Ch.146Chapter 146 – Lucifer (1)

“Watch your step there.”

At Shin Jaehyuk’s warning, Kwak Taewoo immediately thrust his sword into the sand. A short scream erupted from beneath the sand mound, and dirty green fluid soaked the ground.

“These damn things…”

As Kwak Taewoo kicked irritably, the corpse of a demon that had been waiting for prey to pass by appeared from under the sand. A faint demonic energy emanated from its ochre body. It was a common low-level demon.

Kwak Taewoo expressed his gratitude to Shin Jaehyuk while grumbling.

“Damn, the overflowing demonic energy everywhere makes it harder to detect these hidden low-level demons. Their energy is so weak it’s confusing.”

“That’s one of the annoying things about hell. The strong ones are dangerous in their own way, and the weak ones in theirs.”

Fortunately, as Shin Jaehyuk had reached a higher level of mastery, his energy perception had become more refined, making it not difficult to see through demons’ hiding compared to his previous life.

The two men headed east, walking through a desert where demons lay in ambush every ten meters.

“Where the hell is this guide supposed to be?”

They seemed to have walked for quite a while, but there was still no sign of the guide. Just as Kwak Taewoo was about to doubt Satan’s words, Shin Jaehyuk raised his arm to stop him.

“Wait. Stop.”

“Why? Is someone coming?”

Could it be the guide Satan mentioned? Kwak Taewoo’s expectant gaze swept across the horizon. But contrary to his expectations, no human figure was visible from the direction where the sand wind was blowing.

Kwak Taewoo looked at Shin Jaehyuk with confusion. At that moment, Shin Jaehyuk was staring at the ground below with a hardened expression.

“Not from there.”

A faint vibration could be felt under their feet. A subtle tremor that ordinary people wouldn’t even notice. In normal circumstances, it might be dismissed as nothing significant, but not in hell. Belatedly, when Kwak Taewoo extended his energy perception toward the ground, he sensed something massive.

“…An unwelcome guest. Or rather, we’re the unwelcome ones who’ve stepped into its habitat.”

A gigantic being with a body length of kilometers. Humanity had encountered this creature before. The apex predator of the desert that devastated Philadelphia with just its writhing after being summoned. Death Worm.

Hell’s colossal worm was approaching silently. In the desert, its home ground, the Death Worm’s movement was incredibly stealthy. Despite having a mass equivalent to a decent-sized building, it was difficult to feel the vibrations from above ground.

Like a fish detecting bait through ripples in the water, the Death Worm was heading straight for Shin Jaehyuk. In the vast desert, escaping from a Death Worm that freely swam beneath the surface seemed impossible.

Shin Jaehyuk pondered.

‘Should I kill it?’

If he unleashed his power, killing the Death Worm wouldn’t be difficult. Shin Jaehyuk had already slaughtered a Hydra, the strongest mutant among Death Worms, and Kwak Taewoo, being a Sword Master, could behead the Death Worm with his artifact that extended the blade length surrounded by sword energy.

What concerned Shin Jaehyuk was what would happen after causing a commotion. The aftermath of the battle and the Death Worm’s impact would surely disturb this quiet desert. And for whatever reason, demons’ attention would be drawn here.

Demons would come like hyenas to tear at the Death Worm’s corpse, demons would attack assuming the prey had been weakened by the fight with the Death Worm, and perhaps even powerful demons curious about the Death Worm’s death.

They couldn’t afford all that attention. The longer they were held up in hell, the more delayed their return to Earth would be.

But blindly running away concerned him because of the guide. If they fled anywhere to avoid the Death Worm, wouldn’t they miss the guide who might be looking for them?

“Shin Jaehyuk!”

Kwak Taewoo’s call awakened Shin Jaehyuk from his thoughts. While he had been thinking, the presence had already reached beneath their feet.

In this situation with no clear solution, Shin Jaehyuk made a decision after brief consideration.

‘There’s no other way.’

With a burst, sand sprayed as a hideous head emerged from underground. The Death Worm’s mouth surrounded by multiple layers of sharp teeth.

Just as Shin Jaehyuk was about to unleash his divine power to separate the creature’s head from its body, a rough voice came from inside its mouth.

“Wait-!”

“A voice?”

Someone jumped out from inside the Death Worm’s mouth. It was a person covered from head to toe in burlap, seemingly accustomed to desert travel.

Dusting off the sand from his body, he bluntly said:

“You must be the ones Satan mentioned?”

“And you’re the guide?”

“That’s right. Seems you found your way here well. Pleased to meet you. Call me Gode.”

“Gode? That name sounds familiar…”

After shaking hands with Gode, Kwak Taewoo glanced at Shin Jaehyuk and was startled. Shin Jaehyuk’s face was distorted with murderous intent.

“Are you really the sorcerer Gode?”

“Yes, I am… Oh, this divine power, could it be…”

Belatedly, Kwak Taewoo remembered the name.

A member of the 12 Heroes. An alchemist, mystic, and sorcerer who was Longino’s comrade.

And a traitor who betrayed the party along with Sabah and Iscariot.

“How mysterious fate is. To think I’d meet you here, Longino.”

“GO-DE-!!!!”

With a roar of rage, Shin Jaehyuk lunged at Gode.

***

After occupying the area around the Gate, the Fallen Angels launched sporadic offensives from Eden as their base. They didn’t particularly expand their territory, but they didn’t allow enemy intrusion either.

During this time, the Hunter Association’s emergency committee attempted to communicate with the guilds that had crossed over to the Empire, but all attempts failed.

It was no easy task to break through the enemy’s defensive line guarding the Gate like a national border and cross over to Eden.

“Those flying monster groups, the Gregori or whatever—are they playing some territorial game? Are these monsters testing us?”

“Shouldn’t we send reinforcements? Five of our country’s guilds have been taken to the Empire.”

“You’re saying that after seeing the monsters pouring out? That place is already lost! Give it up.”

“You madman! Are you suggesting we abandon our own citizens?”

“What did you call me, you little shit? How dare a youngster like you curse at me, you son of a—”

While the upper echelons were in disarray, unable to grasp the enemy’s intentions, there was movement from the adversaries.

The entire Gregori force passed through the Gate and appeared in the Italian capital. It wasn’t a random choice. They deliberately targeted the Vatican with their movements.

St. Peter’s Basilica was reduced to ruins under concentrated fire, and clergy, especially those who had awakened divine power, became the main targets of the Fallen Angels.

The Italian and UN forces engaged in urban warfare against the Gregori’s Fallen Angels, but modern tactics were neutralized by Lucifer’s presence. When hit by the miraculous light that turned objects into salt, all cover, tanks, and firearms were rendered useless.

To face a monster that completely negated modern military science, they needed to bring in superhumans who transcended humanity just the same. After deliberation, the Hunter Association issued a mobilization order to S-rank Hunters, humanity’s strongest weapons.

“So that’s why the four of us are gathered here?”

Zeus, Euphemia, who had been summoned to the Rome front, scoffed after hearing the briefing.

In the temporary barracks where the S-ranks had gathered, only four out of the seven S-ranks were present. Zeus looked around at the faces. The psychic Jang Wooi, the teleporter Adriano, Pharaoh Muhammad, and himself, Zeus.

It was a majority, but Euphemia was dissatisfied.

“Just four? How many people have died in this crisis! Even all seven would be barely enough, what are those higher-ups thinking?”

Sparks crackled and discharged from the tips of her hair, responding to Zeus’s emotional state.

“Why aren’t the others here? Jang Wooi, you must know something?”

“I heard Skyscraper expressed his intention not to participate for personal reasons. Some training or education he’s receiving, I believe. Well, I don’t know exactly. He hasn’t been appearing in public for months now.”

“Haven’t you contacted him separately?”

“Are we the type to keep in touch with each other?”

Jang Wooi gazed steadily at Euphemia. His look said, I don’t know either, so stop pestering me. Euphemia clicked her tongue in irritation and averted her gaze.

“Tch, what about the others? There’s no way that battle-loving old Sword Ghost would avoid a battlefield like this.”

“Heh, you’re such a kid, so ignorant about how the world works.”

Adriano, who had been quiet, sneered at Euphemia. Before she could flare up, Adriano’s explanation silenced her.

“The subjugation of the Four Heavenly Kings is largely a political issue, kid. Remember how Sword Saint gained 50 levels at once after participating in the Belphegor subjugation? And how politicians from other countries went crazy seeing that?”

The status window awakened by Hunters presented one simple and clear rule: The stronger the enemy you defeat, the stronger you can become.

Each country views Hunters as strategic weapons. An awakened person who can exert the power of a squad alone surpasses conventional soldiers in terms of efficiency. Some high-ranking Hunters possess firepower beyond a squad, reaching that of a battalion, and the superhumans known as S-rank Hunters are no different from moving natural disasters.

A Hunter’s power is a nation’s defense capability and its standing in the world. That’s why governments have been putting all their efforts into raising the average level of their Hunters by even one, establishing Hunter academies or supporting Hunter guilds with government funds.

Against this backdrop, the Four Heavenly Kings appeared to politicians as a kind of “event.” Like raid bosses in RPG games that are difficult to defeat but offer powerful strength and resources when conquered.

The upper echelons’ view of the Four Heavenly Kings was this: Difficult to defeat, but not impossible if humanity is determined. A golden opportunity to rapidly strengthen their country’s Hunters.

In fact, the reason they had come to underestimate the Four Heavenly Kings was because of Shin Jaehyuk. Not knowing his true identity, they thought that some rookie Hunter, presumed to be S-rank, had single-handedly repelled the Four Heavenly King in Incheon, and together with the Sword Saint had dealt with the one in Pyongyang. Naturally, they believed that just two or three ordinary S-rank Hunters could easily defeat a Four Heavenly King.

In a situation where victory seemed guaranteed, humanity did not cooperate amicably. Politicians believed there were two ways to make their country stronger: strengthening their own country and preventing other countries from becoming stronger.

Each government tried to include their Hunters in the Four Heavenly Kings subjugation while checking other countries from doing the same. The prime victims were Japan and Korea. Both countries had already gained tremendous benefits such as experience points and monster by-products from participating in the Four Heavenly Kings subjugation.

Understanding the situation, Euphemia couldn’t hide her astonishment.

“…Political fights in this situation? We’d be short-handed even with all seven! Are they in their right minds?”

“Actually, the Japanese government welcomed the Sword Saint’s non-participation. Did you think the cabinet of cowards in Japan would allow that old man to risk fighting another Four Heavenly King?”

“What about Kim Jaemin? He’s famous for taking down bosses well. Why not call the Problem Solver to such an important place?”

“Hmph, Korea is the target of all countries’ checks. Why, they have another unofficial S-rank besides Kim Jaemin, and that woman Cha Eunkyung who’s rising as an S-rank prospect is also Korean. They’re practically leading the Hunter industry. So other countries want to prevent Korea from dominating further by stopping Kim Jaemin from getting stronger.”

The psychic Jang Wooi had participated in the Second Korean War, but he only contributed to maintaining the defense line near the DMZ and never even saw the Four Heavenly King’s shadow. With this logic, he could justify his participation in this battle. The association executives, who received substantial lobbying funds, agreed with this logic and permitted Jang Wooi’s participation.

“What ridiculous nonsense…”

Euphemia still seemed unconvinced. But at this point, she couldn’t disrupt the entire plan with just her dissatisfaction. Zeus had no choice but to swallow her anger.

‘Damn it. No choice… We’ll have to face them with just the four of us. Yeah, surely we won’t lose with four S-ranks…’

The next day, the four headed to the battlefield where Lucifer awaited.