Chapter 56
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Gwanghwamun Square (1)
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"Isn't this just astonishing!!! Two minutes and one second! He's shattered the all-time record for the tournament. And the champion is none other than K!!! Let's give a roaring round of applause to K for his flawless performance!!"
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
Anyone would have at least glanced around at that level of attention, but K didn't so much as twitch.
Suspicion hung thick in the air.
I kept my guard up, observing K closely.
"Out of 1,431 total applicants, only 110 will advance to the second round. The next event is on August 7th. Everyone who passed the first round can stay at the temporary lodgings provided by the Yoon Family. You've all done great work! That concludes the first round. Thank you!"
The first round was over.
High scorers drew massive attention.
The spotlight on K dwarfed that on any other participant.
Yet K ignored every camera and leisurely exited the arena.
'...Who the hell is he.'
I wanted to tail him, but more pressing matters held me back.
A gate would open in Gwanghwamun before the second round, by August 7th at the latest.
No exceptions today.
Gates always opened in the afternoon before sunset.
So all I had to do was wait at Gwanghwamun in the afternoon.
"Kang Tae-hyun, our fourth-place finisher! Care for an interview? We're from Japanese broadcast. What's your connection to Mr. Mitsuda?"
"You shone at the Academy tournament too—what's your mindset going into this one?"
I shook off the swarming reporters and hurried outside.
Gwanghwamun Square.
Random ID checks were underway all over the streets.
I wasn't exempt either.
The military police stationed at Gwanghwamun maintained order and security here.
They also investigated suspicious individuals.
"Momentary check. Show your ID."
The checks had intensified lately due to the surge in gates.
"...Thanks for complying."
"Yep, you're good to go."
Hunter military police.
Wearing yellow armbands, they doubled as city cops sometimes.
If a gate opened here, they'd be the first responders.
I scanned Gwanghwamun Square.
Civilians strolled about everywhere.
Few hiding spots, sparse guards.
If a gate popped up suddenly, civilian casualties would be catastrophic.
Above all, protecting citizens came first.
'...Too much traffic.'
More vehicles meant more to protect.
Best option: road closures.
'Any bright ideas...'
I looked around.
Right in central Gwanghwamun, protesters chanted away.
"World Government, reveal the truth about the citizen class system statement!"
"Reveal it! Reveal it!"
"World Government, cancel the New Age declaration!"
"Cancel it! Cancel it!"
If a gate hit during the protest, their safety was another headache.
'...Of all places, Gwanghwamun...'
Trying to handle everything solo tangled things up fast.
But I had to make it work.
I kept brainstorming.
Until sunset that day.
That night.
A hooded mystery man prowled the deserted Gwanghwamun Square.
"Perfect."
He pried up a street pavement stone and etched a magic circle inside.
An explosion rune.
Glancing around, he backed off far.
'Explode.'
Kaboooom!!!
The road erupted in a deafening blast.
No injuries.
No deaths, obviously.
Minor city damage, but excellent results.
"Now it's flawless."
Tae-hyun pulled off his hood with a sly grin.
Los Angeles, USA.
A luxurious mansion there.
Irina Delebayne was staying for meetings with executives.
Shwaek! Thunk!
Every arrow she loosed into the target drew cheers and applause.
"Truly impressive, Lady Irina~."
"Whoa~ What distance. Cadets are on another level."
"..."
Irina nocked another arrow.
Fierce winds whipped up.
She pressed her fingers to the bowstring.
The arrow curved like a crescent.
She released.
Shweeeeek! Whoooosh! Thunk!
"Woooah...!!!!"
"Whoa... that's..."
Irina's arrow veered way off-target, then snapped dead-center like a magnet pull.
Like a curling free kick.
Clap clap clap.
A pot-bellied, bearded man approached clapping.
China's 103rd-richest.
"Wow... really. Is there anything Lady Irina can't do?"
"And she's gorgeous too—'perfect' doesn't even cover it."
She brushed off the flattery.
Her mind fixed on one person.
The white mask.
She still tossed and turned at night recalling that day.
'Sigh... will I see him again.'
The white mask was her prince on a white horse.
"Lady Irina, hungry? The top chef's prepared dinner. Brought him special for you."
"Yeah..."
Irina sighed softly and followed to the dining room.
Training to inherit the company.
Whenever free, dinners with execs.
Irina Delebayne was more businesswoman than hunter still.
No gaps in her education.
Despite Hunter Network's auto-translate, fluent in seven languages, plus business, accounting, econ from elite tutors.
Life of a chaebol heir prepping to lead Sonic Group.
The elegant meal proceeded.
Radio droned from a room.
This Yoon Family magic tournament drew the largest applicant pool ever...
Especially with both Yoon heirs competing, it's garnered huge attention.
A mystery entrant shockingly took first—with an all-time record score.
Second: Yoon Seo-hyun of the Yoon Family. Third: Yoon Ah-young of the Yoon Family. Fourth: Kang Tae-hyun, first-year cadet from Hunter Academy.
"Pfft...!"
Rice spewed across the table.
'Kang Tae-hyun???' Irina wiped her mouth, staring at the radio.
Where was he, what doing? Competing in Seoul's magic tournament, of all things.
She knew Ah-young was in, but Tae-hyun? No clue.
"Lady Irina, you okay?? Food not to your taste...?"
"Water, quick! Hurry!"
She calmed her attendants.
"I'm fine. Haha, just choked a bit..."
Irina pondered the broadcast.
'...He's the real deal.'
August 5th.
Gwanghwamun remained peaceful.
One change: no cars anymore.
Beep-beep.
MPs blocking roads whistled vehicles away.
Not just cars—no civilians in the square either.
Blame the mystery blast two days back.
Terror threat: full lockdown.
'Heh heh heh... I'm a genius.'
With traffic and crowds cleared, only MPs left in the square.
Ideal if MPs pulled out too, but impossible.
I sat on a chair across the uncontrolled street, munching a burger.
Evening.
'Terror alert doubled MPs from usual. Citizens safe. Perfect gate response. Flawless plan.'
I grinned endlessly.
"Mom, that guy's weird..."
"Don't look, Jae-doong. Let's go."
Afternoon finger-casting practice on the bench got boring fast.
I glanced at the rooftop opposite.
My clone trained mana there too.
Main goal: watch and guard.
'Ngh... about time.'
Checked the clock.
6:30 PM.
Sunset starting; no gate yet.
I stood.
Recalled scattered clones.
Now sustaining ten total.
Single skill, not chant-cast, so multiples easy.
Clones drain mana while active.
Recall refunds some.
"Alright... proficiency gains today?"
Clone training transfers some proficiency back.
Super efficient.
I smiled at my status window.
"...What's that?"
"Huh...?"
Someone pointed while hailing a taxi.
My eyes followed naturally.
Shooo...
Green slime clumped on a building.
Cocoon-shaped.
A gate.
Crack, craaaack!
It split; hands emerged.
Naga warriors.
Not one.
Ten... twenty? Over fifty with the back building.
'...It's go time!'
I sprinted full tilt.
CCTV blind spots mapped already.
Dashed there, whipped up white mask quick.
As planned: empty Gwanghwamun Square, naga drop zone.
Hunt time.
Pssshhhhooo—Boom!
MPs fired black flares across Gwanghwamun.
Monster alert.
"MPs! Form up! Hold positions!"
MPs reacted first.
Not pure combat unit, but no time for that.
The company commander bellowed.
"Fire!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Formation MPs engaged monsters.
Hit naga writhed in pain.
"Kieeeek! Kieeek!!!"
Chilling shrieks.
But level 3 naga shrugged off a few mana rounds.
Survivors charged the MPs.
"Hiiik!"
"Don't retreat!"
Terrorized MPs backpedaled.
Commander stepped up, rallying.
"Fight! Fear no death! MPs! Fire!"
Bang! Bang!
Despite desperate resistance, front-line MPs skewered helplessly.
First rank wiped instantly.
"Aaaagh! Aaaah!"
"Save me... save me!"
Grueling naga vs. Hunter military clash.
Five to seven young lives per naga down.
But MPs held firm.
"...No fleeing! Citizens first!"
Commander boosted morale.
Naga onslaught overwhelming.
Long spears shredded soldiers from afar.
'Damn... we're losing ground.'
Gwanghwamun MPs: barely 100.
Naga: 40... no, 50.
"C-company commander! Out of mana rounds...!"
"Tch...!"
Ammo depleted one by one.
Non-combat MPs carried just 30 rounds each.
Hunter backup: five minutes out.
Despair.
Commander eyed fleeing civilians opposite.
Parents dashing with kids.
He pulled his son's photo.
'...My boy.'
Commander gripped magic sword, resolve set.
"Mana rounds gone? Grab magic swords! Hunters inbound in five minutes!!! We shield citizens here till then—even if we die! Fight! No retreat! Give your lives!"
"...U... u... uwaaaah!!!"
"Aaaah!!"
"Uwaaaah!!!"
Dying for citizens: hunter duty.
Glory unmatched in Hunter military vs. monsters...!
Young soldiers, barely twenties, steeled up.
Reformed ranks.
Dozens of naga incoming.
"Full charge!"
Roars as remaining MPs charged.
Mission: hold five minutes for hunters.
...They'd be crushed.
Guts spilled by spear, death.
Unrecognizable corpses.
Horrific ends.
...Yet they charged without hesitation to protect families.
"Aaaah!!!"
"Uwaaaah!!!!"
"Aaaaah!!!!!"
Soldiers leaped corpses, courting death.
As blades neared naga—
...Light glinted.
Flash exploded.
"Ugh...?!"
Kraaaackle—!!!
Lightning bolt incinerated front five naga instantly.
Kraaaak—!
Naga dropped to single skill strikes.
Water skills via chant-cast amplified electricity further.
"Ah...!"
Commander collapsed.
Three minutes till hunters.
Who—
Commander turned.
A lone man burst from behind ranks.
He surged ahead faster than any, slashing lead naga.
Dove solo into enemy lines.
"...Y-you're...!"
Black hair.
Straight sword.
Rippling muscles.
White mask.
The buzzed 'White Mask'.
Tae-hyun eyed the commander wordlessly after felling lead naga.
Sunset silhouetted him.
Tae-hyun thought.
'No more mistakes...'
No cowardice fleeing those he could save.
Like age ten, hiding as sister died...
(To be continued in the next chapter)