The president must have a reason for speaking like this. And there was a name that stuck with me.
The man I remembered deserved to die. He actually died at my hands.
Did he start acting arrogant from this point on?
“Is the name of the Transcendent coming from China Zhang Zedong?”
“That’s right, Zhang Zedong. Do you know him?”
“I’ve only heard the name.”
As expected, it’s just as I thought. If it’s Zhang Zedong, he’s a guy I could kill. He was a nuisance even in my previous life.
The president must have thought I didn’t know the details because he continued his explanation.
“He’s a young Transcendent recognized two years ago in China. He’s the youngest at 37, among Chinese Transcendent. He has rich practical experience and outstanding leadership. They say he’s coming as China’s ambassador this time.”
China currently possessed seven Transcendent, making it the country with the second-highest number of Transcendent in the world. Zhang Zedong was the youngest Transcendent in China and was responsible for the Northeastern region.
In terms of the number of Transcendent alone, they had three more than South Korea, but China is vast, and there are many places to protect. They have been facing constant challenges from monsters from all directions.
Zhang Zedong was an exceptional Transcendent who emerged in the midst of such challenges, and the Chinese authorities had high expectations for him. However, there’s a significant problem with him.
“Zhang Zedong has an excessive Chinese-centric ideology. He is openly advocating that North Korea should be swallowed up by China.”
After the monsters’ arrival, North Korea was ill-equipped to deal with them. More than 10 million people were killed by the monsters. Two-thirds of the survivors went to South Korea and the remaining third to China.
Naturally, South Korea gained authority over North Korean territory, and the only country that raised objections to this was China. Japan and Russia were cautious, and the United States recognized South Korea’s rights.
However, in the midst of the chaos where even their own territory was difficult to protect due to the monster attack, South Korea could only rely on a few cities in the northern part of Gangwon Province and Gyeonggi Province.
China couldn’t even get close to the Yalu River, let alone cross it.
In the meantime, the appearance of Zhang Zedong, who advocated a strong Chinese ideology, was making the government uncomfortable.
“It’s not just that. Unofficially, Zhang Zedong is working on a task to push more monsters into the North Korean territory to prevent us from recovering North Korean territory. It’s probably a plan to ensure that we can’t recover it since China’s power is currently insufficient.”
“An efficient method.”
“It’s bad for us.”
In response to this, the government protested, but China remained indifferent.
Was this what they call a two-front strategy? It was the same in my previous life, and it seemed to be the case in this life as well.
I had a connection with Zhang Zedong when I was the Blood Master.
It’s also related to Cheon Myeong-guk here. When I was the Blood Master, a ‘great compromise’ was achieved, and government-affiliated hunters and guild-affiliated hunters teamed up to push me northward.
At the time, South Korea had advanced as far as Pyongyang, and as I was fleeing northward to evade pursuit, I had to pass through China. But before I could cross the border, Zhang Zedong appeared.
He tossed me a bunch of monsters that he claimed were presents and fled.
I was already exhausted from being chased so vigorously, and I had to endure a lot of suffering from the monster attack.
After that, I tried to break his neck, but he was incredibly elusive, and it was a struggle to catch and kill him. The Gift I obtained from killing Zhang Zedong was the ‘Transition’.
In this life, the bad blood continued.
But in my previous life, Zhang Zedong never left the three provinces in the Northeast until he died at my hands.
It must be because of me that the guy who was hunting monsters in the North was coming.
It seemed like Cheon Myeong-guk could read my thoughts.
“Zhang Zedong is coming after Transcendent Choi Jun-ho.”
“Me? Why?”
“If Transcendent Choi Jun-ho grows stronger, the power of South Korean Transcendent will strengthen, which will support the recovery of the nation’s territory. They probably thought this would be a threat to China’s security. If Zhang Zedong comes, there’s a high chance he’ll request a duel during the exchange battle.”
Ah, so that’s it.
I had become a threat to his country, so he’s coming here with the intention to kill me, right?
I wondered if I had misunderstood.
“Is the reason for Zhang Zedong’s arrival to kill me?”
“Yes.”
Did I seem that easy to deal with?
I didn’t feel bad. In fact, I felt good. The fact that he underestimated me was evidence that I was living in peace. I had caused a few incidents in the past, but this meant they’re acceptable to the general public.
I could kill Zhang Zedong with pleasure.
“Transcendent Choi Jun-ho, can you kill Zhang Zedong? If it’s difficult to do that, even a severe injury would be fine.”
A Transcendent coming to attack me, and it would be considered a success if it ended with a serious injury. That was a more difficult request.
From the moment I heard Zhang Zedong’s name, his fate was sealed.
“That day, I’ll make sure I can’t control my strength.”
“Good, I trust you. Do you have any wishes?”
“A meal prepared by the First Lady?”
“I’ll prepare it lavishly!”
“Mr. President, you might be chased away...”
“Humph! Make it luxurious enough that I won’t be chased away.”
“Alright.”
I promised Zhang Zedong an ‘unfortunate accident’.
***
Among the foreign envoys, the first to visit was the United States.
Following the United States, China and Japan were next, followed by the European Union. After that, visits were planned to the Southeast Asian Union, Mexico, and Australia, and then to countries in South America, all the way to South Africa.
Every country that had the means to do so would visit.
The interest in the hunting process was much greater than I expected.
The United States and China were the only two countries that would include two Transcendent and would have an exchange battle.
With the United States, it would be moderate, but China would be pretty rough.
Before the diplomatic delegation arrived, I lived an everyday life as an exceptional person. During that time, I received an invitation from the Academy and gave another special lecture.
But something strange happened.
“What did that guy eat wrong?”
Ma Hwang-gi and Yoon Mi-sun were still stubborn, but Yang Joo-hyuk was strangely obedient. He didn’t resist even when treated roughly, and he accepted things willingly when his personality was challenged.
He used to be a troublemaker who resisted and rebelled like an untamed colt. Was there some kind of problem?
He’s obviously done all sorts of crazy things in his last life, and became a villain when the Hoyeol Guild couldn’t protect him anymore, but he had changed so easily?
I thought I had hit him too hard during the first lecture, and I regretted it.
In that regard, there was no one who could match Yoon-hee’s reaction. The scream that only grew louder the more you train her was something else. When I got home, I would have to train Yoon-hee some more.
In addition to giving lectures, I also visited the Sacred Guild to teach the Heartworker how to process, and his behaved demeanor quite surprised me. I had never seen him like that in my previous life.
“We had a deep conversation about the future. That’s all.”
When I asked Lee Se-hee, she didn’t provide any further answers.
What on earth had happened? I was impressed by Lee Se-hee’s training ability.
In the meantime, I also met with a charity organization. The meeting with the head of the organization, who had volunteered to help disadvantaged people all his life, left a deep impression on me.
I experienced a sense of humility for the first time. The shock was even greater when they asked to reduce the amount I had originally offered for donation, stating that they felt overwhelmed by the amount.
Finally, a day before the US delegation’s visit, I was suddenly bombarded with texts from Berserker.
Berserker - I heard you’re meeting the foreign delegations.
Berserker - You’re the only one having fun.
Berserker - [Attached photos][Attached photos][Attached photos][Attached photos][Attached photos]
Berserker - I’m not as talented as you, hunting monsters.
Berserker - Can I get a good price for this?
Berserker - We’re comrades, after all.
Berserker - I need funds to buy good equipment.
Berserker - That way, I’ll be able to catch up to you.
Berserker - I travel all over the country doing odd jobs.
Berserker - You get to meet strong people from all over the world.
Berserker - I envy you.
This guy sent a ton of messages.
He seemed to enjoy camping with his camper, and he didn’t stop talking.
In my opinion, even if he was to become a Hunter, he would never be able to do it. How could someone who originally lived life as they pleased, considering it a pleasure, become a Hunter?
If he makes a mistake while hunting and doesn’t attack his fellow hunters like catching mice, that would be a miracle in itself.
And what? He wanted to catch up to me?
I sent a message right away.
Me - If you want, I can make you a government hunter.
Me - You’ll have to come under my command.
Me - I’ll let you fight to your heart’s content. Come to Seoul.
Me - Comrades, huh?
Me - But did you manage to get the Complete Immunity?
Me - If you got it, tell me.
Me - I have a great way to copy Gifts.
Me - I’m not going to break open your heart.
Me - I’ll just open it a little?
Me - Hey, why aren’t you answering?
Me - I saw the “Read” notification. Answer me.
Me - You’re not answering until the end.
However, the Berserker still didn’t answer.
He’s like a ghost when it came to understanding the situation.
This guy, did he really manage to get Complete Immunity?
***
After the appearance of monsters, sea and air routes around the world have been blocked. There was no place on the sea or in the sky that wasn’t under the threat of monsters.
As a result, the world logistics market was in extreme chaos.
Venturing down a path devoid of sea monsters and flying creatures came late, but it felt like navigating a maze. Particularly as the distance increased twofold, interactions remained highly limited.
So diplomacy became even more important. The need to join forces in the face of humanity’s crises prevailed.
During this time, the alliance between South Korea and the United States remained strong.
The reason for this was the principle of “Won Gyo Geun Gong” (원교근공). After the emergence of monsters, not a single nation that shared a border had improved relations with another. (T/N: A Korean idiom that can be translated as “Make distant allies while attacking nearby enemies.” It suggests the strategy of forming alliances or friendships with distant nations or parties while being assertive or aggressive towards those closer to you.)
Due to the appearance of monsters, it had become a tense battle to push the monsters near the borders into neighboring countries, resulting in several wars.
Although there was an international agreement not to provoke monsters near the borders, it was still a recurring issue beneath the surface.
This was what South Korea was currently going through with China.
The Chinese side was trying to restore the Dongbei Plain in Manchuria in any way possible, and one part of that was the Dongbei Plain Purification Campaign under the banner of the complete extermination of monsters.
For this purpose, a large number of Awakened were deployed, and Zhang Zedong took on the role of the leader, driving the monsters away in all directions, east, west, south, and north.
From the perspective of the government, which considers North Korea as territory to be reclaimed someday, China sending demons to the North Korean region was not a pleasant operation.
As time went on, the relationship between South Korea and the United States grew closer. They shared hunting information and actively engaged in bilateral exchanges.
Even though their status had declined, the United States was still the United States.
With the most Awakened and the establishment of the Smart Hunting System to minimize hunter losses and accumulate diverse hunting experiences, they had raised the level of Awakened.
South Korea was also receiving assistance in this regard.
And this time, the United States sent an envoy.
The size of the envoy sent by the United States was significant.
***
Led by Level 8 Transcendent James Reed, known as Macho Man, it included succubus Anna Christine, as well as the Vice President, Senators, and promising talents from the United States.
It demonstrated the United States’ interest in how the Nuri was hunted.
The President personally went to welcome the U.S. envoy. I had no intention of attending the dinner, but I suddenly found myself participating.
The President exchanged greetings and had a conversation with the Vice President who came out first. I stood behind the President and then made eye contact with the blonde woman who came out next.
It was Anna Christine, a lovely woman with a sensual figure.
She looked in my direction and gave a bright smile. I looked around, wondering if there was anything nearby, and then I saw her appearing right in front of me.
“It’s been a while, Junho! I’ve missed you.”
Her reaction was like that of someone meeting a long-lost lover. Why was that? I was considering ignoring it, but when I heard the familiar Korean language, I warmly welcomed it.
Indeed, if you visited Korea, you should use the Korean language.
Anna Christine, who had put on heels to match my eye level, hugged me tighter than necessary. Why was she hugging me like this? Meanwhile, a sweet scent permeated the air.
But her accent sounded Korean.
“It seems like you’ve been practicing Korean.”
“I’ve been practicing while waiting to see you again. Is it perfect?”
“You’re quite good.”
“If I can’t speak Korean, we won’t even be able to have a conversation. I can even make fermented soybean paste stew. I ate it every day in Koreatown. Soft tofu stew is delicious too!”
“That’s some great effort.”
“Right, I put in the effort.”
It’s so comfortable to converse in Korean.
As Anna Christine, who glanced around, leaned on me and whispered.
“Today is like this, but next time, let’s have a deeper conversation.”
Was there more to discuss in a deeper conversation?
While Anna Christine and I were talking, a huge shadow approached.
He was a middle-aged white man with a height of over 210 cm and a muscular body.
“Wasup, bro! Oh! I heard you won’t speak to others unless they speak in Korean? Hello! I’m James Reed! Nice to meet you! I practiced Korean like crazy to meet you.”
Macho man James Reed was a veteran hunter known as the guardian of California, and the most prolific monster hunter in the United States.
He was known for his dedication to physical fitness, proclaiming, ‘A well-molded body is the greatest gift of all!’
He approached with his arms wide open.
Was he trying to hug me right now? Was he insane? Why were his biceps twitching like that?
I stopped the approaching person.
“Stop. If you come any closer, I’ll take it as a challenge to fight.”
“What? Why?”
“Just because.”
“Why are you rejecting my hug? Didn’t Anna hug you?”
For the record, I didn’t have a hobby of hugging guys.
Especially not muscular ones.
“Are you the same as her? If you have a problem, become a pretty girl and come here.”
“What? That’s discrimination! Total discrimination!”
“So what?”
“Damn it.”
James Reed had a sulky expression in response to my firm rejection.
