‘Tsk, I didn’t think he was that timid.’
Lee Tae-sung tilted his head as he looked at Huang Tao.
Even though people might miss things when concentrating, when asked to repeat, he only said no.
I’ve heard that the Vice Guild Leader of Shinseonhyang is a great ranker, but seeing him in person, he doesn’t seem that bold.
Lee Tae-sung stopped paying attention to him and examined the stele inside his storage pouch.
Just in case, he didn’t touch it directly like last time, only looked.
‘I wonder what happened with that nuclear explosion back then.’
Hakseon was certain that the nuclear explosion in outer space must have occurred properly.
In fact, not long after, NASA announced that they had detected an abnormal nuclear reaction in the solar system.
Of course, they only detected gamma rays, and such a large nuclear reaction can occur naturally in space from time to time, so it wasn’t a big issue.
‘If I take it to Hakseon, he’ll probably teach me how to use it again.’
Currently, the Ascendants were enjoying their happy Earth life because Lee Tae-sung gave them free time.
Lee Tae-sung had been busy in the Dream World, but the Ascendants had nothing good to do if they went down to their own Lower Realms, so he gave them tickets and kept them on Earth.
Thanks to his stern warnings to behave quietly, no major news came, but he still needed to check once.
‘I’ll go check after the factory completion ceremony.’
As Lee Tae-sung was thinking that, the Shinseonhyang Guild rankers were looking at him with shining eyes.
‘How did he become so strong?’
‘The Vice Guild Leader is surely no match for him. Maybe he can even compare to the Guild Leader?’
Who is the Shinseonhyang Guild Leader?
He is called the Sword Immortal, the strongest in China and the world’s strongest hunter.
It was because of his existence that Shinseonhyang became China’s top guild; otherwise, they would have been considered just an okay guild.
Naturally, the guild members held infinite respect for Cheonjun, but seeing Lee Tae-sung, they even thought he could compare.
It was astonishing. Usually, they looked down on foreign hunters and even non-Shinseonhyang rankers.
And naturally, they became curious.
How did he become so strong?
Is it even possible for someone who isn’t a Chinese hunter to be that strong?
Isn’t there some special secret?
If there is, I want to learn from it!
If he doesn’t tell, I’d like to steal the knowledge, but since he’s sworn brothers with a Central Committee member, I can’t bring myself to do that.
No matter how much of a ranker, such an act was life-threatening.
So all the Shinseonhyang guild members, including Huang Tao, exchanged glances.
Who would step forward to ask the secret?
-You go.
-Me? There is a hierarchy, Vice Guild Leader.
-Who is the youngest?
……It’s me.
-Go.
The guild member who received Huang Tao’s look suppressed a sigh and walked over cautiously.
“You worked hard, Hunter Lee Tae-sung.”
“Yes. You worked hard.”
“……”
The Shinseonhyang guild member who had spoken to Lee Tae-sung was momentarily flustered and lost for words.
They had done nothing but follow behind Lee Tae-sung, so what work did they do?
But he had to continue the conversation.
“Ahem. Um…”
“…? Do you have something to say?”
When Lee Tae-sung asked, the guild member hesitated on how to start.
From behind, he felt the burning gazes of Huang Tao and the other guild members.
‘Damn it.’
He closed his eyes and just went for it.
“Your skills were amazing. I’m considered a ranker in China, but I could only admire.”
“You flatter me.”
“How did you become so strong? I heard you haven’t been awakened for very long.”
Lee Tae-sung was actually still someone who would be classified as a rookie.
And when he came to support China during the Gate incident not long ago, he was at the level of a fairly strong ranker.
But in just a few months of not seeing him, how did he become so dramatically stronger?
There must be something!
“Ah, about me getting stronger.”
“Yes. It might be an important secret, but if you could just hint the secret to your sworn brother’s country…”
“It’s not a secret at all. I can tell you anytime.”
“…! Is that so!?”
“!!”
Upon Lee Tae-sung’s words, not only the guild member who asked but also Huang Tao and others who pretended not to listen pricked up their ears.
“The secret to my strength is nothing else. It’s thanks to the Spirit Potion.”
“Spirit Potion? Ah, come to think of it, I heard Taesung Guild is selling an elixir…”
“Yes, that’s it. Supply has been tight for domestic use, but I built a large factory this time. So overseas supply will become smooth soon. The reason I got stronger quickly is because of that.”
Lee Tae-sung thought to himself that it wasn’t a lie.
‘Because it’s true that I got stronger thanks to the elixir.’
Of course, he also collected various fortuitous encounters in the Dream World, but that’s a bonus.
A bonus.
At Lee Tae-sung’s words, Huang Tao stepped forward.
“Then you will start selling the elixir soon?”
“Yes.”
“Could our Shinseonhyang Guild purchase first? Price is no object. I am willing to pay billions to buy it.”
One of the easiest marks in the world to take money from.
That was hunters blinded by strength.
If they could become stronger, they would buy strange folk remedies from shady quacks with billions of won.
Of course, Lee Tae-sung had no intention of inflating prices since he wanted to supply the world, but he planned to maintain a certain price to preserve value.
He smiled lightly.
“Of course. I look forward to working with you, customer.”
*
‘Okay. Secured a customer.’
After finishing with the Black Mist, Lee Tae-sung wore a satisfied smile.
He came to secure a Megafactory, but somehow also gained a customer.
-I will purchase! Please make sure all our guild members can drink from Stage 1 to Stage 3!
That. Not just anywhere—if the Shinseonhyang guild members drink the elixir, that alone is promotional.
Anyway, word will spread enough that those who need to know will know, but wouldn’t it be better if it happened faster?
His goal was to raise the level of hunters worldwide as quickly as possible to build strength against the Outer God’s schemes, so this trip to China was killing two birds with one stone.
And after reporting that the Black Mist was finished, he was about to look at the factory when Huang Tao suggested.
“The Guild Leader, the Sword Immortal, wishes to meet you. Do you have time?”
The Sword Immortal Cheonjun’s proposal.
‘Oh!’
Lee Tae-sung was also curious about him.
Because he was a Chinese hunter, the West didn’t acknowledge him, but he was known as almost the world’s strongest hunter.
Since it was that level, Lee Tae-sung gladly accepted.
“Yes. It’s an honor.”
Besides, he’ll soon be a big customer.
It’s basic to at least meet and greet!
*
The Ascendants that Lee Tae-sung had given free time.
They spent their time as they wished.
“I think I’ll visit the Jogye Order and feel the Buddhist dharma of Earth.”
“You bald monk. Here too, you’re going to hide in the mountains boringly?”
“That is the truth and life, layman Flame Emperor.”
“Ridiculous. Farewell.”
Goeseung went into the mountains.
Hakseon was the opposite.
He headed to a city research institute.
“Learning is important from books, but it’s also enjoyable to meet intellectuals and exchange questions and answers. I’ll go see some physicists. Will you come along?”
“Take care.”
“Come back safely~”
Flame Emperor and Mad Demon were dumbfounded.
Flame Emperor sometimes hears he’s crazy, and Mad Demon is outright called a crazy woman, but even so, they didn’t want to follow Hakseon.
That schedule was something even crazy people hated.
So the two left pondered what to do.
What should they do to say they used this precious time well?
“How about going to take down some bad guys?”
“Bad guysss?”
“Yeah. Remember that movie we watched recently? Crime City. In it, detectives went around catching various bad guys. We’ll do something similar.”
“Okayyy! That sounds funnn!”
Mad Demon welcomed Flame Emperor’s suggestion.
Wandering around quietly wasn’t her style.
Flame Emperor also had been watching movies and dramas in his room for a while and was starting to want some action.
So when he was wondering what to do, a recent experience came to mind.
“But what kind of criminals will we catch?”
“It won’t be fun if we catch ones that even Earthlings can catch. Let’s go after hunter criminals.”
He had once dealt with a corrupted hunter at Gangnam Station.
Earthlings who foolishly served the Outer God and borrowed a bit of its power.
Borrowing power that way only made them slightly stronger; if they didn’t attain great enlightenment, they stayed at the same level.
And on top of that, their souls were mortgaged, so it was a terribly disadvantageous contract.
Why did they do such a thing?
Flame Emperor didn’t understand, but thought he might as well catch those guys.
It seemed fun, and he might even get praise from his disciple.
When he explained the plan, Mad Demon’s eyes sparkled.
“Oooh! So we become a hunter police special forces!!”
“That’s right.”
“Should I buy clothes?”
“Clothes?”
“We have to wear police uniforms! The apostle of justice, Mad Demon! Departing!”
When you do something, you must start with proper attire!
Mad Demon began moving excitedly.