Chapter 202
Chapter 202
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 202
Chapter Title: The Mercenary King
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"Yo, Mercenary King!?"
War God let out a booming voice at the mention of the Mercenary King.
"Yeah, the Mercenary King."
From what he'd heard, the Mercenary King wasn't just some acquaintance to War God.
During that final showdown with Death Demon Cry, he'd gone so far as to pour out the words he'd left unsaid for the Mercenary King by proxy through Yong-un. To War God, he wasn't merely another Royal Class figure.
He was an idol.
"That's..."
"Is there a problem?"
That was why he'd bypassed Daisy and come straight to War God himself.
But the look on War God's face made Yong-un doubt he'd get any straight answers.
"No problem, but..."
"If you don't know where he is, I'll track him down myself."
"No! I know where he is. Haven't lost track of him for even a single day!"
It wasn't the issue he'd feared, at least.
Still, War God's expression was far from normal, so Yong-un couldn't hold back his question.
"Then what's the problem?"
"Well..."
War God dragged it out, fidgeting restlessly until he finally squeezed his eyes shut and balled his fists tight.
"I kept saying I had to go. Had to go. But I never did! If we head there now, it'd be our first reunion in years."
"You mean that time you unleashed all those harsh words?"
"Yeah..."
War God averted his gaze from Yong-un.
In truth, after spilling those words meant for the Mercenary King via Yong-un during the Death Demon Cry battle, War God had planned to go find him right away.
To deliver those exact words in person.
"But I never made it. My feet just... wouldn't move, for some reason..."
The world's top S-Rank.
The strongest Hunter, the ultimate man himself—yet here he was, blushing like a schoolgirl.
Seeing this side of him so unlike his usual self, Yong-un felt his earlier heavy worries evaporate, replaced by a strangely refreshing sensation.
Pfft.
"Not like you at all. It's not even a lover—just a couple of grown men who threw down once—and you're blushing like that? Hell, I'm the one turning red watching this."
"I-It ain't that simple! You wouldn't say that if you knew what kind of bond the Mercenary King and I shared!"
"Ah~ Back home, same-sex love was taboo. Guess it's different here."
"Yong-un!"
"Just messing with you, but that reaction... it real?"
Yong-un's teasing finally pushed War God over the edge, his battle aura surging fiercely.
"Yong-un!!!"
Yong-un stifled a laugh at the furious glare, covering his mouth to hide his grin.
Then he met War God's eyes squarely.
"If you can't go, I'll head there alone. Just give me the location."
"......"
War God reined in his surging aura at Yong-un's earnest tone.
Then, steeling his face like he'd made a vow, he bellowed.
"No, I'll go with you! Give me a sec to gear up—just wait a bit."
"No time to waste. Hurry up. I'll wait outside."
"Five minutes."
He stepped out of War God's room with Mu-hee.
Bustling sounds of frantic preparation echoed from within. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Light of the Earth.
Mercenary King, Light of the Earth.
「Ah~ That guy's a real oddball even among the Royal Class. If you're planning to meet him, tread carefully.」
That was Ignito's take on him.
「He's at the pinnacle of the world, but unlike other kings, he still thinks he's weak. That's why you especially need to watch out. The guy turns into a total pervert around strong people.」
Pervert.
A twisted, warped obsession with something.
Ignito had called the Mercenary King a pervert when it came to the strong.
At first, Yong-un thought it was some bizarre joke. But after meeting his old friend War God, the meaning started to click.
'So that's what he meant.'
He recalled his first encounter with War God.
Recognizing each other's power, they'd clashed without a care for prying eyes.
And the deep, knowing grins they'd shared afterward.
Yong-un came from the murim world, where Supremacy of the Strong reigned supreme and idolizing the powerful was second nature. War God, on the other hand, had lived an utterly ordinary life in the real world.
Yet at their very first meeting, he'd acted just like the Sword Demon—murim legend of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the dreaded killing ghost.
Now that Yong-un could distinguish murim from reality, he finally understood what they meant by "pervert Mercenary King."
"Five minutes."
Clunk!
Exactly five minutes later, War God came barreling out, huffing and puffing.
"Ready!"
"Pervert confirmed."
That was Yong-un's first verdict upon eyeing War God's getup.
War God was every bit the pervert the Mercenary King was rumored to be.
Whatever their history, they were off to reunite with an old comrade.
Yet his outfit wasn't casual friend-meeting wear—it was full battle rig, like a warrior geared for a massive Gate clear.
"What're you on about?"
"Never mind. Whatever. Just tell me the spot."
"You got a spatial leap skill or something, Yong-un?"
"Nope."
"Then why just ask for the location if you can't teleport?"
War God cocked his head, puzzled. Yong-un patted his thigh lightly.
"We'll run."
"Run... there?"
Now War God stared at Yong-un like he was the pervert.
"What's the issue? My limbs work fine. You've seen how I outpace lightfoot techniques. What's surer than that?"
"Then when you raided GHO's B4... how'd you bolt back to Korea? Don't say you..."
"Ran."
War God's jaw dropped.
He'd always assumed Yong-un used spatial leap for travel.
Hell, he'd seen it firsthand.
"That guy! You two slipped into shadows together and popped out elsewhere, right? That wasn't spatial leap?"
"It was."
War God figured it was a joke.
But only for a moment.
Mu-hee, who'd been listening quietly, chimed in.
"My skill... only works to places I've marked."
"Marked? What about coordinates?"
"Impossible. Can't go anywhere I haven't been, and even then, no mark means no go."
War God shot Yong-un another look.
Yong-un wore a "now you get it" expression.
"Problem?"
War God gawked at him, mind blown.
'W-Wait... so all this time... he's been running everywhere?'
Realization hit like a truck. War God wobbled on his feet.
He knew Yong-un was no ordinary guy, but this? Never saw it coming.
"Don't sweat it. I'll lead—you just name the place."
Crimson Heaven Demonic Energy seeped from Yong-un's body.
He looked primed to launch, grabbing War God's shoulder.
"H-Hold up!"
"Here we go."
"Wait!!"
Yong-un didn't hear him.
Bang!
A gunshot-like crack erupted from the ground. War God, Mu-hee, and Yong-un vanished from the spot.
"Eek!"
Along with what sounded like War God's startled yelp. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Meanwhile, at the Ghost Soul House.
Having witnessed Royal Class might firsthand, they threw themselves into training with even greater fervor than usual.
Even a single Royal Class—they'd managed to stall him with their own power, no help from the Sovereign.
Now that they'd glimpsed the potential they'd craved for so long.
"No time for breaks."
Led by First Ghost Soul Myung-su, the Ghost Souls of the Ghost Soul House unleashed Converged Killing Formation, running mock battles.
With a imaginary Royal Class named Spellro at the center, they channeled every ounce of strength to topple the virtual foe, just like before—doubling down on effort after effort.
But.
"Huff... huff..."
The imaginary enemy was strong.
All the Ghost Souls plummeted from midair.
They hung their heads, turning to First Ghost Soul.
"Ugh... It's not like before. Without Mu-hee and Seong-min..."
Mu-hee was off on Sovereign's orders, and Seong-min absent for his special prayer duties. Their absence dragged down the group's combat power.
Myung-su shook his head at the gasping Ghost Souls.
"No weak excuses. We can't assume we'll always fight together. Prepare for when a few Ghost Souls are missing. Everyone, up!"
"Yes, First Ghost Soul!"
Myung-su's words rang absolutely true.
The Ghost Souls refused to quit after one failure, hauling themselves back up.
They unleashed Converged Killing Formation once more toward the virtual enemy etched in their minds.
Slash. Papapak. Bang!
Flashes erupted in the empty air.
In the deserted courtyard of the Ghost Soul House.
Bursts of light from mana clashes between Ghost Souls and their imaginary foe, plus daggers stabbing endlessly into the ground—those were the only signs of their grueling battle.
And watching it all from Seong-min's room on the second floor of the Ghost Soul House.
Jingle.
Seong-min, his eyes deeper than usual, gripped and shook a bell while observing them closely.
"So they finally met."
Jingle.
The bell, shaken out of habit, chimed differently with each shake.
Jingle.
"Guess I should handle my own duties in my own way."
As the third chime rang out while he watched the Ghost Soul House.
Whoosh!
The hanja "Ten Thousand" hanging in the center of Seong-min's room glowed with thick, inky black light.
The bell-shaking stopped.
The black light hovering in the air surged into motion the instant the bell halted.
The dense, black glow of "Ten Thousand" pierced straight through Seong-min's body.
The character "Ten Thousand" floated in Seong-min's light brown eyes.
That light then rocketed upward through his body like a window, straight over the courtyard where the Ghost Souls trained.
"It's getting closer. That day!"
Grip.
The moment Seong-min clenched the bell tight!
Black light crashed down on the Ghost Souls mid-mock battle.
"Ugh!"
"Gah!"
Their diligent Converged Killing Formation unraveled at once.
In the midst, the sole Demon Cry members—Second Ghost Soul Cheon-il and Fifth Ghost Soul Barum—clutched their temples with both hands, wracked by headaches.
"You guys okay!?"
The sudden event halted their training.
The Poison Witch rushed over to check on Cheon-il and Barum.
But with no serious issues, they rose to their feet soon enough.
A bizarre sensation they'd never felt before.
Cheon-il and Barum sensed the void left by the pain's abrupt flight, scanning their own bodies.
Seong-min, watching them from above with "Ten Thousand" etched in his deep eyes, gave them one last look before quietly shutting the window. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ As the sun dipped low, the Ghost Souls' training finally wrapped.
Drenched in sweat, they headed inside to clean up.
They scattered one by one to their rooms for showers.
Creak.
Second Ghost Soul Cheon-il's room.
Barum slipped in quietly after Cheon-il entered.
"Barum hyung?"
"Cheon-il, you felt that just now too, right?"
Barum's grim face turned Cheon-il's feigned nonchalance into matching seriousness.
"Yeah... Felt it. Familiar, but scary as hell."
"Same here, then."
It sounded mild in words, but that energy had been downright terrifying.
Familiar, yet laced with fear.
A sensation neither had ever known in their lives—Cheon-il eyed Barum.
"Felt like demon energy... You ever sense anything like this in the demon realm, hyung?"
"First time. Met plenty of demons, but never seen—or even heard of—one with energy like that."
"Then what the hell is it?"
Familiar, but frightening...
Mid-conversation, Barum's eyes flew wide as realization dawned.
"The Sovereign's energy!"
"Huh?"
"It was similar, right? That's why it felt familiar—like the Sovereign's aura!"
"Oh? Come to think of it... yeah, kinda..."
As Barum spoke, he caught the inconsistency.
The Sovereign had left ages ago to become Royal Class.
So who else here, without him, could emit something like that?
Right at that thought.
Creeeak.
The closed door swung open.
A Ghost Soul entered, bowing deeply to their fixed stares.
Peering closely, the figure hiding his face in the bow slowly raised his head.
"I have business."
"Seong-min hyung?"
"Hold on... what the hell's with your eyes..."
It was Seong-min, the hanja "Ten Thousand" burned black into both his eyes.
Seong-min regarded Cheon-il and Barum wordlessly, then quietly began shutting the door.
Swoosh.
Cheon-il's door eased shut behind Seong-min.
A flash of dark and brilliant light burst once from within Cheon-il's room.
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