Hell Unleashed in Beijing
China's Beijing Awakener Management Agency.
The towering skyscraper, a staggering 128 stories tall, never dimmed its lights even in the dead of night.
Why? Because they ran the entire department on 24-hour rotating shifts, leveraging their overflowing population.
Internet opinion manipulation!
Management of spies worldwide!
Recruitment and support of Awakeners!
And countless other divisions besides!
Population was the gear that drove the nation, the national power that made the country prosperous.
Or so Li Feng thought.
"Our great republic boasts a population of 1.4 billion, while Korea has a measly 50 million. That's a 28-fold difference. Naturally, our Tower scores should reflect a comparable gap, don't you think?"
Li Feng addressed the situation room, packed with the agency's top brass—including himself.
"Indeed, Director. A most righteous observation."
"A puny nation like that shouldn't even reach the toes of our great power."
The executives responded in unison.
And up until the last cycle, that had been the reality.
Various factors kept the gap from reaching 28 times, but an unbridgeable chasm existed between China and Korea nonetheless.
But now?
Li Feng checked the rankings.
Time Until Next Rampage: 15 days, 19 hours, 43 minutes, 54 seconds
Starting Score: -1,500,000 points
1st. USA +6,250,505 points
2nd. Korea +5,962,295 points
3rd. China +4,550,255 points
4th. Japan +4,215,715 points
(...)
The gap had narrowed.
No—it had been completely reversed.
Korea in 2nd? China in 3rd?
Just looking at it made his gut churn.
Especially...
"Who dares say we're below them?"
"China below Korea? Is that right?"
Thinking back to the general assembly still made his blood boil in reverse.
That Korean rep, Cha Minhyuk!
Humiliating him in front of the whole world!
The culprit behind all this?
Who else but the Hitchhiker.
'That damned bastard's letting Korea live it up beyond their station...!'
Li Feng seethed inwardly.
But he soon checked the time and grinned, his mood lifting.
3:17 a.m. Beijing time.
4:17 a.m. in Korea.
In three minutes, Wang Wei—the S-rank Awakener in the combat training grounds below—would use it.
The Lycanslope Summon Ticket and the Curse Doll.
Hitchhiker? Record-breaker?
No matter how strong the guy was...
How could he fend off a midnight monster ambush?
And with that horrific debuff to boot!
Stats halved! Immobilized!
Was that the end? Hardly.
'We've received perfect reports from our intelligence branches in nations worldwide.'
Agents deployed to key spots in capitals and major cities, they said.
Once the Lycanslope spawned, even minimally, it'd cause hours of chaos.
The agents would track the disturbance and hasten the Hitchhiker's demise.
If the assassination failed?
They'd still uncover the Hitchhiker's identity—a valuable harvest.
A flawless plan.
No way to lose.
Heh heh heh.
The Korean branch had especially focused on Seoul, a prime suspect for the Hitchhiker's hideout.
'Clean work, as expected.'
Zhang Xun, head of the Korean intelligence branch.
When he returned home, Li Feng would praise him handsomely in person.
Of course, the lack of any intel on the Hitchhiker was regrettable.
'But it doesn't matter now. The Hitchhiker's as good as dead.'
Li Feng chuckled slyly.
He had no idea.
The report author was none other than Cha Minhyuk.
Then an executive approached, champagne flute in hand.
"Director! Allow me to pour the first one."
"Haha, no need. We'll raise a toast when the Hitchhiker kill message pops. That's when we'll crack the champagne."
"Ah! My thinking was shortsighted!"
The situation room table was laden with fine liquors, whiskey, and champagne.
To celebrate Korea's plunge back to the bottom.
The executives chatted excitedly, like fans predicting a sports match outcome.
"Once the Lycanslope kills the Hitchhiker, it'll head into the city, right? It's a slaughter-crazed beast."
"Haha, those primitives can die a bit for Earth's environmental preservation."
"To take down the Lycanslope, Korea's other S-ranks will have to step up."
"A chance to exterminate those bugs hiding away?"
The heated conversation culminated in...
"None of this would be possible without our great Director Li Feng's guidance."
"Exactly. How did you devise such a perfect plan?"
Naturally, it flowed into flattery.
Basking in the blatant bootlicking—like they'd sell their souls—Li Feng replied with pleasure.
"Haha, why gild the lily? Sure, His Excellency the Chairman's favor got me here, thanks to my innate boldness and decisiveness."
"As expected! Brilliant!"
"We look forward to your continued favors and wisdom!"
The mood escalated.
Anticipation swelled.
By now, that small nation's citizens were probably deep in sweet sleep, buoyed by hope in their Hitchhiker.
Online buzz showed them already celebrating a locked #1 rank.
Fat chance.
It'd turn to nightmare soon.
The higher they'd climbed in their dreams, the harder the fall.
'You idiots. Your primitive hopes will never be fulfilled.'
And then...
Awakener 'Wang Wei' (China) has used the 'Lycanslope Summon Ticket'.
The Lycanslope of Madness spawns before 'Hitchhiker', Korea's top score contributor.
Measurement Time: 1 second
The Lycanslope, under maximum reinforcement (5x), respawns before Wang Wei.
"Huh?"
"What the..."
When humans encounter events beyond their cognition, their thinking freezes.
Right now was exactly that. Li Feng and the executives just stared blankly at the alert window.
The champagne they'd been about to pop, glasses in hand.
Frozen mid-motion.
"How is this... possible..."
"Uh, uhhh..."
Just idiotic mutters.
Messages that could never coexist had appeared simultaneously.
What snapped them out of it was the roar and screams blasting from the speakers.
—Aaaargh—!
—B-block it! Block that monster!
The monitor showed the combat training grounds below.
Prepared for the worst-case scenario.
36 S-rank Awakeners levels 4-50, including Wang Wei, on standby.
For China, with its low average climb floors, they were the absolute elite.
But now...
—S-save me! I don't wanna die!
—Open the door! Open this door now!
They were being torn apart.
By the claws of a wolf-man with glowing red eyes, rampaging wildly.
Li Feng's legs shook uncontrollably.
The Lycanslope of Madness.
A boss monster even top global ranker Killdragon barely conquered over days.
Superhuman regeneration.
Overwhelming physical prowess.
At 2-3x reinforcement, maybe suppressible.
But at 5x...
Clang—!
An executive's champagne hit the floor with a crash.
"M-my God. What the hell..."
"D-Director! It just broke through the training ground door!"
"We need to evacuate you first!"
Pure pandemonium.
One executive barked orders at the situation room staff in desperation.
"Broadcast an evacuation for the entire agency—now!"
Clang! Thud!
A glass shattered against the back of his head.
The executive crumpled, twitching amid glass shards and blood.
"Gasp, huff..."
Li Feng panted behind him.
Gripped glass in hand, he sweated bullets in extreme terror.
Not satisfied, he smashed a whiskey bottle into the man's skull next.
Crack!
Shattering glass.
Whiskey splashing on Li Feng.
Why? Simple.
Before he fully escaped the agency...
More bait to draw the Lycanslope's eyes was better.
"L-let's, let's get out of here."
"Yes! We'll cover you! You lot—evacuation order comes after the Director's safe! Got it?"
Supported by executives, Li Feng fled the situation room.
Already plotting to use them as shields in the worst case.
That's when.
"Grrrrr..."
Eye contact.
With the wolf-man at the corridor's end, drooling.
Body drenched in blood. Whose? Obvious.
'H-how the hell did it get here so fast?'
Li Feng didn't know.
The scent-sensitive Lycanslope had ignored other prey, following the alcohol smell straight upstairs.
Grrrrr—!
Terror filled Li Feng's eyes.
Then sharp fangs and claws descended upon him.
Bloody hell unfolded in China's Management Agency.
The Lycanslope that appeared where the Black Hole was laid went home early.
It was there, then gone.
Came hello, left goodbye.
"Something just whooshed by!"
"No need to even prep the barrier for contingencies. We saw it with Beled too, but that authority is insane...!"
Yulia's eyes sparkled.
Ally Yulia's bond with you has strengthened.
Ally Yulia's bond with you has strengthened.
Ding! Ding!
Feels like it keeps going up no matter what.
Anyway, more importantly now...
'Went a bit too according to plan?'
For a second, he wondered if the Lycanslope had even properly appeared.
Subjugation complete.
Measurement time: 1 second
But the alerts confirmed it.
"It's over."
"All done!"
"Yep, finished?"
The moment they'd waited all day for—done!
A thrilling wave of liberation washed over him.
Then exhaustion hit, replaced by languid drowsiness.
He had Cold-Blooded, but apparently tension had built up anyway.
"Yawwwn."
"Ah! Master! If you're tired, you can nap a bit!"
"Pull this pinky out."
"Right. Take a break. We'll guard you."
"Both feet out."
He pretended to chomp down, and fingers and feet fled fast.
Rest? No way.
Lycanslope's gift basket piled up right in front of him.
How could he sleep leaving that?
He manipulated dopamine to crush the sleepiness and checked the messages.
War spoils from enemy annihilated by Black Hole transferred to inventory.
Just like with the Kobold Trio bosses.
Black Hole's handy feature.
'Monsters from planet restoration give zilch, though.'
Ticket-summoned monsters judged same as Tower innards?
Anyway, rare materials wiped from world markets.
Graciously stock up.
Next.
The Lycanslope, under maximum reinforcement (5x), respawns before Wang Wei.
"Ah, Wang Wei—that guy who's been on the rankings steadily from floor 1?"
"China's top ranker, looks like he tore the ticket."
"Wish it'd been 50x or 100x reinforced. Daring to target the High Priest... er, Your Majesty."
Weird word slipped in.
Eh, sleepy hallucination.
Analysis said 5x alone birthed a nightmare beast.
If China's management had brains, they'd prepped defenses before ripping the ticket.
'Wonder how much they prepared?'
Hard to say exactly.
Like other top nations, China's full forces weren't public.
"Still! Massive losses, right?"
"Yeah. And China's Awakeners' average level being low is hard fact."
Plenty of casualties, probably.
Just hope no innocents hurt in the process.
Basic human empathy, y'know?
'Not that it'd make me hold back even a little.'
The ones who fired the cannon are at fault, not the return fire.
He's no psychopathic baby-killer.
But no bleeding-heart second-guessing every move either.
'Hmm, though I did hit back full force.'
Their karma to handle.
"Carmina. Thanks."
"Huh? Sudden?"
"Cold-Blooded keeps my head clear."
"Heehee! Glad I helped!"
And next.
Yeah. This is the main event.
Confirm this, then rest.
Check rankings.