with a towel
and held out her palm to Kim Tae-hoon.
"Here."
"Eat it."
The two swallowed the monster stones, still warm with the blood of Gob‐
lins, without a word. They swallowed against the strong taste of blood that
made them want to vomit.
Soon Bang Hyun-wook stroked the area near the pit of the stomach and
said, "I'm nearly full now."
When Kim Tae-hoon started moving, the scenery that was unfolded in front
of his party was the same as he had predicted.
The monsters were eating the frozen bodies as if they were possessed by
something.
Kim Tae-hoon did not pass up such monsters. He hunted. And he put Bang
Hyun-wook and Ahn Sun-mi on the front line.
"Bang Hyun-wook, watch out for the bat when you swing it. Never let go of
the tension at the moment of attack."
"Yes."
"Order me."
104
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 14 ⦘
At the words of Kim Tae-hoon, Ahn Sun-mi stabbed the red eye of the Gob‐
lin with the end-point of the knife without hesitation.
With the eerie sound of the eye being destroyed, red liquid flowed out of
Goblin's eyes. It was like the tears of unjustly dead souls.
Bang Hyun-wook watched the scene and took a short breath. It was a sight
that he could not easily get used to. That was why Kim Tae-hoon ordered it.
'I am glad they got used to it so quickly. Ahn Sun-mi is a doctor, so she is
adapting quickly.'
Unlike Kim Tae-hoon, Bang Hyun-wook and Ahn Sun-mi were ordinary
people until less than a day ago.
'The public basically has a rejection of killing, and many people are unable
to arrange chicken that has already been slaughtered, and they cannot even
defeather a chicken.'
They could not boldly stab a monster who was seeking their life. The mo‐
mentary hesitation that happened then eventually cost them their lives.
Kim Tae-hoon wanted to give Bang Hyun-wook and Ahn Sun-mi the expe‐
rience of slaughter. It was an experience that human beings would normally
never need to build up, but now they could not help it. From now on, they
would have to kill something to live.
"What? We'll arrive at the military base if we move just a little bit more."
105
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 14 ⦘
There was no guarantee that the soldiers of the military base, their destina‐
tion, would welcome survivors. If the military base was operating normally
now, it would set up on guard. The guards would be extremely nervous, be‐
cause the price of a mistake was no longer running around the training
ground with a military bag, nor canceled out by a day's vacation or long va‐
cation.
"Take a break."
Above all, Kim Tae-hoon and his party were quite tired, and they needed a
break. It took some energy to run away or fight.
Kim Tae-hoon found a place to take a nap for a while, but there was no suit‐
able building to sleep. In the end, Kim Tae-hoon made an SUV vehicle into
a lodging shelter. After opening the locked door with Telekinesis, the three
entered the vehicle.
The car was cold, but it was warmer than any other place nearby, as they
had been hunting a long distance through the bitterly cold wind. It was the
first break that they had taken, but the rest was not long.
Blam! By the time dawn was barely up, the gunfire that rang out instead of
a rooster's cry woke them with the sun.
106
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 15 ⦘
Chapter 15
Chapter 5. Hunter, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
Tutututu! The gunfire came down like a heavy rain under the blue sky, as
the night had just begun to retreat.
Tututu! The gunfire was so powerful that it affected those who were far
away.
"Wow, that's not a joke. It's different from the movies. Damn it, it's totally
different from the movies!"
BoxN ovel.com
As the distance to the gunfire narrowed, Bang Hyun-wook spoke more and
more.
"Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo ..." Ahn Sun-mi continuously took in deep breaths and
exhaled.
It was not what someone saw in the movies. The first time hearing it, legs
would stiffen up and minds would freeze. Even if Ahn Sun-mi and Bang
Hyun-wook lived in the land of Korea, they never heard real gunfire.
It was evidence of their courage and the basis of obedience that they closed
the distance to the gunfire at Kim Tae-hoon's order.
107
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 15 ⦘
'And it's definitely moving, too.' The problem was that the picture that was
drawn was not a good picture. 'I'm not going to see anything good this
time.'
'Guns are very powerful weapons. The power of handguns as well as rifles
simply ignores the expectations of the public. Once someone is shot, they
can tell how ridiculous it is to see an actor struggling even after being shot
several times in a movie. Of course, it was not something good to learn.'
It was clear that the guns were powerful for monsters such as Orc and Gob‐
lin, which Kim Tae-hoon and his party had encountered earlier. There was
no reason to have such indiscriminate fire against one monster.
"The fact that they've survived so far means that at least they have stood up
against the monsters they've encountered."
The soldiers in the military base were now aware of things. If they were not
aware, this battle would be the first time, but that did not make any sense.
But now the gunshots were ringing out again and again.
There would be two main cases. The number of monsters the soldiers were
now dealing with was at least 100 units, or there was a scary monster that
couldn't be dealt with using one or two gunshots.
There was nothing good about either circumstance. Of course, the worst
scenario was if the two were one. There was a powerful monster like a
Black Orc, and it was the leader of a horde.
'Maybe a gun doesn't work on it.' Maybe it was a type of monster that guns
did not work on.
108
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 15 ⦘
It did not make sense, but conventional common sense did not apply to the
world already. The presence of the dragon gave an important lesson to Kim
Tae-hoon.
"Arrrrrrrgh!"
They heard a scream. The first screaming sound came over the green sound‐
proof wall that Kim Tae-hoon and his party were looking at. Kim Tae-hoon
stopped in front of the wall. Bang Hyun-wook and Ahn Sun-mi also
stopped walking. Kim Tae-hoon turned his head to confirm the attitudes of
the two. Of course, their faces were not good.
'Hoo, Bang Hyun-wook, let's calm down. You survived there, relax. You're
with big brother and just stay calm. Energy, yes you have Energy. This bat
will crush the shitty monster's skull.'
'Don't think anything, Ahn Sun-mi, all you have to do is follow orders.
Don't think about things that are messy. You have to survive. You come
here to survive.'
As soon as they crossed the wall, they would see the monster's screams and
gunfire with their own eyes, and the scene could not be compared with hor‐
ror or gore movies. The faces of those in front of them should be wary.
"Yes?"
At Kim Tae-hoon's sudden remark, Bang Hyun-wook and Ahn Sun-mi both
posted a question mark on their face.
"Car."
"Oh, like a bus?" Ahn Sun-mi recalled Kim Tae-hoon using the bus to kill
the Black Orc.
"A bus is not bad, but I wish I had a truck, like a dump truck."
"Yes?"
109
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 15 ⦘
At that moment, Kim Tae-hoon's eyes were filled with what he wanted.
"··· good."
4.
Tutu! Tutu! Tutututu! And now the warning had become a reality. A group
of twenty-four soldiers, in a semicircular formation, were pulling the trig‐
gers of the rifles on their shoulders sequentially, as if the gears were inter‐
locking.
"Kieeeeeee!" 150 centimeter screaming Goblins with brown skin were at‐
tacking them. The number of brown Goblins that was attacking was signifi‐
cant. Just the visible ones were easily over fifty.
"Aaaaaargh!"
There were a lot of people being eaten alive on the ground by Goblins. The
number of brown Goblins eating them was close to a hundred. It was an
enormous number. But it wasn't the number that bothered the soldiers now.
However, the brown Goblins did not stop running in front of the gunshots,
which were starting to hurt the shoulders of the gunmen.
Pukpuk, pukpuk! Whenever they were shot full of holes, the red eyes of
brown Goblins burned even redder.
110
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 15 ⦘
The brown Goblins, which had been driven beyond their lives and were
filled with madness, were faster than before, and their jumping power was
greater. They were now even more frightening to the soldiers.
"Aaaaaaargh!" Against all logic, a brown Goblin, flying forward like a frog,
struck a soldier. The moment he fell, it was over.
"Kieeeee! kieeeee!"
The Goblin who had attacked the soldier had lost its life, but the Goblin's
colleagues rushed over as if they had been waiting, and with their sharp
teeth bit through both uniform and flesh.
"Aaaaaaaaaargh!"
The sight of someone being eaten alive was a terrible for the victim and for
the viewers. What was worse was that they couldn't point the gun at the
brown Goblins that were swarming their colleague.
There was no companionship in a gun. The gunshot might end up in his col‐
league, instead of a Goblin. Even if it was to relieve their pain, it could
never be done easily. No, it's was more difficult. Pulling the trigger to free a
dying colleague from pain was a tough task compared to pulling the trigger
toward an enemy, a monster.
Only those who had a cool judgment and a true sense of friendship toward
the fallen could pull it. Tututu! "Kuck!"
Among the twenty-four survivors, now twenty-three, the only one who
knew how to do it was the commander, Second Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji, who
led the group.
111
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 15 ⦘
She also had a strong physique. She was a tall woman, at least six feet tall,
so easily found among the soldiers who had gathered, and her military uni‐
form was better fitted than anyone else.
Tutu! Above all, her gunshots were the only ones with temperance. Even as
she retreated from the front line, the muzzle of her gun was almost un‐
shaken even when she pulled the trigger. She was killing her targets with as
few shots as possible.
"Retreat to the church!" There was no shaking in her voice. Her order was
the only light that illuminated this unrealistic nightmare.
The soldiers grit their teeth tightly. Tututu! Then they pulled the triggers
again. They pulled the triggers without stopping back towards the dozens of
Goblins which were attacking unceasingly.
The purpose became clear. It was to reach the church about two hundred
meters away. It seemed impossible to do that. The confidence that they
could do it naturally began to sprout in their minds.
"Kaaaaaang!" But this cry made the soldiers' minds darken, and their
sprouting hopes shrivel.
"Ahhhh!"
In their darkest moment, the soldiers were forced to think; the monsters
suddenly attacked the military base ahead of the New Year, when it was a
normal time for people to be discharged.
112
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 15 ⦘
Among them, there was a huge monster that took hold of a person's body in
the midst of a hail of gunfire and then ripped off his head. It leisurely ate
the heads after catching people, even while being shot. No matter how
much the body was filled with holes by the bullets, the monster recovered
like a white sandy beach where the waves had passed.
"Kaaaaaaah!" The monster that all the soldiers thought of became reality
and appeared in front of them. It was a huge monster. The giant, four meters
tall, was huge and unspeakable. It looked like a giant that was extremely
obese. Its face was like a dough that had been crushed, the way its nose and
cheeks were bulging out. Finally, its skin looked like mud. Its skin looked
like it should be sloughing off it.
"Heck ..."
"Huck ..."
The turbid cry of such a monster became an invisible shackle and tied the
soldiers' feet. The soldiers, tied to their feet, looked at the monster with a
bewildered expression. The ceaseless gunfire that had been raining inces‐
santly stopped for the first time.
"Kieeeee!" The area of the ceased gunfire was occupied by brown Goblins.
"Tututu! Tututu!" With that cry, she pointed the gun at the head of a brown
Goblin, not the giant monster that appeared, and pulled the trigger.
"Retreat at full speed!" Her order followed the sound of the shot with a
voice that was already hoarse.
At that moment, her rifle, which had been shooting out ceaselessly so far,
sounded as if it had died. Tick, tick!
113
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 15 ⦘
It was the worst moment, the only light that shone in the darkness was dis‐
appearing. The focus was lost again in the eyes of the soldiers.
Kim Soo-ji, who had been calm so far, was trembling at this moment.
Honk! It was the honking of a huge dump truck coming toward them fast
that woke them up. Honk!
"What, what?"
The sound of the honking horn repeatedly woke up the soldiers who were
frozen. Honk!
The dump truck that appeared did not stop. Without a moment's hesitation,
the truck threw itself at the giant monster. When two giants collided, the
enormous sound that reminded them of the thunder filled their ears. Honk!
The eyes of the mad brown Goblins changed in front of the unspeakable im‐
pact.
Ki? Kie! For the first time, the brown Goblin's eyes were filled with fear, as
if they had come out of a trance.
"Stop shooting! We're here to help!" A man's voice was heard in the still‐
ness of the dump truck.
Kim Soo-ji turned her head and looked at the speaker. She saw the road the
dump truck created, a man walking down a bloody road of crushed and
burst brown Goblins, and a younger man following behind him.
114
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 15 ⦘
Bang Hyun-wook, who was excited by the battle after Kim Tae-hoon,
added, "Hunters! We are hunters hunting monsters!"
"Kaaaaah!" The scream of the Mud Troll monster hit by a dump truck and
its amazing recovery ability did not allow them any more time for gossip.
115
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 16 ⦘
Chapter 16
Chapter 6. Creation of a Clan, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
The moment Kim Tae-hoon replied, the painful cry of the Mud Troll in‐
stantly shook the battlefield.
Not only the soldiers but Kim Tae-hoon and Bang Hyun-wook who fol‐
lowed him turned their heads and looked at the body of the Mud Troll tram‐
pled by the dump truck.
BoxN ovel.com
The dump truck turned the Mud Troll into a burst balloon, and not just that,
but had crushed it with six giant wheels the height of a man.
There was no other explanation than that it was just a crushed dead body.
Now, however, the body that had to be a corpse was moving slowly, reform‐
ing its crushed head and snout, and spitting out a weak but clear cry through
its over-long nose.
It was a nightmare.
"Aaaargh! Aaaargh!"
116
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 16 ⦘
The survivors now were those who had experienced nightmares in front of
them several times, not just once or twice.
'What do we do now?'
At the end of the year, there was no manual for a military force to respond
to the sudden monster raids in the military base located in the metropolitan
area, not the border.
The damage was severe from the very beginning of the attack.
The worst was that the Mud Troll appeared in the drinking party of the ex‐
ecutive officers ahead of the New Year.
Most of the commanding officers who had to give orders were slain by the
Mud Troll.
If she had been a less flexible soldier, she would have entered the Mud
Troll's stomach early in the drinking party.
Anyway, after that, Kim Soo-ji had to pay the price of being a survivor.
She fought to survive with the remaining soldiers. To survive, she had to
experience nightmares again and again.
This Mud Troll, in particular, gave her despair beyond the nightmare.
She had used all kinds of weapons against it, but the Mud Troll had never
even made a pained sound in front of the powerful firearms.
117
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 16 ⦘
The only one thing that could stop such a Mud Troll was a sense of satiety!
Of course, at this moment, Kim Soo-ji could not think of a way to deal with
the Mud Troll. The inside of her head turned blank.
"State your official rank and name!" Kim Tae-hoon scolded her.
"Yes?"
"Your name."
"Rank!"
"Second lieutenant ... Second lieutenant Kim Soo-ji, I'm leading the remain‐
ing survivors of the 1121st unit."
The glitter in Kim Soo-ji's eyes changed. She had a gut feeling.
'He is a soldier!'
The man in front of her, Kim Tae-hoon, was a soldier or a similar kind of
military who had been through severe encounters several times.
It felt like she had seen a man named Kim Tae-hoon somewhere...
Anyway, Kim Tae-hoon's voice was like a lifeline to her, who was a soldier
to the bone.
118
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 16 ⦘
"It has the power to rip a man's body apart with its bare hands, its about
four meters in height, and it has the ability to recover quickly, even if it is
wounded by a bullet."
"Claymores didn't work, and an 81-millimeter trench gun worked a little bit,
but it not much."
Kaaaaah!
While Kim Tae-hoon and Kim Soo-ji talked, the screaming Mud Troll be‐
gan to regenerate its upper body after its head. The sound of its screams
grew louder and clearer.
The general soldiers trembled, and now they were so scared that they
couldn't even scream.
"Wow, that's not a fucking joke." On the contrary, Bang Hyun-wook spit out
his feelings in front of the screaming Mud Troll.
"Clean around."
"Yes!"
At that order, Bang Hyun-wook grabbed his bat without hesitation. His bat
began to take in the Energy that flowed through his body.
'Okay.'
Bang Hyun-wook knew now. To survive, he needed the power to deal with
the monsters he faced more clearly.
119
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 16 ⦘
So he tried to survive and to find ways to use his power more efficiently
and more powerfully.
In the process, Bang Hyun-wook was able to realize some of the ways to
wield his Energy.
It was not only Energy that strengthened his body, but with a little diffi‐
culty, it could also wrap around an object in hand.
Pak!
His swing crushed a brown Goblin's head like a rotten pumpkin. Bang
Hyun-wook shouted between the scattered flesh, blood, and brain fluid,
"Bucheon High School, No. 5 batter, Bang Hyun-wook is here! Come on,
you bastards!"
"Second lieutenant Kim Soo-ji, stop shooting and get ready for the alert."
Kim Tae-hoon ordered Kim Soo-ji, leaving Bang to do his thing.
'Stop shooting? Alert?' It was a difficult order to understand. 'At this desper‐
ate moment, the Mud Troll is recovering and still has twenty brown Goblins
left, how can we stop shooting and get ready for an alert?'
"Stop shooting! Set the line and turn to alert!" Kim Soo-ji's orders were im‐
mediately followed like a soldier, excluding any doubts.
Of course, there were not many soldiers who quickly fulfilled her orders.
Still unable to overcome their fear of the Mud Troll, the soldiers in a state
of fear were told not to shoot.
120
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 16 ⦘
"Put it down."
Only the most important part, the warnings that had been received hundreds
of times, had instinctively been implemented.
Kim Tae-hoon was forced to give up on the soldiers' help. There was noth‐
ing more dangerous than a mad soldier.
At the same time, Kim Tae-hoon was confident that he could handle the
brown Goblins even if he did not have the soldiers' help.
Kim Tae-hoon's gaze left the soldiers and headed for the battlefield.
'The muddy monster is still recovering. It will take about forty seconds to
recover.'
The number of Goblins with brown skin surviving was twenty-one, but
more than half of them were seriously injured. It was bigger and more ag‐
gressive than the green Goblins he dealt with at the large mart, but the com‐
bat risk was actually lower than it was then.
"Yiyaaaaaaab!"
He also confirmed the ability of Bang Hyun-wook, who was doling out
ruthless violence toward a brown Goblin.
121
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 16 ⦘
At the end of his assessments, Kim Tae-hoon pulled a revolver from his
waistband.
At the same time, Kim Tae-hoon looked at the brown Goblin nearby run‐
ning at him. The brown Goblin stiffened as their eyes met.
Kim Tae-hoon used his chain of telekinesis and wrapped it around the neck
of the brown Goblin.
Kuck!
As soon as the brown Goblin grabbed its neck with both hands as it stran‐
gled, Kim Tae-hoon pointed the gun at it.
Bang!
Kim Tae-hoon could now put bullets into the head of a crazy, raving beast.
It was boring, in a sense, to shoot a target whose movement was limited by
his own telekinesis, and it was the reason for his confidence.
Kim Tae-hoon's shots were so efficient that the brown Goblins seemed
rather pitiful.
Kim Tae-hoon had consumed only one bullet against each brown Goblin,
which had been bleeding from dozens of bullets so far, and which had been
burning away the murderous spirit rather than letting it build.
Six bullets used, six bodies fell down with blood spilling from their heads.
122
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 16 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon, who had filled all the cylinders during Bang Hyun-wook's
performance, started shooting again quickly.
This time it was a little faster. He pulled the trigger without a break.
The revolver's cylinder was emptied in a flash as if it were a fast draw game
testing accuracy in the shortest amount of time.
Of course, the five shots that had passed in a flash were not wasted. They
penetrated exactly five brown Goblins' foreheads.
"I got seven!" Bang Hyun-wook yelled after killing the seventh Goblin.
Three of them were left. "I'll take two!"
Two of the Goblins rushed toward Bang Hyun-wook, screaming, and the re‐
maining one rushed toward Kim Tae-hoon.
Kim Tae-hoon did not use a shot for the Goblin. Even though there was still
one bullet left, he holstered the revolver.
Then he grabbed his empty right hand and injected his telekinesis into it.
He put his fist, which was covered with the black armor and which would
be not hurt easily, into the forehead and above the nose of the brown Gob‐
lin.
Krak!
123
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 16 ⦘
One fist broke the brown Goblin's nose, its eyeballs were crushed, and even
its face crumpled. It was the result of a 33 Strength stat and the Black Skin
acquired from the Black Orc.
"Big brother, I'm done!" The battle had taken thirty seconds, and the brown
Goblins were cleaned up.
The soldiers, including Kim Soo-ji, saw this scene and regained their
courage.
'What is this?'
It seemed like a dream to be able to so easily kill monsters that have been
so deadly to them.
After the restoration of its upper body, the monster started to regenerate its
lower body and look around with orange eyes, smacking its lips again.
It was ready to show off its picky, disgusting habit of eating only the head.
Kim Tae-hoon said to Ahn Sun-mi, who was driving the SUV, "Ahn Sun-
mi, open the trunk!"
124
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 16 ⦘
He tore open the back doors and pulled out a plastic container. He turned its
blue lid, and the strong smell of gasoline came out.
Kim Tae-hoon threw the gas jug toward the Mud Troll some distance away.
It was crazy, it did not make common sense. It was not easy to lift the
weight of a five-gallon container. But throw it?
It couldn't be done. The sight of it flying was hard to believe. However, the
plastic jug that Kim Tae-hoon threw flew away lightly, spilling gasoline.
"Did it stop?"
What was more surprising was that the plastic container flying in a perfect
parab ola stopped directly on top of the head of the Mud Troll, and it began
to vomit gasoline like a waterfall.
The Mud Troll made a confused sounding, not knowing why the gasoline
was running over its whole body.
At that moment, Kim Tae-hoon drew his revolver again and pulled the trig‐
ger.
The last bullet the pistol fired went through the plastic container. Flames
erupted, instantly covering the Mud Troll's head, washing down its body
like clothes.
At that moment, the Mud Troll began to cry for the first time, not to cause
fear, but in pain. At the same time, its body began to harden like clay.
The soldiers, including second lieutenant Kim Soo-ji, looked at the scene
silently and soullessly.
Snap!
...took a shot of the scene on his smartphone and checked the picture.
125
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 16 ⦘
---
---
It was the first time that the human race understood the value of a Mud
Troll!
126
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 17 ⦘
Chapter 17
Chapter 6. Creation of a Clan, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
2.
The flames on the Mud Troll's body did not burn very long.
Beneath the flames that had burned themselves out, there was only a hard‐
ened lump of mud.
BoxN ovel.com
No one knew that the weakness of the monster, which turned nearly a hun‐
dred soldiers, including officers and other soldiers, into headless corpses,
was the flames produced by the gasoline.
If they did not know, they would die. The Mud Troll was one of the sym‐
bols that told them that such an era had come.
"Ahn Sun-mi, try to treat the wounded with the flesh of the Mud Troll."
Kim Tae-hoon was an early adapter in this era. Of course, Kim Tae-hoon
was making strong attempts to get rid of his ignorance.
"If there's any gas left, there might be a problem with the toxicity of gaso‐
line."
127
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 17 ⦘
"Most of the gasoline will have been burned away with the flames."
"It's better to use the troll's flesh to test it than to let a man who's been bitten
by a monster with excessive bleeding or infection die without proper treat‐
ment."
The Mud Troll's flesh had information that it helped treat wounds and im‐
prove recovery. Now was the time to get a better grip on this information.
As he said, ignorance is now death. It was time to learn things properly! His
instruction was reasonable enough in that sense.
Because it was so reasonable, Ahn Sun-mi could not even raise a question
toward Kim Tae-hoon's order.
"I see."
"Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji." Kim Tae-hoon called out to Kim Soo-ji, who was
standing upright when Ahn Sun-mi replied.
"We're going to start treating the wounded. I want three soldiers to help Ahn
Sun-mi."
"I understand." She immediately called over three healthy soldiers and gave
them orders.
Three soldiers, of course, did not have any doubts about treating the
wounded...
"What?"
...until Ahn Sun-mi asked them to bring the flesh of the crumpled Mud
Troll, now solid like a piece of pottery.
128
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 17 ⦘
"Is she crazy? Why do we have to bring over the flesh of that monster?
Why?"
As Ahn Sun-mi and three soldiers moved to treat the wounded, Kim Soo-ji
spoke up, "Can I ask you a question?"
It was an unexpected question, but Kim Tae-hoon could come up with the
answer.
"You must have been the one with Major General Chang Young-sung at that
time."
One was because of the name of Major General Chang Young-sung. The
other one was because of the history of Brigadier General Kim Jae-ryong.
Brigadier General Kim Jae-ryong was the commander of the 60th division,
the head of the capital defense command. The commander of the 60th Divi‐
sion under the Capital Defense Command was not a normal position.
At least, it was a position of power that could dispatch troops to save the
granddaughter in Bucheon, not far from Seoul.
Of course, Brigadier General Kim Jae-ryong had retired three years ago, but
the influence of those stars did not disappear easily after retirement.
129
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 17 ⦘
Brigadier General Kim Jae-ryong was not in the wrong lineage. Command
of the 60th Division was not a place where a man of the wrong lineage
could sit.
Now, however, Kim Soo-ji had survived by her own efforts without such a
background.
It meant that Seoul has not been properly defended under the existence of
the Capital Defense Command.
When he saw the dragon flying from the direction of Seoul and heading for
Incheon across Bucheon, he did not expect Seoul to play a further role as a
capital.
But it was a different story to make an expectation, and to meet the basis for
making such an expectation a reality.
"Does the army know about this situation?" Kim Soo-ji, who did not know
the mind of Kim Tae-hoon, asked first.
"If I had known, I wouldn't have come here, and if the military had known,
your grandfather would have called you home, Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji."
Kim Soo-ji closed her mouth tight. She had guessed that, too. Her grandfa‐
ther's background was not something she could run away from.
"Then ..."
130
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 17 ⦘
For her, whose survival was the top priority, and who had barely completed
the goal, the reality and truth facing her were terrible.
Kim Tae-hoon closed his eyes. 'Actually, the army now is not what I know.'
But there was hope. Hope that the military might play a minimal role in this
situation through its own lack of communication.
While Kim Tae-hoon was thinking about it, he looked at his right hand and
the mark of an Awakener. And he remembered the dragon, the crazy mon‐
ster.
'What we need now is not the army, but a monster that can hunt the mon‐
sters. We must become monsters before the monsters eat us.'
"Yes!"
"Take the bodies around, collect them in one place, and bring all the sur‐
vivors, including the wounded, together."
3.
131
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 17 ⦘
-- You can acquire the power of Mud Troll at the time of ingestion [the Vi‐
tality of Troll].]
------
"All gathered." Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji said, keeping her posture straight as
always.
As she spoke, the twenty-three survivors of the 1121 unit gathered together.
Looking at them, Kim Tae-hoon started talking with an orange jewel in his
hand.
"This is the reality we're in," he finished. Everyone who heard the story
kept their mouths shut and remained silent.
'Shit, I've got a month before I was discharged from the military! A month!
Why would this ever happen to me?'
The present situation did not even give them room to be embarrassed, and
Kim Tae-hoon did not give them time to think.
"I'm done with all the information, and I'll start with my personal story."
"I will take all the monster stones from the monsters that you hunted here."
132
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 17 ⦘
"If it's a monster stone, it's an item that raises the stats of Awakeners!"
Kim Tae-hoon clearly told them the importance of the monster stones.
After dissecting one of the collected Goblin bodies, he removed the monster
stone from its heart and took a picture of it on his smartphone and showed it
to them.
He even said that monster stones would replace gunpowder in the future
war.
He also said he would monopolize all the monster stones, which could be
obtained from the dead monsters.
It was like telling them that a jewel was valuable, and he would take them
all.
"If it's a monopoly, you are going to eat all of them, aren't you? Clearly, the
monster bodies in the military base were caught by us!"
"What is your life worth?" Kim Tae-hoon stopped their questions with a
short word.
The soldiers went quiet. Kim Tae-hoon continued his speech, staring at
them.
"This is the price of the information. If you raise your hand, I will give you
the right to speak."
The value of their lives and this information was not cheap at all, and it was
also clear that they owed Kim Tae-hoon their lives. It was not a time to be
133
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 17 ⦘
cheap.
But more importantly, it was the fact that the lives of those who remained
now depended on Kim Tae-hoon.
Above all, only two of the soldiers who had survived, one of whom was
Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji, had the Mark of an Awakener.
For the remaining twenty-one, monster stones were like a pearl necklace on
a pig's neck.
A pearl necklace on a pig's neck means that a thief who coveted the neck‐
lace may catch and kill him at any time.
Kim Tae-hoon gave final notice to the silent ones, and at the same time, he
swallowed the orange jewel from the Mud Troll that he held in his hand.
"Ah ..."
With this, Kim Tae-hoon was now the owner of hundreds of monster stones
that had been killed all over the 1121 unit. Whether he ate the monster
stones or sells them, it is now at his discretion.
134
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 17 ⦘
The survivors, in return, no longer need to owe Kim Tae-hoon a debt of life.
Of course, the fact that they needed an umbrella of Kim Tae-hoon had not
changed.
"From now on, I will be creating a clan, and I will be taking applicants who
will serve as my clan members, not as soldiers."
'What?'
'Clan?'
She thought that Kim Tae-hoon would act as their commander in the name
of the army. But this way, did he want to start a private organization?
Five years ago, she passed the entrance exam to the military academy, vis‐
ited the army headquarters and talked with her grandfather.
It was the first warning that her grandfather, Brigadier General Kim Jae-ry‐
ong ever gave her.
"I ask you, what does the word clan mean?" she spoke out.
135
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 17 ⦘
"It will be a private organization that moves with my orders and instruc‐
tions, not the military's instructions or orders."
"And you mean ... you intend to use the military's weapons for your own
benef it?"
"If it's in your private interest to work hard to survive, you can judge it that
way."
At the word 'to survive', Kim Soo-ji had to keep her mouth shut. As soon as
she was silent, no one else could speak. With their mouths shut, they fell
into the agony of choice.
'Leave the army and join a private organization? A private organization us‐
ing military weapons? What crime will be applied? Desertion? Rebellion?'
'I can't die like this. If I want to live anyway, I'd better take out a gun or a
grenade.'
However, Kim Tae-hoon did not even give them the opportunity to agonize
over their choices anymore.
"Those who do not like my offer will be survivors, and they survive on their
own."
136
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 18 ⦘
Chapter 18
Chapter 6. Creation of a Clan, Part III
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
Kim put a red gem in his mouth and swallowed it. His breath, after he swal‐
lowed it and breathed out, smelled of blood.
Through the bloody smell, Kim Tae-hoon put in another red gem.
"Whew..." Behind him, Bang Hyun-wook's long sigh came out. "I can't eat
anymore... I can't eat."
BoxN ovel.com
Following the sigh came a short speech. He was not really talking to him‐
self.
'You're a great brother. I've hardly eaten thirty, and you've almost finished
with more than eighty.'
137
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 18 ⦘
After finishing the Mud Troll hunting, Kim Tae-hoon declared the creation
of the clan on the spot and received applicants.
There was not a single person who wanted to be thrown into a world full of
monsters.
After that, Kim Tae-hoon took the nearby church as a base camp and started
collecting monster stones.
The monster corpses were everywhere. It was hard to collect all the monster
corpses in a short time.
Also, the number of monsters still surviving on the base was not small in
number, so only the monster corpses were collected.
It was a monopoly.
No matter who looked at it, Kim Tae-hoon's greed was beyond excessive,
and they could not help but think that it was too much.
Gulp!
A strong smell of blood rose from his gut. There was always some left on
the stone after digging it out of the corpse of a Goblin. They hadn't really
bothered to clean them properly after collecting them.
Kim Tae-hoon closed his mouth to endure his rising disgust. He looked
around with his mouth clamped shut.
Soldiers resting in the church ... He felt the gaze of those who had become
his subordinates now.
138
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 18 ⦘
When Kim Tae-hoon tried to meet their eyes, they hurriedly avoided his
gaze.
It was only a moment later when they exchanged glances. But it was not
hard to read their gazes.
He was sure that his men did not see him as a great leader who they could
trust, follow, and respect.
Their new leader, in their eyes, was skilled, but a greedy dictator. It was
normal to see it that way.
So far, Kim Tae-hoon's actions had been self-righteous, and right now Kim
Tae-hoon was right to be greedy.
The reason why Kim Tae-hoon was greedy, even though he knows it was
disturbing, was because he was assessing the situation more realistically
than anyone else.
Gulp!
Kim Tae-hoon took the last jewel into his hand, and snapshot his hand with
a smartphone camera.
------
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 60
-- Health: 42
139
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 18 ⦘
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: E Rank
-- Mana: E Rank
-- Telekinesis: A Rank
-- Defense: E Rank
[Achieved abilities]
-- The vitality of Troll (Grade 6): The power of the Mud Troll consumes
Energy to increase recovery speed.
------
He saw his Strength had exceeded 60 points and the ability, [Vitality of
Troll] he had newly acquired.
'This is great.'
He knew, even without breaking anything, that his power was already be‐
yond human.
At least now, Kim Tae-hoon would be able to show enough power that he
will not lose even if he fought the beasts with his body.
If Kim Tae-hoon had shared the monster stones according to a fair or very
reasonable calculation like someone else, there would not have been such a
result.
140
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 18 ⦘
Of course, it was not bad to distribute monster stones fairly and rationally.
No one hates rationality. Most things must be treated reasonably, because
what is not rational is eventually distorted, and one day it will collapse.
The problem is that the situation in which he was in now was a state of in‐
sane reason.
Humanity now faced a new enemy called monsters, and Awakeners had ap‐
peared to deal with such monsters.
Simply put, it meant that when the Awakeners hunted monsters, mankind
could survive.
The dragon. A monster that scared all living creatures just by being present.
The monster stones that were secured immediately would have been distrib‐
uted under the concept of the right man in the right place.
But now, if he ran such an efficient group, it might take more than ten years
to build the power and capacity to kill the dragon.
In the meanwhile, there is no guarantee that the dragon would remain silent.
'... at this level, it is not just not enough, but far from enough.'
And there was no guarantee that there would be only one dragon, and there
was no guarantee that there would not be a monster more terrible than the
141
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 18 ⦘
dragon.
Therefore, what was needed in this situation was not an efficient solution.
The clan, founded by Kim Tae-hoon, was a tool for making such an extreme
sharp spear.
Of course, Kim Tae-hoon would take most of the monster stones the clan
acquired!
Naturally, if the army functioned properly, Kim Tae-hoon did not have to
worry about this, nor would he have to do this.
Kim Tae-hoon had completely abandoned any expectations from the mili‐
tary.
'If the Capital Defense Command has collapsed, most of the rear units will
have collapsed, and only the front line will have survived the battle with the
monsters, but it will be isolated. It will be hard to hold on for a month if
they don't get supplies.'
We must abandon expectations and assume the worst. If the front line col‐
lapses in that situation... It is the worst of all.
'... if the monsters that destroyed North Korea come down, and the moment
the front line collapses, it will be actually on the edge of a cliff.'
Kim Tae-hoon, who had assumed the worst of all, once again looked at the
mark on his right hand, the Mark of an Awakener.
142
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 18 ⦘
There was something Kim Tae-hoon had realized as he came and went on a
myriad of battlefields.
If someone wanted a hero of legend to appear and save the world, it was
just like expecting a lottery win when not buying a ticket.
"Attention."
At the words of Kim Tae-hoon, the attention of those who had avoided his
eyes focused on him.
"We'll clean up the monsters in the base in two hours. Our first destination
is an arsenal. After securing the arsenal, we'll finish supplying. The second
is to sweep the rest of the monsters in the base. After eliminating the mon‐
sters, we will secure the monster stones from the monster corpses we have
killed. Then we will take a rest."
After completing the one-sided notice, Kim Tae-hoon looked at Ahn Sun-
mi.
Ahn Sun-mi, who was checking the wounds of the injured, replied with
some disbelief, "There's no problem moving them."
Even while speaking, Ahn Sun-mi could not believe what she had seen.
The fact was that men who had their flesh torn off, been hurt with injuries
they'd have for the rest of their lives, and those who would be out of action
143
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 18 ⦘
for months... had been treated neatly by the monster's flesh, making the
medical arts she had learned by dedicating most of her life a minor skill.
"Are there any questions?" Kim Tae-hoon gave them the right to ask ques‐
tions for the first time.
There are no questions for soldiers. There are only two things: orders, and
action!
If someone raised his hand and asked questions in this situation, he was not
a soldier.
"I have a question: what about our plans after we secure the arsenal, clean
up the rest of the unit, and rest?"
"Why?"
"There's a museum there, and if there's anything like the boss has said... I
can call you boss, right? Anyway, isn't it very likely that the relics that the
boss mentioned are there? For your information, there is also a bow mu‐
seum!"
Kim Tae-hoon studied the person who had asked the question.
144
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 18 ⦘
"I'm Jang Sung-hoon, and I'm twenty-two now that the New Year has
passed."
"Ah, I did a little this and that... but I did not have only one exact job..."
145
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 19 ⦘
Chapter 19
Chapter 7. Item Making, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
"Okay."
BoxN ovel.com
At the words of the driver of the dump truck, a soldier in the passenger's
seat pulled his head over the window and shouted. "No problem for driv‐
ing!"
There was Kim Su-ji, who the words were meant for. She immediately told
the soldiers waiting, "Clean the cargo bed of the dump truck!"
At her order, the soldiers climbed up the loading dock of the dump truck.
---
In the meantime, in the other place, Ahn Sun-mi checked the condition of
the wounded.
"The reaction of the pupil of your eye is normal. Do you feel dizziness or
vomiting?"
"I'm fine."
146
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 19 ⦘
"He should have been crippled for life, even if he had the right surgery
quickly. But his condition was treated in just one hour and the aftereffect is
just itching... If this recovery effect is also effective in the internal organs ...
Wait a minute, if the effect of the Mud Troll and the treatment from a Glass
of Therapy are overlapped, wouldn't it be possible to expect an even higher
recovery? I'll have to study this, as soon as the conditions are met."
The injured were in excellent condition. The flesh effect of the Mud Troll
was so effective that it left her speechless.
---
Bang Hyun-wook was shoveling against the body of the Mud Troll, which
was only seen as a heap of mud.
It was not an easy task. The Mud Troll's flesh was much heavier than ordi‐
nary soil, and it was thick enough to remind him of a mudflat. It was not
easy to put the shovel in the mud without using great force, and it was also
not easy to dig out. Already the average soldiers shoveling were injured
from a slight twist of the wrist.
"It's amazing."
147
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 19 ⦘
Such shovel work from Bang Hyun-wook was technically excellent, apart
from his power. Even the soldiers who were veterans at shoveling looked at
him with surprise.
He was not unaware of the importance of shoveling; the Mud Troll's flesh
was literally life in situations where there was no right medical service at
the moment.
But it was a completely different story when things were important and
were worthwhile to do.
Vitality began to bloom in the military base, where there was thought to be
only death, despair, and nightmares.
----------
Kim Tae-hoon was savoring the coffee he had used with the coffee dripper.
In front of him was Jang Sung-hoon, sipping coffee in a paper cup.
"Or Ethiopia? You have a good talent for coffee. You look like a barista."
Kim Tae-hoon still had coffee in his mouth. Jang Sung-hoon swallowed
what he was about to say.
Kim Tae-hoon swallowed the coffee that he had been drinking, before ask‐
ing, "What do you want?"
148
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 19 ⦘
It was a signal.
As he savored the coffee, he would keep his mouth shut, signaling that the
other should say what he wanted to say.
"First, the reason why I talked about my criminal record is that what I have
to say is related to it."
Jang Sung-hoon had told him that there was a museum in the nearby
Bucheon Stadium.
So far, there was no problem. Anyone could have told him that. The infor‐
mation that there was a museum there was not strictly confidential.
However, after that, Jang Sung-hoon revealed that he was a criminal and
had a criminal career.
Even if society had broken down, it is not good to confess to a crime. More‐
over, Jang Sung-hoon's was likely not to have confessed sins already pun‐
ished.
If he had done all the art forging, stolen goods, and smuggling, and been
punished for it, he would have been in and out of prison once or twice. If he
had spent a long time in prison, he wouldn't be in the army.
149
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 19 ⦘
So why did he do it? Why did he reveal at this moment that he was a crimi‐
nal had not been caught?
"I think a lot of people know the location of the museum. Frankly, that isn't
very helpful. But you know what? I know a few rich people who know
where and how to smuggle, donate counterfeit goods and keep their genuine
works, or keep their art for investing and bribery."
The reason was simple. If a criminal spits it out, he has information that is
reliable!
"There are two things I want. One is life. If you think I'm useful, the boss
will protect me before anyone else. For your protection, I have a lot of good
information."
While savoring the scent, he watched Jang Sung-hoon's eyes as the man
continued to speak.
A fierce beast's eyes, which did not match the appearance of the mouse,
showed the glitter of the eyes of an eagle.
"I won't hide it. Now that society has become a mess, it will eventually cre‐
ate a new society. After the Korean War, the world improved in the end. In‐
stead, a new order will be established. You said 'hunter'? Perhaps the hunter
will be the power of the new order."
While speaking, Jang Sung-hoon tapped on his right hand with his left in‐
dex finger.
150
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 19 ⦘
"My first priority is survival. It is my first priority to eat monster stones and
build up my strength and to increase the power of the army that can not do
the job I do. I do not intend to take my share right away."
He thought that he had uselessly exposed his personal greed and touched
the other person's wrath.
Kim Tae-hoon was thinking about whether humans really wanted to become
heroes of justice, who acted out of the desire to save the world.
"So if you want to get your share, take it yourself. Don't think I'll take care
of it," Kim Tae-hoon answered shortly.
Kim Su-ji came in. "We've completed the remodeling of the dump truck!"
With that word, Kim Tae-hoon took something out of the bag next to him,
which contained coffee, a portable pot, and coffee drawer.
2.
151
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 19 ⦘
The 1121 unit was a monster den, and there were so many monsters that it
was not an exaggeration to say that.
Those were so strong that they couldn't be compared with Goblins with
green skin. They had aggressiveness and the will to fight, and it was more
difficult to deal with them than ordinary Goblins.
Unless the heart and head were destroyed, soldiers had to consume dozens
of shots to kill the monsters which were rushing into their bullets.
Of course, it was not simply to break the Mud Troll that he brought the
dump truck.
Making the dump truck's back end into a mobile shooting board was the de‐
cisive reason why Kim Tae-hoon brought a dump truck.
The brown Goblins' aggressive behavior towards the running dump truck
had not diminished at all, but the battle was totally different from when
there were no dump trucks.
The clinging brown Goblins fell so helplessly that the madness of the past
was erased.
Also, there was a completely different sense of stability for a soldier who
pulled the trigger from the back end made of steel on the dump truck.
"Yes!"
152
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 19 ⦘
The soldiers who pulled the trigger decisively, now Kim Tae-hoon's sol‐
diers, were full of wrath to vent.
The body of the brown Goblins piled up on the roads the dump truck ran
past, victims of righteous anger.
However, there was no Kim Tae-hoon and Bang Hyun-wook in the scene.
3.
Tututu!
Kim Tae-hoon and Bang Hyun-wook were moving far away from the place
where the shooting sounded faintly. They were alert and careful They could
see the brown Goblins running toward the dump truck and the commotion it
was causing.
"They're not just moving randomly, as big brother said," Bang murmured to
himself.
It was clear that there was a purpose in the actions of those who moved to‐
ward the dump truck, exactly as if they were ordered. It was a completely
different movement from the monsters that had focused on visible targets so
far.
It was why Kim Tae-hoon and Bang Hyun-wook moved separ ately.
'There's something behind them, as big brother said. It's great. How does he
know this?'
153
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 19 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon immediately had a hunch when he saw a system in the fight
with the brown Goblins.
If there was a system in the fighting, it meant that there was something to
give orders and command.
Of course, Kim Tae-hoon was looking for the leader, tracking back the
brown Goblins running towards the dump truck.
"Stop."
The view was dim, but there was no shortage of weirdness at the sight.
Carcia Shausnia!
A tall, six-foot-tall, horned brown Goblin with orange eyes, was exhaling
like a magic spell. Red breath flowed out of the Goblin's mouth in serpen‐
tine streams, and it was sucked into the mouths of the Goblins around it.
The eyes of the brown Goblin who had inhaled the red breath went wild,
and they immediately began to run in the direction of the dump truck.
Bang Hyun-wook, who looked at the scene, swallowed without knowing it.
154
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 19 ⦘
Even with a gun, it seemed impossible to hit an enemy more than four hun‐
dred meters away with an automatic rifle, not a sniper rifle. Even if it were
hit, it would just be a warning informing it of the location of the two of
them.
It seemed wise to come back with those who he was in charge of, after re‐
treating safely.
Bang!
A sudden shot.
"Uhhh!"
Kim Tae-hoon said to Bang Hyun-wook, who was startled by the gunshot,
"Let's go back."
In the eyes of Bang Hyun-wook, there was no more sign of a Goblin with
horns doing strange things. He could only see a pack of Goblins who
seemed to be confused...
155
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 20 ⦘
Chapter 20
Chapter 7. Item Making, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
------
[Hobgoblin's Crystal]
BoxN ovel.com
------
------
[Hobgoblin's Horn]
------
156
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 20 ⦘
------
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 69
-- Health: 45
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: E rank
-- Mana: E+ Rank
-- Telekinesis: A Rank
-- Defense: E Rank
[Achieved abilities]
-- Hobgoblin's Sense (Grade 6): You can sense and understand the presence
of a stronger enemy than yourself earlier and more accurately.]
------
Kim Tae-hoon took his eyes off his smartphone when he got to the picture
with the mark of his right hand.
157
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 20 ⦘
He saw a fairly wide training ground, the bodies of the monsters all over the
ground, soldiers atop the corpses and practicing the dissection of corpses to
get the hearts out, and soldiers who had already come out of the area and
smoking with bloody hands.
"Huh, I didn't know I'd dissect monsters in my life. My hands are still shak‐
ing."
"Shit, but this damn hard work makes the cigar ette taste excellent, excel‐
lent."
The faces of the soldiers spitting out cigar ette smoke were fatigued.
"I can't believe it's January 1st. It seems that it's been about ten years."
---
Kim Tae-hoon could not easily believe that the year he looked up and was
prepared to fall was the New Year, 2017.
A long sigh came from his mouth. White breath steamed in front of him.
158
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 20 ⦘
Memories of the past began to grow dim after hard work and proper rest for
more than 24 hours.
The faces of many people came to his mind. Now the faces could only be
seen in memory. At the same time, his expression hardened.
"We've divided and loaded the weapons into the dump truck, two military
trucks, and four SUVs."
Kim Soo-ji looked down at him silently without turning around. Kim Tae-
hoon finally spoke up.
"It's Major."
"Ah."
However, Kim Tae-hoon did not look very old, around the early thirties, so
she was surprised.
The rank of major in the Korean army is that of a soldier who takes an elite
course within the shortest period of time possible.
Moreover, it is the best elite course ever, where he has been promoted with‐
out a single stop. If someone took such an elite course, his name would be
159
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 20 ⦘
She bet if Kim Tae-hoon did normal activities as an officer, he would never
have become a major.
In other words, all the activities Kim Tae-hoon had done so far are not nor‐
mal.
"I served under Major General Chang Young-sung, and it's meaningless to
ask further."
"There will be no official documents to find and read. No matter what I say,
there is no evidence to prove I exist."
When Kim Soo-ji kept pressing, Kim Tae-hoon raised his head and looked
at her. He could see her eyes were determined.
'I do not think that Brigadier General Kim Jae-ryong would tell a good story
about Major General Jang Young-sung.'
Her grandfather, Brigadier General Kim Jae-ryong, would know full well
the role of Major General Chang Young-sung.
That's why he must have warned his granddaughter, "Don't get involved
with major general Chang Young-sung in any way."
Nevertheless, she asked the questions. It meant that she was fully prepared.
Kim Soo-ji was a model of a woman soldier who thought it was a sin to ask
questions to her boss.
Therefore, Kim Tae-hoon told her about his affiliation. "A secret unit cre‐
ated to assassinate or destroy the factors or groups that threaten the nation.
160
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 20 ⦘
And that brief explanation was enough to guess what Kim Tae-hoon has
been doing as a soldier.
At the same time, she could fully guess that Kim Tae-hoon was a member
of such a secret special unit and had a rank that did not fit his age. It was
evidence of his outstanding activities beyond active duty.
In addition, Kim Soo-ji could understand the meaning of the warning that
her grandfather gave.
When he closed his eyes, he remembered the faces that had just come up
with, the faces he could only remember now. They spoke to him.
'You must survive, at least you must survive, the boss should survive, and at
least you will survive...'
'I didn't become a soldier to survive, but from a certain moment surviving
became my sole purpose.'
Kim Soo-ji seemed to think this was an opportunity, and immediately asked
another question. "Why did you organize a private organization called a
clan? You could act in the name of the army."
"If I work in the name of the army, I cannot go hunting monsters without ig‐
noring the people and the nation. Of course, if I look at what the ROK mili‐
tary has done in the meantime, it will not be a big flaw if I go kill monsters
in the name of the military."
161
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 20 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon did not add that as he violated the spirit of the military to
live, he could call it a real desire to keep living. Even if he did not add that,
the meaning would be enough.
Jang Sung-hoon appeared, and Kim Soo-ji looked at him with a sullen ex‐
pression.
The sudden appearance of an uninvited guest, and the title Jang Sung-hoon
used for Kim Tae-hoon, seemed to be unsatisfactory to her.
"I didn't think of it. I was just talking to the other soldiers. The world has
changed like a game, and I have been told that we can make items from
monsters.
"No, what is it..." Kim Soo-ji tried to spit out a denial reflexively because it
was so ridiculous.
The strength of monsters was not the same as the strength of the beasts that
humanity had already met. Their skin was strong enough to hold stop bul‐
lets.
162
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 20 ⦘
With the poison of poisonous creatures, the skin of beasts with tough hides,
and the ivory of fierce beasts with sharp teeth, they made tools and
weapons, and they eventually survived.
It was not strange that the source was changed to a monster, but it is natural
that mankind must choose to survive.
"To be honest, we can't make even a pair of clumsy shoes with the tools we
have now."
"So..."
"Is there anyone with gold spoons in the army who don't have oil on their
hands and who only spend all their money? The army is for the people who
come to work hard and have oil on their hands. It would be strange if there
were no craftsmen from the factory, and if not, there would be survivors in
the industrial complex, and they will be able to help us."
5.
163
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 20 ⦘
Making clothes using animal skin was not something they could do
overnight.
Kim Tae-hoon also did not intend to leave the base immediately.
It was necessary to move together, and above all, the armor made with Gob‐
lin skin was not proven to be urgently needed.
---
Pook! Pook!
"Where there are about three layers, a knife doesn't get through."
"Three overlapping sheets would be fairly thick, and I don't think that's go‐
ing to get a Goblin tooth on it."
"But if we overlap three sheets, we can't move because it's too heavy."
"Our main weapon is a gun, isn't it? Wouldn't it be all right if we could
aim?"
"Honestly, this is better than a bulletproof suit. Anyway, the monsters won't
shoot."
Kim Tae-hoon tested those things with his soldiers: how tough the crudely
peeled Goblin skin was, and how much unprocessed Goblin skin was
needed for armor.
164
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 20 ⦘
In the meantime, it was none other than Ahn Sun-mi who made a valid
item.
"It's a medicine pill that combines the horn of the Hobgoblin, the flesh of
the Mud Troll, and therapy water made by a Glass of Therapy."
Ahn Sun-mi showed off a pill of bottle cap size and took a picture of it with
a smartphone camera.
[Effect]
Ahn Sun-mi made an item using the materials from monsters Kim Tae-
hoon's clan had acquired so far.
The problem is that when monsters such as Black Orc and Mud Troll ap‐
peared, they caused fear when they screamed.
165
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 20 ⦘
This fear was not something which could be mentally resisted. The energy
rank was important. If the energy rank was high, the fear could be ignored,
endured, or recovered from quickly.
Therefore, no matter how large an army was organized, if the average per‐
son had a low energy rank, or did not have such a thing, they'd be taken out
instantly. It was one of the biggest reasons why Kim Tae-hoon was wary of
the monsters.
In such a situation, the pills made by Ahn Sun-mi were light and salt!
What if this pill gave Awakeners and the average person tolerance, resis‐
tance, and recovery against the fear?
'It depends on the effectiveness, but the tactics and firepower available
would be greatly increased if the average soldiers or the low-ranking Awak‐
eners could resist the fear.'
"Yes?"
"We'll have to make a lot of similar things in the future, and we'll need
names to sort them out."
The answer to such a proposal came from the mouth of another person. "I'd
call it Sun-mi Dan after your name, and it's intuitive and good, isn't it?"
"Do you want to die?" Ahn Sun-mi looked at Bang Hyun-wook, who was
talking bullshit.
166
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 20 ⦘
Bang Hyun-wook turned his attention to Kim Tae-hoon to avoid her eerie
gaze.
"Big brother, wouldn't it be better for us to name our clan than the name of
this medicine now? Or do you have a name already?"
He didn't think about that part. What Kim Tae-hoon needed was not the
name of the clan, but rather the clothes he should wear, instead of an army
uniform.
But as Bang Hyun-wook said, he could not just say "clan" without a name.
"I have a good name because I learned some Chinese characters, and the
light illuminates the road, Road Light, how about it?"
"Marlboro Clan?"
Ahn Sun-mi turned her head as if she did not even want to deal with Bang
Hyun-wook anymore. The two were apparently quarreling brothers and sis‐
ters.
In the end, Kim Tae-hoon asked for help from someone with the most liter‐
ary and archaeological knowledge in the clan.
167
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 20 ⦘
"Clan's name? I've forged someone else's name, but it's the first time I
named a clan. Wouldn't it be bad luck for a human who has forged art to
make a name for a clan?" Jang Sung-hoon laughed at Kim Tae-hoon's re‐
quest. "So, what do you want?"
"Normally, these battle groups are named after a mythical animal. Three-
legged Crow, Hatch, Mac, and even the Four Mythical Animals are childish
but surprisingly fine. I like the Vermillion Bird, the Vermillion Bird!"
"When you're naming, it's best to remember and say it easily, because it's all
about meaning."
At his words, Kim Tae-hoon picked a word that didn't worry him. "Mac."
"It's different from country to country, but it's usually known as a mythical
animal which eats nightmares. Mac clan, that's not bad. So where is the next
destination of our Mac clan? Are we going to the industrial complex, or...?"
The next destination of the Mac clan was Bucheon Stadium, where the bow
museum was located!
168
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 21 ⦘
Chapter 21
Chapter 8. The Second Relic, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
A car that had been blocking the road fell into the ditch by the road with a
crash of metal. Its nose crumpled loudly. If the owner had seen it, he would
have been mortified.
"I can't believe that there are so many cars in the small country. Oh, God!"
The person doing this was angry rather than reflective.
What was more surprising was that the cars he had not knocked down the
side of the road were not one or two.
BoxN ovel.com
Hundreds of cars were being sent into the ditches, some cars slamming into
one another quite loudly.
Bang Hyun-wook turned his head, looked at what he had done and wiped
the sweat off his forehead.
Jang Sung-hoon, who had just sent a car into the ditch, said to him, "You're
very strong."
"Yes, I really hope you make your professional debut. If the car owners here
later see you in the black boxes and claim damages, you'll either file for
169
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 21 ⦘
"I agree." Jang Sung-hoon once again looked at the crowd of cars on the
road with his words. 'I've done all sorts of bad things to get one of these ...
and now they are like garbage.', he mused to himself Among them, there
was one expensive enough to whistle at the moment Jang Sung-hoon saw it.
"Uh? Boss? Boss!" Jang Sung-hoon shouted at Kim Tae-hoon, who was
marking a car to push off onto the side of the road ahead of them.
He saw Kim Tae-hoon trying to mark an X-shape with a red oil pen on the
back glass of Cayenne, an SUV made by Porsche.
For reference, the price of a new Porsche Cayenne was a hundred thousand
dollars without any option. Adding options, it could be worth up to twice
that.
At least it was a too much valuable car to put in the ditch, and at the same
time, Porsche was a car-maker that could make the man's heartburn.
Kim Tae-hoon did not even look up at the cry, and immediately pushed the
back of the car lightly. Confirming it was in neutral, he immediately looked
at the back of the car.
The image in his mind became a reality. The car moved on its own and
started to go down the ditch.
170
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 21 ⦘
The expensive car went down into the ditch and slammed into the back of
another car already there.
Bang!
Watching the car like he was losing a lover, Jang Sung-hoon spat out a sigh.
"If I could just drive that thing once..."
"Tae-hoon brother is the one who beat an Orc with a Mercedes when he
caught it, so it's nothing."
'Huck!'
Jang Sung-hoon and Bang Hyun-wook became dumb. The meaning was
clear -- Shut Up and Get Back To Work.
After seeing they had shut up, the gaze moved past them.
He saw the road they had come up was like a graveyard of cars, the dump
truck that was slowly moving up the road, and the cars that followed it were
like ducklings chasing the mother duck.
"I'm sorry."
171
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 21 ⦘
"Move the dead body carefully, and even if you can't do a funeral, you have
to use at least a little courtesy."
"I understand."
"It's a happy thing to deal with the dead, it's proof that you lived."
Some of the soldiers were working on moving the dead bodies to the side of
the road and covering their faces with jumpers.
The other soldiers were working on finding the monster bodies and then
grabbing the monster stones by cracking their chests open.
------
January 2nd.
At the end of the day, which was like an eternity, Kim Tae-hoon and his
newly-minted men if the Mac Clan, left the 1121 unit at the moment the sun
rose and began marching toward the Bucheon Stadium.
The distance was about five kilometers, and even if you walked, it was only
an hour to reach it.
172
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 21 ⦘
However, the Mac Clan, who had left the unit at 7 AM, arrived at the
Bucheon Stadium Station near Bucheon Stadium at 2 PM, just past the mid‐
dle of the day.
They had to arrange the roads so that the vehicles carrying the weapons
could move, including the dump trucks carrying the weapons.
There were few monster raids. It was a task that took a lot of time.
Getting rid of the cars which had lost their owners filling the streets by
shoving them to the side also a took a lot of time, and it was not an easy job
to deal with cars that were tangled up by traffic accidents if they didn't have
Kim Tae-hoon and Bang Hyun-wook.
'Anyway, we have secured a road that links the Stadium Station with the
military base.'
Now the dump truck wasn't just a truck, but an arsenal with a lot of
weapons, and a powerful weapon that allowed them to gain the height ad‐
vantage in the battle with monsters.
Securing a road for such a dump truck to move was now the most important
thing for the Mac Clan.
It was also important to dispose of the bodies of the dead. The place where
a body sleeps becomes a tomb, but the place where it is scattered becomes
hell.
173
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 21 ⦘
"Isn't that a general fire, with that much smoke? It's an apartment complex
over there, isn't it?"
Everyone's eyes turned to the smoke of the distant apartment complex. Kim
Tae-hoon's eyes also turned.
It was a fire.
Currently, the temperature was minus ten degrees Celsius, but the wind was
blowing, rather than the temperature is rising.
In the end, we will have to use the old-fashioned methods that mankind
used to endure in the cold.
174
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 21 ⦘
"I'm sure they set a fire to melt themselves, and if there were no fire in this
weather, they'd freeze to death."
Naturally, if they had had common sense, they would have come out of the
building and brought out something like a drum, or a large-scale cooking
oil, and put some firewood into the fire.
But some of them, without common sense, would have been burning in
their house using portable gas burners and portable butane heaters, and this
was not a world that rewarded a lack of common sense.
The problem is that there were no firefighters to dispatch even if they called
911.
"Maybe we just have to wait until the fire goes out unless it rains. But it
won't rain in this weather. If it rains, it would be even more astonishing."
"Well ..."
The world that people had built was as easy to burn as matchboxes.
"I don't know what will happen, but I'm sure there's no way to do anything."
"It's creepy."
In fact, this applied not to just monster attacks, but also disasters such as
earthquakes.
Experts say that when a disaster like a major earthquake occurs, there
would often be more deaths from secondary disasters such as fires in the in‐
frastructure that had collapsed, than the deaths caused by the disaster.
175
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 21 ⦘
It would be monsters, not people, who would be most excited in such con‐
fusion.
But his other senses said that the desolation was false. The Sense of the
Hobgoblin told Kim Tae-hoon that there was a strong being near him.
Ohwwww!
After Kim Tae-hoon's cry, an eerie howling that made their legs tremble
echoed around them!
176
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 22 ⦘
Chapter 22
Chapter 8. The Second Relic, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
2.
A-wooooooo!
A Werewolf, with gray hair, a huge physique over two meters tall, howled
at the sky.
BoxN ovel.com
It was not a simple sound. At the same time, it was not the sound of a wolf
being lonely.
Awww! Aooo!
Of course, the howling of wolves followed the call of the Werewolf. They
saw them coming; they were wolves running on four feet, unlike the Were‐
wolf.
Excluding the tail, they were two meters long, gray-furred... but they had
huge heads, red eyes, and a pair of massive fangs, like a sabretooth tiger!
A Sabretooth Wolf!
177
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 22 ⦘
The purpose of the rushing wolves was the soldiers of Mac Clan, who lifted
their heads with guns in the back of the dump truck.
"Start firing!"
The battle began with the order of Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji to start firing.
The first attack was from the gunmen; they naturally had range. The shots
rampaged through the bodies of the charging wolves.
A painful cry came from the mouths of the wolves hit by the gunshots.
But that was all. The shooting did not stop them at all.
The reason was that the hands of the soldiers pulling the triggers were shak‐
ing like people with palsy.
The reason for the tremor was, of course, the howling of the Werewolf.
The typhoon-like cry was strength and wings for the sabretooth wolves, and
a handcuff and shackle for enem
ies facing the fear.
178
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 22 ⦘
If it was not for the pills made by Ahn Sun-mi, it would not have been easy
to pull the trigger if they had not taken the pill in advance.
The cars, which filled the road here, also earned curses from the soldiers.
Even Kim Tae-hoon could not hit the moving wolves with his trembling
hands as they ran between the cars.
Four sabretooth wolves approached the dump truck and were not going to
stop. They were going to jump on it and throw themselves into the back of
it.
At her shout, the hundreds of beads from the installed claymore blew out.
In front of the inhumane weapon, the sabretooth wolves had no choice but
to whimper.
Even that was the last sound, for the sabretooth wolves with holes all over
them didn't even have time to breathe again before they died.
Awwww!
The Werewolf, who had seen the sight, once again started howling.
The howling was stronger, more intense, and angrier than before.
AOOO!
179
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 22 ⦘
At the howling, the sabretooth wolves also lifted their muzzles and began to
howl, too!
A bizarre force began to swirl around the battlefield. It was not a vague
feeling.
That bizarre power was in the eyes of the sabretooth wolves, and they be‐
gan to inflate their power and fury.
... Ooooop!
Oop! Oop!
The Werewolf tried to continue the howling, but its mouth did not open. It
was just like someone had chained the Werewolf's mouth shut.
Oop! Oop!
The situation had to be very confusing from the point of view of the Were‐
wolf.
A water balloon flew toward the Werewolf, a precise parab ola, and hit the
eyeballs of the Werewolf exactly. It exploded without mercy and doused it
with black liquid.
Ooop!
After the liquid hit, the Werewolf closed its eyes tightly and began to strug‐
gle painfully.
180
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 22 ⦘
It would have been strange if it didn't try to escape or struggle from the
pain. The liquid, which was mixed with poisons such as gasoline, pesti‐
cides, and agricultural chemicals, various kinds of perfumes to give a bad
smell, and plenty of red pepper powder, had gotten into its eyes and nose.
"Yes!" Bang Hyun-wook, who had thrown the water bomb so precisely,
shouted with his fist clenched at the fact.
"That is the pitching of Bang Hyun-wook, the third starter of Bucheon High
School! I'm a pitcher who won a complete game in the Phoenix League!
The complete game in the Phoenix League! Eleven strikeouts! Kershaw of
Bucheon High School!"
At his cry, the Werewolf turned toward him, rubbing its eyes.
Kuhuhuhng!
Kim Tae-hoon had moved behind the Werewolf while it was looking at
Bang Hyun-wook, and now shot calmly.
One hundred percent accuracy. Of the seven shots, not a single bullet
missed its body.
However, the Werewolf did not fall. Even though it was shot in the head, it
didn't fall to its knees or even make a noise.
'It's tough.' It was evidence of tough skin, strong and thick bones, and crazy
vitality. 'The Werewolf's skin will be useful.'
181
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 22 ⦘
The scary thing about the gun is that the countdown started as soon as it
was hit.
When the bleeding begins, and the joints and muscles are damaged, they do
not move properly.
The chemical weapons made by Kim Tae-hoon were more effective than
the use of trivial materials.
So Kim Tae-hoon was more relaxed and shot a bullet more accurately into
the body of the Werewolf. His telekinesis also interfered with its move‐
ments.
In the eyes of Kim Tae-hoon, the Werewolf, seen beyond the barber of a
gun attached to the body, was no different from a scarecrow whose arms
and legs were tied to a huge chain.
Feeling the tingle, Kim Tae-hoon turned his gaze to the left and saw a
Sabretooth Wolf flying at him like it had springs, with its huge jaws open
and oversize fangs spread wide.
It seemed impossible for Kim Tae-hoon to avoid the attack of the Wolf,
which had almost reached him.
He did not avoid it. Rather, he thrust his right fist at the mouth of the Wolf,
the fist covered by iron Black Skin.
There was a crack as his fist broke the sabretooth of the Wolf. After punch‐
ing through the roof of its mouth, his fist drove into its brain in a messy
spray.
182
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 22 ⦘
"You don't have to..." Bang Hyun-wook's surprised cry ended with a low
murmur.
Kim Tae-hoon was alert while lifting his rifle again, and immediately after
confirming that there was no sign of another Sabretooth Wolf, he planted all
the bullets left in the magaz ine into the Werewolf's body.
At the end of the last shot, Kim Tae-hoon exchanged magaz ine and shouted.
Kim Tae-hoon's energetic cry became a typhoon and shook the battlefield.
3.
[Werewolf's Crystal]
------
"Howling ... are you going to shout 'Howl!' before you fight?" Bang Hyun-
wook, who was checking the contents of the spoils obtained by killing the
Werewolf through a smartphone photo, imagined Kim Tae-hoon howling
out, and laughed.
183
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 22 ⦘
The soldiers of the Mac Clan, who were gathered around the campfire near
the dump truck, could not afford to laugh at the trembling that had not yet
stopped for everyone, even Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji.
The Werewolf's fear was much more intense then they thought. When the
cold weather was added to it, the effect was doubled.
"Are you all right?" Bang Hyun-wook threw a worried question to Jang
Sung-hoon, who was sitting near him.
"I'm hot."
"Hot?"
"The Energy is like chi, but once it's heated, it doesn't cool easily, and it still
wriggles in my gut. I feel my guts wriggling, damn it."
The two saw Kim Tae-hoon walking toward them. He had come back after
searching for monsters around the bow museum.
All those who were around the fire rose from their seats at the appearance
of Kim Tae-hoon.
"Jang Sung-hoon and Ahn Sun-mi." Kim Tae-hoon called out to two of
them who had stood up. The two named nodded.
There was no reason to question about it because it had already been agreed
upon.
So it was natural to bring along Jang Sung-hoon, who had the ability, and
Ahn Sun-mi, who had already found the first relic.
"Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji commands the Clan. Bang Hyun-wook, when I'm
not here, you're the captain of the assault team."
184
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 22 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon looked at Bang Hyun-wook shortly and then headed back to
the museum with Ahn Sun-mi and Jang Sung-hoon in tow.
4.
Located next to Bucheon Stadium, there were various kinds of bows, ar‐
rows and quivers, and bow-related items displayed in full view. There was
no light, so it was rather hard to see.
Cameras flashed all over the museum, a scene that would normally only
scare a museum official. There was something really frightening about it
now.
"Okay!"
A man in the dark broke the glass that stored the goods with a hammer. The
sound of glass breaking was pretty loud.
"Just like the thieves said, the sound is really great. It's addictive."
With those words, a hand appeared suddenly through the broken glass. It
picked up one of the arrows on display.
"What is it?"
As one of them pulled out the goods, the two, a man and a woman, gathered
beside the man.
---------
[Sun-sin's Arrow]
185
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 22 ⦘
-- Relic Effect: The arrow has the power of a Great Admiral. The penetrat‐
ing force of the arrow increases with Energy rank.]
---------
Grade 4, Rare ... they saw more amazing words than they expected.
However, it was not about the grade, value, or effect of the relic that Kim
Tae-hoon and Ahn Sun-mi saw.
"Sun-sin's Arrow?"
Sun-sin! There was only one Great Admiral with this name in the history of
the Republic of Korea.
Kim Tae-hoon did not answer Ahn Sun-mi's question. He couldn't. At this
point, the answer was beyond his capacity.
"Is it possible that such a valuable relic is in this museum?" The answer
came, of course, from Jang Sung-hoon.
Jang Sung-hoon looked at the arrow in his hand and said, "It's probab ly
true. Only such an arrow that Admiral Yi Sun-sin shot would be in the mu‐
seum."
Jang Sung-hoon continued to look at the arrow and arrowhead in the light
of the smartphone.
186
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 22 ⦘
"It's just common sense, asking who would take the arrow shot by an admi‐
ral of the Joseon Dynasty? As a great man like Admiral Yi Sun-sin would
shoot, someone would pick it up and keep it as a family treasure or amulet,
so that it will remain in shape after centuries."
"Look at this, the arrowhead that is flashing like it was made just now. The
arrowhead during the Japanese Invasions of Imjin did not have any rust on
it. This must be a clue that it turned into a relic. It's not just its ability that
has changed, but its appearance. Otherwise, it's not going to be that good
unless it was made of gold..."
At that moment, Jang Sung-hoon stopped talking. The smile on his lips was
gone, too.
Kim Tae-hoon and Ahn Sun-mi cocked their heads at his appearance. At the
same time, they waited patiently for Jang Sung-hoon to start talking.
"I want you to sort out what you want to say, exactly where we are going,
and why we should go."
187
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 22 ⦘
188
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 23 ⦘
Chapter 23
Chapter 8. The Second Relic, Part III
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
5.
BoxN ovel.com
At that moment, words of admiration came from Jang Sung-hoon, the most
dangerous uninvited guest.
As Ahn Sun-mi could not bear the boredom of silence, she immediately
asked, "Meissen? What is that?"
"It's the best of the European luxury potteries. Should I say Benz by car?"
"Is it expensive?"
"It's expensive, and I would have to pay five thousand dollars for that set
right now."
"It's cheap, I suppose. One of the Meissen vases is over eight thousand eu‐
ros."
189
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 23 ⦘
At such a ridiculous price, Ahn Sun-mi opened her mouth without saying
anything for a moment.
"But I'm curious, can you tell where the product is from looking at that pot‐
tery?"
"I can do it, so I could become a criminal at this age... but I'm not a crimi‐
nal, because I haven't been caught yet."
He was not only a young man but also a young boy who had not yet re‐
ceived a diploma from a university.
It is because he had a discerning eye and ability that did not fit his age, of
course, that he was able to commit crimes such as forgery, stealing goods,
and art smuggling.
Was it possible for a blind person to forge artworks, a blind person to fake
the authenticity of the goods in the stolen goods trade, or to smuggle?
"Of course, I wouldn't have asked you to come here without confidence,
and a guy I knew once gave me a quote to steal it ..."
"... if you search the online, you can find a related article. Ah, the smart‐
phones don't work now."
190
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 23 ⦘
"It's not that great, because people are not really interested in Napoleon's
champagne glass."
He saw the expression of Ahn Sun-mi, who had a serious look in her eyes.
She must have felt something.
"This way."
Jang Sung-hoon and Kim Tae-hoon moved along with her, and soon they
saw it; a glass of champagne that gave off a delicate golden light in a glass
case.
"... worth coming." The champagne glass, made of crystal and decorated
with gold, seemed expensive in itself, but it did not look so special.
But the letter "N," a symbol of the person who was prominent in the history
of mankind, made the value of the champagne glass special.
Napoleon, there was a trace of a legendary existence that changed the flow
of human history.
It glowed on its own. Beyond simple traces, it was a relic that could not be
valued.
As soon as the sound of the photo faded, Kim Tae-hoon's gaze turned to the
smartphone. Ahn Sun-mi and Jang Sung-hoon stuck to his left and right,
crowding in to look.
------
191
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 23 ⦘
-- Relic effect: One of the six golden glasses Napoleon used. When a crisis
comes, it creates a champagne that makes you dream of a solution.]
------
A great tactician! The secret of Emperor Napoleon, who could read the
right way in an unpredictable era of war!
6.
Wharuru!
Mac Clan's soldiers were gathering in front of the burning fire, warming
themselves.
It was because the fear of the Werewolf in their body had not gone away.
And even if not, the cold weather did not allow them to leave the fire easily.
Of course, there was only one person who would leave such a fire.
Bang Hyun-wook, was swinging like taking batting practice with a steel
stick cut like a baseball bat in his hand, was free from the fear and cold,
knowing how to handle his Energy properly.
In addition, the sound of his swing, which was channeling Energy, was
eerie.
"If I had had this bat speed before the draft, I could have gotten a blank
check from the Major League scouts"
192
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 23 ⦘
If he had had this power in high school, what kind of interest and attention
would he have received?
But the end of the dream was more bitter than anything else, rather than
sweet. After he stopped daydreaming, a long misty breath poured out of his
mouth.
"Fuck." The long sigh was a bitter sound that ended his happy thoughts.
His parents' faces came to his mind first, then his friends' faces. He remem‐
bered the face of his classmate who he had been in love with all during high
school, and the black smoke rose from a distance from a burning apartment.
There were not many ways to spend time in a world where there was noth‐
ing to eat up time, like a TV or smartphone game.
For him, a time of silence was a time of agony. So he moved and somehow
tried to talk about another topic.
Kim Soo-ji, who was on the other side of the fire from Bang Hyun-wook,
was a prey to catch somehow.
Now that she had stopped shaking, she nodded her head at Bang Hyun-
wook's question.
"You are an acquaintance with big brother, aren't you?" Kim Soo-ji nodded
silently again.
Bang Hyun-wook quickly said with a little finger swinging, "So you two
are...?"
Kim Soo-ji looked at Bang Hyun-wook's little finger, seemingly not under‐
standing the meaning straight away.
193
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 23 ⦘
For her, Bang Hyun-wook was willing to give a kind explanation. "Are you
and big brother lovers?"
"What nonsense!" Kim Soo-ji was frightened, her face paled, and she re‐
futed it quickly. "In the old days, I met him just once!"
"I saw him at the Army Headquarters for a moment. That's all I've ever had
to do with him."
"He's a soldier, too, right? Good. I thought he was some kind of hitman.
Killer's better, but a soldier is better than a killer. He is from the special
forces, isn't he?"
"That's ..." Kim Soo-ji was silent at his questions, which came without a
break.
'It's not something I can tell you.' She did not have the right to answer Bang
Hyun-wook's question.
Kim Tae-hoon was the only person who could reveal that he belongs to a
secret special unit that was not officially recorded in the history of the Re‐
public of Korea.
Of course, Bang Hyun-wook was not really curious about such things, and
he did not say that to make Kim Su-ji embarrassed. He just needed to spend
time ignoring his own worries.
Therefore, Bang Hyun-wook did not stop talking, and nobody seemed to be
able to stop him.
---
194
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 23 ⦘
He looked at the road with a hard expression, the road that he and the Mac
Clan had worked hard on for a long time... and a group of people now walk‐
ing down the road.
The soldiers leaped up at her cry and began to move in a flurry with the
guns they had kept at hand The driver got into the driver's seat quickly and
started the engine.
"Get on!"
"Come up quickly!"
The soldiers climbed into the dump truck and got ready, with only eyes and
muzzles visible in the back.
Bang Hyun-wook was the only one who stayed on the ground and didn't get
on the loading dock. After all, the captain of the assault squad could not just
rush up there.
"Hoo!"
'Don't hesitate, Bang Hyun-wook. You should not hesitate just because they
are human. If it's dangerous, you have to deal with it. You have to do it.'
They were not a monster who he did not need to feel remorse about, even if
he smashed its head at once.
"Hoo!" Therefore, Bang Hyun-wook, who was preparing for the battle, was
pouring out a white breath like a steam locomotive.
195
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 23 ⦘
As time went by, the distance between them became closer, and soon they
confirmed each other's identities.
The soldiers bit their lips, confirming that they were survivors, not mon‐
sters.
"Soldiers, soldiers!"
"Soldiers?"
The moment they saw that the men in the dump truck were soldiers, the
faces of the crowd approaching the dump truck seemed to bend enough to
express joy.
"Ung-ung!"
The screams that could not control the joy, the crying that could not bear the
joy.
They made all kinds of noises and did not stop walking toward the dump
truck, as if they were possessed by something, like zombies in movies.
196
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 23 ⦘
If they were monsters, they would aim and fire at everyone approaching be‐
fore the shooting order was issued.
But they were human beings, civilians who were not armed.
Just by imagining that they were aiming guns at humans, their hearts were
starting to pound.
She would easily give a firing order to a monster, but it was not easy to take
action in a cool manner, even if she had assumed this situation to the civil‐
ians.
"No access! We will fire if you approach any closer!" she shouted again,
warning them.
But the people who were converging on the dump truck did not think to
stop.
"Uh-ung, uh-ung!"
There was no room for Kim Soo-ji's voice in the midst of the endless praise
for saving them, desperation, and crying that burst out endlessly.
There was only one thing that soldiers learned about civilians during mili‐
tary training: Don't even sneeze against civilians!
It was impossible for Kim Soo-ji and the soldiers to have any experience in
dealing with this situation.
197
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 23 ⦘
There was a girl with a familiar face among the crowd, a girl's face he could
not forget.
While everyone was so embarrassed that they could not do anything, the
distance between civilians and the dump truck narrowed.
It was not a good picture. A picture that was not good even if something big
happened.
Awwwoooo!
The painting was painted with a new color called howling, a dark color...
"Huck!"
The people who approached the dump truck stopped when they heard the
howling. The shots that followed the howling made the civilians' stopped
legs shake.
"From now on, those who approach will be killed instantly without warn‐
ing. I say again, whoever approaches the dump truck without permission, I
will fire without warning. Everybody, sit down or lie down."
So everyone stopped acting and looked at the issuer of the warning, Kim
Tae-hoon!
198
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 24 ⦘
Chapter 24
Chapter 9. The Golden Glass of Napoleon, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
BoxN ovel.com
Of course, Guro District and Yangcheon District were located far from the
center of Seoul, but it was clear that they were closer to Seoul than Kim
Tae-hoon's party.
"Seoul is hell now, and the great monsters are going crazy ..."
"A huge winged dragon, you can't believe it, but when the dragon spat out
the fire, the building collapsed, the trees burned all over, and the people just
melted down ..."
"I heard that the fighters fired missiles at Mapo bridge and Yanghwa bridge,
and they destroyed them."
199
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 24 ⦘
The capital city of the Republic of Korea was not the most populous place
in Korea, but the place with the most damage and the largest casualties in
Korea.
Everyone who heard the story was white, their faces like plaster.
'The fact that the fighters were moving means that more than one of the air
bases played a role ... Considering the distance and situation, they made a
sortie from Seongnam AFB. But they destroyed the bridge ... to stop the
monsters from going into Gyeonggi Province? Or to prevent the monsters
from entering Seoul?'
"What are you going to do, major?" As she asked the question, she thought
that Kim Tae-hoon's answer would come after a longer period of thought.
She also expected that the answer would be very reasonable.
However, Kim Tae-hoon answered easily. "Before we move to our next des‐
tination, we'll be briefed and ready to spend the day here."
200
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 24 ⦘
"I didn't pick them up, but if I had, I would have left them."
Whether you are a soldier or not, if you have any compassion, you should
help survivors.
Kim Tae-hoon did not respond to Kim Soo-ji's opposition. Instead, he ap‐
proached the survivors sitting on the floor and warming themselves by the
fire.
Twenty-two.
The survivors did not have anything in common, such as age, gender, or oc‐
cupation; their only commonality was that they had no life in their eyes.
Kim Tae-hoon told them, "We can't afford to escort you to a safe place right
now, as we don't know where it is safe in this situation either. You will have
to move on your own."
The words were blunt, but they came out gently. But there was not one per‐
son who felt favorable to the gentle words.
In the case of Ahn Sun-mi and Bang Hyun-wook, they froze upon hearing
them.
They knew Kim Tae-hoon well. At the large mart, Kim Tae-hoon spoke in
front of the survivors in such a way, and then he abandoned them.
For his own purposes, he did not do anything to interfere and was not swept
away by compassion for what he could not do.
So they knew that Kim Tae-hoon's words were not merely threats or warn‐
ings, but genuine.
201
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 24 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon, who watched him talking, was able to roughly gauge his
heart. There was nothing to think about. He saw Bang Hyun-wook talking
to a young woman of his age among the survivors.
So Kim Tae-hoon spat out his prepared words. "I don't want to stop you if
you're going to be a hero, but you're the only one going to be."
"If monsters appear in a situation where survivors follow us, I will pull the
trigger, regardless of the survivors. At least, it will not be heroic."
"If you want to leave Mac Clan to be a hero, I can let you go, but don't think
you'll come back free the moment you leave."
There were many things that needed to be done as the number of mouths in‐
creased. Movement slows down, and more food is consumed.
It was hard to keep yourself alive right now in this world, and there was no
room for someone else in this world. If there was, it was just a delusion or a
bluff.
202
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 24 ⦘
The conversation between the two was clearly heard by the survivors. None
of the survivors could understand the meaning of the conversation.
The eyes of the survivors, the dark-dead eyes, began to shake. One of them
jumped up.
"No way!"
Survivors were scared, and everyone got up from their seats sequentially
and started to look at Kim Tae-hoon.
Their eyes were full of fear, and their faces were full of anger. They could
not understand. How could they understand that the lifeline they had barely
caught onto was clawing their palms and getting out?
"Shit, if you have received our tax money, you should protect us!"
"You son of a bitch, are you a human being like that? Are you going to live
alone?"
The short command was filled with a murderous spirit. The murderous
spirit was not visible, but there was enough power to crush them.
203
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 24 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon had already eaten the power of several monsters, and the
power that he ate became his own bones and flesh.
Kim Tae-hoon was an Awakener with A rank telekinesis and could physi‐
cally exercise his thoughts.
His murderous spirit was like a cold wind in the cold winter. There was no
shortage of cutting flesh and making wounds.
The anger that the survivors spat out before the murderous spirit cooled
down instantly.
"I'm telling you clearly, we're not soldiers. Mac Clan, a group organized for
monster hunting. Our purpose is to hunt monsters, not to save survivors."
"I ask you the opposite, how many men did you save, how many men did
you help, and how many monsters did you hunt when you came here?"
"You've survived and come all the way here because you've turned away a
lot of survivors, but do you think we're the only ones who can not turn away
from survivors?"
"I warn you, if you interfere with our activities, I'll do something about it in
some way, and you can then call the police or hire a lawyer."
204
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 24 ⦘
'It's real...'
'He's a man who could shoot and kill us if we got in his way.'
Kim Tae-hoon was not just talking a bluff or nonsense, but really thinking
about it.
Therefore, none of the survivors showed any further signs of blaming Kim
Tae-hoon.
Kim Tae-hoon no longer paid attention to them. He ordered his men to look
at him.
"Today, we will spend a day here at Bucheon Stadium. Obtain gas from
nearby cars, charge smartphone batteries with car batteries, and get food
from nearby marts and vending machines."
Kim Tae-hoon did not warn the survivors that he would consider them hos‐
tile if they entered the area of Mac Clan.
2.
Kim Tae-hoon taught many things to his subordinates after he founded the
Mac Clan.
205
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 24 ⦘
"The Sabretooth Wolf has the thinnest skin between these ribs. The heart is
caught when the hand is this deep, to the midpoint of the wrist and elbow
after stabbing the hole with a knife."
Even today, Kim Tae-hoon taught the soldiers how to take the monster
stones out of the body of a Sabretooth Wolf by demonstrating to them.
Of course, this education was not to make an excellent soldier, but a compe‐
tent hunter.
"Big brother, I need to talk to you ..." Bang Hyun-wook talked to Kim Tae-
hoon after the body of a Sabretooth Wolf was all broken down to bones and
flesh.
Kim Tae-hoon wiped his bloody hands with a towel and received a proposal
from Bang Hyun-wook. "What do you want to say?"
"No."
"Just one person, please ... I'll keep her safe. I won't interrupt you. I'll give
her my food." Bang Hyun-wook was serious and nervous.
On the other hand, Kim Tae-hoon was as calm as he always was. "Why
should I give you that special favor?"
"Well..." Because of the calm, Bang Hyun-wook lost his pace. In the end, he
spat out what he was holding back, withholding nothing.
"I've helped you, and I've got the highest Energy rank in our clan, and you
will be in trouble without me."
A strong statement.
"Honestly, you have eaten a lot of monster stones from the monsters which
I have killed so far."
206
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 24 ⦘
"Umm... I mean... not that you were wrong, that's not that I was dissatisfied,
but that I've worked so hard for you..."
Kim Tae-hoon asked Bang Hyun-wook, "I'll ask you one question, what's
your relationship with her?"
"Friend?"
"No, it's not ... I had a secret crush on her ..." Even though he got the words
out, Bang Hyun-wook was ashamed and blurred his words.
It was foolish and ridiculous to see himself speaking so high up against Kim
Tae-hoon, not just for the sake of a friend or lover, but for someone who he
was in unrequited love with.
"I understand, but I can't comply with your request. I'm sorry." It was not
worth discussing who is right, humanly and morally.
Kim Tae-hoon was right only in one thing: that his method was much more
likely to survive.
Kim Tae-hoon could not be persuaded at all, the young Bang Hyun-wook
couldn't readily accept the fact that he should give up something.
It was Jang Sung-hoon who finished the conversation between the two.
"Boss!"
Jang Sung-hoon, who appeared with a serious face, was carrying a bag.
Kim Tae-hoon's eyes changed when he checked the bag. He knew what was
in that bag.
207
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 24 ⦘
Jang Sung-hoon pulled out what Kim Tae-hoon knew was in the bag.
"Look at this." The Golden Glass of Napoleon, which glowed with a gentle
golden light, appeared. "The cup was filled with red liquid. And ..." Jang
Sung-hoon turned the golden cup upside down.
Of course, under common sense, if the laws of the world did not collapse,
the liquid in the golden cup would fall to the floor.
But the red liquid inside only splashed a bit, and not a single drop fell out.
Like magic.
"What, what, what is this?" Bang Hyun-wook, who saw the golden cup it‐
self for the first time, was shocked.
Kim Tae-hoon's face was hardened by concern. 'Does it mean that the
champagne that makes me dream of a solution is this red liquid? What
makes me qualif ies as a crisis? Can I predict a solution through dreams?
But why was the champagne created now? Is there a condition?'
"Boss, this is getting smaller and smaller, and if you don't drink it, it'll dis‐
appear."
He reached out, grabbed the Golden Glass of Napoleon in his hand, and
drank the red champagne in it at once.
The last thing Kim Tae-hoon heard was "Boss!" "Big brother!" and the two
voices coming towards him...
208
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 25 ⦘
Chapter 25
Chapter 9. The Golden Glass of Napoleon, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
Kim had several habits. One of them was to check his left wrist as soon as
he opened his eyes.
'Ah.'
BoxN ovel.com
Kim Tae-hoon first checked his left-hand wrist rather than the fact that he
was in the passenger seat of a car when he opened his eyes.
Of course, his eyes always came in with a watch on his wrist, and when he
saw the watch, Kim Tae-hoon was surprised.
'Why?'
He saw a smartwatch.
'Why?'
The features of a smartwatch, with its GPS function, could not go three
days without charging, had the poor waterproof function, had weak durabil‐
209
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 25 ⦘
ity, and even had the possibility of being hacked, were cuffs for Kim Tae-
hoon.
But what was really hard to understand was that Kim Tae-hoon's body did
not listen to him.
He tried to move his arms and hands to touch the smartwatch, but his body
did not listen to him.
Rather, his body moved of its own. Instead of moving his arms, he was
looking at the man approaching him through the car window that went
down.
"Boss." The man who approached him handed a paper cup to him, and he
got in the car. "It's coffee."
"The only thing left was mix coffee, and of course, I took out the sugar."
Instead of the bright black hue, the mixed coffee had a murky brown light.
It was also a coffee that Kim Tae-hoon really hated. Coffee was his only
hobby, so mixed coffee was an insult to his hobby.
However, the mixed coffee did not come into Kim Tae-hoon's eyes. The
face of the man who handed him the coffee did.
He was a man with a wounded face. The three slits across his face, in par‐
ticular, were obviously done by the claws of a terrible monster.
It was fortunate that his face was not torn right off. On the contrary, Kim
Tae-hoon was still able to recognize the owner of the face.
210
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 25 ⦘
'Jang Sung-hoon?'
Jang Sung-hoon was the man in front of him. Jang Sung-hoon, who was
older than Kim Tae-hoon knew.
'Jang Sung-hoon!'
Of course, Kim Tae-hoon tried to call his name, but he was not allowed to
either.
'Ah.'
"You've made your wish known to have a cup of coffee before you die. Isn't
mixed coffee, coffee too?" Jang Sung-hoon spit out and smiled lightly.
At that moment, a huge wind, an intense force that shook the world, passed
through Kim Tae-hoon's car and Jang Song-hoon.
Jang Sung-hoon turned his head around with a frightened look. "Damn it,
it's already here."
'What's come?'
At that moment, he talked. "Jang Sung Hoon. You've had a hard time."
"Boss."
"Boss!"
"I want you to meet with Commander-in-Chief Lim Hyun-joon there and
deliver my message."
211
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 25 ⦘
When the door opened, Jang Sung-hoon took a step back, and Kim Tae-
hoon got out of the car.
At the same time, the trunk was opened by itself. Various weapons came out
of the open trunk like birds, and they began to hover around Kim Tae-hoon.
Kim Tae-hoon looked at each of the weapons and finally said to Jang Sung-
hoon, "If I fail this hunt, abandon Korea."
"Shit, this is ridiculous! Boss, you don't have to die! You have no reason to
die! You always told me! You fought to survive! Because of those damn
bastards..."
OOOO!
At that moment, he heard an eerie cry that could not be compared to any an‐
imal in the world.
"Kuck!" The cry took the focus from Jang Sung-hoon's eyes at once. He fell
down like a broken doll. Kim Tae-hoon brought him up and sat him in the
driver's seat after supporting him.
When the car door was closed, the car started to run on its own.
At the same time, a huge shadow fell over Kim Tae-hoon's head.
A wind strong enough to pull out the roots of a giant tree whipped around
Kim Tae-hoon. Turning into the gale, he looked up at the owner of the
shadow with his eyes widening.
Kim Tae-hoon, who was watching himself, also looked at the monster.
212
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 25 ⦘
4.
Clatter!
Ahn Sun-mi confirmed Kim Tae-hoon's pupil condition, and she got up
from her seat by turning off the small flash she held in her hand.
Behind her were Bang Hyun-wook, Jang Sung-hoon, and Kim Soo-ji, wait‐
ing anxiously for Ahn Sun-mi to talk.
The three of them cocked their heads, rather than be surprised by the an‐
swer that came out.
"Yes?"
"I'm glad, though, I thought he was going to die." However, at the word
'sleep', Bang Hyun-wook briefly sighed relief.
It was not a strange reaction. Sleep was not a negative word for the public.
On the other hand, Ahn Sun-mi's expression remained firm. "It's not lucky
to fall asleep suddenly, and we don't know when this sleep will end," she
said to the other two after clicking her tongue briefly at Bang Hyun-wook's
words.
"It looks like he's asleep, but I can't make any judgments more than this, be‐
cause I can't take MRIs or CTs. He is not sleeping because of fatigue, but he
213
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 25 ⦘
ate something strange, so we don't know how long this sleep will last."
"Excuse me." Jang Sung-hoon changed the subject. "I am suddenly curious,
but when there is no boss, who's in charge? Is it Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji?"
"Well..." As soon as Kim Soo-ji tried to answer the question, she looked at
Bang Hyun-wook.
The general soldiers would follow Kim Su-ji's words, but Bang Hyun-
wook's case was a little different. Bang Hyun-wook was not a soldier, and
he had no military experience.
In addition, the absence of Kim Tae-hoon was a situation where all precon‐
ditions were different.
Except for Kim Tae-hoon, Bang Hyun-wook was the only one who could
fight properly against monsters that could use fear.
That's why Jang Sung-hoon brought up his words. If they had not agreed, it
was time to make the agreement.
'If there is no big brother, then...' Bang Hyun-wook also fully understood
the situation.
Without Kim Tae-hoon, Bang Hyun-wook was now the most important
player. In a sense, he was in the same position as Kim Tae-hoon.
'Am I replacing big brother?' At that moment, Bang Hyun-wook turned his
head slightly. At the end of his gaze, he saw a flame rising far away.
It was the flame of the survivors who were outside of the Mac Clan area.
214
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 25 ⦘
They were afraid of Kim Tae-hoon's warning, but it was impossible for
them to completely abandon the lingering attachment.
Even if Kim Tae-hoon was scary, it could not be denied that the Mac Clan
was the only lamp of hope in the present situation.
How could they abandon their hope? When they turned their back on the
lamp, only the darkness and despair would be left.
"Wait a minute." Ahn Sun-mi caught the wrist of Bang Hyun-wook, who
had started to worry about the survivors.
"I'll talk to him." Pulling his wrist, Ahn Sun-mi led Bang Hyun-wook away.
Ahn Sun-mi stopped at a place where the other two would not hear their
conversation.
Ahn Sun-mi said to Bang Hyun-wook, with a stiff face full of freckles, "Re‐
cover your senses."
"What?"
"I'm telling you because the situation is important. Bang Hyun-wook, wake
up. Are you going to take the survivors?"
"Of course..."
"I'm the opposite." At the word of 'the opposite', Bang Hyun-wook closed
his mouth.
215
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 25 ⦘
"I don't think you have understood the situation yet, but who do you think
was most relieved when the boss told the survivors not to come?"
If Kim Tae-hoon did not wake up like this, the life and death of Mac Clan
will be in the hands of Bang Hyun-wook.
Bang Hyun-wook could only fight well, but he did not know how to control
the people around him.
"Will you accept the survivors? Then who will be in the most danger? Who
will be harder to protect? To be frank, you and the boss aren't going to get
tough, because fighting is the same."
It was the evidence that Bang Hyun-wook had lingering doubts about the
survivors just now.
"After all, the soldiers will be in charge of the minutiae. The risk is the
same. The boss and you, who always deal with strong monsters, are in great
danger. But the risk won't be greater for the survivors, because you won't
mind the survivors when you have to kill something like a Black Orc."
Kim Tae-hoon had relentlessly rejected the survivors. Even using the threat
of his murderous spirit, he did not give any sympathy to the survivors.
"But ordinary people are different. The soldiers will fight to protect sur‐
vivors from a number of monsters. What if soldiers die? Will you regret it
then? Or are you sure you won't even regret it?"
216
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 25 ⦘
What Kim Tae-hoon did was not just for himself, but to increase the possi‐
bility of the entire Mac Clan's survival, as well as himself. Therefore, the
distinction between good and evil was not important in Kim Tae-hoon's ac‐
tions.
The important thing was that Kim Tae-hoon's actions were the best for Mac
Clan, and if he was a member of the Mac Clan, he should follow the best
course of action.
If you do not like it, you can leave the Mac Clan, as Kim Tae-hoon said.
Bang Hyun-wook could not respond to any of these words from Ahn Sun-
mi. Of course, it did not change his mind immediately or make him agree
with Ahn Sun-mi's words.
'Damn it...'
However, Bang Hyun-wook was more a grown child, than a young man.
Ahn Sun-mi understood Bang Hyun-wook. He was not even twenty years
old yet, a freshman in a society with not even a year of social experience.
"We don't need survivors to just open their hands and take something from
us. Remember, we don't need just survivors to protect."
Just then, Jang Sung-hoon shouted out, "Boss!" At his cry, Ahn Sun-mi and
Bang Hyun-wook turned their heads at the same time.
'Ah!'
217
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 25 ⦘
Kim Soo-ji and Jang Sung-hoon, who were nearby, asked his condition
first.
However, instead of answering, Kim Tae-hoon gave a long sigh after check‐
ing his left-hand wrist, a G-Shock watch still there.
'It was a dream.' The white mist from his mouth brushed through the dark‐
ened sky. But the breath was not long.
'That's what it meant to make me dream of a crisis, which meant that I was
dreaming of the day I would die.'
"Boss! Boss! Wake up, do I need to I slap you?" Jang Sung-hoon spoke to
Kim Tae-hoon again.
But when he thought of the dragon, they disappeared like a mirage. All
emotions disappeared, and only feeling of fear and despair began to take
their place.
"I'll ask you one thing; I'd like anyone to get me a cup of coffee, whatever it
is."
A cup of coffee...
218
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 26 ⦘
Chapter 26
Chapter 10. Power Enhancement, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
Kim Tae-hoon drank his coffee and kept his mouth shut.
The coffee was quite hot, so he wanted to spit it out or swallow it. But he
put up with the heat until it melted his frozen mind.
The smell of coffee released Kim Tae-hoon's frozen mind. Only then did
Kim Tae-hoon start thinking.
BoxN ovel.com
He knew one thing clear at this moment. What he saw was not a mistake or
fantasy, but a crisis that would come to a man named Kim Tae-hoon some‐
day.
After his mind cleared, Kim Tae-hoon began to analyze the things he saw in
his dream.
'I looked at Jang Sung-hoon's face, and it is not in the very distant future.'
The only clue to gauge the timing was Jang Sung-hoon's age, which he
could guess through his face.
219
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 26 ⦘
Jang Sung-hoon was now in his early twenties, so this was not to far away.
But it was not in the immediate future.
He was also a man on the elite course in the Defense Ministry. Not only did
he produce good results as an officer, but he also had good politic al sense,
and he was an influential person in the next generation of the military.
Of course, the world was already beyond the ordinary. Moreover, he had
learned what the consequences would be.
What he needed to do now is to guess the processes that ended up with the
results he had seen.
One, having a Commander-in-Chief meant that the military system was op‐
erating. It meant that society was not in complete anarchy.
220
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 26 ⦘
'The fact that Lim Hyun-joon became the top leader of the army, and it is so
organized... means that he survived and made a remarkable contribution.'
Two, the fact that the Commander-in-Chief of such an army was Colonel
Lim Hyun-joon meant that he had played a decisive role in reforming the
military.
It would not have been something simple. It would have been at the level of
saving the country, in fact, a level of achievement that had created a new
military.
Colonel Lim Hyun-joon's current affiliation was the 8th Mechan ized In‐
fantry Division.
It was called the "Roly Poly" unit, and it had powerful weapons, excellent
means of transportation, and tanks, unlike the general infantry divisions.
'I think the 8th Division is the best place to be in, in the present situation.'
The front line was close, but they were not facing the North Korean army
directly. That was why it was advantageous.
Even if the front line encountered monsters, they could not lead their troops
to the rear immediately, because they did not know what the North Korean
army would do. At the same time, it is not easy to get resupplied.
Compared to them, the 8th Division could go up to the front line, or it can
head down to the rear.
221
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 26 ⦘
In other words, Pocheon, where the 8th Division was located, was not safe
at present, but it was highly likely that the military was playing a role there,
at the very minimum.
His thinking on Colonel Lim Hyun-joon got to that point. But there was
more important information.
'Weapons.'
In his dream, that Kim Tae-hoon had prepared various kinds of weapons
ahead of the battle with the dragon.
The sense of handling the weapon with the telekinesis was important!
Right now, his skill at using his telekinesis was not so good. That's why he
didn't do much with his A-rank telekinesis right now.
Telekinesis was a force. Some are very easy, some are very difficult.
Even if you think of a picture in your mind, you need natural talent and skill
to draw a picture from your mind on paper.
The Kim Tae-hoon in his dream was very skilled at his telekinesis. He made
various kinds of weapons hover around him like they were alive.
222
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 26 ⦘
'If I had looked closely at my stats, I would have been clearer on what to
do.'
The Jang Sung-hoon in his dream said that there was no reason for Kim
Tae-hoon to die. Nevertheless, because of the bastards, he faced death.
He did not know its name, identity, or number, but it meant that he was up
against an organization that wanted his death in the future.
'The reason they are trying to get rid of me is that I'm interfering with their
interests.'
They wanted him dead because his actions interfered with their interests.
What those interests were was simple.
But someone did not want that. It meant that they either wanted the mon‐
sters to remain, or they did not want him to kill them.
Kim Tae-hoon did not have much doubt about this part. Even if the world
was about to end, there would be someone who would look for their own
benef its in it.
No, rather, those who wanted to build a new order in a world where the or‐
der has collapsed due to the emergence of monsters would be overflowing
223
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 26 ⦘
in number.
In addition, the new order they wanted to build would be entirely favorable
to them.
'It would be rather strange not to have such people, so I will have to keep
that in mind.'
More importantly, that Kim Tae-hoon was predicted to die, and he was sur‐
prised.
'He was willing to face death to save Jang Sung-hoon... and only Jang
Sung-hoon remained with him.'
It was a fact that Kim Tae-hoon, who had no purpose other than to survive,
died for others!
When Kim Tae-hoon reached that point in his thinking, he finally swal‐
lowed his coffee.
The sound changed the gaze of the crowd looking at Kim Tae-hoon. They
waited for him to speak.
"I don't know who got it, but that was the worst coffee ever."
2.
Kim Tae-hoon told them what he had dreamed about, everything he remem‐
bered.
He told them his opinion that Pocheon was now expected to be a safe area,
and that he should find some way to contact it.
224
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 26 ⦘
When the story was over, everyone's expression was harder than when Kim
Tae-hoon fell asleep.
With a firm expression, Bang Hyun-wook carefully asked the question, "So,
am I also dead in the future?"
How could it not be serious asking someone who had gained knowledge of
the future about his destiny, since he had no promise he would see the
morning?
"I can't say you died, because you didn't show up in my dream. Maybe you
were working somewhere else, maybe you broke up with me for a reason,
or you could have betrayed me."
"Betrayal, I don't think about it ever..." Bang Hyun-wook shook his head,
even as the words Ahn Sun-mi gave passed through his mind at that mo‐
ment.
What would Kim Tae-hoon think of his thoughts, while he dreamed of his
crisis?
Obviously, no matter what kind of thing Kim Tae-hoon looked at, he would
not change his mind. As Ahn Sun-mi said, Kim Tae-hoon did not need sur‐
vivors who just wanted his help.
He would not change his mind. To be changed, those who were not Kim
Tae-hoon must change!
225
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 26 ⦘
"No, I don't mean... it's not betrayal, but I thought something like that. If
you didn't wake up like this, I'd have to take your place, and then the sur‐
vivors..." Bang Hyun-wook drew a long breath, to gather some strength to
speak.
At the words of Bang Hyun-wook, Kim Tae-hoon, who had just taken a sip,
looked at him softly.
"Are you asking if we will accept applicants from the survivors?" Kim Tae-
hoon asked at last.
"Yes."
"Then we can kill more monsters, can't we? We can get them more stable.
And we don't need just need combat agents. I need someone to cook, some‐
one to move things..."
"Can you give us a solid reason for our Clan to recruit applicants?"
He would have given final notice either to leave the Clan quietly, or said
nothing, or to choose between them.
'He didn't think of it alone, and someone gave him a clue about what I
want.'
226
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 26 ⦘
He had already been thinking of something similar. It was not an option, but
a necessity to increase the numbers of the Mac Clan.
Just looking at what the Mac Clan should do right now, there were a lot of
things to do, such as monster slaughter, monster-based item production,
etc., all starting with monster hunting.
When battles are repeated, victims pile up. If you don't replace them, it will
be fatal.
Above all, Kim Tae-hoon had a chance, thanks to the Golden Glass of
Napoleon.
'If I go this way unchanging, the end is my death. If I want to live, I had a
very valuable opportunity to know that I need to change.'
"Most of the surviving adult men will have military experience, and if they
are from the artillery or tanker corps, that would be very helpful. We also
need drivers," Lieutenant Kim spoke up, supporting Bang Hyun-wook's
opinion.
'We cannot ignore the survivors like this.' It was also why she agreed with
Bang Hyun-wook's idea. 'We can't move with this force alone.'
At the same time, for the commander's sake, she felt that they were at their
limit with the current troops.
"Jang Sung-hoon, find three cars with the keys and bring them here."
227
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 26 ⦘
Jang Sung-hoon nodded and immediately moved out to search for the cars.
"I understand." Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji saluted and called for soldiers imme‐
diately.
"You have to set your answers in your mind, including your priorities,
ahead of time," he advised. "There's no time for this conversation in a really
desperate moment."
"Then, Bang Hyun-wook, go to your unrequited love and tell them that we
will start testing for applicants who want to join the Mac Clan."
228
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 27 ⦘
Chapter 27
Chapter 10. Power Enhancement, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
It was late, and the sun had already fallen and disappeared. Cold breath
filled the place, and the group was gathered under the thick darkness where
even their cold breath was not visible.
'There is no exception.'
BoxN ovel.com
The Mac Clan was accepting applicants. If you passed the Mac Clan tests,
you could move with it.
At his word, the twenty-two survivors announced their intention to join the
Mac Clan without a single exception. It was natural for survivors who
thought that there might be a chance of life, even if was the worst case!
-----
"I'll tell you a few things." Kim Tae-hoon said to those who had gathered.
229
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 27 ⦘
"One, our Clan's name is Mac, the Mac Clan, and two, the monster stones
that the Clan has acquired from the monster hunt, and all the monster parts,
are all mine. Three, you must obey orders unconditionally."
Kim Tae-hoon paused there for a moment. He didn't add a warning, such as,
"Don't say anything later,"
This was not a training room for new employees in a company, and if they
said something else later, he would just deal with it without warning. Those
who had such schemes were not worthy of consideration.
Kim Tae-hoon stopped and looked over the crowd, the expressions in their
eyes.
Most of the survivors had dead eyes. They had seen many deaths, to be ex‐
act.
Of course, not everyone looked that way. Even in this situation, there were
those who looked at Kim Tae-hoon clearly.
The woman, who made Bang Hyun-wook take action, was one of those
who looked at Kim Tae-hoon clearly.
The cute and pretty appearance, the hairstyle that was cut short with a cat-
like face, was obviously popular from appearance alone.
Bang Hyun-wook had said, "She was an aspiring entertainer." Although she
had not made her debut yet, she was still a trainee at an entertainment
agency of fair size.
Of course, Kim Tae-hoon did not really think much of the fact.
"Then we'll start classification." His role was to pick out the good and bad
from these applicants.
230
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 27 ⦘
At his question, four people looked around and carefully raised their hands.
Three men, one woman. The woman looked to be in her twenties, the men
in their thirties.
"I worked at a factory, not very professional, but I did a lot of things."
"Well, I worked on the construction site. My career was pretty good. I'm
good at tools, though I don't have a license."
"I'm a nurse, and I'm very good at it, though I've only got a few years of ex‐
perience. Please..."
There was no power in the voices of those who answered sequentially. They
lacked confidence.
They were suspicious that they could be saved by saying these things.
He also had confidence that he had not showed before, adding his own affil‐
iation.
It was pretty good. The Haesung Law Firm was not the best in Korea, but it
was in the top ten of Korean law firms.
The combined income of the three people who had introduced their profes‐
sions earlier would not equal the income of the man who said he was a
lawyer.
231
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 27 ⦘
But not now. "The three, except for the lawyer, are accepted."
"No, wait! Are you saying I'm out? Those three are passing?"
"Just tell me one reason why I need to hire a lawyer against the monsters."
The lawyer was about to say something more, but then he stopped. His
mouth closed, and the glitter in his eyes died quickly.
Kim Tae-hoon ignored the lawyer and continued speaking. "Who was an ar‐
tilleryman or a tanker during his military service?"
"I was in the artillery unit." "I was also in the artillery unit!" Two men
raised their hands quickly.
The number of people raising their hands began to decrease as the questions
were repeated, and later on, there was no one left to raise their hand.
The soldiers moved immediately. They lined up the dead bodies of the
Sabretooth Wolves.
The heart was pulled out to get to the monster stone, the body that was
chopped all over for slaughter practice, and it was in a terrible state.
232
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 27 ⦘
'Oh, my God.'
Of course, the survivors had pale faces as soon as they saw the body of the
Sabretooth Wolf.
"Cut off the legs of the Sabretooth Wolf. It does not matter what the condi‐
tion is. Whether it is front or rear, right or left, bring it to me after cutting it.
The time limit is one hour. Tools..."
Kim Tae-hoon grabbed a knife and threw it at the body of the Sabretooth
Wolf next to him.
Pook! The knife went deep into the Wolf's belly, only the handle showing.
4.
"Oh, shit!" a man working on the sawing off the Sabretooth Wolf's skin and
flesh with a knife shouted loudly.
"Damn it, argh! Goddamn it!" Harsh words filled with emotions flowed out
of his mouth.
Those who were doing the same thing reacted to the man's feelings. Some
chewed on their lips, some shed tears, and some cried out.
Some of them thought to themselves, 'Does this test mean anything? 'What
is he testing with this?'
233
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 27 ⦘
However, the test to cut off the legs of the Wolves, compared to their des‐
peration, did not seem to have much meaning.
It would be useful to practice stabbing the insides of meat and bones, cut‐
ting off the dead monster's legs was not meaningful.
"There is no reason to accept them unless they are prepared to eat a mon‐
ster's corpse."
In the first place, Kim Tae-hoon did not expect much from the survivors.
His expectations were just vague expectations.
So, what Kim Tae-hoon wanted to see was their will to do it, or not.
If they do not have enough fighting spirit to cut apart a dead monster body
and the will to survive, they are just living dead men, eating and making
poo.
Fortunately, the survivors had strong wills to live. Strong enough that they
were able to meet Kim Tae-hoon and the Mac Clan alive!
Eventually, all twenty-two survivors crossed the line proposed by Kim Tae-
hoon.
"Passed."
234
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 27 ⦘
After the short words of Kim Tae-hoon, the faces of the survivors who had
wrestled with the hide, muscles, flesh, and bones of the Sabretooth Wolf for
an hour, were filled with cheers and deep fatigue.
Kim Tae-hoon did not give any congratulations or shake hands with them.
The night was late enough, and the test was over. Now was the time to take
the rest that had been originally planned.
The Mac Clan must move again tomorrow when the sun rose.
They had to hunt monsters, get food, make roads, and secure relics.
And they had to repeat it again and again. They had to be ready for tomor‐
row, which would be more hopeless than today.
Most of all, death was predicted for Kim Tae-hoon. Within three to five
years, he would be dead.
It was a time-limited life. He did not have time to celeb rate something and
to comfort.
Kim Tae-hoon did not intend to meet the fate of the dream Kim Tae-hoon.
5.
The cold weather was the reason, but the fact that his mind was full of the
shining Golden Glass was the biggest reason he could not sleep.
235
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 27 ⦘
Knowing a crisis meant avoiding it. It was like changing the future.
It would change the world. It was a shock that such a relic existed in the
world.
'The world will be crazy... Those greedy people will not leave them be.'
Jang Sung-hoon was a chick in society at his age, he was still childish> His
age was not much different from Bang Hyun-wook, who had a young per‐
sonality, behavior, and attitude.
However, Jang Sung-hoon's social experience was darker than other people.
The world he belonged to was filled with the word greed.
How much greed could human beings have for art which is essentially use‐
less?
How terrible is the greed of human beings who can do things that ignore
human dignity to get that desired artwork?
The greed of such people would seem rather crude compared to the three
desires of human beings.
In addition, the art that had an artistic value was now much more than that.
236
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 27 ⦘
'I feel like they have a missile launch button in their hands.'
What was even eerier was that most of the art was already in the hands of
greedy people.
Would they make efforts for the good of the world with those relics, the in‐
dispensable weapons which had amazing value now, when dealing with
monsters?
Jang Sung-hoon, at least, did not want to leave his fate to such people.
If he slept, he'd have to get up sooner or later. Instead, he'd better get up
early and organize his thoughts.
Jang Sung-hoon opened the car door and climbed out. The cold dawn wind
hit his body.
Naturally, Jang Sung-hoon's gaze was on the blazing fire, and he headed for
the man who was in front of the fire.
'Boss?'
He was flying an arrow around himself, a featherless arrow which had only
an arrowhead and shaft, while sipping coffee from a mug in his right hand.
237
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 28 ⦘
Chapter 28
Chapter 10. Power Enhancement, Part III
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
6.
"You got up early." While Jang Sung-hoon talked to Kim Tae-hoon, the ar‐
row that hovered around his Boss like a satellite stopped in front of his
eyes.
BoxN ovel.com
"Oh, I'm sorry. I said useless words..." Jang Sung-hoon apologized, under‐
standing Kim Tae-hoon's feelings. "Boss is also human, I suppose."
He had learned of his death in his dream. He was actually sentenced to life
on a deadline.
He couldn't be calm.
Kim Tae-hoon sipped coffee from his mug instead of answering Jang Sung-
hoon's apology, and he looked at the fallen arrow.
The arrow slowly began to rise again. It circled around Kim Tae-hoon like a
satellite.
238
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 28 ⦘
The movement of the arrow was not smooth, and it orbit was slightly dis‐
torted every time it escaped his view.
"Don't worry too much, you know the future, and all you have to do is to
avoid it," Jang Sung-hoon said to him.
Kim Tae-hoon swallowed his coffee, and he grabbed the arrow that was cir‐
cling around him. "The problem is that I don't know what to avoid."
"Well..."
Kim Tae-hoon's voice was serious. Facing it, Jang Sung-hoon swallowed
the joke he was going to use to change the atmosphere. He sat down near
Kim Tae-hoon with a serious expression.
Jang Sung-hoon watched the twisted branches burning, and he spoke care‐
fully.
"Was there really only me? Was there no Hyun-wook or Lieutenant Soo-ji
or sister Sun-mi by your side?"
"I don't want to hide such things. Do you think I'm lying?"
"No, I just didn't think I was going to be so loyal to the boss like that."
Jang Sung-hoon was not a man who could give loyalty to someone. He was
quick to figure things out and faithful to his own interests.
It was not appropriate for him to stick to Kim Tae-hoon, trapped in a corner,
when he was forced to die at the will of other people.
Of course, it was a future story, and there must have been a process.
239
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 28 ⦘
"In my own terms, the future Boss is a hunting dog. No, I don't mean you
are a real dog, but your character is wild, like a dog," Jang Sung-hoon said
as if he had been waiting.
"Why would they let you die, even if it was so? Sometimes they could kill a
hunting dog. They can kill after the hunting is over. But you said that you
fought the dragon at the end, right? It means there's still a monster left."
"If I tell you my story, there are a lot of real geniuses in this field. There are
a lot of people who make counterfeit goods better then the origin al. But do
you know why they're active in the shadows? They're either weird, or
they're in trouble. No matter how smart they are, if they have no side, and if
you have enem ies, they will eventually be abandoned."
Kim Tae-hoon swallowed and said quietly, "To sum up your words, the
most fundamental reason I died was that my personality was a frivolous
one, wasn't it?"
"Well... if the personality of the Boss had been good at this, at least the
death scene would have changed." With a bashful smile, Jang Sung-hoon
rubbed both his hands in front of the fire.
Kim Tae-hoon was able to make one thing clear at this moment.
240
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 28 ⦘
Why Jang Sung-hoon stayed with him, why he allowed him to be with him,
and eventually he died to save him.
"If I move according to my character, I will die in the end." With his per‐
sonality, it was easy to make enem
ies, but it was not easy to make allies.
Kim Tae-hoon had been working in a place called the army, where he did
not need to make allies or a faction.
What was even more frightening, was that he was not aware of it.
So Kim Tae-hoon asked a question here. "Jang Sung-hoon, what would you
do if you were me?"
"If I had the combat power and charisma like Boss, I would be a king in
Bucheon right now," Jang Sung-hoon grinned and replied.
"But honestly, if I had had the power to be like Boss, I wouldn't have
thought much about it. I'd bring some people together, make a group, get a
gun, capture the monsters, and people will take you as their king. There's no
reason to refuse it. Most of them will be happy to do so."
241
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 28 ⦘
"I'm sure there are people like Boss elsewhere, even if not like you. You
said the level of the Awakeners is different when they are Awakened, right?
Add if a relic is added..."
If they have power and supernatural ability, and if there is a stage to exert
their power, not everyone would do what they normally do.
"I'm sure those who have obtained the power must have created a group,
and they are controlling and operating a territory. Some wisely, some as a
tyrant."
Moreover, the situation was that the communication and traffic were para‐
lyzed, and the Republic of Korea had already been divided.
Kim Tae-hoon's purpose now was to move to Pocheon, where Colonel Lim
Hyun-joon was, to make contact with him.
He was ambitious.
He would not be a faithful soldier in this situation, and he would have been
very ambitious if he had gained the position of Commander-in-Chief in a
short time.
Kim Tae-hoon put the mug on the ground. "Do you like coffee?"
242
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 28 ⦘
7.
The start of the new morning of the Mac Clan began with a battle with the
monsters.
The monster appeared to be like a wild boar, but it was so large that it could
not be compared with a wild boar. It had a horn that reminded them of a rhi‐
noceros.
A Horned Pig!
Three dreadful Pigs were charging the Mac Clan vehicles on the move.
The moment the Horned Pigs appeared, the Mac Clan moved with great
speed.
First, two SUVs became ramparts that blocked the advance of the Horned
Pig.
"Wait!"
The drivers who were driving the SUV's facing the Horned Pig got out of
the slow-moving vehicle.
As soon as the fact was delivered to Kim Tae-hoon, who was riding in the
back of a dump truck, he stared at two cars driving along.
243
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 28 ⦘
Two cars revved up and began to accelerate toward the Horned Pigs.
Three Horned Pigs, unwilling to stop, collided with two SUV's on a narrow
road, and after screaming a bit, were entangled and crushed.
The sound of the Horned Pigs clearly told the gruesomeness of the situa‐
tion.
Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji saw this and quickly ordered the soldiers in the back
of the dump truck, "Aim!"
The soldiers distracted by the intense shock created by the traffic accident
in front of them came to their senses.
In their gun sights, they saw one or two Horned Pigs stumbling around in
shock.
During the rain of gunfire, Kim Tae-hoon threw an arrow high into the sky.
The arrow without feathers rose up continuously. Kim Tae-hoon raised his
arrow high enough that he couldn't see it anymore When the arrow disap‐
peared from Kim Tae-hoon's senses, it no longer received the help of his
telekinesis. It began to fall Shiii!
The sound of the falling arrow was eerie. It sounded like a hawk diving on
prey, trying to cut off the target's life at once.
The arrow, which fell like that, began to change its path at some point, and
it hit precisely in the middle of the forehead of a Horned Pig struggling in
front of the gunfire.
Pok!
The arrow disappeared into the body of the horned Pig like magic, without
a trace.
244
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 28 ⦘
Quik!
The Horned Pig gave a short cry, fell to the ground and began to twitch.
The soldiers, who did not see the arrow, cocked their heads at the sudden
fall of the Horned Pig that had stood up against their bullets.
Kim Tae-hoon focused on pulling out the arrow embedded in the Horned
Pig.
But it did not come out. He could not draw the arrow in the body of the
Horned Pig properly and clearly.
This was a characteristic of telekinesis. It was not all done just by mere
imagination.
Just like a top artist who had the skill to visualize a perfect object with his
eyes.
Just like a doctor with experience, training, and ability, who could image
the state of a body without opening up a patient's body.
It meant that Kim Tae-hoon was still limited and lacking in ability with his
telekinesis.
Kim Tae-hoon clicked his tongue and looked over at Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji.
245
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 28 ⦘
If they had been just dazed and pulling the trigger, they would not have
stopped shooting.
Soldiers not shooting was evidence that self-control and discipline now ex‐
isted, and it was evident that they were now blooded.
It was evident that they were no longer cowards who were too scared to
judge how many empty cartridges they had thrown up, that they had be‐
come hunters who had repeatedly fought with monsters, not survivors strug‐
gling to live through being slaughtered by repeated monsters.
Kim Tae-hoon hopped down lightly from the back of the dump truck. Bang
Hyun-wook came to his side, holding his steel pipe.
"Me first?"
"I'll give you a chance to look good in front of your favorite girl."
After finishing the words, Bang Hyun-wook pulled out the Energy in his
gut and sent it through his whole body. His whole being heated up in one
breath.
"Uh-cha!"
The sound of him circulating his Energy caught the attention of the Horned
Pig, which was still full of Energy and the Strength to fight, and a mite
ornery after being shot all over.
246
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 28 ⦘
A Horned Pig stared at Bang Hyun-wook, while the other one was already
rushing toward him.
Looking at this, Kim Tae-hoon also boosted his telekinesis in his gut. At the
same time, he held up his fist. His right hand went black.
247
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 29 ⦘
Chapter 29
Chapter 11. The Lawless City, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
"The new recruits know well what kind of personality the Boss is. It's not
possible not to know. It takes a long time to see if you're good, but it takes
less than ten seconds to figure out if your personality is dirty."
He told Kim Tae-hoon needed to show his power to the new faces who had
joined the Mac Clan.
BoxN ovel.com
"But the new recruits don't know what kind of person the Boss is, and even
if you're an Awakener, that's just vague, and the word 'the Awakener' was
made by the Boss, right?
"You need to show them what an Awakener is, and what it means to fight a
monster with your naked body.
It was necessary to show them how terrible Kim Tae-hoon the Awakener
was now.
248
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 29 ⦘
"If they see the image of the Boss, they will calculate at that moment, and
act as if they have a dirty monster as a boss. At least they not going to put a
blood pool around their neck."
Kim Tae-hoon accepted the idea of Jang Sung-hoon, and he stood in front
of the monster with only his bare body, holding only a knife.
And he showed them what the fight between a monster and a monster is,
how great a monster he was.
2.
However, the eyes of the new recruits greeting their first day as members of
the Mac Clan were full of fear.
'What the hell is that?' 'These monsters are still alive! Why?'
In the eyes of Bang Hyun-wook and Kim Tae-hoon, the Horned Pigs were
only petty animals.
It had been riddled with dozens of bullets after colliding with the running
vehicle.
Because it was a monster, it still had a fighting spirit and was standing on
its legs even with a fatal injury.
The Pigs were no different from corpses that were certain to die in time.
249
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 29 ⦘
Compared to monsters that were so fierce that they could even go crazy,
they were just petty.
------
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 76
-- Health: 51
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: E+ Rank
-- Mana: E+ Rank
-- Telekinesis: A Rank
-- Defense: E Rank
------
His strength had reached 76 through the monopoly of the monster stones.
He was superhuman.
In addition, Kim Tae-hoon already had four monster abilities, starting with
[Black Skin] and [Howling].
250
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 29 ⦘
Cue-e-e-e-ek!
Therefore, Kim Tae-hoon did not take much time to deal with the Horned
Pig that was squealing loudly.
The moment it screamed and rushed ahead with its horns, he also rushed to‐
wards it.
The distance between the Horned Pig and Kim Tae-hoon narrowed quickly,
and he immediately caught the horn of the Pig and climbed atop it as if rid‐
ing a rodeo.
At the same time, he stabbed the knife in his right hand into its neck.
The knife went through the thick hide of the Horned Pig, which had resisted
bullets, and all the fat beneath.
The knife was not a great sword, and it was not a relic.
Kim Tae-hoon was also fully aware of how to use his Energy, as Bang
Hyun-wook had realized.
Not only did he activate his body's potential with Energy, but he also knew
how to cover his weapon with Energy.
Of course, Kim Tae-hoon's knife, which did not have a high Energy rank
behind it, only went in as deep as his little finger.
Cuik, cu-i-i!
There was no doubt it hurt, but it was not enough to cause a fatal injury to
it. So Kim Tae-hoon went on to his next move.
251
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 29 ⦘
Now his right hand turned black, and the area was growing. It used to be a
little off his wrist, but now it was reaching up close to his elbows.
Kim Tae-hoon hit the knife's handle with his black fist, like a hammer hit‐
ting a nail.
Cuek!!
The cries of the Horned Pig grew more frantic. Naturally, its struggles had
intensified. Its body was shaking like a rodeo bull, not a pig.
However, its struggles didn't do much to Kim Tae-hoon, who already has
his seat and even held its horns like a handle. Whenever it struggled, he
smashed down with his fist.
Pook!
Pook!
Pook!
Cu-i-i-ik!
A mournful squeal came from the jaws of the Horned Pig, which seemed to
feel death coming.
Now the knife had entered the mass of flesh and was not visible, but he
punched down into that bloody hole.
252
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 29 ⦘
Pook!
Thump!
The frantic Horned Pig fell to the ground like a broken doll.
"Huck!" "Wow!"
"Uh-cha! What's the taste of the iron bat of the Barry Bonds of Bucheon
High School? This is the iron bat which hit two home runs consecutively in
the weekend league of High School!"
Bang Hyun-wook, who was just ignorant and fierce enough to hit the
Horned Pig's body with a lump of iron, was not really noticed.
As they watched, Kim Tae-hoon drew a knife from the neck of the Horned
Pig, which was still convulsing.
Hot blood sprang up like a fountain. White steam came up, too.
Ignoring the gruesome sight, Kim brought his ears down to the body of the
dying Horned Pig.
As soon as he found the sound of the Pig's heart, he stabbed into it. He cut
away the skin and flesh at once, and he shoved his hand into the gash.
Soon after, Kim Tae-hoon pulled out his hand, holding a coveted red
jewel...and swallowed it immediately.
3.
253
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 29 ⦘
"I understand."
"Everything is moved."
"Yes."
There were as many as fifty people involved in the disturbance. They were
constantly moving things into the library from the trucks and vehicles
parked in front of the library.
Under the circumstance, Kim Soo-ji asked Kim Tae-hoon, who was taking a
coffee break. "Major, do you really want to make this a base?"
"No."
Kim Su-ji had no doubts about making the Bucheon Municipal Wonmi Li‐
brary a base. No, the library was the best place to live in under the current
circumstances.
The area was surrounded by hills and was quite distant from where people
lived. In many ways, the structure was advantageous to defense. Although
not as common as the Ojung-dong Industrial District, in nearby Wonmi-
254
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 29 ⦘
dong there were several factories where they could find useful tools. It
would not be hard to get things for item making.
The books and bookshelves filling the library could be great firewood dur‐
ing winter, and since the Internet, the final edition of modern civilization
knowledge, had become meaningless, the library was a collection of human
wisdom for their situation.
If human civilization was rebuilt from the bottom, knowledge was more im‐
portant than a sword or a gun.
Ahn Sun-mi and Jang Sung-hoon were already moving around the library
collecting books that would help their activities and survival in the future.
There was no reason for Kim Soo-ji to oppose such a place as a base. She
was just suspicious.
'Why did he suddenly get a base? I'm sure he didn't intend to do that until
yesterday.'
If he had thought about it, he would have made the library a base earlier,
rather than waiting under Bucheon Stadium.
'We don't train in cold weather, and we didn't need to spend the night shiv‐
ering in the cold outside using our cars as a tent.'
Naturally, Kim Soo-ji thought Kim Tae-hoon would move to another place
after securing the relics he wanted in the Bow Museum as well.
As Kim Tae-hoon suddenly said that he was going to build a base in such a
situation, it was natural for her to ask questions.
However, she had not raised any new questions. She was a soldier to her
bones.
255
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 29 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon gave her a new order. "Lieutenant Kim Su-ji, bring people
together when it's done. Place the Awakeners in the front row."
"I understand."
Kim Tae-hoon drank coffee while watching Kim Su-ji, who was moving to
carry out the order right away.
But Kim Tae-hoon was not able to savor his coffee at this moment. It was
due to the conversation he'd had with Jang Sung-hoon in the early morning.
Jang Sung-hoon gave his opinion to Kim Tae-hoon without any qualms.
"Boss, if you monopolize the monster stones, the Boss becomes strong, but
the Mac Clan cannot be strong. I don't care if that's the goal... to play big,
you have to ignore the small things."
Kim Tae-hoon's actions might make him stronger, but it wouldn't make the
Mac Clan stronger.
"And it doesn't matter if the group is small, but if the group grows big, a
rank is needed, right? You know that better because the Boss is a soldier. Of
course, we don't need to use military ranks. In this world, the mark on the
back of the Boss will be the rank."
In fact, Kim Tae-hoon knew that part better than anyone else.
He knew better than any terrorist how warlords are organized and how they
are run efficiently.
256
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 29 ⦘
Nevertheless, the reason why Kim had been active like that was simple.
He didn't want to make a military faction. That's why he used the term,
Clan.
The word 'Clan' is not used in the military, or to express forces of big scale.
In addition, it was never Kim's style to lead a force like a military faction.
Until now, Kim's target had been such military leaders.
'Now I know the result of doing things my own way, and I have to throw it
away.'
'I need to go out into the city and gather the Awakeners who will be my
hunting dogs.'
Kim Tae-hoon saw Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji return. He swallowed the rest of
his coffee and got up.
The monster stones inside his pocket of Kim Tae-hoon touched his chest.
257
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 29 ⦘
Meanwhile, Kim Soo-ji stood at attention before him and said, "Major, ev‐
eryone is here."
'It's best to train a hunting dog with game meat.' There was no further worry
or hesitation in Kim Tae-hoon's eyes after confirming this.
There was only the glitter in the eye of a hunter who will do anything and
everything for his new purpose!
258
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 30 ⦘
Chapter 30
Chapter 11. The Lawless City, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
At 4 PM, when the sun began to set in, the city of Bucheon used to still be
crowded with people and vehicles.
Since yesterday, the snow had been falling all the time, and any traces of the
living on the white open snowfield was only here and there, and faint.
BoxN ovel.com
"Boss... it's too quiet," Jang Sung-hoon said, unable to stay quiet. "I hope
not everyone in Bucheon is dead."
Kim Tae-hoon put his gloved index finger on his mouth instead of replying
to Jang Sung-hoon's repeated concerns.
Looking at the world that was calm again, Kim Tae-hoon tutted quietly.
At the same time, Kim Tae-hoon recalled the events of the recent days.
259
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 30 ⦘
After setting up the library as a base, Kim Tae-hoon had to spend busy days
in the radical reform of the Mac Clan.
He had to present carrots and whips to the Awakeners who would be his
hunting dogs, and he had to work to fortify the library that had become the
base area.
Monsters were more like animals. Animals don't move easily on snowy
days.
In other words, the snowy day was a good day to contact the survivors and
avoid the threat of the monsters. When the snow came, Kim Tae-hoon pre‐
pared to come down to the city.
Their purpose was to contact the survivors, look at the situation, and get the
necessary supplies.
He had enough concern about what would happen before he came to the
city.
"If everything had been done by common sense, there must be a group of
survivors here."
Kim Tae-hoon thought that the downtown might be organized to some ex‐
tent.
260
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 30 ⦘
The scary thing about human beings was that they quickly adapted to the
world through trial and error.
For example, if a dragon had once again passed through the air, there would
have been a great deal of confusion, but it did not happen. There was no
sign of a monster that was so enormous that it could be heard even in the
distance.
The New Jungdong Station of Bucheon was a large commercial area, with
department stores, large marts, and the Bucheon Wonmi Police Station,
which was fairly large.
Kim Tae-hoon's footsteps stopped. At the same time, his hands went up.
Jang Sung-hoon's footsteps also stopped at the signal.
Whi-ing!
In the cold wind blowing past them, Kim Tae-hoon's gaze turned to the
snow piles that decorated the roads they wanted to travel.
There was nothing special to look at. It was snowy, piled up with fertilizer
bags.
However, Kim Tae-hoon was sure that it was not a fertilizer bag under the
snow.
He looked at the snow pile, his eyes sharp. He painted a picture, a picture of
a big hand shaking a snow pile.
261
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 30 ⦘
It was a dead body that had been frozen blue. It was not just a body... but a
decapitated body.
At that moment, the image of a Mud Troll came up in the mind of Jang
Sung-hoon.
A monster, which could not be killed with bullets, that pulled off the heads
of people and ate them.
Jang Sung-hoon shivered in the trauma that he will carry for the rest of his
life, and the snow piling up on the Werewolf leather he wore fell to the
snow softly.
On the other hand, Kim Tae-hoon's expression was different. He did not re‐
call the Mud Troll, who had only taken out the human head.
"It's not a monster," Kim Tae-hoon said clearly. "That was killed by a man."
"Yes?"
Ignoring the surprised Jang Sung-hoon, Kim Tae-hoon looked around with
great caution.
But cutting the head off a corpse was another story because accidental mur‐
der to live did not make a neckless body...
262
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 30 ⦘
"Aaaaaaargh!"
The scream was close by. Kim Tae-hoon rose from his crouch.
"Jang Sung-hoon."
"Yes."
In recent days, Kim Tae-hoon had taught Mac Clan's men that the most im‐
portant thing is the determination to kill not a monster, but a man that
threatened their own life.
5.
A woman was naked and seeking forgiveness on the harsh snowfield, which
seemed to shake the body just by looking.
"Please, please."
Her appearance, rubbing her hands again and again, was so pathetic that
even the viewer could get shivers.
They were wearing thick vests, holding curtain rods and a spear made from
a kitchen knife, and wearing construction helmets.
Despite their crude appearance, they were clearly armed. It meant that they
were not ordinary people.
263
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 30 ⦘
The three of them gave a spear-sword instead of mercy to the woman who
sought mercy in the snow.
"Please, please save me. There are no others except for me."
A man talked at the repeated sad tone of the woman. "Shall we have some
fun before we kill her? Eh?"
The other two wet their lips with their tongues instead of answering the
man's filthy words.
"Why don't we just take off our pants since she's taken it all off? Don't you
think?" the man repeated to his two colleagues.
A nasty suggestion.
Soon after, she spat out her words as if she had resigned herself to her fate.
"Look! She says she'll do anything. Anyway, she is the food for the mon‐
ster. What's the wrong of doing this? Don't you think?"
The man spoke somewhat angrily now. The other two looked at one an‐
other.
Pook!
An arrow flew into the eyeball of one of the two men who looked at one an‐
other.
264
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 30 ⦘
All of a sudden, without sound and without a hint of warning, the arrow‐
head of an Arrow flew through his eye and brain, and it came out through
the back of his head.
"Uh?"
"What?"
Everyone, and even the woman who begged for her life, rubbing her hands
hard, looked surprised at the sight. Their thinking stopped at that moment.
Something white began to come toward one of the remaining two men.
Like a leopard leaping for its prey, a man's black fist, appearing with a
speed that could not be considered human, shattered the skull of a man with
a vacant look on his face.
He broke into pieces with his helmet. Fragments of broken skulls were scat‐
tered all over.
The only man left now was the man who vomited out his zest for rape at a
woman seeking mercy.
'Uh? Uh?'
The fist of the man who had suddenly appeared sped toward the man with
such a foolish expression, and broke his helmet and face at the same time.
The man who had been hit by the fist screamed and spit out his teeth. But
he did not scream for long.
"Kuck, kuck!"
As he was about to scream, the fist that had crushed his nose was holding
the man's neck tightly.
The strangled man tried to wrench at the grip, but it was not a human arm.
265
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 30 ⦘
In the meantime, the arrow that had already eaten one person's life began to
move on its own.
Wii...
The Arrow, which made a snake-like sound, soon came near the eyes of the
man who was caught by his throat, and it lit up hazily.
The man shivered and pissed his pants with a choked gurgle.
Kim Tae-hoon spoke calmly. "If you play a trick, you will die. If you hesi‐
tate to answer, you will die. If you have a loud voice, you will die. Nod
your head, if you understand."
"Khuck!"
"Huh-uck, huh-uck..."
Around that time, Jang Sung-hoon came up to the naked woman and cov‐
ered her with the hide of the Werewolf he was wearing.
The leather jacket of Werewolf was rugged and smelled bad, but it was in‐
credibly warm.
"Hush. Be quiet."
This place was now the area of the enemy, in a sense. A disturbance would
never be advantageous to Kim Tae-hoon and Jang Sung-hoon.
266
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 30 ⦘
The woman said, "I know what he knows. I'll tell you everything if you let
me live. I was with him."
A sudden remark.
At the words of the woman, the man who was gasping shouted in horror,
"That bitch betrays..."
Betrayal!
As soon as Kim Tae-hoon heard the word, his Arrow, which was in front of
the man's eyes, drove in like a striking serpent.
The man fell to the ground. Kim Tae-hoon pulled the Arrow from the man's
eye, and he said, aiming at the woman covered by the leather of the Were‐
wolf with the Arrow in his hand, "If you play a trick, you will die. If you
hesitate to answer, you will die. Even if you have a loud voice, you will die.
Nod your head, if you understand."
267
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 31 ⦘
Chapter 31
Chapter 11: The Lawless City, Part III
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
6.
When the heavy snow fell, the terrible world began to turn white in earnest.
Kim Tae-hoon and Jang Sung-hoon, who properly concealed the dead, went
into a sushi restaurant with Baek Ji-yeon, the woman survivor.
The fish that protruded from the water tanks broken by the monster raids
were all frozen, and the inside of the restaurant remained a bit fishy-
smelling.
BoxN ovel.com
Jang Sung-hoon took out the rifle he had brought there and stood guard.
Kim Tae-hoon went into the kitchen with Baek Ji-yeon, who was shaking in
the cold with her lips blue. She was wearing only the pants and jumper of a
dead man.
In the kitchen, Kim Tae-hoon threw two hot packs to Baek Ji-yeon.
Baek Ji-yeon blinked, took the hot packs, and began to rub her whole body
with them.
Because she covered her body with only a jumper, when she rubbed her
body with hot packs, her naked body was revealed. But could not afford to
worry about her breasts being exposed.
268
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 31 ⦘
She was full of the desire to melt her whole body and to live.
Kim Tae-hoon put her in front of him and said, "What happened on January
1?"
"Yes?"
Instead of answering, Kim Tae-hoon glared at her with cold eyes. Then she
remembered the three conditions that Kim Tae-hoon had demanded earlier.
"I don't know about the first day of January, but when I woke up it was al‐
ready late at night."
She would die if she hesitated to answer. The warning alone kept her talk‐
ing.
"Everyone was the same. Few of the survivors were sane on January 1st.
Awakeners! Yes, only a few of the Awakeners were active on January 1st,
but it was not exact..."
Of course, in this situation, she talked about everything at the same time.
Cold and fear, these two were very effective factors paralyzing human rea‐
son.
The words she spoke now were ones that had not been manipulated, without
any processing in her mind.
Once in Bucheon City, it became clear that January 1st was a lost day.
The dragon!
The horrifying monster passed by, killing monsters and humans from fear
alone, or stunning them.
269
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 31 ⦘
Even if there were monsters or humans that could move, those who were
exposed to the fear would not be able to act normally.
The expression of 'Awakener' itself was not a word that only Kim Tae-hoon
could use after applying for a patent. However, if the expression of 'Awak‐
ener' was used in Bucheon City, there was a trace of Kim Tae-hoon.
"The survivors of the large mart by the City Hall spread out, and a rumor
that eating monster stones would give Awakeners superhuman strength be‐
gan there, as well as a rumor that the first hunter had killed a Black Orc..."
As expected, it was the survivors who had survived in the large mart that
spread the term 'Awakener.'
"So what happened on January 2nd? Tell me about the important parts."
"The survivors who survived in the large mart gathered at the City Hall.
They started making a group, saying, 'If we gather around the Awakeners,
we will be able to fight monsters, and if we have a lot of monster stones, we
can kill monsters.' The survivors began to gather there one by one."
"Well, I didn't join them. I was working at a department store by the New
Jungdong Station. I did not join, but they came."
"They?"
"Messiah."
"Yes? Yes, it's the name of the organization. It's not... the group which was
made in the City Hall. No, it started there, but it was, so..."
270
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 31 ⦘
At that moment she began to stammer. She was trying to throw out some‐
thing in her head at once, but she was overloaded.
Kim Tae-hoon looked at her grimly. Baek Ji-yeon met his eyes and shook
herself.
"Well, well, it's a rumor, I'm not sure, it's said he's using a sword... a sword
that's so special that it can cut a monster in half. It's a rumor. I've never seen
it."
"What was the date the Messiah group came to your department store?"
"It's... the sixth day! I'm sure it was the sixth day."
"A sacrifice?"
"It's a giant snake, whose whole body is covered with black scales. The
shining snake with yellow eyes ... so it's called the yellow devil."
271
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 31 ⦘
"We need ten people every day to fill the yellow devil's belly. We throw ten
people into the New Jungdong Station every day. Ten people every day... af‐
ter cutting off the Achilles tendon to keep them from running..."
Her whole body began to shake after she said that, and the reason began to
disappear from her eyes.
Kim Tae-hoon, who thought that further questions were meaningless, took
out a chocolate bar and a can of premade coffee from his chest and threw
them to her.
A chocolate bar and a canned coffee were not a good combination, but she
accepted it with wide eyes.
"Thank you, thank you." She began to unwrap the chocolate bar with her
frozen hands and broken nails. After she managed to unwrap it, she began
to eat the hard-frozen chocolate bar.
In the meantime, Kim Tae-hoon came out of the kitchen and approached
Jang Sung-hoon, still standing guard.
"The Awakeners of the survivors made a group, and now they are expand‐
ing the area of the city. The name of the force is Messiah."
272
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 31 ⦘
cal animal which eats dreams. There was a McDonald's near the department
store, and I want a hamburger now."
"The Messiah group is dealing with monsters in a way that gives a human
offering to them."
"There's a snake called the Yellow Devil in the subway station, and they are
offering ten adults every day to calm it down."
"Ten people every day? Isn't that crazy? It's crazy. Crazy bastards, offering
a human being as a sacrifice?" He looked confused even as he swore.
Kim Tae-hoon, on the other hand, did not lose his coolness. "It's more cruel
than crazy."
It is clear that he faced an unexpected reality, but Kim Tae-hoon could not
deny that the behavior of the Messiah organization was reasonable and effi‐
cient enough.
"If they can't kill a monster anyway, it's reasonable for them to make as
many sacrifices as the monster wants."
"If you were in a Messiah group, that would not have come out easily."
"Well..."
"To sacrifice the few for the many might be democracy in this world."
"Moreover, the current group of survivors has a form in which general peo‐
ple are attached to the Awakeners, and it would be hard for the common
people who would be sacrificed to oppose it if the Awakeners need sacri‐
273
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 31 ⦘
fices. In other words, the system of sacrifice is a way of survival for Awak‐
eners, and a means of maintaining power."
Jang Sung-hoon looked at the snow falling down with a pale face. Kim Tae-
hoon did not speak anymore.
For now, he had two clues. The Messiah group and the leader of the group,
Lee Jin-sung.
Messiah, the meaning of the name didn't matter. The important thing was
their behavior.
But offering a living person to sacrifice was something that is not common.
It was not easy to come up with such an idea.
At this point, monsters were just things to run away from and avoid.
In that situation, who would think monsters had their own territories and
wouldn't wander if they were full?
Just because they watched National Geographic often does not mean they
would think of it.
'Lee Jin-sung.'
274
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 31 ⦘
Lee Jin-sung, who came up with such an idea and put it into practice, could
not be an ordinary person.
'A person who uses a sword and is able to cut down monsters with a single
stroke.'
It was only a story, but it was something even Kim Tae-hoon could not do.
'Energy rank is high, or he has a high Mana rank and a relic that uses his
Mana effectively.'
According to the story, the starting point for Messiah was the group of sur‐
vivors from the City Hall.
Moreover, it was not likely that the Messiah was dedicated to religious ritu‐
als. Keeping the monsters quiet was the process.
In terms of games, they are leveling up while killing the small fries, leaving
the powerful monsters alone.
At the same time, their scope of the activity would be expanded, and the ev‐
idence was that they attacked and brought the survivors of other areas under
275
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 31 ⦘
In the process, they also created a sense of fear by cutting the heads off the
bodies.
"If they expand this way and secure the material of the 17th Division be‐
yond Songnae Station..."
The foundation was already established. The foundation itself was much
bigger than the Mac Clan.
So at this moment, Kim Tae-hoon had to choose whether to hold their hands
or remove them.
He could not leave Messiah like this. He had to decide now to hold their
hands or remove them.
The choice of holding hands with Messiah was not right for Kim Tae-hoon.
It was not because of the sense of disgust with the Messiah and Lee Jin-
sung, or a sense of justice that he should stop their evil behavior.
His capacity was just insufficient. In fact, Kim Tae-hoon had never compro‐
mised with the men of power of the lawless world or used their way.
Therefore, if his past was measured calmly, he would never be able to deal
with the bloody awl, like Lee Jin-sung.
276
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 31 ⦘
Moreover, Lee Jin-sung was a human being who cut the heads of bodies for
symbolism.
That sort of person never quits his ambition, he knew. A sharp sword that
cannot be handled is only a weapon that hurts the body.
Kim Tae-hoon looked out the broken window of the sushi restaurant and
saw the scenery. The snow was getting stronger.
'Good weather...'
Kim Tae-hoon turned his back before the words were out, and headed back
to Baek Ji-yeon, who was holding a hot pack in the kitchen.
Then he looked at her and said, "The choice is either to be a survivor and go
alone or to be a prisoner and follow orders. I'm telling you clearly that
you're not worthy of being a hostage. Don't expect to be treated like one."
7.
The library headquarters of Mac Clan did not look much different from the
past, but there were booby traps and other preparations for intruders. If
monsters or people came in there, they would have to pay a huge price.
277
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 31 ⦘
"Major, can you do it alone?" Lieutenant Kim had already heard the story
and his plan, too.
It was necessary to be punished in some way for buying their lives through
human offerings.
In addition, the Messiah was the closest obstacle to the Mac Clan's expan‐
sion. It was natural to break down the Messiah group, both morally and
computationally.
"If the Messiah doesn't have a firearm, it would be easy to take the soldiers
along to finish them."
The important thing was the method. Unless Messiah had guns, they could
not be Mac Clan's opponent. Never!
If there were three or four people who were shot and killed, the rest would
be scared and would surrender.
"Messiah is not dealing with monsters, but they are managed by sacrifice.
Their realms are virtually monster dens, and moving there is too risky. If I
fire a gun or something blindly, monsters would come in flocks."
It weighed on his mind that the place where the Messiah was located was
not a safe place, but a symbiotic area with monsters around.
Even the monster called the Yellow Devil was like that.
278
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 31 ⦘
According to Baek Ji-yeon's words, only the sword of the leader of the
Messiah, Lee Jin-sung, could hurt it.
If such a creature was only a little bit hurt by a hunter's sword, which could
cut a monster into two pieces with a single stroke, then bullets would not
work properly.
There is a possibility that it won't work, too. At that time, Mac Clan must be
prepared to be wiped out.
The price to pay when fighting a war in earnest was enormous, both to the
attacking side and to the defending side.
So, groups of really large size and firepower always run over less well-
equipped groups.
That was why such an incredibly efficient existence, Kim Tae-hoon, was
born.
There are times when it was more certain for a specially trained monster to
pull the trigger than running expensive fighters, battleships and tanks, and
spending tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars an hour on
war costs and expending firepower.
279
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 31 ⦘
At this moment, none of the gathered people, including Kim Soo-ji, worried
about Kim Tae-hoon.
"Boss, when you come back, bring some Melona ice cream!"
"I hope you come back alive because I don't want to leave my life to these
two madmen."
"Yes, sister Sun-mi, if you have such a bad mouth, you won't marry."
They just sent some heartfelt words after him as he left to deal with Mes‐
siah.
280
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 32 ⦘
Chapter 32
Chapter 12. Messiah, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
It was a quiet fortress now, crowded with people all the time.
All the windows were covered with newspapers, and the entrance, which
enthusiastically welcomed the guests, was now walled with tangled shop‐
ping carts.
BoxN ovel.com
Three men approached the entrance, with thick jumpers, safety helmets and
crudely made spears.
They stood in front of the automatic door, which was covered with newspa‐
pers, and one of them carefully pulled out a business card from inside and
swiped it through the door.
Swish!
The business card disappeared as if it were a snake's tongue, and soon the
door opened.
Beyond the door, three men stood tensely, aiming a spear at the door. They
relaxed only after confirming the other party.
281
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 32 ⦘
"Have you seen this weather? Our footprints are already gone!"
"What the hell was I supposed to do? Get out of my way! I am cold enough
to die!"
Eventually, the conversation became intense at some point, and those who
were guarding the door stepped to the side.
Three men, their shoulders and heads covered with snow, strode into the
mall.
The three men who entered the mall immediately took off their helmets, and
a man with a chubby face spoke up, "He's not a damn Awakener, but he
handles us like slaves. A---hole! He can't do anything in front of a monster."
The words that were spoken out of anger were so low that they were close
to speaking to himself, contrary to the fierce expression.
The two remaining men turned away from the subject as if they did not
want to continue the conversation with such a man.
282
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 32 ⦘
"I'd sleep with a girl in that case. How about that? Do you want to take
one?"
But the younger man replied to the fat man's words with an awkward smile,
"It's okay."
"The only good thing we have in this damn world is that we can do it for
free."
"...what happened to Group B?" Another man in his mid-20s wanted to turn
the subject around.
"I'm sure there was an accident somewhere, trying to enjoy a girl named
Baek Ji-yeon." The fat man changed the subject of conversation to an un‐
pleasant one.
"There was a guy named Ahn Tae-seok who was crazy about women, and
there's no way he's not going to be excited there with a naked woman lying
in front of him in the snow."
The younger man gave up on continuing the conversation. 'You damn pig, is
that the only thing that comes to your mind in this situation?'
Fortunately, the filthy stories of the fat man did not last long. "Damn it, I'm
going to take a shot today..."
"Speak such stories alone." A woman walked out of the darkness, a skinny
as a skeleton, as if she were about to fall apart right away.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, just spare my life, please spare my life..."
283
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 32 ⦘
The three men nodded vigorously and disappeared as they ran into the esca‐
lator and fled to the second floor.
The woman headed for what was originally a pharmacy, located in the cor‐
ner of the first floor.
One stood up as straight, acting as a bodyguard, and the other sat on the
couch, tapping his smooth hair, holding a sword with the sheath in his right
hand, like something out of a historical drama.
The woman said to the man on the sofa, "There must be a disturbance."
"Disturbance?" At the woman's words, the man stopped tapping his head.
"What's the matter?"
"The group that went out to exec ute a woman as an example is missing."
"Missing?"
"Yes."
"Failed? Why?"
At those words, the man let out a suddenly uncontrollable laugh and tapped
his head again with the handle of the sword.
"You should have given the organization by a different name, not Messiah.
Everyone looks at us like an angel who was sent from heaven for some par‐
adise. I'll have to send the men who went out as a search team to the New
284
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 32 ⦘
Jungdong Station in the morning when the sun rises, with their Achilles ten‐
don nipped, and hope the yellow-eyed devil likes it." The swordsman
smiled faintly.
3.
Kim Tae-hoon was looking down at the large mall from a building located
across the street. The blizzard blocked his vision, but there was no problem
drawing pictures in his mind.
'The gates are strictly guarded, but their armed state is crude, and no one
stands guard on the roof.'
Kim Tae-hoon scanned the area through the blowing blizzard and thick
darkness.
"Baek Ji-yeon said there were about sixty candidates for sacrifice inside,
and there were about thirty people watching them and guarding the large
mall. In addition, the sacrifices were kept on the second and third floor."
What all animals did in front of these two things was the same: they just
crouched as much as they could in the dark where they could avoid the
wind, and they waited for the cold and long night to pass.
Humans have escaped such behavior by using tools, but the humans in the
large mall were no different from animals.
4.
Kwa-kwa-kwang!
285
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 32 ⦘
A huge truck rushed toward the entrance of the large mall, and after smash‐
ing through the automatic glass doors, entered the entrance of the large
mall.
"Aaaaaaargh!"
The three people, who were guarding the door in this sudden situation, were
hit by the car, and they were smashed away helplessly.
"Is it an earthquake?"
People, who were forced to sleep in the cold all over the large mall, were
scared and woke up.
The disturbance reached the third floor after passing the second floor.
The watchers, who had originally been in the hair salon and the laundry,
now used as prisons for locking up the sacrifices, looked at each other as
soon as they heard the disturbance.
"A monster?"
During the turmoil, the iron door of the emergency passage to the third and
fourth floors of the parking garage was carefully opened.
Someone moved swiftly through the open door, and the man who opened it
so secretly closed the door so hard that it was obvious secrecy was not his
goal.
Bang!
286
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 32 ⦘
Their eardrums thundered. It was enough for everyone on the third floor to
hear.
"Door? Where is the door here? It's connected to the parking lot by a mov‐
ing walk, isn't it?"
"Emergency exit, there is an emergency exit, but the emergency exit was
locked..."
People began to swallow hard, tense and nervous about what was going to
happen.
Those who were waiting to be sacrificed with their hands and feet tied up
also trembled.
"Go."
"What?"
"Fuck."
Eventually, one of them put his helmet on, grabbed his crude spear in his
hand, and headed for the emergency exit.
'Damn it, why is this happening?' His footsteps were full of regret and irrita‐
tion, and his anxiety and fear made them heavy.
287
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 32 ⦘
'Nothing?'
There were no traces in his eyes. There was only a faint hint of the trail of a
man, and the door closed, but not a very noticeable sign.
No, the man was hoping that this was nothing, and so it seemed to the man
that this was nothing.
With that sigh, the man who decided nothing was going to happen returned
the way he had come with a lighter step.
When the man returned to his original place, the first thing he saw was
someone with a hole in his head, and a co-worker on the floor with his neck
turned 180 degrees.
"Hmm?"
And that was the last thing that he saw, as the man approaching from behind
broke his neck at once.
krak... When the man fell limply, one of the women slated for sacrifice
screamed.
Ignoring the scream, the man acted calmly. He didn't bother to stop her.
Rather, he let her scream and took the jumper and helmet one of the fallen
guys was wearing.
288
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 32 ⦘
Then, he shouted down at those who heard the scream coming up to the sec‐
ond floor via the escalator.
"Problem?"
"Oh, okay."
The man, who replied immediately, headed for the escalator, and behind
him came a featherless Arrow.
5.
"Goddamn it, there's no one in the truck!" a man shouted, checking the
driver's seat of the truck that had broken through the entrance.
The ten men gathered around the entrance showed a similar look at his
words. Their heads were cocked, and they knitted their brows.
"What the hell is going on? This truck isn't a monster, is it?"
"Something happened on the third floor!" A man came down through an es‐
calator connecting the first and second floors.
He was not any different from the others in jumper and helmets. No one
stopped the men from running down the escalator to the first floor.
Rather, those on the first floor looked at the person coming down in sur‐
prise. One of them asked, "The third floor? What happened?"
289
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 32 ⦘
"What? What's wrong with the first floor? Why is a truck stuck in the en‐
trance?"
"We don't know, damn it, suddenly the truck just ran into the entrance!"
"So? Is that why you're here? What about the guards? Are they watching
the sacrifices?"
"Shit, that's not the point! Tell the men up there to come down now. What
can a sacrifice do?"
"So you're almost all here, then." The voice of the man changed in a flash.
Pak!
He punched the face of the person who noticed that he was not a colleague,
smashing in his face as if he had been hit by a huge hammer. His skull
crumpled like tofu.
At the same time, the man pulled the safety pin from the grenade he took
from his jumper's pocket and threw it at the crowd gathered around the
truck.
Of course, everyone was caught in the killing blast of the grenade, without
any resistance or preparation.
"Aaaaaaargh!"
The moment a scream burst out from the mouth of a lucky survivor, a short
gunshot rang out.
290
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 32 ⦘
A confirmation shot.
The confirmation shots finished off everyone gathered around the truck in
the time it took to draw a long breath.
No survivors.
Kim Tae-hoon's gaze immediately turned towards the corner of the grocery
on the first floor of the large mall, which was visible from the entryway.
As soon as he turned his head to the left, two crackling baseball-sized fire‐
balls flew towards him.
The fireball touched Kim Tae-hoon's jumper, and moved over it like a living
creature, setting it aflame.
Kim Tae-hoon immediately threw off the jumper, pointed his gun in the di‐
rection it came from, pulled the trigger, and immediately dove between two
counters.
At that moment, he heard someone say, "I didn't know I am going to fight a
real Awakener so quickly, but this is fun."
It was the first time he heard it, but Kim Tae-hoon was convinced at this
moment.
'Lee Jin-sung.'
Who was the owner of the voice? The chief of the Messiah was here!
291
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 33 ⦘
Chapter 33
Chapter 12. Messiah, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
6.
The first thing Kim Tae-hoon did, after jumping into the narrow space be‐
tween two counters, was to analyze the situation.
He didn't think about the flame. He recalled the moment he pulled the trig‐
ger.
BoxN ovel.com
His shooting was accurate. Two bullets hit the Awakener with the mysteri‐
ous power of flame.
The bulletproof vest was like an extra life against a gun, but it was different
against a monster.
292
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 33 ⦘
It would be better than not wearing it, but if you fought against monsters,
you will use better armor that was comprehensive than a bulletproof vest
specialized in stopping bullets.
Only then did Kim Tae-hoon remember the monster he had killed.
The horrifying monster with the black skin, the Black Orc, had he left be‐
hind!
Kim Tae-hoon left its body as it was, taking only its heart.
'Tut.'
If Messiah and Lee Jin-sung were not fools, they would have used all their
methods to use the body of the Black Orc.
Moreover, ten days had passed since Kim Tae-hoon killed the Black Orc.
Ten days was more than enough time for the Black Orc to be changed into a
protective coat.
"If it is a gun, are you a survivor of the military? Are you from the seven‐
teenth division? I'm sorry, but the gun won't work against me. I have great
protection here."
Lee Jin-sung directly told him that his expectations were right. Of course,
Lee Jin-sung did not really give him a friendly explanation.
Even if there was defensive armor against a gun, the power of the gun itself
was another story. Guns were a hard weapon to deal with, even if you wore
a bulletproof vest.
So when dealing with a man with a gun, you have to make the man who has
the gun uncertain.
293
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 33 ⦘
To shoot at the bulletproof vest is powerful enough, but if you know that the
other person is wearing a bulletproof vest, you usually aim for a part with‐
out protection, like the limbs.
While Lee Jin-sung was talking to Kim Tae-hoon like a madman, the man
who was shot by Kim Tae-hoon was approaching carefully in the direction
of the counter where Kim Tae-hoon was hiding.
"Hey, guy!"
The voice of Lee Jin-sung grew louder, trying to hide the footsteps in that
loud voice and distract Kim Tae-hoon.
Of course, these were children's tactics for Kim Tae-hoon. Kim Tae-hoon
took something out of his pocket and threw it to where he could hear Lee
Jin-sung's voice.
"Get out of there!" Lee Jin-sung's shouted urgently, and the man approach‐
ing Kim Tae-hoon fell down on the floor in horror.
Kim Tae-hoon rose from his seat, facing the man approaching nearby.
Tutututu!
That was all. There was no explosion. He had thrown a lump of metal,
which looked similar to a grenade.
A scream burst from the lips of the man who had been shot.
294
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 33 ⦘
"Eup!"
The Arrow deeply penetrated the chest of a woman who was nothing but
skin and bones, blocking for the man like a shield.
Lee Jin-sung began to race into the darkness of the mall. It didn't take long
for him to disappear, save for the sound of his footsteps.
Kim Tae-hoon followed the footsteps of Lee Jin-sung with his ears and ap‐
proached the man he had shot. He put his foot on the man's neck.
He crushed down. Vertebrae snapped, and the man's body sagged to the
ground.
At that moment, white powder began filling the darkness inside of the large
mall.
Kim Tae-hoon reflected his steps back from the white powder.
'Fire extinguisher.'
It was impossible to see and breathe in the powder that clouded the sur‐
roundings. It was a trick to limit his telekinesis.
He had already made plans in case there were other Messiah Awakeners be‐
sides Lee Jin-sung.
According to his plan, the battle against Lee Jin-sung was dangerous. It's
unlikely that he was alone, and if he was injured, the guard that was waiting
somewhere else would move.
295
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 33 ⦘
At that time, the powder of the fire extinguisher split apart like the Red Sea,
and Lee Jin-sung appeared in the cleared space.
When Kim Tae-hoon saw him, the sword that Lee Jin-sung was wielding
was already touching the muzzle of his gun.
Shiyik! The muzzle was cut off straight through, and it wasn't the end It
wasn't the end there.
Lee Jin-sung, whose cheeks were swelled up like a balloon, sprayed out
something in his mouth.
Foo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
Lee Jin-sung followed Kim Tae-hoon, who was rolling like that, with his
sword.
Taang, taang!
Kim Tae-hoon pulled his revolver from its holster at his waist, shooting
twice.
The bullets both hit the swordsman, and his body jerked as if he had been
pushed by something.
That was all. He did not collapse or bleed from the power of the bullets.
Kim Tae-hoon, who had put out the fire on his body, stood up and looked at
him, his gun pointing at Lee Jin-sung.
With Kim Tae-hoon in front of him, Lee Jin-sung raised his arms and
guarded his face with his sword, like a boxer.
296
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 33 ⦘
It was evident that he knew that the bullets wouldn't kill him right away, ex‐
cept if they hit his face.
Kim Tae-hoon did not make any special moves in front of him. He just
watched Lee Jin-sung.
Lee Jin-sung did not move too quickly, either. His opponent was, after all,
also an Awakener.
First of all, his whole body was not covered with the Black Orc's skin. His
face was bare. No, even if his face was covered, if he got shot there it was
highly likely that he would suffer from fatal injuries, such as a concussion
and or eyeball rupture.
'The car rushed into the entrance, and it was pretty late, so the men he had
placed nearby must approach.'
What Lee Jin-sung expected was that his men would realize there was a dis‐
turbance and come to help him. He was not a fool, and he would not walk
around with only two people. He arranged his men in several places.
Of course, the reason for the split arrangement was to monitor the monsters
and sacrifices. He'd had no choice but to deploy Awakeners to instill fear
among the watchmen who monitored and managed the sacrifices.
"Are you the first hunter?" Lee Jin-sung asked again, stalling for time. "It
seems the first hunter had powerful telekinesis. What was his name... Kim
Tae-hoon. Yes, it was Kim Tae-hoon. But he had a colleague. Did you come
here alone?"
"I've heard a lot about you. Thanks to you, Bucheon somehow became a
city of men. By the way, there are few places in the world that are safe now.
297
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 33 ⦘
I fled from the Cheongna district and thought I was the only one who sur‐
vived until I came to Bucheon."
"I recently found out that Bucheon was very lucky geographically. It was
between the realms of the dreadful monsters."
"It became an unarmed area. There are huge monsters in Incheon, Siheung,
Gwangmyeong, and Gimpo. The owners of this land are not human."
It was valuable information, all that was necessary for the Awakeners to
survive in this world, regardless of the truth.
When he spit out valuable information, he would wait for a reply. A smile
was on his lips.
'One minute.'
They had the power to make the inhumane acts of the organization Messiah
natural.
"Rather, why are you attacking us all of a sudden? You don't like the way
we do things, do you? From what I heard, you're far from a hero of justice."
298
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 33 ⦘
"Why don't you join hands with us? It looks like you've got a gun from a
nearby military base. Let's move together. First, we're building a monster
hunting organization based in Bucheon. We're lucky. We have made the
starting point Bucheon. Let's have a conversation, putting down our
weapons. Huh?
Lee Jin-sung intended to cut Kim Tae-hoon in half after narrowing the dis‐
tance between them.
There was no doubt he could do it. The sword in his hand was a great
weapon that could be called a mirac le from God, and could cut monsters
with orange or yellow eyes, too!
Lee Jin-sung didn't want to be under anyone. As soon as you get under
someone, you are expendable. The world was like that now.
"Uhhh?"
299
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 33 ⦘
It was only a matter of seconds to tie up the limbs of Lee Jin-sung, although
he did not know how much Strength and Energy he had.
"The bastard..." Kim Tae-hoon came up to cursing Lee Jin-sung who was
clearly stunned, and pulled the sword out of the hand of the paralyzed
swordsman. "Aaaaargh, damn it!"
"Wait, wait... let's make a deal, a deal! I'll give you everything I have-"
300
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 34 ⦘
Chapter 34
Chapter 12. Messiah, Part III
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
7.
Lee Jin-sung was a cruel man who had the innate ability to make cruelty
more brutal and powerful.
BoxN ovel.com
The power of Lee Jin-sung was something that could not be dealt by the
Awakeners who did not even know that they were Awakened, or who were
awakened but did not even have E rank of some special ability.
'Damn it, we hope that there is no problem with the master's safety...'
And now, he was the only possibility of killing the yellow-eyed devil, a
scary monster that ruled the subway now and could only be quieted by a hu‐
man offering.
301
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 34 ⦘
That was why Lee Jin-sung named the group "Messiah," and his subordi‐
nates stepped into the large mall without any help and or hesitation. They
headed for the threat, through the heavy snowstorm, to help someone who
dominated them through fear.
"We're here!"
Soon after, eleven Awakeners arrived and entered the large mall with flash‐
lights in their hands.
The first thing they saw with the flashlights inside the dark mall was a
corpse.
"Ugh!"
There was the body of a general member who was killed in the grenade
blast.
More bodies, which had a different kind of gruesomeness than those killed
by the monsters, were also shocking to the Messiah Awakeners who had
seen so much of such things.
In that state, some courageous people walked through the bodies, flashing
lights, and splashing through the rich blood.
"Huck!"
302
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 34 ⦘
The head of Lee Jin-sung had been cut off, and the body was missing.
Then a voice came from the darkness, "Put the flashlights on the floor and
kneel down with your hands on your head."
No one was on their knees at once, and everyone was too busy turning their
heads around to find the voice's main character.
"Aaaaaaargh!" A man who was swinging a light around fell to the floor and
screamed, "My, my leg, my leg..."
"Every time I speak, one more person," the unaffected voice again came
through the pained cries.
'Crazy...'
The quickest ones, with a keen sense of survival, quickly dropped their
flashlights on the floor, and immediately knelt down with their hands on
their heads.
303
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 34 ⦘
He was still hiding in the dark, of course, wearing a black jumper. So now,
even though his light was shining on the floor, so they could not see him.
It was even more creepy. What they could not see, they could only imagine.
It was not a good thing to think about right now.
Kim Tae-hoon slowly spoke while the Awakeners imagined Kim Tae-hoon's
existence as a devil.
"There are two options: turn your back on this and leave here, or become a
hunting dog under me."
It was clear, at least, that he was not here for goodwill and justice!
"I know enough of what kind of group Messiah is, and you'd better get rid
of the idea of being treated like a human being."
He knew what kind of group Messiah was, and that they silenced the mon‐
ster with sacrifices.
Even if they could not help it, they should be prepared to be treated the
same way the instant they treated a person as food, not a fellow human be‐
ing.
His power had overshadowed their determination, and now they were the
weak!
'Damn it.'
304
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 34 ⦘
The fact made them swallow and despair. 'It will be over if we go this way.'
A man said, "If you don't want to come under me, you will be fine. "Kim
Tae-hoon answered immediately.
"Well, I'll... go out. I'll stay quiet." At the answer, the person who asked the
question rose from his crouch.
'I must get out of here. If I stay under him, I will end up a consumable
against a monster.'
He was the leader of a group that monitored and managed the people who
would be sacrificed at a department store across the street.
Of course, he knew the Messiah organization better than any of these peo‐
ple.
'I'll go to the City Hall, join the others, and make a plan. That's the first
thing to do now. If not, I will be good for nothing.'
Messiah was currently expanding its scope, spreading spider webs around
Bucheon City Hall.
305
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 34 ⦘
In addition, many of them were not awakened but ready to fight for the
Messiah. If they didn't want to be a sacrifice, they had to be on the same
side.
Joining them was far safer than becoming a hunting dog under a man whose
identity was unknown!
Steeling his intentions, Jang Yeon-seok once again asked Kim Tae-hoon,
"Really, is it really okay to leave?"
"If you don't want to come under me." Kim Tae-hoon gave another definite
answer.
Only then did Jang Yeon-seok turn his back when he rose. After that, he
didn't move right away and waited for a hint.
He was suspicious, but there was no particular clue. Only then did Jang
Yeon-seok turn his back and start heading back the way he had come.
Taang!
"Khuck!" With the short word, Jang Yeon-seok began to tremble after he
fell to the floor. Hot blood flowed out from under his body, and began to
pool on the floor.
306
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 34 ⦘
"Wasn't it Messiah's way to cut off the head after killing an enemy or a
traitor?" Kim Tae-hoon asked them again.
8.
-- Relic Effect: It grows with the blood of killed monsters. The owner of the
Sword is unknown yet.
-----------
-- Relic Effect: It changes Mana into flame liquor; if the owner breathes in
the flame liquor and blows it out, the flame comes out. The more liquor the
owner makes, the stronger the power of the fire is.]
------------
Kim Tae-hoon, checked the stats of the relic through his smartphone, and
immediately looked at the Sword of the Imperator in his hand.
307
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 34 ⦘
However, it didn't matter to Kim Tae-hoon. He did not care about historical
records, and he didn't have any knowledge about it.
'It's like the Sword I saw in my dream, only the sheath is different.'
The important thing was that the Sword was different in color, but the shape
was the same as the Sword in his dream.
That dream, of course, was the dream of the Golden Glass of Napoleon.
In that dream, Kim Tae-hoon took out various weapons to fight against the
dragon.
The sheath of the Sword right now was red, and the sheath of the sword he
saw in his dream was blue, but the feel of the Sword was the same as the
one he saw in his dream.
If it was the Sword that he saw in his dream, it was an amazing achieve‐
ment. He had a powerful weapon to use against the dragon.
But Kim Tae-hoon could not be happy with the fact. No one knew whether
this was the same one or not.
What Kim Tae-hoon saw was only a fragmentary result, and he did not
know the process.
And even if there was another process, there was no guarantee that the re‐
sults would be different.
Lee Jin-sung had given him some meaningful information before he died.
He might just have been trying to buy time, but the information he had
given out was valuable and strange.
'He said Bucheon is lucky, and the surroundings had become a powerful
monster's territory.'
308
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 34 ⦘
He said that Incheon City, Gimpo City, and Siheung City, which surrounded
Bucheon City, were the lands that monsters now owned.
He also said that as powerful monsters settled down and claimed their terri‐
tory, Bucheon, where the areas overlapped, was rather peaceful.
'It's possible.'
Monsters did not just destroy thoughtlessly. It was their survival instincts
that moved them.
It's just that in order for monsters to survive; they had no choice but to eat
humans and destroy their cities.
However, if Lee Jin-sung was right, the situation was likely beyond Kim
Tae-hoon's imagination.
The death toll might exceed ten million units, with over one million dead in
Seoul alone!
The current season was winter, a harsh season for mankind to endure with‐
out the technology of civilization.
Even so, such damage had occurred in South Korea, and it might not be
possible to estimate the number of victims in areas where the population ex‐
ceeded one billion, such as China and India.
309
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 34 ⦘
It was skepticism about a reality more miserable than he thought, and skep‐
ticism about the fact that the human race that had survived in such a miser‐
able reality would be struggling with each other for their own benef it, and
would be supposed to just go extinct.
No, you have to hope for a better future. It was important from now on to
hope for a better future.
Messiah was not yet in Kim Tae-hoon's grasp. Furthermore, the remaining
parties would not welcome him.
The survivors were also the same: not everyone who survived was treated
as a sacrifice; those who were treated as sacrifices, and those who watched
and managed them, would be different in their calculations.
Therefore, he had to make them fear so that they could not think of any‐
thing else. In this situation, clumsy love and care were meaningless and
useless, and Kim Tae-hoon did not know what love and care were. He didn't
want to know.
At the same time, he needed to show them hope, what line they must hold
to survive, what must be valued as much as their lives by those who sur‐
vived in the land of Bucheon at this moment.
Lee Jin-sung, the former leader of the Messiah, knew that well.
310
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 34 ⦘
His actions were obviously not human, but now the world was no longer a
world where human beings were common.
In addition, Kim Tae-hoon knew that fact much better than Lee Jin-sung.
He was not a monster, but he had fought in a world where humanity was ig‐
nored enough to compare with monsters.
9.
"It feels like an eel in the stomach is woven like mayonnaise. Try it that
way."
"It feels like you're squeezing it out and sending it to your fingertips and
tiptoes. Go on! How's it going? It's easy, isn't it?"
In the middle of the training, under the guidance of Bang Hyun-wook, the
Awakeners were training to deal with Energy, In the corner, Ahn Sun-mi
was holding the Cup of Therapy with her eyes closed.
Ahn Sun-mi opened her eyes and put it in a thermos bottle that had been
prepared for the Water of Therapy from the Cup.
"You're suffering."
311
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 34 ⦘
"I'd like to suffer, but unfortunately you're the only one who can use the
Mana on our side. Can I sing for you?"
At the words of Jang Sung-hoon, Ahn Sun-mi closed her eyes instead of an‐
swering, and again focused on injecting Mana into the Cup of Therapy.
It was preparation.
Among the Awakeners, those who were able to use Energy trained to handle
it more skillfully, and in the case of Ahn Sun-mi, she wanted to secure as
much Water of Therapy as possible when she had time to relax.
"This is a letter from the Major." The envelope was delivered to Kim Soo-ji.
Kim Soo-j took out the letter, quickly skimmed its contents, and spoke to
everyone around.
"Did he get a tuna? Why does he suddenly need a filleter?" Jang Sung-hoon
asked the question as if he represented everyone.
At his question, Kim Soo-ji said with a steely expression, "From now on,
the Mac Clan is ready to hunt the devil with yellow eyes!"
312
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 35 ⦘
Chapter 35
Chapter 13. Territory Dispute, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
The third floor of the building, which had been used as the office of a com‐
pany until a few days ago, was now the home of monsters.
Their saw-like teeth and protruding snouts were closer to the appearance of
a dog, not a monkey.
BoxN ovel.com
Moreover, the red eyes on the horrifying face exuded a terrible energy.
A man in his mid-twenties, who had just died, his blood still warm, and four
monsters were holding his limbs in their hands and eating them with gruel‐
ing intensity.
There were four skeletons scattered around them, and the rolling skeletons
were clean and even shiny.
In this cold winter, the flesh could not have rotted off.
313
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 35 ⦘
It was a clear evidence and a gruesome sign that these monsters had licked
the bones until there was not a piece of flesh left.
A man entered the office of about a hundred square meters, interfering with
the terrible meal of the monsters.
But it was not a monster, but a man who took the initiative.
Shiyik!
A featherless Arrow started to move as the man appeared, and pierced the
head of a monkey.
Another monster also fell to the ground like a broken doll. Blood sprang out
from the corner of its temple.
Kung? Kung!
The two remaining monsters, which were ready to jump at him in rage,
burst out with frightened cries.
Shiyik!
The two monsters also fell to the ground with holes in their heads, after the
Arrow painted a sleek line between them.
The Arrow that had destroyed four monsters in one rush returned to a re‐
volver holder mounted on the man's waist, as gently as a butterfly.
The man, Kim Tae-hoon, looked around again. His expression was not very
good, betraying no satisfaction with what he had done.
314
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 35 ⦘
Behind him came Bang Hyun-wook's voice. "Big brother, the first, second
and third floors are cleaned. This place is cleaned... wow!"
Soon after Bang Hyun-wook saw what Kim Tae-hoon had done from be‐
hind his back, he whistled briefly.
"I feel it every time I see it, but it's still really scary. I'm glad you're not my
enemy."
It couldn't be loosened.
What made Kim Tae-hoon's look solid right now was nothing but his weak‐
ness. Lack of power made his mood mixed.
No one would believe it if he said his mind since Kim Tae-hoon was al‐
ready too strong.
The pattern on the back of Kim Tae-hoon's right hand was evidence.
======
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 92
-- Health: 77
[Special abilities]
315
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 35 ⦘
-- Energy: E+ Rank
-- Mana: E+ Rank
-- Telekinesis: A Rank
-- Defense: E+ Rank
======
For the weak monsters, he did not have to use Telekinesis, but simply could
kill them alone, without having to use the powerful relics in his hand.
In addition, the abilities he had acquired after eating monster stones were
also great.
'Doing this, I can't even make time for the devil snake.'
A devil snake.
316
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 35 ⦘
------
Outside the building, Kim Tae-hoon turned and looked at the building he
had just been in.
Not a few visible buildings had white flags flapping outside their windows.
As Kim Tae-hoon looked at the flags, the day after the snowstorm ended,
the day the sun rose, came again.
2.
At the words of Jang Sung-hoon, five people, consisting of three men and
two women standing close, stared at him with cold eyes.
It was not a vague expression. There was an invisible but apparent force
from their eyes. This was the force of an Awakener, only available to those
who had the opportunity to acquire the superhuman power to fight against
the monsters in the age of the monsters.
But Jang Sung-hoon was not daunted by their spirit. Behind him was a boss
who the crowd of five Awakeners and leaders of Messiah rushed into and
fell before.
317
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 35 ⦘
"Don't stare at me like that. Did you think you were going to become our
own favored community?"
"Not one of us ever said we would go down there, yet we belong to the
Messiah," a middle-aged man answered immediately.
He was a very muscular man and was wearing only a thin, long-sleeved T-
shirt, even in the cold weather and without heating. His muscular body was
exposed to the cold.
It was a blatant expression of power, in fact. His Strength and the Energy to
endure this cold was showing his power.
Of course, his snarling voice was also powerful. He was showing that he
was not willing to back down.
"So you're going to risk your life with my boss? That sounds like it to me.
Would you like me to make a plate for you? Would you like to play a game
of character removal?"
"That's..." the muscular middle-aged man turned off his mighty spirit at the
gaze of Kim Tae-hoon, who watched him indifferently behind Jang Sung-
hoon.
Jang Sung-hoon looked at him like that and said, "Do you think this is like
we're getting a baseball player, and I'm here to sign a contract with you? I
think you haven't thought this through, yet."
With his words, Jang Sung-hoon grabbed his shirt and flapped it lightly. "Or
does this look like a suit for office workers?"
At the words, the five Awakeners glanced at the soldiers with guns, who
were looking at them from behind Kim Tae-hoon.
The expressions in the eyes of the soldiers were not just those of those
drafted into the army. It was the glitter in the eyes of those who had sur‐
vived monster attacks, and not for a short time.
If necessary, they were totally ready to pull the trigger now against people.
318
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 35 ⦘
"Well, I'll tell you again. The story is simple. You Awakeners are now hunt‐
ing dogs in the Mac Clan's name. If you don't like the term 'a hunting dog',
you can change it to 'a hunter'. You can name yourself as you wish. There is
only one important thing: you have to pay the Mac Clan forty percent of the
monster stones you get from being a hunting dog of the Mac Clan."
Jang Sung-hoon had summarized his words so far, with his back to his al‐
lies.
The five Awakeners avoided the answer to Jang Sung-hoon's words. They
looked at Kim Tae-hoon sideways.
'By chance...'
When the night of the blizzard passed, and the new white world unfolded,
the news was delivered to the Messiah executives waiting in Bucheon City
Hall.
Their leader, Lee Jin-sung, was dead, and Kim Tae-hoon, the leader of the
Mac Clan, wants to negotiate with the remaining Messiah executives.
There were virtually no people who devoted their enthusiastic loyalty to the
dead Lee Jin-sung in the first place.
Proposing to negotiate would mean that the other side did not want a war
against the Messiah.
But the table was not the same as the messiah executives thought.
319
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 35 ⦘
Jang Sung-hoon, who came out as the representative of Mac Clan, de‐
manded two things of the Messiah.
One, the Awakeners of the Messiah would be hunting dogs of the Mac
Clan.
Two, the hunting dogs would devote forty percent of the monster stones
gained through monster hunting to the Mac Clan.
When Kim Tae-hoon accepted his opinion and said that he would make
Bucheon a base area, Jang Sung-hoon thought that Kim Tae-hoon's way of
operating the Mac Clan could not work.
The established Mac Clan was a group that existed only for Kim Tae-hoon.
They were a group that could perform Kim Tae-hoon's command perfectly,
a group that could be controlled close to perfection.
It was possible because the size of the Mac Clan was at most fifty or so.
However, if the group took Bucheon City as a base area and kept survivors
under them, the story would be different.
'It's impossible for the boss to monopolize the whole thing from now on.'
320
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 35 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon has been able to take all the monster stones he got through
hunting.
"You don't understand because you don't have an answer, but you'll only
have to pay your forty percent of the monster stone you've acquired, and we
won't mind what you do with the monster bodies you've killed. Every time
you kill a special monster, we'll negotiate. You can eat it. You can give us a
notification after you eat it. If you did not notify us, and later there is some‐
thing strange about an ability you have learned, when I take a look at your
Awakener Mark, it will cause trouble."
So Jang Sung-hoon tried to tie up Kim Tae-hoon and the surviving Awaken‐
ers with a very simple relationship.
Give and take. It was a simple concept that a child could understand.
That was why the five executives were not able to answer easily.
Jang Sung-hoon explained it to them. "We'll give you your life once. You
don't want to die, do you?"
"It's a joke. A joke. If we really want to kill you, why do we have a negotia‐
tion table here for you? When we find a man with a mark on his back,
shooting him is easy to do."
321
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 35 ⦘
Threat. Kim Tae-hoon, who had been keeping silent with Jang Sung-hoon
in front of him, came forward.
In the tight atmosphere, Kim Tae-hoon said in a low voice, "Forty percent is
the street tax, and it's the street tax for hunting monsters in my territory."
Someone said with great courage, "This isn't your land, is it? It's not like
you're asking for forty percent of our income in that situation..."
Kim Tae-hoon did not get angry at the courage. Instead, he asked back
calmly, "Then, whose territory is this?"
In the world of the law of the jungle, the weak were the prey of the strong.
A strong man becomes the master of everything, and now the top predator
in Bucheon was the yellow-eyed devil that used the subway station as its
home.
It was good to say that the master of the area within a radius of a dozen
kilometers around Bucheon City Hall was the devil of yellow eyes.
To say that is to admit that the land belongs to not a human being but a
monster now.
If they did, it was like they were confessing that they were hanging on the
edge of the cliff and putting despair at their feet.
322
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 35 ⦘
However, only Kim Tae-hoon spit out the fact without hesitation. "Of
course, if someone kills it, he'll be the master in the territory."
It was hope.
What Kim Tae-hoon wanted to give to the survivors was hope to escape
from the fear of predators, now struggling to survive at the bottom of the
food chain.
"It's forty percent. If you're sure you won't get caught, it's all right whether
you cheat or skip it. If you don't get caught."
Kim Tae-hoon stepped back, and Jang Sung-hoon said with a smile to the
five frozen people,
"We don't have a contract. This is a commitment based on mutual trust and
faith. I'll trust your will. You don't want to die by sacrificing a living human
being to live on, and you don't want to die later, do you?"
323
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 36 ⦘
Chapter 36
Chapter 13. Territory Dispute, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
Kim Tae-hoon, who finished reminiscing, settled the situation in his mind.
BoxN ovel.com
Of course, in return, Kim Tae-hoon should provide them with a safe hunting
stage.
This did not simply stop there. If Messiah's Awakeners became Kim's hunt‐
ing dogs, ordinary survivors would also be forced to follow him.
The only way for ordinary people to fight against the Awakeners and the
monster was with weapons like guns, which were owned by Kim Tae-hoon
and the Mac Clan.
324
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 36 ⦘
Not everyone was happy with this system, and there was no way that the
system could control everyone completely.
Surely there would be problems. There would also be some pretty serious
problems, to the extent that people died, and the person who caused trouble
in return would also die.
Jang Sung-hoon was also well aware of the facts. That's why he said, "It's
necessary."
A devil snake.
Everyone who survived if Kim Tae-hoon captured the devil snake would be
indebted to him, and they would have a sense of duty to protect his exis‐
tence in order to survive in the future.
That was why Kim Tae-hoon's thoughts were not so complicated. There
was nothing complicated to think about. It was obvious what to do!
4===========
The world was white from the blizzard, and that was all they could see. The
horrible traces of the disaster that struck the world for several days were not
hidden in the snow.
325
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 36 ⦘
In other words, the places where there was no snow were still covered with
terrible marks.
The station, which had impressive walls, floors, and ceilings, was nowhere
to be found as if a mad herd of bulls had passed by.
Ssss...
It was a snake.
But it was too big to call a snake. It couldn't be compared to the term 'a big
snake'.
At the same time, it was incredibly powerful. When its body brushed the
wall lightly, the bricks collapsed like a waterfall.
It fluttered its tongue in front of the stack of dead bodies but did not start
eating at once. Instead, it tasted the bodies with the long-forked tongue.
Sssss!
Its action of pulling its body back was the same as a little boy who was very
picky about food.
In the end, it ignored the pile of corpses and moved out of the station right
away, hunting living things with hot blood instead of cold bodies.
Its inverted triangle-shaped head appeared, and its yellow eyes appeared.
326
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 36 ⦘
Its eyes were beautiful enough to be called gold rather than yellow, but they
could not be thought of as beautiful by anyone who looked at them right
now.
In front of those eyes, no matter how fierce the beast was, it would be a rat
in front of the snake.
The wound on its solid black body was also apparent in the sunlight.
At the touch of the wind, the snake paused. It soon turned away as the wind
picked up.
The dirty pile disappeared, and when it the snake was gone, only the cam‐
eras were working quietly behind it.
5.=======
Even though the image, and even the picture quality, was not clear, and
there was only a vague shape of the being in the dark, its existence o over‐
whelmed everyone who saw it.
'Oh, God, we need to kill this? No way. This monster is entirely different
than those we've hunted before! No matter how hard we try...! It's a monster
that is no match for a Black Orc!'
"We can't kill this. We can't kill it." Bang Hyun-wook was the first person to
speak out.
327
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 36 ⦘
Shaking his head, Bang Hyun-wook's eyes trembled like they had when he
first faced monsters.
His voice brought Jang Sung-hoon to his senses. His sober expression soon
hardened.
'It's my misjudgment. I did not think it was that strong... I was sure it was a
powerful monster, but if we used the grenades and claymore we have, and if
we added the Telekinesis of the boss, it would be enough to win... '
It was Jang Sung-hoon, not just anyone who claimed to be able to hunt the
devil snake.
No, all plans made by Jang Sung-hoon were based on the fact that Kim Tae-
hoon hunted the devil snake.
Of course, he thought the chance of winning was good, as it was Kim Tae-
hoon, and he had the power of Telekinesis.
Telekinesis was a very good combination with weapons, such as guns and
bombs.
He had thought, 'We can't kill a dragon or something, but isn't it enough
firepower to kill a big snake?'
But it wasn't that much when he saw it. 'I'm wrong. This is not a guy we can
hunt right now.'
Major Kim hunting it was like a good-looking mouse that hunting a cat.
"Boss, let's give it up for a while. Once you look at its patterns of behavior,
it doesn't like the cold. Therefore, if we keep throwing dead bodies..." Jang
Sung-hoon quickly modified his plan.
328
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 36 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon did not respond to Jang Sung-hoon's urgent remarks. Instead
of answering, he played the video again in his mind.
When it was exposed to sunlight while coming out, its image was taken by
a camera he had installed. He recalled the look of its body.
The abandoned subway station was very dangerous. Walking around the
station with bare skin was like going naked on a thorny path as a human be‐
ing.
The devil snake, however, had lived for several days in the ruins of the sta‐
tion, and still boasted its beautiful body, just as clean as a glass, not show‐
ing a speck of damage.
The Sword of the Imperator, which coveted blood and with an unknown
master, had proved that it had hurt the snake.
'The conditions themselves are much better than those against the Black
Orc.'
Furthermore, Kim Tae-hoon had various weapons to use against the devil
snake.
The power of the Sword of the Imperator and Sun-sin's Arrow need not be
questioned, and mundane firepower was also sufficient.
Above all, Kim Tae-hoon himself could set the battle stage this time.
329
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 36 ⦘
It was not a sudden battle, and it meant that he could fight where he wanted
to after practicing and preparing.
Yes, the conditions themselves were incomparably better than those fighting
the Black Orc.
Kim Tae-hoon's ability to take advantage of this situation was the only thing
he can do. If he was capable enough, there would be no reason to fail when
hunting the devil snake.
"Yes?" Jang Sung-hoon was frightened. "Are you going to hunt the snake?"
The time Kim Tae-hoon referred to was the time the Awakeners who came
under him could afford to wait without implementing their agenda.
"Boss, we can't fight that! We can't!" Jang Sung-hoon tried to stop his plans
again.
"It's...," Kim asked repeatedly, Jang Sung-hoon answered, "I'm not a psy‐
chology major, but as you know... we're getting the monster stones once a
week from now on. For them, they'll pay you without any doubt. No, they'll
pay you for now, as they don't want to be suspected. But if you don't do
anything by the second payment, they will start to doubt."
Under such circumstances, if their trust and hope in Kim Tae-hoon were
gone, some minority would act out of desperation.
330
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 36 ⦘
"First payment in three days, and another week from there, so ten more
days from now."
"That's a limit. No, it's not a limit. There may be a stir, but if you explain..."
Even though he is saying it was not a limit, there were only dark things to
see in Jang Sung-hoon's mind after ten days.
'It hates the cold, but if the cold breaks, it won't look at the dead bodies. At
that time, we have no choice but to sacrifice someone... and then, we will be
finished.'
Above all, the only way to control the devil snake was to sacrifice a living
being. In order to earn time, they would have to do the same thing as Lee
Jin-sung did, which was the worst.
And Kim Tae-hoon knew the fact better than Jang Sung-hoon.
"We will begin training for the hunting of the devil snake."
6.==========
"Stability is the most important thing for the time being. Don't be too hard."
331
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 36 ⦘
She was the woman who introduced herself as a nurse a few days ago
among the survivors of the Mac Clan.
Now she was serving patients with Ahn Sun-mi, and she called Ahn Sun-mi
'doctor'.
"Where is he?"
For once, she wanted to see him, because it was the only talent she had that
would save her life.
There was virtually no proper medical service in the world. Since there was
no medicine on hand, they might have to risk their lives to get medicine.
There were many people dying due to lack of fever reducers and antibiotics.
Moreover, it is no exaggeration to say that the value of their life was every‐
thing for the humans who had a supreme task to survive.
Insurance and health care were no longer meaningful. It was time to give
everything they had for their life. Even more so for Awakeners!
"Yes? Yes, only my arm was bitten." Ahn Sun-mi's gaze turned to the right
arm of the patient lying on the cot.
332
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 36 ⦘
The wound was serious, and it would normally be better to just cut off his
arm in a place like this without proper medical equipment.
"Yes."
She even took out a brush and knife instead of a scalpel and scissors. It was
a mysterious thing to do.
But she wet the wound with the Water of Therapy she had created, and also
applied the flesh of the Mud Troll with a knife.
"The price is eight monster stones." The treatment was over in a flash, and
the settlement was required immediately.
"Oh, yes, here..." The Awakener's colleague immediately paid eight red
monster stones for treatment.
When the treatment was over in such a short time, the people waiting for
treatment looked surprised at those who left with clean scars instead of seri‐
ous injuries.
To her, Jang Sung-hoon was like a younger brother who had entered college
and had no money. There was no sister who would show a happy expres‐
sion at the appearance of such a younger brother.
333
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 36 ⦘
"We found a Mud Troll or more like a Mud Troll nest. Three were identified
this time. They made a five hundred-unit apartment complex a grave of
dead bodies. It will take some time for the Goblins and the Orcs to eat all
the bodies."
"No. I'm here to listen. So what happened?" Ahn Sun-mi said with a firm
expression to the question.
Everyone doubted it, but there was no chance to answer the question. They
had never got the body of an Awakener who had been steadily eating mon‐
ster stones.
So, the body of Lee Jin-sung and his aide were clues to solve the question.
But there was no result. Monsters died and left a stone, but an Awakener
died and left nothing.
"Humans only know how to use something, but they don't know how to
leave something behind, even now that the world has changed."
Ahn Sun-mi threw a sling bag with filled monster stones toward Jang Sung-
hoon, who was speaking more nonsense.
334
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 36 ⦘
"Boss suddenly became a pimp. The Lieutenant and you, both of you, bring
in their own hard-earned gains... in this world, a strong man is the best, I
suppose. But this is not the usual competition... no, he doesn't need to insist
on monogamy, so who's his real wife? Is there a problem?"
335
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 37 ⦘
Chapter 37
Chapter 13. Territory Dispute, Part III
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
7.
Originally, a place where cars should be running was now a bloody battle‐
ground.
BoxN ovel.com
A simple and brutal war was taking place against monsters, using crude
spears made of sharp cut-offs of iron pipe ends, and a crude shield made of
car doors.
"Spray! Spray!"
Those who were fighting the Orcs were doing everything they could desper‐
ately.
The man with the car-door shield was tanking an Orc like a football line‐
man, and the men in motorcycle helmets were blackening or yellowing
336
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 37 ⦘
Orc's eyes and mouths with the spray paint in their hands.
"Aaaaaaah!" The man with the steel pipe spear drove a spear into Orc's
body with all his might.
In such a mortal battle, the victory was rapidly passing to the humans.
"Kuh! Kuhuh!"
The blood-stained Orcs screamed, looking like hedgehogs with the spears
stuck in them, were in great pain and struggling for life.
"They are almost done!" The faces of the human group gradually began to
smile, and the conviction of victory began to spread.
"K-hung!"
Until an Orc which is bigger than ordinary Orc appeared on the pedestrian
overpass.
"On the overpass, on the overpass!" The appearance of the big Orc, which
had to be the captain of the Orcs they were fighting, changed the atmos‐
phere at once.
The Orc now inflated its chest as much as possible and bellowed when it
was done.
KAAAAAH!
"Kuhuh!"
At the same time, the blood-stained Orcs flared like candles just before they
were extinguished.
337
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 37 ⦘
The humans yelled out, but the captain Orc on the pedestrian overpass
moved to the railing as if to laugh at their efforts. He was going to throw his
huge body into the battlefield immediately.
"Hey!" At that moment, on the left side of the captain Orc, something ap‐
proached at a tremendous pace and gave a short cry.
"Kuh?" When the captain Orc turned its head, what he saw was the head of
a huge hammer used in the steel factory.
Krak! The hammer smashed the head of the captain Orc, crushed its face,
and even broke its skull.
The head of the captain Orc spewed out something red, like a burst water‐
melon.
Bang Hyun-wook, the man who finished it in one hit, immediately shouted
down below, "I'll eat this one!"
At the words, those below burned with fighting spirit instead of anger.
"Oooh!"
"Get them! All we have to do is kill these Orcs that are left!"
The fighting spirit began to fade in the eyes of the Orcs that had lost their
captain.
The battle was one-sided thereafter. The three Orcs died, and those who sur‐
vived the battle spat out long breaths.
For some of them it was not enough, and after taking a cigar ette from their
pockets, they began to smoke carefully.
338
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 37 ⦘
Bang Hyun-wook, watching the scene from up on the overpass, turned his
head slightly. He saw Jang Sung-hoon looking around the building with a
map.
"Brother."
"What?"
"The buildings around here are not cleaned up yet, are they not dangerous?"
At the words, Bang Hyun-wook looked around the area. No white flags
were visible anywhere in the buildings around them.
"No, not that... If you have any problems, I can just run away with you, but
what about those below..."
At his words, Jang Sung-hoon folded the map and immediately looked at
those who were working on monster stone collection under the overpass.
"It's better than just dying doing nothing. At least they're not trying to die,
are they?" Jang Sung-hoon sighed briefly, looking at them doing their best
to survive.
Parties. They were groups for monster hunting in the area of Mac Clan now.
After Kim Tae-hoon demanded a price of forty percent, some of the sur‐
vivors began to hunt more aggressively than when Lee Jin-sung was the
leader of Messiah.
339
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 37 ⦘
'Since we have given them a lot of things, at least they have to show what
they're trying to do.'
Kim Tae-hoon had shown them tricks needed to hunt monsters through the
Mac Clan.
He did not hide the reason for spraying, how to make poison balloons with
perfume, oil, pesticides, and exploit the weaknesses of monsters.
In addition, the Mac Clan is removing monsters with orange eyes that were
stronger than red-eyed monsters, and monsters that moved in large groups
from time to time.
There were only traces of the Mac Clan passing by; a fugitive monster who
could not build a pack near a building with a white flag; a fugitive who ran
away from other powerful monsters; and a vagrant monster. For the hunting
dogs, safe hunting was possible.
Of course, the biggest reason was the street tax of forty percent.
'Is what they are wearing the Orc leather armor? Nice work. I heard a rumor
that an old man who was a shoemaker would make a leather set for a mon‐
ster stone... I'll have to meet him once.'
The rest was for the hunting dogs after paying their forty percent tax. With
their monster stones as well as their monster corpses, whatever they did was
up to them.
But they couldn't just use them stupidly. If they had intended to do that,
they wouldn't have hunted monsters in the first place.
There was something they wanted to get through hunting, so they were
hunting.
In other words, hunting monsters was not just consumption, but hunting to
fuel productive activities.
340
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 37 ⦘
Of course, all sorts of ways were being tested out, trying to use monster
bodies more efficiently.
The old man who made leather shoes, and the technician who repaired the
leather shoes, now making armor with monster hides; the worker from a
construction site who made a spear with construction materials; and some‐
one who worked at the car factory, converted a car into a tank to break the
monsters.
The same was true of the age of monsters. In order for humans to survive in
this age, they had to use this way to survive.
'If Boss kills the devil snake, the number of parties will explode at that mo‐
ment, and a group that has a lot of power in it, and that has a smart person,
will try to establish a Clan like us.'
Of course, if Kim Tae-hoon could not kill the devil snake, everything they
had prepared so far would collapse like a mirage.
"Do you have anything you're looking for when you keep looking at the
map?"
"We have to check the monsters' territory, because there's a high probab ility
that there's a strong monster in the apartment or housing complexes."
"That's great. Honestly, I'm just thinking about whether big brother can kill
that snake."
If Kim Tae-hoon failed to hunt the devil snake and was killed, there would
be only despair in Bucheon.
341
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 37 ⦘
But at this moment, Jang Sung-hoon did not think he would fail in the hunt,
which is why he came here.
"We cannot get an answer even if we think about it. What we're going to
worry about is after the boss kills the monster."
'I'm sure it's here. There must be a secret warehouse of Baek Sung-taek,
where he kept the artwork he has stolen.
'I can't see through the map, so there's no way to know. Isn't there a map
relic, like a map nucleus?'
8.======
Gulp!
Kim Tae-hoon took a photo of his right hand with a smartphone after eating
a monster stone.
=[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 100
-- Health: 89]==
But what was even more surprising was that Kim Tae-hoon had not been
monster hunting recently. Nevertheless, the speed at which his stats rose
was as fast as when hunting monsters on the front line.
342
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 37 ⦘
It was all thanks to Jang Sung-hoon. His system made survivors hunters.
Hunters hunted monsters, and Kim Tae-hoon's share increased as did the
number of monsters they hunted.
The Sword of the Imperator, the eerie Sword, was hovering like a satellite
near him.
The movement was very smooth. It was like the Sword was moving on its
own.
The potential and effectiveness of Telekinesis were infinite. Infinite did not
mean that a user with that kind of Telekinesis could use everything, just like
F1 racing cars mean nothing to the public.
Just because a child is given a surgical scalpel and scissors that a noted doc‐
tor has used, does not make the child a noted doctor.
The same went for Kim Tae-hoon. The value of his Telekinesis was infinite,
but his ability to deal with it was not.
Of course, through training, real fighting and practice, the endless possibili‐
ties would gradually become his potential.
However, Kim Tae-hoon could not afford to learn something new as the
time was limited to him. Instead, he tried to do well what he could.
He practiced moving and controlling the Sword more quickly and more pre‐
cisely with his Telekinesis.
343
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 37 ⦘
'Cut.'
At the thought of Kim Tae-hoon, the Sword of the Imperator shot out like
an arrow. It flew toward the tire located behind him and passed through the
top of it.
Shi-yik!
A piece of the tire that had been cut off in passing fell to the ground.
Near the piece of tire that had fallen off were more pieces of broken tires.
The ones on the bottom were thicker than fingers, and the later ones gradu‐
ally getting thinner.
On the top of the pile of tire pieces was a thin slice of paper.
Kim Tae-hoon blew out a long breath like a steamboat about to start off...
9.
Only cold corpses were served as meals, and eating cold in the cold weather
was a hardship and humiliation.
Ss! Ss!
But the devil snake no longer wanted to bear the hardship. Today it intended
to fill its stomach with living beings, and it would not even look at the pile
of dead bodies.
And as always, there was food again. But there was only one corpse this
time.
344
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 37 ⦘
Churr!
The devil snake was angry at it. It was going to satisfy itself with only one
sacrifice!
Shaa!
The devil snake could quickly see that the body was not a sacrifice, but a
poisoned bait. It was even angrier, and it did not intend to endure its anger.
It was going to show its dignity once again, and that this was its territory. It
began to climb the stairs without hesitation.
The cold air that descended the stairs did not stop the angry devil snake. It
appeared at once in the subway entrance.
The snake that greeted the sunshine after a long time revealed its great
splendor under the sunshine.
Boo-aang!
At that time, a huge bus rushed at the devil snake with all its speed, as if to
welcome it.
Kwa-kwa-kwang!
The bus hit the devil snake, and the vehicle crumpled like it was made of
tofu.
On the other hand, the body of the devil snake was only shaken, not falling,
and kept its place without falling.
The yellow eyes of the devil snake lit up with an awful murderous spirit. It
swiped its tail toward the bus that had smashed into it.
Kwang! The bus broke in two like tofu broken in half by chopsticks.
345
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 37 ⦘
As if it was not enough, the pavement of the road was also crushed by the
tail of the devil snake, leaving a broad scar on the ground.
The blow left the world quiet. A terrible silence filled the surroundings of
the devil snake.
"AWWWOOOO!"
Howling broke the silence. It shook the devil snake's body, and its eyes nar‐
rowed to slits, evidence of a terrible rage.
It was ridiculous that a smelly Werewolf in its own realm was Howling. The
devil snake had no intention of accepting it.
"AWWWOOOO!"
346
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 38 ⦘
Chapter 38
Chapter 13. Territory Dispute, Part IV
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
10.
At the center of the vacant lot stood Kim Tae-hoon, surrounded by Mac
Clan's soldiers and a number of other Awakeners who were assigned their
missions, waiting for the time to perform their duties.
BoxN ovel.com
But all of them were stiffened when the devil snake appeared following the
Howling of Kim Tae-hoon; it was a huge monster over twenty meters long,
and it was big enough to swallow a car in a gulp.
Ah!
The devil snake had not yet shown the power of its fear. Everyone, who
looked at it, could imagine their own death so easily, and they were para‐
lyzed.
Awww! It was Howling of Kim Tae-hoon that shook their stiffened minds
and bodies once again.
347
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 38 ⦘
At the Howling, all the attention of the devil snake was focused on Kim
Tae-hoon, and those who came to their senses moved without missing the
moment.
"Water!"
"Pour water!"
Quaquaqua!
Two fire trucks, already deployed, rose high into the sky and began spray‐
ing out water columns over the snake.
Under the streams of water, the devil snake turned its attention to the fire
trucks that were spewing water nervously.
The streams wet its body. It didn't like the cold, so the water was much
more annoying and nasty than the bus that ran into it a while ago.
The devil snake intended to hit the fire trucks spraying the water streams if
the Sword had not left a finger-deep scar on its scales.
Sseuk!
The devil snake's eyes locked on the Sword which had hurt it.
The devil snake saw the Sword flying in the air. The Sword rejected the
laws of physics and could not be compared to any flying animal.
Even the devil snake could not easily deal with the movement of the Sword
that flashed to attack it.
The devil snake stood upright and pursued the Sword, but it dodged the
devil snake's attack and began to slice through the body of the devil snake,
producing wounds.
348
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 38 ⦘
There were no deep wounds. Most of the wounds were only about the
length of a little finger.
Considering the huge body, its thick skin, and flesh of the devil snake, they
were just scratches with a tiny bit of blood, definitely not deep enough to
stop it.
'This is as expected.'
A hard stab would make the wound deep, but it would end there.
The reason he prepared the fire truck was to spray water to irritate the devil
snake, and that was not all.
"It consisted of half pesticide and half water, and it will work if it gets in‐
side."
He had put plenty of poisons in the water the engines sprayed out. If they
were absorbed through the wounds, it would surely affect the devil snake in
some way. Pesticides were a medicine made for killing!
That was why he chose the ground where the soil was tramped. The soil
was loaded with pesticides and became mud. The soil was sticking to the
body of the devil snake, and the pesticides would be delivered to its body
repeatedly. If the devil snake ate the soil, then it could affect its internal or‐
gans. And this was just the beginning!
349
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 38 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon, who saw the devil snake chasing the Sword, immediately
pulled an Arrow of Sun-sin from his waist.
The arrow, without a tail and feathers, was different from usual. It was
coated with ice.
The ice, of course, was not ordinary ice. It was poisoned ice!
Kim Tae-hoon, when he heard the story of the devil snake, first thought of
how to hunt using poison, instead of thinking that he could kill it with phys‐
ical force.
At the same time, the place where he heard the story, the place called a
sushi restaurant, inspired Kim Tae-hoon. It was the inspiration for using
blowfish toxin.
After that, Kim Tae-hoon immediately collected the poison from the dead
blowfish at a blowfish specialty store in Bucheon City.
In the case of the farmed blowfish, there was no toxicity, or only really
weak, but some of the blowfish collected by Kim Tae-hoon were caught at
sea, and the effect of the venom was confirmed against pigeons and mon‐
sters which had survived in the cold land.
Of course, he knew that the poison from only a few blowfish was not toxic
enough to kill the devil snake.
350
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 38 ⦘
The arrow flew toward the devil snake, which was focused on the Sword, as
expected by Kim Tae-hoon.
Pok! Then, like a syringe, it drove its little needle into the giant body of the
devil snake through one of the small wounds.
'That's it.' The feeling of the arrow piercing the body of the devil snake was
transmitted to Kim Tae-hoon through his Telekinesis.
At the same time, the presence of the arrow disappeared from Kim Tae-
hoon's senses.
This was not a mere fight, but a fight against the presiding ruler, the preda‐
tor who dominated the center of Bucheon City, where prey became a chal‐
lenger to take the land back.
It is natural to prepare for all-out war, and it was mortar fire that would be
the beginning of the all-out war.
Mortars were different from rifles, but they were difficult to use easily, and
they had never been used properly in battle with monsters they had met so
far.
There was not enough distance, and people could not afford to aim.
In other words, if a target was at the target point, there is no more effective
weapon than a mortar against the target, even the target was bigger than a
tram. It was a big monster, and they could not miss it.
What was even better is that it was not difficult to get one or two artillery
soldiers if a hundred Korean men were gathered.
Kim Tae-hoon looked up and saw the Sword against the devil snake.
351
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 38 ⦘
The movement of the Sword was playing with the devil snake, and as soon
as it found a gap in the snake's quick movement, it made a wound, racing
along the body of the devil snake.
Only the Sword was in the yellow eyes of the devil snake. It was focused on
nothing but the Sword.
Kim Tae-hoon began to lure the devil snake. He manipulated the Sword
with his Telekinesis and led the devil snake closer to the center of the va‐
cant lot.
As soon as he gave the signal, the mortar will fire out their shells continu‐
ously.
At that moment, the glitter of the eyes of the devil snake changed.
Its eyes, which had been chasing only the Sword, began to shine with a
golden light that was not mere light.
'Ah.'
Aura!
Something that had to be called like that passed through the senses of ev‐
eryone concentrating on the vacant lot.
He felt that the devil snake was now scouring all of them, like dissecting
them.
Soon the eyes of the devil snake began to move along the force controlling
the Sword, not the Sword itself, along with the Telekinesis that could now
be seen.
352
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 38 ⦘
11.
At the moment the devil snake's eyes shone, Kim Tae-hoon could feel intu‐
itively that it saw the power to handle the Sword, not the Sword.
Soon after, Kim Tae-hoon was sure, as the devil snake's eyes turned on him.
'I'm dead.'
Today, a man named Kim Tae-hoon would be killed by the devil snake.
However, there was no passing light like a revolving lantern in front of Kim
Tae-hoon's eyes.
'I will be killed by the devil snake.' He had never wanted to die, He had
tried to live. He had learned what he needed to survive in the ocean of
death.
His Energy supported its master's will to live. His Energy revived his body,
which had frozen under the glitter of the eyes of the devil snake.
353
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 38 ⦘
But the devil snake had already become a black shadow on Kim Tae-hoon's
head as its jaws gaped open.
His body told him, "Do not hope you will have a chance to run away with
your body already half-paralyzed."
Rather adversely, Kim Tae-hoon threw himself into the huge mouth of the
devil snake that opened toward him.
Kim Tae-hoon's body was sucked into the mouth of the devil snake.
Keck!
There came a strange sound from the devil snake's throat. It was going to
eat its prey, but its target threw itself into its throat; therefore, it was not a
natural sound.
Kim Tae-hoon, in the eyes of the devil snake, was an animal without poi‐
son.
No, it didn't matter if the prey had poison. It was visible in the glowing eyes
of the devil snake.
The only animal that could show its teeth to it was Kim Tae-hoon, and
when it ate him, the rest of the animals were just its own game.
Soon afterward, the devil snake's body began to crush Kim Tae-hoon.
A body was forced to compress, and in the process, the flesh ruptured.
Bones were dislocated, and eventually, there was the sound of breaking.
354
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 38 ⦘
The sound also reached Kim Tae-hoon. It was simply the sound of death.
The screaming of the bones in his body knocked from the inside, not out‐
side, was a sound that no one could see and hear, only those who faced
death.
'Let's listen.'
...throbbing!
Throbbing!
As soon as he heard the slow heartbeat of the slow snake, as he waited for
the next beat to happen, Kim Tae-hoon ordered the Sword connected to his
will---
355
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 39 ⦘
Chapter 39
Chapter 14. He Got the Eyes, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
When Kim Tae-hoon said he would go on hunting for the devil snake, the
survivors had two reactions.
Some wanted to participate in the hunting for the devil snake themselves,
and others prayed eagerly for the success of the hunt.
There was not a single person who wanted the devil snake hunting to fail.
BoxN ovel.com
At the same time, none of them imagined Kim Tae-hoon's failure to hunt
the devil snake.
It was not due to a lack of imagination. Just imagining the failure made
their whole body tremble and their faces turn blue.
Just imagining it made them feel hopeless. That was why they couldn't even
imagine it.
'Ah!'
As was said, the devil snake attacked Kim Tae-hoon with a mouth open
wide enough to swallow a car.
356
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 39 ⦘
Moreover, no one could move properly at that moment. The majesty of the
devil snake was as firm as the head of Medusa.
Eventually, the huge mouth swallowed their only hope, and the devil snake
did not stop there.
In order to swallow Kim Tae-hoon more easily, it straightened its huge body
like a tower, in order to push the man who was hovering around his throat
into its stomach at once.
Everyone watched the scene. To turn away from it was not allowed. Their
paralyzed bodies could not even turn their heads or close their eyes.
It was torture. Everyone watched the process as their hope fell into a dark
despair.
The torture ended as a Sword shot fiercely into the devil snake, despite the
loss of its master.
The Sword quickly punched into the neck of the devil snake, and its body
began to lean like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
But unlike the Leaning Tower of Pisa, its body continued to fall.
Qua-reung!
The ground bounced as if an earthquake had occurred, and those who could
not to escape, who stared at the scene in blank amazement, fell to the
ground.
That was all. The fallen were lying on the floor like mannequins, and the
ones who did not fall... were not.
There was still despair, and no one could escape from it by their own power.
There was only one person who could answer this despair.
357
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 39 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon appeared, saying the fallen devil snake had fallen.
2.
Kim Tae-hoon's head was tilted back with his thermos in his mouth, and his
throat was tingling.
Ahn Sun-mi handed him a small glass of wine after he drank the contents of
a thermos bottle.
Kim Tae-hoon, who had received a bottle full of a Water of Therapy, drank
it all at once.
Finally, after putting a lot of pills made of Mud Troll flesh by Ahn Sun-mi
in his mouth, Kim Tae-hoon swallowed, and replied, his mouth tasting like
dirt, "I'd like a cup of coffee."
"Oh, really?" After her curt reply, Ahn Sun-mi drew a really long sigh.
It was a sigh of relief. When Kim Tae-hoon said that, it meant that his con‐
dition wasn't really the worst he could think of.
"Please take care of it yourself." Ahn Sun-mi rose from her seat after the
blunt remark.
Kim Tae-hoon didn't give her any attention. Instead, he closed his eyes on
the spot and started to think again.
'It was the worst.' All the way from one to ten.
'It was all the worst.' Worst, there was no other word to describe and orga‐
nize the hunting.
358
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 39 ⦘
Eventually, he was eaten by the devil snake. He heard the sound of his
whole-body crumbling.
However, Kim Tae-hoon tried to remember the moment more clearly, rather
than turning away from it. He concentrated on not forgetting the feeling at
that time.
'That is the real prize.' At the moment his whole body was being crushed,
Kim Tae-hoon definitely did it.
So far, Kim Tae-hoon has relied on vision when using his Telekinesis. No,
the vision was an absolute requirement for the use of Telekinesis.
Kim Tae-hoon had no talent to move the unseen. He didn't even think it was
possible.
Of course, the moment Kim Tae-hoon entered the devil snake's throat, the
Sword disappeared from his sight and sense.
No, honestly, at that moment, Kim Tae-hoon even forgot the idea of manip‐
ulating the Sword with his Telekinesis.
He just wanted the Sword of the Imperator to reach the sound of the heart‐
beat of the devil snake he heard.
359
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 39 ⦘
It was to feel that time more clearly that he was recalling the moment now.
'Tut.'
It was a mirac le created by the persistent obsession of life... no, made by his
determination to live.
'I can't help it.' Of course, it wouldn't be easy to experience this feeling
again.
'I can only be content with the possibility.' But this made it clear: the possi‐
bility of Telekinesis was endless.
In addition, at this moment, Kim Tae-hoon had another power that was im‐
mediately available.
Kim Tae-hoon rose from his seat and saw the dead body of a huge snake oc‐
cupying the vacant lot.
3.
The devil snake, which had fallen in the vacant lot, still had a bloody pres‐
ence.
The same was true of the Mac Clan's soldiers, armed and guarding the devil
snake and controlling access to it.
There was no expression on their faces, standing with their backs to the car‐
cass. The only difference between mannequins was the fact that they were
breathing white mist.
360
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 39 ⦘
Those who were afraid of the devil snake far away but could not take their
eyes off it saw Kim Tae-hoon.
Kim Tae-hoon's name had already spread, but there were not many people
who had seen Kim Tae-hoon directly.
Even if they knew Kim Tae-hoon's face, there were few people who had
good enough eyesight to confirm his face from that far away.
However, it was not necessary for someone to explain that the man was
Kim Tae-hoon.
There was only one man who could make the monster, which gave fear,
nightmares, and despair to the survivors of Bucheon City, a carcass, and
take the right of the winner from the dead body.
As Kim Tae-hoon drew closer to the dead body of the devil snake, everyone
realized his identity.
When Kim Tae-hoon approached the vicinity of the devil snake in the end,
someone saw him and screamed.
"Hooray!"
A shout.
It was a triumphant shout, and at the same time, it was the first shout.
"Hooray!"
The war that had begun with the sudden appearance of the monster on De‐
cember 31 took away the shouts of survivors.
361
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 39 ⦘
For the first time, the survivors who had been deprived and only run away
had won their first real victory, and in return, they were entitled to shout as
much as they wanted to at this moment.
"Hooray!"
The shouting spread out. The enthusiasm of the shouting began to melt the
frozen world.
Furthermore, the shouting urged the heart. Everyone's hearts began to beat
wildly in the rush of the shouts.
At the center of the shouts, Kim Tae-hoon looked at his own Sword deeply
embedded in the neck of the fallen devil snake.
The Sword was sticking out its handle as if waiting for its master to come.
Kim caught the hilt and pulled it out, like the legend of a king who drawing
a sword from a rock.
Shiyik!
Without any trouble, the Sword again cut through the body of the devil
snake and revealed its silver blade.
The silver blade now scattered silver light around, reflecting the sunlight
passing through the sky.
"Hooray!"
Those who saw the scattered silver blade began to shout with all their
might.
362
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 39 ⦘
He cut the skin like digging a burrow, slicing away the flesh, and revealed
the black heart of the devil snake sleeping beyond it. He raised his smart‐
phone over the yellow jewel embedded in the heart.
======
-- The Power of the Black Snake [The Eyes of Black Snake] can be ac‐
quired when ingested.]
=====
Kim Tae-hoon tore the yellow jewel off and put it in his mouth.
Kim Tae-hoon's body also took the crystal of the Black Snake at once, and
it made the Power of the Black Snake his own.
'Hmm.'
First of all, the Energy inside his guts began to change. The loach went mad
and grew hugely. It became a snake.
The huge snake with such great Energy gave power to his body. It seemed
that the power he could not control would burst out of him.
363
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 39 ⦘
At that moment, the power of Energy focused on Kim Tae-hoon's eyes. The
whites disappeared from his eyes and only black ones remained.
At the same time, the Energy that filled Kim Tae-hoon's guts began to dissi‐
pate rapidly.
======
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 135
-- Health: 122
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: D Rank
-- Mana: D Rank
-- Telekinesis: A Rank
-- Defense: D Rank
======
364
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 39 ⦘
4.======
Jang Sung-hoon did not participate in the hunt. He was not qualif ied to take
part in the hunt against the scary monster.
He received a report after everything was over: Kim Tae-hoon was eaten by
the devil snake, and miraculously stabbed its heart, survived, and ate its
crystal.
The only thing that was done as planned was luring the devil snake. Every‐
thing after that was beyond his expectations.
'They said the old man who worked at the leather shoe factory was Park
Kap-soo.'
365
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 40 ⦘
Chapter 40
Chapter 14. He Got the Eyes, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
5.
It was night time before the enthusiasm of the survivors, which seemed not
to go out, cooled down.
The night was dark and cold, and the survivors moved to find a warm place
to survive again.
BoxN ovel.com
Kim Tae-hoon's bed was a car, and he sat in the driver's seat of a car that
was too expensive to use as a tent instead of the Mercedes S500, put down
the window, and turned his head.
Kim Tae-hoon looked at the dead body and picked up a mug. A partner with
a steaming heart told him that it had no intention of spending the night.
"Boss."
"Big brother!"
366
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 40 ⦘
"Would you like a beer? It's very cool because it has been in the snow. I
brought you a snack, too."
Before his answer came out, Jang Sung-hoon was in the passenger seat and
Bang Hyun-wook was in the back seat.
Jang Sung-hoon, who was in the passenger seat, put his hand in a black
plastic bag.
"You're a young man who just graduated from high school, right?"
"Haha, that's the way it is," Bang Hyun-wook smiled awkwardly and re‐
ceived the beer can.
Kim Tae-hoon took a sip of coffee at the sight of the two. He began to enjoy
the silence.
Jang Sung-hoon started to talk in the meanwhile. "You've been through it."
"Now let's get to the point, then. Now, we're creating a Guild."
"It means we will allow the creation of new Clans within our territory, and
we will be the leader of groups of Clans. For example, Mac Clan becomes
Mac Guild and has multiple Clans under its command, and the Clans run
several parties internally."
367
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 40 ⦘
It was a concept that anyone who had played an MMORPG game could
easily understand.
"After killing the boss and taking the seat, all they have to do is to fight
such monsters as are outside the window. Do you want to do that?"
"Actually, it's not just Clans, but there are some parties that have a lot of
power. They just need a system, because they're getting bigger. I think it's
important to keep in mind to give the Clans a gun if necessary. War is partly
fought by a number of people. Of course, this is not an urgent problem. The
immediate problem is the common people. They need a representative."
Jang Sung-hoon drank a sip of soda and kept talking. "The bomb that might
really explode at any time is the common people like me. Right now the
Awakeners are at the center of a group of survivors. It's not a good situation
for the public. Two or three out of ten female patients visiting sister Sun-mi
are victims of sexual assault. There are such victims among men, too. Of
course, none of them confess the damage."
"You want to elect a representative for the public, right?" They needed
someone to speak for the voices of these people. That way, when the bal‐
ance was there, the order could be established right there.
"We can't elect people, because we can't run the election in this situation,
and we don't have to, because it's not hard to pick a representative. The
368
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 40 ⦘
Boss can pick one right away. The question is, who do you pick? In that
vein, can I have that snake?"
At the words he threw out, Kim Tae-hoon drank some coffee again.
"I have an old man named Park Kap-soo, who has been working on leather
shoes for over forty years, and he has good skill. I'm going to let him make
things with that snake. And at the same time, I am taking this opportunity to
recruit technicians who have been hiding or were unable to reveal their
skills. I will make a workshop. And that's what we need to do to make a
complementary relationship between the Awakeners and the public."
They needed the public with skills, groundwork, and labor to support
Awakeners who hunted the monsters at the risk of their lives.
At the same time, a symbol was needed, which could be used as a reference
point when someone recorded this work later.
The dead body of the Black Snake would be the most perfect symbol.
"We'll make some items of that leather, and then we'll give it to the newly
created Guild."
At the words of Jang Sung-hoon, Kim Tae-hoon looked over at the dead
body of the Black Snake silently.
"Of course I'm not going to do that for free." Jang Sung-hoon also knew
that, so he took out a folding map with a smile that softened the serious at‐
mosphere.
369
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 40 ⦘
"I'll give you my game, instead of the Boss's game." Jang Sung-hoon said,
tapping his finger at one place of the map filled with his own writing.
"A whale?"
"A whale."
After swallowing his coffee, Kim Tae-hoon intervened in the funny conver‐
sation of the two. "Who is he?"
"He's someone who focuses on dealing with stolen goods and the theft of
cultural properties. He deals in everything, so he is called a whale. Of
course, he could not keep the stolen goods in his house, so he had the ware‐
house built separ ately, and the warehouse is right in Bucheon."
"If I had known where it was, I would have deserted from my regiment and
robbed it."
Jang Sung-hoon tapped his fingers around the star-shaped area. There were
many apartment complexes in the area he pointed out.
370
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 40 ⦘
Bang Hyun-wook, looking at it with his head sticking out from the back
seat, frowned slightly.
"It must be a complete monster den, and it's a den of powerful monsters."
The population density of the apartment complexes was higher than any‐
where else, and it was December 31st when the monster appeared. It was
the time when most people were preparing for the end of the year at home.
Of course, there were many predators who fill their stomachs with the food
where it was most abundant.
Because of that, so far, Kim Tae-hoon and the Messiah had not easily ac‐
cessed the apartment complexes. The place where Jang Sung-hoon pointed
out now existed in the middle of such apartment complexes.
If it was a normal case, they would not approach there. Even if they ap‐
proached it, they had to clean with all the Mac Clan's power and full prepa‐
ration.
371
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 40 ⦘
6.==========
"Krrr!" The growl of the Black Werewolf passed over the desolate road
where the sound of the wind could not be even heard.
Behind that cry was the sound of Werewolf's feet stepping quietly on the
snowy ground.
Two meters tall, with a huge physique, the Werewolves had quiet footsteps
that did not fit their size. Their red eyes glistened with their footsteps.
There were many things in their glistening eyes. There was hostility to the
prey in their territory, and there was a thirst for the hot blood filling the
body of their prey.
He didn't want to hide his footsteps, and he moved, unwilling to hide his
footprints, revealing his presence.
Thump!
"AWWOOO!"
The horrifying howling, startlingly eerie, began to surge in from all sides.
372
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 40 ⦘
The Black Werewolves began to run toward their prey after a short howling,
as if they could not afford to wait for the prey to have time to get afraid.
Three ran on two legs, and the remaining three ran on four legs.
Their speed was terrifying, no matter how they ran, and the rush that
seemed to crush the earth was enough to stop his breath.
In the meantime, two of them had stopped howling, as if they were cutting a
cerem
ony early, mocking their prey.
At that moment, the eyes of the prey in the center of the Black Werewolves
began to blacken.
Whine!
From the mouth of the first Black Werewolf, which had met with the Eyes,
came out a pathetic sound that a puppy would not even spit out.
The man rolled his darkened Eyes. Nobody could see it, because black Eyes
on a black field showed nothing.
Whizz...
A featherless arrow left the man's waist, leaving only a faint sound behind,
moved around the man like a lightning bolt, if you followed the twisted, ir‐
regular line from above.
373
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 40 ⦘
Black Werewolves, who seemed ready to start a mad feast, fell on the
ground and began to roll.
The man, Kim Tae-hoon, looked at the bodies of those Black Werewolves.
The world seen by the blackened Eyes, [the Eyes of Black Snake], was not
too different from the world he usually saw.
The Black Werewolves, who ran wildly toward himself at the same time,
were so slow that they seemed to have stopped in Kim Tae-hoon's Eyes. In
such a world, Kim Tae-hoon was able to draw the picture he wanted more
perfectly than ever.
However, Kim Tae-hoon did not feel any special satisfaction. Rather, it was
the opposite.
"This is not enough." In the clear, distinct world, Kim Tae-hoon's lacking
and inexperience seemed clear.
At that moment, a huge Black Wolf appeared on his left side with a huge
cry.
The orange-eyed Wolf was huge enough to eat a bear. It was angry, facing
an enemy who had turned its own race into meat at once.
The orange eyes of the Black Wolf and the Eyes of the Black Snake of Kim
Tae-hoon crossed.
As soon as they crossed, a choking sound came out of the mouth of the
Black Wolf, and its body stiffened.
It was trying to hold on to the enormous power of its limbs being pulled in
five directions.
374
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 40 ⦘
Under that circumstance, the Sword was pulled out of the sheath on the
back of Kim Tae-hoon.
It flew itself and cut off the head of the Black Wolf without a hint of hesita‐
tion.
Kim Tae-hoon, who watched it all happen, was able to see it clearly.
375
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 41 ⦘
Chapter 41
Chapter 15. Daedongyeojido, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
A vacant lot for a building, which had been full of silence for a while, was
now filled with the atmosphere of a construction site.
BoxN ovel.com
At the center of the atmosphere was the dead body of a giant snake.
The Black Snake, which had doled out fear and despair, was now paying for
it.
People were clinging to it like ants, gnawing apart its body, little by little.
There were those who were cutting off its head using a heavy-duty chain‐
saw, and some people were digging out the flesh beneath its skin with pick‐
axes and shovels.
376
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 41 ⦘
There was also a crane driver removing the accumulated flesh with the
crane which was in the construction site .
"I am in sweat after a long time, and it's good to live now."
They could see how precious it was to be able to do something hard while
sweating.
Everyone stopped what they were doing for a while, and started enjoying
the meal together. The breaths of those eating hot ramen rose from all over
the vacant lot continuously.
"Brother, would you like a bowl?" Bang Hyun-wook asked Jang Sung-
hoon, but there was no answer. Jang Sung-hoon looked at the body of the
377
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 41 ⦘
"Brother Sung-hoon!"
"You're not really going to eat, are you? Don't ask me for some."
Bang Hyun-wook ran away with those words to the line in front of the caul‐
dron. Jang Sung-hoon, still watching the scene, once again stiffened his ex‐
pression that had relaxed for a moment.
He looked at the body of the Black Snake with that hard face. At this mo‐
ment, Jang Sung-hoon had one worry.
Once we have made an item using the body of the Black Snake, made the
Mac Clan into the Mac Guild, created Clans under the Mac Guild, and se‐
lected a representative of the public...
'If the words of Lee Jin-sung, the dead head of the Messiah, are true, there
are stronger monsters than the Black Snake around Bucheon City. As we
have seen, monsters are classified according to the color of their eyes. The
lowest grade is red, the next grade is orange, and the above grade is yellow.
The monsters are likely to be rated according to the seven colors that make
up the rainbow.'
378
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 41 ⦘
'According to that grade, the Black Snake that covered Bucheon City in fear
means the third weakest type of monster. It's the third one down there.'
The dragon, which had appeared in Bucheon City for a while and just be‐
fore the death of Kim Tae-hoon in the future, had dark-blue eyes.
'He'll never die if he steps on the yellow one, but if he steps on the green
mine, it will be game over.'
Currently, the grade of monsters that Kim Tae-hoon could kill was the yel‐
low-grade.
Even he barely killed it. If he met a monster with green eyes, he would in‐
evitably die.
'In the end, we have to move. To live, we must move on without stopping.
But as said before, no one knows what threat is! It is like walking a mine‐
field without any clues or information!'
"Brother!" Bang Hyun-wook came up with a bowl and walked toward Jang
Sung-hoon.
"I don't want to eat," Jang Sung-hoon said in a slightly irritated voice.
379
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 41 ⦘
Jang Sung-hoon saw everyone, eating their delicious ramen noodles, rise
from their seats and bow their heads.
Kim Tae-hoon, appearing just like that, immediately walked over to Jang
Sung-hoon and said, "I'll start after a cup of coffee."
2.
"Oh, my God."
Two men, dressed like butchers, with plastic aprons, rubber gloves, and
meat-carving tools, were briefly distracted by the sight in front of them.
There were bodies lying on the road, not of humans but monsters; of not
just one kind, but a variety of them!
They all had a hole in the head, or their heads were cut off.
The only choices given to the bodies were the two. Except them, nobody
was found choosing another option.
380
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 41 ⦘
If they had been a rag by the explosion of a bullet or a powerful bomb, there
would have been no reason not to believe it.
So those who came to deal with the dead bodies, forgetting what they had to
do, stared at the path of carcasses for a while.
"Tut." He clicked his tongue briefly. 'I can't even be his right toe, let alone
his right arm.' After clicking his tongue briefly, he swallowed the complaint
through his neck, and then his eyes sank briefly, with a mixed expression.
In the mind of such Bang Hyun-wook, the memory of December 31st came
to mind.
Since then, Bang Hyun-wook has thought that he was the only Awakener
who could help Kim Tae-hoon.
He thought that he couldn't replace Kim Tae-hoon, but he was the only one
who could fill the place when Kim Tae-hoon disappeared.
Bang Hyun-wook looked at the back of his right hand, and some kinds of
emotions began to shake intensely in his heart as he did so.
And that time there was another man whose emotions were fluctuating as
intensely as his.
381
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 41 ⦘
"Oh, my God."
=========
3.
The inside of the house was filled with all sorts of artworks.
"I heard that the Whale had collected whatever he needed, but I didn't know
he had gathered this much. Looking at the level of the collection, I guess he
was a kleptomaniac. He wouldn't collect things like this unless he was inter‐
ested in stealing them."
Jang Sung-hoon, who was looking at the artwork on every side, had a bitter
smile on his face.
"It's funny to say this, but it's no wonder that if the world, where these peo‐
ple lived in a grand style, collapsed, there was nothing wrong with it."
His complaints stopped there. Jang Sung-hoon did not forget why he was
here. He immediately took out his smartphone.
"It's going to be a tiresome job to take photos one by one because there are
so many."
The only reason he came here was to find relics that would help them in the
war with the monsters in the future.
Kim Tae-hoon picked up a small bottle of liquor close to him, instead of an‐
swering Jang Sung-hoon.
382
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 41 ⦘
"Yes?"
Kim Tae-hoon began to look around instead of answering the question, with
his black Eyes shining. The Eyes of Black Snake were in action.
The active Eyes of Black Snake turned the landscape of this place into an‐
other world, with a different meaning for Kim Tae-hoon.
With the Eyes of Kim Tae-hoon, he could see the relic. As soon as he
looked at the relic, it was like he was wearing smart glasses, and could see
its ability.
The same was true of the painting Kim Tae-hoon now saw.
It was just a beautiful woman painted during the Joseon Dynasty. There was
no way of knowing whose painting it was. However, it was different in Kim
Tae-hoon's Eyes.
The Eyes of Black Snake could see the hidden value of the Portrait of a
Beauty.
383
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 41 ⦘
"Can you see the value of the relics in the Boss's Eyes?"
Instead of answering, Kim Tae-hoon looked around and pointed his finger
at several items.
The search for relics that was expected to take a long time progressed
quickly.
Jang Sung-hoon's turn came after taking the most visible relics right away.
"It can't be all there is to see. I'm sure he has hidden the most valuable
pieces all over the place. Of course, the most classic hiding place is the
wardrobe."
Jang Sung-hoon found places where the original owner of the house, Baek
Sung-taek, had hidden other pieces, starting with the wardrobe, inside its
thick door, as well as hidden in the flowerpot on the veranda. Among them,
the jackpot was behind the wallpaper.
"Actual treasures are not hidden in the safe." Jang Sung-hoon started tearing
up the wallpaper, after searching all the places he could easily search.
In front of the simple and clear writing, the name and seal of the owner of
the writing were printed intact.
Staring at the writing, Jang Sung-hoon had the most surprised look on his
face.
384
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 41 ⦘
"That's ridiculous. This can't be the original... How did a receiver of stolen
goods get a piece of an unpublished work by Choosa..."
It was the name with such a significant weight that Jang Sung-hoon had to
look surprised.
On the other hand, Kim Tae-hoon was not surprised. He warned Jang Sung-
hoon, "Take the writing and step back."
'Swish', Kim Tae-hoon's right hand turned black while he waved it back and
forth, telling Jang Sung-hoon to back off.
Black Skin.
Kim Tae-hoon, displayed a power that dyed his right arm right to his shoul‐
der, immediately began to press his power against the wall, not anything
else.
Bang! With just one punch, the solid wall had a giant hole in it.
Splatter! The debris started to fall to the floor, and the things hidden inside
the wall were revealed.
................................................................
385
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 42 ⦘
Chapter 42
Chapter 15. Daedongyeojido, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
The destructive power created Kim Tae-hoon's fist was enormous yet horri‐
fying. The wall crumbled like a cookie. Splatter! The parts of the wall fell
to the floor like a piece of a cookie.
'Ah!' However, Jang Sung-hoon was not surprised by Kim Tae-hoon's fist.
All he could see was a ball of translucent vinyl through the broken wall.
Tap tap! Kim Tae-hoon took the plastic bag out of the wall and immediately
handed it to Jang Sung-hoon. Jang Sung-hoon accepted it carefully and be‐
gan to release the plastic. After the plastic was removed from the skin, a
luxurious blue roll of silk appeared.
BoxN ovel.com
'It's not a common silk.' The silk itself looked like a very high-quality prod‐
uct. The texture was the same. Jang Sung-hoon's touch revealed that the silk
was not a relic, but quality silk that was not cheap. Yet it was nothing com‐
pared to what was hiding inside the silk.
A book was revealed within the silk. It was an old book, which could be
looked to a normal person as an ordinary book.
'How could this be here?' The letters written on the cover of the book in
black ink were enough to make Jang Sung-hoon's mind go dark.
386
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 42 ⦘
Daedongyeojido 大東輿地圖
Daedongyeojido.
It was the most precious thing Gosanja Kim Jeong-ho had seen in his whole
life, and it was also a heritage for future generations. For them to explain
and evaluate it would just be ridiculous.
But honestly, when he heard the rumor, he thought it was false. Those kinds
of rumors were everywhere, and if it were a wood-block printed version of
Daedongyeojido, it would not be just a thing floating around by just rumors.
If it were real, very big hands would have moved to take it.
But the rumor was true. And the owner was Baek Sung-taek! 'So he kept it
in the wall. Yeah, it's worth keeping it in the wall. A thief can't trust a safe.'
His Eyes of the Black Snake only saw something in detail, but there was no
such ability as seeing through.
387
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 42 ⦘
It meant that he did not have the ability to see through the wall. However,
Kim Tae-hoon, as if it were perfectly natural, punched the wall without any
hesitation.
"That's the only part of the wall that has a different texture."
Instead of answering, Kim Tae-hoon's eyes turned black again. With the
Eyes of Black Snake, he looked at the wood-block printed version of Dae‐
dongyeojido which Jang Sung-hoon held in his hands.
==[Daedongyeojido]
Jang Sung-hoon also immediately took out his smartphone and confirmed
the ability of Daedongyeojido.
Jang Sung-hoon, who had confirmed its ability, began to flip the pages of
the book carefully, with his surprised look.
Flip-flip! With the sound of turning over the pages, he scanned the great
map of Daedongyeojido, which was divided into pieces.
At the same time, he began to combine the pieces of the map mentally. It
was one of his talents.
A person who was not capable could not make counterfeit goods. He had to
be able to make counterfeit goods that could deceive others; when he saw
the original art, he could recall it perfectly later and then recreate the same
in reality.
It was not difficult for Jang Sung-hoon to complete the integrated map in
his mind while looking at the broken pieces of the map.
388
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 42 ⦘
Flip! As soon as Jang Sung-hoon saw the last page, the map was completed
in his mind.
"This map is a kind of map nucleus." He quickly figured out its characteris‐
tics.
"A map nucleus?" Kim Tae-hoon put his head a little to one side. The game
term was not familiar to him.
Jang Sung-hoon began to explain for him. His fingers began to scan the
wood-block printed version of Daedongyeojido again.
Soon his hand stopped, and he showed the page to Kim Tae-hoon. A lot of
red and orange lights were clustered on the map which was broken to
pieces.
"These lights..."
"In detail."
"It marks the monsters around, starting with the owner of the map. It's like a
radar. It can show small things close by, but those far away can only show
big ones. The small ones here mean the weak monsters, and the big ones
mean the powerful monsters."
One question came to mind when Kim Tae-hoon heard this. "What's the
highest level of monsters we've ever seen?"
"There is a dark blue light on Mt. Halla and Mt. Baekdu in Jeju Island."
Dark blue meant that there was a monster of the same grade as the dragon at
the beginning and the end of the Korean Peninsula.
389
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 42 ⦘
It was a kind of evidence that this world had become so much more miser‐
able than they had imagined.
But there was something else they had to worry about right now; an orange
light and a red light were moving on the map!
"Yes."
5.
It was Brown Goblins, attacking the cleaners who were working the road
cleared by Kim Tae-hoon. They were familiar monsters to the Mac Clan's
soldiers and Bang Hyun-wook.
A Brown Goblin itself was weak. An ordinary armed adult man could suffi‐
ciently deal with it.
Kieee!
The problem was that Brown Goblins moved under the command of a Hob‐
goblin, not individually. Moreover, the unique spell of the Hobgoblin took
away the pain and fear from Brown Goblins.
The monsters who lost their pain and horror were terrifying over the imagi‐
nation. The ferocious waves of the monster groups, numbering more than a
hundred, destroyed the fighting spirit of those who faced them, before the
fight.
"Awooo!"
In front of this scene, Bang Hyun-wook used the Howling power which he
had acquired by eating the monster stone of a Black Wolf given by Kim
Tae-hoon.
390
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 42 ⦘
He dashed toward the Brown Goblins running at him, with the Howling. It
was to earn some time and to express his confidence at the same time.
"I'll kill you all!" At the shout, Bang Hyun-wook's Energy churned. The En‐
ergy made his whole body grow stronger.
Except for Kim Tae-hoon, he had the highest stats in Strength and Health
among the Awakeners. Therefore, being stronger than before would be a
terrifying thing for the Brown Goblins that had to face him.
The leather of the Black Orc was not as strong as the leather of the Black
Snake, but it was not the leather which the teeth or the nails of the Brown
Goblins could do anything to. Therefore, the battlefield that Bang Hyun-
wook threw himself into was like a free batting practice for him.
'Free batting is that you set the ball and hit it with a bat, free.'
There only difference was that a Brown Goblin's head was in place, instead
of the ball.
Tutu! Now their shots were controlled, not wasting bullets, and not pointing
guns at allies. No one was as frightened as before and just fired blindly to‐
ward the Brown Goblins.
"Kieee!"
Of course, the Goblins that ran into controlled gunshots began to fall
rapidly. Nevertheless, the rush of Brown Goblins gradually narrowed the
distance to the truck. There was no stopping them. They seemed to be get‐
ting faster every time they stepped on a dead colleague.
Kieee! The same was true of the anger in their eyes. The death throes of
their companions fanned their anger.
391
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 42 ⦘
Swish!
The movement of the arrow that appeared was similar to that of a skilled
person sewing beads. The arrow began to move like it was sewing the heads
of the Brown Goblins.
Bloosh! The running Brown Goblins began to fall to the ground like pup‐
pets with cut strings, some falling on them and others falling on them again,
then a wall was made.
Kieeek!The remaining Goblins fell to the ground, piling onto the bodies of
their fellows. It was total chaos. In this ridiculous situation, the survivors
were surprised at this absurd jaw-dropping scene, but not for long.
"Wooooooow!"
The main character was like a savior to those here now. A real Messiah.
There was no one who would not be proud at the appearance of their savior.
"Master is here!"
So now the eyes of those facing the Brown Goblins began to burn. The
spirit they created reached the Hobgoblin, who was commanding the Brown
Goblins far away.
Kirr kirrk!
The Hobgoblin shuddered at the spirit that crushed the madness it had cre‐
ated. It was its last act.
392
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 42 ⦘
His shivering head fell to the ground. A well-prepared Sword had sliced
through the Hobgoblin's neck. At the same time, the pain and horror taken
away were returned to the Brown Goblins.
Kiee! Kii, kiii! The Brown Goblins, again feeling pain and horror, began to
run away speaking weak death throes.
Bang Hyun-wook looked at the Goblins who ran away silently, and he saw
Kim Tae-hoon, who came back after finishing everything.
6.
To mistreat a relic which could be only described with the word 'treasure'
dared not be done by those who devoted their passion and dreams to art.
Jang Sung-hoon prepared a bag to put the precious treasure in. The bag was
also a bag containing important things that he always had to carry.
"Eh?"
For example, it had a crystal glass decorated with gold that contained red
liquid.
393
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 43 ⦘
Chapter 43
43 -- Daedongyeojido, Part III
Translator: | Editor:
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
7.
The monsters, that we do not know from where they had appeared, also
built an ecosystem to live.
The weak monsters that did not dare to have their territory, and could not
even hunt, wandered around in search of bodies or the remains that some
monster had eaten and left, and the strong monsters lived there, building
their own territory.
A terrible snake that had laired in Bucheon City and made its territory there,
had died. It was like the death of a king.
BoxN ovel.com
It was not something that you could hide just because you wanted to hide it.
394
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 43 ⦘
The news of the death of the king spread faster than the death of anything
else and brought a great shake-up. Pointedly, it made the monsters with am‐
bition move. Monsters that wanted to make the area of the Black Snake
their own territory began to move more actively in groups.
It was Kim Tae-hoon, the new king who defeated the Black Snake and got
everything it had, that trampled their ambition.
Kim Tae-hoon's right arm, reminiscent of a huge hammer, was black from
his fingertips to the shoulder joint. It broke the skull of the Monkey Dog,
who had a head twice the size of his own
Even as the burst pieces of skull and brains of the Monkey Dog scattered to
wet the ground, Kim Tae-hoon moved into the twelve Monkey Dogs that
followed their boss.
He passed between the Monkey Dogs like a snake, striking a black fist to‐
ward the head of a Monkey Dog.
The reason it looked that way was not that Kim Tae-hoon's movement was
simply fast. It was his accuracy.
Kim Tae-hoon's fist was exactly punched in the middle of the forehead, in
between two red eyes over the protruding snout of the Monkey Dog, in a
situation where everything was moving blindingly fast.
There was no other word than that to describe the ability to achieve exactly
what he desired in all the action that took place so quickly.
"This is insufficient."
It was proof that Kim Tae-hoon quickly adapted himself to the new power
of the Eyes of Black Snake and made it his own.
395
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 43 ⦘
It was why Kim Tae-hoon ignored the blood and gore, throwing himself
willingly into the fight against the coming monsters, like they were the most
delicious cooking for him.
They dismantled the monster bodies without stopping, but the scene, where
the number of dead monster bodies was growing rather than decreasing,
was a shock, not just admiration.
However, Kim Tae-hoon, the source of that violence, was not satisfied with
the scene he created.
Two monsters.
'There are two monsters of the same rank as the dragon on the Korean
peninsula.'
The gruesome horror of the world was palpable to him now. He couldn't
help but know how damned the world was.
The despair felt at the moment when the horror was enumerated was much
more fatal.
He thought there would be a monster that was equal to the dragon, but he
realized that such monsters were in Mt. Baekdu and Mt. Halla.
At the beginning and the end of the Korean peninsula, an unutterable mon‐
ster was serving as a gatekeeper.
In addition, the proportion of land of the Korean peninsula was very small
compared to the huge area of the whole Earth.
396
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 43 ⦘
So how many monsters were similar to the dragon in the whole world?
"There are dozens of monsters around me that are stronger than the Black
Snake I was lucky to kill at the risk of my life."
Strong monsters such as the dragon were marked even if they were far
away, but weaker monsters were not displayed when they were distant.
Nevertheless, in the Daedongyeojido that they had secured, there were nine
blue lights which are under the rank of dark blue.
The green and yellow lights were too numerous to measure immediately.
The land of Bucheon was the only area among such lights that did not have
green and blue lights.
'A country caught between powerful nations can benef it a few times, but
eventually, it collapses at some point. History proves it.'
The ecosystem of the world was being maintained thanks to the overflow‐
ing number of humans. This meant that since there were many humans,
monsters could survive with the humans as prey right now.
'Humans are not like plankton. They do not lay eggs like fish.'
397
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 43 ⦘
Right now, the number of humans was overflowing, but if they are eaten
and eaten, the number of individuals will eventually decrease sharply.
Since monsters can not raise humans, they will eventually move to places
where there are a lot of human beings to survive, and the land of Bucheon,
where a population remained, would be the most coveted for such monsters.
Before monsters come in force, in a situation where mankind has the advan‐
tage in numbers, and in a condition where we still have the power, skill, and
will to fight, including food, we have to seek the end of the monsters.
To Kim Tae-hoon, killing monsters with red and orange eyes was not excit‐
ing. Rather than excited, he felt impatient.
'No, not like this, not with this ability... nothing can be done.'
It was the low whisper of Jang Sung-hoon that took away his impatience.
8.
Bucheon City Hall was located in the center of Bucheon City; it was cur‐
rently being used as the headquarters of the Mac Clan.
There was a great deal of evidence to show that. One way was the Mac
Clan's soldiers, who stood guard with guns, their eyes alive, and the Awak‐
eners returning from their hunting lowering their postures.
"He is back."
"He?"
398
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 43 ⦘
"The master."
And it was also evidence that there was a look of hope and expectation on
the survivors living around Bucheon City Hall.
"I heard there were over a hundred monsters he has killed this time, alone,
even with his bare hands."
"A hundred monsters with his bare hands alone? Does that make sense?"
"It makes sense since a hundred dead bodies were piled up in a long row.
The number might be a lot more than that."
"He caught the yellow devil once, and that's not hard for him."
Winter was colder than ever, and in this situation people sometimes even
froze to death in the cold, dying of hunger and starvation, praying for a
peaceful death when they were seriously wounded.
There was no one who thought that much could be changed in this situation.
399
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 43 ⦘
If there was any change in this reality, if a small hope rose, and if someone
achieved it, it was expected that Kim Tae-hoon, the first hunter, not just
anyone, would do it.
Kim Tae-hoon was sitting in a soft chair, the Golden Glass in his hand, in‐
side the mayor's office at the City Hall.
However, the face of Kim Tae-hoon, looking at this bizarre liquid that was
only flickering and never overflowing in the Golden Glass, had a look that
did not fit an arrogant boss.
Once again, this mysterious Golden Glass was filled with a mystery that
made unpleasant dreams, without sign or warning.
Of course, he was curious why this Golden Glass had filled itself. In this re‐
gard, Jang Sung-hoon made the following guesses.
"In my personal opinion, the Golden Glass of Napoleon has the ability to
peek at fate. But it can't be easy to catch a glimpse of fate. Of course, as
soon as fate changes, it will take time to see the changed fate again. Maybe
that's why the Golden Glass filled so suddenly. It takes time to see the new
future."
If fate was a program, then to read that program, you could try hacking it. It
was only natural to take some time.
400
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 43 ⦘
If his guess is correct, the fact that the Golden Glass of Napoleon was once
again filled with red liquid meant that the fate of Kim Tae-hoon had
changed.
It was proof that his fate of death against the dragon no longer existed.
If the terrible effort to live shortened his lifespan, he wouldn't be able to use
this anymore.
'I am afraid.'
Nevertheless, Kim Tae-hoon did not hesitate. He drank the Golden Glass in
one gulp.
9.
At this moment, Kim Tae-hoon was able to recognize the owner of the
voice, even though he didn't open his eyes.
'Ahn Sun-mi.'
401
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 43 ⦘
He saw the face of Ahn Sun-mi, which had not changed much, and the
freckles embroidered on her face had not significantly changed.
The difference was her long hair. Her long straight hair clearly showed that
time had passed.
But it was impossible to tell whether this was the future of one year or five.
Furthermore, it was as far as Kim Tae-hoon could see. His eyelids had
closed again.
'Ah.'
At this moment, he knew that he is on the verge of death, and there was no
power to talk to anyone, or even a chance to get some clues from them.
Kim Tae-hoon let out a sigh. Of course, he was the only one who could hear
his sigh.
He heard her voice again, "I'll tell you, hoping you will dream of this mo‐
ment. I don't know when you'll dream of this day... but I'll tell you the wish
list that I have prepared."
402
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 44 ⦘
Chapter 44
Chapter 16. Finding the Owner, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
"Boss."
The mayor's office in Bucheon City Hall. There, two men faced each other
with a desk between them and a cup of steaming coffee rising, as if they
were just chatting.
BoxN ovel.com
"So before you died, sister Sun-mi told you the wish list?"
At the words of the man who was ruffling his hair, the man with the mug of
coffee in his hand, nodded his head lightly, enjoying the aroma of the cof‐
fee.
"I don't know whose thought it was, it's a great idea. A wish list... a sure
way to use the Golden Glass of Napoleon."
At the end of the words, a long sigh came out from the lips of Jang Sung-
hoon.
403
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 44 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon also frowned at the whining remarks, the same as Jang Sung-
hoon's complaint. The bitter taste of the coffee had never made his face
look so sour.
Through the silence that started like that, Jang Sung-hoon began to recall
things to organize his mind.
The start was when Kim Tae-hoon woke up from his dream. He called Jang
Sung-hoon, who was waiting outside the mayor's office, and told him the
story.
At first, when he heard the word "wish list," Jang Sung-hoon clutched his
fists without knowing it.
But when he heard the wish list, Jang Sung-hoon felt everything getting far
away.
"Let's say that's the case with the Bell of King Seongdeok and Gilt-bronze
Incense Burner of Baekje."
To be precise, Ahn Sun-mi would have recited a long story, but there were
only six things Kim Tae-hoon could hear.
"Let's also say that's the case with Gwanggaeto Stele and the Sword of Gou‐
jian."
404
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 44 ⦘
The things mentioned after that were Gwanggaeto Stele and the Sword of
Goujian. From there on, Jang Sung-hoon felt something strange.
Obviously, the two things were real, but they were obviously different from
the above-mentioned Bell of King Seongdeok and Gilt-bronze Incense
Burner of Baekje.
And finally, when Green Dragon Crescent Blade and Kusanagi were men‐
tioned, Jang Sung Hoon thought for a moment.
He thought that Kim Tae-hoon suddenly became a very humorous man and
played a joke on him, or the shock of Kim Tae-hoon's death was so great
that he confused his memories with what he saw in a novel.
He had no choice but to accept them for now, however. "They are only in
stories, aren't they?"
They were literally non-realistic things since the Green Dragon Crescent
Blade and Kusanagi could only be seen in the novels.
Not only at the time when he told the story, but also at the moment he spoke
out to Jang Sung-hoon, Kim Tae-hoon still did not lose his serious air.
"I need a description of what I said about the things in the wish list."
This was the valuable information that Kim Tae-hoon obtained in return for
living his future death, information from the future.
"Once, four of them were real." Jang Sung-hoon also knew that fact, so he
stopped talking nonsense any more. "Where are they?"
405
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 44 ⦘
"Oh, it's the Emile Bell. It's at the Gyeongju National Museum. And
Gwanggaeto Stele is in Jilin in China, and the Sword of Goujian, as I know,
it's in Hubei in China."
Kim Tae-hoon drank some coffee again. Jang Sung-hoon also agreed with
the silent time that started.
The two men kept their mouths shut and organized their thoughts.
When Kim Tae-hoon spoke again, the conversation resumed. "If there was a
wish list, I would have been the one to make it."
"Then I'm sure I didn't just tell myself the desire for things I could not get."
"Ah."
Jang Sung-hoon got the hint of what kind of man Kim Tae-hoon was. He
could not simply have recorded things he could not gain.
"I don't know how much more I could hear before I died."
Moreover, this wish list was made to tell the story at an urgent moment, just
before his death.
It means that there must be something hidden in the order, as well as in the
items mentioned.
406
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 44 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon definitely must have made a wish list. Was it even possible
that he didn't have his own personality in mind?
"The things in Buyeo and Gyeongju are the ones we can get right now."
"Yes. If we don't have to fight monsters, it won't take even half a day to get
there. Just three hours to arrive at the Buyeo National Museum after taking
the Yeongdong Expressway, and about four or five hours to get to the
Gyeongju National Museum. Of course, I doubt that we can get there in a
year, even if we risk our lives."
The first question was why there is no relic on the wish list in Seoul.
Gyeongju and Buyeo were definitely full of relics, including historical sites.
However, Seoul had been a capital city for most of the grand history of the
Republic of Korea.
"There are also Crowns of Silla... Yes, there were armors, kimonos, and
masks used by Japanese warriors, and there were few Buddhist statues from
China.
The National Museum of Korea even housed relics from Japan and China.
However, Kim's wish list did not mention anything at the National Museum
of Korea.
407
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 44 ⦘
"It is one of two reasons." Kim Tae-hoon solved the problem easily.
"The Ministry of National Defense? Ah, yes, the War Memorial of Korea is
behind it."
The National Museum of Korea and the Ministry of National Defense were
not that far apart.
Naturally, it was highly likely that they secured the relics there. It was just a
guess they had made before, but now this dream had convinced them.
"To put it another way, Buyeo and Gyeongju are ownerless cities."
In other words, they would have a chance to acquire relics in Buyeo and
Gyeongju if they moved early.
"Then, why were Gwanggaeto Stele and the Sword of Goujian mentioned?"
"It is proof that North Korea has collapsed and... we are engaged in an ex‐
change, or had a war with the Chinese survivors or the Awakeners there."
The next mentioned Gwanggaeto Stele and the Sword of Goujian were most
likely factors to inform them situation at the time, not showing that they
wanted to get it.
"I know Gwanggaeto Stele is located in Jilin province. Now airplanes and
ships are not functioning properly, and we cannot reach there without North
408
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 44 ⦘
Korea collapsing. And did you say that the Sword of Goujian is in Hubei
Province?"
"Yes."
North Korea's collapse and contact with China was also a very important
hint. This meant that the situation on the Korean Peninsula itself has
changed completely.
"I roughly understand. Then, what do Green Dragon Crescent Blade and
Kusanagi mean? I don't think there's anything in existence like that."
The next mentioned Green Dragon Crescent Blade and Kusanagi were also
signals.
"There can't be." There is no such thing in common sense. "It means that we
should not think about it."
When he spoke, Jang Sung-hoon was able to organize his thoughts. 'Yes, we
have Daedongyeojido, and we would rather move to get things that are not
yet taken, rather than go to Seoul to get things that are already taken.'
At the same time, Jang Sung-hoon felt a sense of frustration. "I'm sorry the
six were not everything, but if you had heard more, I could have made a
more definite plan."
He got this much information just by listening to the six relics on the wish
list, and if he had heard more, he could have drawn a clearer blueprint.
Kim Tae-hoon felt sorry for the fact. 'If I had heard more...'
409
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 44 ⦘
It was a great idea to think of delivering a wish list using the relic of the
Golden Glass of Napoleon. However, it was also true that there were not
many things that could have a good result among the things prepared.
Of course, rather than regretting this, they had to find something better by
recognizing that there was plenty to learn from a bad example.
And at this moment, Kim Tae-hoon came up with his own solution. "I'll
have to teach you rap."
"Rap... What?"
If Ahn Sun-mi's words had been twice as fast, he would have gotten twice
as much information!
"So you want me to rap in front of the boss who is convulsing, vomiting
blood and losing focus in his eyes, with Davotop, Seokguram, and Tripitaka
Koreana?"
Kim Tae-hoon had more coffee instead of answering the question. It seemed
ridiculous even if he thought about it.
Jang Sung-hoon first asked Kim Tae-hoon, who was silent much longer
than usual.
"What's the plan for the future, then? Even if we were to set off for Buyeo
or Gyeongju as our destination, we wouldn't be able to get there right
away."
410
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 44 ⦘
"Internal stability... We'll have to set up Clans under our command and pick
a representative of the public."
Buyeo or Gyeongju.
It was not short, nor was not easy. As much as that, it was necessary to sta‐
bilize internally.
"This time we need to find the owner of the nine relics we have acquired."
Nine relics from the warehouse of the whale, Baek Sung-taek. Kim Tae-
hoon said that they should find the owner of the relics right now.
"If you find the owner... will you give him the relics?"
Relics were the most certain and powerful weapons that mankind could use
in the war against monsters. It was meaningless to give them to someone
who can not use such weapons.
The answer is clearly to find the owner who had handled so many relics in
this urgent situation where they had to kill as many monsters as possible.
411
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 44 ⦘
There were highly valuable relics among the ones they had acquired this
time.
"Do you really want to give the relics to Awakeners who can use them?"
Obviously, it was not a good idea to give such relics away for free.
Not all of the Awakeners who had distinguished themselves gave their sin‐
cere loyalty to Kim Tae-hoon. They followed him because he could kill
monsters that they could not.
Kim Tae-hoon tilted his head at Jang Sung-hoon's frustrated words. "Give
the relics away for free? Why should I do that?"
"Yes?"
"I will find the owner, and I will get the price I want. Isn't that common
sense?"
412
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 45 ⦘
Chapter 45
Chapter 16. Finding the Owner, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
It was a stage set up for festivals and events hosted by the city, and so wide
that they could not feel crowded even if a hundred people gathered.
But now the square, where a hundred people had gathered, seemed so full
that no one could come in anymore.
BoxN ovel.com
It meant that the spirit of each person filling it was so huge and intense.
The basis and evidence of such spirit were the marks that most of the peo‐
ple who filled the square had on the back of their right hand.
Awakeners.
Furthermore, they were hunters, who used the power of the Awakeners to
hunt monsters.
In addition, among the parties in the area of the Mac Clan, they had paid the
highest number of monster stones to the Mac Clan.
413
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 45 ⦘
Now they were the predators who were more familiar with the smell of
monster blood. It was natural that their spirit was intense.
'6 p.m.'
They had blankly faced a cold winter wind like a blade for three hours now.
Their image was not the same as a predator. A predator didn't need this pa‐
tience.
Nevertheless, there was one reason why they stood in the square in front of
the City Hall where the cold wind was blowing for more than three hours.
Kim Tae-hoon, who was the leader of the Mac Clan and those here, had
called them.
There was no dog that didn't wait when the owner called.
Finally, for the first time, a man, not a cold wind, appeared in front of them.
414
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 45 ⦘
'Pht.'
But there was no one who ignored him, either. His words were the same as
those of Kim Tae-hoon.
"It's been a long time to see you since I met you at the negotiations after the
death of Lee Jin-sung. This is the first time that we've gotten together. There
are some faces that I saw there, and there are some faces I am seeing for the
first time."
'If it was not for Kim Tae-hoon, they showed the will to kill Jang Sung-
hoon immediately.
In front of them, Jang Sung-hoon smiled lightly. 'It's just the look I want.'
That was why Jang Sung-hoon came out three hours later than this appoint‐
ment time.
'When they are stuffed and their backs are warmed, lying comes out, and at
least at this time they will reveal their true intentions.'
415
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 45 ⦘
'I will change the Mac Clan to a Guild here today, and at the same time, I
will select a Clan to work under the Mac Guild.'
'I will give guns and ammunition to the Clan that is selected, and even
relics.'
'Guns are terrifyingly powerful, but if the muzzle of the guns that they re‐
ceived were directed at the Mac Guild, the damage would not be small.'
'Above all, they should never trust a human being, a black-haired animal!'
But nevertheless, he had to let those in front of him hold their guns and
swords.
'It is not a good choice to tie the hands and feet of those who can become a
competent power in a situation where their present safety may be threatened
and if they don't kill, they will die.'
'Well, I'd rather be glad if anyone could become strong enough to threaten
the Boss.'
'Therefore, it will be better to have someone who can threaten Kim Tae-
hoon's stronghold. Kim Tae-hoon has a limit to what he can do alone.'
So he deliberately exposed them to the cold wind for three hours, not to
hear the plain-spoken words, but to hear the real thing that popped out with‐
out them thinking about it.
416
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 45 ⦘
Even if they were an Awakener with power, their heads would become stiff
if they were exposed for a period of time to this winter wind.
"Today, Mac Clan will become the Mac Guild, and at the same time, the
Mac Guild will recruit Clans to work under its command. Of course, there
will be guild-level support for the Clans that work under the Mac Guild."
The glittering of the eyes that had frozen coldly began to change at his
words.
"There are two main items of support. One is guns and ammunition."
Most of them changed the glitters of their eyes in a moment when they
heard about the support items.
They had strengthened their ability by eating monster stones, and they had
also made items through monster hunting.
'A gun is such a powerful weapon. It is powerful, and most of all, it is not
difficult to use.'
It was also the reason why the people here had paid a lot of monster stones.
They had been loyal to the Mac Clan, waiting for this day to come.
If the Mac Clan weren't stupid, they wouldn't give a gun to those who didn't
show that kind of sincerity.
417
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 45 ⦘
When Jang Sung-hoon gestured, the soldiers of the Mac Clan who were
waiting nearby, now the soldiers of the Mac Guild, brought over the goods.
"This is about support. Of course, there are conditions. There are several
conditions. I've already prepared a contract of seven pages. It was hard to
turn the copy machine to take these... paper and electricity are more pre‐
cious than Rolexes."
Gulp! Everyone swallowed at his appearance, the most obvious sign of who
he was.
418
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 45 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon!
His aura was different from his appearance, wearing ordinary cotton pants
and a little jumper, holding the sheath of the Sword of the Imperator.
His aura was more like that of a beast. The presence of the Black Snake and
those devil eyes was flowing out of him.
"The guns and relics are dangerous things in many ways. I will give you the
guns, but there's no guarantee that the muzzle won't be directed at us."
Kim Tae-hoon stood in front of Jang Sung-hoon and Jang stopped talking.
Cheureung! The Sword appeared from the sheath held in Kim Tae-hoon's
left hand as he said the words.
The Sword, which appeared so quickly, was stuck to the ground so fast that
it was hard to measure its speed with the naked eye.
'What is it?'
It was like a thunderbolt had hit the ground. Everyone looked at the Sword
of Imperator stuck in the plaza stones, dazed by what had happened so
quickly.
"I can't give you these things for nothing," Kim Tae-hoon said from behind
the Sword.
"The price for establishing a Clan and receiving support is your finger. It
doesn't matter which finger it is. One finger is enough."
419
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 45 ⦘
The Sword of the Imperator flashed its blade like a smile. As if the Sword,
which became stronger when it was bloodied, was delighted to think of hu‐
man blood.
Everyone's spine was chilled, and they were frozen so that they could forget
even the cold wind.
On the other hand, Kim Tae-hoon and Jang Sung-hoon were cool. This was
not just an evil act for them, but important to them.
As he said, the establishment and support of the Clan was a kind of double-
edged sword to the Mac Guild, and there was no guarantee that those who
had guns and ammunition would not betray them afterward.
'But in this world, money, gold, and unregistered bonds cannot be the cur‐
rency; in this world, half a pet bottle of gasoline is worth more than ten
Rolex watches.'
The same was true of the red monster stones. They were the only valuable
thing they could give right now. But to be honest, the red monster stones
were not so expensive compared to the value of relics and support.
He didn't want to sell relics and guns for such a cheap price.
'So it is better to get it later, and after a while, those who can't pay now can
pay for it after they are able to pay enough.'
'That is the point, whether they can pay the price after a while, or not.'
420
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 45 ⦘
They could not give them to those who did not even have the determination
to cut off a finger to get guns, ammunition, and relics to hunt more mon‐
sters.
Naturally, most of them hesitated. No, they seemed more frightened than
hesitant, unable to do anything.
Above all, they were in the cold wind for three hours, without knowing the
reason. It would not be easy to calculate quickly at this moment.
'It's ridiculous. This is crazy. I did not do anything wrong, but I have to pro‐
vide my finger?'
Of course, no one was willing to join in this ridiculous thing right away.
If they wanted guns and ammunition, if it was not crazy to cut their finger,
then there was nothing in the world that was not crazy.
If they were prepared to do that, if they could get a powerful weapon, guns,
and ammunition, there was no reason to hesitate for those who were willing
to give a finger.
"I'll apply."
"I'll apply."
421
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 45 ⦘
It was Yang Jung-hwan and Lee Soo-young, the heads of the top and sec‐
ond-ranked parties that paid the most monster stones.
They began to walk towards the Sword of the Imperator stuck on the
ground, as if they were competing.
Shiyik!
However, when they reached a very short distance from the Sword, it im‐
mediately entered its sheath. Again, it moved like a lightning bolt.
"I allow the establishment of only two Clans. You two choose one relic.
Jang Sung-hoon."
"Yes."
"Write a contract."
"I understand."
Kim Tae-hoon left immediately after finishing his speech, and Jang Sung-
hoon handed Lee Soo-young and Yang Jung-hwan a contract.
The two men who received the contract did not read it properly. They im‐
mediately wrote their names on the lines.
Everything was done quickly. The rest of the process was silently watched
by the others.
When all was over, Jang Sung-hoon waved his hand lightly toward the re‐
maining ones and gave the last word.
"I'll see you here soon, and I will give you some advice. What my boss
wants from you is not loyalty. He wants to know if you are worth investing
in. How well and how many monsters can you kill if you hold a gun? That's
all."
422
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 45 ⦘
4.
Kim Tae-hoon did not look at it, because he could not take back what he
had already done.
"They put their choice on hold because they wanted to use the relics and
choose afterward."
"They'll find a relic that they can be the owner of, I see."
"If a pig's neck is hung with a pearl necklace, the number of people who
want to eat the pig only increases."
Originally, they wanted to find the owners of the relics. Finding the owner
meant giving the relics to those who had the ability to use them.
"Tell the two Clans to hunt more than one orange monster a week."
Kim Tae-hoon asked him a surprise question. "When will the leather armor
of the Black Snake be completed?"
"The workshop chief, Park Gap-soo, said that he could complete the proto‐
type tomorrow, and once the boss signs OK, they can produce two sets ev‐
423
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 45 ⦘
ery day."
The leather armor of the Black Snake was a powerful item that could not be
rivaled by any protective equipment that had been made so far.
Of course, the moment he got it, he had to act accordingly! "It's time to find
a new target."
"I'll check the Daedongyeojido and select the candidate group." With those
words, Jang Sung-hoon took out Daedongyeojido from his bag, immedi‐
ately opening it to the page that he remembered, showing the city of
Bucheon.
424
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 46 ⦘
Chapter 46
Chapter 17. This is My Territory, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
People entered the Bucheon City Council located next to Bucheon City
Hall, and the conference room of the committee, which had been estab‐
lished there.
The expressions of the six men and women present at the table and the man
in front of a whiteboard with a map of Bucheon City were by no means the
faces of those discussing budgetary resolutions!
BoxN ovel.com
Soon after, Jang Sung-hoon, the man in front of the map, drew a line in
Gwangmyeong City on the right side of Bucheon City with a green laser
pointer.
425
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 46 ⦘
The faces of Kim Soo-ji, Ahn Sun-mi, Bang Hyun-wook, and Lee Soo-
young and Yang Jung-hwan, who were now Clan masters of Mac Guild,
hardened.
"Anyway, the green-grade monster would be the top predator that could
simply eat even a yellow-grade monster, like the Black Snake."
It was only a few days ago that they had escaped from the fear of Black
Snake.
But a green-grade monster, one step higher than the Black Snake, now ap‐
proached Bucheon.
Green-grade monsters also meant fear and despair for the weaker monsters.
Of course, they had no choice but to run away.
That was the end of the explanation of the situation. There were no ques‐
tions.
'I thought it was quiet, but it was quiet before the storm.'
There were so many questions they wanted to ask, but no one had the men‐
tal and psychological freedom to ask them.
Kim Tae-hoon, the only man with such composure, was sipping coffee.
426
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 46 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon was not really free and didn't enjoy his coffee. For him, cof‐
fee was not proof of freedom but a tool to maintain composure in any situa‐
tion.
Soon after, Kim Tae-hoon swallowed his coffee and spoke. "What choices
do we have?"
In this situation, Mac Guild had two options. But there was only one option
to choose to live.
"If we want to live together, we have to fight back." A healthy man who
seemed to be in his early thirties also knew that fact, so he chose his option
without worrying about it.
His name was Yang Jung-hwan. He was the master of the Starfish Clan un‐
der the Mac Guild.
As soon as Yang Jung-hwan opened the sluice gate, Kim Soo-ji spoke up.
"Defense is a war of consumption. With the ammunition we have, it's hard
to fight for long periods of time. Our need for ammunition is urgent, and a
new supply of weapons is also necessary."
Ahn Sun-mi also presented her opinion. "If I give an opinion as a doctor,
nine out of ten people would be better left dead if they are seriously injured
enough to require surgical operations in combat. There's no electricity, no
blood transfusions, and the survival rate is meaningless. I'm almost out of
the flesh of the Mud Troll."
"Then, is there a place where we can get a supply?" another Clan Master,
Lee Soo-young, asked.
The answer came from Jang Sung-hoon's lips. At the same time, he orga‐
nized the situation again. "There is the 17th Division located in the south,
so if we go down to Siheung or Incheon, we can get weapons we can use in
those subordinate camps."
427
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 46 ⦘
"In the end, we have to go through both combat and supply. Of course, there
is only one thing the boss can do at a time."
Until now, the difficult problems had been left for Kim Tae-hoon, and he
solved the difficult problem.
That's why everyone bet their fate on Kim Tae-hoon, whether they liked
him or not. But this time was different.
Kim Tae-hoon could only do so much. He might leave Bucheon to get sup‐
plies, or he can deal with the monsters that remain in Bucheon. But it was
impossible to do both at the same time.
"There is the 17th Division, but there is also the Third Military Assistance
Command in Bupyeong, Incheon."
In this situation, Yang Jung-hwan made the first choice. "Of course, there
will be nothing at the Command, but there will be a supply warehouse
where the Military Command is located. For your information, we have two
members of the Samma Unit in our Clan, and one of them is from the Am‐
munition Company in Gyeyang District."
Yang Jung-hwan also took out his hidden card at this moment.
If they were from Samma Unit, or if they were from the Ammunition Com‐
pany, they would know the location of the ammunition dump where they
428
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 46 ⦘
worked.
Moreover, Yang Jung-hwan said that a member of the Samma Unit was
from the Ammunition Company in Gyeyang District...
"The direct distance would be about 6 kilometers from here, but we can't
fly, so about twenty kilometers back and forth."
It was not to antagonize Kim Tae-hoon, but it was necessary to have a pur‐
pose to secure the Ammunition Company in a world where ammunition
could now replace money.
Simply put, the Ammunition Company was a treasure island and Yang
Jung-hwan was hiding a map that reached the treasure island.
But now he had revealed the hidden card concerning the fate of Yang Jung-
hwan himself and the Starfish Clan in front of Kim Tae-hoon.
"The reason I did not mention it before was to hide it, as all of you can
imagine, but I am showing you all the cards I have in this situation."
"If I die, the hidden card is not going to make any sense. Anyway, the 17th
Division is good, but Gyeyang District is a lot closer. Most of all, the man I
said before retired about a year ago from the Ammunition Company, and
I'm sure he has an acquaintance there if there are survivors."
429
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 46 ⦘
"So can rob the 17th Division?" Lee Soo-young immediately accepted his
role.
Now the remaining option belonged to the Mac Guild. The Mac Guild must
deal with the monsters that come.
2.
With the advent of monsters, most people lost most of what they had.
Park Gap-soo... In 2017, he was seventy years old and had been making
leather shoes for 50 years.
He was a craftsman who has trained in one field for half a century.
However, Park Gap-soo has never been treated like a craftsman his whole
life. He was exploited from the beginning. He had worked unpaid for years
under the pretext of learning skills, and even after he was able to do his
part, he would not receive his salary on time.
Even the last owner exploited him, and the owner of the shoe factory where
he worked ran away instead of paying him more than two years' salary.
430
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 46 ⦘
At that age of sixty-five, Park Gap-soo was thrown into the world without a
penny of retirement pension and no money saved, and since then, he began
to live life like a beggar.
"Workshop chief! They are here." Park Gap-soo looked at a man in his early
thirties who called him.
In the past, Park Gap-soo was not able to enter the other's eyes beyond the
age difference. But now the lawyer was one of his apprentices. It was not
forced. Rather, it was evidence of cleverness.
He knew that in this world, the skill of how to trim monster skin would help
him survive much better than the career of a lawyer.
And not a few other people thought so, because Park Gap-soo, who became
the chief of the workshop with the support of Mac Guild, should have tested
them, as there were too many people gathered when he said he would select
people.
From the point of view of Park Gap-soo, he had never had a man who could
be called a disciple, and so it was rather unnatural.
"I understand."
However, as time went on, Park Gap-soo realized this reality and was able
to take pride in the fact that he was a craftsman for the first time.
431
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 46 ⦘
That's why he played his role with full power at the age of seventy, even if
he could leave the world at any time by the jaws of a monster.
"No, I have increased output since then, as you asked, and now I have
twenty sets of armor made from the skin of Black Snake."
"So fast?"
At that time, Kim Tae-hoon, who was behind Jang Sung-hoon, bowed his
head deeply after standing in front of Park Gap-soo.
"Oh!" At the words, Park Gap-soo looked at Kim Tae-hoon with surprised
eyes.
"Oh, no." To the survivors, Kim Tae-hoon was not just a being, but the only
lamp in a dark world that they could not see ahead.
In addition, to him, Kim Tae-hoon was the one who made the life of Park
Gap-soo, who had made leather shoes for fifty years, not a useless life, but a
great life.
"I will be rude because things are urgent; may I see them immediately?"
"Of, of course!"
At the command of Park Gap-soo, the armor made of the skin of the Black
Snake appeared.
432
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 46 ⦘
The leather armor which appeared was quite simple. There were not many
parts: a vest covering the upper body, and wraps for the arms, legs, elbows,
and knees.
But they were not crude. Basically, the leather of the Black Snake itself had
a lovely dark sheen, condensed by the unceasing tanning of Park Gap-soo.
Everyone who followed Kim Tae-hoon took out a smartphone and snapped
a photo of the leather armor of the Black Snake being worn by mannequins.
Kim Tae-hoon changed his eyes, too. His pupils went blackened.
------
-- Defense: C Rank
------
The Leather Armor of the Black Snake appeared. The stats were remark‐
able.
Yang Jung-hwan and Lee Soo-young, who also had not yet received proper
reports on the Armor, were more surprised.
433
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 46 ⦘
'Three sets. If we get only three sets of protective equipment, we can use
tactics.'
For those who had fought monsters in close combat, not with guns, it
seemed like a greater treasure than a gun.
"We have now completed twenty sets, and we can produce three sets a day,
thanks to the recent speed of production. With the amount of the skin from
the Black Snake on hand, we will produce about ninety sets."
Workshop Chief, Park Gap-soo pulled out a plastic pack, filled with yellow
powder in a plastic bag sealed in layers.
-- The power of Black Snake, [the Eyes of Black Snake] can be used when
ingested.]==
It was none other than powder made by grinding up the eyes of the Black
Snake. It had the effect of temporarily allowing the Eyes of Black Snake to
be used when ingested.
Of course, it was not as good as the Eyes of Black Snake that Kim Tae-hoon
used. It was a kind of downgraded version, but it was enough to be useful.
If a gunman took the powder, his hit rate would rise dramatically. That was
not the only thing.
The doping effect that [the Eyes of Black Snake] would have in battle was
beyond imagination.
"Finally..."
434
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 46 ⦘
The last item that appeared was four blades. Their length was about the
length of an adult man's arm. But it was a little different. It was more like a
sword...
"Now all we have to do is make a sword hilt. However, since the item is a
product, I will make a handle with the hide of the Black Snake to suit the
grip of the person who is going to use it. They will get used to it sooner."
At his words, Kim Tae-hoon turned his head and looked at Yang Jung-hwan
and Lee Soo-young.
"If you perform your duties, you will be paid, as stated in the contract for
the establishment of a Clan."
At the words of Kim Tae-hoon, the two men began to drool inside.
"I usually have to pay the price after work, but I will pay in advance, given
the circumstances. I'll give you one fang and three sets of leather armor."
"It's not free. I paid you in advance, and if I am not satisfied with the num‐
ber of monsters you've caught, I'll tear up the Clan contract."
435
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 47 ⦘
Chapter 47
Chapter 17. This is My Territory, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
"D-Day is tomorrow."
Everything went very fast. They couldn't afford to not put their heart and
soul into it when the monsters were already moving.
"Don't forget secrecy." Of course, they didn't forget the warning, though
they couldn't afford it.
BoxN ovel.com
"The fact that there is a green-grade monster in particular, and that it might
come to Bucheon, should not be discussed with the other survivors."
Not long ago, all the survivors of Bucheon City lived in fear of the Black
Snake.
When the meeting ended with Jang Sung-hoon's words emphasizing se‐
crecy, Kim Tae-hoon called over Bang Hyun-wook.
4.
436
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 47 ⦘
"Why did you call me, big brother?" Bang Hyun-wook asked, as soon as he
returned to the meeting room of the budget committee of the Bucheon City
Council.
"Why didn't you say a word at the meeting?" A question was given instead
of answers. Bang Hyun-wook smiled awkwardly at the question.
"Is there anything I could say? I just have to do what I'm told."
However, Bang did not show what he thought, but his face got harder. He
looked like he had been stabbed deep inside.
"A man, who used to compete with others throughout his school years to
become a professional baseball player, does not change easily, even when
monsters have appeared."
Rather early, Kim Tae-hoon noticed a change in the way Bang Hyun-wook
looked at him. His behavior was different.
At first, Bang Hyun-wook looked like a puppy waiting for an order. He was
afraid of monsters, but on the one hand, he was pleased about the fact that
he had the power to kill them.
At the same time, he was proud of being a partner who could help Kim Tae-
hoon fight, as well as the incidental things that arose from it... like the satis‐
faction of the snobbery, such as the surrounding gaze and treatment.
437
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 47 ⦘
However, recently, Bang Hyun-wook was not happy. He watched Kim Tae-
hoon fight without saying anything, and the gaze he had was dead.
Furthermore, such his mind was showed as a result. The brave spirit he had
shown to the monsters had disappeared.
"But I don't want to pat you on the shoulders. I don't have that personality,
and I've never done it."
"I don't even think I can allow you to be like a dog with an inferiority com‐
plex." It was why he called Bang Hyun-wook over separ ately.
"That's..."
What Kim Tae-hoon needed was the combat power that Bang Hyun-wook
had shown.
He needed the Bang Hyun-wook who ran against monsters with at brave
spirit and could sometimes even joke on the battlefield. He did not need the
Bang Hyun-wook who only looked like a dog with an inferiority complex.
At the words of Kim Tae-hoon, Bang Hyun-wook said, gritting his teeth
tightly, "I'll be a hunting dog."
5.
It was Jang Sung-hoon who came to Kim Tae-hoon after he left the confer‐
ence room and was alone again.
438
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 47 ⦘
"At least, he is not one who worries whether it is good to betray me or not,
or whether he could replace me."
"... are you not going to tell others about your second dream?"
Kim Tae-hoon had not told anyone about his second dream, except for Jang
Sung-hoon.
It was not because he more believed Jang Sung-hoon and he less believed
the rest.
Kim Tae-hoon was the hope and savior of everyone here. Therefore, his
death would be hard for himself, but also hard for those who trusted and
followed him.
In a world where it was hard to even live, he didn't want to put a bigger bur‐
den on them.
Most of all, the clear interpretation of the dream was not done yet.
"If you have any questions, just ask me without having to sugarcoat them,
or a humble attitude, calling my name."
439
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 47 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon nodded. He was of the same opinion. He didn't know what
injuries he had suffered or why he died in his second dream.
"When sister Sun-mi tried to cure the boss, she was not involved in the
fight, and it's unlikely that monsters have a virtue of ignoring other humans
and targeting the Boss. Virtue is something that goes between people, isn't
it?"
When Kim died, he saw Ahn Sun-mi once. Her hair was longer than it was
now, and she was not involved in combat and did not have major injuries.
But there was no reason for a monster to leave her alone. If she had been
excluded, something would have been limited in the battle.
Otherwise, the cause of death itself is simple and clear: the law of the jun‐
gle, the weak are the prey of the strong.
Kim Tae-hoon's death was due to his weakness. If he were strong, there
would be no reason to die.
"Yes."
440
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 47 ⦘
"When I kill a monster, I gain experience and level up through it. That's the
game."
"The one who kills them first and gets the level-up would be the winner."
Only then did Jang Sung-hoon understand what the most important thing to
survive in this world was. "It's a zero-sum game."
'It is important to secure relics, to make items, and to secure weapons. But
all of them end up being used as a means of killing more powerful mon‐
sters.'
"After my first dream, our goal was to be a military warlord, and defend our
castle." Now, they needed to change their goal.
The first purpose of Kim Tae-hoon was to settle down in Bucheon and de‐
fend the area.
But it wasn't anymore. Just defending the area was not enough.
Along with the words, Kim Tae-hoon looked at the map on the whiteboard
that he had used for the meeting.
441
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 47 ⦘
"I guess so. It's not possible that there will be no competition in the country,
including Colonel Lim Hyun-joon, who appeared in your first dream. You'll
be in trouble from now on. Why don't you just become the Commander-in-
Chief? First of all, the boss is a Major, right? Why don't you try to be a
General this time? Give me a seat."
To Jang Sung-hoon, who joked to ease the heavy mood, Kim Tae-hoon did
not bring up the words "Sword of Goujian" or "Gwanggaeto Stele."
There was not anything that could be done right now, by telling him the re‐
ality that China, which had strong military power, would be a competitor.
Before Jang Sung-hoon could say 'It would be dangerous,' Kim Tae-hoon
dyed his eyes black.
"Put the order into the workshop to preserve the skull of the Black Snake in
its original form."
442
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 47 ⦘
"Set it up?"
"Because they are not that kind of things who will understand it if I just say
this is my territory."
"Not coffee?"
Jang Sung-hoon answered with a smile, "I can make Mixed coffee."
6.
Located northwest of Hubei province, China, it was a huge city with a pop‐
ulation of 3.5 million. It had a car factory and Danjiangkou Dam which was
once the biggest in Asia.
But now the city of Shiyan was not suitable for the big city. There was
some of noise a big city had, but the noise was caused by a man doing his
best not to be eaten by a monster.
There were people who watched the noise from a safe distance. They were
soldiers but were not soldiers in military uniforms. Some soldiers were in
uniform, but the most noticeable ones were those wearing armor that might
have been worn in medieval or ancient China.
443
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 47 ⦘
The 170-centimeter, model-like appearance of the two was very good. They
were twins.
One of the two said, "I don't understand why we have to fight. All we have
to do is drop a nuclear bomb and retrieve the monster stone. It would be
better to get caught up in a nuclear explosion than to die by a monster."
It was a bloody remark, however, there was no other word from the other
twin.
"Not likely." The answer came from a man wearing a military uniform near
the two. "We are here to defend the land of China, not to destroy it."
The woman, who had spat out her cruel words, shrugged her shoulders at
the short words of the man.
Chinshan with a rank of Major looked at the woman smiling at him with
cold eyes, then looked at the other twin who did not have any facial expres‐
sion, and said, "Prepare for the performance."
At the words of Major Chinshan, the woman, who had no facial expression,
held the lute in her hand. When her fingers touched the strings of the lute
made from old trees, a haze began to gather around the lute.
Ting! As soon as the woman's fingers flicked one of the strings of the lute,
the haze spread to the surrounding area, and the golden energy began to cir‐
culate in the eyes of those who wore armor.
The same was true of the eyes of the woman who had spoken harsh words.
"Okay." The woman drew a Bronze Sword from her waistband. Then she
shouted, pointing at the city of Shiyan with it. "Attack! Along with the
shout, letters carved with gold began to shine on the surface of the Bronze
Sword.
444
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 47 ⦘
It was the Sword of Goujian, made by King Goujian of Yue for his own
use!
445
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 48 ⦘
Chapter 48
Chapter 17. This is My Territory, Part III
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
7.
"Goddamn it."
BoxN ovel.com
His name was Kim Hyun-seok. He was twenty-six years old this year, and
up until a few months ago, he was a man with a handsome face and a slim
figure. In addition, he was full of heart-warming expectations for a new
world as he got ready for a trip to Europe in 2017.
It was December 31, 2016, when his everything changed. A new world had
begun.
However, it was not the new world Kim Hyun-seok was waiting for. Sud‐
denly, a monster appeared and the world became hell. The monsters that ap‐
446
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 48 ⦘
peared made food of humans and enjoyed eating them alive more than any‐
thing else.
The survivors were also the same. Looting, rape, arson... There are even
some lunatics eating human flesh.
He thought that there would be nothing more like hell than this. But that
idea was shattered with the appearance of a furry crocodile.
The giant furry crocodiles, not one, not dozens, but hundreds of eerie croco‐
diles began to move around like a tsunami, sweeping through everything.
Even in the middle of them was a larger crocodile than the two buses com‐
bined. A ridiculous monster with yellow eyes spewing huge flames with its
mouth was there!
'Damn it...'
Kim Hyun-seok, who had seen the monster, shuddered. He also recalled
that he had pissed his pants when he had seen the monster.
He thought he would like to face a peaceful death that no one would know
about, somewhere in this building.
'Huh?'
447
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 48 ⦘
It was a sense of smell that had been made extremely sensitive by hunger
for days that stopped his agony, and the soft scent tickled his sensitive nose.
'Coffee?'
The smell was coffee. It was a smell he knew well, and something that
could not be found anywhere after the monster appeared.
'Why coffee?'
Unknowingly, Kim Hyun-seok headed for the place the odor was coming
from. His footsteps stopped at an office which used to be a calligraphy in‐
stitute before the monster appeared.
A man was enjoying a coffee under the translucent window in the office,
framed in the sunshine that penetrated the window.
When Kim Hyun-seok saw this scene, he froze. His brain stopped working
in this ridiculous situation.
For a few days, the only thing he had eaten was a lump of snow, and the
coffee flavor roused his appetite.
"Huck!"
Kim Hyun-seok was most surprised by the loud noise, while the man
looked at Kim Hyun-seok in a coolly.
"Hey, hey..." At this moment, the only words that came to mind in Kim
Hyun Suk were, "Do you have anything to eat?"
448
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 48 ⦘
It had been such a long time ago since he had a proper meal. What he could
call food among the things he has recently eaten was a triangle Kimbab
which had been trampled by someone at a convenience store, where every‐
thing else had already been stolen five days ago.
"Please... please."
The man looked at him at such a desperate request. The cold eyes of the
man met Kim Hyun-seok's eyes. At that moment, Kim Hyun-seok could see
that the man in front of him was a monster that was not lacking compared to
the most terrible monster he had ever faced.
"Yes?"
"Oh, well..." At the sudden question, Kim Hyun-seok came up with the an‐
swer he had to. "Gwangmyeong City! I live in Gwangmyeong City, my
name is Kim Hyun-seok, and I am twenty-five... no, twenty-six."
The man took a chocolate bar out of the inner pocket of his jacket. Kim
Hyun-seok's eyes widened.
"This is the information fee. I will give you one more if you tell me what
happened in Gwangmyeong City, and everything you've seen and heard."
8.
"It is about three meters long, and its exterior appearance is like a crocodile,
but it has fur like a wolf instead of armor-like leather, and it lives in groups
like wolves."
A Wolf-crocodile...
449
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 48 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon, who finished explaining about the newly appeared monster,
looked up at the crowd.
Kim Soo-ji, Yang Jung-hwan, Lee Soo-young, and Jang Sung-hoon, four
people looked at their smartphones and had a stiff expression on their faces.
Four people looked at the photo file that had been transferred to their smart‐
phones. In the picture was a Wolf-crocodile that was too big to be compared
to a normal Wolf-crocodile.
Other pictures even showed him breathing out the fire. It was the leader of
the Wolf-crocodiles.
"These three kinds of monsters, a total of over four hundred, are moving to‐
ward Bucheon."
At the end of the story, Kim Tae-hoon looked at the crowd. No one had spo‐
ken to Kim Tae-hoon, or taken their eyes off their smartphones.
'A very different type from the Black Snake we dealt with last time...'
'The number of the group is over four hundred, we almost died just dealing
with a crazy Black Snake...'
'If four hundred monsters eat half a human being a day, twenty thousand
people will be prey in ten days. Bucheon was lucky. Bucheon was very
lucky. The city of Gwangmyeong has only a small population left.'
450
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 48 ⦘
They knew that yellow-grade monsters were moving towards Bucheon City,
so Kim Tae-hoon moved in person to scout. But they didn't know that the
yellow-grade monster was not a single individual like a Black Snake, but a
leader who led a huge crowd.
The situation was quite different from the one for the Black Snake. That
was why they couldn't speak. They couldn't talk about it because they were
looking for a new solution to deal with the new situation.
"Do you have any questions or comments?" Kim Tae-hoon urged them. The
effect was certain. To these people, his words meant more than anyone else.
The first one to spit out was Kim Soo-ji. "In order to deal with a large num‐
ber of monsters, there is the only firepower, in the end."
"We are still getting ammunition from the Ammunition Company. We have
ample ammunition, but the problem is we don't have enough guns."
Kim Tae-hoon turned his attention to Lee Soo-young. It was her job to get
guns and other weapons from the 17th Division.
But now she had few weapons in the subordinate units of the 17th Division.
"You know that it's a good distance, and it cannot be done in a short period
of time, as we have to go over a mountain."
There were many reasons. The biggest one was the distance. It was quite a
distance, and they had to cross a mountain in between.
She would like to bring an armored car to carry the weapons, but the condi‐
tion of the road did not allow it. She was trying to secure a route to supply
and receive weapons, cleaning up the vehicles on the road and removing the
surrounding monsters. It was a task that would take time.
451
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 48 ⦘
"Of course, I know this is an excuse, and if you give me an order, I'll take
risks and get things done quickly."
But the situation had changed, and she was willing to do it if she had to do
it.
The pack of Wolf-crocodiles approaching now was not monsters that could
be killed without suffering damage.
"A week. For a week, I will stop the Wolf-crocodiles from approaching, so
you'll have to get as many weapons and ammunition as you can."
"Boss!" Jang Sung-hoon asked the cross question directly. "How will you
make a week? By the speed of their movements, they will be in Bucheon
City as early as two days, and on the third day, they will be in Bucheon City
Hall."
It was not easy for anyone to see a group of four hundred Wolf-crocodiles
moving at a rapid pace, eating monsters or humans like bulldozers.
"Yes?"
"What?"
"Boss alone?" Jang Sung-hoon asked the question, with the narrowed eyes.
"Is it possible?"
452
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 48 ⦘
"Major, no matter who you are, you can't stop a group of four hundred mon‐
sters including the yellow-grade one..."
Kim Soo-ji and Jang Sung-hoon changed their complexion and spoke to
stop Kim Tae-hoon somehow.
If this decision came from Kim Tae-hoon's brave spirit and self-sufficiency,
the result would be terrible. However, Kim Tae-hoon 's decision was never
something that rose from a brave spirit and self-sufficiency.
It was a decision made by cool judgment. There was no choice but to judge
it calmly
"That's my specialty." That was what Kim Tae-hoon had done. "There's no
reason for me to get involved in the street battles."
Moreover, a city was a world that man made for man, no matter what they
say. It meant it was not a world that they made for monsters.
9.
A crocodile slid its huge head into the building's door. The sight of it
putting its head in was bizarre. It was about three meters long and had the
same shape as a crocodile, but all over it was not armor-like leather, but fur-
covered leather reminiscent of a wolf.
Its legs were much longer than a crocodile, making it possible to run faster
and more stealthily than a crocodile.. The Wolf-crocodile's steps into the
building were so quiet that its huge body was meaningless.
453
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 48 ⦘
Slurp!
Slurp!
As soon as it thought about it, the Wolf-crocodile began to move along the
blood trail without any hesitation, just as Hansel and Gretel in fairy tales
followed breadcrumbs.
The thing waiting for the Wolf-crocodile was not bleeding prey, but a man
holding a silver thermos with blood dripping out of it.
Shiyik! Shiyik!
The Wolf-crocodile flicked its tongue at the man. It was excited to see prey
alive after a long time.
Shiyik!
With a gruesome sound, the Wolf-crocodile's head rolled on the floor, still
sticking out its tongue.
Tsreung!
The Sword that cut the head off the Wolf-crocodile in a single stroke went
back into the sheath on the back of Kim Tae-hoon. At the same time, he
filled the thermos with the blood pouring from the body of the Wolf-croco‐
dile.
The hot blood filled the thermos. Kim Tae-hoon, closed its lid, cut through
the Wolf-crocodile's stomach, ripped the monster stone from its heart and
put it in his mouth.
454
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 48 ⦘
The last act of the hunt was to renew the number of Wolf-crocodiles he had
killed today.
Eleven, the moment he remembered the number, a memory from two years
ago came to mind.
Two years ago, Kim Tae-hoon was in Syria. When ISIS appeared in the
land of Syria, which was ravaged by civil war, countries around the world
dispatched special forces to counter it. Kim Tae-hoon and his men were the
same. They were sent to Syria after being disguised as mercenaries under
orders.
Their purpose was to keep the IS agents from escaping the city in fear after
the death of their colleagues, and it was to earn the time needed to perform
operations elsewhere.
What Kim Tae-hoon did now was not much different from what he had
done in Syria two years ago, either. He was removing the Wolf-crocodiles
outside the pack to hunt for food.
A group of simple monsters would have ignored it. However, the group of
Wolf-crocodiles was not just a pack but had a hierarchy.
In addition, the reason why the group of Wolf-crocodiles moved was that
they were forced to move by the green-grade monster. They had no choice
but to be sensitive to changes around them, and be careful.
455
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 48 ⦘
Therefore, it was necessary for him to instill that fear in order to slow their
feet, just like he had done against ISIS two years ago in Syria.
In the end, Kim Tae-hoon would tell the group of Wolf-crocodiles and its
leader, even though they could not speak, "This is my territory."
456
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 49 ⦘
Chapter 49
49 -- Flame-spewing Crocodile, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
Krr...
The sound of them eating their prey alive using the strength of their power‐
ful jaws was more terrible than anyone could imagine.
BoxN ovel.com
Of course, the background sound did not last long. Three Wolf-crocodiles
bit the head, body, and legs of a human who was still alive and crying much
457
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 49 ⦘
more eagerly.
Crunch!
The man who prayed for God disappeared with the sound of bones crunch‐
ing, a snack for the belly of the Wolf-crocodiles, becoming a meal.
Screams broke out, bodies were crushed, and there was a gruesome sound.
The peak of the nightmare was a huge Crocodile coiled in the center of the
playground.
Fahrrrr...!
The Crocodile with yellow eyes spat out the bright red flame through its
mouth and nose every time it breathed. It was the boss of the hundreds of
Wolf-crocodiles, the Flame-spewing Crocodile.
It was a tyrant that not only monsters, but even its own pack of Wolf-croco‐
diles were afraid to meet its eyes.
It had a land which was full of food and the food was rich enough for its
pack to eat every day.
In addition, it made a lot of efforts to defend its land. It destroyed the wan‐
dering monsters that broke into its land, and it went directly to the monsters
who challenged its own stronghold and burned them with bites.
But it lost the land one morning, because of an unknown change of heart of
a monster that it could not approach. Without knowing the reason, the
Flame-spewing Crocodile had to lose the land and start a journey to find a
new home, with the hundreds of its pack.
It was angry because an unidentified monster had emerged and had gone
hunting its pack.
458
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 49 ⦘
It was not even a hunting for hunger but as a warning to the Flame-spewing
Crocodile.
'This is my territory.
It hoped it would have the time to find the damned bastard and bite him!
Kyaaa!
The Wolf-crocodile with orange pupils was not much different from other
Wolf-crocodiles in appearance. It came to the Flame-spewing Crocodile,
racing over the bodies of Wolf-crocodiles tightly packed in the
Sungkonghoe University Stadium.
It carefully set the skull in its jaws in front of the Flame-spewing Crocodile.
The moment it saw the skull, the coiled body of Flame-spewing Crocodile
uncoiled itself.
It raised its huge body, stood upright on its legs, and let out a roar with
flames toward the sky.
Goohh!
The time on the wide road, which is visible right from the station, was sus‐
pended at December 31, 2016.
459
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 49 ⦘
By that time, the cars that filled the road were lying in a pile without their
owners, and the snow that had fallen on them was piled up and frozen hard.
Bang!
Bang, bang!
The Wolf-crocodiles on the road were better suited than ever to the word
'rush'.
They smashed into everything in front of them, knocking them away and
making a path. It was like a river of fur running by. Nothing seemed to stop
the Wolf-crocodile group from rushing on.
It was a huge bone that stopped the rush of the Wolf-crocodile group, which
seemed unlikely to stop. It was obviously the head of a Snake, but its size
was such that it could not be called a snake.
Of course, they could not be afraid of just bones. What was dead was dead,
and in a world of the law of the jungle, even the most frightening being was
nothing if it was only bones.
Their fear was for the skull's owner who made the Black Snake into this
shape. Moreover, the skull was a warning. It was a warning that everything
approaching this territory would exactly turn to this.
Thud!
460
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 49 ⦘
The Flame-spewing Crocodile, which was at the rear of the group, went
ahead loudly in front of the group.
The footsteps shook the earth, and also broke the fear spread among the
Wolf-crocodiles.
The Flame-spewing Crocodile standing on its legs shut its mouth tightly. Its
body began to swell up.
The moment it opened its mouth, a huge blast of fire burst forth and began
burning the skull of the Black Snake.
Quaaaaaa!
It was a declaration of war, to kill the owner of this land and take the posi‐
tion itself!
"Fire!"
The owners of this land were willing to accept the declaration of war.
Boom!
461
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 49 ⦘
However, he failed to keep the promise exactly. He earned ten days, three
more than a week. Of course, it was enough to get a supply ammunition and
weapons.
"Fire!"
"Fire!"
It was even enough to recruit soldiers to deal with such secured firepower.
The recruited soldiers' memories of more than two years in active service
were clearly drawn.
Ten days was enough time to choose the stage and decorate it with all the
preparations made.
Of course, the Mac Guild did not refuse to declare war on the Flame-spew‐
ing Crocodile.
As soon as the Crocodile spewed flames toward the Black Snake's skull, the
artillery units of Mac Guild, who were waiting, immediately began firing.
Kyaah!
The tough fur of the Wolf-crocodile was worthless in front of artillery fire.
The Wolf-crocodile began to blow apart.
It was also the first counterattack that the artillery, who were constantly
loading shells into a 60-millimeter mortar, had experienced so far.
"Fire!"
"Fire!"
462
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 49 ⦘
That's why the artillery, who were shouting to answer the command with
the order, cried out, pressing down against the unceasing roar of shells
bursting out.
It was the soldiers who would use the weapons that the Mac Guild had se‐
cured while gathering weapons and ammunition for rifles, machine guns,
and mortars.
There were very few people who went to war because they liked it. It was
very dangerous for the public, who were not Awakeners, to fight against the
monsters.
They thought that there would be applicants, but they didn't think there
would be too many. But that concern disappeared as soon as the recruitment
began. Applicants poured in.
Most of the male survivors had undergone the military draft; it was the obli‐
gation of all Korean men. However, it wasn't a reason to apply for the posi‐
tion.
It was to vent their anger about not even being able to make a frantic last-
ditch effort, rather than counterattacking after the monsters appeared.
"Wow!"
So they were serious. No one tried to be lazy or skip out on training some‐
how, as they had done in the military service.
Regardless of age, the volunteers from the artillery tried to recall the memo‐
ries and the knowledge they had learned in the military service as much as
possible.
463
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 49 ⦘
Kyaaa!
And it was the same with the Wolf-crocodiles exposed to repeated bom‐
bardment. The Wolf-crocodiles came here to survive, too. They did not in‐
tend to be vulnerab le.
Goohh!
The Flame-spewing Crocodile's cry exploded. The cry changed the whole
situation in a flash.
Kyaaa!
As soon as the Wolf-crocodiles heard the cry, they started to run again, ig‐
noring the shells.
"Uh-oh..."
Fear.
Some of them flopped down and suffered from a spasm, bubbling at the
mouth while lying on the ground.
"Retreat!"
"Retreat!"
464
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 49 ⦘
At that moment, the Awakeners began to load the artillery into the prepared
vehicle, and they were about to leave the area with them, after being ex‐
posed to the fear and unable to do anything.
Rather, at this moment there were those who chewed and swallowed the pill
that made them resistant to the fear, and waited for the Wolf-crocodiles to
come. They were in the most dangerous place to buy time for their col‐
leagues to escape, holding the claymore triggers in their hands.
Even though they had the pill that would increase their resistance to the
fear, their bodies were trembling in fear of the Flame-spewing Crocodile,
but nonetheless, they did not take their eyes off the Wolf-crocodiles.
The rain of iron beads began to pour into the front of the Wolf-crocodiles
that were rushing wildly down the road without seeing anything.
Kieeeeh!
Even eerier was that the Wolf-crocodiles did not stop rushing forward after
pushing the bodies of their fellows out of the way.
'Fucking monsters!'
'We've been ready and then attacked, now we're going to be chased!'
The earlier gunfire was no longer heard anywhere. The situation had turned.
The Flame-spewing Crocodile was now walking down the path created by
the wild rush of the Wolf-crocodiles. It was getting ready to smash, chomp,
465
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 49 ⦘
Shiyik!
A Sword made a long cut on the hide of the Flame-spewing Crocodile that
was not be hurt by the artillery. It prevented the rush of the Flame-spewing
Crocodile.
The cut was so painful that its yellow eyes flashed, and it began to look
around.
Kaaah!
But its eyes, which scanned everywhere, could not find the culprit that hurt
its body.
It was not possible to find him, since Kim Tae-hoon, the main culprit it was
looking for, was floating above its head...
'It's been a long time since I shot this against a living thing. Probab ly four
years?'
466
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 50 ⦘
Chapter 50
50 -- Flame-spewing Crocodile, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
It was in the battle with the Black Snake that he keenly felt it. He did not
know that the Black Snake was so strong and clever, and he faced it with
only the Sword and the power of his Telekinesis.
The result? He almost died. He was lucky to survive, and the battle with the
Black Snake was a mess from beginning to end.
BoxN ovel.com
467
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 50 ⦘
He tried something new that could be done with Telekinesis. It was not
enough to use his Telekinesis to handle weapons freely.
'The firepower is sufficient, and I need a way to use it, accurately and
surely.'
'If I could fly in the air, then I could fight like a combat helicopter. It would
be an unlimited battle in space.'
If he, who had a strong enough level of firepower from the supplies of the
Ammunition Company and the subordinate units of the 17th Division, could
fly in the sky, he could be compared to a combat helicopter, in fact.
It was not easy, of course. If he could have levitated every time he decided
to do with his Telekinesis, he would have done it earlier.
'I'll do it anyway.'
Pushu!
468
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 50 ⦘
1. The purpose of antitank rockets was not to shatter tanks. A huge anti‐
tank rocket mounted on a combat helicopter could do that, but you
could not hope for that much firepower on an antitank rocket used by
the infantry.
A tank is not just a moving mass of steel, it is like a small fortress. If an in‐
fantryman could have completely destroyed such a tank with a rocket
launcher on his shoulder, no country would have made a tank costing $5
million per unit.
The shell with a protruding snout, just like a stork, used by Panzerfaust 3
was the focus of this purpose.
Pushu!
Kr?
It only noticed the presence of the shell after the stork-end had already
touched its body.
As the explosive force of the bomb exploded in front of the target, it was
compressed into a stream like a water pressure cutter, and it pierced its
tough skin like a pointed spear.
469
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 50 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon smiled bitterly, looking at the scene with black Eyes. 'I can't
even laugh.'
It was definitely a severe wound, but it was not a fatal blow to send the
Flame-spewing Crocodile to death at once. The scream was just for pain,
not death throes.
'It was hit by a rocket with the power to break through the surface of a tank,
but it was only wounded badly.'
Kim Tae-hoon, who knew the power of modern weapons and had even fired
a Panzerfaust 3 against a living human, had no choice but to smile bitterly.
But the bitter laugh was not long, and he was not disappointed.
Ting! The safety clip of the grenade was thrown off by itself, and the safety
pin immediately followed.
At the same time, Kim Tae-hoon thought of a Sword coveting the blood of
any target at any time, waiting for his command at this moment.
Bang!
1. Burreung!
As soon as they were exposed to the fear, cars carrying the paralyzed ar‐
tillerymen started running along the cleanly maintained road.
470
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 50 ⦘
The pack of Wolf-crocodiles began to run like crazy to catch the cars flee‐
ing before them.
Kya! Kya!
During the chase that began, some of the Wolf-crocodiles moved toward
something they felt in the buildings near the road.
Some of the Wolf-crocodiles with keen senses did not miss out on the pres‐
ence of those hiding in the building to buy time, including the claymore ex‐
plosion.
The first thing that the Wolf-crocodiles that came into the building encoun‐
tered was a huge fire that an Awakener blew out of his mouth.
Fufu!
The fire instantly engulfed the bodies of the two Wolf-crocodiles that en‐
tered the entrance carelessly.
Kyaaah!
Two Wolf-crocodiles were screaming at the fire that had stuck to their fur
and the terrible pain that it produced. The pain was not over there.
"Throw!" Two water balloons flew in from the distance, which the Awak‐
ener who blew out
The balloon burst upon contact with the bodies of the Wolf-crocodiles
writhing crazily in the fire, and it soaked the Wolf-crocodiles with what
they were carrying inside.
Woosh!
The blazing flames made it clear that what was inside the balloons was not
water. It was lighter oil!
471
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 50 ⦘
Kyaa!
As the two Wolf-crocodiles who had become fireballs, were fussing at the
entrance, a new Wolf-crocodile appeared.
Crunch!
A giant hammer that struck it like a lightning bolt shattered its head in a sin‐
gle stroke.
"Uh-cha!" The man who had killed the Wolf-crocodile in one blow was
Bang Hyun-wook.
Except for Kim Tae-hoon, he had the highest rank of Energy in the Mac
Guild, and he escaped the fear of the Flame-spewing Crocodile faster than
anyone else. At the same time, the Energy of the struggle to overcome the
fear forced him to energize his whole body.
He felt as if he were high on some drug. Above all, there was no hesitation
in his eyes anymore.
"Come on! Come on! Let's make a new movie here today! Come on!"
Bang Hyun-wook was not the only one not hesitating. In the building next
to the road, a few Awakeners were ready to launch a street war against the
Wolf-crocodiles, and they there was little hesitation among them.
Tutu, tutu!
"Keep firing!"
472
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 50 ⦘
They had received sweet permission to take all the things they killed.
"Oh, my God!"
"What happened?"
Kim Tae-hoon was here, and they were bound to win this battle.
1. The shell of the Panzerfaust created a deep wound on the back of the
Flame-spewing Crocodile.
Of course, it screamed. This scream was not to create fear, but a naive,
painful one.
Kaaah...
By the time the scream began to turn into a fear full of anger, a grenade
came into the giant snout, was caught in its throat, and then exploded.
Bang!
The explosion was not loud, so it was even more frightening. The intense
explosion had only hovered in its throat.
The explosion took its voice for a while. It also took away its sense and rea‐
son. Its brain shook inside its skull, and all five senses were panicked for a
473
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 50 ⦘
moment by intense sound and shock. In such upheaval, a reason could not
play a role.
At that moment, all it could do was to lower its posture and crouch down
like an armadillo.
It was a filthy, miserable thing to do, but it was the only thing it could do in‐
stinctively.
Kim Tae-hoon hurt its back with the shell on what was called the wing
bone, not the other place.
He now knew that if a sudden attack was fatal, it would coil and crouch
with its body as low as possible, like a snake. So, he hurt its back!
The wound would be open, and beyond that, its heart would be beating. It
would be pounding even more violently to live.
The soldier holding the receiver of the wired radio reported to Jang Sung-
hoon with a bright smile. However, Jang did not smile brightly as soon as
he heard the report. Instead, he told the wire carrier, "Get the situation under
control, send a search party to check the surrounding monsters, and then
count the number of the victims and notify the hospital."
474
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 50 ⦘
"Yes, sir!"
Jang Sung-hoon, who gave the order, recalled the rank on his uniform at
that moment.
Corporal.
That was his rank. He was a low rank. And that rank has not changed much,
even now.
Of course, the Mac Guild was not an army, so rank was useless and mean‐
ingless. But even so, it was certainly funny that he had virtually the right of
command now.
'So the lower-ranked ones look forward to war, and when war breaks out, if
they survive, they can be generals, regardless of ranks.'
The humor that started it did not last long. His expression firmed up.
Whatever his rank was, it was all right. What was important was that he
should now serve as a staff officer. It was time to worry about the settle‐
ment of victory, not the cheers for victory like a staff officer.
In fact, he thought this battle would be very difficult. Even though they had
far more powerful firepower then they had when they had faced the Black
Snake, the enemy was also leading hundreds of monsters, unlike the time of
the Black Snake. Moreover, the presence of fear was very threatening.
But the battle ended more easily than he thought. If he thinks about the rea‐
son, it was because of the full preparation, but the fundamental reason was
475
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 50 ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon.
Kim was willing to make the experience and lessons learned in the battle
with the Black Snake his own.
'He's great.'
And he would be stronger again from today, because he would eat the mon‐
ster stone of the Flame-spewing Crocodile and gain new power and
strength. Furthermore, it was the way Kim Tae-hoon chose to survive.
Therefore, Jang Sung-hoon was able to easily predict Kim's next option.
Kim Hyun-seok was lucky enough to find Kim Tae-hoon, the luck of the
heaven; he was able to become a survivor, not a victim. At the price of a
cup of ramen and some instant rice, he confessed everything he had seen
and heard in Gwangmyeong City, and what he knew. There was a great deal
of information he had given.
It was a fact that the public did not know. If they were interested in it, you
would not be the public. Of course, neither Kim nor Jang knew. None of the
survivors knew that.
That's why it was even more valuable information. The information was
valuable enough to change the future of Mac Guild and survivors.
Without electricity, you could not use the technology of civilization. But if
you steadily collected electricity through solar power plants, the quality of
life and the probab ility of survival would increase significantly.
476
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 50 ⦘
Therefore, Kim Tae-hoon would have made their next goal securing a solar
power plant.
It would be a suicidal act to enter a monster den they knew nothing about,
only that it was different from the monsters they had been dealing with.
But Kim Tae-hoon would go, as he knew that he could not avoid the danger
of it coming, by closing his eyes.
Jang shook his head, took out Daedongyeojido again, and looked at the area
of Gwangmyeong City.
"Uh?"
477
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 51 ⦘
Chapter 51
Failed to download chapter body
478
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 52 ⦘
Chapter 52
Failed to download chapter body
479
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 53 ⦘
Chapter 53
Failed to download chapter body
480
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 54 ⦘
Chapter 54
Failed to download chapter body
481
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 55 ⦘
Chapter 55
Failed to download chapter body
482
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 56 ⦘
Chapter 56
Failed to download chapter body
483
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 57 ⦘
Chapter 57
Failed to download chapter body
484
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 58 ⦘
Chapter 58
Failed to download chapter body
485
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 59 ⦘
Chapter 59
Failed to download chapter body
486
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 60 ⦘
Chapter 60
Failed to download chapter body
487
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 61 ⦘
Chapter 61
Failed to download chapter body
488
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 62 ⦘
Chapter 62
Failed to download chapter body
489
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 63 ⦘
Chapter 63
Failed to download chapter body
490
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 64 ⦘
Chapter 64
Failed to download chapter body
491
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 65 ⦘
Chapter 65
Failed to download chapter body
492
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 66 ⦘
Chapter 66
Failed to download chapter body
493
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 67 ⦘
Chapter 67
Failed to download chapter body
494
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 68 ⦘
Chapter 68
Failed to download chapter body
495
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 69 ⦘
Chapter 69
Failed to download chapter body
496
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 70 ⦘
Chapter 70
Failed to download chapter body
497
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 71 ⦘
Chapter 71
Failed to download chapter body
498
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 72 ⦘
Chapter 72
Chapter 26. Messiah vs. Messiah, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
It was quite a warm night, warm enough to spend the night on the green
grass. That night, Kim Tae-hoon began collecting information.
"The smoke began to flow out of the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner and be‐
came a monster."
The man, who was now kneeling naked in his pants and underwear and
wearing only his jacket, was Kim's first target. In fact, it was right to say
that they were collected rather than hunting.
BoxN ovel.com
For Kim, hunting was his own determination, and sometimes his life de‐
pended on it.
If Kim dealt with an animal, who had raped a woman by force and was con‐
cerned about future trouble and killed her on the spot without mercy, it
would not be called hunting, it would be an insult to him who has been
hunting monsters.
"No, it was a beast, not a monster. Tiger, lion, wild boar... elephant! There
was also an elephant!"
Of course, Kim had no intention of showing the leisurely air of the winner,
the mercy of the hunter to the man.
499
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 72 ⦘
"Yes?"
"Well, it's..."
"If you answer my question, your life will be saved, I'm sure I promised."
There was only one deal he wanted to keep, only one deal with the man.
"I'll ask you again, where are they?"
"Well, I don't know. She and her Guardians don't stay in one place and
move on. I only see them when the Guardians with the Stigmata come to re‐
ceive the payment periodically!"
"I said everything! I told you everything I know! Please let me live..."
If you answer the question, you will be saved. In other words, if you do not
answer the question, you will die.
"I'm sure the woman who was killed by you, would have cooperated with
you, until she died."
"You, you son of a bitch! You didn't want to spare me from the beginning...
eub... eub... eub..."
2.
Ppuduk! A neck was forced to turn and the sound slid past the silent
foothills. It was a feeble sound. It was so weak that it was hard to hear un‐
less one was near.
"Really..." In other words, she heard the noise and it meant that she was
close. "Do you really have to kill them that way?"
500
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 72 ⦘
She had to look at the whole scene from a stone's throw. He didn't do it to
bother her. For him, she was a hostage, and he just needed to watch her so
that she wouldn't play tricks. Anyway, it was not a pleasant sight.
"You don't have to kill them without conditions." She, who had been silent,
complained to him.
"I don't have to kill, but they have enough reason to die. Looting, rape, mur‐
der, robbery. In American law, there is no shortage of electric chairs."
"Isn't it fair to give them a chance to at least reflect?" Kim's behavior was
too much from her point of view. "What you do is not a judgment."
She was not a good woman. She had no desire to be a good woman. But she
had some good, she had her own justice. The goodness she had was a coin.
It was a coin with a reflection on one side, a coin with a judgment on the
other, an opportunity for those who sincerely reflect, and a judgment on
those who do not.
"Let's make one thing clear," he answered. "I have no intention of judging
them. I remove them because they are potential threats."
"Potential threats?"
"What is that..." Kim Tae-hoon was a little funny and in a frank spirit as
Kate was making such an objection.
501
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 72 ⦘
filming a fake beard and an Afghan in Afghanistan on the other side of the
Atlantic with a camera named Global Hawk, which costs 200 million dol‐
lars?"
The United States, not any country, was the most enthusiastic, most thor‐
ough, and quickest in the world to eliminate potential threats to its home‐
land.
"It's..." Kate, the daughter of the U.S. Ambassador to Korea, could not be
unaware of it. Finally, Kate shut her mouth.
She couldn't answer his cross-question unless she abandoned her own belief
in the U.S., and status of the daughter of the U.S. Ambassador to Korea.
He did not explain any more to her. Her values didn't matter to him and
were not important to him. What was important now was to organize the in‐
formation he had received.
He immediately took a thermos bottle out of his bag. Hee drank the coffee
he had drained before nightfall.
She sat on the ground with a long sigh at this sign that he would no longer
talk. Then she grabbed her hair like she was tearing off her coveted blond
locks.
The Messiah organization had four major classes. The peak was Messiah, or
God, in short. Below it were those with Stigmata, the Guardians of God.
Next, there were believers who believed in Messiah as God. The last class
was slavery, who were not treated as human beings, and they were simply
502
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 72 ⦘
The difference was the actions of Messiah and the Guardians. They moved
in the Chungcheong Provinces without staying in one place, eliminating
monsters, and handing out food and weapons to survivors. Of course, food
and weapons were given only to those who believed, followed and served.
They showed salvation and compassion. For those who wanted to survive
humanly in the Chungcheong Provinces, and for those with power and sta‐
tus, the Messiah had become a must-believe religion.
There were many more mountains than buildings. In these places, areas that
could be managed only with intimidation were very limited. But mystique
was different.
'It is a very good time for the concept of religion to have power.'
The reason why a man who had never been to the Vatican worshipped the
Vatican and Muslims bowed every day to Mecca, which they had never
seen before, was also due to the mystery.
Above all, it was no exaggeration to say that the value of religious relics in
this era was perhaps the most powerful in human history.
'Rather, the power of the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje is...' Even
the power of the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje that the Messiah had
503
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 72 ⦘
It was said that not even one but several were summoned, and since they
were made of smoke, no physical attack could hurt them.
The believers of the Messiah said that there was not a single monster so far
that they could not kill by with Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje.
'A monster made of golden smoke that is not hurt by physical blows...'
That was enough to be called a mirac le. This was not the only thing.
Instead of calling them an Awakener, the Messiah used Guardian, and they
expressed the mark of an Awakener as the Stigmata of a Guardian.
It was not just an impulsive group, but evidence that the Messiah system
was built based on a number of purposes.
Of course, it was an awkward system for Kim, who had to capture them and
then take the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje from them.
'I'll have no problem if I have time...' If he had time, the Messiah would
never be an opponent. Kim knew how to deal with a stronger opponent or a
stronger group.
There was no need for the power of an Awakener. All he had to do was take
the time to kill them one by one.
504
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 72 ⦘
He could not afford to trace Messiah's movements right away, and he knew
that it would take the time to destroy them. In addition, using such methods,
Messiah and the Guardians might choose to hide or escape. All he needed
now was to make them come out by themselves, then knock them out.
'That's what works best for those who use religion as a weapon.' And he
was well aware of how to catch a group that used religion. 'The rise of a
cult.'
He was also more aware of the dangers of a group using religion better than
anyone else. He swallowed a cup of coffee and closed the lid of the thermos
bottle.
'The use of another poison to remove the poison. I will be a Messiah, too.'
3.
The arrival of the monsters took away everything: it became an absolute re‐
ality in a changed world
"Rebellion?"
Under the warm sunshine, the car campsite located in the north of Mt. Gy‐
eryong was spectacular. Expensive SUVs were flashing themselves, expen‐
sive camping supplies were scattered, and countless kinds of wines and
food were everywhere. It was hard to believe that such a sight was real.
In one place there was even a DJ machine, and some people were dancing
to the songs.
It was a sight that was hard to see even before the monsters appeared. A
short-haired woman laying down on a hammock between two trees handed
505
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 72 ⦘
"Well..."
At this, the woman was no longer lying in the hammock. She sat up from it
and looked at the man kneeling in front of her, as she sat in the hammock
and held the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje.
The man continued at her glance, "The rebels seem to be armed properly,
and-"
"Some of the survivors who went to quell the rebellion say strange things."
The man who was trying to spit out his words took a breath and then contin‐
ued, "The true Savior saved us... The people who revolted in Buyeo said
that."
As soon as he said those words, the golden smoke began to flow out of the
Gilt-bronze Incense Burner the woman was holding. With the appearance of
the golden smoke, not only the man who knelt before the woman, but also
the man who stood guard near the woman's hammock and everyone around
her stood stock still.
Soon the smoke disappeared back into the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner, and
the woman held out her right hand. The man who had just received the glass
of wine put it back in her right hand, the one with Stigmata on the back of
it.
The woman drank her wine, savored it a while, and said, "Maybe a cult has
appeared."
506
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 72 ⦘
The woman made a light gesture at the words. At the sign, the people
around her gathered beside her as if they had been waiting. All of them had
marks on their right hand, which they called Stigmata. Already listening to
the preceding conversation, they scrambled to talk to each other.
The woman did not respond to them as they called out their willingness to
take on the mission. Before replying, she touched the Gilt-bronze Incense
Burner she had in her hand.
"All of us?"
"Is necessary?"
The woman in command sighed. "If the rumor goes all the way to Nonsan,
we'll be in trouble."
"Everyone, gather."
Soon after, at her words, the partygoers at the campsite stopped everything
and began to gather at the place where the woman was sitting on a ham‐
mock. More than a hundred people gathered in a flash.
507
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 72 ⦘
All of them with the Stigmata on their right hand were wearing Bronze
Swords or Gandol Swords at their waists.
The woman smiled at the crowd and began stroking the Gilt-bronze Incense
Burner in her arms.
508
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 73 ⦘
Chapter 73
Chapter 26. Messiah vs. Messiah, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
Until a few days ago, this place was like another hell. The believers of Mes‐
siah chose the Buyeo County Office as the place to hold their slaves. To put
it simply, thousands of slaves spent the night piled up like boxes in rooms
under the Buyeo County Office.
BoxN ovel.com
"Let's build a camp in that building. Come on! We have a lot to do!"
It was another look of Hell, and what explanation was needed? Even when
they slept, they had to bear death.
But now, around the Buyeo County Office, there was a power that was not
suitable for Hell, and that was vitality.
The origin of vitality was the slaves of the Messiah who had lived because
they had not been able to die, until a few days ago.
"Be sure to take your ammunition! Make it more valuable than your life!"
509
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 73 ⦘
Even now, what they were doing with vitality was preparation for war. It
was not easy.
'Preparing for war is, in other words, preparing one's own grave and grave‐
yard. It is not a job for slaves, who have been exploited until they die be‐
cause they are afraid to die, to prepare.'
"The fortification work is almost done, and once we hold on after the bom‐
bardment, we'll play games in the street."
The Savior had appeared before them, who had only despair. The Savior did
his mirac le by suppressing the Messiah who had persecuted and exploited
them overnight, and he told those who gathered without stopping there,
"Let's fight against those who call themselves the Messiah. Let's not be their
slaves, but become fighting warriors! And then I would be happy to be your
Messiah!"
Everyone was surprised at the shout because the Savior was a white-
skinned woman with blue eyes who spoke English.
"We're all ready to fight, and now you just have to give us your orders."
'I'm crazy.' Kate Kennedy, she became a Savior. She was to play the Savior,
to be exact.
'I'm crazy.' The beginning of the story was a particularly warm night.
5.
On a warm night, Kim Tae-hoon told Kate. "From now on, I will use Mes‐
siah to catch Messiah."
"I don't think I really understood, unless you misinterpreted the English ex‐
pression, or it's a saying."
"We're building a new Savior group that denies the Messiah here, which is
to say, a cult."
510
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 73 ⦘
He said he would use the bait of a cult to lure the Messiah group into
Buyeo.
"There's nothing more threatening than a cult to those who use religion as a
weapon."
"I understand.."
"Think of ISIS. They destroyed the relics thousands of years old because
they were the remains of heresy."
"Ah."
She was able to understand his plan enough. That was all.
"Well, it wouldn't be hard for you to be Messiah. If you come down from
heaven like Superman and wield a ray sword like the Jedi in Star Wars, one
or two out of ten will serve you as a Savior on the spot."
She thought she had no room for herself in his plan, and she didn't want to
get in the way of the plan.
"What?"
"What?" It was ridiculous, and she needed some time to understand it.
"You're crazy..."
And as soon as she understood his words, she tried to express her surprise
in the loudest voice she could. But her cry never reached the mountain.
"Eup! Eup!"
511
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 73 ⦘
"Be quiet." After that short warning, he released his Telekinesis, and she
said in a low voice. "Are you crazy? You want me to be a Savior of the peo‐
ple here?"
"I'm not like you! I don't fly like you! I'm an American! I'm not a Korean!"
"It doesn't matter who the Savior or God is anyway, and it doesn't matter
how you plan and how you run it."
As her voice was about to rise again, he tapped his index finger on her
mouth. She lowered her voice again.
"Why the Hell should I do that? You're better off playing the Savior than I
am."
"This is an operation to lure. The bait is the bait, and the fisherman is the
fisherman. If the fisherman is caught by a hook, he can't fish."
"I don't like fishing. I don't want to get involved. I'm a hostage, as you say.
Have you ever seen a hostage play a Savior?" Of course, she didn't want to
test her acting talent in this place.
"You'll act as a Savior, and when it's all over, I'll cancel some of the debt of
Monster Stones."
Monster Stones were a new necklace that he put on her neck. It was worth
more than just its value.
512
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 73 ⦘
"If we leave the Messiah like this, their territory will extend beyond
Chungcheong Province to Jeolla Province."
"I can't wait to get people like ISIS out of my territory, because monsters
are a pain in the ass. Above all, this is our only chance. Now that they
haven't expanded their force, it's the only chance for a roundup."
He did not want to see his own fires burning in the flames that had spread
so much, because seeing terrible results was already something he had to
put up with from the visions of Napoleon's Golden Glass.
She did not say any more to his face. Instead, she was anguished about what
she had to do and what she could get.
"And?"
513
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 73 ⦘
"If this is the case... I'll need at least fifty reds, or a hundred."
He replied with a meaningful smile to her proposal. "I'll give you one hun‐
dred."
6.
She made a deal with him and eventually became a Savior. In fact, when
she accepted the offer, she thought it would be easy. All she had to do was
play the Savior on the stage prepared by him.
She thought it was too easy to play the Savior. But it didn't take long to re‐
alize that the idea was a mistake. The moment she started acting the Savior,
the moment she saw those who cried and thanked her like children, and
then when she saw those who were willing to die at her command, she real‐
ized that it was not acting on stage, but a real thing.
It was the same now. In a little while, the Messiah soldiers approaching the
vicinity of Buyeo would begin attacking. A real and terrible war would be‐
gin. She had no intention of acting as a Savior in the war.
"I should have known when he smiled when I said I would need a hundred."
She would not be a Savior, but now she would fight to protect those who
believed in her as a Savior and willingly devoted their life to her. It was the
least courtesy to give to those who were prepared to die and prepared for
war after being deceived by her acting.
And that was why he canceled expensive debts in return for her Savior's
acting. He knew better than anyone what it meant to play the Savior and
how hard it was.
514
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 73 ⦘
Bang! A single gunshot passed over her head and fell over the Buyeo
County Office.
"Keep your position! Sooner or later, the Guardians will come in to clean
up! You can't just let them in!"
Those who survived in the mess, now serving her as Messiah, burned with
the will to fight. She looked at them and clenched her teeth. If she hadn't
played the Savior, they would have been slaves, but they wouldn't have
been threatened.
'It's my fault.' She could not be free from blame for their deaths. Of course,
she had an obligation. She had to do her best to save a few more people.
She held the hilt of the Gandol Sword in her waistband.
'Ten minutes, I'll hold on for ten minutes somehow, as you said.'
7.
"Fire!"
"Fire!
Buyeo intersection...
515
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 73 ⦘
Boom! Boom!
The sequentially popping fires fell over the Buyeo County Office after mak‐
ing a one-kilometer parab ola.
After a long journey, the faint sound of the shells reached the intersection of
Buyeo.
"There was nothing to do in the first place. At best, some slaves rebelled;
it's not necessary for all the Guardians to be here, and there was no reason
for the Messiah to come."
The Guardians with the Stigmata made sad expressions at the sound. The
expression was the same on the face of the Guardians who commanded the
soldiers.
"Stop shelling."
One of the Guardians who stopped the artillery bombs swung his right
hand.
"Finish them."
"Yes!"
The soldiers with the guns that were waiting started running toward the
Buyeo County Office.
"Let's move."
At the same time, twenty Guardians, who had been waiting, slowly un‐
wound and began to follow the path the soldiers had taken. Twenty
Guardians were like the hammer to a nail. They wanted to trample down
any bit of resistant spirit the slaves might have.
516
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 73 ⦘
"Well... I haven't been hunting human beings in a while, and I would have
applied if I'd known this."
"It's more like a normal taste, as opposed to someone who breaks the legs of
two men and has them fight each other."
Of course, as soon as they left, all the Guardians who were looking at the
scene resolved the little tension they had.
"Get back." But a woman's voice tightened the tension of the Guardians
who had relaxed.
Park In-young.
Their eyes headed to her together, who was called Messiah rather than by
name.
'No way!'
'Oh, my God...'
Park In-young, who was reflected in their eyes, held the Gilt-bronze Incense
Burner of Baekje with both hands. Everyone knew what it meant.
517
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 73 ⦘
"Do you need to use the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje?" One of
them spoke to her with courtesy. She did not answer. Instead, she began to
inject her Mana into it.
Woo-woo-woong!
Gulp! The Guardians who saw the scene swallowed without exception.
This was the case with the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje. Although
they were allies, they could only get goosebumps in front of the outcome.
The Guardians, who had seen its destruction and scenes that made the weak
cry after the work of the terrible monsters, were forced to be nervous at this
moment.
Soon, when the golden smoke from the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of
Baekje rose to her knees, she opened her eyes.
Took, Took! It was at that moment that an object of the perfect size to grab
in the hand fell from the sky.
'Hmm?'
'Huh?'
'What is it?'
518
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 73 ⦘
Of course, they paid attention to find out what had fallen from the sky. For‐
tunately, it did not take long to identify it.
Toot! It was only a short time to realize that it was a flashbang that spewed
out intense flashes and burst their eardrums.
"Aaaaaargh!"
"Oh, my God!"
The two flashbangs paralyzed the sight and hearing of the crowd in a mo‐
ment.
"Ugh---"
"Retch!"
The physical impact was not great when the flashbangs blew, but the impact
on their eyes and auditory damage were worse than any physical shock.
Park In-young was not protected. She was closest to the flashbang, and she
fell back under the explosive force that occurred when it exploded. At that
moment, she dropped the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje. However,
she could not hear it fall to the ground.
Whi-rik! Instead of falling to the ground, it was sucked into the hands of a
man standing on the middle of the road divider. Kim Tae-hoon had finally
caught the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje.
519
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 73 ⦘
=========
=========
At that moment, he was forced to admire in front of the relic in his hand.
Part of the heritage of the brilliant kingdom, Baekje, the splendor of this
relic, worthy of being picked up by hand, was beautiful and dignified
enough to make him, who was ignorant of archeology, fall into it.
Taoist hermits, musicians, flying animals, wild animals, the Phoenix stand‐
ing on the top of the incense burner, and the dragon carrying cintamani with
its mouth, all filled the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje, are shining
bright with rainbow colors on each.
While he was so enchanted by this relic he had not seen before, one or two
people began to wake up from the impact of the flashbang. Their recovery
was faster than he had anticipated.
520
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 73 ⦘
Those with the strong physical ability and high Energy rank recovered and
saw Kim.
"Kill him!"
Their fighting spirit began to fly all over the place like arrows. However, he
did not respond to it. Instead, he pointed to one place with a chin, and sev‐
eral people instinctively turned their heads toward the tip of his chin.
Whinny!
Only those who turned their heads saw the horse made of clay, and a war‐
rior made of clay atop the horse.
521
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 74 ⦘
Chapter 74
Chapter 26. Messiah vs. Messiah, Part III
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
8.
At the same time, she gathered soldiers who were properly trained, and she
organized the military forces. It was not difficult to gather soldiers. There
was the 32nd Division under the Second Operations Command in
Chungcheong Province, and there was the largest and most famous training
camp in Korea, known best by the name of the Army Training Center, Non‐
san Training Center.
The Messiah organized an army by selecting the best among the soldiers
from there. She created an army of God. After organizing the army, she
continued to train them and made them elite. That was all.
BoxN ovel.com
That was the only feature of Kim Tae-hoon. They were just hard-trained
soldiers, no more than that. They had no practical experience. Even if they
had had, it would have been a very trivial level compared to his actual expe‐
rience.
522
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 74 ⦘
The difference was similar to the one between a tiger and a rat. In the wide
field, the rat would run away hard and the tiger would not be able to catch
the rat easily. But if one put a tiger and a rat in a narrow cage, the tiger
would not need a long time or a great effort to get rid of the rat. That was
the reason he had done all this... the slaughter.
Kim made a group that denied the Messiah by using a lot of hard work and
effort, and he attracted the Messiah to Buyeo. In the process, he made the
cruel choice of using the survivors of Buyeo, thousands of lives and Kate's
life, as bait. The reason why he had waited for them to be gathered together
in one place, hiding his identity so far, was for the slaughter. Of course, he
was going to do his best for his role on the stage.
Neigh! The main axis of the massacre was Horse Figure Type Earthenware.
The Earthenware, which Kim summoned after injecting his Mana before he
threw the flashbang, ran up the Buyeo Main Street and started to go crazy
between the Messiah Guardians and soldiers gathered at Buyeo Intersec‐
tion.
"Use relics!"
"Guardians, forward!"
Of course, unlike the Plunderers of Incheon City, there were powerful relics
in the hands of the Messiah people.
Woo-woong!
523
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 74 ⦘
The relics that flashed along the translucent blade, which were sharp at the
moment Energy was injected, sparked the courage of those who held them.
Tututu! They fired bullets, got the attention of the Horse Figure Type Earth‐
enware anyway, and gave it physical influence.
"I'll slow it down!" Some of the Guardians were courageous and willing to
fly toward the Earthenware. Of course, they were like moths running to a
flame, no more than that.
Whinny!
The Horse Figure Type Earthenware was the monster which had fought
against the Twin-head Ogre, and it was not an object for Guardians with C
or D rank of Energy, with relics of C grade, and barely one hundred total
point of Strength and Health, to fight.
"Aaaaaaargh!"
Of course, as soon as a Messiah Guardian raised his sword like a spear and
thrust out, the horse rotated 180 degrees and avoided the Sword, and at the
524
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 74 ⦘
same time, the warrior's sword on the horse cut through the Guardian's
head. Seu-euk!
The guardian's head was cut neatly above his nose and dropped to the
ground. As was said earlier, it was the death like a moth: the death that
seemed unworthy, the death that left only fear.
But those who saw it were angry instead of being frightened. "You fucking
bastard!"
A companion had died with courage. If they were only frightened before
that fact, they would not have enjoyed such entertainment in the Messiah.
To do bad things took courage.
"Kill it!"
Of course, they were angry again and again, and naturally, they began to
blind themselves to anger.
Sun-sin's Arrow.
In the past, the Arrow, which fulfilled the will of the great Admiral Yi Sun-
sin, now fulfilled the will of Kim Tae-hoon.
Pook, pook, pook! It began to pierce the heads of the Messiah Guardians,
blinded by anger..
Moreover, Kim was not blinded, unlike the Guardians. His eyes turned
black and looked over the entire battlefield.
It was natural that his black Eyes found soldiers who had set up Claymores
to kill the Horse Figure Type Earthenware and were now backing away
quickly for the explosion.
525
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 74 ⦘
"Detonate it!"
Kim gestured lightly toward the Claymore installed like that. It was not a
sign that meant anything. It was a kind of a switch which made the image
that he needed when he used his Telekinesis clearer. The Claymore spun
180 degrees on the spot as his hand gesture.
"Flake!"
The Claymore, which had turned, was faithful to its mission. As soon as the
soldier pressed the trigger switch, it threw out a lot of steel beads inside it
towards the front.
In the meantime, there was a person who had grasped the existence of Kim
and approached him carefully with a Gandol Sword in his hand.
'I have to kill him.' He approached Kim with a keen eye and tried to become
an assassin, not a Guardian at this moment. Of course, it was the wrong ac‐
tion.
The sound of footsteps was now the same as the thunder to Kim, who had
the Hearing of the Bell-tailed Rat. Kim turned his head as soon as the man
approached within five meters of his back. His mouth was bulging as if he'd
just taken a huge drink of something.
"Aah? Huh?" But it did not reach the assassin. As if there was an invisible
membrane, the flame could not reach the assassin and swept around him.
526
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 74 ⦘
'Er? What?' It was unexpected for both Kim and the assassin.
It was Kim who took the next action after this unexpected event. Kim
swung his palm up, and immediately the assassin's body was yanked into
the air.
"Kuck!" An invisible line exec uted the hanging. Kim approached the strug‐
gling assassin and pulled something out of his arms. What came out was a
Buddha statue about ten centimeters or so tall. Kim opened his black Eyes.
======
=====
It was a valuable relic, but Kim threw it out of the Buyeo Intersection, and
then he also threw away the Gandol Sword out of the road after he took if
from the assassin's hand. The relics were hidden in the grass off the road.
However, the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje was still in his arms.
"What are you!" At that moment, a sharp cry headed for Kim.
Park In-young.
She faced two flashbangs with her eyes and ears, but she stood in front of
Kim in a fairly good manner.
527
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 74 ⦘
The flare was less lethal than a grenade, but the destructive power to a hu‐
man was stronger in some areas than the grenade.
But now her appearance in front of him was so excellent. In her hand was a
Buddhist statue about twenty centimeters tall, which was bigger than the
Bodhisattva Statue that he had just thrown away. It was an object that could
not be compared to the previous Bodhisattva Statue. His black Eyes imme‐
diately grasped its identity.
That was why she showed up in front of Kim, willingly taking the ridicu‐
lous damage.
"What on earth are you!" And it was the reason for her anger towards Kim.
She had countless relics in her hands to perform mirac les. There was no
reason for her to lower her voice, filled with powerful relics from the Buyeo
National Museum in an era where relics were power.
He also had no intention of denying the fact. Such logic was also conve‐
nient for him.
Tsreung! A Sword was pulled from his back and flew straight towards her.
9.
528
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 74 ⦘
'Damn it.' Waiting for a chance to fight back with those who served her as a
Savior inside the building, Kate clenched her teeth at the gunshots and
screams that tortured her ears without a break.
'How many people have died?' As the gunfire stopped, and time passed, the
soldiers and Guardians of Messiah entered the Buyeo County Office. Ac‐
cordingly, the battle had begun. And the battle was of course one-sided.
Even if they had taken guns, even if they had enough ammunition for them,
it was too much to expect a proper battle from those who had barely man‐
aged to remain as slaves for months.
Even if they had served their country as an active member in the military,
how many people had fought in the street battles during their service?
The opponent was a combat organization created by Messiah after her own
screening, to cement her as the extraordinary existence of Messiah.
Nothing was good for the survivors of Buyeo, be it physical ability, mental
power, skill, or experience. Originally, it had to be all over in the earlier
gunfire. No, it shouldn't have been such a fight. The survivors of Buyeo had
no intention, no reason, or hope to fight in the first place.
It was only because of Kate that the survivors would not give up fighting
against the terrible odds. They believed that the hope she had shown was a
real hope, so they were willing to fight because there was hope.
It was the evidence that her performance had been excellent. If her Savior's
acting was awkward, even those who were desperate would not have shown
such a noble belief and sacrifice.
'I am not a Savior!' The fact now became a dagger, and it flew and stuck
into her heart.
529
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 74 ⦘
'I...' It was so painful, using others' hopes to eventually give them something
in vain.
'I am not a Savior, I can't save you.' She regretted two things at this mo‐
ment; she regretted her own inability to grasp the world properly, pretend‐
ing to act to pay off her debts, and she regretted that she had no power to be
a Savior for them.
"Here you are." At that moment, three men entered the building where she
and survivors were. They were the Guardians of the Messiah. The faces of
the survivors turned gray at the moment they appeared, for the Messiah
Guardians were monsters to the survivors of Buyeo, no different from mon‐
sters.
"Hmm?"
"What is it?"
"A foreigner?"
Even the Gandol Sword in her hands was unexpected. In such a situation,
only she moved, instead of being surprised. She rushed to one of the
Guardians, injecting Energy into her body and into her hand. Then she
slashed the Gandol Sword in a slant.
Seu-euk! The Gandol Sword so easily made the body of the Guardian into
two pieces at once. Her attack did not stop there.
"Ugh!"
She held the Sword high with a shout toward one of the remaining two.
'Oh, my God!' Now the Guardian, who faced the Sword that would strike
down like a lightning bolt toward him, took the Sword in his waist and in‐
530
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 74 ⦘
jected his Energy into it as hard as he could. He held the injected Gandol
Sword over his head. The two Gandol Swords crossed.
Seu-euk! But again, it was just the sound of being cut off, the sound of the
Sword and the body of the Guardian being cut off at once.
Energy Rank A.
The Gandol Sword, with her overwhelming power, was stronger than any
other weapon at this moment.
"Fuck!" The other man, who had lost two companions in a short time, took
out a revolver pistol in his waist instead of a Bronze Sword in front of the
scene.
'Huh?' But the bullets were not able to penetrate her armor, made from the
skin of the Twin-head Ogre.
"Crazy!" A cry came out of the Guardian's mouth that seemed to be unac‐
ceptable. In the meantime, she narrowed the distance from the Guardian,
and at once she cut him down. In a moment, three Guardians were crushed
to the floor in six pieces.
The feeling of cutting a person's body was clearly felt through her palm.
The sight of the body crumpled at her feet and the bloody smell that had be‐
gun to bloom now, were imprinted on her mind. But she didn't fall into
shock.
531
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 74 ⦘
not fall into the shock of the first kill. No, she didn't even deserve it.
Was it not she who had pushed their backs as they were being killed in the
bombardment, by the gunshots of the soldiers, and by the Messiah
Guardians at this moment?
There was no way she deserved to fall into disappointment. There was only
one thing she could do at this moment: pray for the real Savior to come.
Her prayers came to pass. "Ah." Then she said with sincerity. "It's over
now." The war was over.
10.
"This is the payment for this month." Yang Jung-hwan, the master of the
Starfish Clan, put a heavy black plastic bag on the desk where Jang Sung-
hoon sat and left the room.
Jang looked at the plastic bags filling with his desk silently.
The identity of the plastic bags was none other than the tax of the monster
stones that the Clans under the Mac Guild killed.
Now that the number of hunters working under the Mac Guild was great,
the payment had to be enormous. It was a treasure pile that could not be
compared with any treasure for Awakeners.
'Oh, it's heartbreaking.' On the other hand, for Jang, who was not an Awak‐
ener, it was just a stone. Of course, he did not really complain about it.
He knew the costs they had to pay as Awakeners, and what threats and risks
they faced. Furthermore, the stronger they were, the threats they faced also
became bigger.
532
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 74 ⦘
'How is he doing?'
Kim Tae-hoon's actions and his future actions were enough to make his
heart reverent.
'Well, he may be doing fine, and who can touch the boss unless he fights the
blue-grade monster in Sejong City?'
Naturally, his complaints were short. After his complaints, he got up from
his chair and opened the bag next to him.
After that, he looked around Bucheon City and at Seoul. "There are still a
lot of yellow-grade monsters in Seoul. The boss was absolutely right.
There's no Daedongyeojido in the Capital Defense Command. If they had
had one, they would not have missed killing such monsters with such a
powerful relic."
The last thing he looked at was Sejong City. When he checked Sejong City,
his face turned white. His hands moved quickly. Next to Sejong City, he
opened the page where Cheonan City was located. 'No...'
Even then, his hands did not stop, and the page where Osan City was lo‐
cated was opened.
A blue light.
533
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 74 ⦘
One blue light was moving rapidly from Osan City to Suwon City. When he
found the light, he dropped the Daedongyeojido map from his hand. The
great treasure fell to the floor. But he could not respond to the fact, because
all he could do right now was to shake uncontrollably, that was all.
"Goddamn it, damn it!" In front of the trembling that could not be con‐
trolled, he made a rough sound, and eventually, he managed to move his
shaking hands and hit his cheek. Smash! His body, which had only trembled
before, began to move.
'It is the Six Snakes.' At this moment, he came up with one scenario. 'The
Six snakes, they're luring the blue-grade monster here to crush us, or there's
no reason for a blue-grade monster to come to Bucheon.'
If they wanted to fuck the Mac Guild, if they wanted to crush it, it was the
creepiest scenario they could choose. It was a great thing. In front of this
overwhelming despair, he imagined the answer closest to the truth. How‐
ever, he could not think of a new scenario that could prevent the scenario.
"Goddamn it..." And there was no unique actor here to stop the scenario.
534
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 75 ⦘
Chapter 75
Chapter 27. A Gamecock, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
With the advent of the monsters, horrors that had never been experienced
began. With the advent of the Messiah, the exploitation and plundering
which seemed to not end began, but in the end, it was a man who no one an‐
ticipated or knew who finished the nightmare of Buyeo. A desperate battle
began, and only screams and corpses were left.
Kim Tae-hoon.
He no longer allowed the gunshots and screams to ring out in Buyeo. That's
how the nightmare ended.
BoxN ovel.com
"Are you finished?" But it wasn't over. Kate asked a question of him, who
started to enjoy the coffee he had served at the coffee shop after finishing
everything. He did not answer, but he stared at her slowly with his coffee in
his mouth.
"It looks like it's over." She did not play up her anger, as she knew he was
not that kind of man.
"Thank you." She was not angry at his appearance. She knew that she had
no right or reason to be angry with him.
535
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 75 ⦘
"I liked your savior's performance, and I caught the Messiahs properly, and
I'll cancel some of the monster stones, as promised."
After his words, he enjoyed his coffee again. That was the last sip, and the
coffee that had been half-filled in the mug was gone, not because he drank a
lot at once, but because of the small amount of coffee that he had made.
Her face hardened at that moment. "Hey, are you going to leave like this?"
There was no answer to the question. There was no need to. His eyes, look‐
ing at her indifferently, were enough to convey the answer.
"Are you really going to leave them alone?" Her face was now distorted. "If
you just go back, most of the people here will just die!"
It was the sound of Kim swallowing the last coffee that stopped the words
that she was pouring out with her feelings. At that sound, she swallowed
without even knowing it.
"We use the Messiah to catch the Messiah, that was our plan. You play
Messiah, and I catch Messiah. I never said anything more."
"You saved them! You're responsible for saving them, aren't you?"
He got rid of the Messiah. Certainly, they were rooted very well. But there
were still plenty of threats around the survivors of Buyeo.
Once there was a threat from the monsters. The survivors of Buyeo were
exploited by the Messiah believers, but they endured since the Messiah pro‐
tected them from the monsters anyway. But no one would kill the monsters
that would be going crazy now that Messiah disappeared.
"They don't know how to fight monsters!" Even those who were protected
by the Messiah had little resistance to monsters, because they had never
fought them.
536
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 75 ⦘
The Messiah had hunted monsters from the beginning, using the over‐
whelming weapon of the first-grade relics, not the crude relics obtained
from the Buyeo National Museum.
When compared, the presence of Messiah was a desperate remedy for the
survivors. There was no room for tolerance in the body's fight against the
disease.
There was a shortage of food and ammunition. Unlike Seoul and Bucheon,
there was enough farmland in Chungcheong Province and Nonsan areas,
but the rice harvested from rice farming did not have much food stockpiled,
and it was not enough to guarantee next year.
As soon as he left here, all the survivors here were finally sentenced to a
deadline to die.
"One, I used these people here as bait, and I threw a wriggling worm into
my hook to catch what I wanted, and the fishing was over. There's no rea‐
son for me to look at the state of the worm on the needle anymore
"You!" She reached for his collar as if she couldn't stand it anymore. He did
not avoid the touch. He was willing to be seized by the collar. That was all.
He, who was caught with the collar, didn't budge. She just grabbed his col‐
lar.
In addition, his will was as strong as his body. She gave up her persuasion
in front of the firmness. She relaxed her grip.
537
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 75 ⦘
"Then I'll bear these lives." Unlike him, she could not abandon them.
Because of those who believed her to be a Savior and sacrificed their life,
she couldn't ignore the survivors here.
"No." But he didn't even allow it. "You're a hostage. I can't allow you to act
the way you want."
"Let's make a deal. Please help the survivors here. I'll bear the price."
"Anything will be fine. Whether my body or a monster stone, say what you
want."
She was relieved of part of her debt in return for playing the Savior, and she
was now determined to owe an unmatched debt.
He had a bitter smile at the changed look of her. 'You've faced the reality.'
The first time he saw she was a smart woman. To put it more plainly, she
was an astute woman. She was a woman who understood her situation and
was willing to act for her own good.
The evidence was that she pretended not to know anything from the first
time he met, and that she understood the situation and calculated quickly by
weighing the scales. However, she was now facing the reality: the world in
which monsters had appeared was not just about fighting monsters.
She had no choice but to reveal her true self, facing the reality that just liv‐
ing became hell.
'But I didn't expect this to happen.' It was the way she was now. She was
full of responsibility and a great cause.
To put it simply, she was a hero. She was a hero who wanted to achieve
something worthwhile through self-sacrifice.
538
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 75 ⦘
There were not a lot of people in the world like her. Courage had its own
use.
Someone needs courage just to save their life, someone needs the courage
to commit evil, and someone needs courage for the sake of the world. That's
all.
There was no need for him to pay much attention to her appearance.
"If you really want to become their Savior, what's urgent right now is not to
take them to Bucheon."
"Actually, the Chungcheong area is important to me, too. For the Honam re‐
gion, the largest granary region in Korea, we need to establish a base in
Chungcheong Province in some way. But I can't do that right now."
"The reason is that we did not come through Sejong City on our way."
Of course, at this moment, he was planning to use her heroic image for his
own good. He was Kim Tae-hoon.
2.
Sejong City.
Built under the reason of relocating the administrative capital, it was once
called the grave of government officials. Of course, it was a joke, a grum‐
bling joke made by goose-fathers, who suddenly drifted around the country
539
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 75 ⦘
to earn money for their dependents who studied abroad, or government offi‐
cials who became mothers. But now the joke had become a reality.
Sejong City became a huge tomb. Among them, the Sejong Government
Complex and Sejong City Hall were the most splendid tombs.
Sejong City Hall, which reminded people of a spaceship and once bril‐
liantly shone under the sunshine with glass instead of concrete, was a glass
mound, and Sejong Government Complex, which was designed like a snake
to follow the Geumgang River passing through Sejong City, was the longest
tomb in Korea.
Rather than survivors, the two areas became a land where monsters digging
up the dead bodies lived.
On the road across from Sejong City, he was listening to Sejong City Hall
and Sejong Government Complex, and he could hear the monsters and
beasts flocking to eat the leftovers in the mass graves.
"Well, there's a really big monster here, right? Are you sure there's a blue-
grade monster?"
He could hear her voice. However, he could not respond to the sound. He
couldn't afford it.
'There's only one thing that can make a sound here...' This was the stage of
the blue-grade monster, and of course, this was not the place where such a
noise was allowed.
There was no need to feel fear, but the existence alone made the monsters
below the yellow-grade stupid!
540
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 75 ⦘
But if there was such a monster, why was there so much noise? There was a
monster loitering to eat a broken body? Even animals were running around
in the collapsed city?
'That's ridiculous.'
At that moment, he quickly took out the thermos bottle and drank the coffee
in it. It was ridiculous to drink coffee in an urgent situation, a situation
where there was no room in his mind, but it was a more desperate act for
himself.
"Hey!"
He ignored her words toward him and began to think with only coffee. Us‐
ing the Hearing of the Bell-tailed Rat, he interpreted the information repeat‐
edly by accepting the sounds.
'Damn it.' His reason and knowledge always returned the same answer to
the information.
'I hope it's not the worst scenario.' There was no more blue-grade monster in
Sejong City!
Gulp! In the end, he accepted the fact with the coffee that he had been tast‐
ing.
"Are you sure there's a monster here? I want an answer." She urged him to
answer. However, her voice was not audible to him.
There was only one thing he could hear. -- Tututu! It was the gunshots that
started to fill the Sejong Government Complex that had collapsed at some
point.
3.
541
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 75 ⦘
Tutu! The shot was quite plain, and it had a lightness that could never be
produced by frightened, mad pulling of the trigger. It was evident that the
owner of this gun was now a veteran of many experiences and battlefields.
Such a veteran had no choice but to spit out a whimper in front of his fel‐
lows.
Tutu!
Veteran Lee Hyung-woo, who saw monsters with shapes similar to wolves
trying to come back, turned his head again and looked at his fellow Pak Jin-
seo, who was pressing his left shin with a rag to stop the bleeding.
Park, who felt Lee's gaze, said immediately. "Don't let your eyes wander,
but focus on the front! If they come, you're done, too!"
The disputing, the harsh words came and went. But they both knew that
they did not need to say them.
And they knew that they no longer needed to be scolded by words that were
no longer true.
"Don't be funny."
542
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 75 ⦘
"Don't shoot the drama, Lee, we're here to deliver the news, not to come to
die together."
"There's Mud Troll flesh, and that's enough to recover if you can afford it."
"Fuck, you're using it for this! When else do you use it?"
"Stay with me, you idiot! Our job is to deliver the news to him! Forget it?
What happened?"
They knew, but they could not stop the fake argument. When they stopped
the quarrel, one of them would be bait and the other would have to live with
regret for the rest of his life.
"Fuck, fuck..." Eventually, Lee wept unknowingly. The fact that there was
no one here to quarrel like this made his heart beat cold.
Park took something out of his pocket for Lee. It was candy.
Cheap candy one could see when one went to a restaurant and finished one's
bill at the counter.
Tutu! Lee, who took another shot before answering, confirmed the candy
and laughed bitterly.
"You're fucking shit, you're fucking shitting me. What the hell is that cof‐
fee-flavored candy..."
Aooo!
543
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 75 ⦘
The conversation, which was not likely to end, was ended by a wolf's cry.
The wolf's Howling was so fierce that it was not comparable to a normal
wolf.
As soon as they heard it, Lee and Park shut their mouths to the Howling,
which made the whole body get goosebumps, dented, and sent shivers down
the spine. The gunshots also stopped.
'Aah!' Lee's fingers were frozen when he was exposed to the Howling.
"Fire, Lee Hyung-woo asshole!" Park forced all his energy and shouted to‐
ward Lee.
But all he could hear was a knock on the empty magaz ine. His face turned
white, and Park shouted out with a red face, "You idiot! Go away! Run!
Go!" Park, who squeezed his voice, picked up the K2 rifle that lay next to
him. He clearly held a scary weapon, but it was as useless as a death-row
convict in front of the death penalty.
"Go!"
"Go, fuck off! Go!" Park made a sound again toward Lee.
Thump! At that moment a man fell on the ground from above. A spider‐
web-like crack started under the feet of the man, and sand dust scattered in
shock waves.
The only thing that glistened between the clouds of dust was black Eyes.
The eyes were full of a fearsome dignity that no other monster could com‐
pare to. However, Lee and Park, who looked at the pupils, burst into tears.
"Ma-Master!"
544
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 76 ⦘
Chapter 76
76 -- A Gamecock, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
"So let's take the necessary supplies, and flee to Yeongjong Island." Before
their surprise was over, Jang came up with a plan to deal with the current
situation.
BoxN ovel.com
"Why Yeongjong Island?" Kim Su-ji was the first person in the situation to
ask questions.
"Currently, the only bridge that we can cross the Han River is Gimpo
Bridge, but the only way to get there is not properly organized. On the other
545
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 76 ⦘
"It's safer than here. Because it's an island, there's a low probab ility of a
new monster entering." Jang answered in the face of the emergency.
Jang, who used to speak fluently before this question, had to shut his
mouth. The silence started. After a long silence, Jang managed to open his
mouth. "We should throw it away."
Bucheon.
Until last year, Jang was in the military service in Bucheon. There wasn't
any big affection for him. But now Bucheon had become everything for
him. He had risked his life to survive and to protect it. He had tried really
hard. It was like his own child!
"The present world is like that, isn't it? We should throw it away if neces‐
sary."
How could anyone say that they would abandon such things easily? But that
was also the reality that Jang saw. He did not turn away from reality. He
looked at reality more clearly than anyone else.
Of course, what everyone wanted at this moment was not reality. It was
Kim Tae-hoon, the Guild Master, who they wanted to see at this moment.
He was the only one who seemed to wake up from this ridiculous night‐
mare. The same was true of Jang, so, he had finished preparing for him.
"I'll organize a special unit, and send it to Buyeo. We'll send a total of ten
teams.
546
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 76 ⦘
5.
After reading the letter, Kim kept his mouth shut. The letter was clearly
written about his worst-case scenario.
The story was that the blue-grade monster in Sejong City was rapidly ap‐
proaching Bucheon, and that the Mac Guild had started evacuating to
Yeongjong Island.
What came out later was not reality, but Jang's personal opinion. Jang was
suspicious of something about the sudden arrival of a blue-grade monster in
Bucheon. And even though Jang didn't write it down, Jang, who wrote the
letter, and Kim, who read the letter, knew who that someone was.
'The Six Snakes.' The mysterious force, which drove Kim to death later, had
played a trick.
Of course, he did not know how. But the other one was definitely sure.
'They've got a new relic.'
The value of a relic that could lure away a blue-grade monster was absolute.
Luring includes attracting, as well as pulling away.
Of course, if they had had such a relic, the Six Snakes would have used it in
the past. They even had the original edition of Daedongyeojido, which let
them check the location of monsters. With the two relics combined, they
would have already taken over the Capital Defense Command. But they
hadn't.
They were being nice? It couldn't have been. This meant that they had re‐
cently acquired the relics that made it possible.
547
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 76 ⦘
His thinking proceeded that far. He couldn't know more than that.
'Four days ago.' More importantly, the special forces moved to deliver this
letter to him four days ago.
'The blue-grade monster reached Bucheon two days ago.' According to the
letter, within two days of sending the letter, the monster would reach
Bucheon. So now, a blue-grade monster might already be running wild in
Bucheon. It couldn't be worse.
But at this moment, he recalled the worst situation, rather than sticking his
tongue to the worst. "If the purpose of the Six Snakes was to destroy the
Mac Guild... they wouldn't have allowed him to retreat to Yeongjong Is‐
land."
If the Six Snakes wanted to firmly crush the Mac Guild, it was likely that
they had identified the Mac Guild's escape to Yeongjong Island and blown
up the only bridge currently capable of entering Yeongjong Island.
It was not too late to grieve after seeing with his eyes what he had lost.
"You did a good job." He thanked both of them for bringing him a letter.
"Oh, no."
" I will head to Bucheon. Both of you will get back to Bucheon alive."
They had lost countless colleagues to get here. If only the two of them were
allowed to return, they would be dead. But the two were not discouraged by
the fact.
548
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 76 ⦘
"Don't worry about us!" They did their job and made the sacrifice of their
fellow workers into a stepping stone for hope, not a worthless dog's death.
Kim clapped the shoulders of the two. At the same time, he promised. 'I will
take the price of this blood somehow. Somehow...'
6.
"Depart!"
Incheon Port...
After Busan port, there was a lot of cargo in Korea, but now the port, which
had been silent for almost half a year, was so busy. People and things kept
moving on the ship. Jang's expression was tired of seeing this.
'Damn it, damn it, damn it.' He was scared and angry. 'You son of a bitch.'
For him, the sudden collapse of Incheon Bridge destroyed the heart, not the
bones.
'I'll pay you back somehow.' Of course, Incheon Bridge could not have col‐
lapsed suddenly. However, when the Incheon Bridge collapsed, his evacua‐
tion plan was inevitable. Everything on the way to the Incheon Bridge was
returned to the port of Incheon, and he managed to find a boat and started to
travel by boat.
However, the movement speed was in many ways slower than being on the
road. Eventually, time was needed, and he had to force the sacrifice of
someone in the Mac Guild to make it happen. This was why the Mac Guild
soldiers and hunters had risked their lives against the blue-grade monster in
Bucheon.
549
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 76 ⦘
'Fuck, damn it...' Of course, the current battle situation and damage in
Bucheon City were reported to Jang. It was the same again.
Beyond the urgency, Jang felt that someone had carved into his back with a
sharp sword and cut him halfway through, all from the face of a man who
had nearly run himself to death.
'Maybe?' He had a hunch about what the coming news would deliver, and
what the secret information was.
"What's going on?" So, the question Jang was now asking in a quiet manner
was not a question to satisfy his curiosity. It was prayer. It was an earnest
attempt to hope that his intuition was wrong.
"Bang Hyun-wook has been seriously injured." But the reality had always
been more brutal than Jang might think. At the cruelty, he covered his face
with his hands.
"Well, um..." It was something that should never be shown. Even if others
shouted for despair, he had to show his strength. But in the face of this mis‐
erable reality, he couldn't help himself.
'Boss...' He really couldn't help it. And it was the same for everyone there.
7.
There was a ten-story building, and a huge mysterious bird was standing on
it.
Chicken. It was definitely a chicken. But it was not possible to explain its
presence with the concept of the word chicken. Its height from head to foot
was over twenty meters, and the length of its body was well over fifteen
meters.
Its black and red feathers were also strong. The two-colored feathers glis‐
tening with oil were so brilliant that they reminded people of a well-pre‐
550
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 76 ⦘
pared blade. Just touching the chicken's body seemed to cut through bones
and flesh.
Its golden beak was also overwhelming. Anything, even steel, could be torn
to paper. The chicken's crest, which was made from flames burning atop it,
was not only bizarre but also sacred. But most of all, the overwhelming
thing were the blue eyes between the blazing chicken crest and the golden
beak.
A Gamecock.
Something, which also had a long beak, attempted an attack on the monster,
which was made for nothing but fighting.
Bang! The thing with a long beak was a K1 tank. The cannon from the tank
shook the ground and headed for the Gamecock above the building.
Bang! The shell went into the Gamecock... but no one was happy with the
fact.
"Hit! The faces of those who were on the tank were hardened in the report
of the tank driver who said 'hit'.
"We are just going to die." Although a tank was a powerful weapon that a
creature dared not fight against, at this moment tank soldiers did not have
much inspiration at the power of the weapon. The reason why was shown
by the monster they were facing.
Ki-oh-oh-oh!
A Gamecock on the top of the building, which was hit by the shell, crowed.
It was not the death cry of an injured and dying animal, but the threat of an
angry beast.
"Ugh!" The threat instantly distorted the faces of everyone in the tank.
"Ugh! Eyes, eyes..." Tears started to flow as the small veins of their eyes
burst, and their eardrums burst and they could not hear anything.
551
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 76 ⦘
Some people vomited blood. But the worst thing was that at that moment
their bodies froze and wouldn't move. There was not even a tremor. Every‐
one just stiffened up like mannequins. The tank stopped where it was.
The Gamecock began to run toward the tank. The Gamecock narrowed the
distance of hundreds of meters with a single flap of its wings and a couple
of runs, pecked down at the tank with its golden beak.
The tank's armor began to tear like a sheet of paper. The Gamecock pecked
again at a tank soldier who had been revealed.
Pook! The huge golden beak cut the upper body of a tank soldier in half.
There was no scream. The fear of the Gamecock took away even the mini‐
mum right to scream in pain. In that ridiculous fear, the only thing that
could move were Awakeners with a high Energy-rank.
"Come on, move quickly!" It was at that time that a group of Awakeners be‐
gan to move. While a tank bought them a few minutes, a group of people
went into the building.
"Here!" There were other groups inside the building that went in. At the
center of the group was a man lying like a corpse. It was Bang Hyun-wook
"Hyun-wook!" It was Ahn Sun-mi, who still had freckles on her nose.
"He is not conscious." Ahn's cry was answered by someone else instead of
Bang. Ahn confirmed the pupil response after forcing Bang's eyelids open.
"That monster grabbed Bang and threw him at the building. After hitting
the wall, he fell from the fifth floor.
Ahn Sun-mi took the IV out of her bag right after the conversation. "Put it
all in four limbs."
552
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 76 ⦘
"Yes."
Inside it was a liquid made from a glass of Therapy, a tube filled with the
liquid.
The needle connected to the supply was plugged into Bang's limbs. The in‐
jected healing fluid began to hover all over his body, mixing with Bang's
blood.
However, it would not be a mirac le for him. The moment he recovered from
his injury, he would fight in order to gain time against a crazy monster who
turned a tank into a piece of paper.
There was no guarantee that he would survive the next time. Ahn Sun-mi
felt miserable about this fact.
"U-eup!"
"Uhhh!"
Even though it was a sound spreading from a distance from the building
with Bang and Ahn, and even though they were in the building, everyone
fell to the floor, tottering. Only one person came alive at the sound.
"Ugh..." Bang, who looked like a corpse, opened his eyes. He came to his
senses and immediately raised his upper body. At the same time, he
checked the needles on his limbs.
553
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 76 ⦘
"Sister Sun-mi, you are here." At his words, she just blinked from the floor
instead of answering.
He breathed a long sigh at the sight and got up from his seat, pulling out the
healing needles stuck into his body.
Ppu-deu-deuk! There was an eerie sound from his body. He was attacked by
horrible pain. However, instead of screaming at the pain, he looked for his
weapon by turning his head.
After finding the Bell-tail of the Bell-tailed Rat, he took hold of it and
turned to leave the building, leaving behind the people who had fallen on
the floor.
Ahn shouted at the sight. 'What are you doing?' "Maaaa..." But her para‐
lyzed tongue failed to cry out, and she could only make a pathetic gutter.
Nevertheless, he understood the nonsense, and said briefly, "I have to buy
time until big brother gets here. If that monster goes to Incheon, it is over.
I'll try to lure it some way. It's okay. I just got a rough feeling."
The rough feeling came back, but it was not true. "The fifth batter and third
pitcher of Bucheon High School, Bang Hyun-wook, is coming, you mon‐
ster!"
It was the evidence that he, who knew the facts better than anyone, had
brought up his fighting spirit once again. "Yiyaaaaaaaaaaap!" After lifting
his fighting spirit once again, he stepped out of the building.
554
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 77 ⦘
Chapter 77
A Gamecock, Part III
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
8.
Ki-oh-oh! The cry of the Gamecock had shaken Bucheon. The cry shook
even the listeners' innermost organs. Their limbs were stiff, and their nausea
was rising.
"Amazing." Major Oh Se-bum was the only one in Bucheon City that could
afford to relax at that distance. At least that was what he thought. He
thought that he could afford to see the violence of the Gamecock, which
had made Bucheon City a hell.
BoxN ovel.com
He had a horn-shaped glass in his hand. It was an object with a dragon en‐
graved on its outer shape after chipping the jade into a horn shape. It was a
thing that could only be seen in a museum. But now it was wasted even be‐
ing in a museum.
"Very good." Major Oh, who held the object in his hand, began to smile
brightly.
555
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 77 ⦘
'Mr. Mao gave us the right thing. I'm sure most of the Chinese relics are
there, and from the point of their view, this is nothing. Even more, consider‐
ing their situation...'
One of the two men, who were shaking around Major Oh, said cautiously in
a trembling voice, "Is that really okay?"
"What?"
"Even if we do this---"
"What's wrong with this? There is no proof. Even if there's evidence, there
is no problem. They can't threaten the Capital Defense Command after they
have a problem. I am not sure they'll get a chance to do so against that mon‐
ster."
The subordinate shook his head to Major Oh, who spoke out without hesita‐
tion. "Well, it's not... this monster could come to Seoul, couldn't it?"
"Oh, that." Major Oh realized that he had spoken out with a bad guess, and
said with a funny smile, "We can kill it then, or we can lure it back to Se‐
jong City. We've lured it here, and it's not a big deal to lure it back to an‐
other place."
Major Oh closed his mouth to prevent his own intentions coming out. 'It's
not bad to bring this monster to Seoul at this time, and I'll be in a good posi‐
tion once again. If not, there's no harm to me because there's a monster like
this in the vicinity of Seoul.'
"So don't worry." Major Oh, who was about to point his telescope at the
Gamecock with his last words, suddenly looked back with a puzzled ex‐
pression.
The other two men also turned their heads, shaking without hesitation. But
there was nothing where the three turned their heads. "Is there a problem?"
9.
556
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 77 ⦘
Only one person, Bang Hyun-wook, was moving alone in a situation where
everyone stopped breathing and their movement stopped. He was even
walking toward the Gamecock.
'I'm crazy.' There was a word in his mind that said regret.
'Why...' He almost died. He was trying to attract it, but he was caught in its
golden beak, and he was thrown through the building.
It was like a human being holding a frog and throwing it at a wall. His
whole body was crushed. That was about an hour ago. He was saved from
death. But now he was walking toward the Gamecock.
'Damn it.' At this moment, he was recalling his whole life. His days of liv‐
ing had passed. His days passing by were days of regret. It was a life full of
baseball, but he could not become the baseball player he wanted to be. He
lacked ability and effort. But on the contrary, it made him walk.
'Yes, it wasn't a very nice life anyway.' There would be no big difference if
there was one bigger regret for the days regret had been stamped on. 'I will
just run away. I don't have to fight, and I can't fight. To Gwangmyeong City,
or Gimpo City... I will just run away.'
Soon afterward, his memory reached a meeting with Kim Tae-hoon after his
school days, which was dominated by baseball. Bang recalled the day when
he met Kim at a large store on December 31, 2016. 'Even if I am not a base‐
ball player, I can still leave behind my best results. A school named after
me might be built in Bucheon.'
557
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 77 ⦘
"Ha ha!" The half-year of experience since he met Kim was the most in‐
tense and desperate. It was worth it.
"OK." Only then did Bang, who had resolved himself, step out without hes‐
itation. Soon after, he stood in front of the Gamecock looking for a new tar‐
get.
On the stretching road, he stood in a place the Gamecock could run to, and
he shouted, "I am Barry Bonds Bang Hyun-wook of Bucheon High School!
Come on!"
Before the cry was over, it was already running toward Bang. Kwoong-
kwoong-kwoong!
Neigh! He could see animals of golden smoke behind him, with the Horse
Figure Type Earthenware in front.
"Aahhhh!" At that moment, his feet twisted, and he fell straight ahead.
Neigh! A clay horse jumped over his fallen head, and the animals of golden
smoke followed behind it. He turned his head as he got up in a hurry.
Ki-oh-oh!
10.
Ki-oh-oh! The first thing, which the Gamecock ran at with a shriek, was the
Horse Figure Type Earthenware. The call of the Gamecock was powerful
enough to create cracks in the clay body of the Horse Figure Type Earthen‐
ware.
Whinny, whinny! However, the Horse Figure Type Earthenware did not
stop. The horse exhaled violently, and the warrior waited for his horse to
pass by the Gamecock.
558
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 77 ⦘
Ppiik! Soon after, the Gamecock drove its golden beak towards the Horse
Figure Type Earthenware. At that moment, the warrior avoided the beak at‐
tack from above by ducking, quickly raised his back straight again, and
wielded his sword at the body of the Gamecock.
The feathers of the Gamecock literally broke apart into pieces like they
were made of metal, and the sword of the warrior was cut off and turned
into a saw.
Ki-oh-oh! The Gamecock turned toward the Horse Figure Type Earthen‐
ware that had passed by, clucking angrily. At the same time, anim
als of
golden smoke began to cling to the body of the Gamecock.
Khung! The lion and the tiger each bit a leg of the Gamecock, and the mon‐
key began to climb onto its body.
Golden smoke instantly stuck to the Gamecock's body and began to break
down its black and red feathers.
Hoo-woong! Hoo-woong! At the flap of the great wings, the bodies of the
wild animals and the flying animals of golden smoke disappeared like
smoke, but in time they reappeared from different positions.
559
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 77 ⦘
Khung! The tiger and the lion, which had been biting its legs, appeared on
top of the Gamecock.
Ki-ki? Ki-ki! A monkey emerged from a strange place, fell to the ground
and started to make a fresh rush toward it.
It stepped on a car that had been broken on the road and leaped to the roof
of a three-story building as if he were stepping on the stairs, and then he
jumped to the roof of an even higher building. Soon, he climbed onto the
roof of a high-rise building quite distant from the Gamecock.
Neigh! At that moment, the clay horse, still carrying its owner, ran along
the roof of the building and threw itself out at the Gamecock. It was an
amazing leap, but it seemed a little short to reach the body of the Game‐
cock. That short distance was filled by the warrior with the sword himself.
The warrior jumped off his horse again!
The thrown warrior passed through the elephant of golden smoke on top of
the Gamecock and plunged his sword deep into its back. At that moment its
eyes changed. It no longer cried out. Instead of opening its beak and making
a sound, its beak clamped shut. Then its chest began to swell up.
The things swelling within its breast erupted through the flaming crest of
the Gamecock.
560
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 77 ⦘
Ki-oh-oh!
A man on the roof of a building looked at the whole scene with black Eyes.
11.
There were many things that made him frown like that. No, everything in
Bucheon right now made him frown: the appearance of Bang Hyun-wook,
who was ready to die and threw himself out as bait, and the appearance of
the Gamecock which had shown its amazing splendor. And the presence of
Major Oh Se-bum, who was watching the scene.
'It's the worst.' At this moment, however, Kim did not adapt to his feelings
by exploding as the Gamecock had. Rather, he flatly ignored what his feel‐
ings demanded, and rejected them.
He did not go to rescue Bang, nor did he stop the battle right away. He
didn't even go to see Major Oh and get his payment. He knew that it was
not the answer. Emotional results were not much different from drunken
ones.
If it fails, it's all over. Under such circumstances, he should not just let the
last card be wasted on emotion. Stay calm.
'I found a heart sound once.' He calmly began looking for ways to kill the
Gamecock at this moment. He was able to gauge the position of its heart.
'I can measure its defense.' The problem was its defensive strength.
It was only wounded by the attack of the Horse Figure Type Earthenware
and the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje. In other words, it was only
hurt.
561
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 77 ⦘
To be honest, the attack was powerful enough to smash the whole body of
the Twin-head Ogre. In particular, the attack of the Gilt-bronze Incense
Burner of Baekje was terrifying. They were almost invincible to physical
things.
To such a monster, the depth of the injury Kim could make with all his
Telekinesis would not be that great. Even if it were deeply embedded, it
would not be enough.
He needed a way to hit the nail again and again, like a hammer, until the
nail was stuck in the wall, until the nail eventually disappeared into the
wall, and even after the nail disappeared. Of course, during the process, he
needed to attract the attention of the Gamecock and to deal with it.
And all this had to be done before the Gamecock exploded. At that moment,
he held the Gilt-bronze Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue in his right hand
more firmly.
The Energy in his stomach, the Mana in his chest, the Telekinesis in his
head, and the empty place began to rise quickly. Even the Gilt-bronze Aval‐
okitesvara Bodhisattva Statue began to fill with his mental power and con‐
centration.
Tsreung! The Sword of the Imperator on his back hummed again. It was
time to show who was the owner of Bucheon City again.
562
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 78 ⦘
Chapter 78
A Gamecock, Part IV
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
12.
'What is this?' It was a sight that could not be understood by Bang Hyun-
wook's common sense. Even if he could understand it, the battle was be‐
yond the categ ory of common sense, so he could not help but make a fool‐
ish expression. Of course, he froze at the battlefield that started in front of
him. He didn't even think of running.
"Hey!" Suddenly a woman, who came down to the ground, caught his wrist
and pulled at him.
BoxN ovel.com
"Er? Huh?" He was drawn into her hands with surprised eyes. At that mo‐
ment, his mind came up with a similar scene of the day. The first time in a
large mart he encountered a monster, a woman was in a similar situation,
and she grabbed his hand and ran away.
Of course, there was a difference from then. At that time, it was a woman
full of freckles on her face that had caught his hand, and now it was a
beauty with the blond hair that was pulling his hand.
563
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 78 ⦘
Kate Kennedy. He had seen her earlier. "You are the wife of big brother,
aren't you?"
It was also the woman who Jang Sung-hoon introduced briefly as the wife
of big brother.
"What?" At the words of Bang, she said she did not understand what he was
talking about.
In the meantime, they ran quickly out of the battlefield. To be precise, they
were out of range of the fear of the Gamecock.
After a certain distance, his Energy, which had only been used to hold back
the fear, began to energize his whole body.
"Poo-ha!" After he had vomited out the fear that suppressed his chest, he
immediately looked at her.
"Where is big brother?" The fact that she was here meant that Kim Tae-
hoon was here!
At his question, she made an expression that she did not understand what he
was talking.
"No, wait, English, English..." He thought that the reason why she did not
understand was his language, and he started making an English sentence to
ask a question.
It was the moment when the 12-year's English education from elem
entary to
high school became terrible.
But she managed to understand that because she was the daughter of the
U.S. Ambassador to Korea, and it made no sense to know no Korean, and
she was not that stupid. But she did not answer.
564
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 78 ⦘
There was a monster right behind them, a monster that was terrible, a mon‐
ster that they could not dream of as an enemy, and a monster which had be‐
come a nightmare just by imagining an enemy.
Even she, who had the right to be free from the fear by her A rank Energy,
was terrified.
However, why did he ask a stupid question when they were busy running
away from such a monster behind them?
"Aaaaaargh!" "Yipe!" Two kinds of screams tangled, flying in the sky, and
rolling along the ground. It was a street lamp that standing in the roadside
that stopped them from the endless rolling. Of course, it did not stop them
gently.
Bang! The tangled Kate and Bang hit the streetlight and parted.
But what really hurt was the curved streetlight. Creak! The streetlight
moaned, too.
A huge shock.
It was not easy for them to wake up after the shock; after a few more groans
and neck exercises, they regained their senses. Then they could see it. Shi-
yik!
565
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 78 ⦘
13.
Kim Tae-hoon could hold back the fear of a blue-grade monster, unless he
was very close. But, that was all. All he could do was hold on.
As soon as he was exposed to the fear, his ability was reduced. The Energy
would be used to hold back the fear, the time to gather Mana disappeared,
and the Telekinesis could not be used properly. Of course, fighting at close
range with the Gamecock was actually suicide.
What should he do to pierce the Sword of the Imperator into the heart of the
Gamecock?
He already had an answer to this question. But he had never picked an an‐
swer in a real fight.
The reason was his prior lack of ability. At this moment, however, he no
longer felt that his ability was insufficient in implementing the answer.
'No, I have to hold on.' Now was a moment that he should not hesitate, even
if it felt insufficient. So he fired the Sword of the Imperator.
Shi-yik! The Sword of the Imperator, which started the flight, flew like a
swallow and drove into the chest of the Gamecock like a serpent's fang.
Bang! The Sword of the Imperator penetrated the solid wings of the Game‐
cock and found the flesh. It drove in about the length of a finger. It was a
great, but not impressive depth. What made the depth impressive was the
small car flying towards the hilt of the Sword.
Bang! The compact car hammered onto the hilt of the Sword.
This was the solution that he came up with earlier. It was the reason why he
could not use it even once, although he thought of it earlier. So far, he had
566
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 78 ⦘
not been able to use this kind of Telekinesis. He had no experience using
such force, and he lacked the physical endurance to withstand such force.
However, he practiced steadily. With nothing but his own body, he levitated
heavier objects and wielded it. Now the results of the exercise came out.
"Hoo!" After dropping the first car, he immediately picked up another light
car that had been moved off the road.
The small-looking car on the road was so overwhelming that it could not be
said to be small, and it was flying like a stone from a catap ult.
Bang! The vehicle that had completed a short flight once again struck the
hilt of the Sword.
Ki-oh-oh! When the scab became an eerie wound, an angry cry came out of
the mouth of the Gamecock. Of course, it looked for him with its blue eyes.
But he was not visible.
Ppi-yi-yi! To find him hiding in the buildings, it bristled up its five senses.
The beasts of the golden smoke started to show up again before the five
senses of the Gamecock.
The golden beasts, who did not know how to give up and die, rushed to‐
ward the Gamecock, and it flashed its eyes sharply. There was no chance of
it stepping back in front of an enemy that was coming to it, because it was
filled with the fighting spirit to the bone.
The Gamecock, which would die fighting against a monster more powerful
than itself, inflated its chest. Then it spat out what was in its chest through
its golden beak.
567
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 78 ⦘
'A small car.' The road in Bucheon, once a tomb for automobiles, was now
quite clean. It was thanks to the Mac Guild's constant cleaning of the road.
Therefore, small cars were nowhere to be seen.
Wasn't there a saying that it was much safer to walk on the roads in Korea
than to ride in small cars?
'There's no time.' His fist blackened, and it immediately hit the wall of a
building nearby.
Quasic! The exterior of the building was torn apart and collapsed. He
floated a heavy piece out of the concrete mass, a little larger than a human
body.
It was torture to be nailed where its heart was, and to be knocked on the
heart by a hammer, it was no wonder that it cried out in fear. But the Game‐
cock was not scared, just surprised. There was no word for fear in it.
Ki-oh-oh-oh! Only fight! All its eyes were focused on punishing the golden
beasts that attacked it without hesitation.
Burning! At such a fighting spirit, the Gamecock began to grow its crest,
which had been dissipated by the powerful explosion a while ago, little by
little.
'Is anger making its crest faster?' The dying flame crest was going to be
alive again, fueled by its fighting spirit!
568
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 78 ⦘
'There's no time.' Naturally, the Gamecock was likely to show release its ex‐
plosion again much earlier than he had expected.
All he could do was run away from Bucheon with all his strength. Of
course, returning after a certain period of time... The Gamecock would be
the owner of Bucheon and turn Bucheon into a miserable tomb that humans
could not live in. The people in Incheon would not be safe, either. Every‐
thing he had done so far would go beyond meaningless and become miser‐
able.
'Pierce.' He focused his attention and made his mind as clear as possible. He
painted only the picture he wanted with a clear mind. The painting depicted
only its chest, where a huge concrete mass was raging, and where the
Sword of the Imperator was piercing. He did not hurry. He flew the stones
one at a time calmly, like one drop of water piercing the rock.
Boom! The Sword of the Imperator put all of its long blade into the body of
the Gamecock, leaving only the hilt showing.
Ki-oh-oh!
'A mouse bites a cat if it is cornered, and how about the last pitch when a
terrible monster is in a corner?'
Ki-oh-oh! The chest cavity of the Gamecock, which burst out with a long
cry, had risen greatly.
569
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 78 ⦘
Boom, boom! At the same time, the fire that had faded over its head began
to soar like a fountain. There was no room to react.
'Ah...' As soon as he was aware of the fact, the Gamecock again caused a
huge explosion.
Kwa-reung! An explosion that was more intense than the one before it be‐
gan to sweep around the Gamecock.
Kuh-hung! The golden smoke beasts that fought against the Gamecock
evaporated in an instant, and buildings around it collapsed in the explosion.
The force of the explosion was not just fire. The explosion had an enormous
amount of horror and hostility. It was the release of a powerful fear.
'Oh, my God.' His Energy began to work hard to save its owner's body, who
was frozen by fear. The Gilt-bronze Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue,
which he held in his hands, also filled his empty body.
'... broken.' But already, the jar of his body was broken. He couldn't help it.
A while ago, he was using his power to the limit. There was no room for
something to fill his body. Under such circumstances, it would be strange if
his body, which was exposed to the sudden explosion and fear, remained
strong. A jar without a bottom was of course not easily filled.
'If I hit the hilt with the Bell-tail...' The Bell-tail of the Bell-tail Rat! With its
amazing batting power, he could drive the Sword deep enough! Of course,
there should be a hammer and someone to use it. And there was only one
person who was qualified to move in the fear that was shaking even his
body.
'Kate.'
570
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 78 ⦘
"Fuck!" So at this moment, she rushed toward the Gamecock with the mace
made of the Bell-tail which Bang Hyun-wook was holding, releasing strong
power and hurling abuse at the temporarily daunted monster.
'This will pay off all my debts. All of them!' She hammered the Sword of
the Imperator, of where only the hilt could be seen, with the weapon she
held in her hands, into the breast of the Gamecock. Then, for the first time,
the terminal word came out of its mouth.
14.
'What the hell happened?' Without seeing the interim process, he could not
understand the situation at all. Instead, he knew what he had to do at this
moment.
Clearly, the Gamecock was dead. It was not in any of the plans. Of course,
his actions in this situation had not been instructed either. It was not a situa‐
tion which he could judge for his own, and act according to that judgment.
In this case, the answer was to withdraw as soon as possible. He saw the
two men had fainted as soon as they were exposed to the explosion of the
Gamecock.
571
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 78 ⦘
No, he could bring them away. For an Awakener, the weight of the two
adult men would be only two school bags. However, the problem was that it
would be annoying and dangerous to run away without catching the atten‐
tion of people around, with their cumbersome bodies.
So he took the gun out of his waist without hesitation and pulled the trigger.
Blam, blam! With only the sound of two shots left behind, he immediately
turned and went out through the door. There was no time to keep his com‐
posure when he stepped out.
'That's crazy. What am I supposed to report? No, no. How the hell did he
kill it? No, wait a minute. So that monster will eat the monster stone of the
blue-grade monster?'
572
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 79 - The Price Of The Blood, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
'It's like that time.' It was a memory from Seoul on the last day of 2016,
when Lieutenant Colonel Yoo visited Bucheon again.
It was hell in Seoul that day, but that didn't mean it would collapse help‐
lessly. It was the capital. It was the heart of the country, and of course, its
power was stronger than anywhere else. In fact, Seoul has been fighting its
own battles against the monsters since they appeared. There were certainly
conditioned and willing to fight.
'When the monster appeared.' It was a dragon with navy pupils that de‐
stroyed their wills. Every time it breathed out flames, every time it flicked
its wings, the scenery of Seoul went back a hundred years.
BoxN ovel.com
The scenery of Bucheon now reminded him of that time. The scenery of
Bucheon was so terrible.
"He's inside."
As soon as he saw him, Lieutenant Colonel Yoo, who was guided into the
coffee shop, had to say this instead of greeting him. "You've been through
573
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 79 - The Price Of The Blood, Part I ⦘
it."
There was Kim Tae-hoon within reach of the words, already reeking of ver‐
tiginous coffee, as if he had drunk several cups, and then turned the caffeine
into a fierce look.
"I don't need to be comforted." In addition, his tongue spoke out the words
like a sharpened blade.
After finishing speaking, Kim drank the coffee in his half-full mug. But he
didn't enjoy the coffee as usual. Gulping, Kim drank coffee like water.
Then he put a clean empty mug on the table and asked, "Why did you
come?"
"I contacted Colonel Lim Hyun-joon. I gave him your message, and got an
answer."
"He said, "If you want to meet, come see me in person. That's how a subor‐
dinate treats his superiors."
Kim nodded lightly. Colonel Lim Hyun-joon's response was expected. Now
Colonel Lim was the king in chess. He was also a powerful king who had
secured military power in the front line, including Gangwon Province.
Colonel Lim's opponent on the chess board was the Capital Defense Com‐
mand, which held the justification.
It would be rather strange if Colonel Lim, who was engaged in a fierce war
against the Capital Defense Command, came to meet Kim in person. And
Kim also had no desire to meet the Colonel right now.
574
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 79 - The Price Of The Blood, Part I ⦘
"I think I should postpone the meeting with Colonel Lim." He should stop
the assassination, but something much more important had happened now.
"What?"
The Lieutenant Colonel Yoo was silent. Kim's statement was true. The posi‐
tion of Lieutenant Colonel Yoo was not great enough to come to Bucheon to
deliver news about Colonel Lim. Of course, he came to Bucheon because of
a different order!
"You came here to put the dead body of the blue-grade monster, Gamecock,
on the negotiating table."
His goal was a blue-grade monster, the dead body of the Gamecock. Mon‐
sters' bodies were in many ways valuable. The value of the monster stone
was indescribable, and if not, the value of the monster was infinite.
It was ridiculous to discuss the value of the Gamecock. From the standpoint
of the Capital Defense Command, it was necessary to obtain the remains of
the Gamecock. So Lieutenant Colonel Yoo came to investigate the situation
of Kim and that had the Mac Guild that successfully killed the blue-grade
monster. Of course, there were many things to look after.
"If not, do you intend to rob, not trade?" If Kim and the Mac Guild were hit
hard, the Capital Defense Command would send troops to take away every‐
thing they had gained. No, in fact, such a thought was stronger.
From the standpoint of the Capital Defense Command, the Mac Guild and
Kim were not a good group. The stronger their group, the worse it would
be. In other words, Lieutenant Colonel You came to Bucheon for spying. It
was his duty to assess the state of the object to be plundered.
575
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 79 - The Price Of The Blood, Part I ⦘
"We have a plan like that." Lieutenant Colonel Yoo did not hide the fact. He
was already on Kim's side. It was no good hiding dangerous facts from the
Mac Guild and Kim.
That was why he gave advice. "So, it's dangerous. If you go to Seoul, you'll
have a table to negotiate. There's no way they'll let you go if negotiations
break down there."
But the advice was pointless. "I don't want to let them go because the nego‐
tiations break down." Kim didn't really want to negotiate with them, either.
"I'm setting up a negotiation table to get the price for the blood."
2.
On December 31, 2016, Seoul was the place where the largest number of
monsters appeared in Korea, and it was the most fiercely fought place. In a
way, it was obvious. Seoul was the home of more than ten million people,
in other words, the number of Awakeners was high. From that point of
view, Seoul had to be the most splendid in Korea.
"What a hell this place is!" But now, in the eyes of Jang Sung-hoon, around
Digital Media City Station in Eunpyeong District, Seoul, was more miser‐
able than Bucheon, where the Gamecock went crazy.
"Oh, my God..." Among them, the overwhelming one was four claw marks
drawn on a tall building where a large mart was located. The huge claw
576
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 79 - The Price Of The Blood, Part I ⦘
marks were the first seen in Jang's life, but it was not difficult to tell whose
claw it was.
Dragon.
The monster that passed through Bucheon was the main character of the ter‐
rible devastation in Jang's eyes.
"If it weren't for the dragon, Seoul wouldn't have collapsed this far." Lieu‐
tenant Colonel Yoo turned his head and explained.
There was an asphalt road that the turned onto. Of course, the road was not
an ordinary one. Once the road melted, it seemed as if lava had passed by.
Jang swallowed without even realizing it.
"It wasn't just a human, it had bug repellent in one hand and a lighter in the
other. Oh, that's terrible."
At Jang's words, Lieutenant Colonel Yoo frowned with one eye. He was not
happy to dilute his miserable memory with jokes.
"Be careful from here on, anyway. We haven't finished cleaning up the
monsters yet." Lieutenant Colonel Yoo gave his own warning to Jang.
It was not because of some vague fear. The subway line six, centered on the
Digital Media City Station that they were now passing by, was not yet prop‐
577
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 79 - The Price Of The Blood, Part I ⦘
This meant that it was not unusual for monsters to move through subway
line six and appear at the Digital Media City Station. There had even been
reports of orange and yellow-grade monsters appearing recently. A yellow-
grade one was a disaster for the Awakeners.
"Oh, really?" Of course, Jang was not scared. "Oh, I'm scared. Boss, I'm so
scared. Can you hug me?"
Shh! As soon as he turned his head, the arrow at Kim's waist immediately
shot toward where he was looking. His arrow stuck to the wall of a building
that looked like nothing special.
Thump! A monster stuck to the outer wall of the second floor fell to the
ground like a broken doll.
The monster that fell to the ground looked like a giant lizard, but it was a
furry monster like a monkey. And it had orange eyes.
"The furry lizard!" For the Awakeners and survivors, it was a scary monster
called the assassin. It was very difficult to deal with the monster with its
amazing stealth skill, a whip-like extending tongue, and poisonous saliva.
Due to its tough skin and persistent vitality, it was not easily killed by bul‐
lets. Only shooting the brain and the heart could they could kill it.
Finally, they lived in groups. One was a sign of beginning, not the end.
"Be careful!" "There's more around!" At that moment, everyone was ner‐
vous and vigilant around.
Thump! What they saw was a scene where the furry lizards attached to the
walls had large holes in their heads, dripping blood out through the holes
and falling on the ground.
578
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 79 - The Price Of The Blood, Part I ⦘
Thump! At the end of the performance, Kim lifted his right hand lightly. As
soon as he closed his right hand, a featherless Arrow came back into his
hands! He put it back into a leather holder in his left hip. Everyone looked
blank at the sight.
At the same time, Jang Sung-hoon also made a brief announcement. "Those
are something our boss killed. Please pack them so that we can take them
on our way back. Don't eat secretly in the meantime."
3.
Namsan Tower...
The only place in Seoul where tension could be eased was filled with ten‐
sion. The cause of the tension was a group of people walking towards Nam‐
san Tower. The three of them were silently climbing the stairs without much
conversation.
The first thing which welcomed them was the red pillar. In front of the
monument, the Sunsubi of King Jinheung, which protected Namsan Tower
from monsters, stood three men on the other side, as if to match the num‐
bers on their side.
They were men with stars: Lieutenant General Lee Hyuk, Commander of
the Capital Defense Command; Brigadier General Yoon Seok-young, Com‐
mander of the Armed Forces Capital Command; and Major General Lee Ki-
soo, Chief of the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Defense.
Three generals were looking at Kim. It was a surprise; it was nothing else,
and the only time star-studded generals came to meet him was when he was
superior to them. That's all.
579
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 79 - The Price Of The Blood, Part I ⦘
It was Lieutenant Colonel Yoo who was nervous in front of the trick. He led
Kim and Jang to Namsan Tower.
'Oh, my God.' He was not informed of such a case. He was just ordered to
guide Kim to Namsan Tower. But not one, but the top leaders of the current
Capital Defense Command appeared like this? 'What's this...'
However, if the generals moved, the troops who escorted them would also
have to move. Lieutenant Colonel Yoo whizzed around. Currently, the best
men under the Capital Defense Command would be filling the area. If Kim
were to act rashly, they would move by any means possible to get rid of
him. 'They're all here.'
Or the moment one of the three gave a signal, they would move to kill Kim,
regardless of the reason. Kim couldn't have known about it.
"I want a fair price. As you've been briefed on, there's been a lot of damage
done to hunt the blue-grade monster, the Gamecock. Property damage is in‐
describable, and many people are dead."
At Kim's answer, Major General Lee Ki-soo smiled. With the smile, he con‐
tinued. "I've heard the bad news, but that's the way it is. It's no joke to get
paid here. You're the one who claimed to be independent."
Major General Lee's tongue was pointed like a needle. Lee frankly did not
like the situation where Kim appeared in front of him alive and well. Of
course, Lee did not want to condone the deal.
"We hunted the blue-grade monster with much damage," repeated Kim.
"So it's..."
580
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 79 - The Price Of The Blood, Part I ⦘
"What?" At that moment, the mood changed in a cruel way as soon as Kim
said it.
"That's what I'm getting for saving these people, the price of their blood."
"Lieutenant General?"
581
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 80 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
The Capital Defense Command was a military unit created to protect Seoul.
The position of Chief Commander of the unit that protected the heart of the
Republic of Korea could not be a regular seat. Only the best elites could sit
down, and among the elites, only those who wanted to be at the pinnacle
were able to sit down.
Lieutenant General Lee Hyuk was the man who was sitting there. "You said
you were under Major General Chang Young-sung?"
Lee Hyuk was the chief among the stars. Kim Tae-hoon was facing him
across just one table. It would be appalling to imagine the situation for
those with the rank of soldiers.
BoxN ovel.com
Major General Lee Ki-soo, who was standing behind Lt. Gen. Lee Hyuk,
would feel bitter if he took the position instead of Kim Tae-hoon.
"Yes, I was." But Kim was different. There was no retreat, no hesitation,
and there was no sign of wanting to hide the truth.
582
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 80 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Ii ⦘
"You don't even know if Chang Young-sung is alive?" Kim's harsh response
made Lee Ki-soo's back go cold.
"No, I'm not saying that, but I am asking whether you're denying your mili‐
tary status." However, Lee Hyuk showed no emotional change in Kim's be‐
havior. He asked questions with a calm but rather cold look on his face. He
looked extraordinary.
'The star is the star. It's not a joke.' With that look in the eyes of Lee Hyuk,
Jang Sung-hoon, who was behind Kim, felt a lump in his throat.
"Yes." However, it did not work for Kim. It was also Kim's presence. "I'm
not a soldier now."
Before monsters appeared, humans were divided into social status, social
position, property, etc. The soldier was worse. They used direct distinction
between classes. In such a world, an individual's power had little meaning.
But not anymore.
Kim had power. That was the overwhelming force, at least enough to con‐
sole those who died for him. And now it was time for that power to distin‐
guish between ranks.
"I am the head of the Mac Guild, who manages the Bucheon and Incheon
areas."
"You are not a soldier, but you use the weapons of the Korean Army.
"It depends on the interpretation. In some ways, the existence of the Mac
Guild could be an anti-government force group that looted military
weapons without government permission."
583
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 80 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Ii ⦘
"I can't bear it anymore, stop!" It was not Lee Hyuk, but Lee Ki-soo who
vented anger over Kim's attitude. "You say whatever you want when we've
arranged a conversation! Are you threatening us?"
'Stand by.' 'Standby.' 'We'll move anytime.' As soon as the order was issued,
preparations were made to suppress or kill Kim and Jang.
"I don't intend to threaten you." Kim put the clutter together into one sen‐
tence. "I've come all the way to the negotiating table." Along with the
words, he took a thumb-sized jewel out of his arms. The jewel, which was
shining like a blue sapphire, had begun to dye Kim's palm green. Every‐
one's eyes widened.
"Is that..."
Snap! At that moment, he could hear the clicking sound of a camera's shut‐
ter in the distance. It was quite a long way off, tens of meters away. It was
not a Smartphone camera, but a DSLR camera that sounded like a cannon
through lenses. He palmed the jewel again after hearing the sound.
"I've already seen a lot of blood. I don't want to see blood anymore. Let's
negotiate."
"Hmm!"
Lee Ki-soo immediately coughed and stepped back. His eyes were still di‐
rected toward Kim's hand holding the monster stone, and his eyes were
shaking. It was proof of his concern.
'Damn it, if I get it, the game is over.' At present, it was ridiculous to esti‐
mate the value of a blue-grade monster Stone. He could not get it even if he
wanted to. Of course, it was too necessary for the Capital Defense Com‐
584
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 80 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Ii ⦘
mand, as well as for Lee Ki-soo. What a thing to get by killing Kim Tae-
hoon here!
"How much do you assess as the value of this monster stone?" Kim asked
them.
'How much will you pay for it?' It certainly sounded like that to Lee Hyuk
or Lee Ki-soo.
Shh! Lee Hyuk raised his hand. Then Lee Ki-soo, who was backing down,
stepped forward again. He talked instead of Lee Hyuk. "If you exclude
Hunminjeongeum and the Sunsubi of King Jinheung, we can negotiate with
anything. We'll have to negotiate exactly as you say, but we can do business
with anything, except for two things."
As soon as Kim heard that, he looked at the monster Stone of the Gamecock
that he was holding in his hand with black Eyes.
Then he put it in his mouth and gulped it down! Everyone, who looked at
him went blank.
"Er? Huh?" "Did he eat it?" Those who were trying to hide in various places
and aimed at Kim even blurted the words in their minds without realizing it.
His behavior was shocking enough. The same was true for Lee Hyuk and
Lee Ki-soo, both of whom looked at Kim with a stupid expression.
585
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 80 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Ii ⦘
"Let's continue the negotiations." It was Kim's words, coming out of the
mouth that ate the monster stone, that made them change their expressions.
"Well, what... You ate it now. What kind of negotiation..." Lee Ki-soo still
looked ridiculous as he spoke.
"I never said I would be negotiating with the monster stone of the Game‐
cock."
"What the fuck is this?" Lee Ki-soo burst into anger. It was rude to show
anger in front of Lee Hyuk, but there was no one, including Lee Hyuk, who
raised doubts about the anger. There was more than enough all around.
"I told you a few times before. Many people died to stop the Gamecock
heading for Seoul, and thanks to it, the people here survived, and I came to
receive the price of the lives of the dead and the survivors."
But not for Kim Tae-hoon. 'I will be paid the price of the blood.'
For him, all this was unjust, not just fair. In the first place, if Major Oh Se-
bum and the Six Snakes had not brought the Gamecock in Sejong City to
Bucheon, there would not have been a dead one.
Was there a more unjust death? And now, he must not tolerate the injustice.
When he accepted the injustice, the damage would be seen, not by Kim, but
by those who followed him.
"You crazy bastard!" At the words of Kim, Lee Ki-soo no longer had any
courtesy. It was a farce from the beginning.
'That's crazy.' Kim should not have been here. He should have been dead in
Bucheon!
Kim, who should have died, provoked Lee Hyuk in this way? Lee Hyuk
was not a naïve man, and he was not a man full of kindness. He would re‐
586
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 80 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Ii ⦘
gard all of this from Kim today as a disgrace, and would prepare to pay off
his disgrace.
However, Kim ignored Lee Ki-soo and asked Lee Hyuk, "Who is the supe‐
rior?"
At the words, Lee Ki-soo, who had exploded like a volcano, became mute.
Lee Hyuk revealed his unpleasantness with his expression. However, he ex‐
pressed his displeasure only in his face at this moment, but he did not vent
his anger.
"We can't stay still if you are uncooperative." It was evidence that he had al‐
ready completed the calculation perfectly in his mind; who held the sword
at this moment?
"So you're going to kill me? The dragon, you left that nonsense monster be‐
hind."
The reason why the Capital Defense Command hunted monsters while rais‐
ing forces outside Seoul, including Major Oh Se-bum, was simple.
They trained Awakeners to kill the monsters. In that sense, the blue-grade
monster stone was important. It was like a piece of a puzzle that was neces‐
sary to kill the dragon.
But the monster stone was now in the stomach of Kim. Even if his belly
was cut open, the monster stone of the Gamecock could not be obtained.
'Chang Young-sung had a great monster under his command.' Anyway, Kim
had survived the monster called the Gamecock and killed it. Whether he
was given the favor of the heavens or thanks to the relics, he survived any‐
way. It meant that he had the qualification to survive and persist.
587
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 80 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Ii ⦘
'Nevertheless, do we have to kill him? We can kill him. But the price to pay
for it is too high.'
"Okay, I'll pay you for the price of the blood." 'I will save you, and Colonel
Lim Hyun-joon is more our concern right now.'
There were the Mac Guild and Kim in Bucheon and Incheon, and Colonel
Lim Hyun-joon was in Gangwon Province and the front line. As soon as
both of them became their enem
ies, the Capital Defense Command would
be besieged. They should avoid that much. "I want to make a deal after I
pay the price."
"Lieutenant General, that's---" At the words of Lee Hyuk, Lee Ki-soo tried
to do something, but his action was blocked by the cold eyes of Lee Hyuk.
They waited for Kim's answer, and Kim responded to the wait.
"I'll receive three national treasures for the price of the blood, and one na‐
tional treasure for one green-grade monster."
5.
Now the sunshine felt a little hot, so the shade of the trees around Namsan
Tower was pleasant, so Jang and Kim talked for a short break.
588
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 80 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Ii ⦘
This time, Kim Tae-hoon was originally supposed to go alone. In such a sit‐
uation, Jang claimed to be a companion. The existence of Jang would be a
great help. The problem was risk.
If the Capital Defense Command revealed its hostility to Kim and put it into
practice, the endangered person would be Jang, not Kim. Of course, Jang
was fully prepared. However, Kim's appearance against Lee Hyuk was so
aggressive that Jang's fear of preparing for the resolution was chilled. It
would not be surprising if Lee Hyuk caused an accident in a fit of anger.
"If you're killed, you can't help it." Kim answered Jang's question calmly.
"To wage war with the Capital Defense Command, you won't have to weigh
at least as much as you do now." With Kim's still calm voice, Jang smiled,
as if he was satisfied with the answer.
A group of people began to stride toward them as they spoke. Wearing mili‐
tary uniforms, they were soldiers, and at the same time they were Awaken‐
ers with marks on their right hands. They were a group of people here to
help Kim pick up the relics and watch him. It was Major Oh Se-bum who
had the brightest appearance in the group and was at the forefront.
"I'll take you to the Bank of Korea." His appearance changed the faces of
Jang and Kim. "It's nice to see you again like this."
Major Oh was one of the reasons why Kim and Jang came to Seoul. "Did
you say Major Oh Se-bum?"
"Yes."
589
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 80 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Ii ⦘
"So I couldn't even shake your hand." Kim gave his right hand to Major Oh.
Major Oh held Kim's right hand after a brief pause. As soon as they held
each other's hands, Kim stared at Oh with his bloody eyes and said in a low
voice. "It's the third time I've met you, and we should shake hands."
590
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 81 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
6.
Kim Tae-hoon and Oh Se-bum met today for the third time. However, Oh
did not admit it.
"The third time, you must have miscounted the numbers? Isn't this the sec‐
ond time you've met me at Gimpo Airport?"
Of course, to admit that today's meeting was the third time, would be to re‐
veal that he was in Bucheon. Oh knew what that meant.
BoxN ovel.com
'Damn it.' At this moment, Oh guessed that Kim didn't just say that to see
how he'd react suddenly.
"The distance from Namsan Tower to the Bank of Korea is about 2.2 kilo‐
meters, and it takes about half an hour to walk. Make sure we're at the sec‐
ond or third meeting in half an hour." Kim Tae-hoon was the same. He did
not just say that to make a pun against Oh, and make his heart pound.
'I'd like to kill him, but...' Many people had died because of Oh. They were
the ones who gave their lives for Kim. For the comfort of those who had
591
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 81 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Iii ⦘
died, it was necessary to mete out a clear punishment for Oh. There was
enough justification.
Kim did not tease Oh, but as soon as he checked the place where Oh had
watched the Gamecock die, he left a video of Oh in Bucheon with two
Awakeners belonging to the Capital Defense Command. It was enough.
It was not like they were in court, to judge who was right and wrong first.
The important thing was, as he said earlier, justification and excuse. The
video was a justification and excuse that Kim and the Mac Guild were able
to declare war against the Capital Defense Command.
'He's just a tool.' But Kim did not do that. There were many reasons. For re‐
alistic reasons, the moment he killed Major Oh, he would be at war with the
Capital Defense Command. Kim was confident of winning that war. He
could kill all the officials of the Capital Defense Command alone. However,
after the war, there would be few colleagues who would celeb rate his vic‐
tory. It would be a victory of sacrifice.
But the biggest reason was the advice Kim sent to himself in a dream. 'So
use him.' Use Oh Se-bum. Kim was not emotionally drunk and did not ig‐
nore the advice he had received in return for his own death.
Above all, killing Oh would not be the end of the problem. Oh could not
have done all on with his own. He was just a tool. He was not a loyal tool,
just a useful one. If he shook Oh, they would be shaken.
"Yes, boss."
"We're moving."
So Kim waited so that Oh's trembling, which had just started, would spread
even further.
7.
592
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 81 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Iii ⦘
It was a special place in many ways, needed to manage the monetary policy
of the Republic of Korea. The building was the first sign. In the city center,
full of monotonous buildings, the Bank of Korea's building was eleg ant and
old-fashioned, like the only swan on the lake.
It was also the most symbolic safe in Korea. Since it was always a place to
keep nine billion dollars worth of money for monetary policy at all times,
what more explanation would be needed?
And now it was a place to store the relics of Seoul, and it had become the
most important place of the Capital Defense Command, instead of the nine
billion dollars worth of money that had become pieces of toilet paper if not
burned for tinder.
" I'll be right back, boss." Jang Sung-hoon went into the safe. "I'll pick
something good."
It was natural to decide what to receive, but Kim wanted to choose what he
wanted to receive after seeing them. Not all national treasures were relics.
And even if it was not a national treasure, there might have been a much
more valuable relic that was not designated as a national treasure.
Furthermore, the Capital Defense Command could give him a fake. In fact,
there were fakes in museums, including the National Museum of Korea. For
example, in the case of the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje, which
Kim had acquired, a replica modeled after it was displayed at the National
Museum of Korea.
There was no sure way to be sure other than to see and choose it, because
there was no right way to deal with the words after they gave it to him and
said that he did not have the ability to use it.
593
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 81 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Iii ⦘
On the other hand, the Capital Defense Command did not want to put the
ridiculous monster Kim Tae-hoon in a place filled with relics.
Kim agreed. What if he went into the safe alone, and they closed it? Could
Jang, who was waiting outside, save Kim in such a situation?
"Aha, I'm finally going to open the safe of the Bank of Korea and a nine bil‐
lion dollar piggy-bank!" The compromise that came out was that Jang
would pick them inside the safe. That was one of the reasons why Jang fol‐
lowed Kim.
For Kim, this trip to Seoul was not just a trip to Seoul, but a journey to get
the price of the blood of those who had died. It was natural to be ready for
myriad scenarios.
So Jang went into the safe with a watchdog, and Kim immediately spoke to
his watchdog, Major Oh. "So, what's the answer?"
Kim asked Major Oh, who was deployed to monitor him, the question he
had not heard the answer to at Namsan Tower.
'Damn it.' But the answer did not come out. It was not a matter for the cor‐
rect answer in the first place. There was only one thing, Oh's choice. In the
end, he chose.
If Kim was just going to screw Oh, he did not have to do it like this. That
was Oh's thought, and because of that, Oh decided to deal with Kim.
"Shit, I don't care about that. Tell me what you want." In addition, the
choice was the least damaging choice for Oh. The grounds were simple.
594
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 81 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Iii ⦘
'I will die if I am an enemy to this monster.' Oh was very scared of Kim.
Kim was not discouraged even in front of Lt. Gen. Lee Hyuk, but rather, he
was provoked and acted bravely. To deal with such a monster was simply to
deal with the Gamecock that drove Bucheon into a nightmare. It was a thing
that would be hard for him to do.
Above all, Kim was not just a strong man. He was an assassin who had
lived through strong violence. To be his target was actually a death sen‐
tence, and Oh wanted to avoid such a situation.
'I just followed orders. There is no reason for me to pay my own blood.' In
other words, he intended to blame others for what had happened in
Bucheon, if necessary.
"One thing I want to know. What method on earth did you use?"
"What?"
"I'm just curious about the way that the blue-grade monster was attracted."
At Kim's request, Oh's left eyebrow soared to the sky. He did not easily un‐
derstand Kim's request.
"If I asked you to betray the Capital Defense Command and be my dog, you
wouldn't be a dog, right?"
'Is this really all?' It was a much weaker demand than he thought. At least it
did not mean that there would be a big change in Oh's identity right now,
though he admitted Kim's demand.
595
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 81 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Iii ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon took an SD card out of his pocket for Oh, who began to
worry about it. "This is an SD card containing the original video footage of
you leaving the building after killing your two fellows. If you give me an
answer, I'll just hand it over here."
"... Jade Dragon Pattern Rhyton." At that moment, Oh showed the inside of
his vest with the word. Inside, there was a horn-shaped cup carved out of
white jade.
=====
The item had a buff effect in terms of games. "With this relic, you can tem‐
porarily resist fear. And one more thing."
At the same time, this item had one more hidden ability. "When you drink
this, you become similar to monsters. Should I say that the fear of the mon‐
sters comes out of your body?"
As soon as they drink the Water of Jade Dragon, energy like a monster's
fear flows out from their entire body. Of course, weak monsters run away
from the fear.
596
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 81 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Iii ⦘
'... if the Gamecock saw the strength, it would have been mad rather than
avoiding it.' It would have been a clear provocation for monsters like the
Gamecock.
'It's painting a target.' Oh used the Jade Dragon Pattern Rhyton to lure the
Gamecock. More specifically, Awakeners were placed from Sejong City to
Bucheon City, and they drank the Water of Jade Dragon in order.
It was similar to Hansel and Gretel. In Hansel and Gretel, if a slice of bread
played a role, he used the Rhyton instead of a piece of bread so that the
Gamecock would naturally reach Bucheon City after chasing the Awakeners
who drank the Water of Jade Dragon.
"Is this enough as an answer? Huh?" At Oh's question, Kim handed him the
SD card he had in his hand instead.
Oh no longer spoke nonsense the moment he received it. The silence be‐
tween the two continued until a man appeared outside the brightly opened
door of the safe of the Bank of Korea.
8.
When Jang came out of the safe, there were three objects in his hands.
=====
597
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 81 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Iii ⦘
It was a statue of a servant who served the master statue Kim already had.
"Now we have only Rhyton left." In addition, there was another national
treasure similar to this one, [Horse Figure Type Earthenware -- Rhyton] Of
course, it was similar, but its history was completely different.
The next thing that caught his eye was a gold earring. The gold earring was
not an ordinary thing to look at for Kim, an outsider to art.
"It was the first item I chose. It's not a relic, but it's a must-have."
It was shining in gold color and the craftsmanship was great. Not only did
the body have turtle shells, but dozens of tiny leaf-shaped things on the bot‐
tom of it were so exquisite and beautiful that they could hardly be made by
human hands.
====
"Hahoetal...?"
598
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 81 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Iii ⦘
[Andong Hahoetal]
As Jang explained, it was the oldest existing Hahoetal among the Hahoe
masks, which had endured for nearly a thousand years.
"Note that there were two types of masks, Byeongsantal and Hahoetal. But
after I thought about them I brought the Yangbantal, one of the Hahoetal."
"I just thought you would be really strong if you wore the Hahoetal. Who
knows? Will this be the boss's trademark?" Jang's explanation stopped
there.
This time, Kim began to explain a relic to Jang who had finished explain‐
ing.
The relic was none other than Jade Dragon Pattern Rhyton which Oh
showed him a little while ago.
When Jang heard the name and characteristics of the relic, he said in a low
voice, "There is only one place in East Asia where there is likely to be such
a level of objects, especially relics made with that level of jade."
599
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 81 - The Price Of The Blood, Part Iii ⦘
Jang said in a low voice that only Kim could hear, "It's the National Palace
Museum in Taiwan."
600
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 82 ⦘
Chapter 82
Chapter 29. A+, Part I
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
The quality and number of relics were proportional to the length of a coun‐
try's history. In that sense, China was the birthplace of one of the world's
most famous relic grounds.
It was true. Starting with the Yellow River civilization, one of the begin‐
nings of civilization, the relics left through the long history of China were
so great that their quality and quantity could not easily be compared with
any other country.
"It was until the government of Kuomintang moved to Taiwan, as their de‐
feat intensified in the Chinese Civil War."
BoxN ovel.com
However, in the midst of historical turmoil, China was divided into two
countries, and relics could not avoid their fate.
"At that time, the number of relics carried by the government of Kuom‐
intang from China to Taiwan was about 600,000. It wasn't just 600,000
pieces, but only 600,000 relics were selected and picked by the imperial
family of the Qing Dynasty. They moved them all to Taiwan."
When China fought a war, they divided into the Communist Party and the
Kuomintang. The Kuomintang, which was pushed out by the Communist
Party, moved to Taiwan. In the process, the Kuomintang also moved the
heritage of Chinese history to Taiwan.
601
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 82 ⦘
"Even they had deceived the U.S. that they would carry civilians to Taiwan,
but they transported the relics. Because of that, there were a lot of people
killed. They carried the relics instead of the lives of people, and the criti‐
cism was huge. Later, because of the Cultural Revolution of the Communist
Party of China, the remaining relics in the mainland were completely de‐
stroyed. Thanks to the People's Party, the Kuomintang, they protected the
relics of China. It's ironic."
On the way back to Bucheon, Jang, who was teaching history in the street,
paused and looked at Kim. "Boss?"
Kim didn't look like he was listening to him. It seemed that he was thinking
of something else.
"Boss?" It was only after Jang called him again that Kim responded.
"You didn't listen to me. Boss, did you study bad when you were in
school?"
Jang smiled awkwardly. "It's a joke. What the hell are you thinking about?"
Kim gave an answer to the question. "If I were in Taiwan now, and if I were
an ambitious person, what would I have planned?"
In the response, Jang wiped the playfulness from his face. "So what kind of
picture was drawn?"
602
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 82 ⦘
"Control Tower."
"Yes?"
"Oh... I'm sure it is, but I suppose it's hard to make a living because they are
so isolated."
"But it's a country where people freeze to death when it snows. They must
have spent the winter really warm. I envy them. It was hell for me to wake
up in the morning during the winter..."
Jang smiled at this part. He could help not knowing the relationship be‐
tween Taiwan and China. Naturally, he knew how ridiculous it was to claim
that Taiwan was China.
But the laughing did not last long. Jang's expression had hardened. Now he
could understand it.
"Taiwan is a country that reveals its hostility to China, and they claim that
Taiwan is China. So far, there has not been a big accident because it was
just at the level of words, but not from now on."
603
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 82 ⦘
"The headquarter of the Six Snakes is Taiwan. They are now drawing a
board to gain supremacy."
This was why Kim had to think over his return to Bucheon.
Now he could guess the starting point of the group that drove one Kim to
his death.
Jang sighed deeply when he heard the conclusion. "Wow, Taiwan? ... we
can't go there by airplane... this is even more troublesome. Are you sure the
headquarter of the Six Snakes is Taiwan?"
Although Jang suspected that its headquarter would be outside the country,
it was a totally different story from hoping and feeling real.
However, Kim made a good face instead. "If we know the location of the
control tower, it won't be complicated if we're sick."
"Yes?"
'The difficulty in war is not when the enemy is strong, but when the enemy
is opaque. This was why it was difficult to deal with terrorists, anarchists,
and an anti-government group, and why the U.S., with power beyond any
other group in the world, did not win the war against them.'
'On the other hand, when an enemy becomes clear, no matter how great the
enemy is, he could find a way.'
604
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 82 ⦘
In addition, it was something Kim had done during all his life: finding the
weak point of a strong enemy and taking only the necessary lives. "All we
have to do is identify the enemy more clearly, and then kill the one who
needs to be killed."
Kim has already fought with the Capital Defense Command. It didn't just
lead to bloodshed, but a bloody war of nerves that was enough to hurt feel‐
ings.
"You scratched very well. That's why I have a question. Why would they
ask the boss to kill a monster? Even it's a green-grade monster... with the
power of the Capital Defense Command, they can kill the monster when it
gets close."
Lieutenant General Lee Hyuk requested that Kim kill the head of the Gob‐
lins, the green-grade monster in Cheonggye Mountain, and they would pay
for it. The request was not a lie.
Jang had already known through Daedongyeojido that there was a green-
grade monster there.
"For the Capital Defense Command, the monster stone is the most urgent
one."
At present, it was the monster stones that were urgent for the Capital De‐
fense Command. They could take relics from Kim, but he could not spit out
the monster stones he'd already eaten. In that situation, they were asking
Kim to kill the green-grade monster? It was like giving up their game to
Kim. It was not free, but they would pay for it.
605
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 82 ⦘
"They want to know what I'm capable of." In that respect, Kim summed up
the situation simply.
"The next game will depend on whether a hunting dog can kill a wild boar
or a tiger. That's the personality of Lee Hyuk."
"He was the only one who would have been promoted to four stars."
"So he must be angry now, right? If he had stayed still, he could have be‐
come a four-star general, but his chance flew away because of the mon‐
sters..."
In Jann's understanding, Lee Hyuk's life was all rosy, but it was shattered by
the appearance of the monsters.
"Huh, it's disgusting." Jang himself would not have been able to withstand
such a situation easily.
"Lee Hyuk wouldn't be able to get there now if he had had that attitude."
But Kim was different. As he said before, he knew what Lee Hyuk was like.
"Four stars, he has done everything to get there. For him, the seat of the
Capital Defense Command would have been dull."
"Dull?"
"A hunting dog can never be a pet." Lee Hyuk had fought all his life and
had always won the fight. That was when he lived as a soldier.
Would Lee Hyuk, who had lived such a life, be able to adapt and accept
peace easily? The guy who proved his worth through a fierce war?
606
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 82 ⦘
"It would have been an opportunity for him when monsters appeared." For
him, the emergence of monsters, the collapse of the nation, and the end of
the world must have felt a historic opportunity.
"It's a great opportunity to leave his name in history books. To put it another
way, he is now in a state of wild ambition beyond all control."
"Yes."
The Six Snakes were taking advantage of Lee Hyuk's ambition. 'The more
ambitious the fire grows, the blinder the person is.'
More importantly, the Six Snakes were taking out what they hoped to gain
beneath the eyes of Lee Hyuk, who wanted to build a historical achieve‐
ment, not just personal benef its.
"I am the only one who carries out the liquidation of Cheonggye Moun‐
tain."
It was a sudden notice. However, Jang was not surprised by the notification.
Now, Jang could figure out Kim's intention without trying to understand.
If Kim made a solo strike at Cheonggye Mountain, all the attention of the
Capital Defense Command would inevitably be focused on it. Of course,
they would not be able to make any rash moves in Bucheon and Incheon,
which were considered the headquarters of the Mac Guild.
607
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 82 ⦘
"We need to make the area that the Gamecock occupied our territory." Kim
was planning to expand the Mac Guild's territory as their attention was else‐
where.
The target was Sejong City and the surrounding areas, and Chungcheong
Province, which had been occupied by the Gamecock. It was also very im‐
portant.
The Chungcheong province would not only be an important route to the Je‐
olla region but also to the Gyeongsang Province, as well as the most impor‐
tant food supply in the survival battle that would take place from now on.
He was not talking about only farming. Fruit trees, of apples and peaches,
were valuable resources at this point. Fruit trees never grow overnight.
There was another one. "If we occupy Chungcheong region, we can obtain
oil reserves in Seosan and Pyeongtaek."
The cities of Pyeongtaek and Seosan, located near the border between
Chungcheong Province and Gyeonggi Province, were the base for oil re‐
serves in Korea.
'Seosan, in particular, is a base for crude oil.' Eleven million barrels of oil
were stored in Seosan.
War required human blood, gunpowder, and oil to be fought. The oil reserve
was more important than anything else.
When Kim finished thinking, he looked at his right hand with black Eyes.
======
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 561
608
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 82 ⦘
-- Health: 502
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: B Rank
-- Mana: B+ Rank
-- Telekinesis: A Rank
-- Defense: B+ Rank
[Achieved Abilities]
-- Anger Soaring (Grade 3): The power of the Gamecock. It consumes all
your Energy and causes a huge explosion around you.
======
After confirming his ability, he clenched his fist. 'If you want to see what I
can do, I'll definitely show you.'
2.
Cheonggye Mountain...
It was the southernmost mountain surrounding Seoul, not small, but insuffi‐
cient to call grand. It was a mountain one could feel a sense of loyalty from
time to time, as it kept its seat like a gatekeeper, blocking those who wanted
to cross Seoul.
However, at this moment, in the summer of 2017, one could not find any
loyalty to protect Seoul in Cheonggye Mountain.
609
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 82 ⦘
Kir! Kirr! Rather than a Goblin, it looked like a troll, huge in size and white
skinned. Around the Goblin, whose green eyes shone, there were all kinds
of skulls of animals, monsters, and human beings piled up like mountains.
It was a history of predation. It was also clear evidence that the white skin
Goblin had reigned as the owner of this Cheonggye Mountain for a long
time.
Snap! Some people took pictures with long-lens DSLR cameras that re‐
minded one of a cannon far away. The number was not one or two, either.
"Okay."
They were all wearing uniforms. It was not just military uniforms, but black
uniforms. At the same time, everyone had a round mark on the back of their
right hand.
They were the special forces that Lieutenant Colonel Yoo led. The reason
why they brought expensive cameras here to Cheonggye Mountain, which
had become a kingdom of Goblins, was simple.
"We're ready."
610
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 82 ⦘
That man was, of course, Kim Tae-hoon. He told the Capital Defense Com‐
mand, "I will clean up the Goblins of Cheonggye Mountain, so be sure to
watch."
"You've managed to let this happen, I thought you'd be interrupting the pho‐
tographing."
When Lieutenant Colonel Yoo was assigned the mission of recording Kim's
abilities, he wanted to grab his hair and tear it off at first.
Kim Tae-hoon was just going to show them clearly: his abilities, and the
ability gained after taking the crystal of the Gamecock.
"Isn't there one thing you want to see anyway? I'll show you the new abili‐
ties I have."
He was going to imprint his presence on all of the people of the Capital De‐
fense Command, including Lee Hyuk.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------
611
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 82 ⦘
Readers, due to technical issues, chapters 41, 42, 45, and 47 were not show‐
ing, even though they had been posted. We invite you to go back and read
them now that they are showing.
A special thanks to synthar and Pfeffalofficus for bringing this to our atten‐
tion.
612
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 83 ⦘
Chapter 83
Chapter 29. A+, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
Jingle! A fine jingle that they had never heard before appeared in Mount
Cheonggye, which was filled with the cries of the Goblins.
Kiii, Kiii! Curiosity drove the Goblins. There was no hesitation or caution.
It was because Mount Cheonggye was as good as heaven for Goblins. There
were a large number of Goblins, definitely over a thousand, and the White
Goblin, a ghastly green-eyed monster, reigned as the king of the Goblins.
There was no reason for Goblins to be wary in a land where only Goblins
could survive.
BoxN ovel.com
Kiii! Then the Goblins began to gather in the direction of the sound.
It was a man who welcomed such Goblins. He wore a thick protective coat,
a knife-case on his back, a large bag on top of it, and he wore a pair of gold
earrings on his left hand that did not match his appearance.
Jingle! The sound that had brought the Goblins' curiosity was the sound of
the earrings on his wrists.
Kiii! Of course, the moment they found the man, the Goblins were longer
curious.
613
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 83 ⦘
Kieee! Immediately, they expressed hostility with the screaming, and some
acted before expressing hostility.
Pabat, Paat! A dozen Goblins began to rush toward the man like wild boars.
This was a heaven for the Goblins, or hell for any other beings except Gob‐
lins. Everything else that appeared to the Goblins was just prey. Further‐
more, there was a reason for the Cheonggye Mountain Goblins to have such
confidence. There were many Goblins here: not only the Goblins with very
powerful combat power but also the Goblins with mysterious magic!
Kirururu! Most Goblins was very weak but the Hobgoblins made them
strong warriors.
Kiii! The eyes of the Goblins who ran ahead at the magical crying of the or‐
ange eyes Goblins that had been heard somewhere began to flutter.
Krrr! They looked drugged. Furthermore, the disturbance that started like
this spread around. It moved all the Goblins of Cheonggye Mountain.
Kukuku! The ground was shaking, and the trees began to tremble. It was
like a mountain crying.
Kim Tae-hoon, the man facing the waves of the Goblins, blackened his
eyes.
Jingle! His wrist, which was as black as his eyes, made a clear sound and
dug into his ears.
The pure tone that dug into his ears made his mind clear. It was not nega‐
tive, but the opposite.
'Everything is clear.' It was a pure white paper which could accept anything.
He felt like he had been drawing TK pictures on a dirty board and received
a white drawing paper for the first time. He felt like everything he drew
would be clearer than anything else.
614
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 83 ⦘
The scenery Kim Tae-hoon saw was also so clear it couldn't be any clearer.
It was like coming out of the light after the darkness. So he was worried at
this moment.
Or should I use the Sword to make headless bodies and scatter them?
Kieee! The worry continued until one Goblin was close enough to bite him,
and he could smell its rotten breath.
Jingle! At that moment, the gold earrings on his wrist made a sound. But it
was no longer a clear sound.
4.
Lee Jae-seok.
From a certain moment, it was possible to gain power that could not be
compared to an average man, and even those who were called professionals
among the public.
He had felt strange emotions at that fact. The joy of being chosen, the sense
of superiority that ordinary people could not rival him, and a sense of relief
in a world where living without power had become a pain.
'Oh, my God.' But at this moment, the scenery seen through the expensive
camera lenses broke down Lee's feelings.
Kwa-reung!
615
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 83 ⦘
"What, what?"
"Crazy!"
It was a powerful explosion. A ring of flames was created around Kim Tae-
hoon's body, and the ring quickly spread out with an explosion.
Everything for a hundred meters around him was a charred ruin. But even
more intense was the horror that swept through everything after with the ex‐
plosion.
Anger.
It was anger. Expressing this anger was not different from expressing hostil‐
ity and murder to the other party. The explosion caused by Kim was deeply
mixed with the anger. And it was not just anger.
When a tiger expressed anger toward a rat herd, the rats were bound to be
frightened.
Here in Cheonggye Mountain, Goblins were rats, and Kim, who had ex‐
pressed his anger, was a tiger. The Awakeners of the Capital Defense Com‐
mand, who watched the scene from a safe distance, were big rats.
There was no one who could stay calm in front of Kim's fear.
The sound of men swallowing was over the place. Those who ended up just
swallowing were the strong Awakeners.
The bodies of those with low Energy rank were now shaking badly, as if
they were naked during a past winter's night.
616
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 83 ⦘
Snap, snap, snap! During the trembling, the camera shutters blinked, the
sounds of some of their trembling fingers pounding the camera shutter but‐
ton. The sound of the camera shutter sounded like a scream that the tongue,
which had been frozen in fear, could not voice.
The only thing in this situation that could answer this anger without fear,
was anger.
5.
[Anger Soaring].
The power of the Gamecock caused an intense explosion and gave Kim
enough satisfaction. The ability was also powerful, but the true significance
of Anger Soaring was that he could conditionally use the fear.
It was the same with the monsters. In front of him, who was able to use the
fear, the monsters were also defenseless. Of course, the price was not small.
His trump for that part was the Gilt-bronze Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
Statue.
617
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 83 ⦘
The relic from Buyeo showed its ability in the bag that he was carrying. His
Energy, which had been empty, was restored quickly.
The Energy that started to gain weight again wriggled and protected its
owner from the fear.
However, although his reduced Energy did not completely protect him from
the fear of the Albino Goblin, it was not enough that he could not demon‐
strate his ability.
Moreover, the gold earrings hanging on his wrist sharpened his concentra‐
tion and mental strength. Thanks to them, at this moment, even though he
was about to battle the green-grade monster, he was able to assess the bat‐
tlefield coolly.
'I'll hide the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje.' Once he tried to hide its
existence. He used it in battle with the Gamecock, and the report was
passed on to the Capital Defense Command through Oh Se-bum. But they
only knew that he was playing with golden smoke animals.
Moreover, it was not Lee Hyuk who knew the fact, but the Six Snakes, who
wanted to take the power of the Capital Defense Command. In such a situa‐
tion, it was not necessary to show the existence of the Gilt-bronze Incense
Burner of Baekje.
It was a different kind of thing to show a strong hand and show all your
cards.
618
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 83 ⦘
The Horse Figure Type Earthenware -- Servant Statue was new, so it was
not unreasonable to use it, but the story was different if it was the Master
Statue.
The Horse Figure Type Earthenware was originally owned by the Capital
Defense Command, but it was lost in the Incheon entry operation to rescue
Kate Kennedy. It was not strange that he found it in Incheon and used it, but
it was not good for the Capital Defense Command.
Was there a single human being who liked to see things lost from the origi‐
nal owner's hands being used in the hands of others?
And the best relics he had were, of course, a Sword and an Arrow.
Ts-reung! The Sword of the Imperator sheathed behind him hummed, wait‐
ing and willing to appear.
Chop! The Sword of the Imperator immediately cut the stone flying toward
its owner in half. The two stones crossed to either side of him.
Thump! Thump! The sound of two stones hitting the ground stimulated his
sensitive hearing. At that fact, he glared at Albino Goblin coming from his
front.
In the meantime, once again, stones started to fly to him, this time several
of them.
'It is using Telekinesis', he thought. The ability Albino Goblin had was
Telekinesis.
6.
619
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 83 ⦘
Kwa-reung!
When Anger Soaring shook Cheonggye Mountain, there were those who
watched the scene from far away.
Two men were twin brothers, apparently of the same appearance. "I can't
believe there is such a human being. How many monster stones do we have
to eat to be that monster?"
One was constantly talking, and the other, who was far away with a camera
in his hand, was silently filming Kim.
"Shut up." The man who had been silent then spoke for the first time.
"What?"
"There's no reason not to tell you. Shut up. Is that what you're saying?"
"You're my brother, and I think you stopped at the level of shut up." It was
the conversation of brothers that could not be seen anywhere else.
And as with the brothers' fights, the two began to raise the level of the
struggle.
620
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 83 ⦘
Kh-uh-uh-uh! It was Albino Goblin's grudge that stopped the fight between
them.
The two of them were silent at the shouting and focused on the battle of
monster and monster that would begin now. On the left arms of the uni‐
forms they were wearing, there was a mark with two circles attached like a
snowman. It was the mark of the Eighth Mechan ized Infantry Division, the
Ottuki Unit.
621
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 84 ⦘
Chapter 84
Chapter 29. A+, Part III
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
7.
Keu-ung!
The Albino Goblin didn't mind Kim's approach. It was willing to welcome
his approach with a shriek. Each minute the distance between the two
quickly narrowed, and when the distance was about ten meters, Kim leaped.
BoxN ovel.com
Paat! Kim's right arm was black as he jumped, and at the end spot of his
movement was the huge head of the four-meter tall Albino Goblin.
It was blatant. So blatant that everyone watching the scene knew that Kim's
aim was not anywhere else but the head of the Albino Goblin.
The Albino Goblin, who was directly involved in the battle, was also aware
of the fact.
622
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 84 ⦘
Keu-ung? What caught the eyes of Albino Goblin emitting the questioning
sound was the image of Kim, who had stopped still in the air. It was a tem‐
porary pause caused by Telekinesis!
Kim's body, which stopped just like that, moved again after Albino Goblin
swept its all-powerful punch through the air. His body flew once again to
the head of Albino Goblin like a baseball hit by a bat.
Whack! The black fist stuck into Albino Goblin's face. Kim's fist was
enough to shatter the sharp horn-like nose of the Albino Goblin, such that
its face was completely crushed. Its nose was driven back into its face.
It was hard to believe, but it was a natural result for Kim. He had more than
500 stat points in Strength. Even if there were other Awakeners in the world
who had higher stat points in Strength than Kim, the number would not ex‐
ceed five.
In addition, his Energy rank was B+! No matter how much energy he had
consumed in the Anger Soaring, the basic output was different. If talking
about cars, the basic horsepower was different.
Added to this, was the Herculean Strength of Twin-head Ogre, the achieved
power, which he had acquired after eating the monster stone of the Twin-
head Ogre.
Krrr! But Albino Goblin, instead of a scream of terrified prey, threw out a
cry full of anger. With that cry, it regained its balance, which had been
about to collapse, after only a few backward steps.
Kh-uh-uh-uh! The Albino Goblin was back upright and threw out a shriek.
It was the appearance of a real monster.
623
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 84 ⦘
The Albino Goblin confirmed he was approaching, and first narrowed its
distance to Kim, who was running on the ground this time. It was going to
attack rather than wait!
Bang bang! The huge Albino Goblin's right fist struck like a lightning bolt
toward Kim on the ground.
Boom! The ground cried out after the Albino Goblin's fist hit. However,
that was all.
Kim was safe. No, he was not just safe. He stood next to Albino Goblin's
fist and stretched his left hand out toward the face of the Albino Goblin.
This time it wasn't a punch. He sprayed instead of punching it, and the
spray was pouring out black, sticky stuff, covering its crushed face in the
black liquid.
Chi-i-ik! A natural shriek came from the mouth of the Albino Goblin.
Boom! Boom! Bang, bang! At the same time, Albino Goblin was going
mad. It swung its arms around unceasingly and slammed its feet on the
ground. Its pain-filled indiscriminate struggle began. Along with the strug‐
gle, the stones and trees around the Albino Goblin were fluttering. It was
evident that its Telekinesis was being freely exercised in its anger.
It was a typhoon-like struggle, and Kim increased the distance from the ty‐
phoon. Thud, Thud! As he increased the distance, he threw two grenades on
the ground.
Ping, Ping! The fallen grenades stopped for a moment on the ground and
then threw out their pins themselves. The grenades with the safety pins
pulled up like fleas and settled on both shoulders of the Albino Goblin.
'It's over.' At the moment he heard the sound, Kim no longer thought of
fighting hard against the Albino Goblin. It was because there was no more
reason to fight hard.
624
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 84 ⦘
'It can't use its Telekinesis anymore.' The Albino Goblin would not be able
to use its Telekinesis from now on.
That was his goal from the start: making the Albino Goblin's Telekinesis
useless!
'For Telekinesis, the five senses and concentration of the user are more im‐
portant than anything else. In other words, Telekinesis cannot use its power
in situations where the five senses cannot do their job and concentration
cannot be exercised.'
Kim knew that fact better than anyone else. So, he attacked Albino Goblin's
five senses in turn. He sprayed its eyes and nose, and the grenades made its
hearing useless.
For the Albino Goblin, who could not see, could not smell, and could not
hear, its Telekinesis was no longer a weapon. Of course, it might be possi‐
ble if the Albino Goblin concentrated.
In the old days, Kim had moved the Sword of the Imperator using his
Telekinesis inside the body of the Black Snake, when all five senses had
been blocked.
However, the problem was that Kim did not intend to give Albino Goblin
time to concentrate.
Swish! At the same time, the Sword of the Imperator, which had not yet
been seen, also appeared.
8.
The battle between the Albino Goblin and Kim was not short.
It took about 15 minutes. It was a battle that did not suit Kim's character. He
was not a person who played a game, and he did not welcome or enjoy the
625
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 84 ⦘
long battle. Nevertheless, the reason why the battle was longer was that he
wanted to measure his own abilities.
Until now, Kim had no chance to check his abilities. His battle had been
one of the two: like nothing, or intense.
Monsters under the orange grade were as nothing to Kim, while other mon‐
sters demanded the intensity of risking his life. And it was likely to be the
same in the future.
In such a situation, the green-grade monster, the Albino Goblin, who lacked
physical ability compared to the Twin-head Ogre, was a good subject to
check his abilities.
Of course, there were other intentions. Kim wanted to show his abilities to
the people who saw him. He tried to show his power, not a hunting dog that
could be tamed with the little ability they had, and what kind of determina‐
tion and preparation should be made if they wanted to make him an enemy.
When it was all over, Kim earned the price of his hunting success. With the
Sword of the Imperator, he broke open the body of the Albino Goblin
stained with blood and took the monster stone from its heart.
-- You can acquire the power of the Albino Goblin [The Telekinesis of a
Mutant].==
'I think this is the first time I've got a monster stone related to Telekinesis.'
Soon after, Kim put the monster stone from the Albino Goblin in his mouth.
Gulp! Then, he carefully checked the back of his right hand after taking off
his glove. At that moment, his eyes became bigger for the first time.
9.
626
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 84 ⦘
Kieee! Kieee!
The death of the king of Goblins, the Albino Goblin, who had made a
heaven for the Goblins so far, had caused confusion. Mt. Cheonggye was in
turmoil. It was an irresistible throb, which the power of an individual had
nothing to do with.
The same was true of the twin brothers who visited Cheonggye Mountain.
"No matter how many times I think about it, it's a suicidal act if we deliver
the letter to him right now."
Ahn Joo-hyung, who was a member of the Ottuki Unit, also wanted to leave
Cheonggye Mountain as soon as possible. "What are you going to do, man?
Can you go after him now and deliver it? Or do you want to return to the
Unit? Hey, Ahn Jae-hyung!"
The same was true of his younger brother, Ahn Jae-hyung. "Shut up! I'm
thinking about it myself."
They originally had a mission to deliver Lim Hyun-joon's letter to Kim Tae-
hoon, the leader of the Mac Guild!
"You don't need to think about it, the moment that crazy monster has a
grudge against us, we're dead!"
It was a very important task. The evidence was that none other than Ahn
Joo-hyung and Ahn Jae-hyung brothers were put onto this mission.
627
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 84 ⦘
"That's right. What, then? Let's play rock-paper-scissors and let the loser
deliver it alone."
But at this moment, they were not able to easily carry out their duties, as a
man was in front of them now.
"Huck!"
"Huck!"
The two brothers were horrified at the appearance of Kim. Being startled
with their eyes opening wide, their surprised expressions clearly showed
that the two were twin brothers. The expression of the two was identical
Kim stared at them. In fact, he had already felt the existence of the two.
There was no way he could not feel it. Cheonggye Mountain was a world of
the Goblin's own, and the voices of people in that world were very different.
Although it was quite a far distance off, he could not avoid the two brothers'
conversations. Therefore, he had waited for the right time; when the situa‐
tion was settled, he would track them down. And now he was in front of
them.
Looking at the two brothers, he checked their left arms with a glance.
'Colonel Lim Hyun-joon sent them.'
The Mark of the 8th Mechan ized Infantry Division in khaki, the so-called
Ottuki Unit Mark, came into his eyes. As soon as Kim saw the mark, he did
not have to make the situation difficult or complicated.
There was no reason why the soldiers of the Ottuki Unit that had settled in
Gangwon Province and the northern part of Gyeonggi Province would
628
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 84 ⦘
It was not strange that they appeared, since Lieutenant Colonel Yoo had
contacted Colonel Lim Hyun-joon earlier.
"Uhhh!"
"Uhhh!"
Of course, this was not a natural sight for the two brothers who handed over
the letter. They looked at each other in surprise. The two of them, with the
same expression and the same face, looked at each other as if they were
looking in a mirror.
Kim Tae-hoon laughed at the funny sight. It was a scene easy to laugh at.
But that did not ease his tension.
'They are able men, as they got here without a single injury.'
Unless Colonel Lim Hyun-joon was a fool, he would not have sent a person
of little ability to contact Kim. Moreover, a person with little ability could
never survive in the world. No matter how good a soldier was, if he was not
an Awakener, he could not guarantee his life as soon as he encountered an
orange-grade monster.
The contact with Kim was important. They should have confidence as well
as ability. There was no reason to relax with them in front of him. Receiv‐
ing two letters like that, he read the letter after opening one of the en‐
velopes.
629
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 84 ⦘
"It was the Colonel's request to hear the answer on the spot..." Ahn Joo-
hyung spoke his words even under Kim's gaze.
He carried out the mission which had been ordered to in front of the mon‐
strous man, Kim Tae-hoon. He looked like an exemplar of a soldier.
"Tell Colonel Lim Hyun-joon, 'If you don't want to die, come to me.'" Kim
was willing to answer the question. After the answer, he tore the letter in his
hand apart, put the paper on his palm and blew it.
The letter paper was blown into ashes by the flame from Kim's mouth.
10.
"Okay." Jang Sung-hoon said to himself and he circled on the map of Ko‐
rea. It was Daesan Town, Seosan City, South Chungcheong Province.
'We have secured Songdo LNG base and Seosan oil stockpile base, so we
will not have to worry about energy for the time being.'
It was one of the oil reserves in Korea. A little while ago, he received the
news that the Mac Guild had secured the oil stockpile.
So the gaze of Jang headed to the area of Chungcheong Province below it.
'We don't have to worry about rice for a while.' In addition, they searched
the area of Chungcheong Province and found several warehouses that
stored rice.
They secured farmland, and they were securing a labor force by collecting
new survivors.
630
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 84 ⦘
'I only need to deal with the remains of the Messiah of Chungcheong Prov‐
ince.'
There was, of course, a problem. The Messiah handled by Kim, the rem‐
nants of the Messiah, had employed brutal force throughout the region of
Chungcheong Province, and due to them, the entry and activities of the Mac
Guild to Chungcheong Province were delayed.
However, Jang did not worry much about that part. "The boss, more like a
monster than a monster, will take care of it. He is a terrific catcher of the
Messiah." The presence of Kim became a lamp that lightened Jang's trou‐
bles.
Jang could see the steps rising to hope gradually, not the stairs falling into
despair in the damn world where there was no end and no bottom. So, Jang
was happy about this moment. "Well..."
'At this point, the boss should have finished cleaning Cheonggye Mountain.
Let's check it out.'
With that joy, Jang opened his bag to take out Daedongyeojido. But his ex‐
pression crumpled at that moment.
Jang, a bitter taste in his mouth, saw the Golden Glass of Napoleon filled
with red liquid!
631
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 85 - A Time-Limited Life, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
In the empty plain, where only huge stones were gathered, there was a sud‐
den influx of uninvited people.
BoxN ovel.com
At that moment, the stones began to emit turquoise light, high up in the sky!
The light really soared to the sky, even to the moon above the sky, and dis‐
appeared intensely after a moment. At the same time, the men in the light
were gone.
A man, now a lonely uninvited visitor, looked at the scene with mixed eyes.
"Goddamn it, they've already moved!" He could hear a voice, and the voice
came far from.
The voice came close at a startling pace. When the voice came, the man hid
under the shadow of the giant stone, between the darkness and the darkness.
632
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 85 - A Time-Limited Life, Part I ⦘
Someone was wearing steel armor that would have been worn in medieval
Europe, and someone was wearing armor that would have been worn in
Japan during the Sengoku period.
The most noticeable of them was the man with the brown skin, dressed in a
suit that the ancient Egyptian pharaohs would wear.
At the sound, the disparate crowd, who had to be called all different, began
to run over the Salisbury Plain, in Wiltshire, London. They were men, but
there seemed to be nothing rough in their rush, reminiscent of a huge beast.
It was a Sword that moved through the darkness to block such a run.
Rustling! Everyone who was heading toward Stonehenge stopped at the ap‐
pearance of the Sword, which left only the sound of the wind, and turned
one into a headless corpse at once. It wasn't because one of them died.
"Oh, my God."
"No way!"
His presence, and killing that person, stopped everyone from racing. The
eyes of the unruly were filled with anxiety and fear.
The only man who did not lose his composure in front of the fear was the
man in a pharaoh costume. The man shook the golden cane in his hand. A
small light came up over the dark night sky, a light that reminded them of
the sun.
633
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 85 - A Time-Limited Life, Part I ⦘
The identity of the man in the shadows of the giant Stonehenge was re‐
vealed. He was Kim Tae-hoon. He was carrying two sheaths on his back,
and he overwhelmed them in many ways.
In addition, Kim's skin, the skin that reminded them of the scales of drag‐
ons, gave them a sense of fear beyond the pressure.
"... the rumor was true, the rumor that you had been cursed by the dragon."
"The rumor is that there's not much time left before we die."
But the man in the Pharaoh's dress was not afraid of the fear, and he said,
his chest straight. "My name is Amoon, the Savior who will save this age."
At the words, Kim's dry face made a slight smile. He smiled slightly at his
words. "Messiah?"
"Yes."
"I like it." At that moment, Kim hit the stone of Stonehenge, a giant stone
which was close to him with his black fist.
Boom! The giant stone was shattered with the loud noise.
"Crazy!" "My God!" The sight frightened the people. It was worth it.
The fact was amazing, and the sight of the stone being smashed into pieces
at one blow was amazing, too. But the surprise was not the end there.
"What?" "Oh, damn!" The broken stones began to float and immediately
flew toward people. "Get out of here!"
634
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 85 - A Time-Limited Life, Part I ⦘
It was none other than the huge golden coffin on his back that reacted to the
anger.
It began to react to the fury of the Amoon. A mummy appeared from the
open door. The appearance of the mummy changed the air quality around it.
Kim's eyes also changed. His black-skinned pupil began to split in half like
the eyes of a dragon. He took out the Hahoetal, which was hung on his
waist.
2.
When Kim opened his eyes, the first thing he welcomed was the darkness.
Inside the room, where there was not a single light on. He watched the
darkness for a moment in a daze.
After a while, he turned on the light on the desk in front of the chair where
he was sitting. The battery-powered lamp began to emit small lights in the
dark.
"Come in."
Jang Sung-hoon came into the tiny lighted room. "How did you die this
time?"
"Yes?"
635
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 85 - A Time-Limited Life, Part I ⦘
Kim's desk.
The answer did not come out immediately. Kim drank his coffee more
slowly, organized things in his mind, and then spoke, "His costume was a
pharaoh. His name was Amoon."
Kim then enjoyed the coffee and slowly told him what he saw and heard:
starting with the fact that the stage of the battle was Stonehenge in England,
the fact of Jang Sung-hoon's disappearance through the Stonehenge, and the
fact that various Awakeners had gathered and he fought with an Egyptian
man who claimed to be Amoon.
In addition, Kim also said that Jang had mentioned the Mayan Calendar be‐
fore he disappeared through Stonehenge.
"There won't be much difference between what I know and what the boss
knows."
"At least it won't say the anniversary date that humans can celeb rate. Maybe
the date of the End is written in it."
Jang trembled at the eerie word 'the End'. They were already facing an end-
to-end situation, and the real End was coming? It was something he didn't
want to think about.
636
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 85 - A Time-Limited Life, Part I ⦘
"Where are the ruins of the Mayan Civilization?" But Kim had to think. He
could not pass on the clues he had obtained in exchange for death.
"It's in Mexico."
"Let's see... some of them had built the Aztec Civilization in central Mexico
after the Mayan Civilization collapsed... the Inca civilization was on the
Chilean side. I don't know the details because I did not major in them. For
reference, the Lines and Geoglyphs of Nazca were there. I wonder what it
looks like now."
Jang Sung-hoon sighed deeply. "What would I do if I told you? All of them
must have been taken by the U.S." Kim had coffee at the words, 'the United
States'. Jang also began to worry after biting his lips.
"There's nothing left to the boss this time," Jang grumbled in worry.
"You have been clear about what you should do before you die, but this
time you just left a clue, like when you first died."
After recognizing the Golden Glass of Napoleon, Kim had always delivered
a message to himself to see before he died. He left a wish list, a bucket list,
but this death didn't.
Kim fought against the enemy until his death. He didn't tell himself what he
needed to do or what he did wrong in the process. Of course, he might have
talked, but it might not have been delivered.
Kim could not fix the moment of death that he had seen by the Golden
Glass of Napoleon.
Therefore, there was no answer for Jang to give at this moment. This was
the reason for the grumbling.
637
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 85 - A Time-Limited Life, Part I ⦘
"The fact that we were in England is clear that we have worked very hard
outside of Korea. In other words, we can get there if we go as it is."
"Then, once we have settled down Korea as planned, we will attack Taiwan.
Of course, what we need to do right now is to stop the assassination of
Colonel Lim Hyun-joon."
At the words, Jang nodded. "Well, we'd better deal with it first and think
about the next move." He also put his mind in order.
'It's good to think about our future. It's not meaningful to live without wor‐
ries. However, we should not swallow the worries and forget the reality fac‐
ing us right now.'
For the Mac Guild and Kim Tae-hoon, it was not easy to survive in Korea,
let alone the world.
The dice was already thrown. Kim delivered a very direct message to
Colonel Lim Hyun-joon, Come to me if you don't want to die.
"If he wants to live, he'll come." Kim threw the ball straight to the head of
Lim Hyun-joon.
"To be honest, I thought it was too strong. Colonel Lim Hyun-joon might
ignore the boss, right?" That was why Jang was concerned that there might
be an adverse effect at this part.
"More than anything, the Ottuki Unit, where Colonel Lim Hyun-joon is cur‐
rently stationed, has enough power for the Capital Defense Command to
keep an eye on. They won't feel threatened at all..."
Most of all, from the point of view of Jang, Colonel Lim did have few fac‐
tors to feel threatened.
638
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 85 - A Time-Limited Life, Part I ⦘
Wasn't it the warlord with the power which the Capital Defense Command
feared?
"The biggest problem with the frontline Units is that self-sufficiency is vir‐
tually impossible." Of course, Kim's perspective was different. "Now, half a
year after the appearance of the monsters, the stockpiles of food and fuel
are almost at their bottom."
"Ah."
Kim never threw a ball without any purpose. When he threw a ball, he al‐
ways had a purpose and a reason.
"That's why the Capital Defense Command is not moving quickly over to
the 8th Division, which is almost like an eyesore. From the standpoint of
the Capital Defense Command, if they keep the 8th Mechan ized Infantry
Division on the front line and the Gangwon region, they will be completely
starved. Above all, in summer, food decreases faster."
"In summer?"
"It freezes in winter, but it melts in summer. The frozen and preserved food
will start to decay."
Kim Tae-hoon saw that the situation of the 8th Division was not so good.
The front line was the way it was. The moment supply was not made, hell
began. It was not any different from Colonel Lim Hyun-joon's 8th Division.
From their point of view, they could not easily come down to the south be‐
cause of the existence of the Capital Defense Command.
"So, the winter of war is harsh, but summer is terrible, and if it gets worse,
they'll get deserters, because the Capital Defense Command is a govern‐
ment force, anyway."
639
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 85 - A Time-Limited Life, Part I ⦘
'The curse of dragons...' It was not the mummy that killed him.
'I was sentenced to a time-limited life.' The curse of the dragon, which was
achieved with the power of the dragon, was the cause of his death.
'Yes, power comes with a price.' At the same time, it was also a price for the
mighty power that was gained by eating the monster stone of the dragon.
So, Kim did not feel the sadness at the fact, but he did not have a big ques‐
tion or deny it. He did not turn away from it.
'I need that power.' If it was not for that power, Kim would have died ear‐
lier.
640
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 86 - A Time-Limited Life, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
The middle-aged man standing there was in keen shape. His face was sharp
and shaved so neatly that the end of a hair could not be found. The stiff
nose, sharp eyes and thick lips in the middle were impressive in many ways.
The most impressive thing was the man's eyes. They were intensely as‐
sertive.
BoxN ovel.com
Of course, Colonel did not intend to hide his true intentions in front of Kim
Tae-hoon at this moment. "I'll tell you what the letter says, but I need your
help to destroy the Capital Defense Command, so help us all."
641
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 86 - A Time-Limited Life, Part Ii ⦘
There was no such thing as courtesy at the words of Colonel Lim. He made
a one-sided notice and coercion, not a suggestion. He seemed to have no in‐
tention of even giving Kim a choice, not to mention a reply.
Kim was willing to answer Colonel Lim. "If you want to fight, please leave
here and move to Pocheon, then bring your troops down to Bucheon, and
I'll take you on in any battles or anything else then."
Kim continued without avoiding Colonel Lim's eyes, "I don't have time to
cheer you up."
Kim's eyes were more horrifying than intense. He was not acting.
'There isn't much time given.' Kim was sentenced to a limited-time life via
his death in the dream. Of course, the deadline sentence would begin at the
moment of killing the dragon and the moment he ate the monster stone of
the dragon.
If Kim rejected the dragon's power, he could get away from the limited-time
life. However, he did not intend to. The power of the dragon was vital to
him. Nor did he intend to accept the fate of a limited-time life. Therefore,
he was planning to find how to untie the curse of the dragon, how to avoid
his own death, and how to go further.
Of course, it would not be easy. Since it would not be easy, he had to move
quickly. There was no time to relax, and he did not want to waste any time
against Colonel Lim. He wanted to make sure his of relationship with
Colonel Lim today. A terrifying look was an expression of that feeling.
"Please tell me why you want to destroy the Capital Defense Command."
Eventually, Colonel Lim calmed himself down. At the sight of Kim's eyes,
he finally gave in. "The biggest reason to break down the Capital Defense
Command is that they are unreliable organization."
642
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 86 - A Time-Limited Life, Part Ii ⦘
Colonel Lim, who was speaking, opened the index finger of his right hand.
"One, if the President and the Prime Minister are really alive."
Then he opened the middle finger. "The other one, if the president and
prime minister are dead."
Colonel Lim clenched his fist. "In the latter case, once the presid ent and
prime minister are dead, the Capital Defense Command is lying, and it is
not worth believing."
"I don't want to call them my boss if they are breathing in a safe place with‐
out showing their face a single time in this chaotic world. In either case, I
have no reason to trust and follow the Capital Defense Command."
There was no doubt or hesitation in the eyes of Colonel Lim, who insisted
on his opinion. So, what he said seemed very reasonable and plausible.
Above all, the aura came out of his body. Charisma, the power to influence
a person, perfectly filled the gap in his words.
"I haven't heard why the Mac Guild should be on one side in the competi‐
tion between two warlords." However, Kim was not caught up in the spirit
of Colonel Lim. He knew that Colonel Lim was not simply a person who
spoke these words for justice.
643
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 86 - A Time-Limited Life, Part Ii ⦘
"And you'll stick to one side which will give you more, won't you?"
There were many famous mountains in Gangwon Province, and there are
many famous temples. However, there were not as many as Seoul, which
had a large number of national treasures, including the National Museum of
Korea.
Of course, Colonel Lim was not able to pay the ransom of a monster like
Kim Tae-hoon, like the Capital Defense Command.
"What can the Eighth Mechan ized Infantry Division give the Mac Guild?"
And if they would not pay the price, the transaction would not be con‐
cluded.
"So, you're going to take the side of the Capital Defense Command?"
"I think it's reasonable to stand on the side of receiving, rather than where I
don't get anything."
"Then why did you approach me first? If you were going to take sides with
the Capital Defense Command, you would have no reason to approach me
through Lieutenant Colonel Yoo."
"Proposal?"
644
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 86 - A Time-Limited Life, Part Ii ⦘
"Hmm?" At the words of Kim, Colonel Lim showed his first blunt reflec‐
tion. He looked like he didn't understand the words.
Kim was willing to tell him again. "Be my man, and the power of the
Eighth Mechan ized Infantry Division will be under the Mac Guild."
Now, Colonel Lim, who understood what he meant, turned into an angry
lion with a hard expression. "That's ridiculous!"
But he didn't jump like an angry lion, because Kim's presence did not allow
it.
"If you refuse this proposal, Colonel Lim Hyun-joon will die."
Colonel Lim had some knowledge about Kim, and even if he did not have
that knowledge, he had clearly confirmed Kim's ability through the two
brothers. He knew that even a real lion would not dare to run as it wanted in
front of Kim.
"If I were the assassin, how many days could you hold on?"
Of course, Colonel Lim could not make a retort before this remark.
645
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 86 - A Time-Limited Life, Part Ii ⦘
"The Mac Guild has been recognized by the Capital Defense Command,
and the Capital Defense Command has also recognized the autonomy of
Bucheon, Incheon, and other areas occupied by the Mac Guild. Of course,
when the Eighth Mechan ized Infantry Division becomes an organization
under the Mac Guild, the reason the Capital Defense Command would at‐
tack the Eighth Mechan ized Infantry Division disappears."
"Do you think the Capital Defense Command will keep that promise?"
"It doesn't matter who Lee Hyuk is. The important thing is that I showed
my abilities in front of him."
At this moment, Colonel Lim could no longer maintain his hard and sharp
image.
Colonel Lim finally started to think it over. At that moment, Kim's eyes nar‐
rowed.
Tap, tap, tap! He heard a hand tapping on the desk in a distant room. The
sound was repeated once more, and then someone spoke.
"Boss, Lieutenant Commander Yoo has come from the headquarters of the
Capital Defense Command to deliver a request. The request is that if we se‐
cure the three nuclear power plants in the area of Gyeongsang Province, in‐
cluding the Kori Nuclear Power Plant, they will give us relics. I think it's
the situation that the boss spoke about last time."
646
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 86 - A Time-Limited Life, Part Ii ⦘
Colonel Lim, who had finished thinking for a long time, talked to Kim.
"You said it was a proposal, not a threat."
"Yes."
"Then let me ask you a question... What will you give me in return for your
proposal?"
Colonel Lim thought that Kim was looking down on him at this moment.
However, Colonel Lim was able to see that his thoughts were wrong when
he saw Kim's eyes.
Kim Tae-hoon, who answered the question, had the most serious eyes in the
conversation today.
4.
Namsan Tower...
Three men were smoking in front of where the red light of the Sunsubi of
King Jinheung was still soaring. They were Major General Lee Ki-soo,
Colonel Jang So-gook, and Major Oh Se-bum.
They puffed up cigar ettes, and their conversation started after the cigar ette
that Lee Ki-soo was smoking became a butt and fell to the floor.
" Lieutenant General Lee Hyuk has decided to ask Kim Tae-hoon to do so.
Sooner or later, Lieutenant Colonel Yoo will deliver the request."
After throwing a cigar ette that had quite a bit remaining on the floor, Major
Oh Se-bum ground it down and had a firm expression at the name of Kim
Tae-hoon. After that, Major Oh Se-bum forced his face to relax.
647
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 86 - A Time-Limited Life, Part Ii ⦘
"Well, we can leave him alone, can't we? We'll see about him, then we'll
take care of him when we get a chance?" Major Oh was about to gloss over
this conversation.
"What is it?" Colonel Jang So-gook, on the other hand, led this conversa‐
tion.
Major General Lee replied with a bitter expression to Colonel Jang. "Kori,
Wolseong, Uljin."
"Really?"
"Yes, Lieutenant General Lee is going to ask Kim Tae-hoon and the Mac
Guild to secure a nuclear power plant."
In a situation where energy was needed more than ever, but where there
were not many buried energy resources, the only plants able to satisfy the
supply and demand of energy were the hydroelectric power plants and nu‐
clear power plants.
Among them, the nuclear power plants were very valuable. It was no exag‐
geration to say that it was a lamp of hope. It was certainly important to have
such a nuclear power plant.
But it was not for that reason that the two men, Colonel Jang and Major Oh
kept quiet.
"Nuclear weapons..."
Everybody knew nuclear weapons, as they were the most powerful weapons
created by mankind.
648
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 86 - A Time-Limited Life, Part Ii ⦘
Therefore, the Capital Defense Command had a plan to secure the nuclear
weapons early on.
In particular, securing nuclear weapons had become a supreme task for the
Capital Defense Command after the battle with the Dragon.
The same was true even at this moment when they became aware of the ex‐
istence of Kim. He was a huge monster, but his presence was only a small
one in front of the dragon. No one could imagine him hunting the dragon.
The top priority for securing nuclear weapons was securing nuclear power
plants. Naturally, the Capital Defense Command has been attempting to se‐
cure the nuclear power plants. They had sent special forces to the site of the
nuclear plants many times, not once or twice. But all such attempts ended in
failure.
"It must remain as a hope." It was because of their manipulation. Lee Ki-
soo had manipulated all the attempts into failure. It was like the manipula‐
tion played in Incheon.
The Capital Defense Command did not spare any investment for the crucial
mission of securing the nuclear power plants. Thanks to it, they had made a
lot of income.
The number of relics taken by Lee Ki-soo through the mission to secure the
nuclear power plants was quite large. The number of the relics was not even
comparable to the relics acquired in Incheon.
This was not the only reason why the nuclear power plant was important to
Lee Ki-soo.
649
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 86 - A Time-Limited Life, Part Ii ⦘
Lee Ki-soo did not want the Capital Defense Command to have nuclear
weapons!
Nuclear weapons were unaccountable violence. For Lee Ki-soo, who had
already done his calculating in a world full of chaos, and for his partner
they called Mr. Mao, the appearance of nuclear weapons was like ink that
could ruin their calculations entirely.
Most of all, the area where the nuclear power plant was located, or to be
precise, the area of Gyeongsang Province, was the hub of their efforts.
It was not just a stronghold, but a stepping stone to give a leap to Lee Ki-
soo in a new era. It was unacceptable for a monster named Kim Tae-hoon to
go to such an important stage.
"So, we will stop him." That was why Major General Lee Ki-soo did not
worry for long.
Furthermore, Major General Lee Ki-soo did not hesitate. "If we can't get
him in our hands by all the means and methods, we'll stop him from going
into the enemy's hands. It's hard to do, but we can do anything to destroy
him."
Colonel Jang and Major Oh kept their mouths shut at the sight of Major
General Lee Ki-soo, who did not hesitate.
650
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 86 - A Time-Limited Life, Part Ii ⦘
Major General Lee looked at the two, took out a cigar ette again, and put it
in his mouth.
651
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 87 - Hunting For Snakes, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
"You have to secure three nuclear power plants located in the area of
Gyeongsang Province. Every time you secure a single nuclear power plant,
we will give you ten relics, including five national treasures, and we will
acknowledge ownership of all the relics acquired in the process."
Lieutenant Colonel Yoo Ji-hyun hit the document in front of himself with
his fingers as he was speaking. "This is the document." At the end of the re‐
mark, he looked up and looked at the two people on the other side of the
desk.
Kim Tae-hoon was closing his eyes, and Jang Sung-hoon was rolling his
eyes hard. It was not difficult to predict which of the two would speak.
BoxN ovel.com
"So..." The answer came from Jang's lips. "Is it alright for us to keep what
we find from securing the nuclear power plant?"
"Yes."
"So, it's okay for the Mac Guild to take all the relics from the National
Gyeongju Museum, Bulguksa, and Seokguram?"
652
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 87 - Hunting For Snakes, Part I ⦘
"It's..."
Of course, it was not hard for Jang to mention them since they really ex‐
isted.
"Oh, the Manpasikjeok and Geumchuk of Park Hyuk-geo-se are part of the
Gyeongju Samgi (three wonderful treasures). These two things and the Bell
of King Seongdeok are the Gyeongju Samgi. You don't know these relics
because these do not appear in the textbooks."
Only then did Lieutenant Colonel Yoo understand the situation and frown.
He realized that Jang played a joke on him.
"What would you like to do, the boss?" Jang handed over the ball to Kim in
order to avoid the eyes of Lieutenant Colonel Yoo.
Kim opened his eyes. "What's the status of the Sobaek Mountains?"
Jang was the first to answer the question. 'It's a heaven of monsters.'
Crossing the Sobaek mountain range was not much different from crossing
the Jordan River, which symbolized God's Heaven.
653
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 87 - Hunting For Snakes, Part I ⦘
Kim and Jang knew the facts through Daedongyeojido, so Kim asked the
question at this moment. If the Capital Defense Command hid or reduced
the situation in the Sobaek Mountains, it would mean that they had a secret
design.
"Once there were blue-grade monsters in the mountains of Sobaek and Jiri,
and we found green-grade monsters in the mountains of Taebaek, Deogyu,
and Palgong. There may be more, but that's what the Capital Defense Com‐
mand found out."
However, Lieutenant Colonel Yoo's answer was not much different from
what Kim and Jang knew. It meant there was a secret design.
"Securing the nuclear power plants, for reference, means not just going to
the nuclear power plants and putting a flag on them, but securing them so
that we can operate the nuclear power plants, as well as the way to the nu‐
clear power plants."
"It's not easy." Lieutenant Colonel Yoo gave a long sigh after that remark. 'I
never expected that they would request the Mac Guild secure a nuclear
power plant.'
It was not easy to cross the Sobaek mountain range, and those who crossed
the Sobaek mountain range were also out of communication.
In addition, this request of the Capital Defense Command to the Mac Guild
was not an exploration, but a securing. The level of difficulty was different.
654
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 87 - Hunting For Snakes, Part I ⦘
"It's too dangerous, and we would need to use all the power of the Mac
Guild to form a route through the Sobaek Mountains."
Even if he was in the position of Kim, he would have given the same an‐
swer.
"I don't want to repeat my own experience of bleeding my people, while I'm
working somewhere else with my enemy behind me."
However, when Lieutenant Colonel Yoo saw Kim's words and his expres‐
sion full of determination, his expression was firm. "Give me a break..."
Yoo was able to see what Kim had planned and what kind of picture Kim
was drawing.
"I'm going to kill the traitors in the Capital Defense Command." Kim's next
goal was nothing but the traitors of the Capital Defense Command. It was
no strange thing.
Kim knew how the Six Snakes would come out if he moved to secure the
nuclear power plants. They would do their best to interfere, and as soon as
Kim secured the nuclear power plants through the obstacles, the nuclear
power plants would explode.
Even if they detonated only one of the three nuclear power plants located in
Gyeongsang Province, it would become a nightmare land where people
could not live.
In such a situation, if he spent all his energy to secure the nuclear power
plants, he would sow and they would reap.
In fact, it was right to kill the Six Snakes when he could do so. Neverthe‐
less, the only reason to keep the traitors alive so far was to use them.
"As long as I know Taiwan is our main enemy, there's no reason to keep
them alive."
655
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 87 - Hunting For Snakes, Part I ⦘
'Now I will see the end.' But now, he knew Taiwan was their control tower.
Most importantly, he knew where the Six Snake's heart was.
"You don't know exactly who the traitors are, or how much power they
have?"
Of course, he did not know how deep or how many roots the Six Snakes
had sunk in the Capital Defense Command.
"The traitors are not few in the Capital Defense Command, and Lieutenant
General Lee Hyuk is probab ly the peak."
Lieutenant Colonel Yoo did not know who the peak was right now. It could
be Lee Hyuk, or it could be another executive. It was clear that it was not a
small organization. It was not just a group of three or four executives. In
that situation, Kim would pick out the traitors and remove them? It would
be impossible.
"If I can't handle paras ites, I can just take them with their host."
Kim added more words to Yoo. "You will not stand on my side for the exis‐
tence of the Capital Defense Command?"
In that remark, Yoo stopped sighing. "So, it is a coup." He had a look of res‐
olution instead of nervousness.
As Kim said, Yoo was on his side for this situation. Yoo was also ambitious.
Right now, within the system of the Capital Defense Command, he could
not fulfill his ambitions, and it was evident that his role was only a messen‐
ger coming and going to the Mac Guild and the Capital Defense Command.
He could not dismiss Kim's proposal.
656
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 87 - Hunting For Snakes, Part I ⦘
"For now, it is impossible to have a coup with the power of the Mac Guild
alone. I am sure that you are good enough to assassinate a VIP, but it will
not be possible to do a coup with that power only. You need an army to
manage the civilians, soldiers, and Awakeners managed by the Capital De‐
fense Command." Instead of stopping, Yoo gave sincere advice. "There is
only one place with that kind of military power, the Eighth Mechan ized In‐
fantry Division. Please make Colonel Lim Hyun-joon join your side."
At that moment, a sound that did not fit the sincere advice of Yoo came out
of Jang's mouth.
"Did you think it was funny?" Lieutenant Colonel Yoo spoke some keen
words, grumbling. It was natural that Jang's behavior did not seem polite,
and it would not happen anywhere else in the world.
"Not because of your opinion, but because of the look you'll have in a few
minutes."
Jang shook his head. "You'll know what I mean when you go to the next
room. Boss, please explain!"
"What?"
"Colonel Lim Hyun-joon and the 8th Mechan ized Infantry Division joined
the Mac Guild."
Lieutenant Colonel Yoo asked with a look showing that he did not under‐
stand. "Uh, when?"
657
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 87 - Hunting For Snakes, Part I ⦘
Kim checked the watch on his wrist and said, "Thirteen minutes ago."
When Lieutenant Colonel Yoo heard the answer, he thought, 'Am I dream‐
ing now?' He thought that if Kim was not talking nonsense now, he was
dreaming.
Kim said to him again, "I refuse the request of securing the nuclear power
plants, but please tell the Capital Defense Command that I will accept it."
2.
It was none other than Major General Lee Ki-soo who filled the seat after
Yoo had disappeared.
Beyond the Sobaek mountain range, there was a power that Lee Ki-soo had
prepared in the area of Gyeongsang Province. Of course, he did not intend
to tolerate Kim and the Mac Guild crossing the Sobaek mountain range. 'I
can't help it.'
So, at this moment, Lee Ki-soo raised the stakes. "But will he really satisfy
the request?"
658
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 87 - Hunting For Snakes, Part I ⦘
"Don't you think that the Mac Guild will use them as their own nuclear
power plants after they have secured them? In fact, the Mac Guild is using
the Songdo LNG base after they have secured it. The nuclear power plants
would not be any different. And if they try to build nuclear weapons..."
"I think we need a leash to keep the Mac Guild from doing anything wrong,
like taking hostage civilians in Bucheon or Incheon, which the Mac Guild
has occupied."
At the combination of the two words, civilian and hostage, Lee Hyuk
looked at Lee Ki-soo with a cold expression. It was a ferocious look.
'Whew!' The eyes were ones to make Lee Ki-soo sigh repeatedly. 'Now I am
branded a troublemaker.'
It was a result of incurring the wrath of Lee Hyuk. What he was looking at
right now was not the near future. He wanted to be a historical hero who
would save the Republic of Korea from this crisis, and what he looked at
was his own image being recorded for future generations.
"You saw that Kim Tae-hoon was a crazy monster. If he secures a nuclear
power plant, he will inevitably eat the monster stones in the area. There is
no way to stop a Kim who is even stronger than he is now. He is not a sol‐
dier who fights thoughtlessly. He is a specialist trained under Major General
Chang Young-sung."
659
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 87 - Hunting For Snakes, Part I ⦘
'I'm trying to strike his weakness when he is away, and I'm going to make
the time right now and seize his ankle.' In fact, Lee Ki-soo knew that this
was not the answer. 'I'll have to fight against Kim in return.'
In the viewpoint of Lee Ki-soo, Kim was not a man who would be easily
shaken by threat, and even if he could buy time if he held Kim's aides, sub‐
ordinates and citizens as hostages, he could not use them as a leash.
Rather, over time, Kim would make him pay for taking the people around
him as hostages. He would start a full-scale war against the Capital Defense
Command.
It was a painful thing for Lee Ki-soo. He needed the power of the Capital
Defense Command. Even if the situation of the CDC was not good, the
number of soldiers and Awakeners belonging to the Capital Defense Com‐
mand was enormous, and the weapons and firepower it possessed were also
significant.
He had a plan, but now there was nothing to say that it was a plan. In the
military, the way a subordinate was given the power of a superior was sim‐
ple: if a superior was gone, power would be naturally transferred down.
In such a situation, it would not be better for the Capital Defense Command
and the Mac Guild to engage in the war of attrition. But he couldn't help it.
If he left Kim and the Mac Guild like this, they would take monster stones
and relics and expand their force. Later, they would be a real monster which
the Capital Defense Command would have nothing to compete with.
'I will sacrifice Lee Hyuk.' However, it was not possible for Lee Ki-soo to
handle this work with his own little ability. The situation was different from
the one with the Gamecock.
660
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 87 - Hunting For Snakes, Part I ⦘
There was no evidence then, but this time the evidence would be left. In
other words, a sacrifice would be needed to accept all the anger of Kim, and
Lee Ki-soo was planning to make Lee Hyuk that sacrifice. And for Lee
Hyuk to be a sacrifice, Lee Ki-soo needed Lee Hyuk's command.
"There are many able monster hunters in the Mac Guild, but there are not
many elite soldiers who can fight a war. In order to cross the Sobaek Moun‐
tains, almost all of the Mac Guild's power will be put there, and it will be
like cutting trees in an ownerless, deserted mountain."
After hearing the order he wanted, he immediately turned his back after
saluting. Colonel Jang So-gook came to his office immediately.
Colonel Lee said in a low voice to Lee Ki-soo, "Mao's Okjo arrived."
Lee Ki-soo clenched his teeth tightly upon hearing of Japan's involvement.
"What would you do? Would you like to ask for auxiliary troops?"
"I understand."
After Jang left Lee, he disappeared somewhere. Lee grit his teeth alone.
661
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 87 - Hunting For Snakes, Part I ⦘
'Kim Tae-hoon, I will pay you back the damage I have suffered!'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
662
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 88 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
There was a story about the vacant lot in front of Bucheon City Hall.
In the winter when the cold wind blew, the winter when the world seemed
to be different from the appearance of the monsters, Kim Tae-hoon, the
head of the Mac Guild, gathered the hunters in the vacant lot, and they were
tested.
It was a test that only those who showed the determination to sacrifice a fin‐
ger as evidence of loyalty. Only two passed the test, and the two who had
passed became the two biggest Clan leaders of the Mac Guild.
BoxN ovel.com
The story was repeatedly mentioned by those who survived under the flag
of the Mac Guild.
Whenever there was no story to tell, people talked about it, and the story
got fat. At one point the story became a legend. For the Mac Guild's
hunters, that day was a historic event, as seen in history books.
Now the hunters had gathered again in the vacant lot. The number of people
gathered was about seventy. It was not many, but it was not few, either, be‐
cause they were the leaders of the groups, were all in charge of the lives of
663
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 88 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Ii ⦘
others, whether they were many or few. Of course, the gathered people
knew the story that had become a legend.
'Even if I really cut off my fingers, I will not miss this opportunity.'
This time, they were determined not to miss the opportunity with a lame ex‐
cuse. And their resolve was evidence.
'If we get Clan recognition, our level of item support will change.'
'There's a story about the Mac Guild having a lot of relics recently, and if
we make a contribution and show loyalty... we'll get the relics. Then we can
climb higher.'
The evidence was that the people gathered here were not the desperate ones
who survived the monster era, but the hunters who would not mind a war
with the monsters for a better future in the world.
So, they gathered in the vacant lot much earlier than the promised time, and
they were ready to wait much longer than the promised time. They would
hold on until the sun was sinking above them and the moon that followed
was sinking.
Thump! Kim's body fell like a flash onto the iron stage in the open area in
front of Bucheon City Hall.
664
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 88 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Ii ⦘
"Attention." Thanks to the silence, he did not have to calm down those
around him, but he was able to start talking in a low voice from the begin‐
ning.
"We received a request from the Capital Defense Command," Kim said in a
very low voice in front of everyone's attention toward him. The low voice
could not be heard unless they listened carefully.
"The contents of the request is to secure three nuclear power plants located
in Gyeongsang Province. It goes through three major processes. One, secure
the road. Two, remove the threats. Three, protect the nuclear power plants.
What we need to do first is to clean the road from the capital area to the
Gyeongsang area."
Kim went on with a voice beyond cool or calm. But his words were neither
cool nor calm; it was the opposite, they were horrifying and thrilling.
The Gamecock had been a nightmare for the hunters of the Mac Guild,
many of whom had died, and the terrible signs of the battle were every‐
where in Bucheon.
But they had to make a road to with not one monster of the same grade, but
two monsters like the Gamecock?
There was at least no one here who had ignored the nightmare. These peo‐
ple who had gathered here, were willing to die to earn time for civilians to
665
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 88 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Ii ⦘
"The party or the Clan who wants to volunteer, raise your hands." So, at the
end of Kim's words, they raised their hands up in the open space.
Kim smiled slightly when he saw the scene. 'At least my way was not the
wrong way.' The sight in front of him seemed to prove that his hardships
and the adversity that had come so far were not in vain.
So, at this moment, he gave a gift to those who proved that he was not
wrong. "There is no payment of forty percent for this monster hunt, and you
will keep everything you kill."
Whoop! Then a thunderous shout began to fill the open space. The cheers
were more intense than ever. Even those far away could hear them.
4.
"The Mac Guild has moved. More than six thousand men, including Awak‐
eners, have now gathered in Suwon. According to the plan announced, after
moving to Yeoju City through Yeongdong Expressway, Yeoju City will be
the base area and then the Jungbu Naeryuk Expressway will be the first to
be attacked."
Lieutenant General Lee Hyuk, who received the report, signed the docu‐
ment in front of him without worrying.
The signed document was in the hands of the reporter, and immediately the
reporter delivered the report using wired communication connected to Nam‐
san Tower.
Among those who received the message was Lee Ki-soo. 'There's no going
back.'
Kim Tae-hoon and the Mac Guild's core power had started a long journey to
reach the Sobaek mountain range. Starting with Yeoju City, they would hunt
monsters to secure the Jungbu Naeryuk Expressway.
666
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 88 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Ii ⦘
The most important part was to handle the high-grade monsters located in
the mountains of Wolak and Sokri. It was not something they could finish in
a day. Of course, Bucheon City was currently in a state of no owner, and it
would not take a day or half day to suppress Bucheon City with the power
of the Capital Defense Command.
After the collapse of Bucheon City, Kim would not stay still.
'Hostage, we have to get the key hostage.' What Lee Ki-soo could trust in
that situation was a hostage in the end. It was impossible to even try to deal
with Kim with money or relics. However, if he had a hostage, he could take
his time. And there were two people who could easily be taken hostages in
the present situation.
'I have to catch these two surely, Ahn Sun-mi and Jang Sung-hoon.'
'Of course, hostages are not the only thing. Kim is a specialist in this field.
If there is a hostage, he can kill the hostage after weighing his options'
Lee Ki-soo also knew that. So, what he wanted was to earn some time.
'Musashi... I just need to earn time for the person who saved Tokyo, which
was worse than Seoul.' It was time for a monster to come to deal with a
crazy monster.
Lee Ki-soo got up from his seat. 'But I'll have to get ready to go down to
Daegu, in case something happens.' Standing up, he took out a small item in
his arms. It was a bird statue of white jade, the size of his finger.
Lee Ki-soo grabbed the bird statue with his right hand and paused a mo‐
ment. When he opened his hand again, the jade bird statue gradually began
to inflate.
Soon, Lee Ki-soo began to mumble to himself to the jade pigeon. After
completing the recitation, he ordered the bird, "Tell them what I said."
667
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 88 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Ii ⦘
The bird nodded and immediately began to flap its wings. Swish! The bird
slipped out of the room window and quickly disappeared. He also left the
room, but through the door.
5.
Bucheon was the first of the ruined cities to start reconstruction after the
monsters appeared. There was a clue that showed it most clearly. One was a
solar panel park located south of Bucheon City Hall, and the other was a
nearby university hospital that used the electricity generated by the solar
panels.
The Mac Guild had made a lot of efforts to rebuild the medical system,
among the many things rebuilt in the city. A proper medical system itself
had a powerful force to reassure people. Even the newly established medi‐
cal system of the Mac Guild had a much more advanced form in some areas
than before the monsters appeared.
"I understand."
"Use 300 kilograms for making recovery pills, send all the amounts we pro‐
duce to Yeoju City, and send as much of the Water of Therapy and the flesh
of the Mud Troll as possible."
"I understand."
It was thanks to the monsters' dead body parts and relics. They brought re‐
sults that humans could not achieve with medicine, and the Mac Guild took
the most advantage of it. The relics that could help the medical system were
668
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 88 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Ii ⦘
used unsparingly, and the monsters' dead bodies were also generously do‐
nated.
At the briefing, the people who were seated at the long table bowed their
heads deeply. It was a funny sight. Until last year, or even half a year ago,
the conference room of the university hospital where she was now was a
stage only professors could participate in.
It was a place she could not gain save in the distant future, as an intern at a
university hospital. Now that she was the director of this place, it was
ironic.
Of course, for someone, it might seem a huge success. But at least she had
never thought it was a success. She didn't like this situation.
'I never did anything.' She was left alone in the conference room where peo‐
ple were escaping, and she looked at the mark of an Awakener on her right
hand. It was evidence of a chosen person who had the opportunity to fight
against the monsters.
'I never did anything again this time.' But she had never done anything right
as an Awakener.
When Bang Hyun-wook had taken a risk of his life and walked onto the
battlefield, when Kim Soo-ji had led the soldiers in a dangerous battlefield,
she has been always dealing with the lives of others in the safest place. That
was why she didn't like her situation.
'Am I helpful?' Above all, she was wondering if she would really help Kim
Tae-hoon.
Kim clearly said at the first meeting, when he fought the Black Orc at a
large supermarket. He would only take those who would help him. If they
669
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 88 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Ii ⦘
Of course, things had changed. Kim did not abandon them because they
were not helpful. However, the relationship between Kim and Ahn was not
much different then or now. There was no reason to change.
Jang often came to her, but he did not come without reason.
"Where is he?"
"Thank you."
After Ahn got up with a greeting of 'thank-you', she immediately walked to‐
wards the director's office.
The nurse who had informed her watched the back of Ahn without words.
Then the nurse walked away, too. She took down the stairs and went into
one of the rooms. The place was full of patients in their suits.
But their eyes were not those ones of patients, those who suffered from
wounds and pain.
They were the eyes of trained hounds waiting for the time to come, with
their prey in front of them.
670
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 88 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Ii ⦘
"We're lucky, we don't have to spread out our power. What's the security
level at the hospital?"
At that remark, a man lying on the bed rose up. "Except for the Awakeners,
one platoon is all, and most of them are guarding the entrance."
"Okay."
The man answered and checked his watch. The clock pointed to eight.
"Three hours from now, we're going to start operations at eleven."
Everyone checked their watch. There was no answer. The ticking of their
watches filled the quiet room. They started to make sounds at 11 PM when
the night came.
6.
One of the most precious things since the monsters appeared was electricity,
which was now a tremendous power and a great luxury to use it at night.
The five men were able to avoid spending a long time looking for their tar‐
gets. There was only one place to shining through the doorways lined up by
the darkened corridor. The five men moved slowly toward the light-emitting
door without making a sound.
Then they stood in front of the door, listening to the room inside, waiting
for the sound. They waited, breathless, for the sound of colleagues outside
the building breaking into the building.
'When?' 'Why not move?' But no matter how long they waited, they could
not hear any sound they wanted. There was no sound even in the room.
They could hear two men and women talking, but they could not hear the
words.
671
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 88 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Ii ⦘
But at the signal, they were still quiet, and his men were not even showing
signs of moving, not even the sound of them alive.
7.
Screech! A brightly lit door opened, and a man entered the door.
"Boss, are you done?" The man and woman in the room rose immediately.
"Now is the beginning. There will be fighting all over the place."
"The commandos from the 8th Mechan ized Infantry Division will try to
avoid massive casualties."
Jang took a short breath at the words of Kim. "You're certainly an expert in
this part, and you figured out all the lines and plans of the other person---"
Instead of answering, Kim looked over the window. He saw the quiet apart‐
ment complex, which stood between the hospital and a road. However, his
eyes did not miss the secret movements on the verandas of the apartment
complex.
"What the hell is going on?" On the other hand, Ahn, who did not know the
situation, looked at Kim and Jang alternately, not hiding her surprise.
672
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 88 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Ii ⦘
"Why, why are you here?" She had to be scared from the moment Kim sud‐
denly appeared. She didn't get any warning in advance.
Kim still gave a short answer to Ahn while his gaze was still over the win‐
dow. "Hunting for Snakes."
At that moment, Kim's eyes narrowed. "The tail is coming to look for its
head."
673
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 89 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
8.
It was also the task that none other than Lee Hyuk directly gave him.
BoxN ovel.com
He was going to do his job well, of course, and he had the time to relax to
do it. There was no threat to him in Bucheon without Kim Tae-hoon.
'This operation is over!' It was at eleven o'clock in the evening that his
thoughts had changed. As soon as he saw that the men who were waiting on
the roof of the university hospital for the kidnapping of Ahn Sun-mi were
taken down by two men who had suddenly appeared, his spine froze coldly
in crisis. The operation had failed.
674
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 89 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Iii ⦘
'Failure is a word used to express its appetite where the beast tried to hunt,
but the game ran away. No one uses the term failure in the situation where a
predator is screaming in a trap prepared by a hunter.'
'What do I do?'
'Who do I go to?'
The problem was where to run. Oh Se-bum, who was going to run away,
wondered whether he should go to Lee Hyuk at this moment or Lee Ki-soo.
If he followed orders, he should go to Lieutenant General Lee Hyuk. Lee
Hyuk sent him to Bucheon.
'No, not Lee Hyuk.' But it was not the case for Oh Se-bum. It did not seem
proper for him to get an answer from Lee Hyuk.
'I have to leave Seoul now.' What he needed now was not to prepare for the
Mac Guild's counterattack, but to run away.
Why should he do that? 'I do not know when the monster Kim Tae-hoon
will come to Seoul.'
Kim, who had grasped the intentions of the Capital Defense Command,
could not stay still.
Lee Hyuk also knew that, and when Major Oh went to tell him the news, he
would ask Major Oh to escort him. However, Major Oh had no intention of
escorting Lee Hyuk, who would be the top target of Kim from now on.
9.
12:11.
675
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 89 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Iii ⦘
From Bucheon City Hall to Namsan Tower in Seoul, Major Oh ran the dis‐
tance with only two legs, but Major General Lee Ki-soo did not give him a
chance to breathe.
Major Oh paused for a while to catch his breath and asked, "Right, right
now?"
Instead of answering, Lee Ki-soo turned his head and looked around. There
were only trees around. He could not find any indication of a person being
around. No matter what they said, no one would overhear it.
"If it's not now, there is no chance to run away." So, Lee Ki-soo spoke on
the spot.
"Yes?"
"The Mac Guild that read our plan and set up the trap, will not leave their
main power in Yeoju City, and are already moving to Seoul."
At the moment he heard that, a map of the capital area was drawn in Oh Se-
bum's mind. 'Ah.'
It was as Lee Ki-soo said. The Mac Guild, who had known the intentions of
the Capital Defense Command, would not stay in Yeoju City and go to the
Sobaek Mountains. What would happen then?
The could not run away to Bucheon and Incheon. Those were the areas of
the Mac Guild. The same was true of the northern Gyeonggi and Gangwon
areas. It was the area of the 8th Mechan ized Infantry Division.
In such a situation, more than 6,000 elites of the Mac Guild would come to
Seoul from Yeoju City, which was located in the southeast of Seoul?
676
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 89 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Iii ⦘
"Well, yes."
Crucially, there were few troops in the southeast of Seoul. Currently, the
main power of the Capital Defense Command was concentrated in the west
and north to guard against the Mac Guild and the Eighth Mechan ized In‐
fantry Division, and the south and east were virtually open holes.
There was no room to stop the Mac Guild's sudden attack. Six thousand
elites organized to clean up monsters in the Sobaek mountain range would
enter Seoul without any bleeding. It would not be easy to get out of Seoul at
that time.
"Then where---"
"We move to Daegu first. We're ready to move. We will travel from the Han
River to Paldang Lake."
"Yes, sir."
"And I... Argh!" Lee Ki-soo, who was talking, screamed in pain at the mo‐
ment.
"Major General?" Oh Se-bum, who was surprised and looked at Lee Ki-soo,
immediately saw why Lee Ki-soo was making such a noise.
677
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 89 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Iii ⦘
"Keuk!" A Sword had passed through the right thigh of Major Oh. But he
did not fall to the ground. He stood upright on his left leg and shouted,
"Kim Tae-hoon!"
At the end of the cry, Kim Tae-hoon was there. He was carrying his bag
with a sheath on his back, and he was slowly approaching Major Oh and the
fallen Major General Lee.
Major Oh's body was trembling at the sound of his heavy footsteps ap‐
proaching. 'Fucking hell.'
In addition, Kim's eyes, which were black even in the dark, had given Ma‐
jor Oh the most overwhelming fear from any stares he had ever encoun‐
tered.
The fear caused Major Oh's Energy to rise to the extreme. His body began
to pump up its strength.
'Other than now, there is no chance.' Major Oh's instincts shouted, 'This is
the only chance to kill Kim Tae-hoon!'
So, Major Oh ran like a sports car, like a machine, and his body began to
accelerate. He narrowed his distance to Kim at once... and that was the
cause of his defeat.
'Fuck!' It was a magic created by Kim's Telekinesis, and Oh's fist was drunk
on the magic and stuck elsewhere.
On the other hand, Kim's fist was accurately directed to Oh's face.
"Fuhub!" Major Oh fell to the ground spraying teeth. The blood began to
flow out of his fallen head like spring water, and his body began to twitch.
678
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 89 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Iii ⦘
Kim walked toward the fallen Lee Ki-soo as he passed the body of Major
Oh.
In the meantime, the Sword of the Imperator, which was stuck in the thigh
of Major Oh, removed itself and re-entered the sheath.
Click! When Kim heard the sound of the Sword being stuck in the sheath,
his footsteps stopped. He looked down at the head of the Lee Ki-soo, who
had fallen to the ground.
The face of the screaming Lee Ki-soo went white. "How, how did you-"
Kim knew that he should not know. That was the biggest reason for making
his face white.
Lee Ki-soo's face was white, but as if he was awake, he closed his mouth
tightly instead of answering. He remained silent.
Kim used his own Telekinesis to control the Arrow in Lee's thigh. He
slowly pushed the Arrow deeper.
"Aaaaaaargh!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!"
"Argh!" In front of the pain, Lee Ki-soo was rather patient. It was because
he was now aware of Kim's intentions. 'He won't kill me.'
679
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 89 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Iii ⦘
Kim wanted to get something from him, and as long as he wanted to get it,
his life could be spared. It was worth keeping him alive. On the other hand,
the moment he said the information Kim wanted to know, he would be
dead.
Kim could not help but notice what Lee Ki-soo was thinking about. "We'll
negotiate."
And it was not the first time for Kim Tae-hoon to deal with those who re‐
garded this kind of information as a lifeline.
"If you want to beg for your life with information, you have to judge what's
right, or if you really want to die-"
Tsreung! During the words of Kim, the Sword of the Imperator rose by it‐
self, and then it was inserted close to Lee Ki-soo.
"Just kill yourself." At the message, Lee Ki-soo gave a trembling look at the
Sword of the Imperator. He just looked at it. He had no reason to kill him‐
self for keeping silent to save his life.
"... how did you know about the Six Snakes?" In the end, Lee Ki-soo talked.
"That's-"
680
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 89 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Iii ⦘
"The headquarter of the Six Snakes is Taiwan, and its purpose is to support
the chaotic countries to secure the ruling forces. From that point of view,
who should the Six Snakes approach? You, or me?"
"The deal has been around for a long time, and I doubted why the Six
Snakes had contacted you, not me." This remark, of course, was not true.
'I'll twist your mind.' The time and effort he had spent to make this trap
were not small. Once it was more important than ever to get more informa‐
tion from the Six Snakes, he had thoroughly prepared to get the informa‐
tion.
Kim looked for a way to shake Lee's psychology and how to get informa‐
tion from the other's mouth. He had gathered a lot of the survivors under the
Mac Guild, including psychologists.
"I---"
"My job was to send the monster stones I had acquired through monster
hunting in Korea to Taiwan, and in return, I received relics and information,
so it was a deal rather than a mission."
"I---"
Lee's eyes were not shaken anymore by the attack of Kim. Instead of shak‐
ing, they were just blurred. "I was on a mission... to find a legendary relic."
At the moment of hearing that, Kim immediately pulled out the Arrow in
the thigh of Lee Ki-soo.
"Yaaah!"
681
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 89 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Iii ⦘
'Were there really a Manpasikjeok and Geumchuk?' At that time, Jang men‐
tioned them as a joke.
On the other hand, Kim was able to understand the intention of the Six
Snakes and the movements of Lee Ki-soo.
If the purpose of the Six Snakes was simply to secure the military power of
Korea, they would have been more active. The Capital Defense Command
would have been in contact with the Eighth Mechan ized Infantry Division.
Except for Awakeners, the Eighth Mechan ized Infantry Division, which ab‐
sorbed the front-line forces, was much more powerful than the Capital De‐
fense Command.
But the Six Snakes did not do that. They hid themselves and caused confu‐
sion.
Finding what they wanted to have in the chaos was the point.
The ultimate thing the Six Snakes wanted was not the power of the Repub‐
lic of Korea but chaos here. The Republic of Korea must remain in chaos so
that they could get what they wanted.
What they wanted was not just a relic. If it were a real relic in a textbook, or
in a museum, they would have already taken it. In other words, what they
had been looking for had an unknown location and existence.
Here, Kim did not forget the advice of the second death.
'They really exist.' It was the advice to put Green Dragon Crescent Blade
and Kusanagi, which existed only in the imagination, legend, and mythol‐
ogy, on the wish list.
682
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 89 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Iii ⦘
They were what the Six Snakes wanted. They were not real relics, but the
legendary relics that existed only in stories!
'If so, it means that there is a relic in Taiwan that can roughly grasp the lo‐
cation of the legendary relics.'
Kim stopped thinking there for a while. "I guess you still haven't gotten
them since you're here."
There was a lot of information to get. "I'll save you." So here, Kim released
the tension on Lee Ki-soo.
"To be honest, Lee Ki-soo, your life is important to me, and if we bite each
other, we have nothing to gain. Rather than, the first thing we have to do is
to find why the Six Snakes hid each other's presence from us."
At that moment, the focus came back to the eyes of Lee Ki-soo. "Well, yes."
Click! The Sword of the Imperator inserted in the ground went back into its
sheath.
"Above all, if we fight like this, my side will also suffer greatly. If you had
not known my identity until now, you would have asked for help to deal
with me... I am not going to be bled by the supporting force. Major General
Lee Ki-soo, you have to stay alive to talk to them."
At this part, Lee Ki-soo no longer felt much pain. 'We can live.'
Knowing that Kim had many reasons to save him, hope for his survival
brightened Lee's face.
"Uh?" At that moment, Lee Ki-soo's body began to sink into his own
shadow.
While Lee Ki-soo was surprised, his body fell into shadow for a moment.
683
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 89 - Hunting For Snakes, Part Iii ⦘
At the same time, gray smoke began to bloom around Kim. The smoke
filled the surroundings in an instant. Kim stopped breathing.
On the other hand, his eyes were shining, and his ears were open. His vision
and hearing began to absorb all the information around him.
In the meantime, shadows scattered under the heavy smoke began to move.
Ten moving shadows! The shadows escaped from the thick smoke. At that
moment one of the shadows rose as it was. The rising shadow soon became
a human form. That was not what the person directly involved wanted.
Damn! The bitter sound of the person was the evidence. The bitter words
were the man's last words.
Thunk! A Sword was stuck in the chest of the person who showed up, and
Kim saw a dead body, his chest pierced by a Sword in the thick smoke. The
man was wearing black clothes and a black mask that only exposed his
eyes.
He was a Ninja. When Kim saw a man dressed like that, he stopped looking
around. Instead, a ring of fire began to form around him.
Anger Soaring!
Rumbling!
684
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 90 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
Rumbling! The explosion that started at Kim Tae-hoon's body shook every‐
thing around him. The trees that filled Namsan were shaken like waves, and
stones flew like leaves.
The same was true of a human body. "Ahhhhh!" The ninjas, swept away by
the huge explosion, began to roll like garbage, screaming. It was not easy
for anyone to regain their balance on the slope, but the ninjas regained their
footing almost instantly.
"しっかりしろ!"
BoxN ovel.com
Wake up! They reacted immediately to someone's cry. The ninjas stopped
on the slope and pulled swords from their waists.
Whiz! The ninjas held leaf-shaped throwing-knives between the index fin‐
ger and the middle finger, between the middle finger and the ring finger,
and threw them at the same time toward Kim Tae-hoon.
Swish! Dozens of throwing-knives, which cut through the wind thinly and
sharply, moved toward Kim, drawing a unique trajectory like a boomerang.
685
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 90 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part I ⦘
It was like a shower. No matter how big his eyes were, there was no place
to avoid them.
But Kim was not surprised by the showers of throwing-knives. He did not
actively respond. What he did at this sudden attack was open his black Eyes
wide, open his ears as wide as possible, and to stretch his arms out with his
palms open, as if pushing an invisible wall.
Ttuk! Dozens of throwing-knives that were heading for Kim stopped in the
air. Then they fell to the ground with a sound like falling rain.
The sight gave the ninjas a look of horror that could be seen behind the
masks.
'Oh, my God.'
The Ninjas' thinking stopped in that state. It was an error. Just as the pro‐
gram that received the uninterpreted command stopped, the ninjas, who as‐
sumed that Kim would avoid or pause, were forced to stop in front of this
action taken against the throwing knives.
'I set a bait.' Kim took the gun out of his waist and pulled the trigger toward
the ninjas who were far away.
Blam, blam! The gunshots were like a thunderstorm waking up the dumb‐
struck ninjas.
'Gun!'
The ninjas refocused their minds and focused all their five senses on Kim.
'They took the bait.' This was what Kim has wanted.
686
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 90 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part I ⦘
Zing! They focused on the gunshot; in other words, they did not focus on
the Arrow.
Thunk! The Arrow of Sun-sin, the relic of the great Admiral that did not
need an explanation, began to reproduce the nostalgia of the past. It began
to penetrate the skulls of the ninjas, who were totally focused on the gun in
the hand of Kim Tae-hoon, and who had stepped on the land of the Korean
Peninsula in the midst of these turbulent times.
Ping! When the third shot broke out, no one was looking at Kim anymore,
just dead bodies that had lost the focus in their eyes were crumpled near the
devastated area of Namsan.
However, Kim did not care about their dead bodies. His gaze hurriedly
chased one person. It was a dead body with a dagger in his chest that
stopped his gaze.
"Hoo." The moment Kim found the dead body of Lee Ki-soo, his eyes
closed.
'Fucking hell.' Kim's mouth was twisted. His expression could not be easily
seen, the feeling that Kim felt now was intense.
But all that was left now was regret. There was no way to get information
from the dead Lee Ki-soo. So, regrets rose in Kim's head, and the questions
followed regret again and again.
Where did they come from? 'The forces of the Six Snakes must have built
power in Japan, too.' It was, of course, Japan. This part was so blatant that it
was absurd.
'Lee Ki-soo asked for help to check me out.' The problem was the capacity.
The fact that there was enough room for elite Japanese Awakeners and nin‐
jas in Korea meant that Japan had built some power within the Japanese ar‐
687
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 90 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part I ⦘
chipelago.
'This is beyond what I expected.' But it was not easy for them to send ninjas
if it was the power of Japan that Kim has known. Japan was not a weak
country, but basically, it lacked the most effective army power to deal with
monsters, and there were very few army trainees who were decisively
skilled, as well as weapons.
When they rescued the Japanese VIP, the Japanese government had used its
ties with Korea to ask Kim for help. Here, the great surveillance system that
Japan boasted of would have been destroyed with the appearance of mon‐
sters.
The strength of Japan was that it had a good preparation for disasters, but
expectations for monsters were not good. There was a big difference be‐
tween an earthquake and the monsters. Of course, with the advent of mon‐
sters, Japan should have been a much worse mess than Korea. At least that
was what he had thought.
'I did not expect that Japan would already have this much power.'
But now he had to acknowledge it. Japan was equipped to hunt powerful
monsters.
It was obvious that the ninjas were dispatched to Korea, and the ninjas actu‐
ally counterattacked Kim after they were struck by Anger Soaring.
'The relics they secured are not common. No, if the Six Snakes are behind
them, they surely have excellent relics.'
'... Kusanagi.'
688
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 90 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part I ⦘
'Above all, it is clearly in Japan. There is the relic of unheard-of that has
been mentioned in the myths in Japan.'
It was none other than Kim Tae-hoon, who had guaranteed it through his
dream-death.
"Search!"
It was the sound of those who were surprised by the noise at the heart of the
Capital Defense Command, Namsan Tower.
It was also a signal that Kim should take his next action. He opened his
eyes. Opening his eyes, he looked at the moon above the sky.
'I will finish it before the sun rises today.' There was no tremor in his eyes.
2.
There were a lot of people in the place where Ahn Sun-mi usually worked
alone. It was crowded with men, to be precise.
Ahn Joo-hyung and Ahn Jae-hyung were surprised by Ahn's shout, but Jang
Sung-hoon shrugged his shoulders.
"It's nothing."
"We're going to take this chance to destroy the Capital Defense Command
and take over Seoul. I'm sure it'll be settled as early as tomorrow morning."
689
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 90 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part I ⦘
At the calm appearance of Jang, who had spoken such crazy words, Ahn
looked at him as if he was an idiot. It was the same with the twin brothers
who had been deployed to guard them.
'He is talking about the mission that our troops have been planning using all
sorts of means and methods, but we haven't even dreamed of, like buying
things at the local supermarket.'
The two of them, members of the 8th Mechan ized Infantry Division, knew
well what efforts they had made to take down the Capital Defense Com‐
mand. But the Capital Defense Command was more than they thought.
If there had not been a problem in the Capital Defense Command, Colonel
Lim Hyun-joon would have taken over Seoul on behalf of the country.
'Well, if it is that monster...' Nothing else, but they had seen Kim's ability,
and they thought that he could do anything.
She could not understand everything in the words of Jang. No, that wasn't
what mattered to her now.
Jang, who was speaking, smiled lightly. "Well, don't be too sorry, because
information security is important, and I couldn't tell you."
"That's not what I'm sorry about!" At that moment, Ahn burst forth with
anger. It was an explosion of the agony and the anger she had been having.
690
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 90 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part I ⦘
At her appearance, the light laughter on the mouth of Jang began to turn
into a bitter laugh. It was not hard to know why Ahn exploded with fury,
because he was quick-witted.
'Finally, she is furious.' Jang knew Why Ahn was angry now.
She was worried that she might become a useless person just like this, and
that she might be abandoned by Kim as soon as she became a useless per‐
son.
'Well, we are all the same.' It was not her own concern. It was the worry and
concern of all those who have been with Kim from the beginning. By look‐
ing at Bang Hyun-wook, they knew that. He was killing monsters like crazy
to catch up with Kim somehow, and Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji was doing her
best in her role.
The problem was that Kim did not care for them or look back. The people
who had followed Kim were upset. They wondered if they were doing well,
and they were worried. Then they exploded with anger.
The first explosion was Bang Hyun-wook who lacked patience, and now
Ahn Sun-mi had exploded.
But that would not change Kim. He would be the same in the future.
"Sister Sun-mi, don't think he'll care about you. He won't care if you get
married and become his wife."
Therefore, at this moment, Jang did not say nice things to Ahn.
"The boss can't afford to look back, because he is just too busy looking
right in front of him." It was too much for Kim to just look at the matters
facing them right now.
691
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 90 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part I ⦘
After completing his words, Jang turned his gaze from Ahn, who had her
mouth shut, and looked at his bag with a sideways glance.
'If we get the Capital Defense Command, the only remaining area is the
Gyeongsang Province.'
'As soon as the Mac Guild takes the Capital Defense Command, the entire
area except Gyeongsang and Jeolla Provinces will become the territory of
the Mac Guild. Moreover, as long as Chungcheong Province is already se‐
cured, securing Jeolla Province will proceed smoothly. There is no monster
above the blue grade.'
'The only thing left is the area of Gyeongsang Province. It will not be easy,
but the area will be cleaned up in three months.'
'Jeju Island will be left, and Jeju Island has a dark-blue grade monster, so
we will postpone the attack to later, and anyway, the Mac Guild will regain
most of the country of Korea.'
'Then we'll have to go through North Korea and go to the continent, or we'll
go across the sea to Japan.'
'And that is the starting point. It is never the end. If we remain isolated in
the Korean Peninsula, we will be the prey of the world powers and those
who will lead a new order. We have to move to live. We must go without
rest, whether in the sea or on land.'
'As soon as the world becomes a stage, Daedongyeojido, which has been
the best guide of the Mac Guild so far, becomes useless.'
'We have to start a struggle for survival once again on a stage where we do
not know where the monsters are, and where our enem ies are.'
692
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 90 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part I ⦘
'It is none other than Kim Tae-hoon who has to stand at the forefront and
make the way.'
"Let's see the boss take over Seoul, because it's a historic moment going to
appear in the textbooks."
3.
The best elite soldiers, who were preparing to protect Lee Hyuk, were ready
for the chaos. They were not the inexperienced ones; they had survived in a
world full of monsters, and they had increased their stats by eating monster
stones with the continued help and support of the Capital Defense Com‐
mand.
They were the most reliable soldiers of Lee Hyuk. However, Lee Hyuk,
who was escorted by them, was clearly aware that nothing could stop the
typhoon that would come to him now.
Therefore, Lee Hyuk told his determined subordinates, "When Kim Tae-
hoon comes, send him to me."
"Yes?"
693
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 90 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part I ⦘
"But, but..."
At the order of Lee Hyuk, his guards looked white. But no one asked him or
tried to persuade him. They did not even try.
Kim had already shown them; he showed them what he was like and every‐
thing in the battle with Albino Goblin without holding back.
That was why Kim showed his ability without filtering it.
'I think it was also a strategic move that he showed his identity in Cheong‐
gye Mountain.'
There had been always a reason for Kim's actions. Even if he showed his
strength, he did not show it without a reason. It was a ploy to use in the fu‐
ture.
'He sent the troops to Yeoju City to siege Seoul. It was also a ploy.' Moving
the troops to Yeoju City was not just a move to deceive the eyes. It was also
a strategic move.
'This ability is not an ability you are born with. It is an ability to be culti‐
vated with long training and made through countless practical exercises in
battle.'
'No...'
Kim was not born with this ability. He went through training which others
could not stand under the goal of protecting his country.
Since then, the Korean government had put him into all kinds of practical
exercises, unlike its original purpose, for the sake of the Korean govern‐
ment's taste and the interests of those in power.
694
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 90 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part I ⦘
Even though there was no need to go to the Middle East, he carried out op‐
erations without proper support for the interests of businesses and politi‐
cians on the battlefield of the Middle East, and even though there was no
reason to go to Africa, he carried out his duties against all kinds of enem ies.
In the process, he lost many colleagues and learned lessons in return.
In other words, if Kim had been just an ordinary soldier, his ability would
have been incomparably low.
'This is karma.' When Lee Hyuk reached that point, he smiled bitterly.
"Lieutenant General..."
695
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 91 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
It was Kim Tae-hoon who said the first words when the two faced one an‐
other. "I want you to deleg ate all the authority of the Capital Defense Com‐
mand to the Mac Guild."
It was a strong punch from the start. Kim asked for the full authority of the
Capital Defense Command without any negotiation. It was like asking for
Seoul. It was like asking for the legitimacy of the Republic of Korea. And it
was like asking for everything that Lee Hyuk had.
BoxN ovel.com
"No." Lee Hyuk rejected Kim's proposal without any consideration. "I ad‐
mit my mistake, but I don't think that's the kind of thing that gives away the
full authority of the Capital Defense Command."
It was never a grudge of Lee Hyuk, and it was not an endless grudge. At
this moment, he was drawing a picture.
'There is still room for negotiation. I can't threaten Kim, but I can threaten
what he has.'
696
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 91 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Ii ⦘
'Clearly, I cannot stop Kim. If Kim resolves to do so, he can render most of
the officers of the Capital Defense Command into dead bodies. But he can‐
not kill the Capital Defense Command itself. It should not be possible.'
'Once that happens, the Capital Defense Command will not be silent. It will
do its best in any way. The area of the capital will be filled with terrible
scenes.'
'Even if all the officials of the Capital Defense Command die, it will be a
problem. Many of the soldiers who lost their command posts will follow
Kim, but not all of them. In addition, how do uncontrolled soldiers behave?'
'Clearly, uncontrolled soldiers are not any different from monsters. If they
make a fuss, the damage will leave a great scar on the Mac Guild, even if
they don't touch Kim himself.'
'I'm making a deal with Colonel Lim Hyun-joon. Then, if I can't reverse the
situation, I can avoid the worst. The Mac Guild's greatest weakness is their
number of men. That is a very lethal weakness. Winning the war is possible
with a small number of troops, but managing the land cannot be done with a
small number of troops. The only thing that can fill this weakness is the 8th
Mechan ized Infantry Division, which is now the only one available in the
current situation, and if I succeed in appeasing the 8th Mechan ized Infantry
Division, the situation will be reversed.'
"I'll give you a hundred relics, including twenty national treasures, and you
can go to the Bank of Korea's safe and pick them up free."
In other words, the price for this operation would be paid for with relics.
No, from the perspective of Lee Hyuk, it was necessary to pay for it. Only
then could he keep his position and think of the future. He knew it was not
fair, and he knew that a guilty man was pulling a really dirty trick for his
own good.
697
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 91 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Ii ⦘
'I can give him the liver and gallbladder, but I can't give him the heart.'
"I want one thing." On the contrary, Kim did not intend to negotiate against
Lee Hyuk's resolution, aim, and attempt.
"If you don't want to give it to me, it's war." Now was time to get the reward
for the groundwork.
"I don't intend to do that, because the power of the Eighth Mechan ized In‐
fantry Division under the Mac Guild is enough to win a full-scale war
against the Capital Defense Command."
The strategic move, where Kim had made Colonel Lim Hyun-joon of the
8th Mechan ized Infantry Division a subordinate, became checkmate.
"What, what is this..." Lee Hyuk stopped himself from saying more, and
then he stroked his mouth with his hand. At this moment, he had a suspi‐
cion.
That was why Colonel Lim had rejected Lee Hyuk's proposals so far.
It was common sense, Lee Hyuk must have tried to win over Colonel Lim
to his side. He even suggested Colonel take the second place in the ranking,
but he also rejected that proposal.
Who did Colonel Lim go under? No way! Lee Hyuk could not imagine it
had happened.
698
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 91 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Ii ⦘
But when did Kim make contact with Colonel Lim? He had to cross Seoul
to get in touch with Pocheon from Bucheon. Was there any other way?
"You can either take responsibility for this and step back from the front line
and deleg ate all your powers to me, or you can be recorded in three lines in
a history book that will be published about ten years from now, mentioning
Lee Hyuk's rebellion."
Among the two choices, he did not need to worry about the results.
5.
Kaboom! The fireworks began to explode over Namsan Tower, and they
were more brilliant than ever. Even the small stars were shining in the sky
of Seoul, where the pollution had disappeared and the world had stopped.
Thanks to this, the light of the pyrotechnics that started to burn around
Namsan Tower could be seen anywhere in Seoul.
"Success." A man who was far away and not able to see Namsan Tower
without a telescope could still see the lights.
"Kim Tae-hoon succeeded." Colonel Lim immediately pulled his eyes off
the telescope. What came into his eyes were dozens of tanks with their gun
barrels aimed toward Seoul, armed soldiers hiding in the shadows created
by the tanks, and artillery waiting for orders all over the place.
699
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 91 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Ii ⦘
They were the 8th Mechan ized Infantry Division. Since the advent of the
monsters, they were the veteran warriors who had protected the northern
part of Gyeonggi, the Gangwon area, and the front line from Pocheon. They
were all equipped to advance to Seoul with their lives once they were or‐
dered to attack.
"We stand by as we are," Colonel Lim ordered them briefly. It was a word
to quiet the storm.
-----
"Okay, it's boss." There was a person in Yeouido who checked the flares
dotted around Namsan Tower with a telescope.
Jang, who checked the flares, ordered, "Now, let's get ready to enter Seoul."
Jang looked at the troops that were ready to cross the Han River at any time
with the order. Now was when the owner of Seoul had changed, and when
the newly changed owner would give his first impression to those who
would follow him.
---
Finally, there were those who checked the flares near the Han River. They
could see Namsan and they were gathered around a ship that floated alone
on the Han River.
"What happened?"
"Those idiots."
700
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 91 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Ii ⦘
They numbered ten. Only one of them was wearing white, not black.
But it didn't feel clean, and the fiery eyes behind the mask were sharp, and
the spirit that was coming from his body was very fierce.
"I can't even save a man. I have to report a mission failure! What a dis‐
grace!"
At the growling of the man named Kazami Hayato, the nine men left turned
their eyes or bowed their heads. They had no words to say in excuse, so
Hayato turned and looked at Namsan Tower again. His face was not good as
he watched the bright light of the flares.
'The mission is complete,' Hayato Kazami said to himself. The order he had
received before leaving the Japanese archipelago was to support Major
General Lee Ki-soo. They wanted to make a tool of Lee Ki-soo. But as soon
as he stepped on the Korean Peninsula, he was given a new order: "If you
have a chance, kill Lee Ki-soo!"
The order was issued by a man named Musashi, who had saved Tokyo from
hell, and was ordered by the man named Musashi who now wanted to es‐
tablish a new Japan.
Musashi. No one knew his real name, and no one cared about it. He was
called Musashi and treated like a Savior. He had a great ambition. 'If Japan
could occupy Korea...'
The first thing to do for that ambition was to get out of Japan. It was not the
job of only Musashi. It was the process of all those who had ruled Japan
earlier, and those who had tried to advance beyond Japan to a wider stage. It
was also the reality that Japan was facing.
701
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 91 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Ii ⦘
The Japanese archipelago was not good for living in isolation, the land was
too constrained to have their ambition realized. That was why Japan had al‐
ways sought the Korean Peninsula in history.
But Musashi and Japan had been hiding this ambition, because the forces of
Lee Ki-soo, supported by the Six Snakes, had settled on the Korean Penin‐
sula. In the situation that Lee Ki-soo played a good role, the Six Snakes
would not allow Musashi to advance to Korea. In other words, if Lee Ki-
soo died, only the antagonists against the Six Snakes would be left on the
Korean Peninsula, and there was no reason for the Six Snakes to stop Japan
from entering here.
Hayato felt the time was coming, and he felt that Japan would repeat its his‐
tory from a century ago, but it would produce a different result this time!
Based on the lessons learned a century ago, he was sure they could really
build an empire this time! At such thoughts, he was smiling without know‐
ing it.
"No other alternative, we're the only ones on the move," he said, trying to
hide his smile.
'Huh?' At that moment Hayato was able to see a person who did not bow to
him.
'Uh?' It stopped in the air, and everyone was surprised. Hayato's men were
surprised that Hayato had suddenly thrown it, and Hayato was surprised at
the sight in front of him.
702
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 91 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Ii ⦘
Kaboom! Another firework was fired from the tower above Namsan, and
the light of the flare, which was a particularly bright, sparkled in the new
man's black Eyes.
6.
A blue flame rose in the blackness of the darkness, coming from the burn‐
ing of paper dolls. Nineteen dolls were burning, and only one doll remained
intact. A woman was seen dimly between the blue will-o'-the-wisps. She
was wearing priestess robes that could be seen at a Japanese shrine.
Another woman came into the darkroom where the woman was. "Musashi
is coming."
At the words of the woman who was wearing the same clothes as her, the
priestess in the darkroom rose from her seat, came out of the chamber, and
showed herself. She was a beauty with bobbed hair.
In front of her was a wide-open land, a deep moat that girded it, and col‐
lapsed buildings waiting for dawn beyond the moat.
Edo Castle was the place where the woman stood; only the site and the
buildings remained, instead of the splendid castle.
A group of people was approaching her with the rattling of armor. They
were samurai dressed like those from the Sengoku period, and the sound of
armor rose with every step.
At the head of such samurai, the only man wearing kimono without armor
showed his slender build.
He was barely over 160 centimeters tall, and he looked young. His skin was
lovely, soft and smooth. He was a handsome man with a youthful appear‐
ance.
He was a man unusual in many ways, but the most unusual thing was the
sword which a man was wearing at his waist. Even though he had put the
703
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 91 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Ii ⦘
sword in the black sheath, the light from the sword came out through the
sheath and illuminated its surroundings like a beacon.
Musashi. With the emergence of the monsters, he was the man who had
saved Tokyo, who was saving Japan, and who would save even the future of
Japan.
She bowed her head once and answered, "The only one who survives
among the twenty is Hayato."
There was a smile on the mouth of Musashi. "It's time to set sail," he said
through the smile.
704
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 92 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
7.
It was late enough to call it dawn. People came over to Colonel Jang So-
gook, who was waiting for someone with his eyes shining, even though it
was time for everyone to be asleep. But they were not the ones he was wait‐
ing for.
It was soldiers who came to Colonel Jang, and they showed a killing spirit
to him. However, he did not resist in front of them, but not because he was
afraid of the soldiers.
BoxN ovel.com
The fact that it was Lieutenant Colonel Yoo, not anyone else, who came to
arrest him, was what rendered Colonel Jang immobile.
Colonel Jang knew the role Lieutenant Colonel Yoo had served as a moving
bridge between the Mac Guild and the Capital Defense Command. He
could easily see that Lieutenant Colonel Yoo had betrayed them. In other
words, he was attached to Kim Tae-hoon.
705
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 92 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Iii ⦘
"You have talked a lot for a man who tried to sell the country to Japan,"
Lieutenant Colonel Yoo remarked without any mercy.
There was no reason to be merciful. His opponent was the one who wanted
to sell the country out and pursue his own interests, and from now on he
would be punished for it. It would be Lieutenant Colonel Yoo who would
carry out the punishment.
"Major General Lee Ki-soo and Major Oh Se-bum are dead, and Colonel
Jang So-gook will be punished as a warning to others."
Kim Tae-hoon gave Lieutenant Colonel Yoo the authority after the death of
Lee Ki-soo: to find the traitors, and to punish them. Kim Tae-hoon, who
was entrusted with the full authority of the Capital Defense Command, gave
the right to Lieutenant Colonel Yoo, and in fact, he was like the Grim
Reaper.
To Lieutenant Colonel Yoo, the Grim Reaper was not a handsome man with
a black hat and a wet eye, but a man who could take someone's life without
hesitation.
At that terrifying order, Colonel Jang was dragged out and saw the sky. The
moon of Seoul was as bright as the sun.
8.
The fireworks in the sky near Namsan Tower woke up those living near
Seoul from their hard-earned sleep.
"Mom, what is that?" Even the children rubbed their eyes and woke up.
706
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 92 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Iii ⦘
At the words of a child, a woman looked up at the sky with her daughter in
her arms. Their faces were haggard, their eyes dark. That was the reality of
Seoul.
The land of Seoul, which had the highest population density in Korea, had
no room to satisfy the survivors. Food had run out of for a long time, and
there was nothing good to eat, just a lump of calories that could fill the
stomach. Sometimes they filled the calories with cooking oil. But the worst
was that they did not have any expectations for the future.
Hope for the future meant that they would have food that would eventually
make their stomachs full. But around the Han River, it was too terrible to
farm. It was not easy to break down and clear away the expensive apart‐
ments set up by the Han River, so no one could imagine seeing golden rice
fields in the land of Seoul. This meant that the future of Seoul was very
bleak.
Br-br-br-! The trucks carrying the huge trailers woke up the night of Seoul
with the roar of their engines.
People could see a fantasy animal called a Mac, which they had never seen
before, drawn on every trailer of the rumbling trucks.
"This design was well drawn, right? I did it myself." It was the mascot de‐
sign of the Mac Guild by Jang Sung-hoon. Jang had drawn the design on
the trailers of all the trucks entering Seoul carrying food.
"They'll never forget it once they see it, and they'll probab ly dream of it."
The Capital Defense Command was guarding Seoul, but it was not com‐
pletely dominating. The truth was that they were taking control of Seoul
through fear and violence.
707
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 92 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Iii ⦘
Although the Mac Guild was entrusted with the full authority of the Capital
Defense Command, the minds of the citizens of Seoul would not change by
themselves. Therefore, a new approach was needed.
"I actually wanted to write Messiah down, but I quit because I would be
crushed by the boss. Boss and Messiah don't get along very well, no matter
how hard I thought about it."
The Mac Guild needed to let Seoul know that it was an organization to
bring hope for the future. They needed to make an image, and the Mac
Guild's mascot was the beginning of the image making.
"We'll run the food trucks that we've modified right after we've supplied
food. There's a design that made the Mac Guild's mascot cute, and we are
going to make a fish-shaped bun in the food truck and give them to kids all
over Seoul, and for reference, copyright and trademark rights are mine. In a
decade, it'll be more popular in Korea than Mickey Mouse."
The Mac Guild did not just leave the survivors as survivors; they made a
list to help them use their abilities and skills. They had given a role to each
engineer and technician.
"If I build a company, it'll be the Mac Company. I'll give you a share, so
let's do it well together."
Kim did not have much to say to Jang. He was fiddling with the jade piece
in his hand, looking at the sky where dawn had begun to look smudged. At
this moment, he was worried.
708
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 92 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Iii ⦘
He had gotten new information that Lee Ki-soo has secured a base in Busan
and Daegu. It was possible, but it was thanks to the many relics filling the
Gyeongju.
The Tripitaka Koreana of Haein Temple played a very important role. Haein
Temple in Hapcheon, where the invincible relic, Tripitaka Koreana, was
sealed, defeated the monsters.
Even though monsters were swirling around the Sobaek mountain range,
there were no monsters identified by the Daedongyeojido in Kaya Moun‐
tain, a stem of the Sobaek mountain range.
'The relic has an effect from the starting point of Haein Temple to Daegu...
The power is far beyond the silver cross that the priest had, and the influ‐
enced area is much larger than the Sunsubi of King Jinheung.'
Furthermore, the influence of the Tripitaka Koreana was also affecting the
adjacent Daegu Metropolitan City. This range was wider than any other
relic, and its power was great.
For Daegu City, it was simply a blessing from the heavens. The fact that
there was little interference from monsters meant that most of the infra‐
structure was the same. Moreover, Daegu City had some powerful merits
that could not be compared with other cities.
'The Second Operations Command in Daegu; without any fighting, the out‐
come would have been easier than I thought.'
'Once in Daegu, there is the Second Operations Command. The scary thing
about monsters is that in front of their fear, the general armed forces are
useless and their appearance is sudden. No matter how great an army is,
there's no way to deal with the sudden rise of a monster from the inside.
Conversely, if there is some security guarantee from monsters appearing,
then the situation is totally different if there is room to prepare.'
709
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 92 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Iii ⦘
'Gyeongju and Busan are already their territories.' And Lee Ki-soo took
Gyeongju as the next target after using it as a base area.
They expanded their activity area with the strong relics of Gyeongju, and
they were in the process of exerting influence on Busan City.
'The good news is that they have not found Manpasikjeok and Geumchuk
yet.'
Lee Ki-soo was still looking for the legendary relics, the Geumchuk of Park
Hyuk-geo-se and the Manpasikjeok of King Sinmun.
'When I appeared and the stage was twisted, they brought Japan to this
stage.'
For that, they had received support from the outside forces of Japan.
710
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 92 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Iii ⦘
"Hey, boss." Jang said to Kim, worried about his silence. "What are you so
worried about?"
Jang had made many plans for his future: after establishing the Mac Com‐
pany, he would be a big success and buy a lot of expensive artwork at
Sotheby's auction on the Internet from a mansion in Miami.
However, Kim did not listen to Jang, and Jang gave Kim a pretty upset look
since he had not heard his future plans.
"Yes?"
" Manpasikjeok and Geumchuk are somewhere beyond the Sobaek Moun‐
tains. Lee Ki-soo was looking for them."
However, the expression of Jang, who understood the situation, soon hard‐
ened.
'Gyeongju Samgi refers to three relics representing the history of Silla; the
Geumchuk of Park Hyuk-geo-se, the Manpasikjeok of King Sinmun, and
the Bell of King Seongdeok. Of course, the two things in front are literally a
story, and only the Bell of King Seongdeok really exists.'
But the world had changed. There was no surprise that they were real. Jang
also learned that lesson from Kim Tae-hoon's death. So, their surprise was
not the fact that the relics existed.
711
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 92 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Iii ⦘
"They didn't find them, did they? When they fell into their hands..."
It was fortunate that Kim Tae-hoon used his wits and robbed it before the
Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje was in use. If Kim Tae-hoon had to
face the monsters created by the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje, he
would not have been guaranteed victory.
It was true that no one could even measure their power. It would not be an
exaggeration to say that they would be a game changer, if they were relics
of such power.
"Ah." Jang was able to draw the same picture as Kim was painting.
"The Six Snakes' current goal is not just to secure a base, but to collect leg‐
endary relics!"
'It is not easy to obtain real relics. No, to tell the truth, at this point, half a
year after the monsters appeared, the famous relics are already owned, and
the fast-paced searchers would not have left the relics behind. But it will be
different if it is an unrealistic relic.'
712
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 92 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Iii ⦘
'That's the answer. If all the Awakeners in the world are like Kim Tae-hoon,
they can concentrate on hunting monsters rather than doing such things. But
there are not many people like Kim Tae-hoon.'
'No, not many, but no one has become stronger like Kim Tae-hoon in the
world. If so, it is rather ridiculous. Even Kim Tae-hoon is not able to give a
proper answer to the dark-blue grade monster right away.'
'Legendary relics are the least tools needed for Awakeners to kill more pow‐
erful monsters.'
"If they monopolize the legendary relics that are essential for hunting mon‐
sters... in fact, except for the nukes, weapons to hunt monsters are gone, so
the Six Snakes could rule the world. If a group monopolizes the tools, they
will be kings of the world."
"These guys are not kidding. It is not strange that the Six Snakes did this."
"The Japanese Awakeners are in Korea now. And no matter what they are
doing it, it's easy to understand."
"Yes?"
During the cross-questions from Jang, Kim told him what he had obtained
and the information he had got from Kazami Hayato.
713
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 92 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Iii ⦘
"Oh, my God, no matter how many times history repeats itself, there are
still fucking guys selling the country to Japan."
Jang was angry. They had sold their country from the moment they were
supported by the Six Snakes. But getting Japanese support was quite differ‐
ent; at least for Koreans, Japan had been a terrible thing.
Kim had already seen too many of them. That was not what he was sur‐
prised about.
'There is no time.'
According to the information obtained from Hayato, Japan did not intend to
save Lee Ki-soo in the first place.
'Musashi, he is aiming to make Korea a base and advance into the conti‐
nent.'
By killing Lee Ki-soo, the goal was to make Korea a public enemy, not a
target of cooperation with the Six Snakes. It was their plan that Japan would
become the tip of the sword, pierce Korea first and get everything about
Korea. The plan had already begun.
The death of Lee Ki-soo had already been passed on to them. Lee Ki-soo
was dead, and the news was delivered to the mainland of Japan.
Kim heard that they could use a spell to tell if a person was living or dead
from a distance.
'Of course, Japan will move to advance into the Korean Peninsula. Their
starting point will be Busan, of course. There is already a facility in
714
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 92 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Iii ⦘
'In that state, we will be dealing with those who have settled in the
Gyeongsang area with the Tripitaka Koreana and Gyeongju relics, and with
monsters filling the Sobaek mountain ranges!'
'It's hard to get our men over the Sobaek Mountains right now. The problem
is that it is not easy for us to cross the Sobaek mountain range with the
power of the Mac Guild. Monsters in the Sobaek Mountains are not laugh‐
able opponents.'
'Eventually, by the time the troops leave the Sobaek mountain range, Japan
will have at least occupied Busan. Then it will be war. It's not just a war, it's
a civil war. Korea will begin to engage in a fratricidal war of its own again,
with the land divided in half.'
'In the meantime, Japan will take over the remains of Korea again, and will
never leave, because Japan will never consider the future of Korea.'
'The blood is worth for the Gamecock, and we don't need that lesson any‐
more.'
"I can't forgive them this time. A lot of art has been leaked out to Japan by
pro-Japanese groups! Why should we go to Japan to see the Mongyu‐
dowondo, our own painting? Boss, leave it to me, and if you give me the
authority, I'll remove them-"
715
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 92 - The Moon Of Seoul, Part Iii ⦘
"Jang Sung-hoon, I will deleg ate all the authority I have to you at this time."
"Yes?"
"You have all the authority, including the right to command and the power
to appoint the Mac Guild and the Capital Defense Command."
"Wait, what-"
At that moment, Kim looked up. Now he saw the dawn, which indicated
that the night had passed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
716
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 93 - Résistance, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
It was July in Daegu City. It was hot, and even in the shadowy buildings, it
was sweaty and irritating.
The same was true of the messy office on the sixth floor of the ruined eight-
story building, and the woman gasping in it. Her body was covered with
sweat.
Fuck! The woman was untidy, and her hair was cut short, like a man's. Her
hair was covered with oil and sweat, and her sweat, was black and dark as if
she had not properly washed for a long time.
BoxN ovel.com
Nevertheless, she was attractive enough that she could call herself a beauty,
and especially a lacrimal point under her left eye was impressive. In addi‐
tion, the lacrimal point was the most obvious evidence that she was an ac‐
tor, Lee Yeon-ah.
Lee Yeon-ah had been an idol singer and had been popular during her idol
days. After turning to an actress, she had appeared as the main supporting
actor in a considerable number of films and had appeared twice in public
TV dramas.
717
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 93 - Résistance, Part I ⦘
She was not the woman who had been always under the glare of light, and
she was not the kind of woman who could gasp for breath in this place.
That day she was on her way to Seoul after finishing a drama shoot in Bu‐
san. The first monsters she saw began to mingle with or crush the cars run‐
ning on the Gyeongbu Expressway, as if killing ants. At the absurd sight,
her manager escaped out of the Gyeongbu Expressway with an amazing
show of driving skill.
The end of the nightmare that had started was Daegu City.
Daegu City was the only place with very few monsters to appear, and the
survivors flocked to Daegu City. To be precise, only those who came to
Daegu could survive.
Until then, she had the hope that this nonsense would be stopped. With that
hope, she followed the orders of the Second Operations Command. It was
not enough to just follow. She had helped the Second Operations Command
to reassure people. She used her fame to become the face of the Second Op‐
erations Command in front of people. In addition to her, entertainers and
celebrities came out to help the activities of the Second Operations Com‐
mand. It was a kind of talent donation, and at the same time, it was a strug‐
gle to benef it.
'If I would have run to Seoul at that time, I might have died, but I would not
have seen those mad bastards do anything crazy...'
At some point, the situation began to change. No, the situation didn't im‐
prove over time. The support that they thought would come soon did not
come, and millions of people who flocked to the collapse of the social infra‐
structure created an unimaginable disorder. Looting took place all over the
718
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 93 - Résistance, Part I ⦘
place, and once arson occurred, it would be a real disaster. But that was not
the worst.
'Those bastards took people to the monster's dens and they forced people to
work... the crazy bastards.'
At first, no one was very interested in it, and most of them welcomed the
move; at least, no one wanted to share the space with the criminals. How‐
ever, there was no support to the massacre of the criminals who had gone to
Gyeongju City.
The problem arose after the Second Operations Command began to send
people to Gyeongju City repeatedly.
There were people who started to doubt the fact that even crimin als being
thrown into hell was inevitable, and everything changed when it became
known that the reason was to dig up the royal tombs and ancient tombs in
Gyeongju City.
People asked the Second Operations Command why thousands and tens of
thousands of people risked their lives and walked through the royal tombs
and ancient tombs of Gyeongju with nothing but shovels and songs.
The answer to that question was simple: they were shot dead. The Second
Operations Command did not spare r those who complained and voiced
their opinion.
'Damn it.' After that, the Second Operations Command forced not only
criminals but also innocent people who did not commit crimes into
719
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 93 - Résistance, Part I ⦘
From then on, only two categ ories of people remained in Daegu. Those who
were obediently taken away, and those who did not want to be taken away.
Lee Yeon-ah was the latter. She did not want to be taken away, so she be‐
came a member of the Resistance.
"Here!"
And that was why she was breathing hard in the ruined building.
"She's in here!"
'How the hell do they know where I am? Did they use a spell?'
"Capture her alive! She would know where Cho Sung-yeon is!"
"You guys, the first one to catch her can fuck her first! If you keep her
mouth unhurt, everything is okay!"
"I am finally fucking her, I've been waiting for this day-"
Despite the ghastly and miserable talk of the soldiers toward her, she never
showed any weakness.
Rather, at this moment she checked the number of bullets in her own car‐
tridge belt.
720
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 93 - Résistance, Part I ⦘
When she put the magaz ine in the K2 rifle she was holding, she still had
about forty rounds of ammunition.
'I can take three of them.' She weighed the amount of ammunition left and
the life of a man.
"Hoo!" Then she drew her breath. Her eyes cooled down as she breathed,
her eyes slowly lost all hope.
'The last moment... I will kill myself.' Finally, with the readiness to die, she
thought of a man's face in her mind.
'At least I have to save the captain. If he dies, it's over.' She remembered the
face of the man who had fought against the Second Operations Command
for justice, not injustice.
"Hoo!" The moment she finally breathed, the moment she prepared for the
battle, the moment her concentration reached its peak, her sense of smell fi‐
nally caught the odor.
'Hmm?'
'What is it?'
Deep, gentle, yet intense... a fragrance that was not like other fragrances.
'Oh, this was the aroma of coffee.' The scent was a coffee flavor.
She felt a lump in her throat then, surprised by the first smell of coffee in
some time, the coffee flavor she used to savor. It was because she felt
deeply how precious the things she had lost were.
721
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 93 - Résistance, Part I ⦘
'Who is it?'
It was not an illusion, because the fragrance was too thick as an illusion.
It was clear that this was not the smell of the soldiers of the Second Opera‐
tions Command, the dogs of the military who risked their lives trying to
rape her. So, the soldiers who entered the building and started running up
the stairs like dogs had no choice but to stop in front of this coffee smell.
Sniff!
The soldiers also looked surprised by the smell, as it had been some time
for them as well. They were surprised that they had forgotten the smell that
had been blowing all over the world just half a year ago, and they were also
surprised that the odor was in a ruined building. Their surprise turned into
tension.
Gulp! Then one of them gave a sign with a swallow. "We'll go to the fifth
floor, and be careful if it's a trap."
"Yes."
With the order, those who had been climbing the stairs opened the door and
entered the fifth floor of the building.
'Hoo!' Lying on the stairs between the fifth and sixth floors, Lee Yeon-ah,
who was about to shoot at the soldiers who were coming up, held her breath
again. She heard some voices: starting with the voice of a soldier, passing
the voice of a man she had never heard before, and even the sound of the di‐
rect fire order.
722
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 93 - Résistance, Part I ⦘
-- Fire!
Thud! And after a while, Lee Yeon-ah heard things fall on the floor, one af‐
ter another. She could tell that the sound was the last sound of those who
had abruptly become dead.
'What, what...?' So, she had to panic. She had heard the sound several times
when a dead body fell, but she has never heard them without a shot.
Huck! Lee Yeon-ah was able to tell that the coffee smell was gradually get‐
ting stronger. The source was getting closer to her.
Screech! The door to the stairs, which had been closed, opened again by it‐
self. The doorknob moved on its own, and the door opened itself. A voice
came from beyond the open door.
'Ah!' But the trigger didn't move. The reason was simple. She didn't know
that the safety was on.
In the meantime, a man carrying a deep coffee odor came toward her. There
was no sound of walking up the stairs, since the man climbed the stairs in
the air and stood in front of Lee Yeon-ah, who was lying on the stair land‐
723
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 93 - Résistance, Part I ⦘
ing between the fifth and sixth floors. He had bushy hair and there were two
swords on his back. However, above all, his black Eyes were the most im‐
pressive and overwhelming.
"I, I-"
"My name is Kim Tae-hoon, the head of the Mac Guild, which manages the
capital city Seoul, Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, Gangwon, and Incheon."
Even Lee Yeon-ah, who had made up her mind to suicide, was over‐
whelmed and she made a foolish expression. So, she answered without even
knowing it, "I, I'm... Lee Yeon-ah."
"So?"
"So what?"
The man frowned strongly, leaving Lee Yeon-ah silent in front of him. Then
he said, with a look that seemed to be truly unaware of her, "The unit, the
rank, the information you wanted to hide so much that you chose suicide.
All I want to hear is those three things."
With the words, Kim Tae-hoon had coffee in a mug in his hand.
2.
"They were wiped out? Does that make sense?" A soldier bowed his head at
the question of the man who was pouring out sweat like a flood in the heat.
The name of the man who yelled again was Jang Kyun. He was also a Ma‐
jor under the Second Operations Command. That was all.
724
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 93 - Résistance, Part I ⦘
Jang Kyun had only a rank, but he did not have proper power or status. He
was not a Major in the first place, and it was only because of the mark on
the back of his right hand that he was able to receive the high rank of Major.
"So what? Get her now! We have to catch her, so we can find the true loca‐
tion of the Resistance!"
Currently, the biggest problem of the Second Operations Command was the
Resistance, and Lee Yeon-ah was an executive of the Resistance. That was
why Major Jang Kyun was furious to catch her.
Major Jang Kyun would be able to acquire the right power and status as
soon as he caught the actress Lee Yeon-ah, who was the executive of the re‐
sistance and all the Korean people knew her.
The men under Major Jang Kyun were angry, of course. 'Crazy bastard!
You could go and catch her yourself. If we were able to catch her, we would
have caught her.'
Everyone knew that they had to catch Lee Yeon-ah to clean up the Resis‐
tance. But she had never been caught.
725
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 93 - Résistance, Part I ⦘
Above all, even though they had known her location clearly, the troops who
had gone to catch her were slaughtered. It was more likely that the place
was a trap created by the Resistance than anything else.
"Major Jang Kyun." A man in the distance spoke; he was young enough to
be described as a young man rather than a man.
Behind him was a man who was dressed in a suit that anyone could see was
a ninja.
The young man was none other than a Japanese interpreter. Of course, the
object of interpretation was the man in the ninja outfit behind the young
man.
"If you give him permission, Mr. Tanaka will catch Lee Yeon-ah directly."
Major Jang Kyun was very pleased with the words of the interpreter.
"Really?"
"Condition?"
726
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 93 - Résistance, Part I ⦘
Major Jang Kyun couldn't help but notice the meaning of that, and he had
no intention of complaining or rejecting the fact. Most of all, he knew the
ninja had a very special ability. It was the ninja who had found the location
of the elusive Lee Yeon-ah. Of course, he did not hesitate.
727
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 94 - Résistance, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
Lee Yeon-ah was sitting in a chair. She wasn't sitting normally. Her body
was tied to a chair. Her body was tight to the back of a chair, her arms were
on the armrests, and her legs were on the legs of a chair.
BoxN ovel.com
Kim Tae-hoon was sitting in a chair in front of her. His expression while sit‐
ting on the chair without a backrest was very dull.
"The only thing I want to know is the information you wanted to hide until
you chose to kill yourself. I don't care about your name or your unit."
On the other hand, Lee was staring at Kim. Of course, at this moment she
had no intention of cooperating with him.
And Kim did not want to be in a cooperative relationship with her, either.
"And I don't have much time, and I don't want to waste time torturing a per‐
son to get information that I don't know, even if I have plenty of time."
728
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 94 - Résistance, Part Ii ⦘
In the first place, her appearance was a surprise event for Kim, and no more
than that. Her appearance was unexpected, so it was not a meaningful rela‐
tionship.
Cleaning.
Kim was here to clean up the threats to the Mac Guild, including Daegu
City. And the cleaning work did not need to be helped by someone else.
At least, there was be no one in Korea who could give advice to him in such
cleaning work. Nevertheless, the reason he had saved her life was that she
had tried to kill herself for information security.
'There's a reason to risk her life.' Trying to kill herself for information secu‐
rity was not easy for non-religious fanatics. One more reason was that she
was chased by soldiers of the Second Operations Command.
Those two reasons were all Kim needed to keep Lee alive and interrogate
her.
"If you look at me like that in an hour, I'll make you the dead body you
want to be."
If her attitude would not change in an hour, the interrogation would be over.
In addition, Kim did not intend to regret in the future, leaving room for her.
As soon as Kim finished the notice, he closed his eyes. There was no coer‐
cive interrogation or torture.
729
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 94 - Résistance, Part Ii ⦘
'What the hell?' Everything was questionable for her now: Kim's existence
itself, his intention, and his ability.
'Doesn't he know me?' Even Lee had doubts about the fact that Kim did not
know her.
'Is my face that bad?' Lee didn't have any doubts because of her pride.
Her image and fame were more important than she had thought in a land of
unbelievable monsters. To be honest, ordinary people preferred to listen to
the words of celebrities who they had often seen on TV, rather than what
soldiers said.
Reliab ility was also much higher for celebrities with their own good image
than mere soldiers. In addition, Lee was a woman who became the manager
for the Résistance from the manager of the Second Operations Command.
If Lee had been just a normal person, it would have been meaningless. But
she was not a normal person, and that was why the Second Operations
Command was trying to catch her. Not knowing her was definitely a matter
for her to go over. However, there was no way to solve her suspicions.
"Eup eup! Ugh!" She wasn't even allowed to ask questions. And as time
went by, there was no room for doubt for her.
'What do I do?'
When she was ready to kill herself, she was desperate and urgent. That was
why she could be decisive. But it was different now.
She had to agonize over her death at this moment. To live, she had to sell
her out co-workers, but if she didn't, she might die, has been forced into her
mind.
730
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 94 - Résistance, Part Ii ⦘
Even the office, which Kim had taken for a conversation with Lee, was
used as a warehouse. There were no windows, no sunlight, and it was a
place where she could not tell how much time had gone by.
Then Kim opened his eyes. 'Ninja's here.' His eyes were black.
Meanwhile, Kim got up from his seat and moved near the door. His mouth
was puffed up like a frog. Soon after, he expelled out his mouthful of en‐
ergy into the door.
Foo-hoo-hoo-hoo! A huge fire broke out. The flames began to fill the door
and the hallway behind it.
"Aaaaaaargh!"
"Argh! Aaaaaargh!"
Then there was a scream from a place where there was no sign. No, five
screams.
Swish! The arrow from the leather holder in Kim's waist moved toward the
five screams.
Thunk, thunk! The arrow pierced the screams at once. It was all done in a
flash.
After finishing his work, Kim sat down again. There was no conversation.
He started meditating with his eyes closed again.
At that moment, Kim opened his eyes and said, "You seem to be a very im‐
portant person, and you've got a lot of people looking for you."
"Ugh!" Lee was delighted with the voice. But her joy did not last long.
731
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 94 - Résistance, Part Ii ⦘
"Team leader, head, nigger." The funny words mentioned by Kim made her
shake.
'Ah...' The words were nicknames for her colleagues, who she knew well.
"I don't think I'll get information after killing colleagues against a person
who decides to kill herself to save her colleagues. If you give me informa‐
tion here, I will save you and your colleagues together. If not, I will kill you
and your colleagues." It was the last notice.
4.
Between the building Kim was in and the next, three people gathered to‐
gether under a deep shadow.
They were two men and a woman; a man in his mid-thirties, a man in his
late twenties with an unusually large head, and a woman with dark skin in
her mid-twenties. They were gathered together in a cluster under a deep
shadow. What they were looking at was an eight-story building that had be‐
come a ruin.
"But why isn't there any signal? Let's send a signal again."
Their identity was none other than the members of the Résistance who Lee
was supposed to meet up with.
732
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 94 - Résistance, Part Ii ⦘
However, Lee did not come to the meeting place. It wasn't unusual. Daegu
City was the area of the Second Operations Command, and there was noth‐
ing strange about the accident. Therefore, they had a second and third place
to prepare for such a situation. One of the places was the eight-story build‐
ing that the three were looking at.
"Clearly, there were traces. I'm sure she is inside. However, there is no an‐
swer to the signal..."
So, when they found traces of Lee on the way, they thought there would be
no big problem. But when there was no answer even after sending several
signals to the building, the story changed.
There was a trail, but there was no answer... In this case, she might not an‐
swer because of a serious injury.
At this moment, however, a man in his mid-thirties, who was called the
team leader, did not move quickly. At that moment, shadows began to shuf‐
fle between the dark shadows behind their backs.
"Team leader, what are you waiting for? There's nobody around, isn't
there?"
"There are footprints there. There are a lot of traces of military boots."
"If there had been a battle, there would be traces of fighting, but there was
no sign of it. Maybe it's a trap."
"But..."
The three were unaware that the black masked ninja appeared behind them.
It wasn't just because of their incompetence. Ninjas were not even breath‐
733
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 94 - Résistance, Part Ii ⦘
ing. Soon after, five ninjas who appeared without a sound simultaneously
threw out the throwing daggers in their hands.
Whizz! Only then were the sounds that the knives cracked the wind, and
team leader Ko Suk-woo turned his head to notice them.
'Oh, my God!' It was a late response. When Ko turned his head, the throw‐
ing daggers were already too close to them.
The throwing daggers were all like butterflies, their arcs completely arbi‐
trary. Some were flying straight, some were drawing a parab ola from top to
bottom, and some were flying like ducks and drakes on the ground. They
were unpredictable.
"What is it?"
"What?"
The remaining two turned their heads along with Ko, and they could see
what was going on as well.
"Ugh!"
"Huck!"
The two were frightened in front of the throwing-daggers, which had come
so close to them, but had stopped, just like that.
"What, what?" And it wasn't just them who were freaked out.
"な, なに?"
734
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 94 - Résistance, Part Ii ⦘
The words of the ninjas that threw the throwing-daggers also sounded the
same as those of the first two.
Thunk! The arrow which suddenly appeared penetrated the ninjas' heads,
and the ninjas became dead and fell to the ground.
Tanaka, who was wearing a white mask and watching the scene from the
roof of the building, was also frightened. 'What is this?'
Originally the purpose of Tanaka was to help Major General Lee Ki-soo
when he came down to Daegu City while waiting with the Second Opera‐
tions Command in Daegu. Of course, the real mission was to remove him if
he made it alive to Daegu City, due to Hayato's mistakes and incompetence.
However, at the moment of the death of Lee Ki-soo, the mainland of Japan
gave Tanaka a new mission. In order to invade the Korean Peninsula, they
needed to build a base area in Busan where the Busan Port was located.
From then on, he began actively helping the Second Operations Command.
Of course, he started to clean up the Résistance, the biggest headache of the
Second Operations Command.
There was no trouble. All he had to do was tag something, and he could see
where they were, in real time. To him, taking care of Lee Yeon-ah, who had
already been tagged for tracking, was virtually a game. Tanaka, who had
done what he came to do, came here to play with his toy. He came here for
that reason...
'Who the hell is it? Who...' There was something in front of him that he
dared not even imagine.
'I must run away!' Fortunately, at this moment Tanaka knew what he had to
do. 'I must run away first!'
It the most important lesson Tanaka had learned in return for surviving in
the hell that was Tokyo: never face the unknown fear! But he did not carry
out the lesson...
735
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 94 - Résistance, Part Ii ⦘
'Let me attack first!' The moment Tanaka saw the man, he was not aston‐
ished. He took out a kunai.
'The first attack gets victory.' He tried to take advantage of the first attack.
However, it was up to the other side.
Swish! As Tanaka pulled out the kunai, a Sword appeared like a lightning
bolt from the sky and cut the wrist holding it.
Thud! Tanaka's eyes opened wide enough when he saw his hand holding the
Kunai fall to the ground. But he was not allowed to be surprised or scream.
"Ugh, ugh-ugh!"
In the meantime, the man in front of Tanaka came toward him slowly and
said in fluent Japanese. "Kazami Hayato."
"Ugh?" For Tanaka, it was not good news that the man in front of him was
good with Japanese.
"Ugh, ugh..."
5.
736
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 94 - Résistance, Part Ii ⦘
"That is our story." After finishing the story in front of the coffee smell, Lee
looked at the man who was drinking it. The man, who was savoring it, did
not reply easily.
But Lee was no longer surprised. She knew now that it was impossible to
open the mouth of Kim Tae-hoon when he had coffee.
'Cho Sung-yeon.' The most important information that Kim learned was that
the leader of the Résistance was Cho Sung-yeon.
'I can't believe I am seeing him here.' It was one of the three things that
must be done in the bucket list that he delivered to himself through his
death in a dream; Kim was supposed to make Cho Sung-yeon president.
'I'm sick of it.' The problem was that he had heard the name of Cho Sung-
yeon from others, as well as Lee Yeon-ah.
Kim swallowed. Four people, including Lee around him, swallowed, too.
They were nervous ahead of his answer.
"Your leader has been captured by the Second Operations Command." Kim
dealt them a hard blow.
"What, what---"
Tanaka was the name of another person from whom Kim had heard the
name Cho Sung-yeon. In front of Kim's torture, he gave up everything he
knew: he had been able to catch Cho Sung-yeon, the leader of the Résis‐
tance that he had wanted so much, with his ability to track his opponent,
two days ago.
"Nonsense! Then they would have no reason to come after me!" Lee denied
Kim's words. Her denial was appropriate enough. "It's their purpose to catch
a leader... and if they've got a leader, why would they come after me?
Where did you hear that crap?"
737
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 94 - Résistance, Part Ii ⦘
The reason why the Second Operations Command was trying to catch the
Résistance executives was to learn the location of Cho Sung-yeon.
Was there any reason why those who had already caught Cho Sung-yeon
would hide the fact and chase the executives?
However, Kim did not raise any doubts about this situation. Rather, from
his point of view, the actions of the Second Operations Command were rea‐
sonable.
"The rebel group in the point formation makes two choices when a leader is
caught: one is to do everything in its power to rescue the leader, or to select
a new leader. Whatever they choose, there is something in common."
"What is it?"
"Ah..."
'The capture of the leader is proof that the secrets of the organization have
been exposed to some degree. Of course, as soon as the leader is caught, the
organization must change the basic system totally.'
'So, when they root out groups such as rebels and terrorists, they do not in‐
form anyone if they catch a leader. Rather, they act as if they did not catch
the leader, and they use the information they get from the leader to find the
remaining parties, including the executives.'
The Second Operations Command was now doing the same thing, for they
would want to root out the Résistance as far as possible.
Although they had caught Cho Sung-yeon, it would be only known after his
exec ution cerem
ony and after some achievements were noted.
738
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 94 - Résistance, Part Ii ⦘
As Kim knew, there was no expert in the Second Operations Command who
could torture a person until he was on the brink of death. Above all, Cho
Sung-yeon, who Kim heard about from Lee, was a man with a strong will
and determination.
If there was a moment, if there was a chance, the man would be willing to
kill himself. He was a man who would not tolerate his life harming his or‐
ganization.
'... the bucket list and the wish list never reverse.'
Kim did not hesitate any more. No, there was no reason to hesitate. Even if
it was not because of Cho Sung-yeon, there was a good reason to attack the
Second Operations Command. The time was just a little faster.
At that remark, Lee asked reflexively. "When, when are you going to do it?"
It was a reflexive question, literally. She was so eager to save Cho Sung-
yeon that she blurted it out.
Answering her question in return, Kim started to calculate the time for the
plan by looking at his wristwatch.
"Now, it's 7:22 PM, it takes about 5 minutes to get to Daegu City Hall,
where the headquarter of the Second Operations Command is located. If I
add time to understand the situation and the operation plan..."
Kim finished his calculation and said, "We attack Daegu City Hall at 7:30
PM, eight minutes from now."
739
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 95 - Résistance, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
6.
It was a dark basement. Only one light, a yellowish lamp, glowed in the
darkness. Under the lamp was a metal chair.
BoxN ovel.com
His two hands were tied to the armrests, and all ten fingers were bleeding,
with no nails, and broken multiple times. The shape of his thighs was even
worse, with dozens of nails sticking out of them.
The name of the man with terrible wounds and a gag was Cho Sung-yeon.
'Ah.'
The 28-year-old young man was on the verge of death. The only reason for
his death was that he had said that something wrong was wrong.
'Damn it.' Of course, he was angry at the fact. In other words, he kept his
will in spite of this terrible wounds.
740
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 95 - Résistance, Part Iii ⦘
Screech! There was finally a sound in the basement. It was the sound of the
door opening.
'Who is it?'
Was that why? Cho was able to see two men coming toward him from be‐
yond the darkness. One was a man in a military uniform. His rank was Ma‐
jor, but his image was not at all like a soldier. He looked like a civilian in a
military costume play.
Kojima and Jang Byung-wook. It was already the third time that they had
come to Cho Sung-yeon. The two stood in front of Cho. When Kojima gave
the signal, Jang immediately pulled out the gag in his mouth.
"Whew! It's numb." As soon as the gag disappeared, Cho Sung-yeon imme‐
diately spoke to Jang.
Jang was not surprised, as this was not the first time for him, but the third
time.
"Oh, I'm tingling," Cho said after his jaw was loosened to some extent, be‐
cause he had been gagged.
"I don't want to kill myself by biting my tongue, but you keep gagging my
tongue. You fucking bastards, I will not die if I bite my tongue."
Jang did not answer to Cho's complaints. Instead, he conveyed his words to
Kojima in Japanese.
741
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 95 - Résistance, Part Iii ⦘
The samurai, with his thick beard covering his chin, nodded and smiled.
Then Kojima said something, and Jang interpreted the words.
"What are you doing? Just interpret it. You got the Major's rank to do it. Of
course, under the Second Operations Command, there are more people with
Major ranks than Second Lieutenants. They have no pension, and they have
to make their own rank-insignia and attach it to their clothes by themselves.
The Major is a rank that everyone ignores."
Jang interpreted the words again after he clenched his mouth tightly at the
words of Cho.
"If you accept the offer, the Ninja and Samurai on the Japanese mainland
will be your power, you can destroy the Second Operations Command, you
will manage Korea, and you will be the king of Korea."
"No, I can be a king by myself. Why do the damn Japanese decide that?
Funny little bastards."
The conversation was repeated through the translation. But in fact, the inter‐
preter was actually meaningless to Cho.
'I'm annoyed to hear the translation in the middle, pretending not to speak
Japanese.' Cho knew how to speak Japanese. But he pretended not to know
Japanese, and then he could hear it straight away.
"You must win him over to our side somehow, and he must not die."
742
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 95 - Résistance, Part Iii ⦘
"But you see, he is so stubborn... you know that he is a real tough cookie."
The two talked to each other, giving up the conversation with Cho... Any‐
way, thanks to acting like he could not speak Japanese, he learned important
facts.
Kojima, this samurai from Japan, wanted to save Cho. He had never told
Jang why, but Cho was able to guess the reason.
'Maybe he'll release me soon.' That way, the Résistance led by Cho would
harass the Second Operations Command as ever, so that the Second Opera‐
tions Command would pay tribute to these ridiculous 21st-century ninjas
and samurai.
Or, on the other hand, the Résistance would quake and bow down to Japan
to destroy the Second Operations Command. To Japan, it was much better
than one side pushing the other side.
"Tanaka went to catch Lee Yeon-ah. He'll catch her sooner or later, and then
I'll talk to him again."
Cho heard the name of Lee Yeon-ah. 'Damn it.' When he heard it, he closed
his eyes to hide how shaken he was.
Thump! A sudden roar shook the Daegu City Hall building above them.
Screech, screech. The light shook above Cho's head, and it told them that
the shock they felt was not an illusion.
743
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 95 - Résistance, Part Iii ⦘
The two left the basement immediately. For their benef it, Cho responded
with all his might. He clutched the fingers of both his hands, still tied to the
armrests, except the two middle fingers.
7.
But it did not mean that the strong did not know how to deal with the weak.
Rather, in order for the weak to catch the strong, he had to know how the
strong catch the weak.
Therefore, he knew better than anyone else how to deal with the weak.
"It's a monster!"
Kim's choice against the Second Operations Command was not difficult, it
was a straight frontal breakthrough. He attacked once he summoned the
golden smoke using the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje.
Now, the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje used Kim's mana. He had
eaten the monster stone of the blue-grade Gamecock, so now it summoned
figures made of wild animals, flying animals, and humans.
The summoned creatures of the golden smoke that appeared began to hunt
the soldiers who were filling the area around Daegu City Hall. It was a one-
sided hunt.
744
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 95 - Résistance, Part Iii ⦘
"Aaaaaaargh!" The summoned creatures' teeth and claws ripped into the
soldiers' bodies without mercy, but they responded with a rain of gunfire.
Rather, the shots passed through the body of the summoned and hit the bod‐
ies of their forces beyond it.
"Stop shooting! Stop shooting!" someone with a Major's rank shouted, but
someone else with a Major's rank also shouted. "Shoot! Get that monster!"
It was a mess.
"Fire!"
It was the fire that started to fill the surrounding buildings of Daegu City
Hall and made it an even greater hellish mess.
Foo-hoo-hoo! The fire was caused by Kim. He started to set fires every‐
where. He knew the power of fire, especially in this confusing situation, and
people never approached a place where fire was located. Of course, people
were driven to a place where there was no fire, and where they were
driven...
Boom!
"Aaaaaaaaaaargh!"
The booby traps that Kim installed were in operation. The booby trap,
which was created based on grenades, caused a lot of casualties.
"Aaaaaaaaaaargh!"
It created a huge fear that could not be compared with the casualties. In
front of that fear, proper leadership and command were no longer possible.
745
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 95 - Résistance, Part Iii ⦘
'As expected.'
In addition, they were not able to receive proper leadership and command.
'Daegu City is currently under the influence of the Tripitaka Koreana of the
nearby Haein Temple; they are free from the threat of monsters.'
'It is not bad. It is a mirac le and a good fortune given by heaven. But it is
also true that the mirac le took away the monster Résistance that Daegu peo‐
ple should have. It is the opposite of the Mac Guild.'
If it were the Mac Guild, they would have certainly shared their roles in this
confusion. They would have evacuated, and the commandos would have
risked their lives to earn the time to evacuate.
Of course, the situation would not have changed much. If that ability was
present in the Second Operations Command, Kim would have devised a
new plan accordingly.
'I will go in.' Soon Kim changed his dress. As soon as he had arrived in
Daegu, he had donned the Major's uniform and held a bag and a Sword at
his chest.
Kim went into Daegu City Hall, leaving behind the chaos he had created.
No one was deterring him. It was 7:33 PM.
8.
The door to the machine room was a steel door. Standing in front of the
solid iron door, Kim looked at the doorknob. The doorknob started to turn
slowly. But the door did not open. It was locked.
Crack! The doorknob screamed as it was crushed. He opened the door and
went in.
746
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 95 - Résistance, Part Iii ⦘
The pitch darkness welcomed him. It was not difficult to find what he
wanted in the dark machine room. There was only one man under a lonely
lamp.
A little while ago, Kojima and Jang forgot to gag Cho because they left in a
hurry, and he was willing to confront the new visitor as best he could.
Kim narrowed the distance to Cho. When it was close enough, he examined
Cho's face carefully.
He had the image of a man in his late twenties, his lips split from torture,
and his skin and bones dried by dehydration. His dark eyebrows were like a
pine caterpillar drawn on the skull.
But his eyes were the most impressive. Even in front of this absurd torture,
the eyes of Cho were not dead at all.
"There's another weird bastard again." In the eyes of Kim, Cho vomited his
words without his spirit not being pressed.
"Name."
"Name."
"My last name is Mother, and my first name is Fucker. Together, it's Moth‐
erfucker. That's my name."
Kim smiled at the repeated defiance of Cho. Cho's spirit died for the first
time with the smile. 'What's with this bastard?'
747
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 95 - Résistance, Part Iii ⦘
However, Kim's eyes and attitude were completely different. Above all, that
smile was totally different. Since December 31, 2016, Cho has never seen
anyone smile like that.
"No, I did not ask your name. Why are you here?"
Cho did not rejoice at the remark. Rather, he made his first serious look.
Then he swallowed and said, "Okay, kill me now."
His words had not been a joke. "I'm serious. There's nothing good about me
being alive. Look at my body. Can I ever be a leader with my body in this
condition? I have to die and then they can have a new leader. So kill me."
Clank!
Immediately there was a harsh sound of iron meeting. It was the sound of
two blades hitting. Kim's eyes narrowed.
"He's called Kojima, he's a samurai," Cho explained to Kim. "Be careful,
his skills aren't normal. My colleagues couldn't even touch him. No, just kill
me and go. Considering that you're here, your skills are not normal..." he
warned Kim.
748
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 95 - Résistance, Part Iii ⦘
"What?"
"Well, well, it depends on you being able to take out the information."
749
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 96 - Freezer, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
BoxN ovel.com
There was no reason for him to step down against Kim Tae-hoon. No, he
was enjoying the situation.
Since he had stepped in Korea, everyone he dealt with was weak. Not only
were they weak, but they were not able to fight properly. Even those with
the marks on the back of their hands did not know how to handle the relics,
and most of them did not handle guns in a skilled manner.
It was ridiculous. It was so absurd that he was annoyed beyond his bore‐
dom.
750
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 96 - Freezer, Part I ⦘
'Higekiri will taste the blood of a man after a long time.' He held Higekiri,
his favorite sword, with both hands.
Of course, Higekiri was not an ordinary sword. The first thing to consider
was its name. When they cut a person's head off with the sword, they cut his
beard along with it. Because of that, the name Higekiri was given to it.
At the same time, it was a treasure formerly on display at the Kitano Ten‐
mangu Shrine in Kyoto, Japan, as a national important cultural asset.
It was a sword sharp enough that it was not unusual to cut a person's body
in two even if he swung it with one hand. The fact that he held such a sword
in both hands meant that Kojima would fight with all his might from now
on.
In front of Kojima, Kim also picked up the other Sword. Tsreung! He pulled
the other Sword out of the remaining sheath of the two he had in his arms.
The Sword that appeared was splendid, decorated with the same gold as its
sheath, and on the end of the hilt was attached a ring ornament.
Cheonmachong Hwandoodaedo.
It was a Sword that Kim had newly acquired; it was evidence that Kim had
changed. So far, he has only used the Sword of the Imperator, because it
was the only sword he owned.
Kojima, who did not know that, moved as soon as Kim grabbed the Sword.
Kojima concentrated his Energy on his toes, and he injected Energy into his
sword. Tsu-tsu-tsu! Higekiri took the Energy and began to emit purple en‐
ergy with a scream.
751
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 96 - Freezer, Part I ⦘
'The first attacker gets the victory!' What Kojima aimed was as clear as day‐
light.
'Huck!'
It was Kojima who moved first, but the Sword that Kim swung toward the
coming Kojima was faster. There was no particular reason. If their weight
and physiques were similar, the car with superior emissions and horsepower
was faster.
If Kojima was a pretty good sports sedan, Kim was a sports car made by
Bugatti. Even if Kojima pressed the accelerator first, Kim would have been
the first to take the lead.
'Let me stop it once!' In the end, Kojima gave up on the first attack. Instead,
he lifted the sword with both hands over his head to parry Kim's sword,
which was coming down to split his head with great force. He drew a hori‐
zontal line with the sword over his head.
Clank! The two swords clashed and a rough sound came out.
"Ugh!" At the same time, the two legs of Kojima, which prevented Kim
from hitting his sword, were stuck in the ground. The footprints of the Ko‐
jima were carved into the cement floor.
'What, what power!' Even though Kim held the sword with one hand and
Kojima with both hands, Kojima could not push him back.
"Aahhhhh!" Kojima screamed and squeezed all his strength out, but nothing
changed. Kojima could barely endure Kim's crushing power.
'Next, next attack...' At this moment, Kojima waited only for Kim to make
his next attack.
Kim, however, did not intend to do so from the beginning. As said earlier,
Kim carried two Swords because he had a good reason. The reason was
now apparent.
752
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 96 - Freezer, Part I ⦘
Swish! The Sword of the Imperator, which was rolling on the floor, began
to move by itself.
The number of swords that Kim could handle perfectly was two. That's why
Kim had two swords.
'This, this crazy monster, where...' Only then did Kojima see properly. Kim
was a monster incomparable with any monster he had faced in Tokyo.
2.
"Oh, my God."
The Résistance was created to resist the perpetual violence of the Second
Operations Command. They were David and the Second Operations Com‐
mand was Goliath. It was never a good story. David originally could not
beat Goliath. The same was true of the Residence. It was virtually impossi‐
ble for David's men to defeat Goliath's Second Operations Command.
The Second Operations Command has been controlled most of the people
who rushed to the city of Daegu. They early identified the Awakeners and
the existence of the relics, and they made the Awakeners their own forces.
The Second Operations Command was not just a force, but a group of al‐
ready privileged people with power.
On the other hand, the Résistance was a gathering of exploited people who
did not have power. Therefore, the Résistance could not win the fight
against the Second Operations Command in the first place.
But now the Second Operations Command was being taken down by a man.
753
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 96 - Freezer, Part I ⦘
The Second Operations Command was screaming in front of only one man.
No, now, there was no screaming to be heard anymore.
The survivors ran away without looking back, and the only ones left were
the dead.
'That's absurd.' Lee Yeon-ah and the members of the Résistance who
watched the scene felt fear rather than excitement at this moment.
'How the hell did this happen...' It was the fear that the world had changed
while they were trapped in the land of Daegu, and that it had turned into a
form that they could not even imagine.
In that fear, Kim appeared on the roof of the building they were at.
Thump! Kim appeared with a heavy sound, with two Swords on his back
and a third in his hand. He was an overwhelming figure.
There was no answer to the question. Kim immediately headed toward the
stairs that led up to the roof.
Lee turned her head once again following Kim, and she looked down at
Daegu City Hall.
'I know one thing for sure.' Lee, looking at the burning Daegu City Hall,
was able to be sure of one fact at this moment. 'I must not make him an en‐
emy.'
3.
754
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 96 - Freezer, Part I ⦘
"Leader!"
In the building, Lee and his colleagues were able to meet their leader. But
the meeting was not pleasant.
If the eyebrows like a pine caterpillar and the eyes still glistening under
them were not the same, they would not think of him as Cho Sung-yeon.
They could not believe that the last time they saw his face was only five
days ago.
"Suddenly the samurai and the ninjas came into the secret hideout, killed
everyone else, and tortured me after they saved me."
"We'll talk about it later." In addition, Cho did not intend to make this mo‐
ment a pleasant situation.
"Tell everyone through the emergency contact network right now, leave the
hideouts and wait until they hear from me." Cho's eyes were serious.
"Move right away." Cho reiterated with his eyes. It was more important to
act than to talk about his body and his wounds. That was the driving force
when everybody became David and fought against Goliath. When everyone
turned away from what was right, he was facing what was right and digni‐
fied. He was the most honest lighthouse. If the lighthouse showed what it
had to do, it was only necessary for them to do it.
"I understand."
"I'll move."
755
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 96 - Freezer, Part I ⦘
The moment the Résistance moved again, Kim was downstairs. He wasn't
alone. Kojima was sitting on the iron chair in only his underwear, where
Cho had sat a few hours ago. Kim was boiling water with Kojima in front
of him.
At the fact, Kojima opened his eyes wide and asked Kim why he was boil‐
ing water. "Ahhhhhh!"
However, the gag in his mouth made it impossible to have a proper conver‐
sation.
Dribbling! With the faint sound of water, the subtle aroma of coffee began
to spread.
The eyes of Kojima at the sight were full of fear and doubt. 'What the hell
are you doing?' He was expecting to be tortured. But the act of making cof‐
fee before torture was not something he expected.
Fortunately, Kojima's doubts did not last long; Kim, who poured as much
water as he wanted in the coffee dripper, approached Kojima with the kettle
and tilted the kettle over his right thigh.
Dribbling!
"Aaaaaaargh!" The hot water scalded his thigh, and moaning came out of
his mouth.
"Aaaaaaargh!" The crazy pain stopped only after Kim's tilted kettle found
its original horizontality again.
Chalang! Chalang! Kim shook the kettle to check the remaining amount of
water and filled the kettle with more water. He put the kettle back on the
flames of the burning solid fuel.
756
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 96 - Freezer, Part I ⦘
"I have some ideas to think about when torturing people," Kim spoke
calmly.
"I think you thought, 'when I torture someone, I will never be tortured like
this. I can't get hurt, and I'm safe'. I'm sure you thought that when you tor‐
tured Cho, because it was too much to see."
Kim did not speak to Kojima any more. He did not ask questions or notify
him. Now was the time to wait. It was the time to wait until this pain and
his words were rooted in the mind of Kojima.
Then, Kim organized the questions that he was going to ask. He looked at
the mark of Kojima's right hand with his black eyes.
'The sum of Strength and Health is 310, the Energy rank is B, the Defense is
C+ rank, and the remaining Mana and Mana Resistance ranks are D+.' Ko‐
jima's abilities were excellent.
'He was raised.' It was evident that an Awakener named Kojima had eaten
monster stones through proper monster hunting. It's not just what he had
killed; he could not make that much if he hunted and ate alone, so he also
ate what others killed.
Kim turned his eyes and looked at the Sword he had obtained from Kojima.
==[Higekiri]
757
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 96 - Freezer, Part I ⦘
But Hayato didn't know much about Kojima. The problem was that Kim did
not have any information about Kojima from the information he obtained
by torturing Hayato. Hayato could not have forgotten an important person
like Kojima at all.
And if Hayato had known, Kim would have known about Kojima, because
Hayato had vomited everything he had known to Kim.
'Kojima came to Korea after Hayato had come to Seoul, and that fact was
not told to Hayato.'
In other words, a new operation was established while Hayato was perform‐
ing his mission in Seoul, which meant that Kojima was newly dispatched to
carry out the operation. The man named Musashi, who was currently called
the master, would have given the mission to Kojima.
Kim combined the information and created questions that would penetrate
Kojima's shaking mind.
The question that penetrated the core caused Kojima's eyes to open wide.
Then, Kojima pressed the gag tightly, displaying his willingness not to tell.
It was also the reaction Kim had hoped for. So, he picked up the kettle
again, and finally, he warned Kojima, "Don't think Koreans will tolerate Ja‐
panese who are playing tricks on the Korean Peninsula."
4.
Jang Sung-hoon was actually the second most powerful person in the Re‐
public of Korea, and he was sitting in a chair and chewing on his anguish.
758
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 96 - Freezer, Part I ⦘
'I'm crazy.'
There had been a lot of work for him recently. Once the full authority of the
Capital Defense Command was deleg ated, the Mac Guild had to make a
major reorganization. But it was not tormenting Jang now. In fact, that part
was easily processed.
'Japan...'
It was none other than Japan that worried Jang. Japan was once again burn‐
ing its will to invade Korea, and it was already on the move. If the informa‐
tion obtained through the ninja and Colonel Jang So-gook was true, it was
more serious than expected.
It was not a normal problem. In fact, the confrontation that had existed on
the Korean Peninsula had been close to a civil war, but the minim um line
was not crossed.
'There's nothing strange about what Japanese people do. So we have to keep
in mind whatever they can do.'
That was the reason for the agony. Japan would do whatever it could do to
Korea, and the scope of what might happen had to be taken into considera‐
759
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 96 - Freezer, Part I ⦘
tion.
"Hmm?" Jang, who was looking at Daedongyeojido hung in his office, rose
from his seat.
And the movement was centered around the Sobaek Mountains. Green and
blue lights were moving to Mt. Gaya and the city of Daegu. It was clear
proof.
It was proof that the huge wall, which had been blocking the monsters so
far, had disappeared. It was evident that someone had crossed the line that
should not have been crossed. Jang searched through the mountain Gaya.
'What's in Gaya?'
760
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 97 - Freezer, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
5.
Lying like a corpse in the middle of a dark room, Cho turned his head and
saw a man coming into the room.
"Oh, are you here?" Cho welcomed the man's visit. "How do you do? I hope
you had a good result. Let's talk a little bit more."
However, Kim Tae-hoon's atmosphere was not good compared with that of
Cho, who expressed his welcome joyfully. It was the worst. His image was
frightening.
BoxN ovel.com
'Because of that?' Cho recalled the moment when he had met Kim the first
time. It was never the best kind of a first meeting. No, if Cho had been Kim,
he would not have let go of the first meeting. At least he would have used
the fact to negotiate.
"Haha... I was so rude in the first meeting, wasn't I?" Cho was willing to
apologize.
"Please understand, as you can see my current condition, I was so badly tor‐
tured that I didn't see anything, and I apologize if you were offended any‐
way." It was a heartfelt apology. It was not just a person's apology, but an
apology that should be done as a leader of the organization called Résis‐
tance.
761
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 97 - Freezer, Part Ii ⦘
'I have to deal with this guy somehow.' Although Kim had destroyed Daegu
City Hall, the headquarter of the Second Operations Command, all of the
power did not collapse yet. The headquarters had just collapsed, and the
power of the Second Operations Command still remained sufficient.
Would they lift their arms up into the sky and declare surrender, or would
they do their best to root out the Résistance forces?
In addition, Cho was a man who could do that much, a man who was will‐
ing to do so if he could save the life of his colleagues in exchange for his
disgrace.
However, Kim's expression did not change at all at such a sincere apology.
"Please blow your steam off, and if you want, I'll kneel before you here..."
"How many troops are in Haein Temple?" For the first time, words flowed
out of Kim's firm face.
"What?"
"What is the number and quality of troops of the Second Operations Com‐
mand stationed at Haein Temple?"
762
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 97 - Freezer, Part Ii ⦘
"Once in Haeinsa, almost all of the 201st Commando Brigade's troops are
stationed there at all times, and three more infantry battalions are deployed
throughout the Gayasan National Park. In addition, the 52nd Military Sup‐
port Team regularly transports supplies, and the 52nd Military Support
Team has about two battalions of escort troops."
"Awakeners? Ah...! Three of the men who have been appointed Colonel are
always stationed there."
"Well..."
Cho recalled the Awakened who had received the Colonel rank. The Second
Operations Command gave them a Major rank to the Awakeners first. Since
then, those who made a contribution, or the Awakeners with excellent abil‐
ity, had been given a higher rank. A colonel was a rank that was received
those with outstanding ability and achievement.
"They can't be compared with you." Naturally, they were not that good.
They could not be compared with Kim.
"They could stop that Kojima, the Samurai who you caught. They are not
weak. Indeed, the three Colonels there are ones who survived in the war
against the green-eyed monster that once appeared."
Kim closed his eyes when he heard the words. He finished his calculations
in his mind.
763
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 97 - Freezer, Part Ii ⦘
'With that power, they cannot stop it.' When he finished his calculation, Kim
took something out of his arms. It was a bird sculpture, Okjo.
He injected Mana into the Okjo, and then the size of the Okjo, half the size
of a cigar ette pack, began to grow. Then the Okjo, which was now a dove,
waited for its order with its head on the palm of his hand.
Kim, who finished his speech, recalled Jang's face in his mind while look‐
ing at the eyes of the Okjo. The Okjo, after listening to Kim's words quietly,
nodded.
When the order was given, the Okjo began to flap its powerful wings. It
quickly left the room.
After sending off the Okjo, Kim turned his attention to Cho again. At this
moment, he could not find any more leisure or playfulness on the face of
Cho.
"What?"
"Samurai Kojima came here to burn the Tripitaka Koreana of Haeinsa if the
situation was not good."
764
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 97 - Freezer, Part Ii ⦘
Japan was aware of the amazing treasure, the Tripitaka Koreana, and if the
situation was not good, it also planned to burn the Tripitaka Koreana.
At first, Japan intended to move the Tripitaka Koreana to Japan. There was
no treasure in Japan that protected a vast area of forty kilometers from the
threat of monsters.
The problem was that the Tripitaka Koreana was too big to just take it. It
was the reason why Japan prepared to burn it.
"In that situation, I tortured Tanaka who came to catch Lee Yeon-ah, and
then I killed him. The problem is that they have a way to check their col‐
leagues' deaths through Shikigami (Japanese ghosts). As soon as Tanaka
died, the ninjas who were waiting around Haeinsa immediately burned the
Tripitaka Koreana."
And the switch of the fire was not only because of the death of Tanaka and
Kojima.
When Kim tortured Tanaka and got information from him, and killed him,
the fact was transmitted to the ninjas who were waiting around Haeinsa in
real time, and they immediately acted.
Kim had actually pressed the switch of the bomb installed in Haeinsa Tem‐
ple!
However, it was just absurd for Cho, who did not know the details. No,
even if he knew the details, he could not accept this fact now.
765
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 97 - Freezer, Part Ii ⦘
It was a treasure. It was a pride that the Republic of Korea would give to the
future generations on the Korean peninsula.
The Résistance did not touch the Tripitaka Koreana, and the Second Opera‐
tions Command did not withdraw the troops to defend the Tripitaka Kore‐
ana, no matter how severe the Résistance activities were.
But now the treasure was burning. The absurd thing happened. It was some‐
thing that was not acceptable. It was something that shouldn't be.
But at this moment, Kim was able to clearly explain why it burned. "Be‐
cause it's a war."
It was not just a war, but a war between two countries, Korea and Japan,
who hated each other.
They could do anything in such a war. Once Japan showed its will, they did
something to Korea.
In other words, no matter what Korea would do against Japan from now on,
it would not be a problem. So at this moment, Kim was not enraged.
'War is not fought by emotion. No matter what we do, a war is not an easy
one. When you get emotional, everything collapses.'
'The most problematic thing at this point is the blue-grade monster that is
now moving.'
First, Kim faced the most important issue. The issue he faced right now was
not the Tripitaka Koreana burning. It was already lost. What they lost was
not coming back.
766
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 97 - Freezer, Part Ii ⦘
The problem was that Daegu City, which was protected by the Tripitaka
Koreana, was exposed to monsters after the disappearance of the Tripitaka
Koreana. Currently, most survivors of the Gyeongsang area were gathered
in Daegu City.
For monsters, Daegu City was the most coveted fishing ground in the
world.
Above all, Daegu had no owner, and that was important. The absence of a
master meant that they did not have to occupy the area through a struggle
with another strong monster; the first one to come would be the owner.
Kim had no intention of going to Japan, leaving a threat to the land of the
Korean Peninsula behind.
'I'll kill two blue-grade monsters.' In other words, the moment when the
threat to the Korean Peninsula disappeared, Kim's next target would be
Japan!
6.
"At first, all the Sobaek mountain monsters moved at the same time, but at
some point, the movement stopped, and instead, only the two blue-grade
monsters moved. One of them is moving to Daegu. The expected route is to
enter Daegu City after going through Palgongsan."
Jang Sung-hoon's voice came out clearly from the Okjo's mouth. The story
was long. But none of the long stories were good. It was all terrible.
"Oh, my God." When the Okjo finally said everything, Cho, who had fin‐
ished grasping the situation before and after, spoke with a sigh.
Cho also knew that the grade of the monster varied depending on the color
of the eyes. The strongest monster that he had seen so far was a monster
767
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 97 - Freezer, Part Ii ⦘
with green eyes. In addition, the green-grade monster was the trigger for
him to organize the Résistance.
Cho saw the scene in person, and he could not accept that he had to keep
working on digging up the royal tombs without knowing the reason in a
world full of monsters.
But now Kim said that there was a stronger monster than the green-grade
monster.
"No way..." Cho was stunned by this terrible fact. And at the same time, he
remembered his duty. "... we have to evacuate."
"We need to tell Daegu City about this fact. We need to inform the Second
Operations Command. We need to evacuate them! Aaaaaargh!"
Cho tried to raise his body as it was, but he screamed at the pain coming
from his legs and fingers. He could not stand up alone, but he tried to get up
again somehow, even though he screamed.
"No, if we let it go, it'll kill us all. I'll have to evacuate them all..." At this
moment, he only thought that he should evacuate everyone. All he could
think was that he could save one more.
Cho thought that one of them could live, even if he was a soldier of the Sec‐
ond Operations Command who wanted to kill him. He was such a man.
In the first place, he did not organize the Résistance forces for his own ben‐
efit. To say the right thing was right and the wrong thing was wrong, he or‐
ganized the Résistance.
"Goddamn it!"
768
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 97 - Freezer, Part Ii ⦘
Kim was impressed by such an image of Cho. Furthermore, it was the first
time he saw such a sense of justice from Cho.
Cho was the only one who cried so sadly about the values that everyone
should follow.
'He is like a lighthouse.' Only then did Kim know why he had asked himself
on the bucket list to make him president.
Cho was the one who would walk toward the right values in the midst of
chaos. He was the man of the greatest virtues necessary to be the leader of
the great group.
However, Kim was not impressed so much at this moment. It was not the
time to be so moved that his heart was overflowing, since he was a hunter.
What mattered to hunter Kim Tae-hoon was his attitude toward the monster
who was coming to Daegu.
'Blue grade.'
'The first thing a hunter has to do before he hunts is to measure the level of
his game.'
Currently, he did not know the identity of the blue-grade monster to Daegu
City. He did not know whether it was a wild animal or a flying animal, and
he did not know what it was capable of. Even so, he had to assess its
strength.
For now, Kim had set the Gamecock as the starting point. He thought over
the battle with the Gamecock and pointed out the present differences from
the battle at that time.
He did not take down the Gamecock just with his power. In a way, Kate's
help was huge. He did not know what the outcome would have been if it
769
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 97 - Freezer, Part Ii ⦘
'I'm much stronger than I was then. The level of the relics I have is differ‐
ent. There are the Couple-Burial-Mound Gold Earrings, Cheonmachong
Hwandoodaedo, Horse Figure Type Earthenware -- Servant Statue, and
Higekiri from Kojima.'
'I'm much stronger now. The abilities I have are different. The Telekinesis
of A+ rank and Anger Soaring both made me a stronger hunter. However,
I'm not sure.'
But this alone was not enough to ensure victory. He needed more help. 'K-
2.' Here, Kim recalled the K-2 Air Force base in Daegu.
However, Kim was not easily convinced, even if he included that firepower.
This would be a single combat against a unique monster. A false conviction
would be death.
Therefore, he asked questions, "What kind of relics did the Second Opera‐
tions Command bring from Gyeongju?"
"There is the Bell of King Seongdeok at the K-2 Air Force Base. In the
hangar."
770
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 97 - Freezer, Part Ii ⦘
Kim asked in return, "Do you have any pictures of the Bell of King
Seongdeok?"
Kim tightened his mouth at the answer. It was a useless question. Right
now, Cho was just wearing his pajamas.
"But I remember." However, Cho's memory was much better than he ex‐
pected. "If someone rings the bell, it defeats all the evil power and weakens
monsters. The relic is of the first grade, and its value is special."
As soon as Kim heard it, he was confident. 'I can kill it.'
Considering the given power, the current power in Daegu, the match was
worth a try.
Kim looked at Cho and asked a question, "If I kill the blue-grade monster,
can you take control of the Second Operations Command?"
At the remark, Jo thought long and answered briefly. "It's certainly possible,
as long as you show everyone that you're on my side."
7.
Jjeojeok! It was a beast made of ice with a lion's head, eagle's wings, and a
snake's tail. It was a giant beast measuring ten meters in length.
771
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 97 - Freezer, Part Ii ⦘
Jjeojeok! It was also a beast that froze whatever was around it whenever it
moved.
Keureung! At the same time, it was the leader of Wolves with white fur nu‐
merous enough that they looked like they were covering the snowfield, and
all had orange eyes.
The monster, Freezer, declared that the city of Daegu was its territory at this
moment, and that everything there was its game!
772
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 98 - Freezer, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
8.
The house of the fighter planes, the hangar, was set in the background of the
wide runway. It was filled with turmoil for a long time.
"There's a monster."
BoxN ovel.com
"What monster?"
"What the hell are you talking about? Are you crazy?"
The main cause of the disturbance were soldiers and survivors belonging to
the Second Operations Command evacuated from Daegu City Hall. The
numbers were not small, and there were so many large hangars built to keep
fighters that they made the hangers into a mess.
No, it was more like turmoil than a mess. Those who had evacuated from
Daegu City Hall were constantly shivering, voicing their fears, what they
773
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 98 - Freezer, Part Iii ⦘
had heard and experienced, and the fear began to occupy the hangars easily.
That was the reality. If someone was to say that an elephant with golden
smoke appeared in 2016 and threw a streetlight with its elongated nose, he
or she would have been taken to a mental hospital under the treatment of a
madman. But 2017 was different.
In the world where monsters had appeared, Awakeners were born, and relics
existed, the elephant made of golden smoke was now a reality and a fact
that everyone should accept. There was no reining in the fear that had be‐
gun to spread like that.
"Don't talk about the situation, just come up with countermeasures! Coun‐
termeasures!"
"Who told you to control it? Build up your military power! Get back to
Daegu City Hall somehow! How many times did I tell you to make an oper‐
ation plan and gather troops to recapture Daegu City Hall!?"
The turmoil was because the commanders who should be reining in this fear
could not do their part. Of course, no one could blame them simply for their
incompetence. Apart from incompetence, the situation was something that
no one had experienced or expected.
Daegu City was too calm to anticipate and experience this situation. Daegu
City, which was protected by the Tripitaka Koreana, did not even allow the
monsters to leave their footprints, and Daegu City Hall did not even allow
the Résistance's footprints. It was too much to ask those who took such
safety and serenity for granted to come up with a proper response to the
current situation.
774
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 98 - Freezer, Part Iii ⦘
Crucially, it was Lee Dae-joo who felt the most terrible fear at that moment,
not the commanders.
He was the Wing Commander of the 11th Air Force, and he had already
been nearly killed by the Résistance. Therefore, Brigadier General Lee Dae-
joo knew better than anyone about the Résistance organization.
'If the Résistance had that power, it is obvious that they would only go after
the top leaders!'
The purpose of the Résistance was not to destroy the Second Operations
Command but to reveal the truth. So far, the Résistance had focused on the
leaders and executives rather than the general soldiers, and they had fo‐
cused on propaganda rather than war.
That was why the Second Operations Command wanted to capture Lee
Yeon-ah, as it was totally different from what the average person said on the
propaganda and what Lee Yean-ah said on propaganda. On the other hand,
that was all the Résistance could do so far.
The war against the Second Operations Command was not even attempted,
and there was an overwhelming power difference between the two forces.
But things had changed. The Résistance now had the power to break down
Daegu City Hall in a moment.
'It's dangerous.'
Here was another factor that drove Brigadier General Lee Dae-joo crazy.
Contact with the Capital Defense Command, which had supported the Sec‐
ond Operations Command, was no longer available.
775
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 98 - Freezer, Part Iii ⦘
Even the last contact was to ask for them to prepare, as the Capital Defense
Command was in danger and was planning to evacuate to the Second Oper‐
ations Command. However, since he received that information, he had not
been contacted.
There was no wall to lean on behind Brigadier General Lee Dae-joo. There
was only a cliff.
"Goddamn it!" Brigadier General Lee Dae-joo clicked his tongue again, and
his men sweated in front of him. There was no answer from the men's side,
and their situation was not so different from Brigadier General Lee Dae-joo
because they were all colonels and commanders.
"Re, Résistance Lee, leader, Cho Sung-yeon asked for a meeting and a con‐
versation."
At the words of his subordinate, Lee Dae-joo began to comb his dark beard
like crazy, with a dumbstruck look.
Panic was the most obvious word to express his state of mind. Of course, it
was impossible for Lee Dae-joo to make a proper judgment.
"Yes? Yes."
776
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 98 - Freezer, Part Iii ⦘
"Yes?"
"You crazy bastards, if he is here, you kill him! Are you going to let him
live?"
Brigadier General Lee Dae-joo was rather angry at the blank faces of his
men, and now he stood up as if he was going to kill Cho Sung-yeon him‐
self. He laid his hand on the pistol at his waist. It was the biggest and last
mistake he made.
Swish! An arrow entered the office and penetrated the head of General Lee
Dae-joo instantly.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!"
"Huck!"
The men jumped up in fright. One of them fell over the couch he was sitting
on. Hardened as they were, everyone looked at the dead body of Brigadier
General Lee Dae-joo with a face as white as a corpse, without words.
A few minutes later, a new man came up. "Cho, Cho Sung-yeon wants to
make a deal with Lee Dae-joo's successor."
9.
The F-15K fighter jets were waiting for a run which would happen some
day, and at that moment, something rare to see in the hangar appeared. It
was a wheelchair.
Cho Sung-yeon was sitting in the wheelchair. It was unusual in many ways
in the hangar, so all of the hundred or so soldiers of the Eleventh Air Force
Squad who were filling the hangar were looking at Cho.
'I'm crazy.'
777
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 98 - Freezer, Part Iii ⦘
Of course, the soldiers who looked at Cho were more vigilant than afraid.
Some were ready to pull the triggers on him and aimed guns at him.
At this point, Cho was confident that he would accept this fact in his own
way, because he had courage and capacity which very few people pos‐
sessed.
The problem was that Kim Tae-hoon, who had been pushing Cho's wheel‐
chair until now, acted a little while ago. Kim killed Brigadier General Lee
Dae-joo. Cho came to negotiate with Lee Dae-joo, but Kim killed him at
once.
Not just that, Kim killed Lee Dae-joo with an Arrow without feathers from
a long distance away. The reason was that Lee Dae-joo had no intentions of
negotiating.
The reason and the process were all nonsense. At this moment, however,
Cho did not look surprised by events, but rather adopted a seemingly un‐
concerned image, contrary to his amazed thoughts. He looked so calm that
it defined his image.
778
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 98 - Freezer, Part Iii ⦘
At that moment, Cho pulled his body a little bit out of his wheelchair and
said, sitting like a piece of a chewed string, "Uh."
"You are surely crazy. You wanted to negotiate, but killed the Brigadier
General!"
At the remark, Cho shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't want to negotiate the
first round, or the second round, of talks that way. We have to negotiate
right here, today. But Lee Dae-joo didn't want to negotiate with a partner.
What was I going to do? I had to change my negotiation partner."
Those who heard the conversation at this moment could see that this was
not a negotiation. It was a threat, not negotiation. If it had been usual times,
Colonel Baek Ho-seop would never have responded to the threat.
When Cho saw his face, he was convinced. 'The game is over.' He came to
negotiate, but in fact, the negotiation was over.
"I will tell you briefly." So, at this moment, Cho did not waste time or
words for an argument. "The blue-eyed monster will come here soon."
"Nonsense!"
"It, it's..."
"Shut up and listen to me. Sooner or later, there will be a monster with blue
eyes in Daegu City, and we will kill it."
779
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 98 - Freezer, Part Iii ⦘
How! Colonel Baek Ho-seop expressed his feelings with a look of dismay,
instead of an answer.
At the words of Baek Ho-seop, Cho looked at Kim behind his wheelchair.
Baek Ho-seop's eyes naturally turned toward Kim. But his gaze did not last
long. Baek Ho-seop couldn't meet Kim's eyes for long. It was like a rat
could not see the snake's eyes.
"The situation is exactly what Cho said. The monster is coming and I will
kill it. So I need your full cooperation," the snake spoke to the rat.
"Full cooperation..."
"Give me everything you have, not only weapons but also the Bell of King
Seongdeok."
"Huck!"
In the distance, even though it was a very distant cry, it affected those who
filled the hangar. There were a lot of soldiers tottering, falling, and kneel‐
ing.
It was the same with Cho. "Damn, damn, damn it... it really came..."
Trembling! Cho began to tremble in his wheelchair, and Colonel Baek Ho-
seop and his men, who had been facing them all the time, also struggled to
avoid falling down on the floor.
780
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 98 - Freezer, Part Iii ⦘
Kim, standing so upright, turned to the ceiling. Then he opened his mouth
and exhaled the Energy in his gut.
AWWWWWWWWW!
Howling!
The Howling that came out of Kim's mouth after a long time, began to
soften the power of the fear that was filling the hangar.
"Huck!" There were the sounds of breath coming back all over the place.
Colonel Baek Ho-seop, who had been trembling all the time in front of
Kim, seemed to have calmed down, focusing on his eyes again. Of course,
the amount of fear implanted by the pupils of Kim remained.
"I'll tell you again," Kim demanded Baek Ho-seop. "We need the M61 and
the Bell of King Seongdeok."
10.
The straight distance from the Birobong of Palgongsan to K-2 Air Force
Base was about 13 kilometers. The path, situated in a steep mountain range,
was a road that literally never had a straight stretch.
But now a road was being built on the mountain range. It was not just a
road, but a white road. A broad white road, about twenty meters wide, was
being made in real time, at an alarming rate.
Freezing! The white road was the path of Freezer, an ice monster with blue
eyes.
Freezing! The chill from its whole body was freezing everything all around.
It was an incredible sight. But the amazing sight was not the end of it. There
were Wolves running on the white road.
781
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 98 - Freezer, Part Iii ⦘
measure. In the world that was turned white by Freezer, they were com‐
pletely hidden. The fact that they were moving in groups was not easily
confirmed by the naked eye. This was a scene that could not be seen or
trusted.
But the amazing sight was their speed. Even on steep mountains and hill‐
sides, they had no hesitation. On the downslopes, they threw themselves
and accelerated down them, and on the uphill, they pulled their strength out.
It took them about ten minutes to reach the city of Daegu after leaving Pal‐
gong Mountain. It was a mere instant.
Before the city's citizens, who were exposed to the fear that Freezer worked
its best, could regain their freedom from the fear, hundreds of Snow Wolves
led by the Freezer and its teams were in the city.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!"
Wooguck Wooguck! Snow Wolves ate everything they could to fill their
empty stomachs after the explosive race.
Sniff! They bit off what they could see, and then they chased after what
they could not see with their noses and bit it.
The white Snow Wolves began to roam through the city of Daegu, leaving
traces of red footprints, howling in their eagerness.
Freezer only stared at the scene. It didn't seem like It was going to stop the
Snow Wolves from eating too much.
It was a time of gluttony permitted by the owner. Only the sound of the Bell
stopped the gluttony that could not stop and had no reason to stop.
782
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 98 - Freezer, Part Iii ⦘
Doo-woo-woong!
Rather than being pure, it was a melancholy, sad, and horrible sound. In‐
stead of impressing the listeners, the actions of Snow Wolves who enjoyed
the gluttony stiffened at the sound that made them shiver.
Doo-woo-woong! When the Bell rang again, some Snow Wolves began to
back away with terror-stricken eyes.
Yelp! Some began to tremble with their tails drooping as they called out.
Tututututu! No, it was more a monster than a cannon. It was an M61 Vul‐
can. The sound making up something launching 6,000 rounds per minute
with six guns rotating, twenty-millimeter-long, adult palm-length shells was
a perfect match for the term "monster."
What was more monstrous was Kim's shooting of an M61 Vulcan with his
hands like a machine gun, and even a barrel full of dozens of kilograms of
bullets on his back.
Tututututu! Kim continued his shooting, even aiming at the targets accu‐
rately, despite the constant gunfire.
Yelp! There was no such thing as a Snow Wolf coping with the attack.
The 20-mm shell, not just a bullet, ripped them apart, far more than merely
piercing the skins of the Snow Wolves.
783
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 98 - Freezer, Part Iii ⦘
Tututu... When the M61 Vulcan, which threw out thousands of bullets in
one breath, took a pause, Kim looked at Freezer, who was still surveying
the whole scene on the road, with his black Eyes. It was not showing any
interest in this scene. In other words, it was not feeling any threat at this
fact.
Kim aimed at it with the M61 Vulcan. However, he did not immediately
fire.
'The moment I shoot, it's the beginning. It is impossible to kill this monster
with just a few shells from an M61 Vulcan. That would only make it angry.
The battle will start as soon as the gunfire begins.'
Doo-woo-woong! As soon as the Bell rang, Hahoetal, the mask, which was
gently resting on Kim's shoulder, settled across his face.
Kkeoeoeoeong! Freezer, who had been indifferent until now, vomited fear
towards Kim.
784
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 99 - Freezer, Part Iv ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
12.
What is the most important thing when hunting? The answer to this ques‐
tion is clear. The fatal point, the factor that can certainly lead the prey to
death, is the most important.
Isn't it common knowledge that a person who doesn't know how to kill their
prey, cannot hunt properly? It is even truer if the prey is not just an animal,
but a monster, not just an ordinary beast.
BoxN ovel.com
Monsters have everything beyond the natural. Their body's defense, physi‐
cal strength, life force, and physique are all over the common-sense level,
and thus the imagination is easily trampled. One can't be sure of death if
one breaks its head and makes it bleed. Hunters hunting monsters, there‐
fore, must keep in mind the most important thing about hunting.
Hunters must keep in mind that every monster's weak point is its heart.
When they think about something other than this, the thinking is meaning‐
less, and the hunting that they perform after they worry about this is an un‐
conditional failure.
785
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 99 - Freezer, Part Iv ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon knew it better than anyone else. So, when he looked at
Freezer, and when he saw the blue eyes embedded in the translucent body
made of ice, he knew that finding its heart was his top priority.
He couldn't immediately find its heart with the Eyes of the Black Snake. He
could not see anything inside its translucent body that he was sure was its
heart.
'If so, when I take to the next step, I have to make its heart move in some
way. I must make it angry, scared, or in pain.'
That's what Kim was doing now. Tututututu! Kim, who ran between the
building and the building, between one roof and the next as easily crossing
stepping stones, bombarded Freezer with the Vulcan as it was following
him.
The shots were accurate. His shooting ability and the Eyes of the Black
Snake made the Vulcan in his hands as accurate as the sniper rifle. It was
perfect shooting.
Ping, ping! The shells of the Vulcan began to pock Freezer's body. How‐
ever, that was all. Though deeply embedded, the 20mm scary shells failed
to penetrate in. It was a result that did not fit the power of the Vulcan,
which could punch through. Even the scars caused by the Vulcan did not
last long.
Patter! The icy body was fragmented and fell to the ground, and the wound
that had opened so quickly recovered by itself.
Kim's mouth twisted as he looked at the scene through the eyes of Hahoetal.
786
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 99 - Freezer, Part Iv ⦘
on an expensive fighter jet which is struggling to reduce its weight every lit‐
tle bit.
Of course, Kim did not think he could kill a blue-grade monster with only a
Vulcan.
'It is too strong.' Still, the sight Kim saw now was quite shocking to him.
What was even more shocking was that at this moment, Freezer, who was
running between the buildings after him, has never used its fear, the most
obvious weapon it had.
All the monsters Kim had encountered so far were the same. Most of all,
monsters had learning skills, and there was no possibility that Freezer
would not know that fear was more powerful than any other ability. So, he
wore the mask, Hahoetal.
[Basic Abilities]
-- Muscle: 911
-- Health: 902
[Special Abilities]
787
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 99 - Freezer, Part Iv ⦘
-- Energy: A-Rank
-- Mana: A-Rank
-- Telekinesis: A+ Rank
-- Defense: A-Rank
At the same time, it was also clear that this power would not last long.
When a sports car over 500 horsepower ran in a circuit, it was similar to
watching the fuel needle fall.
Even one-second longer was the same as getting into a desperately danger‐
ous moment. In such a situation, it was very bad that he could not even pull
out the Freezer's fear.
Kim no longer had a fuss about the M61. Being absorbed by the fact that he
could use this terrible Vulcan with his bare hands, he did not force himself
to do what he could not. Accordingly, he abandoned the Vulcan.
Bang! The Vulcan, thrown from a six-story building, fell to the ground and
clanged loudly
788
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 99 - Freezer, Part Iv ⦘
Chewreung! He pulled his Swords from their sheath. It was the sound of the
Sword of the Imperator and the Sword of Hwandoodaedo, the two Swords
that Kim was carrying on his back. The two swords began to fly.
Clank! The target was Freezer, and the goal was to leave as many wounds
as possible in the shortest time on the Freezer's body.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa! The goal was making long, deep wounds. The two
Swords performed these orders well.
Keureureu! They earned nothing but the first growl from Freezer's mouth.
At the same time, the Freezer gave up its pursuit of Kim and focused on the
two Swords that circled around it. Freezer avoided the Swords, while on the
other hand, it tried to strike the Swords by moving its legs, tail, and wings.
However, the two Swords moved in dazzling patterns, making the Freezer's
work useless.
"Hoo!" At that moment, Kim gave out a long sigh. With that sigh, he
brought his hand to the two Horse Figure Type Earthenwares that he had
hung at his waist like decorations, one for a master and a servant.
Kim injected Mana at the same time into the two Earthenwares, which were
originally a pair. He threw them at the Freezer.
The two Horse Figure Type Earthenwares flying in the air began to inflate
surprisingly quickly, and by the time they reached the edge of the Freezer,
they revealed their enormous splendor, a size that was not lacking compared
to the ten-meter-long Freezer.
Whinny! At the same time, their attack began. The first attack was at their
owner's command.
Whinny! As the horse ran at the Freezer at full speed, the master threw his
sword at the Freezer.
Bang! The sword, which had flown so hard, buried half of itself into the
back of the Freezer.
789
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 99 - Freezer, Part Iv ⦘
Keu-aang! Freezer's eyes flickered. What came into the eyes of the Freezer
as it turned its eyes was the master's horse, with a spear coming out of its
chest.
Kwajik! The spear that coming out of the horse's chest drove into the
Freezer's body. At the same time, the horse began to crumble in the process
of breaking the body of the Freezer. In the meantime, the master warrior
stepped on his own horse as a stepping stone climbed into the body of the
Freezer. The warrior hit the tip of the hilt of his sword on the back of the
freezer with his fist.
Kwajik! First was the right hand, second was left hand, and then right hand
again.
Bang, bang! The hilt gradually descended deeper and deeper with the re‐
peated blows of the warrior, hammering it in.
Kwajik! In the end, the body of the Freezer was split in half. But it was not
the result of the warrior's sword. Rather, it was by the opposite, done by the
Freezer's will. The evidence was that the cloven body of the Freezer trans‐
formed into different animals; an ice lion in front, and an ice tiger in the
back.
Keu-wang! Keureureu! The two separ ate Freezers surrounded the master
back and forth, and immediately bit and clawed at it. The warrior's right
shoulder and left leg were bitten, and in front of the claws, a lump of clay-
like flesh was crushed. The warrior, having lost his arms and legs, fell to the
ground.
Ding-dong, ding-dong! At that time, the servant who had been looking at
the master's work until now shook the bell in his hand.
Ding-dong, ding-dong! The mirac le that the bells produced was giving arms
and legs to the warrior who lost his arms and legs. Even a sword was made
as a bonus on the restored arm. The warrior, who had instantly regained his
form, swung his sword at the ice tiger in his vicinity.
790
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 99 - Freezer, Part Iv ⦘
Kwaang! The ice tiger grabbed the sword into its mouth and bit down. In
the meantime, the ice lion threw itself at the servant, who was shaking the
bell over and over on the road below the building, jumping from the high
building to the ground.
Ppoo-woo-woo! At that moment, an elephant with golden smoke hit the ice
lion falling to the ground in midair.
Bang! Smoke and ice, the two things made a strange sound. It was a mo‐
ment when the Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje, the amazing relic,
once again exerted its power.
The bodies of the Freezer began to move slowly at the bell sound, while the
beasts of the golden smoke, the master and the servant, were courageous
and began to press the two-part Freezers.
But it didn't stop the two Swords. Kim, with his black Eyes shining behind
Hahoetal from a long distance, did not show any shaking.
791
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 99 - Freezer, Part Iv ⦘
Even with the fear, the threat did not disappear. Keureureu! Freezer no
longer kept its face, its dignity. The Freezers, the icy tiger and the icy lion,
began to turn into hedgehogs as thorns rose from their bodies.
The thorns of the Freezers swept all over the place with their self-destruc‐
tion. Concrete walls and asphalts crumpled like tofu, pudding, and flew for
several kilometers, even destroying a small shopping mall at once. It was a
formidable power.
What was even eerier was the figures of the Horse Figure Type Earthen‐
wares and the golden smoke beasts penetrated by the ice thorns. Rather than
recovering the wounds after being penetrated by the thorns, they began to
freeze white.
The Horse Figure Type Earthenware became white ice statues with holes in
them, and the golden smoke beasts created by the Gilt-bronze Incense
Burner of Baekje began to fade away with holes in them.
Ice Blaster was the most powerful power of Freezer. Of course, the ability
demanded a price. In exchange for exploding its body, Freezer revealed the
heart it had been hiding and covering. The transparent heart was the size of
an adult man, and the blue jewel in the transparent heart was glistening un‐
der the sun's direct sunlight for a long time.
'I found it.' Kim did not miss the light. He did not miss what he had to do.
'It's the beginning.' It was now the beginning, and Kim, thinking this,
quickly left his seat. While he ran, the heart of the Freezer created its body
anew.
Keueoeo! This time its body was an ice Ogre with a height of five meters.
The Ogre, the Freezer, created an ice club and began to swing it around.
A truck engine roared as it approached the Freezer. Kim was in the luggage
compartment of the truck, which had no driver present, the steering wheel
moving freely. There were lumps of iron bound together behind it.
792
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 99 - Freezer, Part Iv ⦘
The long, elongated mass that seemed to be a rugby ball was a GBU-31
bomb, which was built to be mounted on the F-15K and had a 900-kilogram
explosive. One of the bombs was lifted by the Telekinesis of Kim. It was
like when he had hurled a small car with his Telekinesis to punch the Sword
of the Imperator into the chest of the Gamecock.
But it was definitely different then. At this moment, there was no Sword of
the Imperator in the body of the Freezer.
"Hoo!" The GBU-31 missile, coming into the air with a short effort of the
Telekinesis, began flying toward the Freezer's heart.
13.
Looking at the Golden Glass filled with red liquid, he clenched his teeth
tightly...
793
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 100 - Check List, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
For Cho Sung-yeon, the blue-grade monster Freezer that had appeared in
Daegu City would be remembered for a lifetime.
'Does that make sense? It was a crazy monster that had endured nine GBU-
31s, a lump of explosives weighing close to a ton. It was not dropped from
a few thousand meters above like a jet, but thrown from the ground like a
shotgun. Enduring the explosion of the crazy-powerful bombs nine times
was beyond the common sense of Cho and any of his imagination.
BoxN ovel.com
'He killed the insane monster! What a freak!' And of course, Cho would re‐
member Kim Tae-hoon, who killed the terrible monster with the tenth mis‐
sile and swallowed the blue crystal of the Freezer, the only payout he got
from the monster he killed.
2.
794
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 100 - Check List, Part I ⦘
In the crisis that came to Daegu City, there were two people who proved it
to Kim.
One was, of course, Cho. He proceeded with the plan that Kim had pre‐
pared as soon as Kim killed the Freezer. He informed Daegu City, which
was defenseless due to confusion and fear, that now the world has changed
and it was only he who could become a leader in this changed world, and
Kim was behind him.
"In a world full of monsters, I can't say Daegu is safe anymore, but how
long are you going to follow the nonsense orders of the Second Operations
Command? Huh? Those incompetent people? Are you willing to let those
who sit on the floor and tremble in front of a blue-eyed monster order you
around? So don't think about it, give me all the rights. If you don't like it,
say no, but I'll give you a piece of advice... finish it when you talk to me. If
you say no when you talk to my partner, not me, he'll never let you go."
Cho also actively used the fact that Kim was his backer. He used all the sit‐
uations given to him favorably. Above all, he insisted that it was not to
merely an individual's benef it, but an honor, a desire to pursue the worthy
values that those who survived from now on should take. His cry for justice
became his most powerful weapon in the world where all order was broken.
He was able to take over all the powers of the Second Operations Com‐
mand, which had been in control of Daegu City, in just three days.
The other one who was shining in the crisis with Cho was Jang Sung-hoon.
When everyone fell into a state of dejection amid the chaos created by the
crazy incident, Jang did not shake.
795
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 100 - Check List, Part I ⦘
There were very strong changes that humans, as well as the monsters lower
than the yellow-grade ones, could endure easily!
Jang led his forces into the Sobaek Mountains to find opportunities in the
large-scale change.
It was in direct opposition to Kim's order. Kim clearly ordered the troops
standing near the Sobaek Mountains to move back.
But it was Jang Sung-hoon who was right. He hunted the confused mon‐
sters. The strong firepower of the Mac Guild's hunters, the 8th Mechan ized
Infantry Division, and the Capital Defense Command, the combined
strength of those who won the right to survive in fierce battles and strug‐
gles, not power created like a flower in a greenhouse like Daegu City, had
been spewed on the monsters. The effect was impressive.
'The reason monsters are so scary is that their ability to create fear is strong,
and they also have their own territory. A game in one's own territory is
never a game. Rather, it is a real hunter who eats what comes into one's ter‐
ritory. In other words, monsters that have come out of their domain are bet‐
ter targets than ever.'
And through the hunt, the Mac Guild was able to secure a very valuable
road, called the Gyeongbu Expressway. The road, which reached from
Seoul to Busan, was taken back from the monsters. The evidence was the
presence of Jang, who had led the Mac Guild to Daegu City.
796
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 100 - Check List, Part I ⦘
"Oh, and this is a small gift." Jang handed Napoleon's Golden Glass, and
the red liquid within, to Kim.
3.
It was a room about ten square feet, with only one desk in it, and walls on
all sides.
The elongated eyes reminded them of dragon eyes, and the skin was
grotesque, mysterious, and horrifying, as if the dragon's scales were hidden
under the skin. Right now, a dragon seemed to be born in the man's body.
But even more frightening was the infinite and bizarre power that wriggled
in the man's body.
Kim, dreaming of his death, could see that he was repeating the same death
now. At Stonehenge, England, at this moment, he was dying by the curse of
the dragon.
'Couldn't I find a way?' It was the first time. Until now, Kim had never re‐
lived the same death. That created a strong sense of hope. It was hope that
the future has changed, and it was the belief that he had learned a lesson
through the deaths. It was also a hope that he was going to proceed further,
on the basis of his own death.
"It's a great power, and I'm going to explode my body right now."
The curse of the dragon, a price that could not be dealt with, was being paid
for with the man's greed. It was a painful and sad thing, a terrible thing.
It was more painful and desperate than any death he had ever experienced.
797
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 100 - Check List, Part I ⦘
Rather, he did not worry about his death at this moment. The death was
what he had already experienced. He did not have to worry about why he
died, how he died, and who killed him.
And it was the same for him, and the future Kim Tae-hoon who he dreamt
of.
He was dying, but he did not think of despair. He was looking around the
room without hesitation.
'This is information.' This room was the place that the future of him made to
die, the place made to struggle in front of the same death. This was the in‐
formation he did not know. There was a lot of information on the wall of
the room. It was a visible map of information!
There were large continental maps all over the walls, and maps of the six
major continents. Around the map, there was a lot of information, like a spi‐
der web. Military information, information about relics, information about
monsters, and information about people!
It was very good information for Kim's taste, and it was so vast. It was im‐
possible to remember all the information.
'It's just like me, since I don't admit that too much is as bad as too little.' It
was his job to gather a lot of information to the maximum level despite the
obvious inability to digest it all. He was grateful at the same time.
'If I die a hundred times, I'll see all the information here.'
Even in this death, he was grateful that he had not lost himself, and he was
proud of him who had not given up yet.
798
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 100 - Check List, Part I ⦘
His footsteps stopped in front of the map of the Asian continent, one of the
six continental maps.
He stood and scanned it. He, who was dreaming of himself, also saw Kim
Tae-hoon. Among them, Kim paid attention to Japan.
'It's funny.'
'The only legendary relic in Japan is Kusanagi, and there are lots of swords,
not as valuable as the Tripitaka Koreana, but I can still get some payback
for their debt.
It's funny. It's so funny because it is childish... there are the four heavenly
guardians under a man named Musashi, who is not the monarch of Japan.
The essence of Japan... is not lost, and even in that situation, the weapons
are hidden all over the place. If there is a war, they will somehow take ad‐
vantage of it. After the Fukushima nuclear crisis, their failure to get rid of
the executives of the Tokyo Electric Power Company was to prevent the se‐
cret nuclear weapons project from being leaked.'
'China's actions are so explicit that until the monsters appeared there was
nothing new anymore.'
And finally, Kim looked at Korea. 'Hmm.' Here, he was suspicious. Most of
the information about Korea he had already been grasped, and the things
that had been grasped had now become his. He did not need to see the land
of Korea anymore.
'Ah.' But the doubts didn't last long. There was a note: there is only one
thing that can calm the curse of the dragon. Only the Manpasikjeok, which
799
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 100 - Check List, Part I ⦘
"Ugh..."
And that was the last thing Kim saw. The dragon's curse began to melt his
heart.
3.
There was a dark room with a single light glowing. Two men were facing
each other across one table, two cups of coffee in front of them.
"Elder Brother?"
"I can tell somebody's fortune by physiognomy, you will be president one
day." Jang Sung-hoon, at the end of the greeting, immediately said some un‐
believable words to the other.
"Well, I'd appreciate it if you would, because I honestly didn't know how to
treat you." However, Cho Sung-yeon was merely surprised for a while and
soon accepted the unbelievable words.
800
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 100 - Check List, Part I ⦘
"Really? Where?"
"Bucheon Ojung-dong."
"Yes, I worked at the Armored Search Party of the Eighth Mechan ized in‐
fantry Division."
"... I think he should have had some guts to do that. So, what's your rela‐
tionship with Colonel Lim Hyun-joon and you?"
"He's my man now, and he's going over the Taebaek Mountains and Uljin to
Wolsong."
In many ways, it was an absurd story. However, Cho did not smile or look
surprised at the absurd story.
801
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 100 - Check List, Part I ⦘
Cho frowned a little at the words 'a good man'. Kim had never hurt him, but
Kim was by no means a man who matched the words 'good' or 'kind'.
"If you're on the same side, there is no one better than him."
However, at that explanation, Cho had to agree. At the same time, he was
sure at this moment, 'Jang Sung-hoon, his code is right with me.' He was
sure that Jang was a man whose morals matched his own in many ways. Of
course, the conversation between the two was soft.
"Who?"
"Lee Yeon-ah."
"Wow!"
Screech! The sound of the door opening in the room stopped the long con‐
versation between the two.
"Jang Sung-hoon, give the order to Colonel Lim Hyun-joon." Beyond the
open door was Kim Tae-hoon, who didn't mince his words. "Make a war‐
ship ready for Japan."
802
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Volume 2 ⦘
Volume 2
803
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 101 - Check List, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
"Namchang Station..."
BoxN ovel.com
"With this situation... they are going to get here within half an hour..."
There was a vast expanse of sea in that direction. It was a cool sea. It was a
sea that opened his mind. However, the appearance of the sea did not come
into the eyes of Lieutenant Colonel Kang. All he could see was the build‐
ings that had the sea in front of them, huge concrete masses with round
roofs.
The Kori Nuclear Power Plant produced the largest amount of electricity of
the Korean nuclear power plants, and it would have the largest number of
victims when it was destroyed.
804
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 101 - Check List, Part Ii ⦘
"Yes."
'Damn it.' At this moment, Lieutenant Colonel Kang felt deep despair and
nervousness.
'I did not expect that I would be assigned to the Kori Nuclear Power Plant.'
Jang Sung-hoon tried to secure two things during the large-scale change, af‐
ter the disappearance of the Tripitaka Koreana. One objective was the
Gyeongbu Expressway, and the other was the three nuclear power plants
built along the East Sea coastline.
There was no guarantee that those who had burned the Tripitaka Koreana
would leave the nuclear power plants alone. Jang deleg ated everything to
Colonel Lim Hyun-joon, and Colonel Lim, who felt the urgency of the situ‐
ation, moved all his spare troops.
After crossing the Taebaek mountain range, Lim moved along the coastal
road by the East Sea and forced a way to reach the nuclear power plant
through repeated battles with fierce monsters.
So, starting with the Uljin Nuclear Power Plant, they passed the Wolsong
Nuclear Power Plant and eventually reached the final destination, the Kori
Nuclear Power Plant.
'There's no other way... we can't get support for more than two hours.'
805
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 101 - Check List, Part Ii ⦘
Lieutenant Colonel Kang couldn't give up. When the Kori Nuclear Power
Plant collapsed, the Gyeongsang area would become a land of death. The
blow would be beyond description. The hope of Korea, which had just been
gained and had just become a flame instead of a mere candle, would be in‐
evitably shaken. He did not want to condone it. He did not want to tarnish
the hope that had begun to grow in such desperate days, and he would not
tolerate the destruction.
"Yes?"
"And take out all forces around the nuclear power plant."
"The target of the monsters is not the nuclear power plant, but people. If
there is nobody near the Kori Nuclear Power Plant, there is no reason for
the monsters to attack the Kori Nuclear Power Plant."
"Ah!" The order made the subordinate soldier gasp, and then he clamped
his mouth shut. He felt bitter despair. However, the fact that there was no
clear way to protect the nuclear power plant did not even allow him to ques‐
tion it. The man raised his hand and saluted. It was now to defend to the
last.
5.
806
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 101 - Check List, Part Ii ⦘
Kuh-hung, Kuh-hung! The madness began to flutter in the eyes of the Wolf
monsters wrapped in the Howling.
Owwwwwwww! The Wolf, with its colorful fur, once again let out a long
howling. This time, the Wolf monsters ran even faster, just like a car that
had already reached its limit had triggered a booster.
Of course, it was also a monster that showed its presence when conducting
a pack rather than when it was acting alone. Under the Witch Wolf were a
variety of Wolf monsters, numbering over a thousand. It was a nightmare
that could turn a small city into a grave within a day or two.
"Hold on!"
Fear!
There were not many people who could keep moving in front of the wide‐
spread fear. Those who were merely shivering were in better condition.
"Kuh-huck!"
Those with low Energy levels were also convulsed or breathless, falling to
the ground. It was hard to find anyone who could do his job.
807
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 101 - Check List, Part Ii ⦘
On the other hand, there was no surplus force for the monsters who gained
strength from the Howling of the Witch Wolf.
Kuh-hung, Kuh-hung! The racing Wolves did not feel pain, nor did they
feel fatigue. Instead, those only felt a thirst for blood, and still had a terrible
drive even if their limbs were cut off. They were devils.
It was a candle in front of the storm, anyone could see it; a group of Wolves
led by the Witch Wolf was a storm, and the Armored Hunting Battalion fac‐
ing them was a candle.
Thump! As always, Kim Tae-hoon appeared in the sky and landed on the
ground. But there was something different than usual this time.
Seueueu! Kim was wearing a thick thorn armor made of ice, a thorn armor
that reminded them of the shell of a durian fruit. It was a lot more impres‐
sive than his usual look. Especially the thorn armor helmet, the black Eyes
shining within, was at a level that could be expressed as 'super-impressive'.
Krrrr! Of course, the Witch Wolf was wary of Kim's appearance, but it
didn't run away. It was proud, the pride of a monster with green eyes, and
running was not allowed. It was unacceptable to show its tail in front of a
human being. That was the pride of the Witch Wolf!
While the Witch Wolf grew vigilant and hostile, Kim raised the thorns of
his ice thorn armor. Seueueu! The thorns of the ice thorn armor had now be‐
come long and sharp enough to remind them of daggers, all from the new
ability he got. He did not get the same ability as the ice blast explosion that
Freezer showed after its body turned into thorns.
Rumbling! The ability acquired from the Gamecock, Anger Soaring was ac‐
tivated in Kim's ice thorn armor. Of course, the ice thorn armor wrapped
around him shattered and mixed with the explosion created by the Anger
Soaring.
808
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 101 - Check List, Part Ii ⦘
The explosive power could not be compared with the destructive power that
Anger Soaring had showed so far. It was like a massive fragmentation bomb
going off.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa! The fragments of ice thorn armor mixed with the ex‐
plosion of the Anger Soaring cut, smashed, and penetrated through every‐
thing. The thorns of the ice thorn armor did not stop after simply scarring.
There was a curse on the ice thorn that made it impossible to repair, cure
and recover the wounds.
Keheng! The body of the Witch Wolf, which was closest to the explosion,
was left full of holes at once. The color of its fur began to turn red.
Owwwwwwww! But the Witch Wolf did not fall. It let out another Howl‐
ing, even with the ice thorns in its body. Its wounds began to heal, and the
pain began to fade rapidly.
It was a spell. The spell took away the fear of the Witch Wolf and replaced
it with anger. As the fear was great, the anger that filled the place was also
huge, as the pain was great.
Keuaaang! The Witch Wolf threw out the roar of a wounded beast, not a
Howling, toward Kim Tae-hoon.
But at this moment, Kim did not listen to the sound. He was listening to the
beating of its heart.
'It is near the neck.' When he heard the sound, he painted a picture of three
Swords from above, each stabbing the heart of the Witch Wolf from differ‐
ent directions.
6.
=====
[Basic Abilities]
809
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 101 - Check List, Part Ii ⦘
-- Strength: 702
-- Health: 689
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: B+ Rank
-- Mana: B+ Rank
-- Telekinesis: A+ Rank
-- Defense: B+ Rank
[Achieved Abilities]
-- Ice Thorn Armor (Grade 3): Consumes Mana to produce Ice Thorn Ar‐
mor; anything stabbed by the thorns of the Ice Thorn Armor is cursed and
its ability to recover is greatly weakened.
-- Howling of the Witch Wolf (Grade 4): With the power of the Witch Wolf,
it gives magical power to the Howling. When using Howling, it removes el‐
ements that are harmful to the Allies and user, and it increases their basic
abilities.
Kim turned his head after he looked at the back of his right hand, seeing a
group approach. It was Lieutenant Colonel Yoo and his men. They came up
to him and saluted him immediately. After receiving the salute, he said,
"You can speak freely."
"I haven't seen you in a long time, but I think you have changed a lot."
Lieutenant Colonel Yoo and his men were dressed in black special forces
uniforms and looked like the Grim Reaper.
810
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 101 - Check List, Part Ii ⦘
"You've already set the stage, there's no reason to waste time. I'll do it right
away."
And in fact, they came here to replace the role of the Grim Reaper.
"We can't just let the soldiers who exploited the people for their own bene‐
fit, abused them, and even slaughtered them, go, at least if Korea is a coun‐
try."
Inspection!
It was the role of Lieutenant Colonel Yoo to punish the corrupt practices
that took place within Korean territory. Kim gave him enormous power to
inspect, ranging from military to civilian.
Furthermore, the current force Lieutenant Colonel Yoo could show off to
soldiers was enormous. It was a war situation. In wartime, the military's
corruption and unfair practices would not end up in jail or a fine mixed with
suspended sentences.
Summary Trial!
The tip of the sword of Lieutenant Colonel Yoo was ready to cut the heads
of the top officers of the Second Operations Command.
811
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 101 - Check List, Part Ii ⦘
"A lot, a little bit, that's not important. It's important to root out the poi‐
sonous plant this time."
Of course, he would not defend anyone who had committed billions of dol‐
lars worth of corruption for a living.
"Please deal with it properly. I have to leave Korea for a while, so don't
leave any room while I'm away." Kim was hoping so, too.
Others might not know, but if it was Kim, the story would be different.
Right now, the Republic of Korea was able to come here thanks to a man
named Kim Tae-hoon. His absence was not a hole easily filled.
At the answer, Lieutenant Colonel Yoo was able to calm down, with only a
little bit of surprise. He knew that Major General Lee Ki-soo had borrowed
Japan's power to check Kim Tae-hoon and the Mac Guild. Lieutenant
Colonel Yoo himself was the one who had captured and interrogated
Colonel Jang So-gook, the closest subordinate of Lee Ki-soo. Furthermore,
he had learned that the Japanese ninjas were responsible for burning the
Tripitaka Koreana.
"For revenge?"
The point was why. Lieutenant Colonel Yoo now thought that Kim was go‐
ing to Japan to pay back what he had suffered in revenge.
Obviously, revenge was important. Even more so, if one is a soldier! If one
shows mercy after the enemy's attack, one will have only a stronger attack
to come back to. After all, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth!
But now, it was definitely a matter of weighing the scales enough to accept
Kim's absence in return for his revenge on Japan.
812
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 101 - Check List, Part Ii ⦘
Kim was well aware of the fact. Had it been just for revenge, Kim would
not have headed to Japan right away.
"Well..."
"But what's more important than revenge is to deprive Japan of all its
power." What he was after, was all Japan had.
When asked that by the Lieutenant Colonel Yoo, Kim answered with a
question. "How would they come if China were to pursue power and attack
South Korea?"
"It's..." Lieutenant Colonel Yoo, who stopped speaking for a while, put his
thoughts together and answered. "It is hard to get through the land. The mil‐
itary strength in Korea is enormous. If our army is in front of the entrance
to the Korean Peninsula in a situation where an air force is not available, it
will be impossible for them to use a human-wave strategy. If the comman‐
der of the Chinese army is not an idiot, he will attempt a landing via the sea.
Korea's naval capability is at a low level compared to China. Ah..."
Kim did not answer, because he didn't have to give a definite answer.
813
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 102 - Any Room, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
August 13th.
Eight months after the emergence of the monsters, Korea was still full of
monsters and ruins. Among the broken buildings, no straight building could
be found, the roads were still graveyards of cars, and a lot of people were
suffering from the water shortage, not to mention not being able to wash
their hands.
On the other hand, monsters were still threatening humans, hiding them‐
selves in every corner or building their own territories.
BoxN ovel.com
On December 31, 2016, a blaze of hope was ignited in some cities in South
Korea, where there was nothing but despair. Among them, the hottest place
was Bucheon. Previously, this small city, which was just sandwiched be‐
tween Seoul and Incheon, was now the hottest city in South Korea.
There were many reasons. Having more solar power plants than any other
city enabled a stable electricity supply; the nation's most advanced health
care system; and the infrastructure of living was better than any other city,
814
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 102 - Any Room, Part I ⦘
and crime rates were the lowest. Most of all, there was something else in
Bucheon City.
"Looking at the flag of the Mac Guild there, it looks like this is the safest
place in South Korea."
The headquarter of the Mac Guild, in what was once Bucheon City Hall,
made Bucheon the hottest city. Naturally, the nation's people gathered in
Bucheon City.
"We sell yellow-grade monster leather! You can trade with monster stones
any time!"
"We're looking for party members to join in the hunt for monsters! It's a
Starfish Clan party!"
The Awakeners who had gathered there made Bucheon a hotter city through
their activities in Bucheon.
Monsters' bodies were traded here and there, and such traded bodies were
made into items in the workshops. The items were the basis for hunting
stronger monsters when held in the hands of the crowded Awakeners.
A virtuous circle was formed to kill stronger monsters. It was the Mac
Guild who fueled such a virtuous cycle.
"Did you hear that? I heard the Mac Guild will release lots of relics this
time."
The Mac Gild did not want their possessions to rot in a safe.
"Oh, I heard the story. There are rumors that they will release the relics that
they gained from Gyeongju."
815
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 102 - Any Room, Part I ⦘
"According to the rumors, the items made from the hair of the Gamecock
are finally being auctioned, and there are also the elite goods made by Park
Kap-soo and his disciples! There's a rumor that they are more powerful than
a few relics!"
"There will be some great things, I'll have to pack up the monster stones!"
"It will be hard for an individual to get a successful bid at an auction. The
top Clans are holding hands before this Mac Guild auction, it's going to be a
huge deal."
The relics wanted to find their masters and become weapons to hunt mon‐
sters. For that reason, the Mac Guild auctioned off items made using relics
and monsters they had hunted. For the hunters, it was basically the only
place where they could get powerful weapons without bleeding for them.
"This auction will be more intense than ever because it's a place where the
Clans can show their strength."
Furthermore, the Mac Guild-sponsored relic auction was now a place where
the Clans of the Mac Guild, whose numbers now exceeded a hundred, could
display their strength. It was not just an immature struggle.
In the world of monsters, the hunter groups and the Clan had no choice but
to exercise absolute influence. It was no wonder that a community was
formed around such a Clan.
"If they are smart, they'll have to realize that this is a historic opportunity."
816
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 102 - Any Room, Part I ⦘
In the land of Gangnam, which no one dared to approach and where the
monsters were overflowing in the ruins and the buildings, if someone built a
building, who would be the owner of the building?
It would be hard for the old owner of the building to claim full rights to the
new building.
What if they recaptured an area full of monsters and rebuilt a city there, not
just a building or two?
In Korean history, those who had taken the opportunity before and after the
Korean War became a power, becoming the chaebol who controlled the Re‐
public of Korea. Therefore, they could not help but know what to do now to
get wealth and power in the next ten years.
There was one more event that attracted attention as such an auction.
It was a notice that the Mac Guild was recruiting volunteers to hunt high-
grade monsters that were hard to hunt with the power of just a Clan or small
party.
It was a true gateway; the moment they climbed up, there was a chance they
could be a top Clan!
"Let's see... huck!" But this time the story was different.
817
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 102 - Any Room, Part I ⦘
Jirisan!
If they were Koreans, they cannot help but know that Jirisan was the repre‐
sentative mountain of Korea, next to Mt. Halla and Mt. Seorak, and better
known than either.
"Oh, my God."
And now it was notorious for housing a blue-grade monster, the Golden
Horn Spider with its golden legs. It was a place the living were not allowed
to approach. Indeed, the Mac Guild announced that Jirisan was an area of
the Golden Horn Spider because hunters and the public carefully avoided
the dangerous place.
"Isn't this the first time for a blue-grade monster?" Of course, the Mac
Guild had never issued a hunter recruitment announcement for a blue-grade
monster.
"The first time is not important, it's not a case of how many times!"
"There's only one person in Korea who can be a hunter, not a prey, against a
blue-grade monster!"
There was only one hunter who could hunt blue-grade monsters!
2.
It was crowded with people since it had now become the Mac Guild's con‐
ference room. The addition of new members to the early days of the Mac
818
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 102 - Any Room, Part I ⦘
What bothered them was the recent hunter recruitment announcement of the
Mac Guild. It was announced that it would recruit hunters to participate in
the hunting of the Golden Horn Spider which had settled in the area of
Jirisan.
It was a surprise. It was natural that their heads were about to burst, because
they had to grasp Kim's intentions in the situation where they were raiding.
Screech! The door of the Preliminary Board Meeting Room opened, and
Jang Sung-hoon stuck out his head.
"You all look like shit." At the end of the sentence, some people turned their
eyes toward him, who whistled cheekily. In a situation where they had to
complain about Kim Tae-hoon, only Jang was of no account. At their angry
looks toward him, Jang responded by shaking the coffee pot in his hand. No
one in the room was unaware of who the coffee pot with the white steam
coming out was for.
819
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 102 - Any Room, Part I ⦘
"I'll be going to Japan soon," Kim Tae-hoon's words thunderbolted into the
quiet conference room.
"Yes?"
"What is that?"
"Japan?"
Everyone was surprised at the announcement. The only ones who were not
surprised were Jang Sung-hoon, Cho Sung-yeon, and Colonel Lim Hyun-
joon. Jang and Cho were the first to hear of Kim's trip to Japan, and Colonel
Lim was contacted by Jang and had prepared a ship for Kim's trip to Japan.
However, that did not brighten the faces if the three.
Any Room.
"I don't want to leave any room for Jirisan if you can't kill a blue-grade
monster without me."
Jirisan was the only place in the Republic of Korea, except for North Korea
and Jeju Island, where there was a blue-grade monster which the Mac Guild
could not kill. Kim did not want to leave the land as 'any room'. Of course,
this alone could not explain why he issued a hunter recruitment announce‐
ment.
820
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 102 - Any Room, Part I ⦘
"They cannot help you." Someone stopped Kim. Everyone looked at the
man who interrupted Kim's words with surprised eyes... Cho Sung-yeon!
Cho shrugged at the audience's gaze.
"Why? I didn't say anything wrong, did I? What would ants do to hunt
tigers? Oh, this time they're not tigers, they're huge spiders."
However, at the image of Cho Sung-yeon, who still spoke without being
discouraged, those who saw him at this moment could catch a certain sense
of what kind of person he was: a man who said what he wanted to say, un‐
der any circumstances.
Kim was willing to answer the words of such a man. "The moment I go to
Japan, the war begins. The result is one of two: whether Japan is defeated,
or Korea is defeated."
It was an eerie answer. But Kim's story was not over there.
"For reference, Japan is not the end. There are two reasons why I am attack‐
ing Japan. One is that they declared war on us first, and the other is that we
need Japan's relics and naval power for the next war. The next war is likely
to be China."
China was after Japan. Some of them felt a deep dizziness at his story, of
someone who was going to deal with the mountains rising one above an‐
other.
"It will be a good thing if the war is over there, but there's no guarantee that
it will be over, and we might fighting the world; Russia, India, Europe, and
America."
With that, Kim picked up a cup of the coffee that he had just made in front
of them. He drank the coffee just as it was.
Silence came, and during that time, everyone in the conference room orga‐
nized their thought.
821
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 102 - Any Room, Part I ⦘
It was Kim who broke the silence. "What I need in this situation is a man
who will be willing to risk his life with me."
A comrade.
It was a word that Kim did not use easily. For him, the object of war was
not a monster, but a human or a nation. The word "comrade" was also much
stronger than the feeling of being a colleague fighting against a human be‐
ing, rather than a colleague fighting against a monster. Of course, that was
why he used the word "comrade".
Kim took another drink of coffee after the words, swallowing without sa‐
voring it. It was a surprise. He said, "And I want to show to those who will
be my comrades, who exactly I am, and how capable I am, to be able to
trust me and risk his life with me."
"I don't want to leave any room in their minds to doubt the power I have,
and the power of my country and the Mac Guild. That's why I made a re‐
cruitment announcement."
As soon as the words were finished, no one could even look unhappy with
Kim anymore. He smiled lightly at the crowd. "That's why it happened, so
the details should be taken care of by the people here."
At the end of his words, Kim left the conference room with his mug in his
hand. Everyone looked after him with blank eyes.
Jang stood where Kim disappeared. "Well, let's start the meeting."
822
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 103 - Any Room, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
The announcement for hunters to kill the Golden Horn Spider greatly shook
the hunters of Bucheon City. The storm had subsided over time, and after
the storm, the hunters came up with rational and reasonable answers.
"There's no reason to apply unless we're crazy." They insisted that they
should not apply for the Mac Guild's Hunter recruitment.
"The risk is too high, even with the merit. It's a blue-grade monster, and we
might faint or die of a heart attack just by being exposed to its fear." It was
a wise decision. A blue-grade monster was like a natural disaster, which
was not easy to measure the risk of. No one was calculating profit and loss
against the blue-grade monster, as no one was worried about what they
would gain with the typhoon, in front of the typhoon.
BoxN ovel.com
"There are not many people." As a result, only 3,000 applied for the Mac
Guild's Hunter recruitment.
"There were fewer applicants, but they had stricter qualifications. I hear
there's a thousand passing through." Even when they excluded those who
did not meet the qualifications, those remaining numbered only a thousand.
Only a thousand of the countless hunters who made Bucheon City boil like
a furnace were passed!
823
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 103 - Any Room, Part Ii ⦘
"Well, if the guy who's participating is being called crazy, and there are a
thousand crazy guys, then there's a lot."
After that, someone said that there were still more than a thousand crazy
people left! They did not need to explain how terrible this hunt would be.
"If it had not been for the Mac Guild, he would have lost his life. However,
when the Mac Guild asked for help, the bitch ran away, afraid for his life.
So, a volunteer is better than a fucking bastard."
Park Joo-yeon and her colleagues were some of the three thousand people
who had applied for the ridiculous hunter recruitment. They were also some
of the thousand people who had passed through the quite difficult qualifica‐
tions.
Having a simple and ignorant party name, they were quite famous in
Chungcheong Province, unlike the funny party name.
A large flute that Park Joo-yeon, the leader, had inherited as a family trea‐
sure, was a very powerful third-grade relic, and her skill in using it was also
excellent.
After they received a lot of recruitment attempts from the Clans and were
ready to succeed in a world full of monsters, they said that they would ap‐
ply for the hunter recruitment and surprised the people around them.
Others asked the party why they would walk on their feet into a place like a
grave. They even said that if the party hunted down weak monsters and im‐
proved their ability and skills, the party could be successful enough.
However, Park and her colleagues did not hesitate to apply for hunter re‐
cruitment.
824
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 103 - Any Room, Part Ii ⦘
"Even this crazy bitch knows that I have to pay for the price of my life!"
Park and her colleagues were once saved by Kim Tae-hoon. By the time he
took out the Messiah in Chungcheong Province, they were freed, and thanks
to the hunters sent by the Mac Guild, they were now safe from the monster
threat and survived thanks to the Mac Guild's support.
"I think they're all making a mistake, and I think this war hasn't even started
yet. There are too many people who think that killing a Golden Horn Spider
is going to end the war."
So, Park and her colleagues were willing to volunteer when the Mac Guild
asked for help. That was why they were talking while eating at the Gurye
County Office, where they could see the Seomjin River below and Nogo‐
dan, one of the three peaks of Jirisan, in the east.
"Except for that reason, it's a chance to fight alongside the first hunter, isn't
it? This is not a common opportunity."
"That's right. It is a scene that we couldn't see even if we paid for it."
After finishing the meal, they were about to embellish the story ahead of the
monster hunting that would start tomorrow morning.
"Take coffee."
"Hmm?"
"Mug?"
In addition, the mug was not just a mug, but a mug with the Mac Guild's
mascot, Mac. Everyone looked stunned at the fact. But it did not take long
for their expressions to change.
825
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 103 - Any Room, Part Ii ⦘
Now, those who had become famous had appeared one by one, and every‐
one changed their expressions in surprise.
It was when Kim Tae-hoon appeared with Jang Sung-hoon that their expres‐
sions peaked. At first, there were not many people who immediately noticed
that Kim was there.
But when they saw Jang, whose face was well known, standing beside Kim
with a serious posture, and Bang Hyun-wook and Kim Soo-ji saluting Kim
respectfully, there was no one who could not notice that he was Kim Tae-
hoon.
Gulp! Everyone swallowed the same way with the same expression, holding
the same mug with the same coffee in their hands.
"I have a few things to say before the briefing on the Golden Horn Spider
that will begin tomorrow."
"The original meaning of a hunt was that something strong eats something
weak, and it was common for a fox to catch a rabbit, a tiger to catch a boar,
and so it was with human beings. It was originally a hunt to eat the weak,
but the concept of the hunt began to change at some point."
"At some point, a human being began to kill something stronger than him‐
self. He began hunting wolves and hunting tigers."
Kim turned his head back to them. There were a thousand hunters looking
at him with a surprised expression. He smiled at them lightly.
826
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 103 - Any Room, Part Ii ⦘
It was a very small figure after seeing that the number of hunters registered
in the Mac Guild now exceeded ten thousand people, but he was rather sat‐
isfied with this number.
For Kim and the Mac Guild, there were about a thousand crazy people who
would walk onwards, even if it was directly into a grave. They were proof
that what he had done so far was not wrong. So he continued to speak with
a little excitement.
"Tools, strategies, tactics, and cooperation, these things have allowed hu‐
mans to hunt stronger things, and that doesn't change even when monsters
are present."
Kim had dealt with two blue-grade monsters so far. It was amazing, a great
feat, even if it was a surprise that it was almost done by him alone. How‐
ever, the fight with the two monsters was close to a struggle to live, not
hunting.
The power, tactics, and weapons used in the battle were the masterpieces
and tricks created by Kim's improvisation. It was not a thorough hunt.
Rather, the hunting that he had tried after thorough preparation was usually
unsuccessful.
That happened in the hunt of the Black Snake. He was all ready to kill it,
and everyone was working together, but the result? Everything that was pre‐
pared was meaningless, and only Kim's final attempt to survive was able to
save him. It was a clear failure.
Since then, Kim has never succeeded at real hunting. As said before, he sur‐
vived in the fights with his tricks and skills. The problem was the result.
The hunting of the Black Snake failed, but he was able to learn a clear les‐
son from the failure.
On the other hand, there was no lesson in the struggle after using the tricks.
That was the reality. Tricks could not give people faith and trust, even
827
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 103 - Any Room, Part Ii ⦘
If Kim wanted to kill the Golden Horn Spider on his own, he could kill it,
and everyone would be amazed at it. However, that was all. The battle
would never leave a lesson that would be a stepping stone for someone else.
"The same is true of the Golden Horn Spider. If you try to kill it with your
bare body, no one can kill it now. But if you use tools, use strategies and
tactics, and finally collaborate, there's no reason you cannot kill it."
It was that part Kim wanted to say right now. Furthermore, it was such a
feeling that he wanted to give to those who gathered here for this hunt.
"This is a hunt like that, not just to defeat the catastrophe we face, but to
deal with it with our own hands. This will be the first true hunt against a
blue-grade monster."
After finishing his speech, Kim had coffee. As always, a short silence of sa‐
voring began. But no one questioned this silence. Everyone was willing to
wait for the silence to end.
4.
The way this giant spider, with its eight long golden legs and a coal-black
body well over ten meters long, worked was so simple. It spread a wide spi‐
der web across its territory.
The Golden Horn Spider did not come to find the prey on its web. It just
waited to take the energy of the prey the spider web had caught, drain away
its health, and eventually suck away its vitality. That was the power of the
Golden Horn Spider.
828
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 103 - Any Room, Part Ii ⦘
Its web was not just tough and sticky, but it had the eerie ability to suck the
energy, health, and vitality of an object. That Golden Horn Spider's web
was spread widely around a peak of Jirisan, Cheonwangbong.
Of course, the Golden Horn Spider did not intend to come out of its own
area. On the other hand, in order to kill the Golden Horn Spider, the most
basic rule was to fight it in a place other than its area.
If Kim had to fight alone, it would not be difficult. Using his Telekinesis to
fly, it would be possible to fight enough where the spider web did not reach.
But if he was going to do that, Kim would not have made a fuss. He pre‐
pared for the event. Even if they excluded his existence, they could make a
valid attack on the monster called a Golden Horn Spider.
Once Kim ordered the hunters to remove the monsters that were crowded
around the Golden Horn Spider.
Individual Battle.
Through that method, they secured the main area around Cheonwangbong
and an area where they could secure visibility.
( Updated by BOXNOVEL )
Their process was being revealed on the map. Every time they secured a
target point, a black Go stone was placed on the map, and the number of the
Go stones set down reached about thirty. The black Go stones had perfectly
surrounded Cheonwangbong in Jirisan.
Based on the situation, Kim also gave a new order without moving himself.
5.
829
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 103 - Any Room, Part Ii ⦘
It was Colonel Lim Hyun-joon who came up with the concept of this newly
established special unit after the emergence of monsters. Its origin was sim‐
ple.
Colonel Lim Hyun-joon took over the 8th Mechan ized Infantry Division at
once, and authority over the front line and the Gangwon area, and began to
reorganize his power to fight with the monsters.
In such a situation, there were two things that worried Colonel Lim.
One was that the front line and the Gangwon area were mountainous ter‐
rains, where armored power could not be used freely, and the other was that
the number of relics secured by the 8th Mechan ized Infantry Division was
insufficient, so they needed great firepower, like a tank, for monster hunt‐
ing.
Colonel Lim interpreted the situation simply. "A trained artilleryman can
carry a sixty-millimeter mortar alone, so if he is a soldier with high
Strength, Health, and Energy, he can disassemble and transport towed ar‐
tillery."
It was a terrible thought for the soldiers under Colonel Lim, especially the
soldiers who were Awakened, but he personally implemented the idea. Of
course, he did not practice it himself, but his men practiced. The result was
impressive. The Armored Hunting Battalion fought with great firepower in
any harsh area.
After that, Colonel Lim joined the Mac Guild, and as soon as the Mac Guild
actually took over the full power of the ROK Armed Forces, he focused on
fostering and supporting the Armored Hunting Battalion.
"I can't believe I set it up, because I'm hauling an artillery cannon into the
middle of Mt. Jiri."
830
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 103 - Any Room, Part Ii ⦘
In the middle of a rough mountain, a tank could not access and even heli‐
copters could not reach easily, a KH179 155mm howitzer was standing up‐
right with a long barrel in a good shape. It was the work of the Armored
Hunting Battalion. It was a great achievement.
Was there a Unit in the world that could take the giant howitzer apart, bring
it to the mountains, and assemble it again?
Of course, the faces of the Armored Hunting Battalion, who had made a
great achievement a reality, were not so great after doing this glorious thing.
"What is that?"
"No, what the hell is that? The M61 is for a fighter or a warship, not for a
man! Who did that?"
"Wouldn't it be more effective to just pray for the disappearance of the mon‐
sters?"
In addition, they knew that this army was a childish organization that really
used all means and methods to appease their superiors.
Anyway, the howitzer was ready to show off its splendor immediately. The
howitzers installed in thirty places pointed their long barrels toward Cheon‐
831
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 103 - Any Room, Part Ii ⦘
"They brought the real towed artilleries in with their bare hands and in‐
stalled them."
"Look, I am still in the reserve troops, but they are not going to call up re‐
serve forces to do this, are they?"
Hunters who had secured safety for the members of the Armored Hunting
Battalion by removing monsters were crowded around them.
Now they could truly understand the conversation the day that they had all
shared the same coffee and mug on the grass playground of a ruined middle
school.
"I agree."
6.
Tokyo, Japan.
There was only one new building rising up in the world, in what was the
largest ruin in the world.
It was a building. The building, which was still under construction, was so
large that it reminded them of the skyscrapers and Burj Khalifa in Dubai,
but the impact of what construction had been already been completed was
tremendous.
832
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 103 - Any Room, Part Ii ⦘
Obviously, in the eyes of the man who was looking at the building now,
Musashi, it was the same hope as the sun above the sky.
Because of this, Musashi gave a name directly to the building: the Rising
Sun.
Musashi was planning to declare Japan an empire, not just Japan, the mo‐
ment the building was completed.
Of course, it was only a vision of Musashi, and for those who had to make
his vision a reality, the building seemed to be a disaster. In fact, the build‐
ing, which would be called the Rising Sun by most of those who survived in
Japan, was considered a hideous thing beyond the ruins.
The resources and manpower used to build a building in the ruined land
were enormous. It was in fact not different from building a huge building
with human bones and blood in a situation where even urban restoration
was not done properly. Many people had already died during construction.
"We will soon be able to bring in a labor force from the Joseon Dynasty in
Korea, so plan your work accordingly."
A few hours ago, the Six Snakes had met. At the meeting, Musashi finally
got consent from all the Six Snakes; the Korean Peninsula was his now.
833
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 103 - Any Room, Part Ii ⦘
It allowed Japan to attack the Korean Peninsula and then gave Japan all
rights to the Korean Peninsula, with the promise of full support from the
Six Snakes in the process! It was not different from making the Korean
Peninsula Japanese territory for Musashi. Of course, Musashi had no inten‐
tion of taking any more time.
'We failed to get Busan, but it doesn't matter, because South Korea's naval
power is so weak that we can get through it any time we put our full power
in. It would be easier if China could check South Korea through North Ko‐
rea.'
He has waited for only one thing, the support of the Six Snakes. The Six
Snakes, which had acquired even China, said they would attack the north
area of Korea with Chinese troops. Then all the troops in Korea would be
assigned to the north. If the Japanese naval forces were to launch a landing
operation, they would get virtually bloodless entry to Korea.
'The Six Snakes were right: there is no reason to disregard the opportunity
to establish a new order.'
Musashi turned and looked north. For now, Mount Fuji came into view. But
at this moment, Musashi saw beyond Mt. Fuji.
"An Iga Ninja who was sent to Korea brought back a letter."
"How could a dispatched man get a letter from the Korean government?"
The smile disappeared from Musashi's lips. At the same time, he reached
out his hand and the man who arrived handed the letter to him.
834
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 103 - Any Room, Part Ii ⦘
After that, he opened the letter, scanned it, and handed it back to his subor‐
dinate.
It was because the letter was written in Korean. His subordinate immedi‐
ately read the letter to interpret and became pale.
"... the arrangements are over, and now he's coming here to claim the price
of Korean lives."
835
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 104 - Any Room, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
7.
The Golden Horn Spider had eight golden legs and was ten meters long.
With a huge body and head that fit such legs, it had never hidden itself. No,
it couldn't hide itself.
The huge body was the second. The eight blue eyes on its head made the
legs of its prey numb with fright hundreds of meters or even kilometers
away. It didn't have to hide itself.
Unlike other monsters, the Golden Horn Spider did not have to work hard
to hunt.
BoxN ovel.com
The Golden Horn Spider had only two things to do: to widen the area of its
web when it was in a good mood and to punish those who dared to live in
its own territory. In fact, so far, it had only done those two things. It had no
experience doing anything else. Therefore, it was confused.
Rumbling!
The Golden Horn Spider could hear dimly the rolls of thunder from a long
distance away. Even the thunderstorm came not from one direction, but all
directions, dozens of rolls of thunder in sequence.
Cheee? This was a situation it had never experienced and never thought of
before.
836
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 104 - Any Room, Part Iii ⦘
Cheee! The power of the rolls of thunder, however, was beyond imagina‐
tion. Whenever a shot hit the ground, the ground turned upside down and
soared like a fountain.
Cheee! Cheeeee! A painful cry burst out to the Golden Horn Spider.
It was a small noise compared to the preceding thunder, but still powerful
little bolts of lightning began to shower down on the Golden Horn Spider.
Chee...! By that time, there was no longer a faint cry from the Golden Horn
Spider.
8.
The power of a 155mm shell transcended common sense. The sight of the
earth rising up like a fountain at the moment of the bomb blasts was amaz‐
ing that humans made such weapons to kill humans.
When hundreds of 60mm, 81mm, and 4.2-inch mortars began to fill the
gaps between the spouting shells in a separ ate sequence from the 155mm
towed artillery guns, the destructive power generated by the concentrated
saturation would have crushed the giant mountain, Jirisan.
The figure of the Golden Horn Spider, who had received such an absurdly
intensive bombardment, looked terrible.
Doo-woo-woong! Above all, the peal of the Bell of King Seongdeok, which
was being run steadily, made the Golden Horn Spider vulnerab le. It was the
837
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 104 - Any Room, Part Iii ⦘
most fatal thing. Even with its natural armor, it could not hold on under the
intensive bombardment, but it was shot naked.
Doo-woo-woong!
In the end, even when there was no further bombardment, the Golden Horn
Spider was weak enough to shudder at the Bell of King Seongdeok.
Of the eight eyes, only two were fine, and only three of its eight legs were
left.
However, the Golden Horn Spider had still survived after this absurd inten‐
sive bombardment. They were not just the shells, but it was a bombard
made out of a Bronze Sword third-grade relic, being exposed to the Bell of
King Seongdeok. It was a certain proof that this monster was far beyond the
common sense of a human being.
Kim Tae-hoon stood in front of the Golden Horn Spider. He was holding
three Swords on his back, carrying a bag, and looking at it with his black
Eyes.
At the same time, the past image of the monster with the blue eyes that he
was now looking at, was passing by.
The first was the Gamecock. The first meeting with the Gamecock was the
peak of his desperation. Kim had to fight it without preparing at all.
Then it was the Freezer. He was not very pleased to see it. If there had been
no Bell of King Seongdeok and without a missile usually mounted on a
fighter, he would have had to step down, with hundreds of thousands of sur‐
vivors still left in Daegu City.
To the two monsters that he had faced like that, Kim was an insignificant
being.
838
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 104 - Any Room, Part Iii ⦘
As evidence, there was no vigilance or fear in the blue eyes of those who
had looked at him. There was only the ferocity of a hungry beast in front of
their prey.
But now the blue eyes of the Golden Horn Spider were embarrassed, fright‐
ened, and afraid. That was the obvious evidence. At this moment, the
Golden Horn Spider was game. Now it was time to finish the hunt. As al‐
ways, it was time to stab the monster's heart and take the monster stone out
of its heart. But Kim Tae-hoon waited for it.
Toot-toot! He waited for those who were coming to this place where the
Fear of the Golden Horn Spider still remained, with the help of the power of
all kinds of musical instruments, including the large flute heard from far
away, and the instruments that became relics.
Trembling! He waited for the crowd shaking all over who wanted to come
here, trembling in front of the fear that they could not control even though
they were helped by the relics. In that manner, Kim waited for the comrades
who willingly risked his or her life for this hunting.
"There, there!"
"Oh, my God..."
And when the comrades gathered, Kim finally finished the hunt.
Tsreung! The Sword of the Imperator in the sheath flew like a lightning bolt
toward the heart of the already weak Golden Horn Spider.
Thunk! The Sword of the Imperator brought an end, and at the same time,
the trembling of those who flocked around the Golden Horn Spider began
to stop. Everyone felt the hunt was over, and they were free now.
839
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 104 - Any Room, Part Iii ⦘
Kim had confidence in the situation where everyone was shouting like thun‐
der.
9.
Yeosu Port.
It was a dark night, and the night sea of Yeosu was visible. However, unfor‐
tunately, there was no light that could have shown a beautiful sight.
There was a man instead. Colonel Lim Hyun Joon was looking at night sea
of Yeosu. He still had a strong figure and a burning look.
Kim had landed from the sky, and Colonel Lim immediately spoke to him,
"What happened with the hunt?"
At the response, Colonel Lim smiled with satisfaction. "I'm glad to hear that
they helped you."
The Armored Hunting Battalion was the Unit that Colonel Lim had created.
He was the most confident with the Unit. Its value was recognized by Kim,
not just anyone else. It was like getting the highest praise for Colonel Lim
as a commander.
"The Armored Hunting Battalion may take a more active part in the future
war."
840
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 104 - Any Room, Part Iii ⦘
"I suppose so. Special forces with the firepower of the tank will actually be
the masters of the battlefield. Above all, if a person who has the Eyes of a
Black Snake or the Hearing of a Bell-tailed Rat like you becomes a com‐
mander, the deeds of the Armored Hunting Battalion will be even more
powerful."
"I think we need to increase the size of the Armored Hunting Battalion. In
addition, we need training for mountainous terrain, for desert terrain, and
for street fighting."
"This time, I think we need to organize the troops in detail. Based on the
ability of the soldiers who handled the 4.2-inch mortar, the 4.2-inch mortar
can be operated by two people, not a group of three. The 60mm mortar in‐
cluding artillery shells can be operated by an individual, if they are trained
properly."
If the members of the Armored Hunting Battalion heard this, the contents of
the conversation might have made them dizzy. Fortunately, the story ended
there.
"I don't know what's going to happen during the delivery, but I did. We sent
five of the ninjas we captured, and one of them should arrive."
It was an order given to Colonel Lim before Kim went on hunting for the
Golden Horn Spider: deliver the letter to Japan using the captured ninjas.
The message was, of course, a warning note.
"I threw a stone, so they are going to react anyway. And there will be some
kind of gap."
"That's great."
The reason for sending the warning note was to make a gap.
841
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 104 - Any Room, Part Iii ⦘
Colonel Lim admired Kim's move. No matter how ambitious, capable, and
qualified Colonel Lim was, he could not have had more experience in war
than Kim. Kim showed lessons that he wanted to buy, even if he had to pay
a billion dollars.
Kim did not respond to Colonel Lim's admiration. Rather, he made his cold
face colder.
For Kim, the Korean Strait between Korea and Japan had become the Rubi‐
con River. The difference was that Caesar crossed the Rubicon with his
army instead of crossing it with a single body, while Kim crossed the Ko‐
rean Strait as a single body. That was all.
"In thirty-six hours, send troops to Tsushima Island and take it over."
The result of Kim who would cross the Korean Strait and of Caesar who
had crossed the Rubicon would be the same. Just as Caesar had made a new
Roman history, Kim would rewrite Japanese history.
( Updated by BOXNOVEL )
Colonel Lim read Kim's intention, and did not make any more admiring re‐
marks. He breathed out a long sigh.
'War is a word of fate, for soldiers. Someone wants to avoid it, and someone
wants it to come.'
Colonel Lim was the latter. He was an ambitious man, and he wanted a his‐
toric war to happen in his heart. Now the war he wanted was coming. It was
not just a war.
842
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 104 - Any Room, Part Iii ⦘
It was a war that was hard to find even in the long history that had existed
between the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese islands. So far, there has
been no war in their history in which the nations of the Korean Peninsula
had fought against Japan on the mainland of Japan. The target of the inva‐
sion was always the Korean Peninsula, and the battlefield was also on the
Korean Peninsula.
"Hoo!" Colonel Lim, who was just realizing the fact, felt his heart shaking
with all kinds of emotions.
Kim briefly told him, "Don't get emotional and don't get sentimental. All
you can appreciate is those who haven't experienced war."
Kim finished the warning and immediately flew out to a fishing boat that
had already sailed out into Yeosu Port.
Colonel Lim looked after it and rubbed his face, erasing the expression on
his face.
'I almost made the same mistake as Lieutenant General Lee Hyuk.'
10.
Tsushima Island.
843
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 104 - Any Room, Part Iii ⦘
The island, which was called Tsushima Island in Japan, was the closest is‐
land to both Korea and Japan.
Therefore, it was a place for tourists and passenger ships, rather than ten‐
sion, guns, or a warship at the island.
Although Korea and Japan were anxious because they could not take over
each other politically and diplomatically, it was evident that they were in
harmony on military matters.
On the other hand, the fact that the military had come into Tsushima Island
was evidence that Japan was blatantly revealing its intentions to invade the
Korean Peninsula.
And now there were warships, not a few soldiers, and Awakeners with
marks on their hands.
The time they were waiting for was, of course, the time of the invasion. As
soon as the order came down, everyone on Tsushima Island would immedi‐
ately move for Busan. The moment they arrived in Busan, they would ac‐
quire Busan according to a set plan, and then, a powerful force from the Ja‐
panese Archipelago, settled in Busan, would take over the Korean Penin‐
sula.
It was their role to be the advance guards of the war. In that situation, the
days of doing nothing to those on Tsushima Island with all their resolutions
were not free, and they were feeling itchy all over.
844
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 104 - Any Room, Part Iii ⦘
The whine of sirens! The noise of the warning began to spread rapidly in
the dark of the Tsushima Island.
The main culprit of the disturbance was a boat heading for Tsushima Island.
The incoming boat made a faint sound and it did not show any threat to
them.
Nothing was on the fishing boat. Then, the answer was one of two: it was a
ghost boat, or some people were hiding themselves inside the boat.
Either way was nothing good for Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force nes‐
tled on Tsushima Island. They didn't hesitate.
"Sink the boat!" Major Szuki ordered immediately, and soon the machine
guns on the tower on Tsushima Island fired, quickly turning the fishing boat
into a hole-ridden wreck. The fishing boat sank with bubbles.
After that, the people with telescopes looked at the area the fishing boat had
been.
Situation Terminated. But at this moment, no one felt like the situation was
over.
"Is it over?"
845
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 104 - Any Room, Part Iii ⦘
"It's weird."
'Japan is a country full of earthquakes which can occur daily. If such hap‐
pened in another country, it might be a national disaster. It is natural that
people living in such a country have the ability to sense an inevitable disas‐
ter.'
At this moment, they could feel it. An overwhelming disaster that they
could not dare to face was coming to Tsushima Island!
846
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 105 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part I
⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
No place was free from the nightmare that began on December 31, 2016. In
that sense, the nightmare that Japan had faced was enough to say that it was
nearly the worst nightmare.
It was the worst from the start. Four dark-blue monsters settled in the Japa‐
nese islands and built their own territory. But that was the beginning, as was
said earlier. On the nightmare that began with the emergence of monsters,
an unavoidable monster called "natural disaster" came to Japan.
BoxN ovel.com
The tsunami that came after the earthquake drowned those that had survived
in the forest of buildings. Of course, the blow was fatal.
Japan had a better disaster preparedness system than any other country, but
the system was useless after the monsters appeared. Then, as July started, a
typhoon swept through the Japanese mainland.
847
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 105 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part I
⦘
It was the official name of the new nation established in the islands.
Musashi founded the empire so that he could put himself on the throne as
the empire's first emperor. He had driven away monsters with the Sword,
Kusanagi, from the Tokyo ruins that had become hell.
Of course, there was no such thing as democracy. There was no equality ei‐
ther. Instead, classism and inequality took their place.
Musashi divided the citizens of the Japanese Empire into nine classes, from
first to ninth.
Those who were not Awakened became ninth-class citizens, and those who
were Awakened were fifth-class citizens, each of whom was able to become
higher-class citiz ens, depending on their role, performance, and achieve‐
ments.
Those who wanted to survive in a world where they had to prove their
worth in any way in order to survive were desperate.
"Hooooo!" In addition, he was a successful man who could puff out long
cigar ette smoke from his office at any time.
'That's crazy.'
848
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 105 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part I
⦘
The background of his success was the Imperial Hunting Unit. It was a core
organization of the Japanese Empire, a group that took charge of everything
about monster hunting as it was. It was the most supported group in Japan
that was still full of monsters, and it was a powerful and influential organi‐
zation.
"Goddammit!"
Until about a month ago, when Matsumoto Kanyo, his superior, one of the
closest aides to and one of the four heavenly guardians of Musashi, named
him as the head of the Kyushu branch of the Imperial Hunting Unit, he had
nothing to envy.
"Goddammit!"
Kyushu.
This huge island, located south of the archipelago, was one of Japan's two
largest Hell islands, along with Hokkaido.
The 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Kyushu did not leave any social in‐
frastructure, and an Eight-tailed Fox, with its dark-blue pupils, had made
Aso Mountain, located in Kumamoto City, its territory.
He became the branch manager of a place like that. It was a demotion. This
alone would leave him feeling bad.
'How the hell am I supposed to solve the problem that is on Tsushima Is‐
land?'
849
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 105 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part I
⦘
However, the bigger problem began a week ago, when Tsushima Island, a
base for advancement into the Korean Peninsula, fell to the enemy
overnight.
So, Tsushima Island was important. Once they had a naval base on it, they
could send a ship to Busan Port or Yeosu Port from the central location of
Tsushima Island, even though it was insufficient.
In fact, Musashi was able to show his willingness to advance to the Korean
Peninsula immediately thanks to the construction of a minimal facility to
accommodate the naval forces on the island.
But now that they had lost Tsushima Island, it was no wonder the plan was
broken. Of course, the Japanese Empire was now trying to recover the is‐
land. The effort included recapturing Hakata Port in Kyushu Province,
which could send enough powerful naval force without needing Tsushima
Island
Naturally, an urge for Hiyoshi, a branch manager of Kyushu who had been
demoted, began.
'I am crazy. I have to match the number of the monster stones which should
be sent home country somehow...' ( Updated by BOX NOVEL.COM)
This urge was not simply done by a word. It was done by increasing the
number of the monster stones which the Kyushu branch of the Imperial
Hunting Unit had to pay back to Tokyo, the home country, which demanded
action, not words.
'I am done if I can't fill the number of the monster stones this time again.'
In addition, this was his last chance. If Hiyoshi could not prove his worth
here, he would be demoted once again.
850
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 105 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part I
⦘
The next region for his demotion was a hundred percent likely to be the Ko‐
rean Peninsula. It was clear that he would become a prologue actor in the
war to make the Korean Peninsula a bridgehead for the Japanese Empire. It
was actually a suicide squad.
Moreover, Hiyoshi knew that currently, there was an absurd monster in Ko‐
rea that the Japanese Empire wanted to hide somehow.
Hiyoshi was an able man. If he had wanted, he could have become a samu‐
rai of the Empire, not an Imperial Hunter. In other words, if he stepped into
the Korean Peninsula, his mission was highly likely to face the monster of
the Joseon Dynasty.
'Fuck!'
Knock! There was a knock on his office door. Hiyoshi did not answer. He
looked at the door with nervously.
Screech! Then the door opened, and his subordinate showed up.
"Well, sir?"
"Why?"
"Oh, I've brought in the payment for the home country for section 392, led
by Arashi."
851
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 105 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part I
⦘
Hiyoshi breathed out a long cloud of smoke at the report of his subordinate.
"Really?"
It was not a matter of anger, since the payment for the home country had ar‐
rived at a time when the monster stones were in urgent need. The only thing
that bothered him was the name Arashi.
"Bring it in."
However, Hiyoshi was in need of the monster stones that even Arashi had
brought, and he couldn't help feeling annoyed.
'Huh?'
The moment Hiyoshi saw a heavy pouch the size of a young child's head,
his eyes changed. Then he opened the pocket and saw the red stones filling
it. He no longer worried.
2.
Arashi Jun was a very good man on the outside. It was hard to find a prob‐
lem on the outside. It seemed difficult to sum up the man named Arashi Jun
with only a few characteristics.
"This is him."
On the other hand, next to Arashi was a man of a different type than Arashi.
He was a man of short cut hair, bushy beard, and sharp eyes, with a Horn
852
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 105 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part I
⦘
"This man from Korea, his name is Kim So-hoon." Arashi introduced the
Master Sergeant.
"He was a member of the Capital Defense Command in Korea. His rank
was a boss."
At the next introduction, Hiyoshi opened his eyes slightly and looked at the
man named Kim So-hoon.
"But since he is wanted for rebellion in Korea, he risked his life to arrive in
the territory of our great Japanese Empire."
"Yes."
Arashi made a grim face at the question. He had explained why the man
named Kim So-hoon came to Japan. Hiyoshi asked this question again to
the man named Kim So-hoon again.
Arashi did not think that Hiyoshi would ask this question just because he
wanted a simple answer as Kim had been driven to Japan on account of re‐
bellion.
"Go back?"
"I was under Major General Lee Ki-soo. I know to some extent what kind
of deal he made with Japan."
853
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 105 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part I
⦘
'The name was mentioned several times when Matsumoto was referring to
Korea.'
What was important was about the dim memory character was Kanyo Mat‐
sumoto, the leader of the Imperial Hunting Unit.
'A runaway from a power struggle?' At this moment, a picture was painted
in Hiyoshi's mind.
Lee Ki-soo, who was in contact with Japan, died, and the new group would
have moved to root out Lee's remnants. If he didn't want to die, he would
have to be a fugitive.
So, what was the escape route that a fugitive could take from the land of the
Korean Peninsula, not from North Korea? To North Korea or Japan.
A man named Kim So-hoon chose Japan as an escape route, and he eventu‐
ally reached Japan. This was the picture Hiyoshi painted.
"I want to take over the plan of Major General Lee Ki-soo. Of course, I'd
like to speak to someone who can talk about it."
As soon as Hiyoshi heard this, he was sure of one thing. 'He's worth a lot of
use.'
Kim So-hoon was a man who could only benef it from him, from Hiyoshi's
perspective, no matter how he used him.
854
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 105 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part I
⦘
He was a pumpkin that had rolled in. It wouldn't hurt to just send this man
to the home country as he was. At least Hiyoshi would hear the praise.
The speed of gathering the monster stones after contacting Arashi, as well
as having the guts to come from Korea to Japan, was definitely impressive.
'But he must have come this far because his ability was good.'
The key was that. 'I can use him anytime, and throw him away if necessary.'
Right now, Hiyoshi was in a hurry for monster stones, and a sharp knife
came in, which would not harm him if he broke it. It was simple, then.
"I cannot accept your offer right now. As you know, now Korea has at‐
tacked our empire. Very recently, Tsushima Island was attacked. Under such
circumstances, it is impossible to send a Korean to our home country. Not
killing you right now is the greatest consideration I can show."
"I'll be a middleman, if you prove you are faithful and if you pay for the in‐
troduction." Hiyoshi would only use this knife until he could use it no more.
"You don't want me to write with my blood, and what you want are monster
stones?"
"It's nice to have a quick understanding. There are now monsters in Kyushu.
There's no better place to play."
855
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 105 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part I
⦘
'Even though the people talk with their own people in their own language,
there is a person who can't understand the words. That's a human being.'
"So what do you want?" But this time, the conversation went wrong, and
Hiyoshi remained silent. Then he stared at Kim with an angry look.
Kim said in front of such eyes, "So what color do you want?"
Hiyoshi relaxed his expression at the remark. "... what color is possible?"
"Yellow. If I get the right support and assistance, that's what I can do."
'Oh, God, only someone that is at least a samurai is needed to kill a yellow-
grade.'
[Basic Abilities]
Strength: 294
Health: 217
[Special Abilities]
856
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 105 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part I
⦘
Energy: B-Rank
Mana: C Rank
Telekinesis: C Rank
Defense: B-Rank
Mana Resistance: C Rank
'Not normal.'
Those stats were enough to express such confidence. But the surprise did
not stop there.
"If I can bring my team here, and if I can get some solid support, I can kill a
green-grade. Actually, my team has a lot of experience killing green-grade
monsters in Seoul."
"Ask the man who knows the situation of the Capital Defense Command
about Major Oh Se-bum. I hunted monsters with him. If you learn of his
achievements, you will find that I'm not talking nonsense."
857
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 106 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part Ii
⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
Kitakyushu City, located in Fukuoka Prefecture, was the first city you met
upon entering Kyushu Province in the Japanese islands. The Kitakyushu
City Hall was a six-sided building with glass walls instead of cement. For
this reason, the building was impressive in its own way, as it exuded a so‐
phisticated office building image, rather than a sense of the city hall. Of
course, that was the old story.
Now, the Kitakyushu City Hall has become a horrid, skeleton-like building
where it was hard to find a glass window after of the magnitude 7.4 earth‐
quake that had buried men and monsters.
The Kyushu branch of the Imperial Hunting Unit was currently using the
Kitakyushu City Hall as its headquarter. It was a far from a convenient
choice.
BoxN ovel.com
The reason why the members of the local Imperial Hunting Unit, which
could be called a precious force, used the Kitakyushu City Hall as a head‐
quarter was not a because it had a few good spaces to avoid the night wind.
It was because of the ancient castle, Kokura Castle, located just in front of
the Kitakyushu City Hall building.
858
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 106 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part Ii
⦘
That did not mean that Kokura Castle was a relic. Of course, the old objects
kept in Kokura Castle became relics, and it was not strange to guard Kokura
Castle because there was still a high possibility that there were still unfound
relics in Kokura Castle.
But it was certainly not reasonable for an Imperial Hunting Unit, who nor‐
mally risked their lives monster hunting, to take bitter sacrifices instead of
sweet rest to protect Kokura Castle.
'Then why do you keep Kokura Castle? They're going to make a legend, not
a history.'
It was because of the command of Musashi, who had established the Japa‐
nese Empire. He had an uncommon obsession with keeping this ancient
castle intact. He made a lot of sacrifices to recapture the area where the cas‐
tle was located from the monsters, and he invested a lot to protect the castle
that he had secured.
The ancient castles, which were located in various parts of Japan's islands,
were the most obvious symbols of Japan's Sengoku period.
Japan's Sengoku period was absolutely true to the maxims of 'The weak are
the prey of the strong,' and 'Winner takes all'.
By recreating that era, Musashi wanted to make all he enjoyed and every‐
thing he did true. The current behavior of Musashi to democratic Japan was
nothing more than violence, but the current behavior of Musashi in the
Japan of the Sengoku period would be a legend or a myth.
'That's so funny.'
859
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 106 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part Ii
⦘
did not work, so he had to take a bit of trouble to walk up. The only good
thing was the scenery where he could look at Kokura Castle if he ventured
out a little.
However, Kim did not like the scenery of Kokura Castle. There was only
one thing he liked.
'Nothing I like except coffee beans.' The smell from the coffee mug in his
hand Kim was better than he thought.
Kim grabbed a mug in his right hand and pulled out a smartphone from his
pocket with the other. With a few manipulations, he turned on a picture on
the liquid crystal that he had showed in front of Hiyoshi, the head of the
Kyushu branch, several hours ago.
Kim pressed the picture with the thumb holding the smartphone. An appli‐
cation that was not visible on the background screen was exec uted.
Snap! The picture was taken with the typical sound of photographing.
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 111
-- Health: 111
860
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 106 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part Ii
⦘
Kim put his smartphone in his pocket immediately and scratched his right
hand with his left hand. Something black, covering the mark, began to peel
off like dead skin. It looked like a picture was hidden under a picture.
Kim looked at the real mark that was revealed with his black Eyes.
======
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 749
-- Health: 733
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: A-Rank
-- Mana: B+ Rank
-- Telekinesis: A+ Rank
-- Defense: B+ Rank
[Achieved Abilities]
-- Golden Web (Grade 3): With the power of the Golden Horn Spider, it cre‐
ates a spider web with Energy.
The higher the Energy rank, the stronger the spider web is.
The higher the Mana rank, the more adhesive the spider web is.
The higher the Telekinesis rank, the greater the ability to feel and control
with the spider web is.
======
861
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 106 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part Ii
⦘
The real mark, hidden below the specially designed Henna tattoo, revealed
the real numbers. The revealed numbers were the clearest evidence of his
identity.
It was the clearest evidence that the man looking at Kokura Castle out of
the Kitakyushu City Hall was Kim Tae-hoon. A week ago, he had made
Tsushima Island an uninhabited island in exactly forty-nine minutes. It was
not an accidental move, of course.
Kim, through his death-dreams, has already figured out how Japan would
be going forward, and what was in Japan. There, he picked out what he
needed. There were three major needs: navy power, relics, and the monster
stones of monsters in the Japanese archipelago.
======
It will not be easy to steal them. In the case of the power of the navy, I will
have to steal a warship, but a warship is not a toy for children, and even if I
took a few technicians, I cannot take dozens or hundreds of warships.
The same is true of relics. Most of the important relics already in Japan
have already found their owners, and it is not a matter of stealing one or
two, but stealing all of them is not something I can do right away.
But the most troublesome of these is the monster stone. The relics and bat‐
tleships remain in place unless they are stolen. But the monster stones end
the moment they enter a person's stomach. They can't be stolen then even if
I want to. If I want to steal them, I have to steal them before someone eats
them.
======
So, Kim made it his top priority. 'On October 15, I will eat the heart of the
Eight-tailed Fox.' That was why he was here now.
862
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 106 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part Ii
⦘
'Before that, I need to kill the core fellows of the head of the Kyushu
branch, Hiyoshi.'
And it was also the reason why Kim, who had coffee, did not smile, even a
little. It was for the war that he came here in the end, so he never intended
to give any mercy here. Above all, he was not the one who had started this
war.
'It's a war where the blood of an ally is reduced as much as the blood of the
enemy.'
Kim swallowed his coffee and turned his head in the direction Tokyo was.
4.
Kyushu, called the second hell of the Japanese archipelago, was a land of
opportunity for some. It was a contradictory analogy. There were a few fea‐
tures that applied only to the Kyushu region that made such contradiction a
reality.
In addition to the preserved food, alcohol and cigar ettes remained like trea‐
sures, and even the Self-Defense Force's guns and ammunition left behind
in Kyushu remained like jewels.
The second reason was that there were a lot of monsters here. Monsters
were threatening, but the value of monster stones had become a real jewel
that could not be replaced by anything. There were real jewels that could
not be compared to the diam onds and sapphires that were now so useless!
In such a situation, the Kyushu region, which was full of monsters, had to
look like a land of opportunity for someone searching for a place full of
jewels.
863
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 106 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part Ii
⦘
Crucially, everything was done without any clear plans in the Kyushu re‐
gion. There was no condition to monitor or punish someone's corruption or
illegal activities.
"Goddamn it."
That was why Samurai Nakag awa Genji was willing to come down to
Kyushu.
The Samurai was an important group in the Japanese Empire, and along
with the Imperial Hunting Unit, were a group of elite Awakeners. Of
course, no one could easily enter such an elite group.
The sum of Strength and Health had to exceed 400 points, and the Energy
and Defense rank had to be above C+ or one of them B-or above to be qual‐
ified for Samurai.
Those which just preconditions for the test, and after that, they had to prove
their ability against monsters and people, and then they became a Samurai.
The treatment of Samurai was better than any other group. If it was not an
important matter, they were not bothered by it.
The reason why the Samurai were born in the first place was to carry out
operations against monsters which normal Awakeners could not perform
properly because of the fear, such as the monsters of the green-grade or
higher.
There was no reason to use such a knife to kill chickens. In addition, a cer‐
tain amount of monster stones was always paid to the Samurai to improve
their abilities.
Finally, a few Named Swords in Japan were given to them. No, a Named
Sword was the most obvious proof that he was a Samurai.
The problem was that the number of Samurai increased, and the number of
Named Swords was limited. Therefore, there were more people who did not
864
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 106 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part Ii
⦘
receive a Named Sword than those who received them among the current
Samurai.
'Fucking bastard.'
In the end, it was necessary to prove their value among the Samurai to re‐
ceive a Named Sword.
'I can't gather the monster stones because of that fucking bastard, Zainichi.'
It was the reason why Nakag awa Genji came down to Kyushu Province by
himself. He collected monster stones in Kyushu, trying to gather a bribe to
achieve what he wanted. His plan was going very smoothly until a few days
ago.
But the strange man who suddenly appeared broke the relationship. He
hunted monsters at a tremendous pace and began to relieve the biggest
worry of Hiyoshi.
'If it weren't for the branch manager of Kyushu, Hiyoshi, he could not stand
a single stroke of my Sword...'
His skills were not great. To be exact, they were not great at all. It was not a
trivial level, but it was not comparable to Nakag awa Genji. But he was
smart and competent.
He shot the arrows using a relic, Horn Bow, and he never missed the target;
the arrows penetrated only the hearts and heads of the monsters. He was
865
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 106 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part Ii
⦘
predicting the monster's habits and behavior patterns more accurately than
anyone else, and he was coming up with the right numbers. He was hunting
monsters like a real hunter.
That made it even more difficult. If Kim was a strong man who Nakag awa
Genji could not do anything about, Nakag awa Genji would not have wor‐
ried about it. Genji must have told the homeland all about Kim.
'If I take this kind of job and let the headquarter know about him...'
Kim said that he was a Korean-Japanese citizen, but there was no reason for
Genji to let a strong person who was not clearly identified hunt around.
But now the man, Kim So-hoon, was not a man with such strength. In such
a situation, if Genji informed the headquarter about Kim So-hoon, it was
clear that they would ridicule him, with the evaluation that he was a useless
person who could not even handle such things with his own strength, and
was trying to borrow their power to cover his weakness. That was why
Nakag awa Genji was worried about his troubles at the same time.
Moreover, sooner or later, the Kyushu branch of the Imperial Hunting Unit
was planning to hunt a yellow-grade monster, the White Snake, that had set‐
tled in Mount Umami in Asakura City. The branch manager of the Kyushu
Hiyoshi had not yet said anything to Nakag awa Genji about when the hunt
would start.
That meant that Hiyoshi recognized the ability of the Korean, and would go
on the White Snake hunt centered around the man.
'My position is over. The White Snake is a monster as worthy of the yellow-
grade as the Black Snake.'
If Kim So-hoon succeeded in hunting the White Snake, there was no reason
for Hiyoshi to humor Nakag awa Genji and ask him for anything. In the case
866
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 106 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part Ii
⦘
of killing the White Snake, the ability acquired from the White Snake was
one of the most valuable abilities.
In fact, it was a monster Nakag awa Genji was after. So, he was able to de‐
cide one thing.
'I have to get rid of him somehow, before he goes hunting for the White
Snake, without letting Hiyoshi know...'
It was none other than Kim So-hoon that gave him the solution to his prob‐
lem.
5.
There were several places in Kitakyushu City where evil and ugly humans
would show up. Among them, the Yakuza, even if a nuclear bomb once
again exploded in Japan, would survive with the cockroaches to the end.
The businesses they ran were the worst places.
Drugs were a joke, human trafficking was basic, and if someone paid the
price, even assassinating people or killing for pleasure was provided. Mon‐
sters with human faces... no, they showed the cruelty that only humans
could show.
The underground bar which Kim Tae-hoon was now heading to was one of
the worst places. It was originally a building where an illegal Yakuza bar
was located, and it was now a place where illegal activities which would
never have been dreamt of in the past were carried out.
867
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 106 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part Ii
⦘
When Kim stepped in, drug users were on the floor of the bar, and there
were dirty sexual activities going on everywhere. He stood there looking for
a seat. A man in a neat attire appeared in this atmosphere.
With the order, Kim immediately took five red jewels out of his pocket and
put them on the table.
"Five bottles."
The waiter nodded and immediately opened the menu in front of Kim.
There was a variety of things on the menu: a jewel for a bottle of wine, a
jewel for a methamphetamine, a jewel for a woman, five jewels for murder,
ten jewels for rape and murder... It was a menu filled with the cruelty that
would be hard to find in hell.
Kim did not cover the menu. He read the menu slowly from the beginning.
And he waited.
868
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 107 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part
Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
6.
'If they have monster stones, they can buy drugs, buy people, and kill peo‐
ple.'
It was around the time when the bottle was raised on the table where Kim
Tae-hoon sat, when the atmosphere of the place where it was like a devil's
den, which was so terrible and beyond the clutter and even evil, began to
change.
BoxN ovel.com
One by one.
Every time the bottles filling Kim's table increased by one, the atmosphere
around him changed. Those who were drunk and fallen were dragged away
by one or two people, and the people who had sex violently enough to look
cruel began to disappear one by one.
The seats of those who disappeared were filled with new guests. The guests
had a shrewd force and sharp eyes that did not fit the bar.
Thump! The climax of all this was a sound heard from the iron door that
warded the underground bar as soon as Kim had five bottles on the table.
869
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 107 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part
Iii ⦘
With the sound of the iron door closing firmly, there was no longer a clut‐
tered atmosphere anywhere in the bar.
"Zainichi."
The man who spoke in an unfriendly manner was wearing a kimono and a
Japanese blade on his left hip. The two factors were sufficient to discern the
fact that he was a Samurai, a third-class citizen, and an Awakener, Naka‐
gawa Genji.
It was no trouble to identify that this was a bar managed by the Yakuza un‐
der his protection.
"I was thinking about how to kill you, but you came into the tiger's den by
yourself."
The smile was a hearty smile. Nakag awa Genji was rather grateful, happy
to see Kim at this moment. It was like a big tiger now trapped in a trap that
a hunter threw away for being useless.
"It's funny how the world works. When it's bad, it's bad luck, and if it's
lucky, it's always good."
"You didn't drink all the bottles after ordering, did you? Would you like me
to wait until you have a drink, which will be your last drink in the world?"
870
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 107 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part
Iii ⦘
"Drink it when I show my respect, because this may be the first and last
time I've ever given this kind of consideration to a Zainichi." The patience
and empathy of Nakag awa Genji were not so great.
"I have never liked the Zainichi. They are not only ruining a country, Japan,
but they are a crude, uncivilized people who commit crimes. Josenjin is a
dirty blood-stained land, and they must be barbaric and uncivilized, right?"
Kim did not react much to the atmosphere, which was really a nightmare.
He did not drink or give a glance at Nakag awa Genji. It was because there
was still time left.
"Anyway, the moment I step on the land of Joseon, I will kill all the men
and cut off all the limbs of the girls and make them sex slaves-"
"What is it?"
Beep, beep! Kim's wristwatch began to spit out an alarm, and Nakag awa
Genji, surprised by the sound, took alert.
Click! Click!
Those around him also immediately pulled the guns out of their waistbands
and pointed them at Kim. Of course, it didn't take long to realize that the
sound was a watch alarm, because Kim pressed his watch and turned off the
alarm.
Some made disbelieving expressions, some of them were full of anger. Nak‐
agawa Genji was the latter. The fact that he was surprised by the clock
alarm melted away his small consideration at once.
"You Zainichi bastard!" It was the moment he was about to express his
anger.
Swish! The arrow that was silent in Kim's waist started floating.
871
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 107 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part
Iii ⦘
Swish! The arrow was moving surprisingly fast, fast enough to be invisible.
Thud! It was the sound of bodies beginning to fall on the floor that an‐
nounced that the flight of the arrow was over.
'Huh?' Nakag awa Genji has stiffened up where he stood. It was because his
thinking stopped at this situation that could not be understood by common
sense at all. Of course, he realized the most important thing immediately.
'Dangerous!'
It was not possible for him to get the position of a Samurai with just luck, as
only those who had excellent ability and skill qualified.
He recognized the desperate crisis he was in, and he dropped his hand to his
waist to cut down the crisis into a single stroke. He wanted to pull out the
sword in his waistband.
Huck! The Sword that was drawn out was caught by Kim, now facing Nak‐
agawa Genji.
So, he was scared stiff, and Kim just looked at the man who was now the
color of a corpse.
"I'm sorry, but I can't kill you right now. If I kill you right here, the fact will
be delivered through the Shikigami [Japanese ghosts] to Musashi."
Along with the words, Kim threw something golden in his palm toward the
mouth of Nakag awa Genji.
872
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 107 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part
Iii ⦘
"You fucking bastard -- Eup!" It was sticky, and it sealed his mouth at once.
Kim got up. It was the first time since he had entered this bar. But it was not
just Kim who got up. The bottles on Kim's table also began to emerge.
Clank! The bottles exploded and sprinkled alcohol all over the place.
Fwoosh! The strong liquor ignited as if it were trying to prove how strong it
was. The bluish flames reflected off his black Eyes.
7.
The Kyushu region was like the blind end of Japan, and the Kitakyushu
area, which was the beginning of the Kyushu region, was always overflow‐
ing with accidents.
It was not unusual for a building outside the city to collapse overnight.
"What?"
However, some of those who had just been dispatched to Kitakyushu City
did not know that. Of course, it was not special either.
"Yes?"
It was natural for a new recruit to know nothing, and it was the role of the
senior to teach them
873
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 107 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part
Iii ⦘
"Well..."
"Do you have any equipment to clean up the building or something impor‐
tant inside? Enough to put all your manpower in here right now, huh?"
That was what it was now. The senior made it clear to the new recruits the
reality of Kitakyushu, and even Kyushu.
It was not easy to remove the wreckage of the collapsed building and rescue
people before the monsters appeared, and in the present age, it was wise to
leave this building as a grave.
In front of such a senior's instruction, the new recruit learned a lesson that
he could not forget even if he wanted to forget.
"Yeah, just make it happen. Write a report. The building is down, and no
victims."
"I understand."
8.
Hiyoshi, the branch manager of the Kyushu region, was currently in charge
of Kitakyushu City. It was not unusual for him to be in charge of the
874
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 107 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part
Iii ⦘
Kyushu region, where the role of the Imperial Hunting Unit in a monster-
filled land was more important than ever.
"I'm sorry, it's such a noisy place." All he did was read the title and stamp
his seal on the bill as soon as he saw it.
It was still the case. He was not particularly interested in the report of [The
collapse of an outer building of the city, No Victims].
His only interest was directed at the man standing in front of him.
At the question of Kim, Hiyoshi approved the report and read the title
again. "Fire destroyed a building. No victims."
Kim calmly answered at the words of Hiyoshi. "It's not a big deal."
"Yes, it's not a big deal." At the moment of speaking out the words 'Not a
big deal,' Hiyoshi no longer had the report in mind. "It's not important."
Instead, Hiyoshi had a monster, a giant snake with a white body, in his
mind.
"Is there anything else besides that important thing right now?"
The White Snake was a huge snake, a yellow-grade monster; it was a scary
monster. However, just because it was the only yellow grade, Hiyoshi did
875
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 107 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part
Iii ⦘
not give his keen attention to it. That way, his attention should be directed
to an Eight-tailed Fox, a dark blue-grade monster on Mount Aso.
The reason to get the attention of Hiyoshi wasn't the grade of the monster.
"The Eyes of the White Snake is more valuable than a green monster's abil‐
ity."
======
The Eyes of the White Snake is the ability obtained when someone eats the
crystal of the White Snake.
The Eyes of the White Snake can give someone better eyes than a hawk.
In addition, an ability to improve the five senses, such as the Eyes of the
White Snake, is treated as much more valuable than other abilities. The rea‐
son is that the Awakeners are superhumans.
No matter how good they are, they can't function properly if they are deaf.
Conversely, if they lack the ability, they can demonstrate their ability at 120
percent if they have five excellent senses. Therefore, the value of the Eyes
of the White Snake that gives human visions to transcend is equal to a crys‐
tal of a green-grade monster, or it has more value, depending on the situa‐
tion.
======
In addition, the crystal of the White Snake was not an object they needed to
send on to the home country.
A bribe.
Even if Hiyoshi just paid valuable goods like the Eyes of the White Snake
to his home country, there would be nothing for him. On the other hand, the
reality was that someone was more likely to intercept and eat it during
876
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 107 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part
Iii ⦘
transportation. Of course, Hiyoshi did not even report on the White Snake,
so few people even knew about it.
Until Kim appeared, Hiyoshi was suppressing his greed for the White
Snake. But now that Kim appeared, he could no longer suppress his greed.
That was about it. Kim showed a great ability to make Hiyoshi burst into
the greed that he had formerly suppressed well. Kim's monster hunting abil‐
ity had been excellent enough to be considered outstanding among those he
had seen.
"I've never seen a monster called a White Snake, and a yellow-grade is not
something I am certain I can kill with just my confidence."
So, at this moment, Hiyoshi nodded rather than urging him at the words of
Kim. "Finding it is a priority."
"If someone is an able man like me, I'll go with him. But if he is not, I'd bet‐
ter go alone."
"I don't have to stay here long, so I'll move right away."
877
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 107 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part
Iii ⦘
At the response of Kim, Hiyoshi smiled. 'I can't believe a sword I can throw
away any time is so useful.' Of course, there was no consideration or worry
for Kim in the smile.
It was the same with Kim. 'There's no reason to give him the White Snake.'
8.
Now, a giant snake with a pure white body appeared in the street, where it
was hard to find even bones, let alone a dead body.
Chyureup, Chyureup!
The color of its skin, as well as the tongue that came out through the gaps in
the tight mouth, was shining white. The only other color on the snake's
body were the yellow eyes that clung to both sides of its inverted triangle
head.
It was a pale-yellow eye, well matched for the white body, but it was not a
beautiful eye. Rather, instead of beauty, it was horrifying and bizarre in‐
stead of the beautiful. It was the shape of the yellow eyes. The circle in the
circle, the circle in it again... The shape of the circles overlapping in that
way reminded him of a camera lens.
Even its eyes were moving like camera lenses. As it looked into the dis‐
tance, the pupils of the White Snake began to move like camera lenses. The
White Snake scanned its territory with its own eyes.
Chyureup! Then it could see that a mile away, a deer was moving in the
mountains, avoiding the predator's eyes.
Kyaa! At the same time as the White Snake found the deer, it opened its
mouth and shrieked out its fear. That was the end of the hunt. A deer had no
power to endure the fear of a monster.
Thud! The deer fell on the spot, its heart still, and the White Snake moved
to eat, not hunt, to appease its hungry stomach.
878
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 107 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part
Iii ⦘
Swish! It was about that time that a Sword fell down like a lightning bolt.
When the White Snake was all relaxed and its mind was filled with the
pleasure of eating, a Sword, falling like a lightning bolt, penetrated deep
into the back of its neck, between the head and the body.
Thunk! The Sword penetrated the White Snake's body and stuck into the
ground.
Swish! Then a second lightning bolt came. This thunderstorm was from the
left, not at the head of the White Snake. A Sword, like a missile, struck the
left of the White Snake and passed through and out the right side.
Two attacks were enough to take the light out of the pupils of the yellow
eyes.
A man stepped toward the White Snake. Clump! A man, who reminded
them of ghosts rather than people, stood in front of the White Snake.
Whizz! At the same time, the Sword that had passed through the White
Snake flew toward the man. The man snatched it from the air, and he began
to cut through the skin of the White Snake from the starting point of the
wound in its body.
Red blood spouted like a fountain from the white body of the White Snake,
staining the pure whiteness bright scarlet. What the two Swords pierced and
cut were not just blood vessels, but an organ filled with blood. It was defi‐
nitely the heart of the White Snake!
'Here you are.' The man could see the heart of the White Snake, and the yel‐
low jewel that had stuck to the heart, through the gap of the open skin. The
man changed the color of his eyes.
879
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 107 - A Hunter From A Foreign Country, Part
Iii ⦘
-- You can acquire [The Eyes of the White Snake], the power of the White
Snake, when ingested.]==
The man could see the value of the yellow crystal of the White Snake with
his black Eyes. He didn't hesitate. The man reached out his hand to strip the
jewel from the White Snake and put it into his mouth immediately, still cov‐
ered with blood.
Gulp! He swallowed it. At that moment, his Eyes began to turn into some‐
thing like the Eyes of the White Snake. The black Eyes began to change
like camera lenses, and at the same time, they began to see things in detail
far away. He smiled despite himself.
'I get an income from an unexpected place.' With his new Eyes, the man
looked at Mount Aso, which was dimly visible in the distance.
'If I kill the Eight-tailed Fox on Mount Aso, then it's... Jeju Island, Korea.'
There was no sign of a smile on his lips then.
880
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 108 - Trojan Horse, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
Tokyo was now not the capital of Japan, but the home of the Japanese Em‐
pire, and looked like something out of a historical drama. In the vast space
of Tatami, kimono-wearing men and women were sitting in rows, like rails
on a railway. At the end of the rail, a man in a kimono was looking down at
everyone with a brightly shining Sword beside him.
It was not a historical drama. There were no cameras filming this, and the
man's ferocious eyes were shining brightly. The crowd accepting the eyes
turned pale. The eyes and expressions were not acting.
BoxN ovel.com
The man sitting on the podium spoke into the silence. Everyone swallowed
at that. Only one neatly-shaved bald man in his early thirties, with an angu‐
lar face, dared to speak. "We must lead a large army at once to take over the
Korean Peninsula, in a situation where the Tsushima Island has been taken
away. But as you know, if we move a large army, we will irritate the King
of the Sea."
"If we encounter the King of the Sea, we must think about throwing away
half of our troops. I do not know if you can achieve what you want at the
expense of the damage, but according to the report of the Iga Ninjas, Korea
881
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 108 - Trojan Horse, Part I ⦘
is deploying defensive forces quickly. Most of all, the army power of Ko‐
rea..."
But in front of this same third question in return, Matsumoto Kanyo, the
only man who dared speak, the leader of the Imperial Hunting Unit, had to
keep his mouth shut.
There was no longer a man who could defy the words of Musashi on the
podium, and there was silence.
It was a hard silence, and one of the people who could not bear it finally
spoke. "If you want a way, there is only one way to get there, and we will
have to travel through Hakata Port in Kyushu. It is the shortest distance
from Hakata Port to Busan. We could take the risk because the distance is
short."
Only then did Musashi take back his ferocious eyes. He must have wanted
that answer.
At that time, Matsumoto Kanyo, who was silent, spoke again. "There is an
Eight-tailed Fox in Kyushu. It is possible to regain Hakata Port, but if there
are warships, troops, and logistics bases there, there will be inevitably tens
of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of people, around Hakata Port.
There are not a hundred people there now, and if there are tens of thousands
of people, the Eight-tailed Fox will not be still. "
However, the words of Matsumoto Kanyo were once again blocked by the
cross-question of Musashi.
882
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 108 - Trojan Horse, Part I ⦘
'But it is suicide if we want to kill it now.' The problem was that the cost
and risk to take to kill an Eight-tailed Fox at this point were too great.
Musashi was definitely strong. He was a man who regarded the hell of
Tokyo as a trial to be strong, and a man who built a great Japanese Empire
alone in collapsed ruins of Japan.
The Kusanagi in his hand was not different from evidence that God looked
over Japan. But such a Musashi could never guarantee a chance of winning
against a dark blue-grade monster. Even if Musashi was alive and killed the
Eight-tailed Fox, many others would be sacrificed regardless.
Musashi knew that. Because he knew that, Musashi had been staying in
Tokyo all this time.
The changes in the mind and attitude of Musashi were caused by a jade bird
Okjo from Taiwan yesterday.
"The Chinese army is already in North Korea, and soon they will come
down to the Military Demarcation Line as promised and begin a military
demonstration against South Korea. What will it look like if I don't do any‐
thing?"
Musashi told to the Six Snakes that the Japanese Empire would destroy Ko‐
rea and make the Korean Peninsula the territory of the Japanese Empire.
883
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 108 - Trojan Horse, Part I ⦘
The Six Snakes said they would use the Chinese army to strike the Korean
border and the Military Demarcation Line to help him.
'Look one way and row another!' While South Korea's military power was
concentrated in the north to check the Chinese army, Japan was planning to
use a very simple but effective operation to land on the Korean Peninsula.
And the operation was now under way. The Chinese army was now ready to
cross the Yalu River. It was not an ordinary matter.
"The Chinese army is moving, bearing the danger, even though there is a
dark blue-monster in Mt. Paektu, but if I am stuck in Tokyo being afraid of
the Eight-tailed Fox, what would they see me as?"
'There is a dark blue-grade monster in Mt. Baekdu. No matter how far apart
they move through Mt. Baekdu, there is no guarantee that the monster of
Mt. Baekdu will tolerate it. And if the monster of Baekdu Mountain is hos‐
tile toward the moving troops, the troops will be annihilated.'
However, the Six Snakes were moving at that risk. But Musashi and Japan,
who had strongly advocated this operation, could not do anything?
'I should have informed them when Tsushima Island was taken. Because of
my pride...'
In fact, because of his pride, Musashi did not even announce the current sit‐
uation and the situation that he had lost Tsushima Island through the Okjo.
If he had informed him of the fact, the Six Snakes would not have moved
the troops to the Korean Peninsula unless they were insane.
It was a situation where his pride had made things worse, and Musashi had
no intention of bending his pride at this moment. He was determined to
make a reckless choice because of his pride.
884
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 108 - Trojan Horse, Part I ⦘
So, at this moment Matsumoto Kanyo said, "Then I'll see what's going on
with the Kyushu branch manager, and I'm sure it won't be too late."
At that point, Musashi looked at Matsumoto Kanyo with a cold eye. But
this time, Kanyo did not avoid the look.
2.
'Fuck!' Hiyoshi Kyushu Branch Manager, the recent days for him were re‐
ally hell days.
The starting point was Kim Tae-hoon's report. The news brought by Kim,
who went out to search before hunting the White Snake, was that the White
Snake had disappeared.
The plan to use the crystal of the White Snake as a stepping stone to change
his position and to use the good sword Kim Tae-hoon, who he could aban‐
don anytime, was suddenly gone with the wind.
'Nakag awa, that bastard, is also missing.' The absence of the Samurai Naka‐
gawa Genji had been too long. Of course, the fool had never reported his
actions to Kyushu branch manager Hiyoshi.
885
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 108 - Trojan Horse, Part I ⦘
Nakag awa Genji was not the subordinate of Hiyoshi, nor was he demoted to
Kyushu. He always did as he pleased, and sometimes he treated the Kyushu
branch manager Hiyoshi as if he were a subordinate. However, if there was
a problem with the life of Nakag awa Genji, the responsibility was on
Hiyoshi.
If Nakag awa Genji had died, the responsibility would be on Hiyoshi. More‐
over, his sense told him that there was a connection between the disappear‐
ance of the White Snake and the absence of Nakag awa Genji.
'But if Nakag awa Genji died, the homeland would have known it. They can
always check the life and death of Ninja and Samurai through the
Shikigami.'
The common sense and system that Hiyoshi the Kyushu branch manager
knew denied his thinking.
If something was clear, he would act. But it was not, so he could not even
do anything.
'What the hell happened?' It was also the reason why Hiyoshi was going
crazy.
"Sir!" With a sudden burst, the door opened and a man came in.
Hiyoshi, who was already angry, shouted out with eyes reminiscent of an ax
blade. "What?!"
"What?"
3.
==[Achieved Abilities]
886
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 108 - Trojan Horse, Part I ⦘
-- The Eyes of the White Snake (Grade 4): It is the power of the White
Snake. It improves vision significantly.]==
Kim Tae-hoon looked at his right hand with his black Eyes for a moment
before looking away. A view came through the broken windows of Ki‐
takyushu City Hall.
For Kim, who was using the Eyes of the White Snake, all the scenery
seemed to be detailed.
His black Eyes began to change like camera lenses. Things in the distance
looked detailed. Kokura Castle was now quite close. He could see a rat
moving along its roof.
'The Eyes of the White Snake and the Eyes of the Black Snake overlap!'
The view was familiar to Kim in a sense, because it was very similar to
what he saw through a sniper scope. 'I can work it more clearly if I can see
it.' In other words, he had the confidence to do what he could with a sniper
rifle and scope.
At this moment, Kim set up a hypothes is in his mind. 'I can do physical ac‐
tions with my Telekinesis even if they are not visible now, but it will be the
most accurate and powerful if I see and move things with my eyes. If I can
see what is far away, then wouldn't it be possible for my Telekinesis to take
actions at that far distance?'
As soon as the hypothes is was established, Kim thought of the arrow in his
waist. He quickly drew a picture that the arrow seemed to penetrate the rat
moving along the roof of Kokura.
Shooting an object that was far away was so boring that Kim no longer
needed to do image training. The sniper rifle was just turned into an arrow.
However, Kim Tae-hoon did not put the attempt into practice. 'Someone is
coming.' He heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs from a distance.
887
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 108 - Trojan Horse, Part I ⦘
Kim's eyes returned to their original form. At the same time, he put the
sticker he had prepared on the back of his right hand. When he removed the
sticker, his right-hand mark changed. He put his gloves on top of it.
It was a double security device installed so that no one could know his abil‐
ities unless someone cut his wrist.
"Sergeant Kim So-hoon!" By the time Kim finished all his preparations, the
subordinate of Hiyoshi appeared in front of him.
"The branch manager is calling for you." His voice was urgent, and his eyes
were nervous.
When he saw it, Kim felt intuitive. 'Musashi must have given up on taking
Tsushima Island and chosen to hunt the Eight-tailed Fox.'
3.
"Can you kill a Green Monster?" The heart of Kyushu branch manager
Hiyoshi was running more urgently than ever as he asked the question.
Kim's ears were sore at the sound of that frantic heartbeat. "I don't want to
say I can kill a green-grade monster in a situation I haven't even killed a
yellow-grade one... but you asked me a question, and I'll answer it. I'd be
able to kill a green-grade monster if I had my men."
"Do I need to explain to you, Kyushu branch manager Hiyoshi, who be‐
longs to the Imperial Hunting Unit. You should know it better than me."
888
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 108 - Trojan Horse, Part I ⦘
At the moment he heard that, the Kyushu branch manager Hiyoshi relayed a
command from his home country.
What came from the home country was nothing but a demand for a clear re‐
port on the current achievements of Kyushu. To Hiyoshi, it meant submit‐
ting a report card in which his fate was at stake.
'Damn it!'
It was the worst because the report card of Hiyoshi was not good at all.
Recently, thanks to Kim's performance, he had filled the monster stone pay‐
ments required by Tokyo, but it was merely a given task.
'What the high people want is not to do well at the given homework, but to
finish the homework and do something new. That way I can get a good
evaluation.'
The bigger problem was that now, rather than homework, deductions were
everywhere for Kyushu branch manager Hiyoshi.
He could not kill the White Snake, and the absence of Nakag awa Genji had
not been solved yet.
======
The moment Tokyo receives my report, they will come to check if the re‐
port is correct, and then Kim Tae-hoon's existence becomes a large bomb
that can burst at any time. Currently, Kim is a sword that I have hidden and
used well, but from the perspective of Tokyo, I held a weapon without per‐
mission.
889
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 108 - Trojan Horse, Part I ⦘
I don't have a choice now, I need an accomplishment that can cover all my
wrongdoings.
======
So at this moment, the Kyushu branch manager Hiyoshi was going to gam‐
ble in a desperate attempt to reverse his situation.
"I know."
The gambling card was, of course, Kim Tae-hoon. Hiroshi the Kyushu
branch manager handed a document file that he had already prepared to
Kim.
"The Green-grade Monster Ghost Turtle now occupies Hakata Port. How
many men do you need to kill this one?"
Kim closed his eyes as soon as he saw a document file, a picture of a huge
turtle with a bizarre shape on the back shell that reminded him of a ghost.
He started calculating. And when the calculation was over, he opened his
eyes.
"You know, killing a hard monster is harder than just killing a monster.
Moreover, according to the report, it's one of the monsters of the highest
grade among the green-grade monsters."
Kyushu branch manager Hiroshi was already fed up with his words.
890
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 108 - Trojan Horse, Part I ⦘
The Ghost Turtle was one of the most powerful green-grade monsters, and
if they divided the green-grade monsters into top, intermediate, and low ac‐
cording to power, it was a top grade one. It was not a monster that dozens of
people could kill. Hundreds or thousands of people might die trying to kill
it.
"So how many people do you need?" Of course, the Kyushu branch man‐
ager Hiyoshi, who knew the fact well, was curious about the number
needed to kill this monster.
"25%. It's a probab ility that anyone who leaves Korea can reach Japan. If I
bring in several warships, the possibility goes up, but crossing the ocean on
a ferry is like walking a tightrope between a cliff and a cliff. If the Japanese
see a ferry right away, why wouldn't they sink it first? I've been in a lot of
trouble. Even I had to swim ten kilometers to get to mainland Japan."
"If we send eight hundred men to bring two hundred people, six hundred of
them will die."
At the words, Hayoshi said firmly, "What's the price of six hundred lives?"
"If you kill this guy, I'll introduce you to Matsumoto Kanyo, the captain of
the Imperial Hunting Unit. I promise on my neck."
The Kyushu branch manager Hiyoshi did not grill him, as if he had finished
the calculation. He waited for the man weighing his ambitions against the
sacrifice of six hundred men to finish the scales.
891
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 108 - Trojan Horse, Part I ⦘
"If you kill it, you can have the crystal. The dead body of Ghost Turtle be‐
longs to the Imperial Hunting Unit."
"How much can you help me to attempt an illegal entry into the country?"
"If it's a port near Kyushu, you can pass with my personal connections."
'It doesn't matter if there are 1,000 or 10,000. They're all consumables that I
can throw away at any time.'
Kim Tae-hoon, who did not see his bitter smile, replied, "Okay."
4.
'For Manpasikjeok, there is a legend that two flutes are combined together,
and I must focus on that.'
Jang Sung-hoon, who was studying the data in a space in Busan, put the
booklet he was holding down on his desk. He leaned back in the creaking
chair.
'The Japanese have already acquired a legendary relic, and the problem is
that we have no legendary relic. Musashi would not have come into the
eyes of the boss, unless he had had a legendary relic. If there was something
in the boss's hand...'
Currently, Jang Sung-hoon was working on finding the relics that existed
only in the legendary folk tale, Manpasikjeok and Geumchuk. It was a spe‐
cialized field he was adept in. He was that kind of guy in the first place. He
was a man who had no talent in commanding an army or leading the coun‐
try, and he did not want to have such talents.
'... I've got to find Manpasikjeok or Geumchuk, but the best strategy is to
steal what the others have.'
892
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 108 - Trojan Horse, Part I ⦘
He heard a noise from the window. A jade bird was tapping on the window
with its beak.
'Boss!'
Jang immediately rose from his seat, approached the window, and opened
it. The jade bird came in through the window. He raised his arm, and the
Okjo sat on his arm. The Okjo checked his face, and after confirming his
identity, said, "Send Trojan Horse."
Kim Tae-hoon's voice came out of the beak of the jade bird. Jang smiled at
the voice he had not heard in a long time.
893
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 109 - Trojan Horse, Part Ii ⦘
894
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 110 - Trojan Horse, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
8.
In that sense, the Ghost Turtle was incompetent for having green eyes. It
didn't have fire, it didn't have a superhuman sense, and it wasn't the kind of
thing who could show a great deal of activity. It did not even have a lot of
monsters under its command.
It was true that those who saw the devil of the back skin went stiff with fear,
and that was its special ability, but it was doubtful whether they could call it
special compared to the fear of another green-grade monster.
BoxN ovel.com
Rumbling!
A huge back shell a hundred meters in length, huge legs like a pillar suit‐
able for carrying its shell, and a long neck as thick as a tree. That was the
specialty of the Ghost Turtle.
895
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 110 - Trojan Horse, Part Iii ⦘
Right now the body of the Ghost Turtle was racing over the port city of
Hakata at about thirty kilometers per hour. It was not slow, but it was a
cumbersome speed compared to other monsters that showed absurd perfor‐
mance.
But the huge body regarded a five-story building as a mere cumbersome ob‐
stacle when moving at that speed, enabling a destruction that no other mon‐
ster could easily show.
"Get out!"
In front of such a Ghost Turtle, the port city of Hakata, a forest of buildings
built over decades, was like sand castles on the beach. They thought it
would be better for a tsunami to come in, or an earthquake with a magni‐
tude of 7.0. Worst of all, there were people in the commotion.
Those wearing specially designed black uniforms were moving away from
the Ghost Turtle in the broken port city of Hakata. It was in a state of
unimaginable disaster, a situation where they could not even think of run‐
ning away in despair. They could suffer a heart attack just by listening to
the footsteps like a thunderstorm.
However, there was no sign of despair even though the faces of those who
were caught up in this situation were nervous.
"Sergeant Park Jin-seo, five buildings just flew into the sky."
896
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 110 - Trojan Horse, Part Iii ⦘
Rather, in this situation, they were playing with the word, death.
Of course, it was possible to talk like that because it was not real.
In the first place, the Ghost Turtle was not a disaster for them. The one that
the ghost turtle was dealing with was none other than Kim Tae-hoon, their
savior, and a nightmare to the monsters.
To call such a big green-grade Ghost Turtle a disaster to Kim Tae-hoon was
nothing more than an insult to the real disasters that Kim had faced so far.
In other words, the situation itself was a lie.
Kim Tae-hoon did not do that even though he could get rid of the Ghost
Turtle at once if he had the heart. He intentionally provoked the Ghost Tur‐
tle and taunted it to break the buildings that were barely left in the port city
of Hakata.
Kim made a great and terrible stage for them to cover their mouths with
both hands, and his men pretended to die. Death washed their identity as a
ghost, not smuggled men.
"You will join the First Special Operation Unit and carry out the operation."
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
897
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 110 - Trojan Horse, Part Iii ⦘
And now they were ghosts, and they would dig into the major facilities in
Japan with the ghosts that had come before. That was the real reason they
came here. These were not here for monster hunting, but for the war that
Japan had begun, willing to respond to the war.
"Okay."
"Send a signal to the master, we don't need any more dead men, so he can
kill it now."
"Yes."
Red smoke that had risen from somewhere began to rise above the sky. Ex‐
actly three minutes later, the smell of coffee bloomed in the totally ruined
port of Hakata Port.
9.
"We're trying to stop people from going to Hakata, at the command you
gave us, and in fact, we don't have to stop them. Who would go there if
they're not crazy?"
'We have to kill it,' he thought, 'Somehow, we have to kill the Ghost Turtle.'
898
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 110 - Trojan Horse, Part Iii ⦘
At this moment, Hiyoshi was experiencing the most intense irritation of his
life.
The fundamental reason for this Ghost Turtle Hunting was that he had taken
ahold his destiny, and the additional reason was that the Kyushu Branch of
the Imperial Hunting Unit did not participate in this hunting.
'Damn it, I should have just put in an Imperial Hunting Unit? Even if it was
the best elites, it was reckless to kill the green-grade monster with only two
hundred men.'
The reason why he didn't put in an Imperial Hunting Unit was simple. The
presence of Kim Tae-hoon and his men had not yet been reported to his
home country, so they were illegal weapons that were not allowed or easily
explained.
There would be nothing good coming if there were many people who knew
about such weapons. Because of that, he did not support them, and no one
was allowed to go to Hakata Port, and he had to arrange his trusted men on
the way to Hakata Port. He put the reliable men there to stop those who
were heading there. He was going to make this hunt one without witnesses.
Even Hiyoshi himself grasped the progress of this battle situation only
through intermittent reports in his office in Kokura Castle, not on the battle‐
field. Therefore, he had to be nervous.
Furthermore, the situation of the battle that was reported was not good. The
Ghost Turtle was going crazy, and the port city of Hakata was returning to
the Stone Age.
'God.' In the end, Hiyoshi skipped all his troubles and anguish, and he
prayed earnestly to God.
"Heck, heck, heck!" A man appeared through the open door with a panting
breath. "They got it! They got the Ghost Turtle!" / update by box novel.com
899
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 110 - Trojan Horse, Part Iii ⦘
At that, Hiyoshi did not answer. He just stood up and ran to Hakata Port
with all his might.
10.
Even though the giant Ghost Turtle was still dead, it still boasted an eerie
presence. Those with low Energy rank were not even allowed to approach
the body. Therefore, Hiyoshi was looking at the body of the Ghost Turtle
from a distance, too.
'How did they kill it? I can hardly see any external wounds...?'
Next to him was a man with a pretty serious injury, his head bandaged, a
crude sling around supporting his broken right arm.
'That's the best scenario.' It was a distortion that occurred when he tried to
resist the smile he wanted to display in this serious situation. That was all.
'God is looking over at me, too!' The situation was so perfect that the ner‐
vousness that Hiyoshi the Kyushu branch manager had faced so far became
meaningless.
'Once we killed the Ghost Turtle, we have achieved the most important
thing we wanted. And there were no victims in the Imperial Hunting Unit!'
Of course, the report would be written: the success of the hunting of the
Ghost Turtle, the recapture of Hakata Port, no deaths, no injuries...
900
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 110 - Trojan Horse, Part Iii ⦘
'If I do well...'
The eyes of Hiyoshi looked at the man Lee Hyung-woo reporting to him.
The mouth of Hiyoshi began to twitch in the eyes of Sergeant Lee Hyung-
woo, who did not show any shaking even in front of his injuries and the ter‐
rible deaths of his colleagues.
'I can make them mine if I do well.' The men, brought by Kim Tae-hoon,
were only illegal immigrants. Those had no place to lean on. They had been
abandoned even in Korea. If Kim disappeared from them, who would be the
one they should choose their destiny with? The answer was obvious.
'If this level of elite soldiers and the relics they brought from Korea come
into my hands...' Because it was so obvious, Hiyoshi did not worry any‐
more.
"Thank you. I pray to God that Master Sergeant Kim will recover quickly."
Now it was time to get the prize of gambling and winning everything!
11.
The recent atmosphere in Tokyo, as October loomed before them, was the
atmosphere of the night before a storm. The storm they were waiting for
was nothing but a report to arrive from the Kyushu branch.
It was not unusual to express the report as a storm, as the Kyushu branch re‐
port determined whether or not to hunt an Eight-tailed Fox. Of course, the
report could not be read by an individual as he pleased.
"Call the council in the royal presence. Until then, keep this report sealed,
and keep a close watch on it. No one is to open it!"
The report was sealed until the meeting was convened again, and it was of
course Musashi who read the sealed report for the first time.
901
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 110 - Trojan Horse, Part Iii ⦘
The process was not simple, either. Matsumoto Kanyo, the head of the Im‐
perial Hunting Unit, opened the sealed report and handed it to Musashi. It
was to completely block any noise that might happen or any tricks.
So Musashi read the report and handed the bundle to Matsumoto Kanyo,
with words that seemed to be madness beyond meaning.
So, at the moment he heard that, Matsumoto Kanyo guessed that everything
was wrong. And the guess was convinced the moment he read the report.
At that point, the people gathered in the crowd somehow struggled to fol‐
low the expression of Matsumoto Kanyo.
'Oh, my God.'
'A dark blue-grade monster hunt, isn't it a hunt no one has ever succeeded
at?'
They did their best not to express their anxiety and fear.
"The Kyushu branch has done so great for the great will of the Japanese
Empire, and it is impossible without God's protection that there were no
deaths in the recapturing of the Port of Hakata!"
Musashi, on the other hand, did not hide his inner self and blatantly said, "It
doesn't make sense if I am afraid, even the demoted Kyushu branch man‐
902
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 110 - Trojan Horse, Part Iii ⦘
ager has been under God's protection! I will hunt the Eight-tailed Fox!"
Then he nailed it. "We will hunt the Eight-tailed Fox and reclaim Kyushu;
we will head for the Korean Peninsula through the port of Hakata, and we
will use the Korean Peninsula as the cornerstone of the great history for the
Japanese Empire to be written!"
There was no objection. No one could break through the spirit of Musashi
and utter any advice. It was the same with Matsumoto Kanyo.
'How could he have recaptured the port of Hakata, if he was not so compe‐
tent?'
There was obviously a question. The Kyushu branch manager Hiroshi, who
Matsumoto Kanyo knew, was not incompetent, but he was not one who
could have such an amazing result. But Matsumoto Kanyo did not stick to
the facts.
'In such a situation that the dam has already collapsed, it is stupid to worry
about the reason why the dam has collapsed. Likewise, Musashi will go on
a hunt for the Eight-tailed Fox, and there is no way to stop it now.'
If so, there was one best choice left. By using all means and methods, he
had to lead the hunting of the Eight-tailed Fox to success and keep Musashi
safe.
At the appearance of the word, the faces of the crowd, who were trying to
remain calm, began to get white.
"It is to kill a dark blue-grade monster for the first time, and no matter how
much we prepare for it, we are not sure of everything."
903
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 110 - Trojan Horse, Part Iii ⦘
The operation was that the Samurai would make their live candles before
their deaths by using the power of the relics, making impossible things pos‐
sible by burning their last flame.
Kamikaze was the last choice, of course. Even if he succeeded in the hunt,
the Samurai would be virtually out of power.
If all Samurai became kamikaze, it would be a loss even if they killed the
Eight-tailed Fox. This was a resistance of Matsumoto Kanyo, in a sense.
12.
Kim was drinking coffee in a temporary shelter. No one could find any
trace of a man who had led a fierce battle to victory. Not a scratch, not a bit
of fatigue was found.
904
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 110 - Trojan Horse, Part Iii ⦘
As soon as he heard the report, Kim answered and drank another cup of cof‐
fee. Holding the coffee, he closed his eyes.
Over his closed eyes, the information he had seen before his death was
shining.
Step by step, Kim recalled the information he had seen. He measured infor‐
mation about the person, and about the monster.
'In the end, they will fail in the hunting of the Eight-tailed Fox.'
Eventually, Kim came up with a note in his mind: a memo in his dream
stated that Japan would fail to kill the Eight-tailed Fox on October 15, 2017.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------
905
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 111 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
A room in a place now ruined and a scourge that even animals did not wan‐
der into was filled with dim light. The dim light was from a candle. The
blazing light was brighter than someone thought. It was thanks to the can‐
dlelight. A man sitting on a single bed in a private hospital room was able
to read his pocket notebook freely thanks to candlelight.
'Musashi is strong, and Japan is also capable of hunting the blue-grade mon‐
ster at this point, and there was actually a record that they have already
hunted it.'
BoxN ovel.com
'First of all, the relic grade of the Kusanagi is first, and its value is leg‐
endary. The success rate that Musashi will kill the Eight-tailed Fox is more
than forty percent, I can guess.'
In addition, the pocket notebook was a checklist that Kim Tae-hoon had
written down the last time he had seen his death, the information he had
gotten from his death, and the contents of the checklist he read now were
906
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 111 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part I ⦘
about the relics of Japan. The first thing he saw was a record of the Ku‐
sanagi.
==[The Kusanagi]
-- Relic Effect: It consumes the Energy of the user and produces a powerful
cutting chi that can slice anything.]==
The option itself of the Kusanagi was plain. However, there were more con‐
tents on the checklist made by Kim Tae-hoon.
The Kusanagi.
Kim was able to gauge its power only through letters, but he could not help
but be surprised by its power. It was an amazing weapon that turned crazy
monsters that survived in a missile bombardment into a T-bone steak baked
rare.
'The problem is the price. The time for an Awakener with the Energy rank
of A+ can maintain the Kusanagi is up to 59 seconds...'
But it was a weapon that demanded a huge price for its tremendous power.
The time for a person with an Energy rank of A+ could use the Kusanagi
was just less than a minute!
'Even if he uses relics and items to increase the speed and total amount of
Energy recovery, it will be just over a minute. On the other hand, when he
enters the battle, he will endure the fear and consume a lot of Energy to dis‐
play his superhuman ability. At this point, even if Musashi is supported by
the great power, the time he can use the Kusanagi is around thirty seconds.'
907
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 111 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part I ⦘
'59 seconds is a short moment for an ordinary person, but that time is like
an eternity for a hunter who is about to kill.'
-- Relic Effect: It is the armor that the legendary hero wore on the battle‐
field. It has the power to resist any horror.]==
This was also an item that Musashi had at this point. In addition, the value
and level of relics secured by Japan at this time were not much behind those
secured by Korea.
The power of Japan was enough to hunt the Eight-tailed Fox, which was the
weakest among the dark blue-grade monsters.
Musashi and his aides knew that too. If they tried to hunt the Eight-tailed
Fox, there would be some sacrifices, but if they took those sacrifices, there
was no reason they could not kill it.
908
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 111 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part I ⦘
If, in common sense, the hunting of the Eight-tailed Fox was unsuccessful,
and there were only sacrifices, Musashi, who thought he was chosen by
God, would not have forced the Eight-tailed Fox hunt.
Musashi was arrogant, but he was not a stupid man without end.
Kim did not ignore Japan's power. They had survived in a place which had
become hell. That was a surprise.
If there had been no Kim Tae-hoon in the land of Bucheon, Korea on De‐
cember 31, 2016, what would have been the future of Korea now? So, he
questioned at this moment.
Obviously, Japan's hunt for the Eight-tailed Fox was a failure. But given the
circumstances, there was no chance that the hunting would fail simply be‐
cause of its lack of capability. It was clear that there was a mistake if it
failed.
It was now Kim's job to figure it out. He should not reverse the mistake.
Above all, the Eight-tailed Fox hunt was very important to him.
'If I eat Eight-tailed Fox's crystal... I may be able to elev ate my Telekinesis
to a higher level.'
Kim saw his future, and in the future death, he could not hunt Eight-tailed
Fox. In other words, the surest way to change the future was to kill it.
'No, I must change it. Once again... once again, I cannot die of the curse of
the dragon.'
909
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 111 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part I ⦘
If Kim's death were due to the curse of the dragon in his next dream, he
didn't even know what to do.
On the contrary, at this moment, Kim had a different way of thinking. 'I'd
rather see the future through someone else... If I am forced to die from a
dragon's curse, then I will have someone else drink Napoleon's Golden
Glass...'
Clump...
Kim heard footsteps inside the hospital, where there was only one patient.
He stopped worrying and waited for the owner of the footsteps to appear
before his eyes.
When he said that, Kim gave an order while covering his pocket notebook.
"Prepare for the play."
"Yes."
2.
The hail began to fall on the calm lake like a shower, and of course, every‐
one began to bounce the abacus before the Japanese Empire's monumental
historical event called the Eight-tailed Fox Hunt. The people who finished
the calculation quickly took action.
'Damn it!' Among them, Hiyoshi finished his calculations the fastest and
moved the fastest.
910
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 111 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part I ⦘
However, the answer from Tokyo was that the power for hunting the Eight-
tailed Fox would arrive in Kitakyushu City, and be prepared to welcome
them. At the moment he received the order, the mind of Hiyoshi went
blank.
To be honest, Hiyoshi did not even know that the answer to his report was
"Eight-tailed Fox hunting."
"Now that this is the case, keep your presence hidden during the Eight-
tailed Fox hunt."
That was why the Kyushu branch manager Hiyoshi was facing the haggard
face of Kim, who had raised his upper body arduously in the bed of the ru‐
ined hospital room.
Because of that reason, Kim also protested against the words of the Kyushu
branch manager Hiyoshi.
911
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 111 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part I ⦘
"Isn't this different from your promise? If we risked our lives and succeed
in hunting the Ghost Turtle, you'd risk your life and introduce us to the head
of the Imperial Hunting Unit, Matsumoto Kanyo?"
What Hiyoshi wanted for Kim and his men was simple: be ghosts until the
end of the Eight-tailed Fox hunt, and wait in a desolate place.
"So this is the right time, isn't it? It's nothing else, and Matsumoto Kanyo
himself will come! But you're hiding us!... It's nonsense!"
It was a completely different story from the promise. Kim and his men did
not hunt the Ghost Turtle with their lives because they wanted its monster
stone. It was the sincerity, the expression of the will, and a payment of the
price that they showed to lean on Japan, as they had to find a new place to
lean on because they were driven out of Korea as rebels.
In such a situation, the notification of Hiyoshi was not any different from
violating the promise he had made.
"I can't help it, this is not what I expected." Kyushu branch manager
Hiyoshi knew that well.
'As expected, he resists strongly. But I can't help it.' He was well aware that
he was making a cold, hard look.
"What the fuck is... 'cough, cough!'" Kim, who was shouting something to‐
ward Hiyoshi, began to cough suddenly and violently.
"Master Sergeant!"
The cough made the surroundings of Kim, who had barely raised his body
in the bed, reddish. Lee Hyung-woo, who was waiting nearby, was scared
and ran over to Kim, who was soaked in the blood that he had spit out.
912
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 111 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part I ⦘
"Cough, cough!"
The viewer saw the symptoms of anemia, and Kim's blood was the proof.
'The injury must be serious, and I think that blood transfusion is impossible
here... and I'm sure he will soon be dead with this condition.' On the con‐
trary, Hiyoshi was convinced at the pathetic appearance of Kim.
'With this display, it's easy to tell.' Nothing was as easy as threatening a
weak human being. Now, Hiyoshi, who had the power to decide the death
of Kim, made the final notice to Kim, who was like a candle in front of the
wind.
"When the Eight-tailed Fox hunt is over, there will be a major reorganiza‐
tion in the Kyushu branch, and my position will be different. If the hunt
succeeds, I will be able to go back to Tokyo. So if you stay with me, you'll
naturally be able to settle here, but if I die, you'll all die."
With the notice, Hiyoshi took something out of his pocket. It was a leather
pocket.
"I'm not going to throw you away. I will keep my word. I'll give you the
crystal of the Ghost Turtle as proof."
And it was the crystal of the Ghost Turtle that filled it. The Kyushu branch
manager Hiyoshi carefully placed it on the leg of Kim, who raised only his
upper body while lying on the bed.
"I have kept my promise, and you and your men will show your own good‐
will. I assure you, if I do well, it will not be bad for you. What can you do
with that body, meeting Matsumoto Kanyo? Matsumoto Kanyo will never
deal with a man that looks like a corpse, so I think you will be in the hospi‐
tal for a while recuperating. I'll tell you about a nice hot spring nearby."
913
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 111 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part I ⦘
There was no further question about the notice. Kim took the leather pocket
without saying anything. Hiyoshi released his cold expression.
"Please leave this place tomorrow, with your men. There shouldn't be any
traces of you in Kitakyushu. Of course, I won't give you any specific orders.
I know you'll do your best if you are the best elites."
After that, Hiyoshi left the hospital room, leaving silence behind in the hos‐
pital room.
"You have great acting skills. He's been fooled by a hundred percent. I was
almost fooled along the way. I thought you were really bleeding!"
When Sergeant Lee Hyung-woo said that a smile, Kim smiled and shook
his head.
Of course, Kim was fine. The haggard face was a disguise, and the image of
a blood-splitting death was just an act. It was one of the few acts that Kim
could do.
'This is how it helps to pretend to be dead when I was captured by the en‐
emy.'
The best way to survive at the last moment was to pretend to be dead and to
be sick.
It was the reason why Kim, who had survived better than anyone else, had
to do better than anyone else.
The reason for this performance was simple. In fact, the request of Hiyoshi
was what Kim and his men wanted. It was not good that he and his men
were exposed on the surface in the first place. Being just like ghosts was
what they wanted.
914
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 111 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part I ⦘
'Now this is the end of the act.' His acting career was short.
"We're going to stage two, and inform the First Special Operation Unit and
the mainland via the Okjo."
The next time Kim Tae-hoon revealed himself, Kim So-hoon would not be
needed anymore.
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Yes?"
At the last words, Sergeant Lee Hyung-woo looked surprised, and soon
gave an excited look and answered with a salute. "Yes, I'll eat it the next
time you need my help!" After that, Sergeant Lee left the hospital room.
Now alone, Kim put the green jewel in the leather pocket on his palm.
-- The power of a Ghost Turtle, [the Devil Shield] will be acquired when in‐
gested.]==
Gulp!
915
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 111 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part I ⦘
The Ghost Turtle's crystal went down his throat, and he looked at his right
hand.
======
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 765
-- Health: 777
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: A-Rank
-- Mana: B+ Rank
-- Telekinesis: A+ Rank
-- Defense: A-Rank
[Achieved Abilities]
-- Devil Shield (Grade 4): With the power of a Ghost Turtle, you can give
the power of the Devil Shield to everything you create with your own En‐
ergy, Mana, or Telekinesis. If the object is given the power of the Devil
Shield, its resistance to fear and its defense greatly increase.
======
'Not bad...'
Kim was not impressed at this moment. There was no reason to feel that.
916
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 111 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part I ⦘
As said earlier, he no longer had to play Kim So-hoon. The only thing that
existed now was the hunter Kim Tae-hoon. That was why he took out his
diary again and prepared for the hunting.
917
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 112 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
The source of the sound was a tank. There were forty-five tanks of Type 90,
fifty-five tanks of Type 74, and so a total of a hundred tanks were moving
toward Aso Mountain. It was a great thing in many ways.
BoxN ovel.com
'The number of tanks in Japan, which did not need to have a large army in
the first place, is not so many, and after the emergence of monsters, the
number of tanks in Japan operating properly does not exceed four hundred.'
So, the sight of the tanks moving forward was obviously spectacular.
'Even if we don't kill the Eight-tailed Fox, this firepower could give it a fa‐
tal blow!'
918
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 112 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Ii ⦘
It was such a spectacular sight that the hopes of the people who were
watching the scene became more intense than their despair. But the man,
who was watching the scene with black Eyes like a camera lens, was differ‐
ent.
'I'm sure they will start with a big blow if they're going to use firepower
against a blue-grade monster.'
Kim knew better than anyone else the reason why modern weapons were
valid against monsters, and why they are powerful.
'The horror of modern weapons is not the firepower, but the shooting range.
It is frightening that the shooting range is a few kilometers or dozens of
kilometers; however, missiles can hit the target accurately from hundreds of
kilometers away.'
'Then, how far is the range of the fear used by a dark blue-grade monster?'
The fear range of the blue-grade monster Kim Tae-hoon had confronted was
about several kilometers. In the case of a monster with Howling, it was pos‐
sible to attack with the fear even farther away.
'At least five kilometers, and if someone is below the D rank of Energy, he
is helpless even with the help of any relics and items.'
919
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 112 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Ii ⦘
'If I keep that in mind, the fear range of the dark blue-grade monster should
be at least five kilometers in radius. It is similar to the effective range of the
latest tanks.'
'The bigger problem is that the scope is not fixed. The monster moves with
absurd speed, ignoring the law of physics. The fear also moves according to
the movement of the monster.'
'Unless the members of the armored forces are filled with Awakeners above
the C rank of Energy, and unless they raise resistance to the fear with relics
and items... they are sacrifices.'
At this moment, Kim was able to see why a hundred tanks were gathered
there.
The tanks were sacrifices, sacrifices to hold the Eight-tailed Fox for a
while.
'If someone said he had to use a hundred tanks as a sacrifice to kill a mon‐
ster, everyone will say that he is a madman. Apart from the money, the tac‐
tical value of a hundred tanks is beyond description. Crucially, a hundred
tanks are not something someone can produce in a moment even if he wants
to produce more tanks later. It is fatal beyond the level of sacrifice.'
However, Kim Tae-hoon was rather admiring of this fact, rather than sur‐
prised.
'A tank is certainly the best bait to kill time against a dark blue-grade mon‐
ster.'
920
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 112 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Ii ⦘
'It's hard to use a human being as bait. They are too weak to use as bait. No
one hangs a tubifex on the fishing hook to catch a whale. But the tough hard
bait is meaningless; someone can't catch a shark by hanging a diam
ond on a
hook.'
'A bait is needed to attract the attention of the prey and to make time. In that
sense, the tanks have enough power to attract the attention of the prey.'
'As soon as a hundred guns burst out flames, the moment the shells fall near
the Eight-tailed Fox, it will run to the tanks with all its might to tear the
tanks apart. Even if it is an Eight-tailed Fox, it will take a lot of time to
crush a hundred tanks. Of course, it is not something anyone can do. It is a
terrible idea.'
But Kim Tae-hoon was not surprised, and he did not think the man who had
made such a judgment was scary. The scary thing was the monster that
made this sacrifice natural just by looking at its face.
4.
The monster who showed up was not so big for having dark blue eyes. The
length of its body, except for the tails, was about ten meters, and the tails
were similar to the length of the body. In total, it was twenty meters. Al‐
though it looked bigger because of its bulging tails, it certainly didn't give
them anything overwhelming by its physique.
Of course, it wasn't a good story. On the contrary, its small body, which did
not fit in with its dark blue eyes, made the Eight-tailed Fox a more frighten‐
ing being.
921
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 112 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Ii ⦘
It was not easy to hit a twenty-meter target several kilometers away. And
what if the twenty-meter target could run up to two hundred kilometers per
hour in some situations?
"Ugh!" In the end, there were a lot of people who died of drowsiness or
heart attacks. Unable to release the fear, it just led to death with its pres‐
ence. That's what happened two minutes after the battle began with the gun‐
fire of the tanks. Even that horror was just the beginning, not the end.
Bang! The tanks around the Eight-tailed Fox to turn over with a loud noise.
Kkiiii!
The golden claws and teeth of the Eight-tailed Fox began to tear the metal
of the tanks like paper, just like a beast ripped open a bat's skin and eating
the flesh and intestines in it. It was the meal time of the ferocious beast that
no one should interfere with.
Tutututu! It was the sound of dozens of helicopters that interfered with the
meal time of the predation. All the helicopters that appeared and surrounded
the Eight-tailed Fox had Torii, used at the doors of a Japanese shrine, hang‐
ing beneath them.
922
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 112 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Ii ⦘
The helicopters began planting the Torii around the Eight-tailed Fox. Their
number was forty-eight!
The Awakeners clung to the forty-eight Torii. They shivered like aspen
leaves, touched the legs of the Torii, and began to inject their Mana.
The Torii began to shoot out various light pillars with strange cries and
sounds.
Gyareureureu!
For the first time, a cry came from the mouth of the Eight-tailed Fox be‐
cause of the light pillars. The dark blue eyes of the Eight-tailed Fox flashed
sharply. It shone its eyes toward the Torii surrounding it, and the plants and
stones that had been crushed and scattered around the Eight-tailed Fox be‐
gan to rise up as if they were in zero gravity.
The Eight-tailed Fox was going to shatter the Torii, which were getting on
its nerves, using the powerful Telekinesis that even overturned the tanks.
Kkii, Kkii, Kkii! But the Torii did not easily break down, even though they
were making an eerie sound that seemed to die right away.
Gyareureureu...! There was no difference, even though snarls came out be‐
tween the tight golden teeth of the Eight-tailed Fox. It was not just about the
power of the Torii.
"Hoo! Hoo!"
"Hoo, hoo!"
923
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 112 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Ii ⦘
Gyareureureu!
The effect of the relic was certain. The great Telekinesis of the Eight-tailed
Fox began to lose its power. But that was it.
'Not enough.' Kim Tae-hoon, who just watched the battlefield quietly, began
to gauge the battlefield again at this moment.
It could weaken the Eight-tailed Fox, but the teeth and claws that had been
used to ravage the armor of the tanks were still there.
Krr!
At the same time, the Eight-tailed Fox had to pay the same price as the mo‐
ment it released its anger and murderous spirit.
So, Kim was able to see the card that Japan presented against the Eight-
tailed Fox next.
'Now is the chance to hold the Eight-tailed Fox and try a close-up fight,
when its vision is narrowed.'
"Ahhhhhhhhh!"
924
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 112 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Ii ⦘
It was the Samurai who started the race. There was no sign of fear in their
eyes as they threw themselves into the fear of the Eight-tailed Fox, their
hearts skipping, and even breathless. But it was not because they had great
courage.
Kamikaze.
It was possible because they got the power beyond their ability for a while
in return for being like a mayfly. Their purpose was to put the Seven-
Branched Sword into it.
'As soon as the Seven-Branched Sword is stuck into the body of the Eight-
tailed Fox, weakened by the Golden Altar of the Konjikido and forty-eight
Torii, the Eight-tailed Fox is virtually a blue-grade monster. Of course, it is
still an absurd monster that we are not allowed to fight against.'
He and his Sword Kusanagi could exec ute a fatal attack on the Eight-tailed
Fox after it had weakened to a blue-grade level. He didn't have to attack
many times, anyway. The Kusanagi was not a long-term weapon. Musashi
could attack with the Kusanagi three times at the most. And three times was
too many. It was ideal to finish it with a single blow when hunting.
'A blow.'
Because of this, Musashi would try to kill the Eight-tailed Fox with only
one attack.
925
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 112 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Ii ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon was able to figure out here why they failed to hunt the Eight-
tailed Fox after such preparation, determination, and sacrifice. At the mo‐
ment he grasped the fact, he was no longer an audience.
5.
A hundred tanks were used as bait. The number of Awakeners used was five
thousand five hundred and forty-nine. And so far, the number of Samurai
put into Kamikaze was forty-seven.
"Hoo!"
'The time has come.' He felt more serenity than ever. There was only one
reason.
'Now it was time for me to be the sun that will illuminate Kyushu. By
killing the Eight-tailed Fox, the Kyushu region will be also filled with the
same tranquility as Tokyo.' That scene was glimmering in the eyes of
Musashi.
Simply put, Musashi was already sure. It was not just anyone who could kill
the Eight-tailed Fox, but God's wish in heaven.
"Lord!"
926
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 112 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Ii ⦘
6.
The Eight-tailed Fox was still powerful. No matter how great the relics
were, they were still just garbage in front of its claws and teeth. In fact, no
one had even been able to counter the Eight-tailed Fox after it was weak‐
ened by the Golden Altar and the Torii.
It was simply a fight between a fox and mice. All the mice could do was run
as hard as possible and attract the attention of the fox. That was what the
samurai who became Kamikaze were doing. They tried to do their best to
irritate the Eight-tailed Fox and attract its attention. They made the Eight-
tailed Fox obsessed with catching the mice.
Kyaang!
And when the Eight-tailed Fox began to get angry beyond the level of
mouse-catching, when everything was focused on it, a samurai leaped up
and fell on its body. In the hands of the falling samurai, was the Seven-
Branched Sword with the seven sword tips. One of those seven tips stuck
into its body.
The depth was not deep, just of two joints of a finger; it was a scratch, com‐
pared to a person.
Kr!
But when Seven-Branched Sword was stuck in its body, the Eight-tailed
Fox felt that this attack was more powerful and dangerous than any attack it
had ever received. The dark blue eyes of the Eight-tailed Fox, which felt the
fact, shone ferociously.
At the same time, translucent beads appeared at the end of its eight tails.
The translucent beads that appeared began to sweep around it at a tremen‐
dous rate. The telekinetic beads that showed up began to hit everything
around it.
927
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 112 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Ii ⦘
Boom! The power was enormous. They were like wrecking balls used to
break down buildings, the power to make hard concrete and rebar lumps
into cookie crumbs at once.
"Keuaak!"
Of course, the power was enough to make a human body into meatloaf. It
was done in an instant. The samurai, who were bustling around the Eight-
tailed Fox like mice, flew hundreds of meters away from it and became
meatloaf.
Pook! At that moment, the Seven-Branched Sword stuck in the back of the
Eight-tailed Fox drove in on its own. The second tip of the sword was stuck
into it. In other words, the Seven-Branched Sword was deeply set in now,
deep enough that its depth could not be measured with finger joints now!
Keheng!
A painful cry came out of the Eight-tailed Fox's mouth, and at the same
time, it began to shake its body to relieve the pain.
It was just an instant, of course. At that moment, a black man appeared near
the Eight-tailed Fox.
Tsreung! The sound of pulling a Sword from its scabbard sounded as soon
as he appeared.
Crunch! The light that emerged cut everything apart. The first thing to be
cut was the ground. A gap appeared which they could not measure right
now.
Then it was the head of the Eight-tailed Fox. There was nothing to interrupt
it. There was not even a cutting sound. The light cut down on its head and
soared into the sky.
Click! The last sound was the one of the light that had appeared like that en‐
tering the sheath.
928
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 112 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Ii ⦘
'It's over.' At that moment, only Musashi was able to feel that all the situa‐
tion was over. It was a proper intuition.
'It's over now.' He cut its head off. Needless to say, it was perfect. Now its
head would fall to the ground, and its body would be spraying blood like a
fountain. There could not be any more definite finish. At least to Musashi,
no, to all the Japanese, cutting off the head meant death. That was common
sense.
But that was the reason for its failure. This world was already beyond com‐
mon sense.
Bang! Two great forces struck Musashi's body, and his body and armor
were crushed in the air by the absurd attack. The third telekinetic bead flew
toward the floating body, and the crushed body of Musashi was smashed
away like hitting a fly with a fly swatter. All this was done in an eyeblink.
'Khuck!' This was done in such a short time that there was no time for
Musashi to scream at the blow. Even those who saw it could not understand
what was happening now.
Thud! The Eight-tailed Fox's head, cut off in the midst of all that was hap‐
pening in a flash, fell to the ground.
A man fell down on top of the Seven-Branched Sword stuck it in the body
of the Eight-tailed Fox.
Thunk! The fallen man, wearing Hahoetal, drove all the tips of the Seven-
Branched Sword into the Eight-tailed Fox's body, and its dark blue eyes on
the ground grew bigger, like a flash lamp.
929
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 112 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Ii ⦘
But the man did not stop, because he knew the common sense that had not
changed even in this age when all common sense was denied, this time of
monsters.
'The common sense is that monsters die when their hearts are stabbed.'
And at this moment the man put the common sense into practice.
The three swords on his back showed up, and three swords were simultane‐
ously stuck into the one place where its eight tails were gathered, its back‐
side.
The sound of the heart-pounding on his eardrum was still intense, even
though three swords had been stabbed into it.
'More swords.' It was was a where he needed more swords. The man was
not embarrassed by it. There was no reason to panic. Around the Eight-
tailed Fox were powerful relics, the Swords used by the samurai.
Swish! Now the Swords moved to the heart at the back of the Eight-tailed
Fox, following the orders of their new master.
Kya, kya! As the number of Swords that were inserted increased, the num‐
ber of shrieks that its severed head yelled out increased, and in the end, it
was no longer able to spit out the last shriek.
930
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 112 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Ii ⦘
But the man's hunting was not done. 'Now they have to pay for the burning
of the Tripitaka Koreana.'
The body of Kim Tae-hoon was covered with ice thorn armor, and at the
same time, a ring of fire was created around him.
931
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 113 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
7.
Nature is always cold. Successful hunting does not guarantee a day when it
is fully stuffed. Rather, if something succeeds in hunting, they have to fight
to protect their game from others. So, one of the most dangerous things in
the world is to touch a beast that is feeding itself on the prey after the hunt.
Kim Tae-hoon knew the fact better than anyone else. It was a completely
different story to have a successful hunt for the Eight-tailed Fox, and to get
the game that he killed. The fact was that when he succeeded in his hunt,
everything around him would jump to take his prey.
BoxN ovel.com
Therefore, he needed to show his power. The man who hunted the Eight-
tailed Fox now was not just a lone eagle who took a chance, but a more bru‐
tal, cruel, and terrifying beast than the Fox. The roar informing everyone
was the Ice Blaster!
The ice thorn armor wrapped around Kim Tae-hoon's body was shattered
with the explosion of Anger Soaring, and it scattered all over with a thun‐
derous explosion.
932
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 113 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Iii ⦘
The power was enormous. Just being exposed to the power was enough to
wound even a blue-grade monster.
The first group that was exposed to the attack by Kim were the Samurai
who had approached near the Eight-tailed Fox for hunting. There was no
way to stoop the ice thorn fragments that were suddenly shooting at them,
after they had already suffered a lot of injuries and damage due to the battle
with it.
"Aaaaaaargh!"
All they could do was to choose to run away with all their might at this ur‐
gent moment. Running away was the only possibility, but no one suc‐
ceeded.
'I will kill all of the Samurai.' Kim had no intentions of letting them live.
That reason was enough.
Swish! Their fellow's Swords moved toward the fleeing Samurai without
showing any mercy. The result after that was obvious.
Pook! The flying katanas penetrated through the armor they were wearing
and they became dead bodies crumpled around the blades. The Swords that
had been prepared to kill the Eight-tailed Fox became daggers to pierce
their armor.
In the meantime, an attempt was made to save the Samurai from a long dis‐
tance and to take the game from Kim.
"Charge!"
"Charge!"
Kim turned his head toward those who were approaching from a long dis‐
tance. It was a long way. It was hard to measure the distance without the
help of a telescope if there was a moving object at a long distance, but he
was able to grasp the movements of those who came toward him clearly.
933
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 113 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Iii ⦘
He painted a picture that a featherless arrow on his waist flew across the
long distance and pierced the target's brow at once.
Whizz!
The arrow moved to make the picture its master painted in front of it real.
Pook! The arrow, flying quickly, sleekly, and in a straight line, penetrated
the Samurai's brow at once.
Kim turned his head and saw the men around the Samurai. They were not
only the Samurai, but Awakeners who were well armed.
Thunk! And now they became dead bodies with a hole in their heads. They
couldn't believe their eyes.
On the other hand, Kim did not feel much inspiration at this fact. 'Not bad,
but not efficient.' He realized that this was not a very wise way to solve this
situation. In addition, he did not forget that what he should do now was not
just murder, but make war to protect his prey. He swelled his chest largely.
"Fuhuhu!" He began to breathe out a huge fire through his mouth. The fire
started to burn rapidly and quickly with the surrounding grass and plants as
fuel.
934
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 113 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Iii ⦘
"It's the master's signal!" It was a signal to Kim's men who were waiting in
the distance.
"Start shooting!"
"Start shooting!"
Bang! Shortly after Kim set the fire, gunfire began to spread on the stage,
which was already a mess.
"It's an enemy attack!" Despair began to spread in the eyes of those who
had been staring at Kim.
"Not an enemy!"
There were two main ways to keep his game: Showing the power of the
owner of the game, and showing the owner of the game was a group rather
than alone. At this point, it was only right to back down.
Instead, there were those who rushed toward the Kusanagi that Musashi had
dropped as he had flown away
Of course, Kim did not intend to allow it. 'I will never give them anything
on the wish list.'
8.
935
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 113 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Iii ⦘
Matsumoto Khan, the head of the Imperial Hunting Unit, was negative from
beginning to end about this Eight-tailed Fox hunting.
There were more than a hundred tanks sacrificed immediately, and dozens
of Samurai, regardless of the victory or defeat of the battle, were forced to
receive notices of the required sacrifices.
Moreover, Kyushu was not the only province which the Imperial Hunting
Unit managed. Still, the Japanese archipelago was full of monsters, and the
Imperial Hunting Unit had to deal with all of them.
Therefore, the hunting of the Eight-tailed Fox had to be successful. Not just
a success, but it needed success to become a legend of the history of the Ja‐
panese Empire in the future.
So, when Musashi cut off the head of the Eight-tailed Fox by using the Ku‐
sanagi, Matsumoto Kanyo thought that this hunting barely made ends meet
right now, rather than feeling joy. He thought it was more natural and
proper than that it was great. He thought about like that...
Everything fell apart. Of course, what should be done was now shattered.
The hard-built tower was now being blown away as dust as it collapsed.
The worst was that Matsumoto Kanyo, who had the highest command in
this situation, was himself. It was a hunt. It was strange that someone other
than him, the leader of the Imperial Hunting Unit, gave orders in a monster
hunt.
936
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 113 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Iii ⦘
In the situation that he was not able to confirm even the life and death of
Musashi after the attack by the decapitated Eight-tailed Fox, it was impossi‐
ble for someone other than Matsumoto Kanyo to make a decision.
He could not even imagine such a thing as not securing the dead body of the
Eight-tailed Fox, or even the crystal, as they had suffered so much damage!
'Now, wait.' But at that moment Matsumoto Kanyo reconsidered the judg‐
ment he was about to spit, in his mind.
'How much damage do we have to take to regain the crystal of the Eight-
tailed Fox at this moment? And can we really get what we want by taking
that damage? The obvious thing is that we can't do what we want at any
cost, because if it were a real world, it wouldn't have happened now.'
"Not one enemy. We're being shot at from everywhere. We can't locate
them."
"They're obviously soldiers, and there's been bomb attacks all over the
place, as well as booby traps."
"There are fires everywhere, and the fires are getting stronger. The enemy
prepared the fire attack."
"We have the sign of monsters from other regions who are coming here!"
Then someone exclaimed, "The man who killed the Eight-tailed Fox is Kim
Tae-hoon, the monster of Joseon, Kim Tae-hoon!"
937
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 113 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Iii ⦘
The moment he heard it, Matsumoto Kanyo turned his head and looked at
the man who spoke. He was an Iga ninja in a black ninja suit. Originally, he
was acting with his identity hidden, and now he was raising his voice in
front of everyone. Even the Iga ninja was embarrassed and frightened. It
made Matsumoto Kanyo's choice possible. He gave the order.
"Take all the relics we can secure and retreat to Kitakyushu City, and block
all the ways from Kyushu to the mainland! Land route, and sea route, of
course! And contact Hiroshima Port! All naval forces have to block
Kyushu! Don't let anything get out of Kyushu!"
9.
'There is a man who knows how to make bold decisions on the Japanese
side.'
'I know better than anyone that it is the commander who moves the flow of
war. 'A commander of that kind never decides on the impulse of all or noth‐
ing.'
'In this confusion, the Japanese commander will never fight with all-in. Nat‐
urally, the forces that fill the surroundings will begin to retreat like the ebb
tide.'
And his predictions came true. The sounds heard by Kim began to disap‐
pear gradually. He knew that it was not just a retreat, but an operational re‐
treat.
'Kyushu is a large island. If the land route and sea route are blocked, they
cannot leave. In other words, from now on, Japan's power is concentrated
on the outskirts of Kyushu.'
938
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 113 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Iii ⦘
'Now I can take a break.' So Kim was able to take short rest for the first
time and was able to inspect the game that he had succeeded in keeping for
the first time: the dead body of the Eight-tailed Fox. Its head was cut off,
laying on the ground, and the Kusanagi was in his hand.
10.
A dark night.
Kim Tae-hoon was staying up at night, with a cup of coffee for company.
"Hoo."
Kim's whole body was filled with a sense of lassitude. He could not feel his
Energy, his Strength, his Mana. It was the price that he had paid for using
the amazing power of Hahoetal. It was a dangerous time.
Now, in a situation where Japan was the enemy, it was eerier than being a
normal human being and entering a lion cage with his naked body. But Kim
did not feel particularly afraid of it. It was a usual routine for him. At this
moment, it was not a fear of such a thing, but a choice that was tormenting
him.
Today, Kim had really gotten so much. The biggest prizes were the crystal
of the Eight-tailed Fox and the Kusanagi. He had gotten the indescribable
treasure. He had secured had many other relics. The number of relics that he
had taken from the dead Samurai was twenty-seven!
Of course, there were things he had not gotten. He had not acquired the
Golden Altar of the Konjikido; it was too much larger than the others. It
939
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 113 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Iii ⦘
was possible to steal the Golden Altar, but it was virtually impossible to es‐
cape after stealing it. He felt sorry at the fact.
But now Kim's anguish was not agony for his sorrow. The starting point of
agony was the dark blue monster stone now grasped in his hands.
Kim died because of the dragon's curse, not once, but twice. He eventually
repeated the death he had thought would not be repeated.
'If I eat the crystal of the Eight-tailed Fox, I'll surely be cursed.'
From that point of view, it was also likely for him to be cursed if he ate this
crystal.
In the case of the curse of the dragon, the curse was not just a stigma caused
by the fact that the monster stone was eaten.
The curse was a kind of side effect of transcendental power, gaining its
power, and overusing it.
'It would be strange to use such a crazy power without any cost.'
Of course, even Kim was afraid of it, he did not intend not to eat the crystal
of the Eight-tailed Fox.
940
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 113 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Iii ⦘
Kim was a man who wanted to set a new record, by doping if necessary.
What he wanted was to run faster than anyone else to survive, not Olympic
medals. Even now, the resolution did not change at all.
'In an age already full of enem ies, if I eat the crystal of the Eight-tailed Fox,
I will die in the distant future, but if I do not eat it, I may die right away.
No, if I had an intention not to eat it in the first place, I would not even have
had to worry about it. I have to eat it, so I have to worry.'
'The curse of the dragon was so, but it is not so good to die of a curse, for
the limits of what can be obtained by that death are clear. Above all, the
death that can be seen as Napoleon's Golden Glass was very fragmentary.'
If Kim died again with the curse of the dragon or the curse of the Eight-
tailed Fox, the time of death will not change much, and the reason for his
death or the surrounding situation would not change much.
'The fact that the surrounding situation does not change means that the pos‐
sibility of acquiring new information from the surroundings is lowered. In
other words, the golden opportunity, Napoleon's Golden Glass, will be
meaninglessly blown away.'
'The next Napoleon's Golden Glass must be drunk by someone who can see
the age after I die.'
That's why he needed someone who could drink Napoleon's Golden Glass
on behalf of Kim Tae-hoon, and who would look after Kim's death.
941
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 113 - An Eight-Tailed Fox, Part Iii ⦘
In the agony, there was one face which came up in the mind of Kim.
"Hoo." Kim drank his coffee with a long sigh. After a while, he swallowed
his coffee and put the crystal of the Eight-tailed Fox in his mouth.
942
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 114 - The World After Death, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
"Well, well... Kobe and Osaka are in a state of panic over terrorism. Only
the key facilities have been attacked with precision."
BoxN ovel.com
The body of the Eight-tailed Fox and the Kusanagi were taken away. Need‐
less to say, it was the worst situation, and Matsumoto Kanyo had withdrawn
943
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 114 - The World After Death, Part I ⦘
all the forces at Aso Mountain in Kyushu that had been hunting the Eight-
tailed Fox, bringing them back to Kitakyushu City. It was to prepare for the
worst.
However, after retreating to Kitakyushu City, what was waiting for Mat‐
sumoto Kanyo, who was moving to prepare for the worst, was sad news
from all over. Major and key facilities in each city were lost to sudden ter‐
rorism. The military facilities were hit particularly hard, and even though
they were hidden from the outside for their own security, their opponents
struck them as if they knew all about them.
"We...we're in big trouble." The peak of the sad news came from Hi‐
roshima.
"What else?"
Hiroshima Port, where most of the Japanese naval forces were crowded,
had been attacked, and Matsumoto Kanyo no longer even sighed in front of
the sad news. He didn't want to be surprised by this anymore. He didn't
deny the reality.
Instead, he just wanted to know the identity of those who were pulling this
nonsense. But his little desire was not fulfilled, either.
"Monsters?"
"The monsters came suddenly. It seems that someone intentionally lured the
monsters near Hiroshima."
The moment he heard the story that it was attacked by the monsters, Mat‐
sumoto Kanyo's thoughts virtually stopped.
944
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 114 - The World After Death, Part I ⦘
'This is the worst.' He could see that this moment when he could not act as a
commander was the worst situation.
"Yes, as long as the lord is alive, there will be some chance. There is no
place to fall any further, so there is nothing left to climb."
2.
It was evidence that Kim Tae-hoon, and the first Special Operation Unit that
had landed on the Japanese archipelago at risk of their lives, had completed
945
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 114 - The World After Death, Part I ⦘
their mission perfectly. So, everyone with Kim Tae-hoon was looking at the
map with a good feeling.
'We have virtually neutralized Japan with less than a thousand men! We
won the war!'
If they did not cheer up at once, their big hearts would burst out. However,
Kim did not give them the opportunity to cheer. On the contrary, he looked
at the crowd with his cold sunken eyes.
"Don't relax."
This was the enemy camp. And although they had been neutralized many of
their opponent's forces and facilities, the difference in power in the Japa‐
nese archipelago was still devastating to the extent that they felt shameful
using the words 'numerical inferiority'.
Also, Kim knew well that there was no eternal victory in war.
'If we win a war, that's all. The loser will start a new war when the winner is
careless. History proves that.'
Above all, it was not over yet. He had certainly gained a lot, and he had ac‐
quired a great deal of valuable relics, including the dead body of the Eight-
tailed Fox, and had also hit Japan with a fatal level of damage. But there
was something very important that has not been done yet.
"I say again, I will not let you lower your guard or relax until the leader of
our enemy is dead."
946
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 114 - The World After Death, Part I ⦘
Musashi, the head of the Japanese Empire, was not dead yet. And that was
what Kim had intended.
'War never ends until a period is reached that everyone can understand.'
The risk was much greater than the merits of killing Musashi there.
'It is always so. People hate defeat, and if they are defeated, they want to
make excuses for the defeat somehow. Killing Musashi obviously stamps
the stigma of a loser on Japan, but it also gives the most perfect excuse to
them.'
'Japan will not accept it as a legitimate defeat. The death of Musashi would
not be a legitimate death, but the dirty work of Kim Tae-hoon.'
Even though Musashi might have died there, they would never have put all
their weapons down and lifted the white flag above their heads.
What was Japan like? In World War II, Japan, which had nothing left be‐
cause of its defeat, did not give up the war. They were crying out, "Fighting
947
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 114 - The World After Death, Part I ⦘
Spirit, Fortune, Divine Wind!" and just saying that they would die as a sui‐
cide squad, if they were supposed to die. In the end, it was a country with a
madness that could not be understood by rational thinking and reason.
It was two nuclear bombs falling on Hiroshima and Nagasaki that broke
their madness.
It was not any different this time. In a world where common sense and its
value collapsed due to the emergence of monsters, a world where they
could not survive without madness, a definite finish would be needed to end
the war.
=======
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 770
-- Health: 781
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: A-Rank
-- Mana: B+ Rank
-- Telekinesis: S-Rank
-- Defense: A-Rank
[Achieved Abilities]
948
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 114 - The World After Death, Part I ⦘
-Telekinetic Beads (Grade 2): The power of the Eight-tailed Fox can make
Telekinetic Beads, to which any ability of the maker can be applied.
======
That was why he had made the choice to let Musashi go.
'The winner of this game is already decided, and the important thing is to
get as much as possible from the planned victory. It is like trying to get
more territory in the game of Go.'
'We must prepare for war with China, beyond North Korea, with what we
will get here as a foundation.'
'What we get from Japan will be an important foundation for the future war.'
Furthermore, Kim Tae-hoon did not want to go to war with Japan behind his
back, a country that had never been a true ally in the history of the Korean
Peninsula.
'I will get everything I can get from Japan thoroughly, terribly, and desper‐
ately.'
The moment the order was given, his men did not look any more expectant.
They used his words as needles to burst their swollen hearts, and instead,
had a determined eye. At the same time, they had faith!
949
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 114 - The World After Death, Part I ⦘
'All we have to do is follow the master. It's not our job to be happy and sad.'
Then a new man came into the room. "The Okjo has arrived!"
A bird made of jade, carefully held by his subordinate with both hands,
jumped over to Kim Tae-hoon's shoulder.
From the mouth of such a jade bird, along with the voice of Jang Sung-
hoon, the report on the current situation in Korea flowed out without hesita‐
tion. Some details were important, and some seemed to have little meaning.
The same was true of this phrase. When this phrase came out, no one
thought it was a word with a special meaning.
Only one, Kim Tae-hoon, grasped the meaning of the phrase. 'The Golden
Glass is full.'
3.
"Uh-hoo." Through the palms of his hand, a sigh, which those who heard
seemed to droop his shoulders, came out. On the desk in front of him,
Napoleon's Golden Glass was dangling a red liquid of promise before his
eyes. Standing beside the Golden Glass, an Okjo was looking at the Glass
and cocking its head.
"Uh-hoo." Once again, with a sigh, he looked at the Okjo, releasing his
hand from his face. Then he remembered what the Okjo had said.
950
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 114 - The World After Death, Part I ⦘
'The boss said that I have to drink it!' It was he who had to drink Napoleon's
Golden Glass on behalf of the boss.
'Boss.' The Okjo had spoken in the voice of Kim Tae-hoon, not just anyone.
And the words were not the end.
'It's been a long time since I heard the word, "please", from the boss.'
Kim had added, "I beg you to do it, please." He had also added, "Of course,
I will not force you to do it."
However, Jang Sung-hoon did not listen to the words afterwards. At the
word 'please' from Kim Tae-hoon, he was ready to give his life. In other
words, he had no fear of drinking Napoleon's Golden Glass. There was no
reason to be afraid.
'It's a dream in the first place. It is not a real death, but an opportunity to
avoid death by experiencing it. It is a golden chance.'
'Since it was Kim Tae-hoon, he has been able to go to the next stage on the
basis of his death. If it had been for others, they would have urged their
death on rather than going beyond.'
951
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 114 - The World After Death, Part I ⦘
Jang couldn't help it. He was not an Awakener, nor was he a great strategist,
nor was he a leader who was willing to risk his life for what was just. He
was just a young man with a good artistic eye. He was not just the second
man of the Mac Guild, but a brother who stuck to Kim Tae-hoon. He was
that kind of man. Well, could he get something to control the fate of the
world in the fragmentary situation ahead of his death?
"Oh, God, really..." Finally, his feelings were vomited out through Jang's
mouth. At this moment, he no longer considered his feelings. He would
never drink it that way. Instead, he tried to do what he could do better than
anyone else. He measured Kim Tae-hoon's feelings. He imagined how Kim
felt and how Kim thought about asking him for this.
'The reason why the boss wants me to drink this is that the boss wants to see
the world after his death. In other words... the boss is not sure he's going to
live too long.'
952
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 115 - The World After Death, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
Taang! With a clean shot, a middle-aged man grabbed his chest and backed
away. The man's back steps were immediately blocked by a gray wall, and
the man fell back against the wall and began to slip to the floor.
Flop! Blood began to gurgle out of the chest of the man that had fallen on
the floor. No matter how much he tried to force himself to stop it with his
own hands, he could not stop the blood that had burst out.
The man realized then, "... Now I see how it feels to see red HP decrease in
a game."
BoxN ovel.com
At the words of the middle-aged man, the man who had aimed his gun at
him, put the gun down on the floor.
It had now become such a relationship, but there has been no vicious atmos‐
phere between the two.
On the contrary, the man who was shot had a bitter smile on his face, and
the gunman was shivering. It was not a tremor of anger. It was a tremor
953
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 115 - The World After Death, Part Ii ⦘
So, it was the man who was shot that said first. "You shouldn't have done it,
if you shoot and regret it."
"But, but..."
"I'm not hit on my heart, so I can talk to you a while, so why did you kill
me, who was forty years old and could not even get married?"
"I've heard that because of the Mac Guild, the world has become like this
and monsters have come to dominate the world, and that if it had not been
for the Six Snakes, mankind would have been destroyed?"
The man who was spitting out the words, Jang Sung-hoon, breathed a long
sigh at the words.
A long sighing cough was accompanied by red blood. Jang's vision also
turned blurry, as if the lights were out before the movie started in the movie
theater.
"... Boss has been dead for over fifteen years. Jun-hyuk, you've never seen
him before?"
"He was the first and strongest hunter, and he was the one who created the
Hunter system and the guild system, and he was the first person who had
killed a dragon."
"He destroyed the Mayan Calendar, and he lost the chance to turn all this
around, to stop the monsters from appearing?"
954
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 115 - The World After Death, Part Ii ⦘
Jang smiled lightly at the young man's objection. "It's a lie, but... I'm telling
you clearly. If the Mayan Calendar was destroyed or not, if the boss was
alive... At this moment we could have been hunters hunting monsters, not
saving lives from monsters."
The young man shook his head in disbelief. "That's, that's ridiculous! Then,
why did he die?"
"We fired nuclear weapons, but the Emperor of the Orcs survived. It be‐
came a radioactive monster in the world, trying to cover the world with ra‐
diation. It was a funny nightmare. Who knew that mankind was going to
pay for radiation that way." Jang, who was spitting out his words, coughed
again. Blood was pouring out, but it was not severe. He secretly guessed his
body condition.
"... I could talk more, but anyway, someone had to kill it, and the boss went
out."
"No, the boss was already dying at that time." Jang, who was spitting out
his words, sighed again. "It was a price because he had eaten so much, a
very strong force, and the boss was willing to fight because he was dying."
"Yes?"
"So someone would see the world after his death, and he thought it would
be an opportunity."
"What? What..."
"Haha! Khuck!" Jang, who was spitting his words, threw up more blood.
The amount of blood that he was spitting out was enormous, as if the com‐
posure that came after the cough was the calm before the storm.
955
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 115 - The World After Death, Part Ii ⦘
"Now the real death is before me." So, he was able to feel that his death was
coming.
"I think this is the right time." The time has come to spit out the last words.
"The Manpasikjeok can only calm down the Curse of the Dragon, but the
boss will continue to decline. So to survive, he has to eat the immortal Wolf
Chernobog in Russia. The only answer is to get the power of immortality.
Bogatri's Great Sword will make it possible."
"What, what?"
Jang smiled at the surprised man, and said, "This is my message to send to
myself."
5.
-- I finish my report. Oh, shit. What a funny! I did not get married even
when I was forty years old. I was the same as a eunuch. Wait, wait! Take the
words out! Delete the words! Damn it, how do I delete this?-
In front of the voice of the Okjo, which was constantly talking, Kim Tae-
hoon started to drip coffee down once again into an empty coffee cup. The
room, which was already full with coffee odors, began to fill with the heavy
aroma of coffee once again.
He did not have to drink coffee, just with the coffee fragrance alone.
However, he had coffee again, as if that was not enough after he had al‐
ready had a lot of coffee. In that state, he closed his eyes.
After Kim died, it was the Six Snakes that brought order after such mon‐
sters, and the world was still overflowing with monsters. The world was
dominated by the Six Snakes, and the Mac Guild was the only resistance to
956
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 115 - The World After Death, Part Ii ⦘
those Six Snakes, and I became... the worst villain on the Earth, who had
led the world to its end.
In the situation where they set the new order, the Six Snakes began to erase
the history of the Mac Guild, and to paint over the colors where they had
been erased.
'After all, Jang Sung-hoon, who led the Mac Guild to the end, was shot by a
subordinate who had fallen to the temptation of the Six Snakes.'
The peak was Jang's death. His closest aide was tempted the Six Snakes,
and a single shot became his end. Just before his death, he left a clue about
how Kim Tae-hoon could survive.
When Kim finished thinking, he opened his eyes. There was no nervousness
or shaking in his eyes.
'Not bad.'
If he said that there was no agitation, it would be a lie. But the situation was
not complicated enough to shake him long. The situation was rather simple.
'Nothing is complicated.'
There was no need to doubt someone new, and what to do right now was
also clear. Furthermore, the distinction of the enemy was clear, and the
clues were overflowing.
Most of all, the most faithful thing was that Jang Sung-hoon followed Kim
Tae-hoon until the very end.
'The fact that there is a man who will work hard for me in the world after
my death, means that I have already acquired thousands of troops and
957
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 115 - The World After Death, Part Ii ⦘
Kim smiled lightly and rose up from his seat after the last coffee.
When Kim moved on, left his room, and entered the new room, all the peo‐
ple in the room got up and started saluting.
"None yet."
"Yes."
'There is no more courtesy after this. There is only inhumane and more irra‐
tional violence than anywhere else.'
958
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 115 - The World After Death, Part Ii ⦘
It was Japan that had pointed the gun at Korea and pulled the trigger first. If
their opponent ignored the declaration of war in a situation with justifica‐
tion and courtesy, then they believed they didn't need to respond. All they
needed would be anger.
"Then deliver it to everyone." At the words, the people in the room moved
briskly.
Kim read the letter in a loud voice that his subordinate had handed him im‐
mediately.
Kim explained at the surprise response. "It's not a notice of a war between
nations, but a duel notice that says Musashi and I will bring an end to this
with our bare hands."
"Fighting unarmed?"
"No way!"
There was a violent reaction. It was a natural response to this funny situa‐
tion, where they had sent a declaration of war and been answered with a
duel, they even suggested unarmed combat? It would be better to put a head
full of blood in the hungry tiger's mouth.
However, instead of answering the reaction of his men, Kim took out the
letter he had already written in his pocket and handed it to his subordinate.
Then he said to his man, who looked puzzled.
6.
959
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 115 - The World After Death, Part Ii ⦘
It was plain in many ways, and the use of the words and sentences in Japa‐
nese was also flawless. Even a young child could understand the contents of
this declaration of war.
'It's the worst.' It was the worst, since Matsumoto Kanyo could easily pre‐
dict what Musashi would answer when he saw the contents of this letter.
And now it was time to check on his predictions. Matsumoto gave a long
sigh as he realized, 'It was not the heavens that saved the lord. He, the mon‐
ster of Joseon, deliberately saved the lord.'
"It's a war."
Musashi was fine. There was no sign that he nearly died a few days ago.
The secret was the bottles with the long snouts beside him. They were filled
with Waters of Therapy to the brim.
The first secret was to drink the healing water made by the power of the
relics, and the second secret was to fill up the powerful recovery items ob‐
tained by killing the monsters. The last secret was the anger he had now.
"I saw the letter. Kim Tae-hoon declared war on us. There will be no surren‐
der."
Musashi, who had everything away by Kim Tae-hoon, could no longer af‐
ford to see anything else. Now there was only a life to kill Kim Tae-hoon.
That was why Musashi was more energetic than ever.
'As the racehorse runs toward the finish line, it is the fastest and most ener‐
getic.'
960
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 115 - The World After Death, Part Ii ⦘
"Duel?"
"This is war, but the times have changed. We don't have to use bullets. I
think it's right to end with a summit match."
"Yes."
"Yes, it is you who understands my heart and will, and you are right."
"It doesn't matter, because the Kusanagi is like a double-edged sword. The
moment he lifts the Kusanagi, it will be the moment he dies, and he won't
use the Kusanagi against me, either."
"But just in case, you have to ask for a duel of empty hands."
"It's a fight that will decide the fate of a country, and it's not good to have
something to argue about."
"No one is afraid of a dog with its tail down. By the way, no matter how
much they prepare for it, it is not enough against Tokyo. In Tokyo is our en‐
tire power. He may have provoked this with that in mind, and he is thinking
of a duel, not a war."
961
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 115 - The World After Death, Part Ii ⦘
"Of course, you're right," Musashi nodded and gave him a quick glance.
Matsumoto Kanyo nodded in his eyes.
"Yes."
Matsumoto Khan, who came out like that, immediately painted a picture in
his mind.
'If he accepts the duel, we will use the lord as bait and put in all our power
and take Kim Tae-hoon down.'
Rather, he was trying to kill Kim Tae-hoon by putting all the power into the
fight using the opportunity of the duel. He didn't mind if it became a dis‐
grace and shame in the history books.
'History is written by the winner, anyway. When Kim Tae-hoon dies, Korea
loses all the cards it has.'
So, at this moment, Matsumoto Kanyo had to worry about only one thing:
to assess Kim Tae-hoon, who would be caught in the trap.
962
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 115 - The World After Death, Part Ii ⦘
At this moment, Matsumoto Kanyo began to worry about Kim Tae-hoon be‐
ing at the same grade as the Eight-tailed Fox.
[Acceptance of the Duel; the place is the Asagiri Jamboree Golf Club, east
of Mt. Fuji]
963
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 116 - The World After Death, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
8.
'It is a golf course located on the east side of Mt. Fuji, the Divine Mountain
of Japan, and it has many advantages. Famously, it is one of the few golf
courses where someone can see his own ball flying toward the top of Mt.
Fuji. It is also a place where many golfers want to play a round once.'
Of course, all of this was before 2017. As it entered the fall of 2017, it was
not possible to find an image of a golf course anywhere in the Asagiri Jam‐
boree Golf Club. The lawns, which had always been neatly trimmed, were
dead, and the place was occupied by swathes of hearty weeds, and the land‐
scaped trees were now showing a wildness belying the hands of man.
BoxN ovel.com
The finishing stroke was taken by two guests who had visited this golf
course about a year ago. Kim Tae-hoon appeared in the black military uni‐
form of the special forces, and Musashi was wearing a colorful kimono.
There was no room for the words 'golf course' to intervene in the presence
of those two.
"Kim Tae-hoon."
964
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 116 - The World After Death, Part Iii ⦘
It was a distance where they only needed to raise their voices a little to talk
to each other.
"So I'll speak Japanese." The voice spitting out the words was loud, and the
emotions in the voice were also strong and explicit. He was angry, wary at
the same time, and yet confident on the other hand.
"Now, you will pay for it. Starting with your death, everything will be rav‐
aged. Everything you want to protect and everything on the Korean Penin‐
sula will be wiped out. I promise!"
However, the words of Musashi, which were blocked by nothing, did not
continue. "Why don't you speak?"
Kim kept silent! It was not so good to see Musashi talking to Kim, who was
not answering.
Kim finally answered at the question of Musashi. "Ten seconds. I'll attack in
ten seconds. This is the last of my courtesy." After finishing his speech, he
shouted "TEN!" in Japanese. Then, he began to lower the number in turn.
'How dare you...!' Musashi's face was firm. It was the first time he had ever
been ignored since he had become an Awakener after the monsters ap‐
peared. He had never been ignored, even by monsters. He was always a
threat to monsters. It would be strange if he was not angry. But he did not
leave himself in anger at this moment.
The opponent in front of him was such a monster that he could not guaran‐
tee his victory. No matter how much they promised to fight without the help
of any relics under the understanding, he was the monster of the monsters
who ate a dark blue-grade monster stone.
965
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 116 - The World After Death, Part Iii ⦘
Of course, Musashi could not guarantee victory, but he did not doubt his
victory. He would be hurt, but there was no doubt that God would choose
him in the end. He thought this moment was one of the great hardships and
adversity that God gave him, and the page he had to go through before he
moved on to a new chapter.
"いち."
When Musashi was preparing for his decision, the moment the number 1
was spoken, the number made Musashi charge ahead like a Formula Racing
car.
'Jerk!' He injected the power God had given him to his powerful body, his A
Rank Energy. His body was an iron horse moving at a dead run. It became a
monster that nothing could stop. It was at the level that just bumping into it
was enough to crush someone. Even few monsters could avoid him physi‐
cally.
There was nothing wrong with his action. His choice was right, his body
and Energy synergized wonderfully. The only problem was one... the man
in front of him was Kim Tae-hoon.
'Oh, no way!' He struggled to tear away this oppressive power, but it was
not easy. No, if he was given time, Musashi was confident of being able to
shake off this power. But he didn't have a long time. He needed just a sec‐
ond. He was confident that he would be able to shake off the chain if he was
given about a second, frankly.
On the other hand, a second was all the time Kim needed to kill Musashi,
who had come too close to him.
966
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 116 - The World After Death, Part Iii ⦘
'Ah!' Only then did Musashi actually see Kim Tae-hoon. 'It was all his aim,'
he thought, 'and the countdown was a trap...'
Musashi could see the hair that had turned white, like the fur of the Eight-
tailed Fox, and the eyes of the Fox that reminded him of it, and the image of
Kim's black fist coming at him.
9.
Kim Tae-hoon and Musashi promised three things ahead of the battle.
The reason why the wide golf course became the stage of the duel was due
to the first promise.
'If they see something, if a lot of power moves, there are not many stages
where they can notice it.'
Of course, this promise had a blind spot. For the Iga ninjas who could hide
themselves in the shadows, it was not difficult to hide in the golf course and
approach them without being seen by the target, with the power of the
relics.
Matsumoto Kanyo secretly called the ninjas and ordered them, "When the
Lord and Kim Tae-hoon attack together, when the battle begins, and when
the gap is seen, all of you attack Kim Tae-hoon. Don't worry about the
Lord's anger. Kill Kim Tae-hoon with enough determination to crush your
own bones."
It wasn't over there. Since then, the disciplined ninjas began training with a
number of scenarios in mind. They made a manual for all situations.
967
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 116 - The World After Death, Part Iii ⦘
'Huh?'
'What?'
But there was no such thing in their manual, after the battle began, a single
punch shattered the sun they were supposed to protect and serve. It was a
shock that didn't even allow for embarrassment.
And that was what Kim Tae-hoon aimed for. He had already anticipated that
there was no reason for Musashi to come alone, and there was already nin‐
jas everywhere. So, he intentionally provoked Musashi to end the duel in
one punch.
He knew that if the battle against him was prolonged, it would be dangerous
for himself. Of course, having achieved what he wanted, he moved on to
the next step.
Anger Soaring! The skill that had already worked against the ninjas hidden
in the shadows once again appeared.
The explosion that burst out with thunder and fire blew away the ninjas as
they were quietly breathing around him.
"Aaaaaaargh!"
"Khuck!"
Screams began to rage all over the place. But even those screams didn't last
long.
Kim, whose hair had turned white, lifted his palms and showed a lump of
basketball-sized bundle of translucent spheres.
The beads were the power achieved after, eating the crystal of the Eight-
tailed Fox. He gave his power to the Telekinetic Beads that he created.
968
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 116 - The World After Death, Part Iii ⦘
'I did not expect that the power of Ghost Turtle is used like this!'
As he injected the power of the Ghost Turtle, the Devil Shield, into it, the
shape of the Telekinetic Beads changed to the devil face on the back of the
Ghost Turtle.
"Ugh..."
"Huck!"
The Devil Shield that terrorized everything it faced made them mannequins
as those who survived in the explosion regained consciousness, and at‐
tempted to attack him. The battlefield began to tingle with fear.
10.
A man was walking on the golf course, now reddish with blood. The man
was Matsumoto Khan, who had to lead the battlefield from a safe distance.
But now he was on the battlefield himself. There was only one reason: to
declare surrender.
Japan has lost Musashi. He was hope. He was the sun that rose in Japan,
and he was the only sun. His sun could brighten the nightmare world domi‐
nated by the two dark blue-grade monsters still in Hokkaido, and a monster
called the King of the Sea ranging the East Sea.
But now there was no Musashi. There was no way to stop one of the mon‐
sters of Hokkaido coming down to Tokyo right now. That was the first rea‐
son for surrendering. "I will surrender unconditionally, and I will hand over
all the rights of the Japanese Empire to Korea."
969
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 116 - The World After Death, Part Iii ⦘
"I will also humbly accept any punishment for this." And the second reason
for surrender was to plan the following.
'I will give you everything. I will dedicate you everything. I will plan the
following in return.'
'There is nothing perfect in this world, nothing eternal. The same is true of
defeat. There is no perfect defeat, no eternal obedience.'
'I'll bow my head right now, but one day I'll look up and see the sun again.'
There was no way that Japan could not do that. Joseon was independent
only until the Japanese colonial period. At least that was what Matsumoto
Kanyo thought. So, he came here to survive, and then he knelt down to
make life somehow in exchange for the unspeakable humiliation, and to get
Kim Tae-hoon's sympathy and mercy by showing the most depressing ap‐
pearance that could be shown.
"If you survive, you can do anything." The only problem was that the man
in front of him was Kim Tae-hoon.
"Betrayal, revenge, retaliation, reversal... those are the things you can do
when you are alive. Nothing is possible if you die."
Kim Tae-hoon blackened his fist with his words. "Matsumoto Kanyo, so
will you. If you want to survive, you'll do anything, and wait for a crack."
"Yes, yes! In this way, the world will think of you as an enemy! Will you
turn the world against you?"
970
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 116 - The World After Death, Part Iii ⦘
At the last words, Kim punched with his fist instead of answering. Ppaak! A
horrifying sound rang through the world.
11.
Kim knew the fact better than anyone else about what the group that the
collapsed command team would face later. He had to know because it was
the main mission he did during his military days to remove the head of a
group, the leading members, and the command structure.
'Surprisingly, the time for confusion when the command collapses is not
very long, because they are human beings. When the head at the top is cut
off, those who are below him start their own judgment. Now they start tap‐
ping the calculator without reading the countenances of their superiors.'
'The confusion comes when the thoughts and judgments from a lot of heads
are set to a controversy. In other words, the time they knock on the calcula‐
tor is a golden time that can calm the confusion.'
"Hiyoshi, the Kyushu branch manager, I will now appoint him as governor
of the Japanese Government-General."
Kim had no intention of missing the golden time. At the same time, he
knew who should be his agent at this moment.
"Yes."
Kim Tae-hoon was planning to put Hiyoshi as the new head in Japan when
its old head disappeared.
971
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 116 - The World After Death, Part Iii ⦘
reason why Kim Tae-hoon and his men were able to enter Japan without
blood?'
"He's already a traitor." It was the basis for setting him up as a head of
Japan.
"If I give him power, there will be a group of rebels against him and then he
will want to crush them to live, because he is greedy. He'll fight to keep
what's in his hands."
"As we remember Ye Wanyong the traitor, who we should have killed more
than Ito Hirobumi, most grudges will turn to him if Hiyoshi becomes the
head."
The men nodded at the explanation of Kim, who was so reasonable. At the
same time, the men had their last question. "Hiyoshi, will he accept this of‐
fer?"
Kim answered the question calmly. "Do you think he'll choose to kill him‐
self?"
As long as Japan had been attacked and had fallen, the Six Snakes would
not let this fact go. So, Kim was worried.
'What would I do if I were the Six Snakes? What will be the next step the
Six Snakes take?'
At that moment, Kim's gaze turned in the opposite direction of Mt. Fuji,
where the largest island of the Republic of Korea was located.
972
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 116 - The World After Death, Part Iii ⦘
12.
It was a more luxurious room than anywhere else, a room filled with bril‐
liant relics, powerful and unbelievable relics that emitted light on their own.
There was a young man, with a magnifying glass, staring at a globe. Then
the man began to write something down on a sheet of paper, as if he had
found something over the magnifying glass.
A woman entered the room where the man was. "Mr. Mao."
As soon as she appeared, the man, who was still looking at the globe with a
magnifying glass, said to the woman, who had knelt on the floor and bowed
her head, "Tell me briefly."
At that, the young man, Mao, turned his head and looked at the woman.
"Send an Okjo to Major Chinshan, who entered North Korea."
"We must withdraw the troops. What does it mean to hit Korea right now,
when Japan is down?"
The woman spoke to him cautiously. "If Japan's military and South Korea's
military forces are combined... it will not be easy to put pressure with mili‐
tary action. If you want to do so, you have to lead a lot of troops, and it will
be easier to become a monster's target."
973
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 116 - The World After Death, Part Iii ⦘
"It's not possible. According to the information of Major General Lee Ki-
soo, he's the best assassin in the world, and we appreciate him being a
hunter."
Mao, who was speaking, smiled lightly as if something had come to his
mind. "Then we just have to give the hunter a suitable, serious problem.
Send some people to Jeju Island."
"Yes?"
"I'll see if Kim Tae-hoon can stand in front of a real dark blue monster."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------
"Readers, I will not be posting new chapters from tomorrow even though
I've nearly finished translating the First Hunter. There's some stuff going on
behind the scenes at Qidian here, and I am going to wait for them to get re‐
solved. It may be a few days before the story restarts... or never, if these
things don't get resolved. I thank you for your understanding, and I hope to
get new chapters out to you as soon as possible!" -- From Khan.
974
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 117 - Pyongyang, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
"Yes!"
Busan Port.
BoxN ovel.com
Like a wall that had collapsed in a brutal attack of barbarians, the voices of
the people were echoing for a long time in the place where container boxes
collapsed by the monsters were scattered around like playing cards.
"Yes!"
At the heart of the activity were soldiers. They aligned in straight rows with
strict discipline, each dressed in a neat military uniform that showed their
belongings. The tightness of the strict discipline was so sharp that it seemed
to cut their skin.
"Pay attention!"
The person they would face from now on was a man who had no shortage
of achievements compared to anyone in the history of the Republic of Ko‐
rea, and even in the history of the Korean Peninsula.
975
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 117 - Pyongyang, Part I ⦘
"It's the first time for us to meet the master who has conquered the archipel‐
ago! Don't look distracted!"
"Yes!"
Kim Tae-hoon was the man who took over the dark blue monster, the Eight-
tailed Fox; who crushed Japan alone, when it claimed itself to be an empire
and showed an unbelievably arrogant ambition toward the Korean Penin‐
sula. Finally, after finishing the conquest of Japan, he would arrive at Busan
Port with his spoils. He was the man who the soldiers gathered here now
had to meet.
It was a historic moment. In the future... No, it was a moment that would be
a legend tomorrow morning, not to mention in the future.
Soon, a ship showed its presence in Busan Port. The type of the ship was an
Aegis Destroyer. It was the youngest of the Aegis ships owned by Ashigara
and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces. It was a treasure that could
not be exchanged with anything in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense
Forces. But the flag above the Aegis Destroyer was not the Rising Sun flag
of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces.
The Taegeukgi, the Korean flag, which could not be confused with the Ris‐
ing Sun flag, was flapping on the top of the Aegis Destroyer's mast, and in‐
dicated intensely and fiercely about who the owner of this ship was.
'Oh, my God!'
Gulp! Some of the people who checked it through the telescope first swal‐
lowed without knowing it.
976
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 117 - Pyongyang, Part I ⦘
'He has really brought back warships... Has there ever been anything like
this done in the history of war?'
An Aegis Destroyer.
In truth, the utility of the Aegis in the present situation was defin itely worse
than before the monsters appeared. The best value of the Aegis was not
only its combat capability of a simple battleship, but also the ability to re‐
spond after processing the information through a supercomputer, acquired
through a high-performance radar system.
It was clear that the value of the Aegis Destroyer was not the same in a
world where radar didn't work well. However, for that reason, no one depre‐
cated the value of the Aegis ship approaching Busan Port. Bringing a battle‐
ship worth over a billion dollars in as spoils of victory was hard to find any‐
where in the history of human war.
'Since all the warships of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces have be‐
come ours... how much is that?'
Moreover, the Aegis ship that was now coming to Busan Port was just the
beginning. In fact, all of Japan's warships had become spoils of war, and
their value was virtually beyond the level of money.
Who would have expected the Republic of Korea to take these spoils from
Japan?
'Huck!' Sitting on the Aegis was a monster's body that chilled their spines.
Although it was cut off and bloodstained, the remains of the Eight-tailed
Fox, who still had its charming white fur, were decked out, and those who
977
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 117 - Pyongyang, Part I ⦘
"Ah..." They were blank, forgetting that they had to report the facts they
had checked with a telescope in real time. As soon as the Aegis arrived at
the port, the soldiers' discipline reached their peak.
'Here he is.'
Even the officers, who were watching for those who were disorganized in
posture and uniform, were dumbed down. So, they waited for the appear‐
ance of the man who would mark the end of this historical moment.
But the man they were waiting for did not appear. Rather, the man who got
off the ship was the first person they saw. Even the man who got off the
ship began to run in front of the soldiers, showing an urgent appearance.
The man stood in front of Colonel Yang Jung-hoon, the conductor directing
the scene at Busan Port.
It was yesterday that he was informed that Kim Tae-hoon would come to
Busan Port with his spoils, and of course, Colonel Yang prepared to wel‐
come Kim with all his might. The soldiers had also prepared all the cameras
for the historical scene, fearing it might not be recorded properly due to
lack of historical records.
978
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 117 - Pyongyang, Part I ⦘
"Well..."
'Ah.' That was enough explanation. There was no one in Korea who did not
know how Kim Tae-hoon appeared. Of course, Colonel Yang did not intend
to finish the story there.
'Let's say he flew into the sky.' "Where did he go, then? Didn't he leave any
words?"
"Where is it?"
2.
When the monsters appeared, Kim Tae-hoon thought, "We can be self-suffi‐
cient on the Korean Peninsula, but it is impossible to maintain military
power through self-sufficiency. To survive, we must eventually take over
North Korea and then advance to the continent."
'In order to secure the future, not for our immediate survival, we must go
through North Korea and to the continent.'
There was another man who thought the same thing: Colonel Lim Hyun-
joon. He, who had taken control of the 8th Mechan ized Infantry Division
and succeeded in winning the forefront power and Gangwon's military
forces sequentially, knew that he could never guarantee the future with hav‐
979
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 117 - Pyongyang, Part I ⦘
ing North Korea as it was above South Korea. So, he started preparing to
advance to North Korea early on.
The work was accelerated when Kim Tae-hoon occupied the Capital De‐
fense Command, in fact, and when the Republic of Korea began to function
again and confirmed that the North Korean regime had collapsed.
Under the command of the 8th Mechan ized Infantry Division, the entry into
North Korea began.
Tututu! Tutututu!
"Keep shooting!"
"Yes!"
"Don't stop! Shoot without being seen! If the shots stop, the damn Goblins
will come in flocks!"
The advance to North Korea that started like that was not easy. Once, the
route itself to North Korea was basically limited. It was not easy to get past
the demilitarized zone right now.
Passing through one of the densest minefields in the world was virtually the
same as crossing a bridge between two cliffs. It was not easy to move ar‐
mored power, and supply was not easy. It certainly proved true here.
North Korea was full of monsters. It was because no monster hunting had
been done. This was a natural thing.
980
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 117 - Pyongyang, Part I ⦘
"Perhaps the demilitarized zone stopped the monsters from coming south,
or we would have been no different than North Korea."
"I agree."
Moreover, the monsters in Manchuria, China and Russia also flocked to the
Korean Peninsula. In the position of monsters who recognized humans as
food, it was natural for monsters to follow survivors, and it was also natural
for such monsters to be driven to the Korean Peninsula, where many people
still survived.
If the minefields in the demilitarized zone had not prevented the enormous
number of monsters from stepping into South Korea, Korea would have be‐
come no different from North Korea, which was now a world of monsters.
In other words, they could no longer rely on the protection of the demilita‐
rized zone, as they stepped onto the North Korean land beyond it.
"It's green."
"Goddamn it!"
981
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 117 - Pyongyang, Part I ⦘
Of course, there was no such thing as freedom to avoid the fear and despair
that would dare to challenge them.
"Hoo!"
"There is no backup, no ammunition left, and what are the chances of run‐
ning away and surviving?"
"When we throw a coin, we're going to get a chance of the coin standing."
"Really?"
If they had intended to avoid fear and despair in the first place, no one
would have come here.
At the words of Master Sergeant Kim Se-hyung, all of his troops began to
smile at the firm expression. It was not a pretentious smile. They smiled
sincerely. The fact that they had to face death now only made them harder.
"I'm sorry, guys." Kim Se-hyung asked for forgiveness for such troops.
"Well, it was good to survive. How many of the GOPs have survived and
stepped on North Korea?"
The troops were willing to forgive Kim Se-hyung. Finally, they were silent
for a moment.
Tututu! Everyone prepared for a worthy death among the scattered shots to
check the crowd of Goblins. They took out a plastic wrapper that reminded
982
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 117 - Pyongyang, Part I ⦘
them of candy. They took the edge of the sawtooth off by hand and peeled
off the wrapping paper, and the pill hidden in it appeared.
Arousal.
It was made from a monster as a material, and it had the effect of raising re‐
sistance against monster fear for a time. It was not something easily made.
Gulp! But no one hesitated to swallow it. Everyone ate the stimulant at the
same time. A yellowish aura began to circulate in their eyes.
"Hoo!" There were strong breaths everywhere. Their actions were not over
yet. Everyone put their hands in their pockets again. They brought out
something that reminded them of candy. No, it was candy. It was coffee-fla‐
vored candy.
The brands were different, but all of them were coffee-flavored candy. Ev‐
eryone took out the coffee flavored candy carefully, with a more serious
look than when eating the stimulant, and they ripped the wrapping paper off
and put it in their mouth.
And they wished, 'Please, let us have luck. Please let our sacrifice be the ba‐
sis for our colleagues, not the struggle. Please be a survivor and enjoy the
sad luck of telling our child or grandchildren what we are doing today.'
When everyone was so eager to speak, something fell from the sky. Thump!
It fell like a lightning bolt, and without looking around, it approached Kim
Se-hyung, who was the highest-ranked here, straight away. "Report the situ‐
ation."
Kim Se-hyung, who was chewing a candy, was so surprised by this sudden
situation that he swallowed the candy.
983
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 117 - Pyongyang, Part I ⦘
"I am, Master Sergeant Kim Se-hyung of the 22nd Division, and I am re‐
porting now. There is a green-grade monster ahead and we are working on
buying time to help the troops retreat."
"Yes?"
At the words, the men, who were making surprised expressions, stood up
without knowing it.
Kkiii! At the same time, the Goblins who had been after them began to rush
toward them. Everyone turned their heads in surprise. Some of the quicker
responses in the crowd immediately moved to point their rifles at the Gob‐
lins. But there were no gunshots.
Thud! The thirty Goblins that were approaching began to fall on the dirty
ground, with blood dripping through the holes in their heads.
'Huh?'
'What, what?'
Keuaaa! There were two screams, not one, bursting out at the same time.
The cry reminded everyone of what they had learned: the information that
among the green-grade monsters, the Twin-headed Ogre was the most pow‐
erful!
984
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 117 - Pyongyang, Part I ⦘
'Ah!'
They remembered the story of the hunter who had first killed the Twin-
headed Ogre. So, in front of it, Kim Se-hyung and his troops smiled instead
of crying.
Kim Tae-hoon also smiled gruffly. 'If I stay this way, I will be fooled by the
tricks of the Six Snakes.'
Kim Tae-hoon was convinced that the Six Snakes would not stay still. He
knew that they would use all means and methods to destroy him and the Re‐
public of Korea. Of course, he was going to stop their work.
Of course, he didn't want to be satisfied with the blockade. No, Kim Tae-
hoon was not such a man in the first place. He was a man whose job had
been to destroy impregnable fortresses and to destroy the elem
ents of hos‐
tile groups.
The essence now was no different. The best defense was an attack, and Kim
was willing to carry out the needs of the war. He would be beaten, but
would pay back as much as he had taken, and would further infringe their
territory so that they would not even think of doing it again.
'We take over North Korea and then we go to the continent.' North Korea
was a bridgehead for it, and that was the reason why Kim crossed the Mili‐
tary Demarcation Line without wasting time at the parade of Busan Port. Of
course, there was no time to waste against a Twin-headed Ogre.
Kim turned toward the direction of the Twin-headed Ogre. "We will take
Sariwon today, and cross the Daedong River tomorrow."
At those words, Kim Se-hyung and his troops shouted with all their might,
"Yes!"
985
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 118 - Pyongyang, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
It was the only place where landmines had been removed between Korea
and North Korea. Of course, the South Korean army was supporting all sol‐
diers and hunters working in North Korea, using the Kaesong Industrial
Complex as a base for the occupation of North Korea.
BoxN ovel.com
It was also a place where all the sad news in North Korea was gathered.
'Damn it.' Colonel Lim Hyun-joon, who was in charge of this Kaesong Ad‐
vance Base, clenched his teeth tightly in front of the repeated sad news.
986
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 118 - Pyongyang, Part Ii ⦘
He was only a colonel, but in fact, he was the commander of the Korean
army. He seemed to be the person who was in charge of the Advance Base
of the Kaesong Industrial Complex.
But the reason why he stayed himself at the Kaesong Advance Base and
took the risk was simple. 'We must build defense lines in North Korea as
soon as possible, and at least secure supply routes over Pyongyang, if not
the Yalu River.'
The fate of South Korea was at stake in occupying the land of North Korea.
'The minefields in the DMZ stop the monsters from coming down to the
south, but if we fail to move up, we're virtually isolated... if we are isolated,
we will die.'
That was a good reason. It would be strange for a soldier, whose duty was
to protect the fate of the nation, and carry out missions with the fate of the
nation at stake, to not do all he could.
Moreover, Colonel Lim knew the army better than anyone else. 'The army
is an organization, as the highest must put to practice and the subordinates
do their best. In other words, if the superiors spare themselves, no army can
exert its ability.'
'Damn it.' So it was more problematic. Although Col. Lim Hyun-joon, who
was now the Chief Commander of the Korean military, became the general
manager of the Kaesong Advance Base, the situation showed no sign of im‐
provement, even though his men were exerting more than 120 percent of
their power. The wall before them was still solid when they could no longer
squeeze more power out.
The recent increase in the number of monsters southward had been shaking
Colonel Lim's spirits. Because of that, Colonel Lim's expression was solid.
987
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 118 - Pyongyang, Part Ii ⦘
"We succeeded in killing the green-grade monster near the Pyongyang Gae‐
seong Expressway, which is located on the way to Sariwon City!"
At the voice of the man who conveyed the good news, the faces of the
crowd who had only heard sad news glowed. Colonel Lim was also the
same.
"Yes! The monster they killed..." Once again, the man who answered in a
loud voice read the note in his hand, which had been written by a bad
writer.
"Twin-headed Ogre."
Twin-headed ogre!
'What?'
'Wait, wait!'
The expressions of the crowd were more doubtful than joyous when he said
that they had hunted a monster like a nightmare, beyond their power.
Colonel Lim was also the same. 'Twin-headed Ogre! How did they kill it?'
'It is very difficult to kill a Twin-headed Ogre. In order to hunt it, a large
number of the Armored Hunting Unit must be put in, and even that is not
easy.'
In the past, the Armored Hunting Unit succeeded in hunting the Golden
Horn Spider, but it was thanks to the tendency of the Golden Horn Spider to
work in its own domain. Thanks to its tendency, they were able to build a
siege network around Jirisan safely, and after that, they could kill it because
it was hit hard by the salvo bombing.
988
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 118 - Pyongyang, Part Ii ⦘
'The activity radius of the type of monster that actively wanders is unreach‐
able, such as the Twin-headed Ogre, and it is the most difficult type for the
Armored Hunting Unit to deal with.'
"Which unit?" Colonel Lim asked on behalf of all who had doubts, and the
subordinate immediately read the note in his hand.
"The 22nd Division's Master Sergeant Kim Se-hyung and his platoon... no,
Kim Tae-hoon killed it." At that moment his subordinate's expression was
stiff.
Then the subordinate, who felt something strange, began to go white with
embarrassment, and the color of his face began to spread out.
'Really?'
'The Master?'
There was no person who did not know the name Kim Tae-hoon here.
On the other hand, Colonel Lim shook his head with a bitter smile. 'Kim has
not been changed at all.' He knew so well that Kim was such a man.
Furthermore, Colonel Lim was able to gauge what Kim wanted at this mo‐
ment.
"The master will secure the way to Sariwon City, and the rest of the men
will follow him. Give my order to them; the monsters on the Pyongyang-
Kaesong Highway will be cleaned up, so move with peace of mind."
989
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 118 - Pyongyang, Part Ii ⦘
What Kim wanted was to occupy North Korea as soon as possible. That
was all.
'We are bound to believe him. Such a figure of Kim Tae-hoon takes away
the freedom to doubt from those who follow him.'
4.
Sariwon City...
It was a place they could reach if they followed along the Pyongyang-
Kaesong Highway connecting Kaesong and Pyongyang, and a place where
the railways connecting Kaesong and Pyongyang passed.
'If Korea takes over North Korea and the trains can run again on the
Gyeongui Line, it will be a key point of transportation. That's why so far,
many people have tried and been sacrificed to secure this place first.'
"When I last heard it was definitely a monster's heaven, but I think it's like a
hell of monsters."
990
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 118 - Pyongyang, Part Ii ⦘
When they faced each other for the first in a long time, they looked at each
other and sighed as if they had promised. For a moment after that they were
silent.
"Oh, it's cold. It's definitely winter, and it's finally coming." It was Jang
Sung-hoon who spoke in the silence first. "How was your trip to Japan?"
A souvenir.
At the word, Kim Tae-hoon said with a bitter smile, "There's a ship at Bu‐
san Port. I'll give it to you as a souvenir. You can sell or use it."
"Hey, you learned how to joke since I last saw you, boss, and I'm thrilled."
The atmosphere of the conversation that started was not bad. It could not be
bad.
"Rather, what was I like? What did you think of me when I was forty years
old and never forgot my loyalty to you?"
Now, beyond the relationship between the boss and the subordinate, it was
the relationship that they could understand best as survivors of the world.
"I don't have time to waste on such a story. We will take over Pyongyang in
the shortest time, and then build a line of defense around Pyongyang."
Of course, Kim did not waste his words for a good conversation. Jang nod‐
ded at Kim's appearance. There was no sadness or anything for him. This
was what Kim looked like.
"I will kill the dragon that has settled on Mt. Halla, Jeju Island."
991
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 118 - Pyongyang, Part Ii ⦘
"... wow." Of course, Jang was forced to pause in front of Kim's announce‐
ment, which was so sudden and shocking.
"I expected something, which was not a joke, to come out, but I never
thought it would come out." Jang heaved a long sigh at the words of Kim.
"Well, I'm not going to stop you, because you don't want me to stop you.
Tell me why."
"We'd better get rid of the Six Snakes before they touch us first, and if I
want to fight against them, it's best to fight on Jeju Island."
"Is there a reason for the Six Snakes to touch the dragon?"
"Well..." Jang, who was about to ask a question in return, gave himself an
answer. "Now that neither Korea nor Japan is the Six Snakes, they don't
care about them. No matter where the dragon is on the Korean Peninsula, or
on the archipelago, they will merely look at it from the position of the Six
Snakes."
It was as he said. From the standpoint of the Six Snakes, they must now
clean up Korea and Kim Tae-hoon by all means possible. In such a situa‐
tion, the dark blue-grade monster, the dragon, which was on Mt. Halla in
Jeju Island, was the surest bomb they could blow. When Lee Ki-soo was
alive, or when Musashi led the Japanese Empire, they could not blow it. On
the other hand, there was no reason not to burst it now.
'Even if the bomb is disposed of, it is a very terrible bomb that leaves a fatal
aftereffect to someone in some way.'
"You're the one who advised me to take the power of immortality because
I'll die of another Curse if I undo the Dragon's Curse."
992
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 118 - Pyongyang, Part Ii ⦘
"It's the price for using the transcendent power rather than a curse, and if
you put an airplane engine into a small car, it's like the car breaking down."
"Ah..." With a long sigh, Jang had many worries. But he did not express his
concern. He was worried, and he just buried what he was worried about for
later. He didn't need to speak. It was Kim Tae-hoon who was determined to
do so, anyway. What Jang should do was not break Kim's determination,
but give his strength, instead.
993
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 118 - Pyongyang, Part Ii ⦘
"We are almost a year away from the appearance of the monsters... I won‐
der if they're all dead or ran away." Under such circumstances, it was un‐
likely that North Korean officials would be alive.
However, Kim's ideas were different. "The enemy of North Korea was the
United States."
"In other words, the underground bunkers made by North Korea were made
with the United States in mind." Kim knew North Korea better than anyone
else.
"That would certainly mean that they have the most amazing underground
bunkers in the world. But who knows the bunker's locations... Ah!"
The original purpose of the unit Kim belonged to, was to assassinate the
North Korean VIPs. Though the greed of those in power had led him to a
mission that had nothing to do with him, it didn't mean that its essence dis‐
appeared.
Kim had all the rights to access all the information needed to assassinate the
North Korean VIPs, and he always took full advantage of it. There was a
more complete map of Pyongyang in his mind than the citizens of Py‐
ongyang.
"Then, all we have to do is follow the boss. Then it is dragon hunting after
cleaning up Pyongyang?"
"Yes."
994
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 118 - Pyongyang, Part Ii ⦘
"So, after you finish hunting the dragon, are you thinking of going to Russia
to get the power of the immortality? To withstand the Curse of the
Dragon?"
"Yes?"
Kim answered the surprised Jang quietly, "It's much wiser to deal with them
before we are hit by them, rather than to pay it back after we are hit."
With that answer, Kim rose from his seat. "The operation is simple. If I
make a way, you follow. Tomorrow evening, we eat in Pyongyang."
995
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 119 - Pyongyang, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
5.
When the words were delivered to soldiers and hunters who were active
throughout the country trying to advance to Pyongyang, no one accepted it
as a serious story.
BoxN ovel.com
"Did he say that from the heart? I think that it's just the name of the opera‐
tion."
It was natural. Even though they had tried to go north for several months,
they had never even drunk water from the Daedong River. Therefore, it was
impossible for anyone to reach Pyongyang in just one day.
"But it's impossible to eat dinner in Pyongyang tomorrow unless the master
eats alone."
996
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 119 - Pyongyang, Part Iii ⦘
No matter how Kim appeared on the battlefield, they did not believe that it
would be possible. However, they began to change their minds when the
sun went down and the new year came up.
"Am I dreaming?"
"...if this is a dream, we're having the most brutal lucky dream in the
world."
Pyongyang-Kaesong Highway.
The road that should have been filled with cars was now occupied with the
dead bodies of monsters. What was more surprising was the state of the
dead bodies. The monsters' bodies were all beheaded and crumpled on the
street.
It was a sight that even hunters who had hunted many monsters could not
easily accept.
"No, I mean..."
It was not just because the heads were cut off. Cutting the head off was a
very effective way, because some of the monsters were still alive even after
they were struck by a hail of bullets. So, cutting off the head was one of the
most obvious treatments, after destroying the heart.
"I don't know how it's possible to make hundreds of monsters into a pile of
bodies dead at once."
The problem was the numbers. Usually, when a monster group was hit hard
enough to almost wipe them, it was when an artillery-led intensive bom‐
bardment was carried out. Of course, in that case, the condition of the bod‐
ies was far from clean. In other words, it was a common-sense picture to
those who had survived in the present era.
997
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 119 - Pyongyang, Part Iii ⦘
The testimony of those who witnessed the scene in person made the already
unusual sight more unusual.
"What?"
"Five swords moved to the monsters and cut off the monsters' heads to‐
gether."
The fact that five swords moved freely and cut off the monster's heads was
so unusual that even those who had seen it were unable to express it prop‐
erly and explain it. But no one was frightened by it.
"I just felt that when I saw the monsters came in a horde and then fall to the
ground as a headless body, all I have to do is trust the master and follow
him."
Everyone was encouraged by the dead bodies of the monsters and the sto‐
ries of their colleagues who were witnesses. Of course, those who gained
that courage no longer doubted!
"If I trust the master and follow him, I can eat dinner in Pyongyang
tonight!"
6.
Pyongyang...
The capital of North Korea was more or less as attractive as expected. The
presence of the Ryu Kyung Hotel, once the highest building in Asia, was
much more intense than expected, as well as the high-rise buildings that did
not match terrible North Korea known to the world.
998
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 119 - Pyongyang, Part Iii ⦘
So if a stranger who did not know anything saw Pyongyang now, he would
think they are filming a movie on the set. They would also think that the ac‐
tors were monsters, not humans, and among them was a giant bloody-furred
bear-man measuring at least ten meters long. Blood Werebear was the lead‐
ing actor in a movie filming in Pyongyang.
Keureureu!
Of course, as soon as they stepped into Pyongyang, they realized that it was
not a movie, but a tragic reality.
The Blood Werebear's blue eyes were full of the fear that could not be pro‐
duced in any other way. But now there were groups approaching the Blood
Werebear, monsters made of golden smoke.
Starting with an elephant, the group comprised a lion, a tiger, a bird, and
humans! It was a herd of animals that had no sense of unity. At the same
time, it was a group that could not be any threat at all. There was no reason
to be afraid of their claws and teeth, which were otherwise devoid of sub‐
stance.
Blood Werebear was one of the monsters with blue eyes! It didn't even in‐
tend to take this ridiculous threat seriously. Therefore, Blood Werebear
opened its mouth and vomited its fear out through its huge mouth.
Keueoeoeong! The ferocious fear that could destroy the heart of the listener
shook Pyongyang.
The animals in gold smoke were the same. Their bodies began to tremble
like a haze in front of the fear that the Blood Werebear was letting free.
999
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 119 - Pyongyang, Part Iii ⦘
Toot-toot! Then the two sounds of the tungso, the six-holed bamboo flute,
and the zither began to blend together.
The golden beasts of the play began to change. The golden smoke beasts,
which were swaying like a haze in the fear, were no longer shaken, and it
wasn't just that.
Ppoo-woo-woo! Every beast began to get bigger, and their claws and teeth
turned sharper and sharper. They became beasts which even Blood Were‐
bear could not help but respond to seriously.
Keuwawaang! Of course, the Blood Werebear did not feel a sense of crisis
or shrink back. On the contrary, it charged toward the golden beasts that
were now clearly its enem
ies.
The Blood Werebear started to run on the road, its paws thudding loudly,
while golden beasts also began to race, too. The battle that began was aston‐
ishing.
Keuaang! Whenever the Blood Werebear swung its arm, the building
nearby became a garbage dump. Furthermore, unlike regular bears, a two-
legged Blood Werebear had longer arms than legs, and its upper body was
larger than its lower body.
Its offense was very diverse. As long as the Blood Werebear just ran up and
swung its arms, it used its arms as if it were a human boxer. Above all, its
power was enormous.
Its might, which made the Twin-head Ogre's strength laughable, was so
powerful that it could fling the golden smoke elephant nearly a hundred me‐
ters away. The elephant was oppressed that much, so the tiger and the lion
couldn't do their best.
Keuwang!
1000
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 119 - Pyongyang, Part Iii ⦘
They tried all they could to leave the marks on the body of the Blood Were‐
bear with their teeth and claws, but the damage was only a scratch. They
were clearly inferior. No one could see a winning chance for the beasts of
the golden smoke.
At that time, a Sword flew from a long distance and stuck into the Blood
Werebear's chest with breathtaking speed.
Keueoh? While the surprised Blood Wearer was in a state of confusion, an‐
other Sword flew over and drove into its chest again.
Keuaaah! The Blood Werebear, who had been attacked on its chest twice in
a row, looked in the direction the Swords had come from with surprised and
angry eyes.
Pook, pook! At that moment, two more swords, two katanas, dug into the
eyes of the Blood Werebear. That was the beginning.
Pook! The seventh Japanese sword in the body of the Blood Werebear was
a katana named Tojigiri Yasutsuna, which was one of the five most power‐
ful swords in the world.
Pook! The eighth Japanese sword was one of the five most powerful swords
in the world, named Mikazuki Munechika.
Keueoeoeo! This sword, which pulled out the loudest scream from the
Blood Werebear's mouth, was considered to be the peak of the Japanese
swords.
1001
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 119 - Pyongyang, Part Iii ⦘
King's use! It was a treasure among the treasures, and not even designated
as a national treasure because it was a possession of the Heavenly King, the
Japanese Emperor.
Only one person would use such a treasure as a substitute for an arrow, and
that was Kim Tae-hoon.
From a distance where they could not see the Blood Werebear with human
eyes, he saw it very clearly with his black Eyes, as twenty-five Swords
waited for their owner to call them.
Tsureung! Now the tenth sword showed itself, and without delay began its
flight toward the Blood Werebear.
7.
3 p.m.
By the time hunger began to circulate, soldiers and hunters began to enter
Pyongyang City.
For monsters, it was a pleasant situation that their prey appeared at their
feet after a long time. But no monster dared approach the crowd. It was be‐
cause of the man who led the crowd: Kim Tae-hoon.
There was no monster willing to show its teeth to him, who had defeated
the Blood Werebear and become the new owner of Pyongyang.
"From now on, we are getting rid of all the monsters in Pyongyang."
Of course, it did not mean that Kim Tae-hoon was giving mercy to the mon‐
sters who did not attack.
1002
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 119 - Pyongyang, Part Iii ⦘
What was needed was a command from a trustworthy leader and its leader.
"Yes!" At Kim Tae-hoon's order, the soldiers and hunters who came to Py‐
ongyang felt their eyes burning, and so the cleaning began.
----
"Boss." The conversation between Kim Tae-hoon and Jang Sung-hoon be‐
gan.
At the words of Jang, Kim rubbed his temple with his right hand instead of
answering. "It's not enough."
"Yes?"
"I'm not sure about the dragon hunt with this much." In fact, Kim was not
very happy now. He was not as sure as he had claimed.
"This isn't enough?" Jang was dumbfounded at the fact. Moreover, Kim's
poor appearance and uttering that he was not so sure about his hunting was
almost unheard of in his memory.
If Kim made a weak sound, those who followed him should have exagger‐
ated their pain. However, he did not want to hide the reality with his awk‐
ward confidence at this moment.
The first death he had experienced after drinking Napoleon's Golden Glass
was the one by a dragon. So he knew better than anyone what the level of
battle with the dragon was.
1003
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 119 - Pyongyang, Part Iii ⦘
Jang, who knew that fact, shook his head. "So you came to Pyongyang," he
suddenly said.
"Yes?" This time, Jang cocked his head. "Isn't this reason why you came to
Pyongyang?"
"The reason I came to Pyongyang was to take over Pyongyang and deploy a
defensive force here, as I explained yesterday."
"That's natural, but what I'm saying..." At that moment, Jang made a sudden
expression, as if he had just realized something. "You didn't know. No, you
could not help but not know, because I never told you." He continued care‐
fully, "There is a royal tomb of King Dongmyeong in Pyongyang, the tomb
of Dongmyeongseongwang, also known as Jumong of Goguryeo!"
1004
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 120 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
When Kim Tae-hoon went through hard training and joined the Secret Spe‐
cial Forces, a so-called Ghost Unit, the first education he received was
about their goals.
"The most secret underground bunker among them is the Tongil Station of
the Chollima Line. It is located deep enough to take 20 minutes down the
escalator and is located closest to the Taedong River. Because securing
drinking water is easy, it is possible for them to survive for five years in a
secret underground bunker located here. There are also things that North
Korean officials can cash in at any time, including the Rolex watch Che
Guevara liked, gold, artworks, and relics."
BoxN ovel.com
The targets of the Ghost Unit were, of course, North Korean officials. It
was their duty to get rid of those who had helped and served as tools to the
1005
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 120 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part I ⦘
"In other words, it is virtually impossible to get in there and escape after the
mission is complete. As I said earlier, the place is deep and well guarded.
It's impossible to kill someone and to come out alive."
Only the mission was all about the existence of the Ghost Unit.
"I tell you clearly, if you complete your mission at the Tongil Station, kill
yourselves as soon as you complete it."
In other words, at the moment of completion of the mission, the reason for
the existence of the Ghost Unit seemed to disappear.
"I say again, kill yourselves as soon as you complete your mission, and I
will not allow you to die until then."
------
Each step was strange. It was as he said. At this moment, Kim did not know
exactly what his feelings were. He did not know whether he was happy, sad,
regretful, or satisfied.
'Here.'
Kim's footsteps stopped in front of a big iron door. The iron door was so
firm that the scars created by the monsters' claws were nearly nothing, and
it revealed its determination that it would not allow an unpermitted person
to visit.
In front of the door, Kim was able to make one thing clear.
1006
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 120 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part I ⦘
'This is the end of the duty of soldier Kim Tae-hoon. Today, the military's
mission for Kim Tae-hoon will be over. But it does not mean that Kim Tae-
hoon will be killing himself here. If there is anything that will die here to‐
day, it is only the soldier Kim Tae-hoon, not the hunter Kim Tae-hoon.'
Therefore, Kim Tae-hoon did not hesitate. His right fist, standing in front of
the iron door, began to blacken. The black skin passed his arm at once,
making his upper body and even his face black. Then he threw his black fist
toward the iron door.
2.
Located a little distance away from Pyongyang, it was literally the tomb of
King Dongmyeong, the founder of Goguryeo.
Of course, there were different opinions about the fact that it was the tomb
of the real King Dongmyeong.
"Yes? It was called the Royal Tomb of King Dongmyeong, and King
Dongmyeong must have been Jumong..."
"No, it is clear that Pyongyang is not the first place where Jumong died."
1007
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 120 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part I ⦘
"Isn't it Korean history we forget first when the College Scholastic Ability
Test has ended?"
It was during the reign of King Jangsu that Pyongyang became the capital
of Goguryeo. King Dongmyeong's Tomb in Jolbon was moved to Py‐
ongyang at that time, which was the current speculation about the existence
of the Royal Tomb of King Dongmyeong in Pyongyang. There was no defi‐
nite evidence found that it was truly the tomb of Jumong.
"But the historians would not have called it the Royal Tomb of King
Dongmyeong... there is definitely some reason for it."
"That's what we do, in common sense, but this is not a country of common
sense."
"Even after the North Korean officials who visited South Korea saw Cheon‐
machong, the Tomb in Gyeongju, he insisted that the height of the Royal
Tomb of King Dongmyeong not be lower than that of the South Korean
Cheonmachong, so they raised the height of the Royal Tomb of King
Dongmyeong by two meters."
"Yes."
The high official of North Korea said that it was the Royal Tomb of King
Dongmyeong, but what kind of crazy historian would try and work to deny
it? So far, the Royal Tomb of King Dongmyeong had never been properly
verified, unlike the royal tombs of Baekje or Silla. That was why Jang was
concerned. "Even if it's real, it's a problem."
"Yes?"
And that was not the only reason Jang Sung-hoon was worried. "My spe‐
cialty is the forgery of art."
1008
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 120 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part I ⦘
"Come on, everyone knows about it. Why do you pretend you don't know?
Anyway, North Korean relics are classified separ ately at the art black mar‐
ket, especially in the Chinese art black market."
North Korea was a paradise for robbers. Survival was the supreme task of
the nation, so to protect their national treasures and history was another na‐
tion's story.
"For example, if we say that the mayor of Gyeongju ran away stealing the
relics of the Cheonmachong on one big last job before leaving Korea, no
one would believe it. But if a North Korean official stole the Royal Tomb of
King Dongmyeong and fled to China to secure funds for escaping from
North Korea, most people would believe it, right?"
"First of all, the worst murderer in the world is reigning as king in North
Korea, and it may be too much to wish that the real relic in the murderer's
front yard is intact."
Nevertheless, the reason why Jang Sung-hoon came to the Royal Tomb of
King Dongmyeong was simple. 'In Lotto, you have to scratch it before you
know whether you won or not.'
"We need to know whether we lost the draw, so we can move on to the
next."
"And I told you honestly, but my feeling is telling me that I'm going to get a
bit hit in Pyongyang."
1009
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 120 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part I ⦘
Furthermore, Jang felt that something great would happen when he stepped
on Pyongyang.
"It was when most of my fellow troops were eaten by the Mud Troll in the
Ojung-dong military base, and only Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji and twenty of us
were still alive and trembling."
"No."
"Then what-"
"I met the boss." Finally, Jang held a prepared shovel with his last words.
"Now, let's get started!"
3.
Colonel Lim Hyun-joon's Armored Hunting Unit was the best combat unit
combining Awakeners and the army. Naturally, with confidence in the Ar‐
mored Hunting Unit, he wanted to create a power of the new generation that
combined Awakeners and the army. Here, he once again came up with a
new idea.
"I think it's faster for them to use a shovel and a pickaxe than a folk-crane."
After combining Awakeners with the engineers, Colonel Lim created a very
strange unit called the Special Engineer Unit. It wasn't the end. In planning
a Special Engineer Unit, he visited Park Kap-soo, the chief of the work‐
1010
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 120 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part I ⦘
The following was the creed that Colonel Lim gave to the completed Spe‐
cial Engineer Unit: when a General Engineer Unit sets a tent, a Special En‐
gineer Unit builds a house!
It was not a big task to work on the small royal tomb for such a Special En‐
gineer Unit. They started to work after breakfast, and before lunch, the
Royal Tomb of King Dongmyeong was already revealed.
---
"Fuck!" Jang Sung-hoon was also revealing his inner self. "Shit!"
He could not be sure of the truth of the Royal Tomb of King Dongmyeong.
But there was no relic in it, not even one. He didn't even see the sarcopha‐
gus to enclose the bones, just a few cement structures supporting the empty
space. It was not even made properly, some space was buried as it was.
'For the Japanese, the Kusanagi just fell out of the sky by itself, but why are
we like this?'
Honestly, expectations were high. The desire was even bigger than the big
expectation.
Kim was ready to kill the dragon right now. He was going to try what no
one else in this world could do. It was a great job, which no one could even
sacrifice for on behalf of Kim Tae-hoon. In such a situation, a legendary
relic was the most obvious thing to save Kim's life.
1011
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 120 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part I ⦘
Therefore, Jang had to be desperate. Of course, in the situation that his ex‐
pectation and longing were crushed, the disappointment that he felt was
also great.
'I felt it!' Moreover, Jang really felt something. If not, there was no reason
to have expectations. As he had told his men, the probab ility that the Royal
Tomb of King Dongmyeong was a real tomb was low, and even if it was
real, the probab ility that the things in it would be fine was even lower.
'I still feel it!' Even Jang was strongly felt that something would come out at
this moment.
"No, there's nothing more to come out, unless they built a tunnel and hid in
it."
"Just in case, take a look at it again, especially things that look like an ar‐
rowhead or a bow... no, even just sticks are okay, so take a picture of every‐
thing that comes out of it."
"I understand."
Therefore, Jang could not easily turn his back on the Royal Tomb of King
Dongmyeong.
He measured other clues in his mind. 'Is there something in the Kumsusan?
According to the records, there was Jocheonseok, a stone to heaven, in
Kumsu Mountain, on which King Dongmyeong stepped when he went to
heaven... Maybe there is a giraffe cave in Kumsusan where Jumong raised a
giraffe. Or maybe they had hidden all the relics from the Royal Tomb of
King Dongmyeong at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun...'
1012
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 120 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part I ⦘
In front of Kim, Jang gave a long sigh. "Boss, I'm sorry, I thought some‐
thing might come up, but there was nothing."
It was Jang who had given Kim an expectation. If he had not brought up the
story of the Royal Tomb of King Dongmyeong, Kim would not even know
there was such a thing. So, Jang did not stop here.
"But something was kept in the Royal Tomb of King Dongmyeong, and
there is a sign that someone took it. If we look through the Kumsusan
Palace of the Sun or wherever, something will come out."
Jang couldn't stop there, because he could not stop Kim Tae-hoon's dragon
hunting.
"It's okay."
Kim stopped Jang's words and handed him a sword in his hand.
'I'm sure.'
Jang looked at the sword with surprised eyes at those words. It was a sword
made of gold, the length of an adult man's arm, and it had a form that would
have been used in rituals, not combat.
Most impressive of all was the pattern carved on the blade. A peculiar pat‐
tern, made of the scales of an animal, covered the blade.
'The pattern of a dragon's scale...' It was like a dragon's scales. Also, the
light emitted from the sword was not an ordinary one. It was not golden.
1013
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 120 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part I ⦘
'The radiance like the sun...' It was a radiance when he looked up at the sun,
a mysterious light that could never be measured by the naked eye of a per‐
son.
'The dragon pattern, the radiance, the sword. The dragon, the radiance, the
sword...'
At that moment, Jang thought of a story closer to a myth rather than the his‐
tory of Goguryeo.
"Oh, my God..."
3.
Taiwan.
There was still warm weather, and there was no winter season.
Mao's attire was the same. Even in November, he was wearing only a thin
black silk suit. In front of him, there was a pile of fur leather clothes that
promised to be hot even if he wore them in the winter when the cold wind
was blowing.
A woman entered Mao's room. As soon as she came in, she bowed her head
and handed Mao the note she had in her hand.
Mao read the note and said, "The Six Snakes meeting came to a conclu‐
sion."
"The deadline is after December 1, and the conclusion is that we can wake
up the dragon any time after that."
"They'll need time to prepare for the situation after the dragon wakes up."
1014
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 120 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part I ⦘
"I think there's a lot of stuff they are not telling us, just like a typhoon isn't
something people can do."
The woman nodded. She looked at the furry clothes. It was a dress that did
not fit in the season and weather of Taiwan, but on the other hand, the
woman knew the reason for the existence of the clothes.
"The only time that we can move in Russia, which has already become a
world of zombies, is in the winter when the zombies freeze. Above all, if
the dragon wakes up, it will not be satisfied with Japan and Korea alone,
and its anger will reach China, or even where we are. We must pioneer a
new path in preparation for that time."
The woman asked carefully. "It may not happen, but if Kim Tae-hoon kills
the dragon, what kind of measures..."
"Measures?" Mao made a somewhat fishy smile at the question. "It's abso‐
lutely impossible. I admit he's great, but he can't do what is impossible."
With that somewhat fishy grin, he asserted, "Unless he's been dealing with a
dragon, he'll never kill a dragon."
1015
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 121 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
The underground bunker the North Korean Party leaders made for them‐
selves was more like a treasure storage than an underground bunker.
BoxN ovel.com
The warehouse in the bunker was full of fancy drinks, closer to luxury
goods rather than just liquor. Inside the safe, there were valuable relics, art,
gold, silver, and a bundle of dollars.
"The obvious thing is, if they had sold everything here, the North Koreans
would have never starved."
"But why did they tie this dollar bundle with the white paper, and this dollar
with the red paper?"
1016
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 121 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part Ii ⦘
The secret underground bunker in North Korea was a space filled with all
the maliciousness that humans could show. Even the soldiers who came to
get the goods there would sigh rather than express admiration and joy in
front of the treasures before their sight, and they felt terrible instead of joy‐
ous.
"Goddammit... when the world was dying for the monsters, the North Ko‐
rean Party leaders were here enjoying their lives, drinking Ballentine's or
gorging themselves."
"But because they survived, they met the Master... and they paid the right
price for their crimes."
What comforted them was the current image of those who had enjoyed
themselves in the bunker.
Their bodies and heads were neatly separ ated, and their dead faces were
filled with screams and pain. It was proof that they had not died easily.
Colonel Lim Hyun-joon, who was examining their bodies one by one,
straightened up after checking the face of the last body. Then he looked
back along the road he had walked. On the road, about forty bodies were ar‐
ranged, all headless. Most of them were in the top hundred of the power or‐
der in North Korea.
1017
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 121 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part Ii ⦘
'It is surprising and wonderful that so many powerful men who survived the
advent of the monsters and the capture of Pyongyang by monsters died in
an instant.'
Colonel Lim's gaze immediately turned to the goods that the soldiers had
brought up from the deep underground bunker. He could see alcohol, all
kinds of luxury goods, and gold and dollars they had collected for their es‐
cape overseas.
Even the crumpled bodies were wearing expensive luxury watches on their
wrists. There were also some with two watches on their wrists.
Although measures were taken to prepare for an emergency escape, not just
Colonel Lim, but all the people of the world knew that those watches were
not earned by their own sweat and effort. Hundreds of North Koreans' blood
and tears would have been forcibly drawn for just one watch.
'I never imagined that this was what they had collected through exploita‐
tion.'
'The fine liquor in gold wine-jars is the blood of a thousand people.' It was a
scene where Lee Mong-ryong yelled out a thundering cry toward the cor‐
rupt officials.
'I'm sure since they kept this kind of stuff hidden in a secret underground
bunker warehouse, they could say they didn't have any money. They
couldn't have had money to spend because it was all there.'
Soon after, Colonel Lim turned his head and saw Kim drinking coffee while
standing there.
At that remark, Kim added a bitter smile. Colonel Lim also had the same
bitter smile. The bitter smiles gradually disappeared. The story to be shared
from now on was not a story that they could laugh at.
1018
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 121 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part Ii ⦘
The war, which had begun on June 25, 1950, ended on November 9, 2017.
The bodies killed by Kim Tae-hoon actually meant the disappearance of the
North Korean regime, and it was an evidence that the Republic of Korea
had finally won a war that had lasted for 67 years.
However, Colonel Lim was not pleased with the fact. "The monsters helped
us unify."
The reality was still too terrible to be happy. Above all, the end of the occu‐
pation of Pyongyang meant that a new page, a new enemy, would be wel‐
comed.
"Hmm?"
Colonel Lim made a surprised expression at the calm reply of Kim. How‐
ever, Colonel Lim seemed to accept the situation and gave a long sigh in‐
stead of an agitated reaction. Hoo! Now, because of the chilly weather, the
white breath added color to his sigh.
At the end of the sigh, Colonel Lim said briefly, "I'll risk my life to protect
this place."
After that short talk, Colonel Lim turned his back, because he realized that
it was not the time for him to feel sentimental over the spoils in front of
him.
"Boss!"
1019
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 121 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part Ii ⦘
The place where Colonel Lim disappeared was immediately filled with Jang
Sung-hoon. He was holding a lot of pictures, using both hands.
"Oh, this? It's not important. These pictures are for praising Kim Il Sung
and Kim Jong Il."
"I could not bear that this shit was in the treasures. I brought them out to
burn." As soon as he finished, Jang threw the pictures on the ground. "Can
you spit on them?"
Kim was willing to spit at his request. Ptui! The spit started to burn the pic‐
tures, which were now not different from garbage. The heat gave warmth to
the cold air.
Jang rubbed his hands toward the warmth and asked, "Did you tell the
Colonel?"
"That's why his face was so." Jang looked at the golden sword hanging on
Kim's waist. Kim followed Jang's eyes, and he also looked at the golden
sword on his waist. His eyes were black.
=====
=====
1020
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 121 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part Ii ⦘
"Under the sunlight, it can cut any monster..." But the content was not plain.
It could hurt any monster under the sunlight. It meant something amazing.
There was no shortage of those using the name Dragon Light Sword, which
was one of the Three Sacred Treasures which Haemosu, the son of the
Heavenly God, had borne, he who was called the father of Jumong in
Goguryeo mythology.
"I don't know why this was in the hands of the trash guys."
If it had not been given by heaven, the Dragon Light Sword that was sleep‐
ing in the secret underground bunker would not have come into the hands of
Kim Tae-hoon, who was about to hunt the dragon.
"But, boss, can I ask you a question? Were you confident you would kill the
dragon without the Dragon Light Sword?" On the other hand, there was the
question of Jang. It was not a thing that Kim found, but a thing that came to
Kim. Kim didn't even know where the Dragon Light Sword was in the first
place.
Kim Tae-hoon was already preparing for the dragon hunt before finding the
Dragon Light Sword. It meant that he was going to hunt the dragon without
the Dragon Light Sword.
"I was sure of the plan I had prepared for the dragon hunt, and I was sure if
I moved on with the plan, I would kill the dragon."
"Really?"
At the answer, Jang gave a long sigh. "... so are you confident that you will
carry out the plan now?"
1021
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 121 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part Ii ⦘
"That twenty percent is filled." At that question, Kim looked at his right
hand for the answer.
=====
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 824
-- Health: 857
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: A Rank
-- Mana: B+ Rank
-- Telekinesis: S-Rank
-- Defense: A Rank
[Achieved Abilities]
-- The Heart of the Bloody Werebear (Grade 3): The power of the Bloody
Werebear allows you to have a heart that emits a powerful vitality. If you
have even a tiny bit of remaining power, your heart does not stop.
=====
The power made the blood of Kim Tae-hoon's heart special. It was like the
coffee that always woke him up was hanging around in his blood vessels on
1022
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 121 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part Ii ⦘
behalf of his heart. This power gave him confidence. He was convinced that
he could stand in front of the dragon in a completely different way from the
first time it had passed by him on January 1, 2017.
At such an image of Kim, Jang realized that no one could stop Kim any‐
more.
"Boss, won't you say hello to Hyun-wook or sister Sun-mi before you go?
Kate or Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji, too. Why don't you come and have a re‐
union once?"
Jang did not want to stop Kim anymore. He was ready to send him on.
"There is no time for that, by now the Six Snakes must have sent a com‐
mando team to the Jeju Island to stimulate the dragon, and there is no guar‐
antee that the dragon will not come to Seoul tomorrow."
"Would you like to leave a message for them? Do you know how hard it is
being in between you and them?"
5.
Jeju Island.
It was always a bright place, even far from civilization, where its beauty
could not be denied by anyone. The blue sea, which filled the surrounding
area of the island, made the sky blue, and the sunshine scattered the forest
around Mt. Halla with green and pleasant scenery. Right now the beauty of
Jeju Island was reaching its peak. The world was full of green trees and
green shades. Nature was openly revealing its existence.
In other words, it meant that no person had survived. No matter how much
people tried, nature was the liveliest when there were no people around.
1023
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 121 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part Ii ⦘
The same was true of Jeju Island's full vitality, as there were no survivors
on Jeju Island.
"It's so scary. Even within the same dark blue grade, it is not like those in
Japan or China."
It was the dragon who had caused the heart attacks, and who had made
Halla Mountain of Jeju Island its own territory. The three hundred-meter-
long dragon with dark red skin had landed on the top of Mt. Halla, and it
immediately cried out with its huge body.
Dragon fear! In front of the fear, the nasty monsters and humans on Jeju Is‐
land could no longer continue to live.
"It was just a disaster." A terrible disaster that could not be compared to ty‐
phoons and earthquakes.
"The scariest thing is that it is not the end." What was even more devastat‐
ing was that such an outrageous disaster was not alone.
"And even more frightening is that when the orders are given, we must
wake up this crazy monster."
At the moment the last words came out, the others shut up. At that remark,
the crowd once again realized their position. They were not survivors of
Jeju Island, but they were willing to come to hell to make one place of the
world hell. There was no vitality in their faces, and the silence that came
over them could not be easily loosened.
The unspeakable fear struck their place and encircled their bodies. In front
of the fear that made their souls stand up, not just their hair, they practiced
what they had trained thousands of times. They put mana into the relics, the
1024
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 121 - The Sword Given By Heaven, Part Ii ⦘
crosses, or the pieces of jade they had, and at the same time chewed and
smashed the little capsules that were already in their mouths.
The moment everyone swallowed, a cry that could not be explained by any‐
thing began to tap their eardrums.
Keuaaaa!
At that moment, one of them fell to the ground, bleeding and vomiting. The
rest of them were not fine, either. All four of them began to shake and
shiver madly.
For three of them, the shaking was so intense that their teeth began to
break!
"Recover your senses! Hey, hey, hey, Wake up!" Only one person spoke to
his colleagues repeatedly, holding his reason. But even that person barely
kept his reason, and he was not in his best mind, either. Even here, the
owner of Jeju Island did not stop using its fear!
'Ah-!' Only then did he realize that the dragon was not simply awakened
from sleep, but it had started fighting something. 'Oh, it's a fight, the dragon
has started a fight with something! But, what the hell dares go against the
dragon?'
Of course, at this moment the man could not even guess. What could fight
against an overwhelming creature like a dragon?
'This is not the time for this. I have to let them know. I have to figure this
out and report it!'
1025
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 122 - Dragon Slayer, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
"Hoo, hoo!" Kim Tae-hoon's world, which was seen between rough breaths,
was shaking red. The redness was due to the blood flowing from the burst
veins in his eyes, and the shaking was due to the power of the low Energy
which could no longer endure the presence of the monster in front of him.
Krrrrrrrrrrr...
BoxN ovel.com
The dragon.
The body of the monster, which did not tolerate any enem
ies, was covered
with wounds that did not suit its dignity. Among them, the biggest wound
was its right eye. The blood was dripping out through its closed right pupil.
It was a wound created by Kim Tae-hoon's Sword of the Imperator.
At that moment, the dragon opened its right eye. The eye which reappeared
was scarred, and the pupil of dark blue had cracks like spiderwebs. The
lines were gradually fading, just like rainwater wet dry rice fields after an
endless drought.
1026
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 122 - Dragon Slayer, Part I ⦘
In the end, the dragon's dark blue eye was restored to its original form, the
wounds were gone, and the center of its normal dark blue eyes began to
split vertically. It looked at Kim Tae-hoon with eyes that had returned to
normal.
In front of its eyes, Kim once again recalled the battle. 'Surprising defense
and amazing resilience.'
The dragon was very special. The skin of the dragon was strong enough to
be barely hurt by the Sword of the Imperator, which had the full power of
the Energy of Kim Tae-hoon behind it, but even so, the wounds that were
inflicted were recovered surprisingly quickly.
"The defense of its scales is natural, and ts amazing resilience is the result
of the formidable level of Mana of the dragon's heart."
It was a long way off. 'What amazing resilience the dragon has! It is hard
for me to hurt!' Even worse, it was just the beginning.
Keuooo! The dragon fear it was crying out was already a formidable
weapon in itself.
Fear... no matter how high his Energy level was, he would be hurt, and if he
was exposed to the fear when he ran out of Energy, no more battle was pos‐
sible. It was really a long way to go.
It was not easy to hold on against the fear with a low Energy rank, and even
if the Energy rank was high, the amount of Energy consumed to withstand
the dragon fear each time was terrible. The worst thing was that it was a
dragon.
Cuu! Cuu! Cuu! Every time it flicked its wings, it created a small whirlwind
around it. It created a gale that was not easy to hold on against, and it began
to fly with the wind. This alone was already despairing. The ways a wing‐
1027
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 122 - Dragon Slayer, Part I ⦘
less man could hurt a monster who had just started to fly were extremely
limited and weak. But as always, the worst was more terrible than he had
imagined.
Krrrr!
It did not allow the wounds, it did not tolerate the scars, it demanded a terri‐
ble price just for revealing his hostility to it, and now the neck of the
dragon, who did not tolerate any adversary in the sky, began to heat up.
Eventually, the dragon opened its tightly closed mouth.
'It is really impossible to defend the Dragon Breath. If it grazes me, it would
be over.'
Dragon Breath!
The worst peak and the ending, the Dragon Breath flew toward Kim Tae-
hoon, who was standing on the ground and who had lost his power at that
moment.
An attack that no creature could withstand, a spear that could penetrate any
shield, had come. Kim closed his eyes to the fact.
---
Kim opened his eyes. He saw the dragon sleeping with its huge body
sprawled across the top of Mt. Halla, where he could see Baekrokdam
Crater Lake.
2.
The first death Kim Tae-hoon dreamed of was a battle with the dragon. He
fought hard, but he was defeated in the battle. It was not a defeat to be de‐
sired much. The gap between that Kim Tae-hoon and the dragon was so big
that he could not feel sorry for the loss.
1028
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 122 - Dragon Slayer, Part I ⦘
It had become a valuable defeat, and through the defeat, Kim Tae-hoon
knew what he needed to kill the dragon and how to kill it.
The most important thing was not to keep away from the dragon.
The moment the distance was far, especially when the dragon started its fly,
he could no longer chase it. The dragon's movement in the sky was aston‐
ishing, and the dragon, once it began to move, was a weapon in itself.
'A massive body three hundred meters long. It is not the physical power of
its body, even if it is calculated by tons, but a body weighing that much fly‐
ing at hundreds of kilometers per hour.'
'I can be killed if the dragon just passes by. So, to hunt the dragon, whatever
it does, I have to stick to its body. And I have a very good ability to make
that possible.'
The Golden Web, which was made up of Energy, was strong, very adhesive,
and ultimately its bond with Kim Tae-hoon was crucial. The Golden Web
was actually like his skin. It conveyed the feeling of something being
touched to him, even far away.
Thud! Kim landed on the body of the dragon, and immediately began to ap‐
ply the Golden Web created on his palms to the body of the dragon.
Flash! It was at that moment that the dragon's eyelids rose. The dark blue
eyes showed up, split again vertically, and the darker blue light inside ap‐
peared.
Keuooo! At the same time, it began to straighten itself out, roaring out the
dragon fear.
1029
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 122 - Dragon Slayer, Part I ⦘
"Hoo!" At that moment, Kim's eyes were shaking. But the tremor calmed
down quickly.
The power of various relics, including the Energy of A rank, made it possi‐
ble.
The dragon noticed that. It grasped the existence of Kim, who was not
afraid of the fear it had given voice to.
Keuooo! It let out the Dragon Fear again. But the fear was no longer a
threat, it was the proclamation of war. Kim Tae-hoon was not just an annoy‐
ing fly, but a threat to itself, and now it was announcing that it would start a
war to crush the threat.
Kuu, Kuu! With that, the dragon began to flap its wings to drop Kim Tae-
hoon and kill him surely as he fell. That was the way the dragon did things.
The winged dragon never fought on the ground. There was no reason to
fight like that. The moment it started to fly, everything was in the Dragon's
favor.
As if answering his wish, the dragon began to fly high into the sky. The
sunlight in the clear sky of Jeju Island began to shine brightly on the
dragon's black-red scales and his white hair clinging to it.
1030
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 122 - Dragon Slayer, Part I ⦘
Kim began to shine the golden sword in his hand. His second dragon hunt
began.
3.
"We have succeeded in securing the legendary relic Gandhibagh, and luck‐
ily we figured out Vasavi Shakti. We believe it's in the Elora Caves. We'll
move right there and secure Vasavi Shakti."
Tap tap! Another Okjo appeared at his desk and immediately spoke.
The words from the Okjo's mouth were short, and Mao immediately wrote
something down in his pocket notebook and recorded what he had gained in
a new code letter he only could recognize.
'It's going smoothly.' There was a smile on his lips. But the smile began to
contort at some point. 'I'm sorry I missed the Kusanagi.'
It was because of the name of a man who came to his mind. His smile was
so distorted that it didn't come back easily.
Mao clicked his tongue briefly, his face crumpled. 'If it was anyone else, but
the Kusanagi is in the hands of such a man.'
Mao knew how to survive in the age when monsters appeared. Furthermore,
he knew how to rebuild the order of the world that had collapsed with the
appearance of monsters.
'That's why I missed the crystal of the Eight-tailed Fox. The damage is al‐
ready severe.'
1031
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 122 - Dragon Slayer, Part I ⦘
The key was to get as many monster stones as possible. In short, the world
had a limited number of monsters, and the man who secured as many mon‐
ster stones as possible would be a king. The world was not like a game.
'In the case of the Kusanagi, I can retrieve it anytime, but I can't replace the
monster stone...'
The problem was that no matter how many monster stones were eaten, it
was impossible to raise the ability above a certain level of monsters. It was
necessary to have a powerful relic to hunt monsters of the dark blue grade,
which was hard to even label as a mere monster.
In other words, monopolizing the powerful relics was like monopolizing the
opportunity, ability, and conditions to hunt dark blue-grade monsters.
Mao gave the answer when the monsters appeared and exactly a week had
passed. He, who found the right answer sooner than anyone else, immedi‐
ately put his answers into action. He contacted survivors from all over the
world through Okjo, and the community that was created was named the
Six Snakes. The activities of the Six Snakes that were born like that were
going smoothly.
It was successful until Kim made the Mac Guild and actively moved.
Of those who had survived the appearance of the monsters, those who
gained strength and power were lucky. Luckily, those who had acquired
powerful relics and legendary relics in the world had become men of power.
Musashi was typical of them, and that was no strange thing. Human beings
were originally animals with tools, and surviving in a world full of over‐
whelming beasts was easier for humans with better tools.
1032
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 122 - Dragon Slayer, Part I ⦘
But Kim Tae-hoon was not. He survived, eating strong monsters even when
he was thrown into the wild with his bare body.
That was why Mao wanted to wake up the dragon. In order to remove the
monster Kim Tae-hoon, he had to borrow the power of a more dangerous
monster: the dragon!
'So, we gave up the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese islands because of
him.'
'As soon as the dragon wakes up, the Korean Peninsula and Japan will actu‐
ally become the territory of the dragon, and there is no guarantee that the
anger of the awakened dragon will be satisfied with the Korean Peninsula
and the archipelago alone.'
In other words, there was no more definite method than this one.
'He can either abandon them all and run away, or he can fight for everyone
and die.'
The only choice Kim Tae-hoon and Korea could choose against the awak‐
ened dragon was desperate. The fact let him smile again.
'We have a problem, but it'll be settled.' It was a new Okjo that interrupted
his smile. Unlike other Okjo, Mao's expression wrinkled as soon as the
Okjo made of red jade appeared. '
As soon as the red Okjo stood on Mao's desk, it said in a trembling voice,
"Some, some, someone is fighting with the dragon!"
1033
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 122 - Dragon Slayer, Part I ⦘
'No way!' His racing footsteps brought him over in front of the globe, the
Globe of Martin Behaim!
'No way!' He stood in front of the globe and immediately brought his eyes
close to the globe with a magnifying glass. He could see that two small
lights were glittering at the end of the Korean Peninsula, so small they
could not be seen without a magnifying glass!
1034
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 123 - - Dragon Slayer, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
There are many ways to hunt. There is hunting using bows, using spear and
sword, and using traps. And there is fishing! In addition, fishing is a very
good hunting method. When they pick up only a few kilograms of fish, they
don't realize it, but they can see it clearly why fishing is good hunting when
hundreds of kilograms of fish bite the hook. As soon as people take a fish
weighing hundreds of kilograms, far out at sea, with a fishing rod, they
know how great fishing is.
The hunting method that Kim Tae-hoon prepared against the dragon was
fishing. Of course, it was not about putting a hook into the mouth of the
dragon.
BoxN ovel.com
'What I want to use is the method of anglers who have a long battle with the
fish, to wear the fish's stamina down to the bottom and then fish it out.'
Kim Tae-hoon was planning to have a long battle with the dragon.
'In case of the Eight-tailed Fox, it died immediately after eight swords were
stuck into its heart. If it is the dragon... even if I stabbed a knife into its
heart, it would not stop its heart immediately.'
1035
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 123 - - Dragon Slayer, Part Ii ⦘
The weakness of monsters was definitely the heart. But stabbing its heart
didn't end everything. In addition, as everything about the monsters of the
dark-blue grade was beyond the standard, the hunt for them did not end just
by stabbing its heart.
'So, I have to consume the Health and Mana that lays the foundation of its
ability to recover, somehow. As I said before, I have no choice but to wear
down its stamina to the bottom. I have to make it exhausted, giving it re‐
peated fatal wounds and forcing it to regenerate them.'
To put it simply, Kim Tae-hoon's work from now on was to hurt the dragon
until it became noticeably weak in its ability to regenerate.
The problem was that the work had to be done on the body of a giant
dragon flying a few kilometers in the air at a speed of more than three hun‐
dred kilometers per hour!
His eardrums screamed at the sound of the wind passing through his ears.
Whoo-woong! The dragon's flight was not a simple flight, but an acrobatic
course meant to fling off Kim Tae-hoon, who was sticking to its body. It
rose freely, fell arbitrarily, drew a big circle in the sky like the Blue Streak
at Cedar Point, and in the process, it turned its body like a top. It was using
everything.
Krrr! The dragon began to rise up at right angles to drop Kim Tae-hoon,
who still occupied its back.
1036
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 123 - - Dragon Slayer, Part Ii ⦘
Pook! He drove the Dragon Light Sword into the body of the cliff-like crea‐
ture, and then hung his whole body on the Dragon Light Sword.
Then the sunlit Dragon Light Sword began to cut through the scales along
the back of the black dragon. Moving with it, Kim Tae-hoon's body also slid
down the dragon's body.
Kim Tae-hoon's body, which had been near the neck of the dragon, arrived
near the tail.
'More.' If he fell a little more here, it was time to fall to Jeju Island, which
was now the size of a fist below him.
'I need to make deeper, longer wounds.' In that situation, Kim Tae-hoon was
greedy, and eventually, the Dragon Light Sword that hung Kim Tae-hoon
fell from the dragon's body.
At that moment, Kim Tae-hoon reached out his left hand. The Golden Web
which came out of his left hand became a rope that caught Kim Tae-hoon as
he fell off of the body of the dragon.
Kim Tae-hoon used the rope to climb back onto the dragon's body at once.
He put the Dragon Light Sword onto the back of the dragon's neck again,
where he had just wounded it.
Pook!
The act of madness which had to be called beyond crazy began again. Kim
Tae-hoon did it over and over again. He went through the acrobatic feat of
risking his life.
Keuaaa!
The series of acrobatics of Kim Tae-hoon also gave the dragon a sense of
crisis. The dragon, soaring high into the sky, turned over with a scream. The
sunlight that was shining on Kim's body disappeared, and a deep shadow
was cast to him. At the same time, Kim's body fell from the dragon's body.
1037
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 123 - - Dragon Slayer, Part Ii ⦘
But there was no fall. Kim had the Golden Web and Telekinesis that was
more useful than any rope. Just like a spider hanging from the ceiling, Kim
hung himself on the back of the dragon.
'Rebound.' Kim drove his body with the force of Telekinesis. Kim Tae-hoon
drew half a circle around the body of the dragon and reached its belly. Sun‐
light fell on him again.
Kim cut Dragon's belly scales again with the Dragon Light Sword. The
wound was deep, but the cut began to heal immediately.
'Recovery speed is a little slower.' But at that fact, Kim had hope instead of
despair. If it was like cutting down running water when he had first slid
down the body of the dragon, it was now like cutting mud on a rainy day.
The ability to recover was slower than at the beginning of the battle.
A grenade was drawn from his waistline. Ting! As soon as the grenade was
out, the safety pin and safety ring were removed on their own. Kim planted
the grenade into the wound of the dragon, which is now ready to explode.
When the dragon's wound healed over and the grenade was covered, the
wound exploded.
Poowhat!
Keuaaaang! The dragon, who was flying in the sky like doing the back‐
stroke, looked up at its belly skin in fright.
Kim did not avoid the cold-hearted eyes. He looked at them with his black
eyes.
'Still, a long way to go.' It wasn't easy. Just having a staring contest, the En‐
ergy settled in Kim's stomach, even though it was huge, began to churn.
On the other hand, the two relics soothed his roiling Energy just like that.
The Couple-Burial-Mound Gold Earrings on his wrist and the Gilt-bronze
1038
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 123 - - Dragon Slayer, Part Ii ⦘
Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue in the bag on his back filled quickly re‐
filled his exhausted Energy.
'But there's nothing if I can't hold on.' The two relics also filled Kim's confi‐
dence. In his confidence, he put the Dragon Light Sword back onto the
belly of the Dragon.
Pook! The sunlit Dragon Light Sword cut the unbeatable dragon's belly eas‐
ily. The dragon just watched the process. Instead of crying out in pain, it
just looked at it without spitting out a roar of anger.
Kim Tae-hoon was willing to show it again in front of such a fellow. He put
a grenade into the wound which was being healed over. It was a special
grenade made by melting relics, not just iron.
Poowhat! Then the grenade exploded again, and the blood and flesh of the
dragon scattered in the air.
Krrrr... At that moment Dragon looked straight ahead again, and it turned it‐
self upside down again.
Kim moved along the dragon's body horizontally, in line with its rotation.
Whoooooooo!
Then Dragon began to fall towards the blue sea of Jeju! It seemed about to
fall into the sea. It was a declaration: "Let's see how far you can hold on!"
The dragon's blatant will was conveyed through his whole body as he clung
to its back. He, who grasped its will, clenched his teeth tightly.
Bang!
Soon afterward, Kim Tae-hoon and the dragon drove into the sea.
---------------------------------------
1039
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 123 - - Dragon Slayer, Part Ii ⦘
5.
It was considered one of the four greatest museums in the world. The out‐
side image was unusual. The National Palace Museum, which had a blue-
green roof and yellow walls, settled between the feet of a mountain full of
green trees and shade, showing off its splendor by shining gold when the
sunlight came down.
It was the same now. The sunny old Palace Museum was shining more
brightly than ever.
But the people who gathered at the museum looked the opposite. The colors
of their faces were the black of a dead body.
"It doesn't make sense. No matter how great he is, he's making a pre-emp‐
tive strike against the dragon..."
"Korea can't afford it. Even they can afford it, there's no reason why we
didn't notice an inkling."
Those who looked so dead were now all in power in Taiwan and the Six
Snakes.
1040
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 123 - - Dragon Slayer, Part Ii ⦘
Of course, Mao was at the center. Accordingly, he also had a terrible face.
'No matter how I think about it, it's impossible.' Mao, no matter how hard
he tried to think, could not figure out how Kim Tae-hoon planned to hunt
the dragon.
'Even if Kim has the Kusanagi in his hands, nothing would change.'
Clearly, Kim had the Kusanagi in his hands. The Kusanagi was definitely a
powerful weapon. If it was the power of the Kusanagi, it could rip through
the dragon's scales and stab the heart beyond it.
'But if Kim could kill the dragon with only the Kusanagi, we wouldn't have
suffered this much.'
'Moreover, the target that the Kusanagi stabs is still the dragon.'
'Even if he has Energy of A rank, in fact, it's only ten seconds or so. If I cal‐
culate the time correctly, the effective window of time to use the Kusanagi
is ten seconds. He can't kill the dragon unless he totally mutilates the
dragon's heart for those ten seconds.'
In fact, Musashi was also able to cut with it only one time, apart from main‐
taining the Kusanagi. With this in mind, the probab ility that Kim would
succeed in the dragon hunt was zero!
1041
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 123 - - Dragon Slayer, Part Ii ⦘
But Kim had moved. He was hunting the dragon. And given the circum‐
stances, it was highly likely that Kim went on a solo hunt, unlike when
Japan had fought with all their might to kill the Eight-tailed Fox.
Even Mao, who had been called a teacher, was unable to understand the sit‐
uation, although he has shown his insight with the same information as the
wisest man so far.
That was why his face was so terrible. Even a desperate story could be ac‐
cepted if he could understand it, but the situation itself was not understand‐
able.
"Uh!"
"Red Okjo!"
A crow made of red jade came into their place, landing right in front of
Mao. He met the eyes of the Red Okjo with a stiff expression, and the Red
Okjo said with its beak wide open, "The dra, dra, dragon went into the sea."
"What!"
1042
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 123 - - Dragon Slayer, Part Ii ⦘
Mao was the only silent one in the space where everyone was vomiting out
their horrified feelings.
"Quiet."
He was only aware that the crow made of red jade had not shut its beak. As
he expected, the open-beaked Red Okjo spoke again after about 10 minutes.
"The dra, dra, dragon has risen out of the sea. Its, its, its whole body is
bleeding. The dra, dra, dragon is screaming."
Once again, the Red Okjo stopped talking. But it did not shut its beak. The
Red Okjo was still open-mouthed.
Everyone swallowed, looking at the Red Okjo. That was all. No one spoke
in this situation. After a long time, about thirty minutes, it spat out more
words from its open beak, "A flash shone over the dragon."
At the end of those words, the Red Okjo shut its beak.
It was now time for anyone to talk. But there was no one who could open
their mouths.
1043
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 124 - Dragon Slayer, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
6.
Boom! It was like a bomb went off. A huge disaster struck the middle of
Mt. Halla and the vast expanse of green grass. It was literally a disaster. The
earth shook with the roar, and with the powerful shock, a huge dust-colored
shock wave swept out.
Kukukuku! The world let out a wild scream. The identity of the disaster
was revealed after the eerie scream that.
BoxN ovel.com
'Oh, my God.' And now the first witness of the disaster, Zhihong, was un‐
able to shut his mouth at the sight that had unfolded before his eyes.
'Did you really kill it?' At the center of the disaster was the dragon, full of
wounds. It was deeply wounded in its long neck, a huge wound passing
right through it.
'Did he kill the dragon?' There was a dragon that had now become a corpse.
1044
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 124 - Dragon Slayer, Part Iii ⦘
In fact, Zhihong did not believe what he saw and heard at this moment. At
this moment, his body was the only thing he could trust. The fact that there
was no more tremor was the true evidence that the dragon in front of him
was a corpse.
'What the hell is this nonsense...' Even with such evidence, Zhihong was un‐
able to move his feet easily at this moment.
Crack! It was only after he pounded his cheeks with his hands that he began
to move. The intense sound of his face burning red at once changed his
eyes. He had the same eyes as his first time here on Jeju Island.
'Confirmation is first.' He moved toward the body of the dragon, the trigger
that would lead to death and despair for tens of millions of people who had
survived in the Republic of Korea and Japan, and with the eyes of those
who were willing to pull the trigger of a massacre that no slaughterer had
done in human history.
'This may be an opportunity.' In the mind of Zhihong who changed his eyes,
the calculation began immediately.
'No, it's a chance!' In fact, this moment was a lifetime opportunity for Zhi‐
hong. In a time when the body of a monster had more value than anything
else, the body of a dragon was in front of him at such a time.
'If only I could eat the crystal of the dragon...' Above all, Zhihong had a
mark on the back of his right hand, and he had the minimal qualifications to
be the owner of the priceless treasure in front of him.
'Yes, I will eat it.' The only thing left for him was to remove his rival, who
was only as qualified as he was. As soon as he thought of that, Zhihong be‐
gan to search for something other than the dragon.
'... there he is.' And he found him. Over near the great crater the dragon's
body had created, a man was lying on his back.
1045
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 124 - Dragon Slayer, Part Iii ⦘
'Is he dead?' He was like a dragon as if he were not different from a corpse.
The man was in such a terrible condition.
'He looks terrible.' All his clothes were torn to pieces, and the bare flesh that
had been revealed was just a lump of flesh, even though the bruises that had
been painted all over his body made it impossible to imagine what kind of
shock he had. His left knee was also turned the wrong way, and his right
arm was broken, its bone coming out through his skin.
'He is surely Kim Tae-hoon.' It was a corpse, no matter how he looked at it.
So, without hesitation, Zhihong approached the body and turned the body
over. Then he saw the man's face.
'Hahoetal.' The man was wearing a Hahoetal. On the other hand, it proved
his identity.
'It is Kim Tae-hoon.' The only one who would be wearing a Hahoetal beside
the dead dragon in this world would be Kim Tae-hoon. And as soon as he
found out, Zhihong's heart began to throb violently with anticipation and
joy.
'Once if I make sure he's dead...' Once he had confirmed life and death, if he
found out that Kim was dead in front of him, everything here would be his!
With that expectation, Zhihong, whose heart swelled, lowered his posture
and carefully brought his ears to Kim Tae-hoon's chest.
"Ugh!" There was a breathless noise from his throat, and it was the last
sound he would make.
Kim Tae-hoon's left hand, which had caught Zhihong's neck, ripped out his
throat. Zhihong fell to the ground without even spitting out his last breath.
"Gasp! Gasp!" Kim Tae-hoon, who had fallen down, rose up. He was in
danger. As soon as he got up, his body staggered again and again.
1046
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 124 - Dragon Slayer, Part Iii ⦘
Even now, his left leg, which was no longer functioning as a leg, was sti‐
fling, but there was no sign of him calming down.
Thump! In the end, Kim fell to the side of Zhihong. He reached out and
pulled out the pistol at the waist of the fallen Zhihong.
"Hoo-oo." At the same time, a long sigh came from Kim's mouth.
Kim Tae-hoon did not put his ear to the enemy's chest to confirm the en‐
emy's life and death, and he did not teach his men that kind of thing.
If Zhihong had been Kim's student, he would have pulled the trigger until
the magaz ine was empty as soon as he saw Kim.
'I was lucky.' Kim was as lucky as he felt. He kept his life because of the in‐
experience of a man named Zhihong. And...
'I was so lucky.' The dragon who had become a dead body would save the
life of Kim Tae-hoon, who was dying now. Literally.
Kim was dying now. His physical body and health had already bottomed
out due to the long battle with the dragon, the Hahoetal which he wore in
such a situation setting fire to his body, and the unsheathed Kusanagi from
the sheath made the fire a short and strong explosion.
Everything in Kim Tae-hoon was burned out. After that, his remaining body
would not be intact, nothing but ashes in the wind. It was a weak, emaciated
body which was staggering in the passing wind.
'I expected it, but...' And Kim was expecting this sight as well. He did not
intend to hunt the dragon in a relaxed manner without burning everything.
He was not so arrogant.
At the same time, Kim knew what would save him dying at this moment.
1047
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 124 - Dragon Slayer, Part Iii ⦘
"Ugh!" Kim, who rose again to perform the method, moved toward the
dragon, limping with his left leg, which had already become useless. His
footsteps stopped in front of a huge hole in the neck of the dragon. Beyond
the level of ripped flesh, there was a light beyond the hole that penetrated
the dragon's neck.
'I can't say a word.' But what came into Kim's eyes was a sign of hope.
Even in the situation of being stabbed by the Kusanagi, there was a sign that
somehow it was trying to heal the wound.
If the power of the Kusanagi was insufficient, or if the dragon had any re‐
maining ability to recover, he would have been passing through its throat at
this moment, chopped into small pieces by its teeth.
At that moment, Kim put his body into the hole in its neck. When he pulled
out himself again, he had a shiny jewel of dark-blue hue in his hand.
Kim put it in his mouth. Gulp! There was no hesitation in swallowing it.
Furthermore, he was not hesitant to use the power of the dragon that be‐
came his own from now on. It was quick. His body, which was colored with
blood and bruises, began to regain its original color at an amazing rate.
Not long after Kim forced his left knee back to its original position, he was
able to move his left knee at will, and the bone in his right arm was forced
back to its original position. His whole body recovered its original state
very quickly.
Kim's normal arms began to change into the hide of a dragon, and his black
Eyes began to split vertically. He looked at the back of his right hand,
which looked like a dragon's hide now, with his dragon-like Eyes.
======
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 999
1048
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 124 - Dragon Slayer, Part Iii ⦘
-- Health: 999
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: A+ Rank
-- Mana: A+ Rank
-- Telekinesis: S-Rank
-- Defense: A+ Rank
[Achieved Abilities]
Draconian (Grade 2): You can open the dragon's power, but you can't use
any special abilities with the dragon's power open.
=====
The change was like a death sentence, a death sentence Kim had never
passed. However, he did not make a bitter expression. He was very satis‐
fied.
The open power of the dragon was overwhelming beyond the level of at‐
traction, even the death sentence seemed sweet. However, his appreciation
of the power of the dragon was totally valid.
Kim turned his head and looked over at Zhihong's body. 'The Six Snakes
must have figured out I started hunting the dragon.'
He expected the Six Snakes would use the dragon to play tricks. Anticipat‐
ing it, he went on the dragon hunt. And now, when he had succeeded in
hunting the dragon, there was one thing to do: make them pay for trying to
play tricks.
1049
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 124 - Dragon Slayer, Part Iii ⦘
---------------------------------------------
7.
The place, which was shining with golden light in front of the sunlight, re‐
gained its original colors as the sun went down. The spectacular scenery
disappeared as if the plating had been peeled off, and scenery that seemed
to be childish took its place.
'He killed the dragon.' Mao felt a sense of crisis at this moment for the first
time.
'The Codex Gigas clearly described the dragon as one of the strongest dark
blue-grade monsters... but he killed it.'
It was the first time. Mao had never felt a sense of crisis in the first days
when monsters appeared. The globe he had, the Globe of Behaim, and the
Codex Gigas, called the Devil's Bible, made it possible. The Codex Gigas
had information about the monsters that had appeared in the world, and the
Globe of Behaim had information about the legendary relics, the only way
to kill them. It was actually like an answer sheet. It was an answer sheet
with answers to the problems mankind was now facing!
But not anymore, he felt a sense of crisis. What he had dared not expect had
happened.
'Goddammit! I have to give up on the plan I've been preparing for because
of one human being.'
The problem that Mao had not had anywhere in the answer sheet was now
beginning to threaten him. That was why he felt a sense of crisis. His first
1050
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 124 - Dragon Slayer, Part Iii ⦘
'... but I can't help it.' Shaking, Mao was forced to make a decision. 'The
size of the Six Snakes is too big. The bigger size makes me unable to es‐
cape or hide. I must reduce the size of the Six Snakes first.'
He needed to destroy everything he had made using the names of the Six
Snakes.
He was going to give up the plan in which the Six Snakes became saviors
and created a new order in the world.
'I'll have to break the balance at the same time.' Of course, Mao did not in‐
tend to leave a balance in a world without the Six Snakes.
'Kim Tae-hoon, if you want to be a savior, be the only savior.' Mao intended
to pass everything on to Kim about the huge chaos that began like that.
'Be the sole savior and die bravely.' When Mao thought up to there, he
stopped walking.
"Yes, sir."
"What..."
"Yes?"
"It is just as I say, tell Major Chinshan to destroy the Great Wall."
1051
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 124 - Dragon Slayer, Part Iii ⦘
"Then the monsters will cross the continent..." The woman named Soso
looked at Mao in surprise.
Mao said firmly, "That's why I'm telling you to break it. And one more
thing... tell Major Chinshan to get ready to greet us."
1052
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 125 - Judgment Day, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
"Move it carefully!"
Just as the flowers bloomed on the spot where the typhoon passed, and the
grass grew on the ground collapsed by the earthquake, vitality began to
flow around the mid-slope of Mt. Halla in Jeju Island, where there was an
unbelievable disaster.
BoxN ovel.com
"The earth on the spot where the dragon was, dig it up to the end! Dig it all
out!"
It was soldiers who were exuding the vigor. Uniformed soldiers were carry‐
ing the disassembled dragon carcass, like holding eggs to their chests, and
descending the mountain. They were carefully digging up the soil soaked
with the blood that had flowed from the dragon's body, and carrying it in
prepared plastic bags.
"That's great, I can't imagine how many great items will come out with this
dragon."
1053
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 125 - Judgment Day, Part I ⦘
It was a job that only the hunters who succeeded in a hunt could enjoy, so
all the soldiers who participated in the work were lively.
"I can't imagine the master killed this crazy monster alone."
"It seems that the world has changed since the soldiers are doing their best
to participate in the work. Originally the soldiers were the men who swore
when they were given work."
Jang Sung-hoon, who was watching the scene, expressed his appreciation.
Kim Tae-hoon, standing next to him, tilted a mug in his hand instead of an‐
swering. Kim, savoring his coffee, watched the scene taking place slowly
before his eyes.
"You're here, boss. I thought you'd just run to Taiwan." Jang asked. Of
course, he waited after asking the question until he heard Kim swallowing.
It was evidence that he was now used to the habits of a man named Kim
Tae-hoon.
"Yes, I checked the dead bodies. Considering that they already sent a group
of Awakeners to Jeju Island... I am sure you're right. No, I guess they
moved much faster than the boss expected.
"So the Six Snakes are likely to have figured out now that I killed the
dragon.
Jang knew the moment Kim killed the dragon faster than anyone else. There
was nothing hard about it. He could always figure out the life and death of
1054
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 125 - Judgment Day, Part I ⦘
"As you said, they're starting to prepare, and it is the boss's style to attack
them first before that."
Kim Tae-hoon said that Taiwan, the main body of the Six Snakes, would be
next after the dragon.
If he had not been ill, he would have gone to Taiwan as soon as he killed the
dragon. In fact, his original plan was to do so. He had a plan to move on
Taiwan if he could afford to at the moment he killed the dragon, until he
checked the Awakeners dispatched from Taiwan to wake up the dragon.
"Yes?"
It was something Kim did not expect. The reason why Kim was in a hurry
to hunt the dragon in the first place was to hide the whole process from the
Six Snakes. However, the movements of the Six Snakes were much faster
than his expectation.
"It means that there is at least one person in the Six Snakes, who thinks like
me and has the ability to put that idea into practice." It meant that there was
someone in the Six Snakes who was at least half a step ahead of Kim Tae-
hoon.
"So?"
"If I were the Six Snakes, I wouldn't even think about fighting against a
man who had killed the dragon alone."
1055
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 125 - Judgment Day, Part I ⦘
"Ah..."
Kim was convinced that if the person had such judgment and behavior, he
would surely think about what was best at this moment and put it into prac‐
tice. That was the reason.
The reason why Kim stayed in Jeju Island was that the real Snakes that he
wanted to catch right now ran away, so there was no reason to hurry.
"Hey, boss, I don't want to be surprised anymore, saying 'Yes' or 'Ah'. Can
you just summarize and tell me?"
At the words of Jang, Kim was silent with coffee. Gulp! After summarizing
the words in his mind, he said, "The Six Snakes would have left Taiwan
with important relics and Awakeners, but on the other hand, the Taiwanese
authorities would have been left as they were."
"The bait that attacked us, without any declaration of war, unilaterally, with
inhumane values and ideologies." With the words, Kim got up.
At that remark, Jang did not ask why Kim gave them time to prepare. He
knew better than anyone that they could not stop Kim, no matter what they
prepared for.
So, he prayed briefly instead of such a question, 'The day the boss arrives in
Taiwan will be Judgment Day.' He prayed for those who were as good as
dead now.
1056
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 125 - Judgment Day, Part I ⦘
2.
On December 2, 2017, snow was falling in the sky in Taiwan, which had
entered winter. It was mysterious in Taiwan, it was hard to see because the
temperature here stayed above zero degrees year-round.
But it was dangerous. In Taiwan, if the temperature dropped below five de‐
grees Celsius, dozens or hundreds of people could freeze to death, and cold
weather was a more frightening disaster than a storm.
They could not afford to appreciate the snow that fell on the Taiwanese. The
same was true of the citizens of Taipei. Monsters that had appeared on De‐
cember 31 last year took much from the Taiwanese. The raving monsters
had crushed everything in Taiwan.
To counter such monsters, Taiwan had to unite around the military, and ev‐
eryone who survived in the process had to give up their freedom and human
rights to survive. Everything was centered around the military, and the Tai‐
wanese fully cooperated with their military. That was why they couldn't af‐
ford to look at the snow.
At the angry scolding of the soldier with a gun, the movements of people
who clearing away the wreckage of the building became busier. Moreover,
as soon as the snow began to fall in this sight, it was no longer the scene of
Taiwan that the world remembered. It was a sight that was only seen in
North Korea.
A man appeared at the scene. The man in black uniform was carrying two
swords and a bag on his back. It was a heterogeneous dress.
"What is it?"
So, when the man appeared, some of the soldiers were willing to show in‐
terest in the man.
1057
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 125 - Judgment Day, Part I ⦘
The man who appeared before the attention brought the loudspeaker in his
right hand to his mouth. Then the man said through the loudspeaker, "From
2 PM. on December 2, 2017, the Republic of Korea will begin a war against
Taiwan, and the Republic of Korea will wage a war with a fair and full
force against Taiwan."
The Chinese language spread through the loudspeaker was very awkward
and uncolored, the mark of a person who did not know Chinese speaking
with memorized words.
Of course, no one really accepted the man's words. No one warned the man.
The only reaction was that a soldier aimed at the man with a loudspeaker
with his M4 carbine rifle.
Tutu! It was not long before the shooting surprised the neighborhood. Those
who were work slowed down reflexively, as if they were familiar with the
gunshots, and the soldiers also smiled reflexively, as if they were tired of
the familiar situation.
'Huh?'
'What?'
But the crowd froze at the sight of the man who tore off the distorted bullet-
heads from his cheek with his hand, rather than bleeding and screaming at
being shot.
In front of the scene, the man once again spoke to the loudspeaker. This
time, it is fluent Korean, not awkward Chinese. "It's 11:22 a.m., I'll attack
Taipei City at 2 PM. This is the last courtesy."
At the end of the words, the man Kim Tae-hoon turned his back.
1058
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 125 - Judgment Day, Part I ⦘
3.
Draconian.
This ability acquired through the dragon's crystal was fearsome. As soon as
the power of the dragon opened, his physical Defense was invulnerab le to
bullets, and his Mana resistance and tolerance to fear also rose very sharply.
At the same time, the basic ability was strengthened beyond the numerical
representation. His Strength was at the level that he could carry a mid-size
car like a shield, and the meaning Health was virtually eliminated.
There was only one constraint, that he could not use special abilities if he
was in Draconian mode, and using the power of the dragon. Literally. In
Draconian mode, he could not use special abilities. In other words, in Dra‐
conian mode, he could use any basic abilities and achieved abilities, except
special abilities.
Fufufufu!
"Shoot!"
Tututu!
Tututu!
The important thing for the Taiwanese soldiers was that Kim Tae-hoon's ab‐
surd physical Defense ignored the bullets, and his crazy Strength let him
throw a bigger passenger car than the medium-sized car they using as cover
at them.
1059
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 125 - Judgment Day, Part I ⦘
"Crazy, crazy!" Even if they concentrated on the battle, their lives were in
danger, but the soldiers who pulled the triggers forgot to shoot for a while at
the sound. The sight of the Lexus LS flying towards a Toyota Camry was
tremendous.
"Be, be careful!" When a Ford truck, not a small car, flew toward the sol‐
diers who were shooting from the window of the building, there was virtu‐
ally no one eager to fight anymore.
'I'm going to get out of here.' Soldiers who lost their fighting spirit naturally
wanted to escape from the fight. Several soldiers, not one, began to flee the
battlefield, as if the platoons had made a mutual promise. It was true that
fleeing during wartime would be judged by summary exec ution immedi‐
ately. But no one judged them. It was because a lot of commanders who had
to judge them also ran away!
The problem was that Kim Tae-hoon did not intend to allow them to escape.
His vertical-split black eyes swept around. It was not the Eyes of the Black
Snake, nor the Eyes of the White Snake.
Everything was visible to the eyes of the predator who was at the peak.
Each one of the fugitives was clearly visible; it was like looking at ants and
identifying them one by one. Of course, it was pointless. When killing ants,
it was not necessary to distinguish and identify the ants one by one.
1060
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 125 - Judgment Day, Part I ⦘
Keuaaa! The sound of a dragon's roar shook Taipei City, a sound that could
not be produced by a human voice. The legs and heads of the soldiers who
ran or fought shook together.
"Khuck!" Those who fought fell down on the spot, and those who ran away
crashed down as they were. Everyone began to tremble with fear.
Only one person, Kim Tae-hoon, who had created all of this fear, walked
leisurely in the world where everyone else had collapsed. Walking casually,
he showed a cold heart and determination that matched the war. Instead of
punching the fallen soldiers in this situation, he showed the wisdom of us‐
ing the guns the soldiers had.
Tututu!
1061
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 126 - Judgment Day, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
The world's assessment and view on Taiwan was not good. It was not be‐
cause Taiwan lacked potential and national power. The biggest reason was
that it had an enemy: China.
The national power and military power of China were behind that of the
United States, but the fact that Taiwan had the more ruthless and amoral
China as its enemy, had made the world look at Taiwan with a sympathetic
eye.
Taiwan's military power was not at a level of sympathy. On the other hand,
they still had the power not to kneel against China, and were even playing a
mean trick for their own benef it that a small man would not do.
BoxN ovel.com
Major General Li Su-kwang was a person with faith and pride in the poten‐
tial of Taiwan. So, he accepted Mao's proposal, allowed the Six Snakes to
play in Taiwan, and gave them full support. Furthermore, he dreamed of
Taiwan becoming the Republic of China and a great nation to dominate the
world beyond Asia, with the Six Snakes, to win the Chinese Civil War, the
war against the Chinese People's Liberation Army that Taiwan and China
have been playing out for over half a century.
1062
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 126 - Judgment Day, Part Ii ⦘
It was not until three hours ago that he had given up on the dream. It was
the same when he had heard that the dragon of Jeju Island was killed. It was
certainly a matter of caution, but he didn't want to give up everything he'd
ever achieved, and the dream.
Therefore, he just kept alert and had only prepared for it. He still had the
same dream, preparing to guard against an attacker.
'What on earth is this Kim Tae-hoon?' But now his dream was blurring for
the first time.
Kim Tae-hoon, the man who had killed the dragon, declared war in person
and alone in Taipei City, Taiwan on December 2nd.
What was even more surprising was that he started the war alone, and now
the war situation was overwhelmingly directed toward Kim Tae-hoon.
Even Kim Tae-hoon's tactics, which were reported in real time, had embar‐
rassed Li Su-kwang.
Kim Tae-hoon was moving himself openly. He ignored the concept of mod‐
ern warfare that a soldier should not be a target, and he appeared in front of
an armed army, ignoring the concept of numbers and firepower, and he won
with simple and one-sided violence against the bullets and shells that were
1063
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 126 - Judgment Day, Part Ii ⦘
'How the hell do we stop this guy?' It was not a tactic, so it was not possible
to aim for the gap in the tactics.
Major General Li, who confirmed the face of the subordinate who had sud‐
denly appeared, asked instead of shouting at him, "What did Mr. Mao say?"
"Well, well..."
"Well?"
"What?"
"No, no one is there, and I didn't even see the relics that Mr. Mao kept."
The moment he heard it, he did not dream anymore. Instead, he faced real‐
ity, a very cold reality.
"... we'll move to the port. We'll leave the island as soon as possible."
5.
"Ugh..." The car that he had been riding in a while ago came to the eyes of
Major General Li, who opened his eyes with a low groan. The car he was
riding in was turned over like a dead frog.
'Kim Tae-hoon...'
Li Su-kwang had never seen Kim Tae-hoon, but he was convinced that the
man in front of him was Kim Tae-hoon. Furthermore, he was sure that Kim
1064
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 126 - Judgment Day, Part Ii ⦘
Tae-hoon's actions of not using tactics at all, were the result of his shaking
the grass of Taiwan to pull out the Snake.
'He stirred the bushes to surprise the snake... He did it on purpose... on pur‐
pose.'
It was the right answer. The reason why Kim showed a clear and active
movement, as if he were putting on a show, was to stimulate the key com‐
manders of the Taiwan army.
In fact, Taiwan was a place harder to attack than he thought. Just as North
Korea has created countless secret underground bunkers to survive from the
enemy the United States, Taiwan also had a lot of secret underground
bunkers to survive from their enemy China.
Moreover, Kim knew about North Korea well, but there was not much in‐
formation about Taiwan. If the VIPs of the Taiwanese military hid in the se‐
cret underground bunkers that Kim did not know about, it would be in‐
evitably painful. So, he did this, and the trick succeeded in pulling out the
biggest snake.
"Wait, wait---" Li Su-kwang barely squeezed his words out in front of Kim.
He also used English, not Chinese.
At this moment, Li Su-kwang was calmer than Kim had thought, evidence
that he was not a normal person.
"I am Major General Li Su-kwang, and I have all the military power of the
Republic of China in my hands." In front of Kim, Lee Su-kwang introduced
himself. It was the most miserable introduction in the world.
"If you will save me, I will give you full cooperation-"
1065
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 126 - Judgment Day, Part Ii ⦘
"A lot of people died because of the work of the Six Snakes, and you guys
would have sat at the table and applauded and delighted in it." Of course,
Kim did not intend to receive the proposal.
"Well, that's-"
"And now you propose a deal? Do you think I'll accept it? With the people
who tried to kill me and use the dragon to destroy my country?"
They had incredibly good luck. The relics in the National Palace Museum,
the number of monsters appearing in Taiwan, and being an island gave them
a choice of becoming a savior to the world, or a conqueror to infringe on
others and reign over the world.
However, they chose the latter without hesitation among the two options,
and they made a move to attack and reign over the world. Instead of reach‐
ing out to those who were hanging on the cliff and asking for help, they
stepped out and trampled on the hands of the people barely holding on.
Kim did not intend to ask why they acted. He just came here for revenge of
those who were killed by the choices of the Six Snakes, and to administer
judgment for the choice.
Kim said quietly, after blocking the mouth of Li Su-kwang with the Golden
Web, "That's why I will keep you alive, to get information."
6.
1066
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 126 - Judgment Day, Part Ii ⦘
The faces of those who listened to the story of the Okjo were hard.
'Nonsense.'
But Mao was not surprised by the story because he was expecting it. 'As ex‐
pected, if he is a human being who has killed a dragon, he'll have to show
this much.'
He knew so well that Taiwan could not do anything to the great monster
that had been a monster before the monsters appeared, the monster that had
been a monster after the monsters appeared, and now a monster that had
even eaten a Dragon. Rather, he was satisfied.
'I see Kim Tae-hoon attacked Taiwan much later than I thought... he ex‐
pected us to run away. And he gave up chasing us and decided to clean up
Taiwan first.'
The fact that Kim Tae-hoon attacked Taiwan later than he thought meant
that Kim would give up chasing him and destroy Taiwan alone. In other
words, Mao had succeeded in escaping from a monster called Kim Tae-
hoon.
There were more reasons for Mao to be satisfied with this situation.
'I've got all the relics.' He had taken the important relics, and all the power‐
ful relics he had collected so far.
1067
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 126 - Judgment Day, Part Ii ⦘
And he also had powerful Awakeners, to bring out the value of the relics at
100 percent.
Furthermore, Mao knew that he had nothing to lose now. So far, he had a lot
of things to lose. However, he has nothing to lose now that he has lost
enough.
"The Qin Shi Huang Sword, the new sword, was very helpful, and so we
didn't have to worry about our lack of troops."
"The monsters that have been waiting for the Great Wall to collapse are
crossing the Great Wall, and some of them are expected to head toward the
Korean Peninsula."
From now on, Kim Tae-hoon would be a man who would keep a lot of
things. He would not have time to worry about other places as he had to
protect his country from the monsters that were coming.
"We are going to move to Moscow along the Siberian railway, and then we
are going to England."
That amount of time would change the winner and loser again. There was
no doubt that it would happen.
1068
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 126 - Judgment Day, Part Ii ⦘
7.
"Kill him!"
Taipei City.
The capital of Taiwan, where violence was now raging, screaming and
bloody. At the center of the violence were the Taiwanese.
The two groups, pointing their guns at each other, began to fight a civil war
of life-and-death.
It was a natural procedure. In the situation where the soldiers who main‐
tained order with strong violence were completely collapsed by Kim Tae-
hoon, the civilians who had been persecuted could not stay still. They began
to spit out their anger in the most violent way after being suppressed for
nearly a year.
Kim Tae-hoon was watching the scene. It was proof of their determination.
What he did today was a judge with a justification, but that did not mean
that he could become a warrior of justice. He knew that fact better than any‐
one else. He had no right to ignore the sight, and he had no intention of
turning away.
'Mao.'
'If you think of me as a hero and play a trick about it, you will surely die to
me.'
8.
1069
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 126 - Judgment Day, Part Ii ⦘
Pyongyang.
It was hard to find the past image after it had become a city of the Republic
of Korea, no longer the capital of North Korea. The most prominent new
thing was the presence of Torii, which had once been seen at the entrance of
the Japanese shrine. The red Torii were showing their presence everywhere
in Pyongyang, like utility poles.
Around the planted Torii were tanks and self-propelled guns, and the sol‐
diers and Awakeners who were fully armed around them were refilling.
'The Torii weakens the monster's power after injecting Mana, and at the
same time creates a protective area around itself. In such a protective field,
resistance to the fear increases greatly. Even if some appropriate monsters
appear, it will be a situation where we can use close to 100 percent of our
firepower.'
Furthermore, it was not the only thing that Colonel Lim had prepared.
"I'll report, the dragon armor and the dragon bone lance made from the
dragon, and the leather armor made from the Eight-tailed Fox, have arrived
from the Mac Workshop in Bucheon."
"They have finally arrived, I'll check them right away. Please tell the Head
of the Mac Workshop, 'Thank you for making them so fast, and I'll send you
the results after checking the power of the prototype goods.'"
"Yes!"
1070
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 126 - Judgment Day, Part Ii ⦘
surviving, but he was going to grow and develop everything based on the
battle.
One of his men came up to him. The soldier was wearing thicker clothes
than the other soldiers, and although Pyongyang, which had entered De‐
cember, was cold, it would be a little overdone in Pyongyang in December.
But it was not a strange outfit.
"We are reporting on the search for the Rason Special Economic Zone."
They were the ones who had returned after the end of the search for the Ra‐
son Special Economic Zone, the northernmost in North Korea, which was
located in front of the Tumen River. That was why his thick clothing was
not strange.
"Report."
"We have not found any surviving North Korean residents in the Rason
Special Economic Zone."
Colonel Lim was convinced after the soldier's report. 'It's over.' The fact
that there were no survivors of North Korea even at the northernmost point
meant that there were no survivors of North Korean ancestry anymore.
"Russia?"
"Yes, they expressed their intentions to cooperate in any way, and to be pro‐
tected by the Republic of Korea. In addition, one of them identified herself
as a member of the Russian SSO Unit."
"SSO?" Colonel Lim responded for the first time. The SSO Unit was wor‐
thy of that reaction.
"Yes."
1071
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 126 - Judgment Day, Part Ii ⦘
If someone was a soldier, he would have to respond to the Unit like that.
Of course, Colonel Lim did not intend to believe what they were saying
right away.
"Investigate thoroughly. You can push them to the limit. If you see anything
strange, you can kill them right away on the spot." Colonel Lim didn't want
to show them a favor of mercy and kindness. "I'll take responsibility for ev‐
erything."
"Yes!"
1072
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 127 - Musical Chairs, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
Tututu!
Kkieee!
The ear-splitting gunfire and screams from monsters shook the city area of
Daedong County, South Pyongan Province.
BoxN ovel.com
"Shoot!" The main characters of the gunfire were the soldiers who wanted
to defend the final defense line built around Pyongyang.
Kkie! Kkiee! The main characters of the scream were the giant Wolf Ants
covered with shaggy hair.
Wolf Ants.
The monsters who started to appear on the Korean Peninsula recently were
very scary and threatening ones.
1073
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 127 - Musical Chairs, Part I ⦘
One, each individual was strong. The lower-class Wolf Ants with red eyes
could not be killed with one or two bullets, and the strength of the yellow-
eyed Wolf Ant leaders was the highest level of yellow-grade monsters. But
the scariest thing was not the strength of such an individual, but the habit of
the Wolf Ant race.
"The proportion of Soldier Wolf Ants is high, and they must have come to
build nests, not just search stations."
The Wolf Ants had the habit of crushing everything in their territory and
building their new own nests there.
And as soon as a nest was built, the Queen Wolf Ant would move there,
with hundreds and thousands of troops!
"We must stop the Queen Wolf Ant from settling here. If they take over this
place, Pyongyang will be very dangerous."
The distance between Daedong County and Pyongyang City, where the bat‐
tle was now being held, was less than twenty kilometers in a straight line,
and in the middle of it was just a plain.
"If the Queen Wolf Ant settles here... it might be an hour to Pyongyang."
At the words of the soldiers, Captain Park Il-sung, who led the 9th squad
under the Armored Hunting Unit and was in charge of guarding Daedong
County, gave a short sigh.
"We'll need a battalion force to deal with the Wolf Ants, and I expect it will
take more time for backup."
"Then, we'll hold on until backup comes." Il-Sung clenched his teeth tightly
after sighing. "I am sorry, but there's no retreat."
1074
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 127 - Musical Chairs, Part I ⦘
If they were other monsters, he would have been willing to retreat, and join
the backup forces and sweep away the monsters. But the Wolf Ants were
different. As said before, the moment the Wolf Ants built a nest in Daedong
County, the Queen Wolf Ant would come here.
Building the nest did not mean building a splendid palace, but the moment
when the Wolf Ant recognized Daedong County as their home.
That was why they couldn't retreat. Until the backup forces came, they had
to convince the Wolf Ants that Daedong County was not their home.
"You don't have to be sorry, we'll be able to hold on until we get the
backup." At the words of Captain Park Il-sung, the subordinate soldier re‐
placed the answer with a determined smile instead of a desperate expres‐
sion.
"Captain!" A soldier rushed in, with a hail of gunfire sounding behind him.
Of course, Captain Park turned his head back, but his turned face immedi‐
ately stiffened, because there was no sign to be seen after he turned his
head. "What do you mean support? Where are the backup forces?"
At the words of the question of Captain Park, the soldier pointed to the
north, the front which the Wolf Ants were advancing in a rush. "There!"
"What the hell is that nonsense-" At that, Captain Park turned his head to
the battlefield again with a strange expression.
'What?' And he could see that the Wolf Ants who had been running madly
toward them turned their heads and ran backward.
Boom!
He also saw that the dead bodies of the Wolf Ants scattered all over by a
huge explosion.
1075
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 127 - Musical Chairs, Part I ⦘
'Could it be...'
2.
"The landscape is always the same every time I meet you." Colonel Lim
looked at the scene in front of him for a while. The dead bodies of the pow‐
erful Wolf Ants were scattered all over. It was the scene which Kim had
made.
It was always like that. When Kim returned to Korea after finishing his
work, he appeared in the most dangerous place and made it the safest place.
"I don't want to waste time walking down the flower path."
It was not a coincidence, and it was intentional. Kim always focused his
five senses when he returned to Korea, and he headed toward the place with
the most gunshots and screams in the crowd.
Colonel Lim smiled lightly at Kim's appearance, not hiding his admiration.
"That's great." It was an admiration for the existence of Kim, who allowed a
smile in a world full of monsters, and in a situation where everyone risked
their lives to protect their country from monsters in the world.
"Please report the situation." However, Kim was not happy with the admira‐
tion.
Colonel Lim erased his smile and started reporting. "We are currently build‐
ing a defense line around Pyongyang. The immediate threat is the Queen
Wolf Ant and Wolf Ant army in Kaechon City, South Pyongan Province.
The number of Wolf Ants now is about twelve hundred, a mixed number of
lower Wolf Ants and Soldier Wolf Ants."
"I'll remove the Queen Wolf Ant tomorrow. I want you to organize a backup
unit. Anything else special?"
1076
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 127 - Musical Chairs, Part I ⦘
"She must have said that after working for KGB for three years and becom‐
ing a member of SSO, she was in Syria and Libyan Civil War until the mon‐
sters appeared."
Colonel Lim's expression began to harden at the story that was much more
amazing than expected. "... I think there's an amazing story, so what's your
relationship with her?"
"I saved her life three times at the request of our government."
In this part, Colonel Lim shook his head. It was pointless for Kim to get his
briefing if they were in such a relationship.
"Then it's you'd better meet her than I do. She's in detention in Pyongyang
now. I'll arrange the meeting now."
1077
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 127 - Musical Chairs, Part I ⦘
Kim did not nod at the proposal. "I'll kill the Queen Wolf Ant first."
"It's much more important to hunt the Queen Wolf Ant and reduce the dam‐
age to soldiers and hunters than to talk to a smuggler from Russian whose
intentions are unknown."
"... I'll prepare for it right away." Colonel Lim did not try to persuade Kim.
What he had to do was not to stop Kim, but to provide full cooperation and
support for what Kim wanted to do.
"Yes, Commander."
Colonel Lim called Captain Park, who was standing nearby as firm as a
mannequin.
"You'll lead the 9th squadron to help kill the Master's Queen Wolf Ant." He
ordered on the spot. It was not really an order to those who had risked their
lives to defend Daedong County until just a while ago, and those who had
not even taken a proper rest yet.
At the order, Captain Park shouted as hard as he could, since there was no
safer order in the world, "It's an honor!"
3.
There was a room full of frustration, and a small light the only illumination.
A woman was sitting in a chair. The tall woman's hair was very short, and
yet she had a beautiful appearance that was not lacking for all her nearly
180 cm height.
Maria Alexandrovich Solovijov was the name of the beautiful woman, who
was still attractive even after a wound that passed through her nose.
But those who knew her remembered her by a nickname, rather than a real
name.
1078
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 127 - Musical Chairs, Part I ⦘
Maria turned her head at the word "Writer" from the man standing by the
now-open door. She was surprised, "Messiah?"
"Because I owe you three lives. Rather, why are on earth you here?"
"From this side, I want to ask you why, of all occasions, the person from
Russia is you."
Maria answered Kim's question immediately. "I have only come this far
since I ran away; it is such a world, isn't it?"
There was no problem with that remark. Maria's expression was showing
her feelings, as well. There was nothing to find fault with.
"If the opponent is another person, it will be no problem, but not you." The
only problem was that the opponent was Maria. "You always move to write
a scenario."
Writer.
Even in the Alpha Group, Russia's leading special forces, the nickname was
not fit for a soldier who had been recognized for her ability. Nevertheless, it
was because of her role that she had such a nickname.
Before the advent of the monsters, the world powers longed for the pretext
to exert overwhelming violence in an era where violence could no longer be
exercised, and they tried to create a cause.
Maria was a writer who wrote the necessary scenarios to make the cause.
'It was Maria who was able to intervene in the Syrian Civil War.'
1079
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 127 - Musical Chairs, Part I ⦘
It was the Syrian civil war that showed the most promise. If she hadn't
caught the weak spot by entrapping a CIA agent inversely who had been
caught in the Syrian Civil War, the U.S. could not have just watched a bla‐
tant intervention of Russia for its ally, the Assad regime of Syria.
It was Kim Tae-hoon who saved her and her Unit when they were in danger
of an ISIS attack after that had happened. And as she said, it was the third
time. He moved to rescue her whenever she was in a crisis while carrying
out a very close scenario.
"Don't play a clumsy trick." Naturally, Kim knew what kind of scenario she
wrote every time he went to save her. "I have no intention of playing with
you, and there is no time."
With the words, Kim immediately took off his pack and started putting it on
the desk. He down put his bag first and then put two Swords on the desk.
As soon as he sat across from Maria, he grabbed the Sword of the Impera‐
tor, which he put on the desk, and pulled it out.
Tsreung! The Sword sounded eerie and revealed its hideous nudity. The
naked body of the Sword was covered with blood that smelled rotten. The
evidence showed that Kim was in the bloody battlefield just a little while
ago.
Maria's eyes changed before the evidence. Suitable for her nickname as a
writer, she understood the meaning of Kim's actions. 'Kim Tae-hoon will
kill me without hesitation, the moment he judges me to be a threat.'
Maria also knew Kim as much as the man in front of her knew her. That
was why at this moment she was able to see the priority of what she had to
do first: she did not play tricks on Kim. 'The first thing is to prove that I am
not a threat.'
"I ask the questions." Kim also had no intention of letting Maria off because
he knew her. He had a slight acquaintance with her. Never have they been
together in the concept of co-workers.
1080
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 127 - Musical Chairs, Part I ⦘
'There is a possibility of contact with the Six Snakes.' Above all, it was
more likely that she came here because of the Six Snakes. 'If I find any
problems with her, I will kill her.'
If she showed any signs of working as an agent of the Six Snake, Kim
would kill her with a single stroke, and he showed it without hiding it a bit.
That was why he took a Sword and wiped the blood of the Queen Wolf Ant
on the Sword. It was a blatant threat.
Maria, sensing the meaning of the threat, did not play any tricks.
"I don't know its identity. There is only a vague clue about a monster with a
wolf figure, but no one knows exactly what skin color of the Wolf or what
size is. No witnesses survive seeing it that close. Instead, I'm just sure it has
purple eyes."
"Abilities?"
"The places where Chernobog has passed are full of zombies. The dead rise
and use violence. I'd be glad if it was just people, but it's crazy and includes
monsters."
"Is it a virus?"
"Nuclear weapons."
At that moment, Kim stopped wiping the Sword and raised his hand. The
conversation went off without a hitch. Soon afterward, he tapped into space
with his hands as if he were knocking on the air. Tap tap tap!
1081
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 127 - Musical Chairs, Part I ⦘
The door in the distance knocked on its own. Immediately a man opened
the door and came in. The man had a kettle of boiling water, a coffee drip‐
per, and a tray of crushed coffee beans.
Kim used his Telekinesis to move a coffee draper and a kettle in front of
Maria. He continued his talk after lowering his coffee, using his Telekinesis.
"In winter, zombies freeze and cannot move, and it the only time a nuclear
operation can perform. But if it had been simply because of that, Maria, you
wouldn't have come to the Korean Peninsula... You are opposed to the
plan."
Maria nodded at the remark. "That's right. I'm against using nuclear
weapons. Of course, this is not because I am an opponent of nuclear
weapons. All I'm worried about is..."
"It's a case where they can't get rid of Chernobog with the nuclear
weapons."
"That's right."
She knew that Kim's answer was never an answer from justice and charity.
And as she thought, Kim wasn't helping her for charity and the right value.
"Everything."
1082
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 127 - Musical Chairs, Part I ⦘
"All?"
"The cost of helping is all the resources and supplies Russia has."
At the words, Maria revealed her feelings for the first time. She shouted
with a surprised look, "What's that nonsense? It can't be possible, right?
Does it mean we should actually be a colony?"
Maria clenched her teeth at the sight and racked her brain.
She imagined why Kim said this, and she made a story out of her imagina‐
tion.
In the end, she was able to come up with the most obvious way to sort out
countless stories in her mind.
"I want to know your ability. That way, I can decide whether to bet or not."
At the words, Kim once again knocked into the air. Tap tap tap! There was a
knock again, and the man who brought some coffee came back. Kim said to
the man, swallowing his coffee. "Deliver my order to Colonel Lim, get
ready to climb Mt. Baekdu."
And Kim, who had his coffee again, thought, 'Six Snakes, I'll take the place
you've fled to.'
1083
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 128 - Musical Chairs, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
However, it faded after the establishment of the Seoul Arts Center. This
place, without showing its past reputation and presence, was finally
crowded with people after a long time.
BoxN ovel.com
In many ways, it was a strange thing. It was strange that people gathered at
a performance hall like the Center Chamber Hall in an era when the mon‐
sters still dominated the world, and it was also strange that the faces of the
gathering were various. It was also strange that the languages spoken by the
gathered people were varied.
"If anyone who does not know sees this, they would think you are hosting a
UN conference."
Of course, the strangest thing among them was Jang Sung-hoon, who had
appeared in a tuxedo. His tuxedo was not lacking, he wore a fedora, and he
appeared with a cane that seemed to be useless, attracting everyone's atten‐
tion. There was no shame in the appearance of Jang Sung-hoon, who re‐
sponded with a bright smile to such gazes.
1084
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 128 - Musical Chairs, Part Ii ⦘
"Hey, you should have worn like that?" In the end, the shame fell on those
who came with Jang Sung Hoon. Cho Sung-yeon and Ahn Sun-mi, both of
them were digesting the shame of Jang Sung Hoon instead.
"No, I think it's polite to dress up for the invitation of the ambassadors to
Korea, but you're rather weird. Didn't you both get tuxedos and dresses?"
Ahn Sun-mi closed her mouth at the end of the words, and Cho Sung-yeon
said carefully between them. "... more than that, brother, can you tell me
why you've assembled this meeting?"
In the mind of Cho Sung-yeon asking the question, the memories of the last
two days ago came to mind. Two days ago, Cho was doing support activity
for survivors.
It was a task to find survivors who they might not know, to rescue those
who had suffered from the monster damage, to collect children who had lost
their parents, and to create a database so that parents who had lost their chil‐
dren could see their personal information. It was a task that someone had to
do, but nobody was doing, so Cho was willing to spend his days doing it.
But two days ago, Jang suddenly sent a letter to him, 'I am going to gather
all the ambassadors to Korea and talk...'
It was a letter stating that Jang would gather the surviving ambassadors to
Korea at Sejong Center Chamber Hall and talk. It was a letter asking them
to attend, and when. There was nothing strange about it.
Now, for the Republic of Korea, which had begun to function as a nation
once again, it was necessary to go beyond internal stability and strengthen
diplomatic interests. For diplomatic interests, the role of the ambassadors to
1085
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 128 - Musical Chairs, Part Ii ⦘
Korea was very important, and was something that even anyone who had no
deep knowledge of diplomacy knew.
The problem was that it was not exactly stated what he was talking about. It
was a place to invite all the ambassadors to Korea. It was not for one or
two, but a place to gather a large number of them, and it was also a place
where various races, nationalities, and cultures would meet. It was very in‐
efficient to go beyond politeness to just talk without a more definite propo‐
sition.
Nevertheless, until this moment, Jang did not tell anyone what the topic of
the meeting would be here today. At this point, it was no wonder Cho was
not curious about what Jang would talk about, and he was worried.
"It's nothing, I'm going to negotiate with the ambassadors to Korea today."
At this moment, Jang told them why he gathered people here today.
"Negotiations?"
"Now, there are just a handful of countries around the world that are func‐
tioning as nations. Its function is not a matter, but in most countries, their
survivors are dying right now. Of course, they will need help."
"It is no wonder that the ambassadors to Korea should work hard to negoti‐
ate with Korea, which can help their country at this moment." At that mo‐
ment, Cho Sung-yeon's eyes changed.
Ahn Sun-mi also opened her mouth as if she understood the situation, and
asked, "So, what are you going to ask for in negotiations?"
"Ah!" When she asked her question, Jang made short exclamations of admi‐
ration, as if he had something in mind.
1086
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 128 - Musical Chairs, Part Ii ⦘
"I think I used the wrong expression. It's not a negotiation." Cho Sung-yeon
and Ahn Sun-mi looked at Jang Sung-hoon, their eyes narrowed.
Jang smiled and said to the two, "I am going to threaten them."
5.
They were the items made from the leather of the Dragon and the Eight-
tailed Fox.
1087
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 128 - Musical Chairs, Part Ii ⦘
"They are prototype items. The Chief of the Mac Workshop, Park Gap-soo
made them in haste, and although the outer image is not the best, the effect
is perfect."
Kim, who had checked the items with black Eyes, did not turn his head in
the direction of the voice. Instead, he asked a question. "Are these the only
prototype items?"
The answer came right away, and as soon as Kim heard it, he pulled the vest
made of dragon leather with both his hands. Chick! The vest tore promptly.
Colonel Lim, seeing this, stood there with a blank expression on his face.
It was around that time that Kim turned his head to him.
"An Okjo arrived from Seoul. It said that the nineteen countries are going to
visit."
Visit.
"I honestly still don't understand." It was Col. Lim who spoke the word
himself. "Why are you forcing the ambassadors to Korea to watch the hunt
for the Blue Qilin?"
1088
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 128 - Musical Chairs, Part Ii ⦘
body, and it was walking on the Heaven Lake of Baekdu Mountain, consid‐
ering itself as a celestial being on the divine mountain.
Of course, the words 'a celestial being' were applied when it was not threat‐
ened. When it was threatened, it became a scary monster vomiting lightning
with its two horns, killing everything indiscriminately. Naturally, it was
strong. It was not as strong as a dragon, but it was as good as an Eight-
tailed Fox. It was just a walking disaster.
It hadn't mattered so far. For the peace of the Korean Peninsula, it had to be
killed. If Kim Tae-hoon, who had killed the dragon, took the lead, the
chance to kill it would be higher than ever. The problem was that the am‐
bassadors to Korea were visiting the scene to hunt such Qilin, by force.
"They can make a decision by looking at the level of ability we have. That's
the reason."
"What decision?"
'War is not just about exchanging blows. If they win, they plunder, but if
they lose, they are plundered. That is what war is about. If they hit and wait
for the opponent to recover, and if they overlook things when the opponent
declares surrender, if the referee intervenes when a problem arises, it is not
a war, but a game.'
This time was the same, too. Kim Tae-hoon hit the Six Snakes. So, what
should he do next? He should take everything away from them. All that the
Six Snakes occupied should now be occupied by Kim Tae-hoon, and the
Mac Guild and Korea.
"Are you going to do the same thing as the Six Snakes did?"
1089
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 128 - Musical Chairs, Part Ii ⦘
them a subject country in exchange for killing the monsters of each country
and supporting them.
If he was beaten, he would be punished more than that, and he would de‐
mand the right price for whatever he did. He had done it in the past, and he
was doing it now. That was why many people believed and followed Kim
Tae-hoon.
Kim Tae-hoon had not claimed to be a hero, and he had placed more impor‐
tance on the lives of his colleagues and subordinates than on saving the
world. Furthermore, until now, he had always paid back those who had hit
himself and his surroundings.
Was there a more reliable leader than this in the current era?
"No way!" Therefore, Colonel Lim no longer questioned forcing the ambas‐
sadors to Korea to attend the Qilin hunting. As always, he would do his best
to help Kim Tae-hoon.
6.
"This is ridiculous."
Pyongyang...
It had been a long time since visitors came to this city, now part of the Re‐
public of Korea. The visitors were ambassadors to Korea, and of course,
1090
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 128 - Musical Chairs, Part Ii ⦘
their nationalities and races were diverse. But it was not difficult to find a
sense of unity among them.
"Watching monster hunting..." Everyone had stiff faces and turned white.
"We would be lucky if just one person died. If we are annihilated, there's
nothing wrong with it. A dark blue monster hunt..."
Of course, having lost their own countries due to the emergence of mon‐
sters, making them watch them hunt the dark blue monster, the Blue Qilin,
was not much different from making them do bungee jumping that did not
guarantee safety.
'Damn it...'
'This is the worst. I thought I'd barely survived... I can't hold on to this year.'
There were a few of those who kept their minds in the armored car running
on the Pyongyang Heecheon Highway, where the bodies of monsters that
had not yet been processed were still scattered. Most of them were practiced
enough not to express their emotions on their faces.
1091
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 128 - Musical Chairs, Part Ii ⦘
charge of this work while the armored car stood for a while to deal with the
monster bodies that were scattered on the roadside.
"I'm not great at English, so can you speak slowly?" The director was Jang
Sung-hoon.
"What are your intentions?" At the question of Jang Sung-hoon, Kate spoke
the words clearly one by one in Korean, not English.
Jang shrugged at her words. "It's exactly what I said at that time. Check our
abilities with your own eyes, and then sign the negotiation contract if you
need our strength."
-----------
Jang Sung-hoon said something similar to what he had said to the ambas‐
sador to Korea there: check the power of the Republic of Korea and the
Mac Guild directly, and negotiate if you need that power.
Of course, if it was over, the ambassadors of Korea would not have been at
the hunting of the Blue Qilin, with pale faces.
"If you don't attend, I'll banish you, that's a threat!" said Kate.
Those who would not cooperate in this process should return to your home
country! The words added by Jang Sung-hoon were the decisive reason for
bringing the ambassadors to Korea here. In this situation, returning home
was virtually not different from going back to hell.
"That's ridiculous!" Kate turned on her eyes with fire at Jang Sung-hoon's
appearance.
1092
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 128 - Musical Chairs, Part Ii ⦘
Jang Sung-hoon extended his palms for her, saying, "whoa, whoa, whoa,"
he began to explain.
"Miss Kate, it's nothing. It's like Jurassic Park, not a monster hunt, but you
just have to watch it and make a decision. It's a decision about the fate of a
country, and it's no wonder you're ready for it."
"Jurassic Park?"
"Jurassic Park, directed by Steven Spielberg. Don't you know that amazing
movie?" With the words, Jang Sung-hoon bent his fingers and took a ges‐
ture that reminded her of Tyrannosaurus.
Kate spoke to him with a cold, sinking look. "... you don't know what the
movie is about?"
It was a film about the story that takes place in the theme park where the di‐
nosaurs are reborn through genetic manipulation and released.
In addition, the characters of the movie survive against the dinosaurs in the
troubled Jurassic Park. If this situation was Jurassic Park, there would be a
hundred percent chance for the monsters to appear at this moment.
Keuaaaa! At the moment she turned her head, there was a fierce shriek.
"Ugggggggh!"
"Mo...monster!"
The ambassadors to Korea who were taking a break responded with voices
that seemed to be soul-stricken by the monster's shout. But there was no
1093
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 128 - Musical Chairs, Part Ii ⦘
fear effect on them, because the special armored car with relics installed in‐
side had the ability to block the fear.
On the other hand, Jang Sung-hoon smiled in the direction of the monster's
screaming. "I like the relics, too, it lets me see the monsters, even if I'm a
public figure."
Kate did not answer Jang Sung-hoon's words. Instead, she took the Gandol
Sword she had brought with her.
In the meantime, she was not the daughter of the US Ambassador to Korea,
but a hunter, who did not run away when a monster appeared, but protected
people from monsters and spent busy days hunting monsters in Korea.
That fact was not going to change now. Kate looked straight ahead.
'I'll go out and kill it, if necessary.' She focused on the giant monster run‐
ning madly toward them now, an Ogre with yellow eyes.
On the other hand, Jang Sung-hoon looked at the sky, not the Ogre. He
found something in the sky, turned his back to the Ogre, and looked at the
crowd.
Thump! At that moment, lightning from the sky cut the body of the Ogre in
half instantly.
1094
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 128 - Musical Chairs, Part Ii ⦘
'What?' Everyone opened their eyes at the sight. They were captivated by
the unbelievable sight.
Jang Sung-hoon bowed and introduced, "This is our master, Kim Tae-
hoon."
1095
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 129 - The Blue Qilin, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
The fact also applied to the war with the monsters in the era of monsters.
If the emergence of Awakeners and relics was the starting point, the singu‐
larity was nothing but the items that were made using monsters as materials.
BoxN ovel.com
Relics were more restrictive than they thought. Their use was fixed, and the
powerful relics required more from the users. In short, the users had to align
themselves to the characteristics of the relics.
However, items were different. Items made of monster leather, bones, etc.
were made to suit users. Of course, no matter how limited their use was,
items that surpassed the power of relics had never been made.
There was not enough material for an item to surpass a relic, and even if
there was material, there was not enough technology and environment to
make them.
But it was not true anymore. Park's Workshop had steadily developed tech‐
nology under the full support of the Mac Guild, and when they were given
1096
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 129 - The Blue Qilin, Part I ⦘
The group created by Kim Tae-hoon was not just a group of Awakeners
who killed monsters. Kim Tae-hoon had always encouraged members of the
Mac Guild to compete. After a fierce competition, he paid more for those
who won the race, and he treated the outstanding as they deserved.
Now the survivors of the process had been given items made from the
dragon and the Eight-tailed Fox. It was no exaggeration to say that a beauti‐
ful picture of the dragon has been completed at this point.
At this moment, Kim Tae-hoon was directing a powerful group from the
sky.
"Remove the monsters in front!" At the sound in their heads, twelve hunters
who have been given the new name Dragon Knights, and who had been
waiting, finally made their appearance.
Kkrr?
Those who showed up faced a horde of Orcs that filled the vast plains. They
numbered at least a thousand! Furthermore, the Orcs were of many different
kinds: from hairy Orcs like snowmen, to the ones with black skin, the ones
with red skin, to the ones with white skin!
The color of their eyes was also varied. The number of orange eyes that ap‐
peared between the red eyes was not small. There were so many monsters
1097
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 129 - The Blue Qilin, Part I ⦘
with yellow eyes that they could not be counted with one hand.
They were so many powerful groups that it seemed to be difficult for only a
dozen people to make an attempt to fight. Even the men who appeared had
no firearms, the powerful weapons of human beings. Spears, swords, and
shields were all of their weapons.
Keueoeoeo! Of course, the Orcs cried with joy at the appearance of the
small group. It was only natural since food has appeared before them all of
a sudden.
Keuaaa! Even more, those greedy for hot human flesh and blood rushed at
the Dragon Knights without paying attention to the commands of their lead‐
ers.
The battle was launched immediately, but it didn't last long. The moment
the battle started, it became a one-sided massacre, not a battle anymore. The
spears and swords of the Dragon Knights cut the Orcs like cutting water.
Shiik! A single stroke split the body of an Orc in half, and a single stab of a
spear opened up a huge hole in another's chest.
Bang! Even the bodies of the Orcs did not hold out against one simple
punch. With one punch, an Orc's chest was crushed like a can of crushed
soda, and the crushed body flew several meters and knocked down other
Orcs like bowling pins.
The vigor did not stop in front of the Bigfoot Orc, one of the leaders of the
Orc army.
Kreung, Kreung! As the command echoed in their heads, the three Dragon
Knights charged the Bigfoot Orc, who was running at them, leaving huge
footprints with a bizarre cry.
1098
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 129 - The Blue Qilin, Part I ⦘
One of the three sprinters blocked the front of the Bigfoot Orc, and the
other two slid past it and took their positions. Triangle-formation!
-- Get rid of it as soon as possible. The rest of the members, clean up the
surroundings so others do not interfere in the killing of the Bigfoot Orc.-
They were simple, but with a simple but powerful formation, they immedi‐
ately began the battle. The battle was also fast and sharp.
Kreung, Kreung! One of them caught the Bigfoot Orc's attention while the
other two swung their swords at the Bigfoot Orc.
Shiik! The sharp sword left a wound deep enough for all the fingers to go in
on the thigh of the Bigfoot Orc. As soon as the Bigfoot Orc changed its tar‐
get to get its revenge, the other two moved freely.
Shiik! Shiik!
After the swords crossed several times with the eerie sound of the wind, the
Bigfoot Orc knelt on the ground. Thump!
Krreung! It was not because of lack of strength, the loss of power, or the se‐
vere bleeding. The reason for its kneeling was that it had been hamstrung
and had no way to stand anymore. It was evidence that the Bigfoot Orc's re‐
silience could not keep up with the cumulative speed of the wound.
Krreung? Kreung? The Bigfoot Orc, who would never have kneeled like
this, was embarrassed.
During its embarrassment, the eerie blades moved toward the Bigfoot Orc's
neck, where the swords could now reach without leaping.
Its neck was cut, and its blood was spraying like a fountain.
Keueo? In front of this scene, the Orcs no longer bore the same gruesome
vigor as before. Fear began to spread through the Orc army. The fear
slowed the Orcs' footsteps.
1099
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 129 - The Blue Qilin, Part I ⦘
Keueo, Keueoeo! The Orcs, who knew nothing but the rush of combat, be‐
gan to run away with a terrified scream.
"Oh, my God."
The faces of the ambassadors of Korea, who were looking at the scene from
a distance away, were filled with surprise and embarrassment. It was a natu‐
ral result.
'Is it the effect of the items made from the Dragon and the Eight-tailed
Fox?'
The combat capability that the Dragon Knights showed, and the power of
the items which were the basis of their combat ability, were so great.
'Not bad.' Only one person, Kim Tae-hoon, was simply satisfied with the
sight beneath him.
======
[Basic Abilities]
1100
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 129 - The Blue Qilin, Part I ⦘
-- Strength: 1008
-- Health: 1012
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: A+ Rank
-- Mana: A+ Rank
-- Telekinesis: S-Rank
-- Defense: A+ Rank
[Achieved Abilities]
-- Telepathy (Grade 4): The power of the Queen Wolf Ant allows telepathic
communication to the object. The higher the Telekinesis rank, the wider the
range and effectiveness of telepathy. However, telepathy does not reach
them if the object rejects it.
======
Telepathy.
Kim liked the ability gained through the crystal of the Queen Wolf Ant. In
fact, what he wanted to confirm in this battle was not the combat power of
the Dragon Knights, but the power of the Queen Wolf Ant.
It was not difficult for him to measure the Dragon Knight's ability even if it
was not a real battle, but Telepathy was the ability he used for the first time.
'With this much, there is no shortfall in the hunting of the Blue Qilin.'
1101
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 129 - The Blue Qilin, Part I ⦘
The scope and effect of the Telepathy that had been tested in the real battle
were very impressive. In an era when wireless communication was still im‐
possible, the effect of Telepathy was endless in a battlefield where life and
death came and went in seconds.
The place where Kim Tae-hoon's gaze was headed was the place where the
ambassadors to Korea had gathered. It was a long distance to naked eyes,
but Kim Tae-hoon's eyes, which began to change like a camera, were able
to clearly grasp the movements of the ambassadors to Korea.
It was not just that he could see it. He had the Hearing of a Bell-tailed Rat.
Thanks to that, he could hear.
"We have not been able to get in touch with our homeland, and we are not
even sure what the situation is. I believe that we will not lose anything, ac‐
cepting the proposal from Korea."
"In fact, it's similar to being a subject country, and we just avoid being a
colony."
"At other times, it would be ridiculous, but... it's better to be a subject coun‐
try then to be ruled by monsters."
"We could change the deal later, right? We'd better accept the offer first.
No, we have to negotiate before the rest of the country, and the later our or‐
der is, the less we will have."
He could hear the sounds of the ambassadors to Korea who, after waking up
from their shock, were knocking on their calculators.
1102
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 129 - The Blue Qilin, Part I ⦘
The position of ambassador to Korea was not just a seat where any diplomat
could sit down. It was a seat where they faced North Korea, which they had
never missed when discussing international affairs in the era before the
monsters appeared. It was also a seat where diplomats of the world's great
powers came together.
Having excellent ability and experience was the basics of basics. A close re‐
lationship with the top man of power was also essential.
Would it be all right to send someone who is not close to him to call him on
his personal cell phone if necessary when he sends an ambassador to Ko‐
rea?
Ambition.
And not just diplomat could sit down in the position. There was no way to
allow anyone else to sit in a position where a person with close ties, very
good ability, career, and ambition, wanted to sit.
What did the suggestion of the Mac Guild and the ability Kim Tae-hoon
showed them mean?
1103
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 129 - The Blue Qilin, Part I ⦘
Rather, what he had shown now was an appetizer; Kim Tae-hoon, as he has
already said, would hunt the Blue Qilin in front of them. He would show
them in the hunt that one person, one individual, had killed by himself the
Eight-tailed Fox that Japan had attacked with the bait of more than a hun‐
dred tanks and armored cars and failed to hold on to. So, he would clearly
imprint who they should hold hands with for their ambition.
'Between the Six Snakes and the Mac Guild, I'll make them not have to
worry about which one is better.'
Kim Tae-hoon, who had the will, turned his head. He could definitely see
the slopes of Mt. Baekdu.
A week later, on December 30, the hunting of the Blue Qilin began.
2.
Moscow...
The picture drawn in the minds of those who think of this place, the capital
of Russia, is always the same: the Kremlin situated inside Red Square, and
St. Basil's Cathedral.
And now, at the end of 2017, Red Square was still in a good shape. Two
men were talking there.
"I am sorry I didn't get good results." The man who spoke was a big man in
a thick fur coat. He was also an impressive man with white skin, an angular
face, and a mustache that reminded them of the waves.
It was Mao who stood in front of the man. He seemed to have not changed
much, as he had traveled a long way along the Siberian railway, which was
now just a guide. But his position was different.
1104
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 129 - The Blue Qilin, Part I ⦘
"Okay, goodbye, take a good rest and leave." The Russian turned his back
on him as soon as he spoke.
A man approached Mao and said, "His attitude is so different. I think that
he was the one who was sending you the Okjo to ask for Mr. Mao's opinion
a month ago."
The expression of Major Chinshan who spoke the words showed a sense of
discomfort and anger.
But Mao did not release his smile even at the words. "It is natural."
"Isn't it ungrateful?"
Ungrateful.
There was no word more suitable for the present situation than that. The
man who had rebuked Mao a while ago was a man who would have died as
a disposable item in the battle with the monsters after the monsters ap‐
peared, if it had not been Mao's help.
Mao was a lifesaver to him, and even now most of those who had real
power in Russia could enjoy what they now enjoyed with the help of the
Six Snakes.
But now it was different. As soon as the Six Snakes lost their main base in
Taiwan and became wanderers, those who were supported by the Six
Snakes changed their attitude. It was clear that they must seem ungrateful.
Mao didn't want to deny it either. "It's natural because humans are naturally
ungrateful."
"That's..."
"And we were the ones who left only the ungrateful in the Russian regime,
weren't we?"
1105
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 129 - The Blue Qilin, Part I ⦘
At that question, Major Chinshan remembered what the Six Snakes had
done. The Six Snakes helped those who held hands with them gain power.
After that, they removed the elem
ents that could threaten their power.
In particular, those who claimed freedom and rights, and those who consid‐
ered justice more important than injustice, had been removed completely.
They were the most disturbed at the new order that the Six Snakes wanted
to make.
Of course, where the Six Snakes touched, only those who chose injustice
rather than justice, and those who could treat the freedom and rights of oth‐
ers like garbage for their own benef it, remained.
"Yes, we were."
Major Chinshan, who knew all the process, could no longer refute Mao's
words. Mao did not worry deeply about his situation.
"Yes?"
"Oh!"
Sergei.
At that name, Major Chinshan was able to see immediately that Mao had al‐
ready taken action. That was why Mao didn't lose his smile.
1106
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 129 - The Blue Qilin, Part I ⦘
"He'd be happy with the Divine Spear. And if he held the Divine Spear...
Russia was now powerful. Under the support of the Six Snakes, they knew
how to deal with monsters, had strong military power, and had powerful
relics from a long history. So, Russia no longer felt sorry for Mao and the
Six Snakes.
The answer was clear. That was why Mao was in Moscow now.
1107
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 130 - The Blue Qilin, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
The night before hunting is a night that cannot help but be covered in ten‐
sion and nervousness in many ways. If the opponent is a dark blue-grade
monster, the Blue Qilin, and if it is a monster of monsters, it wasn't neces‐
sary to say anything.
"The night sky looks so pretty." But the night before such a Blue Qilin hunt‐
ing was so beautiful that they could not spend the night trembling with taut
nerves.
"I didn't really expect that the day when I saw the moon and the stars above
Baekdu to come this way." The night sky, which they could see on the back‐
ground of Mt. Baekdu, was so beautiful.
BoxN ovel.com
Of course, the biggest reason he was able to appreciate the night sky with‐
out being caught up in the anxiety was because of the existence of Kim Tae-
hoon, not anyone else.
Kim Tae-hoon slurped his coffee and looked up at the top of Mt. Baekdu.
He pondered it silently.
1108
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 130 - The Blue Qilin, Part Ii ⦘
Jang Sung-hoon spoke to Kim, "You can use Telepathy now, and you can
talk to me even if you drink coffee."
At the words of Jang, Kim still did not answer. Instead, he smiled faintly.
-- Two.- At that time, Kim's voice was heard in Jang's head, and Jang
looked around.
Maria and Kate, both of them walked toward Kim and Jang as if they had
made a promise.
Jang shrugged at the sight. "Boss, it's not a bother, is it? It doesn't matter if
you have a love affair with a woman or two at the same time. But if you
choose one, don't cut the other off. Just tell me. Isn't that your right-hand
man's job? You have to tell me beforehand, and I'll go to the woman and
said, 'Please, break up with my boss.'"
'Who is it?'
'Kate Kennedy?'
Kate wondered at Maria, and Maria quickly understood her identity. The
personal information of the US Ambassador to Korea was something that
any elite of Russian special forces should be aware of.
1109
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 130 - The Blue Qilin, Part Ii ⦘
While the two women were nervous about each other for different reasons,
Kim Tae-hoon said, "You, make it clear whether you're here as a representa‐
tive, or as an individual."
"As an individual."
"As an individual."
At the same time, they said the same words. Naturally, a strange air began
to flow between them.
In the air, Jang made a gesture to get up from his seat quietly. Of course,
Kim looked at Jang. Then, Jang said carefully, "I'm going to get some pop‐
corn, and I think it will be more fun than tomorrow's Blue Qilin hunting."
Of course, such a thing, which Jang would get up and bring some popcorn,
did not happen. At Kim Tae-hoon's scary eyes, he sat down on the ground
again with his hands lightly lifted.
"Who is she?"
Kim answered briefly to Kate's question, which was really clear and short.
"It's Maria from Russia."
"If a Russian is in love with you, then America has to make different judg‐
ments in many ways."
Jang Sung-hoon, who understood Kate's words, said as if he had waited for
it, "Wow, now is the day when the nationality of the boss's wife changes the
1110
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 130 - The Blue Qilin, Part Ii ⦘
world situation. I envy you because I can't marry anyone over forty."
While Kate's face hardened at Jang's complaint, Kim turned his attention to
Maria. Then he nodded his chin lightly. It meant she should speak now.
"I'll make one thing clear, I don't have that relationship with Kim Tae-hoon,
and the reason I'm here as an individual is that I've got to give you a few
things to tell you."
"Tell me briefly."
"The current Russian government's power has been restructured, and in the
course of the reorganization, the Russian government has suspended all am‐
bassadors abroad. The Russian ambassador here, in other words, cannot
represent Russia at this time."
"I'm the closest one to the Russian representative right now, and I'm here to
be recognized."
"I recognize it." Kim Tae-hoon, who answered immediately, turned his head
back to Kate. "Is that all you had to ask?"
Kate was embarrassed by the look. She was not here for a reason, to be hon‐
est. She just wanted to see Kim's face after a long time and this was the only
time she could do.
In such a situation, her mind couldn't be completely clear because she said
something strange even to her mind. So, she asked vaguely, "Rather, where
is Bang Hyun-wook? What about Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji? Aren't they par‐
ticipating this time?"
The answer to the vague speaking came from Jang's mouth. "A closer
doesn't play from the start. He'll be here when he has to finish the game."
1111
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 130 - The Blue Qilin, Part Ii ⦘
"I'd rather you two move to the assigned area, because if both parties of the
United States and Russia are here, you'll have trouble. This is like a camp‐
site, but you're not here to camp."
There was no more playfulness in Jang's eyes. "I won't explain anymore,
but I'll tell you what I want to say after the hunt." Instead, there was a firm
will and charisma that no one could easily reject. "Go back."
Jang Sung-hoon, who spoke the words, was one of the most powerful men
in Korea, and now he was a man who had no desire to discuss the world sit‐
uation.
When the two turned their footsteps around, Jang erased his serious eyes
and said, "Boss, you're really sucking nectar with Telepathy."
The beautiful night passed like that, and the sun rose.
4.
Mt. Baekdu.
It was unquestionable that this mountain, like the Soul Mountain of the Ko‐
rean people, was beautiful. And on December 30, the last day of the year,
Baekdu Mountain's Heaven Lake was frozen white and showed that it was
the coldest place on the Korean Peninsula.
A deer was walking through the frozen Heaven Lake of Mt. Baekdu. It was
a giant deer with a big body that reminded them of an elephant.
But the huge size was colorless in front of the deer's appearance. The deer
was so unusual. The head that reminded them of an oriental dragon had two
horns that seemed to be a deer's, and its body was covered with the scales of
a strong dragon, not a fuzzy fur. It could not be compared with anything,
and it could not be confused with something else. Because of that, it was so
easy to gauge its identity.
Qilin!
1112
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 130 - The Blue Qilin, Part Ii ⦘
The existence, which could only be seen in legends and myths, now existed
before them as a real being. Of course, the Qilin in front of them was not
the same kind of bird of good luck that appeared in mythology or legend.
Rather, it was a monster that had appeared to bring humanity to despair and
an end.
Whoo! The man with a long breath was also wearing a unique outfit. The
man's
clothes were not a hiker's. He was dressed in a white animal fur coat over a
suit made of the black-red hide of the Dragon.
The five Swords which were hovering around the man like satellites orbit‐
ing a planet, clearly showed why the man had come here. He was here to
wield a sword.
The man openly revealed his intention to paint the frozen Heaven Lake of
Baekdu Mountain with the blood of the Blue Qilin. The blatant hostility
was not ignored by the Blue Qilin.
Cheee! With a strange cry, the Blue Qilin turned to the man. That meant
that the presence of the man was strong enough to be defined as an enemy
to the Blue Qilin.
Of course, there was no need for greetings. The battle began immediately.
Shiik! The first movement was made by a sword made of gold: the Dragon
Light Sword. As soon as the sun was shining, the powerful weapon that
even cut off Dragon's skin ran over the frozen lake. With nothing to hide the
sun from the sky and the Heaven Lake of Baekdu Mountain, the stage was
set for the Dragon Light Sword.
The Blue Qilin also moved at the movement of the Dragon Light Sword.
The clatter of hoofs! The horseshoe-like feet began pounding on the frozen
Heaven Lake constantly. The knocking was eerie.
1113
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 130 - The Blue Qilin, Part Ii ⦘
Ddageudak! Ddageudak! The sound of footsteps of the Blue Qilin with the
elephant-sized body, which was likely to reach tens of tons, was low.
Ddageudak!
In one leap, it moved dozens of meters like flying, and its four feet created a
dynamic movement without a break, as if watching a pair of tap dancers.
With that dynamic movement, it avoided the Dragon Light Sword that was
flying constantly aiming for it. Even as it avoided it, it began to narrow the
distance to Kim Tae-hoon.
Of course, Kim also moved. He put his body on the frozen Heaven Lake of
Baekdu Mountain and started a running fight where he was chased and he
chased. During the chase, Kim moved two more Swords toward the Blue
Qilin.
The named sword, which was excluded from the national treasures because
it was owned by the Japanese Emperor, and the sword who Kim Tae-hoon
first used, moved toward the Blue Qilin, flashing ruthless blades more then
simply sharp.
Swish, swish! In front of the acrobatics created by the three swords, the
Blue Qilin avoided the dancing blades with amazing grace. Even its dark
blue eyes were staring at Kim, not the blades moving toward it in this situa‐
tion. The Blue Qilin looked so relaxed.
On the other hand, Kim's eyes were not focused on the Blue Qilin. His eyes
were watching some golden objects that were scattered on the ground.
Golden Web! Kim was moving and waiting for the Blue Qilin to step on the
Golden Web that he had scattered around.
1114
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 130 - The Blue Qilin, Part Ii ⦘
As soon as the Blue Qilin stepped on the Golden Web, it became a mine
that caught the ankle of the Blue Qilin.
Chihik! Of course, it was only a moment that it caught its ankle. Even the
expression "catch" was almost meaningless. But it was enough.
Shiik! The small gap was enough for the flying swords to taste the blood of
the Blue Qilin that they had anticipated so much.
At the same time, the wound was enough to pull out the instincts of the
Blue Qilin who had been playing around so far.
Pazijjik! Now it began to increase its size enormously and emit an over‐
whelming presence. The blue lightning, which rose like a bamboo, spewed
intense thunderbolts around the Blue Qilin. The shape of the lightning arcs
looked like a net. In fact, it was a net.
Pazik! Pazik! In the net made of the blue lightning, the three swords were
caught repeatedly flying like acrobatics.
'They can't move.' The power of the net was powerful enough to ignore
even the power of Kim Tae-hoon, who had reached the S-rank of Telekine‐
sis now.
'But it doesn't seem easy to move around using that technique.' Instead of
embarrassment, he calmly analyzed the situation and came up with a re‐
sponse to the situation he had analyzed.
Kim opened his palms and the haze began to rise over his palm. The rising
haze became a sphere the size of a human body, taking its place like a snake
1115
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 130 - The Blue Qilin, Part Ii ⦘
coiling itself. It was the power of Eight-tailed Fox, the Telekinetic Beads.
The Telekinetic Beads appeared and began to freeze, the eerie ice thorns
materializing around the hard, solidly frozen beads.
Of course, there was a power of Anger Soaring in it. Kim threw the Teleki‐
netic Beads into the net of the blue lightning created by the Blue Qilin.
Pazik! The net of the blue lightning also caught the Telekinetic Beads... but
that was all. There was no way to stop the countdown that had already be‐
gun. The short countdown started, and the moment the countdown ended,
the Telekinetic Beads exploded and blew the ice thorns all over the place.
At the same time, the powerful explosion caused cracks in the frozen
Heaven Lake of Baekdu Mountain. It was like a volcano bursting out.
Du-woo-woong! A sad bell began to ring at the scene. After a long journey,
the Bell of King Seongdeok began to cry out in the Heaven Lake of Baekdu
Mountain. It was not the end of revealing new presences. The Golden Altar
of the Konjikido that came from Japan began to shake the senses of the
Blue Qilin by spreading its own sacred power.
Chii! Chii! While the Blue Qilin, who was wounded and enduring the Bell
of King Seongdeok and the Golden Altar, was crying frantically, Kim Tae-
hoon, who had disappeared with the explosion, began to fall from the sky.
Kim Tae-hoon who was falling held the Seven-Branched Sword with his
hands covered with scales of a dragon.
Kim's fall, led by an unimaginable power the Power of a Draconian and the
powerful relic Seven-Branched Sword, struck like a thunder strike on the
body of the Blue Qilin through the net of the blue lightning it had created.
1116
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 130 - The Blue Qilin, Part Ii ⦘
Chiiii! The Blue Qilin's mouth opened and screamed at the power of the
Seven-Branched Sword that was stuck in its body.
"Everyone, charge!"
They had already showed up on Mt. Baekdu, proving their strength. The
difference was that there were thirteen people, not twelve.
"I'm here, big brother!" One of them, who called himself an ace of the Mac
Guild, was Bang Hyun-wook.
At the fact, a smile rose the lips of Kim Tae-hoon, who was enduring the
pain of the lightning striking him on the body of the Blue Qilin. 'It's been a
long time.'
1117
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 131 - The Blue Qilin, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
5.
Kim Tae-hoon did not think of himself as perfect. In particular, there was no
perfection in battle. Therefore, after the battle was over, it is always neces‐
sary to reflect, and through reflection, he could realize the lack and find a
way to fill the shortcomings.
The same was true of the battle with the Dragon. In the bloody battle with
the Dragon, Kim Tae-hoon had reflected on many parts and at the same
time, he took better measures.
BoxN ovel.com
Anyone was fine. If someone became a bait and drew the monster's atten‐
tion for a second, it would be a chance for Kim Tae-hoon.
Bang grew up differently from the hunters of the Mac Guild. Other hunters
tried to become hunters like Kim Tae-hoon, but they were not him. He
1118
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 131 - The Blue Qilin, Part Iii ⦘
wanted to be strong, but he wanted to help Kim Tae-hoon, rather than re‐
semble Kim. It was like that from the beginning. He always acted as bait for
Kim and faithfully performed his role.
And so did Kim Tae-hoon. When he faced the unexplained disaster of the
Black Orc, and when he tried to kill it, who filled the gap and made an op‐
portunity? Bang Hyun-wook made it.
That was the beginning. Bang had lived thanks to Kim, and Kim had also
survived with the help of Bang. Of course, they knew each other well, they
did not have to talk to each other about how they would move and how they
would want the opponent to move.
The teamwork, which had been created by risking each other's lives, would
not lose its light in the separ ation of a few months.
Bang had avoided and withstood the blue lightning that the Blue Qilin was
now blatantly pouring out, and he had gained time from the Blue Qilin.
Furthermore, he drove the specially made bone lance, the Dragon lance
made from the Dragon's bones, not anything else, into the body of the Blue
Qilin, and drew out its anger.
Chii! While the Blue Qilin was so angry with Bang, Kim was willing to
take advantage of the opportunity.
Kim Tae-hoon, who held the Dragon Light Sword in the Draconian state,
slipped under the body of the Blue Qilin and created a big wound along its
belly. At the same time, his eyes could feel the throbbing under the belly
skin.
1119
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 131 - The Blue Qilin, Part Iii ⦘
'... here is the heart.' The moment he grasped where the heart, he delivered
his words by telepathy. -Bang Hyun-wook, draw its attention once more!-
Of course, it was impossible to draw the attention of the Blue Qilin with
just the flames. The flames could only interfere with its gaze for a mo‐
ment... but that was just what Bang wanted.
As soon as the Blue Qilin came out of the flames, Bang threw the Bell-tail
of the Bell-tailed Rat as if throwing a stone. The Bell-tail flew toward the
head of the Blue Qilin.
Clank! The Bell-tail of the Bell-tailed Rat knocked on the head of the Blue
Qilin and made a clean sound. It was a more wonderful and magnificent
sound than "Doo-woo-woong", the sound of the Bell of King Seongdeok,
which resonated repeatedly.
With that sound, the Blue Qilin looked at Bang with an eerie eye. It was not
just an angry look.
"Uh, sorry."
It was annoyed anger, very damned anger that someone felt when he was
suddenly hit on the back of his head in class. Of course, at that moment, the
dark blue eyes of the Blue Qilin were all on Bang.
Chii! Chii! The Blue Qilin ignored the Dragon lances that the Dragon
Knights threw at it, and it rushed to kill Bang.
"I'm sorry!" Bang started to escape with a cry for forgiveness from the Blue
Qilin.
1120
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 131 - The Blue Qilin, Part Iii ⦘
A flash of light that seemed to cut Mt. Baekdu in two finished the funny
chase that started like that.
6.
Colonel Lim Hyun-joon was staring silently at the river flowing in front of
him. The river was quite large. That was all. The river was not especially
clear, nor did it have a beautiful landscape around it.
Colonel Lim lowered himself in front of such an ordinary river, and after
putting one knee on the ground, he opened the lid of the canteen in his hand
and put the waters of the flowing river into the canteen. Soon he, who had
filled the canteen with water, looked up at the sky.
'On December 31, the monsters appeared. In exactly one year, I am drinking
the water of the Yalu River.'
Colonel Lim, who dropped his head again, looked at the Yalu River.
'Now I can put the words, "a soldier who drank the water of the Yalu
River", in the slogan of the 8th Mechan ized Infantry Division.'
In the mind of Colonel Lim, the slogan of the 6th Infantry Division came to
mind. The 6th Infantry Division, which was the first of the Korean army
and the UN forces to advance to the Yalu River during the time of the Ko‐
rean War and the first to put the Yalu River waters in their canteen, always
regarded it as an honor, boast, and pride.
And now the Unit led by Colonel Lim would be the new protagonist of the
slogan.
"Hoo-oo." Colonel Lim gave a long sigh at the fact. When the long sigh was
over, he saw a man walking toward him.
Kim Tae-hoon.
His expression, which had been writing a legend that no one could believe
for a year after the monster appeared, was not so good. It was an uncharac‐
1121
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 131 - The Blue Qilin, Part Iii ⦘
teristic expression for the hunter that had killed the last dark blue monster,
the Blue Qilin, left in the territory of the Republic of Korea.
Of course, Colonel Lim was nervous. "What happened? You look bad."
Kim Tae-hoon answered the question with a cool reply. "Bang Hyun-wook
is drunk and is making some trouble."
At the end of the hunting, the moment when Kim's Kusanagi pierced the
heart of the Blue Qilin, Bang suddenly started to dance on the spot when it
fell. It was an expression of his own joy. And it was also an expression that
he could do anything.
The problem was that this Blue Qilin hunt was not just a hunt, but a hunt in
front of the ambassadors to Korea. In the minds of the ambassadors to Ko‐
rea, only Bang Hyun-wook, who danced in front of the body of the Blue
Qilin, was left.
After that, Bang had drunk a lot during the entertainment after the cere‐
mony. It seemed that Bang lost control of himself against Kim in such
heavy drinking.
"A child or an adult should not be drunk, and they should not lose control of
themselves."
Colonel Lim burst out laughing at the reply. "But it is great, and there will
be only Bang Hyun-wook who loses control of himself in the heavy drink‐
ing against you in the Republic of Korea." 'And there are few people who
you will let drink like that...'
At that, Kim Tae-hoon did not answer. He looked at the Yalu River silently.
1122
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 131 - The Blue Qilin, Part Iii ⦘
Colonel Lim no longer talked about Bang. The story about Bang was defi‐
nitely pleasant and entertaining, but the reality that they had to face from
now on was neither pleasant nor entertaining.
"We're going to build a new front line around the Yalu River. It won't be
easy. Pyongyang was close to Seoul, and there was a lot of firepower near
the Military Demarcation Line, but this is the northernmost part of the Ko‐
rean Peninsula. Moreover, it's January tomorrow, and the winter in the
North is harsh."
The final defense line must now be extended to the Yalu River. It would not
be easy. A lot of people would be sacrificed, and more would be sacrificed
after expanding the final defense line.
From now on, the monsters in China, Russia, and their vast territories
would come to the Korean Peninsula for food.
Frankly, Colonel Lim could not even gauge the future he would face from
now on.
'I didn't know I would come here, but I can't imagine what the future will
look like from now on.'
Colonel Lim could not imagine what the future Kim was painting would be
like.
"Boss! Boss!"
Then he heard a voice calling Kim Tae-hoon from a long distance. He did
not even have to worry about who was the main character of the voice.
1123
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 131 - The Blue Qilin, Part Iii ⦘
Jang Sung-hoon was walking toward the place where Kim Tae-hoon and
Colonel Lim Hyun-joon were. Jang's expression was very similar to the ex‐
pression Kim had made a while ago.
At the end of Jang's words, Colonel Lim laughed again. "I'll leave you
alone."
At the end of the sentence, Colonel Lim stepped down with his canteen, and
Jang came over to Kim.
At the appearance of Jang, who was angry straight away, Kim replied with
his eyes: What can I do?
"No, you have raised him wrong, so you have to take responsibility?"
Kim did not even respond to the answer, as if it was not worthy of dealing
with.
However, Jang did not stop. "When you drink with him at least, the situa‐
tion will be going well. Since you have raised him wrong, you have to drink
as punishment."
With that, Jang slowly pulled something out of his arms. The Golden Glass
was showing a red liquid within.
Kim received the Glass from Jang, and stood silent for a while. He had to
dream of his own death as his first dream of the new year. It was desperate
beyond unpleasant, but it did not silence him. Rather, he was neither of‐
fended nor discouraged at the moment. The silence was only due to worry.
As he worried, he looked at the back of his right hand.
[Achieved Abilities]
1124
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 131 - The Blue Qilin, Part Iii ⦘
-- The Blue Lightning (Grade 2): The power of the Blue Qilin consumes
Energy and Mana to produce the Blue Lightning.
With the ability of the Blue Qilin, Kim has now acquired three second-
grade abilities. Already, it has exceeded the power that human beings could
tolerate. To be honest, he could not easily imagine himself dying of some‐
thing other than the curse.
If he was the head of the Six Snakes, what would he do to kill a monster
named Kim Tae-hoon?
"Boss, if you're scared, will I drink it?" Jang, who was looking at the worry
from the side, carefully asked a question.
Jang resisted the resolute word of Kim. "What? Why? I drank it the other
day and got some pretty good information. Why not?"
"You'll find out why you didn't get married, not why I died."
"Oh, don't make me laugh! I'm getting married, definitely. No, do you think
I'm not capable? If I make a public proposal now, applicants will be lined
up from the Yalu River to the Han River. I'm not kidding. I'm going to
marry over a hundred times!"
Kim smiled lightly when Jang huffed irritably. With that smile, he remem‐
bered today of a year ago, looking at Napoleon's Golden Glass: December
31, 2016, that day at a large mart when he did not even have time to dream.
'So, this will be the first dream of the new year, after the monsters ap‐
peared.'
1125
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 132 - New Year, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
It was a warm sunny winter in Hawaii. A man was walking slowly toward a
container which was arranged under the sun. The man's appearance was un‐
usual.
Wearing two swords on his back, carrying a bag over two swords, waving
his shaggy black hair and carrying a dragon-shaped flute in his right hand,
his shape was not suitable for the warm sunshine in Hawaii.
The man's steps did not stop. The man continued to walk towards the con‐
tainer and as the man approached, the door of the container opened by it‐
self.
BoxN ovel.com
That was all. There was nobody in the container. It was mysterious.
The man, however, did not seem to be surprised at all, and he walked into
the container. When he came into the container, the first thing he saw was a
map filling the walls of the container.
A map of the world, the wide unfolded map was filled with various X-char‐
acter markings, and not in monochrome. There were three colors, blue, dark
blue, and purple. Most were blue, followed by dark blue, and the least nu‐
merous were purple. The number of purples was only five, compared to the
blue filling the map as if they were coloring it: Russia, Central Asia, Eu‐
1126
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 132 - New Year, Part I ⦘
rope, Africa, and North America. And at this moment, a purple pen moved
on its own, drawing a sixth X-marking in Latin America.
"It's over."
The man who was watching it spoke slowly, "The long war is over.
Mankind has won, and I have survived."
Only then did the man speaking move on to the table inside the container.
On the table were the tools needed to make coffee. The man began to use it
to bring coffee down slowly, as if to savor the process itself.
Then, when the coffee began to steam in the mug, the man continued to say
his paused words after a sip of the coffee.
"I was the only one who survived." The man who spoke the words had a
bitter look. "It's not strange. It was a long war and a hard one. Many people
died, and I was able to win because of their deaths."
The man who had coffee again continued his story on the stage without one
listener. "Even if I regret it, it's a thing to chew on after the war. That's the
situation now. The war is over. I have killed the last purple monster, and
there are no monsters to threaten the world."
He said again, "The only thing left to me who have survived is to chew on
my regrets. That's what this is about."
The man who had been drinking coffee instead of saliva as if his mouth was
dry continued to say, "If I had prevented the Six Snakes who destroyed Rus‐
sia with nuclear explosions, it might have been easier to hunt Chernobog,
and if I had found Bogatri's Great Sword hidden in Lenin's Tomb a little
earlier, I might have prevented Chernobog from coming down to Europe
and making an end to the Vatican's history."
The man who swallowed the coffee again and immediately gave a long
sigh. "Hyun-wook would not have died to protect the Vatican."
1127
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 132 - New Year, Part I ⦘
The man began to recall, and with that recollection, he carefully rubbed his
temples. "After all, the fall of the Vatican eventually brought Fafnir in its
wake, and Europe became hell. There were countless victims in the hell
equal to world war to find the Balmus, and in the meantime, killing Cher‐
nobog and gaining the ability of immortality was good luck."
The man looked at the back of his right hand with the words. "But in the
end, the Six Snakes acquired the Balmus, and the sacrifices were repeated
to kill Fafnir---"
The man who was recalling stopped again and took more coffee. It was so
clear, and in front of the memory, the man had been silent for a while with
coffee.
Then the man said, "Mao Spencer, if I had made a deal with him, if I had
obtained the Mayan Calendar from him, if I had prevented Quetzalcoatl
from waking up, the war would have ended earlier, and sacrifices would
have been less."
Then the man gave out a bloody tone, like a beast growling. "If I had done
so, Sung-hoon would not have died."
The man finished his speech and put the empty coffee cup on the table. In‐
stead of a coffee cup, he held the dragon-like flute in his hand. "I have won
the war, but only regrets remain. Fortunately, now is the time when I don't
need to be, and there's only one way to reverse regret in this situation."
=====
[Manpasikjeok]
1128
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 132 - New Year, Part I ⦘
=====
"The only way is to undo the immortality that has been given to me." With
those words, the man injected Mana into the Manpasikjeok, and it began to
emit a bluish light. The light enveloped the man.
In the light, the man said softly, "My story is that far."
2.
January 1, 2018, the first day of the New Year, which Kim Tae-hoon looked
at, was not warm.
It was not because the place to see the sun was the northernmost part of the
Korean Peninsula, where Baekdu Mountain and Yalu River could be seen at
the same time. Nor was it because he spent hours watching the dawn before
the sun rose, nor the coldness of the coffee that Kim Tae-hoon held in his
hand.
'That was terrible.' Making the first year of the new year so cold was Kim's
dream, which he had lived through before the dawn.
'That was the most terrible death ever.' The Kim Tae-hoon of the future was
dead. No one, nothing, but he killed himself.
'Fucking hell.'
It was literally suicide. It was a noble thing in a way. There were not many
greater things than giving up on himself for something.
'Suicide...'
So far, what made Kim Tae-hoon move was his will to survive. It was an
undeniable fact, and he did not want to deny it. His obsession with survival
had made the present Kim Tae-hoon. If it had not been for that will, he
would not have struggled so hard to survive. For him, suicide was not just
death.
1129
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 132 - New Year, Part I ⦘
'I'd rather be grateful for the deaths I've been through.' It was the most terri‐
ble, tragic death he could face. It was denial and disgrace to everything he
had done so far.
"Hoo-oo."
Therefore, in front of the first dream of the new year, Kim could not easily
organize his mind. Even coffee did not give him a clear picture. In the end,
he had to admit that the reality he faced now was not that he could under‐
stand and solve.
There was the only thing that could be obtained by dreaming of this death:
anger.
Only the intense anger about the future him who died in that way remained
to Kim Tae-hoon now.
'Never.'
On January 1, 2018, Kim made a New Year's resolution, "If I go this way, I
will someday gain the history of victory, but I will deny it!"
3.
"Boss!"
On the first day of the new year, Jang Sung-hoon raised his voice on the day
when he gave a pleasant New year's greetings and smiled in front of the big
New Year's gift money.
The reason for his high voice was due to a word from Kim Tae-hoon.
By the time the morning sun was just rising, Kim said briefly, "I'm going
straight to Moscow."
1130
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 132 - New Year, Part I ⦘
Of course, it was foreseen. Now Kim had three curses: Dragon, Eight-tailed
Fox, and Blue Qilin! The strong power made him a terrible monster, but at
the same time it demanded a huge price from him, and what could free him
from the curse was eating the crystal of Chernobog, the Immortal Wolf who
occupied Russia.
"Of course, it's not strange to go to Russia, but..." Jang Sung-hoon was not
just anyone. Kim had experienced his death and said what would happen. It
was natural that Kim Tae-hoon's next destination would be Russia.
"So just because you are going there right now does not mean that there is a
solution, right?"
The problem was that Kim said that he would start his trip to Moscow right
away, using the Siberian railway as a guide without any preparation, with‐
out any new operations or new orders.
In the situation where the ability of immortality became the key to judge the
life and death of Kim Tae-hoon, the attack on Russia could not proceed
carelessly. That was why Jang Sung-hoon worked with the ambassadors to
Korea, even with the show.
1131
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 132 - New Year, Part I ⦘
it, not even in the dream. In other words, no one in the world knew what
kind of strength a monster of the purple-grade had.
Kim Tae-hoon was just throwing himself with little ability against such a
monster?
"This isn't like you, boss." This was not Kim Tae-hoon's way. In fact, he did
not want to rush to Chernobog, but after winning the Russian government
over to his side, he would try to solve the problem sequentially. That was
his way. It was rough, but it was not foolish, ignorant, or reckless.
"What the hell did you see?" So, Jang was curious and worried about why
Kim suddenly showed such a change because of what he dreamed of.
Jang gave a long sigh to the answer. In the sigh, Jang realized, 'Boss's will is
firm.'
Kim's will was more firm than ever, and in some way, he was putting his
priority on starting with Russia.
'I need a guardrail.' There was no way to stop Kim from driving. He was the
one who had killed the Dragon alone. It would be better to stop a rushing
locomotive than to stop him. That was why Jang used the term guardrail. If
there had been something that could stop Kim, he would have used the term
"brake" instead of "guardrail." In other words, Jang felt the need for a
scapegoat to sacrifice himself when Kim fell into crisis.
"Boss, I will never send you alone." In this part, Jang also had no intention
of withdrawing or compromise.
"Dismissed, the Dragon Knights are the most obvious alternative power to
fill my absence. Instead, I will take the Unit that Colonel Lim Hyun-joon
1132
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 132 - New Year, Part I ⦘
has. One platoon, Jang Sung-hoon, you build the members with your discre‐
tion."
"Dismissed."
"Then add Maria. What are you going to do in Russia alone? You don't
speak Russian. Of course, you'll have to negotiate on the way."
"That's it?"
"And one more, a very important, essential, valuable, and excellent Joker
card."
At the words, Kim cocked his head. He couldn't think of anyone who was a
very important, essential, valuable, and excellent Joker card.
The reason Kim was rushing to Russia now was that he wanted to kill Cher‐
nobog faster than the Six Snakes were trying to destroy Russia with nuclear
weapons.
It was to not allow the history that he had told himself in his dream.
1133
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 132 - New Year, Part I ⦘
'Do I take Jang Sung-hoon, a civilian who is not an Awakener, to the crazy
battlefield? It's nonsense.'
Jang asked a question in return in such appearance of Kim. "Am I that im‐
portant to you, to keep me from going to a dangerous place?"
Kim did not answer. It wasn't a question that needed an answer. For him,
Jang was the most reliable subordinate, colleague, and friend. This fact did
not need to be expressed in words.
Jang was also like that. He did not ask that question because he wanted to
hear the answer. He just spat out such words to make Kim think.
"Then, can you be relieved if you leave me here on the Korean Peninsula,
and are you sure you won't regret it? Can you be sure that the Korean
Peninsula is the safest place for me?"
1134
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 133 - New Year, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
Vladivostok...
It is the easternmost city of Russia, the largest country in the world, and the
center of the Far East, and one of the most developed cities in Russia.
BoxN ovel.com
The ruler of the East was the meaning of the name Vladivostok. It was evi‐
dence of what Russia had in mind when building the city of Vladivostok,
and what kind of country Russia was at that time.
"Well, there is nothing strange about it. The founding of Vladivostok was
during the Russian Empire, and from then until the collapse of the Soviet
Union, Russia was one of the strongest nations in the world. Who would
say that Russia is a load of bullshit when naming the city in order to domi‐
nate the East?"
Now it was evidence of Russia's reality. The world's greatest power, which
was willing to use aggressive and provocative words to dominate the East
in the city name, was no longer present.
1135
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 133 - New Year, Part Ii ⦘
"But now it's different. There's no more Eastern ruler in this city."
At the end of the words, Jang, looking up at Vladivostok, gave a long sigh.
The sigh spread around like an epidemic.
The landscape of Vladivostok was terrible. The city, which was economi‐
cally, politically and culturally prosperous enough to be called the third cap‐
ital of Russia, had now become a city that had no traces of people.
The buildings that filled the city were crushed by the struggles of monsters
whose size could not even be guessed; decent roads were hard to find, and
the cars that had become scrap iron were crumpled like dead bodies all over
the roads.
What was even more creepy was that this sight was familiar to Kim Tae-
hoon and the men who visited here now.
This was the view of the Republic of Korea a year ago. By that time, all the
cities in Korea were this terrible. The difference was the flow of time, but
the gruesomeness and despair dominating the city were not much different.
'If there had been no Master Kim, Seoul would have looked like this.'
If there had been no man named Kim Tae-hoon, the appearance of Seoul
would not have been much different from Vladivostok. Everyone stopped
sighing and looked at Kim. They felt renewed.
Even though Russia was a toothless tiger, its military power was far greater
than Korea's military power. Not to mention, Vladivostok was also a mili‐
tary strategic point of Russia, and important when it came to the world situ‐
ation. It was a military city where the Russian Pacific Fleet was crucially
located. It was a city that Russia had built up to deal with Japan and even
the United States.
1136
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 133 - New Year, Part Ii ⦘
Nevertheless, Vladivostok did not last a year in the monster era. Far from a
year, the wreckage of the car bodies everywhere told them that Vladivostok
had been out of function for months, and that Vladivostok had not survived
even three months before collapsing.
Under the eyes of those surrounding him, Kim Tae-hoon said briefly, "Don't
get sentimental. There's no lesson to learn here."
The short words changed their eyes. Kim Tae-hoon was right. There were
no more lessons to be learned in front of these scenes, to those who had
seen the same scene a year ago.
The lesson was meaningful when they got it before and deeply engraved it.
It was meaningless to recall the same lesson every time they saw the same
scene. The eyes of the men who had escaped from their recollections were
immediately turned into the eyes of veteran hunters.
They held their breath and stifled their spirit. Wearing the Black Lion furs
which became hot on their own, their presence was like a dark shadow.
'That's great.'
Maria, the only outsider among them, was nervous. She had to be nervous.
'Kim Tae-hoon is Kim Tae-hoon, but his men are not ordinary, either.'
The level of these people, who had been selected to help with Kim Tae-
hoon's sudden trip to Moscow, was so intense that it could easily exceed
Maria's common sense.
1137
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 133 - New Year, Part Ii ⦘
And that was natural. They were not just soldiers or hunters, but elite agents
who had been tested several times in the absurd typhoon that had driven the
Republic of Korea for a year, and Colonel Lim Hyun-joon had strategically
nurtured them under the support of the Mac Guild.
An agent who was fostered not only for monster hunting but also for special
purposes!
Even the adviser to the process of fostering these agents was Kim Tae-hoon,
not just anyone.
'Korea may become a game maker who will move the world from now on.'
Even though they did not show such a battle yet, Maria felt her spine creep‐
ing in the winter of Vladivostok, where even the sea was frozen, at the pres‐
ence of Kim Tae-hoon's men. Of course, the chill was not comparable to the
one that she felt when she faced the man.
Kim Tae-hoon said while looking at Maria who did not show her chill,
"We'll move to our next destination, guide us."
Maria opened her frozen mouth and said, "I'll have to check the map once
I've moved to Vladivostok Station. There is something you need to keep in
mind, even though it is too late to say."
"Let's talk on the move." Their trip began again, and the story with it.
"I don't know what orders would have been given to the letter, but if there
were no specifics, the next destination will be Khabarovsk, because the
Russian Far East is located in Khabarovsk. It will take five days to get there
if we walk along the Siberian railway."
"I think it's a name you know. Major General Vladimir Duprinski."
1138
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 133 - New Year, Part Ii ⦘
"He is quite experienced and not fit for being in the Far East, far from
safety?"
"He was the top of the influential men, but the monsters came along and
now he is in charge of the dangerous place... I'm thinking of Lieutenant
Colonel Yoo."
Maria, who did not know Lieutenant Colonel Yoo, cocked her head, but on
the other hand, at the explanation of Jang, the agents were able to gauge the
position of the man named Vladimir in the present country of Russia.
He was a man of power who has been forced out because he did not adapt
himself to the new power and order after the monsters appeared.
'But he's not giving up his power.' But he was still ambitious and looking
for an opportunity.
Maria had noticed that, too. She did not miss the sudden disappearance of
the vigilance and doubt that had been dimly in the eyes of the agents, after
this short conversation.
"... and if I continue to talk, the main task of the Far East is to focus on ma‐
terials search and monster searches, but there's something more important
than this."
"What is it?"
1139
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 133 - New Year, Part Ii ⦘
"It's a new rule you must remember, as you have stepped into Russian terri‐
tory from now on."
Before she could speak, Maria turned her head north. "We are going to fol‐
low the Siberian railway. Of course, we will visit the city where the station
is located, and we will resupply there. The visit to the city and moving will
be made mostly at night. This is the first rule to remember."
Moving at night was dangerous in many ways. The night in Russia was
cold, and even if they traveled the same distance, they would be more ex‐
hausted than if they were moving during the day. The ability to prepare for
a monster's attack and the ability to fight also decreased. There was no rea‐
son to move at night unless there is a special reason.
"Why?"
Of course, there was a reason. "When the sun rises, the dead move."
At that reason, everyone's face stiffened. Jang was also the same.
"Isn't that the opposite? You know, Zombies are weak during the day and
they move at night?" In the end, Jang once again intervened in the conver‐
sation.
"There's no such thing as day and night for a Zombie. There are only warm
enough to move and cold enough to not move. It's not exact, but the stan‐
dard is minus fifteen degrees. If it's higher than this temperature, we can't
avoid fighting Zombies."
Maria's explanation continued, "I'll tell you the second rule here. From now
on, what you are dealing with is literally a Zombie. They can live without
eating, they don't die even though you cut off their heads, they don't die if
they're shot with holes like cheese, and they don't die if their hearts are de‐
stroyed."
1140
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 133 - New Year, Part Ii ⦘
"I'm not underestimating your abilities. You're the best specialists in mon‐
ster hunting. But the monster you're dealing with is not the one you've been
dealing with. There's only one thing that can stop them, the cold of Siberia."
The explanation made the crowd understand. From now on, the enemy they
had to face was a completely different kind of monster than the enem
ies
they had faced before. Of course, everyone was nervous.
"Yes? Yes."
5.
Khabarovsk...
What further explanation did they need, since the average temperature in
January was minus 20 degrees Celsius, minus 30 degrees Celsius at night,
and sometimes minus 40 degrees Celsius in a crazy cold.
"Goddamn it!"
At the same time, Khabarovsk was facing the worst nightmare since.
1141
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 133 - New Year, Part Ii ⦘
Once proud of its beautiful scenery, Khabarovsk was now a city dominated
by humans and monsters with frozen, rotten flesh. It was a nightmare
brought about by a warm New Year. In front of the nightmare, Vladimir, the
head of the Russian Far East branch in Khabarovsk, had no choice but to
feel despair.
On December 31, 2016, when the monsters appeared, Khabarovsk had won
the war with the monsters. But in the summer and warmer temperatures,
Russia had no choice but to give up Khabarovsk in front of the Zombies
coming down from the north. They took a rain check.
The next was the New Year 2018. During this winter, when the bitter cold
raged, it was the role of the Far East to collect military supplies and relics in
neighboring cities, based out of Khabarovsk. It was a very important role.
But now the investment was on the verge of going out of business even be‐
fore it really paid off.
'But how?'
There was no way for Vladimir to do anything about the Zombies who had
already begun to occupy Khabarovsk. Most of all, there were too many of
them. The number of Zombies coming into Khabarovsk was too high, but
the biggest problem was that there were also many Zombies hiding in
Khabarovsk.
1142
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 133 - New Year, Part Ii ⦘
their opponents were not just weak Zombie that would not die, from an old
Zombie movie.
In the cold winter of Siberia, the flesh that could only be wiped out by rot‐
ting away had frozen hard like steel, and their movements were not slow at
all.
Even as their reason had disappeared, pain and fear had gone away too, and
there was only ferocity left. Above all, the Zombies were not human beings,
the weakest animals. They were beings who had become monsters.
Of course, they have prepared. Instead of guns and swords, they prepared
gasoline and flame-throwers as their weapons, and they also brought special
armored cars made to crush Zombies beneath their treads.
"A serious thing happened." However, this preparation was not that mean‐
ingful to Zombie monsters.
In front of a monster that had already crossed the categ ory of common
sense, such preparations had no meaning.
1143
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 133 - New Year, Part Ii ⦘
"Yes, we do."
"What is it?"
'We will have to use a Napalm Bomb in the city ourselves? The manual is
practically telling us to burn Khabarovsk with our own hands, isn't it?'
A Napalm Bomb was a very good weapon to destroy a city, after all. The
fact had already been confirmed during World War II. Of course, if they
used the Napalm Bomb in Khabarovsk, the city was done.
'Does it fall into the hands of the monsters, or burn it with my own hands?'
'It's obvious. If I have to lose the city anyway, it is better to burn it all with
the Zombies.'
It was the second option to avoid the worst by using Napalm Bomb rather
than just retreating. There was no need to weigh. The only problem was
one.
As soon as he made the choice, all the achievements made by Major Gen‐
eral Vladimir disappeared, and he became a normal person.
That was why General Vladimir could not easily speak out the obvious op‐
tion. But the time given to him was not long. There was no other way, ex‐
1144
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 133 - New Year, Part Ii ⦘
"It's, it's breaking news!" A new guy ran into the operating room.
After swallowing the words he was about to say, Major General Vladimir
looked at the soldier who had emerged and asked, "What's going on?"
'It is a Zombie because it is not dead, but that Ogre Zombie is dead?'
But that was the beginning of a story that they could not understand, since
the sight they would face from now on was one they had never seen before.
"A-a man from heaven burned all the Ogre Zombies with blue lightning,
and... now the golden-smoke beasts are hunting Zombies."
1145
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 134 - New Year, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
6.
There were two effective ways to kill Zombie monsters: burn them to death,
or crush their bodies with overwhelming physical force.
That was not the best way. The strength of the monster's bodies was far be‐
yond the beasts that mankind had encountered so far.
There was a monster with skin so hard it ate away the saw-blade of an elec‐
tric saw after only one layer, and there was a monster that kept its flesh
firmly in the fires, rather than melting.
BoxN ovel.com
Eueoeoeo...
An Ogre was a monster where both things applied. Their body was so
strong that even a bullet could not easily pierce into them, and was so tough
that it would not easily melt down in the flames.
Eueoeoeo...
It was also huge. Even if there was a way to hurt its body, even if there was
a way to hurt it deeply, it was only a scratch, not a deep wound, in the huge
body of the Ogre.
Bang! 'Oh, my God.' It was at the time that Master Sergeant Oleg realized
that the RPG-7 he was holding was empty and the empty barrel was pouring
1146
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 134 - New Year, Part Iii ⦘
RPG-7 was a powerful weapon that did not need an explanation. It was a
weapon made to destroy a tank, a lump of iron with an amazing defense,
not just anything.
Of course, Master Sergeant Oleg himself did not expect that one RPG-7
shell would make a Ogre Zombie truly dead.
'Fuck!' But it was unexpected that the absurd cannonball would end up just
like one shot of a gun on a human being, just a small hole.
Eueoeoeo...!
'Fuck, damn it!' Decisively, the thing which made Master Sergeant Oleg
desperate was that the result of approaching it to take the shot had drawn
more attention and anger from the Ogre Zombie.
'It's over now.' At this moment, Master Sergeant Oleg did not even think of
running away. He couldn't even afford to run away. The effect of doping,
which he used to get near the Ogre Zombie, was not so long.
His whole body trembled like an aspen leaf in the unprecedentedly warm
January of Khabarovsk.
'Damn, damn, damn it!' It was amazing he did not fall on the ground with
his trembling legs. Even that didn't last long.
Thump! Something fell down suddenly in front of Oleg, and at that shock,
Oleg fell to the ground helplessly.
"Eu-huck!" A man in unusual attire came into his eyes as he fell on the
ground and let out a gasp. The man with the two swords on his back was
exceptionally impressive.
'Who, who?' The man who appeared like that made his right hand a gun
shape and pointed at the Ogre Zombie with the end of his index finger. He
1147
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 134 - New Year, Part Iii ⦘
moved his hand lightly, like a gunshot, and a blue spark splashed on the tip
of his index finger.
Pazik! The spark immediately became a blue lightning arrow and struck the
two pupils of the Ogre Zombie.
Eueoeoeo... ... the Ogre Zombie, who was rushing toward Oleg, stopped for
a moment with a relaxed cry.
It was only a moment, of course. There was no pain in the Ogre who had
become a Zombie. The Ogre Zombie's pause was like a program that was
working well stopping for a while because of a sudden change.
It was literally a moment, and when the Ogre Zombie began to move again,
there was a blue bead about the size of a man's head in front of it.
The absurd bead that emitted blue lightning began to stab and burn the
whole body of the Ogre Zombie without rest.
Eueoeoeo!
It was an unspeakably terrible sight, and at the same time, it was over‐
whelming.
The blue lightning was reducing the Ogre Zombie to ash. Under the re‐
peated attacks, the body of the Ogre Zombie moved differently from its
will.
The program that made it move seemed to be in error, and repeated blue
lightning attacks cracked open the body of the Ogre Zombie, bursting its
joints, and began to shatter its bones.
The Ogre Zombie's body fell to the ground with a grotesque sound. After
that, the body of the Ogre Zombie began to make popcorn popping sounds
again and again.
1148
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 134 - New Year, Part Iii ⦘
The man who created this ridiculous sight to him approached and said in
somewhat awkward Russian. "Now tell Major General Vladimir everything
you saw and heard."
7.
As soon as Master Sergeant Oleg finished his story, a heavy silence began
to weigh on the crowd. Even though they were wearing Russian uniforms
which were not lacking compared to other military uniforms, and which
were symbols of strength in world history, no one could overcome the si‐
lence that pressed them now. Even the only star-ranked person among them,
Major General Vladimir, was the same.
Major General Vladimir knew about the strength of the Awakeners. To the
extent he knew, he believed that only Awakeners could end the monster era.
Nuclear weapons were not a solution to the monster era, but Awakeners and
relics were.
But even Vladimir, who highly appreciated the value of the Awakeners
could not easily accept the strength of the man that Oleg had told him
about.
'And... no, I don't think he is the one I know.' Furthermore, his name was
Kim Tae-hoon, and it shook Vladimir's mind even more. There were not
many Korean names that Vladimir knew, and most of them were Korean
generals and very special people, like the president and the prime minister.
In a different sense, the only name that Vladimir remembered was Kim Tae-
hoon. Even the Russian army, which was proud of being the world's strong‐
est in the special forces, could not help but recognize his abilities. He was a
man the Russian army was willing to ask for military assistance.
'It can't be.' So, it was more problematic. If Kim Tae-hoon was the same
person as the amazing Awakener that Oleg had described now, he would be
1149
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 134 - New Year, Part Iii ⦘
in fact a man who no one could manage in the world. Unfortunately, the
hopeful prediction of Vladimir did not last long.
"Major Maria?"
"Fortunately, if we had lost her, there would have been no greater damage."
"Yes."
"I hope she can bring something we can hope for from the Korean Penin‐
sula."
Maria, who had come to visit Vladimir, appeared and began to report in
front of all. "Currently, Korea is ready to fight the monsters now. It is said
that South Korea has already occupied North Korea's land, and that Japan
has been defeated after a war with South Korea, although it has not been
confirmed. It is now a colonial state in return for handing over all
sovereignty to Korea."
She started a more unbelievable story for those who could not come to their
senses after the nonsense story of Oleg. Therefore, no one could ask a ques‐
tion about Maria.
'Major Maria is either crazy or we're crazy, or if both of us are not, this is all
a dream.'
No one came up with a question when they didn't even understand her
words.
"I'll ask you one thing." Only one, Vladimir, opened his mouth and asked,
"Is Kim Tae-hoon the one I know?"
1150
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 134 - New Year, Part Iii ⦘
8.
"The mineral rights of natural gas and other resources, lease of farmland,
tanks, warships, missiles, and-" a young man, who spoke Russian quite flu‐
ently, smiled and finished his speech, "Nuclear weapons. You can pay for
anything among these. Ah, Red Square is fine, too. I'll figure out the Krem‐
lin's value."
The man who finished his talk picked up a Choco pie on the table with a
smile. The wrapping paper of the individually packed Choco pie was en‐
graved with the divine bird mascot Mac, raising his thumb, unlike the usual
wrapping paper.
He ripped the wrapping paper off and took out the Choco pie in it. The man
who started eating looked at the man beyond the table.
Major General Vladimir had served as the head of the Russian prime minis‐
ter's security department, and he had been in power in the Russian army.
The eyes of the man who could kill a person just by blazing his eyes were
quite ferocious.
The blue eyes made him feel bluer. However, Jang Sung-hoon, who was
eating a Choco pie in front of the spirit, did not feel daunted at all. There
was no reason to be afraid.
"That's more dry and crumbling than I thought. Boss, can you get me some
coffee?"
The presence of the man who was staying calm and cool behind Jang Sung-
hoon was so great that he was not intimidated.
1151
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 134 - New Year, Part Iii ⦘
The same was true of Major General Vladimir. The days of a man who has
been the head of the Russian prime minister security department were out
of ordinary. During the Cold War era, he served as a first-year soldier, and
he played an active role as an ace of the KGB at the time of the collapse of
the Soviet Union. He became the top person of the influential people in the
Russian army. And now, even in the absurd age of the monsters, he was ac‐
tive without losing his ambition.
However, even Vladimir could not maintain his composure in front of the
presence of Kim Tae-hoon.
"Hoo-oo." A long sigh came from the mouth of Vladimir. It was the sound
which he should make at the table. With that sigh, he spoke slowly, "In
short, if we pay for the monsters that are now occupying our country, you
will get rid of them."
His words were immediately translated into English through Maria, and
Jang nodded and answered in Russian.
"I can talk, but I can't listen; now I am in trouble. That's why we shouldn't
study foreign languages with a book, right, boss?"
In addition, Jang's Russian skills were actually not important in the conver‐
sation.
"The questions are free, so you can ask me as much as you like."
1152
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 134 - New Year, Part Iii ⦘
At the question, Jang cleared the Choco pie powder from his mouth instead
of looking surprised, and he said with a light smile on his lips, "How much
are you offering?"
The cross-question made Maria and Vladimir harden. This kind of question
was unexpected. Jang waved his hand lightly as if he expected the reaction
of the two.
"Yes."
"It's lucky."
"Lucky?"
"Yes, it's lucky, you'll fully understand the price needed when we kill the
purple-grade monster."
"All of them."
The conversation that had been smoothly going stopped, as if they did not
understand what Jang said.
"You've killed a blue monster, haven't you? And then isn't that a fully un‐
derstandable price?"
On the other hand, Jang continued to speak with an expression that was
hard to understand when he saw the reaction of the two. "We have killed
three dark blue-grade monsters, for the sake of the country's fate, so I can
assure you. At this point, killing a dark blue monster would be a matter of
controlling the fate of the country. Not to mention, do you think you could
1153
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 134 - New Year, Part Iii ⦘
end up just using a few nuclear warheads and killing a purple-grade mon‐
ster, more easily than the dark blue-grade?"
Jang's words were outspoken. He spoke Russian more fluently than the
Russians. Of course, it was not because his linguistic ability increased
sharply because he talked with native speakers for several minutes. It was
because he had expected this situation, and spoke out the words prepared
for this situation.
It was not just words that Jang spit out on his own, but words that contained
the will of the man watching this conversation behind him.
So, as soon as Jang Sung-hoon spoke, Vladimir's eyes were heading toward
Kim Tae-hoon. Vladimir's eyes, looking at Kim, were the fiercest eyes, like
a commander on the brink of war. They were appropriate.
"Our country has never been ruled by another country." They had lost wars
a few times in the long history of Russia, but they were only once under
control.
"Come on, you were ruled by the Mongol Empire." It was in the mid-thir‐
teenth century, the Mongolian era that had brought nightmares to Europe at
that time.
But now in the 21st century, would Russia become a vassal power of the
Republic of Korea?
A great country with a long history, with the most land in the world, would
be humiliated to serve under a small country on the Korean Peninsula, a
country that was only a little larger than Lake Baikal?
It was the most insulting provocation ever received by Vladimir. So, his
eyes were ferocious.
"Oh, well... I think, Goryeo, Korean Dynasty was in a similar situation. I'm
just saying." Now, even Jang could not afford to relax in front of those eyes.
1154
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 134 - New Year, Part Iii ⦘
"Boss, can you change seats? I'm dizzy." Of course, Jang's role only went so
far. His role was to make Vladimir look like a tiger at the edge of a cliff. In
other words, the time when Kim stepped forward had come.
"This is the first time seeing you in person, Major General Vladimir." He
had been silent until now, and after he had stood up, he walked toward the
table. He made eye contact with Vladimir, "So, are you going to war with
us?"
At the appearance of the word 'war', the eyes of Vladimir, which were
fiercer than ever, were trembling. Kim Tae-hoon's presence was that strong.
In order to protect his country, he was ready to become a torch for war, even
by burning his body. Most of all, he realized at this moment that he was
truly afraid of Kim Tae-hoon. His situation at the edge of the cliff made him
realize it.
"... show me your abilities in front of me." In the end, Vladimir made a
compromise. Instead of lowering his head right away, he made the most
reasonable choice he could make in this situation.
Kim Tae-hoon stepped down from the table, and Jang Sung-hoon continued
his speech with a short cough. "What do you want us to kill?"
The door opened with a knock and a man appeared. "I'm sorry." The man,
whose face was red as he held his breath, carefully approached Vladimir
and spoke in a low voice. "We've received an emergency call from the Tiger
Unit waiting at Lake Baikal."
And for both Kim and Jang, there was evidence that the game had finally
shown a big gap. Of course, the two did not intend to miss this chance.
"We'll start the promotion. I'll take one destroyer in Vladivostok, and take
care of it."
1155
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 135 - Lightning Spear, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
The reason why Zombies are scary can be seen in countless movies and dra‐
mas based on Zombies. There is no way to win against an immortal army
that can not be killed by bullets, all they can do is run away. Because of
this, in the war against Zombies, the climax is the moment when the place
to run away to is no longer there.
The ammunition from repeated escapes and resistance runs out, and in the
end, a situation arises where they can not flee, they can only make a fort to
earn a few hours against the Zombies. As soon as they make the fort, the
Zombies start to attack the fort. It is rather hopeful that the end is invisible.
The results are always the same. A lucky man escapes, and the ones who
cannot escape are just victims of hunger that is never filled.
BoxN ovel.com
Eueoeoeo... The landscape of Birobidzhan was like that now. The small but
beautiful city, with a population of seventy-five thousand and a trans-
Siberian train passing through, had no survivors, but was instead a sea of
Zombies, with thousands of Zombie monsters remaining there.
Eueoeoeo... What was even more creepy was that the overflowing Zombies
and Zombie monsters did not show any movement. It was clear evidence
1156
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 135 - Lightning Spear, Part I ⦘
that there was nothing for the Zombies to be interested in, and that the smell
of the living could not be found anywhere in the city of Birobidzhan.
Woowoo! All the Zombies reacted and moved in pursuit. There was no co‐
operation among the Zombie monsters who had only one will: Kill what‐
ever lives" They moved only for their own purposes, and in the process,
they hit each other and fell, or were wounded.
Thump! In a corner of the alley, a large Zombie Orc fell, and the Zombie
Goblins that followed were tangled up with it. Nevertheless, there was no
stopping. The fallen ones tried to move even if they crawled, and those who
could not crawl even screamed. In many ways, a sight that could not be
seen in the human world, but it was simply a scene of hell.
Peep! Peep! The panicked mouse ran toward whatever fallen. It was not an
attack. It was like reaching out for a rope that came down from the sky at
the worst moment. The mouse instinctively realized where the chance to
survive was at this moment.
Kerblam! As soon as the racing mouse reached the man's feet, the ring
around the man's body exploded with thunder. The explosion blew away the
crowded Zombie monsters, ruthlessly and harshly, and it crushed them.
Eueoeoeo... From the mouths of the Zombies, the eerie sounds began to
come out.
The man took in a deep breath at the scene. Take a deep breath? It did not
look like that. The swollen man's chest was too big, and the man's face was
still, decisive. The man who took a deep breath to soothe his mind and soul,
1157
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 135 - Lightning Spear, Part I ⦘
from tension and nervousness, was making an expression that was inappro‐
priate.
Fufufufu! The man threw up his chest and a huge flame began to blow. In a
moment, the flames started to seethe all over the place.
Eueoeoeo... In the flames, the Zombies began to cry out loud. The fire, of
course, did not stop them; the Zombies began to rush toward the man, re‐
gardless of whether they were burning or melting. The rush of Zombie
monsters, which had become fireballs, seemed fiercer. The great sea of fire
seemed to be pushed toward the man who had appeared in the Birobidzhan.
In that hellish sight, the man was making something. A terrible mass of
head-sized thorn ice was formed on his bare right hand, and a Golden Web
from the man's left hand was lined with a mass of ice thorns.
Whoo-woong! Whoo-woong! The ice flail that was made began to rotate
around the man with a gruesome sound.
Poo-what! The ice flail shattered the body of the Zombie monster running
in a very funny way. The bodies of the Zombie monsters with red eyes, as
well as the Zombie monsters with orange eyes, were just crumbs in front of
the ice mace wielded by the man. Even monsters with yellow eyes earned
fatal wounds if they did not properly receive the ice flail.
That was how the movie started. The movie was called "Zombie Massacre",
starring the main actor Kim Tae-hoon.
2.
"Maybe if you make a movie out of what the boss has done, there'll be a
demonstration outside the theater where the movie is being screened."
1158
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 135 - Lightning Spear, Part I ⦘
Zombie monsters formed nightmares. The only weakness that the monster
had was its heart, but it had disappeared.
"There's nothing great about it, but it's more difficult for an ordinary mon‐
ster to deal with."
"Yes?"
Jang Sung-hoon carefully asked him, as if he felt a sense of it. "Don't you
think it's hard to deal with Zombie monsters?"
"It's not easy, but is there a reason for the response manual to be compli‐
cated?"
Kim Tae-hoon did not answer. Even if he did not answer obstinately, Jang
Sung-hoon would be able to reach the answer that Kim Tae-hoon had given.
It was true.
1159
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 135 - Lightning Spear, Part I ⦘
'And there are more experiences and procedures for war with Zombie mon‐
sters than any other country.'
Russia fought against the undead monsters left by Chernobog, the Immortal
Wolf. The response manual for Zombie monsters would be considered to be
better than any other country in the world, even Korea. But such Russian
elites were still beaten by Zombie monsters. Of course, the monsters could
still be beaten.
But they shouldn't be beaten so easily. The strength of Russia and the year
they had endured did not allow it. There was a variable. In other words, if it
was easily beaten, it meant that there was something unexpected in the
manual.
Jang Sung-hoon was able to guess what the main factor of the variable was.
There was only one thing left: physical proof. Here, it was necessary to find
out the cause of death through the bodies of the Russian army guarding the
Birobidzhan: whether it was a monster or something that killed them. That
was what Kim Tae-hoon was looking for.
Peep! Peep! The squeak of a mouse softly filled the silent Birobidzhan.
Peep! Peep! Jang Sung-hoon, who was suffering from the repeated sound,
made a sullen look.
At the words of Jang Sung-hoon, Kim Tae-hoon raised his hand instead of
answering. Jang Sung-hoon was silent.
Peep! Peep! The squeak of the mouse sounded more clearly, and the squeak
began to hover at some point.
Kim Tae-hoon moved to the place where the sound was coming from.
1160
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 135 - Lightning Spear, Part I ⦘
What was waiting for Kim Tae-hoon was a body that was already torn apart
by monsters. The flesh was already ripped out, only the skeleton remained.
Therefore, Jang Sung-hoon, as well as Kim Tae-hoon, was able to clearly
understand the cause of death. They had seen so many different kinds of
bodies, considering what the hole in the head of the body was like, be it by
the monster's teeth or bullets.
"Boss, how did you know the mouse would find the Russian corpse?"
Of course, the moment they saw the evidence, they accepted the hypothes is
in their minds as fact now.
"Well, I'm sure about this. It wasn't a Zombie, but a person who attacked the
Russians in the Birobidzhan: the Six Snakes, or someone else."
"It's a trap."
"A trap?"
Kim Tae-hoon knew the reason well. "The rescue request was a lie, a lie to
lure Major General Vladimir's forces to Lake Baikal."
"What makes a soldier move in the most terrible battlefields is not a sense
of duty or loyalty to his country."
"It's comradeship."
Ten soldiers risked their lives to save one colleague. That is war. The sol‐
diers at the front line don't know what commanders think, and they don't
1161
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 135 - Lightning Spear, Part I ⦘
want to know. They don't care whether commanders or people in power are
talking about world peace.
They just don't want to leave a colleague next to them, a colleague who has
crossed the places of death together, and they don't want to run away from
the battlefield alone. The more desperate war became, the more such things
remained.
Kim Tae-hoon was convinced. Among the cities near Lake Baikal, in Ulan-
Ude, where the Tiger troops were made up of only the elites among the
Awakeners were stationed, some guys might be waiting to kill the troops of
Major General Vladimir.
And they would not be cast-offs. They would be able men with the ability
to use monsters to play games in the era of monsters.
'They are able men who can handle legendary relics and who can kill a
blue-grade monster at their discretion.'
"But boss, if this was done by the Six Snakes, why are they attacking Rus‐
sia? Isn't Russia the object of their conciliation? Do they need to make Rus‐
sia an enemy?" Jang Sung-hoon asked a new question.
Kim Tae-hoon gave the answer that he had already given without worrying
about the question. "Only humans who have some shortage will sit at the
negotiating table."
"Ah."
"If they cut off Russia's hands and feet, the men of power in Moscow will
visit the Six Snakes again."
"... crazy people." Jang Sung-hoon, who spoke out the words, was surprised
and looked at Kim Tae-hoon. "Boss, no way!"
1162
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 135 - Lightning Spear, Part I ⦘
"You said it was a trap, and are you going to attack there alone?" Jang's
voice grew louder. "No, what are you going to do?"
When Jang Sung-hoon's voice grew so loud that it could no longer grow,
Kim Tae-hoon replied, "If I cut off the limbs of the Six Snakes, they'll be
sorry."
3.
Ulan-Ude...
It was the capital of the Republic of Buryatia, a large Russian federal city,
with a population of three hundred thousand.
It was a trade center crossing the Trans-Siberian Railway Network, and the
Trans-Mongolian Railway connecting Mongolia and China, a place where
facilities and resources were built to occupy an axis of the Russian aviation
industry.
But there was only one image in most people's minds about Ulan-Ude: a
city with a huge lake called Lake Baikal! It was inevitable. In front of the
oldest and deepest lake in the world, anything else would be just a little
thing. The winter of Lake Baikal was magnificent. The frozen Lake Baikal
boasted a very clear and beautiful color, like crystal.
A man was fishing on the frozen Lake Baikal. He was a strange man in
many ways. Once the man had worn armor that was worth seeing in ancient
China. On the other hand, what he had in his hand was a tool called a Vajra,
used in ancient India. Finally, the man was a white man with long blond
hair.
1163
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 135 - Lightning Spear, Part I ⦘
The white man in the blond hair wearing the ancient Chinese armor and the
ancient Indian weapon... there was no word for unity anywhere in the man.
But the most unusual and bizarre thing was the man's fishing method. The
man who made holes in the frozen Lake Baikal did not put a fishing rod in
the hole.
Whack! He just kept digging holes. In addition, the man was not just dig‐
ging holes, but making a square shape with holes, like a dotted line of
stamps. Then, when the holes made a square shape, the Vajra in his hand
began to vomit lightning.
Pazik, Pazik! The sudden appearance of the golden lightning turned into a
throwing spear. The man put the changed lightning into the hole he had
made. Then, with a huge burst of thunder, the cracks spread across Lake
Baikal, which had been frozen hard.
But the cracks did not spread across the whole of Lake Baikal, because the
man had blocked the cracks from spreading. Inside the square fence, the
stunned and electrocuted fish began to float up, one by one. The man smiled
slightly at the sight.
"I'm sure they are. Without the Tiger Unit, Major General Vladimir and his
forces in Khabarovsk would be dead." With those words, he made a huge
smile, looking east for a while. "I hope this will be a bigger fish than I
thought."
1164
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 136 - Lightning Spear, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
The flower, the heart of the Red Square was always the stage for the
supreme powers of Russia.
"Contact with those on duty has been suspended! What the hell is going
on?"
BoxN ovel.com
This fact, even in the era that the monsters appeared, did not change.
Generals.
Those with stars over their shoulders and with heavy medals above their
chests, filled the tables of the most luxurious large banquet halls in the Mos‐
cow Kremlin. It was like looking at the starry night sky.
However, the atmosphere was so gloomy that the glittering of the stars and
medals were put in the shade. Everyone in the room looked stiff.
1165
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 136 - Lightning Spear, Part Ii ⦘
"We must somehow recover the nuclear warheads as soon as possible, be‐
fore the winter is over, and start the operation!"
"Who doesn't know that? The problem is that the people who are in the
process of recovering the warheads are lost."
"Then we need to dispatch rescue teams or search teams to figure out what's
going on!"
"We've put all the elites in the process of securing the warheads, and do you
want me to send some ordinary soldiers where they went missing?"
"So, are we going to end this operation, as it failed? Are we going to reopen
it next year?"
The hope was that the moment they could cover the monsters and Zombies
with the cold of Siberia, if they used the Soviet Union's heritages through‐
out Russia, they could reverse the war against monsters! Furthermore, it
was also Europe's hope!
Besides Russia, there were many countries with nuclear weapons, including
France and Britain in Europe. But the number of nuclear weapons pos‐
sessed by France and Britain was about four hundred. On the other hand,
Russia's nuclear weapons exceed fifteen hundred in actual deployment, and
the number of weapons they possessed was over five thousand.
The fact that Russia was the country with the largest number of nuclear
weapons and armored power in the world was not a simple expression. Of
course, if all that was blown up, mankind would be destroyed, not monsters,
but it was clear that nuclear weapons seemed to be a solution to the present
era.
1166
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 136 - Lightning Spear, Part Ii ⦘
Crucially, Russia had the largest territory in the world, and a monster named
Chernovog: a purple-grade monster, the peak of monsters. Russia was at the
surest experimental stage. It was an experimental stage to determine
whether or not they could kill a monster of the purple grade with nuclear
weapons.
From that point of view, it was no exaggeration to say that using nuclear
weapons to kill Chernobog was very important not only to Russia but also
to mankind. Even if the results were not good, the attempt should not fail.
Therefore, someone said, "Why don't we ask Mao Spencer for help?"
The stars were quiet as the name Mao Spencer was mentioned. No one
asked who said the name, because if someone had no contact with Mao
Spencer, he would not have been able to sit here now.
That was why the moment the Six Snakes had lost their mainland, the Rus‐
sians in power had coldly cut off their relationship with Mao. The Russians
in power owed too much to the Six Snakes to continue their relationship
with them.
But again, would they borrow the power of the Six Snakes?
It would not be different from the sound of kicking the debtor out of the
house and calling him again and borrowing more money.
"Why don't we ask the Vatican for backup?" All they could say was the next
best option.
"It's not going to be good for the Vatican to have our Russia fail like this."
The next best option that came out was the Vatican. The Vatican, the city it‐
self, was history and a relic, and it was the only place in the monster era
1167
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 136 - Lightning Spear, Part Ii ⦘
that had kept its integrity without any damage. Of course, after the emer‐
gence of monsters, the leaders of each country, Europeans in power, and
Awakeners were all gathered in the Vatican.
Asking for help there meant asking for help from Europe.
"But it's better than screwing up this operation. After this winter, there's no
answer. How do we wait until next winter?"
Of course, there was no definite answer here. It was beyond everyone's ex‐
pectations to have such a meeting in the first place. There were only two
things that were clear at this moment.
'That's crazy.'
First, those who were here were in a position that they needed something.
"Mr. Mao, the Russian generals meeting is over. There was nothing special
in it. They'll send someone from Russia to the Vatican sooner or later."
"Lake Baikal?"
"He sent a false rescue request there, and after he destroys the Far East
Branch, he will return."
The Six Snakes were waiting for a gap between the leaders of Russia, who
were in need of something, and they would not be still.
1168
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 136 - Lightning Spear, Part Ii ⦘
"And there is new news. The twins have secured a nuclear warhead. They
stand by with the Terracotta Warriors. We can blow it anytime you want."
"That's great."
Ulan-Ude, once housing over three hundred thousand people, had now be‐
come a land where only Zombie monsters remained. A man had appeared
there. The footsteps of the man in Russian military uniform were cautious.
Eueoeoeo... It was to avoid Zombie monsters that were spread like living
alarms all over the place. He even exhaled carefully, the white breath cov‐
ered by a mask over his mouth.
But the man in the uniform took a deep breath and went through the win‐
dow into Ulan-Ude Station. The man who entered the station lowered his
mask and began to make a sound with pursed lips.
Whiii, Whiii... The whistle with a strange rhythm began to flow through the
quiet station of Ulan-Ude.
Whick! Whick! Not far away, a small whistle sounded, and the man, who
was lowering his posture and nervous, relaxed and immediately stood up
and began to walk forwards. When the man reached the spot the whistle had
come from, a man with a blond hair in ancient Chinese armor was standing
there. The moment the man in the Russian army uniform saw him, he
stopped immediately.
The blond guy, on the other hand, smiled. "I hoped I could catch a big fish
at once, but it's not easy, either. But I'm glad I got a bite."
1169
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 136 - Lightning Spear, Part Ii ⦘
At the words of Sergei, the man with blond hair, the man in the Russian
army uniform did not answer. Instead, he glanced around quickly.
"I'm sorry, but your colleague is dead. No, I killed him." Sergei delivered
the terrible news to the man.
Sergei whistled briefly at his eyes. "Your eyes are burning. Judging from
the fact that you are here alone, you're competent enough. The mark on
your uniform says you belong to the direct command unit of Major General
Vladimir, and he has raised you well."
At that moment, the man wearing the Russian army uniform immediately
held the AK-47 rifle and pointed it at Sergei.
Tututu! There was a flash of gunfire. But Sergei did not avoid the shots.
Tingting! The three shots that flew toward Sergei's chest were crushed, not
even scratching his armor. As soon as Sergei raised his arm to cover his
face, he was in fact in a situation where bullets did not work.
Boom! With a single foot stamping down, Sergei's body flew forward like a
cannon shell.
Swish! At the same time, the Vajra in Sergei's hand cut the air. It was a very
nip and tuck movement. If the man in the military uniform hadn't suddenly
lowered his position, Sergei would have cut the man in at once.
'He is better than expected.' Sergei was briefly impressed with the fact,
rather than embarrassed. At the same time, he understood. 'Well, unless Ma‐
jor General Vladimir is a fool, he can't send a mere rabble as the search
party where the Tiger Unit has requested a rescue.'
It was not very strange for the man in front of him to avoid his attack. Of
course, he was for sure that the member of the search party would never be
able to avoid his second attack.
1170
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 136 - Lightning Spear, Part Ii ⦘
Sergei had no intention of keeping the searcher alive. If the searcher re‐
turned alive to the main camp, the big fish who Sergei wanted would not
bite the hook of his fishing rod. He shouldn't even give him a chance to
scream. So, Sergei had no intent to hide his ability. Before he could com‐
plete his jump and land on the floor, he pulled out all his skills at once with
full force.
Pazik! Vajra, Vasavi Shakti in his hand spewed out lightning and now had
the shape of an elongated spear. It was not just a spear, but a javelin. As
soon as it left its owner's hand, the spear, like a flash that could penetrate
any target the owner was aiming for, was the deadly spear of Karna, an an‐
cient Indian myth hero, obtained from Indra, a god of lightning, in exchange
for his golden armor.
Sergei, after forming the spear, landed on the floor and now looked for his
target to die under this deadly weapon. He turned around, with the pose of a
javelin thrower. He found the target looking at him with black eyes, instead
of running away.
Swish! At the same time, a sword that had flown out from somewhere cut
off Sergei's right wrist.
Thud! His right hand, and the Vasavi Shakti that his hand was holding, fell
to the floor with a clatter.
'Ah.' Only then did Sergei's face begin to stiffen, feeling that something was
going wrong.
"Who are you...?" Sergei managed to open his mouth through his stiff face.
It was the beginning of a nightmare.
"Kim Tae-hoon."
He, who lost his right hand and his most powerful weapon, had to deal with
a monster from Korea.
1171
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 136 - Lightning Spear, Part Ii ⦘
"Hunter."
==[Vasavi Shakti]
Jang Sung-hoon, who had already annoyed Vladimir, was facing him across
only one table. But it was quite different from before. Unlike that time,
when it was full of playful and fun attempts to provoke his opponent any‐
way, Jang was more serious than ever.
"There's no better evidence we can show you." Jang had to be serious be‐
cause he claimed that the Six Snakes and their head Mao had attacked Rus‐
sia.
"But I need to hear the answer here." And now, Jang was asking Vladimir
for a choice. "Will you hold hands with us?"
At that question, Vladimir gave a long sigh that he should release at the ne‐
gotiating table. But he did not regret the sigh he had spoken.
'There is only one choice.' He was thinking this was a threat table, not a ne‐
gotiation table. It was not wrong.
Kim Tae-hoon showed his ability perfectly. He annihilated the Tiger Unit
alone, and he shattered Sergei and his forces, who had set a trap. At the
same time, he showed that there was an enemy who threatened and had at‐
tacked Russia.
1172
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 136 - Lightning Spear, Part Ii ⦘
In this situation where the enemy of the unheard-of was in front, and an
overwhelmingly violent person had reached out his hand, there was no such
thing as choices for Vladimir.
"What do you want from us?" All he could do was hold that hand.
"... then what do we have to do?" Vladimir spat out the next question.
To the question, Jang replied, making his playful and fun face. "Can you
give us a false identity?"
"We need a false identity, just like Tom Cruise, who was able to enter the
Moscow Kremlin with a false identity in Mission Impossible 4."
The playful look on his face reminded Vladimir. 'What happened to the
Moscow Kremlin in Mission Impossible 4?' At the same time, the expres‐
sion on his face hardened. He remembered the scene where the Moscow
Kremlin and Red Square were shattered by an explosion in Mission Impos‐
sible 4.
Jang grinned at the expression of Vladimir. "That movie was fun, wasn't
it?"
1173
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 137 - Lightning Spear, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
In mid-January, Lake Baikal, which was again bathed in severe cold, was as
beautiful as the surface of a planet made of crystal.
Looking at the beautiful background, drinking a cup of coffee that had just
been made, with the night view of Lake Baikal where the stars were shin‐
ing, was so romantic!
"Hoo-oo!"
BoxN ovel.com
Jang Sung-hoon, who could feel the smell of coffee engraved deeply on the
breath he was exhaling through a nose as red as a strawberry in the cold of
the frozen Lake Baikal, seemed to understand a little why Kim Tae-hoon
was so crazy about coffee.
A man started walking on Lake Baikal toward Jang Sung Hoon. The man
who appeared sat down on a fisherman's patio chair that Jang had prepared
in advance. That alone could tell the identity of the man.
1174
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 137 - Lightning Spear, Part Iii ⦘
The face of Kim was not so bright because of his calm expression.
"Not yet."
Jang did not urge Kim. "Would you like a cup of coffee?" It was Jang's
frank feeling that he wanted to stop Kim for a while, who had been running
without stopping, somehow.
"No."
Whether he knew the intention of Jang or not, Kim rejected Jang's consider‐
ation and prepared his coffee using the tools Jang had prepared to make cof‐
fee, which was exactly Kim's.
"No, I used the same beans and the same tool, it would be the same. How
can it be different...?" Jang complained at Kim's words.
"Different." Kim cut off the complaints of Jang coldly. Jang shook his head.
While Kim was making coffee, Jang threw out, "So, what does he say?"
'He' was Sergei, who had been captured by Kim. Of course, Kim did not kill
Sergei. Sergei had a lot of information to tell them, as long as he was surely
one of the Six Snakes and Mao's closest aide. He could also be a tool of in‐
timidation and a subject of negotiation. Lastly, if he killed Sergei, Mao
would be likely to find out immediately.
There was no need to have a broad prospect. Japan had confirmed the life
and death of the ninjas using Shikigami, and if a relic and an Awakener that
made it possible were next to Mao, he could grasp the life and death of his
aides no matter how far away they were.
1175
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 137 - Lightning Spear, Part Iii ⦘
Even if not, it was the Six Snakes, with more mysterious relics than anyone
else, including Okjo. It was not necessary to kill Sergei and give Mao a sig‐
nal; it was a signal that Kim Tae-hoon was carrying a sword to kill Mao
now.
It was not easy, of course, to get information from Sergei. He did not give
any major information in front of Kim's torture.
"Belief?"
Instead, Sergei only told Kim why he followed Mao and acted as a member
of the Six Snakes.
"Isn't their belief to become kings in a world that has been ruined by mon‐
sters?"
"If it had not been for the Six Snakes, someone else would have done it, and
it is what anyone would do. In fact, all who have survived now are new
leaders who have new power in an era where the existing order has been
collapsed by monsters."
"That's right."
"Really?"
"So it doesn't really matter if such people die. As you say, man is a god-
damned race."
Then Jang was able to know the intention of Kim, and the belief of the Six
Snake members, including Sergei.
1176
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 137 - Lightning Spear, Part Iii ⦘
Instead of answering, Kim took a half-full mug, brought it to his mouth, and
drank.
"The bad guys became the enem ies. Since they're the bad guys that much,
they have harassed you. If they were nothing, the boss would have killed
them. Now I am curious to know how much more they are going to do."
Taking advantage of Kim's silence that started like that, Jang laid out his
complaints without hesitation. But Kim did not hear the complaints. In‐
stead, what Sergei had said hovered in his ear for a moment: Let's check out
whether the night sky before the monsters appeared was beautiful, or the
night sky after the monsters appeared was beautiful.
Jang, who looked up after Kim, looked at the night sky and said, "The night
sky is so cool."
Major General Vladimir made a decision to leave his destiny to Kim Tae-
hoon. As soon as the decision was made, he no longer hid his cards. He fi‐
nally pulled out the card of Avia Zavod.
"The biggest reason the Tiger Unit is located in Ulan-Ude is because of the
Avia Zavod."
Avia Zavod was not a very special name. It was just a factory name. The
special thing was the factory's production.
"I had to protect the Avia Zavod factory that produces the Mi and Su fight‐
ers in Russia."
The aircraft was produced by a factory named Avia Zavod. Of course, since
the advent of monsters, wireless communication, including radar, was not
possible. It meant that it was virtually impossible to operate a fighter or an
aircraft, which was a high-tech product.
1177
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 137 - Lightning Spear, Part Iii ⦘
Therefore, Jang was surprised and asked, "Didn't Russia have radar or wire‐
less communication technology?"
"We're working on it, but we haven't got radar or the right wireless commu‐
nication technology yet." Maria shook her head at the question.
"The opposite?"
Maria stepped up and continued to talk. "At first, Russia was in a panic be‐
cause the latest Russian fighter jets and aircrafts became useless. The pilots
were concerned right away. No one calmly said that they would take off and
land in a situation where they couldn't communicate with the control
tower."
It was Kim Tae-hoon who received her words. "The rapid development of
fighter aircraft was around World War I, but radar was used in World War
II." Speaking out the words, Kim's face was not good. It was evidence of re‐
flection and regret. 'Why didn't I think of it?' It was a reflection and regret
that he did not think of what Russia had prepared.
Jang, on the other hand, cocked his head. He understood the words of Maria
and Kim, but he did not understand all of them. "No, to state in a brief way,
did they build a plane without radar and wireless communication? No, they
can make it float. Even a hot air balloon can float in the sky. The problem is
if they can run it or not."
For ordinary people with common sense, an airplane did not just end up fly‐
ing in the sky. Rather, it was the opposite, and it is the most dangerous thing
to fly in the sky.
1178
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 137 - Lightning Spear, Part Iii ⦘
Among those who cannot get on planes, there are not many people who
cannot get on the plane because of fear of heights. Most are afraid of the
planes because it might fall.
But on the contrary, those who participated in war know. An airplane is not
an object that falls more easily than you think. And considering those who
die in a plane crash, there were far more survivors on the plane.
Of course, the important thing now was not to persuade Jang. She didn't
have to try to persuade Jang.
"What shape?"
"We're still developing it, but the prototype we're working on is up to three
hundred kilometers per hour, but the average speed should be around two
hundred kilometers per hour for safety and other problems."
1179
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 137 - Lightning Spear, Part Iii ⦘
Jang answered at her warning, "Is it us that's dangerous, or the poor mon‐
sters that will attack our boss?"
The Red Square was beautiful. Especially when the snow fell from the gray
sky, the Red Square turned into the reddest square.
It was so now. The snow, calmly falling from the sky, was making the Red
Square glow.
Two men were talking in front of the beautiful sight. They were Mao and
Lieutenant General Dmitry with the thick fur coat and mustache, who had
driven Mao out earlier.
"I don't think we need to talk about anything uncomfortable to each other.
Tell me why you called me today."
"I won't hide it, we are currently disconnected from the troops that were
sent to collect the warheads, and I need a search party to identify their situa‐
tion and a rescue team to rescue them."
1180
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 137 - Lightning Spear, Part Iii ⦘
"I have asked the Vatican for help, but I cannot leave my country's fate to
the Vatican alone."
"I don't mean to make you feel bad, I just made a choice that would help
our country's interests."
Mao paused for a moment, then looked at the red wall where the snow had
begun to build.
"I don't have much time, and I want you to answer me here today."
At the apology, the eyes of Dmitry had cooled more rapidly than the falling
snow.
"I don't think you are one to make up your mind because of regret."
"No, it's not. The reason why I declined your offer is not what you think."
"What is different?"
At that moment, the crazy explosion began to emit a huge roar. Bang!
In the explosion, Dmitri's body and Mao's body staggered like a sailboat on
a raging wave. But the two equally tottering faces were not the same at all.
1181
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 137 - Lightning Spear, Part Iii ⦘
The expression on Dmitry's face was beyond surprise, and it was a shock.
'Oh, my God!' It was a natural expression in front of the scene where the
Red Square collapsed under a repeated explosion.
'No way!'
The smile was evidence. It was the evidence that the main culprit of this
crazy explosion in Red Square was Mao, not just anyone.
"You bastard!" Dmitry, who had noticed it, reached out his arms as if to
grab Mao's neck.
Swish! A single Bronze Sword cut his stretched arms off as they were.
"Haha!" A pleasant laugh came from near the hilt. There was a beautiful
Asian woman there with a lively smile.
"Ugh!" On the other hand, Dmitry, who had lost his arms, fell to the ground
with his balance lost.
Bang! Bang! In the meantime, the explosions were repeated and became a
series of explosions, and the explosive sound gradually began to get closer
to Mao and Dmitry. In that situation, Mao looked at Dmitry.
Of course, it was impossible for Dmitry to hear Mao properly in the re‐
peated explosions. Mao himself did not care whether Dmitry was listening
to him or not. Anyway, Dmitri would die soon regardless.
"That's the difference between dogs and humans. Once a dog is mad there is
nothing we can do about it, but if humans see an example, they can figure
out what's going on and adapt."
Mao, who had finished his talk, chopped his neck with his hand, and the
woman with the sword struck the neck of Dmitry with her Bronze Sword.
1182
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 137 - Lightning Spear, Part Iii ⦘
Swish! The golden letters on the Bronze Sword that cut off the head of
Dmitry were shining: Yue Wang Goujian Self-use Sword. The glittering let‐
ters were gone as soon as the woman put the sword into the sheath.
Mao turned to the woman. The woman smiled a little. Behind that smile,
Major Chinshan showed up. The face of Chinshan was full of red spots.
They were blood-spatter marks.
"We have removed most of the VIPs, but we couldn't remove them all. I'm
sorry."
"It doesn't matter, because a survivor is a real example," Mao spoke and
gave a short sigh. "Now we can talk to the people in the Vatican."
"We will wake up the Huge Giant Hrungnir there, and make it advance to
Europe."
As soon as the monster Hrungnir was mentioned, the twin sisters behind
him, as well as Chinshan, looked surprised. They had to.
Hrungnir, the dark blue-grade monster, was as crazy as the color of its eyes.
It was a monster of the monsters who would be willing to compete with the
Dragon, called the strongest monster of the dark blue grade! Furthermore,
there was one difference between Hrungnir and the dragon.
The giants were the monsters who made Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and
Norway a land of death that humans could not live in! Hrungnir was the
1183
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 137 - Lightning Spear, Part Iii ⦘
"With that much, the Vatican will lower its position and reach out to us.
There is no such thing as Korea's crazy monster, though the legendary relics
are overflowing there."
There would be no greater threat than forcing that nightmare to happen for
his benef it!
1184
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 138 - The Vatican, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
The droning of a plane with several propellers began to pass over Moscow.
It was quite dangerous, since it didn't send out a warning as it flew over the
center of Russia, and it was flying low enough to be visible to the naked
eye.
In fact, an attempt was made to crash the plane at its appearance. But it was
not started by fighters or shooting from below.
BoxN ovel.com
And the plane itself did not hesitate at all to confront these monsters, and it
sped up, as if it had decided to hit the monsters in front of it without any in‐
clination, rather than turning around. A game of chicken started over Mos‐
cow. However, the losers of this game were the
1185
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 138 - The Vatican, Part I ⦘
monsters.
Thunk! A single arrow appeared from somewhere and pierced the bodies of
all three monsters at once. There were no screams at all.
The heart-pierced monsters stopped flapping their wings and began to fall
down straight to the ground. However, those aboard the plane did not look
at them. Their eyes were directed at the front.
"Damn it, boss. I think someone came before us and filmed Mission Impos‐
sible."
-- I'm going down first.- At that moment, Kim Tae-hoon's voice was heard
in everyone's head.
"Boss!" At the voice, Jang called out for Kim reflexively, but the thing that
welcomed him was only the strong wind coming in through the airplane
door as it opened.
2.
Kim had visited Moscow several times, but he had never been allowed to
visit the Kremlin. When he came to Moscow at the invitation of the Russian
government, Russia did not invite him into the Kremlin Palace.
Of course, the biggest reason was that he did not have to go to the Kremlin
Palace, but the thoughts of those who knew him were different. They said
Russia was afraid of Kim Tae-hoon, a crazy bomb, stepping into the Krem‐
lin Palace. At this moment, he had lost his chance to visit the Kremlin
Palace forever.
1186
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 138 - The Vatican, Part I ⦘
"If I'd known this, I'd have borrowed a loan to travel to Moscow... I
wouldn't have had to pay back the debts, anyway."
It was a terrible sight in many ways. But what mattered right now was not
the fact that they could no longer see the Red Square, the Kremlin Palace.
"Bomb?"
"It wouldn't lead to this much collapse unless it was placed in the right
place."
After finishing the explanation, Kim raised his head and scanned the entire
Red Square again. It was unspeakable devastation, but it did not impress
him. Nevertheless, his expression was hardened for another reason.
Lenin's Tomb was the place the founder of Russia, the communist hero, had
been buried. It was also the reason why Kim and Jang had to wash their
identities before coming to Moscow.
"At first, Lenin's Tomb was not located in the underground facility of the
Kremlin Palace, but..."
"You're all right, aren't you? What can you do to Chernobog without Boga‐
tri's Great Sword?"
Apparently, Kim had told himself in his dream that the weapon that could
kill the Immortal Wolf Chernobog was in Lenin's Tomb. So, he made a
plan.
With common sense, how could he ask them to open the coffin, saying,
"There is a weapon in Lenin's Tomb that can kill Chernobog."
1187
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 138 - The Vatican, Part I ⦘
Kim went to Maria immediately. She was not far away. She was silently
looking at the Kremlin Palace nearby. Her condition was so terrible that it
could not be compared with Kim or Jang's.
It was natural. It would be strange if she could easily accept the collapsed
Red Square, as she has risked her life for her country and walked on the
battlefield for it.
But Kim did not console her. He did not even put rhetoric into the words
that he wanted to speak out. He asked her a question as if staring at her
blurred eyes. "Where did you keep Lenin's Mausoleum?"
"Yes? What---"
It was not just a statement, but a shocking statement that could not be ac‐
cepted even in normal condition. But rather it worked.
"What, what's that..." As a shock therapy, the new shock that entered the
mind of Maria returned her eyes to normal. "His coffin is..."
Of course, it was only for a while that the pupils were clear. "... we carried
it to a secret bunker in the underground of the Kremlin Palace in case some‐
thing happened." Her eyes, began to shake violently as she spoke.
It was the same with Jang. "Well, well, is the only weapon which can kill
Chernobog buried deep down in the underground of the Kremlin Palace
which has been collapsed, under a pile of stones that would take at least a
year to clean up using hundreds of heavy movers?" After the question, Jang
shut his mouth.
What more could he say? The only weapon that could kill Chernobog, the
only clue that Kim would escape from the curses of the monsters that he
1188
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 138 - The Vatican, Part I ⦘
had gained so far, and that he would gain from now on, had become some‐
thing he might not promise next time.
'I will exclude Bogatri's Great Sword at once. What I cannot get I cannot
get. Here, spitting out complaints and chewing despair, there is no way for
Bogatri's Great Sword to come out of the bunker deep in the collapsed
Kremlin Palace. So, what matters right now is the background of what hap‐
pened now.'
'It was not a simple explosion. Someone decided to destroy Red Square.'
It was bombs that had destroyed Red Square, and to be precise, the Kremlin
Palace. It was not just a bomb, but a huge amount of explosives were used,
and it was not just used but designed for an explosion. If it were just a sim‐
ple explosion, it would not have collapsed to this extent.
If a monster had the ability to deal with explosives at this level, Kim would
just give up the war with the monsters here. It was unlikely that any force in
Europe would be the culprit, as Moscow was a huge breakwater that would
prevent the monsters in Siberia from entering Western Europe.
'Without the lips, the teeth feel the cold.' There might be a man who ex‐
pected the fall of Moscow, especially those who were located around the
Vatican, but no one wanted it to be a reality.
'So now it's time to move on. I need to figure out why.'
1189
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 138 - The Vatican, Part I ⦘
The Six Snakes would not have destroyed Russia for no reason. The Six
Snakes were interfering with the plans of Russia once more. They were ac‐
tively interfering with Russia's attempt to recover the warheads during the
winter. They had cut off the hands and feet of Russia.
When he realized that, Kim thought that what the Six Snakes wanted was to
occupy a favorable position in negotiations with Russia. He thought that the
Six Snakes, who had lost their stage in Taiwan, would settle on Moscow
and reveal their ambition to dominate the world once again, based on Eu‐
rope.
He intended to hide his identity and kill the Six Snakes who had settled in
Moscow. He was going to hide his identity and enter the snake cave to catch
the snakes.
But the Six Snakes did not settle on Moscow, they made it hell. Was it be‐
cause the negotiations didn't work out?
'If the negotiations do not go well, they change the partner at the negotiating
table, but they don't change the negotiating table.'
Nor was it highly likely. If the Six Snakes had wanted to settle in Moscow,
they would have settled by any necessary means.
'This means that they did not intend to settle in Moscow in the first place.'
The only certain thing was that the Six Snakes had no intention of settling
down in Moscow from the beginning.
1190
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 138 - The Vatican, Part I ⦘
Therefore, Kim measured the impact of Moscow turning to this state, rather
than guessing the purpose of the Six Snakes.
"Two."
"Yes?"
"What?"
At the moment of giving the answer, Kim did not waste his time worrying
anymore.
3.
In 1999 and 2012, a lot of people said, "Humanity will come to an end, and
only those who believe in God will be saved!"
The world thought that such a thing would never happen, and of course,
they called the other people crazy. In fact, the next year those who said that
were gone. By 2016, no one was talking about such a thing anymore. But
by 2017, everyone in Europe has become a lunatic shouting about the end
and salvation.
1191
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 138 - The Vatican, Part I ⦘
The Vatican...
The power of the Vatican began to change into a form that could not be
found in history. The Vatican's owners were not just religious people, but
the men in power that controlled the fate of Europe, and even the world.
That was why the Vatican discussed the fate of Germany, not anywhere
else.
"The Giants have attacked Germany now. Hamburg has already fallen, and
they are moving toward Cologne. Cardinals, if you have any keen insight,
please make it clear here without hesitation or adjustment."
It was evident that the Vatican was now the owner of Europe, beyond the
leaders of Europe. Of course, they did not have duty and responsibility
along with their power.
Even in the days of monsters, there was no sense of crisis for the owners of
the Vatican, which had never been invaded by a single monster. Even if
there was a sense of crisis, the firm belief in the fact that God would protect
them made the small sense of crisis even more discolored.
"If Germany has already collapsed, it is dangerous to put more troops into
Germany, and there is a high chance that the Giants will not cross the
Cologne. Isn't it there is a cathedral in Cologne?"
It was still true. The Vatican Cardinals did not have fear, even though they
had a sense of crisis of the Giants who had destroyed Finland, Norway, and
Denmark as soon as they appeared, and were now moving south
"The Giants have been silent over the Baltic Sea. It may be temporary. If
they've filled their stomachs enough in Germany, they might be quiet after
1192
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 138 - The Vatican, Part I ⦘
that, or they might go back over the Baltic Sea. So, it would be better to
watch them than to make war with all our might."
The absence of fear made them feel ambivalent toward the monsters.
"I think it is Moscow that is dangerous now. Didn't the bomb attack hap‐
pen? There's no guarantee that such a disturbance will not happen in the
sanctuary."
The news that scared the owners of the Vatican was the news of the collapse
of Moscow, not the presence of the Giants who had destroyed Germany, nor
Hrungnir, the monster with the dark blue eyes that led them.
"Why would the Six Snakes blow up the Red Square in Moscow?"
"Didn't Russia reject their offer of help, and cut off their ties with the Six
Snakes? So, Russia has asked us for help, not the Six Snakes."
The Vatican was safe from the monsters. It was possible because the Vati‐
can maintained the most complete form of a sacred place of any religion.
However, that was all. The Vatican relics blocked the monsters, but there
was no ability to prevent humans. That was why the Vatican Cardinals were
reluctant to send troops to war against the Giants. In a situation where only
people could stop people, the Vatican owners were worried about the ab‐
sence of their troops.
"Do you mean that's why the Six Snakes broke Moscow?"
In that sense, what the owners of the Vatican were now afraid of was not the
Giants, but the Six Snakes. It was still true.
"Now that we have a story about them, let's move on to the Six Snakes."
1193
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 138 - The Vatican, Part I ⦘
To the congregation, the story of the Giants had no sense of weight. All
their attention was, after all, on the Six Snakes that threatened them.
"Mao Spencer of the Six Snakes suggested that they would hunt the Giants
if we need them to."
As evidence, everyone who attended the meeting looked at the remark dif‐
ferently.
"The Six Snakes themselves are dangerous, not a suggestion. We'd rather
declare war on the Six Snakes this time..."
"If Moscow is really the result of the Six Snakes, it's no good to fight
against the Six Snakes, is it? The Six Snakes' suggestion may be that they
want to reconcile with us."
"What if we reject the Six Snakes, and they hold hands with Muslims? If
Six Snakes are placed in Mecca, the Muslims will be glad to accept it."
Everyone was serious and thoughtful in front of the schemes of the Six
Snakes.
"Then we'll vote on whether to accept the Six Snakes' offer or not."
At last, they began to make decisions in a way that would fit the Vatican's
long history. There was no more talk of the Giants between them.
1194
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 139 - The Vatican, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
On December 31, 2016, there was one thing that survivors found when
monsters came out.
God!
Most people who sought and prayed to God in that way were frustrated that
God did nothing for them. But people in Europe, especially Italy in Western
Europe, were different. When they sought God, God was willing to answer
the young sheep who were looking for him. The Vatican was the answer.
BoxN ovel.com
"It's still as a beautiful city as it used to be. It remains alive and protected
from monsters."
The Vatican's appearance, which had been able to maintain its presence af‐
ter monsters came out, was the clearest proof that God's will was in this
land. In the face of that evidence, Europe had no choice but to enter an age
of fanaticism beyond blind faith. In that era, the Vatican, which proved that
God still existed, became the most powerful group of a new order.
1195
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 139 - The Vatican, Part Ii ⦘
------------------
Of course, there were no such things for the Cardinals. Indeed, the Cardi‐
nals did not know monsters. Staying in the Vatican, the safest place in the
world from monsters, they had never seen a living monster with their own
eyes.
Nevertheless, survivors of Western Europe left their fate to the Vatican, and
they were willing to risk their lives in a war against the monsters if the Vati‐
can cried out for war.
Their faith in God made it possible for some of them, but they were only
part, and most of them, even though they made rational judgments before
faith, were still willing to leave their fate to the Vatican.
------------------
1196
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 139 - The Vatican, Part Ii ⦘
The above-mentioned was possible due to a man saying this remark, who
had a long horse-like face and a golden ponytail, dressed in the black
priestly robes.
Archbishop John Gabriel was the head of the Vatican City State, which had
been newly established, and he had made it possible. He, who was origi‐
nally one of the deacons of the former Pope, now led Vatican City in the
monster era.
When the Cardinals concluded that they would pray to God to defeat the
monsters, John Gabriel led an army armed with powerful relics and
weapons through Europe, starting with the Louvre Museum as well as the
relics of the Vatican, and won the war against the monsters.
John Gabriel had shown the decision that the Cardinals had made through
inefficient processes was not good. His accumulated results were the basis
for people to be willing to leave their fate to the Vatican.
He was really a hero of rare caliber. Now, he was talking with Mao, the
head of the Six Snakes, in front of the peaceful scenery of the Vatican.
If anyone knew the identity of the Six Snakes, they could not help but know
what he meant.
Mao gave John Gabriel a scenario: put all the responsibility on God and the
Cardinals by putting out the symbolic existences of the Cardinal in front,
and take all the good results for himself.
1197
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 139 - The Vatican, Part Ii ⦘
Even if he was defeated in the battles with the monsters, he did not have to
take responsibility for the failure. If he said that defeat was God's will, ev‐
eryone was convinced and nodded.
The Cardinals were like a cross for John Gabriel. Just by making people ad‐
mire the Cardinals and holding them sacred, John Gabriel was able to be
forgiven all his failures.
In other words, to John Gabriel, the Six Snakes and Mao Spencer specifi‐
cally were an Achilles heel. Of course, he was not satisfied with this con‐
versation now.
"What I want is simple. You lead the Crusaders, and fight with the head of
the Giants, Hrungnir."
Not to mention, he didn't like the speaker, nor the content of the conversa‐
tion.
The Crusaders were the army of the Vatican City. It was literally an army
that fulfilled the will of God, a group that had gathered the Awakeners rep‐
resenting Western Europe, armed them with the most powerful relics in
Western Europe, and planted faith close to madness in God. It was the best
weapon the Vatican had ever built with their power.
At the viewpoint of John Gabriel, it was a hunt that was more likely to be a
defeat then a win. In addition, as he said, the Crusaders were not an army
that could be allowed to be defeated.
"Yes, that's why I want you to do it, and as terribly as you can, the faces of
those who fight with you will be so terrible when they are so desperate."
It was not just a defeat, but a desperate defeat. Of course, John Gabriel had
no intention of receiving this proposal.
1198
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 139 - The Vatican, Part Ii ⦘
"What do we get by doing that?" That was why he was asking this question
now.
But as said before, Mao and the Six Snakes were Achilles heels for John
Gabriel.
"Lesson?"
As Achilles had been shot dead by an arrow in his heel, John Gabriel had
no way of doing anything to his fatal weakness. It was still true. In front of
Mao, he could no longer express his intention to refuse.
"... what is your intention in doing this?" Eventually, John Gabriel decided
to defend his Achilles heel.
Mao was glad to answer at his reply. "A hero appears in a desperate situa‐
tion, in a war that the holy army of the Vatican cannot even win."
"You are going to be a Messiah, and are not going to hide in the shadows
anymore?"
'If the Six Snakes become a Messiah, Kim Tae-hoon, you will have to cross
the dead bodies of the Vatican and Europeans before you kill us.'
Mao looked at the scene and smiled at the corner of his mouth.
5.
"Huck, huck!"
Frankfurt, Germany...
1199
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 139 - The Vatican, Part Ii ⦘
Germany, whose main river was the Rhine, was not only one of Europe's
major economic centers, but also always crowded with people before the
advent of the monsters. However, since the advent of the monsters, Frank‐
furt had become a land of monsters, where there was no reason to visit un‐
less it was a mercenary who made monster hunting their job.
'Fuck!' In other words, Emma's job, a red-haired beauty who had been pant‐
ing in the Dreieich Nature Reserve in Frankfurt before it was ruined, was
now nothing but a mercenary. She was also a mercenary who would now
lose her life in exchange after encountering a powerful monster.
"Werewolves have been seen in hordes of over a hundred, and the monsters
are mad!"
The number in the werewolf packs that Emma and her colleagues encoun‐
tered for the first time was over a hundred. It was crazy.
It was the Giants who crossed the Baltic Sea and set their huge feet on Ger‐
man soil that made such nonsense a reality. The Giants were a powerful
threat to humans and monsters alike. Of course, to fight the ruthless Giants,
monsters began to unite, dozens of them becoming hundreds, hundreds be‐
coming thousands.
1200
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 139 - The Vatican, Part Ii ⦘
"Huck, huck, huck!" The result of that ignorance was Emma's rough breath‐
ing. To survive, she and her colleagues had scattered. They had scattered in
all directions and run away.
'Damn it!' At the cost of nine sacrifices, it was a way to escape with one or
two people surviving. It was the highest survival rate in this situation.
'I did not expect that I would die here even before I got married!'
And at this moment, Emma was sure she was one of the nine sacrifices. Her
face, which turned purple for lack of breath, was evidence.
"Huh-uck, Huh-uck!"
'I'm sure I am really about to die, damn it. I can smell the coffee that I've
never had since the monsters appeared...'
It was also evidence that she could smell the deep aroma of coffee between
gasps of breath. It was evidence that her nose had lost its sense of smell as
she was about to die.
'Hmm?' In the end, Emma saw a phantom in her eyes. 'What, what?'
A long ways away, in the trees, in front of a campfire, the sight of two men
and a woman drinking coffee with marshmallows as if camping, filled
Emma's eyes.
"Yipe!" Emma fell to the ground, not seeing the roots in front of her feet,
looking at the phantom. She fell forward and turned over and looked behind
her.
Awwww!
She saw twenty orange eyes running madly to eat her, and...
1201
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 139 - The Vatican, Part Ii ⦘
Whizz! There was something dimly passing fast through those orange eyes
with an eerie sound.
Bloosh! Angry Werewolves fell like broken dolls, shedding blood at their
temples.
'Ah...' Of course, Emma thought this was a dream, a vain sight until a man
extended her his hands and words.
"Ah... Ah ah..."
"Oh, you can call me Jang. And those are my bodyguards, you can call
them Kim and Mary.
It was then that Emma could see that this was not a dream, but a reality.
Of course, the reality that she saw was the most unrealistic reality ever
since the monsters had appeared.
6.
After the advent of monsters, mankind was deprived of many things. Most
of the things that enriched mankind were taken away. Humans could no
longer expect to drink coffee after eating rich salads and oily steaks. So it
was with Emma.
1202
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 139 - The Vatican, Part Ii ⦘
It was a luxury she had never imagined. Of course, in front of this unrealis‐
tic luxury, she was forced to melt.
"The mission we were given was to clean up the surroundings so that the
Crusaders could fight the Giants." In front of the man named Jang who had
saved her from death, she did not intend to hide or do anything.
"They're waiting in Stuttgart." She said everything she knew. "I heard that
they're going to attack the leader of the Giants in Frankfurt on February 14."
"It's a monster with dark blue eyes that makes the Giants look like chil‐
dren."
"Then Emma, why did you participate in such a dangerous thing? You
would not be able to live after being exposed to the fear of the dark blue-
grade monster." Jang was surprised at the words that she spoke of her own
accord.
"The Vatican told me to do so, so I should do it. How can I resist His will?
Much more, since the Crusaders are present in full force, it is a holy war.
Not to get something, it's about paying back what I've been given."
"It's all right, and there's a rumor that the Orac le has come down."
1203
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 139 - The Vatican, Part Ii ⦘
"On February 14, God sends a Savior to save the world on his behalf, and
the Savior will save us from the Giant."
Emma, who said the words, sipped her coffee and scanned the crowd.
Emma's eyes stopped at a man who was looking at her, drinking coffee in
the same way as her.
A wry smile hung at the corners of his mouth, Kim had bushy hair that gave
her a sharp impression.
'What is it?' Emma, who could not guess the meaning of the wry smile,
cocked her head.
"Savior, do you mean the Messiah is coming down?" Jang asked her again.
Emma swallowed her coffee quickly and said, "Yes, it's not one, but five.
Those five will save us from the trials."
"Messiah..." At the word Messiah, Jang also made a similar smile to the
man named Kim, who was smiling wryly.
Emma cocked her head again and asked, "Is there a problem with what I
said?" The advent of the Messiah, it was not a story for them to smile at like
that.
At the question of Emma, Jang smiled and said, "There is no problem. It's
just my face looks weird. Who doesn't like it when the Messiah is descend‐
ing? Isn't that right, Kim?"
At Jang's sudden question, the man Kim swallowed the coffee he was drink‐
ing and said, "I'm really looking forward to it."
1204
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 140 - The Giants, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
Thump! It was a Giant with a huge body, about twenty meters tall and so
big that it was impossible to estimate its weight. At the same time, it was a
walking disaster. The huge thing moving was a disaster itself and it was not
possible by physics.
Thump! Thump! Thump! The Giants did not number one, but crucially,
hundreds.
BoxN ovel.com
At a glance, it was hard to even estimate the whole number of Giants who
were crossing the river like a stream, and just strolling over a small hill as
they advanced. The most overwhelming of them was the biggest Giant at
the back. It had a huge body, with a height of about a hundred meters,
which made the previous giants look like nothing.
With its advent, this monster Hrungnir had made the land beyond the Baltic
Sea, the land that had once been considered the best place to live, an unin‐
habitable land. It looked down at Frankfurt, the center of Germany, with the
dark blue eyes of its huge body from on high.
Wooohohoh! At that moment, the Giants with the green eyes, the green Jö‐
tuns everywhere, opened their mouths and let out a howl of domination.
1205
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 140 - The Giants, Part I ⦘
The cry shook Frankfurt. The cry and the advance of the Giants started to
turn over Frankfurt.
The ground began to emit the sound of thunder. It was like the sky and the
earth were upside down.
"Lord." The moment they saw it, they could not help, but seek God on the
spot. "Please look over us who follow and love you..."
In front of this scene, the image of those who prayed for God, transcending
everything, was not at the cliff of despair. Rather, it was the opposite. "Fill
our minds and bodies with the Holy Spirit..."
There was no sign of terror on their faces and bodies, or anywhere else, as
they recited prayers. The clothes of those who were decisively looking for
God, were not the typical attire of those who desperately prayed. They were
wearing armor instead of priestly robes, and they were holding a sword in‐
stead of a cross, and a shield instead of the Bible. "Let us be the swords and
shields of the world."
They had the eyes of fierce beasts hungry for battle. Of course, when they
finished their prayers, they did not run away. They did not turn away. Ev‐
eryone looked straight ahead. Among them was a man with a long head like
a horse.
John Gabriel was the head of the Vatican City State, and he was leading the
Crusaders to prevent the invasion of the Giants. At the end of the prayer, he
opened his eyes and looked at the sight he had to face. Now he remembered
a man's face, not the Giants who had just made Frankfurt a city where noth‐
ing existed.
'Mao.' Mao Spencer demanded that John Gabriel lead the Crusaders to fight
the Giants, in hope of a terrible defeat.
John Gabriel accepted that demand, which was bound to be bloody. But it
was not a declaration of surrender to the Six Snakes. On the contrary, when
he heard the proposal, he was going to stab a dagger in the Six Snakes.
1206
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 140 - The Giants, Part I ⦘
'You won't have the chance to be a Messiah.' By victory, not the defeat, he
intended to block the opportunity for the stage Mao wanted to come out.
There was nothing wrong with it.
Even if Mao just wanted them to lose, he did not tell John Gabriel to be de‐
feated on purpose.
Even if he won the war against the Giants, it was never a breach of their
agreement.
That was why John Gabriel did not argue about the deal in vain. Of course,
there was a requirement for that: to kill Hrungnir.
'We will kill the Huge Giant Hrungnir. We'll kill a dark blue-grade monster
for the first time.'
The Vatican had never killed a dark blue-grade monster. It was not that they
avoided hunting because they lacked confidence. The Crusaders had al‐
ready succeeded in hunting more than ten blue-grade monsters, and through
the hunting, they had gained experience, won monster stones, and were able
to get powerful relics and items. Their faith grew stronger.
Due to the belief that God's grace protected them, John Gabriel, who was
about to fight the Giants, could shout more confidently than ever. "Today
we will prove that the Lord's will has descended here!"
Ding-dong! When the very clear sound of the Bell began to ring, there were
no more people who shivered.
Whoo! There were only fanatics who were not afraid of death.
2.
1207
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 140 - The Giants, Part I ⦘
Kkureung! The Giants' footsteps were like thunder as they raced across the
Main, the river that was not going to stop their passage south.
Boom! The sound of cannons from those who wanted to stop the Giants
from moving south beyond the Main was also like a thunderstorm. That was
about it. The battle on the stage of Frankfurt was different from the sound.
Of course, the landscape of the battlefield was also different.
Keueoeoeo! When the Giants who had reached the main body of the Cru‐
saders beyond the Main River repeatedly roared out, the Awakeners of the
Crusade who were waiting began to work on the Giant's bodies with their
weapons, clinging to them as they moved.
"Attack!"
A tram was crumpled like a soda can by the feet of a Giant who went on the
rampage, and the Giant's body collapsed under the attack of the ant-like
Crusade, falling to the ground and creating an earthquake. The sight of a
hell, which humanity had never experienced or imagined before, was un‐
folding around the Main River across Frankfurt.
Ding-dong! The so-pure and beautiful sound of the Bell ringing in the scene
made Frankfurt's stage an unrealistic stage that could never be understood
by reason.
"Boss, the Crusaders are more powerful than we've heard from Miss Emma,
and are not getting over the Main River." Jang Sung-hoon, who used a tele‐
scope to confirm the fact next to Kim Tae-hoon, was calm in front of this
unrealistic scene.
1208
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 140 - The Giants, Part I ⦘
"If they go this way, the Crusaders will win." It was a sight he was familiar
with. "Then your plan is going to go wrong, isn't it?"
Rather, Jang had a sense of crisis at the combat ability of the Crusaders. "I
don't think there's any chance of the Six Snakes coming out here."
Kim Tae-hoon, who was looking at the battlefield with his black Eyes with‐
out a telescope, said, "They're stronger than I thought."
"So does the boss see it? Right? Some of them are not Awakened, but they
fight well in front of the fear of a Blue-grade Monster. I think their relics
are not normal. Needless to say, as they've plundered human history, it
would be odd if they didn't have that many relics."
"What?"
"That's all."
Kim Tae-hoon, who spoke out the words, once again looked at the battle‐
field wide. The power of the Crusaders who built the final defense line at
the south of the Main River and the Giants trying to cross the Main River to
somehow crush the Crusaders was visible. It was simply chaos, and there
was no proper order anywhere.
"They have strong relics, but their skills at using them are no better than the
hunter-applicants of the Mac Guild."
"Ah." Then Jang could understand Kim's intention. "Well, they don't have
the concept of tactics or strategy, as the boss says. They just fight with
strength against strength. To fight with just strength against strength... even
animals will not do that."
It was just as Jang said. The Crusaders were powerful, but that was all.
They were fighting a power-to-power battle against the Giants, over just a
river called the Main.
1209
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 140 - The Giants, Part I ⦘
'Man cannot win against a monster by using power against power, and even
more so if it is the dark blue-grade.'
Kim Tae-hoon, the Mac Guild, and Korea could feel the fact that it would
never be an answer in the fierce struggle to survive against monsters. In
other words, the Crusaders were not aware of it as they had not had to real‐
ize it.
"They've crushed the monsters only with the power of their relics... in that
sense, it's natural."
When most people tried to survive in the war against monsters, the Vatican
did not have to make such an effort. The relics that Europe had were plun‐
dered from the world over the years, including the Louvre Museum, gave
Europeans the power to fight monsters. It was like teaching a child how to
hold a gun and use it. Anyway, if a child knew how to shoot a gun, he or
she could kill a beast with violence. In other words, the child who grew up
like that did not have an opportunity to learn other ways to kill a beast.
The Huge Giant Hrungnir would give a great lesson to the Crusaders, which
they had not learned.
It would teach them so intensely that they would never forget it again, and it
would be imprinted in history beyond the level of imprinting on their mind.
'Mao would have expected this, too.' Mao, the head of the Six Snakes,
would have made the same prediction as Kim Tae-hoon.
'And he would set the stage to take advantage of this situation.' That was
why Kim was here. He predicted Mao's aim in front of the collapsed Red
Square in Moscow.
He predicted that the Six Snakes that had been trying to become the reality
in the darkness came out under the bright sun and wanted to be the Savior.
Of course, it was not to be a holy martyr who sincerely burned everything
for the world.
1210
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 140 - The Giants, Part I ⦘
Mao and the Six Snakes would not burn themselves for the world, but
would they burn the world for their own benef it?
'Their purpose is to use Europe as a shield.' What they wanted was a scape‐
goat. The fanatics of God had secured all the power of Europe in their own
hands. Therefore, if they could be a Messiah to Europe, Europe would do
anything to protect their Messiah. If someone were to target the Messiah,
they would block anyone who threatened the Messiah without a moment's
hesitation. They would do anything for the Messiah. They would gladly be
a shield to protect the Messiah.
'A shield to stop me.' The shield was what the Six Snakes wanted. Through
the shield, the Six Snakes were trying to stop the crazy monster Kim Tae-
hoon. Of course, he did not intend to let the Six Snakes have shields.
"Yes? Who?"
3.
"Sir, the number of the Giants crossing the Main River is decreasing."
Half a day...
The fight against the Giants stopped for a while after a time, like watching a
movie. The world's most horrifying long film has stopped.
"The Giants are not heading south now. They seem to be getting their
breathing." But at that fact, Johan Gabriel did not express his joy.
"Sir, God has taken care of us, and we will win if we continue on this way."
1211
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 140 - The Giants, Part I ⦘
In contrast to the bright voice that came out of the bright expression of his
subordinate, his face was stiffened as he looked at the battlefield.
'The battlefield has collapsed.' There were certainly no living Giants on the
south of the Main River. There were only the dead bodies of the Giants who
were attacked by repeated bombardment and the Crusaders around the Main
River. There were about two hundred huge dead bodies dominating every‐
thing.
An enormous number of Giants' dead bodies lay all over the place. It was
similar to the image of the city center, whose buildings had all collapsed.
That was the first reason to make John Gabriel's face hard.
'It will be hard to bomb from the banks of the Main River anymore.'
It was crazy to fight with tanks and artillery in the middle of a city where
the buildings had collapsed. The mobility of the tanks was secondary, and it
was difficult to secure the launch angle for the shooting. In other words, the
tanks and artillery that made the greatest contribution to the collapse of the
Giants were now unable to exert their power.
Of course, they have not lost yet. The damage to the troops was not serious,
and the munitions to continue the battle were still overflowing. They had
planned on a long fight in the first place. The use of Frankfurt as a battle‐
field was to occupy the advantageous ground. But it had not provided a ba‐
sis for overcoming the current situation, even if it might be comforting.
Above all, John Gabriel was feeling a clear limit as he commanded the bat‐
tle.
Although the Crusaders did not bring out all their power, John Gabriel more
than anyone else could see that it was the same for the Giants. He had never
forgotten that the Huge Giant, Hrungnir, who could change the situation of
the battlefield at once, was still watching the battlefield from the back.
Above all, he could not think of what tactic to use next.
1212
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 140 - The Giants, Part I ⦘
'How do we fight next?' They had never been in this situation. The Cru‐
saders had always won a simple and light victory with powerful relics. This
tough fight was not suitable for the Crusaders. In other words, the Cru‐
saders had never had such a hard and difficult fight.
Then the dark clouds overhead began to let out the faintest raindrops. It
didn't seem like heavy rain. But there was great anxiety in John Gabriel's
heart.
"Huck!" The man who was reporting grabbed his chest and fell on the
ground and began to shake like an epileptic.
Ugh! So did John Gabriel. He had to take two steps to the side to regain his
balance.
'What the hell is it?' John Gabriel looked up at the sky in surprise.
Woo-oh-oh! Woo-oh-oh! It was then that John Gabriel could see that the
sound was not coming down from the sky, but from the mouth of the Huge
Giant, who seemed to reach the sky.
'Ah.' And he realized that this sound, which made the reason in the head
white even though it was only heard, was not at the level that a weak human
being could fight against with a spear and sword. He also realized that he
was so full of faith in God that he could not make a rational judgment for a
while. But the nightmare was not the end, it was the beginning.
'Oh, my God!' Some of the Giants' dead bodies lying on the battlefield be‐
gan to move.
The heart that had stopped, or the Giants who were barely breathing, began
to move at the sound of their leader. Some of the fallen Giants were not
dead, but waiting for their bodies to recover. It was a failure of the Cru‐
1213
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 140 - The Giants, Part I ⦘
saders. They did not know that a monster was not dead until its heart was
crushed.
Whoo-woo-woong! At the same time, huge stones began to fly over the
Main River.
Boom! Boom! The Giants who they thought would no longer cross the
Main River began to throw the stones they had collected instead of charging
ahead.
"Aaaaargh!"
'The front line is collapsed.' It was the same in John Gabriel's mind. The
moment the word victory disappeared, John Gabriel was already running to
the place where the Six Snakes' soldiers would fight against the Giants on
behalf of the Crusaders anytime.
When he went there, it was the twin sister who welcomed John Gabriel
first. One of them smiled at John Gabriel, who appeared, and said on behalf
of everyone. "Here you are, you idiot." The smile spread to the mouths of a
hundred people waiting behind her, like an epidemic.
Then when Johan Gabriel stood before them, he heard a voice. "Is this all?"
1214
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 140 - The Giants, Part I ⦘
Only one of the twin sisters who had just smiled, Lin Siyi, identified the
man. "The dragon slayer?"
Of course, the man did not answer. Instead of answering, he waved his right
hand toward the ground as if he were greeting them.
Whizz! Dozens of swords began to fall from the sky like a shower.
1215
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 141 - The Giants, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
Kim Tae-hoon did not underestimate the Six Snakes. Even if he had dozens
of powerful and significant relics, even if his body had already reached a
level that transcended a human being, even if he had acquired the power of
the dragon and countless monsters, Kim did not underestimate the Six
Snakes.
The Six Snakes was a force that wanted to rule the world in the era of mon‐
sters. In a world where civilization had collapsed, they had planted roots
throughout the world and achieved what they wanted steadily.
BoxN ovel.com
Then, how could he look down on them? If he did, it would be too funny.
There was no reason to underestimate them, not at a single point. The fact
was the same at this moment.
As soon as the sword showers fell, the warriors of the Six Snake who were
waiting to kill Hrungnir moved frantically. The embarrassment they felt was
enormous. It would be strange if they did not panic when Kim himself
made an unexpected sudden attack. But their movements during their sur‐
1216
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 141 - The Giants, Part Ii ⦘
prise were in perfect order. Under the heavy rain of swords, someone made
a quick dodge, and someone lifted a shield.
"Ugh!" A faint groan came through it. That was all. No one screamed nois‐
ily. Even the dying swallowed their last words before they died. It was evi‐
dence that the people gathered here were not a disorderly crowd, but well-
trained, and able men who could smile in front of Hrungnir with the dark
blue eyes.
"Don't be inattentive! Our enemy is the dragon slayer Kim Tae-hoon! He's
the monster who killed the Dragon alone!"
As said before, Kim knew better than anyone else at this moment that they
were not enem
ies to look down on. And he knew what to do to kill them.
Thud, Thud! That was why something fell to their feet when everyone was
looking for Kim, who was flying in the sky, with their weapons sticking up
against the shower of swords.
'A smoke bomb?' It was nothing but a smoke bomb. Not one, but dozens of
smoke bombs exploded, making everything a world full of smoke.
Everyone swallowed at the fact. The sound of swallowing was also proof
that they were veteran warriors.
The smoke bombs restricted their vision and smell. Even if anyone could
not tell how the stage was advantageous between more than a hundred war‐
riors of the Six Snakes and only one, Kim Tae-hoon, there were those here
who soon realized that. Their nightmare became reality too quickly and too
easily.
"Ugh!" A scream was heard through the thick smoke, and a bloody smell
revealed its presence clearly among the acrid stench of the smoke.
1217
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 141 - The Giants, Part Ii ⦘
"There!"
Even in that situation, everyone remained calm. They knew better than any‐
one the power of the spears and swords in their hands. The spears and
swords were powerful enough to tear, pierce, and cut the skin of monsters
that could not be harmed by bullets.
"Ugh!" When a new scream burst out, everyone was patient. Instead, they
set their five senses up to find Kim immediately and start fighting as soon
as the smoke disappeared.
Even at the death of their colleagues and the coming death, they did not
shake and waited for the right time.
Whoowoowoo! Someone's huge breath blew away the smoke that filled the
surroundings at once.
'Finally!' Of course, the warriors of the Six Snakes now flashed their eyes
and opened their ears wide to find Kim. It was dozens of objects floating in
the air that welcomed them. It was something similar but different from the
smoke bomb that tormented them a little bit ago. 'Ah.'
"Argh!" The impact of the flares on the acute five senses was so intense that
it was fatal. It would be better if a grenade exploded. Indeed, the physical
defenses of these people and the relics they wore were powerful enough to
withstand the power of a grenade. On the other hand, no matter how great a
1218
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 141 - The Giants, Part Ii ⦘
relic was, and no matter who had a strong physical ability, their eyes and
ears were not as strong.
"Ugggh!" So, everyone started to stagger as if they were drunken, with their
eyes closed tightly. It was a pain they had never experienced before. But
swallowing them at this moment was not the pain that they had never been
used to.
'Dangerous!'
The fear of being in the defenseless condition in front of the monster Kim
Tae-hoon devoured the warriors of the Six Snakes. In that fear, there was
only one thing the warriors of the Six Snakes could do; they took as defen‐
sive a posture as possible, just as a turtle hid in its shell.
'At least I have to save my life.' It was a natural act that would be taken by
any animal with a survival instinct.
The natural survival instinct that animals took was an opportunity for a
hunter. It was an opportunity to predict the behavior of the prey and to pull
the trigger firmly in accordance with the action. Of course, Kim pulled the
trigger toward the warriors of the Six Snakes who took an extremely defen‐
sive posture.
Swish! The Kusanagi that could cut anything in this world painted a semi‐
circle flash.
5.
Lin Siyi and Lin Yining, the twin sisters had always been winners. It has
been true since the advent of the monsters. The two sisters fought against
the monsters with their bare hands when all others ran away from the mon‐
ster. Since then, the two sisters had never turned away from the monsters in
front of them, and they had never thought about defeat. It was the same
when the Six Snakes suffered hardships and adversity, when Japan col‐
lapsed, and when Taiwan collapsed. At that moment, Lin Siyi and Lin Yin‐
1219
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 141 - The Giants, Part Ii ⦘
ing sisters performed their given roles with Major Chinshan without a sin‐
gle failure.
'The Kusanagi!' The same was true when everyone became a turtle in front
of the explosion of the flare. She never considered defeat. She had protected
her eyes and ears just before the flare burst, and she waited for her chance.
She waited for Kim Tae-hoon to take out his card first, and as soon as he
pulled out the card called The Kusanagi, her mind drew a card to cope with
it.
The Kusanagi was powerful. It was impossible to stop the Kusanagi with a
few relics since it was beyond imagination. At the same time, it's consump‐
tion was beyond imagination. The Kusanagi demanded a price so high that
even an owner of S Energy rank could not use it more than once.
'After he uses the Kusanagi, his power drops sharply for a while.'
Lin Siyi thought it as a chance. Because of that, she sent, -The Dragon‐
slayer uses the Kusanagi! First, avoid it by any means!-
Her telepathy was passed on to her twin sister and the people around her,
and those who received her telepathy waited in a situation that was invisible
and unheard.
Swish! Soon after, Kim's sword, the Kusanagi slashed through a huge semi‐
circular arc and cut everything that was caught in it. The world was cut in
half like a sheet of paper.
Click! Kim put the Kusanagi back in the sheath. The flash disappeared, and
for a moment silence replaced it.
Poohhwat! Then the cut-offs began to make a creepy sound as they started
to come apart.
1220
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 141 - The Giants, Part Ii ⦘
Dding! The beginning was the lute that Lin Siyi's twin sister held.
As soon as she thrummed the strings of the lute, the dull eyes of the people
around her began to glow golden, and the golden light brought back the fo‐
cus to their eyes. At the same time, it stimulated the Energy in their guts.
"Ugh!"
"Ahh!"
Their eyes, which were tinged with a golden light, seemed to be filled with
hostility and bloodthirstiness. There was no room for fear in such hostile
and bloodthirsty eyes. Those who forgot their fear immediately rushed at
Kim as he put the Kusanagi in its sheath and took a breath for a while.
'It's quantity, not quality. If we want to kill that monster, we have to press
him down with quantity.'
In the meantime, Lin Siyi pulled out one of the two swords she had. It was a
brightly shining Bronze Sword. It was a sword that was plain without use‐
less ornamentation, but it was so beautiful in and of itself. After she put the
sword on the ground, she shouted, "The Emperor commands, the military,
carry out an attack!"
The moment the spell-like cry ended, the ground began to shake, and the
soldiers and horses made of soil began to shoot up from the earth.
In front of the scene, Kim did not perform any special action.
After he put the Kusanagi back in its sheath, he breathed calmly and
changed only his eyes in front of the enormous army that was rushing to‐
ward him. His black and shining eyes split in half. Opening his Draconian
1221
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 141 - The Giants, Part Ii ⦘
power, his right hand, covered with the scales of the dragon, pulled out a
new sword to replace the Kusanagi.
At that time, the clouds that covered the sky retreated, and the sun that
showed up began to shine on the sword that he pulled out.
The Dragon Light Sword began to shine brilliantly under the sun.
6.
John Gabriel had tried to stab a dagger into the Six Snakes, but he had
never ignored their power. There was no way he could ignore it. It was not
God, but the Six Snakes that made John Gabriel a new power in Europe, the
top person among the influential people, and even the Emperor above the
Pope, holding all the power of the Cardinals of the Vatican. Because of that,
he could not understand what was happening in front of him.
'What the hell...' The warriors of the Six Snakes were being slaughtered.
Not just anyone, but the warriors who the Six Snakes had selected, nur‐
tured, and armed themselves!
'This is nonsense...'
The massacre was being done by not a large army of tens of thousands, but
only one. A single man was slaughtering the one hundred and seven war‐
riors of the Six Snakes.
Clang! The end of the massacre was the battle between Lin Siyi and Kim
Tae-hoon.
Clang! The Sword of Goujian, which could cut anything, and the Dragon
Light Sword that could cut anything under the sun, hit with the sound of
metal colliding. Of course, the sound did not last long.
Lin Siyi was definitely strong. All her stats were A rank, she had eaten
countless monster stones and she could not be weak. But her strength could
only struggle in front of Kim.
1222
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 141 - The Giants, Part Ii ⦘
Clang! In the end, at the third collision, Lin Siyi was no longer able to re‐
ceive Kim's attack.
The Sword of Goujian endured the Dragon Light Sword, but her arm hold‐
ing The Sword of Goujian was cut and hurled back, and the blackened left
fist of Kim struck her chest in the gap.
Ppudeuk! Her ribs crumbled, and there was the sound of her chest caving
in. At the sound, Lin Siyi shouted at Kim, throwing out a gout of blood and
squeezed out her last strength. "???!!"
Boom! The sound of a bomb blasting were her last words. Of course, her
last words did not leave much impression on Kim.
"Uhhh!" Rather, the last cry she uttered gave a great shock to Johann
Gabriel, who was watching from far away.
'I, I have to run away...' It was the instinct that Kim's next target was him,
after leaving not a single survivor.
And as his instinct had warned him, Kim, who had killed all of them,
stepped toward John Gabriel as soon as he confirmed that he no longer had
any survivors left to kill.
Stomp, stomp, stomp... Kim left his footprints clearly on the ground cov‐
ered with corpses and blood. His walk was not fast. It was slow enough to
get him a breath of wind.
Nevertheless, John Gabriel could not escape from Kim. He just sat down on
the ground and waited for Kim. When Kim stood in front of him, he said re‐
flexively, "God..."
It was the only word he could say at this moment, the most desperate call of
his life, when he had been looking for God for a lifetime. But God did not
respond.
1223
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 141 - The Giants, Part Ii ⦘
"My name is Kim Tae-hoon." Instead, Kim Tae-hoon said, "I am the head of
the monster hunting guild, the Mac Guild, now in Korea."
"I will kill the Giants and their leader, the Huge Giant," Kim suggested to
him.
Woo-oh-oh-oh! Then, as if waiting, the big cry of Hrungnir the Huge Giant
flowed down from the sky.
But Kim said without any tremor, looking at the shaking eyes of John
Gabriel, "If you pay the price."
It was the last notice. Instead of talking anymore, Kim wiped off the blood
on his face and the blood that Lin Siyi had poured a while ago.
With that appearance, John Gabriel was able to recall one of the most per‐
fect words to explain Kim. Devil!
"The Vatican."
And at this moment, John Gabriel made a deal with the devil.
1224
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 142 - The Giants, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
7.
There were many reasons why the war with monsters is scary. The strength
of monsters that transcended common sense was one of the reasons, and
their behavior that could not be measured by common sense was also a
scary reason. One of the reasons is that surrender did not work. Against
monsters, no matter how hard they shook the white flag, and even if they
cried and begged for mercy, it did not work.
Woo-oh-oh-oh!
The fact had not changed in the battlefield that was now centered around
the Main River.
BoxN ovel.com
"Ugh..." The moment the Hrungnir's fear hit the battlefield, the Crusaders
were virtually incapable of combat. It was natural.
The fear of a dark blue-grade monster was not something they can tolerate
just with the power of a relic. Only the combination of the help of a leg‐
endary relic and an Awakener with a high Energy rank could gain the quali‐
fications to face the dark blue eyes. Of course, most people didn't know this
because they died when they encountered a dark blue-grade monster.
Koowoowoo!
1225
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 142 - The Giants, Part Iii ⦘
'I, I must avoid...' No one could avoid the huge stones being hurled while
nearly incapacitated by the fear.
"Uggggggggh!"
As screams burst out, trams were crushed, and human bodies splattered, the
Giants who were once smashed apart beyond the Main River like corpses,
moved once again.
Eueoeo... The leg-cut Giants crawled, wielding their arms like whips and
hammers using their remaining power.
Whack! The Giants' arms struck the bodies of those who could not even
stand properly because their legs were trembling.
'If Rodin had seen this scene in his lifetime, perhaps the door of hell would
have been like this.' Jang Sung-hoon, who looked at the scene from a dis‐
tance, closed his dry mouth.
His thoughts as he looked at this scene of hell were not pleasant. However,
he did not let his personal feelings color his decisions.
What Jang had learned from Kim was that "the more fierce and desperate
the war is, the colder and more calculating his action should be."
It was still true. From the cold viewpoint of Jang, there would be nothing to
change now even if the special forces that Jang and Kim brought were put
into the battlefield. They could save a few more people, but it was not prof‐
itable when he checked the situation. Above all, Kim had not intervened in
the battlefield yet.
'As the boss said, they placed too much confidence in the effects of the
relics, and they were overconfident about their abilities. I suppose why this
situation happened was that they were so irresponsible that they thought
God would do it all.'
1226
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 142 - The Giants, Part Iii ⦘
They could not win a war without a leader. Therefore, without a leader, they
must not fight. It was a core rule.
So, Jang waited, and the men who had followed him waited without turning
away from the scene of hell in front of them. They saw that a sword passed
through the center of a Giant's chest as it was walking toward the Main
River, where the sound of artillery could no longer be heard.
Thump! They saw that Giant with its heart pierced by the sword falling for‐
ward.
Jang opened his dry mouth at the scene. "Now, we begin the operation
called 'Gleaning'."
8.
That was why the vicinity of the Main River in Frankfurt was filled with
misery.
"Lord..." The only thing that survivors in the southern Main River, which
was now the stage of the Giants, could look for was not a fellow or a boss,
but God.
Woo-eo-eo-eo! But it was the Giant's huge hands and feet that came to
them.
Bang, bang! The God they cried and sought did not answer them.
"Ah..." By the time those who were looking for God in front of the fact be‐
gan to shudder at the unspeakable betrayal, the Giant, who had carried out
the massacre that made the betrayal more miserable, fell down. Thump!
That was the beginning. Thump! The Giants who were advancing to cross
the Main River grabbed their chests and fell forward, or began to fall back.
The huge Giant's bodies crashed against the ground, shaking the already
gruesome land.
1227
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 142 - The Giants, Part Iii ⦘
'What's going on?' Everyone was captivated by the fact for a moment.
"Oh, God!" Some found the God that they had been crying for. They truly
believed that God had finally begun to save them. Of course, it was not God
who saved them.
---
"Hoo!" A man was breathing somewhere away from the Main River, where
he had piled up more than a hundred spears and swords. He was Kim Tae-
hoon, the main character of the mirac le that took place around the Main
River.
The way he did the mirac le was simple. He measured the distance to the tar‐
get, once he activated the Eyes of the Black Snake and the White Snake at
the same time. Then he turned his gaze toward the swords and spears piled
up behind him.
==[Oliver's Sword]
Whizz! The sword that flew out like that pierced through the Giant's heart
in a flash.
That was the background of the mirac le that had happened on the Main
River. But this mirac le was not free.
'Nineteen.' Kim was calculating the number of Giants he had killed cor‐
rectly, and of course, he was calculating the price of killing the Giants. Fur‐
1228
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 142 - The Giants, Part Iii ⦘
thermore, he was going to receive the price of their lives from those who
survived here today. If they would not pay for it, he would force them to
pay out, and he was going to get paid in some way. That was the back‐
ground of winning the war that Kim Tae-hoon had thought would be impos‐
sible.
Kim never suffered a loss in any battle, and, he received the cost of his
wounds in some way through the war to match the risks he took.
However, Kim's dark eyes turned black like a lens and looked at the Huge
Giant Hrungnir.
'No, I'd rather kill a big one first.' At that moment, Kim no longer turned his
head to the pile of swords and spears.
9.
'Is this really real?' But in front of this absurd sight, he did not look for God
as always.
'He really did this...' Instead of looking for God, he thought of a man. 'Kim
Tae-hoon.' He remembered the man's face, which he had no choice but to
call a devil, and then he closed his eyes.
1229
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 142 - The Giants, Part Iii ⦘
"Hey! Take that! The bell!" John Gabriel could hear a language unfamiliar
to him, and he turned his head. Then he saw the men in black and red
leather, and pure white feathers, moving briskly around a head-sized bell
which was shining with brass.
Some of them laid down the fallen people in one place, and some moved to
take the bell. The sight frightened Johann Gabriel because the bell was not a
normal one.
The Bell of Jerusalem was literally a bell of the Holy Land with the dignity
of God. It was indeed a tool that could make God's voice.
"Oh, no!" Of course, John Gabriel ran away, screaming. It was unaccept‐
able, either by instinct or by reason, to be robbed of the Bell of Jerusalem
by those who he did not know the identity of. But his run did not last long.
Bloosh!
"Ugh!" In the state of being exposed to the fear of Hrungnir, in the situation
where he had lost his fighting spirit, his body, which was still frightened by
Kim Tae-hoon's appearance, fell to the ground after taking a few steps.
A man stepped toward him after he had fallen, stomping the ground. The
man was unique in many ways and he had many accessories; the fingers of
both hands all had gold rings, stone rings, and jade rings, and on his neck,
there were three necklaces, such as a Buddhist rosary, a gold necklace, and
a cross necklace made of silver. There was no sense of unity in the things he
wore. The man held out his hand to the fallen John Gabriel.
Of course, John Gabriel did not accept the favor. Even though everything
was broken, he gave out the greatest sense of anger that he could.
1230
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 142 - The Giants, Part Iii ⦘
"Oh, you didn't hear the explanation from the boss." The man who held out
his hand to him took it back and smiled. "I'm Jang Sung-hoon, and I belong
to the Mac Guild."
The Mac Guild, the words shook John Gabriel's eyes again. It was words he
heard today for the first time, but it was words that John Gabriel would re‐
member as clearly as his name for the rest of his life. Of course, it was not
remembered in a good sense.
Jang smiled at the reaction of John Gabriel because the reaction was the
most obvious evidence that he had met Kim Tae-hoon. He said with that
smile, "For reference, I'm in charge of the appraisal of the relics in the Mac
Guild."
"You heard it from the boss, didn't you? He'll get paid for killing monsters
since it's not free."
"Well, that's..."
"You accepted the offer, and you can see the Giants dying here." Jang, who
was speaking, pointed to the Bell of Jerusalem behind him with his thumb.
"And what good are the euro, the dollar, and the gold in this age? It's obvi‐
ous, isn't it?"
"We're taking relics." At that moment, Jang said carefully, with his mouth at
the ear of John Gabriel in a very low voice. "Not only relics but historical
art, even if they have not become relics, can be also paid the price. For ex‐
ample, the Mona Lisa. I don't think it's a relic since it's not here. Where is
it?"
"I'm the second-in-command of the Mac Guild, and if the boss is in charge
of the actual fighting, I'm in charge of the practical affairs. If you have a
1231
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 142 - The Giants, Part Iii ⦘
close and intimate relationship with me, you'll have nothing to lose. Oh, of
course, I'm not asking for bribes, just because I'm interested in art. I
dreamed of decorating the house with the Venus De Milo and the Nike of
Samothrace. Oh, I'm not asking you to give them to me, but I'm just saying
it's my simple dream."
John Gabriel could see that the Mac Guild was a devil's den.
Then, one of his men approached and told Jang. "We found the Nike."
'Oh, no.' The Nike of Samothrace was a valuable Vatican relic, as valuable
as the Bell of Jerusalem, and at the same time, a human treasure that
showed that mankind had built a brilliant civilization in this land. It was a
treasure of treasures that could not be measured!
'We have to stop them.' So, John Gabriel tried to overcome the situation by
making an armed demonstration, if necessary. Bloodthirstiness and fighting
spirit began to grow in the eyes of John Gabriel.
The fact was caught by the subordinate who was reporting to Jang. It was
meant to be caught. 'He's dangerous.'
The special forces Jang brought were those who would sacrifice on behalf
of Kim Tae-hoon as needed. In other words, it meant that they were good
1232
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 142 - The Giants, Part Iii ⦘
enough to replace Kim Tae-hoon for a while. Of course, they were much
better than the elites of the Crusaders. They were different from experience.
They did not survive in the war against the monsters with the help of relics;
they had climbed from the bottom and gained the power of their own. As‐
suredly, none were weaker than John Gabriel, even if he was ready to fight.
Of course, as soon as John Gabriel started to attack Jang, at least one of his
limbs would be cut off.
At that moment, there was a huge boom of thunder, and everyone turned
their heads in the direction of it. They saw a blue flash of light cut the sky
and stick into the chest of the Huge Giant. The Spear of Indra, Vasavi
Shakti, had pierced the heart of Hrungnir!
1233
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 143 - Disaster, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
Lightning and thunder had always been fearful to mankind. When lightning
struck the sky and thundered, humans were terrified and frozen.
Rumble! The same was true when a single lightning bolt penetrated Hrung‐
nir's chest with a thunderous sound.
BoxN ovel.com
'What's going on...' The absurd sight in front of them did not even allow
them to shout out in shock.
Rumble! The feet of Hrungnir, which shook the frozen world, had stopped
for a moment.
Now Hrungnir was under the threat of death and was angry about it. Of
course, its steps were not simple steps, but the beast facing a threat did its
best, displaying its full power.
1234
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 143 - Disaster, Part I ⦘
Rumble! At every step, the ground shook with the power of the giant.
"Aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Woo-eo-eo-eo?
The world was stumbling, and even the Giants fell down, losing their bal‐
ance at this shaking. A sight that seemed like the end of the world loomed
in front of everyone.
In the haze, a sword flew once again toward Hrungnir's chest, moving with
a sharp sound that cut the wind.
Thunk! A katana, with a pure white blade, penetrated deep into the chest of
Hrungnir after flying like a missile.
Whizz! Soon after that, a golden-colored sword was inserted into its chest.
Whizz! Whizz! Like the bullets of a machine gun, dozens of spears and
swords flew toward the hole in the chest of Hrungnir.
Woo-eo-eo-eo! Of course, the more it walked, the more holes were drilled
in its heart, and the more it screamed. The cry was weak after Hrungnir
walked ten steps. Its body began to wobble like it had anemia.
Hrungnir's body, which could not hold after it staggered, began to lean, and
slowly and grandly fell to the ground. BOOM!
The impact was enough to send the bodies of everyone, who had been suf‐
fering from suppression, into the air, and let experience zero gravity for a
while.
A Mirac le. It was a scene that could not be explained by anything other than
those two words.
1235
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 143 - Disaster, Part I ⦘
It was a man coming down from the sky that put the finishing dot on the
scene.
2.
Kim Tae-hoon had learned a great deal through the dream that Napoleon's
Golden Glass allowed him. The dream that gave him the greatest and most
important lessons and knowledge was, of course, the first dream. In his
dream of being killed by the dragon, he had seen how he had handled his
weapons in the battle. He saw several spears and swords hovering around
himself like satellites.
It was a hint, an idea for the best battle method, which Kim Tae-hoon had
refined through repeated trial and error. The hint told him, "Use a lot of
relics as bullets." Having many weapons hovering around him was, to put it
plainly, like a revolver's cylinder circling around.
Now Kim had used the best battle method for the first time. He had his
weapons hovering around himself and fired them off like pulling a trigger.
He used the Sword of Goujian to gauge the location of the heart, used the
Lightning Spear, Vasavi Shakti, to neutralize the hard skin, and then shot
dozens of relic weapons like bullets of a machine gun toward the exposed
heart.
'Not bad.'
The power of the attack was now proved by the dead body of Hrungnir,
which was under Kim's feet, the heart completely destroyed, and by the
dark blue jewel in his bloodstained hand.
-- Anyone can acquire the power of the Huge Giant [the Mana of the Huge
Giant] when ingested.]==
1236
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 143 - Disaster, Part I ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon, after confirming the value of the Crystal of the Huge Giant,
swallowed it, and then checked the back of his right hand with his black
Eyes.
=====
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 1277
-- Health: 1313
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: A+ Rank
-- Mana: S-Rank
-- Telekinesis: S-Rank
-- Defense: A+ Rank
[Achieved Ability]
-- The Mana of the Huge Giant (Grade 2): Anyone given the Mana of the
Huge Giant can gain the power of the Huge Giant.
=====
'Mana has reached the Transcendental rank.' It was an income beyond his
expectation.
'I like the new skill I've learned this time.' Mana had reached the Transcen‐
dental rank, and there was no problem in measuring its utility value.
1237
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 143 - Disaster, Part I ⦘
'The Qin Shi Huang Sword will be helpful, too.' This time, he had the newly
acquired the Qin Shi Huang Sword.
It was a lucrative hunt in many ways, but Kim did not smile at the fact. In‐
stead, he lifted his head and looked around, and saw a flag flying. It was a
huge flag, on which the symbol of the Mac Guild, Mac, was drawn. The
flag clearly told everyone on this battlefield who the true winner of this bat‐
tle was. It was also telling Kim that the disaster has begun.
3.
When Hrungnir fell down, John Gabriel thought there would be nothing
that would surprise him anymore. He expected that he would not experience
any more unrealistic days. But it did not take long for his thoughts and ex‐
pectations to break. Kim Tae-hoon made it happen.
'Coffee...?' As soon as the unrealistic battle was over, the stage of dialogue
was created, and the leader of the Crusaders, Johann Gabriel, sat down with
the Mac Guild's representative, Kim Tae-hoon. It was no surprise. They had
made a deal, and now that it was over, it was time to calculate the price.
But the scene of boiling water and dropping coffee on the spot was some‐
thing no one expected. Even Kim enjoyed his coffee. Not just to rinse his
mouth, but holding his coffee in his mouth, he just looked dispassionately at
John Gabriel.
John Gabriel could not find the word 'negotiating' anywhere in the image of
Kim.
1238
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 143 - Disaster, Part I ⦘
John Gabriel opened his mouth and let out a full sigh of relief. 'Anyway, he
is a human.' The fact that Kim was talking reassured him because at least he
realized that Kim Tae-hoon was a conversational partner.
"I have something to say about that, and I will certainly not forget the grace
you have shown us today, and I will pay for it, but I cannot give you all of
the Vatican." So, John Gabriel regained his composure and began to say the
words he had prepared.
'I can't give him everything.' To be honest, John Gabriel had no intention of
paying everything in the Vatican for saving their lives in this battle. What
the Vatican had now was virtually everything in Europe. It made no sense to
give it all.
"Of course I don't mean I won't pay, but I can't give you any of the relics
with the Vatican's honor and history."
In this situation, John Gabriel did not have a sense of shame. Shame and
dishonor did not matter to him in the negotiation that concerned life and
death. What if it took hundreds or tens of millions of lives, not just a few
lives? There was no reason why he could not commit a sin against heaven.
The only problem was that the man in front of John Gabriel was Kim Tae-
hoon.
1239
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 143 - Disaster, Part I ⦘
"This is how your conversation would have gone after Mao and the Six
Snakes killed Hrungnir."
In front of John Gabriel who asked a cross-question, Kim kept his coffee in‐
stead of continuing his words. The silence started like that. John Gabriel did
not dare to open his mouth and break the silence. It was simply a time of
torture.
Gulp! Kim swallowed his coffee again, and slowly spoke out words with a
deep aroma of coffee.
"If the soldiers of the Six Snakes on standby had killed the Huge Giant, you
would have tried to negotiate this way. 'We can't give it all. We have our sit‐
uation, so, let's change the deal.'"
John Gabriel did not answer. It was not easy to breathe or speak in the situa‐
tion where he seemed to have been stabbed with a dagger. But it was the be‐
ginning.
At the words of Kim, John Gabriel turned his opponent in front of him into
Mao Spencer, not Kim Tae-hoon.
'Oh, my God...' And John Gabriel's attempt to negotiate would have failed.
He would not expect a reasonable negotiation from the man who blew up
the Red Square in Moscow purely for the purpose of punishing Russia,
which had refused his proposal and request and been made an example.
Furthermore, Mao and the Six Snakes would have expected John Gabriel's
1240
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 143 - Disaster, Part I ⦘
actions to revise the deal. They would have prepared something accord‐
ingly.
'That can't be right.' When he reached that point, his face was white as a
sheet. Now he realized that the disaster prepared by the Six Snakes and
Mao was not the end, but the beginning.
It had already been proven that the Crusaders were not capable of dealing
with a dark blue-grade monster. In such a situation, what would happen if a
monster above the dark blue grade came to Europe? There was no need to
worry long. The Vatican and Europe would dedicate their bodies and souls
to those who would stop the monster, hoping for salvation.
"When a mirac le once happens, people deny it; but when a second mirac le
happens, they long for it."
It seemed time for a real Messiah to be born. There would be no choice for
those who would desire salvation from the Messiah who was born like that.
The fact was still true. The second disaster prepared by the Six Snakes
would soon hit Europe, and there was only one person who could deal with
the disaster.
"I will return to the point, and I will somehow take the price of killing the
Huge Giant, and if I kill the monster in the future, I will also take the corre‐
sponding price."
The moment John Gabriel realized it, negotiating was no longer in his
mind.
Kim Tae-hoon did not speak out any more words that he did not need. He
just enjoyed his coffee quietly.
4.
1241
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 143 - Disaster, Part I ⦘
Even more so, they all had keen eyes that would defy even the severe wind.
The keen eyes showed that their determination, responsibilities, and obliga‐
tions were not simple. It was the men in the white uniforms that appeared in
the distance that changed their eyes.
"Yes, the warhead is gone. There's a sign of invasion. I think someone took
the warhead."
At that report, the keen eyes of everyone began to shake like candles in
front of the wind.
The man who was reporting said with unshakable eyes, but with a mixed
expression, "... deliver the news to Major General Vladimir as soon as pos‐
sible. We've lost a nuclear warhead."
1242
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 144 - Disaster, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
5.
"To reiterate, the Vatican will have the right to use the relics on this list, and
instead, you will pay forty percent of the monster stones of the monster that
you kill with the aid of this relic to the Mac Guild."
The conversation between Kim Tae-hoon and John Gabriel ended easily and
briefly. There was no reason for the conversation to be long or complicated
since the winner and the loser had already been determined.
"This right is valid for one year, and if either party does not require a termi‐
nation or change of the contract three months before the contract expires,
the contract will be renewed automatically for another year."
BoxN ovel.com
But the real story was what came next. After the leaders had finished their
conversation, the men who served them had to verify everything was practi‐
cal and valid. It was troublesome and complicated in many ways. They had
to check each sentence and word used in the contract and measure the merit
of the contract.
That role was, of course, Jang Sung-hoon's. In addition, Jang's role was not
over at that point.
1243
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 144 - Disaster, Part Ii ⦘
"Oh, and this is a personal request, but I'd like you to put this poster around
the Vatican City State. It's not special, but I'm going to make a European
branch of the Mac Guild, so I'd like to advertise it."
Jang immediately set out to work on creating a branch of the Mac Guild in
Europe. It was part of their original plans.
Even if Kim Tae-hoon was so powerful, it was not easy to have a strong in‐
fluence on the lands of Europe unless he settled there. Human history had
proved it. If he wanted to rule a country, it was impossible unless he eventu‐
ally won the help of the people in the country.
"Oh, anyone can join the Mac Guild, and there are no restrictions on race,
religion, or nationality."
Of course, in the absence of any merits, the Mac Guild European branch
would not put down roots properly. Naturally, Jang had prepared the merits.
"In addition, some of the relics that are not on this list will be rented to
hunters in the Mac Guild European branch. It will be at a lower price, I will
lend them to the hunters if I like. I am not sure if I've told you I'm interested
in art, but certainly I told the head of the Vatican City State, haha!"
Some of the relics received from the Vatican in return for the fight would be
held in the hands of hunters joining the Mac Guild European branch.
It would be the creation of something from nothing. It was crazy from the
standpoint of the Vatican.
"I can give you an application if you want? For reference, if you sign up, I'll
give you a cute Mac doll."
Arriving at this point, the Mac Guild European branch would build their
force and get organized incredibly quickly.
"Oh, don't you care? I don't intend to push you. Huh? The boss? Are you
asking where he is?"
1244
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 144 - Disaster, Part Ii ⦘
It was his responsibility to represent the presence of the Mac Guild Euro‐
pean branch, which began to be structured.
The Mac Guild Master, Kim Tae-hoon would definitely show Europe who
they should choose to back in a world full of monsters. At the moment it
happened, the ends of the Eurasian continent would be placed under a sin‐
gle name.
===================
6.
The movement of more powerful monsters greatly changed the map of terri‐
tories claimed by lesser monsters. The Mac Guild had identified this in
countless cases. Furthermore, the Mac Guild had also confirmed that when
powerful monsters appeared, monsters did not just move, but showed dif‐
ferent patterns of movements, according to their grades and characteristics.
For example, a blue grade monster that led a group of at least five hundred
did not simply run away. As soon as possible, it explored its new territory,
and when it found a suitable place, it used its full power to occupy the
place. In the process, some clever individuals deliberately saved their prey,
rather than kill them all, to keep them as an emergency food supply.
This was exactly the case for the Goblin King, the huge golden-skinned
Goblin with blue eyes. It was originally located in Belgium. There, as its
name suggested, it had reigned as king. But it boldly abandoned its territory
as soon as the Giants came over the Baltic Sea to Germany. Furthermore,
after abandoning a large number of the Goblins following him, it moved
with only 5,000 elites. Its target was none other than the capital of France,
Paris, where it made its new territory.
-Fuck!-
The entry of the Goblin King and the Goblin Corps into Paris, which began
like that, was not hard.
1245
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 144 - Disaster, Part Ii ⦘
So far, the first reason was that the blue-grade monsters were hunted solely
under the Vatican's initiative, and the second reason was that those with
great talents and powerful relics residing in Paris had gone to Germany to
fight the Huge Giant.
The third reason was the people left in Paris. The survivors of Paris, as they
had done so far, went to war, believing that God would take care of them in
any crisis and hardship. Of course, proper combat was not possible.
Virtually all of them were made useless by the fear of the Goblin King, and
the neutralized men were nothing, but plentiful food for the Goblins that the
Goblin King had selected. On the street of Champs-Elysees, under the Eif‐
fel Tower, under the Arc de Triomphe, the sound of chewing flesh was
heard.
"Goddamn it..."
But at this moment Leo couldn't escape from this hellish landscape.
She was too frightened to run away even when he saw her being dragged to
the Bois de Boulogne after being beaten indiscriminately by a group of
Goblins. That was why he felt more desperate.
-Find a way somehow, Leo! Find a way somehow! I can't lose even her!-
In the situation where he had to save his lover, the fact that even if he risked
his own life, there was nothing to be changed, put Leo into the deepest de‐
spair.
1246
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 144 - Disaster, Part Ii ⦘
The Vatican was the only place that he could think of at this moment. The
blue-grade monster was an evil thing that only the Vatican could punish,
and saving the world from the monsters was also a mirac le that only the
Vatican could perform.
But in this situation, it was difficult to get even get out of Paris right now.
The distance from Paris to Vatican City, a thousand kilometers away, was
too far.
Even if he ran the whole distance to the Vatican, even if the Vatic an showed
him the mercy of God, there was no guarantee that his lover would be alive
when he came back.
"Ugh!"
In the face of this reality, a sense of misery flowed through Leo's tight lips.
---
Ulp!
Leo turned his head, frightened. Looking behind, he saw an Asian man
there. The man with the two swords on his back was impressive. Leo
pointed at the man with a gun in his hand reflexively.
In front of the gun, the Asian spoke stilted French calmly. Leo shook his
head reflexively as he listened to the French.
1247
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 144 - Disaster, Part Ii ⦘
Leo spoke awkward Korean, and the fact put the Asian man in a good
mood. "You speak Korean?"
Leo paused at the sudden and inexplicable man's request. But his concern
was not long. The man in front of him was not a man hunting a human, but
monsters. Most of all, he didn't think he could do anything about the guy
even if he pulled the trigger.
"Hoo!" Leo lowered his gun, calmed himself down, and then slowly contin‐
ued, remembering the words in Korean after a moment. "Paris is now occu‐
pied by the Goblin King. There is the camp of the Goblin King. People are
being captured. The Parisian army has retreated. No survivors have been
identified. All the survivors have scattered."
The man's eyes went black during the explanation in Korean, which was
awkward but enough to understand the general meaning.
Leo stumbled back, surprised, but the man looked at the Bois de Boulogne,
the castle of the Goblin King, with his black Eyes, unconcerned. It was a
very long distance, not visible to the naked eyes, but in the eyes of the man,
the Goblins moving through the forest park constantly came in.
"Kkii, kkikki! Kkiii!" He could hear the distant sounds that a Goblin was
threatening another Goblin with, as it was about to bite the arm of a living
human, as well as the bizarre sound of the other Goblins.
The man, who had checked the situation, turned his black eyes back to their
original color and said to Leo, "My name is Kim Tae-hoon, master of the
1248
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 144 - Disaster, Part Ii ⦘
Mac Guild, a hunter guild hunting monsters." The man walked forward
with the brief explanation.
Kyaah! As soon as the words were finished, five Goblins, who had heard
the conversation and sneaked in to ambush them, appeared and flew at the
man with open jaws, intending to wet their dry throats with fresh blood.
Thunk! However, the ground was promptly soaked with blood from the
sides of their heads. The man, Kim Tae-hoon, walked toward the forest
without looking at the fallen dead bodies.
Leo's mind as he looked at the scene was stamped with the words, "The
master of the Mac Guild, Kim Tae-hoon."
======
7.
Folkston...
It was a city in the southeast of England. Few outsiders knew the name of
this coastal city, which was located overlooking the Strait of Dover. But to
the UK, the value of the city of Folkston was unbelievably high.
However, the scenery of such Folkston was both horrific and bizarre. The
roads, mountains, and fields were filled with cars, as if all the cars in Eng‐
land had gathered here. But with so many cars, there was no indication of
any people being around.
A deep silence! There was a man standing alone in this graveyard silence.
The man standing alone between the ownerless cars was looking at his palm
with his head down.
1249
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 144 - Disaster, Part Ii ⦘
The man's palms were full of the ashes left behind after something was
burned.
"Krrrr!"
Then a cry which was clearly from a monster began to vibrate through the
cars.
Finally, a Giant Tiger with two heads appeared, leaping over the roof of a
car. The body of the monster, which flashed yellow eyes, was all skin and
bone, in spite of its huge size. It hadn't eaten properly for a long time. Per‐
haps that's why the bloodthirstiness that flashed in its yellow eyes was more
intense than ever.
Naturally, the hungry monster threw itself at the man without any hesita‐
tion.
At that moment, a spear showed up out of nowhere and cut through the
monster's necks. The headless body fell to the ground.
"I'm sorry." The man who immediately apologized was none other than Ma‐
jor Chinshan. "I'm just..."
The man receiving the apology was Mao Spencer. "They are all dead."
"Yes?"
"Everyone left in Germany to kill the Huge Giant was killed, including the
Lin sisters." With those words, Mao Spencer began to dust off the ashes in
his palms. The black ashes crumbled and soon disappeared.
Major Chinshan tensed up when he heard that. "What do you mean..." The
words coming from the stunned Chinshan were quite weak.
Mao did not answer his question. Instead, he looked at his palms, which
were now empty. At that moment, a weird laugh burst out of Mao's mouth.
1250
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 144 - Disaster, Part Ii ⦘
In front of the laughter that he could not help but call insanity, Chinshan
closed his mouth.
Mao's laughter filled the quiet space for a long time. When the laughter
stopped, Mao looked again at his palms with the words. "I made the Six
Snakes in the hope of dominating six continents, and I lost all of them."
Mao grabbed his fist. Empty hands and naked fists were everything he had
now. But he was not about to cry. Instead, he only laughed bitterly.
Major Chinshan spoke carefully again in front of Mao. "Then what are you
going to do?"
"We'll leave."
"To leave..."
"The Eurasian continent has left our hands, there is no reason to stay here
anymore."
"The good news is that we can earn enough time thanks to the prepared nu‐
clear bombs." Mao turned his head in the opposite direction after he fin‐
ished his low-pitched talking to himself. "We will go to Stonehenge first,
and then we are going to the United States."
At the answer "the United States," Chinshan appealed to Mao with tears in
his eyes, "If we go to America, the Pentagon will never follow Mr. Mao. If
they know Mr. Mao is in trouble... Why not go to Egypt, where you still
have influence and power?"
1251
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 144 - Disaster, Part Ii ⦘
"The person who is in need should lower his head, and if the Pentagon
won't follow me, I'll just lower my head and go underneath them."
Major Chinshan closed his mouth at the teeth-grinding sound at the end of
Mao's words. There was no way he did not know Mao's character.
Mao felt it was a great humiliation to serve underneath someone who was
once his equal. Nevertheless, he had to accept the humiliation.
Perseverance! Mao was willing to compromise with humiliation for the fu‐
ture. The bitter smile at his lips began to turn into a little bloody smile as he
determined to make the compromise.
"I wonder if he can stop the army of the Orc Khan, and..." That was the end
of what Mao had said. He moved his chin without finishing his words.
Chinshan checked the direction of the chin and nodded. He shouted, "We
are going to Stonehenge!"
Shortly after the cry, the entrance to the Channel Tunnel collapsed with a
loud explosion.
1252
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 145 - Disaster, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
8.
Located in the city of Paris, this forest park was a beautiful resting place for
Parisians and a wonderful thing to see whenever they looked west from the
Eiffel Tower. It was a place Paris' citizens deserved pride at having made it,
and the tourists who visited Paris remembered.
Kkii!
BoxN ovel.com
Shriek!
1253
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 145 - Disaster, Part Iii ⦘
others' waste, because they didn't have a chance to clean themselves. It was
the fate of uncared-for livestock.
"Aaaaaargh!" A scream was heard by the people living in the sordid, miser‐
able conditions. The scream, which rose far away, was strong enough to
shake the Bois de Boulogne forest.
"Sa, save me! Don't eat me! Please don't eat me!"
The horrible scream that followed drove the survivors thicker and deeper
into despair.
"Aaaaaargh!"
Khuck! Khuck!
As soon as the scream that shook the forest was gone, the breathing of those
still alive stopped for a while.
'Damn it...'
Goblins who looked at them whet their appetite. But a Giant Goblin with
yellow eyes looked on with glaring eyes and warned the Goblins with its
gaze: the humans here were emergency food, so don't even think about tak‐
ing a nip.
Kkii...
In the end, some Goblins couldn't resist their hunger, and they ran to the
lake in the Bois de Boulogne forest nearby. They drove their heads into the
lake and began to drink deeply.
1254
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 145 - Disaster, Part Iii ⦘
Kkiik? One of the Goblins who had been drinking so much water stopped
and looked up, as it felt something strange. The Goblin rolled its orange
eyeballs around, but there was nothing strange about the lake.
Kkii? The Goblin tilted its head once and then pushed its head back into the
lake to drink again.
At that moment the Goblin was able to identify the strange scent it had felt.
Kkii! The Goblin saw soldiers made of earth moving under the lake.
Kkii! Kkii! As soon as the Goblin backed away in a fright, the soldiers
moving under the lake appeared.
Kkieeee! The Goblins who were drinking water in front of the soldiers were
horrified.
Boom!
Kkieeeeek! The reaction of the Goblins began to burst forth throughout the
Bois de Boulogne forest.
______________________
9.
'Oh, my God.'
In front of Leo there was now a Giant Goblin; a giant, big enough to be an
Ogre, rather than a Goblin, with fangs that reminded him of Shabel Tiger,
and blue eyes. This was the second time he had seen this Goblin.
The first time, Leo saw this huge Goblin from a very long distance. When
its bell-like cry came out of its mouth, he fainted. It was as it was. Leo's rea‐
1255
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 145 - Disaster, Part Iii ⦘
son was cut off, and his body collapsed like a broken doll.
When he opened his eyes again, hell was already out. In the hands of the
Goblin Corps, people were treated like meat, not just corpses, and some had
been taken alive to the Bois de Boulogne forest.
In such a situation, the Goblin in front of him, the Goblin King, walked
leisurely around the city of Paris, eating. It pulled off the head of a man
who fainted in its way, then chewed it like a candy and filled its belly. The
number of heads it had eaten was at least three hundred!
Leo, who had run away with his lover before this, Katrin, prayed earnestly
to God at that moment. 'Please don't let me see this monster again.'
Goblin King was crumpled in front of Leo, a corpse with a frightened face.
There were five swords in its chest, like a flower arrangement.
Leo turned his head as if he couldn't believe this nonsense. The scene
around him was hard to understand. Goblin bodies were ripped up, and
there stood soldiers of ancient China, made of earth, who could only be
called giant statues. The spears, swords, and feet of the soldiers were
stained with dark red blood.
The blood reminded Leo of the giants' stabbing and the Goblins that be‐
came meatballs in front of them. It was a sight so pathetic that the Goblins
looked more pitiful than anything else.
'Ah!' The last place Leo's gaze went to was the sky.
As the man fell down on the corpse of the Goblin King with a thump, the
five swords stuck in the chest of the Goblin King moved by themselves and
1256
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 145 - Disaster, Part Iii ⦘
He drove his arm deep into the bloody chest of the Goblin King and pulled
it out quickly. In his hands was a brilliant blue jewel.
That was the end of the story of Mac Guild's Master Kim Tae-hoon, which
Leo would tell his lover and the people around him, and to himself for the
rest of his life, savoring the memories instead of a drink.
-------------------------------------
10.
=========
[Achieved Ability]
-- The Dignity of the Goblin King (Grade 3): With the power of the Goblin
King, you can force Goblins into submission.
=========
Kim Tae-hoon, who confirmed on his right hand with his black eyes, closed
his eyes slightly. His expression, after closing his eyes, was not good.
Kim Tae-hoon opened his eyes again and looked around. The newly ac‐
quired relics, the horse soldiers created by the Qin Shi Huang Sword, deco‐
rated his eyes. The pressure of the horses, which had become even greater
thanks to the mana of the giant, was beyond description. In addition, the
combat power of the giant horse soldiers was astounding.
Mere moments were enough for the horse soldiers to make the Goblin King
and its elites, who had destroyed Paris, into corpses at once.
But in front of that fact, Kim Tae-hoon never fell into the illusion.
1257
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 145 - Disaster, Part Iii ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon, the city he knew as Paris, and France were strong. France
was one of the five permanent members of the United Nations. If they had
been weak, France would never have been given one of the five permanent
seats of the United Nations.
Strength did not mean that it simply possessed nuclear weapons. It had
many fighter jets, warships, and tanks. The strength that Kim Tae-hoon
knew of was the power to survive the wars, surviving as a strong nation af‐
ter the great wars that dominated human history for many years, including
two World Wars.
Such Frenchman gave away Paris, the heart of the nation, so helplessly
against the blue-grade monster. That was the reality of France now, the real‐
ity of Europe.
'They've had their teeth pulled out perfectly; not only are they a toothless
tiger, but they have become a toothless pig.'
'A beast without teeth can never be a beast. The toothless beast has no
choice but to leave all its fate to the real beast in order to survive in the Age
of the monsters.'
Of course, it was more important than anything for the Six Snakes, who
were trying to control everything in the Age of Monsters. It was necessary
to turn the beasts who could bite them into toothless dogs and pigs. The
work of those Six Snakes was so perfect.
China and Russia, two of the U.N.'s permanent members, had virtually col‐
lapsed. They could no longer exercise their proper powers.
1258
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 145 - Disaster, Part Iii ⦘
And at this moment, France clearly understood that it had no more teeth.
With the situation in France like this, chances were not very high that
Britain was different. It was doubtful how much Britain, which was com‐
pletely and miserably sealed off, could have endured, compared to the Con‐
tinental Sealing Act that France took to block off Britain.
Under these circumstances, the only country left was the United States.
'It's pathetic.'
In front of the facts, Kim Tae-hoon remembered his dream of the day again,
and his dream of self-determination.
He had done everything. He killed the Emperor of Orcs, the Immortal Wolf,
the Evil Dragon Fafner, the Dragon of Disaster, Quetzalcoātl. Nevertheless,
he chose to die on his own. There was nothing left in the world. In fact, he
could not keep everything he had wanted to protect so much.
'Then, how is it now? There are no more predators with sharp fangs in the
place where the Six Snakes have passed. Monsters, on the other hand, still
inundated the world, and none of the purple-grade monsters have been
killed.'
It was Mao Spencer who knew this better than anyone else.
He had not expected that Mao Spencer was a member of the Spencer fam‐
ily, the English aristocrats.
'There will be no one in the world who knows that better than the one who
planned it all. I'll have to be determined about this.'
'Naturally, Mao Spencer will somehow make active use of the situation. I
will also have to. Anything he can do against an enemy like me will save
his life.'
1259
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 145 - Disaster, Part Iii ⦘
Chirrup!
At that moment, a jade bird, an Okjo, flew over the shoulder of Kim Tae-
hoon, who was in deep thought. He immediately looked at the Okjo, and it
opened its mouth.
-- Boss.-
Jang Sung-hoon's voice that came out. His voice was heavier than ever.
-This is breaking news from General Vladimir. The mushroom clouds rose
in Mongolia.-
He was quick to guess why. When Kim Tae-hoon heard the words, he could
tell what Jang Sung-hoon would say next.
-The Orcs' Emperor, the Orc Khan, is leaving Mongolia, moving to Kaza‐
khstan. Its final destination is likely to be Europe.-
The Orc Khan was the Emperor of all the Orcs scattered around Mongolia,
as well as of all the Orcs that had appeared in the world, and a monster with
purple eyes! It was a crisis that the Six Snakes designed to become the true
Messiah of Europe and the Vatican.
Now the Orc Khan was coming toward Europe. Not alone, but by forcing
all the Orcs that existed on every road, leading over 100,000 Orcs this way!
Kim Tae-hoon was relieved by the fact. Right now Bogatyr's Great Sword,
which could kill the Immortal Wolf in Siberia, was buried in the collapsed
Moscow Square, and the Orcs' Emperor was easier than the Immortal Wolf.
'There is a way.'
1260
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 145 - Disaster, Part Iii ⦘
'If there had been no way, he would not have chosen the Orcs' Emperor as a
European crisis.'
Furthermore, the Six Snakes would have already learned a way to attack the
Orc Khan, and they prepared what they needed to do so. Otherwise, the Six
Snakes would not have brought a purple-grade monster to Europe, which
they wanted to be their stronghold.
'All the relics of the Six Snakes are now mine, and so there is no reason I
cannot kill the Orcs' Emperor.'
Everything that the Six Snakes had prepared to deal with Orc Khan became
his. There was only one thing left, to find out how to use the tools he had.
'I must have the key in my hand; among the relics I have recovered, there is
the key to killing the Orc Khan.'
-- Ah, and I'm sorry to be late, but I know how to kill the Orc Khan.-
At that moment, Kim Tae-hoon turned his head and looked at the Okjo sit‐
ting on his shoulder. The Okjo spat out the remaining words.
--------------------------------------
10.
Vatican City...
The capital of Italy, the center of Rome, a majestic place, was now ruined.
Two men were talking to each other in the background of the terrible sight.
When the conversation between them was over, one of them suddenly put
something in his mouth. Then the man, after swallowing what he had put in
his mouth, said with a salute, "Then, boss, I'll see you again within four
weeks."
1261
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 146 - Orc Khan, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
Changchun City...
Originally, it was located in the north of the Korean Peninsula, and seven
million people lived there. But now, it was hard to find any trace of them,
let alone living human beings.
There were footsteps there after a long time. The main source of the foot‐
steps was the soldiers. The footsteps of those, who wore the national flag of
the Republic of Korea on their right shoulders and the divine anim
al Mac
on the left, were cautious, but there was no cowardice.
BoxN ovel.com
In Changchun City, which now belonged to the monsters, they were walk‐
ing more imposingly than anyone else. It was not a bluff, nor the courage of
ignorance.
As if to prove it, as soon as a Giant Centipede rose from under the ground,
the soldiers began to move like wolves on the hunt rather than in surprise.
Restrained shots burst out, and as the Giant Centipede struggled against
them, some of them pulled back bows they were holding instead of guns.
Twang! The arrows that left the bowstring rose and drove deep into the
head of the writhing Centipede.
1262
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 146 - Orc Khan, Part I ⦘
Twang! Five arrows from all sides punched into the head of the Centipede
in succession. In the head of the Centipede, flowers made of arrows
bloomed. It was incredible to see such accuracy. Such archery skills, which
were really close to the miraculous, made the body of the Centipede like the
Tower of Pisa.
The Giant Centipede began to totter. Of course, unlike the Leaning Tower,
the body of the Centipede fell to the ground without delay. There was a
heavy thump, and sandy dust spread out.
It was the first time they spoke. A man who was given the order immedi‐
ately began to climb the ruined building. The man climbed the wall, cling‐
ing to it like Spider-Man. The man who had climbed up the building and se‐
cured his lookout point took a telescope and looked around.
"Sergeant!" At that moment the man stopped his head as if he had found
something and called out to the ground. "The Orcs are moving."
At the word, Orc, the soldiers below smiled with a deep tension.
But the pale smiles disappeared like melting snow in front of the number of
five hundred. The same was true of Sergeant Lim Jung-soo, who got the re‐
port. In the head of Lim Jung-soo, the report sent by the search party came
to mind.
'The search party' report was correct; there is an Orc community near here.'
The search team, which was searching Manchuria, told him that there was a
large Orc community in Changchun City. That was why Lim Jung-soo and
his men were here. Their job was to remove the monsters in the north of the
Korean peninsula before they crossed the Yalu River and caused problems.
1263
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 146 - Orc Khan, Part I ⦘
There was only one reason to try to engage, because of the Mac embroi‐
dered on his shoulder. To a Mac unit, five hundred Orcs were not things to
avoid, but creatures to annihilate. They were now the best in Korea and
even the best elites in the world.
"Huh?" Lim Jung-soo heard the surprised voice of the watching soldier.
"What?"
"Not a group, but all groups of Orcs from every side are moving in one di‐
rection at once. The numbers are not normal. The Orcs around here are
gathering in the same place at the same time."
After the report, Sergeant Lim Jung-soo no longer considered combat. "I
think something's going to happen, which we've never experienced before."
1264
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 146 - Orc Khan, Part I ⦘
________________
2.
Vatican City...
Who would have imagined that Vatican City, the real ruler of Europe,
would hang the flag at the same height as their flag, an animal they had
never seen?
"Did you hear the rumor? I heard that he had taken Paris back in one morn‐
ing."
But even more surprising was that no one had any doubts about it.
"I'm glad Mac Guild came to Europe. If it had not been for him, the Vatican
would have been trampled by the Giants."
Everyone was grateful for the flag of the Mac Guild flying there in Vatican
City.
1265
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 146 - Orc Khan, Part I ⦘
Two men were walking down the streets of Vatican City where the flags of
Mac Guild fluttered.
"For reference, I have changed our Mac mascot design a little bit, in a more
ferocious way."
"Maybe next year, Mac Guild will be more famous than McDonald's. I
should have made a corporation and listed it."
The place where the two of them were heading for a cool conversation
could be called the heart of Vatican City.
The Sistine Chapel was the place where the mass of the Pope was held, and
the conclave was held to elect the Pope.
"I didn't know I would see the creation of heaven and earth and the Last
Judgment like this."
It was also the place where the masterpiece of Michelangelo's soul, one of
the most famous artists in the world, was left.
The first thing that welcomed Kim Tae-hoon and Jang Sung-hoon as they
visited the Sistine Chapel, was the soldiers who were camping in front of
the cathedral.
The number of men was considerable. A hundred units were roughly visi‐
ble.
1266
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 146 - Orc Khan, Part I ⦘
If they added the number of those who were hiding around the Sistine
Chapel, it was possible to say that the number would be more than a thou‐
sand. It was a large enough number that shrinking back was expected.
However, it was not Kim Tae-hoon and Jang Sung-hoon who were shrink‐
ing at this moment, but the soldiers facing them.
As evidence, the soldiers' necks, which faced Kim Tae-hoon closer, were
tensed. But no one thought of it as blame or shame.
Kim Tae-hoon killed the Giants and their leader alone. It would be strange
if they kept a calm face, in a situation where they might face him as an en‐
emy. In the middle of such tension, a man showed up and walked toward
Jang Sung Hoon and Kim Tae Hoon.
John Gabriel was the real owner of Vatican City. He met Kim Tae-hoon and
immediately led him into the Sistine Cathedral. A short conversation was
held coming and going.
It was a conversation that was not very pleasant. The conversation made it
possible to guess the atmosphere of the conversation that would take place
here today, at the Sistine Cathedral.
"The moment I leave here, this place will collapse, and I have no reason to
see blood."
Today, Kim Tae-hoon was planning to deal with the Cardinals, who decided
everything for the Vatican.
1267
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 146 - Orc Khan, Part I ⦘
After the manipulation of the Six Snakes and John Gabriel, the Cardinals
with the authority and arrogance, who had no idea of the changed world,
now had to deal with the strongest man in the world, the man who used any
means and methods for his purpose.
"... I beg you, though." John Gabriel was confident that this conversation
would not end well.
"Whew!" With a sigh of relief, Johann Gabriel opened the door of the Sis‐
tine Chapel. The Cardinals were waiting beyond. They were gathered under
the west wall of the Chapel, the wall of the Last Judgment painted, as if
they wanted Kim Tae-hoon and Jang Sung-hoon to take care of themselves
and kneel before this great work.
However, the first words of Kim Tae-hoon and Jang Sung-hoon the Cardi‐
nals heard, made their bones cold, rather than satisfying their expectations.
The Last Judgment was a treasure of human and Vatican history that no
longer needed explanation. It was a treasure that did not even allow photog‐
raphy to avoid any damage to somehow leave it in the posterity.
But Jang was going to take it off and use it for decoration somewhere else?
It was insulting beyond the ridicule of God. For the Cardinals, the represen‐
tatives of God, it was humiliation and disgrace beyond insult.
"Boss, I don't think they know what's going on yet. I don't think they've
heard how many monster stones chief John Gabriel pays for the Sistine
Chapel a year."
1268
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 146 - Orc Khan, Part I ⦘
At his smile, the faces of the Cardinals were surprised at the words Jang
Sung-hoon spoke. After closing the door of the cathedral, the expression of
John Gabriel, who was waiting near the door, hardened.
Kim Tae-hoon had gained authority over everything in the Vatican in return
for saving Europe from the Giants. The Sistine Chapel was no exception.
Now the Sistine Chapel was all owned by the Mac Guild, not only just the
brick, but even the dust rolling on the floor.
The Vatican City had to pay the rent for the Sistine Cathedral every year to
the Mac Guild.
Of course, the Cardinals had no choice but to find Gabrielle for this situa‐
tion that had never existed in Vatican history.
The Cardinals were ready to burst into anger, making their old bodies red‐
den like active volcanoes. Fortunately, John Gabriel had no trouble explain‐
ing the situation.
"Quiet." Kim Tae-hoon opened his mouth, and everyone else quietly shut
up when he spoke. It was a surprise.
'Ugh!'
"Ha..."
The Cardinals had dedicated their lives with patience and faith to the invisi‐
ble, unheard, untouchable, and unappealable God. No matter if they went in
the wrong direction now, their patience and faith would not fade. They were
willing to accept death for God. Such Cardinals were weighed down by a
sense of oppression.
1269
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 146 - Orc Khan, Part I ⦘
That was the extent of Kim Tae-hoon's presence. His presence was the re‐
sult of the days he had walked so far. He walked from end to end of the
Eurasian continent, killing countless monsters alone.
Above all, the monster that Kim Tae-hoon would discuss today was a very
big thing.
"It is the Orcs' Emperor, the Orc Khan, who leads the horde. A purple-grade
monster."
The Orc Khan was a monster that did not need another explanation, only
the fact that it had purple eyes.
"Obviously, there are only two things: it's coming to Europe, and Europe
can't stop it."
Genghis Khan, the emperor of the Mongolian Empire in the past, had
painted Europe as a nightmare. The wild run of Genghis Khan had never
reached the Vatican, but he was not the Orc Khan. It was a monster of mon‐
sters, that would not be satisfied with trampling through the entire continent
of Europe, from the Vatican to Spain and Portugal.
After that, Kim Tae-hoon stopped talking. The crowd became quiet.
"So..." In the silence, one spoke. "So what do you want from us?"
Kim Tae-hoon did not answer the voice. The answer came from the for‐
merly silent Jang Sung-hoon's mouth.
1270
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 146 - Orc Khan, Part I ⦘
"You don't know the reality yet, but as I said, everything the Vatic an has al‐
ready belonged to the Mac Guild."
"The power of the Vatican and Europe is nothing more than a toothless pig
that cannot deal with even a blue-grade monster like the Great Giant. How
much will that power help us in front of a purple-grade monster? It would
just be a piece of meat that feeds the Orc Khan and the Orcs. So we don't
need anything, and we don't need any help."
"It is your job to give us a reason for our boss to fight the Orc Khan, and
defend the Vatican and Europe with his life."
Jang Sung-hoon, who spoke the words, looked at the Last Judgment behind
the Cardinals and said quietly, "Lord, please don't ask me for my sins on the
Day of Judgment."
The faces of the Cardinals hardened in front of the low-voiced words, and
Jang Sung-hoon spoke the last words toward them. "You'd better make a
wise and clever decision, so that you can kneel in front of the picture behind
you and not say what Paul III said."
At the end of the words, they could hear a knock over the door as if some‐
one had waited. The knock sounded like a heartbeat pounding.
John Gabriel, who had been standing near the door like a stone statue,
opened the door halfway. A woman's voice came through the door.
"This is a photograph of the Orc Khan and the Orc horde coming to Europe.
They're near the Caspian Sea." Maria had appeared there. "More than five
hundred soldiers were killed to take this picture."
1271
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 146 - Orc Khan, Part I ⦘
There was a huge Orc in the picture she handed to Johan Gabriel through
the door, ripping the body of a blue-grade Gamecock apart with its bare
hands.
1272
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 147 - Orc Khan, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
A Gamecock with ferocious eyes under a blazing comb never runs away
with its enem
ies in front of it. The fact does not change even if it is faced
with a strong enemy.
It was the same now. The blood-stained Gamecock, flesh torn all over, was
still facing the enemy, its eyes burning. Furthermore, it never uttered the
sound of death or a cry of pain because it was close to death.
As its feathers and flesh were torn apart, the Gamecock, soaked in its own
blood, gave a cry of tearing up the sky. With the sound, it spewed out the
last of its power.
BoxN ovel.com
The blazing comb of the Gamecock rose up. Anger Soaring, the formidable
power of the Gamecock, was activated.
A huge explosion burst out around the body of the Gamecock with a clap of
thunder. The explosion of power seemed to send everything near the Game‐
cock to the far end of the horizon.
But in front of the explosion, it didn't fly away. Far from flying, it broke
through the overwhelming explosion with a single leap and climbed onto
the body of the Gamecock in one fell swoop.
1273
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 147 - Orc Khan, Part Ii ⦘
Then it began to tear away the flesh of the Gamecock, its sturdy feathers, its
tough hide, and its hard flesh, with its big hands.
As if to dig out the soil, it dug out the flesh of the Gamecock, and then, as
soon as the heart was revealed, the giant Orc with purple eyes put its fist
into the heart and pulled out the heart of the Gamecock.
Blood spurted out, the explosion died down, and the Gamecock that had
been burning its fighting spirit collapsed.
It was a disaster. The end of the scene, which was inevitably called for, was
a shout of triumph from the monster who had just destroyed the Gamecock.
-------------------
4.
Jang Sung-hoon, Maria, and Kim Tae-hoon sat around a crude table where
they could see the chimneys of the Sistine Chapel. There were mugs in
front of them with coffee, blooming in the morning. Its aroma was quite
good. Even the Italians, who were some of the most finicky coffee drinkers
in the world, could admire it.
But the coffee in front of Maria had not been touched. Instead of sipping
her coffee, she looked nervously at the chimney of Sistine Cathedral and
then at Kim Tae-hoon, who was enjoying his coffee. Finally, she looked at
Jang.
Jang Sung-hoon, who had just wet his lips with a sip, put his mug down and
asked, "Do you have anything you want to say?"
"Why are you so calm?" Maria spoke, but could not hide her anxiety. She
had accumulated a lot of experience and ability on the battlefield so that she
did not lack the experience. In other words, the reality she faced now meant
that she was serious enough to disturb her.
1274
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 147 - Orc Khan, Part Ii ⦘
"Now that ridiculous monster is coming to Europe, can we stay like this?"
The Orc Khan, the Emperor of all the Orcs was leading the Orc army to Eu‐
rope.
If it bypassed the Caspian Sea, then what was next? It would be the Black
Sea!
"And then, if they cross Ukraine or Turkey, there's no way to stop them."
As soon as they passed the Black Sea, Europe must wage a bloody war with
the Orc army: a war without a winner.
Maria thought there was only one way to stop it after she knew the exis‐
tence of Orc Khan. Before the Orc Khan and the Orcs crossed the Black
Sea, the only solution was to detonate nuclear weapons in Ukraine or Tur‐
key in the Black Sea and crush them. In fact, Maria and Russia tried to do
so.
However, Kim Tae-hoon did not give an OK sign for the operation. That
was the problem.
If they really wanted to stop the Orc army and the Orc Khan in Ukraine or
Turkey, they had to step up now. Even now, they could not do such a thing
like regular soldiers. That was because as Orc Khan headed for Europe, the
monsters in Turkey and Ukraine were going crazy as well.
In this situation, Kim Tae-hoon was the only one who could install nuclear
weapons. It was natural that Maria's heart would burn.
"Hey, if we use nuclear weapons every time we have a problem, will the hu‐
mans in this world remain? Nuclear weapons are a self-destructing weapon.
We'll only use them right before the end of mankind."
1275
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 147 - Orc Khan, Part Ii ⦘
"I don't want to tell you about it here because it's a secret! You and I know
each other, and if you could arrange a meeting with a woman for me, I'd re‐
ally like it..."
"It's rising." Kim Tae-hoon's voice crossed the line between Maria and Jang
Sung-hoon.
The two, who were facing one another, turned their heads and looked at the
chimney of the Sistine Chapel. They could see white smoke streaming up
through the chimney.
----------------------
5.
"That's all we can give." Along with the words, the Cardinals began to put
the papers in their hands slowly and in order on the table. It was a subscrip‐
tion, a Mac Guild subscription.
"After a long discussion, we have come to the conclusion that there is noth‐
ing else we can give you. And again, after a long discussion, we unani‐
mously agreed to give this to you."
The Cardinals accepted the fact that they no longer had any materials to pay
Kim. And now they realized that all they could give was mental things. The
result was this just now.
1276
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 147 - Orc Khan, Part Ii ⦘
It was what Kim Tae-hoon and Jang Sung-hoon wanted. Apparently, in ex‐
change for the Great Giant, Kim Tae-hoon took possession of everything
the Vatican had. He also wrote a contract. But how effective would the con‐
tract be?
It was not very reliable a contract in the first place, and there was nothing as
useless as a contract at this time.
Furthermore, their opponent was not just a group, it was the Vatican. It was
a group that had shown faith and commitment to one being for more than
twenty centuries. Putting them under with only material difficulties had
never been done by anyone in human history, and attempts to subdue them
in that way had always created greater chaos.
Kim Tae-hoon was no different. He would not make the Vatican give in
from the bottom of their heart just with force and violence. All he had to do
was make the Vatican defeat itself.
It was the only way to make the Vatican a comrade, not an enemy, and to
admit that mankind was facing a disaster that had never been encountered
before, and that the Vatican must follow Kim Tae-hoon to survive the disas‐
ter.
"I checked my subscription." So, the Mac Guild accepted the Cardinal's
choice. "By this time, the Cardinals have become members of the Mac
Guild, and I now ask for active cooperation and service for the Mac Guild."
After Jang Sung-hoon received the subscription from the Cardinals, he be‐
gan to organize it. "In addition, the Mac Guild will do our best to protect its
members."
Jang Sung-hoon, who had arranged the subscription forms, finished the
words and looked at Kim Tae-hoon.
Kim Tae-hoon spoke in front of their eyes. "We'll finish it in the Black Sea,
prepare the battleship."
1277
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 147 - Orc Khan, Part Ii ⦘
-------------------------
6.
Until December 30, 2016, it was the tensest sea in the world. While count‐
less countries claimed the Black Sea as theirs, the occupation of the
Crimean Peninsula by Russia, which began in 2014, made the Black Sea a
chessboard of world powers, not just Eastern Europe.
It was funny that the monsters ended the tension. For a while, the screams
of humans filled the Black Sea that had become the monsters' hunting
ground, but it was literally only for a while.
In Turkey, where humans had disappeared and the Black Sea was to the
north, peace, and abundance, which could not be compared with the past,
had begun to take its place.
It was the Orc Horde that broke the peace, the abundance, and the stillness.
On the other hand, those who could not escape had to face the most terrible
death in the world. The hungry Orc Horde ate anything that was alive.
There was no hunting in the process. There was no battle. There was just a
process of eating it if there was something alive. No matter how huge the
monsters were, only bones were left when the Orc Horde ran.
But it was the presence of a Giant Orc moving at the rear of the horde that
produced more overwhelming results than the 100,000 Orc Horde pro‐
duced.
1278
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 147 - Orc Khan, Part Ii ⦘
It was about four meters tall. It was obviously rather big. Of course, it was
not so big compared to the monsters that were called huge.
But the muscles that filled its body were definitely different. The muscles
seemed to be twisted with steel, and they were so intense that just moving
its body lightly made the viewers gasp. The figure with the green skin re‐
minded them of the Hulk from Marvel Comics. The difference from the
Hulk was that four sharp fangs were protruding up and down from the muz‐
zle of this monster, and that its eyes were shining purple.
That was the only difference. The destructive power that it could show was
not lacking compared to what the character Hulk showed in the comics.
Kr!
There was no difference between the ferocity of the Hulk and the ferocity of
this monster. It was impossible to face even at long distance, not just right
before it.
"It's not a joke." The soldiers, who were watching the Orc Khan from a dis‐
tance with a telescope, felt the fact.
They were Russian soldiers, all fluttering. They were not just soldiers, but
those who qualif ied to fight monsters, with patterns on the back of their
right hands.
"We've got more than the B-rank in our Energy, but we can't get any closer."
Furthermore, they were not merely Awakeners, but also elites. Everyone
had a combined strength and stamina of more than 500, and a higher Energy
rank than B. They were those who had the qualifications and abilities to not
be disturbed in front of powerful monsters.
"We wouldn't have been able to get this close without this Cross."
But the presence of the Orc Khan affected them, too, before the could even
see the Orc Khan without a telescope. It had them pissing themselves at that
1279
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 147 - Orc Khan, Part Ii ⦘
"It's a good thing I wore diap ers as ordered." Those here were actually piss‐
ing, even wearing adult diap ers to prepare for it. Even that was a relief.
"It doesn't have a monster to attack, so we are just pissing. Let's thank it for
that."
Those who were monitoring the Orc Khan and the Orc army ahead of them
died while watching the Orc Khan fight with the Gamecock. The reason for
their death was simple. As soon as the Orc Khan bellowed towards the
Gamecock standing in its way, most of those who were watching the Orc
Khan died of a heart attack. Diap ers were merely lessons left for the sur‐
vivors.
"This appears a monster that doesn't make sense. I don't understand why
such a monster has been silent in Mongolia all this time"
In addition, there was one more lesson left by those who had died before;
this monster did not condone any enemy.
Fortunately, there was one person in the world who would be free from the
lessons. The man was on the side of the soldiers who were here now.
"... he is here."
At that moment a soldier raised his head and looked up at the sky. The rest
of the soldiers followed. A plane flew rapidly over the sky toward the Orc
Horde. The most noticeable thing they could see from its low flight was the
Russian flag decorating the plane. But it was not the flag that came into the
eyes of the soldiers, but a new Mac on the tail of the plane. The soldiers
who confirmed the new Mac immediately crossed themselves or gathered
their hands. There were different ways, but the prayers were the same.
"May the grace of God be with the Master." With that sign, everyone imme‐
diately bit the capsule in their mouth.
1280
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 147 - Orc Khan, Part Ii ⦘
The bitter liquid that burst out of the capsules began to double the amount
of the Energy in their guts after it descended their throats, and their eyes
changed.
Bang! At the same time, shells fell off the low-flying airplane and began at‐
tacking the Orc Horde on the ground.
The Orc Khan bellowed out its warcry. The fear of death began to spread
rapidly around the Orc Khan, and even reached the soldiers who were still
very far away.
"Ugh!" "Ahhhh!" The soldiers began to scream with a look like Munch's
scream.
Of course, the fear reached the plane passing over the head of the Orc
horde. But the plane was not shaken at all by the fear. However, the plane
turned its nose toward the Black Sea to the north and continued spitting out
shells.
The fact changed Orc Khan's purple eyes. It stopped bellowing, and instead
grabbed one of the Orcs nearby and threw it at the flying plane, an uncon‐
ventional attack.
Whizz! What was more unusual was that the body of the thrown Orc passed
by the plane more than two hundred meters above. The Orc Khan did not
stop there.
Thump, thump, thump! It started running after the plane, and when it leaped
up, his body was high enough to look closely at the plane. The impossible
chase between the Orc Khan and the plane began.
"Oh, my God."
The soldiers' eyes, looking at the ridiculous sight, the wingless monster
chasing the airplane flying by, were shaking nonstop. Everything was so
shocking. Despite the situation, the soldiers did not forget two things: the
fact that they were still alive, and the fact that they had a mission to com‐
plete as long as they were alive.
1281
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 147 - Orc Khan, Part Ii ⦘
It was the Land Rover Range Rover, called the Rolls Royce of the desert,
that was waiting for the soldiers who turned their heads to complete their
mission.
"We risk our lives now, and deliver the weapons to the Master."
1282
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 148 - Orc Khan, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
7.
The airport at Samsun, overlooking the Black Sea, was desolate. A smashed
and broken runway told them that it was an airport, but there was no other
elem
ent that indicated one.
In that situation, a plane appeared over the airport. It seemed that the time
for the airport to act like one had come after a long time.
BoxN ovel.com
But the appearance of the plane was not good. It was a fall, not a landing. It
looked like it had been hit several times by huge stones, and the airplane,
without a single thing except for its wings, could no longer be called an air‐
plane.
The Orc, who appeared with an unheard scream, tangled up with a propeller
on the wing of the plane. The result was naturally terrible.
The Orc's body was cut off by the propeller, and the motor that had been
driving the propeller was overloaded in the process. The plane, which had
lost its wings, barely managed to stay aloft, and it fell heavily towards the
ground.
1283
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 148 - Orc Khan, Part Iii ⦘
It was all over in a flash. The plane crashed on the runway at Carsamba Air‐
port, and the debris scattered all over the place with a crunch of impact.
The bombs in the plane burst in succession, and the remains of the debris
were blown away.
On the runway at Carsamba Airport, the tide of Orcs came in, shouting
fiercely. The Orcs were not afraid of the fires everywhere, the sharp wreck‐
age of the plane, or the bombs that might explode at any moment. They
rushed to the plane and surrounded it at once.
One of the Orcs strode toward the cockpit of the plane, looking past the
blazing flames. But when it realized that there was nothing in the cockpit, a
question formed in the Orc's mind. Then, another Orc screamed, looking at
a place that had nothing to do with the plane. All the Orcs looked over.
Huge Horse Soldiers made of soil faced the Orcs. Unlike a horde of Orcs,
who were free and unruly, the Horse Soldiers appeared to take the same
steps at the same time, keeping the line together.
The Orcs did not back down or panic before the appearance of the Horse
Soldiers. Rather, they began to run toward the Soldiers that were coming at
them. Very quickly, the two groups clashed like clapping hands together.
Bang! Bang! A bloody and soiled battleground unfolded over the runway at
Carsamba Airport.
1284
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 148 - Orc Khan, Part Iii ⦘
---------------------------
8.
A typical figure was numbers. Numbers were the most important factor in
war. But numbers in the monster and human war were no longer important.
No matter how many numbers there were, the numbers were meaningless in
front of an overwhelming presence.
The same was true of the monsters. To Kim Tae-hoon, the numbers of the
Orc Horde were also meaningless. The fact that the airport was now
crowded with more than 100,000 Orc Horde proved it.
Thump! The beginning move was a thousand of the Horse Soldiers of the
Qin Shi Huang Sword, showing that each had power equal to a hundred
warriors against the crowded Orc Horde.
It was no strange thing. Originally, the Horse Soldiers were able to cope
with an orange-grade Orc. Now, the Horse Soldiers were able to gain the
power of the Giant using the Mana of Kim Tae-hoon. It was a nightmare for
the Orcs.
The great spears and swords wielded by the Soldiers of the Qin Shi Huang
tore the Orcs, crushed them, and the giant Horses trampled on them and
filled the airport with the screams of Orcs.
It was made of clay, but it looked completely different from the Horse Sol‐
diers of the Qin Shi Huang: the Horse Figure Type Earthenware, Master
Statue. The Master Statue and the Servant Statue, who became much more
massive due to the Mana of the Giant, carried out a massacre across the
Orcs. They took an outstanding active part in the combat.
1285
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 148 - Orc Khan, Part Iii ⦘
But even that great performance was not comparable to the Dragon who
was going through the battlefield.
A giant Dragon, a hundred meters long, made of golden smoke, was making
its way over the Orc Horde, wandering around the airport.
Even though Kim Tae-hoon had not yet participated in the battle properly,
the 100,000 Orc Horde was not able to achieve the right results. There was
only one thing that could change this situation.
The Orc Khan with the purple eyes walked toward the battlefield. Its eyes
were angry. The same was true of its actions.
The Orc Khan stood there, hit things that interfered with it without mercy,
or crushed them with its feet.
The Orcs with yellow or green eyes screamed under the anger of Orc Khan.
With a cry that humans could grasp the meaning of, the Orcs began to move
away from the Orc Khan. Its surroundings turned into an empty field.
The Master Statue of the Horse Figure Type Earthenware ran in without
hesitation. A war horse made of clay breathed hard, and a warrior of clay
mounted on the horse stared at the Orc Khan with a sword in his hands.
The warrior of clay had no ulterior motive for fighting the Orc Khan on its
master's behalf, and Orc Khan did not condone such a warrior's challenge.
The Orc Khan reached the warrior with just one leap from place to place,
without any help. Then, with a single punch, the warrior's body was shat‐
tered.
The startled horse spewed out a harsh breath. The breath became its last.
1286
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 148 - Orc Khan, Part Iii ⦘
Orc Khan lifted the horse with one hand and smashed it down the ground.
Jingle! The Servant Statue of Horse Figure Type Earthenware rang the bell
for his master, so his owner could again compete against the Orc Khan.
However, the attempt was shattered by something suddenly flung out.
The Master Statue that the Orc Khan threw out shattered the body of the
Servant Statue. It was overwhelming.
The Orc Khan, who showed such a commanding presence, began to swell
its chest greatly.
The Orcs looking on trembled and covered their ears with both hands, even
though they were fighting. Soon after, Orc Khan vomited what had been
filling its chest into the world.
Keuaaaaaa!
A great fear, far beyond dragon fear, devoured the Carsamba airport in one
gulp. It was thunder, a devastating attack.
The attack caused the eardrums of Orcs to burst, and some of them fell to
the ground, vomiting blood as they were.
The solid bodies of the Horse Soldiers of the Qin Shi Huang cracked like
the land in severe drought. The worst was the golden smokes of the Gilt-
bronze Incense Burner of Baekje. They disappeared without even scream‐
ing.
The fierce battle had become a futile struggle. It was a wretched sight that
went beyond appalling.
Only two in the scene could keep their previous intentions in a high tide.
One was Orc Khan, calmed this battlefield with only one roar, and the other
1287
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 148 - Orc Khan, Part Iii ⦘
"Hoo!" Kim Tae-hoon, who had appeared with his back to the Black Sea at
the end of the runway, informed the Orc Khan of his appearance with a long
sigh.
Kim Tae-hoon was already preparing for the fighting. Draconian Mode was
activated, with the Dragon Light Sword in his right hand, and a new Aegis
shield in his left hand. His appearance seemed ready but weak.
It seemed that he had spent all his strength holding back the fear of Orc
Khan.
That was the difference in power between Kim Tae-hoon and Orc Khan. He
was seemingly out of power against it.
The Orc Khan could not help but notice. It immediately noticed that Kim
Tae-hoon, despite withstanding its fear, could not threaten it. Of course, the
Orc Khan had no such hesitation.
The Orc Khan ran toward Kim Tae-hoon. The distance between them was
about a kilometer, but it was only a short distance of a hundred meters for
the Orc Khan.
Eight seconds were all the time Kim Tae-hoon had against the Orc Khan
running at him. It was enough time to breathe once and end. It was enough
time to blink a few times.
"It is entrapped."
It was enough. It was the time it took to invoke the trap Kim Tae-hoon had
already set.
"Gleipnir!" With his cry, golden chains began to rise under the ground.
-----------------------------
9.
1288
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 148 - Orc Khan, Part Iii ⦘
"The Orc Khan is never tired, so it never stops, and it has enough vitality
and resilience to survive a nuclear explosion."
It was the information that Kim Tae-hoon, who had finished the hunt,
handed to Jang Sung-hoon, who would kill himself in front of him.
"You will never kill it just by cutting it." The Orc Khan was a paragon of
the impossible.
The Orc Khan, with the strength close to infinite, could fight without rest,
and its vitality and resilience overwhelmed even a dragon. It seemed to be a
god of war.
In a fight to see blood, it was the incarnation of battle that could win against
any monster. In other words, the way to beat it was to avoid close-quarters.
In some ways, it was a contradiction. But in that contradiction, they found
the right answer.
The Six Snakes found a way to kill the Orc Khan, despite it seeming impos‐
sible to anyone.
"We will grab Orc Khan with Gleipnir and use a warship to drown it in the
Black Sea."
They were going to bury it at sea. At this moment, Kim Tae-hoon used the
method on behalf of the Six Snakes. As the Orc Khan charged at Kim Tae-
hoon, gold chains began to rise from under the ground, wrapping around the
Orc Khan in a flash.
The Orc Khan groaned and exerted strength all over its body, but the chains
began to melt into its skin, rather than breaking. It was enough time for the
snare of Gleipnir, which had held even a god, to hold the Orc Khan. As
soon as Gleipnir caught the Orc Khan, its real power was revealed.
1289
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 148 - Orc Khan, Part Iii ⦘
The gold chains that had been concealed under the sea like a submarine op‐
tical cable began to reveal themselves. At the end of the exposed gold
chains was a great warship. It was a Moscow-class battleship, second
largest after the aircraft carrier among Russian warships.
The battleship, of course, began its voyage toward the center of the Black
Sea when the bait was caught.
Fighting hard, the Orc Khan worked to defy the power of the chain drag‐
ging it towards the Black Sea. The tug-of-war between the warship and the
Orc Khan began. It was ridiculous, actually.
But a four-meter-high monster, no matter how much muscle it had, was im‐
possibly tugging at the giant battleship. Common sense was unacceptable.
The Orc Khan had never recognized common sense.
Of course, the power competition could not last long. As time went by, the
battleship began to speed up, and if the battleship was at full power, not
even the Orc Khan could sustain its efforts. Furthermore, the land on which
Orc Khan was standing was giving way as it fought this ridiculous competi‐
tion of power.
The body of the Orc Khan held out, but the ground began to crumble under
it. The Orc Khan's body gradually moved toward the Black Sea, and it did
not seem that Orc Khan had much time left standing.
But that was enough time. Orc Khan had no intention of just fighting with
brute force ignorantly.
It began to rip off the golden line, the Gleipnir, which held it. It tore the
Gleipnir away, and its flesh came with it, but it did not care. It would rip out
1290
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 148 - Orc Khan, Part Iii ⦘
all its hide if it needed. It knew by intuition that if it was dragged into the
sea like this, it would die in the deep sea no matter how much power it had.
It feared death that it had never feared before. The struggle seemed to work.
Chwaak! Although Orc Khan's body was gradually dragged into the Black
Sea, the method of tearing out the Gleipnir merged in its skin along with the
skin began to work. It was really going to rip the skin off its body and re‐
move Gleipnir with it.
If a sword had not been drilled deeply into its back, its attempt would have
worked.
Surprised, the Orc Khan turned its head and looked behind it. In its eyes,
Kim Tae-hoon, who had set himself as bait, had come in.
Toot!
And it saw a Land Rover Range Rover racing toward Kim Tae-hoon.
-----------------------------
10.
Moscow...
The Red Square had been beautiful, but now it had become a place of ruins,
and heavy equipment to restore the ruins. Major General Vladimir's com‐
plexion was whiter and colder than the accumulated snow as he looked at
the scene.
'It was human beings who had finally destroyed the castle that had endured
the monsters' invasion.'
What was firm in the face of the monster's emergence, its elusive disaster,
was crushed by human hands. Major General Vladimir knew better than
anyone what it meant.
1291
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 148 - Orc Khan, Part Iii ⦘
'Even if we win the war against the monsters, that's all. After that, there will
be a war between the Awakeners.'
The war would not be over unless humans survived. Vladimir sighed a long
breath. Through that sigh, a man approached.
"How much?"
"They didn't just blow up a single bomb. They set up a large amount of ex‐
plosives inside the building, and they set them up in locations that could ac‐
celerate the collapse."
"It's not something they could do in a short time. I'm sure they worked at it
for a minimum of more than a fortnight.
'Mao Spencer never intended to negotiate with our country. He just needed
time to build a bomb.'
"As you know, the underground bunker is located at the bottom. It's not just
digging in, but we have to work carefully that the surroundings don't col‐
lapse. Therefore, at least twenty days are required."
"Twenty days..."
Major General Vladimir turned his head south while talking. In his mind,
the face of Kim Tae-hoon came in.
1292
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 148 - Orc Khan, Part Iii ⦘
'He must have started now. Is, after all, the fate of man in his hands?'
By now, his battle with the Orc Khan was both a subject of fear and a sub‐
ject of faith for Vladimir. It was also the last hope of mankind. The only
presence that could face the overwhelming disaster and could rush toward it
was now him. That was why Russia was now using all its might to clear the
ruins of the Kremlin palace that had collapsed.
'First of all, as he said, it's best to secure Bogatyr's Great Sword. Under the
debris, there is a weapon to destroy the deadly monster that dominates
Siberia, and Kim Tae-hoon will be happy to use that weapon to restore Rus‐
sia's vast lands. There's still time to spare.'
The good thing was that they still had plenty of time. The bitter cold of
Siberia was still raging, and now that it was, catching zombies was the last
chance to prepare for a nightmare, unless something special happened.
There was no reason for trouble until the winter was over, unless strange
things beyond common sense happened.
1293
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 149 - Advent, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
The Black Sea was always quiet. Unlike other seas, the Black Sea, which
had a lot of hydrogen sulfide in it, did not have many living things. A huge
battleship floated on the eerie stillness. It did not show any such thing as
dignity or great honor.
The battleship looked like a Hordee floating on the water. Even though it
was big enough to carry thousands of people,, they could not find any trace
of human beings anywhere. It was no wonder it was dead.
Kim Tae-hoon was drinking coffee on the deck of the ship, a place where a
bizarre silence could be felt.
BoxN ovel.com
'Now I feel a little relaxed.' Kim Tae-hoon, who had coffee again with his
spare time, turned his attention to the deck. He could see another sea, not so
black.
"Hoo." Kim Tae-hoon, who made a long sigh again, reviewed the battle he
had just had.
1294
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 149 - Advent, Part I ⦘
'If I had just confronted it in a normal way, it would have been terrible.' It
was too strong. As a matter of fact, the Orc Khan was not something Kim
Tae-hoon could beat with his own strength. It had a tug-of-war against a
battleship for a short time!
If he had engaged in a physical fight, he would not have been able to with‐
stand its fist, even if he was in Draconian Mode.
If it were not for the way the Six Snakes had prepared, or if they had not
saved Gleipnir, Kim Tae-hoon would have only run away quickly from the
Orc Khan. That was why the Vatican had become ashes in the scene before
Jang Sung-hoon's death.
To find out how, Kim Tae-hoon took time for the Orc Khan and the Orc
Horde to trample Europe. So, this fruit was sweeter than ever.
"Hmm." Kim Tae-hoon closed his eyes, savoring the strong aroma of his
coffee.
'As the Vatican was guarded, the appearance of Fafnir was prevented.'
In addition, the success of the hunt for the Orc Khan was significant in
many ways. The most important thing was that he kept the Vatican. Kim
Tae-hoon had never forgotten what he had said to himself in his dream.
Kim Tae-hoon had told himself before his self-suicide, "The moment the
Vatican collapsed, the Evil Dragon Fafnir from myth appeared."
If the Evil Dragon Fafnir, who could not be killed without the sword of
Siegfried, Balmung, had appeared, Europe would have become a land
empty of humans.
Here, the work to secure the Bogatyr's Great Sword, sleeping in the under‐
ground bunker of Kremlin Castle, was proceeding smoothly. It did not seem
difficult to secure Bogatyr's Great Sword before the bitter cold of Siberia
ended.
1295
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 149 - Advent, Part I ⦘
'With the Bogatyr's Great Sword and the jewel of Orc Khan, there is no rea‐
son to fear Chernobog.'
Finally, Kim had gained the strong power of the Orc Khan's heart, the jewel
of the Orc Khan. He did not know what the power of Orc Khan's jewel was.
However, it was clear that it would give power that could not be compared
with any power he had.
It seemed that all preparations for hunting the Immortal Wolf Chernobog
were over. The game would soon be actually over.
Kim Tae-hoon's eyes, which were planning the next hunting in the leisure
time, began to sink cold and black, like the Black Sea.
As he watched, a bird flying over the Black Sea came into him.
-----------------------------
2.
It was the noblest stage of the Vatican, the Pope's stage for Mass. But now
the Sistine Chapel was occupied by soldiers in military uniform. Of course,
there were no such things as charity or sacredness anywhere in Sistine
Chapel. Only the harshness, the murderous spirit, and desperation were seen
there.
1296
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 149 - Advent, Part I ⦘
"There was no report or any major military facility in Yakutsk City that I
knew of."
John Gabriel was also in a position to talk here. John Gabriel, the chief of
the Vatican City; Maria, the representative of the Russian military; and Jang
Sung-hoon, the second leader of the Mac Guild, were there. The theme of
their conversation, like a summit meeting, was the nuclear explosion in
Yakutsk, a small city in the northeastern part of Russia.
"Then why did a nuclear bomb go off in Yakutsk, northeast of the vast
Siberian fields?"
The nuclear explosion, the terrible violence that man created, had hit
Siberia. That was why the atmosphere of the Sistine Chapel was so bad.
Moreover, a nuclear explosion was the worst violence created by mankind,
and the violence that only mankind could create.
The nuclear explosion that hit Yakutsk City was not a coincidence, but a re‐
sult of a human being with intentions. Jang did not miss that fact.
1297
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 149 - Advent, Part I ⦘
'Why did he detonate a nuclear bomb here? For what? A nuclear bomb can
never be detonated remotely now. This means that they had set the timer...
but it's unlikely that they set the timer recently. It is more likely that the nu‐
clear bomb timer was set up in Mongolia to stimulate the Orc Khan.'
The reason for the nuclear explosion in Mongolia was simple. It was to pro‐
voke the Orc Khan so that it would lead the Orc Horde to Europe. With an
offering of the Orc Khan, the Six Snakes would become the savior of Eu‐
rope and rule everything in Europe. But Jang could not easily guess the in‐
tention of the explosion in a small city in northeastern Russia.
It was the Immortal Wolf Chernobog that came to his mind right now. It
was likely that Mao had used a nuclear bomb to move the Immortal Wolf,
just as he had brought the Orc Khan to Europe using a nuclear bomb.
'However, even Russia does not know where the Immortal Wolf is now. In a
situation where only a timer setting can trigger a bomb... The chance of this
explosion making the Immortal Wolf move at will is not high.'
But it was hard to say that the possibility was high. First of all, the activity
radius of the Immortal Wolf was not certain, and its range of activity in‐
cluded all of Siberia, one of the world's largest areas. On such a stage, could
they move the Immortal Wolf with a nuclear explosion?
'If the Immortal Wolf is headed for Europe, even if it stimulates the Immor‐
tal Wolf... the Six Snakes would be between a rock and a hard place.'
If the Immortal Wolf moved to Europe, there would be nothing worse for
the Six Snakes.
'The Six Snakes wouldn't take a gamble like that, and they never operate
that way. They don't bet on nuclear weapons instead of chips, even if they
do. Betting on a nuclear weapon means there's something else to be sure of.'
From the standpoint of the Six Snakes, they would now lose their Europe,
which would be their base, without being able to use it properly. It would be
1298
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 149 - Advent, Part I ⦘
Jang Sung-hoon knew better than anyone that the Six Snakes were not those
who would kill themselves. Here, Jang measured the person who had
planned this. He thought of Mao Spencer, who was capable of anything for
his own purposes. At that moment he figured out what the man really
wanted to do.
'What Mao Spencer wants... He's going to destroy the Korean Peninsula.
The reason he detonated a nuclear bomb is that he's going to destroy the
Korean Peninsula. With what? With monsters. But the Immortal Wolf
should be excluded. Then, what's left?'
Not long before, Jang came up with an answer. "Ms. Maria, has Russia ever
seen a monster above the blue-grade?"
"So how many dark blue and blue-grade monsters has Russia discovered in
its territory?"
"Er... I don't know the exact figures. Because of Chernobog and the zom‐
bies, it was difficult to search---"
"Well... those who could escape from Chernobog would have run away, and
those who could not escape would be frozen in Siberia as zombies."
1299
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 149 - Advent, Part I ⦘
"Yes?"
"It was because of the Orc Khan here that most of the monsters in Russian
territory did not come down to the south."
So, he moved his hands near the Caspian Sea. "And now the Orc Khan has
moved toward Europe."
He went back to Russia. "The zombies would have woken up from the heat
of the nuclear explosion, and they would naturally follow the living. And
now, where the survivors of East Asia are gathered..."
"Ah..."
"Um..."
When they reached that point, everyone was silenced. Jang Sung-hoon also
fell into a depression.
'What Mao wanted to move was not the Immortal Wolf, but the monsters
that were zombified by the Immortal Wolf.'
With a harsh sound, the door of Sistine Chapel opened as if it were break‐
ing, and a man appeared. The door itself was a treasure, and in the Sistine
Chapel, no one ever manhandled it. Of course, the soldiers waiting there
would normally go out and deal with this rude visitor.
But no one moved in that situation. All that anyone could do in front of the
appearance of Kim Tae-hoon was harden themselves, that was all.
1300
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 149 - Advent, Part I ⦘
"Boss!" Only one person, Jang Sung-hoon, approached Kim Tae-hoon with‐
out hardening. As soon as he approached, Jang said, "Mao left a trap." That
explanation was enough. The conclusion that Kim Tae-hoon had come to
was also the same as the one that Jang Sung-hoon made.
The Six Snakes were not satisfied with only possessing Europe. It was their
plan to take Europe and destroy the Korean Peninsula. In this situation, the
answer they chose was decided.
"The heat of the nuclear explosion will bring the Zombies to the Korean
Peninsula. The worst thing is... the worst is the Immortal Wolf moving, but
it will be hard to stop the Zombie Horde with the power of the Korean
Peninsula."
'The power of the Korean Peninsula is great. But it is not enough to stop the
blue and dark blue-grade monster horde that has become Zombies. Further,
it is not all about stopping them. What is more important is to reduce the
damage as much as possible.'
"We need to issue an evacuation order, and we need to move to Jeju Island,
and if necessary, to Japan. Boss, wait here until Bogatyr's Great Sword is
secured."
'If Kim Tae-hoon comes out, he will be able to stop the Zombie Horde. But
the worst situation that Jang Sung-hoon said before, is if the Immortal Wolf
appears. Now, Kim Tae-hoon cannot kill the Immortal Wolf. There is no
way, no tool.
'If Bogatyr's Great Sword is secured, the winner will eventually be Kim
Tae-hoon, no matter what the damage is.
'All they had to do is take the damage. If they made time for the evacuation
of the citizens, and they used the sacrifices of soldiers and hunters to pre‐
vent the Zombie Horde from entering the Korean Peninsula, then every‐
thing will be sorted out.
1301
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 149 - Advent, Part I ⦘
'Furthermore, if Kim Tae-hoon kills the Immortal Wolf, the risk factor dis‐
appears.'
Therefore, Jang Sung-hoon did not doubt that Kim Tae-hoon would make
the same choice as himself.
"Boss?" However, when Jang saw Kim's eyes, Jang was able to guess Kim's
intentions. "No! No! Never!" Jang Sung-hoon protested. "It is a monster
who won't die! You can only kill it with Bogatyr's Great Sword! You can't
win the fight! In the end, you'll be exhausted and go down!"
At the objection, Kim Tae-hoon showed the purple crystal in his hand in‐
stead of answering.
---------------------
-- You can acquire the power of Orc Khan [ Inexhaustible Infinity] when in‐
gested.
---------------------
"I don't know anything else, but I won't be exhausted." With those words,
Kim Tae-hoon put the purple crystal in his mouth. Gulp! Inside the tranquil
Sistine Chapel, the sound echoed quietly.
Then Kim Tae-hoon looked up. Beyond the frozen crowd in front of his
throat, Michelangelo's masterpiece, the Last Judgment, came into view. He
1302
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 149 - Advent, Part I ⦘
saw a picture that made viewers fear the Day of Judgment, and the dignity
of God.
'I will survive, but not alone.' In front of the picture, Kim Tae-hoon did not
feel fear. It was Kim Tae-hoon who led the Day of Judgment this time.
1303
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 150 - Advent, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
BoxN ovel.com
"Now we're looking at all sorts of unexpected things, and what happened in
Sejong City was nothing." At the scene, grumbles came out of the mouth of
Sergeant Lee.
Of course, no one heard his low complaints between the endless gunfire.
Even if they heard it, no one paid attention to the complaints. The same was
true for Sergeant Lee. He did not care about the complaints, even though he
spoke them.
'Damn it.' The situation was too urgent to care about such complaints. 'We
shouldn't give up Tonghua City.'
1304
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 150 - Advent, Part Ii ⦘
Tonghua City itself was nothing special. It was not a place where great re‐
sources were buried, there was no important infrastructure, nor was it a his‐
torical point.
'The problem is that Tonghua City is the last city on the Yalu River, which
is the baseline of the Korean Peninsula. In other words, if the front line re‐
treats from Tonghua City, then the next place to fight is near the Yalu River.'
'It's a deadline.'
'If the Zombie monster horde crosses the Yalu River, it means that the Ko‐
rean peninsula has been invaded both realistically and symbolically.'
The worst part was that the purpose of this battle was not to annihilate the
enemy, but to draw time. It was virtually impossible to win against Zombie
monsters, who did not die. Such was the judgment of headquarters.
Even if Korea had the world's highest power and was experienced in the
battling monsters, it was against monsters. Now, the opponents were Zom‐
bies, not monsters. So headquarters declared the purpose of this battle was
to earn time for citizens to evacuate.
1305
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 150 - Advent, Part Ii ⦘
"Retreat?"
At the end of the cross-question, five fire trucks appeared on the battlefield.
At the same time, someone shouted.
"Stop firing!"
An intense cry that could not be said to be human swallowed the city at
once. Meanwhile, the soldiers from the fire truck moved quickly.
A stream of water began to pour from the fire hose pointed at the Zombie
monsters. At the same time, a thick smell was blowing all over the place. It
was gasoline they could smell when they visited the gas station.
The gasoline soaked the Zombie monsters that had started to move more ac‐
tively in the gap between the bombardment and the shelling.
In the meantime, the soldiers who built the front line began to withdraw
from the battlefield. The same was true of Sergeant Lee Hyung-woo.
"Come on! Move faster!" He began to move away from the battlefield, urg‐
ing his men. It wasn't long before the smell of gasoline no longer pierced
his nose.
The city of Tonghua was engulfed in flames with huge explosions. Lee
Hyung-woo, who turned his head and looked at the scene, held his teeth
tightly.
'Oh, my God.' In front of this insane war, Lee Hyung-woo felt like reality
was a long ways off. However, in front of the fuss, Lee did not seek God.
At this moment, all the people here wanted was not God, but a man's ad‐
vent.
----------------------
1306
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 150 - Advent, Part Ii ⦘
4.
"The troops are withdrawing from Tonghua and Byron." With the report of
the subordinate, the small horses on the map came down near the Yalu
River. However, Colonel Lim Hyun-joon did not look at the horses. Instead,
his gaze was on a horse sitting near Vladivostok.
The horse was different. It was a piece that looked like a chess horse, but
unlike the usual horse, was engraved with the word, 'soldier.'" In addition,
the piece was a piece of the divine animal Mac.
"What's the situation of Mac Unit?" The sculpture represented the most elite
military force of the Republic of Korea.
"The last news came that they were engaged in a battle with a Zombie-
grade green monster, a Zombie ogre."
Of course, the missions given to them were also the most difficult tasks. It
was to remove the monsters above the green grade, which general soldiers
and hunters could not kill. Without any support, they had to do everything
on their own.
The damage was as bad as it was difficult. However, in front of the terrible
result, Colonel Lim Hyun-joon did not express any emotion. Instead, he
looked at the map and asked again, "What about civilian evacuation?"
"We're on the right track, but there are too many people."
It was a nightmare report. In front of the report, Colonel Lim did not reveal
his feelings at all, nor did he change his expression. The situation was
1307
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 150 - Advent, Part Ii ⦘
'Even if they're Zombies, monsters below the orange grade can be brought
down by ordinary soldiers, as well as by the armored hunting units.'
The situation was not good. The war itself was too sudden. It was not just a
monster, but a Zombie monster was outside the scope of the plans of
Colonel Lim.
'The problem is that when Zombie monsters above the green grade or
higher appear, no more engagement is possible, and the frontline is forced
to retreat.'
The bigger problem was that even if they built a barrier line to block Zom‐
bie monsters, the line would actually collapse when a monster above the
green grade appeared. This was a battle where they could not help but re‐
treat. In short, there was no hope or possibility of victory in this battle.
The whole point was to earn some time for a few more people to escape.
Since they were the military and hunters of the Republic of Korea, they
were able to carry out this battle without any strain. If it were other coun‐
tries, they would not be able to stand against the Zombie Army this far, the
citizens would have already panicked, and there would have been a riot of
disorder, not any evacuation.
In other words, South Korea was now at its breaking point. If more bad
news were added, it would not be strange if everything suddenly collapsed.
'No way!'
1308
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 150 - Advent, Part Ii ⦘
-We found a dark blue-grade Zombie monster. The identity of the monster...
is determined to be a Hatch with horns, on the body of a sheep.-
-----------------------
5.
It was a memory from his senior year in high school. It was from at most
two years ago.
Bang slowly opened his eyes, brooding over the dimmest memory.
When asked again, Bang only smiled bitterly instead of answering. His
smiling face showed signs of weariness. It wasn't just him, but all of them.
Everyone in front of Bang's eyes looked tired. It was unbelievable.
Mac troops were a group of hunters with outstanding skills. With Bang
Hyun-wook, the troops were the elites of the Mac Unit. Their average
1309
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 150 - Advent, Part Ii ⦘
Health level was over 300 points. They had acquired many abilities from
monsters. They would be beaten to death by monsters, but they would not
be exhausted.
However, the fact that they felt physical limitations meant that the daily
rigor of their battles was beyond imagination. Under such circumstances,
they were facing a desperate battle that was incomparably harsh and hope‐
less.
A monster came up between the Zombie monster horde before the eyes of
Bang Hyun-wook, who looked up at the words.
It was a monster of a peculiar appearance. It was about five meters long, its
body looked like a sheep, but was covered with steel-like silver scales in‐
stead of a fluffy fleece, and a pointed horn rose up on its head. On either
side of the horn were two dark blue eyes that had lost focus.
It was a Hatch.
The dark blue grade monster became a Zombie, and it stood out in the Zom‐
bie horde. With such a powerful presence, it gave the Mac troops a sense of
despair.
'A monster that has become a Zombie does not die even if they pull out its
heart and smash its head. There was only one way, to cut apart the body and
set it on fire.'
There was only one man in the world who could kill the dark blue monster
in that way.
Because of that one man, they did not run away in front of a monster that
could not be fought by Bang Hyun-wook and the Mac Unit. The role of the
Mac Unit was to replace Kim Tae-hoon, who would finish the nightmare.
1310
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 150 - Advent, Part Ii ⦘
At the same time, it was also a request by Kim Tae-hoon to Bang Hyun-
wook.
Before leaving for Russia, Kim Tae-hoon told Bang Hyun-wook, who
wanted to go with him, to stay in Korea. He asked him to protect Korea
from threats on behalf of himself, not an order.
Therefore, Bang Hyun-wook did not intend to turn his head in front of this
despair.
However, he did not intend to burn his life to the ground. The ultimate thing
that Bang Hyun-wook had learned from Kim Tae-hoon was survival, not
struggle. The same was true of this time.
"First of all, I would like you to step up and clear your area while I catch its
eye."
As said before, the Mac Unit had no means and methods to kill the Hatch
that had become a Zombie now. Then there was no reason to be mindful of
killing. It was just to lure, and if they could buy time, it would be enough.
That was all.
"Then I'll lure it back north. Well, let's cheer up for the last time."
Bang Hyun-wook, who spat out his words, stood up, his whole body feeling
heavier than ever. But Bang did not collapse.
"Hoo!" With a long sigh, he raised his head, and now saw the monster he
had to face nearby. Seeing the monster, he took a deep breath. He exhaled
with all his strength, his breath ready to burst out his chest.
"Come on!"
1311
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 150 - Advent, Part Ii ⦘
----------------------
6.
A grotesque wolf appeared there. No, it was more than a wolf, as if flesh
that had been ripped from a body had been gathered in wolf form. Only the
purple eyes told them that it was not just a monster. An Immortal Wolf, the
monster that turned the vast land of Siberia into a world of Zombies, stood
motionless for a while on Ground Zero.
1312
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 151 - Advent, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
7.
God descends from heaven into the human world is the original meaning of
Advent. Therefore, it is a misrepresentation of the dictionary to use the ex‐
pression when descending against humans.
Ah! However, for the members of the Mac Unit, there was nothing else to
express the appearance of Kim Tae-hoon but Advent. It was the reason why
everyone was fascinated by Kim Tae-hoon's appearance. As if to repay their
expectations and expressions, Kim Tae-hoon, who had dropped down from
the sky, immediately started to move toward the battlefield.
Kim walked through the city toward the Zombie monster horde that was
pushed between the buildings. As he walked, Kim grabbed the handle of the
sheathed sword in his left hand with his right hand. Then he drew the sword
at once, without hesitation, toward the Zombie monster horde.
BoxN ovel.com
8.
[Achieved Ability]
-- The Inexhaustible Infinity (Grade 1): Orc Khan's power does not con‐
sume Health, Energy, Mana, or Telekinesis.
1313
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 151 - Advent, Part Iii ⦘
The Inexhaustible Infinity gained by killing the Orc Khan was an ability
that did not tire. No matter how hard he worked, he did not feel the limit of
his physical Health, and even if he used special abilities such as Energy,
Telekinesis, Mana, his abilities never touched bottom. It was like he could
drive a car without gas.
Therefore, it was a terrible encounter for the monsters when Kim Tae-hoon
was holding Kusanagi, which demanded the most consumption.
Thunk! Kim Tae-hoon, who no longer had to worry about the consumption
of Energy, repeatedly wielded Kusanagi. The sharp flashes from the sword
of the Kusanagi cut apart the bodies of the Zombie horde and the buildings
of Artyom.
Euuhuh... Zombie monsters with upper body and lower body or legs or neck
were cut off and fell to the ground, breaking in half with grotesque cries. Of
course, the Zombie monsters did not die by that alone. Those who lost their
ankles or feet still ran with their legs cut off, while those who were sepa‐
rated from their lower bodies used their arms to crawl and move, and those
who fell on the ground repeatedly made noisy threats.
The bodies of the Zombie monsters that were cut off were buried by the
buildings of the city.
The sight of dozens and hundreds of buildings being cut off and collapsed
was more bizarre than eerie. It looked like a disaster, as if the city was hit
by a tsunami, like a city collapsing in front of an earthquake, like a tornado
tore its buildings apart and was soaring high into the sky. It was not a hu‐
man-made result. So to speak, it was the punishment of God.
'Am I dreaming now?' In front of the scene, the members of the Mac Unit,
who were now superhuman, were stunned. Bang Hyun-wook looked at the
battlefield with blank eyes. Of course, the battle was just the beginning. If it
had been a battle that ended with just cutting the bodies and covering the
bodies with the wreckage of the buildings, Kim Tae-hoon would not have
come here.
1314
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 151 - Advent, Part Iii ⦘
As soon as Kim Tae-hoon put the Kusanagi back into the sheath, something
ran out of the wreckage of a collapsed building.
Whoosh! It was a dark blue-grade monster, the zombified Hatch, flying to‐
ward Kim Tae-hoon. The Hatch charged horn down, its speed hard to be‐
lieve. The physical force of the Hatch, with a sheep's body five meters in
length, larger than a lion, moved so quickly it was unimaginable.
In front of the sudden, powerful, and aggressive attack of the Hatch, Kim
Tae-hoon pulled his body sideways using his Telekinesis. The Hatch, horn
down, shot past Kim Tae-hoon like a missile. The wake flapped Kim Tae-
hoon's clothes.
The body of the Hatch punched through the buildings behind Kim Tae-hoon
as if it were an artillery round.
Huck! The men of the Mac Unit around came to their senses after the Hatch
moved a kilometer away. However, waking up did not change anything.
There was nothing they could do in this ridiculous battle.
'That ability is dangerous.' The Hatch's ability was to propel its body like a
cannon shell. It was a power beyond common sense. The Hatch had just
moved a kilometer away in four seconds or so. Two hundred fifty meters
per second was nearing the speed of sound. A few tons of an object moving
at a speed close to the sound speed... its destructive power was clearly
shown by the city buildings behind Kim Tae-hoon.
'It's really dangerous.' Bang Hyun-wook's spine, who had been preparing to
buy time against the monster with such a ridiculous ability, cooled quickly.
'It's not easy for big brother, either.' At the same time, Bang Hyun-wook re‐
alized that the ability of the Hatch was also threatening Kim Tae-hoon.
1315
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 151 - Advent, Part Iii ⦘
control itself.' It was still true now. The Hatch, which crashed through
buildings like paper, could not stop until its body was stuck in the ground.
'If someone baits and lures it into a trap, we can kill it.'
In this situation, it was Bang Hyun-wook's role to always be the bait, and he
did not want to give that role to someone else. However, Kim Tae-hoon did
not answer the cry of Bang Hyun-wook. Instead, Kim Tae-hoon untied the
golden bracelet on his left wrist and threw it on the ground.
"Baaaaaaa..." In the meantime, the Hatch, which had regained its position,
took a position facing Kim Tae-hoon again, after pointing its horn.
At that moment, the golden chains leaped out of the ground under the
Hatch's feet and wrapped around its body.
"Baaaaa...?"
Everyone in sight, even the Zombie Hatch tied in a golden chain now, had a
stunned look.
Only one, Kim Tae-hoon, accepted all of this and pulled out the Sword of
the Imperator on his back to face the Hatch caught in Gleipnir.
---------------------
9.
1316
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 151 - Advent, Part Iii ⦘
But that was not the only reason. Even if it was not such a secret, the ability
to deal with general information is also very important in war. Simple infor‐
mation is not simple information on the battlefield.
When the battle begins right away, there is countless amounts of informa‐
tion on the battlefield. In addition, there was a lack of communication facil‐
ities, and all that was possible was wired communication. Even if the condi‐
tions are not good enough, all kinds of information come in freely.
It is the commander's ability and role to find the answers in the information
gathered.
Colonel Lim Hyun-joon was faithful to the role and was competent at the
same time. He made the best decision, and his decision brought him to the
peak of the Korean military in the flood of information coming in from all
over the battlefield. But at this moment, he could no longer be a competent
leader.
"It's breaking news from Hoeryong City, the Zombie Monster horde has
been removed."
"It's breaking news just in from Hyesan City! The Zombie Monster horde
has been destroyed!"
The breaking news that flowed in simultaneously from the cities along the
Yalu River was unbelievable.
"The advent of the Master is done." And at the end of all the reports, the
word master and advent were attached together. The soldiers never used the
words, but Colonel Lim Hyun-joon could not find words that could clearly
1317
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 151 - Advent, Part Iii ⦘
convey the situation now. He showed his emotions on his face for the first
time.
"Huh-huh." He smiled awkwardly on his flimsy face. At his laugh, the first
since the battle with the Zombie Monster horde, his men seemed to under‐
stand rather than be surprised, and they were also laughing awkwardly.
"The Mac Unit has arrived from Vladivostok." It was the return of the Mac
Unit that stopped the laugh.
Mac Unit and Bang Hyun-wook had arrived at the headquarters, and of
course, Colonel Lim Hyun-joon called them.
Colonel Lim Hyun-joon's expression was firm at the report, since the Im‐
mortal Wolf was the fate of Kim Tae-hoon, as well as the fate of the Repub‐
lic of Korea to deal with a monster of the purple grade, a monster that could
not die. It would be necessary to support the war using all the support of the
country.
"What do you need?" While spitting out the words, Colonel Lim Hyun-joon
had a lot of things in his mind -- the best elite Mac Unit and the Dragon
Knights, as well as the Armored Hunting Units he had devoted himself to,
including the terrifying tanks!
----------------------
10.
A purple-grade monster was like a moving end... the end of the human race.
Therefore, it was easy for humans to grasp the presence. The same was true
1318
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 151 - Advent, Part Iii ⦘
of Kim Tae-hoon.
'Here it is.'
On the wide plain of Manchuria, Kim Tae-hoon was able to feel it even be‐
fore he saw it. At some point, as he felt, it showed up. The Immortal Wolf
Chernobog appeared on the Manchurian field. It was alone. There was no
Zombie Monster horde. There was no need. It didn't need to be protected by
anything, and it had no reason to be afraid of death.
Kim Tae-hoon also did not have any new determination with such a guy in
front of him. From the distance, he made the first attack. The weapon of the
first attack was Indra's spear, Vasavi Shakti.
The attack turned Chernobog's body to ashes, too, shredded and scattered
all over the place. However, that was all. Its whole body was shattered, but
the presence of the creature filling the Manchurian field did not disappear at
all. Soon after, one piece of the flesh that had fallen from Chernobog's body
began to grow, and then it was restored to its original shape.
Vasavi Shakti, which had always left a surprising wound, was just a tool to
earn a minute or so in front of Chernobog.
At that moment, a gold chain rose from beneath the ground, and it clung to
Chernobog's body. Gleipnir! The chain that led to the death of Orc Khan
turned Chernobog into a mummy.
'As expected.'
1319
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 151 - Advent, Part Iii ⦘
The fact that Kim Tae-hoon's countless weapons could never kill Cher‐
nobog was not just speculation, but the fact. He also recognized that all he
could do was buy time, and delay Chernobog reaching the Korean Penin‐
sula a little longer.
So, Kim Tae-hoon did not hurry. He didn't push it. Instead, he took out
something he had never used before when dealing with monsters. He
opened his bag and took out something as important as a relic in it: a coffee
dripper, solid fuel, bottled water, and new beans from Italy.
Kim Tae-hoon, who spent the time making coffee, took a sip of the coffee.
He filled himself with the deep coffee scent. He then drew a picture with his
black eyes, looking at the distant Chernobog, palms open; it was a picture
of a straitjacket made by his own Telekinesis on Chernobog's body, a pic‐
ture that would pull the body of the creature bound like that and tie it to one
place.
At that moment, Chernobog's movements stopped for the first time. The
fight between the undying monster and the tireless hunter began quietly,
with a cup of fragrant coffee.
1320
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 152 - Advent, Part Iv ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
11.
Since the appearance of the monsters, Moscow, the capital of Russia, had
become a city of silence and tranquility. The new powers of Russia wanted
to maintain their power and status through fear, and of course, they did not
allow anyone but themselves to raise their voices.
"Come on! Move fast!" But now there were countless voices filling Red
Square.
BoxN ovel.com
It was not just one voice. The languages and races of various countries, in‐
cluding English, German, French, and others, were coming together to raise
their voices.
What was even more surprising was that the noise, the talk all at the same
time, was organically intertwined for one purpose, like when the tower of
Babylon was built, when everyone in the world was not subject to language
barriers.
1321
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 152 - Advent, Part Iv ⦘
'This is great.' Jang Sung-hoon admired the scene. 'I feel like the integration
of Europe that no one has ever done, has been done here.'
At that moment, Jang Sung-hoon's memory returned to a few days ago, the
day Kim Tae-hoon had left for Korea. On the day Kim Tae-hoon left, Jang
Sung-hoon made a public announcement throughout Europe with the help
of the Vatican: a notice that they were recruiting applicants to clean up the
debris of Red Square.
There was no compulsion. It was not a situation where coercion was possi‐
ble. In the situation where Kim Tae-hoon left alone for Korea to stop the
Immortal Wolf, what Jang Sung-hoon could do was more limited than he
thought.
'If I take a picture, I'll get a Pulitzer Prize, and if I paint it, I'll be able to step
on the threshold of Sotheby's auction.' It was a monumental event, really.
Jang Sung-hoon, who had to call it, felt the art-soul that he thought had dis‐
appeared without leaving ashes. He felt a desire to make the traces of what
he saw now through his own hands, not anything.
'Well, what does it mean to leave it like that?' However, Jang was not drunk
with the art-soul.
1322
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 152 - Advent, Part Iv ⦘
'That's not the point.' Instead of lifting his brush, he put on a tattered wood‐
working glove. 'Boss, hold on a little longer.'
"Come on, let's all work hard!" With the cry, Jang Sung-hoon threw himself
into the work.
-------------------------
12.
Kim Tae-hoon, who swallowed the coffee he had been holding, opened his
eyes again. Into his black eyes suddenly entered the Immortal Wolf, which
had reached a distance of about three hundred meters from him.
'It's been one hundred and fifty hours.' It had been that long since the match
between the Immortal Wolf and Kim Tae-hoon began. The Immortal Wolf
had no change. It was not very angry about the situation, nor did it try any‐
thing different.
It just walked when Kim Tae-hoon's Telekinesis, which was just trying to
tie it down, broke down and stopped walking when it was tied by Kim Tae-
hoon's Telekinesis again. That was all.
'I'm at the limit.' On the other hand, Kim Tae-hoon was not. The power of
the Inexhaustible Infinity was certainly great, endless. No matter how much
Energy, Mana, and Telekinesis he used, he felt it was still full and bound‐
less.
'He's moving faster.' The problem was that Kim Tae-hoon's body was not
infinite and not eternal.
'I'm sure I'm good enough to stay here.' Moreover, Kim Tae-hoon's body
was not much better than he thought. It couldn't have been good. After eat‐
ing the crystal of the Eight-tailed Fox, Kim Tae-hoon's body was virtually
the same as receiving a death sentence.
Even after that, he kept filling his body with transcendental power that was
not allowed to human beings, again and again. He filled his body with the
1323
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 152 - Advent, Part Iv ⦘
Dragon's power, with the power of the Blue Qilin, and with the power of the
Great Giant. He even possessed the power of the Orc Khan, which would
drive him crazy, the power that he could not but call a curse because it was
too powerful. In the end, he used the power as much as he liked. If he
wanted his body to be safe and eternal, it would be a delusion, not greed.
'It's been a long time, and this feeling of death coming right is right in front
of me.' In a sense, Kim Tae-hoon was in the midst of the most dangerous
moment. If he could not kill the Immortal Wolf in front of him, if he could
not eat the monster stone, Kim Tae-hoon would face death from his own
power.
There was not much time left. Kim Tae-hoon knew his condition well. He
knew that his body could not last three months without the power of immor‐
tality. He also knew that the more he used his strength, the faster his life
span would be shortened, and in order to stop the Immortal Wolf for more
than a week, Kim Tae-hoon had spent most of his life.
'This is the first time I've ever wasted my life like this.' Kim Tae-hoon al‐
ways used means and methods to live. So, it was a strange thing. However,
Kim smiled lightly at this situation.
'So much has changed.' At that time, Kim Tae-hoon's eyes, above his pale
smile, wriggled. He sensed something coming here, toward the vast
Manchurian field.
'... yes, there is no way it is going this quietly.' The Zombie Monster horde
was converging with all its might toward the place where the Immortal
Wolf was. Its numbers were considerable.
'Is it near ten thousand? No, it'll be more.' Of course, it was not likely that
they would be a threat to Kim Tae-hoon, even if they were united.
'If I miss this guy, it's over.' The problem was that it was virtually impossi‐
ble to hold this guy as it was now, if the Immortal Wolf was buried in the
surging waves of the horde. Even now, as his concentration fell, it was be‐
coming harder to catch the Immortal Wolf.
1324
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 152 - Advent, Part Iv ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon did not think of the word abandonment in his mind. He
grabbed the sword of the Qin Shi Huang, which was wrapped at his waist,
instead of taking another coffee cup.
'With the Horse Soldiers of the Qin Shi Huang, the Gilt-bronze Incense
Burner of Baekje, and Horse Figure Type Earthenware...' He measured the
battle in his mind. He looked for a way to never back down, to keep things
behind him.
At that moment, the voice that Kim had waited for so much knocked on his
ear. "Big brother!" In that voice, he raised his hand that was moving toward
the Qin Shi Huang Sword to the hilt next to him. He caught the Kusanagi.
------------------------
13.
"Euuhuh..." The sound of dying at the moment, but the sight of the things
that were spitting out the sound, never mingled with it.
Ten thousand, the vast numbers of the Zombie Monster horde were racing
through the Manchurian field. It was a tsunami, made of rotten bodies, eat‐
ing at the Manchurian plains. At the end of the tsunami was a wolf with a
body that was beyond even the coming Zombie Monster horde.
However, nowhere else was the image of the Immortal Wolf pathetic. It was
still spreading its despairing presence, and fear beyond the overwhelming
level. Above all, its purple eyes were shining more than ever at this mo‐
ment. It was a clear proof that it was waiting for this moment.
The Immortal Wolf was waiting for the moment, when the monster horde,
which had become Zombies by its own power, disrupted the power trapping
it. It was not hard to wait. It could wait forever if necessary.
1325
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 152 - Advent, Part Iv ⦘
Its patience was rewarded. The Zombie Monster horde rolled over the Im‐
mortal Wolf.
It was a short time. The moment the Immortal Wolf was buried in a huge
roar, the Telekinesis to tie it down was lost. It now started running again.
No, it didn't have to run.
The Immortal Wolf was swept forward by the crazed surge of the Zombie
Monster horde. It did not resist it, nor did it show anger, sigh, or a cry of a
word about its body being tangled with other Zombie monsters. The Im‐
mortal Wolf mixed itself into the tsunami of the running horde. It became a
tree in a dense forest. No trace of the Immortal Wolf could be seen any‐
where.
Thunk! In that situation, a long flash of light ran under the knees of the
Zombie Monster horde. The flash brushed under the knees and around the
ankles, and it made the Zombie Monster horde a footless horde.
The Zombie Monster horde, which had just lost their feet, began to tumble
forward and get tangled up.
A huge wall made of a pile of cramped undead soared over the Manchurian
field.
------------------------
14.
"It's over!" Bang Hyun-wook's words were like a spell. As he spoke, the
Zombie monsters returned to being rotten bodies. It was the most obvious
1326
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 152 - Advent, Part Iv ⦘
evidence that the Immortal Wolf Chernobog had died. Evidence that the his‐
torical moment was here.
"Big brother!" Bang Hyun-wook, a witness of the historical moment, ran to‐
ward the protagonist of the historical moment. "You did it!"
However, the main character in Bang Hyun-wook's eyes was silent. It was
not enough to be silent. He put his hand through the dead body of the Im‐
mortal Wolf, which had now become rotten, crumpled meat. He pulled out
the purple crystal and looked at it with his black eyes.
On the other hand, the man looked at the back of his right hand with a calm,
but very generous look.
==========
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 1932
-- Health: 1955
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: S Rank
-- Mana: S-Rank
-- Telekinesis: S Rank
1327
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 152 - Advent, Part Iv ⦘
-- Defense: S Rank
[Achieved Abilities]
-- Immortality (Grade 1): The power of the Immortal Wolf. You have a
body that cannot be killed by anything.
=========
When the man finished checking his right hand, the man gave his gaze to
Bang Hyun-wook, who had drawn near. Then he opened his mouth, "Now
is the time."
"Yes?"
"Oh? Huh? What's wrong with you all of a sudden?" Surprised, Bang Hyun-
wook received the great sword. Soon, however, Bang Hyun-wook laughed.
"You want me to take it with you? Yes, sir, I'll carry your weapon from now
on!"
Kim Tae-hoon did not laugh at the laughing Bang. Instead of laughing, he
said quietly, "You're the only one who's going back."
"Yes?"
"It's time for them to pay for the price of our blood." After finishing his
speech, Kim Tae-hoon turned his back on Bang Hyun-wook and walked
away from Bang Hyun-wook, who had a blank expression.
1328
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 152 - Advent, Part Iv ⦘
-----------------------
14.
The Pentagon was one of the most famous buildings in the world, and also
one of the most curious buildings in the world. The greatest curiosity of all
was about the building in the middle of the Pentagon.
What is in the middle of a pentagonal concrete mass that oversaw the mili‐
tary power of the great powers?
In the park in the middle of the Pentagon, in the building between the
forests, was a cafe. The café was called Ground Zero. It was a pleasant
name, in the sense that if a nuclear war happened, it would be the first to be
hit.
But after the monsters appeared, such joy was no longer in the Pentagon.
What remained in the Pentagon was the new American powers who now
ruled the Americ as. Mao Spencer was there now. He was in a position to re‐
port after receiving the news.
"We've got the position of the Resistance executives. This will help us deal
with them sooner or later." Now Mao was a subordinate of John Smith, the
head of the Pentagon. "The Panther Unit sent to secure the Mayan Calendar
has entered Mexico."
"Good work."
It was humiliation. It was usually impossible for a person who once wanted
to take control of the world, and who thought he had done so, to bow his
head to a man like a horse.
1329
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 152 - Advent, Part Iv ⦘
"Yes."
In other words, Mao had a reason why he was enduring humiliation and
now was serving as not the head of the Six Snakes, but as the subordinate of
the head of the Pentagon that dominated the United States. He turned his
back, his head down at John Smith's gesture, and was out of the center of
the Pentagon.
"Mr. Mao."
"He?"
At this moment Mao could taste the very sweet price of the humiliation he
had endured.
1330
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 153 - In America, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
Highway 95...
The view of the road across Nevada was always desolate. Unless people
had a unique taste for the rising yellow clouds of sand, there was nothing
interesting about it... and even that was no longer enjoyable.
Highway 95, which had not been managed for more than a year, was actu‐
ally like a minefield. It was better to run on the broad expanse of the waste‐
land than on the road.
BoxN ovel.com
That was why Carlos Perez, an impressive-looking man with coppery skin
and a mustache, was racing along through the rough wasteland, not a road,
on his beloved Wrangler Jeep. In addition, that was why the monsters fol‐
lowing Carlos's Wrangler also ran through the wilderness.
The Werejackal was a monster about 160 centimeters tall. However, even if
it was small, it could not be ignored.
The Werejackals, with their wicked and cruel habits and clever hunting
skills, were very dangerous, and even orange-eyed monsters would not eas‐
1331
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 153 - In America, Part I ⦘
"Fuck!" That was why Carlos swore constantly in his constantly bouncing
vehicle.
"What?!" A man who changed the choice of Carlos's words. In the distance,
a man was holding out his thumb. It was a hitchhiking gesture seen often in
the broad United States and could be seen at any time on the American
roads.
'Crazy!' Of course, it was a gesture from before December 31, 2016, before
the monsters appeared. It was a gesture that was never seen in the untamed
land next to Highway 95, heading for Las Vegas at two PM on June 5,
2018. It was a gesture that was just not seen now. Even ghosts didn't make
it!
'What do I do?' As he was approaching the man who had made the hitchhik‐
ing gesture, Carlos had a lot of thoughts and anguish in his mind.
He stepped on the brakes he had never intended to step on and shouted loud
enough to reach out of the car without opening the window. "Get on board,
you crazy bastard!" The door opened with his cry, and a black-haired Asian
man boarded the car.
"Fuck!" At the same time, Carlos swore and stepped on the accelerator as
hard as he could.
Jeep Wrangler began to run again, making a rough sound, puffing out
smoke over the wilderness, leaving behind the corpses of Werejackals with
1332
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 153 - In America, Part I ⦘
------------------
The conversation began after the sigh. "Hitchhiking in this place? Are you
crazy?"
"I'm sorry."
At the apology from the man's mouth, Carlos checked the rearview mirror
again and turned to the passenger seat. Only then did Carlos see the face of
the man who had driven him crazy. He was a sharp-looking Asian. That im‐
pression alone showed that he was not trying to hitchhike because he was
mentally ill.
The man took off his glove instead of answering and showed him the pat‐
tern on the back of his right hand. Carlos sighed again, confirming it. It was
different from the previous sigh. It sounded like a whistle.
'It will be a threat, but it won't be a stumbling block.' In the age of monsters,
the value of a Hunter, the only opponents of such monsters, was absolute.
That was why Carlos felt a strange sense of relief for this man who he had
met for the first time.
"You must be a quite good Hunter, hitchhiking here." The man who filled
his passenger seat was more likely to be a Hunter with a good ability than a
1333
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 153 - In America, Part I ⦘
"So why were you hitchhiking there? You could not have done it simply be‐
cause it was hard."
"As I entered Las Vegas, I felt like I was going to get shot by someone if I
went there. So I was looking for a companion."
Carlos was sure of things. The man in the passenger seat was not a lunatic,
but a much more rational man than he had thought. "That's wise, but it was
unnecessary."
Carlos was also convinced that the man in the passenger seat knew nothing
about Las Vegas. "You wouldn't have been shot in Las Vegas just because
you were alone."
At Carlos's words, the man did not raise any questions, and Carlos didn't
bother waiting for the man to respond.
"Mayor Dean has more common sense than any other Mayor." For Carlos, it
was something to boast of.
"At least, unlike the Mayors in other cities, he does not demand ridiculous
tolls because you are an outsider, and you're not treated like a slave." It was
the pride that would not have been funny before.
A Mayor was the most greedy, incompetent person sitting and wasting the
most taxes in most countries and most cities. However, he was proud of this
kind of Mayor. It was a very unusual case. In other words, the Mayor in Las
Vegas was now a person with the ability and personality to be proud of.
"If we had to start the U.S. presidential elections right away, James Dean,
he should be elected."
Named for a legendary actor who was an icon of American youth culture
and an icon of blue jeans in the past, James Dean was a man worthy of the
1334
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 153 - In America, Part I ⦘
name, a man worthy of the pride of the surviving citizens of Las Vegas.
"It wouldn't have been possible if it had not been for him, for a normal hu‐
man like me to drive around like this."
In the days of monsters, James Dean was a better Hunter than anyone else.
At the same time, he was also a smart man. He fought against the monsters
and founded a castle that could go to war with them before anyone else,
while everyone else was looking for a safe place after the appearance of the
monsters.
"Do you know the story where he took Hoover Dam as a base?" The story
of James Dean making Hoover Dam his base was evidence that he was bril‐
liant and clever.
"It's the biggest and the thickest castle in the world, a castle larger than the
Great Wall of China." Hoover Dam, which would probab ly remain even if
mankind died, was the strongest castle in the world where monsters went
wild. Furthermore, the castle was the easiest place to get drinking water, as
well as a huge energy source. But when the monsters appeared, no one
thought of that. Only James Dean remembered it. James Dean, who made
Hoover Dam his own castle, saved Las Vegas during the world of monsters.
"I dare not compare him with a madman group like the Pentagon..." It was
never seen in the Pentagon, which had become a new order to dominate the
U.S.
"My goodness." Of course, it wasn't very good to speak out about it.
"What I said a little before..." Carlos' coppery skin was white when he said
something he wasn't sure he should.
1335
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 153 - In America, Part I ⦘
The man in the passenger seat spoke to Carlos. "I don't like the Pentagon,
either. Above all, I'm not a member of the Pentagon. I wouldn't have hitch‐
hiked like this if I was a member of the Pentagon."
"It is a good thing to hear, and please don't tell the others that I said that..."
'I don't know what you are talking about. What did you say?"
Carlos's expression finally released. "Thank you." A long sigh came out of
the expression.
"So, what's your name?" Then, as if to change the mood, Carlos asked a
question that had nothing to do with the conversation so far but could not be
avoided.
The man answered the question briefly. "You can call me Kim."
"It's Jung-hoon."
"Jung-hoon Kim. I heard they would call their family first in Korea, so you
will be Kim Jung-hoon. Is that right?"
A city came into their eyes; Las Vegas, a city of tourism and gambling in
the past, but now a city of freedom and equality.
Carlos, who saw the city, looked at Kim Jung-hoon with a pale smile, as if
he had found some peace now.
------------------------
3.
1336
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 153 - In America, Part I ⦘
It was a bar. Of course, as a liquor seller, the odor of all kinds of alcohol
and of all kinds of people was thick. Two guests appeared at the bar.
"Carlos, you're still alive!" Jacob, the bartender and liquor store owner,
greeted Carlos with a smile. "I didn't hear from you any news for a while,
so I thought you were dead."
"But isn't it better to live and hear curses, than to die and hear harps?"
"I'd rather live and hear good music, though the best thing is to live and
drink a beer."
At the end of the conversation, Jacob and Carlos' eyes were directed at Kim.
So naturally, Kim Jung-hoon had to pay for the drinks today. They had done
this before, obviously.
Eventually, Kim put his hand in his arms, took out a pocket instead of a
wallet, took out a red jewel from it and threw it at Jacob.
1337
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 153 - In America, Part I ⦘
Jacob didn't even have to give Carlos a Budweiser. All he had to do was put
the handmade beer made by himself in a jar labeled Budweiser. In addition,
Jacob, who operated a bar after the appearance of monsters, was a man who
had experienced countless things. He would not be surprised at anything.
"And what about you? For your information, vodka or wine is expensive. I
can only give you a cup with a red stone. That's a small cup."
"Coffee."
'Coffee?' Carlos had to think for a while what the word coffee meant.
"What does that mean, coffee?" After the agony, he made a ridiculous face.
On the other hand, Kim Jung-hoon looked at Jacob and said, "Is there no
coffee, here?"
"... even if there is coffee, but it's just the beans from almost two years ago."
Jacob shook his head with a snap. "I'll get you when you're in the seat."
While Jacob went to prepare a drink and coffee, Carlos and Kim Jung-hoon
took a seat.
And as soon as he took the seat, Carlos said, "You have a unique taste for
coffee. Oh, no. Coffee is not a unique taste. I drank three cups of coffee ev‐
ery day for a long time. Yes, I did. I'm sure I used to have coffee in my
mouth."
At Carlos' words, Kim did not answer. In addition, Kim was not even look‐
ing at Carlos. His gaze was directed at a group in a corner.
1338
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 153 - In America, Part I ⦘
Carlos followed his gaze and looked at the corner. There were people there
who were wearing leather jackets made of the skin of a scaly lizard, com‐
pletely different from their surroundings.
'Huck!' As soon as he confirmed the fact, Carlos quickly turned his head to
fear that his eyes might run into them. Then he warned Kim in a low voice.
"It's Hunters from the Pentagon! Don't look them in the eye. If you touch
them, you'll be dead from summary judgment!"
The warning turned Kim's eyes. The two shut their mouths for a moment.
The silence was long.
'I did not expect to meet the Pentagon Hunters here... If they are going to
provoke a quarrel with me, what can I do? Damn it!' Carlos's anxious mind
revolved around the conversation he had had with Kim in his jeep car be‐
fore coming to Las Vegas shortly before.
Is that why? As soon as a waitress put a beer in the bottle of Budweiser and
the coffee in the cup of Budweiser, Carlos grabbed the bottle and put it in
his mouth. He began to gulp down his beer, as if to swallow the anxiety that
had choked his throat.
"Chuh!" The effect of the beer was certain. His blocked neck was pierced,
and the coolness filled his chest.
On the other hand, Kim held a glass of beer hot with coffee and put the cof‐
fee in his mouth. He closed his eyes and mouth for a while. He listened to
the voices of Hunters from the Pentagon who were secretly talking in the
corner.
"A week from now, in Death Valley. On the day the Vegas Rangers go on a
blue-grade monster hunt."
1339
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 153 - In America, Part I ⦘
At the voice, Kim Jung-hoon, who had coffee in his mouth, smiled faintly.
1340
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 154 - In America, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
When the age of monsters came, when the world was in a mess, and the
world began to flood with despair, James Dean was grateful for three facts.
One, being given the ability to kill monsters, and two, the freedom of the
gun laws of the United States. The third was his trusted colleagues and fol‐
lowers.
The Vegas Rangers, a gathering of James Dean and the Hunters who fol‐
lowed him, was based on these three things. They were literally rangers,
those who would fight for the safety and peace of the citizens, not for the
personal interests and greed of the individual. Their values did not change
even after Las Vegas was subordinated to the Pentagon.
"We'll go hunting the Desert Dragon in a week, as planned." That was why
James Dean and the Vegas Rangers planned the Desert Dragon hunt, the
creature that owned Death Valley National Park west of Las Vegas. It was a
great and noble set of values. It was something that impressed and was ad‐
mired by everyone, showing rather than hiding.
BoxN ovel.com
But James Dean didn't reveal it to anyone. It was because of the Pentagon.
"There is one thing to remember: don't let the Pentagon dogs know that."
From the moment the Pentagon made a strange demand to the managers of
each city under their command: do not hunt monsters above green grade
1341
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 154 - In America, Part Ii ⦘
It was a demand that did not fit the reality of the facts, that one more mon‐
ster had to be killed faster for the safety of the citizens, and for the safety
and future of the nation. But the Pentagon began to do something ridiculous
to fulfill its demands, as well as make such a ridiculous request.
"The moment, they know that there will be some kind of interference."
"Maybe they are trying to kill us. Though there's no clear proof of that,
there's plenty of conviction." It was a situation that deserved to be prepared
for death.
"Yet we have to do it." In this situation, James Dean and Vegas Rangers ig‐
nored this request of the Pentagon. There was a reason.
"If we continue this way, we'll all be the dogs of the Pentagon." The pur‐
pose of the Pentagon was the reason.
"Not just us, but the whole world." The Pentagon was going to use monsters
to completely control the land of America. They were going to use the mon‐
ster's threat to humans as a tool to rule humans. The problem was that it was
an amazingly effective way to do things.
James Dean and Vegas Rangers were the evidence. It was not a democratic
process of voting that allowed them to become Las Vegas managers. It was
because they had the power to fight against the monster's threat. So when he
realized the Pentagon's purpose, James Dean no longer intended to accept
the Pentagon's demand. Furthermore, he realized that the only way to fight
against the Pentagon was to become stronger.
1342
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 154 - In America, Part Ii ⦘
"So we have to move before them, and if we kill the Desert Dragon in
Death Valley, we can work closely with Los Angeles and San Francisco.
They are creating forces to fight against the Pentagon in the West, where the
Pentagon can't reach." The hunt for the owner of the Death Valley, the
Desert Dragon, was the first starting point. It would be the starting point of
resistance to the Pentagon's ambition. In other words, the beginning of the
war with the Pentagon.
"I believe that we can do it!" But James Dean did not feel any fear about it,
because he had his three things.
---------------------
5.
It has an eerie name, the Valley of Death, but had a slightly different land‐
scape then its eerie name. For this reason, those who saw Death Valley for
the first time often express their admiration, rather than feeling dizzy or get‐
ting goosebumps.
The scenery of Death Valley in the eyes of tourists was wonderful, they
could feel the grandeur of nature. So the tourists who admire Death Valley's
scenery immediately questioned the name: how did this wonderful scene
come to be given the appalling name of the Valley of Death?
The way to know the answer to the question was simple. A walk through
Death Valley in the middle of summer showed everything. If they experi‐
enced their sweat drying under the sun of Death Valley, where the tempera‐
ture could rise to 60 degrees, they had no more questions about why it was
called Death Valley.
"Hoo!" Now a group of thirty men was moving through Death Valley. Mov‐
ing on foot, without vehicles, they were carrying loads that looked heavy to
everyone. It was a strange sight just by looking at them.
1343
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 154 - In America, Part Ii ⦘
For the monsters who made Death Valley their home, the sight was a sweet
thing that made them hungry. This was the case with the Black Horned
Lizards, who hid giant bodies reminiscent of alligators under the barren
wasteland, only showing the black horns on their heads.
Knowing that thirty prey had come from the senses of their protruding
black horns, the Black Horned Lizards had no desire to wait before the
sweet temptation.
Zizz... They slowly began to rise from the sands. There was no warning; as
soon as they appeared, the Black Horned Lizards began galloping along the
parched ground, orange eyes shining.
They were like a sports-car trying to set a zero-60 record. It was that fast,
that dynamic.
To the group of Black Horned Lizards, the distance from the target was vir‐
tually zero. Of course, no matter how fast they were, they were not faster
than gunfire.
In one moment, six shots were fired from each of the thirty men that turned
towards the approaching group of Black Horned Lizards. That was a hun‐
dred and eighty gunshots. What was surprising was that the one hundred
and eighty shots sounded like a single shot.
They were quick shots that could not be made by a simple pistol. There
were two secrets to the quick shot. One was that they used revolvers. The
other was that the gunmen were not simple ones, but Monster Hunters.
The ten Black Horned Lizards that were racing in front of the results of
these two secrets became meatballs spraying blood. Upon seeing this, the
Hunters immediately opened the huge revolvers they had in their hands.
From the cylinder of the revolver, shells thicker than the thumb of an adult
man fell onto the ground like rain. It was a hunting revolver and bullet spe‐
cially designed to kill monsters, now the standard of the United States. The
perfect handling of such revolvers was the reason these Vegas Rangers were
now called Rangers.
1344
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 154 - In America, Part Ii ⦘
"We don't have to get any bait." James Dean, the head of the Vegas
Rangers, smiled at the pile of dead. The results that he and his colleagues
produced at the same time always made James Dean smile. It was not just
him, the Vegas Rangers all expressed satisfaction at the sight they had cre‐
ated.
"It's better to finally hunt like this after a long time. I've been a little bored
after being stuck in Hoover Dam all these years because of the Pentagon."
It was proof that they were already skilled Hunters; not those who were des‐
perate to survive against monsters, but Hunters who were willing to devour
monsters. They were Hunters who preferred the smell of blood that dried
rapidly under the scorching sun to the smell of dried beer in a tavern.
"Ugh!"
"What, what?"
When they suddenly felt an unmarked fear of starting to wash over them,
they could tell the reason for the fear, like any skilled Hunters.
"Huh, no way!"
-----------------------
6.
There are several iron rules to follow when hunting predators. When one of
them meets a predator in an unexpected situation, he or she should not fight.
If they could meet in an unexpected situation and be guaranteed victory,
they wouldn't have to prepare for the hunt in the first place. That is the char‐
acteristic of a hunt.
1345
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 154 - In America, Part Ii ⦘
When things go as planned, a group of cats can hunt tigers, but on the con‐
trary, there is only one thing left for the cat to do when the plan goes wrong:
to survive with as many as possible.
'We need to minimize the damage.' That's exactly what James Dean thought
when everyone was terrified in front of the unexpected appearance of the
Desert Dragon. As soon as he reached it, James Dean looked up at the sky
and shouted out loud.
Auuuu! Howling came out of his mouth, and the howling that he uttered re‐
laxed the Vegas Rangers' bodies, paralyzed by the sudden appearance of the
Desert Dragon.
"Hoo-eup!"
"Hoo, hoo!"
The Vegas Rangers began to breathe in the clogged air. The one who
breathed before anyone else shouted quickly, "Retreat!"
James Dean's long-awaited order froze the Vegas Rangers once again.
'No way!'
Everyone came to the same conclusion with the same resolve. At this mo‐
ment, James Dean was willing to sacrifice himself, stay alone and buy time
for Vegas Rangers to run away.
"Captain! We'll stay!" The order, of course, was not accepted by Vegas
Rangers. They couldn't accept it.
Kkeueoeoeo!
At that moment, not so far away, a cry flowed like a river rising through a
towering canyon. Behind the cry came a blue-eyed monster, the Desert
Dragon. The thirty-meter-long monster had no wings. Instead, it had four
1346
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 154 - In America, Part Ii ⦘
thick legs, covering piles of sand instead of ironclad scales. It was far from
the common dragon, more like a lizard than a dragon.
Kkeueoeoeo!
But its presence and the fear of spreading around proved that there was
worthy to be called a Dragon.
"Uhhh!"
"Kuck!"
The Vegas Rangers were starting to tremble. In such a sudden situation, be‐
ing exposed to the Dragon fear this way was not different from being shot
while defenseless. Only a few of them who had a high Energy rank suffered
instead of trembling.
'What do I do?'
'I must endure the fear first and unleash the power of the relics!'
And James Dean, the only one with A-Rank Energy, was running towards
the Desert Dragon.
"Captain!"
"My God!"
When the Vegas Rangers called for James Dean, he was already climbing
up a cliff rising vertically. After climbing up the canyon, he was going to
throw himself directly onto the tail of the Desert Dragon. After provoking
the Desert Dragon, he intended to run away in the opposite direction from
the Vegas Rangers. In just a moment, James Dean had worked out the sim‐
plest, most effective and sure way.
'I'll lure the Desert Dragon away one way or another.' In the process, there
was no need to renew his determination not to avoid sacrifice to save some‐
1347
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 154 - In America, Part Ii ⦘
one. He had been a victim more than anyone so far. Of course, he kept
thinking angrily.
'It's most likely the Pentagon's trick.' As planned, it should have been an‐
other day before they encountered the Desert Dragon.
'There's no way that the Desert Dragon randomly came out here.' The last
place the Desert Dragon was seen was forty kilometers from where they
were now. Moreover, the Desert Dragon was not as active as it once was,
and it o lived in a desert full of sand rather than a canyon.
The sand covering its body was proof. To the Desert Dragon, if the desert
was a comfortable home, the barren canyon was like walking out naked. In
other words, it was so angry that it ran outside even though it was naked.
Unless someone provoked it and mocked it, the chances of meeting it here
were infinitesimal. It was a matter of rage.
'Who the hell...' This time the Desert Dragon hunt had been prepared in
more complete security than any other hunt.
'Who betrayed...' In other words, if this information leaked out, it meant that
one of James Dean's most trusted colleagues was a traitor. James Dean was
more heartbroken that there was a traitor than the fact that he had to fight
for his life.
'Who made this plan that the Pentagon moved so thoroughly?' Furthermore,
he felt a sense of crisis about the Pentagon.
'John Smith could never have come up with a plan like this.' The Pentagon
was not originally a thinking force. They were simple and ignorant, but
strong! They were the group that used violence the most violently. But now
the Pentagon was using violence cleverly.
'... damn it.' James Dean had run over the canyon and past the Desert
Dragon as he reached the thought, was flying through the air now. He
landed behind the long tail of the Desert Dragon. He immediately aimed at
the Desert Dragon with the large-diameter Revolver in his hand. If he
1348
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 154 - In America, Part Ii ⦘
pulled the trigger, there would be a gunshot, and the Desert Dragon would
turn its giant body around and roar at him. A race of death for survival
would begin.
'Hoo!' James Dean, who recalled that fact, pulled the trigger as he breathed.
----------------------
7.
James Dean was at his limit ten minutes after the chase began.
"Gasp, gasp..." It was not easy to run away from the Desert Dragon, which
was rushing after him with tremendous speed. It was amazing that he had
run away for ten minutes. In fact, the distance James Dean ran in ten min‐
utes was just over 5 kilometers. It was no wonder that he reached his limit.
'This is enough to get everyone to a safe place.' It was far enough that he
didn't have to worry about his colleagues. James Dean was now getting
ready to die, rather than run away anymore. As he was running, he quickly
and skillfully inserted the bullets into his revolver's cylinder.
Click! James Dean, who had just finished loading up, turned around and
faced the Desert Dragon, pointing the gun at it. Of course, he didn't think he
could kill the Desert Dragon with just a gun. Considering his ability, it
would have been more likely to hurt the Desert Dragon after holding the
metal in his hand and injecting Energy. Nevertheless, holding a gun was to
mark his end like a Ranger!
'I can't believe I am going to end my life like this.' James Dean wanted to
decorate his end with gunfire, not a crude sound. His dream came true right
away.
Blam! Gunfire, intense gunfire, shook Death Valley. At the same time,
something like a thunderbolt fell down on the body of the Desert Dragon.
1349
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 154 - In America, Part Ii ⦘
Poowhat! It penetrated the body of the Desert Dragon, which was much
harder and denser than steel, in a breath. The sight shocked James Dean.
'Ah.' The scene shocked even James Dean, who had seen all the hardships
of life. The Desert Dragon, its body made of sand, began to collapse and
crumble. It was a sight that could only be seen the moment the Desert
Dragon was destroyed, the moment it died perfectly.
"Oh my God..." So the moment James Dean saw the scene, he sought God
without realizing it. But it wasn't the God James Dean was looking for that
showed up on the body of the Desert Dragon, which had fallen into a pile of
sand.
"James Dean, Mayor of Las Vegas; from now on, your life belongs to me."
it was a man with black hair and two swords on his back. It was Kim Tae-
hoon.
1350
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 155 - In America, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
8.
Las Vegas...
The city of tourism and gambling was also a city of crime. Those who lost
everything were often more likely to be criminals, and those who gained ev‐
erything were more likely to be targeted by criminals. There was no better
environment for crime to play. Las Vegas was full of hideouts with crime
syndicates and secret spaces that were nowhere in the city's design.
Even in the days after the monsters appeared, those facts did not change.
BoxN ovel.com
One of the high-end houses with swimming pools lined up on South 14th
Street in Las Vegas, one of the fine homes of a lawyer or accountant, was
one of those places. In the basement of the house, where the leader of a
small drug-trafficking organization lived, there was a bunker built for a nu‐
clear explosion, and inside it was filled with untraceable methamphetamine,
guns, bullets, and dollars. It was a place to turn the eyes of criminals red.
"Failed?"
But the two men who were now there, apparently related to their superiors
and subordinates, were not paying any attention to the mess around them.
"We've confirmed that... Mayor, uh, Dean, moved to lure away the Desert
Dragon as planned."
1351
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 155 - In America, Part Iii ⦘
It was proof that they weren't just criminals whose greatest pleasure was to
get high on drugs. Of course, it didn't mean they were good, righteous, and
just people.
"The number of reasons I see is three. One, Mayor Dean succeeded in run‐
ning away from the Desert Dragon. Two, Mayor Dean killed the Desert
Dragon on his own. Three, you guys were like shit.
The leather jackets they wore, made of Dragon's skin, and the Pentagon de‐
signs were far from subtle. They were Hunters from the Pentagon.
"Stop the damn excuses! This case does not allow an excuse!"
They were now gathering in this secret place and talking. Of course, there
would be no such thing as a normal story.
"Damn, unless Mayor Dean is a fool, he'll solidify the guard from now on,
and find the traitor."
James Dean was the target of the Pentagon Hunters who were now in Las
Vegas were. It was a story to be shared only in private. In addition, Colon,
who was now running wild in front of his men, was a Hunter, sent from
Texas for this important mission. Of course, he was a trusted, strong man
with good experience. The Pentagon would not have sent just anyone to get
rid of James Dean, who was considered a hero of Las Vegas. That's why
Colon knew better than anyone else how the Pentagon would treat the in‐
competent and the failed, and how they would deal with him and his men
who had failed to eliminate Mayor James Dean. He knew it so well that
Colon didn't bother himself for long at this moment. There was only one
thing he had to do now.
1352
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 155 - In America, Part Iii ⦘
"If we leave Mayor Dean alive, we will die. They will kill us to get rid of
the tail, damn it!
"Gather."
"Yes?"
"Gather them all together. All the Hunters in Las Vegas. No, not just
Hunters. Gather everyone you can. Gather the mafia, the gangs. Gather
them together..."
"We will kill Mayor Dean directly." To eliminate Mayor James Dean him‐
self was the only way Colon and his men could survive.
Boom! The door of the underground bunker where they were hiding was
broken in loudly.
"What is it?" Colon and his men sprang up from their seats in astonishment.
The two of them could see a man crossing a broken door. He was an Asian
with a sharp appearance.
The Asian man stepped slowly towards Colon. Thud! Then he took the
chair that Colon had just sat down with, and sat down between him and his
men. All this was done while Colon and his men stood firm and watched.
There was no resistance, no rebellion at all.
'What, what...'
'What is it?'
The man sitting between the two men who were as helpless mannequins
spoke slowly, "Let's start a conversation."
"Yes..." At his words, the closed mouth of Colon was allowed to open.
"Who are you?"
1353
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 155 - In America, Part Iii ⦘
At the question, the man didn't show a flicker of expression, let alone an an‐
swer.
Colon also realized that what he was talking about could not even be carried
away by a man.
There was a manly response to the threat. "A Hunter of the Pentagon."
The reaction was not very good for Colon. The fact that his opponent came
to him even knowing who Colon was meant that he was ready enough. But
Colon didn't give up.
'This is... dangerous.' He had a hunch that the moment he gave up here, he
would be dead.
So he was going to do everything he could before he died. That was the rea‐
son why Colon had gone beyond the frivolity of a child and was now speak‐
ing childish threats. It was the only thing he could do.
"What's that..."
---------------------------------------
9.
Hoover Dam...
There were many words attached to this huge block of concrete. One of
them was that it was the last structure of mankind. It was not an exagger‐
1354
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 155 - In America, Part Iii ⦘
ated expression.
Buildings that were no longer under human control, or their roads, could
last for only two to three hundred years, but Hoover Dam could last for
thousands of years. It was a building that would survive to the last minute
when mankind died.
"I think the Pentagon really wants my head." James Dean, the owner of
Hoover Dam, had an expression on his face that was not characteristic of
the master of the great structure. "It was not unexpected, but..." His face
was dull and grim.
"I didn't expect they were going to make a real plot like this. They bought
off a colleague of mine."
James Dean had known for a long time that Pentagon considered him an
eyesore. It was natural. The two were opposites in what they were pursuing.
The Pentagon wanted to divide the world into kings and slaves, and James
Dean wanted to make the world a good place to live in. It was natural that
the two of them were in one land and collided. The reason for the lack of
collision so far was that the Pentagon was located in Washington DC, and
Las Vegas was located in western America. It was too far away to make a
move.
"I didn't even know that a man of that kind, Colon, had come to Las Vegas,
which means that not just a man or two was bought off, but a whole part of
the city was bought off."
But the distance to the Pentagon was now colorless. The evidence was that
they had tried to kill James Dean far away in Las Vegas. It was why James
Dean looked so terrible.
On the other hand, the man, who was drinking coffee and looking at James
Dean, had not changed much.
1355
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 155 - In America, Part Iii ⦘
"I don't know how I can help you, but you can tell me what you want, be‐
cause as you say, my life is in your hands."
Kim Tae-hoon listened to James Dean with a cool expression and swal‐
lowed the coffee he was holding. "What I want is a man's life, and now he's
at the center of the Pentagon."
"You want to attack the Pentagon? You want me to help you? No problem.
There's no reason not to go on that." James Dean laughed bitterly. At the
same time, his eyes were sharp. He had fear of the war against the Penta‐
gon.
However, Kim Tae-hoon's expression was still cool. "It's okay to take down
the Pentagon. I can do that without other people's help." With a calm ex‐
pression, he uttered words that were not calm.
In that explanation, James Dean was able to draw a clearer picture of what
Kim Tae-hoon wanted.
"I understand." James Dean was able to understand the picture enough. "So
what should I do for your plan?"
1356
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 155 - In America, Part Iii ⦘
"Do you mean I should distract the Pentagon while you find the target?"
James Dean thought for a moment and said, "The power of Las Vegas will
not be enough to deal with the Pentagon."
The idea of fighting against the Pentagon was already happening. The
Desert Dragon hunting was also to build forces to resist the Pentagon. If so,
it was a great opportunity, not a crisis, now that Kim Tae-hoon could sup‐
port it.
"We need to establish an organic partnership with at least San Francisco and
Los Angeles, and the Western Alliance, that is the least we have to do."
James Dean immediately brought out his plan.
"The problem is that these three places need to remove the monsters that are
the obstacles to organically cooperate, but ... it's not easy." He also brought
out the greatest difficulty in carrying out the plan. "Especially in Yosemite
National Park, there are seven blue-grade monsters, the most troublesome."
At the end of his words, Kim Tae-hoon answered briefly. "That's no prob‐
lem."
James Dean was happy with that. "If you help me, I'll be able to subjugate
the monsters as soon as I can!"
But at the answer of Kim Tae-hoon, James Dean had to tilt his head side‐
ways. "What does it mean..."
At this moment James Dean looked blank for a moment. In more detail,
James Dean could not grasp the meaning of Kim Tae-hoon's words and
could not accept the facts he had deduced.
In front of James Dean, Kim Tae-hoon took a sip of coffee in his hand.
'Oh my God.' After the long silence, James Dean's sigh burst out. James
Dean stroked his face with his hand. Clearly, what Kim Tae-hoon had told
1357
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 155 - In America, Part Iii ⦘
him was good news, and he should be pleased. But James Dean could not
feel the joy of this fact.
"What the hell..." The efforts he had made so far seemed to be just a trivial
struggle.
But Kim Tae-hoon did not intend to comfort him. "How long would it take
to build a Western alliance that combined LA and San Francisco?"
Kim Tae-hoon knew better than anyone that comfort was not very helpful in
the current era. He knew that only those who felt discontent could survive
until now.
James Dean did the same. He did not retreat from his fear. "The Pentagon
has forces in the West, so it will take time to move away from their eyes. I
expect it will take about a month."
"Ten days is enough, but the Pentagon won't be quiet unless they are dis‐
tracted elsewhere..." A plan flashed into James Dean's mind as he spoke.
"Texas," he said immediately. "If we can destroy Texas, we can build
stronger forces to fight against the Pentagon, as well as to earn time."
"As you know, Texas has oil fields." The Texan oil fields were the largest
oil fields in the United States. They were basically supplying the rest of the
country. In addition, the value of oil fields would be absolute in a situation
where most civilizations had collapsed, like now.
"And Texas is in the center of America." Texas was located in the central
southern part of the United States. If the Pentagon and the Western League
started a war, Texas would determine the scale of the victory and defeat.
"So the Pentagon used all its means and methods to make Texas more se‐
cure." Of course, the Pentagon was more focused on securing Texas than
anywhere else.
1358
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 155 - In America, Part Iii ⦘
"That's why the Pentagon has the greatest influence in Texas, and at the
same time, their anger at the Pentagon is the greatest." The Pentagon had
never done anything with charity, mercy, or morality there. As he had said
before, there were only kings and slaves in the world of the Pentagon.
"The Resistance is there, and the people of Texas believe in the Resistance
because real values are admitted everywhere." In Texas, which had suffered
the greatest damage and persecution of the Pentagon, the number of people
who resisted the Pentagon was also the highest.
"Don't you know her?" She was a big actress who had starred in more than
a dozen Hollywood films. She was a woman everyone knew.
At the question, Kim Tae-hoon made something other than a cool expres‐
sion for the first time.
"I'll show you a picture." James Dean said quickly. Instead, he asked, "Can
you do it?"
Kim Tae-hoon did not answer the question. "I need two identities that I can
get into Texas City quietly with, so I can contact the Resistance."
Kim Tae-hoon was here to make it work even if it did not work.
1359
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 156 - Black Dragon Down, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
Once the largest building in mankind, it had so many rooms that it matched
its grandeur. There were rooms that had not been used properly for more
than half a century since the Pentagon had been built.
The same was true of the days after the monsters appeared. When the Pen‐
tagon building became the headquarters of the Pentagon, not the United
States Department of Defense, nobody felt there was not enough room for
the small number of people belonging to the Pentagon who began to live in
the Pentagon building.
BoxN ovel.com
Mao Spencer could quietly watch the Globe of Behaim, which showed the
location of legendary relics, alone in a room with a sunny window, with a
magnifying glass. He was looking at Asia now. It was a small piece of land
on the globe, but not China or Japan: the Korean Peninsula.
1360
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 156 - Black Dragon Down, Part I ⦘
"If I see that most of the legendary relics still remain in Korea... there is no
particular movement."
The Globe of Behaim, the first globe of mankind, had the ability to tell the
location of legendary relics in the world. It did not inform easily. Once a
day a light came up like a lightning strike from the dry sky in the area of
legendary relics. The light was not observable by a camera or anything, and
only visible to the naked eye. That was why Mao spent his time holding a
magnifying glass in front of the globe.
"If we gain the Mayan Calendar and Dr. Chang's research is fruitful, there
will be no more games." Most of all, what Mao was satisfied with was that
there would be nothing to stop him sooner or later. Just remembering that,
Mao could smile at any time, and under any circumstances.
Mao received the silent message and immediately analyzed what Chinshan
had told him. There was nothing hard about it.
Paul Fork was the leader of the Hyena Unit, one of the core Hunter units of
the Pentagon. In addition, the Hyena Unit was a unit that handled what
someone had left behind. The fact that they moved meant that someone else
did not perform their mission properly. There was only one place where the
mission the Pentagon assigned was urgent and important enough for the
Paul Fork and the Hyena Unit to move.
1361
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 156 - Black Dragon Down, Part I ⦘
'There's a problem in the West.' It was not difficult for Mao to reach that
conclusion. He was not particularly interested in the fact.
The subsequent words of Chinshan did not let Mao worry about anything
else. The Mayan Calendar was what Mao had hoped for.
The world that the Six Snakes wanted needed monsters, especially a very
powerful monster. That way, the world would be afraid of monsters and
would be absolutely loyal and obedient to those who fought against the
monsters. In other words, the ability to control powerful monsters was the
most necessary ability for Mao's world.
The Mayan Calendar, the relic, was a terrible thing that could wake up the
Quetzalcoatl, the strongest and worst of the purple-grade monsters. It was
the monster of the monsters, and could not be compared to the Orc Emperor
or the Immortal Wolf that had appeared so far. It was a disaster that could
lead the world to an end, to final destruction.
In other words, it was the best shield. No one in the world would want to
face Quetzalcoatl in exchange for killing Mao. Even Mao himself did not
intend to face Quetzalcoatl. So it was the best shield.
'There's only one left.' So now Mao had only one thing to do: getting the
strongest spear that could break anything in the world at once.
'When Dr. Chang's research is fruitful, even the best spear will come into
my hands.' It would not be long before even the spear would come in Mao's
hand. And as soon as the day came, Mao would not spare what he had.
1362
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 156 - Black Dragon Down, Part I ⦘
--------------------------
2.
The biggest problem that mankind had faced since the advent of monsters
would be sufficiently explained by this short word: energy shortage. People
lacked the energy to move their bodies, and they didn't have enough energy
to rebuild civilization.
In such a situation, the value of oil was could not be matched by dollars and
gold. It did not take long for those who survived the appearance of the mon‐
sters to realize that.
The same was true of America. The survivors of the United States, who had
the most powerful army in the world, were freer to carry guns than any
other country, and were able to win more victories than any other country in
the war against the monsters that started suddenly.
"The world once blamed the legalization of American gun possession, and
it was America that was right, because only those with guns could survive
when the monsters appeared. That's why all the Hunters carry guns."
Those who had won naturally began to flock to Texas, where the Texas oil
fields were, the most important oil fields in the Americas.
"That's how the smartest of the survivors knew where to go with there
guns." So until mid-2017, Texas was virtually the center of the United
States.
"The major cities, Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, of the state of
Texas were full of people." All the survivors were in Texas, and the power
gathered in Texas was beyond common sense.
"The army was gathered, of course. Everyone believed that this war would
not last long." So the Americans in Texas did not doubt that they could win,
1363
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 156 - Black Dragon Down, Part I ⦘
and establish a great America again, until the Black Dragon with blue eyes
appeared.
"It was no different than the Independence Day movie. No, the scene that
the Black Dragon vomited its breath was more shocking than the UFO
spaceship shooting down the laser beam over the White House on Indepen‐
dence Day." It was an age of despair. It was heavenly luck that the sky had
given them to stop the era of despair.
"But it suddenly fell asleep in the vicinity of Lake Eagle Mountain in Fort
Worth." In Fort Worth, one of the most prominent cities in Texas and one of
the major cities of survivors gathered in Texas, the Black Dragon fell to
sleep.
"Of course, at the moment, everyone was distracted by the escape, and be‐
fore the Dragon woke up, they ran away madly. Some to the west, some to
the east, but the Black Dragon did not wake up. And then people started to
change their minds." It was a sign that bad luck often brought good luck.
"There are no monsters where the Dragon sleeps, and paradoxically Texas
has become the safest place in the United States, because the Black Dragon
is asleep."
Animals could not live by the beast, but humans were animals that could
live on cliffs as well as with the beasts if it meant surviving. The Black
Dragon was no different. The fugitives flocked back to Texas. For those
who had come so far, there was one absolute rule that everyone kept: never
touch Cherokee Totem; never wake the Black Dragon from sleep.
1364
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 156 - Black Dragon Down, Part I ⦘
"As long as the Cherokee Totem is safe, the Dragon will be the guardian of
Texas. That's the only rule you'll have to follow in Dallas City from now
on."
----------------------
3.
When the Black Dragon began to sleep in Fort Worth, the biggest benef i‐
ciary was Dallas, which was next door to Fort Worth. Dallas City had be‐
come virtually the center and the whole of Texas. Naturally, everything in
Texas was gathered in Dallas City. Oil gathered, people gathered, and
Hunters gathered.
Dallas City began to enjoy an unprecedented boom. The most popular thing
in the boom was the bar. It was a natural procedure. Now, the best way to
spend time in a boring world without baseball, football, or ice hockey was
to play poker, darts, or chat with a red-faced drunk.
The same was true of a bar named Dallas Cowboy, located outside Dallas.
The bar was crowded, even if it was outside of the city.
The bustle did not change much when a new Asian guest came alone. No
one was very concerned that the man had two unique swords on his back.
The bartender was the same. The bartender did not ask where he came
from, what his nationality was, how hard it was to get there, what his job
was, or if he was a Hunter. They weren't something to be curious about in
Texas.
"What would you like to order?" So the bartender spoke briefly and to the
point.
"Coffee."
But when the man answered, the mood changed a little. The bartender
smiled awkwardly for a moment in front of this ridiculous order.
1365
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 156 - Black Dragon Down, Part I ⦘
The bartender cocked his head again, but it was not a statement of doubt.
The bartender's eyes were proof of it. There was no question mark in the
bartender's eyes.
A man approached in the strange atmosphere of the bartender and the Asian
guest.
"Hey, there." He was a man drinking from a large beer glass filled with beer
nearby. "I don't know where you came from, but this is a bar. There are only
two things you can order. Drinks and women."
Kim Tae-hoon said quietly at the words of the man filled with the smell of
beer, "Jenny, Mitchell."
At that moment the mood changed. Those who seated at a table far away
from the bar moved. The men holding the glasses laid them down on the ta‐
ble, and the men who were not holding the glasses moved their hands to‐
ward the guns that were on their thighs or sides or at their backs. The at‐
mosphere began to spread, eventually reaching the point of an Asian man
who said the name, Jennifer Mitchell.
Click! The sound of a revolver hammer being thrown back entered the ear
of the man in front of the bartender.
The bartender, who had not lost his courtesy in the midst of the situation,
stared at the man with an eerie look on his face. "Where are you from?"
"Las Vegas."
At the cross-question of the bartender, he slipped his hand quietly into his
trouser pocket.
1366
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 156 - Black Dragon Down, Part I ⦘
As soon as he saw it, the bartender winked at the person who was pointing
the gun at the customer in front of him: don't pull the trigger, but if some‐
thing suspicious appears in that pocket, pull it without delay.
The man took out a finely folded paper between the gruesome glances. To
be exact, it was a movie poster cut off, a short-cut poster with only the lead‐
ing actress. Inside the poster, a blond woman with emerald eyes wearing red
lipstick was posing in a stiff posture. She was an indescribably charming,
captivating woman.
The Asian man who took out the poster looked at it and then turned to the
waitress who was looking at him from the corner of the bar.
"Jennifer Mitchell."
Blam! Instantly, the gun went off, and with the shot, everyone pulled their
guns in response. Dozens of guns locked on one place. The many eyes of
those holding the guns also looked at that place. They could see that the
man had snatched the bullet from the air as it was. No, to be exact, no one
had seen it properly. It was something they could not see with simple eyes,
done in an eyeblink
Instead, the man who grabbed the bullet with his hand dropped a small
hunk of lead, clattering to the floor of the wooden bar, letting them guess
what had happened before and after at that moment.
'No way!'
It was an absurd situation. The man who did such a crazy thing in such a
situation was still looking at the waitress, without even glancing at other
people.
"Let's start the briefing. Sooner or later, the Black Dragon will come to the
city of Dallas. All the functions of Dallas will be paralyzed. Take control of
the city of Dallas, aiming at the cracks."
1367
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 156 - Black Dragon Down, Part I ⦘
The man spoke briefly at the question. "I'm Kim Tae-hoon, the Master of
Mac Guild."
1368
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 157 - Black Dragon Down, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
Jennifer Mitchell...
The description of her did not need to be that long. She had blond hair,
green eyes and was a beautiful woman that most of the world could not help
but admire, a world-class actor with nine Hollywood movies behind her.
Her appearance and career were also well-known. She had the power to at‐
tract and persuade people to follow her. It was often called aura or
charisma, and Jennifer Mitchell had it.
BoxN ovel.com
In addition, she had her own stubbornness and style. She was not just
charismatic, she had an aura that could make her one of the most brilliant
stars on the stage of Hollywood.
She had charisma and the aura to lead people, and she never intended to live
her life because she was not satisfied with the unfairness. That was why she
became the leader of the Resistance, a so-called Free Liberation Army
leader in Texas, which was in the hands of the Pentagon.
1369
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 157 - Black Dragon Down, Part Ii ⦘
"You said Kim, didn't you?" Ting! She took out a grenade she had hidden in
a pocket between the shabby wrinkles of her skirt, and she pulled out the
safety pin at the same time. She asked, keeping the safety handle depressed,
"Kim, what do you want?"
"Don't get it wrong." Of course, Kim Tae-hoon was not a man to be daunted
in this situation. "This is not a negotiation or a deal."
Rather, the opposite, Kim Tae-hoon' enem ies so far had been too great to be
frightened by a grenade. If he was really scared and lowered his posture
here, it would be an insult to the enem
ies who had died by Kim Tae-hoon.
Crucially, Kim Tae-hoon had many experiences dealing with groups like the
Resistance. So at this moment, he did not intend to negotiate or deal with
them. What he wanted to do was a one-sided demand. To put it bluntly, it
was a threat.
Jennifer Mitchell's eyes flashed sharply at Kim Tae-hoon. But Kim Tae-
hoon's eyes were overwhelming enough to make her nervous, who had been
fearless against even against the Pentagon.
In front of Kim Tae-hoon, Jennifer Mitchell, who had great charisma and
aura, could not show her hostility right away. Instead of getting angry, she
put her brain to work. She acknowledged that her opponent was out of the
1370
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 157 - Black Dragon Down, Part Ii ⦘
"Did you say that you are going to wake up the Black Dragon? Don't be
ridiculous. If you wake up the Black Dragon, Texas, including Dallas, will
be destroyed."
She got to the point. The most shocking and key thing Kim Tae-hoon had
said was that he would wake up the Black Dragon sleeping in Eagle Moun‐
tain Lake!
"Please don't think that we didn't do it because we didn't know about it."
What the Resistance forces of Texas were pursuing was not like overthrow‐
ing the regime. It was to prevent the unjust, inhumane, immoral Pentagon
from hurting anyone. Of course, the Texas Resistance had never thought of
waking the Black Dragon just to hurt the Pentagon.
Using the Black Dragon to drive out the Pentagon would be like bringing a
tiger home to deal with a local mad dog. It was not a good idea for anyone
who called Texas their home. If anyone wanted to wake the Black Dragon,
the Resistance would be willing to hold hands with the Pentagon to stop
them. From that point of view, Kim Tae-hoon, who was going to wake up
the Black Dragon rather than the Pentagon, was more dangerous.
Kim Tae-hoon answered her question with a cool expression. "The role of
the Black Dragon is to paralyze Dallas with the fear for a while."
Jennifer Mitchell asked back, with a ridiculous laugh. "You can kill the
Black Dragon any time you like it, as I see your babbling about like that
way?" In her cross-question, Kim Tae-hoon lightly spread his right hand in‐
stead of answering.
1371
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 157 - Black Dragon Down, Part Ii ⦘
'Oh, no!' Jennifer Mitchell was surprised, and the people around her were
shocked. At that moment, lives flashed before people's eyes.
The grenade that fell to the floor was sucked into Kim Tae-hoon's hands.
Kim grabbed the grenade tightly and squeezed. The grenade crumpled like
an empty can of drink.
Three seconds later, there was rumbling bang, and a small explosion broke
out in Kim's hand. Kim Tae-hoon's hand was covered with the scales of the
Dragon, and his eyes were slitted like a Dragon's. It was the Draconian
mode. The explosion of the grenade was just a minor nuisance to Kim Tae-
hoon, who wielded a power that was mighty and transcendent. Kim Tae-
hoon kept his Draconian mode and unfolded his palm covered with scales.
The grenade fragments tinkled to the floor. Nobody could sigh or even
show surprise in front of the scene. It was so shocking it made them impos‐
sible to judge it rationally.
In the stillness, Kim Tae-hoon said quietly. "A couple of days from now, at
11 pm, the Black Dragon will appear in Dallas> There may a slight error on
the time, so take it and prepare."
Kim Tae-hoon looked at the bartender for the last time and said, "Hot water
and a mug."
------------------------
5.
The first thing the Pentagon did after it took over Texas was to replace the
mayors of Texas' major cities with those who suited their tastes. In the
process, the Pentagon was supported by many influential, experienced, and
talented people. It was so natural. It was like holding some of the absolute
power that Texas would become the center of the Americas, and even of the
world, in the future.
The Pentagon, furthermore, only admitted kings and slaves. Being the
owner of the city under the Pentagon was virtually the same as being a king.
1372
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 157 - Black Dragon Down, Part Ii ⦘
In this background, Bean Cohen, who had become the Mayor of Dallas,
was, of course, one of the most influential figures in the Pentagon.
'I am not satisfied with only Dallas.' In addition, Mayor Bean Cohen had no
intention of being satisfied with his position now. There was also more
prey!
'If I eat up to Houston, Texas is practically mine.' In fact, Houston was not
very attractive, geographically and economically, in the present situation.
'If I eat up only the institutes there...' Instead, Houston had the most famous
state-of-the-art research institute in the world, NASA. The Johnson Space
Center, one of NASA's affiliated organizations, was also located in Hous‐
ton.
'Now it's NASA that's going to develop a new era.' In the present era, there
would be a question of what use rocket scientists were, but if they were
smart, including the Pentagon, they had to notice them. Rather, it could be
said there was no one as important as NASA researchers in the present age.
This was a characteristic of space research. Studying the universe was like
studying the way of survival in the unknown future of a terrible, harsh uni‐
verse. In a way, NASA's researchers were the ones who fired rockets at the
moon with computers that were worse than people's smartphones. They
were the best brains to face the monsters and the unknown times beyond.
'If they're all in my hands, it's not impossible for me to devour the Penta‐
gon.'
That was why Mayor Bean Cohen coveted Houston. If he had the oil fields
of Texas, the countless Hunters and combat weapons gathered here, and the
manpower and technology to face the future, he would no longer be afraid.
And it was not long before it might be possible.
'Not long. By the end of the year. There's nothing to worry about. There's
nothing to fear.' Mayor Bean Cohen's plan was making steady progress.
There was nothing to fear now.
1373
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 157 - Black Dragon Down, Part Ii ⦘
'But what the hell...' In that situation, the Mayor of Bean Cohen was feeling
creepy all over his body. It was so strange.
'I've never felt this way before... No, I think I've had this feeling before...'
What was even more strange was that Mayor Bean Cohen felt that this
strange sensation was not the first time. It was not the first time that his
whole body felt creepy, and his spine was cold without knowing anything.
It was not the first time.
But if this experience was not the first time, he should remember when. In
the end, Mayor Bean Cohen had to frown while he was groping for memo‐
ries.
'What the hell is it?' The frowning face of Mayor Bean Cohen began to
spread. He looked beyond surprised and startled, to pale.
'No, no way. The Black Dragon?' He remembered the monster that had
made Texas a crucible of fear and despair in only one morning.
Keuooo!
--------------------------
6.
The appearance of the Black Dragon, which crushed human reason and
common sense by just appearing in the sky, was sudden and intense.
Soon after, it slowly came down to the ground, flapping its wings, and the
buildings of Dallas were buffeted by the winds. When it reached ten meters
above the ground, the Black Dragon stopped flapping its wings.
The body of the Black Dragon, ten meters high, created a shock wave that
everyone could feel throughout Dallas.
Keuooo!
1374
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 157 - Black Dragon Down, Part Ii ⦘
With its neck raised high, the fear that it had vomited to the sky left all the
living things in Dallas City just barely alive. Almost everyone in Dallas fell
to the ground, mindless with fear.
"Uh..."
Only a few people with high Energy rank did not faint, but that was all.
Even if reason and thinking remained, they could not hope to do anything.
There was only one person on Earth who could withstand the Dragonfear
without any preparation or preparation.
"Hoo-oo!" That way why the Texas Resistance, after long sighs and some
trembling, could bear the Dragonfear. Jennifer Mitchell was one of them.
"Move." So they began to move to regain Dallas City, where everything had
stopped. At that time, the only man on earth who could stand in front of the
Dragonfear without any preparation was facing the Dragon. That was
enough to stop the Black Dragon, who could melt the whole city of Dallas
with its deadly poisonous breath.
Krrr... It just stared at the man with its own eyes, the man with two swords
on his back.
However, the man didn't care much about the Black Dragon's attention, vig‐
ilance, and anger. Instead, the man was only looking at a watch on his wrist.
At last, when ten minutes had passed, Kim Tae-hoon confirmed the time
and looked at the Black Dragon, not the clock.
1375
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 157 - Black Dragon Down, Part Ii ⦘
At the same time, behind Kim Tae-hoon's back, three beads made of blue
thunder, red flame, and blue ice appeared, sparking with power.
1376
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 158 - Black Dragon Down, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
7.
Dallas, Texas...
The number of security guards and Hunters stationed in City Hall was over
a thousand. But the important thing was that they were elites, not lacking in
quality. The quantity and quality were not just in the Hunters. There was
nothing lacking in the relics and items they owned.
Their weapons were among the best. Armed with weapons from America,
not the rest of the world, the beginning and source of the power of the
United States, the forces of Dallas had the power to fight against any coun‐
try.
BoxN ovel.com
On every road into the City Hall M1 Abrams tanks were stationed, now
eerily quiet, and inside the City Hall, a week's worth of ammunition was
stored. It was a fortress that could not be conquered by any force.
"Uh..." But now all that power was fallen and groaning on the floor. The
impregnable castle had turned into an ownerless one.
"Go in!"
"Move fast!"
1377
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 158 - Black Dragon Down, Part Iii ⦘
The Resistance quickly entered the ownerless castle. There was no battle,
nor did the rebels kill the fallen soldiers of the Pentagon.
The Resistance did not have much time, and what the Resistance wanted in
the first place was not blood vengeance, but the realization of legitimate
value. The slaughter of the defenseless did not fit the values they followed.
Above all, Mayor Bean Cohen, who they wanted to catch, was not a Hunter
who could be helplessly hurt by the Dragon fear. As a Hunter of the Penta‐
gon, he was one of the most experienced Hunters who had ever participated
in powerful monster hunting. The mere act of dealing with him had already
run out of time.
'As soon as possible.' Crucially, Jennifer Mitchell, who led this operation,
was still not sure. 'He may not kill the Dragon.'
Kim Tae-hoon, who had suddenly appeared and called out the Black
Dragon, had been silent for a long time. It was a great thing in itself. Any‐
one could wake up the Black Dragon, but it was impossible for anyone to
attract the awakened Black Dragon to Dallas. The problem was what came
next. If Kim Tae-hoon could not kill the Black Dragon, the problem would
become so big that nobody could control it.
'No, it makes no sense to deal with the Black Dragon alone.' And it was true
that the possibility that Kim Tae-hoon would kill the Black Dragon alone
was not good enough to imagine itself. 'Where on Earth did he come from?'
For Jennifer Mitchell, in case of the worst, they needed to get at least some‐
thing. Securing Mayor Bean Cohen was the minimum profit she could get
at this moment.
'Quickly, anyway.'
1378
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 158 - Black Dragon Down, Part Iii ⦘
So when she moved to the City Hall, leading her subordinates to find
Mayor Bean Cohen, a huge roar shook the City Hall.
The subsequent cry of the Black Dragon shook everyone's Energy once
again.
"U-eup!" The Resistance was also affected. Jennifer Mitchell's face stiff‐
ened for a moment.
One of her men came to her and reported the situation. "He started fighting
the Black Dragon."
"Well..."
Jennifer Mitchell guessed that the situation was going badly at the appear‐
ance of a blurred subordinate. And her guess was not totally wrong... as the
situation was not so good for the Black Dragon.
--------------------
8.
Kim Tae-hoon came to the United States and did not bring a single leg‐
endary relic with him. Bringing a legendary relic with him in a situation
where Mao had a tool to locate legendary relics was in fact no different then
revealing his whereabouts to him. It was obviously a matter of power, be‐
cause Kim Tae-hoon's legendary relics were overwhelming and powerful
enough to make them incomparable to other relics.
However, Kim did not care much. He was confident even if he was weak‐
ened in power. He had the confidence to kill a monster of the blue grade
with his own ability, without the help of legendary relics. He was showing
the reason for his confidence against the Black Dragon now.
1379
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 158 - Black Dragon Down, Part Iii ⦘
The start was the flames of Furry Crocodile and Telekinetic Bead of
Freezer's ice thorns. Two fire and ice beads, now large enough to encapsu‐
late a human body, roamed over the Black Dragon and began to melt or
freeze its scales. On top of such melted or frozen scales, the Telekinetic
Bead of blue thunder vomited the power of lightning.
The blue lightning the Telekinetic Bead constantly threw out was a terrible
attack. The Black Dragon lost its armor as its scales burst.
A scream burst from the Black Dragon's jaws. Even its amazing resilience
couldn't deal with the pain.
The two swords brought by Kim Tae-hoon, the Sword of the Imperator and
Onimaru Kunitsuna, flew into the air toward the Black Dragon.
The Black Dragon closed its eyes tightly. It was a gesture of pain, and at the
same time, a sign that the Black Dragon was exhausted.
The angry Dragon closed its huge mouth tightly after looking at Kim. The
thick darkness began to wriggle in its throat.
When the Black Dragon opened its mouth, a black liquid was spewed out of
its mouth like a laser beam. The liquid swallowed Kim Tae-hoon's body in‐
stantly. It was poison and acid.
The poison was so powerful that it could melt a lump of concrete or an as‐
phalt road. Just smelling it would kill someone. The poison naturally af‐
fected Kim Tae-hoon's body... but that was all. Kim Tae-hoon was still alive
in front of the poison.
"Ugh!" Although he frowned at the pain and moaned for a second, Kim
Tae-hoon did not die.
His flesh, which had been poisoned to death, quickly began to regain its
original color, and his eroded body quickly gained new flesh.
1380
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 158 - Black Dragon Down, Part Iii ⦘
Kim Tae-hoon could not die, because he had the immortal ability. His
ridiculous recovery ability refreshed his body. Of course, there was no En‐
ergy or Health consumed in the process, since the Inexhaustible Infinity of
Orc Khan was now Kim Tae-hoon's.
Even Kim Tae-hoon's clothes did not melt in front of the Black Dragon's
acid breath. Only the dye melted away and the original color of his leather
clothes, made from the Orc Khan's skin, was revealed.
The most powerful attack which the Black Dragon could use did not work
on Kim Tae-hoon at all.
It was a worse situation then the Black Dragon could believe. But, as al‐
ways, the worst it could expect was not the worst.
Kim Tae-hoon was ready to show the Black Dragon the worst. He took the
Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje from his bag. In the distant lands of
America, a golden phoenix appeared.
--------------------------
9.
The great phoenix, made of golden smoke, screamed a clear tone toward the
sky. At the foot of the Phoenix was a huge Dragon's carcass, which had
been torn to pieces in a mess.
The Black Dragon who had horrified the whole country, including Texas,
was bleeding, the most miserable thing in the world. A man appeared be‐
tween the biggest wounds on the Black Dragon's body.
Dripping! The appearance of the man, who had the black blood and poison
of the Black Dragon all over his body, was terrible. His whole body seemed
to be melting. But every time he stepped out of the body of the Black
Dragon, his body gradually regained its original color and form.
Soon after, Kim Tae-hoon, who had regained his original appearance,
looked at the dark blue crystal in his hands with his black Eyes.
1381
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 158 - Black Dragon Down, Part Iii ⦘
==============
-- You can acquire the power of the Black Dragon [Black Poison] when in‐
gested.
==============
After checking, Kim Tae-hoon put the Black Dragon's crystal into his
mouth.
The skin in his mouth burned from the poison. It was a poison of terrible
power. But Kim Tae-hoon didn't mind the fact and swallowed the crystal.
The burning sensation in his throat made him feel sick to his stomach. He
smiled bitterly and checked the back of his right hand.
========
[Acquired Ability]
-- Black Poison (Grade 2): Black Dragon's power can consume Mana to
create a powerful Black Poison. The higher the power of Black Poison, the
stronger the acidic ability.
========
1382
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 158 - Black Dragon Down, Part Iii ⦘
He could hear footsteps approaching him. It was not difficult to gauge their
identity. The only group that could move in the city of Dallas were those
who had listened to his warning and prepared for it.
"You..." Jennifer Mitchell, who saw the Black Dragon's dead body in the
distance, was unable to even make a face. In front of this ridiculous scene,
she was simply unable to decide what expression she should have. The situ‐
ation at the moment was that weird. Even though she was wearing tights
that clung to her body, she just looked dull at this moment.
Only then did Jennifer Mitchell come to her senses, and opened her mouth.
"We got him!"
When he heard the answer, he did not bother to ask a new question. Now
there was only one thing he had to do.
'Preparation is over.' Cracks were made in the West, and cracks were grow‐
ing in the middle. Now, the place Kim Tae-hoon should go to next was one
place.
-------------------
10.
"Urgh..." When Mayor Bean Cohen woke up with a moan, it was a gray
world that faced him.
1383
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 158 - Black Dragon Down, Part Iii ⦘
'Damn it.' But Mayor Bean Cohen was not very embarrassed in front of the
world he faced.
'I was caught.' He understood the situation easily. It wasn't hard to figure
out that he was tied up now, that he had a sack on his face, and that the sack
that covering his face had carried coffee beans.
'Resistance bastards!' Finally, Mayor Bean Cohen could even recall the fact
that Jennifer Mitchell was among those who had attacked him. Naturally, all
these facts were saying that he had been taken hostage by the Resistance.
'Crazy people.' The only thing that complicated his mind was the Black
Dragon's fear.
'I had never thought that they would wake the Black Dragon to catch me.'
Anyone could use the Black Dragon to mess up Dallas City. The problem
was that no one would try it.
'They finally made the attempt.' In addition, this attempt was irreversible.
'They are done.' No matter how good the rebels pretended to be, no one in
Texas would follow the Resistance after they woke the Black Dragon. The
Resistance had now become a public enemy in Texas. So Mayor Bean Co‐
hen thought that this moment was a crisis of desperation, and at the same
time the best opportunity.
'If I escape... I'll go to the Pentagon and bring the troops back to Texas.
Texas will not help the rebels anymore.' If he could reclaim Texas with the
help of the Pentagon after his escape, he could completely root out the Re‐
sistance that was his biggest headache.
Furthermore, once the Black Dragon woke up, the Pentagon would eventu‐
ally go Black Dragon hunting with all its might. The oil fields in Texas
were something the United States could not give up, and that, of course,
meant the Pentagon.
Then, Mayor Bean Cohen would no longer have to tolerate the gruesome
Black Dragon next to him. The crisis had become an opportunity!
1384
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 158 - Black Dragon Down, Part Iii ⦘
'How should I escape?' Of course, overcoming the crisis was more impor‐
tant than anything else. If he did not escape like this, he would be used as a
hostage, and he would certainly face the worst.
"Hoo, hoo, hoo!" Mayor Cohen took a breath and listened to the sounds
around him. Then he heard the voices of the Resistance.
"Damn it, why don't we just take a hostage after we kill him? He is Bean
Cohen, a Hunter of the Pentagon! He is a superhuman who could escape by
himself at any moment!"
"What can we do? Now we are in trouble because our boss woke up the
Black Dragon. We should have a hostage."
"Huh?"
"Hmm?"
"Who is it?"
There was a cry, but that was it. Nothing else was heard... Instead, the
sound of two bodies hitting the floor tickled the waiting ears of Cohen.
At that moment, Bean Cohen felt intuitive that some unwelcome visitor to
the Resistance had come here to find him. 'Someone's here!'
Cohen's prediction was right. The sound of a person came close to him, and
the person peeled off the sack covering his face.
1385
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 158 - Black Dragon Down, Part Iii ⦘
Mayor Cohen looked at the man who had saved his life, an Asian man with
dark hair and a sharp expression.
"Mr. Mao?"
"I know, Mr. Mao is interested in the NASA Institute in Houston. Anyway,
that's a relief. Through his good intentions..."
1386
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 159 - Judgement Day, Part I ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
1.
John Smith, the head of the Pentagon, which was now the controller of the
land of America, was not the kind of person who used his brain to do
things. He thought that the most valuable thing in the monster era was
power, not intelligence. That was why he didn't have a meeting with his
men, staying in one place and working hard on a difficult problem. He
knew better than anyone that he could not do anything at such a meeting,
and so he didn't feel it necessary.
John Smith was a man who might not be clever, but he was not stupid; he
was a man who focused only on what he could and should do.
BoxN ovel.com
As soon as John Smith called all the key executives of the Pentagon into the
Ground Zero Cafe at the center of the Pentagon, and Mao was included in
the list, Mao could see that it was not just a simple situation.
"Did you see any signs?" In addition, what Mao asked Major Chinshan was
that he did not sense any signs of this not-so-simple situation.
"No... nothing. The parking lot was clean, and there was no movement from
other people."
1387
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 159 - Judgement Day, Part I ⦘
If there had been any sign, Major Chinshan would have informed Mao.
'Something came straight...' Without such a sign, what John Smith was do‐
ing something he did not normally do, meaning that something was deliv‐
ered through direct lines of communication.
'If it's enough to make John Smith move like this... it must be a huge threat.
Did they even rouse the Black Dragon in Texas?'
John Smith, who was confident and convinced that he had already become
king of the world, was an arrogant and leisurely man.
So at this moment, Mao felt something of a crisis. '... whatever it is, I'll have
to do something dangerous. Prevention is better than a cure.' That was the
secret of Mao's survival so far, and at this moment he stood by it.
"Major Chinshan."
"Yes, sir."
"Go there now, and if you don't hear from me... just do what I said."
"Then..."
"Destroy it."
------------------------
2.
Bean Cohen knew Mao Spencer when the Pentagon was organized and he
became an executive in it, not just a Hunter. John Smith called Bean Cohen
and told him that there were the Six Snakes behind him, and that there was
a man named Mao Spencer at the center of it. He also told him about what
1388
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 159 - Judgement Day, Part I ⦘
the Six Snakes were after and the world Mao Spencer hoped for. Bean Co‐
hen admired him.
When Mao Spencer lost everything, came to America, and bowed his head
to John Smith, Bean Cohen did not see him as a weak man. All the more, he
was impressed.
'This guy is definitely different! This is someone who wants to be the ruler
of the world! This is a scheme to bury his pride for the next step!'
Furthermore, Bean Cohen was sure that Mao Spencer had not lost every‐
thing, and there must be a secret weapon for a quick reversal of his situa‐
tion.
'For Mao Spencer, there may still be one hidden thing. And this man is one
of them.'
And at this moment, he was sure that one of the hidden weapons was the
man in front of his eyes.
'Kim.' The man who had only introduced himself as Kim now easily es‐
caped with Cohen from the city of Dallas, which was now under the control
of the Resistance.
In the process, Kim had completely avoided the surveillance of the Resis‐
tance. Without a single battle, without a gunshot, Kim made Cohen escaped
from Dallas City. What was surprising was after that.
"We are going to Washington now. The distance to travel is about twelve
hundred miles, so we are going to move sixty miles a day, and we'll be in
Washington in twenty days."
The distance for the journey to Washington, which began with the escape
from Dallas City, was nineteen hundred kilometers. Kim showed his amaz‐
ing ability during the journey without a single proper tool in a situation full
of monsters, not just a journey.
1389
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 159 - Judgement Day, Part I ⦘
'How can we not meet a monster once in a trip of more than a thousand
miles?'
They had not encountered a monster, and Kim always found something to
eat in some way in the wilderness. It was not simply something that a pow‐
erful Hunter would show. It was more than that.
It was the ability that only a survival specialist could show in a place where
survival was harder than anything before becoming a Hunter. It was on the
level of astonishment beyond admiration.
"What the hell happened in Asia? Can you tell me why Lord Mao Spencer
came to America with a man with such a great talent?"
Cohen asked Kim at the end of the long journey, why Mao Spencer, who
had a man as strong as Kim, had moved to the United States after losing ev‐
erything, and who it was that had knocked down Mao Spencer and driven
him so far away.
However, Mao Spencer had not told anyone but John Smith about his story.
He was humiliated, but he did not speak about it as much.
From Cohen's point of view, it was a big question. 'What kind of monster is
there in Asia?'
Kim shook his head at the question. "I can't answer that."
"What kind of monster is there in Asia? Just tell me what you feel."
"I'm sorry."
Kim shook his head again, and Cohen no longer asked Kim, because now
was time to face something more important than this question, and he did
not need an answer.
1390
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 159 - Judgement Day, Part I ⦘
"No, it's okay. I'm already grateful to you." After speaking, Cohen looked
up far away. The picture of Washington came into his eyes.
-------------------------
3.
Washington DC...
The capital of the United States, the world's strongest country, the most
powerful country in human history, was just a wonderful city on the sur‐
face. It was planned and designed. In other words, it was a city where ev‐
erything from one to ten was planned to make its capital, so it could not just
be cool. Of course, the Washington DC, which the world saw was not the
real face of the city.
The truth of Washington was revealed when they feel a fatal threat. At the
moment of a fatal threat, everything in the city proved to be prepared for ur‐
ban defense and war.
In particular, after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the United States re‐
modeled everything in Washington, so that they would not go through the
same incident again. The United States had hidden a powerful thorn inside
itself, and nothing dared to do anything in Washington.
--------------------------
"I didn't know either. There are so many weapons hiding all over Washing‐
ton."
1391
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 159 - Judgement Day, Part I ⦘
The same was true of their vigilance. It was virtually impossible to pass
without a trace, without sound, through the strict borders. The road to the
Pentagon was even worse. Inside the Pentagon, the security was so severe
that no one could enter even if they wanted to. The reason for the security
was simple.
"According to the report by the Hyena Unit, the Western Alliance has al‐
ready been formed, with locations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las
Vegas."
"All the blue-grade monsters in Yosemite National Park have been re‐
moved."
"The rebels of Texas succeeded in killing the Black Dragon that appeared in
Dallas."
"The Black Dragon is one of the most powerful dark blue-colored monsters.
Were the rebels alone? Are you sure?"
"The body of the Black Dragon has now been identified. In addition, the
news is spreading in Texas, the news that the rebels have killed the Black
Dragon... and it's not easy to stop the news from spreading. The Resistance
forces are using this momentum to expand their influence in Texas."
Not one, but two great threats shook the Pentagon. It was their first time.
The Pentagon had never been in a crisis. The Americans were so rich that it
was not lacking to call them blessed by God. The crisis they had faced in
1392
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 159 - Judgement Day, Part I ⦘
the meantime was an opportunity to grow one step further after a crisis.
"There's a rumor that some organizations have helped the Western Alliance
and the Texas rebels."
The threat to them now, the threat to the existence, was hard to bear. John
Smith was forced to massage his temples repeatedly in front of the report.
He was intuiting that this report was not simply a simultaneous coincidence.
Furthermore, he was able to clearly measure the existence of the culprit
who had committed all this. In fact, Mao had expected it.
'The Mac Guild is expanding its territory, starting in the western United
States. Yes, they can't be bound by the Korean Peninsula forever.'
Kim Tae-hoon was dead. It was the conclusion Mao had made using all the
information networks he had.
Kim Tae-hoon's death was, of course, a fatal event for Mac Guild. But that
did not mean that the Mac Guild had lost all power. Without Kim Tae-hoon,
the power of the Mac Guild was still very powerful.
The number of legendary relics they had was not only extraordinary, but
above all, they had the legacy left by the strongest Hunter, Kim Tae-hoon.
The influence of the Mac Guild was felt across the whole of Eurasia, and it
was natural that their next purpose was to come to the Americas.
But Mao did not worry much about it. The Pentagon and the city of Wash‐
ington, where the Pentagon was located, were perfect enough fortresses for
Mao to have confidence in them. Intruders were coming into a system that
the United States had set up for war with the world, but they could not
come in without a sound, without damage, without any trace.
"Mayor Bean Cohen has arrived in Washington, and he's on his way here."
And then there was news that Mao and the Pentagon executives had been
1393
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 159 - Judgement Day, Part I ⦘
Two days ago that they were contacted by Bean Cohen, who was captured
by the Resistance forces, but lucky enough to escape. The moment they
were contacted, the Pentagon decided to listen to him and make a judgment.
That was why John Smith's right hand, massaging his temples, stopped, and
had a clear sign of awakening. John Smith looked up.
------------------------
4.
"Hoo."
When he looked at the place erected in honor of the 9/11 victims, he felt his
heart cool. Now calm, he walked toward the Pentagon. There was a man be‐
hind him. Kim was moving along with Bean Cohen like a shadow, and no
one stopped him.
Bean Cohen's name and face were the most obvious ID card amid the tight
watch. None of the fully armed soldiers stopped Bean Cohen from proceed‐
ing. Everyone was saluting and glad to welcome Bean Cohen.
Their first stop was in the center of the Pentagon, in front of the door to the
Ground Zero Cafe. Now they stood there, where the specially designed iron
door was blocked.
Only Bean Cohen could enter through the door, and for that Kim had es‐
corted him this far.
"I wouldn't have been able to get here without you." Bean Cohen did not
miss out on his heartfelt gratitude.
1394
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 159 - Judgement Day, Part I ⦘
But Kim did not respond to that handshake. He did not even nod without
saying anything.
"Kim?"
Instead, Kim ignored Cohen and opened the door to the Ground Zero Cafe.
In this sudden situation, not only Cohen but everyone waiting by the door
were shocked. But that was all. Their astonished bodies were still stiff and
unable to move. 'I can't move...'
As soon as the door opened, a building was seen between the trees and the
green grasses that were located before him.
"I am Kim Tae-hoon, the Master of Mac Guild!" Kim Tae-hoon shouted at
the place. "I'm here to get the price of blood!"
1395
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 160 - Judgement Day, Part Ii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
The grove in the center of the Pentagon was like the heart of the Pentagon.
The reason it was the heart was simple. That was where John Smith was.
The fact was the obvious reason for the heart.
BoxN ovel.com
"Ah."
John Smith was such a person for the Pentagon: the organization's center,
the core, and all-in-one man. He was a man of violence who could fight
against a monster with overwhelming strength in an age full of monsters. In
short, he was the strongest man in the Pentagon. To John Smith, Kim Tae-
hoon's presence and his visit were, of course, not pleasant.
Kim Tae-hoon complicated his mind, made his chest stuffy, and caused irri‐
tation and anger. It was all there.
1396
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 160 - Judgement Day, Part Ii ⦘
"Mao, didn't you say he was dead?" John Smith was angry and irritated by
Kim's appearance, but showed no other feelings.
"He must have been alive." There was no sign of panic. Mao's pale, weary
look and John Smith's face were perfectly contradictory.
"Huh."
Seeing Mao, who looked like a frightened little boy, John Smith asked no
more questions. He didn't even have questions. He rose immediately from
his seat and walked out of the cafe without any hesitation.
There was no one to stop him. The strongest man here was John Smith, and
no one could stop him from doing anything. Of course, there was no one
who could protect and escort him, the strongest. Protecting John Smith was
an insult to his strength.
When John Smith left the cafe, he was able to face Kim Tae-hoon.
Introductions were over. Considering the characters of the two, the intro‐
ductions were all they could do to each other at this time.
"You said you are Kim Tae-hoon, what did you come here for?"
Kim Tae-hoon did not answer John Smith's question. He gave a brief notice.
"You can choose whether to cooperate by yourself or to cooperate by
force."
John Smith laughed at the notice, as if he were grateful that Kim Tae-hoon
had said that.
"Yes, you should do that." He nodded further. "It's fun for you to come out
like that."
John Smith was a Hunter who had been chosen by God beyond his natural
level. He was different from the beginning. When the monster appeared, he
became an Awakener, and from the moment he became an Awakener, his
1397
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 160 - Judgement Day, Part Ii ⦘
ability was different. All his ranks were above B rank. Among them, En‐
ergy and Mana were A rank.
Of course, he was different from the beginning. He was on the eating side,
not the being eaten side, from the start. He had destroyed or devoured quite
powerful monsters, as well as clumsy Awakeners.
He was even different from the starting point. Most people entered the age
of monsters in homes and buildings with nothing, in blocked subway sta‐
tions, and in big marts. John Smith entered this era in the military. In the
U.S. military, regarded the strongest in human history, he had started a war
with monsters.
He had not experienced a real defeat or crisis. In the days of monsters and
repeated fighting, he felt bored. It was the boredom that there was no enemy
to fight against with his full power. It was the thirst to test his strength prop‐
erly once again. Those who had power at the apex were supposed to have it!
"It's my last warning. Decide whether you will cooperate or not." Kim Tae-
hoon gave notice to John Smith.
John Smith smiled instead and pulled up the Energy inside. His eyes turned
golden. The golden light that began in his eyes wrapped around his whole
body. His muscles were swelled to bursting and at the same time became so
strong that even a bullet could not pierce them. The muscle fibers had be‐
come steel.
It was a clear answer. John Smith had no intention of cooperating. That was
all he could do.
As soon as John Smith finished all preparations for the battle, Kim Tae-
hoon finished everything.
1398
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 160 - Judgement Day, Part Ii ⦘
Whack! Kim Tae-hoon's body narrowed the distance to John Smith at once,
and his black fist made John Smith's golden body a headless body. It was a
futile but natural result. If a puppy was not afraid of a tiger, the result was
obvious.
John Smith, who lost his head, fell to the ground, just like that.
'What is this?'
It was Ground Zero. Literally, everything became zero without being able to
resist.
Only one man moved there. Mao Spencer appeared before Kim Tae-hoon.
--------------------------
5.
The Spencer Family where Mao was adopted was a noble family of Eng‐
land.
Theirs was not a great story. The Spencers needed a talented person to shine
and decorate their family, and Mao, a Hong Kong-born child with an out‐
standing talent for art, was their desired person.
For Mao, the Spencers were the best stage to unleash his talents to the
fullest. It was no loss to anyone. The life after he had the name Mao
Spencer was so flat. Everything he wanted was his.
There was no failure, no frustration. It was the same after the advent of the
monsters. By the time the monsters appeared, Mao was managing artifacts
for a new exhibition of the British Museum. Behaim's Globe was one of
them, and the Codex Gigas was also one of them.
1399
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 160 - Judgement Day, Part Ii ⦘
There were a lot of relics in his hands. Even Mao was preparing for the ex‐
hibition by filming all of them over and over with his camera.
The first person to discover the relics was Mao. That alone was the end of
the game. Mao was able to grasp the value of relics before anyone else after
the arrival of the monsters, and the name Spencer became a power in a
chaotic age.
Mao moved to Taiwan with everything. He was quickly aware of the limita‐
tions that the country of England would face in the age of monsters. In Eng‐
land, Mao Spencer was just an outstanding man, but the moment he ap‐
peared in Taiwan with everything, he could be a savior. There was no worry
about choosing between hero and God, the difference was obvious.
After that, everything went smoothly, as planned and as hoped. Mao created
a group called the Six Snakes, and he used the relics of the British Museum
and the Taiwan Palace Museum to extend the influence of the Six Snakes.
In an era of chaos, the truth of the Six Snakes was the only truth that could
deal with the confusion. Mao, who created the truth, was like God. That
was what he wanted.
Mao didn't want to be the ruler of the world. He didn't mean to be a king or
an emperor. He didn't mean to be a mortal, with only one line in the history
books, and a name and a story left.
God! As time went by, he wanted his existence to become more and more
enormous and great. Mao did not want to be a man who was loved or cho‐
sen by God, he wanted to be God himself. So, at this moment, Mao was
confident that he would be God himself and immortal.
'There's still a chance. I'm not dying. No, I can't die.' So, Mao was confident
that he would not die here today. 'If I live here, no one can kill me.'
1400
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 160 - Judgement Day, Part Ii ⦘
--------------------
6.
The first meeting between the two, Mao and Kim Tae Hoon, which could
not be explained as simply enmity, was achromatic. They were looking at
each other with ghastly expressions on their faces, and their words showed
no emotions. There was only a general notice.
"I'd heard that you were dead... Did you disguise your death just for this?
That's amazing. You have hidden yourself from my eyes like that in this
age. No, maybe it's just that I really wanted to believe in your death."
The relationship between the two was not close enough to tell the details to
the other.
It was a relationship where either side had to disappear to attain what they
wished, nothing worse, nothing better.
For Mao, that was all of the conversations he had to share with Kim Tae-
hoon. In addition, it was not as important as he said. No matter what the
process was, Kim Tae-Hoon was alive and standing in front of Mao, and
Mao's actions now were only to survive.
So, Mao went straight to the point."If you kill me, the Mayan Calendar will
be destroyed immediately. If the Mayan Calendar is destroyed, exactly 15
days later, the Quetzalcoatl will appear in the world."
It was a threat.
1401
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 160 - Judgement Day, Part Ii ⦘
The threat was enough to make saying something like he intended to shoot
nuclear weapons laughable. In fact, Mao's words were not false.
"In the Codex Gigas, called the Devil's Bible, there is information about
monsters. So, I hope you don't take my words for nothing. The Quetzalcoatl
is a disaster greater than you can imagine."
Mao, after intimidating him, began trading on the basis of the threats.
"If you spare me, I'll hand over the Mayan Calendar. That's all. After that,
you will try to kill me even if I tell you not to kill me. Isn't that a simple
story? You just let me go once, get the Mayan Calendar, and kill me after‐
wards. No matter where you look, it's not a losing business."
Blam!
"Ugh!" Mao knelt on the floor, a startled look in his eye, his hand grabbing
his chest where the bullet had penetrated.
Mao shouted out loudly, burning the life that was escaping him. "If, if you
kill me, the Mayan Calendar!..."
"I'll give you three reasons." Only then did Kim Tae-hoon speak to Mao.
"Two, I'm not here for a deal, I'm here for the price of the blood that has
been shed so far, as well as the price of the blood that will be shed in the fu‐
ture."
1402
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 160 - Judgement Day, Part Ii ⦘
"Three, when it wakes up, I'll just kill it. That's why I'm here."
Blam! The conversation finished, Kim Tae-hoon pulled the trigger again.
There was just one more shot. Kim Tae-hoon no longer needed to speak to
Mao.
Kim Tae-hoon, who had killed the two without a break, now spoke to the
crowd. "I will only say this once. Decide whether you will cooperate on
your own or not."
The crowd didn't answer but lifted their hands overhead in a flash.
Seeing that, Kim Tae-hoon took a jade bird out of his sleeve and spoke to it.
"Jang Sung-hoon, the judgment is over. Starting now, we're going to hunt
the Quetzalcoatl."
1403
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 161 - Judgement Day, Part Iii ⦘
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
7.
Above the blue sky in Washington, D.C., and the vast expanse of the sky,
where there was no pollution at all, black dots appeared.
The black dots that appeared were AC-130 gunships. Ugly planes, nick‐
named Angels of Death, were continuing their flight to Andrews Air Force
Base in the heart of Washington, D.C.
'It's similar to the scenery then', Kim Tae-hoon mused, looking at the scene
without a word. At this moment, he recalled one of the many scenes of
death that Napoleon's Golden Glass had shown him: the scene of the dying,
watching the incoming AC-130 gunship, all firing at him in the devastated
land. In that dream, he had left himself something to do before he died. He
had left a bucket list.
BoxN ovel.com
'You've kept everything, but one.' Two of those three things were done, and
one was not done. Kim Tae-hoon smiled at the fact.
'When this is over, I'll finish the rest.' Kim Tae-hoon's recollection ended
there. He got up from his seat.
--------------------
1404
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 161 - Judgement Day, Part Iii ⦘
8.
The Navy and Air Force Integrated Base in Washington D.C. was one of the
most important and special of the countless air bases in the United States.
There were two reasons. Washington D.C. was the US capitol, and was
where the Air Force One's home was. These two facts alone made the pres‐
ence of Andrews Air Force Base incomparable to any other air base.
"Boss!" The title, which had never been used before at Andrews Air Force
Base, echoed out. Jang Sung-hoon was the starting point of the title, and at
the end of the title was Kim Tae-hoon.
"I haven't seen you in a long time!" Jang Sung-hoon, who was approaching
happily, immediately opened his arms, as if to hug him.
"Oh, boss, I've just met you for the first time in a few months, and can't tell
you after you hug me? We should take a picture. How cool would that be?
It'll be a great picture of the future generation. It'll be in history books, too."
At the words of Kim Tae-hoon, Jang Sung-hoon turned his head back as if
he were sick of them. Behind them, he saw the soldiers carrying the things
in the transport plane. Everyone was wearing a black lizard leather uniform,
and on both shoulders were badges of the Taegeukgi Korean flag and Mac
Guild.
Jang Sung-hoon once again laughed at Kim Tae-hoon and then shouted in a
saluting posture. "We have completed the preparation of a total of 896
1405
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 161 - Judgement Day, Part Iii ⦘
relics, including 533 special relics of the second grade, 271 rare relics of the
first grade, 77 special relics of the first grade, and 15 legendary relics."
At the report, Kim Tae-hoon put his hand lightly on Jang Sung-hoon's
shoulder.
Jang Sung-hoon's smile was drawn. However, his smile did not seem so
bright. Through the smile, he carefully spoke out, "Boss, if you hadn't killed
Mao, it would have been easier. You wouldn't have to fight Quetzalcohuātl
right away."
Jang had already received the report that Kim had ignored making a deal
with Mao and killed him. Instead of saving Mao and postponing the battle
with Quetzalcohuātl until later, Kim killed Mao and chose to kill the mon‐
ster.
In fact, it was not related to Jang Sung-hoon. He was not a Hunter. So, he
did not have to face a terrible monster.
But Kim Tae-hoon was different. Only the strongest Hunter, Kim, could
face the most powerful monster, Quetzalcohuātl, in the present situation,
and go hunting it. It was a very natural, and very difficult fact. Even if he
had an immortal body, even if he had an unlimited power that would not
tire, it would not eliminate the fear and pain that Kim Tae-hoon would face.
The same was true of the battle with Quetzalcohuātl. While Kim killed it,
the pain and anguish he would have to endure during that time no one
would dare to imagine, and would not be able to take it in his place.
1406
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 161 - Judgement Day, Part Iii ⦘
It was the same with Kim Tae-hoon. He was firm, but he was not a very
stubborn man. If it was more profitable and more rational, he could ignore
his personal feelings.
It was not that much different from Mao. If he had decided that Mao was
not a threat, Kim Tae-hoon would not have killed him immediately.
"But why did you just kill him right away?" However, Kim Tae-hoon did
not talk to Mao for long, killing him after a short conversation.
"Houston." Kim did not do that without any reason, without any feeling or
with the hatred of Mao.
"When I heard about Houston, I decided I wouldn't make a deal with him."
When the word "Houston" came out of Mayor Bean Cohen's mouth when
Kim rescued him, Kim immediately remembered. "There's a NASA lab in
Houston."
"Do you know what the most important technology in space research is?"
"Wireless technology."
"Wireless technology?"
One of the most important things in space research was wireless technol‐
ogy, because space research was impossible within the scope of wire.
The same was true of NASA. They were studying how to send and receive
more information faster and more in an extreme space that they could not
experience on Earth. They studied wireless communication technology that
could get information out from a ridiculous environment.
1407
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 161 - Judgement Day, Part Iii ⦘
It was perfectly possible for them to conduct research that would enable
wireless communication even now, a time when wireless communication
was not possible. It was also possible that NASA researchers, who had
found a way to communicate wirelessly even in space, could find a way to
communicate wirelessly on Earth.
But it wasn't something anyone could think of. How many people could ac‐
tually connect the word Houston to wireless technology research? And how
many people would conclude that wireless technology would be an absolute
threat to mankind? There must be only one person in the world, Kim Tae-
hoon. And Kim Tae-hoon was not the only one who managed to reach out
for it.
"Dream?"
In the first dream that Napoleon's Golden Glass showed, Kim was wearing
a smartwatch on his wrist. That was a definite clue, indicating that wireless
communication technology would be restored in some way in the world of
the future. Otherwise, he would never have worn a smartwatch. Eventually,
Kim had come up with the answer Jang had reached.
If Kim had given him time, Mao would have threatened Kim and Mac
Guild with a nuclear weapon launch, not Quetzalcohuātl. It was when Kim
reached that fact that he was determined to remove Mao. He didn't have any
hesitation when he made up his mind.
1408
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 161 - Judgement Day, Part Iii ⦘
"My God, if you let him live..." In front of Kim Tae-hoon, Jang did not ex‐
press his admiration for a long time. He put out his tongue with a short spit
and smiled.
"Now, let's move on to climax." Jang Sung-hoon, who said those words,
took a Golden Glass out of his bag.
"I hope this is the last time. Honestly, it's much better not to have this."
The red liquid filled the Golden Glass. It had been of the most valuable help
to them, yet was the most useless thing in the world.
"I don't know when it will be, but I'll see you in the future."
-------------------------
9.
When Kim Tae-hoon opened his eyes, a great wilderness filled his eyes.
There was a huge shadow, a dark cloud, over the wilderness where a crea‐
ture could not grow. But it was not a dark cloud. The darkness was a
shadow created by a huge dragon moving over the sky, covering the sun.
It was a huge monster. The snake-like green body was over a kilometer
long, with a red mane that resembled the lion's mane on its head, and a wing
on its back that reminded him of an angel. But the most intense thing was
not that appearance, but the two purple eyes on its head.
'It's awesome.'
1409
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 161 - Judgement Day, Part Iii ⦘
Its existence itself was a disaster and a terror. The same was true of Kim
Tae-hoon. Shivering, his arms trembled slightly; he had not thought he
would not tremble before any monster again. He took his trembling right
hand in his left hand. He looked at the back of his right hand with black
Eyes.
[Basic Abilities]
-- Strength: 2313
-- Health: 2441
[Special Abilities]
-- Energy: S Rank
-- Mana: S Rank
-- Telekinesis: S Rank
-- Defense: S Rank
Kim looked at his ability, which had nothing more to add. At the same time,
he looked around. There were countless relics standing around him like a
tombstone. There were many different kinds. There were various kinds with
unique personalities in one place, starting with spears, knives, and swords,
and there were stone statues made of huge monuments and stones all over
the place.
There was one thing that they had in common, which was not visible on the
surface; they served only one master. Over a thousand powerful relics were
talking to their only master, Kim Tae-hoon, that everything was ready.
At that fact, Kim Tae-hoon smiled lightly and grabbed a sword to meet their
will. At the same time, he recalled today's date and his situation.
1410
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 161 - Judgement Day, Part Iii ⦘
As soon as he finished thinking about it, he threw the Sword of the Impera‐
tor in his hand at the Quetzalcohuātl in the sky.
Phat! At the same time, the relics everywhere began to soar along the pillars
of light high up into the sky, followed by all sorts of bells ringing them‐
selves grandly.
That was how the hunt began. The final hunt of Kim Tae-hoon, the First
Hunter, who would be remembered long and who had changed history, be‐
gan.
1411
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 162 (End) - Epilogue ⦘
Editor: RED
1.
It was a series of miserable realities, and miserable days went by. In that
wretchedness, the end of mankind seemed to be at hand. Even if mankind
survived, there would be no more glory than in the past.
However, the Republic of Korea and the land of the Korean Peninsula de‐
nied all of that. The 51-story Mac building, towering in the middle of
Bucheon City, Gyeonggi Province, Korea, was proof. Above all, the build‐
ing, which rose upright and dignified, was clear evidence that the world
would regain its glory of the past, as well as move on, based on the age of
monsters. At the same time, the building was also proof of a man's influ‐
ence.
BoxN ovel.com
"On December 31, 2016, that big mart over there was the beginning of Mac
Guild. There was a revolution in that place that changed the history of
mankind."
It was Jang Sung Hoon, the second master of the Mac Guild, and now a
man of power ruling the world. He was a very young man, with the power
1412
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 162 (End) - Epilogue ⦘
to decorate his private mansion or villa, with the enormous art treasures of
the Louvre or the British Museum. He had no choice but to be very young.
On December 31, 2016, when monsters appeared, he was a young man who
was just over twenty years old, and that was only five years ago. Naturally,
he was still in his twenties.
"And that hospital over there is where the famous doctor Ahn once worked.
If Dr. Ahn hadn't come to buy energy drinks at the large mart at the end of
the year for an errand, she would not be here now."
It was even more amazing that he had more than twice as many days to live
in the future than he had lived in the past, since he had accumulated every‐
thing he could, power and wealth. Of course, the world envied Jang.
"If you're done with the explanation, can I ask you a question now?"
"What do you think about the fact that President Cho gave preferential
treatment in the Mac Building construction process?"
At the same time, they were both jealous and suspicious of Jang. Now, the
beautiful reporter in front of Jang Sung-hoon, Song Hye-sun was the same.
She was determined to fight against the absurdity of the world with a strong
journalistic spirit, and she did not want to condone the Mac Guild, which
had saved the world and was still saving the world. If they were full of in‐
justice and corruption, if they were covered with absurdity, she was willing
to dig it out.
When she had the opportunity to interview Jang Sung-hoon, she naturally
did not avoid it!
"It is funny."
"What's so funny?"
1413
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 162 (End) - Epilogue ⦘
"If you look down here, you'll see a vacant lot next to the big mart I men‐
tioned earlier. It was originally a plaza in front of Bucheon City Hall, and in
the process of developing Bucheon City as a special zone for Hunters, I de‐
molished Bucheon City Hall and the surrounding area, but I left that park
alone. Do you know why?"
"Well..."
"Many people got a chance there: Yang Jung-hwan, master of Starfish Guild
in China, Lee Soo-young, one of the executives of Mac Guild, and Bang
Hyun-wook, who is now a Hunter representing Mac Guild. There was a his‐
torical and legendary event in that vacant lot, and that's why I left that park
there."
Song Hye-sun shut up, since if they were reporters, if they were Koreans, if
they knew the history of Mac Guild, they would know what Jang was talk‐
ing about.
At the same time, it was a fact that everyone who had survived the world
should remember, keep in mind, and appreciate.
"And you wouldn't have been a journalist without that historical event, be‐
cause monsters don't do an interview, and it's funny in many ways."
"Is that the answer to the recent rumors of special preferences for the Mac
Guild's second master, Jang Sung-hoon?" Of course, Song Hye-sun was not
discouraged by the fact. If she was going to be discouraged by this, she
wouldn't have come here in the first place.
"What?"
1414
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 162 (End) - Epilogue ⦘
"But there are many indications that President Cho's recent policies are
closely related to the Mac Guild."
"Korea is still under the threat of monsters, and right now seventy-three
percent of the world is still the territory of a monster. Right now, Africa,
South America, India, and Southeast Asia are still at war with monsters, and
that close relationship is natural when the role of Korea is more important
than ever.."
"Then what do you think about the claim that the Mac Guild holds exclu‐
sive rights to all the relics and that the other guilds cannot go on a proper
monster hunt?"
"That's---"
"The first master said that human greed is endless, and they repeat the same
mistakes."
"If they eat and become fat, they're not satisfied by it, and they'll try to eat
more."
1415
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 162 (End) - Epilogue ⦘
Jang Sung-hoon smiled at her and said, "It's kind of a shame that the master
of Mac Guild, the world's strongest and best Hunter guild, beats those guys
who try silly things, and that's why I became the second master." At the end
of the words, Jang Sung-hoon turned his head and looked at Bucheon City,
which was more brilliant than ever.
'As Boss said, it was not the end of the game to kill Quetzalcoatl. Now that
the monsters are gone, humans are going to be monsters.' He looked at the
Bucheon City and remembered a man.
'How is the boss doing?' Jang Sung-hoon greeted the man in his heart. 'I'm
doing fine, except I haven't made a girlfriend yet.'
-------------------------
2.
South Africa...
Located at the southernmost tip of Africa, it was a place of the greatest de‐
spair in the monster era. The reason was simple: South Africa could not ex‐
pect any help or aid from any country, nor did it have the military power or
relics to win a victory in the war against the monsters. It did not take long
for Johannesburg, one of the major cities of South Africa, to become a huge
tomb.
"Come on! Quickly!" It was the case for a boy and a girl who looked to be
about ten years old at best and looked enough alike to be siblings. It was a
mirac le to have survived in a world that had been worse than hell for a long
time. At the same time, the two young siblings were evidence that there was
still hope in South Africa.
"Brother!" But now that hope was becoming a candle in front of the ty‐
phoon.
1416
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 162 (End) - Epilogue ⦘
Khung! Khung! It was because of a huge dog with yellow eyes that tried to
eat that hope in a terrible and grueling way. It was unusual that the dog had
two heads, and was big enough to chew up even the elephants out on the sa‐
vannah. It was a yellow-grade monster, a Killer Dog. This monster of the
monsters was twice as ferocious as the two heads, and the two young sib‐
lings could not deal with.
Khung! Khung!
Nevertheless, because of the pattern on the back of the two hands, the
brother and sister could escape in front of the bloody monster. Though the
pattern on the back of the hand might give the young children the power to
escape from the monster of the monsters, there was no way they could do
anything about it.
"Ugh!" The girl, who was crossing the collapsed building, fell on the
ground, and the boy, who was reaching out to his sister through the little
hole, was frightened.
"Lia!" At that moment the boy ran towards his sister without worrying,
without hesitation.
"Run! Run away!" The boy knew that if he threw his body at the monster, if
he wet his skinny neck, his sister could run away while the monster savored
him. It was the only way in the world to save one, not two. He knew that
there was no such thing as a mirac le or salvation in this world. The world in
which the eleven-year-old boy lived was such a world. To a boy, no, to a
much-too-young man, his sister's life was more precious than his own in
this fucking world.
"Quickly!" The boy's cry had become a howl at some point. "Quickly!"
The fallen girl rose from the ground. At that moment the girl's eyes
changed. Like a brother and a sister, the girl's eyes were just the same as the
boy's.
"Brother, you run away!" the girl shouted at her oncoming brother. The cry
baffled the boy. At this moment he agonized over what to do to change his
1417
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 162 (End) - Epilogue ⦘
sister's mind.
Khung! Khung!! Meanwhile, the Killer Dog burst into a pleased cry at the
tender smell of flesh that was just around the corner.
"Brother!"
"Lia!"
Khung! Khung!!
The despair of the living and the joy of the monster filled ruined Johannes‐
burg.
Thump! The end of that sound was one of something falling from the sky.
Khung? Khung? The appearance of the sound changed the cries of the mon‐
ster, while the two had looks of admiration and surprise.
At that moment the screaming Killer Dog fell to the ground. Blood oozed
from its two-headed temples and began to soak the ground.
Then, the two, who were hugging one another, looked at a man who they
could see only in silhouette, his back to the sun, with their trembling eyes.
Soon after, young George asked as he looked at the man, "You, you..."
George was speechless. At that moment he recalled a word that people had
been looking for in the sky from a dark memory.
The man answered the question. "No, I'm Mac Guild's Hunter..."
Keueoeoeoeong! Before the man's words could finish, there was an intense
scream, incomparably more powerful than the monster before. The source
of the scream was a giant dog, Cerberus, with three heads, and burning blue
eyes.
At the absurd scream, the faces of George and Leah went white. They re‐
membered that there was not a single being who had survived in front of
1418
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 162 (End) - Epilogue ⦘
On the other hand, the man frowned as if he were a little annoyed, instead
of being nervous or worried. Tsreung! Simultaneously, as he frowned, one
of the two swords on his back moved.
Whoosh! The sword flew through the wind and cut off all three heads in a
single breath. The process was so easy, so simple. Soon the drawn sword re‐
turned to its original home.
The click of the sword going into its sheath was very clear.
At the end of the clear sound, the man uttered his words. "I am the First
Hunter, Kim Tae-hoon."
-----------------------
3.
On December 31, 2016, monsters appeared all over the world simultane‐
ously.
-The end---
_____________________________________________________________
This novel is over. It's been a very different sort then the usual slay-all-the-
monsters teenage hero sort of thing, which gave its own flavor and charm.
We apologize for the delays. We hope you enjoyed this book, it's definitely
different than any we've worked on in the past, and Khan would tell you
that the guy writing this novel did so in terribly formal, archaic speech, like
listening to some royal historian from early last century, so it was definitely
interesting for both of us.
1419
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 162 (End) - Epilogue ⦘
1420
⦗ The First Hunter c1-162 — Chapter 162 (End) - Epilogue ⦘
1421