Chapter 165. My Answer is No

The aftermath was one of chaos. In the ruins of a devastated city, countless workers in safety helmets were laboring to clean up the wreckage. Scattered bodies were being retrieved from the destruction, but the number of corpses was surprisingly low—far fewer than the number of missing people.

“According to the Hunters’ testimonies, the shadow soldiers disappeared along with the Branch,” reported the senior official.

“All of them? Even the ones outside the immediate vicinity?” the Chairman questioned, skeptical.

“Yes, all of them,” the official confirmed.

The senior official overseeing the site, a high-ranking minister, relayed the update to the Chairman.

Initially, the report described shadow soldiers as monsters created by the boss monster, using humans as hosts. Therefore, the idea that they had all vanished could only mean one thing.

The Chairman let out a long sigh.

“Well, it’s a relief we managed to recover some bodies, at least. Keep up the good work.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And as you probably know already...”

“Yes, sir. I’ll take it to the grave,” the minister replied with a trembling gaze, his voice heavy with tension. The Chairman nodded in satisfaction.

Among the chaos caused by the shadow dragon’s death, one horrifying discovery stood out: Gao Lin’s body had been expelled from the monster’s remains. And the order was clear: this fact mustn’t be made public.

It’s not enough,

the Chairman thought grimly. There were too many eyewitnesses to keep the incident contained domestically.

Therefore, as he left the scene, the Chairman turned to his aide. “Where is he?”

“He’s at the Grand Carlton Hotel, in a private training hall nearby.”

“A training hall?” The Chairman raised an eyebrow. “He went to train the moment he got up?”

Unbelievable.

The Chairman clicked his tongue in astonishment. After such a massive battle, the man had collapsed from sheer exhaustion. Perhaps, that kind of drive and discipline were the key to becoming such a powerful Hunter.

“Let’s get going,” the Chairman ordered.

“Yes, sir.”

The two boarded a limousine, accompanied by an entourage of security vehicles that encircled them tightly as they departed.

Inside the car, the Chairman spoke to his aide, “Look into the possibility of awarding a foreign honorary medal.”

“For... him?” the aide asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yes, for him.”

The aide nodded. Considering Kim Do-Joon’s accomplishments, there was no question he deserved such recognition. No one in the administration would oppose the idea.

However, what was surprising was that the Chairman himself had suggested it.

It must be because of Gao Lin...

The aide speculated privately, unwilling to voice the thought aloud. And he was right.

Everyone who was in the know also knew that Gao Lin had been a major catalyst for the Shanghai catastrophe. From the Chinese government’s perspective, the priority was to downplay the situation and obscure the truth.

If Kim Do-Joon could confirm that Gao Lin was merely a victim—rescued from being digested inside the monster’s stomach, for example—that’d be a lifeline for their narrative.

The honorary medal was a calculated offering. And if the negotiations went well, they’d even persuade him to testify that Gao Lin was an innocent bystander.

Under normal circumstances, bringing the Eight Dragons Association would’ve made this easier,

the Chairman thought, referring to the powerful organization he often used for negotiations.

However, this time, that was not an option. The Eight Dragons Association had been thoroughly discredited by their failures during the recent crisis. Moreover, someone like Kim Do-Joon wouldn’t be swayed by such a group.

Instead, the best chance was to approach him with incentives rather than threats.

Even if he refuses to testify, as long as he promises to keep silent, that’s a victory,

reasoned the Chairman.

With a glimmer of hope, the car arrived at the training hall. Security cleared a path through the gathered crowd, allowing the Chairman and his team to enter the building with confident strides.

The Chairman expected cameras flashing and people turning their attention toward him. However, as he stepped inside, he was momentarily taken aback because no one paid him any mind.

Every single person in the hall had their eyes fixed on one spot. Following their gazes, the Chairman turned to look—and what he saw made his heart stop, as though the heavens and earth had swapped places.

***

Boom!

Kim Do-Joon was thrown to the ground but sprang back up, assuming his stance. His gaze was locked onto a single figure.

The buzzing crowd encircling the area, their murmurs, and even the entrance of the Chairman accompanied by his entourage of bodyguards faded into insignificance.

In Kim Do-Joon’s mind, there were only two people in this space: him and the towering figure before him.

He’s huge.

Jecheon Seong loomed large before him, even more imposing than the last time they fought. Yet, there was a difference now.

Before, he had felt like an insurmountable wall, an endless monolith. Now, for the first time, Kim Do-Joon could glimpse the top of that wall. It was distant, but it was there. And if it had an end, then it could be overcome.

Determined, Kim Do-Joon charged again.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The air cracked as his fists relentlessly sliced through it, driving toward Jecheon Seong. However, none of his strikes found their mark, proven by how the air roared with the sound of missed blows.

Thwack!

Jecheon Seong dodged the flurry of punches with ease, then retaliated with a high kick. Although Kim Do-Joon raised an arm to block it, the impact still sent him flying through the air.

“You’ve gained a new power, haven’t you?” Jecheon Seong said, his voice calm yet probing.

Could it work now?

Kim Do-Joon wondered about his new power. Tentatively, he channeled his energy to his legs, focusing on the space beneath his feet. He could feel the air condensing, forming a platform.

Tap!

And then, his foot pressed firmly against the empty air.

It worked!

The ability to walk on air—once reliant on tree branches or other supports—had finally become his own. He’d reached the true potential of Sky Thunder that Karlish had once described.

Karlish would have been thrilled, shouting,

Yes! That’s it!

However, the spear was tucked away, asleep in Kim Do-Joon’s inventory. After all, this sparring match was strictly hand-to-hand combat.

“

Hmm?

” Jecheon Seong’s eyes sparkled as he observed Kim Do-Joon.

Has he finally reached the level of aerial footwork?

For Jecheon Seong, this development had been inevitable. Watching Kim Do-Joon wield Sky Thunder before, he had known it was only a matter of time. The recent ordeal must’ve provided the final breakthrough.

“Here I come,” Kim Do-Joon announced.

Shadows began to spread outward, dark tendrils flowing endlessly from him.

Jecheon Seong had encouraged him to test his newfound power, so he wouldn’t hold back. The shadows expanded, filling the space like a web, encasing Jecheon Seong in a suffocating grip.

Such was the strength of a lord's authority, refined and empowered. Kim Do-Joon instinctively felt that it could ensnare even Nereid.

However, Jecheon Seong was no Nereid.

Boom!

Suddenly, an explosive burst of fiery energy erupted from him, akin to the blazing sun, incinerating the shadows in an instant.

Crack! Pop!

The flames didn’t stop there and raced along the shadows, surging toward their source, Kim Do-Joon.

This is dangerous.

Every instinct screamed at him to evade. Yet, this was a sparring match, not a life-or-death battle, so he could afford to take risks.

Therefore, Kim Do-Joon chose to confront the flames. Summoning his will, he unleashed a dark red flame, infused with his shadows. The two forces collided in midair, and the opponent’s overwhelming fire began to dissipate.

Kim Do-Joon’s energy engulfed and neutralized Jecheon Seong’s attack.

“

Wow!

”

Jecheon Seong let out an impressed exclamation.

Up until now, Kim Do-Joon’s flame had been a manifestation of raw energy. In contrast, Jecheon Seong’s Nine Yang Demon Art was natural energy refined and condensed to an extreme, beyond what the natural body could endure. That was why it was called a Demon Art.

By all logic, when raw energy clashed against the refined Nine Yang Demon Art, the latter should easily overwhelm it. That was how it had always been.

And yet, for the first time, Kim Do-Joon’s raw power stood its ground, nullifying Jecheon Seong’s attack in a direct clash.

“Quite the breakthrough you’ve made...

Hm!?

” Jecheon Seong’s casual acknowledgment trailed off as he caught sight of something through the storm of fire and shadows.

Undeterred by the swirling chaos, Kim Do-Joon instantly closed in. Then, eyes gleaming with fierce determination, he unleashed a devastating punch.

When did he get so close?

Jecheon Seong’s eyes widened in genuine shock. He had not been this surprised in years.

Yesterday’s Kim Do-Joon and today’s Kim Do-Joon weren’t the same. It was as if he had been reborn overnight.

Boom—!

Jecheon Seong blocked the incoming blow with a heavily muscled arm, veins bulging with effort. The two combatants were completely immersed in their battle, lost in a world of their own.

Meanwhile, outside the inferno of their clash, the Chairman stood at a cautious distance.

“

Ahem. Ahem!

”

He cleared his throat loudly, his discomfort apparent.

However, neither Kim Do-Joon nor Jecheon Seong paid him the slightest attention. The Chairman’s face flushed with embarrassment, but he maintained an air of composure. He couldn’t afford to lose his dignity with so many eyes watching.

Instead, he glanced at the bodyguards around him. All of them were talented ability users, each at least equivalent to an A-rank Hunter. Normally, they would have stepped in to mediate or restore order.

However, they avoided his gaze entirely, unwilling to step forward.

No way. This is insane. I’m not jumping in there.

What kind of an idiot would jump in there?

Someone else do it! Not me!

The guards trembled, visibly uneasy. Their hesitation was understandable, because no A-rank could hope to handle such a sparring match.

“

Ahem!

”

The Chairman scowled in frustration, but he could do nothing. He knew it was hopeless to intervene. Even his guards would be no match for the two combatants. Therefore, all he could do was wait.

Then, finally, after what felt like an eternity, the sparring match came to an end. The result was clear.

“I lost,” Kim Do-Joon admitted, sprawled out on the training room floor. Blood seeped from his cuts and bruises as he gasped for air.

Jecheon Seong extended a hand toward him. He, too, was battered and covered in wounds, but he carried himself with far more composure than Kim Do-Joon.

Kim Do-Joon begrudgingly took it, pulling himself upright.

“I really thought I could win this time...” he muttered.

“I’ve been training for nearly a century. You’ve got a long way to go,” Jecheon Seong replied with a faint smile.

His tone was teasing, but his eyes betrayed a spark of excitement.

As the Heavenly Demon, Jecheon Seong had trained countless disciples over the years. However, none had come close to matching Kim Do-Joon’s rapid progress or raw potential.

Even if he isn’t my official disciple...

Though he had not formally taught Kim Do-Joon his martial arts, watching the younger man’s growth filled him with pride and anticipation. After all, Kim Do-Joon was already stronger than Jecheon Seong had been at the age of thirty-five.

“You’re still lacking. At this rate, it’ll take you another hundred years to catch up to me,” Jecheon Seong said, though he was secretly holding back a smile.

“A hundred years? No way!” Kim Do-Joon protested.

“Why not? Do you think I’ll just stand still while you train?” Jecheon Seong replied.

“Well... I guess not,” Kim Do-Joon admitted, scratching his head.

Reluctantly, he pulled out a potion and handed it to Jecheon Seong.

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

However, there was only one bottle.

[You have received a Superior Regeneration effect.]

Kim Do-Joon didn’t need one for obvious reasons. His wounds were healing rapidly, without any aid. So, Jecheon Seong downed the potion.

By the time Kim Do-Joon realized it, most of his injuries were gone.

“What the... He even has a recovery skill?”

“Is there anything he

can’t

do?”

The gathered Hunters stared at Kim Do-Joon in stunned disbelief.

Most Hunters only had one or two skills, maybe three if they were exceptionally gifted. And they usually fell into a narrow range, such as strength enhancement for combat types, spellcasting for Mages, or support abilities for Healers.

However, Kim Do-Joon had demonstrated a staggering variety of abilities in Shanghai alone.

He seemed to have a summoning skill, as well as a teleportation skill. Then, there was his shadow-manipulating skill to control the battlefield, as well as another skill related to advanced weaponry based on his spear mastery.

On top of all that, he also has a recovery skill?

“This line of work really is unfair,” one Hunter muttered bitterly.

“Yeah, some of us have to scrape by with one lousy skill, and he’s walking around like he’s loved by gods. Seriously... What is he?”

Their voices carried a mix of envy and despair. Nearby, reporters busily jotted down every word, sensing a sensational scoop.

“

Ahem

.”

Amid the chatter, a loud cough rang out.

Finally, it was time for the Chairman to step forward. His deliberate throat-clearing drew everyone’s attention.

“Hunter Kim Do-Joon, could I have a moment of your time?” he asked, his words promptly translated by a bodyguard fluent in Korean.

Kim Do-Joon nodded without hesitation.

There was no reason to decline an invitation from the Chairman of China. Besides, there were plenty of negotiations to be had, such as rewards for defeating the Shadow Lord, among other things.

Seeing Kim Do-Joon’s eagerness, the Chairman allowed himself a small, inward smile.

Half the battle is won.

He knew full well that Kim Do-Joon had his own demands. However, with the world watching so closely, there was little room for refusal on either side. Negotiations could easily include adding another condition or two, like the situation with Gao Lin.

“By the way...”

Before the Chairman could get into specifics, Kim Do-Joon spoke up, his tone casual but his words deliberate.

“Let me make one thing clear,” Kim Do-Joon’s voice carried confidently over the gathered crowd as he continued, “If you’re planning to ask me to keep quiet about Gao Lin, my answer is no.”

The air froze and a stunned silence fell over the crowd. The Chairman’s carefully maintained expression cracked, his expression contorting in frustration.

Of all things, why did he have to bring that up here?

Dreading this topic, he had been meticulously planning how to approach it. Now, Kim Do-Joon had blurted it out in front of an audience packed with reporters.

While the Chinese reporters awkwardly averted their eyes, the foreign press erupted into a frenzy, their cameras flashing wildly as they captured the moment.

The Chairman clenched his fists, forcing a strained smile. This was going to be more difficult than he had anticipated.