The Man in the Road Blockade
Seoul World Cup Stadium had been half destroyed.
Only the ruins remained to prove that a massive arena had ever stood there.
As if it were some famous tourist attraction, the place was packed with spectators.
The crowd split neatly into two types.
People without broadcast cameras, and people holding them.
Those with nothing to do with filming were the ones who had come to see the wooden greatsword and the pinecone.
They had gotten friends to take pictures and record videos for them, of course, but they were still different from the people who had come professionally with filming equipment.
Their faces were bright with the easy excitement of people who had come purely for fun.
"Damn, this is heavy as hell!"
"Didn’t Baek Do-woon lift this one-handed?"
"How the hell did he do that with one hand? It won’t even budge."
"Wow, shit, those two are monsters. Friends, my ass."
Everyone who had tried to lift Arca said something or other.
They had never expected to be able to lift it in the first place, so they didn’t even look disappointed.
People who had failed before them moved off to the sides.
Like some kind of event at a tourist spot, people were even lining up to take their turns.
And the whole thing was being filmed by broadcast cameras.
The people with cameras were a mix of reporters from major TV stations and internet streamers.
"This crowded place is Seoul World Cup Stadium."
"It is the site where B-class Hunter Baek Do-woon drove in a greatsword and left it behind...."
"And not only the greatsword, but also a pinecone of unknown origin. This pinecone stands over two meters tall and...."
"There, that person!"
The spectators stirred.
Reporters who had been watching their cameras turned toward the spot where everyone’s attention had suddenly gathered.
Then they all started talking at once about the reason for the commotion.
"It’s Hunter Choi Hee-seok! A-class Hunter Choi Hee-seok has just arrived!"
"He is Hunter Rank 79 in Korea, a veteran among veterans who has served as a government-affiliated hunter for twenty years."
"By Korean ranking, he is higher than Hunter Lee Tae-cheon, and is known to possess comparable strength... Ah! And there he is, stepping into the line! Looks like he’s thinking of trying to lift Arca!"
Choi Hee-seok was over two meters tall, so he stood out even in a crowd.
He was a head and a half taller than most people around him, so he couldn’t be hidden even if he tried.
Perhaps because of all the glances drifting toward him, he cleared his throat awkwardly a couple of times.
When the people nearby cautiously greeted him with a nervous "Hello," he answered with an embarrassed smile.
From farther away, people muttered that if it was him, maybe he could actually lift it.
Was that why?
Those standing in line ahead of him yielded their turn to him.
He kept refusing, saying it was fine, but when the offers repeated again and again, he finally gave in and followed what they wanted.
“…….”
Standing before Arca, Choi Hee-seok let out a long breath.
It was anyone’s guess.
He had no idea whether he would be able to pull the greatsword out of the ground.
Kim Mu-yeon, who ranked higher than him, hadn’t been able to lift it.
Lee Tae-cheon, who was known to be on equal footing with Choi Hee-seok in strength, had lifted it and even swung it.
The only way to know for sure was to try.
He reached out with both hands and gripped Arca.
“……!”
A familiar sensation came from the greatsword.
It was the same feeling he had experienced fifteen years ago.
Back then, he had shaken hands with Han Jin-hwan, who was then sitting at Rank 1.
It hadn’t even been a contest of strength.
They had only shaken hands in greeting, but Choi Hee-seok had felt it.
I’m not winning against this guy.
The same sensation welled up now from the greatsword.
Choi Hee-seok didn’t even bother putting strength into his grip. He simply let go.
Questions rose in the gazes of those watching him.
He can’t lift it?
And with that came disappointment.
He gave a wry laugh, raised both hands, and stepped back a few paces.
It was a clear admission of defeat.
"Whoa, even that old guy couldn’t lift it?"
"No way. He’s one of the five strongest people in Korea by pure strength!"
"Just how strong is Baek Do-woon, then?"
"Like attracts like-"
"It’s Baek Do-woon! Lee Tae-cheon’s with him too!"
The spectators exploded into noise again.
It was even louder than when Choi Hee-seok had appeared.
At the mention that the sword’s owner had arrived, every gaze shifted in one direction.
Do-woon was walking over with Tae-cheon.
Both of them looked surprised by the crowd gathered around them.
"Maybe I should’ve come at night after the trial ended?"
"Night wouldn’t make a difference. Hurry up and bring it over, huh? Old man Choi?"
"Long time no see, Lee Tae-cheon."
"What brings you here? Came because you wanted that thing?"
Tae-cheon asked, pointing behind him at Arca.
Choi Hee-seok smiled faintly and shook his head.
"Let’s call it curiosity rather than greed."
Then he held out his right hand toward Do-woon.
"This is our first time meeting, isn’t it?"
"Yes, it is. Baek Do-woon."
"Choi Hee-seok."
The two clasped hands for a handshake.
The moment Choi Hee-seok took Do-woon’s hand, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"So that’s how it is...."
"……?"
"Ah, look at me. Sorry, I’ve taken up too much of your time, haven’t I?"
"No, it’s fine."
Choi Hee-seok released Do-woon’s hand and stepped aside.
Do-woon walked up to Arca and reached out.
One hand closed around the greatsword embedded in the earth.
"Whoa...."
"Amazing!"
Admiring cries rose from the onlookers.
It was because the greatsword, which had refused to move no matter how many people threw their strength into it, was pulled cleanly from the ground as if it weighed nothing at all.
The sight was like a hero from legend drawing the divine sword.
After that, Do-woon gathered up the pinecone as well, along with his friend, and left the stadium.
The people who remained watched them leave in silence until they disappeared.
Choi Hee-seok did the same.
He looked at the backs of the two young men walking away, then lowered his gaze to his own right hand.
"So the gap was that wide...."
The words carried the weight of years.
＊＊＊
We headed straight to the courthouse.
Because I’d been hospitalized, Kim Mu-yeon’s trial had been delayed.
Given the nature of the case, I had to appear in person.
It was self-defense, and we had solid evidence, so I should be found not guilty and walk out right away.
The Hunter Association had gotten that evidence for us.
Using magic, they had turned that day’s events into video, and the footage showed Kim Mu-yeon trying to kill me and trying to steal my belongings.
In other words, unless the judge had taken a bribe, I was innocent.
"By the way, did I tell you I’ve been taking Deputy Lee around with me lately?"
Tae-cheon, who was driving, asked out of nowhere.
I stopped tapping at my smartphone and looked over at him.
Deputy Lee?
"You mean Lee Seong-hun?"
"Yeah. That guy’s kind of interesting."
"Right? That’s why I keep him around. The way he’s obsessed with money is especially funny."
Tae-cheon snickered in agreement.
If you wanted to make money, Baekwooncheon was the wrong place for it.
Most of the money Baekwooncheon earned went to orphanages all over the country.
Including Bangju Orphanage, where that nun lived.
And yet Deputy Lee stayed in Baekwooncheon.
He collected a paycheck that wasn’t much at all, and he never once said the usual office-worker line of "I’m quitting!"
That was the funniest part about Deputy Lee.
It was like he had some other objective, wasn’t it?
"Does Do-hee know Deputy Lee too?"
"He worked right under me. How would she not know him?"
"Ah, right."
"Just leave him alone for now. Let’s see how far he goes."
"Got it...."
Tae-cheon trailed off, then stopped the car.
Luxury sedans were blocking the road.
In front of the sedan in the center stood a man.
It was Aegaeon Guild Master Choi Dong-hoon.
Was he ranked 21st among hunters?
The dark circles under his eyes made him look exhausted, more like a salesman than a hunter.
The World Tree sapling sensed a repulsive energy from the human man.
“……?”
It wasn’t a hostile gaze.
Saessak had said it sensed an energy.
If that guy had been Crowd, it would’ve been a gaze, not just energy.
He wasn’t even one of the Followers of the Demon Race, so what kind of presence was that?
That left only one possibility.
He wasn’t one of them, but he was closely connected to them.
Both Tae-cheon and I got out of the car.
“Why are you standing in the middle of the road, Choi Dong-hoon?”
As he said that, Tae-cheon stepped slightly in front of me.
He looked like he was trying to shield me.
Choi Dong-hoon was staring not at Tae-cheon in front, but at me behind him.
He held out his hand.
A thin hand, one with poor color to the skin. From the looks of him alone, you’d almost wonder whether he was really a hunter at all.
“Hand it over.”
That abrupt demand made me narrow my eyes.
I knew what he wanted.
Calypse.
He wanted the thing Kim Mu-yeon had entrusted to me back.
Since the whole exchange had been filmed, he couldn’t deny it anyway.
That said, the way he asked was infuriating.
I decided to act as if I hadn’t understood.
“Hand over what?”
“Calypse.”
Then he took a step forward.
Tae-cheon, standing in front of me, had already pulled out his shield.
Not the silver shield that had been split clean in half during the fight with Kim Mu-yeon.
That one had been a shock, all right.
I’d never expected Tae-cheon’s shield to be sliced so easily, like tofu on a cutting board.
“Don’t come any closer, Choi Dong-hoon.”
“If I had intended to fight, there would’ve been no need to talk.”
Fair enough.
If that had been his plan, he wouldn’t have been waiting in front of our cars all by himself.
With his hand still extended, Choi Dong-hoon said, “Hand it over. That belongs to our Aegaeon.”
“I did receive it, yeah. But I don’t have it anymore.”
“What?”
“I threw it away.”
“You threw it away? That weapon?”
He stared at me like he couldn’t believe it.
According to Do-hee, if we took it to an auction house and sold it, it could easily fetch several hundred billion won.
Apparently it was hard for him to believe I’d thrown away a weapon like that.
I shrugged and said it casually.
“I have something much better than that.”
“…….”
Calypse was undoubtedly a good sword.
I hadn’t appraised it, so I didn’t know what abilities it held, but it had belonged to a hunter ranked 47th in Korea, so it was definitely a fine blade.
And yet, even so, it was still inferior to Arca.
Kim Mu-yeon had admitted as much and had even nodded obediently when I told him I didn’t need Calypse.
“So.”
I tapped Tae-cheon’s shoulder in front of me.
He stepped aside at once, understanding what I meant.
Then he walked with me as I strolled toward the bastard.
Stopping in front of Choi Dong-hoon, I pointed at the car and said, “Stop blocking the road and get lost. You’re in the way of traffic.”
“…….”
The arm he had been holding out slowly lowered.
His dark, tired eyes fixed on me.
It was a gaze that held no trace of anger.
“You’ll regret this, Baek Do-woon.”
“I will?”
“You just threw away your last chance.”
“Yeah. Kim Mu-yeon said something like that too. You know where he is now?”
Choi Dong-hoon looked at me without saying a word.
For a few seconds, we just stared at each other.
Then he closed his eyes, opened them again, and suddenly turned around and left.
I had expected him to lose his temper and start screaming, so his reaction missed my expectations by a mile.
His limp retreat was so unexpected it was almost disorienting.
He got into the middle car of the three sedans waiting behind him.
Before boarding, he glanced back at me.
A thin, sour smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
“…….”
“…….”
The instant he got in, the three sedans drove off at once.
Watching the cars disappear down the road, Tae-cheon asked, his shield gone again as if it had never been there in the first place, “What was that provocation for? That’s not like you.”
“I think we need to watch that bastard carefully.”
“Yeah, well, you kind of made him like that. Picking a fight with a guy who was already pissed off.”
“That’s not what I mean. I think Aegaeon might be connected to Crowd.”
“What? How do you even know that?”
Saessak sensed a repulsive gaze from that guy.
I just shrugged.
Tae-cheon let out a long sigh and went back to the car.
“Another one of your gut feelings?”
“At this point, that shouldn’t surprise you.”
“I’ll have to tell Jae-im to look into it.”
Aegaeon....
What in the world did it have to do with Crowd?
Was it only that one guy, Choi Dong-hoon?
“Hey, what are you doing? Aren’t we going? We’re going to be late like this.”
“Ah, right.”
What mattered right then was the trial ahead of us.
I needed to think of what to call Saessak during it.
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