Chapter 180. Which Direction Did He Go?

Creak.

The door swung open, and two men entered, flanked by security guards. Logan’s gaze instinctively swept over the pair.

Logan recognized one of them as a former Korean Hunter of Baekhwa Gate Guild, Ko Cheong-Cheon. In fact, he knew that man very well.

How could he not, having played a pivotal role in the man's move to the United States? Like many presidents before him, Logan would use any means necessary to bolster his nation’s strength.

Then, Logan turned to the other man, who was said to be a South Korean Hunter.

Is that Kim Do-Joon?

His face was familiar—after all, his exploits, from the Giant Woodland Incident to the Shanghai Crisis, were legendary. Logan couldn’t help but think about one thing.

Could I bring him to America as well?

That insatiable hunger for talent flickered within him. In his era, the United States didn’t only train its own elite Hunters, but also aggressively recruited from other nations. Countless policies and resources were dedicated to this cause, making America the most attractive destination for dissatisfied Hunters.

However, he quickly shook his head. Now was not the time for such offers.

“Take a seat,” Logan gestured to the chairs, his tone brisk.

He was accompanied by an interpreter, though it proved unnecessary. Ko Cheong-Cheon was already interpreting for Kim Do-Joon. The three men sat across from each other, and Logan wasted no time with pleasantries.

“Hunter Ko Cheong-Cheon, is it true that you know who the culprit is?”

Ko Cheong-Cheon hesitated, glancing at Kim Do-Joon with a complicated look on his face. Naturally, Logan’s gaze followed.

Receiving their attention, Kim Do-Joon spoke calmly, “The culprit is Drake, the Guild Master of Mercenary, President Logan.”

No one could remain calm after hearing that. Ko Cheong-Cheon’s expression twisted despite having already heard it. Meanwhile, Logan was befuddled, the name felt absurdly out of place.

Undeterred, Kim Do-Joon continued, “If we capture him, this crisis will end. That’s why I’m asking you to provide me with a search warrant and any information on his whereabouts.”

Ko Cheong-Cheon repeated in English, translating for Logan. “He says capturing him will end the crisis. He’s requesting a search order and location details—”

“Wait, wait!” Logan raised his hand, cutting him off.

His expression darkened.

“What nonsense is this? He’s saying Drake is the culprit? That’s impossible.”

“Why not?” Kim Do-Joon sharply asked.

“Because...” Logan hesitated. “He’s dedicated decades of his life to humanity’s peace. You may not know this, but our Information Management Bureau has tracked him since his debut. We questioned everything. Was he groomed by some secret power? Did he have ulterior motives? But every investigation came up clean. There was not a single suspicious element.”

“That’s understandable,” Kim Do-Joon replied, unfazed.

“Before his debut, he was an ordinary young man, and after, he became a paragon of virtue, contributing tirelessly to world peace. And now you’re saying he’s the culprit? That’s preposterous.”

As Logan spoke, Kim Do-Joon listened silently. Then, he asked a single question.

“Are you fully aware of Drake’s administrative activities?”

“Of course. Everything except the personal details.”

“Then you must know about his contact with the flower that disperses World Tree spores, right?”

“What?” Logan’s eyes narrowed in confusion.

However, realization dawned quickly, and his expression hardened. Just as Son Chang-Il in South Korea had identified the anomaly in those flowers, similar reports were flooding in from across America. Flowers spreading the World Tree’s spores, exuding eerie, dark mana was unnatural even by Hunter standards.

Logan murmured, “Well, he did show an unusual interest in those flowers...”

Then Logan fell into thought and suspicion lingered around Drake. His sudden disappearance after the national emergency, and the sporadic sightings of him made Logan send messengers to investigate. However, they either found nothing or failed to return.

It was always one of two things...

If Drake was indeed the culprit, everything would make sense. However, there was still one thing that did not add up.

“If he’s the culprit, why would he run away?” Logan challenged.

If Drake were guilty, severing communication and going into hiding made little sense. Wouldn’t it have been more effective to stay close, pretending to protect America while betraying it at a critical moment, like a Trojan horse?[1]

President Logan believed that if Drake were the culprit, his best move would be to come straight to him. He would demand more authority under the guise of protecting the nation. Or worse, he could take advantage of Logan’s trust to accelerate the chaos.

Kim Do-Joon nodded, acknowledging the logic. It was true that Drake had spent decades building a reputation and a firm foundation in America, to the point even the president could not dismiss him lightly.

However, Kim Do-Joon knew something Logan did not.

“Well, if he crosses my path, he won’t even have bones left. Literally.”

Drake was afraid of Kim Do-Joon and ran for his life. His words also weren’t bravado, but an undeniable truth. Logan’s eyes widened.

***

In the heart of Indiana, a tall, straight Stem stretched toward the sky, crowned by a single flower bud at its peak. The surrounding area was a desolate wasteland, with everything in the vicinity obliterated—not by the enemy, but by countless missile strikes.

And yet, the flower remained unscathed, not a scratch marring its surface. Missiles, artillery shells, bullets, and even fire had all proven useless. The only option left was to encircle the flower with military forces and monitor it closely.

However, something was amiss.

From soldiers to officers, even the commanding officer—all of them shuffled about with dull eyes, silently dragging their feet as if weighed down by an invisible force.

“Yes, just like that. Carry out the mission as you've been doing so far.”

“Yes sir.”

A man, seemingly the only one unaffected, left a request for the commanding officer.

“Stay here and maintain appearances. And if he comes to this place...”

The man—Drake, albeit his true name was Ushas—had already taken control of the unit. Every soldier had fallen, resurrected as his undead servants.

Drake commanded the Ghoul made from the commanding officer’s corpse.

“If that man shows up, kill him on sight,” he resolutely and coldly commanded.

After that, Drake vanished into the shadows once more.

This military base wasn’t his only operation. As he fled across the land, he planted traps in strategically advantageous locations, creating undead forces at each site. To obscure his trail, he deployed Liches in distant regions to set similar traps, scattering his movements to confuse anyone tracking him.

He had even sacrificed several of his painstakingly raised Bone Dragons to fortify these positions. The losses were significant, but necessary.

I can’t just keep running forever...

It wasn’t a sustainable strategy. He needed to wear Kim Do-Joon down, find an opening, and strike back. He’d killed the old man once before. The first time was always the hardest and subsequent attempts would be easier.

To that end, Ushas had even reached out to one of his siblings, who resided deeper within the Stem. However, the response had been disappointing.

No response...? What a coward.

Perhaps they were cowering, too afraid to get involved.

Pathetic fool

.

Meanwhile, Kim Do-Joon had already made contact with Laoha, who joined the hunt. Given her personality, she’d likely join him again this time. Moreover, if Drake were to be defeated and his power taken back, the other's authority would only grow stronger.

By then, it would be too late. It was now or never.

I only have myself.

However, trust alone would not guarantee victory. He still lacked the decisive weapon to bring Kim Do-Joon down.

What should I do?

Ushas’ mind churned, searching for an answer. Eventually, he reached a grim conclusion.

It has to be this.

Though incomplete, it was his only option. He had obtained it long ago, during the fateful moment when he and his siblings united to kill their father. They had divided his immense power among themselves, and a fragment still remained.

***

Kieeek—!

With an ear-piercing screech, a massive bone crashed to the ground. It was the remains of a Bone Dragon. Although smaller than Samir, it was still an impressive creature.

Scattered among the countless undead corpses, even the body of an Archlich stood out—a chilling testament to the destruction. Bone Dragons and Archliches were creatures so powerful that they were ranked as S-class monsters without question.

Seeing the aftermath, Ko Cheong-Cheon gulped. The devastation was not lost on the other Hunters accompanying him, assigned by President Logan in exchange for the intel he had provided.

"Another dead end," muttered Kim Do-Joon, clicking his tongue.

This time, he had arrived in a small village. However, by the time he got there, the place had already been reduced to a city of death, a graveyard where undead roamed freely, ruled by Bone Dragons and Liches.

Kim Do-Joon had encountered such places far too often while pursuing Ushas. Destroying Ushas’ traps was no great challenge, but the sight of ordinary civilians killed to create them was something he could ignore.

As Kim Do-Joon dispatched the undead army, Siwelin returned. She had been gathering the villagers’ dead bodies to conduct a makeshift ritual, offering prayers for their souls.

Even when she had been a Ghoul, Siwelin had endured her pain to pray ceaselessly. These people weren’t even from her homeland, but that didn’t deter her.

"Are you done?" Kim Do-Joon asked.

She nodded silently, her expression serene yet weary.

The other Hunters, having no clear role in the aftermath, could only watch in stunned silence. Paying no heed to them, Kim Do-Joon turned toward the remains of the Bone Dragon and the Lich. His eyes gleamed with intent as he looked at the Bone Dragon’s massive skeleton.

You made a mistake.

Leaving traps behind was one thing, but leaving a Bone Dragon was a miscalculation on Ushas’ part.

The next moment, Kim Do-Joon’s shadow stretched long and wide, creeping over the Bone Dragon’s remains. Within moments, it devoured the skeleton entirely, then moved on to the Lich’s remains.

What emerged was a terrifying sight—a new servant, Number Twelve. A black mage rose, his form dark and menacing. Alongside him rose a jet-black dragon, composed entirely of shadow.

The creature no longer resembled its original form. It was neither like Ushas’ Bone Dragon nor Mel Sior’s dragon form. Instead, it was a pure embodiment of darkness. The dragon bowed obediently to its master.

With Siwelin in his arms, Kim Do-Joon leaped effortlessly onto the shadow dragon’s back. The sight left the American Hunters utterly speechless.

A man holding a beautiful woman, mounted atop a majestic shadow dragon. It was a scene straight out of a nightmare, not a fairy tale.

"Who’s the real monster here?" one Hunter muttered under his breath.

"A saint and a beast... what a combination," another whispered, his voice trembling.

None of them thought of knights or heroes in that moment. To them, knights were figures of unyielding will, fighting against impossible odds. Kim Do-Joon was a force of nature, crushing all resistance with overwhelming power.

"What are you all standing around for? Get on," Kim Do-Joon said flatly.

Even without an interpreter, his gestures made his meaning clear. Ko Cheong-Cheon hesitated but finally climbed onto the dragon, followed by the other American Hunters.

They moved cautiously, fearing the dragon might lash out, but their worries were unfounded. The Shadow Dragon was entirely under Kim Do-Joon’s control.

"Where to now?" Ko Cheong-Cheon asked.

There was no additional intel yet. they were, for the moment, adrift.

Kim Do-Joon did not answer immediately. Instead, he turned toward Number Twelve.

"Which direction did your former master go?"

After a moment, the Shadow Dragon spread its wings and launched into the sky, carrying its new passengers toward their next destination.

1. is this president projecting ☜