Chapter 169. That's Your Problem

Thousands of soldiers stood before him—an unprecedented sight even for Kim Do-Joon. Since obtaining the Ring of Dominance, he had steadily expanded his forces, but they only numbered in the hundreds.

Yet now, in a sudden twist of fate, his subordinates had multiplied exponentially. Realizing that all these soldiers would obey him stirred an unfamiliar hunger for power deep within him.

“Humans are such funny creatures...” Kim Do-Joon muttered with a faint smile, raising his hand.

Of course, he couldn’t just drag such a massive force around aimlessly. He needed a place to station them temporarily.

This will do.

He traced a circle in the air, conjuring a portal. On the other side lay the Slime Grassland, a peaceful and conflict-free area. It was the perfect place to store his shadow soldiers. Although the land was barren, offering no food or water, it didn’t matter because shadow soldiers neither ate nor drank.

Clink. Clink.

Without even being instructed, the soldiers began marching through the portal, orderly and precise. Kim Do-Joon couldn’t help but think of his days in the army.

Even now, I absolutely hate it.

Even now, years later, the loathing had not dulled. He shook his head to clear the memories and stepped away from the Ring of Dominance.

Then, he turned to Archlich Keldian’s head that lay at his feet. Kim Do-Joon picked it up.

“

Aargh!

Stop it! Don’t do this to me! You’ve already stolen my army and ruined my life! What more do you want?!” Archlich Keldian howled, flailing helplessly.

A necromancer from birth, Archlich Keldian had spent his entire life mastering necromancy, eventually receiving the favor of “The One” and ascending to Lichdom. Through decades of effort, he had built an undead army of unparalleled scale.

And yet, with a single stomp of Kim Do-Joon’s foot, his entire army had been flipped like a piece of pancake! Perishing in battle would have felt less humiliating!

“Spare me the humiliation!” Archlich Keldian pleaded, his hollow eye sockets seemingly on the verge of tears.

Kim Do-Joon, however, remained cold. “That’s your problem.”

His gaze darkened as he remembered Archlich Keldian’s atrocities. The Lich had unleashed his forces to raze the Mahal Tribe’s village to the ground. Although the villagers had managed to escape, the fact that the Lich sought their complete annihilation didn’t change.

Moreover, Kim Do-Joon had found the tribe members in the coffins scattered across the area, trapped in some kind of mysterious potion. Some of them were the warriors he knew well, including Fuad. They had helped him without hesitation during the Shanghai incident.

Without his intervention, they’d likely have become Archlich Keldian’s thralls, perhaps even forced to slaughter their own kin.

Hence, Archlich Keldian’s cries fell on deaf ears. Shadows coiled around Kim Do-Joon, creeping up him before stretching toward the Lich.

“No! Stop! I don’t want this! Please,

nooooo!

” Archlich Keldian thrashed desperately, but as a mere head, he had no means of escape.

The shadows slithered over the Lich’s skull, slowly encroaching on his soul.

The eerie blue flames in Archlich Keldian’s eye sockets dimmed. His jaw began to tremble violently, emitting an unsettling creak.

“

Ghhk

...

khhk!

”

“

Hmm

?” Kim Do-Joon paused, halting the spread of his shadows.

Something was off—not just in appearance, but in the aura emanating from the Lich. The energy had shifted entirely.

Then, Archlich Keldian’s mouth opened, and a voice, low and sinister, reverberated, “So, the counterattack has begun, Little Brother.”

Kim Do-Joon’s eyes narrowed. “Who’s that?”

The unfamiliar voice ignored his question, continuing as if doing a soliloquy, “But really, what difference does it make? As always, you’ll lose to me again.”

“What...?” Kim Do-Joon’s confusion deepened, but the voice gave no direct response.

It wasn’t as though he was being ignored; it felt more like listening to a pre-recorded message.

“

Ah,

the last cycle at the Branch was quite entertaining. You fought so desperately. Turning your final move against me by transforming it to my undead was satisfying. Though I’ll admit, there was more to see after your despair took hold than I expected.”

A bone-chilling laugh emanated from the Lich’s head.

Crack.

Kim Do-Joon’s grip tightened instinctively. The voice was dredging up something deeply unsettling, though he lacked concrete proof of what it meant. Regardless, his anger surged uncontrollably.

“Why not stop resisting and come to my side? You’ll lose again anyway. Have you ever defeated me, even once? If you value the scraps of power you have left, you better submit,” the voice droned on, spouting ominous nonsense.

Kim Do-Joon listened for any new information, but it was mostly hollow rambling, serving only to worsen his irritation.

By the end, there was nothing left but a lingering sense of foreboding.

"Know this! Your only family has always been me."

With those final words, the Lich’s head went limp, like a wind-up toy winding down. Kim Do-Joon waited, but it didn’t stir. Seeing no reason to delay, he unleashed his shadows again, letting them engulf the skull once more.

Crunch.

The sound of shadows consuming the Lich reverberated through the air. As he waited for the process to finish, Kim Do-Joon’s thoughts churned.

This doesn’t sit well with me.

Kim Do-Joon replayed the ominous voice in his mind. The clues were adding up, and he could guess the identity of the speaker.

That must be him... The Death Spirit Lord...

He was the one mentioned in the ancient text Siwellin spoke of. If that were true, then the owner of this Branch must be the Holy Spirit Lord, said to be the adversary of the Death Spirit Lord.

And another undeniable fact emerged.

Both of them... are that old man's children.

Both the Death Spirit Lord and the Holy Spirit Lord were tied to the old man. Like Mel Sior, they had been blessed by him, became his children, and eventually betrayed him to steal his power.

Of course, some had merely stood by, choosing not to act, while others even tried to help the old man. However, their identities remained unclear for now.

Nevertheless, there was one thing Kim Do-Joon was certain of.

The Death Spirit Lord is not that woman I saw in my dream.

He was certain of it, and not just because the voice belonged to a man. It wouldn’t make sense for the Death Spirit Lord to aid the old man.

Above all, the Branch of Caldera was what the bastard had been working on. Hence, if he wreaked enough havoc, the Death Spirit Lord himself would be forced to appear.

When that moment came, it would be the end for him. Kim Do-Joon had no intention of leaving even a sliver of the Death Spirit Lord's power or authority intact.

Crack. Crackle.

The sound of his knuckles cracking punctuated the silence as Kim Do-Joon let his thoughts sharpen into resolve. Before he realized it, he had succeeded in transforming the Lich into one of his shadow soldiers.

A dark-skinned man clad in black robes appeared, staff in hand. He was fully formed—head, torso, limbs, everything intact.

The Lich bowed deeply, his movements slow and deliberate.

It was a black sorcerer, adept at magic and necromancy. For someone like Kim Do-Joon, who was inept in magic, it was a welcome addition to his forces.

"Let's work well together," Kim Do-Joon said, his tone even.

When Kim Do-Joon said that, the black sorcerer bowed even lower, his head nearly touching the ground. It was as though looking directly at Kim Do-Joon would be an act of sacrilege.

His excessive reverence made Kim Do-Joon feel a little awkward. He scratched his cheek and waved him off.

“Go inside and rest for now."

The sorcerer rose, his movements fluid and silent. He stepped into the Ring of Dominance, which now stood empty after all the other soldiers had been summoned and sent away.

Kim Do-Joon closed the portal after the black sorcerer disappeared. Then, he turned his attention to a nearby rock and sat down. The Lich's original throne had been shattered long ago, leaving only rubble behind.

"

Ugh

," a groan interrupted the quiet.

"Where... are we?" another voice joined in.

The Mahals, who had been unconscious, began to stir. One by one, they opened their eyes, confusion clouding their expressions.

***

Meanwhile, in the United States, New York City—the largest metropolis often called the center of the world—a skyscraper loomed over the skyline.

At the pinnacle of it sat the headquarters of Mercenary, the nation’s most powerful guild. Three men were gathered in its top-floor conference room.

“I’m from the Bureau of Information,” said a man in a sharp suit, introducing himself as the bureau’s director, Chase.

He extended a hand toward Drake Harden, the guildmaster of Mercenary.

“I said I wanted to discuss this privately...”

“Yes, but I invited someone who might be helpful. This is Hunter Ko Cheong-Cheon, a Korean naturalized in the U.S.”

Drake Harden gestured toward a third man. Chase nodded in understanding and shook hands with Ko Cheong-Cheon. If it was him, his presence made sense.

Once everyone was seated, Chase cleared his throat and began.

“First, congratulations on achieving a ninety-four percent Compatibility. That’s unprecedented.”

“Thank you,” Drake Harden shrugged nonchalantly.

His demeanor was confident but unpretentious. Since his debut, he had demonstrated overwhelming skill, gaining support from all corners. He was rising to become the top Hunter in record time.

Since surpassing the former number one, Drake Harden had never relinquished his position. His dominance extended beyond personal achievements.

“Thanks to your efforts, the number of active dungeons worldwide has been decreasing,” Chase continued. “It’s largely attributed to the rise in average Hunter capabilities, and your contributions are recognized as a major factor.”

Drake Harden was renowned not only for his prowess, but also for sharing his knowledge, training methods, and monster data without reserve. In this age of information, such details could command exorbitant prices, so Drake Harden’s contribution had accelerated global Hunter development by at least a decade, earning him widespread acclaim.

Chase’s expression, however, carried a trace of bitterness. As the director of the Bureau of Information, he regretted that such valuable data could not be kept exclusively for American benefit. However, there was little he could do. Drake Harden was not a man who could be pressured, not even by the government.

"I haven’t done anything special! It's all thanks to everyone doing their part in their own positions," Drake Harden said, shrugging. "Anyway, that's a relief. It's good to hear that it's shrinking quickly."

"That's right. Even if a dungeon is a treasure trove of advanced resources, the human casualties are still a grim reality," Chase added.

After a brief discussion, Chase finally got to the main topic. He opened his laptop and showed them a video.

"You've probably seen this already, but here's the footage from Shanghai."

“It’s clearer than the one I’ve seen before,” Drake Harden remarked as he watched the video.

On screen, they saw the shadow dragon that appeared in Shanghai, and Kim Do-Joon facing it. Of course, Jecheon Seong's appearance had been impressive as well, but it was hard not to focus on Kim Do-Joon. After all, he was the one who landed the finishing blow, while the old man was a member of Kim Do-Joon's guild.

“The Family Guild, wasn’t it?” Drake Harden asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Chase replied. "It was founded not long ago, and there are only three members.”

“Why only three? Is there a problem?” Chase arched a brow.

"Not really. They just don't recruit, apparently. Since all three members are S-rank, there's no issue with their power."

The core of the discussion was simple. It was all about how they could pull Kim Do-Joon and the Family Guild into America. Naturally, the primary target would be the guild leader, Kim Do-Joon.

"Hunter Ko, do you know Hunter Kim Do-Joon? Since he's also Korean, you should have some insight on him, right?" Chase asked, looking at Ko Cheong-Cheon.

"Well..." Ko Cheong-Cheon trailed off, unsure.

The meeting went on well into the night. As a former Korean citizen, Ko Cheong-Cheon was certainly suited for this meeting.

"Money alone won’t be enough," Ko Cheong-Cheon said, tapping his fingers on the table. "There has to be a more solid stake involved to get him to even consider listening."

"True," Chase agreed. "And if we do succeed in luring the Family Guild, what does that mean for Korea?"

"Then we’ll be in a bitter relationship with them," Drake Harden said with a bitter smile.

At Drake's offhand comment, Chase’s face hardened. Korea was an ally of the United States. After all, there had been a diplomatic issue when Ko Cheong-Cheon defected to America. What would happen if they also brought Kim Do-Joon to America? The situation would surely escalate.

"Still, it can't be helped. This is the path for the country," Chase said softly.

Ko Cheong-Cheon shrugged. He could not really criticize because he’d decided to leave Korea.

"Don't start popping champagne just yet," Ko Cheong-Cheon warned. "We haven’t even experienced his stubbornness."

"True," Chase chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head.

The meeting wrapped up, and as Chase left, only Drake Harden and Ko Cheong-Cheon remained in the guild leader's office. Drake Harden continued watching the footage from Shanghai.

"... Do you think Hunter Kim Do-Joon will come?" Ko Cheong-Cheon asked.

Ko Cheong-Cheon found himself unsettled. By all logic, he should welcome the arrival of a stronger Hunter. That was why he had left Korea in the first place: to hone his craft and rise to greater heights among the strongest competitors.

However, hearing there was a chance Kim Do-Joon would join, a slight tremor ran through him. Was this fear? Or excitement? He found it strange that he couldn’t confidently say it was the latter.

Ko Cheong-Cheon was more confused than ever.

"He might come... or he might not," Drake said calmly.

Drake did not seem worried at all. In fact, he didn’t seem to be thinking much about it. He was still fixated on the video, not even glancing at Ko Cheong-Cheon.

"

Huh

... I’ll get going," Ko Cheong-Cheon said, standing up.

"Sure," Drake replied without looking away from the screen.

Ko Cheong-Cheon left the room. Unbeknownst to him, Drake was already feeling something more than just casual interest.

“So, this is the man who killed Mel Sior..." Drake Harden murmured to himself, his eyes narrowing with something darker than mere curiosity.

Suddenly, as Drake Harden studied the footage, a shadow coalesced in the corner of the room. A figure clad entirely in black, their face obscured by a deep hood, stepped forward silently.

However, Drake Harden did not flinch. He simply spoke, unfazed.

“No need to report. I already know. Another one down, right?”

“...Yes,” the hooded figure replied in a low voice, bowing.

“Okay. You deal with that. I’ve got more important things to focus on. Don’t bother me every time we lose a pawn.”

The figure nodded and vanished into the shadows.

Left alone again in the guild leader's office, Drake Harden played the video once more.

"I really hope you come," Drake Harden muttered, a grin spreading across his face as he watched Kim Do-Joon.

He never imagined that the protagonist of the video had already infiltrated his territory.