Chapter 159
Chapter 159
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 159
Chapter Title: Shikoku Assault
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Yoo Seongwon, clad in golden armor, descended from the transport ship with confident strides, drawing everyone's gaze.
Following him, the knights who had emerged simultaneously from the portal formed impeccable ranks.
It looked like a perfectly rehearsed procession, but Yoo Seongwon had never coordinated with them beforehand.
"Oh... That's the rumored..."
"So cool...!"
"Golden armor!"
'Kids, if you're gonna pull something like that, couldn't you at least give me a heads-up? Sigh~ Anyway, no clue what they're chattering about.'
"Hahaha, welcome, Hunter Yoo Seongwon. I'm Captain Moribayashi from the Hunter Special Forces. Ah, that's not my real name—it's a codename assigned by the unit, so I don't have a personal name."
Amid the confusion from the murmurs in Japanese all around, a man in his early thirties approached, speaking Korean.
The man, with deeply tanned skin and a sturdy build, wore the navy-blue uniform of the Hunter Special Forces.
Relieved to find someone speaking Korean amid the incomprehensible Japanese, Yoo Seongwon looked at him and said,
"Lucky there's someone who speaks Korean."
"Yes. We figured you might not speak Japanese, so we prepared in advance."
"You're right, I don't, but you brought someone who does... and Korean too. That's a relief."
"Anyway, welcome. Please follow me. I'll take you straight to the briefing room. And those folks over there who look like they're cosplaying? They're from the guilds. Probably sending one rep, but don't be startled if they act weird."
'Looks like bad blood between the guild hunters and them.'
The open snark about cosplay suggested no fondness between them.
Their appearances alone contrasted sharply—the guild side looked free-spirited, while the tension in their glances was thick with wariness, if not outright enmity.
With Korea's own guild rivalries, it made sense that Japan's Awakeners weren't exactly buddy-buddy.
"This is the briefing room. Per your request, Hunter Yoo Seongwon, we've skipped all formalities so you can head out immediately. We've coordinated with roads and cities nationwide for your smooth travel."
"I see."
Pleased with how they'd handled everything efficiently without unnecessary chatter, as pre-arranged, Yoo Seongwon entered the briefing room.
Inside the dark room straight out of an SF flick, a prominent seat had been prepared for him at the center.
The issue was that his chair alone gleamed like a throne, excessively ornate.
"......"
"We prepared a special chair considering the armor's weight."
"Can't be helped, then."
Clank...!
Though they were technically trading partners, wary of any tricks, Yoo Seongwon just sat down.
With metallic clinks, the knights took positions around him seamlessly.
Krokbane, however, was too massive to stand politely, so he joined seated—rudely, but necessarily.
Of course, his massive sword pierced the floor as he sat, but no one batted an eye.
"Then let's begin the briefing. I'm Sergeant Sawamura. It's an honor to present before you, Hunter Yoo Seongwon, who holds numerous S-rank monster kills. We'll start with the report on the Constellation 66 Thousand Demons forces."
'......'
"As you know, Constellation 66 Thousand Demons dominates western Japan, centered on Nagoya in the central region. Their symbol is 'War.' Most subordinate monsters are undead-class ghosts and specters, with the core dungeon at Osaka Castle."
The screen displayed maps alongside aerial photos.
The Constellation 66 Thousand Demons' armies were clad in traditional Japanese armor from the Warring States era, each unit varying in colors, styles, and even kanji-emblazoned banners.
"Next, the organizational chart. The army consists of 11 legions total. The Chaos Legion guards the core dungeon at Osaka Castle, followed by the upper-tier Heaven, Earth, and Human Legions, then the seven elemental legions: Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Earth, Light, and Dark."
"Legion structure... It's a straight-up war machine."
Compared to Slaughter King—another massive evil constellation with a hunter vibe—these felt built purely for 'war.'
Sergeant Sawamura continued.
"The monsters are mostly E- to C-rank Evil Spirit Soldiers, distributed variably by type and grade. Above them, B-ranks include Evil Spirit Monk Soldiers and Evil Spirit Samurai, the latter excelling in martial prowess, the former wielding spells and magic while resistant to holy power—making them particularly troublesome."
'Appearance-wise, straight out of the Warring States era.'
"A-ranks are Evil Spirit Generals and Evil Spirit High Monks—upgraded B-ranks. Finally, S-ranks are the legion commanders, each titled Great General, like Fire Legion Great General for the Fire Legion's S-rank. Here's the footage."
『War... Waaar! Burn them allll!』
The Fire Legion lived up to its name; its soldiers and samurai were all specters wreathed in flames.
Resembling fire spirit monsters, they advanced while unleashing all manner of flame attacks, incinerating everything.
Even against hunters, the Evil Spirit Samurai and Monk Soldiers held their own effectively.
The biggest issue wasn't just numbers—it was their immunity to explosive firearms.
"Fire Legion. Yes, specters cloaked in flames. Pure explosive physical force, silver bullets, holy water, talismans, or magic work; fire or flame attributes barely faze them. We tested nukes to gauge heat tolerance, but they shredded from blast pressure alone—radiation and heat were endured by the Samurai and Monks."
"Hmm... Gotta check matchups carefully."
"The other legions likely have similar abilities and resistances tied to their elements. The Great Generals can summon castles... anywhere, anytime, conjuring traditional Japanese fortresses shrouded in spectral power. Mini-dungeons inside, guarded by elite A- and B-rank general retinues."
'Full-scale war setup.'
While Slaughter King fought by blocking beasts hunting them, Constellation 66 Thousand Demons waged army-vs-army battles.
A constellation that loved the act of 'war' itself. Leading the dead to annihilate and convert all into specters, it had tormented Japan for ages, claiming countless lives.
'But weird. A war maniac like this should've crossed to Korea or China by now...'
Fukuoka was a short sea hop from Busan; Jeju was feasible too.
Speaking of Jeju—its residents had long evacuated to mainland Korea, leaving it near-primordial. Wild dungeons and monsters overrun it, yet the Korean government claimed it as territory, maintaining unmanned structures to assert ownership.
'...Why?'
"Their critical weakness: they can't cross the 'sea.' Not water phobia—we tested bridges, and they crossed fine—but after demolishing the Seto Bridge and all Honshu-Shikoku links, the Dark Legion Great General and its forces were trapped inside, unable to escape."
"...What? Can't cross the sea?"
"Yes. Classified info, by the way."
All that buildup painted a vicious war-tuned horde, but the sea weakness was absurd.
One of 11 legions isolated on Shikoku deflated the tension instantly.
All that hype about strength, undone by the ocean. Utter letdown.
"So... Constellation 66 Thousand Demons keeps seeking ways across the sea. We're tying them down by self-destructing ships, subs, shipyards, and planes externally."
"'War'-obsessed and inflexible. Lucky break for us."
"Yes. But no complacency. Alliances with other major evil constellations, or traitors from guilds serving other constellations... could change that."
Sawamura glanced at the guild hunters in the briefing.
The guild hunter glared back defiantly, tension crackling, but Yoo Seongwon's mind was solely on hunting.
"Status briefing complete. Your operation plan...?"
"Hmm, right. Guess we head to Shikoku first~"
"Pardon? Why there, of all places?"
"It's isolated prey. Snag it, and we can invade Kyushu, Chugoku, Kinki. They can't cross water; we can. We're off."
With that, Yoo Seongwon exited the briefing room.
Sergeant Sawamura and Captain Moribayashi followed in shock, babbling.
"G-Going alone is dangerous. Coordinate with our Special Forces for the op..."
"Agreed. Even isolated, it absorbed most of Shikoku's population into spectral troops. Solo is too risky..."
"Hunter work's always risky. I'll handle it. Thanks~"
Bluntly refusing, Yoo Seongwon returned to their transport with the knights.
The two exchanged bewildered Japanese murmurs.
Then Gaulp sidled up to Yoo Seongwon, flashing his usual sinister grin.
[Hehahaha, nice one, Contractor~ Look at those dumbfounded faces. Priceless.]
"Yeah, hilarious. Obvious easy pickings, and they ignore it? Morons."
Japan boasted 16 S-rank hunters. United, they'd have crushed Shikoku's Dark Legion ages ago.
With transports and ships, they could've pressed the western front relentlessly—yet didn't. Laughable.
"Not playing the easy card means internal issues, Japan-style."
[They split into guilds and Special Forces, right?]
"Yup. Guilds serving constellations vs. state-loyal Special Forces, snarling like dogs and cats. Probably why."
[Balance is off too.]
Official counts: 7 Special Forces S-ranks, 9 guild S-ranks.
This asymmetry bred mutual checks.
Precarious equilibrium meant neither side risked aggressive moves losing S-ranks—Special Forces backed by gov subsidies/taxes, guilds clinging to their edge.
"Korea skipped Special Forces due to Defense Ministry bullshit, going guild-centric with infighting. Japan? Half-assed coexistence freezes them—can't even retake Shikoku without risking S-rank losses."
"They hoped to leech levels and loot via us, but I noped out."
[That's part, but not all, Contractor. Ignoring prime bait screams deeper reasons. My hunch: traitors in the Japanese guilds.]
"...Traitors?"
[Speculation. Untouched S-rank on Shikoku, support-free. 3-4 guilds could've taken the Dark Great General... yet no move? Smells off, right?]
"Dunno. Japanese infighting? They'd backstab their own. Stay vigilant anyway."
Tucking Gaulp's advice away, Yoo Seongwon headed for Shikoku.
Traitors or not, victory through their own efforts would flush them out naturally.