Chapter 80: |
The gazes directed at me were diverse. Some were surprised, and others were angry.
I generally disliked dragging things out and prefer resolving matters on the spot. In that sense, the gathering of Transcendent from around the world this time was an opportunity to handle troublesome matters all at once.
I didn’t want to have to listen to people all over the place talking about my skills.
So, I set up the stage.
If they had any complaints, they should speak up.
How confidently could one speak up when the party involved was right in front of them?
“Speak up.”
Amidst the atmosphere where everyone looked like they were hesitating, the one who raised his hand was a middle-aged man with typical Germanic features and brown hair.
“I am Švantner.”
It had been over ten years since he became a Transcendent, and he was known for causing trouble with his fiery temperament and rash behavior.
I remembered what he said about me. Did he say that I was a scarecrow created by Korea to cover up Kim Yong-hwan’s death? He criticized, claiming that a small country on the peninsula was taking an impractical approach, saying that the country’s genius-making would soon crumble.
He even said that I exaggerated the danger of hunting Nuri, claiming it was an ordinary Level 8 monster. And that I would get myself into trouble hunting a Plus-level threat in the Czech Republic.
He’s a small-minded guy. There were those who judged everything according to their own standards in their own small world. Come to think of it, I didn’t seem to be much different. The only distinction was that I had the strength to overcome that, and he didn’t.
Understanding his words in real-time translation wasn’t difficult.
“Speak.”
“There’s a significant gap between Iron Mind’s testimony and the time you finished hunting Nuri. How do you explain that?”
Iron Mind was an alias referring to Lee Chan-taek.
“Because I didn’t immediately kill Nuri.”
“Not immediately?”
“I found its use of Gift and its manipulation of Force fascinating, so I captured it and tested how long it could endure. Eventually, it couldn’t hold on any longer and became less interesting. Only then did I kill it.”
“…”
Silence fell over the room. If you had already neutralized a monster, what’s wrong with experimenting with it? Why were they all acting like this? Was the fact that I used brainwashing revealed?
Well, taming a danger level 8 plus monster would indeed be formidable.
“Not only did you subdue it, but you experimented on it as well?”
“Yeah.”
“…Nonsense.”
Švantner’s eyes shook violently. I didn’t understand why these days, even when I tell the truth, people think it’s a lie.
“If you don’t believe it, don’t ask.”
“I can’t believe it. Transcendent from various countries have faced life-threatening crises with Plus-level threats. And you, not only did you hunt one alone, but you also conducted experiments?”
“If you don’t want to believe it, don’t ask. Or do you want to fight?”
“What?”
“You claimed that my abilities could be verified with just a few fingers. I’m supposed to be a scarecrow, so why are you acting scared, Swamper?”
Švantner’s expression wrinkled at the mention of ‘Swamper’.
Swamper was a term used to mock someone with the Gift of Mud creation, as they were seen as individuals dealing with trivial or menial tasks.
“…Fine, I’ve been curious about your abilities for a while.”
“Wait–“
Before astonished onlookers could intervene, Švantner’s actions were quicker as a deadly Force spread in an instant.
Rushing forward with determination, he reached out his hand. Force surged, and I countered, deflecting it. While weapons were prohibited in this place, as a Transcendent, one could demonstrate their own prowess even without a weapon.
Claiming that they couldn’t unleash their full power after losing was just the excuse of a loser.
I was about to step forward to respond when I faltered. Somehow, the ground beneath me had transformed into a swampy, sticky surface, entangling my feet.
It’s just a slight inconvenience. Normally, I would have effortlessly dispersed the impediment by planting Land Mine on my feet.
But I had Complete Immunity. It briefly malfunctioned, but in such situations, it showcased its legendary power. It lifted the swamp’s debuff, granting me freedom of movement.
As I moved unhindered, Švantner’s eyes widened.
Psssh!
The Force cast by Švantner shattered, and my Land Mine reached him directly. Even when he condensed his Force, the power of my Gift held a firm advantage.
“Kuk!”
With a brief grunt, he crossed his arms and barely managed to block it. Indeed, at the level of a Transcendent, the Land Mine struggled to penetrate deeply.
However, compared to his defense, the attack was mediocre. The awkwardness stemmed from his main weapon being a greatsword.
If he died here, he would probably lament in the afterlife about dying because he didn’t have his weapon with him.
So what?
He should have learned hand-to-hand combat in preparation for this kind of situation. There’s no excuse in dying.
I was also dealing with the same penalty, facing the opponent bare-handed.
“If your mouth is too loose for someone so weak, it’s a way to hasten death.”
“Uwaaa!”
Švantner absorbed the Force while countering my Land Mine and unleashed it.
Boom!
With the sound of balloons popping, a tremendous Force swept through. In an instant, the scene turned chaotic, but there were no casualties. The Transcendent who had come forward earlier intervened to mitigate the aftermath.
I was momentarily pushed back, but that was it. My determination drove me to relentlessly pursue Švantner, and eventually, I seized him by the neck.
“Kkuk!”
The struggling guy let out a stifled groan. Despite his strong resistance, my hand didn’t budge an inch.
It was when I was about to ruthlessly snap his neck with my left hand. Seeing an approaching figure from the side, I had no choice but to release Švantner’s neck.
Thunk!
Twisted tree roots wrapped around my leg, threatening to break them. Instead of causing immediate harm, it felt like a relentless Force, like a Land Mine, digging persistently into my insides.
Shifting my gaze, I saw a beautiful blonde woman with a gracefully contoured figure looking at me.
She was Laura Anne, the German Transcendent. At 34, she’s considered the rising star of Europe, having been included in the Transcendent ranks around the same time as me.
She had been praising me as a promising individual without making negative comments. I was not sure why she intervened.
“Why meddle?”
“Švantner is a valuable asset to the European Union. I can’t let him die like this. His death would only benefit the League or the monsters.”
“I’m the one who decides that, not you.”
“But I can interfere. I can even cause fatal damage to you if needed.”
“I will take that as a sign that you want to die with him.”
Without saying more, I rushed towards Laura. In an instant, I felt the presence of tree roots entwining around my legs, but I easily crushed them with a swift kick.
However, even amidst the shattered fragments, splinters tried to penetrate my legs.
It was quite surprising, an entirely unexpected approach. It resembled the principle of the Land Mine.
Come to think of it, I heard that Laura Anne was a disciple of Franz, the original owner of the Land Mine. Did she incorporate that technique into her own Gift? Being a Transcendent at a young age, she indeed had exceptional talent.
However, Laura’s Gift posed no significant threat to me, as someone who unraveled anomalies with Complete Immunity and operated the intricacies of Land Mine throughout my body.
How much blood had these hands soaked? Ironically, I might have used the Land Mine longer and killed more people than Franz. I crushed the Force trying to delve into my insides using Land Mine.
My hand, now free of all obstacles, reached Laura.
Crack!
“Ugh!”
As the wood roots protruding from her fingertips broke, a suppressed cry escaped Laura’s lips. I pushed away her hand, trying to reach me, and stretched my other hand towards Švantner. The other had already recovered enough to create a Force blade with a ballpoint pen, blocking my Land Mine.
I alternated between facing Švantner and Laura from both sides, pushing strongly against them.
“Kuk!”
“Ugh!”
The Force blade and pen broke, causing Švantner, now with a sunken chest and spitting blood, to be pushed back. I twisted Laura’s arm with my Land Mines and implanted them on her shoulder. Being a Transcendent, she resiliently resisted, not breaking immediately.
However, it’s already over from the moment they allowed me to attack. While Laura couldn’t use her power, Švantner had his hands, wrists, and elbows broken, starting from his knees and thighs.
The very foundation for him to exert any strength had been completely obliterated.
The disappearance of confidence and the emergence of fear were visible in his eyes.
Now, it’s the end.
At that moment, a powerful Force surged towards me with a fierce momentum.
Turning my body, I gathered my hands and unleashed Blade Storm. With a thunderous sound, the giant boulder shattered into pieces.
The shattered pieces of rock stuck together like magnets and transformed into a large black man.
He was Tréore, a Transcendent from Mali that immigrated to France. Rising to the pinnacle of the French Transcendent, he became a symbol of immigrant success and a troubleshooter handling Europe’s dirty work. The universally recognized alias for him was Stone Golem.
“I wish you would stop. Both of them are valuable teammates.”
“I commend the friendship that values teammates.”
Tréore’s expression brightened at my words. It seemed like he might have misunderstood the meaning behind it.
If someone else were to witness this, how would they evaluate it? Facing three Transcendent, wouldn’t they think I was crazy?
But I was not crazy now.
When I was Blood Master, I had survived worse and darker situations than this.
Even though three Transcendent blocked my way, I didn’t care.
“For your friendship, I will kill all three of you.”
***
‘What the fuck! Motherfucker!’
James Reed screamed inwardly. He couldn’t distinguish whether what he was seeing was a dream or reality.
While continuously uttering the curse word he picked up while learning Korean recently, he couldn’t take his eyes off the confrontation.
‘This is seriously a crazy development!’
He acknowledged that Choi Jun-ho is amazing. He understood the current conditions—limited space and the fact that the Transcendent against him couldn’t exert their full power.
But was still too much!
From Švantner, who engulfed opponents in an endless abyss, to Laura Anne, the German supernova, and the troubleshooter of France, Tréore.
All of them were formidable Transcendent.
However, Choi Jun-ho was overwhelming these three.
At this point, Choi Jun-ho had already proven his skills. Overwhelming three Transcendent was akin to proving that he hunted Nuri alone.
Švantner’s debuffs, Laura’s creative application of abilities, and Tréore’s weight and power were all helpless against Choi Jun-ho.
‘He’s like a combination of Black Hound and Hell Master.’
James Reed, recalling the legendary villains who established the League, turned his head in surprise at the hand tapping his shoulder. There stood Guillermo, unable to take his eyes off the battlefield.
“I survived because of you. If it weren’t for you, I would have died.”
During their first encounter, Guillermo almost clashed with Choi Jun-ho.
But one could imagine what would have happened if they had.
Now, grateful that Guillermo acknowledged his hardships, James asked for help.
“That’s not the issue. We need to stop him.”
“I’ll step in.”
“I’ll help too. We’ll just try to stop him.”
James Reed, who had been watching the situation, joined the confrontation with Guillermo.
The power of the Blade Storm unleashed through Choi Jun-ho’s hands was beyond words.
It was like a mighty force intent on shattering the opponent into pieces. Each blade held murderous intent.
‘It’s insanely powerful! It’s optimized solely for killing enemies!’
James Reed shuddered at the feeling of killing intent in the single blade.
“……”
Guillermo’s expression hardened as he felt the same thing.
When the two of them helped alleviate the aftermath of Choi Jun-ho’s Blade Storm, the three Transcendent stepped back.
Švantner’s injury seemed severe, but fortunately, it didn’t appear life-threatening.
James Reed shouted, “Jun-ho! Stop!”
“Do you want to die too?”
“For heaven’s sake, calm down!”
“Why should I?”
“This incident happened because they didn’t know about Jun-ho! So give them time to get to know Jun-ho! Then the misunderstanding will be cleared up! Killing is not a solution! That’s something only villains do!”
Though what he was doing was already worse than a villain.
James Reed knew that the words ‘villain’ and ‘soybean paste stew’ could restrain Choi Jun-ho, so he deliberately mentioned the word ‘villain’.
There was a reaction.
“……”
James Reed anxiously watched as Choi Jun-ho remained silent. He had crossed a line and intervened, but if he tried to use more force here, there was no justification to stop him.
So, he brought out his second secret weapon, soybean paste stew.
“I’ll tell Guillermo to teach you the Mexican-style soybean paste stew recipe!”
“……!”
“And I’ll combine it with Nordic and Mediterranean styles! How about that?”
Just this as his ultimate move? Was this all that the resourcefulness of a Stanford Ph.D. amounted to?
James Reed felt self-reproach for not being able to come up with anything better himself.
But then, a miracle happened.
Choi Jun-ho came back to his senses.
“…I had already lost interest, so I was already thinking of stopping. Keep your promise.”
“Just trust me! I’ll give you an incredibly delicious recipe.”
Was this reality?
James Reed looked at the retreating Choi Jun-ho and let out a relieved sigh amidst the slightly awkward atmosphere that followed.
***
After that, the event ended in a somewhat awkward atmosphere.
Throughout the event, I could feel the cold stares directed at me.
Annoying.
I couldn’t kill all three. I didn’t feel a significant regret. If I was still Blood Master, I would have done whatever it took to kill them, but as a Transcendent who thought rationally, I decided to be satisfied with having adjusted their attitudes even a little.
Still, if they didn’t come to their senses, killing them wouldn’t be a problem.
Because everyone could make a mistake.
I thought I had become quite forgiving.
“Švantner will probably have a hard time recovering.”
Since I thoroughly attacked his whole body with Land Mines, it would take quite a while for him to recover.
Laura or Tréore might have minor injuries, but it shouldn’t be anything serious.
Come to think of it, did I make sure they wouldn’t cause trouble again?
“What’s this?”
Resting in the room, I sensed a sticky atmosphere.
It was an atmosphere I had felt before. It was calling me.
I followed that atmosphere and went out of the hotel. On the well-decorated promenade, a small African, who seemed to be about 165cm tall, was waving at me.
It’s a face I had familiarized myself with in advance. It’s Diawara, the Transcendent from Guinea.
“Nice to meet you, Jun-ho.”
Surprisingly, he spoke fluent Korean.
“You called me.”
“That’s right.”
“Why?”
“I was disappointed with today’s showdown. If Macho Man had intervened just a little later, you could have killed them all.”
“…”
I just quietly listened to what he had to say.
The guy who was looking around despite no one being there suddenly spoke in a hushed voice, “I know everything. You’re affiliated with the League, right?”
What was he talking about all of a sudden?
Thinking my silence was an affirmation, he spilled out more information. “You’re also disguised as a state-sanctioned Transcendent, right? I know it all.”
Did Transcendent these days carry their brains outside? One thing was certain; this guy had some connection to the League. I quietly turned on the recorder on my smartphone that I held in my hand.
“I’ve encountered Black Hound.”
“Oh! Impressive. I haven’t even seen the Twelve Constellations. You asked why I called you. How about forming an alliance? I’ll pick a fight with some Transcendent at this event and eliminate a few. Then the League will use us both extensively. They’ve developed a trick to artificially amplify our powers.”
“How did you find out about me and the League?”
“Argos told me. He said you’re born to become a villain.”
Argos, I swear I’ll twist his neck one day.
As I listened to Diawara’s excited chatter, one thing became clear.
There must be a reason why the League didn’t take this guy, and the organization had some issues with smooth information sharing.
So, he judged me based on old information and shared details with me.
But why was he so convinced that I was with the League?
I had shown a generous restraint, not killing a single Transcendent.
Shouldn’t he consider me a merciful Transcendent?
“Argos must be talking nonsense again.”
“Haha! He speaks eloquently, doesn’t he? It’s kind of cool.”
The guy who was boasting finally revealed crucial information.
“I’m also undercover as a state-sanction Transcendent like you. That’s why I’ve gained considerable recognition as a spy from the League.”
“That’s right, a spy.”
“Why pretend not to know? You’re in the same situation.”
“……”
What same situation?
The opportunity presented itself to me.
What was it called?
I was diligently rolling my thoughts around in my head, listening with one ear and letting it slip out the other, and the guy gave me a puzzled look.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Oh, I remembered.”
“Yeah?”
“Golden Goblin.”
I reached out my hand to him.