Chapter 388

“Hey. Hey.”

Tap. Tap-tap.

Someone prodded Wu Heixing in the side with the tip of a foot. He barely managed to open his eyes, and a large figure looming over him swam into view.

“Uhhh…”

“I’ve got something urgent to take care of, so I have to get going. If anyone comes by, make up a convincing story, will you?”

“Ugh… uuuugh…”

“I poured a potion over you, so quit acting like you’re dying, you bastard. Keep it up and I’ll call Magic Johnson over to make you moan for real. See you!”

Whoosh!

Leaving behind a parting remark that made Wu Heixing’s ass ache just from hearing it, the man sped away and vanished in an instant.

It was only ten minutes or so later that Wu Heixing, still lying spread-eagled on the ground, finally spoke in a voice boiling with rage.

“Jin Taekyung…!”

His broken bones and torn flesh had healed thanks to the high-grade potion, but it couldn’t heal the pain etched deep into his bones—or his wounded pride.

How?

He couldn’t believe it. No matter how agitated he had been, how could he—an S-rank Hunter—have been toyed with so thoroughly?

The fact that Jin Taekyung had seen through his martial arts was shocking, but Wu Heixing took even greater offense at the defeat itself. He had always been fiercely proud of the power he possessed.

Me? Me, of all people?

Wu Heixing had been born with the destiny of a Hunter.

As an infant, his potential had been confirmed through an extraordinarily expensive mana aptitude test, and his family, part of the highest ranks of the Chinese Communist Party, had spared no expense in supporting him.

Enormous wealth and power accumulated through corruption. Raised in the finest environment with the best possible support, Wu Heixing awakened as an A-rank Hunter at the age of twenty. Ten years later, he achieved the astonishing feat of becoming an S-rank Hunter.

And yet…

Then why? Why did I lose to some bangzi¹ bastard from that tiny country?

A strange light flashed in Wu Heixing’s eyes as he glared up at the pitch-black night sky.

His gaze held anger, jealousy, and a trace of fear toward the power Jin Taekyung had displayed.

They were emotions Wu Heixing had been sickeningly familiar with for more than a decade.

He shouted at the man who was now nowhere to be found.

“Was this your doing? Are you trying to torment me even after death?!”

The public and the media cursed Wu Heixing as an irredeemable delinquent even as they praised him as a genius born of Zhonghua.² But a tiny handful of people, Wu Heixing included, knew the truth.

There was another—the true genius. And it was precisely because of his genius that they had kept him hidden from the world.

“Answer me, Lei Fei!”

With his overwhelming strength and noble character, Lei Fei had been an insurmountable wall to Wu Heixing.

How flustered—and delighted—Wu Heixing had been when he first heard that Lei Fei had disappeared.

But after only a week, another wall had appeared.

A wall named Jin Taekyung.

“Gaaaaaaaah!”

The bushes shuddered beneath his thunderous cry.

“I know that feeling well.”

At the quiet voice of someone who had approached without making a sound, Wu Heixing sprang upright like lightning.

“Who are you?!”

“That hurts. I thought we already knew each other.”

Step.

A man emerged from the darkness. Wu Heixing’s eyes widened.

“You’re…?”

Beneath the faint moonlight, Lee Jungryong continued with a smile.

“I believe we have something important to discuss. What do you say?”

“…!”

Ding.

System

A Sudden Quest, The Desperate War Situation, has been generated.

You cannot refuse this Quest. Arrive as quickly as possible and defeat the enemies!

System

Circulate Your Qi completed!

The realm of Fire Gate Divine Technique has risen slightly!

By the time I finished gathering my qi and opened my eyes, the world outside was growing bright.

As though it had been waiting for that exact moment, the Skeleton Warlord immediately spoke.

“Wicked human. Are you finally awake?”

“I wasn’t asleep, you idiot.”

“Drinking before a battle. Tsk, tsk.”

“It’s not like alcohol can make me sick, so shut up.”

Drinking too much caused alcohol toxins to build up in the body, but any decent martial arts master could drive them out with ease.

And with my formidable Scorching Yang Qi, I had even less to worry about.

Come to think of it, I really did drink a lot. I polished off every bottle Faye Chen brought over on her private jet.

I had definitely gone there to stop Magic Johnson, but I wasn’t entirely sure how things had ended up that way.

“But human, how long do you intend to remain in this stuffy place?”

“I was planning to leave anyway.”

I checked the time. Five-thirty in the morning. It was about time to get ready.

After packing my things in the hotel room assigned as my temporary lodging, I went down to the lobby and found Team Leader Choi drinking coffee.

“Oh, Team Leader.”

“…There you are.”

One glance revealed dark circles beneath his eyes. His skin, usually kept so immaculate that it didn’t have a single blemish, looked rough and dry.

“Did you not sleep?”

“If you were in my position, Mr. Jin, would you have been able to?”

“…”

Fair point.

The sight I had witnessed after racing over in response to the most desperate emergency text in the world last night had been nothing short of horrific.

“Hey, Choi. It’s just a drinking game. Come on, be cool and do it once. What do you say?”

“Faye Chen! Please help me, Faye Chen!”

“Hmm… Sorry, but it’s a drinking game. The king’s command is absolute. Isn’t that the rule?”

“Even so, a kiss?! I’ve never played a drinking game before! You didn’t even explain the rules properly!”

“Oh, whatever. Number two will kiss number three on the cheek. That’s my command.”

“Choi. Stay still. I don’t want to cast a binding spell on you.”

“This is absurd… Mr. Jin! Over here, Mr. Jin!”

“Jin. Don’t interfere. I don’t want to cast an offensive spell on you.”

If I had arrived even one minute later, a catastrophe would have occurred.

I had been forced to down an enormous amount of alcohol in exchange for rescuing Team Leader Choi, but I didn’t regret it in the slightest. After all, I had been promised fair compensation.

“You remember the promise you made yesterday, right? About adjusting my settlement ratio.”

“…I remember. Nine to one.”

Team Leader Choi glared at me coldly.

“How could you do that in such an urgent situation? Are you even human?”

“Then go give him a nice, passionate kiss right now. Number two is coming over as we speak.”

He might have been number two, but when it came to being gay, he was number one in the world.

Team Leader Choi spotted Magic Johnson—a huge Black man who had just entered the lobby—and sprayed out his coffee.

“Pfft! Please, please hide me.”

“I think it’s already too late.”

The moment I finished speaking, Magic Johnson spotted us and waved a hand as big as a cauldron lid.

“Hey, gays!”

Wasn’t it supposed to be guys? He must have said it wrong… right?

As Team Leader Choi and I stared at him in disbelief, Magic Johnson approached and burst into hearty laughter.

“Don’t look at me like that. I got a little too excited yesterday and played the tiniest prank.”

“…You were really excited?”

“Ah. That came out wrong.”

“Please watch what you say. You startled me.”

“Haha. Anyway, something came up yesterday.”

“…What came?”

“Huh? No, not that kind of coming.”

“Please watch your words. You really startled me.”

“Please, both of you, stop. I’m afraid someone will hear you.”

Looking utterly resigned, Team Leader Choi downed the rest of his coffee and turned his head.

A group of people had entered through the hotel’s front doors and were walking toward us.

“It’s time to leave, gentlemen.”

Wei Fenghu, the Minister of National Defense, stood at the head of the group. His voice was rigid with tension.

At his signal, an elderly military general handed each of us a folder.

“What are these?”

“Information on your assigned areas and the forces stationed there. Of course, we have already sent them the necessary information and contacted them in advance. From here, you will travel aboard your designated jets.”

This was one of the conveniences of living in a modern age with cutting-edge technology.

A short while later, we followed Wei Fenghu to the temporary airfield, where several familiar faces waited amid heavy security.

“Did you sleep well, young people?”

“…”

“You’re late.”

Faye Chen greeted us while stretching her arms high overhead. Perhaps because of what had happened yesterday, Wu Heixing kept his eyes lowered without a word, while Lee Jungryong wore a strange smile.

The Skeleton Warlord, safely stored in my Inventory, spoke in a displeased voice.

“That human is unpleasant for some reason. This commander does not like him one bit.”

“I agree.”

Faye Chen raised an eyebrow at my quiet mutter.

“Hm? What did you say?”

“Nothing. By the way, where’s Prince Felix?”

“He left just before dawn. Apparently, a battle signal came from the area he was assigned.”

“…I see.”

Another battle, less than twenty-four hours after arriving.

The word war suddenly made a corner of my heart clench tight.

Our nationalities and upbringings were different, but knowing that human beings like me were being slaughtered somewhere made my heart heavy.

“Hey, young man.”

“Yes?”

Faye Chen had been staring at me intently. She reached out and gave me a light tap on the shoulder.

“Relax your shoulders. If they’re that heavy, how are you supposed to swing your spear?”

“…”

“Don’t blame yourself, and don’t be impatient. You can’t take responsibility for every death.”

Responsibility.

I thought about it for a moment before answering honestly.

“…I don’t know. I’m not sure I can do that.”

“Well, you certainly drank yourself senseless yesterday for someone who feels that way.”

“That was…”

“I know. I’m joking. People like us forget the burden for a little while that way. Our lives might end tomorrow—or even today.”

The content didn’t match her bright voice. The hero who had made her way through the Great Cataclysm with every inch of her body looked up at the sky.

“Ah. Perfect weather for a fight.”

She turned and walked lightly toward the jet, which was ready for takeoff.

Then she left us with one quiet remark.

“Let’s all… see each other alive.”

Her back disappeared inside the aircraft.

Magic Johnson gazed up at the sky for a moment with an oddly sentimental look, then suddenly spoke.

“Hey, Choi.”

“Yes?”

“Relax your butt, too.”

“…”

“No, your shoulders. Let’s see each other alive again.”

That sounded suspiciously like his true feelings slipping out.

Magic Johnson laughed heartily at Team Leader Choi’s wary look and boarded the aircraft after Faye Chen.

Wu Heixing followed as though fleeing the scene. Finally, Lee Jungryong, the last one remaining, swept his strange gaze over Team Leader Choi and me.

“Take care of yourselves. It would be a shame to die in a place like this, wouldn’t it? Especially at such a young age.”

What a way for an old man to talk.

It was one hell of an ominous remark.

Team Leader Choi’s face hardened, so I smiled and answered in his place.

“That’s right. Unlike certain people, we’re too young for anyone to call our deaths a good passing.”

“…!”

“If you do kick the bucket, I’ll make sure to send a generous funeral contribution.”

“I’ll be counting on it.”

After a brief silence, Lee Jungryong tossed out that final remark and led the Ares Guild members away.

Now only Team Leader Choi and I remained.

I stretched as hard as I could, then patted him on the shoulder.

“Let’s go, Team Leader.”

“Yes. We should.”

“No need to be nervous. Relax your butt.”

“…”

“…That was a joke. I’m sorry.”

One more joke and he looked ready to kill me.

I was cautiously watching Team Leader Choi’s expression as I boarded the aircraft when it happened.

“Unit—attention!”

A booming shout erupted behind us.

Wei Fenghu stood at attention and saluted us, his half-gray hair fluttering in the wind.

The people filling the airfield followed his lead and raised their hands in salute.

It was a gesture of respect for the heroes going to fight for their families and friends.

Their salutes remained raised until the jet’s door closed and the aircraft dwindled to a distant speck in the sky.

Good grief.

With a send-off like that, how could my shoulders not feel heavy?

I leaned back in my seat, suddenly exhausted.

Then—

Crackle. Crrrackle.

“…swer. Respond. This is…”

A static-filled radio transmission suddenly came from the cockpit, accompanied by an alert that pierced my ears.

Ding.

“…”

Damn it. That’s my life, all right.

I let out a deep sigh, then shouted toward the cockpit.

“Sir, floor it!”

“Where are they?”

The speaker was an old man in his eighties. His face was covered in wrinkles and age spots. His aged body was no longer what it had been in his youth, but his eyes held even greater power than they had back then.

Even through the holographic screen, the old man’s powerful gaze could be felt. Wei Fenghu swallowed hard before answering.

“They have all departed, Chairman Comrade.”

“How is the situation at the front?”

“Because of the magical interference disrupting communications and the barriers, we cannot easily determine the enemy’s movements. However, we are doing everything possible to track them.”

“If the S-rank Hunters arrive…”

“With their strength, they should be more than capable of turning the tide.”

“Don’t jump to conclusions. Do not let your guard down for even a moment. The lives of countless people depend on our decisions.”

“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”

After the brief communication with Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghu ended, Xiao Yang, Chairman of China, sat alone in the vast conference room and sank into thought.

How did things come to this?

It was a catastrophe without precedent since the Great Cataclysm. Despite pouring in vast amounts of manpower and money, they had been unable to stop the monster army centered around the Arch Lich.

He had wanted to avoid causing panic if at all possible, but if they delayed any longer, the opportunity might disappear forever.

That was why Xiao Yang had come here today despite the countless objections within the Communist Party.

“They’re ready.”

“…Connect me immediately.”

At his secretary’s words, Xiao Yang opened his eyes.

Holographic figures began appearing one after another in the empty seats of the spacious conference room.

Fourteen people of different races and genders.

No—fifteen, including Xiao Yang.

Each of them was the leader of a nation, and all belonged to a single body.

The United Nations Security Council.

In a grave voice, the elderly Chairman called the emergency meeting to order.