Lee Tae-sung was extremely tense as he scattered a wave of flames.
*’They’re minions of the Outer God. I don’t know what powers they might display, so I must never let my guard down.’*
No one knew better than Lee Tae-sung what powers the experts from Another World could wield.
Just looking at the strong beings within the Dream World was proof. Even though Lee Tae-sung had reached the Peak Realm, looking at the entire continent, there were still countless beings stronger than him.
Among the elders of large factions or their representatives, Transcendent Realm experts were common, and there were even stronger ones above them.
Moreover, going even higher, there were the Ascendants, who were demigods.
Lee Tae-sung resolved to give his all, and if necessary, he was prepared to flee.
-*Whoosh!*
“……?”
That was until Le-Bleric collapsed in the flames, writhing.
*’…Is it a trap?’*
A trap that could produce such realistic acting?
He almost fell for it.
It was clearly a tactic to gain the upper hand by ambushing him if he approached carelessly.
Lee Tae-sung didn’t let his guard down and continued to send waves of flames.
-*Whoosh!*
-*Boom!*
At this point, it felt strange.
*’Can it really act with such realistic… acting?’*
To be able to simulate dying in flames so vividly.
Indeed, if one was to be a minion of the Outer God, they would need at least this much ability.
Lee Tae-sung waited patiently.
The creature’s writhing tentacles gradually stopped moving.
Not long after, only the crackling sound of burning remained, and the thing in the flames stopped moving altogether.
!……?’
***
-! i-
-!!!??
The Ranking Mission Site was a dimensional zone connecting Earth and outer space.
Therefore, it was a middle ground where Earth’s power could reach to some extent and their power could also be exerted somewhat.
The Outer God’s Vanguard was staying somewhere in outer space, and all of them flinched in surprise.
-Did everyone feel that just now?
-…Yes.
It’s not my imagination.
Le-Bleric is dead.
-That’s impossible…
He was conducting research in an uninhabited place.
How could he die suddenly?
The death of a comrade.
And Le
-Bleric, who was in the middle of important research.
-Can we find out the cause?
-Given the location, we need to make a direct connection.
As you all know, that would carry huge risks.
-Hmm…
In the past, their first comrade to die had died that way.
He was caught by an Ascendant who used power from beyond a Gate.
To influence the Ranking Mission Site, they had to take that risk.
Of course, it wasn’t easy.
-In the end, the research wasn’t completed.
-No.
We sent a prototype not long ago.
How about continuing based on that?
-Impossible.
Le
-Bleric was called a genius in that field.
Without him, we can’t continue this.
-But the prototype is somewhat complete.
-Should we consider that fortunate?
………
-It seems we can replicate the prototype.
Even though it’s a bit incomplete, let’s proceed with the plan as is.
-How complete is it?
-It seems it can suppress the power of Hunters, but it’s impossible to completely block the power of Hunters above a certain level.
-Hmm…
No choice.
For now, we have to make use of this.
After that, the Outer God’s Vanguard discussed future plans for a long time.
***
The tentacle monster Lee Tae-sung encountered in the Ranking Mission Site eventually died.
Thinking it might be a trap, he had been careful and confirmed the kill several times, turning it into ashes without leaving even a piece of the corpse.
Afterwards, the black mist area also disappeared, turning into ordinary land.
Lee Tae-sung looked around a bit more but found nothing special.
*’I thought it was the area where the Outer God’s Vanguard stayed. Too bad.’*
He had expected something since it was a place impossible to enter without the blessing of the Sky Altar, but in the end, it was just killing one tentacle monster.
*’I guess I have to be satisfied with crushing their plan.’*
Even thinking back, that black mist was fatal.
It was only because Lee Tae-sung had regained his Peak Realm state that he could exert power; otherwise, he would have lost all his strength and died without a doubt.
Moreover, considering that he was protected by the altar’s blessing, entering without protection would have been extremely dangerous.
Afterwards, Lee Tae-sung returned home safely.
He reverse-summoned all the Ascendants.
Now the tickets were truly running low.
He had to keep enough to maintain them for emergencies, so there was no leeway.
*’Before I go back into the Dream World, I need to grind missions hard.’*
He planned to do party missions with Peipei and the other guild members, aiming to accumulate over 1,000 tickets.
Lee Tae-sung was about to head straight to the guild office.
-*Ring~*
Just then, he got a call from Section Chief Song Sang-yeop.
“Yes, Section Chief. Did another Gate Incident break out?”
He quickly asked, wondering if there had been some change on Earth after he killed one of the Outer God’s Vanguard and the black mist area disappeared.
-*Sigh.*
No.
If that had happened, it would have been a real disaster.
“Ah, that’s a relief. Then what brings you to call?”
-The thing is, an invitation came from the Japanese government today.
The Japanese government had sent invitations targeting Korean rankers.
It wasn’t just a simple invitation.
Who would go abroad in these chaotic times?
It was an invitation that promised enormous benefits in return for staying in Japan for a few days.
The invitees were all high-ranking leaders of guilds.
They were promised opportunities to expand their businesses into Japan, support from Japan when conducting overseas business, and other tangible and intangible benefits necessary for business.
All of this was offered just by accepting the invitation.
-Of course, you don’t have to go.
Actually, I recommend you don’t go.
The atmosphere in Japan isn’t very good.
There are rumors within the Association that they want to use you as a shield in case of unstable situations in Japan.
Japan isn’t foolish enough to waste money for nothing.
Currently, Japan is in social chaos due to the Gate Incident disaster and the still-red sky.
They likely see this as a request for support from excellent Korean rankers in case something else happens.
-There are also guesses that the Japanese high-ranking officials know the cause of the red sky.
So they think an event incomparable to Gates or Incidents is about to happen, and they want to bring foreign Hunters in by any means.
*’That’s not it…’*
Lee Tae-sung already knew the full story of this incident.
The reason Tokyo’s sky was red was because the Mad Demon had happily released her power rampantly.
Her energy dyed the sky, making it eerie and gloomy, but there was no special problem.
*’I heard it would disperse naturally over time… but I should go and help dispel it a bit.’*
How anxious must the people living there be?
Lee Tae-sung felt responsible for sending the Mad Demon to Japan without permission.
It was already done.
At least he should provide good after service.
Since they said they would give a lot of things in return for the invitation, it seemed good to go.
*’I’ll just summon Mad Demon-nim briefly once I get there and it’ll be cleanly resolved.’*
Having finished his mental calculations, he spoke.
“I’ll accept the invitation.”
-…You’re going?
“Yes. A neighboring country is having a hard time, so I should go and help.”
-OL….
Song Sang-yeop was speechless for a moment.
Of course, he had no argument there, but since when were the three countries of Korea, China, and Japan on such friendly neighborly terms?
Of course, historically there were times when they were close, but most of the time they were busy squabbling.
-You can ignore this; no one will blame you.
“No, it’s fine. I’ve never been to Japan before, so I’ll go as if on a trip.”
With him saying this much, Song Sang-yeop couldn’t stop him.
If he wanted to go, what could he do?
…I understand. Since you’re going, I’ll arrange the schedule accordingly.
In the end, the Association became busier.
***
At first, Japan thought that with the Gates gone, the red sky would return to normal.
Everyone thought it was an abnormal phenomenon caused by the appearance of Gates.
But even after the Gates disappeared, the situation remained the same, and people feared what might happen next.
The Japanese government suspected that Korea’s peace was due to Lee Tae-sung, but they couldn’t single him out, so they invited multiple rankers.
The Japanese government’s invitation to Korean rankers.
In fact, most Korean rankers who heard about this were planning to refuse.
– Japan?
Isn’t it dangerous right now?
– I heard a lot of people died when a Gate appeared in the middle of Tokyo…
– They say it’s not a sightseeing atmosphere.
Tokyo’s sky keeps being red, and they can’t even hold memorials for the victims.
– I shouldn’t go.
– Me neither.
But when news spread among Korean rankers that Lee Tae-sung had accepted the invitation, their opinions immediately changed.
– Huh?
Guild Master Taesung is going to Japan?
– ???
Ah…
Then I should go too.
– Suddenly I really want to go to Japan.
– I had a scheduled trip originally, but I think I’ll just go now on this opportunity.
– I suddenly want to go eat a bowl of ramen and come back.
Taesung Guild is the exclusive supplier of Mana Elixir Potions to Korea.
The guild leaders who lead guilds knew better than anyone how excellent the effects were.
Those who had taken them had become several times stronger compared to a few months ago, thanks to synergy with newly learned skills!
There were even rumors that the Level 3 Elixirs would be released soon.
Naturally, rankers wanted to build connections with Lee Tae-sung somehow, and going to Tokyo together was a very good opportunity.
Confident that they could escape even if it was a little dangerous, they gladly accepted the invitation.
Haneda International Airport HBT (Haneda Business Aviation Terminal).
This place, with its dedicated aircraft infrastructure, separate immigration screening from the general public, and VIP lounges, was where the Korean rankers gathered.
They should have already moved to the hotel in escort vehicles, but after arriving at the airport lounge, they didn’t leave and were waiting.
They chatted among themselves as if waiting for something, but kept glancing at the departure gate.
Just then.
“There he comes.”
“Let’s go greet him quickly.”
The rankers who had been waiting saw Lee Tae-sung appear in the distance from the departure gate and moved quickly.
Lee Tae-sung apologized when he saw the rankers.
“I’m sorry. I was a bit late and made you all wait.”
“Oh no, not at all. You’re busy, so it’s perfectly fine.”
“Exactly! We’re the ones who are free, so it’s only natural we adjust!”
“Was the journey inconvenient? Give me your luggage. I’ll carry it.”
The rankers surrounded Lee Tae-sung.
Lee Ye-ji, the Vice Guild Leader of the Blue Dragon Guild, looked at Lee Tae-sung with newfound wonder.
*’Amazing, really.’*
He was definitely a rookie she had marked in the past, but to have grown this much.
Of course, it was surprising, but Lee Ye-ji also quickly ran over.
“I’ll carry that luggage!”