Chapter 64: Haeundae (4)

The man who, ever since the founding of the Korean Hunter Association, had firmly held the position of A+ rank No. 1.

Sword God, Lee Geuk.

The strongest man in South Korea had appeared before me.

Broad shoulders and a solidly muscled frame.

A physique that made it hard to believe he was an old man.

Soon, Lee Geuk approached with a smile.

“Hohoho— the youngsters these days are full of vigor. Wandering around such a dangerous place… Is it that YouTuber thing that’s popular these days? Hmm?”

Lee Geuk laughed heartily.

Even his laughter carried a dignified aura.

“I’ve been late with introductions. I am Lee Geuk, the 41st-generation legitimate eldest son of the Jeonju Lee clan, the ancestral house of the Yi dynasty. Had I been born in the right era, I might have become emperor myself. Hohoho—!”

Though he spoke as if joking, Lee Geuk’s words were true.

A direct descendant of Emperor Gojong and the last living bloodline of the Joseon royal family.

A national VVVIP so important that the government had provided him a separate annex of Changdeok Palace as his residence.

But the reason Lee Geuk received such treatment was not merely his lineage.

Sword God.

Master of the Swordmaster Cheok Junseong.

South Korea’s Hunter Ranking No. 1.

All of those titles proved his overwhelming strength.

Yet one question remained.

…Why are you here?

The Hunter Association had assembled a massive raid party to conquer the S-rank dungeon that appeared in Haeundae.

Therefore, most hunters of A-rank and above should have gathered at Haeundae Beach.

Naturally, the No. 1 A+ rank hunter, Lee Geuk, should have been there too.

At that moment, Lee Geuk chuckled and said,

“It’s been almost ten years since I last came to Haeundae. In that time, just as mountains and rivers change, this place has changed quite a lot.”

“Pardon?”

“There are new buildings I’ve never seen, and the roads are very different from before. I tried to retrace my memories to find the way, but when I came to my senses… I was here. Hohoho—.”

“…Ah… yes…”

In short, he got lost.

Lee Geuk, still laughing heartily, looked at me and continued.

“But what about you? How is it that you’re in such a treacherous place? You don’t seem to be a Busan local.”

I immediately took out my hunter license and showed it to him.

“I’m a hunter affiliated with the Association. I was heading to a shelter but took a wrong turn…”

Just like Lee Geuk, I decided to play it off as having gotten lost.

Lee Geuk tilted his head as he carefully examined my license.

“An E-rank hunter? You? Hoho, you don’t look it. May I be a little rude?”

With a serious expression, Lee Geuk began scanning my body from head to toe.

It felt like I was luggage passing through airport security.

But that only lasted a moment. Lee Geuk broke into a broad grin and continued.

“How peculiar. Your body is clearly trained, yet it seems forged not by martial arts but by labor.”

“Haha…”

As expected of the No. 1 A+ rank hunter—his eyes were sharp.

Indeed, this body of mine was a practical, compressed model built from loading and unloading cargo.

Lee Geuk handed the license back and said,

“Looking again, you do seem E-rank after all. Hohoho— truly strange.”

He laughed heartily as he walked forward.

In front of him lay the subway car split in half and chunks of the barnacle variant scattered everywhere.

The skill Lee Geuk had just used was the Swordsman-class basic skill ‘Slash’.

In boxing terms, it was the equivalent of a jab.

…And that alone produced this much power?

The barnacle variant had been strengthened to A+ level by the effects of moisture and salt.

Yet he had killed an A+ rank monster with a single casual slash.

Well, of course.

The fact that Lee Geuk had transcended A+ rank was common knowledge to every citizen of South Korea.

There was a reason he still remained A+ rank.

Only the International Hunter Association can designate S-rank hunters.

To do so, one must visit the headquarters in the United States, pass numerous tests, hold a conference observed by at least two S-rank hunters, and go through all sorts of complicated and stringent procedures before finally being granted S-rank status.

Of course, the prestige of the ‘S-rank hunter’ title is beyond imagination—enough that the number of S-rank hunters a country possesses directly influences its national power.

Yet Lee Geuk had refused the S-rank evaluation for the following reason:

“If you wish to evaluate me, the least you could do is come to me personally and make the offer.”

The one and only case in the world where an S-rank evaluation was declined.

Naturally, the International Hunter Association did not accept such a demand, and as a result, Lee Geuk remained an A+ rank hunter to this day.

…With the unofficial title of ‘de facto S-rank,’ of course.

At that moment, Lee Geuk picked something up from the corpse of the barnacle variant.

Clink—

A glass vial filled with a deep crimson liquid, like blood.

Lee Geuk examined the recovery potion closely and said,

“Hoho— judging by the rich color, this must be at least a B-rank recovery potion.”

Even a B-rank recovery potion trades for hundreds of millions of won at auction.

It can heal most serious illnesses and injuries and nearly fully restores stamina and mana.

Soon, Lee Geuk tossed the potion bottle toward me.

Whoosh! Catch!

I deftly caught it, and he gestured for me to drink.

“Your complexion doesn’t look good. Go ahead and drink it all.”

“…”

I wiped the sweat from my forehead.

As he said, my condition was terrible right now.

Using the Seven Demons Strike secret art had rapidly drained my stamina and mana.

Lee Geuk straightened his clothes and continued,

“Don’t worry about me. Coming here served as a nice warm-up.”

Indeed, his white durumagi was spotless, without a single bloodstain.

Moreover, despite walking through a passage filled with muddy seawater, not even his shoes were wet.

Did he walk on air the whole way?

You know, that thing from wuxia novels where people glide over the sky or across water.

As if reading my thoughts, Lee Geuk laughed heartily and said,

“With deep cultivation, one can walk on snow, water, or even blades of grass as if they were solid ground.”

“Ah… yes…”

So he can actually use it. A true monster.

Soon, I chugged the recovery potion.

Gulp-gulp-gulp-gulp—

A warm, comforting energy spread throughout my body.

I could feel my depleted stamina and mana rapidly recovering.

“Phew—”

All fatigue vanished, as if I had slept soundly for over eight hours.

In this state, I could use the Seven Demons secret art one more time.

Then Lee Geuk’s voice rang out.

“That item in your hand—it looks like an artifact that guides the way. How about it?”

He was staring intently at Sandy the Sewer Rat’s Lantern.

As expected of Korea’s strongest hunter, his eye for artifacts was exceptional.

I gave a brief explanation with a slight lie mixed in.

“It’s a lantern that guides you if you think of your destination.”

“…But that’s strange. I was trying to go to a shelter, yet it seems to be leading me toward the dungeon entrance.”

“Hoho— that can happen. Powerful dungeon mana fields often interfere with artifacts. But in the current situation, that’s actually fortunate.”

Lee Geuk looked at me and continued,

“I also need to reach the dungeon entrance, so how about we travel together until then?”

“I’d be honored!”

“Hmm? You decide without even thinking.”

Of course.

Why would anyone refuse when South Korea’s strongest hunter offers to party up?

Now even most monsters wouldn’t be a problem.

In other words, a free pass straight to the hidden gate.

Getting carried by the No. 1 A+ rank hunter—now that’s a rare privilege.

I raised the lantern high and stepped forward energetically.

“Let’s go! I’ll take the lead!”

***

A young man walking ahead, holding a green-glowing lantern.

Lee Geuk followed behind, quietly observing the youth.

He had introduced himself as Cha Hasang, an E-rank hunter.

Yet Lee Geuk had clearly witnessed it.

The jet-black sword aura that had erupted from Cha Hasang’s fingertips.

The sight of that pitch-black sword energy surging toward the monster.

That was not a skill an E-rank hunter could use.

“Hmm—!”

Lee Geuk glanced down at the tunnel floor.

GURURURURUK~!

Seawater was draining away through a thin crack in the ground.

Until moments ago, the water had reached thigh level, but now it was only ankle-deep.

Lee Geuk peered closely into the crack.

And without realizing it, he let out a hollow laugh.

“Hoho… well now.”

A crack only 5 centimeters wide.

Yet it stretched down so deep that the bottom was invisible.

And that wasn’t all.

Bubble-bubble-bubble-bubble—

Deep within the fissure, pitch-black lava was boiling.

Dark magma condensed from black aura, with thick remnants of mana rising around it.

How intriguing.

Lee Geuk looked at Cha Hasang once more.

How many years had it been since he last felt this way toward someone?

A feeling he had never even felt from his own disciple, Cheok Junseong.

“Cha Hasang, was it…”

Walking across the water’s surface, Lee Geuk muttered to himself.

“My, what an interesting young man I’ve met. Hohohoho—!”