NOVEL NEXT Chapter 131
Chapter 131: The Power of America
America was undeniably a superpower.
And it was also the mightiest Hunter nation.
It made sense.
America had long been known for its astronomical defense budget that no other country could match.
Thus, no nation could even come close to America’s military strength.
Now, they were pouring an astronomical amount of money each year to bolster their Hunter forces.
That immense cash flow could only lead to a rise in power.
Even the rare A-rank Hunters, typically scarce in other countries, were lining up in extravagant numbers.
This was a result of aggressive recruitment targeting Hunters mostly from third-world countries like Africa and South America.
The promise of substantial rewards, elite treatment, and the opportunity to become a citizen of the strongest nation was an irresistible lure for Hunters from dire circumstances.
It wasn’t just A-ranks.
The number of S-ranks was already soaring into the dozens, with rumors suggesting even more hidden S-ranks shrouded in secrecy.
“It has finally happened, just as he predicted.”
The room was dim.
It seemed they couldn’t even see each other’s faces properly.
However, the two men engrossed in conversation appeared utterly unconcerned about that.
“Are you talking about the Abnormal Gate?”
“That’s right.”
“They say many people died. Is everything alright on our side?”
“You needn’t worry. Our government has been thoroughly prepared from the start.”
“Good. Speaking of which, wasn’t that ‘enemy that could destroy the Earth’ dealt with a bit too easily? It doesn’t match our expectations. Or has the Hunter power in Korea grown that strong?”
“That’s something we’ll need to investigate further… but I can assure you that our initial predictions are not off. The one who took down the ‘King’ was undoubtedly an extraordinarily powerful Great Sorceress, a Special S-Class. Korea was indeed quite fortunate.”
“Fortunate, huh… So that Special S-Class isn’t a Korean Hunter?”
“That’s a certainty. However, we have yet to determine their national affiliation. I’ll report back as soon as we find out.”
“Hmm, understood. The government won’t skimp on support, so continue to maintain supreme power and prepare for future actions.”
◈ ◈ ◈
“You came here in person.”
Lin Xue looked surprised.
Before her stood Wayne, the director of the Chinese Information Bureau.
“This matter is serious enough for me to come myself.”
Wayne spoke with his trademark expressionless face.
He approached silently, reminiscent of a ghost, and sat in front of Lin Xue.
His almost invisible movement evoked thoughts of a specter.
“Well, you’ll take care of it, right?”
Lin Xue, displaying no interest, pulled out a cigarette.
“You’re the subject of the incident, yet you seem disinterested.”
“Well, do I have to be interested?”
“You certainly seem distracted by something else.”
Wayne commented in his emotionless voice.
He noticed the brief hesitation in her hand as she tried to light her cigarette.
“Think whatever you want.”
Lin Xue lit her cigarette, took a puff, and exhaled the smoke over Wayne’s head.
Some of the smoke enveloped his face.
It was a situation that could have elicited anger, yet he remained unchanged.
“Why did you show up with a bare face?”
“Because it’s a hassle.”
“I understand. But is that really the only reason?”
“What other reason could there be?”
“Alright then.”
His expression was inscrutable, making it impossible to read his thoughts.
He maintained his poker face without even a flicker of change.
He fit perfectly into the category of boring men that Lin Xue found utterly detestable.
Suddenly, memories of her horrifying journey with Po-ahim, who had been similarly taciturn, came to mind.
But this man might even be worse than Po-ahim.
“The deputy minister was furious. He was asking why you had to meddle in others’ affairs.”
Deputy Minister Lee Chang had never liked Korea, but it seemed his disdain had grown more blatant since the day his son lost his life.
He perceived the situation as a diplomatic humiliation for a minor nation.
Had this incident escalated further, causing catastrophic losses to Korea, he would have likely cheered for it.
Yet, by sheer coincidence, Lin Xue intervened, preventing a greater disaster.
And the fact that she was an Awakened Being affiliated with China only added fuel to his ire.
“My goodness… That man thinks of me as a Human Butcher. He expects me to just sit back and stay quiet after witnessing such things?”
Lin Xue exclaimed, incredulous.
“I don’t agree with the deputy minister’s viewpoint, but you certainly stirred up quite the situation this time.”
“What’s the big deal about taking out a few jackasses and taking an arm and an eye from a self-proclaimed ‘king’?”
“There were far too many witnesses. Thankfully, they don’t seem to remember your face too well.”
That, indeed, was a stroke of luck for her.
At that time, she had been so out of her mind that she hadn’t considered the witnesses.
Had she been in her right mind, she would have used broad sleep magic to cloud their consciousness.
But fortunately, chaos reigned for everyone.
Moreover, they were far away, and the combination of her and the man’s skills had turned the area into a smoky war zone.
Of course, among the high-ranking inmate Hunters, some remembered the incident clearly.
However, they purposely gave vague testimonies, worried that speaking too directly might pose a threat to Si-hyun.
“Well, that’s settled then. What’s the fuss about?”
“Let’s agree on that for now.”
“…You really are a boring man.”
Lin Xue took one last puff of her cigarette before extinguishing it in the ashtray.
“They say love and hate are a razor’s edge apart. Fiery hate doesn’t arise without strong love,” Wayne continued, still with his expressionless face.
“What do you think about that?”
“What? You, of all people, have an interest in such matters?”
Lin Xue replied breezily.
A brief silence fell as Wayne’s emotionless eyes locked onto hers.
“No. Forget I asked.”
Wayne broke the silence and stood up.
“Other countries are keeping a close eye on this incident. Many are likely in Korea seeking information. Please be cautious in your actions.”
“I’ll do just that.”
“I trust you will.”
Wayne exited through the door with silent strides.
As the door closed, Lin Xue twisted her lips into a smirk.
“Truly a boring man.”
◈ ◈ ◈
“Ha….”
Si-hyun sighed.
He had just been discharged.
Fortunately, the depletion of his life force hadn’t affected his health.
Still, having endured so much, calling forth the Sword Master’s spirit anytime soon seemed unlikely.
He had expedited his discharge due to the pesky reporters.
As soon as the journalists learned that he had regained consciousness, they flocked to the hospital for coverage.
At first, he thought a few interviews would suffice.
However, that notion flipped upside down in no time.
He had never realized just how many broadcasting stations and newspapers existed in Korea.
And he was astounded by the degree of interest they had in him.
The persistent cameras were driving him near to neurosis.
He finally grasped the plight of popular celebrities.
He wished for time to hurry up and for the incident to fade into obscurity, but that seemed like a distant dream for now.
Staying here felt like it would unnecessarily burden his family, so Si-hyun hastily left to return to Ganghwa Island.
Honestly, working in the detention center would keep reporters at bay for a time, which was a comfort.
So he firmly expressed to the warden that he was perfectly fine and eager to start work as soon as possible.
That day was now approaching.
Even now, several reporters lingered outside his house, but Si-hyun chose to ignore them.
He tightly shut the window and pulled down the curtains.
In his view, he had done enough interviews.
He couldn’t fathom what more they wanted.
He was merely a correctional officer who had done his job.
It honestly felt like it made more sense to go cover the inmates’ stories instead.
Speaking of which, this unwanted fame had at least one advantage.
His recognition had soared from somewhat known to usually recognized.
Thanks to that, Po-ahim gifted him yet another guard baton, this time significantly boosting all his abilities, excluding magic power, by a whopping 100 points.
B-rank was really just around the corner.
He was now on the cusp of becoming a B-rank Hunter, the standard for high-ranking Hunters.
Yet, one concern lingered.
It was about his magic power.
Suddenly, a hypothesis entered his mind.
What if Po-ahim was physiologically incapable of accumulating magic power within him?
He recalled a similar plot from a martial arts novel he had read in school.
The story spoke of a martial artist who could not cultivate internal energy due to their natural constitution and solely honed their external skills.
While pondering the mystery of magic power, that memory surfaced.
But could a strong person truly exist if their fundamental strength—magic—was lacking?
He wrestled with that question.
Of course, there was no way he could answer it.
It was just a guess, after all.
If he met Po-ahim again, he could certainly ask for a definitive answer, but he hadn’t seen Po-ahim since.
“Correctional Officer! Lee Si-hyun, correctional officer!”
He heard the reporters shouting outside.
It seemed they never got tired of this.
Just when he had begun forgetting, they were back with their noisy antics.
Regardless of their profession, such behavior was a nuisance, a true headache.
Si-hyun shook his head and reached for his earplugs.
He had used them while studying for promotions at the library, and they turned out to be a lifesaver now.
Putting on the earplugs, Si-hyun flopped onto his bed.
He closed his eyes and envisioned the Special Detention Center.
It had turned into total chaos; he wondered how much it had been restored since then.
◈ ◈ ◈
Si-hyun dashed toward the Special Detention Center at dawn.
Reporters were congregated in front of the car he had parked.
Of course, as an Awakened Being nearing B rank, he could easily push through.
But there was no telling what kind of articles might emerge if he forced his way through the reporters.
An undesirable article could lead to a period of stress.
Thus, it felt more comfortable to simply run.
In fact, several employees jogged to work every day for exercise.
After about 20 minutes, he arrived at the External Gate. There, the number of reporters was low.
They knew they wouldn’t be able to get in.
The reporters there were probably hoping to snag an interview with one of the staff.
This incident was undoubtedly a national affair but also one that couldn’t be transparently disclosed.
Especially the part about the human-looking man presumed to have emerged from the Gate, which the government was working diligently to keep under wraps.
Witnesses were strictly instructed not to speak recklessly.
Of course, some stories had leaked into the public domain.
However, the government maintained a steadfast silence.
The emergence of such a being from the Gate was a shocking and significant matter.
“How can I help you?”
Staff he had never seen before were guarding the External Gate.
The sight touched Si-hyun’s heart.
He removed his hat and mask.
“Whoa!”
He noticed the employee was taken aback.
Their eyes widened, and they immediately saluted.
“Welcome, sir!”
“Hello.”
Si-hyun greeted them lightly and walked through the External Gate.
Though he hadn’t been gone long, it felt as though he had been absent for ages.
Countless staff members had perished.
He himself had nearly died yet came back.
‘But I’m back.’
Pausing for a moment, lost in sentiment, Si-hyun resumed his steps.