novel
| ← Ch.055 | Ch.057 → |
Translated by: ShawnSuh
Edited by: SootyOwl
Irritated by the loud knocking coming from his door, Min Sung, who was enjoying his morning coffee made using his cutting-edge coffee machine, furrowed his brow. When he opened the door, Ho Sung's panicked face appeared.
"S-sir! We have a problem!"
Looking nonchalantly at Ho Sung, Min Sung sipped on his cup of Americano.
"The terrorist behind the explosion! He's roaming around Seoul, blowing everything up!"
"And?" Min Sung asked, cold and uninterested.
"And that means the restaurants are no exception."
Hearing that, the mug in the champion's hand fell to the ground and shattered, splattering the liquid within it like paint. Darting back and forth between the champion, who appeared to be shaken, and the broken shards on the ground, Ho Sung licked his lips anxiously and said, "Sir, we have to stop him."
"Ho Sung Lee, " the champion said.
"Sir?"
"Find him."
"Sir??"
"Find him and hold him until I get there."
"But, sir! That nutso doesn't even have a level! It could mean that he's a miscellaneous type!" Ho Sung said nervously.
"And?"
"It means I might not stand a chance against the guy!"
"How about I end you right here, right now? Would that be a better option?"
"... I'll find him. I'll give you a call as soon as I find..."
Before Ho Sung finished his sentence, Min Sung slammed the door shut.
—
Smiling bitterly, Ho Sung stared up at the clear sky.
"... It's a perfect day to die."
Sticking a cigarette in his mouth, Ho Sung got in his car, started the ignition, and turned on the air conditioner in order to cool his sweat-soaked body. No matter how much he smoked, he simply couldn't calm himself.
Scratching his eyebrow, he murmured, "Oh, what the hell. What's the difference if I'm gonna die either way? I was already dead meat when I met Min Sung Kang anyway. I came this far. Might as well go all the way. Besides, what other choice do I have?"
—
After instructing his clansmen to inform him upon discovering Ace's location, Ho Sung drove around the city in search of the terrorist. However, there was no sign of him anywhere. The streets were filled with cops on patrol and hunters from the Central Institute. In the end, Ho Sung pulled over to the shoulder and let out a frustrated sigh.
"Where the hell is this guy?"
At that moment, the news came on the radio.
'This just in: We just received a report that the Central Institute is in pursuit of Ace, the terrorist behind the recent bombings. '
Straightening his back, Ho Sung, with a nervous look on his face, raised the volume.
'The terrorist is assumed to be moving toward Cheongdam-Dong. We advise the residents in the area to be..."
Hearing that, Ho Sung's heart started to race as though it was about to tear his chest open.
"Son of a bitch! What did I do to deserve all this crap!?" Ho Sung grumbled, tearing his hair out while contemplating. Then, he jerked the steering wheel and stomped on the gas pedal. The car took off, the engine blaring, and the cars that nearly crashed into Ho Sung's car sounded off their horns. Paying no attention to them, Ho Sung weaved in and out of the lanes and passed any cars that were in his way.
—
While the Institute was chasing after Ace, the inmates who had escaped from the detention center interfered as a means of revenge against the Institute. While the Institute was fighting off the inmates, Ace took off on a high-performing motorcycle, chucking explosives while laughing maniacally.
"Hahahahahahah!"
Every time a bomb hit the ground, the surrounding areas became engulfed in flames. While he was enjoying himself, he looked back and found the Central Institute soldiers on his tail. They had to have already fought off the inmates.
"Hm?"
Chuckling ominously, he jerked the handlebar to one side.
"Heeheeheeee!"
At that point, the motorcycle scraped across the ground, spun a hundred and eighty degrees and came to stop in the middle of the road. Looking toward the hunters charging toward him, Ace brushed his sweat-soaked hair up, pressed a button on a small remote controller and said, "Buh-bye."
After that, there was a massive explosion, far more powerful than that of a grenade. The impact left the ground shattered and sent pieces of debris along with the Institute soldiers off the ground and into the air. Thrilled by the sight of the explosion, Ace laughed maniacally.
"Hahahahahahahaha!"
Then, with a loud screeching noise, the bike spun around and took off, carrying the killer away.
—
While driving in the same direction as Ace, Ho Sung saw the massive explosion from the other side of the road. Ace had to be wreaking havoc while running from the Institute.
"Gahh! I'm scared shitless!"
Staring ahead, Ho Sung contemplated on whether he should call the champion or not. If Ho Sung were to give a location that was inconsistent with Ace's whereabouts, Min Sung would surely beat Ho Sung to death.
'I gotta keep him captive and stall as long as I can until Min Sung Kang arrives, ' Ho Sung thought.
"Today just might be my last on this planet."
Making a cross on his forehead and chest, Ho Sung drove off.
—
With a loud screech, the car came to an abrupt stop. Then, when he rolled the window down, Ho Sung swallowed nervously, a hardened expression on his face. It looked as though there had been a storm. There were buildings of various heights with holes in them, if not in ruins. Around them, were countless hunters and even civilians who had been burned to a crisp by the enchanted stone bomb explosion. It was almost as though the city had been deserted.
A blue light flashed across Ho Sung's eyes. Although he acknowledged that he hadn't exactly been an exemplary citizen, never had he killed innocent civilians. Yet, Ace was on a rampage, massacring civilians and hunters alike. Hunters were those who protected the world from the monsters of the dungeons.
'I earned my hunter title, and I wear it proudly. For the sake of humanity, Ace must die. '
"I will feed that crazy son of a bitch to the lions, " Ho Sung said.
—
Drinking his vodka, Ace sat and looked down from the rooftop of a high-rise building at the fires across the city, the people evacuating, and the Institute soldiers who were looking for him.
"Worthless, " Ace said, standing up slowly. Then, with a blank expression on his face, he tossed a bomb at the cars on the street. Upon hitting the ground, the bomb, enhanced with an enchanted stone, exploded, causing dozens of cars within its radius to explode. After that, while he was staring down at the street, which was now filled with the stench of death, Ace sensed a presence and raised his eyebrow.
'Click!'
When Ace looked back, he saw a man standing at the door.
[Lv213 Ho Sung Lee: The Head of the Diamond Clan]
Looking at Ho Sung, Ace curled his lips into a sneer.
—
"Why... Hello, baby!" Ace said with beaming eyes.
At that point, Ho Sung let out a small sigh and said, "That didn't take as long as I thought it would. Nice to meet you too, you crazy son of a bitch, "
Taking his phone out, he smiled at Ace, who stared intently at Ho Sung like a curious child. Noticing his piercing gaze, Ho Sung made the phone call with shaky hands.
"Who you callin'? The Institute?" Ace asked.
"Not exactly, " Ho Sung replied, smiling bitterly. At that point, the smile on Ace's face started to fade.
"Maybe you're calling your mama."
"Well, aren't you awfully curious... If you must know..." Ho Sung dragged on. Then, he hardened his face upon looking down at his phone.
'Shit! Why isn't he answering!?'
When the call went to voicemail, Ho Sung clenched his eyes tightly, caught off guard by the champion's absence.
'I came up here risking my life, and he's not even picking up the phone... ' Ho Sung thought, swallowing nervously and texting the champion his location and situation. At that moment, Ace started to walk toward Ho Sung unhurriedly. Ho Sung put the phone back in his pocket in a rush and pulled a blood-red sword out of his inventory, the Warlord's Sword.
Clenching the sword's handle tightly, Ho Sung glared fiercely at the terrorist and said, "Yo, Ace." Hearing that, Ace stopped in his tracks, about three paces away from Ho Sung.
"Don't you think you've caused enough damage already? All these buildings and stores within them... Do you realize the magnitude of your actions?" Ho Sung said condescendingly in order to hide his fear of facing the psychopathic killer.
"Magnitude of my actions, you say?" Ace asked, tilting his head in confusion. Ho Sung nodded and replied, "That's right. You've made a grave mistake. All those buildings and stores you've destroyed? Those are the least of your concerns. You've meddled with something you shouldn't have."
After blinking awkwardly, Ace gave Ho Sung a blank stare. Then, he chortled and asked, "And who do you say that I've meddled with?"
"The devil himself."
"The devil, huh? And who might this be?" Ace asked, and Ho Sung shrugged and replied, "Wouldn't you like to know?"
At that moment, Ace started to back away slowly, saying, "Nope, " and Ho Sung swallowed nervously, thinking, 'What the hell's this guy doing? Why is he backing away? Wait a minute... '
"There is no such thing as the devil. There's only the living and the non-living, " Ace said, standing on the safety rail. Then, he tossed a bomb on the ground like he would a ball, spread his arms, and jumped down as if bungee jumping.
'Well, shit, ' Ho Sung thought, looking at the bomb with wide eyes. The bomb exploded, and waves of energy and flames rushed out. At that moment, the memories of his past flashed in his mind like a film.
'I guess this is it... 'he thought, clenching his eyes tightly with his sword in his hand. However...
"Wait... what?"
He felt no pain. When Ho Sung opened his eyes, wondering if he was still alive, he heard a mechanical voice, and a series of messages appeared before his eyes.
[The Warlord's Sword has successfully dispersed the impact of the exploding enchanted stone. ]
[The Warlord's Sword has been damaged. ]
[The Warlord's Sword's durability: 95%]
| ← Ch. 055 | Ch. 057 → |