Chapter 237. To Advance Pt. 4

Thud.

The sound of the footsteps of the giants and the strongest humans that had gathered in Gyeonggi-do rang unnaturally through the air, but the impact of the steps in his mind was clear.

THUD!

"So here they come…" Jeong In-Chang said.

Although he wasn't sure what Lee Jun-Kyeong could have wanted, it seemed as though the Hunter must have been waiting for them.

"The people you have been waiting for have arrived, Mr. Lee."

Glup.

The sound of approaching footsteps got closer. Whether it was Lee Jun-Kyeong and those who stood by him or the bystanders who were just watching from the side, they all swallowed nervously from the tension.

For most of them, the mission to kill Lee Jun-Kyeong had appeared before them. Even the select few who hadn't been qualified for a mission of this degree had still heard of its details through the spreading rumors.

As the situation progressed, eventually, the strongest people on the planet found themselves gathered in one place once again.

"Shouldn’t we run away?”

“What if a fight breaks out…”

It was a situation where no one could tell when a bomb might explode.

Despite that, not a single person left.

By now, if one were a Hunter, they would have figured it out. In order to overcome the current situation and the cataclysm, and in order for the humans to lead the rise of civilization again, they had to see what would happen here.

They needed to see if there would be a fight or not. If it really did happen, then they needed to find out who would win.

Lee Jun-Kyeong, his Familiars, and the Hunters who stood by him on one side, and the strongest humans who had dominated this era were on the other.

Gulp.

As the footsteps grew closer and closer, the tension in the air grew more and more.

Finally, they arrived.

“You’re here.”

The Hunters, numbering well into the dozens, walked toward Lee Jun-Kyeong in slight disarray.

Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at their faces.

‘Zeus, Athena, Heracles, Odysseus…’

The Hunters at the very front were those with whom Lee Jun-Kyeong could be said to have fostered a deep bond by now.

Behind them were the other Heroes of Olympus, and even further back, standing alongside the American Hunters, were what was left of Britain.

'Merlin, Arthur… Gawain.'

The figures of the Round Table had all gathered together.

Then, finally, Lee Jun-Kyeong saw him.

“…”

The leader of the Nile, Horus, and the forces of Egypt came into view.

The expressions of the Heroes were all different.

Heracles had a relaxed expression, as if he wasn't nervous in any way, while Odysseus was stiff, as if he had been overwhelmed with tension.

On the other hand, Zeus looked dissatisfied, while Arthur had a mischievous look on his face.

Thud.

All of them were standing in front of Lee Jun-Kyeong.

Lee Jun-Kyeong, who sat in his seat like a sitting duck, looked up once again at the crowd before him.

Each gaze from the Heroes before him stung with mana, all focused on him.

"..."

Even in the midst of the chilling silence, each one spoke volumes with their eyes.

Lee Jun-Kyeong was sure of it.

'So all of them, then…'

While he couldn't be sure that everyone on the planet had received the mission, he could be sure that, at the very least, the Hunters before him had all received it.

He could feel their tension, their confusion, and even the simmering greed.

There was no way that these Hunters didn’t understand how important a sponsored item could be at a time like this. This was evidenced by the greed sparkling in their eyes.

Although not everyone had that, the fact that there were still some whose eyes lit up in that manner was more than enough to leave its impact. Many of the greed-filled gazes were from those who belonged to the secret organization of Egypt, the Nile.

“The mission, it…” Merlin stepped forward from the crowd and began to speak. “It appeared before us.”

She looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong with a complicated gaze. He could see it from the way that her eyes flickered into the empty space before her. Even at this moment, she was probably looking at the mission.

However, a sudden chuckle broke the awkward air as Merlin laughed, with Arthur soon following. The witch waved her hand, dismissing the mission window.

“We already expected something like this to happen,” she said.

Then, smirking, she moved over to Lee Jun-Kyeong’s side as Arthur, Gawain, and the other survivors of the Round Table soon followed. Standing next to the Hunter, Merlin spoke in a soft voice—so quiet that only Lee Jun-Kyeong and the other Apex Hunters could barely hear her.

“In times like these, sponsored items are a great temptation,” she said. “Because there has never been a mission before that guaranteed a sponsored item, so people could view this mission as essentially a promise that one could become the owner of an unprecedented item.”

After she spoke, she looked around at the surroundings. What she was speaking about was simple.

‘Divine Armament.’[1]is mana.

Ripple.[2]

However, as he had promised, Lee Jun-Kyeong stretched out his hand to stop him.

Whatever Horus chose, he would keep his word. He could handle it alone if he had to fight the Hunter.

However, Horus’ subsequent actions were completely different from everyone's expectations. He didn’t raise his sword and stab Lee Jun-Kyeong, nor did he extend a hand with an expression of understanding.

Clench!

Instead, he hugged Lee Jun-Kyeong fiercely.

In the bewildering situation, Lee Jun-Kyeong asked Horus a question, “Are you abandoning your Lord?”

Horus’ faith was deep. Even if Horus wasn’t to point the tip of his sword at him today, Lee Jun-Kyeong had assumed that they would have at least had quite a bit to discuss.

Yet his reaction was contradictory.

“No.”

He could feel the deep voice of Horus reverberate from within his embrace. Before Lee Jun-Kyeong knew it, Horus had let him go and was now holding his shoulder while speaking with a grin.

“The Lord exists in many ways,” he said, his voice becoming more and more confident.

“Did the mission not show up before you?” Lee Jun-Kyeong asked him out of curiosity.

Horus worshiped his Sponsor, The Desert’s Sun, as a god. Its true name was Ra, and it was the only Sponsor whom the Sky of the Apocalypse had allowed Lee Jun-Kyeong to have a Multiple Sponsorship, albeit for only a short time.

‘Is that why the mission hadn’t appeared? Like Jeong In-Chang?’

However, the answer he received in return was completely unexpected.

“The Lord…” Horus said, his voice full of unexpected emotion. “The Lord directed me to protect you.”

***

Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn’t believed everything that Saeynkaed had said, as he assumed that even if the dragon had completely surrendered, there was no way that all of the information that she had was correct.

That wasn’t to say that he thought that she was lying. He simply felt as though there was a chance that there might have been more behind what she knew that she wasn’t privy to.

There was this as well.

‘Saeynkaed was wrong about this.’

Through this incident, Lee Jun-Kyeong was able to change some of his doubts into a source of confidence. There really were special Sponsors—an idea that he had formed as he looked toward his own Sponsor, the Sky of the Apocalypse.

“Although there are exceedingly few Sponsors that are on the side of the humans, they still, in fact, do exist.”

He wasn’t sure if they were actually on the side of humanity or just on the side of their own incarnations.

Moreover, if neither was the root of their motivation, then they could just be entities that oppose the other Sponsors.

The root of it all was that he did understand it properly and that they really were helping them. There was something else as well.

‘They’re all Sponsors related to the Sky of the Apocalypse.’

Lee Jun-Kyeong turned against the Sponsors, so many of them were trying to have him killed for leaking unfavorable information about them to the others.

However, unlike those Sponsors who had wanted him dead, the Sponsors in question hadn’t given out the mission to kill him. Rather, they had actually given out a mission to protect him instead.

Thus, he was sure that they were on the side of humans and that not all of the Sponsors were enemies.

Lee Jun-Kyeong scanned the audience.

Now, everything was ready.

The powers within Egypt and the Middle East would all be handled by Horus. If any of them were to still cause issues, then Horus would handle it with prejudice, as he was never a kind King in the first place.

“We will advance soon,” Lee Jun-Kyeong declared.

As he spoke, he also gave an order in his mind.

‘Come back quickly.’

–Understood, Jun-Kyeong.

Fenrir responded telepathically.

1. p until now, the English word ‘item’ was used to refer to items. Now, it uses 神器, or lit. Divine Instrument. This is a more obscure Korean word that refers to items that symbolize Gods, like Sun Wukong’s Staff or Thor’s Mjolnir.[/ref]

Whichever King from the secret organizations ended up successfully completing the mission could end up obtaining a divine armament that was no different from being the hallmark of their Sponsors.

Moreover, getting something of that power in the midst of the final cataclysm was an opportunity too good to pass up.

“It’s a temptation that no human being could ever resist. A chance for one to really become the protagonist.”

It was just as Merlin said.

At this moment, on the precipice of their advance, there wasn’t a single one of them who was fool enough not to realize that they all had to join forces to face their coming foes.

However, the only person specified in this mission was him.

If, by chance, they were able to kill Lee Jun-Kyeong, then they would be able to obtain a divine armament.

“Who knows? This really might be their chance to become the protagonist of whatever is about to unfold.”

In being human, they were all still subject to the fatal flaw of mankind: to live in the thrall of desire and to die in the grasp of greed. Any of them could believe that if they could just obtain a divine armament, they would be able to defeat the Demon King and re-establish order in the world.

At this point, no matter who asked, the protagonist of this fallen world was Lee Jun-Kyeong.

But, if they could muster their courage and take that final step, it could become an opportunity beyond imagination for them.

“You can think of it as an opportunity to become the master of the world,” Merlin said, ending her musing.

Her goal was simple.

‘She’s forcing them to make a move.’

She was stimulating the Hunters before them, saying aloud what everyone was thinking in their head and provoking the powerful among them to act.

The reason behind her provocation was clear.

‘Those who need to be culled should be culled right now.’

She looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong, her eyes clearly expressing her thoughts.

Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded slightly.

He had realized this, too.

“I think that’s true as well.”

That was why he had sat here and waited for them, the noisy Hunters that had gathered before him, who were only now facing the reality of their deepest thoughts and desires from the blunt ridicule that came from the mouths of others.

“Hmpf. You really are just speaking out of your–” Zeus said as he moved forward.

He, Heracles, and Odysseus moved over to stand next to Lee Jun-Kyeong. Of course, Athena soon followed and joined ranks with her guild members with an expressionless face.

Half of those that had gathered were now facing Lee Jun-Kyeong, while the other half stood by his side.

However, even though the numbers may have been equal, the balance of power was firmly within Lee Jun-Kyeong’s grasp.

Rustle.

Lee Jun-Kyeong finally stood up, bowing his head in gratitude towards those who stood by him. Then, he looked at those who stood in opposition to him.

Several Heroes flinched at his intense gaze.

Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at them. Horus still stood before him.

“If there is to be a fight where I’m the target…” he said. “Those behind me won’t get involved.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong’s words oozed pure arrogance and conceit, but none of those to whom his words were directed felt as though it was out of place.

Zeus, Merlin, and Jeong In-Chang nodded, respecting his wishes.

“This is the last time. This will be the only place where you’ll be able to challenge me and face me one-on-one. Wait, no, if you want to challenge me, you can all come together, too,” he said in a calm tone.

Still, even though his voice was calm, each of his words pierced everyone’s ears.

“However, let me be clear…” Suddenly, Lee Jun-Kyeong’s voice changed. “This is your only chance to face me.”

His tone may have been polite, but the waves of mana that rushed forth from him were a stark contrast.

WHOOSH!

It was an inferno-like mana that felt as though it would rampage through everything and burn it all to ashes. Lee Jun-Kyeong had revealed his intentions. Now, it was their turn.

Thud.

As soon as he had finished speaking, Lee Jun-Kyeong took a step forward. He had been waiting all this time for one last person, wanting to see how he would react.

“Horus…”

This was the man who called him brother, and a man who served his Sponsor through faith. Moreover, Horus was an important figure in the battles that were to take place from this point on, the King of Egypt and the Middle East.

‘It might become difficult without him.’

Horus was also walking toward Lee Jun-Kyeong. His eyes, visible through the bandages, were hardened, but his gait was that of a noble King.

Steps filled with vigor continued to approach Lee Jun-Kyeong. Then, Horus stopped before him. Lee Jun-Kyeong wondered what Horus was thinking.

‘What choice could he have made?’

It was hard to read his frozen face, which was made even more difficult as the Hunter was covered in bandages.

Watching the unexpected situation, Jeong In-Chang subconsciously began to r ☜

2. This is a sound effect used frequently in mangas/webtoons like Dragon Ball Z, where one is so strong that a slight move causes the air to shake. ☜