“As expected! You truly are my brother!”
“Haha….”
Jang Xuan pulled Lee Tae-sung into a tight hug.
He was so overwhelmed with emotion.
They say a brother helps you in times of need, but in this society rampant with selfishness, no one helps when it’s truly dangerous.
Yet, before he even said anything, Lee Tae-sung had come in person!
“I’m grateful. Truly grateful. All the people of China will thank you for your help!”
“Yes… I’m also very glad to be able to help you, hyung-nim.”
Lee Tae-sung thought it was fortunate he had thought quickly.
The truth was slightly different… but sometimes a white lie is better for the relationship.
—
A pitch-black outer space.
In this place, where only sparse, twinkling starlight existed, two beings floated idly.
<…………Yes.>
The Outer God Vanguard.
They had used various methods to invade Earth, but this time they took a heavy blow.
They never imagined that Earthlings would have a way to strike them, who were staying outside the solar system.
No matter how powerful the force, it’s meaningless if it can’t accurately hit through outer space, but this time they got thoroughly beaten.
Suddenly, space opened, and nuclear warheads flew in, causing a massive explosion.
As a result, all but two members of the Outer God Vanguard died.
<…….>
<…….>
The two survivors were dejected.
The thought of disappointing the Outer God they served made them want to die right then.
But what good would dying like this do?
Rather, they should rise from failure and complete the invasion.
Even though conquering Earth with just the vanguard failed, if they could occupy it with reinforcements, wouldn’t that be enough?
Now that they knew Earth could counterattack, reckless action was forbidden.
For now, their priority was to lie low and survive.
—
Lee Tae-sung immediately moved to the Black Mist area in Shanghai.
-You’re going right away? Aren’t you tired?
-I came by private jet, so I’m fine.
It was the private jet he received from the United States, and he was using it well.
The Chinese side, including Jang Xuan, welcomed Lee Tae-sung’s decision with open arms.
Since Shanghai is the region with the largest cargo volume in China, even a single day of problems would be a huge blow.
So time was of the essence, and Lee Tae-sung was moving immediately—how could they not be happy?
*’I’m in a hurry too.’*
Of course, Lee Tae-sung had no choice but to move for the successful completion ceremony of the Megafactory.
The Black Mist area he arrived at was quite large, even including a few factories that had been unluckily caught up in it.
Lee Tae-sung was greatly relieved that his Megafactory was not included.
And there, he met the Chinese rankers.
“It’s a pleasure. I am Huang Tao, Deputy Branch Leader of the Shinseonhyang Guild.”
“I’m Lee Tae-sung.”
The Shinseonhyang Guild.
There are countless guilds in China, but if asked which is the best, this one was mentioned without hesitation.
The Guild Leader of Shinseonhyang was even said to be the world’s strongest Hunter, and the guild members all had immense pride.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from Commissioner Jang Xuan. Since you have experience clearing the Black Mist, I’ll entrust you with command for now.”
Huang Tao, who said that, wasn’t very pleased with this situation.
*’Tch. No matter what, isn’t he a foreigner? Chinese affairs can be handled by us Chinese…’*
Being the Vice Guild Leader of Shinseonhyang meant he was among the strongest rankers in all of China.
Therefore, he had great pride in his own skills, but…
-Please follow his lead well, Deputy Branch Leader.
He is my brother and also saved my father’s life.
His character is impeccable, and I dare say his skills are top-notch!
That’s what Commissioner Jang Xuan said when he called Huang Tao.
Even for someone like Huang Tao, he couldn’t ignore the words of a Central Committee member.
Moreover, Jang Xuan’s father, Supreme Commissioner Zhang Lifeng, was one of the top three powerhouses and a major politician in China.
He knew the news that Zhang Lifeng had recovered after being bedridden, but he didn’t know it was thanks to the Korean Hunter in front of him.
Anyway, because of this, Huang Tao couldn’t look at Lee Tae-sung favorably.
“Let’s go in right away. Do you need any preparations?”
“None needed. Same for these people. They are all elites of the Shinseonhyang Guild.”
The rankers behind Huang Tao were also members of the Shinseonhyang Guild.
Since this Black Mist incident could be fatal to the Chinese economy, the best in the country had stepped forward.
“Understood. Let’s enter.”
Lee Tae-sung stepped into the Black Mist.
Watching him stride forward confidently, the Shinseonhyang guild members flinched and then carefully followed.
Aren’t they afraid of what this mist might do to the body?
Huang Tao found himself close behind Lee Tae-sung.
*’Hmm…!’*
As soon as he entered the mist, Huang Tao’s complexion darkened slightly.
He instinctively realized that the mana filling his body felt restrained, and he couldn’t use his skills.
“What is this… my skills!?”
“It really is a mist that seals a Hunter’s power…”
The Shinseonhyang guild members who followed tried using their skills and became flustered.
They already knew about it from the incident in Japan, but experiencing it firsthand was a different level.
“Everyone, focus. This was expected, wasn’t it? And I can still use my skills, if not fully.”
***whoosh!***
As soon as he finished speaking, a small dagger made of light rose above Huang Tao’s palm.
The skill ‘Light Blade’.
This skill had allowed Huang Tao to rise to the position of Vice Guild Leader of Shinseonhyang.
“Ohhh. As expected of our Vice Guild Leader!”
“Indeed… Except for the Guild Leader, he’s the best in the world…!”
Hearing the guild members’ words, Huang Tao smirked slightly.
In truth, there were many guild leaders who were said to be on par with or better than Huang Tao, and even more on a global scale, but still, hearing such words felt good.
*’Even though I can only use one dagger here… outside, I can unleash dozens of greatswords made of light, so the power is greatly reduced. But still, it’s better than nothing.’*
The Light Blade freely roamed the air according to Huang Tao’s will.
He could slaughter most monsters with this.
And then, monsters began to appear from within the mist.
Whether they heard the sound and came or not, red eyes flashed from beyond the darkness.
*’They’re all small monsters. At that level, it’s manageable.’*
Huang Tao quickly assessed the situation and shouted at his subordinates, who were still in panic.
“Everyone, focus on surviving! Try to use your skills as much as possible; if they don’t work, just dodge with your body! I’ll take care of them somehow and save you all…”
***whoosh!***
At that moment, a massive flame erupted around Lee Tae-sung, who was in front.
“……?”
The flames that rose along the longsword he had drawn were shot forward like a several-meter-tall tsunami.
Dozens of giant waves of flame, as if to engulf everything, shot out in an instant, turning the surroundings into a sea of fire, and the monsters that had appeared turned to ash without being able to do anything.
“Wh…what?! “
“……”
The Shinseonhyang guild members were shocked by the sight, but Lee Tae-sung quickly gestured to them.
“You don’t need to do anything; just follow behind me well. I don’t have much time, so I’ll clear the path quickly.”
Ordinarily, he would coordinate with other Hunters and observe their skills, but here, he couldn’t do that.
The longer it took, the more damage the factories would incur.
He had to finish quickly!
—
The Black Mist area included several factories.
And right at the center of the mist, there was also such a factory.
To clear the mist, they needed to find the stele at the center, which meant they had to enter through the factory.
*’Troublesome.’*
If it were a wide area, he could freely unleash the Flame Tide Wave Sword, but in a place like this, he couldn’t go wild.
Moreover, if he recklessly destroyed someone else’s factory, how sad would the owner be?
Having been in a similar situation, he could sympathize, so he had to end this without causing problems.
Therefore, Lee Tae-sung gripped the Hidden Blade instead of his sword and entered the factory.
***Kyaaaak!** *
***Kieek!** *
Whenever a grotesque sound came from between the factory equipment, he would instantly throw the Hidden Blade.
***Swaek!** *
***Thud! Thud!** *
A hundred hits, never missing.
It wasn’t as good as his swordsmanship, but since he had been using the Biseong Chuhon skill from time to time, its level had risen considerably.
Killing small monsters in reality wasn’t that difficult.
After entering the Peak Realm, his senses had become extremely sharp, making it easy to pinpoint their locations.
They felt within reach, so he just had to toss the Hidden Blade at them.
How many times did he repeat killing, retrieving the blade, killing, and retrieving it again?
The mist was getting thicker, meaning he was heading in the right direction.
And then, not long after.
***Grrrrrr…** *
He found a huge creature crouching in the darkness.
A killing intent so strong that even its small growls sent chills down the spine.
“There’s a boss too… Be careful!”
Huang Tao shouted from behind.
Having witnessed Lee Tae-sung’s incredible skills several times on the way here, his earlier dismissive attitude had long since disappeared.
But even the strongest can die unpredictably in real combat, right?
***Kuh-uhng!** *
At that moment, something moved like lightning from the darkness.
The reveal showed a jaguar-like monster with shark-like teeth.
It ran so fast it created afterimages and lunged at Lee Tae-sung.
Huang Tao, who was trying to cover him from behind, couldn’t even react in time.
“Too late… I told you to be careful!”
Huang Tao, horrified, thought Lee Tae-sung was already dead.
If so, he would have to seize the opportunity after that.
He would wait for the moment the monster’s weakness was exposed with his Light Blade…
***Whoosh!** *
***Bam!** *
Lee Tae-sung’s hand twitched, and the Heavenly Net Flame Hand, enhanced by the Black Lotus Divine Skill, shot out in the form of the Air-shattering Palm, piercing through the monster’s chest.
***Kyaaang… Kang…!** *
The creature, engulfed in blazing flames, fell over and struggled, but soon it was swallowed by the fire.
Lee Tae-sung passed by the creature, picked up the stele emitting the mist, and put it into his Pouch Subspace.
The mist being emitted stopped.
Soon, the nearby area would return to normal.
Lee Tae-sung looked at Huang Tao.
“What did you say?”
He hadn’t heard clearly because he was focused earlier.
“…Nothing.”
Huang Tao shook his head with a dazed expression.