Chapter 162: Konichiwaaaah! (2)

Trending Now: Korean Hunters filling Tokyo Airport with their cheers!

⤷ Konnichiwaaah!

⤷ Ohgenkki desu kaaaah!

⤷ He really is wild.

⤷ I mean, we knew that already.

⤷ Did you see that? Seh-Eun and Ji-Yeon looked mortified.

⤷ FYI, the broadcasting stations were live because foreign Hunters were visiting.

⤷ Our very own Crazy Bastard landed in Japan.

⤷ Did we ever have someone like this in Korea?

⤷ I've never seen this man in my life.

⤷ Isn't he Chinese?

⤷ It's Kim Ki-Rok.

⤷ The joke...

⤷ This guy's head.

Japanese broadcasting stations weren't the only ones covering the event. Korean broadcasters had also dispatched reporters to capture the surreal sight of Korean Hunters being cheered on by a Japanese crowd, a moment bound to stir national pride.

Han Hae of the DG Guild, unable to join the Gate raid due to his low level, stared blankly at the TV and muttered, "Whoa..."

—Konnichiwaaaah!

—Uwaaaa!

After a few moments of stunned silence, the Japanese crowd finally erupted.

—Ogenki desukaaah!

—Waaaaa!

The Japanese cheered in response to Kim Ki-Rok's relentless shouts.

—A-As expected,

khhm,

from t-the DG Guild's Kim...

Ahem!

The middle-aged male announcer bit his lower lip, barely holding back a blooper. He was part of a morning broadcast with a calm atmosphere rather than a hard news program. The female announcer next to him seemed to have already given up. Despite the obvious slip-up, her head was bowed and her shoulders shook. It was hard to say whether she'd managed to avoid a broadcast accident or not.

DG Guild's Hunter Han Hae snapped out of his blank stare and took a look around the restaurant. "Woah..."

Some other customers were admiring Kim Ki-Rok as he made his nickname known even overseas.

"Ugh, it's so embarrassing..." one of the other guild members said.

"I guarantee, nine out of ten people will definitely scream 'Konichiwaaaah' and 'Ogenkidesukaaaah' when they see the DG Guild emblem," responded an employee who worked at their headquarters.

That got a mix of groans and laughter. Some guild members sighed or covered their faces, while others burst out laughing.

"I can already hear my kids screaming that when I get home from work," the regular employee muttered quietly.

Both the staff and Hunters of the DG Guild froze mid-laughter as the room abruptly fell silent.

***

The Japanese government and Korean Hunters rode together in the same vehicle from the Japan Hunters Association.

"I'm so embarrassed. What did I do to deserve this? What did I do?" said a Korean Hunter.

"The news seems to have spread worldwide since it's related to an S-Class Gate."

"What are you talking about? The Konichiwaaaah?"

The female Hunter bowed her head, clearly trying not to laugh. Around her, both the Japanese and Korean Hunters were barely holding it together.

"W-What about the DG Guild?" asked Ji Seok-Hyun, Guildmaster of the Phoenix Guild and head of the Korean team for this Gate clear.

"Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok told us to leave first because he has to hold a fan meeting for Ji-Hee's fans who came to the airport," one of his guild members replied.

"Okay. Then let's go."

Kim Ki-Rok had given them a way out. It was only right and polite to take it. Ji Seok-Hyun asked the Association-affiliated Hunter and the interpreter next to him to start the bus. As the vehicle pulled away from the airport, he began to laugh loudly.

Surprisingly, the DG Guild and the Japanese Hunters Association's remaining Hunters at the airport seemed to get along well. Laughter filled the airport during Kim Ji-Hee's fan meeting, which went smoothly thanks to the combined efforts of the airport staff, the Association, and the DG Guild members.

"G-Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok, please say a few more words!" one reporter asked eagerly.

"Hmm. Should I speak in my language, or yours?"

"Ours, please."

"We will clear the Gate without any injuries. We have prepared thoroughly for this clear, so please wait patiently for news of its destruction," Kim Ki-Rok said in fluent Japanese.

The reporter was taken aback. "Huh?"

"Hmm?"

"You can speak Japanese?"

"Yes."

"Then why do you always..."

Kim Ki-Rok just smiled in response. The other Korean reporter standing nearby nearly burst out laughing.

***

Upon arriving at the Japanese Hunters Association in Tokyo, Kim Ki-Rok got off the bus and immediately struck a pose as the gathered reporters raised their cameras. Having already heard the rumors about this strange man, the Japanese reporters began taking pictures like it was routine.

"As expected from Mr. Kim Ki-Rok, the attention seeker," Yoo Seh-Eun said as she got off after him. She then shook her head and quickly fled the scene.

"Unnie, your face is all red," Kim Ji-Hee pointed out.

"

Ahhrgh,

" the flustered Lee Ji-Yeon mumbled.

She swiftly picked up Kim Ji-Hee and dashed off using her mana.

"Oh?"

"Hmm?"

Nam Dong-Wook and Kang Seh-Hyuk reacted differently. Wanting more attention, the two quietly moved behind Kim Ki-Rok and copied his pose.

The Hunters split into two groups: those who ran away in embarrassment, and the attention-seekers who gathered behind Kim Ki-Rok, forming a large triangle with him at the apex.

"Everyone, pose number 13 from the Attention Seeker's Manual!"

At Kim Ki-Rok's call, the Hunters behind him struck the same pose in perfect unison, and a flurry of camera flashes followed.

"Number 17!"

More camera flashes.

The Hunters were so synchronized that if music had started, bystanders might have mistaken them for line dancers.

"Now, let's bow."

The Hunters all bowed together and followed Kim Ki-Rok into the Hunters Association. The reporters captured the entire scene.

"Oh my."

Upon entering the Association building, Kim Ki-Rok spotted someone waiting in the lobby and greeted him in Japanese. "Long time no see, Association President Kikumoto."

"Ah, yes. It's been a while, Hunter Kim Ki-Rok." Kikumoto Mazuya, president of the Japanese Hunters Association, glanced at the reporters outside and greeted Kim Ki-Rok with a forced smile.

"Should we go to the conference room? Or should I go and rest at the hotel?" Kim Ki-Rok asked.

"A few foreign Hunter teams haven't arrived yet. It looks like we'll hold the clear meeting in a week. However..."

"I'll need to visit the Hunters Association every day," Kim Ki-Rok said, quickly grasping the situation.

Discernment was the only way to confirm the clear conditions and rewards that couldn't be determined even with the Appraisal system. Kim Ki-Rok's cooperation, as the sole possessor of the skill, was essential for a quick Gate clear with no casualties.

"I'm sorry," Kikumoto said.

But Kim Ki-Rok accepted it without complaint. "Oh, there's no need to apologize. I'm the only one with Discernment. I was planning to help ensure a quick and safe clear anyway."

"Thank you."

"Does that mean I'll need to start helping from today?"

"You should rest today and visit the Association starting tomorrow."

Although Korea and Japan weren't far apart and they had flown, the travel still tired him out a bit. He would soon have to face a life-threatening Gate clear, so they needed to make sure he got as much rest as possible.

"Understood." Kim Ki-Rok nodded. "Then I'll head to the hotel where the Korean Hunter team is staying."

"Sounds good. There are already many people at the main entrance, so I'll guide you to the underground parking lot."

Kim Ki-Rok thanked him with a nod and walked alongside President Kikumoto. The fifteen DG Guild members assigned to the Gate clear followed behind. Technically, they could all squeeze into one elevator, but Kim Ki-Rok waved it off. For appearance's sake, it was better not to.

"I'll ride separately with the Association President," he announced. "We have... important matters to discuss regarding the Gate clear."

"Gate clear?"

"The provocation."

"Ah. Got it," Yoo Seh-Eun said, making an OK sign with her hands. She realized he meant the aftermath—the provocation that would come

after

the Gate clear, not the operation itself.

The DG Guild members took the first elevator down to the underground parking lot. President Kikumoto sent his aides ahead as well, leaving himself and Kim Ki-Rok waiting alone for the next elevator. The ride from the first floor to the second basement wouldn't last long, but it would be long enough.

President Kikumoto pressed the emergency button and ordered, "Stop elevator number one."

—Understood, sir.

The elevator stopped, creating a perfectly sealed room.

"Now we can talk," Association Kikumoto said in Korean.

"Oh! Your Korean is perfect now."

"South Korea has ownership of the World Tree and the Permanent Gate, after all."

This was a clear demonstration of South Korea's stature.

Kim Ki-Rok chuckled at the president's fluent Korean, then leaned against the wall, his face turning cold and expressionless. "So, what's the situation?"

"First of all, even the Awakened criminals know about the danger of the S-Class Gate. So, as we expected, they won't strike before the Gate clear."

If a foreign Hunter were attacked before attempting to clear an S-Class Gate in their own country, all the foreign Hunters would pack up and leave, and any Hunters preparing to visit would cancel their plans. And if they attacked a Korean Hunter? Japan would be lucky not to be ostracized globally on the spot.

That was the current stature of South Korea, owner of the World Tree and the Permanent Gate.

"That's a relief," Kim Ki-Rok remarked.

"Yes, indeed."

"So, how many countries are not participating in the clear because the Gate is in Japan?" Kim Ki-Rok asked.

The president let out a long sigh, much heavier than when he'd first mentioned the Awakened criminals. "More than you think."

"Because the Gate is in Japan, and the monsters are mechanical?"

"That's right."

Since Japan was surrounded by sea and the monsters in this Gate were mechanical, they couldn't invade beyond the island nation even if there was a Break. The ocean would trap them, and other countries wouldn't have to lift a finger.

"Most of these countries are far from Japan?" Kim Ki-Rok guessed.

"Yes. And then there's China."

"Hmm? China?"

"To be exact, they're dragging out negotiations to increase their compensation for supporting us."

In the past, the world combined efforts to clear A-Class Gates. But that was old news. With the World Tree accelerating Hunter growth, the Permanent Gate providing dangerous monsters for high-level Hunters, and the overall increase in Hunter levels, most Gates could now be handled by the nation where they appeared.

Moreover, higher-class Gates were appearing more frequently. If you helped a neighbor put out a fire while your own house was robbed, you'd have to seriously reconsider your priorities.

Public perception changed. People questioned why their country's high-level Hunters should risk their safety for other countries. As a result, each country's Hunters Association dispatched Hunters only on the basis of mutual aid. Of course, this didn't include the compensation for the dispatched Hunters.

"Back to the main point, have countries with many S-Class Hunters—France, the United States, Germany, Russia, and India—decided to send their teams?" Kim Ki-Rok asked.

"Yes. We've concluded negotiations on the condition that they'll dispatch Hunters if an S-Class Gate appears in their country," President Kikumoto replied.

"But not with China."

"Yes."

"Then let's exclude the Chinese clear team."

President Kikumoto loosened his tie, clearly uncomfortable. "Excuse me? You think it's a good idea to exclude them?"

"Yep," he said, like it was nothing worth thinking twice about.