Chapter 57
Chapter 57
A storm of anti-China sentiment was raging across Korea.
Even major foreign media outlets were treating the incident as a global headline.
[Attack Targeting the Red Stone! Who’s Behind It?]
The Red Stone was worth at least 15 billion won, that’s just its monetary value.
Considering that only two such stones existed in the entire world, its true worth was practically immeasurable.
It was believed that this attack had been staged to seize the Red Stone.
At the hotel where Hyunseok had been staying, over a hundred people were killed.
The assailants slaughtered every guard and every member of the hotel’s security staff.
Even many ordinary guests staying in standard rooms had died.
By the end of it, the entire hotel was engulfed in flames.
And yet, the Platinum Slayer was reported to have escaped unscathed, by sheer luck.
That wasn’t luck.
He hadn’t been “lucky” at all, he had fought his way out, and fought hard.
But to the media, they simply called it luck.
Outside the hotel, Hyunseok’s escape had been aided by backup forces that Park Sunghyung had discreetly arranged in advance.
Incheon International Airport
Minseo came running up to him, face swollen and tear-streaked.
“Oppa, are you okay? You’re really okay, right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Took a few bullets, though.”
It had been dangerously close.
If I didn’t have that Shield Skill Book… I might’ve been done for.
Without it, Hyunseok might truly have died that night.
Slayers were superhuman, yes, but that didn’t make them invincible against modern weaponry.
He could handle a submachine gun or two, but once it turned into a crossfire from three or more, it became lethal.
Critical hits stacked up, the damage escalating exponentially.
And then came a rocket launcher.
Even a glancing hit, before he fully learned the Shield skill, had wiped out one-third of his HP.
A direct hit would’ve killed him instantly.
That day, the Korean media had gone into a frenzy.
[Korean Government and Union: Duty to Protect the Pride of Korea — the Platinum Slayer.]
[China Union Must Take Responsibility for This Tragedy!]
Despite being assaulted by an armed strike team, and over a hundred guards dying in the chaos,
Hyunseok had escaped on his own power.
That alone carried heavy implications.
If Hyunseok ever wanted to assassinate someone, it meant he could penetrate any level of security.
Monsters were terrifying because they possessed resistance to modern weapons, and now, a human with that same resistance existed.
Park Sunghyung was the first to check on him.
“You okay? Damn, that was one hell of a shock. Who would’ve thought an attack would happen inside a facility protected by the Chinese government… even some of their officials got killed, apparently.”
“Yeah, I was just as shocked.”
“I wanted to go to the airport myself, but if I showed up, the media would’ve swarmed like hornets. Sorry, kid.”
Sunghyung was an incredibly busy man, the Head of the Korean Slayer Association, responsible for all registered Slayers nationwide.
But even with that workload, Hyunseok was someone he prioritized above everything else, both professionally, and personally.
“Still… don’t you think all this feels a little too coincidental?”
“That’s what I thought too. The ambush at the auction, that woman who died when we tried to identify her, and now this attack… Too much to be random. Even if it’s not one organization behind all of it, you need to stay alert.”
For a normal person, being attacked by an armed force, even once in a lifetime, would be unimaginable.
Hyunseok had endured it twice in just a few months.
Even if the first time hadn’t been aimed at him directly, it was far too strange.
Especially considering that mysterious woman, the one who’d almost seemed to hint at something, had died in an “accident.”
There might be no connection.
But there might also be everything.
“I heard the ones responsible for my security in China got sentenced to life imprisonment.”
“Some were even executed.”
“What the hell? Is there no law in that country? Human life’s treated like it’s worth nothing.”
Someone had to take the blame, sure, but execution and life imprisonment? Without proper trials? It was absurd.
About a week later, the truth finally surfaced.
Rumors had spread that the Chinese government itself had orchestrated the attack, but the official investigation named a radical group called “China Resistance” as the culprits.
As mentioned before, Slayers in China held very low social standing.
China Resistance was an underground faction rebelling against that system, and the government had been struggling to suppress them for years.
Still, conspiracy theories ran rampant online:
― How did China Resistance even know the exact hotel and room where the Platinum Slayer was staying?
― It was right in the middle of Beijing! No way that happens without the government turning a blind eye.
― Someone inside must’ve leaked the info. Otherwise, impossible.
Regardless, the Chinese government captured several members and executed them publicly.
The China Union issued an official apology to both Korea and the Korean Union,
promising massive reparations.
Publicly, at least, they bowed their heads and begged forgiveness.
Hyunseok just shrugged.
“I’m not going back to China. I don’t need achievement points that come at the cost of my life.”
Without hard evidence, no one could openly retaliate against China.
Sunghyung stayed quiet, but deep down, both men were bitter.
This incident made Hyunseok reflect deeply.
“I think I got a little too carried away… thought I could handle it easily since I’d already killed a Cyclops before. I let my guard down.”
“Anyone with your power might’ve done the same. Honestly, who would’ve expected an ambush in China, of all places? I sent a team with you, sure, but it was mostly for show. None of us thought anything would really happen. We underestimated them.”
“I only survived thanks to that Shield Skill Book you gave me, Sunghyung.”
He’d taken things too lightly.
It made no sense, after all, who would attack a Platinum Slayer, a man treated like royalty even by the American Union?
Still, he’d learned a harsh but vital lesson.
I got too excited. I can’t lose sight of my foundation again.
Looking back, it almost felt like he’d been under a spell.
This experience rekindled his sense of caution.
He might be superhuman, but he wasn’t flawless.
Even the Shield Skill couldn’t block everything; its full power only manifested when his Battle Field was active.
This near-death encounter became both blood and bone, a priceless experience.
A week later, the world had seemingly returned to peace.
Or so it seemed.
Roughly three weeks after his return to Korea, Seoul erupted in chaos once again.
A serial murder case.
Eight victims so far.
At first, the police had treated it as ordinary homicide,
perhaps even the work of a wild animal.
Korea had plenty of wild-type monsters roaming near cities,
and several deaths had occurred from such attacks before.
But this case… wasn’t so simple.
Once the body count passed eight, the police expanded their investigation,
and the headlines exploded:
[Police Identify Suspect as a Slayer!]
[Shock! Mutilated Bodies and Dismembered Corpses — The Truth Behind the Murders!]
[Bite Marks Found — Is This Really the Work of a Slayer?!]
The possibility emerged that the killer wasn’t a wild monster at all, but a Slayer.
❋ ❋ ❋
Hyunseok had a formal partnership with the Korean Police Agency,
providing support for any crimes involving Slayers.
Even just lending his name had caused national crime rates to plummet,
such was the prestige of the Platinum Slayer.
But now, that image was being mocked by the emergence of a Slayer serial killer.
The bodies were so mutilated, the wounds so vicious,
that people initially thought it was the work of a wild beast.
Hyunseok crossed his legs and sat deep in thought.
But is it really human?
At first, everyone thought it was a wild animal or a monster shaped like one,
but CCTV footage suggested a humanoid figure.
That was enough for the police to declare it a Slayer and mobilize their investigation.
Yet, the internet was buzzing with counterarguments.
― Doesn’t look like a Slayer to me. I know monsters, that’s a humanoid-type monster for sure.
― Just because it walks on two legs doesn’t mean it’s human. The CCTV was dark as hell anyway.
Hyunseok found their reasoning… oddly convincing.
Wouldn’t be the first time the government made a hasty statement just to calm the public.
He remembered an older tragedy, a passenger ferry disaster.
The government had first announced “All passengers rescued”,
only to later reveal hundreds of missing people.
So yes, they’d made grave mistakes before.
If the culprit really is a Slayer… fine. But what if it isn’t?
The CCTV didn’t show much, just speed and bipedal movement.
Maybe the police had used the “Slayer suspect” line simply to draw Union cooperation.
If it was a monster, though, they needed to act fast.
A Battle Field activation would instantly reveal it; monsters emitted HP and Shield gauges that felt different from a human’s.
And if it’s the first of its kind… I might earn another “First Title.”
Hyunseok couldn’t afford to miss any achievements.
If he failed to meet the minimum threshold, he might never escape Normal Mode.
Every opportunity mattered.
Myunghoon was still busy hunting for new Dungeons,
so this incident was worth his personal attention.
I should talk to Seyoung.
She was the best partner for something like this,
the fastest officially recognized Slayer in Korea.
Ha Jongwon was too slow, and Kim Yeonsu wasn’t quick enough either.
Only Hong Seyoung could keep up with him.
Right then, the Union sent an official request:
a formal plea for Slayers to assist in the investigation.
Hyunseok called Sunghyung.
“Sunghyung, you got that request from the police too, right?”
― “Yeah, a few Slayers already agreed to help. You’re not planning to join, are you?”
“That’s exactly why I’m calling. I’m in.”
― “What? Why the sudden change of heart?”
“I’m… curious about this Slayer suspect.”
News spread like wildfire:
The Platinum Slayer himself would aid the investigation.
The public went wild.
To them, he was the world’s sole superhero, the man who’d once singlehandedly stopped a Monster Wave in a bloody struggle for survival.
Now, he was stepping forward again, to protect civilians.
Countless headlines echoed one sentiment:
“The Platinum Slayer Fights Once Again, For the Safety of the People.”
In reality, Hyunseok was just aiming for the First Title achievement.
But to the world, he had become a self-sacrificing hero.
(End of Chapter 57)
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— Translated by Prime Works —