The mountain behind the Hunter Association.
All entrances leading to that mountain had been cordoned off.
Barricades were erected around its perimeter, and soldiers stood guard in front of them with rifles in hand.
A massive crowd had gathered before the soldiers.
In particular, the southern entrance was swarming with media outlets from all over the world.
Click! Click!
Flashbulbs popped incessantly. Reporters stood before their cameras.
“This is Reporter Aurora from HBS. I am currently at the site of the SS-rank Red Dungeon.”
“The area is now packed with people who have gathered to catch a glimpse of the Twelve Constellations.”
The cameras panned wide, capturing the immense crowd gathered behind the reporters. Spectators pulled out their cellphones to record the scene.
“When are the Twelve Constellations coming?”
“Are they really coming today?”
“This is the right place, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, they said it was here.”
The cameras refocused on the reporters.
“Currently, all lodging facilities near the Association are fully booked, and every restaurant is packed. It is an extraordinary phenomenon.”
“The Golden Tower has announced that from today until the day the raid is cleared, they will sell potions even to foreign visitors.”
“The economic profit Korea will gain from this SS-rank Red Dungeon raid is immense — Oh! Oh! Over there! Look over there!”
Unable to contain her excitement, the reporter pointed toward the road. The camera frantically shifted backward.
A massive van was entering the area. It drove through a pre-secured lane and arrived at the barricades.
Click! Click! Click!
The frequency of the flashes increased rapidly. Simultaneously, the people in the back who were filming with their cellphones began to push toward the van.
“Ah! Don’t push!”
“I told you not to push! Who was that!”
Just as the chaotic mixture of global languages threatened to spiral into a frenzy, an invisible wind arose and pushed the crowd back. The people were moved away gently.
Mages from the Golden Tower, stationed at various points, used magic to prevent any accidents from occurring.
Then, the van door opened.
A bald man wearing sunglasses stepped out. He wore a loud, colorful shirt and shorts that looked like they belonged at a resort.
Exuding an air of total freedom, the man curled the corners of his mouth into a grin and waved both hands high in the air.
“Bonjour, Korea.”
After his greeting, the man followed the guidance of an Association employee and walked past the barricades.
“The… The Hunter you just saw is Martin, a member of the Twelve Constellations from France. Martin, who was formerly a soccer player, entered the world of Hunters after his Awakening and grew rapidly due to his outstanding skills. Martin’s ability is Beastification, and he is known to utilize various animal traits.”
Starting with Martin, vans carrying the Twelve Constellations began to arrive one after another.
A gentleman dressed in a sharp suit stepped out of the second van.
“That’s Benjamin of the Twelve Constellations from the United Kingdom! He worked as a tailor before becoming a Hunter, and it is known that he specializes in buff-type abilities.”
“That’s Amir of the Twelve Constellations from India!”
“The Saintess Isabella from Australia!”
“Alina from Germany has arrived!”
“And now, Lord Colonel and Jessica from the United States of America!”
Seven members of the Twelve Constellations — excluding the Cheonma and the Sword Saint from China — had entered the barricaded area.
Then, the final vehicle arrived.
As the van flying the Korean flag reached the barricade, everyone in the vicinity held their breath. When the door opened, a man wearing a Dokkaebi mask stepped out.
“It’s Dokkaebi!”
“Lord Dokkaebi, look over here just once!”
“I flew here from the United States just to see you, Lord Dokkaebi!”
“Please wave just once!”
“Kyaaaa! Lord Dokkaebi!”
“Whooooa! Brother Dokkaebi! I fell for you and joined your fan cafe!”
An immense roar of cheers erupted simultaneously. The intensity of the shouting was on a completely different level than when the other Twelve Constellations had arrived. Even the reporters filming joined in, shouting their support for Dokkaebi.
That was how powerful the performance Dokkaebi had shown was.
He had crushed the members of Japan’s Samurai Guild during the Labyrinth Competition and displayed the strength to overwhelm Ryuki, a member of the Twelve Constellations. Since then, as the Japanese Association Manager’s atrocities were revealed to the world, the number of people supporting Dokkaebi had increased rapidly.
“Thank you.”
Dokkaebi waved his hand. Just as he was about to step inside the barricade…
Thud!
Something dropped right in front of Dokkaebi. It wasn’t an object, but a person.
A middle-aged man with long black hair fluttering in the wind, wearing black martial garb and exuding a wild aura, stood before Dokkaebi.
“The… The Cheonma?”
“The Cheonma has appeared!”
“What! Why is the Cheonma here?”
The Cheonma let out a smirk and waved his hand. Everyone present felt suppressed by his bloodlust and fell silent. He then looked at Dokkaebi.
“I’d like to go in too, is that okay? I already trashed that bastard, the Chinese Association President.”
“How badly?”
“So he won’t be a nuisance ever again.”
“Fine, then. But if you cause trouble, it’s over.”
Dokkaebi walked inside the barricade alongside the Cheonma. As the suffocating bloodlust vanished in an instant, the people gasped for air.
The presence the Cheonma exerted was overwhelming.
The temporarily halted flashes began to pop again in rapid succession as every reporter began relaying stories about the Cheonma and Dokkaebi.
The lodging prepared near the SS-rank Red Dungeon was as luxurious as a five-star hotel.
After a brief tour of the place, I headed to the meeting room. My purpose for being here today was to participate in the strategy meeting for the SS-rank Red Dungeon.
“Please follow me.”
I followed the Association employee to the grand conference hall located on the first floor. It was a massive room.
Nameplates were arranged on a U-shaped desk. S-rank Hunters from various countries, including the Twelve Constellations, were seated according to their plates.
“Long time no see.”
Jessica, whom I was at least acquainted with, raised her hand in greeting. Conveniently, there was a seat next to her, so I went and sat down.
“Did you receive the enchanted items?”
“Thanks to you, we cleared the 52nd Floor without any issues. Although we didn’t find a single hidden piece.”
While we shared small talk, I could feel the gazes of those around me. Eventually, I locked eyes with a man.
It was Martin, the Twelve Constellation member from France. Although it was my first time seeing his face in person, it felt strangely familiar.
“Slave number one?”
“Hahahaha.”
I found out later, but Martin had posted on social media that if I won, he would donate his entire fortune, change his nationality to Korean, and become my slave. As soon as Ryuki was suppressed, he had hurriedly deleted the post and hadn’t appeared on social media for a while.
“When are you planning to change your nationality?”
“Well, I could change it right now. But my country is desperately trying to stop me… In exchange, I handed over what you wanted. So give me a break.”
Martin laughed and gave a wink.
Just as he said, from France’s perspective, they couldn’t actually send Martin to Korea over a comment that was half-joke and half-truth. Thus, the incident was settled peacefully by having France hand over all the Stones of Achievement they possessed.
‘A Dragon Heart is better than a slave.’
Since a Dragon Heart was better than Martin from my perspective as well, I threw out a joke to lighten the mood.
A moment later, the person in charge of the SS-rank Red Dungeon strategy team entered.
“Hello. My name is Baek Hu-young, and I will be in charge of the strategy for this SS-rank Red Dungeon. Since you are all such prominent figures, I assume you are well-acquainted with one another. Therefore, we will skip self-introductions and begin the briefing immediately.”
“I’d like to talk with Dokkaebi for a bit.”
Baek Hu-young responded to the words of the Cheonma, who was sitting in a spot without a nameplate.
“After the meeting, there is a party prepared for the strategy team tonight. Now, let us begin the briefing.”
Beep!
A photograph appeared on the screen at the front. The names of the Hunters entering the dungeon were listed there, along with the teams and their compositions. It briefly outlined the mission for each team.
“The strategy force will operate in six teams. First, the Twelve Constellations will hunt the boss monsters and gather information on them. After that, the primary goal is to reduce the number of boss monsters through full-scale team activities.”
In addition to that, the briefing covered detailed plans and contingency scenarios.
“In case the raid fails, we have established a defensive line. If necessary, we plan to evacuate all citizens so that this entire area can be closed off.”
A new dungeon was that dangerous. Since many accidents had occurred during S-rank dungeon raids in the past, they had to move according to a strict manual to minimize damage.
“If you have any questions, I will take them now.”
“Me!”
“Yes, Hunter Martin.”
“I don’t think you told us who the leader of this strategy force is.”
“That is something difficult for us to decide, so we would like the members of the Twelve Constellations to choose among themselves.”
“Anyone want to do it?”
At Martin’s question, everyone scoffed.
“Wouldn’t it be faster to find someone who doesn’t want to do it?”
“Doesn’t everyone covet the position of raid leader?”
“You’d have to lead all the Twelve Constellations. I wonder if there’s a leader capable of that?”
It was a position everyone wanted, but they were all incredibly skilled individuals. They weren’t the type to easily follow just because someone was named leader.
‘If I took the role, there wouldn’t be much complaint.’
Since I was the owner of the dungeon, they would have no choice but to follow. However, I didn’t say I would take it.
I wanted to gauge the skills of the other Twelve Constellations and to squeeze the maximum efficiency out of Talent of the Martial God and Blessing of Magic.
“How about we decide by skill?”
“That sounds good. The losers follow without a word, deal?”
We borrowed the underground training ground at the Association.
The first pair to match up were Martin of France and Lord Colonel of the United States. The two stood facing each other.
“If you use more than a limited amount of Mana, it will be considered a loss. Also, a bell will ring if the accumulated damage is too high. If the bell rings, that will also be considered a loss.”
“This looks fun. I’ve been wanting to fight you anyway.”
“I’ve been curious myself.”
Martin and Lord Colonel shook hands and distanced themselves. The rest of us, including myself, watched the fight from the outdoor observation area.
Beep!
With the signal to start, the two charged at each other. Martin used his ability to transform into a beastman.
A werewolf.
Unlike his bulk, which had grown more than three times bigger than his usual physical size, his movements were extremely nimble. He dashed forward and swung his sharp talons at Lord Colonel.
Lord Colonel steadied his breathing and raised the Iron Fist Gauntlets on his hands.
Clang! Clang!
After blocking the opponent’s attack, he took a stance and threw a punch.
Boom!
A powerful shockwave from his fist swept across the front. Martin, having nimbly dodged the attack, aimed for Lord Colonel, who quickly evaded again as they continued their exchange.
As I watched them, the combat know-how they had accumulated until now began to flow into my head.
[Talent of the Martial God (EX) understands the principles and structure of Lord’s Secret Martial Arts (SSS)]
[Understanding of martial arts is high]
[You have acquired Lord’s Secret Martial Arts (SS)]
‘I wonder what abilities the others have.’
I smirked.
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