Chapter 211 – Remnants of the Unprecedented Gate

What is power?

Back in high school, there were kids who were, for lack of a better term, ‘delinquents.’

They always claimed the back seats as their own, reigning over all the other students. Their power was violence.

It reminds me of my time in the other world, during the war with the Seven Kingdoms.

I deposed a king who conscripted his people and ruled with an iron fist, all for his own gain. Just in time, a new candidate for the throne appeared.

-On behalf of the people of this nation, I thank you, Hero.

That same man, who spoke with such self-importance, became the very same kind of tyrant a few years later.

One could argue it was inevitable in an era of war, with seven nations entangled in all sorts of conspiracies and conflicts.

But that doesn’t justify it.

I wiped out all the royals and nobles who were steeped in their own privilege. Then, I brought in new blood and built a new political foundation.

I didn’t need to run around doing everything myself. They gathered and scattered on their own.

The modern world was no different—if anything, it was worse.

Politicians who demand sacrifices from others for the sake of their own power. They shed blood, claiming it’s for the people, while behind the scenes they savor liquor bought with taxes and treat the populace like dogs and pigs.

And what about Hunters?

When you awaken your power, you feel joy.

A strange sense of connection forms with the System. The feeling of becoming something special, different from everyone else. Unless you’re someone with absolutely zero desire for attention, nine times out of ten—no, ten times out of ten—you develop a sense of privilege.

I was the same at first.

I felt that impulse even more strongly since I was just a high school student. But unfortunately, I didn’t have time to indulge in any delusions of grandeur.

After all, my experience was a far cry from the ‘summoned to another world’ stories you see in pop culture.

Hunters feel a sense of superiority from the special power they possess, from their capacity for violence. They categorize themselves as heroes and fall into a mindset of elitism.

Of course, not all of them are like that. It’s a problem with a small minority.

The problem is, do you know what kind of tragedy occurs when that minority becomes the majority?

-Following the military coup in Myanmar, a great tragedy is currently unfolding… Governments around the world have expressed their regret….

Humanity is now at war with external invaders due to the unprecedented event known as the Gates. Yet, even in the midst of it all, they are at odds with their own kind, with fellow human beings.

In other words, whether in another world or the modern one, people are the same wherever they live.

-The Union Hunters have officially announced their intention to provide support to nations still suffering from the aftermath of the massive Gate incident….

This organization, the Union Hunters, is run by global rankers—the strongest Hunters in the world.

To put it simply, you could think of it as the UN of the Hunter world.

Publicly, they work for world peace, but in reality, they commit all sorts of discrimination and evil deeds, fueled by their given privileges and elitist attitudes.

The first Union Hunter I ever met was Lucky Boy, Lee Han-seong.

On the surface, he played the part of a hero striving to protect justice and order.

In reality, he was a madman who enjoyed killing people, even murdering innocent civilians caught in the crossfire by framing them as Villains. But the organization knew and let it happen.

Why?

Because a being like Lee Han-seong brought that much profit to the organization.

For the sake of protecting the world, for justice.

Under the banner of that tired old slogan, they flaunted absolute power, moving beyond a simple monopoly to become an unstoppable force in just over a decade.

-The core of the Union Hunters is Ian Kruger. As the main hero, he has been confirmed to have decision-making authority over everything from public activities to all requests.

As I was leaving the DMZ, Olivier spoke to me.

-The number of hunters in the Union is exactly one hundred. It’s a rule that they never accept more than that. You came in to fill a vacant spot, Hero.

I knew that.

-There are factions within the Union, too. Ian Kruger’s faction has 60 members, the Russian Ivan Sergei’s faction has 30, and there are nine neutral members, like Danny McGuire of the Asia branch.

Out of 100 heroes, if over 60 belong to one faction, their power is overwhelming. Well, considering Ian Kruger was the one who took the lead in creating this Union in the first place, I can understand it.

But the very name ‘Union’ implies becoming one to face a common enemy, yet here they were, picking sides.

“Investigate Ian Kruger and the ‘Russian Bear’ Sergei.”

-What about the neutral members?

“I’ll check them out myself.”

When I met Danny, the head of the Asia branch, I got the feeling he was quite cunning.

He seemed like he had a temper, but his act of being incredibly gentle and mild-mannered didn’t sit right with me.

He had his thoughts carefully hidden away, packaged neatly so as not to reveal them.

In short, he was an opponent whose thoughts I couldn’t read. But since he was wary of me, I would be wary of him as well.

-Got it. *Sniffle*, so you’re planning to take down the poor neutral members first.

“What do you mean, take down?”

-It’s true, isn’t it? Once someone catches your eye, Hero, they’re bound to get taken down. I feel so sorry for them.

“Haha. I wonder where my dear Olivier’s real body is. I’d love to show you what ‘getting taken down’ really means.”

Does this damn succubus think that’s all I know how to do?

There was something I learned in the other world.

A head-on clash isn’t always the answer.

I need to build my own faction. My influence has grown within the country, but it’s still lacking on a global scale. In fact, there are people who don’t even know who I am.

My plan is to dismantle the entity known as the Union and create a new replacement.

One colored in my image, one that will move according to my will.

After successfully clearing the DMZ, I returned to the command post to find soldiers looking at me with eyes full of admiration.

-Poor people, *sniffle*. They have no idea they’re being deceived.

If only Olivier were here, I could give her a rap on the head. What a shame.

-You wish I was always by your side? To be honest, that’s a little burdensome.

I blocked Olivier.

The silence is nice. It’s good for organizing my thoughts.

I donated the magic stones to the military base.

“The Lieutenant Colonel will be here soon. If you could wait just a little longer, Hunter-nim…”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll see her at Central next time.”

The captain, who served as the battalion commander’s aide, gave me a puzzled look.

Lieutenant Colonel Baek Hyun-ju.

An active-duty soldier who had distinguished herself since the first generation of Gates.

With a gentle charisma befitting a great leader, she had been fighting on the military’s front lines.

Here, she must have realized something.

That reducing the sacrifices of soldiers wasn’t something that could only be done on the front lines.

Due to the closed-off and highly secure nature of the military, it often operates on systems that are out of step with the times.

But no one makes a move.

To tow an unmoving boulder, you need someone with enough momentum and power.

The reason I donated the magic stones to her, a woman who already had a record of achievements and continued to produce results, was simple.

I wasn’t naive enough to believe that all the donated magic stones would be used to manufacture magic bullets for the safety of the soldiers.

The reason magic bullets weren’t supplied to the military was because they were incredibly expensive.

It was more cost-effective to fire a lot of cheap bullets than to fire a magic bullet that costs millions of won.

In other words, those magic stones would become her war chest for advancing into Central Command.

Simply giving her the goods would be corruption, but distributing profits gained through support is not a problem.

“The wildcat and the sly serpent are going to have to fight it out.”

I had put Lieutenant Colonel Baek Hyun-ju and Director Shin Chae-ho, two bitter rivals, in the same ring.

While I watched their fight, I had things to do.

‘Archon Danny McGuire.’

The global ranker was currently waiting for me with Henri.

* * *

Danny McGuire.

The national hero Italy prided itself on.

A man who had earned the nickname ‘Legion Commander’ for his ability to summon dolls in the likeness of Roman soldiers.

He was currently waiting in a foreign, unfamiliar land.

“Isn’t that Danny McGuire?”

“No way.”

No one thought that Danny, one of the ten most famous people in the world, would be here without a single bodyguard, dressed like any other middle-aged man.

“Ah, I’m hungry. I should go get something to eat.”

“???”

Just then, Danny heard a woman in the guild waiting room speak.

She was a woman sitting near him.

‘Why did she say she’s hungry? Am I supposed to ask her to eat together?’

But contrary to Danny’s expectations, she joined her colleagues waiting outside and went to eat.

“?”

Danny’s mind was filled with questions.

“Dan, you’ve been waiting?”

“You’re here.”

Just then, Henri also arrived at the waiting room.

When Danny recounted what had just happened, Henri burst into a hearty laugh.

“People in my country talk to themselves a lot. Don’t worry about it. She wasn’t talking to you, Dan.”

Apparently, Koreans often talk to themselves.

Even if she recognized him, he was a complete stranger to her, so there was no reason for her to suggest a meal.

It made perfect sense, when he thought about it. But there was something else that bothered him more.

‘My country…?’

It sounded rather strange, hearing Henri, a pure-blooded Frenchman, refer to it as ‘my country.’

“Come on, let’s go. I’ve prepared a traditional Korean market experience for you.”

An excited Henri dragged Danny out to the market.

It was a traditional market located not far from the Hanul Guild.

The atmosphere of a market was similar in any country.

Bustling crowds and generous spirits.

“Huh? Isn’t that the Archon???”

“Where? Where?”

People were slowly starting to recognize Danny.

“Don’t worry. I knew this would happen, so I bought a hat.”

Henri had shrewdly prepared for everything.

He was truly a Frenchman who had adapted to life in Korea.

“Isn’t it pretty?”

What Henri handed him was a Saemaeul hat.

“How fashionable.”

He didn’t know what the words on it meant, but the hat had a distinctly exotic feel that he found fascinating.

Henri stopped by his favorite snack stall.

“Dan, eat this. Eat it twice.”

Danny began to explain excitedly.

“This is a Korean-style *biroldo*.”

He dipped the *sundae*, filled with glass noodles, in salt and took a bite.

At first, his face showed distaste, but he couldn’t refuse the request of a friend and comrade who had had his back on the battlefield.

“…!”

It was surprisingly delicious.

“Try dipping it in the sauce here.”

Dipping the *sundae* in the red *tteokbokki* sauce, which looked spicy, turned out to be incredibly tasty, contrary to his worries.

“Delicious, right?”

“It is. What is this dish?”

Eating Korean street food, Danny couldn’t hide his sense of novelty.

Henri, now a complete Korea-phile, smiled brightly and told Danny.

“Yep, ‘drug’ tteokbokki.”

“Um, drug? ‘Drug’ tteokbokki?”

Danny doubted if he had heard correctly.

He had definitely said ‘drug.’

He knew Korea to be a drug-free country, so he was deeply shocked to hear that these simple-looking people, exuding such a human warmth, dealt with them so openly.

“Aigoo, the foreign young man is eating so well. Have some more, more.”

“Thank you, *halmoni*.”

Henri bowed his head and accepted the extra serving. But Danny’s expression darkened. The grandmother, who had seemed so benevolent just moments ago, now looked strangely different.

“Korea is a good place. It’s peaceful. Everyone is nice.”

At Henri’s words, Danny forced a bitter smile.

Henri was a completely different person from when they had first met, and from the last time he’d seen him.

The era of Gates had begun, and Hunters from every nation were being hailed as heroes, one by one.

It was a time when interest in Hunters from other countries naturally grew.

Humanity was under attack by unknown creatures. Someone had championed the idea that now, more than ever, was the time for powerful Hunters to unite and combine their strength.

That was the Union Hunters.

Saviors who would wield their swords wherever there were monsters to hunt, regardless of national borders.

That was how it was supposed to have started.

“Henri, isn’t it about time you came back?”

“Came back?”

“Yes, to the Union.”

At Danny’s words, Henri said nothing and wiped his lips with a piece of toilet paper from a roll.

Seeing this, Danny’s pupils wavered slightly, but he didn’t let it show.

In his mind, a roll of toilet paper definitely belonged somewhere else.

“I got a job here, you know.”

“That doesn’t matter. You can just go on dispatch missions from time to time. The Korea Monster hasn’t joined the Asia branch yet, either.”

Though he hadn’t officially joined yet.

Danny McGuire’s trip to Korea was partly to scout the Korea Monster’s abilities, but also to bring back his acquaintance, Henri.

The man who had passed the title of France’s strongest to Jean-Pierre and lived without ambition.

It was a waste for Henri, the true number one ranker of France, to live so quietly in a place like this.

“Think about your homeland right now.”

“…”

Henri’s expression hardened slightly.

“I’m not talking about patriotism. There’s a 6-star monster rampaging through France right now.”

Henri knew.

-Because of an emergency summons… I have to go. Please take care of yourself.

Henri recalled the words of Audrey, whom he thought of as a daughter, as she left Korea.

The situation in France was so bad that even she, a child dispatched for surveillance, had been urgently recalled.

“A 6-star boss monster, Fenrir. It’s swallowing up all the French Hunters right now.”

A 6-star monster, which no one but Lee Hyunbin had ever been able to hunt, had appeared in France.