The Demon God Returns as a Max Level Player – Chapter 43

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Despite arriving much later than expected, his parents didn’t say anything, even though something must have happened.

It could be seen that they had been aware of the hastily made excuse from the beginning and had chosen to play along.

Thanks to their consideration, he was able to finish the family outing without any major discomfort.

After spending such a precious and happy time, a month flew by in the blink of an eye.

As it was a considerably long period, many things had changed.

As agreed upon in advance, the Association increased the number of security personnel, ensuring a minimum level of safety for his family.

Naturally, Lee Seong-joon hadn’t wasted the time he had earned.

He consistently hunted Blue Goblins, known as the most efficient prey in the C-rank Gates provided by Vice President Ko Tae-hyun, for over ten hours a day, steadily increasing his level.

Ding-!

Lee Seong-joon’s body, which could be described as a weapon forged through the Diamond Iron Body External Qi Technique, clashed with the Blue Goblins, C-rank monsters.

Each time, the Blue Goblins coughed up red blood and met their demise.

The number of Blue Goblins, which had been as many as five, rapidly dwindled.

Finally, the last remaining Blue Goblin, terrified, tried to escape.

But there was no way Lee Seong-joon would miss its movement.

Crack-!

Lee Seong-joon’s hardened fist instantly crushed the Blue Goblin’s head.

Ding-!

From 41 to 60, he had gained a whopping 19 levels, reaching the 60s.

Even Yoon Min-soo, currently considered the best in Korea, had taken ten months to level up from 40 to 60.

He had shortened that time by a factor of ten.

No, it was no longer a valid comparison.

It wasn’t just Yoon Min-soo.

Even the world-renowned rankers took an average of six months to reach level 60 from level 40.

His speed was overwhelmingly faster than any existing record.

It was a joyous occasion for someone who craved growth, but there was something else that pleased Lee Seong-joon even more.

‘A whopping 19.’

He had accumulated a considerable amount of bonus points.

‘This should be… enough.’

To perform transcendent martial arts, the three elements of Mind, Technique, and Body had to be in perfect harmony.

Fortunately, Mind, which was referred to as internal energy, was steadily increasing, and thanks to accumulating energy through the Blood Shadow Asura Divine Technique, it was in good shape.

Technique, which referred to skill, was laughable to even evaluate, considering he had reached the level of Demon God.

While these two were ready, physical ability, Body, was a different story.

Although buffs could push his limits, they were only temporary, so he couldn’t discuss reaching a transcendent level.

But now, using the bonus points he had?

He could compensate for his lacking physical abilities; he could take the next step forward.

‘Top-tier first-class…’

Perhaps, he could even reach the peak level.

He was ready to enter the ranks of masters, as martial artists often called them.

With a smile, Lee Seong-joon nodded.

‘…I’ll finish hunting here today.’

It wasn’t like a job change, where simply having Mind, Technique, and Body prepared would guarantee results.

He had to demonstrate appropriate abilities and achieve results himself.

Having organized his thoughts, Lee Seong-joon walked towards the nearby exit.

After walking through the nearby forest path for about five minutes, he saw the entrance of the gate, emitting a red glow.

Lee Seong-joon confidently stepped out of the gate.

Wiiiing-!

With a ringing in his ears and a sense of distorted vision, a familiar landscape unfolded before him.

“Good work. You’re out earlier than usual today.”

“Please hand over the magic stones and byproducts you acquired, and we’ll deposit the payment after confirming them.”

The Association staff and the dedicated byproduct management team members who were waiting at the entrance rushed towards him.

Lee Seong-joon, accepting their greetings with a smile, took out the items stored in his subspace ring with practiced ease.

Just as he was about to head to his next destination,

“Excuse me, Hunter Lee Seong-joon…!”

An unusual situation.

Lee Seong-joon’s head turned naturally at the sudden call from Lee Do-kyung, the head of the management team.

“Someone came looking for you while you were in the Gate.”

Lee Seong-joon tilted his head.

“Someone came looking for me?”

To be completely honest, he didn’t have anyone he could call a connection.

At most, it was Ko Tae-hyun, Jo Kang-hyun, and his family, but none of them would come looking for him at the Gate entrance.

It would be faster to leave a message on his smartphone and contact him.

‘No matter how much I think about it, there’s no one who would come looking for me…’

Furthermore, strangely, Lee Do-kyung’s expression also showed a hint of awkwardness.

Questions continued to form in his mind, but as he couldn’t think of anyone in particular, he quietly waited for Lee Do-kyung’s answer.

“Yes, I’ve come looking for you.”

Not far away, Lee Seong-joon turned his head towards the direction of the voice and saw a large man approaching.

Slicked-back hair, a black suit, and a rather tough-looking face.

He looked like a typical gangster.

However, he was definitely not an ordinary gangster.

Strong.

He was a strong individual, perhaps the strongest among the Awakened he had encountered so far.

Strangely, he felt like he had seen the man’s face somewhere before.

But he couldn’t quite recall it.

A presence that felt both unfamiliar and familiar.

Lee Seong-joon’s brow furrowed.

“Who are you?”

The large man chuckled at Lee Seong-joon’s question.

“Well, well… I never thought there would be someone who didn’t recognize me. Let me introduce myself formally. I’m Oh Kyung-hyun, the Master of the Baekho Guild.”

The Master of Baekho, one of the Five Great Guilds.

A figure who had given numerous interviews and appeared in public often.

Now he understood why the man seemed vaguely familiar.

But that’s why Lee Seong-joon’s expression hardened, and he silently channeled his internal energy.

He focused on Oh Kyung-hyun’s movements, ready to unleash his blood energy at any moment.

Having had a previous encounter with Hwanseong, he couldn’t help but be on edge.

Moreover, Oh Kyung-hyun was known to be an incredibly strong SS+ rank Hunter.

He couldn’t let his guard down until he knew the purpose of his visit.

Oh Kyung-hyun scratched the back of his head awkwardly at Lee Seong-joon’s narrowed eyes.

“You don’t have to be so nervous. I’m not here to harm or threaten you.”

Following that, Oh Kyung-hyun, as if to prove his innocence, raised both hands next to his head, palms open.

However, there was no way Lee Seong-joon’s tension would dissipate with just words and actions.

“Ugh… I can’t prove it, this is driving me crazy. I swear to the heavens, I’m not like those despicable Hwanseong bastards! I just came here because I wanted to have a meal with you and talk.”

Indeed. From his tone to his demeanor and clear eyes, Oh Kyung-hyun didn’t seem like the same kind of person as Im Jae-hoon.

But that didn’t mean he had to accept the conversation.

‘…He might be wearing a mask, so there’s no need to take unnecessary risks.’

As Lee Seong-joon’s eyes remained narrowed, Oh Kyung-hyun hurriedly continued.

“I swear on my name, Oh Kyung-hyun, and the honor of the Baekho Guild. I just want to talk to you. There will be no threats or coercion during the conversation, and absolutely no repercussions afterward.”

Lee Seong-joon’s curiosity was piqued by Oh Kyung-hyun’s desperate demeanor.

Naturally, he wasn’t acting on curiosity without any plan.

Association staff were stationed nearby.

Although they weren’t combat personnel, there was no way the Master of one of the Five Great Guilds would be foolish enough to start a fight in public.

‘…This could be an opportunity.’

Through this conversation, he could clearly ascertain Baekho’s intentions and the future direction of their relationship.

Moreover, Lee Seong-joon also had something he wanted to ask.

“Before we talk, I have one question. How did you know my identity?”

Since the Association was concealing it, it wasn’t easy to obtain information about him.

Yet, not only had he accurately identified him, but he had also been waiting at the Gate entrance.

Since his personal information could be related to his family’s safety, he needed to know the source of the information.

Contrary to Lee Seong-joon’s wary demeanor, Oh Kyung-hyun spoke casually.

“The Frenzy Gate incident, after you took down the A-rank villains, the Shadow Brothers, and gave Hwanseong, one of the Five Great Guilds, a huge gift, it would be stranger if I, a Hunter who makes a living in this field, didn’t know you.”

Although he gave a reasonable explanation, Oh Kyung-hyun continued as Lee Seong-joon remained wary.

“Everyone’s pretending not to know, but not just Baekho, but all of the Five Great Guilds are keeping an eye on you. Since the Association is trying to keep you hidden, we’re just pretending not to know because we don’t want to get on Ko Tae-hyun’s bad side by approaching you.”

The title of Five Great Guilds wasn’t simply given based on military power alone.

Financial resources, information networks, and other such factors were also taken into consideration.

Moreover, unlike the time Hwanseong approached him, he now had the added achievement of taking down the A-rank villains, the Shadow Brothers.

There was no way the Five Great Guilds, desperate to recruit as many talented individuals as possible, would miss this information.

Lee Seong-joon, after organizing his thoughts for a moment, slowly nodded.

“I’m busy, so it’ll be difficult to have a meal together. I’d prefer if you got straight to the point.”

“You’re a more straightforward person than I thought.”

“I just don’t like beating around the bush.”

Oh Kyung-hyun smiled heartily and spoke again.

“Then I’ll get straight to the point. I want you to become a mercenary for our guild.”

“A mercenary?”

“Ah, I tried to keep it brief and ended up cutting it too short… Do you know about Raid Gates?”

“I have a vague understanding.”

Raid Gates, where a large number of monsters appeared as elite monsters with proper equipment, and the boss monsters were powerful and unique, unlike those found in ordinary Gates.

Naturally, the difficulty level was on a different scale from ordinary Gates, requiring at least a 5-member party, and on average, a 20-member raid to conquer.

“Then, it’ll be a quick story. A Raid Gate has appeared in Seodaemun District, Seoul.”

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