Chapter 14

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 14

Chapter Title: I Became the Last of the Giants

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Broad shoulders.

A height towering well above average.

And a man who stood out in his impeccably tailored suit, unlike the other participants.

But that was all.

For someone who had just awakened, he boasted a sturdy build, but there were no other standout features.

So everyone assumed he'd receive an F-rank as well.

'Physical type, huh... He'll safely get F-grade.'

'Only 30 left now?'

'No real standouts after all.'

Because of that, the anticipation filling the test site shifted to disappointment.

They were guild representatives who had shown up hoping to strike gold on an unexpected jackpot.

"......"

In the meantime, the man took off his jacket.

He even undid the buttons on his crisp white dress shirt.

"......?"

Those watching him tilted their heads in confusion.

They couldn't understand why he was suddenly stripping down.

"Why's that guy taking his clothes off all of a sudden?"

Park Chan was no different.

His muscular frame was impressive enough just to look at, but there didn't seem to be any need to bare it during the test.

But Yoon Hee-na was different.

'What?'

The moment the man shed his clothes, the density of the air changed.

A massive aura seeped through that density, enveloping her body.

'......This is the presence of a rookie awakener?'

Startled by it, she looked back at the man.

But the aura emanating from his body hadn't changed.

Unable to believe it, she finally rose from her seat.

The moment Park Chan opened his mouth in bewilderment at her action—

The air in the test site shifted once more.

"......!!"

This time, everyone present widened their eyes in shock.

"......"

In that instant, the man thrust out his fist.

The motion was incredibly simple, yet precise and flowing naturally.

As if he'd trained for years.

Like a punch from a grandmaster at the pinnacle of his art—flawlessly perfect.

"......"

Everyone's gaze was stolen by that fist.

And then it came.

Boom!

A deafening roar like the world collapsing!

Rumble rumble rumble!

A blinding white flash obscured their vision.

Silver shards flew, and the test site shook violently.

A cataclysm as if heaven and earth had flipped.

Everyone gaped in astonishment at the savage phenomenon.

Rumble rumble rumble...

Then the gale enveloping the test site vanished abruptly.

Time, which had seemed frozen, resumed its flow, and the upended world settled back.

And then they saw it.

"What?"

The barrier of Archmage Highenz—the renowned mage revered by every wizard in the world—lay shattered.

A massive hole gaped through the protective shield he'd crafted.

As everyone stared blankly, still unable to process—

"My rank."

The man spoke.

Snapping everyone back to reality.

They turned their gazes back to him.

There stood—

"What is my rank."

A colossal something in human form.

South Korea erupted in chaos.

But South Korea wasn't the only one turned upside down.

The entire world was shaken.

"What? My barrier got shattered?"

"Yes, Highenz. During a hunter rank evaluation in South Korea, the barrier was smashed."

"Not a mistake? It really got smashed?"

"It's confirmed. Mages from the Magic Tower have been urgently dispatched to investigate, but initial reports say it's definitely destroyed."

The first to react was the barrier's creator himself, Highenz.

"Haha... So another S-rank hunter has been born? That barrier can only be broken by S-rank power! Where did this happen?"

"South Korea. A small nation on the periphery of Asia."

Then nations around the world began responding.

The most sensitive reactions came from the hunter superpowers: the United States and China.

Of the two, China moved first.

"President. Report of an S-rank hunter born in South Korea."

The head of China's Hunter Association, who moved the nation—national-level hunter Runda Hua—asked.

"Confirmed?"

"Yes. Intelligence from agents in Korea confirms Highenz's barrier ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was shattered."

"Then we need to recruit him."

His secretary bowed at the words.

"Secure him by any means. Those cunning Yankees will target South Korea's new talent too. We can't lag behind or be late."

"Understood."

With the order, a chartered flight took off from Beijing Airport in China.

The United States soon followed suit.

But in a different direction.

"Bullets ready?"

"More than Arena Guild prepared, boss."

"No, no. Arena's just a front for Big Boss Guild anyway. We target them."

In the domestic competition, the quickest mover was America's superstar and national-level hunter, Musk.

"Offer better terms than Big Boss no matter what! Blank checks for artifacts, soul stones, money—whatever he wants! Depart now!"

Dozens of chartered flights lifted off from U.S. airports.

And then the so-called 'superpowers' followed one by one, sending flights to Seoul, South Korea's capital.

"3rd Team Leader."

"Yes, President."

"Where's that awakener now?"

"Under Association President's orders, at Hunter Management Office. Isolated due to the gravity of the incident."

South Korea's heavyweights mobilized.

The swiftest was Arena Guild's master, Eternal Frost Yoon Han.

"I'll go myself. Prepare, 3rd Team Leader."

"I'll accompany you, President."

With that, not just Korea's top five guilds but renowned guild masters flocked to the Hunter Management Office in Gangnam.

Because of this, all of Korea's media, eyes, and the nation's attention focused on the Hunter Association, drawing massive crowds.

Among them, the first to arrive were the masters of Korea's proud top five guilds.

"Whoa......"

"All five guild masters together?"

"That means Korea's top five hunter rankings all in one place!"

Korea's pillars emerged, led by Arena Guild's Eternal Frost.

The rare sight drew gasps from the citizens.

But then—

"What!? That's Metal Guild's flag!"

"No way... Does that mean Musk came himself?"

"N-not him, but... Metal Guild visiting Korea for the first time?"

The arrival of world-dominating titans overshadowed even those vaunted top five masters.

"Whoa... Chinese Hunter Association too."

"Isn't that Britain's 13 Round Table?"

"Japan's Harken Swordsmanship Sect came. What is this?"

Groups and figures who drew attention singly had gathered in the cramped Hunter Association parking lot—an utterly unprecedented scene.

As news poured in and all eyes turned to the Hunter Association—

Eternal Frost spoke.

"3rd Team Leader."

"Yes, President."

"South Korea's first S-rank awakener. So, who should claim him?"

Yoon Hee-na answered instantly.

"Arena must."

"Right. Talent born in Korea belongs to the top guild like us. But..."

Eternal Frost ground his teeth.

"Damn politicians take backroom bribes, then let foreigners pick first over our own nation's rookie choices."

Yoon Hee-na looked up at that.

In that moment, she saw the world's top guilds and celebrities.

"Metal Guild's moving!"

"National-level hunter Musk gets first pick?"

Among them, the first to enter Hunter Management Office wasn't a domestic guild, but a foreign one.

The pathos of a 'weak nation' unfolding.

'Korea's hunter ranking is 15th. Not exactly weak, but...'

Not quite a superpower either.

And now, the 36th S-rank in the world had been born.

With S-rank potential and precedents, security-obsessed superpowers wouldn't sit idle.

Thus, countless talents had leaked abroad historically, and that painful reality repeated.

But Yoon Hee-na felt no rage or anger.

South Korea was no different.

"Next regime must change. Damn bastards."

Arena Guild Master Eternal Frost beside her—her father Yoon Han—was doing the exact same domestically.

So she couldn't sympathize with his fury now.

Nor did she reject it.

They were bound by unbreakable blood ties.

"Chinese Association entering!"

"That guy's... one of China's 12 Martial Gods, the Rabbit God!"

"The S-rank Rabbit God came himself?"

Another guild entered the Association.

After U.S. #1, now #2 China.

The massive crowd tilted heads.

"Why aren't Korean guilds going ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first?"

And realization dawned.

"Isn't this bad for negotiations?"

"What are our guilds doing? Arena? Eternal Frost?!"

"They won't snatch our first S-rank, right?"

The flow of events.

All repeating history once more.

A day passed amid the barrage of protests and complaints.

Murmur murmur.

Dawn broke, but crowds still thronged the Hunter Management Office.

The new S-rank's affiliation undecided.

Not that they couldn't guess.

"Where do you think he'll go?"

"U.S. if I were him. Same terms, why China?"

"Heard China offered a blank check?"

"......A blank check might make me think twice."

Choices narrowed to two.

China's Hunter Association and U.S. Metal Guild.

Given terms and prestige, S-rank headed to one.

Only question: which.

"......"

Yoon Hee-na gazed at the morning sun.

A clear sky after ages.

Dyed orange in glorious sunset hues.

Admiring the beauty, she moved to leave.

"......"

Her father Yoon Han had left early, so she could go freely.

Arena master though he was, he judged Metal Guild and Chinese Association unbeatable.

She alone stayed for any chance, but new S-rank picked one.

'If not, they'd call next-priority Arena.'

As she muttered and reached for the ignition—

"Arena Guild representative present!?"

Someone emerged from Hunter Association shouting.

Crowd poured out.

"What?"

"Me-Metal Guild... and Chinese Hunter Association both out?"

"Contract done already?"

"No... no new awakener visible."

Yoon Hee-na blinked at the crowd.

The call rang again.

"Arena Guild representative!?"

All eyes turned to Yoon Hee-na.

Snapping to, she jumped up as someone yelled.

"Who'd he sign with, the S-rank!?"

The Association rep turned.

"......"

A moment of anticipation and tension.

Smiling at eager domestic reporters dreaming of twists—

"He signed with no one."

"......!"

"The new S-rank awakener..."

The words became live breaking news on TV.

"Has forfeited all negotiation rights with foreign guilds."

And the news spread worldwide.