Chapter 98
Chapter 98
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Border Standoff
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“No! You worthless scum! While the Koreans snatched the World Tree, what the hell have you been doing?!”
Huang Bao spat as he yelled at Hong Long and the other Hunters, flecks of saliva flying.
It was an utterly unnatural sight: Hunters with bodies hard as steel, heads bowed before Huang Bao, whose soft, flabby form was obvious at a glance. Was it because Huang Bao possessed exceptional leadership or character that they listened obediently? Hardly. They feared only the faction backing him—especially his uncle, who had elevated an incompetent like Huang Bao to such a high position.
“There’s poison inside, so we can’t approach.”
Hong Long replied with his head lowered. Not every S-Rank Hunter had poison resistance as high as Ji-seok’s. Ordinary Hunters endured toxins by whittling them down with stamina or vitality, which had clear limits.
A thick poisonous mist blanketed the area beneath the World Tree, obscuring visibility. On top of that, they had to wander, draining their life force, in a place where they didn’t even know what they were searching for. There was no need to explain that lingering too long meant death.
“Excuses are unnecessary! Hong Long! Get in there right now and capture that spirit at once—make it spray potions over here!”
They had already told him entering was no different from suicide, but Huang Bao didn’t care. Self-preservation came first for him. Besides, they were S-Rank Hunters, weren’t they? If Korean Hunters could do it, Hong Long should have no problem.
Even if potions were no longer as rare as before due to widespread availability, they were still expensive. The thought of potions raining down from the sky like rain drove away what little reason remained in Commander Huang Bao’s eyes.
And it wasn’t mere greed. If word reached the upper echelons of the Party in Beijing that a tree producing potions under his command had fallen to Korea, demotion would be the least of his worries. No matter how powerful his uncle was in the Party, an incident like this could drag him down too.
Huang Bao’s uncle was a ruthless man. He had protected Huang Bao all this time, but if Huang Bao caused him harm instead? Just imagining the consequences sent chills down Huang Bao’s spine.
“We already burned everything on our side, so we can’t approach without crossing the border.”
Hong Long sighed in response.
“Just sneak in! Sneak! Can’t an S-Rank Hunter manage that? Those punks from that small country pulled it off just fine!”
“.... I’ll give it a try.”
Hong Long filled his potion belt to the brim and approached the World Tree. Continuous bombardment had nearly shattered the tree on the Chinese side of the border, but new branches had sprouted, recreating the misty domain over Chinese territory. Hong Long planned to slip through the mist and scout the tree’s trunk.
“Whew…. This is filthy.”
Hong Long muttered complaints as he entered the mist.
“Hss….”
He held his breath against the stinging poison and thinly spread his aura over his body.
‘At this rate, I won’t last long.’
Even with aura coating his body, he couldn’t hold his breath forever. To appease the commander’s rage, though, he had to scout as long as possible and salvage something.
Hong Long pressed hundreds of meters deeper into the forest, gulping potions every time he needed a breath, eyes wide as he searched for any sign of the spirit.
* * *
The World Tree had finally purified something, converting it into life force and beginning to spread it across the world—but only toward the Korean side. Reactions from the Korean and Chinese governments toward the World Tree flipped 180 degrees.
[Is that your friend?]
“Huh?”
The World Tree spirit’s voice suddenly rang out. I looked around, but no spirit was in sight.
[Someone entered my shade. Is it your friend?]
It could communicate even from a distance, apparently.
“No…. No one should’ve gone in.”
“Hunter Ji-seok, what’s wrong?”
Bureau Chief Baek Young-shin asked, assuming I’d been mumbling to myself.
“The World Tree spoke to me. It says someone entered its domain.”
“It’s not one of ours.”
[Then can I chase them out?]
“You don’t like it when people enter?”
[You’re fine. But this human smells like the ones who set me on fire, so I hate it.]
“Probably Chinese.”
“We can’t really tell them what to do….”
“Do whatever you want.”
Bureau Chief Baek Young-shin muttered about international relations being a mess but didn’t stop me. There was too much bad blood with China anyway.
[Got it.]
* * *
With nothing but poison under the World Tree, the area was quiet, making scouting straightforward. Then, out of nowhere, a branch sharpened into a spear-like point and attacked Hong Long.
“Gasp!”
He twisted his body, deflecting one branch with his hand to dodge. Branches followed relentlessly.
He coated his body in aura and spun like a top, using Taiji Fist principles to deflect the attacks. He struck back with palm strikes powered by his spin, but the branches only bent away—they didn’t break.
The World Tree’s branch attacks resembled those of Walking Trees, but their speed and wood’s hardness were incomparably superior. And there were so many: hundreds of pointed branches rained from above, while roots thrust up like awls from below. Hong Long felt like a bug trapped on a hedgehog’s back.
The sudden assault forced erratic movements, causing him to inhale a lungful of toxic air.
“Urk….”
He’d taken internal damage from the mist. His A-Rank armor was badly damaged, and his potion belt had snapped. Only one potion left.
Hong Long used an Explosive Aura Burst skill to shatter nearby branches and downed his last potion. Retreat was his only option now.
* * *
[They’re gone.]
“Good. You okay?”
[Yeah. I went easy.]
“Glad to hear it.”
What crime did the rank-and-file soldiers commit? No point in hurting them unnecessarily.
* * *
Hong Long had failed, and news of the World Tree’s power had already reached Beijing.
“You damn bastards! They monopolized the info and waited for us to attack, didn’t they?!”
Commander Huang Bao blamed his own haste on Korea. If he didn’t act now, his head wouldn’t stay attached when he returned to Beijing.
“North Korean territory wasn’t ours anyway, right?”
While the injured Hong Long rested, Tian Pei—there to guard Commander Huang Bao—spoke up like a sycophant.
“What? Didn’t you fail recently and have to give it back?”
Tian Pei’s standing had plummeted after the North Korea fiasco. He’d survived only because he was an S-Rank Hunter.
“We can just take it by force.”
The commander’s words grated on Tian Pei’s nerves, but he kept his anger in check. Tian Pei was on the edge now. Another mistake as an S-Rank Hunter could end him, so he desperately wanted credit for securing the World Tree.
“The World Hunter Alliance won’t sit idly by.”
“If we attack claiming Korea failed to control the World Tree and it’s poisoning our territory, they won’t impose heavy sanctions. Promise Russia and Pakistan some scraps later, and they’ll back us in the Association.”
Territorial disputes were flaring up everywhere, but the world was too busy with Gates for them to take priority.
“Changbai Mountain was ours to begin with, wasn’t it? We generously let North Korea have the east, but Korea isn’t North Korea. We need to redraw the border.”
“Exactly! That was the border with North Korea, so it’s only natural to redraw it with Korea! They took Pyongyang and now want to gobble this up too—greedy bastards!”
The commander rationalized his shameless attempt to seize internationally recognized Korean territory.
“Tian Pei! Assemble all the Hunters! Spread the soldiers out along the entire border immediately! We can’t drag this out. We take it now!”
* * *
Chinese forces suddenly deployed in a long line along the border.
In response to China’s abrupt military movement, Korean Hunters and troops took positions at the border too—but Korea’s forces numbered only a tenth of China’s.
“Send out the South Korean commander!”
“What is the meaning of this outrage?!”
Bureau Chief Baek Young-shin stepped forward as representative.
“Korea's failed to control the World Tree, and it's still spewing poison onto our territory. We'll take control from now on, so withdraw your forces immediately! Refuse, and we'll launch a full assault!”
“This land is recognized as Korean territory by the World Alliance Government! China should back off before you regret it!”
The two commanders traded barbs through megaphones, partly to rally their troops by proclaiming their own righteousness.
While the higher-ups bickered, Hunter Jeong Min-gi and I took the front line. Hong Long and Tian Pei stood about ten meters ahead.
“Long time no see.”
I greeted Tian Pei in English, and he flinched.
“Back after getting beat last time?”
He averted his eyes.
“Come at me. I won’t let you escape this time. Let’s settle that grudge from before, yeah?”
I growled, and Tian Pei broke out in cold sweat.
“Oppa…. Leave this guy to me.”
Na Young glared at Tian Pei, who’d once tried to kidnap her. Unless he ambushed her, she could take him alone in a straight-up fight.
“Keep it mild.”
Hong Long stepped in front of Tian Pei.
“It’s China that needs to keep it mild. Has your commander lost his mind?”
“....”
“So you’ll stop him, right?”
“....”
“Don’t wanna follow orders but forcing yourself? Family being held hostage?”
“....”
“Joking, but damn, it’s true. Sorry.”
His honest face gave no verbal reply, but his expression said it all. China had eight S-Rank Hunters, and Hong Long was the one with a positive image even in Korea. He couldn’t side with Korea or badmouth China publicly, but his extensive charity work had earned him plenty of Korean fans.
“I hope that commander doesn’t make a crazy choice.”
“Agreed.”
Hong Long sighed.
I shouted from right there.
“No one here can beat me! If you fight, I’ll be the last one standing! Come at me if you dare!”
My roar made Chinese soldiers collapse. Some nearby pissed themselves or fainted. Weaker than Dragon Fear, but plenty to suppress regular troops.
It wasn’t wrong to say I’d win, but it was laced with bravado. I couldn’t hold that many troops at once. If fighting broke out, Korean forces would suffer near-total annihilation.
Plus, I wanted to deal with the commander and Tian Pei, but I had no desire to slaughter ignorant Chinese grunts wholesale.
“Urgh….”
The commander bit his lip, aware of this.
Hong Long and Hunter Jeong Min-gi were rated as comparable in skill. I had the win over Tian Pei on record, and my name had grown louder since. The tale of me slaying the Ice Dragon had spread through Hunter circles.
“Don’t retreat!”
Officers yelled at Chinese soldiers slinking backward.
“Do you want war?! Think a small country like Korea can survive a war?!”
“Like I said—war breaks out, and I’ll kill every last one of you myself.”
An S-Rank Hunter was a weapon as terrifying as a nuke just by existing.
No—my existence terrified leaders more than nukes. If I went all out, few on Earth could stop me now.
The commander sweated like rain. He’d thought force would make them yield, but my attitude was harder than expected.