Cheon Myeong-guk’s heart sank when he heard that Choi Jun-ho had initially ordered the helicopter to fly to the Black Wyvern’s location.
Using the sky route for approach was an absolute taboo when dealing with flying monsters.
Since the appearance of these monsters, the sky was no longer a haven for humans. The speed, attack power, and defense of flying monsters far exceeded any known limits, so they dared not travel on any unverified flight path.
A monster with a danger level of 7 was, in essence, a living warplane. While their attack power might be lacking, their durability, vitality, and stamina were overwhelming.
If a helicopter were to be attacked and crash, even if it’s a Level 8 Transcendent, it would be difficult to emerge unscathed.
“Why didn’t he land far away from there and then attack...”
He racked his brains. But it had already happened. What if Choi Jun-ho died? He was terrified just imagining the aftermath.
Soon after, though, he received some surprising news.
Choi Jun-ho had hunted a Black Wyvern.
“...”
Cheon Myeong-guk, after watching the video of the hunt, was speechless.
Choi Jun-ho didn’t just hunt the Black Wyvern. He obliterated it with a single strike. Then he calmly returned, as if he had just gone for a stroll.
Was what he’s seeing now real? It’s not a movie?
Suddenly, everything Choi Jun-ho had done and said made sense.
“My actions could only be laughed at. So, that’s what it was.”
All his worries about causing a major setback during the hunt or suffering psychological shock were futile thoughts.
Suddenly, he recalled something Jung Ju-ho had said while they were drinking.
The most useless worry in the world was worrying about Choi Jun-ho.
Jung Ju-ho had emphasized that not stressing over it at all was the best approach.
The person himself felt stressed and his hair loss accelerated.
“Well, I don’t have much to say.”
He sighed, running his hand through his hair for no reason. His thoughts were driving him crazy.
It turned out that Choi Jun-ho wasn’t incapable of hunting; he just didn’t do it.
The problem was that he wanted a list of the people who called him half-baked.
He had an idea of who had what opinion due to his job, but the real issue was what would happen when Choi Jun-ho got a hold of it.
Just going to watch? Even a passing dog would laugh.
“He’s proven his skills, so the president will support him, and in the end, it’s an inevitable storm.”
He felt sick to his stomach. Would taking medicine help? He decided to rely more on the power of medicine and moved on to the next agenda.
This was more serious.
“A monster with a level 7 danger has left its territory. This is by no means a typical case.”
Monsters left their territory for two main reasons: when significant changes occurred in their domain or when a higher-level predator appeared.
The first reason did not apply here. There had been no changes in the territory of the Black Wyvern.
So it must be the second reason. There’s only one predator above a danger level 7.
“A danger level 8.”
This could be a catastrophe that could lead to the destruction of the country.
It’s a possibility, but they must be prepared.
***
The helicopter landed near the Black Wyvern’s corpse at high speed.
“If you contact me, I’ll come right away!”
The pilot said in a voice that sounded more militarized than it had earlier and then took off.
I began moving towards the location where Black Wyvern’s corpse had fallen.
This hunting trip required more supplies, but it wasn’t bad.
At least I could show that I was capable of hunting monsters before Nuri showed up. There’s a difference between being called out in an emergency and making a move to clear up suspicions.
Since the video had been recorded, I could make the people who spread the rumors shut their mouth when I wanted.
This would be useful when determining the order of hunting Nuri.
“I wanted to delay it a bit more and drag them all out.”
Should I just pretend not to notice?
If I did that, my position as a Transcendent might also become precarious.
Since I was quite satisfied with the current situation, efforts were needed to maintain my position.
Above all, I wanted to examine what Nuri’s Gift was.
“Hmm?”
I couldn’t help but stop on my way to the Black Wyvern’s corpse.
Ahead of me, I could hear the sounds of battle and see the monsters gathering. They had smelled the predator’s blood and gathered.
I clicked my tongue.
“Anyway, I know the taste.”
Black Wyvern. The meat was tasteless, but the tangy venom was delicious. Highly recommended if you want to lose weight. I think it would help Berserker to eat it, but he’s doing fine on his own, so I put off telling it to him for now.
Anyway, this mission involved hunting Black Wyvern and rescuing the hunting team.
If they were all dead, there was nothing to be done, but there was a possibility some were still alive, so I had to handle it quickly.
I didn’t hesitate and jumped into the midst of the monsters.
***
The Hellhound hunting team was exhausted from hunting monsters and retreating from the pursuit of Black Wyvern. When the monsters indiscriminately charged at them, they put Black Wyvern’s corpse behind them and erected a barrier.
Boom!
“Keup!”
Han Jung-seok stepped back from the Aul bore’s attack. He could taste the metallic tang of blood welling up within him. He was already tired, and even facing Aul boar, whom he would normally handle without difficulty, felt burdensome.
Thwack!
It was Lee Chang-soo who pushed back the charging Aul boar.
“Jung-seok! Are you okay?”
“Yes, Team Leader!”
“Conserve your stamina! We just need to hold on a little longer!”
“Yes! I’ll hold on!”
Just moments ago, all they had was despair, but now they had hope.
During their retreat, he looked up at the battle unfolding in the sky.
No, it was one-sided violence. A monster with a danger level 7 that he thought was absolutely out of reach had its breath cut off with a single blow.
It wasn’t humanly possible. Today, the Hellhound Hunting Team had witnessed what transcendent power truly meant. And they realized how absurd the rumors circulating among the people were.
“Hold on a little longer! The Transcendent is coming!”
“Yes!”
At Lee Chang-soo’s shout, Han Jung-seok held his ground firmly, crouching down.
The seemingly endless wait was rewarded.
Crack!
Someone was approaching, unilaterally tearing through the wall of monsters gathered all around.
A young man, with a somewhat short, dandy haircut, wearing a charcoal gray suit with a single vest over it, walked by, and every time he passed, monsters fell like dominoes.
It was the Transcendent, Choi Jun-ho.
With each swipe of his hand, each stomp of his foot, the monster’s skin burst and tore apart. It was as if popping a balloon.
More than 50 monsters had perished in less than five minutes. A few surviving monsters, emitting eerie cries, fled desperately.
After the monsters disappeared, only Choi Jun-ho and the Hellhound team remained.
Lee Chang-soo, who was exhausted, struggled to get up and approached Choi Jun-ho, bowing his head.
“Thank you for saving me. I’m Lee Chang-soo from the government-affiliated hunting team, Hellhound.”
“I’m Choi Jun-ho. I came in response to the rescue request. Are all of you here?”
“Yes, the other teams must have scattered by now.”
“You volunteered as bait. Impressive.”
“It was just bad luck.”
“It’s not easy to remain calm when you become the sacrificial target. And…”
Choi Jun-ho’s gaze turned to the Black Wyvern.
“Thanks to you, we were able to secure the Black Wyvern’s corpse safely.”
“Of course, it was the least I could do.”
“I feel like I should offer something in return. What would you like?”
Choi Jun-ho fell silent for a moment, lost in thought. Watching him, Han Jeong-suk felt a tightening in his chest. Even though he was just keeping his mouth shut, it felt like his imposing presence was about to stop his heart.
‘A Transcendent like this wouldn’t be able to hunt monsters--?’
He decided that when he got back home, he would bash his friend’s head in for talking nonsense to him.
No, the problem was that he believed it. He barely resisted the urge to punch himself in the head.
At that moment, Choi Jun-ho pointed to the monster corpses strewn around.
“What about these monster corpses?”
“Excuse me?”
“Due to rushing here to handle everything quickly, my condition is not at its best. This would be like a small repayment to those who protected the Black Wyvern’s corpse for me.”
“Even so, it’s an excessive repayment.”
Although Lee Chang-soo declined, Choi Jun-ho’s voice was firm.
“I’ll be the one to determine what that repayment is. Please accept it.”
“...Thank you. I won’t forget your kindness, sir.”
“Protecting the hunters who work for the government is my duty. And.”
Choi Jun-ho took a pill bottle from his pocket and tossed it to Lee Chang-soo.
“These are recovery pills.”
“Why would you give me something precious...”
“Because you’re tired. You need to eat and recover before you can move again.”
The pill-shaped recovery pills had a slow recovery rate but were essential for preventing severe injuries. The Hellhounds, exhausted from back-to-back battles, needed it.
Seeing him give it without hesitation, Han Jung-seok was touched. He vowed to praise Choi Jun-ho for the rest of his life.
Moreover, he learned how unfounded rumors could spread like wildfire.
He promised himself to only believe what he saw and experienced from now on.
“Thank you, really thank you.”
Starting with Lee Chang-soo, the Hellhound team took the pills without exception.
Choi Jun-ho, who had been watching expressionlessly, said one word.
“There is one thing you must do in return. Please keep the results of today’s hunt a secret.”
“We’ll do as you say. Our team, including me, will keep it a secret.”
Lee Chang-soo replied without hesitation, but Han Jung-seok was different. Just a little while ago, he had been skeptical of Choi Jun-ho’s hunting abilities, but now the Black Wyvern hunt was an achievement that would extinguish the rumors.
Didn’t he even mock the other for possibly having poor hunting skills?
Only by publicizing this great achievement would the idiots come to their senses.
“Transcendent-nim, may I ask why we’re keeping this a secret?”
“Some people are saying I’m only half capable of hunting monsters, so I’m planning to catch them at the time of my choosing.”
“......!”
“Oh, Director Cheon asked me to keep it a secret. Pretend you didn’t hear it.”
Han Jung-seok, who felt a chill down his spine, and the entire hunting team that had heard the story, shivered.
“We’ll let them keep talking and get the list. Oh, I told Director Cheon that I’ll only keep it to myself. By saying this, it might get out. Fortunately, if the rumor spreads, it will be obvious who the culprit is.”
Choi Jun-ho scanned the hunting team. At that moment, the Hellhound Hunting Team instinctively sensed that they would have to carry this secret for the rest of their lives.
Without further emphasis, they all nodded vigorously.
“Then let’s dismantle it.”
Choi Jun-ho, who approached the Black Wyvern’s corpse, borrowed the hunting team’s equipment and began to dismantle the corpse.
***
The return trip was uneventful. After dropping off the Black Wyvern byproducts, I took a helicopter back to the Blue House.
Cheon Myeong-guk’s gaze as he looked at me was a mixture of astonishment and embarrassment.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“It was like taking a leisurely walk.”
“Every time I see the Transcendent, I’m surprised.”
“I don’t have a hobby of deliberately surprising people.”
Leaving that aside, I turned the conversation to another topic.
“I’d like to keep the Black Wyvern hunting incident a secret for the time being.”
“But this incident is a golden opportunity to reverse the unfavorable rumors we’ve had for a while.”
“The rumors have already spread everywhere. Is there a reason to set things right? I will correct it when I want to.”
“If it’s when you want...”
“At the Nationwide Guild Alliance meeting. I will make it clear there.”
“.......”
The guilds were the ones with the most people who cursed at me.
It would be fun to gather them all in one place and blow it up.
Cheon Myeong-guk remained silent. He sighed, avoiding my gaze.
“What’s your intention?”
I had never hidden the fact that I could hunt monsters. But those who looked down on me spread rumors and instigated the current situation.
Since they had created the stage, he wouldn’t easily destroy it. And then I would deal with all of them.
“I need the list before the meeting starts.”
“...”
“You’re keeping track of it, aren’t you?”
“I’m keeping track of it, yeah.”
“Good.”
As expected, Cheon Myeong-guk was reliable in one thing.
“It’s perfect to announce it at the gathering of the guilds. Won’t they discuss the danger level 8 monster Nuri?”
“How are we going to do that?”
“When something as big as a Black Wyvern leaves its territory, it means that an ecosystem change has occurred, and the only monster that can cause that change is a monster with a danger level of 8.”
“Ah!”
As expected, Cheon Myeong-guk also has guessed it.
Since there would have been reports, it wouldn’t have been difficult to guess.
“There’s no one who wouldn’t recognize a Black Wyvern hunt if it were made public, much less a large guild with their eyes on profit.”
“That’s possible.”
“What I want is the right to hunt Nuri when the big guilds fail. In other words, give up number one and get number two.”
“Do you think the large guilds will fail, Transcendent?”
“Well, who knows? Let’s call it insurance.”
The large guilds would fail in hunting Nuri. And then I would step in to catch Nuri.
After that, something very interesting would happen.
That’s the picture I wanted.
“Please make the video with a patriotic sentiment. There’s no choice but to click on that.”
“......”
“‘The hunting method of the youngest Transcendent that astonishes China and makes Japan look up!’ How about that?”
Perhaps because I was not an expert, it seemed quite lacking.
