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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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But he wasn’t dazed. On the contrary, his mind was racing faster than ever. His eyes gleaming, Tendo spoke immediately.
“I’ll go meet the ministers right now.”
He would improve relations with Korea and Hunter Lee Seong-joon, while also preparing for potential financial issues. And ultimately, he would forge a friendly relationship with Hunter Lee Seong-joon.
Mizunohara, having grasped the true meaning behind Tendo’s words, immediately bowed his head.
“We will conduct a thorough investigation into Hunter Lee Seong-joon.”
“Please do it as quickly as possible, before others get to him.”
Since he had proven his abilities to the world, greedy eyes would be watching from all directions. It meant that they could lose him to a rival nation’s association or guild, like China or the US.
As if thinking the same thing, Mizunohara bowed his head without any hesitation.
“Yes, we will make it our top priority.”
Tendo and Mizunohara, having clearly defined their tasks, immediately stood up and got to work.
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Neuro Guild headquarters, California, USA.
As the video of Lee Seong-joon and Razaka’s fierce battle ended on the wall screen, the pupils of Milo, the Chief Human Resources Officer of the Neuro Guild, widened like full moons.
“…Is this kind of fight even possible?”
As one of the top executives of the Neuro Guild, which represented California, Milo’s direct combat abilities were somewhat lacking since he worked in the human resources department.
But thanks to Victor Wiseman, the master of the Neuro Guild, he had met a considerable number of high-ranking hunters and had honed his eye for combat by watching them fight. Therefore, he could say with certainty.
‘…His technique is overwhelming…’
An uninformed person might think it was an even fight that was decided by a single blow. But Milo, with his long-honed eye, knew.
‘It wasn’t even a fight.’
It was no exaggeration to say that Hunter Lee Seong-joon had been toying with Razaka from beginning to end.
When he was on the offensive, he thoroughly exploited his opponent’s openings, and when he was on the defensive, he smoothly deflected Razaka’s power.
‘There’s not a single flaw.’
It wasn’t just his fighting style. His split-second decision-making and his control of qi were theoretically perfect.
Milo couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, “Crazy, absolutely crazy.”
As with most knowledge, knowing something in your head and being able to execute it perfectly were two different things. Small mistakes were inevitable due to the surrounding environment, the opponent’s changes, and one’s own condition.
But there wasn’t a single mistake in Hunter Lee Seong-joon’s movements. He had realized a kind of battle that any hunter would idolize.
He couldn’t believe his eyes and replayed the video several times, but the more he watched, the more his amazement grew.
“Jesus Christ…”
Hunter Lee Seong-joon hadn’t just been toying with Razaka; he had been holding back to allow the people around to evacuate.
He had been fighting with a handicap. If it had been in an environment without any obstacles, he would have ended the fight in a single blow.
‘To be able to hold back against Razaka, who was ranked as Yellow…’
Milo thought that only about five of the top-ranking hunters could fight like that. And even they wouldn’t be able to defeat Razaka in a single blow like Lee Seong-joon.
Milo let out a wry laugh. “I thought it was just a possibility, but I was wrong.”
Hunter Lee Seong-joon’s skills were real. It was an undeniable reality. He was the master key that could make Neuro’s dream come true.
Thump! Thump!
His heart began to race.
“Hunter Lee Seong-joon… you’re really driving me crazy.”
How long had it been since he felt this kind of excitement and anticipation? Milo’s eyes gleamed as he pressed the button on his desk phone and contacted the secretarial office.
“Prepare a plane to the gate where the Master entered right away.”
As the executive secretary, she would usually accept his orders without question. But the voice from the other end was filled with concern.
-…Are you sure that’s a good idea?
It was a natural reaction. The Master, Victor Wiseman, had strictly forbidden anyone from disturbing him before he left for the gate. Approaching him rashly would not end well. But it was a needless worry. Milo, a close associate, couldn’t possibly be unaware of this.
“I’m not going into the gate. I just want to be there to meet the Master as soon as he returns to Earth, so don’t worry.”
It might seem like a futile effort. But it was necessary to control his emotions.
‘If I don’t do something, I don’t think I can calm down.’
His racing heart, which he hadn’t felt in a long time, was beating wildly.
Thump! Thump!
He felt like he had to do something to calm his mind.
“So, please prepare the plane right away.”
Click.
He hung up after saying his piece. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Of course, he hadn’t stopped thinking.
He was just trying to control his rising excitement by filling his mind with thoughts of Lee Seong-joon.
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In a high-end hotel restaurant in Tianjin, China…
Clink— clink—
As the chopsticks busily emptied the dishes, Weijiang, the leader of the Hailong Fortress, spoke.
“How is the food to your liking?”
“Well, what you eat is important, but where and with whom you eat is also important.”
The middle-aged man sitting across from him continued with a gentle smile.
“How could it not be delicious when I’m dining with the renowned leader of the Hailong Fortress and the divine Wind Dragon Master?”
The man’s demeanor was friendly, but he was not to be taken lightly. The man before him was Li Huning, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee and the third-ranking official in the Communist Party.
His friendly demeanor was just a mask. He was someone you couldn’t relax around.
Weijiang responded to the flattery with a calm expression.
“The Wind Dragon Master is divine? You’re too kind. He still has a long way to go.”
“As I’ve heard, you raise your disciples very strictly, Leader Weijiang. Haha!”
At Li Huning’s hearty laugh, Jin Ja-woon, the Wind Dragon Master, also spoke in a humble voice.
“No, my master is right. I am not worthy of being called divine.”
“Hahaha, it seems you two are teaming up to tease me. But I, Li Huning, am not so easily fooled. If the Wind Dragon Master, who is said to have the greatest talent in our great nation of China, is not worthy of being called divine, then who is?”
Li Huning, with a relaxed smile, took a sip of tea. It was a brief moment of respite, meant to lighten the heavy atmosphere, but it was futile. Jin Ja-woon’s expression remained as stiff as a statue.
“…I believe only Hunter Lee Seong-joon of Korea is worthy of being called divine.”
Although the name came up rather suddenly, Li Huning’s expression didn’t change.
Lee Seong-joon was currently a hot topic worldwide and also the reason why Li Huning had come all the way to Tianjin to see the Hailong Fortress leader. The main topic had finally been broached.
Li Huning’s friendly demeanor vanished in an instant, replaced by a sense of pressure.
“Lee Seong-joon… how dangerous is he?”
Weijiang answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“Whatever you’re expecting, he’s a much bigger figure than that.”
“I want a more precise answer than that.”
Weijiang’s face hardened at Li Huning’s pressing tone. He was warning him in advance that it wasn’t a very hopeful story.
He, Weijiang, had also once been greedy for Lee Seong-joon. He had even taken the bold step of sending his most cherished disciple, Jin Ja-woon, as a scout. But he had failed.
Thinking about it, it was a foregone conclusion. The Lee Seong-joon he had observed was a king who had reigned as a ruler.
He wasn’t someone who would ever be under anyone else. It was natural, but he wasn’t being arrogant like the foolish people often seen.
Lee Seong-joon was a being blessed by martial arts, a talent worthy of being called a heavenly martial body. In fact, his growth rate was overwhelming compared to any other being in the world.
“His growth potential is something even I can’t even fathom, so it’s hard for me to say anything, but his current combat ability is on par with, or even greater than, our Chinese rankers.”
“Ahem…”
Li Huning didn’t hide his displeasure. The defeat of China’s rankers meant that China’s national power was inferior to that of the small eastern country of Korea.
It was a great blow to his pride, but he couldn’t deny reality, given the words of an expert like Weijiang.
‘…It’s truly a dragon rising from a stream.’
To have achieved a level surpassing China’s rankers in a country like Korea, which lacked proper training facilities or systems. And he had achieved this in less than six months.
He was a being with an unprecedented growth rate in the history of hunters since the Great Change.
‘When Sosumun and Kang Yi-ryung were defeated, I shouldn’t have just watched. I should have immediately tried to win him over or break him.’
It was a painful mistake, but now was not the time to dwell on the past and regret it. He had to coolly assess the current situation and plan for the future.
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