Chapter 24: Battle of the Rhine River Pt. 4

Lee Jun-Kyeong scratched his head while the notifications poured in.

[Your level has risen.]

[Rewards will be given according to your contribution.]

[You have acquired the Water Gem.]

[You have completed the ‘One Who Slayed the Water Golem’ achievement.]

[Your stats have increased slightly.]

[ smiles upon you.]

Then…

[Other Sponsors have expressed interest in you.]

[ expresses its displeasure.]

[The other Sponsors have withdrawn their interest.]

He had missed out on another multi-sponsorship opportunity. Not only the Twelve Heroes but most of the other Hunters that had become famous later had also received multiple sponsorships from multiple Sponsors simultaneously. Even with the same level of attention and achievements, these Hunters would receive the same support from several Sponsors at the same time. It meant their efficiency skyrocketed, leading to an incomparable growth rate.

'Damn.'

Right as he had felt joy from defeating the water golem, Lee Jun-Kyeong expressed his dissatisfaction towards , who had once again barred him from the opportunity of multiple sponsorships. It would have been a different story if he had been given proper skills or even items.

But this was a Sponsor who, after tossing over a useless Familiar Summons and a somewhat usable Authority, had done absolutely nothing to properly support him till now. To think it would go as far as to block the opportunities of the other Sponsors.

‘Thank my lucky stars that the Player's ability is so good.’

The most significant merit of having as a sponsor was the Player ability. If it wasn’t for that, he couldn’t even have imagined how much he would resent this useless Sponsor.

Of course…

‘The Demon King didn’t receive multiple sponsorships even till the end.’

Even the book confirmed.

‘The more I think about it, the more impressive it gets. To think he could get that strong without even receiving multiple sponsorships.’

He had thought it was an intentional choice, but now he believed that it was forced.

‘They did say that there was a penalty to having multiple Sponsors.’

Although there wasn’t exact information or a direct mention of it, it was said that there were as many penalties and problems as there were benefits and advantages to having multiple Sponsors.

'Most likely… it should be a mission.'

Therefore, he wasn’t too regretful at losing the opportunity for multi-sponsorship.

“That’s insane… that’s almost Hero-level…”

“Isn’t he an A-Rank?”

“We can make it through this! I’m telling you, we can!”

“We just have to follow and trust the Super Rookie!”

He returned to his senses and saw the Hunters cheering for him. It was to be expected. He was the one who had faced and defeated the mighty water golem. It was no different than single-handedly saving their lives. In the midst of their attention, Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at Choi Yeong Seong.

***

The guild master cursed, "Damn it."

It was impossible. He wondered if there was anyone else who could say that they had worked as hard or had given as much effort as he did. Leading the up-and-coming Northern Army Army Guild required blood, sweat, and tears. He had raised his rank by breaking through the ‘A-Rank Wall’ that most Hunters couldn’t even touch.

“What in the hell did he do to become that strong in that short time?” he snarled quietly.

He had just seen something that was utterly unexplainable through common sense. He had known that Lee Jun-Kyeong was getting stronger, but he had thought it had just been child’s play. He should have only barely made it to B-Rank by now.

But, what he had just seen was a growth rate that didn’t make sense.

‘It’s nearing A-Rank.’

"Lee Jun-Kyeong…" said Jeong In-Chang in disbelief after appearing near the guild master’s side. The Northern Army Guild had begun to get agitated. It wasn’t as if they had done anything wrong. It was only that this was completely out of the ordinary.

‘Is this some sort of miracle?’

He heard nothing else but the uproar.

“Guild Master.”

In the end, Jeong In-Chang, who had quietly been monitoring Lee Jun-Kyeong, opened his mouth and said with a firm expression as if he had made a decision, “It may be late, but we must move now at the very least.”

“What?” Choi-Yeong-Seong asked irritably.

Jeong In-Chang continued, “We can’t just sit around like this anymore. Regardless of what you have planned… was that in your plans too?”

No, no, it wasn’t. However, Choi Yeong-Seong couldn’t answer due to his pride.

“If the plan has gone wrong, then we should set a new course of action and set out. And…”

Choi Yeong-Seong remembered the first time he had met him when he met Jeong In-Chang’s steely, steadfast gaze. It was the same gaze from when he was young, the eyes of the kid who had saved Choi Yong-Su, his younger brother, who had been bullied at the playground. It had been an unforgettable first meeting.

“Please let it go,” Jeong In-Chang suddenly said.

Clench.

Choi Yeong-Seong didn’t ask what he was supposed to give up.

‘He must be telling me to give up on Lee Jun-Kyeong.’

He may not have told Jeong In-Chang the plans, but apparently, he had found out anyway. The fact that he had made plans to kill Lee Jun-Kyeong inside this gate. He thought for a moment and made his decision.

“What the hell are you saying?”

There was nowhere else to retreat anymore, nor did he have any reason to. Although he had really been impressed by the strength Lee Jun-Kyeong had shown, he refused to back down.

“Do you think I’ll lose?” he continued aggressively.

“...”

“It’s me. The one who raised the Northern Army Guild, someone who is becoming a world-class Hunter. Do you really think I would lose?”

A strange madness flashed in Choi Yeong-Seong’s eyes as Jeong In-Chang bit his lip. “As you said, I guess we have to move now. However…”

After pushing Jeong In-Chang aside, Choi Yeong-Seong pulled out his sword, which hadn’t left his sheath until now. It was a jewel-like sword that had been given to him to ‘Take over the Rhine River Gate and grow even further’.

“Northern Army Guild,” Choi Yeong-Seong whispered softly to his guild members. "From now on, we will attack the gate with all our power."

"Yes, sir."

The Northern Army Guild Members who had been waiting until now were not the low-ranking members that had been brought in to be disposable. Instead, they were the elite of the elites that Choi Yeong-Seong had put his heart and soul into.

These members pulled out their weapons and started marching toward the bank. It was as if the lower-ranked members had been abandoned to become a part of the other Hunters and Lee Jun-Kyeong as they were not even being given a spot in the formation of the Northern Army Guild.

Choi Yeong-Seong stood before the mobilized troops next to Choi Yong-Su and looked back. Jeong In-Chang was still looking at him, not having moved from his position. Regardless of whether or not he had heard him, Choi Yeong-Seong continued in an ambiguous voice, “A King’s pride never falters.”

That was Choi Yeong-Seong’s resolve. Jeong In-Chang began to move, but he wasn’t going toward his spot behind Choi Yeong-Seong. No, it was to the side of someone far ahead, a person who had gained the blind trust of the other Hunters who had entered the gate alongside them. To Lee Jun-Kyeong.

Grit.

An eerie sound came from within Choi Yeong-Seong’s mouth, the sound of teeth hitting teeth.

"That bastard…"

Choi Yong-Su began to move towards Jeong In-Chang. It was a betrayal, plain and simple. However…

“Stop.” Unexpectedly, Choi Yeong-Seong stopped him.

“Hyung!” shouted Choi Yong-Su, in a bewildered voice.

But Choi Yeong-Seong, whose eyes had become more frosty and venomous, responded, “Not now.”

Choi Yeong-Seong was also just as upset as his brother. To think that his faithful and trusted dog would turn around and bite its owner was unacceptable to him. However…

“It looks like he found a place to die on his own.”

Choi Yeong-Seong had no intention of forgiving him in the first place.

***

The sixth wave had begun, with the monsters becoming stronger and more varied. Another variability had also occurred.

"Ahhhh!"

"Kill them!"

"Let's show the strength of the Northern Army!"

"Northern Army! Northern Army!"

Due to the Northern Army Guild finally beginning to act with full force, the formation of Hunters, which had clearly been pushed back before the fifth round, had changed. While they weren’t overwhelming the enemy, they weren’t being pushed back any further. The balance that had been falling apart was restored.

Nevertheless, the star was still Lee Jun-Kyeong, instead of the Northern Army Guild.

"As expected from the Super Rookie!"

“Over here too! Help us!”

As if ridiculing them, Lee Jun-Kyeong moved even faster, aiding those around him. But while the Northern Army Guild was biting their lips at his appearance, Lee Jun-Kyeong had a different motive for working so hard.

‘I can’t let them steal my experience.’

He wasn’t bothered by the actions of the Northern Army Guild. He just didn’t want to lose any of the experience. For Hunters sponsored by the Sponsors, no matter how hard they hunted monsters, at the bottom of it all, it was just a pathetic gesture of asking for more support. But, it was different for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

Crash!

A merman warrior was hit in the chest by a round shield and fell to the floor, bleeding and unresponsive as if he had died instantly.

[Your level has risen.]

Unlike ordinary Hunters, whose hunts were pathetic begging gestures, every hunt he went on was fuel and experience that would make him stronger. He wouldn’t lose out on this opportunity here. With that in mind, he increased his speed even further. Furthermore, something else had changed with the onset of the sixth wave.

“Behind you!” said a voice. Without looking, Lee Jun-Kyeong twirled his spear around and thrust deeply.

“

Kek

…”

Another merman warrior died, and the person who had shouted at Lee Jun-Kyeong came to his side.

“It looks like the eyes in the back of your head need a little work,” Jeong In-Chang remarked with a bitter smile. He had wholly left the Northern Army Guild's formation and joined Lee Jun-Kyeong on the battlefield. However…

“There’s no such thing as having eyes in the back of your head in the first place.”

…Lee Jun-Kyeong was still cold to him.

‘It's not there yet.’

While Jeong In-Chang had betrayed the Northern Army Guild and joined him, it was just the first step. He was still a long way from breaking the egg. He hadn’t truly betrayed the Northern Army Guild just yet. He had only moved due to his sense of justice, which could no longer stand by as the Hunters died.

‘All of his affection towards the Northern Army, Choi Yeong-Seong, and Choi Yong-Su is still there.’

Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn’t trust him easily. Work needed to be done in order to honestly believe in him, awaken his power, and accept him as a companion.

‘It’s not there yet.’

Lee Jun-Kyeong was determined to push him until he was sure that he could trust him.

"…"

The lonely smile hanging on Jeong In-Chang’s lips grew even more despondent. He had interpreted Lee Jun-Kyeong’s thoughts differently.

‘You've been disappointed with me.’

Jeong In-Chang had evaluated Lee Jun-Kyeong as a person with a strong sense of justice, someone who would put people first. He had similar ideals that Jeong In-Chang himself held. Seeing him pushing his body beyond his limits just to save the Hunters gave Jeong In-Chang much to think about.

Then…

Swish.

Without even a word of gratitude, Lee Jun-Kyeong threw himself at the next merman, and Jeong In-Chang made a decision.

For Lee Jun-Kyeong, whom he had disappointed, he would silently pull out his sword and focus on saving the Hunters.

“I’ll do whatever I can.”

Clang!

“Thank you!”He would show Lee Jun-Kyeong the strength of his determination, no, the strength of his conviction and desire for justice.

And so, another hero was found hiding within this gate.

***

The seventh wave.

The eighth wave.

And finally…

[The ninth wave will begin soon.]

The end was coming. It was the last wave before the boss would appear. Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around. The sand on the riverbank had already lost its original color, dyed by the blood of mermen, the countless monsters, and finally…

"Damn it… Wake up!"

"Kyung-Soo! please... open your eyes..."

"Does anyone have any potions left? I’m begging you! If we survive this gate, I’ll definitely pay you back!"

"Please… a healer! Any healer!"

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

…the blood of the Hunters. Even with Lee Jun-Kyeong and the increased mana density from the interest of the Sponsors, there were still limits. A gate they thought would be a B-Grade suddenly turned into an A-Grade, and the A-Grade gate was as difficult as rumors said.

“This is hell…”

Everyone was exhausted. The duration of the waves had increased as the waves repeated. Lee Jun-Kyeong and the hundred and eleven, no, now they barely made up fifty, Hunters had already spent nearly a week within the gate. Everyone was becoming exhausted, and Lee Jun-Kyeong was no exception.

‘I’m tired.’

He had thought that he had nurtured his stamina by raiding the numerous dungeons without sleeping. However, even he was beginning to succumb to his limits. Even though he still had some energy, the problem was that his mental strength couldn’t keep up with his physical strength just yet.

‘There are still two waves left.’

The ninth wave, and after that, the tenth wave would appear, which was the boss battle. Lee Jun-Kyeong’s eyes shifted.

‘Choi Yeong-Seong…’

The guild master and the Northern Army Guild were also exhausted, but they were in a much better state than himself. Furthermore, they still hadn’t exposed their fangs yet.

‘They’ll begin to move soon.’

They would definitely come after him soon. The Gunther that Lee Jun-Kyeong knew, the Hero Gunther, the War King and cruel slayer was not to let things go.

‘He would never let anyone who hurt his pride walk away.’

Of course, the same went for the person who had wounded the War King’s pride even more severely than Lee Jun-Kyeong did.

“Are you okay?” Jeong In-Chang asked.

“I’m fine.”

It was the same for the person who had been fighting alongside him in the repeated waves.

Jeong In-Chang.

‘Hurry. Expose your fangs.’

'Gunther.'

1. A euphemism for breaking off all ties, you can’t reverse breaking an egg.

2. This refers to the term crouching tiger, hidden dragon, or a place full of hidden masters(Heroes). As with all things, hidden, eventually, they will be found.