The First Hunter Chapter 46

Chapter 46 – This is MY Land (2)

3.

"Tomorrow is D-Day."

Everything was conducted in a swift manner. Because the monsters had already started to move, everyone was committing their all.

"Don’t forget to stay secretive."

But their concentration didn’t mean that they forgot to keep things under wraps.

"We absolutely cannot let the common survivors know that there are green grade monsters around the city, and that they might come to Bucheon."

Just the Black Snake was enough to send the survivors into a panic.

If the public were to find out that a green grade monster that was even stronger than the Black Snake was on its way, then it’s obvious how the public would react.

And once the public fell into panic, then troublemakers and those who wished to take advantage of the panic would make their appearance, adding oil to the flames.

The meeting came to an end with Chang Sung Hoon emphasizing secrecy.

"Bang Hyun Wook, follow me to the conference room."

Kim Tae Hoon called Bang Hyun Wook.

4.

"Hyungnim, just what in the world······."

Bang Hyun Wook, returning from the conference room, was itching to talk.

"Why didn’t you say anything during the meeting?"

Kim Tae Hoon replied with a question. Bang Hyun Wook laughed awkwardly in response.

"What could I even say? I just do whatever I’m told to do."

"Do you feel like you’re falling behind?"

Those words. The awkward smile on Bang Hyun Wook’s face disappeared.

"Do you feel like Kim Tae Hoon’s right arm, Bang Hyun Wook, can longer match up to even Kim Tae Hoon’s finger?"

Bang Hyun Wook began to think in his head.

'Eh, what makes you say that? You’re saying some strange things.' ······was what he wanted to say.

But instead of speaking his mind, his body stiffened. His expression looked like he had been stabbed with a knife in a deep place.

"Does it show?"

He ended up admitting to it in the end.

"It’s no different than a pro baseball player competing against high school athletes."

The first thing that Kim Tae Hoon noticed were the changes in Bang Hyun Wook’s eyes.

His behavior had changed as well.

At first, Bang Hyun Wook was like a puppy awaiting orders. Although he had feared the monsters, he had also reveled in obtaining the power and strength to fight against and kill the monsters.

He had always been proud of the fact that he was Kim Tae Hoon’s teammate when fighting······ but eventually he also began to enjoy the treatment and looks that the others had started giving him.

But Bang Hyun Wook had stopped behaving in that way as of late.

He silently watched Kim Tae Hoon fight from the sidelines, a dead look in his eyes.

As a result, it became evident that his mindset had changed. His gallant spirit when opposing monsters had disappeared.

"I have to intention of tossing you a bone. My personality isn’t like that, and I’ve never done so in the past."

"That’s something that I know as well."

"I also don’t intend to take in a cowering and whimpering dog."

That was why Kim Tae Hoon had specifically called out Bang Hyun Wook.

"That······."

Kim Tae Hoon needed Bang Hyun Wook’s strength.

He needed the Bang Hyun Wook that would fly towards his enemies, the Bang Hyun Wook who would often times crack a joke during the midst of battle, not the Bang Hyun Wook who hung his head and wallowed in self-pity and inferiority.

"Whether a mangy and cowardly dog, or a hound. The choice is yours."

In response, Bang Hyun Wook grit his teeth and replied.

"I choose to be a hound."

A flame burst to life again in Bang Hyun Wook’s eyes.

5.

"Looks like you really value Hyun Wook."

Chang Sung Hoon found Kim Tae Hoon alone in the room after Bang Hyun Wook had left.

"That’s because he’s not the kind of guy who would scheme against me or rip me to pieces."

"That’s true. Hyun Wook isn’t the type to do that. If he was, he wouldn’t have whined and begged in front of boss to take his first love with us. On that note, it looks like the progress between North Korea and China hasn’t been slow. The way I see it, one poke is enough to get them to marry tomorrow."

Chang Sung Hoon briefly sighed.

"······are you thinking about whether or not you should have told the others about your second dream?"

Chang Sung Hoon was the only person that Kim Tae Hoon had revealed his second dream to.

He had great faith in Chang Sung Hoon, but it couldn’t be said the same of the others······ but it wasn’t because of the discrepancy in trust.

If anything, it was the difference in willingness.

To everyone here, Kim Tae Hoon was hope, he was their savior. Afterall, not many people would choose to follow a dead man.

"Even if I told them, nothing good will have come of it."

I don’t need any more burdens, it’s difficult to live from day to day as it is.

On top of that, the interpretation of the dream they had come to was not clear.

"Chang Sung Hoon."

"Yes? If you ever have anything to ask of me, please do so without hesitation."

"Try and guess how I died."

Chang Sung Hoon spoke his thoughts without hesitation.

"My guess is that Boss was killed by an awakened."

Kim Tae Hoon nodded his head.

He shared the same sentiments.

Kim Tae Hoon didn’t know why exactly he had died during the second dream.

But he had a clue.

"When Sun Mi noonim was by Boss’s side and trying to heal boss, she was largely left untouched, something that wouldn’t happen if facing a monster, since the chances of a monster leaving other humans alone and only targeting Boss are low. So doesn’t it make sense that it was a conflict between humans?"

Kim Tae Hoon had seen Ahn Sun Mi before he died. Her hair was longer than it was currently, and she didn’t seem to have incurred any wounds battle fatigue.

It meant that she had been excluded from battle.

However, she would usually never be excluded from a battle against monsters. If she was excluded, then the chances of a battle having limited partic.i.p.ants was high.

"If we were to simplify it, it looked like you died because you were weak."

The cause of death was simple and clear.

The law of the jungle.

The reason why he died was because he was weak. He wouldn’t have died if he were strong.

Anyways, the difference between getting killed by an awakened and getting killed by a dragon was different.

It meant that there was an awakened even stronger than Kim Tae Hoon.

"You said the world is like a game?"

"Yes, that’s correct."

"If you kill a monster, you gain experience and level up. It’s that kind of concept."

“Yes. A cla.s.sic RPG game.”

"Then what happens to the game once the number of monsters start to dwindle?"

Kim Tae Hoon had grasped the finer points of what that meant.

"That······."

Chang Sung Hoon came up with a game in his head, and began to simulate what would happen if monsters stopped sp.a.w.ning.

"The first one to kill and level up would be the strongest."

Then Chang Sung Hoon began to understand.

"It’s a zero-sum game."

He began to realize what was most important in order to survive in this world.

Securing weapons, finding relics, and creating items were all very important if humans wanted to survive.

But all those things were a means to kill stronger monsters.

It was the conclusion he had come to after having gone through his second dream.

"Our goal after the first dream was to become a local warlord."

So they once again had to change their goals.

"I had put out the suggestion, and Boss had agreed."

Kim Tae Hoon’s first goal was to fortify Bucheon and maintain it as his territory.

But now, things were different.

He couldn’t just stay in Bucheon.

“This time, we should go on the offensive instead of staying on defense."

Kim Tae Hoon took a look at the map on the whiteboard as he spoke.

"If we kill the green ranked monster in Gw.a.n.gmyeong City, then all of the other monsters in Gw.a.n.gmyeong will be ours."

"We have to strike before others eat it all."

"Other people are the problem."

"It seems so. No doubt, there are many compet.i.tors, including Colonel Lim Hyun Joon who had appeared in Boss’s first dream. Looks like the path ahead of us is going to be a pain the a.s.s. Why not just become commander-in-chief of the army Boss? Boss is currently a major, correct? Why not take this chance and consider it? Give me a seat if you do though."

Listening to Chang Sung Hoon trying to lighten up the mood, Kim Tae Hoon didn’t brush aside the meaning behind the Gw.a.n.ggaeto Stele and the Sword of Goujian.

Because China had a strong and incredibly large military, they would inevitably become a rival, but Kim Tae Hoon couldn’t do anything about it now.

It was another matter for Kim Tae Hoon to brood over and grit his teeth.

"It’s better to focus on our own territory at the moment.."

"I’ll arrange a scouting party to identify the monster."

"I’ll go and personally take a look."

Before Chang Sung Hoon could say “It’s too dangerous”, Kim Tae Hoon’s eyes had already turned black.

Chang Sung Hoon immediately swallowed down the words he was going to speak.

"Is there anything you need?"

Instead, he asked a question.

"Place an order at the workshop. Frame the Black Snake’s skull."

"The skull? Do you intend to make a museum?"

"Once it’s done, a yellow grade monster will be on its way to installation."

"Install?"

"The others won’t listen to me simply if I say that this is my land."

Chang Sung Hoon nodded his head.

"Anything else?"

"Boil some water."

"No coffee?"

Hearing that, Kim Tae Hoon laughed.

"The coffee here is garbage."

Chang Sung Hoon laughed and replied.

"I know how to brew mix coffee."

6.

s.h.i.+yen.

Located northwest of the Hubei Province, it was home to a large car factory, the Danjiangkou Reservoir, and previously, 3.5 million citizens.

But now, s.h.i.+yen was not like how a big city should be.

Although it had the hubbub of a big city, it was a hubbub caused by the screams of people trying to prevent themselves from being eaten by monsters.

There were some who watched the chaos from afar.

They were soldiers.

Soldiers, but soldiers who weren’t wearing uniforms. There were some soldiers who were wearing their uniforms, but the most eye catching soldiers were wearing an armor found in ancient China.

It was like historical Chinese figures lined up.

At the front were two women.

They were 170 cm tall, possessed model-like bodies, and were identical.

Twins.

One of the twins opened her mouth.

"I can’t tell why we were bothered to come here. Couldn’t we just drop a nuclear bomb and collect the monster stones afterwards? It would be better to just get it over with in one shot.”

b.l.o.o.d.y words came out of her mouth.

Her twin had nothing to say.

"Not likely."

A man in uniform was the one who had spoken up.

"We’re here to defend China, no destroy it."

The woman who had spoken bloodthirsty words simply shrugged in response.

"I’m just saying Major Chan Shan nim."

Chan Shan.

The man with the position of major looked at the smiling woman with cold eyes, and then looked at her twin who had a stoic expression on her face before speaking.

"Get ready to play."

As Major Chan Shan finished speaking, the twin with the stoic expression lifted a lute grasped in her hand. When the woman began to pluck a string on the lute which seemed to be made of old wood, a haze began to sway in the vicinity.

Dding!

As she continued to play, the haze began to spread out, congregating within the armored soldiers, instilling a golden aura into their eyes.

It was the same for the woman who had spoken up earlier.

"Good."

The woman also pulled out a bronze sword that was at her waist. While taking aim at s.h.i.+yen with her sword, she shouted.

"Charge!"

In response to her cry, golden characters engraved into the bronze sword began to s.h.i.+ne.

The King of Yue Gou Jian’s Self-Forged Sword.

It was the sword that King Gou Jian of Yue had forged for himself, the Sword of Gou Jian.