Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Tian Pei's End
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“Tian Pei, in China, do they shoot arrows at the benefactor of the nation?”
I sent Na-young behind me.
“That’s gratitude. But you got too greedy. Demanding two provinces for a job like this. You mad bastard.”
It didn’t sound grateful at all.
“Well, then you shouldn’t have accepted the deal. Hitting me in the back? You call yourself a great nation, but your actions are petty.”
“Shut your mouth, you parasite from a leech of a country clinging to greater China.”
“If it weren’t for the citizens of the country you look down on, Beijing would be a pile of ashes by now, you dimwit. And do you even have what it takes to catch me? You, who couldn’t catch the Succubus Queen?”
“If she didn’t have that brainwashing ability, we could’ve taken down a monster like that with our own power.”
Hundreds of hunters lined up beside the delusional Tian Pei. Minimum B-Rank, mostly A-Rank. With an S-Rank like Tian Pei and that kind of force, they probably could’ve physically subdued the Succubus Queen. But that assumed no brainwashing. No matter how many they gathered, they’d just end up killing each other under mind control.
And now, they planned to raid me like I was a monster with that same force.
“You planned this from the start.”
“Give up. Surrender, and I’ll make it quick.”
“Die? Me? Come at me. The others might get away, but you’re dying by my hand.”
I growled, and Tian Pei flinched.
“Let’s see how long that mouth keeps running.”
Tian Pei drew his bowstring.
“But didn’t you do a sloppy job on the intel?”
“What?”
“Don’t you know who’s behind me?”
“Bae Na-young?”
“You know her. Remember Bae Na-young’s Blind skill? You must’ve looked into it when you tried kidnapping her from North Korea.”
“You think you can curse this many people? We have healers.”
“That was back when Na-young wasn’t S-Rank.”
“What?”
Na-young’s growth had been overshadowed by my story, so it wasn’t widely known. Their reaction confirmed China was in the dark too.
Purple energy waves erupted from Na-young, enveloping every hunter in range.
“Ah…. I can’t see! What the hell?! Where is it?!”
“Cease fire! You’ll hit allies!”
“Fuck, who is it?!”
Slash!
A startled hunter slashed deep into his comrade’s torso.
“What the….”
Only Tian Pei could see the situation. Not because of strong mental barriers as an S-Rank Hunter, but because Na-young hadn’t targeted him.
“Didn’t expect the hunter you kidnapped to become S-Rank, huh? You’re not dying easy.”
With all his hunters suddenly blind, Tian Pei broke out in cold sweat and backed away.
I walked forward, while Na-young floated toward him, her feet dangling in the air.
Fwhoosh!
A massive arrow flew at Na-young.
Clang!
It glanced off the shield she’d deployed in front. She couldn’t block a direct hit, but the wedge-shaped shield deflected the S-Rank Hunter’s attack with minimal mana.
“....”
Realizing bomb arrows or barrage shots wouldn’t work on me and Na-young, Tian Pei vanished.
“North Korean escape skill, huh.”
“Yeah.”
Na-young’s expression was fierce.
She couldn’t keep up before because of the axeman, but not now.
I grew massive and held out my hand. Na-young used my arm as a springboard, leaping onto my shoulder.
Boom boom boom boom!!!
I barreled through cars, bikes, and motorcycles in the area, smashing them with my body as I charged.
“Hii…. Hiiik!”
The guy hiding in the alley between buildings saw me charging straight at him and ducked out of sight again.
It looked like short-range teleportation, like the Imperial humans used. No wonder his attacks were so one-note for an S-Rank—he had that skill.
I launched toward the next sign of his presence, hopping rooftops and crashing into what looked like a department store.
He hid in shops and switched floors, but I could see him plain as day, closing the distance bit by bit. I could see the life draining from his face with each moment, terrified of getting caught and killed.
When he was just dozens of meters away, he jumped again.
Skills like that have clear limits. Daily caps or massive mana drain. Using it this many times in a row was only possible because he was S-Rank.
Even then, with the distance shrinking, this had to be his last one.
Out of escape options, he appeared behind Na-young and loosed an arrow.
Na-young’s mana senses were superhuman too, so she had a rough idea where he’d pop up. Before he even appeared, she threw up a shield behind her. The arrow hit and exploded. North Korean tech. But twice as powerful as before. Guess he hadn’t been slacking.
Flames and smoke obscured vision.
Stab!
Tian Pei, trying to slip away in the blaze and smoke, looked down at his gut.
A hole in his stomach, blade embedded in the wall behind. I’d flicked it from my knuckles.
“S-spare…. me….”
Tian Pei dropped to his knees and collapsed.
“Me? Why?”
“The Chinese government won’t…. stay quiet….”
“They’re already not staying quiet—what are you talking about?”
“I had no choice.”
“What?”
“What could I do when the government ordered it? I’d die if I didn’t.”
China was infamous for tight Hunter control. That’s why Hong Long was half-forced into Hunter life there.
“It’s not just me who’d die. What about my family? Forgive me this once. I’ll take them and run, live quietly.”
“Bullshit.”
“What?”
“You don’t have family.”
“....”
His face screamed how did you know.
“Save the crap for when you’re smiling while killing people.”
This bastard would hurt more people if left alive. Waste of an S-Rank Hunter, but keeping him around is all loss. Better I raid one more Gate.
“D-dog… bast….”
I drew a sword from my knuckles and slit his throat as he tried to curse. Tian Pei’s head rolled across the floor like a ball.
He was dead, but outside, the hundreds of hunters whose curse had lifted were searching for us.
Na-young aimed her wand outside.
“Hold up. They had no choice.”
“Thanks for understanding.”
Hong Long pushed open the half-broken door and entered.
“You’re awake?”
“Thanks to you. But next time, go easy?”
Hong Long rubbed his stomach.
“Sorry. Was out of it. But…. coming here means you’re gonna fight?”
“Woke up to those orders.”
Our eyes met briefly.
“But you were too fast. Slipped away.”
“What?”
“How am I supposed to catch the Hunters who one-shotted me? Just more dead underlings.”
“You’ll let me go?”
“Told them before coming in I’d handle this side, search elsewhere. Buys time.”
“Why?”
“My family’s in Beijing.”
“So you came first.”
“Yeah. Got caught instead, though. Human wave tactics are fun when we do it, not so much when we’re on the receiving end. Hahaha.”
Hong Long laughed awkwardly.
“Thanks. Owe you a meal sometime.”
Letting me go here would get Hong Long reprimanded. Light or heavy, didn’t matter—he was willing to risk it.
Hong Long left the building, and I sensed the hunters moving elsewhere.
“Time to really head home.”
Na-young put a hand on my shoulder, but my feet wouldn’t move.
“What’s wrong?”
“Even if he had no choice, now I’m worried what comes next. Chinese government won’t sit idle.”
Full war? We’d win. Pick off the heads, they’d crumble quick. But Korea would be a sea of fire in the meantime.
“Maybe we should stay put?”
Na-young grinned.
* * *
“Please, we beg you.”
The Chinese diplomat bowed deeply. Bureau Chief Baek Young-shin felt a decade’s worth of heartburn easing at the sight of the usually arrogant diplomat groveling.
“The brainwashed Chinese officials? Of course we’ll fix them. Now, shall we discuss compensation?”
“Wh-what?! Didn’t you already take two provinces?”
“That was for capturing the Succubus Queen and retaking Beijing. Now, for trying to kill Hunter Lee Ji-seok and Hunter Bae Na-young—Korea’s two S-Ranks—and undoing the bureaucrats’ brainwashing? Gotta get paid for that. No money? Heilongjiang Province works too.”
Most civilians had shaken off the brainwashing naturally over time and returned to daily life. The problem was the non-Hunter high officials near the Succubus Queen, taking direct long-term orders. They’d snapped out of it only to drool like idiots, unable to speak.
“We’re always willing to help. And with China’s situation, more territory isn’t a boon, right? Korea taking two provinces actually benefits you.”
“......”
With massive Hunter losses and Beijing in ruins, defending the northeast was practically impossible.
Fail to stop Breaks, and monsters spread everywhere.
More public outrage, and the Party’s position gets shaky.
“...I’ll report up.”
Word from the Communist Party came quick. The sum was astronomical, and with China on bankruptcy’s edge, they handed over Liaoning and Jilin plus Heilongjiang.
Land bigger than combined Koreas. In this era, undefendable territory’s a curse, but we had the power now, and World Tree life force would boost its value.
China first tried relocating the three provinces’ citizens to the mainland. But with tens of millions displaced from Beijing alone, moving more was impossible, so they left it to the people. Over 95% chose Korean citizenship.
“Hey…. You’re just cherry-picking the Hunters?”
The 5% staying were mostly Hunters.
“No! All voluntary from the Hunters.”
“Hand over Hunters by pre-World Tree activity zones, or we call the whole thing off. Oh, and Hong Long and his family too.”
“Th-that! You think that’s reasonable?!”
“China tried killing our dispatched Hunters. Who else will help you now but Korea? Can you handle Gates popping up?”
Gates were already on the verge everywhere, unrest brewing in regions. No Korean aid? China might collapse in years.
China had no choice but to hand over the Hunters. They consoled themselves that Hong Long was uncooperative anyway, and most were low-rank.
“No worries. If there’s an unraidable Gate, Hunter Lee Ji-seok will roll up his sleeves and help. Oh, we take the loot, of course.”
The diplomat’s face twisted.