Chapter 158: The Second Skull Pt. 4

Wobble.

Jeong In-Chang stumbled as he walked down a straight road.

“Goongje!”

The princess was surprised by the sight and quickly supported the Hunter, after which Jeong In-Chang thanked her.

‘I am…’

He had fulfilled his role.

As a result of the continuous efforts he had made during Lee Jun-Kyeong’s absence, he was confident that he had grown enough to satisfy both of them. This allowed him to show the strength he had curated today.

It was a strength curated from growth that was impressive enough to make Lee Jun-Kyeong surprised.

Smirk.

The corners of Jeong In-Chang’s mouth rolled up even as his vision blurred.

‘I’m happy.’

Whether it was that he had made Lee Jun-Kyeong satisfied in him, or that he had been able to give him inspiration, or that he had even made the Hunter’s eyes widen in surprise.

He was happy and satisfied.

Although it was so hard to use, to the point where he had wanted to die, where even breathing would become difficult, it still felt good when he thought back to how Lee Jun-Kyeong’s eyes had widened in astonishment.

Crackle.

The greatsword was separating from his arm, which was the sword that had become a part of his body earlier. Then, the dragon scales gradually peeled off his body. The Dragon’s Bloodstone had been emptied, waiting to be filled once again.

Although the Dragon’s Bloodstone had been fully charged once and this had given Jeong In-Chang a chance to grow, it wasn’t enough.

It wasn’t perfect just yet.

Maybe because the Dragon’s Bloodstone had been divided into two once before, but it was still incomplete. It would likely take a few charges before it could be possible for it to maintain the strength that it and Jeong In-Chang had shown earlier, making it into their own.

Thus, this time was only just a taste of what was to come.

Smirk.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Jeong In-Chang smiled once again, thinking about it.

He had grown. Now, he was able to experience the fruits of his efforts. Moreover, it made him even happier to think about Lee Jun-Kyeong, who was always happy whenever he had shown signs of growth.

Obtaining power meant that one could protect someone with their own will.

‘My own justice.’

He was now able to put strength and conviction behind his own will and justice.

[ gazes at you warmly.]

Moreover, there was his dependable Sponsor as well.

Smirk.

It sometimes embarrassed him, but seeing the gaze of the Sponsor who always looked at him with a dependable support, Jeong In-Chang smiled again.

“Whew…”

Jeong In-Chang, who had been walking, stopped for a moment and breathed heavily. All the branches that had been attacking him had disappeared.

Although there had definitely been many of them that had been destroyed using Gram’s power, it also meant something else as well.

“Mr. Lee must have started his battle…”

Now that Jeong In-Chang’s body wasn’t stable, he knew that if he entered that battle as well, he would only get in the way.

“Ha…”

Jeong In-Chang poured a potion all over himself and then drank the rest, spurring his recovery.

However, his state was more like a mana overload. Therefore, he wouldn’t recover from a strain like that using this method. A sparking blue light began to flicker in and out of existence around his body.

Shhhh.

He still had the ability to recover his mana by beginning to circulate the mana stream and using his internal qigong.

Moreover, he had a cheat as well.

Shhhhh.

The mana that was held inside of the Dragon’s Bloodstone embedded in his sword was also helping him recover faster.

Jeong In-Chang thought back to what Lee Jun-Kyeong had said to him before.

‘The Immortal Siegfried.’

The Dragon’s Bloodstone was said to give its user an almost immortal power and that was why Siegfried had been given the moniker the Immortal.

Now, Jeong In-Chang was clearly feeling that power of immortality.[1]

His body was recovering before his eyes, second by second.

“Whew…”

Before he knew it, Jeong In-Chang was no longer reeling from the loss of mana.

No, now, he was walking forward slowly.

Walking forward to help Lee Jun-Kyeong fight.

“...”

He arrived at a door from which a chilly wind blew out. The door had been tightly shut and completely divided the inside from the outside, as if it were some type of restriction. Jeong In-Chang knew intuitively that there was a fight going on beyond the door.

‘There are no auras or even any sounds coming from beyond the door.’

However, he couldn’t feel anything beyond the door, as if it had been connected to a completely different dimension.

"Princess," Jeong In-Chang called out while holding his greatsword. He was preparing to break through once the princess had opened the door.

“Goongje!”

The princess approached the door with a nod.

"Whew..."

Jeong In-Chang couldn’t even begin to imagine how intense the fight would be behind the door.

Even so.

‘If it’s this much, it should be enough to at least see their footsteps.’

Thinking that his growth had caught up to Lee Jun-Kyeong at least to some extent, he was confident.

‘It’s not like Mr. Lee had any time to hunt properly anyway.’

Jeong In-Chang smiled to himself for a moment before entering the battle.

Squeeeak.

At the princess’ touch, the great door began to open.

Then.

He could feel it through the opening door.

“What the fu…”

A terrifying aura.

And the scene he saw through the gap was…

“What the hell is this…”

…hell.

***

“…”

There was silence in the room.

Odin, who should have been in the Association, was sitting in Baldur’s room.

He was quietly staring at Baldur with one eye.

Baldur sat silently, wondering.

‘What should I ask first?’

He had so many questions, so many that he didn’t know which one to ask first.

Where did he have to start?

‘Maybe why did he suddenly recognize me all of a sudden as his son?’

This was a self-made man who had been prominent in Korea before the concept of a Hunter had even appeared.

Jang Hyo-Jin.

However, if there was one mistake this perfect man had made, if there was one secret that he would want to hide, it was him.

Baldur.

Then, as the Hunters appeared and Jang Hyo-Jin rose to an even higher position, Baldur had become a secret that the Association President had to hide even more.

However…

'I gained strength.'

Oh Hyeong-Seok had obtained strength.

Because he was someone who had gained power, enough to be noticed even among the rampant Hunters, Jang Hyo-Jin allowed him to live, not killing him to hide his shame.

‘If you want to be acknowledged, then try and convince me you’re worth it.’

Odin had accepted him into the Association and into Asgard, keeping him by his side.

But, Baldur knew that it was for surveillance, not because he was favored in any way.

Nonetheless, he worked tirelessly to gain recognition.

However.

“Do you really mean…”

In the end, Baldur had decided on his first question.

“Are you really just acknowledging me like this?”

All of his efforts seemed to have gone to waste.

It was like everything about him had come from the climb he had so arduously completed.

But, he didn’t want it.

Not like this.

“I didn’t want to gain your acknowledgment this way.”

Odin just looked back quietly at Baldur’s watery gaze.

“I understand your sorrow and hardship.”

It was a warm phrase that seemed impossible to hear and made Baldur's eyes widen.

“Moreover, I want to designate you as my successor.”

“...!”

Oh Hyeong-Seok’s eyes seemed as though they couldn’t grow any wider, almost as if they were about to tear at the seams.

Successor.

Yes, he had wanted his father’s recognition, but it hadn’t been to that extent.

‘But I heard that Odin had already decided on a successor…’

To think he would say that so suddenly.

Baldur found himself in a situation where he didn’t know how to react to the confusing response from Odin anymore.

“But, for that, I have something to ask of you.”

The eyes of Jang Hyo-Jin and Oh Hyeong-Seok, Odin and Baldur, met suddenly.

“Would you become the ruler for me?”

“...?”

Oh Hyeong-Seok lowered his head for a moment, unable to decipher what was going on.

Smirk.

The moment Oh Hyeong-Seok couldn’t see him, Odin’s lips curled and his eyes lit up, as bright as they were cold.

“Will you?” Odin asked.

“Can I have some time to…”

“No,” Odin firmly responded to Oh Hyeong-Seok’s question.

“Would you be able to give me an answer here? I have a need for you. I need your sacrifice.”

Odin stood up and approached Baldur.

“…!”

His hand wrapped around Baldur’s shoulder.

It was a warm touch that he had never felt before, a warmth that he had never felt as the bastard child.

Drip.

Baldur wept involuntarily.

At this moment, he truly felt that he had been recognized.

“Will you be the ruler for me?”

Odin's voice.

“My son.”

It sounded as sweet as candy.

***

As they walked toward Gyeonggi-do, they could feel a veil that was formed by the mana surrounding the province as well, just like the one that divided the North Korea they had come from with South Korea.

Gyeonggi-Do and Seoul were also becoming separated in the same way.

The cataclysm.

“...”

“...”

Everyone was thinking about what Lee Jun-Kyeong had said repeatedly.

What he had warned them about countless times had come without notice, and it had come when everyone was scattered, but when they had gathered together.

“...”

The expressions of the White Tiger Clan were heavy.

They had never been apart in Heaven Lake Village. Now they were separated and isolated from their fellow members in Incheon, where dozens of them had gone to meet Lee Jun-Kyeong.

Moreover, there were also their family members, who had remained at home in Gyeonggi-Do.

Although there were still members of the White Tiger Clan still there, and Ungnyeo had also raised a barrier as well, and thus they knew it would still be safe, the insides of the White Tiger Clan still seemed to be burning.

“...”

They continued walking.

They were hiding their mana with Ungnyeo’s ability, so they didn’t even ride cars to avoid attracting any attention.

They walked and walked.

Eventually, in the distance, they could see the veil dividing Gyeonggi-Do from the rest of the world.

“It’s the veil.”

Even if they were walking, it wasn’t that far of a distance to them. Since everyone was able to move quickly because they were all Hunters, they had quickly arrived at the veil in Gyeonggi-Do.

However.

“There are Hunters over there,” said Won-Hwa, who had followed Lee Jun-Kyeong from China, as he pointed at some people in front of them.

Blocking the way, there were Hunters guarding the border between Gyeonggi-Do and Seoul.

“If we pass that guard station, we won’t be able to come back whenever we want,” Won-Hwa said in a heavy voice.

Seoul was still safe.

However, considering that Gyeonggi-Do had a veil enveloping it, it wouldn’t be a safe place at all.

As they would no longer be able to return to the safe area without restriction if they crossed that border, Won-Hwa tried to give them another chance.

“For those of you who still would like to say, even now, please don’t hesitate to stay,” he said.

However, all he received in response was a never-ending nagging.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Even if it’s not my family there, it’s my friend’s family!”

“Are you trying to tell me to leave Soon from next door to be there on his own?”

“Watch what you say!”

Moreover, even Fenrir and Hyeon-Mu had something to say.

“We have to find Jookyung’s house.”

“We must protect the Master's belongings.”

Won-Hwa was astonished by their response.

“I guess they’ve made their decision,” Ungnyeo said to Won-Hwa with a smile on her face.

Smirk.

Although Won-Hwa only heard nags and scolding coming his way, he was smiling brightly as well.

‘I’m so fortunate to have met them.'

Those who were faithful.

Those who knew the importance of their companions.

Those who would take risks to protect and save someone.

Being with them was something to be proud of.

“Then let’s break through,” Won-Hwa said, quickly stretching out his hand.

A thin, shining needle flew toward the Hunters in front of them, barely visible in the light.

Thud.

They collapsed on the spot helplessly.

It really was a truly amazing technique.

Won-Hwa had also grown.

Perhaps because they had judged that there wouldn’t be any people that would cross the veil so easily, the number of Hunters guarding it was small, allowing them to easily approach the front of the veil.

“Let’s go.”

Won-Hwa was the first to move.

When he put his hand on the still-weak veil, it rippled, disappearing like an afterimage spreading across the surface of the water.

Won-Hwa stepped forward.

“Let’s go find our home!”

“We’re right behind you!”

The White Tiger Clan and the others all crossed the veil.

After crossing the veil, everyone turned around and looked back at Seoul.

The veil had become much sturdier after crossing inside, and it seemed that it would be difficult for them to cross back over without something like the Bifrost to help them.

However, their expressions after making such an irreversible choice weren’t too bad.

But then.

“...T…that’s impossible…”

“Huh…?”

"What is that?!"

They only had to see the changes in the Seoul that they were looking at for that to change, though.

“A veil is drawn over…!”

It was a veil, thicker and stronger than the one that had enveloped Gyeonggi-Do.

A golden veil was hanging over Seoul, the Seoul they had just left.

1. Earlier in the book, Immortality was listed as an authority, but at this moment, it’s being referred to as a power/skill earned through an item, so we will be listing it as a power until further clarification is made. 👈