Chapter 133. The Branch

A day ago, Kim Do-Joon had a serious conversation with Son Chang-Il, who visited his shop.

“So, that’s what happened... An elf’s scheme, huh?” Son Chang-Il murmured thoughtfully, taking in the situation.

Their first topic was the strange incident, where an entire area and its inhabitants were pulled into another dimension through a mysterious Root. Son Chang-Il’s expression turned grave after listening to Kim Do-Joon’s account of the events. He was in deep thought about the unprecedented event.

Although the situation had been resolved, there was no saying it wouldn’t happen again. After all, it wasn’t a natural disaster, but an orchestrated event. Son Chang-Il furrowed his brow in frustration.

“Vulcanus said not to worry. The event was caused by using an empty root, which is incredibly difficult to come by,” Kim Do-Joon said, trying to reassure him. “I suppose that’s a relief...” Son Chang-Il trailed off, clearly still uneasy.

Understandable. It was difficult to obtain but not impossible, and if it had happened once, it could always happen again.

Despite being aware of this, Kim Do-Joon had no clear solution. He just did what he could.

“I’ve asked Vulcanus to notify me if something like this happens again. That way, we’ll know immediately.”

When the Academy was dragged into the Root, Vulcanus sensed the disturbance instantly and sent Sallyon to investigate. So, he would be the first to know.

“

Phew...

That’s a relief,” Son Chang-Il sighed, visibly relieved.

It’d be ideal if they could prevent it fully, but realistically, that was impossible. Thanks to Kim Do-Joon and Vulcanus, they could at least respond swiftly if something did occur.

Maybe I should stop by Hyun-Woo’s place and grab the affinity equipment he’s been working on.

Kim Do-Joon felt that he owed Vulcanus a great deal. The equipment he had been preparing should be enough by now to restore Naiyel’s affinity. He made a mental note to visit Vulcanus’ territory soon.

“How did you come to form such a connection with a being like that? Was it during the last promotion exam?” Son Chang-Il asked, genuinely curious.

Having received reports from Shin Yoo-Sung, Son Chang-Il already knew that Kim Do-Joon had encountered a Fire Spirit during that time. The spirit was named Sallyon, and she had guided Kim Do-Joon somewhere.

“Yes, that’s when we met,” Kim Do-Joon replied.

That was when he had first entered the Flame Lord's domain, where he met Vulcanus and gained the power of the Heart of Flame. It was also the same place where he encountered Nereid, the catalyst for the recent incident.

“Incredible...” Son Chang-Il muttered under his breath.

He didn’t fully understand what a "Lord" was, but he guessed they were among the most powerful beings within the Root. Yet here was Kim Do-Joon, who had befriended one and defeated another. The young man wasn't just the strongest on Earth but likely in the Roots as well.

Not long ago, we were talking about giving him an A-rank but...

Son Chang-Il mused, astonished by Kim Do-Joon’s growth. He wasn’t even a Hunter until recently. For six years, Kim Do-Joon had lived as an F-rank, merely a Potion Crafter.

Maybe...

A wild thought crossed Son Chang-Il’s mind.

Could those six years have been a cover? What if Do-Joon had been secretly growing his power all along, hiding his abilities from the world?

It seemed more plausible than the idea of someone becoming S-rank in under two years.

If that’s true, could Do-Joon rival figures like Rao Cheng or David Carter?

These two names were always mentioned when people debated the strongest Hunters in the world. In fact, whispers on the internet were already suggesting as much. Rumor had it that Kim Do-Joon easily defeated Walter, an S-rank Hunter from the Mercenaries Guild. Everyone had also seen him take down the Blood Lion, who had downed Ko Cheong-Cheon with a single blow, during a live broadcast.

While the former rumor lacked solid evidence, the latter had been witnessed by the entire nation.

Still, he wouldn’t be number one...

However, he didn’t think Rao Cheng nor David Carter held the top spot either.

“What about the old man who came to save you? Who is he, really?” Son Chang-Il finally asked, his voice filled with curiosity.

Son Chang-Il had witnessed Jecheon Seong’s overwhelming presence firsthand. He couldn’t shake the memory of that single, flawless strike that had cleaved the Root in two.

Since that moment, an idea was stuck in his mind: that old man was the strongest in the world. Even if Rao Cheng or David Carter teamed up, they wouldn’t stand a chance against him.

“That man...” Kim Do-Joon paused, feeling a bit tense.

The inevitable question was here.

Should I dodge the truth, or be upfront?

After a moment of thought, Kim Do-Joon decided to tell the truth, leaving out only the part about the labyrinth.

“They’re both people I summoned,” said Kim Do-Joon.

“Both?” Son Chang-Il asked.

“Yes, the old man and Si-Ah, albeit her real name is Siwelin,” Kim Do-Joon replied.

Son Chang-Il froze for a moment. The truth he had just heard was far more shocking than anything he had anticipated. Up until now, his theories about the old man’s identity had been relatively tame—perhaps a recluse living off the grid without official records, or at worst, a fugitive from another country hiding in Korea.

“So, are you saying they’re summoned creatures?” Son Chang-Il asked, still processing the information.

“Something like that. But I can guarantee they’re both human,” Kim Do-Joon replied firmly.

Son Chang-Il rubbed his temples.

So Kim Do-Joon’s ability allowed him to summon humans from another world? Could that be the source of his incredible power?

Thoughts buzzed through his mind, jumping from one wild possibility to another. Then, with a deep breath, he regained his composure. There was only one thing he could do after learning the truth.

“Do you plan to make this public?” Son Chang-Il asked cautiously.

“I’m not really keen on the idea, to be honest...”

Son Chang-Il’s expression grew serious. He placed a hand on Kim Do-Joon’s shoulder and spoke in a low voice.

“Then they’ll need identities.”

Kim Do-Joon blinked, surprised. Creating official identities for summoned beings was unheard of. There were no laws or systems in place for something like that.

“Wait, you mean you’ll create false identities for them?” Kim Do-Joon asked, unsure of what Son Chang-Il was getting at.

“Not false identities, but real ones. We’ll issue proper identification cards. Of course, I’ll make some excuses to the officials, but I will make it official,” Son Chang-Il said confidently.

Kim Do-Joon stared at him in disbelief.

Should the president of the Association be saying this?

However, Son Chang-Il was deadly serious. With Ko Cheong-Cheon gone, South Korea had only two remaining S-rank Hunters—three if Kim Do-Joon was included. Compared to other powerful nations, it was an alarmingly small number.

Now that there was a chance to add two more S-rank individuals to the roster, Son Chang-Il wasn’t about to let it pass.

“I’ll take full responsibility for this,” Son Chang-Il declared, determined.

Any government in the world would’ve reacted the same way. If two powerful individuals without criminal records could be added to their ranks, forging identities would be a small price to pay.

Kim Do-Joon nodded. He didn’t see any reasons to refuse.

“Alright. I’ll leave it to you, then.”

“I’ll contact the right people right away. Just give me a little time,” Son Chang-Il said, already planning his next move.

“Maybe I should have told you earlier,” Kim Do-Joon replied.

“

Haha

, better late than never,” Son Chang-Il replied, laughing heartily.

It’s only too late if Kim Do-Joon and the two summoned beings left for another country

, he thought.

Meanwhile, Kim Do-Joon considered the implications of this new development.

With official identities, both of them would be registered as Awakeners. They could enter dungeons if they wished, which would give them more options.

“Maybe I should start a guild,” Kim Do-Joon muttered.

He wasn’t affiliated with any group yet, and constantly got offers from various guilds as a result. Some of them even sent emails in foreign languages that seemed to be Arabic. Even with translations attached below, it still felt like a hassle.

If I start my own, I won’t have to deal with those anymore. Plus, I’d get a decent business card out of it too.

“A guild, huh?” Hearing this, Son Chang-Il immediately jumped in. “That’s a great idea!” he exclaimed, clapping his hands in excitement.

With three S-rank Hunters in a single guild, applicants would be flooding in. Moreover, Kim Do-Joon was already famous due to the Giant Woodland incident. His guild would grow into a major force in no time.

Before that happens, I should send a few of my own people over,

Son

Chang-Il thought, already scheming. He just didn’t want to miss out on having connection to such an influential guild.

“I think I’ll keep it a family guild. No need to bring in others,” Kim Do-Joon said casually, dashing Son Chang-Il’s hope.

“

Huh?

Just family members...?” Son Chang-Il asked, momentarily thrown off.

“Yes. Is there a problem?” Kim Do-Joon asked, looking at him curiously.

“No, no problem at all...

haha...

” Son Chang-Il replied awkwardly, swallowing his disappointment.

Meanwhile, the oblivious Kim Do-Joon already thought about the future.

I guess it’s time to close up shop and start looking for a proper office,

Kim Do-Joon thought, ready to move forward with his plans.

***

I was going to ask him when he got back, but he still hasn’t returned yet.

Kim Do-Joon had planned to discuss the idea of a family guild with Jecheon Seong and Siwelin as it wasn’t a decision he could make on his own. However, a day later, Jecheon Seong still hadn’t returned. So, Kim Do-Joon decided to enter the next dungeon.

[You have entered the Branch of Caldera.]

He was teleported from his basement to a dense tropical rainforest. The intense heat of the sun bore down on him, and the air was thick with humidity.

Kim Do-Joon looked around with curiosity. The name had conjured up an image of a colossal tree, perhaps with twisting branches that extended into the sky. But the reality was different.

“

Grrr...

”

Then, a low growl interrupted his thoughts. A monster approached, and Kim Do-Joon quickly drew his spear.

[One-Horned Beast]

Compatibility

- 71%

Seeing that number made Kim Do-Joon chuckle to himself.

Back when Siwelin was still a ghoul, she’d shown a similar number. He ran for his life, afraid she’d crush him with a mere flick of her hand.

Those were the times.

Thud!

The massive beast collapsed to the ground with its tongue lolling out. Its once fierce, hunting eyes were now lifeless.

Swoosh—!

This is nothing now,

Kim Do-Joon thought, shaking the blood off his spear with a flick of his wrist.

It only took seconds for him to defeat it. Despite its size, strength, and intimidating presence, it was still just an unintelligent monster.

The elf soldiers he’d fought before were far more troublesome. Added with the fact that he had even gone toe-to-toe with a Nereid, these creatures weren’t even a warm-up.

[You have defeated a monster. You have gained Experience Points (EXP).]

Despite the ease of the battle, the experience points kept flowing in, which was appreciated. He slung his spear over his shoulder, delving deeper into the rainforest.

“

Krrr!

”

Monsters relentlessly charged at him. It was inevitable, since Kim Do-Joon didn’t even bother to hide his presence. Every single one of them met the same fate.

[You have defeated a monster. You have gained Experience Points (EXP).]

[You have defeated a monster. You have gained Experience Points (EXP).]

....

As he methodically hunted his way through the jungle, Kim Do-Joon started to notice some patterns.

The monsters had varying numbers of horns. Some had one, others two, and a rare few had three. The most common ones had a single horn, while two-horned beasts were less frequent. So far, he had only encountered one with three horns.

It seemed that the more horns a creature had, the stronger it was—but ultimately, it didn’t matter much. They all fell with a single strike in front of Kim Do-Joon.

He continued exploring, collecting information about the monsters and the terrain of the jungle.

—

Kieeng!

Then, suddenly, a sharp sound echoed from afar. Kim Do-Joon stopped, his ears perking up at the unfamiliar noise.

“

Huh

?”

A sound pierced the air, one that no monster could have made on its own. It was the unmistakable clamor of a battle.

I knew this wouldn’t be the end,

Kim Do-Joon muttered.

He crouched down, tensing up. Unlike before, he moved carefully, suppressing his presence as he approached the source of the noise.

When he reached the spot, he saw a familiar one-horned beast. However, something else caught his eye.

Is that a person?

Kim Do-Joon blinked in disbelief. There, locked in combat with the monster, was a child who appeared to be no more than fifteen years old.

His heart skipped a beat.

How could there be a human here?

He soon got his answer.

He’s not a human,

he thought as his eyes focused on the child’s head, where antler-like branches protruded.

At first, he’d thought it was some sort of decorative headgear, but a closer look confirmed that wasn’t the case. The horns grew directly from the child’s skull, just like that of a deer.

Is it a monster? Maybe like a Naga?

Kim Do-Joon narrowed his eyes and activated his insight skill.

[Shura]

Compatibility

- 0%

Every monster had some Compatibility, even intelligent ones like the Naga. The child’s Compatibility was zero, so they probably wasn’t a monster.

As he observed, the battle between the child and the one-horned beast grew fiercer.

“Graaaa!”

—

Keugh!

The beast roared as it charged like a rhinoceros, intent on trampling the child. However, the child moved swiftly, dodging and slashing at the beast with a strange, circular blade.

Kim Do-Joon didn’t intervene. The child was fighting with such skill and precision that he found himself watching in admiration.

That kid’s impressive...

The fact remained that the beast had a seventy-one percent Compatibility. Not even seasoned B-rank Hunters would dare to face it alone. Yet here was this child, going toe-to-toe with it. In other words, they were on par with at least an A-rank Hunter.

As expected, these dungeons defy all logic...

A child with A-rank strength? That’s unbelievable.

Of course, there was always the possibility that the child wasn’t as young as they looked.

Oh?

Suddenly, the tide of battle shifted. The one-horned beast, weakened from blood loss, began to stagger. Sensing its vulnerability, the child leapt onto its back, positioning themselves above the creature’s head. Raising their blade high, the child spoke with a voice full of pride and determination.

— My name is Shura. Let my name be known across the heavens.

A brilliant white light enveloped the blade, and the child brought it down, severing the beast’s neck in a single stroke.

Whoosh!

Blood erupted like a fountain, drenching the ground. The child stood atop the fallen creature, their chest heaving. Even though their brown skin glistened under the spray of blood, they showed no sign of fear or exhaustion.

Kim Do-Joon watched, frozen in place. The reason was the white energy flowing from the child’s sword.

He recognized that energy.

Siwelin?

The power radiating from the child was eerily similar to the divine energy that Siwelin possessed.