224

Is there anything in the world that everyone has been excited about?

Jinwoo, who disappeared then came back to put a dagger on the chest of the Ice Monarch made the people whose watching the scene raised both of their fists and shouted enthusiastically.

[Woaaaaahhhhhhhhh!]

For the viewers who were desperate to know if the strongest hunter Sung Jin Woo was dead in the hands of the monsters, it was the best gift.

Someone's enthusiastically shouting Jinwoo's name.

Someone's tearing up, someone's joyfully crying.

They just watched an Asian Hunter killed a monster that can threaten the entire human race.

Literally, all mankind.

From the moment the Nation-Class hunter Thomas Andre fell even with the support of the World Ranker Renat Neermann, the monsters threatened not only Korea but the whole world.

People had not forgotten the terror brought by the dragon [Karmish], swallowing cities in the USA one by one.

No one wanted that to happen again.

Viewers in the US, in Germany and around the world, watched the broadcast and were thrilled by Jinwoo's victory.

As if the best hunter, washed away their fear and frustration.

[Woaaaaahhhhhhhhh!]

People shouted whenever Jinwoo landed an attack to the Ice Monarch.

Then finally...

When the tenacious monster collapsed and turned into gray ash and began to dissipate, the people's cheers became dramatic.

[Waaaaaaaahhhhhh!]

[Wuuuhhooooooooo!]

The cries of the citizens rattled the cities.

The Announcers who are in charge of the Breaking News screamed as hard as they could even if the camera's still rolling.

-Breaking News! Hunter Thomas Andre who was seriously injured is alive and well!

-Dozens of Ambulances that just arrived at the scene will be taking the injured to a nearby Hospital.

-The monsters that slaughtered the citizens no longer lives. They are ashes now with no traces left.

The breaking news of the fight kept coming.

“Sung Jin woo! Sung Jin Woo! Sung Jin Woo!”

The excitement of the people did not subside.

And there's another person.

There was a man who's more excited than anyone else in the world.

The new President of the Association, Woo Jin Cheol.

His eyes were fixed on the screen, even amidst the cheering of his subordinates.

Woo Jin Cheol's eyes shook when he saw something on the screen.

“Don' tell me...”

He hurriedly took out his phone and with his trembling hands looked for a saved surveillance video.

"I watched this several times."

When the former President Go Gun Hee was murdered, video footage from a security camera inside his office was released.

"That man there."

It came out blurry on the footage and it disappeared so it was hard to recognize.

"Looking back, isn't it similar to the monster that Sung Jin Woo just fought?"

Even the scene where the frozen land melted.

"If so...!"

"That's it!"

Woo Jin Cheol then realized who Sung Jin Woo just fought with.

The one who murdered the former President of the Association.

When he heard the death of the former President, he recalled the conversation he had with Jinwoo and was thrilled.

[Editors Note: I took this from Chapter 202]

"Thank you, thank you for taking care of the president until the end."

"I will kill him".

"Yes?".

Jinwoo said with a cold face.

"I will kill that magical beast that killed the head of the association ... I will be the one to kill him."

Not only for Go Gun Hee but also serve as a warning for those who were still hiding.

When he listened to his words, Woo Jin Cheol swallows.

Although it was not meant for him, Woo was panting. Woo could feel a strong murderous intent on his shoulders.

Jinwoo, who looked at Woo's pale face, calmed his murderous instincts and said.

"Therefore, I will take your thanks then."

Hunter Sung Jin Woo kept his promise.

He killed it.

Him alone.

Woo Jin Cheol, with his nose running, tears falling from his eyes, lifted his head and looked back at the screen.

The camera was zoomed in on Hunter Sung Jin Woo, who slightly look tired.

He could understand what Hunter Sung Jin Woo was feeling right now.

In the depths of his heart, some emotions were crying and welling up strongly.

Now, President Go Gun Hee can rest in peace.

Woo Jin Cheol greeted Jinwoo with his eyes, remembering his memories of the former president.

"Thank you, Hunter!"

******************

As the spirit body was released into the human form, the Ice Monarch slowly turned into grayish dust.

"President Go Gun Hee."

"I've paid my debts now."

Jinwoo, who looked down at the disappearing Ice Monarch and turned around.

The General who was waiting for the punishment of the Ice Monarch suddenly approached Jinwoo.

"....."

Unlike [Ygritte] who has regained his original powers, remained silent and watching courteously.

"Oh, my King!"

[Ber] expressed his delightfulness of being able to see his master again.

The tearing eyes of [Ber] as Jinwoo patted his shoulder and looked around.

That person.

He saw a man in a ragged robe.

"Who’s that man?"

Then [Ygritte] answered Jinwoo's question instead of [Ber] who was still tearing up seeing his master again.

"He desperately protected you while you were unconscious."

Jinwoo was surprised by [Ygritte]'s bold voice.

Jinwoo looked suspiciously.

"He protected me?"

"Yes, he did." [Ygritte] replied.

Unlike [Ber] who was not used to a human language yet, which is often referred to as Monster Language, [Ygritte] was able to communicate very well.

"So why did he protect me?"

Jinwoo, who exchanged questions with [Ygritte], suddenly found something.

"What's that?"

When he picked it up, Jinwoo's eyes trembled.

******************

The man went to the back of the building, the outer walls are all that remained, he sat down and took off his hood.

A man whose hair had not been cut for years, beard that had not been taken care of.

Sung Il Hwan leaned on the wall and sighed.

"Haaaah, haaaah"

Then he lifted his left hand which already had lost its senses.

Just as expected.

His left hand was turning gray and was slowly crumbling away.

It was the result of accepting the Power of God in his human body.

But.

"All is good."

"With this strength, I protected Jinwoo."

His face is contented, even in extreme pain.

The presence of Jinwoo who inherited the power of the Shadow Monarch will be a great help for mankind.

That's how it's gonna be.

Sung Il Hwan stared at the end of his fingertips, held his head against the wall then closed his eyes.

The rulers entrusted him with their power and asked him to stop the Shadow Monarch.

Sung Il-hwan, who had been stuck in a rift since the gate disappeared, had little choice.

On behalf of the rulers, he returned to Earth with a solemn mission as their vessel.

But.

Sung Il Hwan could not fulfill his mission.

Although he knows that the body contains the worst disaster of mankind.

"How can a father kill his own child?"

There was nothing he can do but watch Jinwoo from a distance.

So while he's waiting for the time.

The opinions of the rulers, who were focusing only on preventing the complete descent of the Shadow Monarch, began to change.

And then finally...

The most brilliant fragment of light gave him new instructions.

[Protect the Shadow Monarch.]

He realized that to stop the other monarch's he needed the Shadow Monarch to be fully awakened.

The Shadow Monarch is the only one who can stop the Destruction and the other monarchs that would arrive here before the soldiers in the sky.

It was all a gamble to whether the Shadow Monarch will side with the humans or with the monarchs.

The results were just shown.

Jinwoo decided to remain on the human side and the Shadow Monarch agreed to his choice.

Then the Shadow Monarch was reborn as Jinwoo himself.

All my efforts were not in vain.

"........"

It's a shame that I can't say hello to my son after 10 years, and leave like this.

However, no one has the right to deprive his/her child twice.

Even if it is the parents.

So it is for Jinwoo that I disappear quietly.

Sung Il Hwan comforted himself by looking down to his body which is gradually turning into ashes.

And then...

A familiar sound was heard nearby.

Sung Il Hwan who got up from his seat and hid his face with his right arm that can still move.

Someone stood in front of him.

Sung Il Hwan could tell who was standing in front of him without looking at his face.

It's Sung Jin Woo.

With his son next to him whom he wanted to call at least once, he decided to just pass by.

Jinwoo then turned to him and asked.

"Did you ever think I wouldn't know?"

A pause.

Sung Il Hwan's footsteps stopped.

"How?"

Sung Il Hwan slowly turned to Jinwoo and then he saw a piece of material that Jinwoo threw in the air.

[Thub!]

Jinwoo returned the dagger.

It was his dagger, dropped from his left hand.

Looking down at the dagger, Sung Il Hwan lifted his head.

Jinwoo looked at him with a vile stare.

That dagger still lingered in Jinwoo's memory.

When he was young, he remembered that he was caught playing with his father's dagger and got scolded greatly by him.

It was only then that Jinwoo learned why his weapon of choice was a dagger, unlike the Shadow Monarch, who swept the battlefield with the sword.

Memories of my father.

The system, which was influenced by Jinwoo's memory provided him his daggers.

Jinwoo's low voice followed.

"Will you go again just like that, Father?"

"Father?"

Sung Il Hwan took off his hood as soon as he heard that word.

Soon his right hand started to turn into ashes.

Sung Il Hwan smiled and said to his son who was terribly surprised to see his two hands.

"I didn't want to show you this."

Jinwoo, knowing that the body, which has exhausted its vitality and began to change into ashes, cannot be restored in any way.

Sung Il Hwan raised his right hand to block it.

His left hand is already covered with dust, leaving only his shoulders.

Jinwoo stopped in his place and asked.

"Well, father."

"........"

"Don't you want to see me?"

I don't think I can move my right hand.

Sung Il Hwan's right arm which is preventing Jinwoo from approaching slowly fell off.

"I wanted to see you, Always."

“Even if you don't see me, the fact that I can see you from afar makes me happy.”

Sung Il Hwan touched Jinwoo's face with his crumbling right hand.

Tears from Jinwoo's eyes dripped on his hand.

"You've grown up well."

Jinwoo opened his mouth.

"Are they the rulers? Are they using you, father?"

Jinwoo's voice was filled with rage.

But Sung Il Hwan shook his head.

"They gave me a choice, I chose to protect you, and the choice was not wrong."

Now the rest of his right hand has turned to ashes and began to drift away.

"I wanted to talk to you a bit more."

"I wanted to stay with you a little longer."

Eventually, he needs to let go of his father, twice.

Tears welled up in Sung Il Hwan's eyes which he tried to hold back.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be a good father."

And then...

"....................................."

The whole body of Sung Il Hwan who opposed the monarchs and exhausted all his power has turned to ashes.

Jinwoo tried to embrace his father's crumbling body.

What was left in his hands were the ashes of his father.

And soon.

There was nothing left of his father.

The unbearable pain in Jinwoo's chest left him screaming looking at the sky.

"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!"

Then the mana in the air vibrated.

The heavens, the air, and the ground wept.

Soon a heavy voice like the monarchs came from Jinwoo's mouth.

"Do you hear me, Monarchs?!"

"If all these things happened because you chose to settle on Earth."

"I will make you pay for it!"

"I'll make sure of it!"

The mana-condensed voice rang in the atmosphere and marveled around the world.

"You must pay the price for today!"

The roar of the raging Shadow Monarch shook the heavens.

"Are you listening Monarchs?!"

That day.

A man with an untouchable power had found a way to use his powers.

It was the start of the War.