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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Thump. Thump.
He hadn’t even lasted a minute, let alone ten.
His previous judgment of Lee Seong-joon had been his, Choi Seung-tae’s, own delusion.
‘M-my goodness, he even mastered Qi-Gong to the ascended realm?’
Choi Seung-tae, staring at the hellish scene, couldn’t close his agape mouth.
Even the core executives of the World Returnee Alliance couldn’t wield power in such diverse ways.
A martial artist who, not content with fist and sword techniques, even wielded Qi-Gong to the ascended realm of Hwagyeong.
‘Even having reached the Hwagyeong realm… he can still grow much further?’
Usually, a master, a martial artist who has reached a high realm, can easily handle martial arts of relatively lower realms.
In other words, Lee Seong-joon, who freely wielded three ascended martial arts, was a martial artist who had reached an even higher realm than Hwagyeong.
An instinctive terror, deeply ingrained in his heart, began to surge at the vast power disparity that he dared not even aspire to.
‘Dangerous.’
If such a monstrous being were to complete his growth…
How strong would he be?
How high a realm could he reach?
Could he threaten Lee Seong-joon by invoking the World Returnee Alliance, his supposed backing?
As he couldn’t even dare to imagine, the preceding questions could not be answered.
However, the last problem was so easy to calculate that he quickly found the answer.
‘Impossible.’
There was no way at all to stop Lee Seong-joon’s aggressive actions.
“D-don’t come!”
As death slowly approached, Choi Seung-tae’s trousers grew damp.
Choi Seung-tae, feeling an unspeakable terror, dragged his bottom backward, desperately widening the distance from Lee Seong-joon.
“Don’t come!”
The backing he had believed to be the strongest, the power of the World Returnee Alliance, had become utterly useless.
This was because, in Choi Seung-tae’s delusion, Lee Seong-joon’s power had already surpassed the World Returnee Alliance.
Tears born of fear streamed down his cheeks.
Regret washed over him for the foolish choice he had made.
However, he couldn’t give up on life here.
‘I want to live, I must survive.’
The instinct for survival, ingrained in human nature, arose.
Pressure using force or power, the methods he had used so far, could never stop Lee Seong-joon.
But there was not no way at all.
“P-please, I have a family at home. I did what I did because I wanted to make my beloved daughter and wife happy. I will never do such a foolish thing again… Please, spare me for the sake of my family. If I die, my daughter and wife will be unhappy.”
It was obvious, but it was a blatant lie.
Choi Seung-tae had no family.
To be precise, after returning to Earth, he had abandoned his family with his own hands.
He was one of the common returnees busy indulging in pleasure and luxury in entertainment districts every night.
He had simply fabricated a fictional family to exploit Lee Seong-joon’s value for his family and evoke sympathy.
It could be said to be an excellent judgment, but regrettably, Choi Seung-tae had overlooked one thing.
Lee Seong-joon never left loose ends.
“Every action has a price. If you intended to kill your opponent, you should have been prepared to die yourself.”
Lee Seong-joon, speaking calmly, lowered his gaze and extended his hand towards Choi Seung-tae, who was terrified.
Squeeze.
The moment Lee Seong-joon’s widely spread palm grasped his head, Choi Seung-tae’s eyes widened.
“Ugh…”
A terrifying and dreadful power, burrowing into his mind, began to violently churn his brain.
A dizzying pain he had never felt before struck his entire body, and his brain felt as though it would explode.
He wanted to shake off Lee Seong-joon’s hand, but his body wouldn’t move as he wished.
All Choi Seung-tae could do now was let out a low groan.
“Oh… oh.”
The vision in his eyes slowly faded to black.
At the same time, Choi Seung-tae’s consciousness sank into a deep abyss.
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After dealing with the executives of the Returnee Alliance.
Lee Seong-joon returned home and felt somewhat flustered seeing his family going about their daily lives as usual.
“You’re back?”
“You’re a bit late today.”
“Nothing happened, did it?”
Even though there was no damage, there had been a commotion, so he had expected them to be somewhat rattled, but his parents, visible in his gaze, were utterly unconcerned.
His younger sister, Lee Seo-yoon, was also watching TV in the living room with her usual expression, without any particular worries.
It was as if nothing had happened.
“Is everyone… okay?”
At Lee Seong-joon’s question, Kim Ji-young tilted her head.
“What’s wrong?”
“On your way home… did anything surprising happen?”
His words were quite specific, but Kim Ji-young’s face was still filled with questions.
“Surprising? Nothing was different from usual, except for some black cats clinging around, acting cute.”
“That’s a relief…”
Lee Seong-joon, understanding the situation, nodded.
‘It seems Bihyung performed even better than I thought.’
He had handled it so cleanly that his family didn’t even notice.
As expected, Soul-Devouring Fiend King Bihyung’s spells possessed excellent abilities.
Even though the situation was handled in the way he always wanted, he, Lee Seong-joon, had shown his concern.
Naturally, Kim Ji-young’s eyes narrowed.
“Did something happen?”
From their earliest memories, they had been with him literally his entire life, and had always watched over him with loving eyes.
They were parents who knew not only his facial expressions but also the habits ingrained in his every gesture.
A clumsy lie would never work.
“It was nothing much. Someone just came by suddenly and tried to do business arbitrarily, so I asked if they had gone to Father or Mother too.”
He condensed the day’s story, embedding appropriate truths.
Of course, if he went into detail, there would be many more stories, but he had vaguely covered it up because he didn’t want to create worries for his parents.
However, as mentioned earlier, both of them were quick-witted.
Indeed, Lee Soo-hyeok and Kim Ji-young, who were gazing at Lee Seong-joon, had slightly changed in their eyes; they seemed to have noticed something.
But they didn’t meticulously probe Lee Seong-joon’s lie.
“Ahem, ahem. It’s a relief that it was nothing serious. You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”
Lee Soo-hyeok, who had subtly offered words of comfort, cleared his throat and cautiously scanned Lee Seong-joon’s body.
At his worried gaze, Lee Seong-joon opened his mouth with the brightest smile he could muster.
“Hurt? You know I’m incredibly strong.”
A hunter, and among them, a powerhouse reaching ranker level.
No, it wasn’t just his direct combat power.
Lee Seong-joon was now an incredibly reliable son.
However, as he was their child, their son, they couldn’t completely cast off their worries.
They always wanted to protect and embrace him from any potential accidents.
It was an unavoidable parental heart.
Of course, they had no intention of interfering or debating under the guise of worry.
What they, as parents, could do was simply ensure he could rest comfortably without any worries, as usual.
“Did you have dinner?”
“Not yet.”
“You must be very hungry. Go wash up, and I’ll prepare dinner.”
Kim Ji-young, smiling with her eyes, immediately walked to the kitchen.
The rhythmic sound of chopping echoed in his ears, and delicious smells stimulated his appetite.
The fact of having arrived home clearly began to sink in, and a warmth filled his heart along with a sense of comfort.
And so, Lee Seong-joon returned to his original daily life.
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Ko Tae-hyun, currently the Vice-President and effective power of the Korean Hunter Association, was walking down the hallway with a worried expression.
Considering that he had always shown a smiling face recently, it was a starkly contrasting appearance.
Ko Tae-hyun’s uncharacteristically dark footsteps stopped in front of a luxurious wooden door.
“Ahem, ahem.”
Ko Tae-hyun lightly cleared his throat and tidied his clothes.
He had no choice, as the person inside this room was currently the head of state of the Republic of Korea.
This meant that the room he was about to enter was the President’s office.
No matter how much Ko Tae-hyun was the Vice-President of the Hunter Association, he had no choice but to act cautiously.
Having finished his self-check, Ko Tae-hyun carefully knocked on the door in front of him.
“Come in.”
“Yes.”
Ko Tae-hyun, replying briefly to the calm voice, pulled the doorknob.
Upon entering the room, he saw two phoenixes adorning the spacious desk, and a nameplate with a blooming Mugunghwa (Rose of Sharon).
Beyond that, an elderly man leaning back in his chair was visible.
President Do Min-jun.
He was a person who could be said to hold the greatest power in the Republic of Korea.
“You came earlier than I expected. Please, have a seat.”
Do Min-jun, raising the horn-rimmed glasses he had been wearing, stood up from his seat and walked towards the sofa nearby.
Ko Tae-hyun, naturally following him and sitting on the sofa, opened his mouth with a stiff expression.
“I apologize… yesterday’s incident was entirely my oversight.”
In the middle of the night, a tremendous incident occurred that could shake the Republic of Korea.
All the executives of the Returnee Alliance, including key figures like Chief of Staff Kim Gi-young, Moo Moon-ju Choi Seung-tae, and Knights Commander Han Sung-jin, suffered severe injuries to an irreparable extent.
This alone could be considered a massive incident, but it was just the tip of the iceberg.
‘…All the injured alliance executives have been reduced to mere husks.’
This meant that the Korean Returnee Alliance, one of the representative forces of South Korea, had collapsed overnight.
Although Ko Tae-hyun, having received news beforehand, had made the best preparations he could, preventing the incident from spreading immediately, it was merely a temporary measure.
If people began to question the sudden silence of the Returnee Alliance, the truth would eventually be revealed.
“I will accept any disciplinary action. However, I ask that you take measures to ensure that Hunter Lee Seong-joon suffers as little damage as possible.”
Asking to protect the perpetrator of the incident was truly an absurd request.
However, Hunter Lee Seong-joon was a person with the ability to make such an absurd request necessary.
‘Hunter Lee Seong-joon’s downfall means Korea’s decline…’
Currently, Hunter Lee Seong-joon was a person who could literally be called the future of Korea.
He had to be protected for a bright future for Korea.
Strong resolve filled Ko Tae-hyun’s eyes.
“…I humbly request.”
Ko Tae-hyun, bowing his head, recalled the impending reprimands from Do Min-jun in his mind and prepared appropriate answers.
However, it could be said to be a needless action.
The words that flowed from Do Min-jun’s lips were completely different from what he had expected.
“Disciplinary action… Don’t talk nonsense.”
A hollow laugh escaped Do Min-jun’s lips as he shook his head.
“If I discipline you, then who would I assign the work to?”
“But…”
Do Min-jun cut off Ko Tae-hyun’s words sharply.
“Let me ask you one thing, how many people do you think can erase the Korean Returnee Alliance overnight?”
At Do Min-jun’s subsequent question, Ko Tae-hyun found it difficult to speak.
And for good reason: dismantling the Korean Returnee Alliance was not something that could be achieved merely by possessing military strength.
It required bold and decisive action, as well as immense self-confidence.
How could he easily recall a person capable of such unhesitating actions?
“Hunter Lee Seong-joon is, quite literally, a genius. He is a person so outstanding that he cannot be predicted by common sense and knowledge, nor even by the accumulated experiences of time.”
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