Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: The Demonus Weakening Operation Draws Near
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The Demonus weakening operation was finally right upon them.
With all the representative teams from the ten major powers assembled, hundreds of people gathered before San Marino Demonus, in front of its massive iron gate.
In the moments before deployment, the sight of those hundreds from the major powers sorting their ranks left the staff and agents of the GHO Italian branch utterly transfixed.
"It's quite the spectacle, isn't it?"
"Are you saying everyone down there is really an A-Rank Hunter or higher?"
A junior agent gaped in disbelief, prompting a scoff from his senior beside him.
"You're with the GHO Italian branch, and you don't even know that? The bare minimum qualification for the Demonus weakening op is an A-Rank Hunter license."
"So... all those hundreds are A-Ranks?"
"This guy won't believe it no matter what I say."
"I-It's just... I can't wrap my head around it. With this many high-rankers... couldn't they clear it outright?"
The junior agent's words darkened the faces around him.
They began to notice the stares trickling in from nearby.
"Hey, rookie, watch your mouth."
"Huh?"
"This is our turf to protect. Those people are here to help... Don't take their goodwill for granted."
Was it the senior's words? The prickly glares from the surroundings gradually dispersed.
"No, sir. I spoke out of turn as a newbie. Sorry."
"Apologies."
Only after the agents' apologies did the hunters resume their preparations.
And once all eyes had scattered, the senior agent—who had been smiling apologetically—suddenly grabbed the rookie by the scruff of the neck.
"You got a death wish?"
"Wh-what the...?"
"Goodwill, my ass. They're here because GHO dragged them kicking and screaming. They don't want to last a single day in this deathtrap. And you mouth off about them clearing it?"
The rookie's body shrank under the senior's furious grip.
"To them, we're just worthless idiots who can't even do our jobs and drag everyone else down. So shut your trap."
"I was just curious..."
"Curious or not, shut it. Unless you want to end up a corpse."
The senior shoved the rookie's neck roughly.
The staggering rookie snapped to attention with a rigid salute.
"Yes, sir! Understood!"
"Sigh... what a pain, letting guys like that in."
The senior spat on the ground in disgust.
Normally, he'd never need to come down that hard.
But with elite hunters from every major power watching...
There weren't many in the entire GHO Italian branch who could stand up to an enraged A-Rank Hunter.
'That should do it. Anyway...'
Shaking his head at the mounting stress, he turned his attention away from the rookie.
Naturally, his gaze drifted to the group at the very back.
"So that's the hottest team here, huh?"
Amid teams numbering well over a hundred each...
About twenty hunters stood at the rear.
The senior frowned at first upon confirming their numbers.
But spotting the figure at their forefront, he just shrugged.
"They must be capable to get saddled with that insane contribution quota. You don't become a legend here for nothing."
With a quick shift in expression, the senior turned away.
His eyes lingering on the word "KOREA" emblazoned before them.
= = =
While everyone sorted their ranks...
A voice rang out from the cluster of hunters near the Republic of Korea team.
"Those guys?"
"Big dreams. They really think that tiny crew can hit 25% contribution?"
With battle imminent, Yong-un's group was steadying themselves too.
But the stares and scorching scrutiny pouring in soured their mood.
"What the hell are they saying? Those bastards."
Jeong-won scowled fiercely at the hunter eyeing him.
Thwack!
"Ow!"
Jeong-won rubbed the back of his head from Sword Tiger's chop.
"This is in front of the Supreme One. Eyes down."
"Fine."
With one last glare, Jeong-won fiddled with his sword sheath.
That was when...
Clumsy Korean drifted over, loud enough to be heard on purpose.
"Without Yong-un or Sword Tiger, they're useless. The rest are dead meat."
Followed by snickering mockery.
Jeong-won finally snapped.
"Which punk said that...?"
Swoosh.
He leaned forward, ready to charge.
But someone slipped past him first.
"Huh...?"
The leader of Ghostslayer Annihilation.
Myung-su of the First Ghost Soul.
Myung-su was usually calm and gracious, but once angered, no one knew what he'd do.
His strength and arts rivaled Sword Tiger's, no less.
"What did you just say?"
Myung-su planted himself before the Chinese hunters mangling Korean.
The Chinese hunters glanced nervously at Yong-un and Sword Tiger, waving their hands.
"Didn't say nothing."
"Clumsy Korean, that voice. It's you."
Myung-su's hand shot out, locking around the open-mouthed Chinese hunter's throat and hoisting him up.
Despite his unassuming build, the raw power lifting a man one-handed widened the Chinese hunters' eyes.
But only for a moment.
"Kill him!"
"Crazy bastard!"
The surrounding Chinese hunters drew weapons in unison.
Myung-su's icy gaze snapped to them, still gripping the throat.
"Move, and he dies."
"...!?"
A chill killing intent swept over the murmuring representatives.
Myung-su's rage-filled glare.
"G-guhk..."
In the powder-keg tension, about to ignite...
The throttled Chinese hunter thrashed desperately.
Unable to breathe, gripped by ultimate terror, unable to break free no matter what.
Finally, the suffering man squeezed out a bellow.
"K-Kill him!!!"
"Rip him apart!!"
Those words lit the fuse.
The Chinese hunters who'd frozen now gripped their weapons and lunged at Myung-su.
As the agents had said, the Demonus op's minimum qual was an A-Rank license.
Meaning every one of those hundred-plus Chinese hunters was elite.
Superhuman speed encircled Myung-su in a blink.
"Faster!!!!!"
The fuse burned to the end.
The bomb detonated.
"Raaagh!"
One hurled his spear at Myung-su.
That sparked it—swords and mana blasts rained down.
"This is insane..."
Each strike packed devastating power, aimed to impale Myung-su.
The guarding agents bolted toward him.
But their speed couldn't match what was unfolding.
"Damn it!"
The senior agent—who'd been schooling the rookie—bellowed.
The op was just about to kick off.
How could a death happen before it even started?
"Stop!!!!"
Mana coalesced into skills, moments from unleashing on Myung-su.
The senior roared at the top of his lungs toward everyone.
"Have you all lost your minds?!"
Before his words finished...
A thunderous voice boomed from the sky.
BOOOOM!
Followed by a massive explosion between Myung-su and the Chinese hunters.
Dirt and debris erupted skyward, engulfing the chaotic representatives.
"......"
What had just happened?
After the dust blinded everything, not a sound remained.
Only the whistle of flying dirt and clattering stones.
Whoosh.
Someone was curious enough to clear the air artificially.
A deliberate wind scattered the obscuring dust far away.
Revealing Myung-su and the Chinese hunters everyone wondered about.
"Wh-what is..."
How was this possible?
"War God...? The War God moved?"
"War God?"
There, boldly between Myung-su and the Chinese—on the brink of combat—stood the War God.
"W-War God!?"
Everyone was stunned, but the Chinese hunters most of all.
All their attacks had struck the War God instead.
But he wasn't world #1 S-Rank for nothing.
"Asked if you've lost your minds."
A shimmering yellow mana haze rose from the War God, effortlessly dismantling every assault.
And more—several charging Chinese hunters already lay sprawled on the ground.
The Chinese scowled at the War God's furious glare.
Then slowly backed away, one by one.
"If not for the War God... we'd have slaughtered those mutts."
Fluent English spilled from the retreating Chinese, booming loud for hundreds to hear.
Intent on proclaiming China's might, no doubt.
"Is that so?"
The War God slowly scanned the surroundings.
Then smirked and shouted.
"Should've just let you, then."
Judging by the faces and murmurs of the hundreds around, most seemed to agree with the Chinese hunter.
But the War God's follow-up shifted every expression.
"Then 'China' would've gone down as the first major power total party wipe in Demonus weakening op history."
His voice upended all assumptions.
The War God grinned at the instantly transformed faces around him.
As he slowly turned, his towering two-meter-plus frame revealed what lay behind.
The space that should've held only Myung-su and the Chinese...
Now had six more hunters.
Ilgwi-hon Cheon-il and Ogwi-hon Barum, hands spread, mana surging.
Behind them, Sagwi-hon Mu-hee with shadows unfurled wide, and at her side, Samgwi-hon Poison Witch dominating all with inky poison aura.
Finally, flanking Myung-su: Yukgwi-hon Sung-min raising ghostly qi, and Ch ilgwi-hon Jin-mo drawing mana threads.
All of Ghostslayer Annihilation's aces stood there.
"Wh-when...?"
"Didn't sense a thing...!?"
"How...?"
Ghostly, without a whisper of presence—the Ghostslayer Annihilation aces shattered every hunter's common sense.
Kuhuhuhuhu.
The varied expressions across the ten major powers' teams...
Unified with each deep, resonant peal of the War God's laughter.
Astoundment, disbelief, contemplation.
Finally, understanding.
The moment all emotions aligned...
Every representative reached the same conclusion.
The Republic of Korea team was no weakling.
That 25% contribution wasn't based solely on Yong-un and Sword Tiger.