Chapter 22
Chapter 22
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Ryu Han Empire (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Near the southern defense line, the Ryu Han Empire army clashed with the Spirit Race.
Slash-!
"Kuaaaak!"
"Kill the enemies!"
"Fire on the enemy's air force!"
The legion commanders unleashed slashing attacks toward the sky one after another.
Swoooosh-!
The division commanders and brigade commanders charged forward, butchering the Spirit Race warriors.
The Ryu Han Empire soldiers also wielded the Black Moon Sword Technique as they collided with the Spirit Race warriors.
In terms of quality, the Ryu Han Empire army was somewhat lacking.
But in numbers, the Ryu Han Empire army outnumbered the Spirit Race warriors.
After all, a whopping 1.8 million soldiers had been deployed.
Uwaaaaaah-!
In the face of the endless waves of soldiers, the Spirit Race warriors felt fear.
If they had been powerless civilians, it wouldn't have been so frightening.
But every one of them could wield sword aura.
Moreover, they had mastered swordsmanship along with combat techniques.
The Spirit Race warriors' morale plummeted at the sight of the Ryu Han Empire soldiers, who were prepared even for death.
Splatter!
"Kill them all!"
The scene was relayed to the Korean government via drone footage.
The President of South Korea swallowed hard at the sight of the Ryu Han Empire army.
Yes, he had already heard the numbers.
But seeing 1.8 million soldiers in person sent chills down his spine.
So many otherworlders had been living on South Korean soil?
The emotions he felt when Park Kang-hyuk brought the otherworlders seemed trivial now.
"Send this footage to the media outlets."
"Uh... You're going to release it to the press?"
"It's to ease the public's anxiety, even if just a little."
News of the Ryu Han Empire army spread to the military as well.
The Korean and U.S. forces in Korea avoided the Ryu Han Empire army and fortified the southern front.
The problem was the naval battle at sea.
The Spirit Race fleet ultimately repelled the South Korean navy and finally opened fire from the waters off Incheon.
Boom! Booom!
The naval gunfire from the coast struck nearby islands and Incheon International Airport, causing explosions.
Kaboom! Kwakwakwang! Kwaang-!
Spirit Race with spread wings soared into the sky, unleashing a barrage of colorful spirit magic toward the hunters deployed in Incheon.
Red fireballs, green wind arrows, blue water spears, and ice blades.
The hunters hurriedly counterattacked, blocking the assaults raining down from above.
Peong! Pupperpeong!
A massive explosion erupted in the sky.
At that moment, Kang-hyuk stepped to the forefront and swung his sword toward the heavens.
Swoooosh-!
A black slashing attack shot up into the sky.
"What the...?!"
Thudquaaaang!
Kang-hyuk's massive slash downed numerous Spirit Race in the air.
The watching hunters erupted in admiration.
"Ah..."
"It's... It's Park Kang-hyuk. Park Kang-hyuk the hunter has moved!"
"The... National Power-level Hunter...!"
Park Kang-hyuk summoned mid Grandmaster sword aura and leaped high into the sky, unleashing slashes toward the Spirit Race fleet.
"Haaap!"
Swoooosh-!
It wasn't just one.
Kang-hyuk swung his sword repeatedly, firing off over ten slashes.
In response, the supreme commander waiting on the warships—the Spirit Race Grand General Aren suddenly gripped his straight sword and fired a golden slash.
"Haaaap!"
Kwaang! Kwakwakwang-!
Aren gritted his teeth.
The opponent was a being who had reached the early stage of mid Grandmaster, just like him.
The newly emerged National Power-level Hunter from South Korea, Park Kang-hyuk.
If he could just kill that guy, South Korea would fall in no time.
'I can't hold back here.'
To fight the Beastmen, he needed to minimize his own forces' losses.
The moment Aren spread his wings.
Another slash came flying straight at him.
"Such...!"
With the resolve to protect his allies, he swung his straight sword again to block the slash.
Kwaaaang-!
The slashes didn't stop.
Numerous slashes flying from Incheon.
Each one carried the power of a mid Grandmaster.
Kwaang! Kwakwang! Kwaaaang!
"This fucking...!"
The clash of slashes created a massive gust, making the sea churn violently.
Some Spirit Race lost their balance and fell to the ground.
"1st Air Force Battalion, draw that guy's attention right now!"
"Yes, sir!"
Beyond the 1st Air Force Battalion, other Spirit Race air units took to the skies and bombarded Incheon... precisely Park Kang-hyuk with spirit magic.
In response, GH Guild members who had reached high Sword Master hurriedly unleashed slashes.
Kwaang! Kwakwakwang-!
"Protect the Master!"
The other hunters also hurriedly poured magic toward the sky.
"We have to protect Park Kang-hyuk the hunter! Attack them!"
"Keep attacking! We need to draw their attention!"
"Damn it! As expected of the Grand General...!"
"The Grand General is protecting the fleet and can't take to the skies! While Park Kang-hyuk the hunter pushes them back, we must protect him no matter what!"
It didn't matter if they couldn't take down the Grand General.
If they could just whittle away at his mana, that alone would secure a minimal chance of victory.
Hunter Association Chairman Lee Ho-seok, who had devised the plan, watched the scene on TV and sincerely breathed a sigh of relief.
"If Park Kang-hyuk the hunter hadn't reawakened..."
Thanks to this National Power-level Hunter named Park Kang-hyuk, South Korea had overcome the crisis of destruction.
Of course, they couldn't relax yet.
The operation had only just begun.
Seoul citizens were hurriedly evacuating to Gangwon Province.
'If Seoul falls, we'll pull back the forces and hunters at the border to lure the Beastmen.'
In other words, induce a clash between the Spirit Race and Beastmen.
While the two races fought, South Korea would regroup in Gangwon Province.
Chungcheong Province hadn't been fully occupied yet.
Parts of Gyeongsang Province still functioned as South Korean territory.
With the Ryu Han Empire army there too, minimal defense was possible.
'If Park Kang-hyuk falls and the Grand General lands on the peninsula and advances to Gangwon... In the worst case, we might have to abandon it.'
Meaning the nation of South Korea would perish.
Ho-seok clenched his eyes shut and stared at the TV.
Praying that Park Kang-hyuk the hunter would take down the Grand General.
"If it's impossible, we must evacuate Park Kang-hyuk the hunter from Incheon at all costs."
Like Lee Ho-seok, the President watched from the Blue House, and National Assembly members from the Assembly building.
Of course, evacuation preparations were already complete.
They could board helicopters and head to Gangwon Province right away.
Broadcast stations were also holding their ground, relaying the scene.
It wasn't live.
The stations had delayed it by about 10 minutes in case of emergencies.
"Th-that... That's a National Power-level Hunter..."
"Does the enemy have National Power-level abilities too?"
"But we have Park Kang-hyuk the hunter...!"
Citizens watching Park Kang-hyuk's slashes clung to a sliver of hope.
As the Spirit Race fleet scattered left and right to escape the slashes' range, Kang-hyuk frowned and unleashed slashes infused with the peak power of mid Grandmaster.
One after another.
He could fire mid Grandmaster slashes all day.
His mana was overflowing to the point of rotting, after all.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
Aren realized the opponent's attacks had grown stronger.
His own slashes were being pushed back.
"This... This fucking...!"
Before he knew it, Kang-hyuk's slash was right in front of him.
"Damn it-!"
Aren flapped his wings desperately and leaped into the sky, but evading Kang-hyuk's slash was impossible.
As if anticipating the escape, the pitch-black slash flew slightly higher.
"...!"
In the end, Aren was swallowed by the slash and torn to shreds.
The subsequent slash flew toward the fleet, causing a massive explosion.
Thudkwaang! Kwakwakwang-!
The airborne Spirit Race attacking Incheon's coast froze in shock at the sight.
Conversely, the South Korean soldiers and hunters on Incheon's coast erupted in cheers.
Park Kang-hyuk the hunter had taken down the Spirit Race Grand General.
Moreover, his massive slashes began destroying numerous warships and landing craft.
Kwakwang-! Thudkwaaaang!
As numerous warships were destroyed and experience poured in, Kang-hyuk looked up and swung his sword toward the sky.
"This...!"
"Evac... Evacuate...!"
Spirit Race swallowed by the slashes turned to chunks of flesh, not even worth examining.
Kang-hyuk raised his sword high.
"The war isn't over yet! Everyone, attack the enemies in the sky!"
"Uwaaaaaah-!"
Soldiers pulled their triggers toward the sky.
Hunters followed, unleashing skills at the Spirit Race above.
From the President and National Assembly members to chaebol chairmen and the Hunter Association chairman, everyone watching live cheered.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Ho-seok roared, clenching his fist.
A South Korean hunter had taken down an otherworld race Grand General.
As Ho-seok caused a commotion in his office.
Kang-hyuk's family, watching on TV, shifted from anxious expressions to joyous ones.
"O... Oppa took down the Grand General! The Spirit Race fleet...!"
"Yes, our Kang-hyuk...!"
"Ahh..."
His mother, Su-yeon, collapsed onto the sofa as if her strength had drained away.
In the brief peace, people had forgotten.
That the war with the otherworld races wasn't over yet.
Now that the crisis loomed right before them, everyone trembled in fear.
"I... I hear the Ryu Han Empire army is pushing back the Spirit Race in the south too!"
News of the Grand General's death spread to the Spirit Race in the south as well.
As the Incheon landing failed, the southern Spirit Race began to waver.
The Ryu Han Empire army seized the opportunity and advanced their forces.
Uwaaaaaah-!
Magic Beasts gathered amid the sudden chaos, turning it into pandemonium, but the Ryu Han Empire army charged into battle shouting, "For our ally!"
"Ret... Retreat!"
In the end, the Spirit Race suffered near-annihilation and had no choice but to withdraw.
The Ryu Han Empire army then began a large-scale purge of the Spirit Race and Magic Beasts stationed in Jeolla and Gyeongsang Provinces.
The Ryu Han Empire army filmed the battles with smartphones and sent the footage to GH Guild.
GH Guild anonymously spread news of the Ryu Han Empire's exploits. 📰 Breaking News [For Our Ally!] [Attack the enemies!] As the Spirit Race heading to Incheon were annihilated, South Korean politicians briefly considered ceding North Korean territory to the Ryu Han Empire.
However, as footage of the Ryu Han Empire army's battles spread, public opinion strongly favored them.
They were risking their lives fighting the enemies for their ally.
Breaking the existing agreement in this situation?
The public might rage.
Moreover, as footage of the Ryu Han Empire army was anonymously provided to media outlets, even those not on SNS took notice of their feats. 📰 Breaking News [Kwaaaang! Kwakwang! Drive out all the Magic Beasts!] Legion commanders who purged Magic Beasts with slashes.
The public marveled at their strength.
"With the Ryu Han Empire, we might actually occupy North Korean territory!"
"After occupying it, we have to defend it! If 30% of North Korea becomes Ryu Han Empire land, it'll help a lot with defense!"
"The Spirit Race attacks will continue! Having an ally sharing the border would be reassuring!"
Public reaction wasn't bad.
In the end, the government decided to honor the agreement.