NOVEL NEXT
189 - #188
TL/Editor: looloo
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28 hours had passed since the quest began.
Kim Jeongyong, the chairman of the Korean Hero Association, was walking down a long corridor with a grave expression on his face.
The corridor he was walking through led to the ISU's conference room.
Today, the corridor felt unusually long as he recalled what Hajoon had said in the morning.
"Are you really planning on doing that?"
Kim Jeongyong was momentarily speechless with shock at Hajoon's calmly uttered words.
It was because Hajoon had proposed a plan that seemed unrealistic.
"Yes."
However, Hajoon simply nodded his head calmly, confident in his suggestion that seemed impossible to others.
"To support not only Korea but five other countries..."
Currently, Hajoon was alone in his decision to support the six countries that had dimensional dungeons opened in them.
Kim Jeongyong couldn't help but think it reckless and impossible.
Yet, on the other hand, Kim Jeongyong knew he was not in a position to object.
Chairman Kim Jeongyong sighed and said to Hajoon,
"I am not in a position to disagree with Student Hajoon's opinion, especially since I have received the most help. But... are you really sure about this?"
The boy standing before him was an irregular.
A hero whose very existence became a deterrent, reducing the villain terror rate in a single country.
Chairman Kim Jeongyong was confident.
The boy before him was the strongest and greatest hero of this era.
Still, he couldn't help but worry.
The idea of him supporting six countries' dimensional dungeons alone seemed like he was overreaching.
However, Hajoon simply nodded lightly to Chairman Kim Jeongyong's words.
As if it were a simple and not at all difficult task.
"Yes, it's fine. I'll leave the negotiations to you, Chairman."
With those words, Hajoon left the chairman's office.
Kim Jeongyong finished reminiscing and slowly opened his eyes.
'Negotiations'.
The Irregular was offering unilateral support to six countries. How could that be considered a negotiation?
Kim Jeongyong knew this well.
The Irregular was telling him to negotiate with the chairpersons of each country with the card that he would support all six countries.
Even if the six countries were united, they too had to fend off the dimensional dungeons opened in their own territories, making their support delayed. In such a situation, Korea, which might fall behind in military power, desperately needed the support of a hero.
Even with Korea's great heroes, the Sword King and the new Water Mage Riella Harnis, and the Irregular as a formidable force, the chairman thought that Korea's hero manpower was as scarce as that of Britain.
Therefore, his expression became even graver as he headed to the ISU's conference room.
Considering the menacing beasts pouring out from the giant dimensional dungeon, a situation that required the strength of many heroes rather than the power of one was evident.
Of course, beyond such thoughts, Kim Jeongyong decided to respect Hajoon's opinion above all else.
Not just with the thought of protecting Korea, but deciding to protect all countries with opened dimensional dungeons, Kim Jeongyong had no right to criticize Hajoon for being reckless.
After all, it was Kim Jeongyong himself who had entrusted Hajoon with the most seemingly reckless and burdensome tasks until now.
Asking him to protect only Korea would be nothing but selfishness and deceit on his part.
Therefore, he recalled a resolution he had made while watching Hajoon in the past.
"I will support you to the best of my ability."
It was a resolution made after observing Hajoon's activities a long time ago.
If Hajoon made a risky and reckless choice, he would support him as much as possible rather than dissuading him. He decided to fully support Hajoon, regardless of any criticism that the association and he himself might receive.
That was the resolution he had made a long time ago while watching the boy.
Thud-
Continuing forward, Kim Jeongyong eventually stopped in front of a door.
It was the entrance to the ISU's conference room.
A place where the chairpersons of the countries with opened dimensional dungeon gates were gathered.
He opened the door to the conference room and moved forward, intending to make sure Hajoon would not have a hard time.
Supporting the boy from behind was his role.
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Raei Translations
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Due to the unprecedented situation of dimensional dungeons opening in the capitals of various countries, legal inter-country and inter-regional travel is possible with the support of countries without dimensional dungeons.
Seoul was also deserted, except for some citizens who had not evacuated.
In the modern age where magic and technology have advanced, the evacuation of citizens progressed faster than Hajoon had expected. Probably by tonight, all citizens of Seoul will have completed their evacuation.
And within this situation, the heroes and association agents remaining in Seoul were preparing for the breakout of the dimensional dungeon.
The method was the same as in other countries where dimensional dungeons had opened.
"I've inscribed my barrier magic circles in other countries, including Korea."
Hajoon was walking through the deserted streets of Seoul, talking to Anna on the phone.
The most powerful barrier magic created by Anna, who had inherited the power of the sage.
Anna shared the formula of this great magic with the associations of the countries where dimensional dungeons had opened.
Since the activation of the magic required mana, it was possible to mobilize multiple magicians to activate and maintain Anna's great magic.
"The magic itself is special because it's made with the sage's energy, not because the mana required for activation is special. As long as there is mana, anyone can activate it."
Just as she said, the sage's energy made the magic created special, not the mana required for activation.
The sage's energy was, after all, a power that helped create new magic and manipulated the mana floating in the air to produce infinite mana.
In other words, as long as there are enough superhumans and the formula, anyone could activate the magic.
"All the magic circles have been installed. Now, we just need to infuse them with mana, and they will activate immediately."
With the creation of infinite mana, Anna, who would not tire, traveled through the gates to each country with an opened dimensional dungeon and inscribed a gigantic magic circle on the ground at the heart of their capitals, rivaling the dimensional dungeons themselves.
Since the magic circles were already carved and only needed to be activated by imbuing mana, the heroes gathered in Seoul, excluding the advanced and top-tier ones, took on the role of activating the magic circles. This was a measure to prevent the monsters from the dimensional dungeons from escaping to other areas, a strategy also implemented by countries other than Korea.
"Good work."
"No, it wasn't that hard since all I had to do was inscribe the magic circle on the ground. It's the heroes who exert their energy to activate the magic that will have a hard time."
"So, about what you said yesterday, Hajoon, it's true, right?"
"Yes."
Hajoon responded in his usual calm voice to Anna's cautious question, having already informed the children at the academy that he would support all the nations with opened dimensional dungeons.
"Don't overdo it."
"Same to you."
"Well, I should go... I still have things to do."
"Alright, take care."
With that, Hajoon ended the call.
Currently, Anna, having inherited the power of the Sage, was preparing other magics in anticipation of unforeseen situations, not just barrier magic.
After ending the call with Anna, Hajoon took a quiet stroll through the streets of Seoul.
Was this a brief deviation from the norm?
He felt a bit of freedom, however slight.
By tomorrow, Hajoon would have to be busier than anyone else.
While strolling through the city on his way back home, a message notification sound made Hajoon check his phone.
The message was from Chairman Kim Jeongyong.
It was succinct.
[The negotiations were successfully concluded.]
A slight smile formed on Hajoon's lips at the message.
He had been somewhat skeptical, but it seemed the negotiations had indeed concluded successfully.
Honestly, there had been no way to explain beforehand how it would be possible to support all the countries affected by the dimensional dungeons.
Still, it appears they couldn't simply ignore the Irregular's offer of support.
[Gates leading to each country affected by the dimensional dungeons have been prepared in the association's basement.]
After reading the message, Hajoon sent a brief reply, then pocketed his smartphone and continued walking through the city.
There wasn't a particular destination in mind.
He thought this might be his only chance to enjoy some leisure time, hence the walk.
While he was strolling through the city, a girl landed lightly from the sky in front of Hajoon.
Of course, Hajoon could sense her approaching before she even landed, due to the significantly powerful aura she carried.
"Irregular."
Lain.
She approached Hajoon, retracting her wings, and spoke.
"I've found a location where we suspect the elf king might be."
Naturally, "he" referred to the elf king.
Despite finding the suspected location of the elf king, Hajoon looked puzzled at her presence here.
Seeing her gaze towards the sky, Hajoon understood why she couldn't head to that location right away.
"Leanon said she felt a strong presence of his energy beyond the dimensional dungeon in America."
"So we have to wait for the gate to open to go there?"
"Yes."
Hajoon had suspected that they would be on the other side of the gate.
Hearing her confirmed his suspicions.
Then, Lain's eyes transformed into dragon eyes, and through her mouth, Leanon's voice emerged.
[If you kill Hermorus, the King of Elves, perhaps the gate in the sky will also disappear.]
"Do you need help?"
[No.]
Leanon shook her head at the question, just to be sure.
She said,
[If you plan to kill the King of Giants, Gigantmakia, don't waste your energy unnecessarily and conserve your mana. That's the only chance.]
Hajoon furrowed his brows at her words.
Philaten had told him that even the power of Destruction couldn't kill him.
Leanon stepped closer and stared intently at Hajoon before speaking.
[Understand the essence of the power of Destruction, Irregular.]
"The essence?"
[Do not forget the voices of the spirits that follow you.]
As she said that, Leanon lifted her finger.
As she raised her index finger and slowly touched it to Hajoon's forehead.
Whoosh!
The scenery around them changed instantly.
A familiar landscape.
Hajoon couldn't not recognize this place.
A space filled with countless bones under a sky dyed like the blood red at sunset.
This now familiar space was Hajoon's mental world.
As he looked around, Leanon's voice continued.
[The essence of the power held by Dwarf King Horton is not just to destroy everything.]
At that moment, countless hands emerged from the ground made of bones, screaming as if in agony, and wrapped around Hajoon's entire body.
Painful screams and angry roars filled the air.
As the wails of vengeful spirits filled Hajoon's ears,
Leanon's voice followed.
[Listen to their voices, Irregular.]
The world changed again.
When Hajoon looked around once more, neither the blood-red sky nor the bone-filled ground existed.
He was back in reality.
As Hajoon looked around and his gaze fell on Leanon in front of him, Leanon, who had been staring intently at Hajoon, spoke.
[If you don't understand that, you won't be able to kill him.]
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