Chapter 30: Monster Wave (3)

The Association President felt like crying.

It was bad enough that Cheon Hwi, who usually stayed quiet, had suddenly begun to move—but things were getting worse by the second.

What on earth, what in the world is happening…?!

Even as an S-rank Hunter, he felt like he couldn’t breathe from the sheer pressure of the magic power.

The force continued to grow, and before long, it swallowed up an entire neighborhood, dyeing it pitch black—a sight clearly visible from the sky.

Whatever was going on, something had to be done.

He couldn’t understand the situation at all, nor could he think of any solution.

Still, driven by the thought that he had to do something to prevent greater damage, the Association President pushed himself to move faster.

But his resolve meant nothing—suddenly, a massive surge of magic power swept across the area.

“H-Huh…?!”

The backlash alone made the Association President flinch, cold sweat pouring down his face as he gasped for air.

Endless streams of black and white magic energy surged into the sky, harmonizing like the universe and starlight.

Even the Association President couldn’t help but let out a breath of awe at the sight—it was that breathtaking.

But the moment he realized what was happening in the sky, he snapped back to his senses.

He didn’t know what Cheon Hwi had done to cause the sky to turn out like this.

The once blue sky had turned pitch black, and within the artificial night, white starlight twinkled.

Even that scene soon began to blur.

The night sky peeled away like it was melting, and the starlight shattered and rained down toward the earth.

Was this what the end of the universe would feel like?

Gripped by the spectacle alone, the Association President gained yet another reason to move quickly.

Dear god, why do you continue to test me with such cruel trials?

What sin have I committed…

Trying to calm his troubled heart, the Association President swallowed his frustration and prepared to land.

After rushing over, he had finally arrived near Cheon Hwi.

And then—thud!

A soft shockwave rippled out as he landed with a heavy sound, breathing hard as he spoke.

“Song Cheon Hwi-nim!”

It was only a name—not even a full sentence—but Cheon Hwi could immediately sense the Association President’s emotions.

It was obvious, after all, with him breathing that heavily while calling out.

Feeling a bit awkward, Cheon Hwi looked at him and gave a sheepish smile.

It was only after swinging that Cheon Hwi realized it himself—it was a bit much, even by his own standards.

He had used that technique even though neither an A-rank monster, the highest grade of the Wave, nor a boss had appeared.

It was clearly an overreaction considering the level of the enemy.

It was beyond just burning down the house to kill a bedbug—more like dropping a nuclear bomb on a city to catch a pickpocket.

Cheon Hwi, who had been giving an awkward smile, tried to soothe the Association President in a gentle tone.

“Were you that startled?”

“Yes, I was truly terrified.”

When Cheon Hwi asked if he’d been startled, the Association President replied without a hint of hesitation.

Watching him answer so quickly, Cheon Hwi gave a wry smile.

He did feel sorry—but at the same time, he also felt a bit of pity.

How is a man who gets that scared from just this supposed to hold up an entire country?

It was the kind of thought that would leave the Association President speechless if he heard it, but thankfully, Cheon Hwi kept it to himself.

“Still, what brings you here personally?”

“Hmm? Ah, I guess you must’ve stopped by the orphanage. Right, I originally just planned to check on its safety too.”

If the orphanage is safe, there’s no reason for him to have gone this far, is there?

Just as the Association President began to wonder and was about to ask why—

“Then…?”

His words trailed off as his gaze happened to fall on the floating smartphone gently hovering behind Cheon Hwi.

And with his S-rank Hunter-level eyesight, he began reading the tiny chat messages on the screen one by one.

Wait, is that the Association President?

Why is someone that important here?

More importantly, is he bowing to the Grandmaster?

Never mind the bowing—why does the Grandmaster treat the Association President like some junior officer?

A livestream.

Viewers.

And chat messages.

Even if the Association President didn’t care about internet broadcasts, it’s not like he didn’t know what they were.

And that’s when he finally realized Cheon Hwi was livestreaming this whole thing—and found himself speechless.

“Ah, I see you figured it out. Since I was already here, I thought I’d help some people… and besides, I’ve never really shown my full strength on stream, so I figured I’d put in a bit of effort.”

So that’s why his tone had been different than usual—it was for the broadcast.

The Association President, who had been secretly trembling in fear, wondering if more heads were about to roll, finally let out a breath of relief.

And then, his quick-thinking mind realized—this was an opportunity.

What did it mean that Cheon Hwi had started streaming online?

It was basically a declaration, he would now show his strength to the entire world and begin building real fame and influence.

In truth, Cheon Hwi had started the broadcast half as a hobby, thinking it might be a fun way to earn some money.

He hadn’t had the slightest intention of spreading his name or making himself influential—but the Association President was convinced there had to be a deeper reason.

Maybe that’s why, in his eyes, this was a golden opportunity.

If the Association could help provide a platform to boost Cheon Hwi’s fame, and then promote it widely, there was no way his popularity wouldn’t grow.

And the benefit to the Association for cooperating like that?

Even setting everything else aside, simply earning Cheon Hwi’s favor was a reward in itself.

With his thoughts settled, the Association President cleared his throat.

“Ahem, Song Cheon Hwi-nim. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to formally request your cooperation in resolving the Monster Wave.”

This was a direct request from the President of the Hunter Association himself.

Viewers, fully aware of the weight and value behind that statement, exploded with exclamation marks and question marks in the chat.

It was a moment of total shock—but Cheon Hwi, who had been thinking about heading home to eat some chicken, answered indifferently.

“It’s not something that needs my involvement. I sense several familiar presences… including you, Yeomyeong, Hwigwang… and Wolak is here too. With that lineup, there’s no way you all can’t handle this Wave.”

From the beginning, Cheon Hwi had only acted to save the people in immediate danger and gather material for his stream.

That one attack had already wiped out all the monsters in the area, buying enough time for civilians to evacuate and other Hunters to regroup.

What remained was the Hunters’ job—there was no more reason for him to stay here and help.

With that in mind, Cheon Hwi turned him down—but the Association President misunderstood it as a performance.

He figured Cheon Hwi didn’t want to appear too eager.

Refusing once, only to reluctantly agree later—that kind of back-and-forth was a common tactic in adult social dynamics.

Normally, Cheon Hwi wasn’t someone who would bother with those kinds of appearances, but maybe, because he was streaming, he was being more mindful of how the audience would see it.

That’s what the Association President assumed, so he pressed again.

“The damage is already considerable. The faster we subdue the Wave, the better. Song Cheon Hwi-nim, your help is absolutely necessary.”

“Hm……”

It was true—the faster this was resolved, the better.

The safety of the orphanage and that child was on the line too, so going overboard wasn’t exactly a bad thing.

Cheon Hwi let out a quiet sigh as he pondered.

Seeing that, the Association President’s eyes sparkled.

There was plenty of reason for Cheon Hwi to act, but no clear benefit for him in accepting the offer.

Judging from Cheon Hwi’s sigh, the Association President quickly deduced what kind of condition he was waiting for.

It wasn’t difficult.

His casual words and the purpose behind his actions had already made it obvious.

Hadn’t the whole reason he decided to unleash his power in the first place been to show it off on the stream?

The Association President instantly realized that the broadcast was clearly something important to Cheon Hwi.

And with that, the best possible condition he could offer became clear.

With his mind made up, the Association President spoke.

“This kind of thing is usually under heavy restriction, but… for the duration of your cooperation, I’ll authorize filming on-site.”

“You can just change the rules that easily?”

“I’m the one who made them.”

“Well, that’s fair.”

Cheon Hwi let out a soft chuckle and smiled pleasantly as he declared,

“Alright then. I guess playing hero again for once doesn’t sound too bad.”

“Then I’ll go assist with the civilian evacuation.”

“You’re not helping here?”

“I don’t want to get caught up in that.”

There was no way a person could survive that kind of attack.

Recalling the strike he’d just witnessed, the Association President shuddered and quickly fled the scene like he was running for his life.

Watching his retreating figure, Cheon Hwi sighed and turned his head toward the smartphone.

“You all probably heard everything, so I won’t need to explain much, right?”

Uh, no?

We need a serious explanation here???

What the heck is even going on right now?

I’ve never seen the Association President act like that before.

Of course you haven’t lol. He’s never acted like that, not once lolol.

Cheon Hwi was casually bossing around the Association President, but to the average citizen of South Korea, the Association President was practically a living legend.

A massive pillar supporting the nation.

The successor to one of the Seven Heroes who saved Korea during the Great Cataclysm.

He carried countless titles and achievements, and his authority was considered absolute.

But in front of Cheon Hwi, that entire image had just been shattered into pieces.

“Well, let’s just move past those little details.”

He didn’t have the time to explain everything one by one.

And even if he did, it’s not like it would be easy to understand.

Brushing off the flood of viewer questions with ease, Cheon Hwi raised the corner of his mouth in a strangely mischievous smile.

“Since it’s come to this anyway, let’s really blow things up a bit.”

If the Association President had heard that, he would’ve screamed and tried to stop him immediately.