Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: The Leaf of Life
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"Aargh!"
E Suo-lin screamed as she shot up.
A dream.
A nightmare.
It had been too real.
An event she had experienced firsthand in the past.
The moment Min Ha-na had slapped her, knocking her unconscious, replayed as a nightmare every day.
Habitually touching her cheek, she looked in the mirror. The mark was already gone.
But the wound carved into her heart would never fade.
"She was strong…"
Her body trembled with rage.
The true reason for her anger wasn't the injustice of it all.
It was because she had felt an insurmountable wall, one she dared not challenge.
A complete defeat.
She couldn't deny it.
Min Ha-na had been like a skilled hunter.
She'd used offensive magic for defense, moved her body to dodge, and launched counterattacks all the while.
It made E Suo-lin, who had just stood there focusing on firepower, feel like a novice.
"Even if we fought again, I'd have no chance of winning."
That was the real reason for her fury.
"It won't end like this."
During her week in the hospital, she had thought of only one thing.
"No one will ever stand above me."
She vowed, her face filled with venom.
That evening.
E Suo-lin left the hospital.
Avoiding prying eyes, she got into a car waiting in the basement, where she saw a familiar face.
It was Wang Jin-chun, the other S-rank hunter who had finished his treatment.
He had visited several times, but E Suo-lin had refused to see him.
Normally, Wang Jin-chun would have been complaining, but not today.
He had read the rage in E Suo-lin's expressionless face. Still, he wasn't patient enough to keep his mouth shut.
"So, what's the plan?"
"Revenge."
Wang Jin-chun laughed at her words.
"My thoughts exactly. We'll mobilize all of China if we have to, and get those bastards…"
"Stop talking nonsense."
"What?"
"Mobilize all of China to kill who?"
"Korea, of course…"
As he spoke, Wang Jin-chun realized the premise itself was flawed.
"We could make Korea disappear, but they'd be fine. We'd be the ones to suffer."
The relationship between Mad Castle and the Korean government didn't matter.
What mattered was whether the full might of China could wipe out Mad Castle right now.
Their target for revenge was Mad Castle, not Korea.
"We have to get stronger. It's the only way."
"But we're already S-rank."
"So, were they on the same level as us?"
Wang Jin-chun fell silent again.
As arrogant as he was, he wasn't foolish enough to be blind to the difference in skill.
"They're clearly training on the Azelan Continent. I'm going to the Azelan Continent too."
The fact that the Korean Hunter Management Bureau didn't assign gates to Mad Castle was already known not just in China, but in many other countries.
Some even thought their skills had stagnated because of it.
But the Mad Castle agents they had just encountered possessed skills that overwhelmed fellow S-rank hunters.
The conclusion was simple.
They were growing stronger somewhere other than Earth.
"I'll make that bitch kneel before me and beg for her life. And when she's pleading with the most pathetic expression, that's when I'll kill her."
The way she spat out the words sent a chill down even Wang Jin-chun's spine.
"From now on, you're in charge of the Heavenly Guild."
"What?"
"Isn't this what you wanted?"
"It's just so sudden."
It was indeed what Wang Jin-chun had always wanted.
The Guild Leader of the Heavenly Guild was, for all intents and purposes, the ruler of China. But he had never been able to surpass E Suo-lin.
And now she was stepping down on her own.
All he had to do was say yes, and all of China would be his.
"Choose. Cross the gate with me, or stay here."
E Suo-lin asked with a sliver of hope.
"Without me, can the Heavenly Guild even function?"
His answer shattered even that small hope.
He had been so arrogant, yet he seemed to have no intention of risking his life to restore his pride.
"Do as you wish."
E Suo-lin had much more to say, but she decided against it.
"Get out."
"Are you really going?"
"Isn't that what you want?"
Only without E Suo-lin could Wang Jin-chun take complete control of the Heavenly Guild.
"If you don't get out now, I might change my mind."
At those words, Wang Jin-chun got out of the car.
Seeing this, E Suo-lin commanded the driver in an ice-cold tone.
"To the Gate Management Bureau."
The car carrying her pulled away from the hospital.
Upon arriving at the Chinese Gate Management Bureau, E Suo-lin received some unpleasant news.
"Gate 1 has vanished."
It was news that one of the two-way gates had disappeared.
The timing of the gate's disappearance, which had been used to scout the Azelan Continent, was highly coincidental, but she had no choice but to accept it for now.
All that remained was Gate 2.
An island inhabited only by monsters.
It was said to be the size of China's Hainan Island, slightly less than twice the size of Korea's Jeju Island.
This meant that a vast, by no means small, land was teeming with monsters.
"Are you certain you want to go? As you know, we have failed to conquer that land several times."
The Chinese government had initially launched a large-scale subjugation effort. E Suo-lin knew this well, as she had participated in it.
However, after a string of casualties, they had only managed to scout the outskirts before halting the operation.
"I will come to rule that land."
She emphasized the word 'rule.'
'Because it's the word that suits me best.'
Having abandoned everything, E Suo-lin headed for the gate connected to the land of monsters.
* * *
Back on the Azelan Continent, Wang-sik sat across from Rohan Leit.
He had intended to check on recent events and return to his base, but he had received a request he couldn't refuse.
"It's been a while, my friend."
Rohan Leit, who had come to his mansion, was unlike his usual self. He took off his coat and let out a long sigh.
"Ah, I can finally breathe."
"You seem to have been quite frustrated."
"Weren't you?"
"Well, I'm not from a prestigious knightly family, so I didn't have to worry about appearances."
Rohan Leit chuckled at that.
A hundred days had passed since the assassination of the 9th-circle mage, but the culprit had yet to be caught.
He had originally planned to lie low until the culprit was caught, but it had been too long.
Naturally, for Rohan Leit, who had been ambitiously preparing for monster subjugations, it was bound to be frustrating.
"So, you've decided not to wait any longer?"
"I believe I've shown enough courtesy."
"I suppose so."
Once the Leit family started to move, the other noble families who had been watching from the sidelines would also resume their normal activities.
"Unfortunately, the Dark Spirit Mountains will have to be postponed. If we go there now, we'll end up at war with the Magic Tower."
As he said this, Rohan Leit didn't hide his disappointed expression.
It was an expression that somehow resembled Wang-sik's.
"There are plenty of other places to subjugate anyway. Let's discuss it together."
Wang-sik stood up and took a bottle of liquor from the display cabinet.
It was quite high-end, a type that even nobles couldn't easily obtain.
Though, of course, Rohan Leit would have no trouble getting it.
"I thought we might need something stronger than tea today."
"A drink of consolation?"
"Does it matter what we call it?"
Rohan Leit accepted with a smile, but before taking the first sip, he delivered some unexpected news.
"I didn't come here just to discuss our next target."
"Are you going to confess some hidden past?"
"Haha. It's a more interesting story than that."
For Rohan Leit to say something like this, it clearly meant something big was afoot.
Fortunately, he didn't drag it out any longer and stated the purpose of his visit.
"His Majesty wishes to see you."
For a moment, Wang-sik wondered if he had managed to control his expression.
Thankfully, Rohan Leit continued speaking naturally.
"He apparently spoke through my father. He wants to invite both you and me to the imperial palace."
"Hmm, I doubt it's just for a meal."
"Of course not. He will likely speak about your title."
What the nobles desired most.
A promotion in rank.
"You are more than qualified."
The only titles higher than Count are Duke and Marquis.
It was likely too soon for a dukedom, so he would naturally be offered the title of Marquis.
As the ruler of the eastern coast and the self-proclaimed vanguard against the Magic Tower, the emperor was giving him a gift.
'He wants me to keep them in check.'
There was no such thing as a free gift from the emperor.
This had two meanings: one was to lend strength to the effort to keep the Magic Tower in check. The other was to pull a powerful noble family to his side.
"His Majesty might even have a bigger gift in store."
"A bigger gift?"
"It's not certain, but there's a rumor circulating in the palace."
When Wang-sik tilted his head, Leit gave a playful smile and said,
"They say the head of the noble house that controls the east is quite handsome."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, it's just what they say. I hate to admit it, but it's true, isn't it? Though I pride myself on being more handsome, of course."
Seeing him add a joke, which was unlike him, Wang-sik deduced that he must have heard something.
'Could it be?'
Come to think of it, Leit wasn't wrong.
It was true his power had grown through the noble war, and he was handsome enough to attract the attention of any woman. This had already been proven at several social gatherings.
Even when he had no fame, women had flocked to him, so it wouldn't be strange for talk of marriage to arise now.
"His Majesty would like to see you in five days. What do you say?"
It was an offer he couldn't refuse. At least in front of Rohan Leit, he had to appear loyal to the emperor.
"It would be my honor."
And so, the meeting with the emperor was set.
"To be seeing His Majesty with you, I feel quite reassured."
"Me too."
He replied with a smile, but Wang-sik was thinking something else.
'Should I kill him?'
This was his only thought.
The next morning.
Wang-sik went to the Decartes Mountains to find the Elven Elder.
He had to meet the emperor in four days, and there was a crucial prerequisite.
"Is there a way to block the power of spirits?"
It was because of the spirit user who was always by the emperor's side.
The spirit user might be able to see through the Ring of the Doppelganger that Wang-sik was using.
If he couldn't solve this problem, he would have to give up on meeting the emperor.
Because anyone meeting the emperor had to meet the spirit user first.
"You need to prevent your true form from being discovered."
The Elven Elder, Eldrian, understood the reason immediately. With spirits always by her side, she too could see Wang-sik's true nature.
"That's right."
He had already told her about this and shown her his true form, so there was no need to hide it.
"That's not difficult. Follow me."
Eldrian had been smiling with a relaxed air more often lately.
She led him to the Tree of Life, which was growing larger by the day.
The tree, which had been just branches stretching out from the middle of the pond, now had leaves sprouting, and its thick trunk was visible above the water.
Spirits flew around the tree, sprinkling a mystical powder, and a refreshing fragrance carried on the wind made Wang-sik smile.
Just looking at it felt healing.
Eldrian hoped the tree would one day spread throughout the entire forest, but even now, it exuded a sufficiently mystical aura.
"Please wait a moment."
Eldrian approached the clear pond.
Standing ankle-deep in the water, she closed her eyes and stretched out her hands. The spirits hovering near the tree responded.
As Eldrian's will was conveyed, the spirits moved to the very top of the Tree of Life.
They gathered their power, turning into a white light, then brought something down and placed it in Eldrian's palm.
When the light faded, a pure blue leaf remained. Being blue instead of green, it looked unfamiliar to Wang-sik's eyes.
Eldrian opened her eyes and handed the leaf to Wang-sik.
"It's a Leaf of Life. It will shield you from a spirit user's eyes."
"Thank you."
Now, the preparations were complete.
The time to meet the master of this land was approaching.