Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 288 – Shaky Politics (5)

Han-Yeol could discern that the free-spirited young man wasn't particularly significant. He was, indeed, a Hunter, but at best, he was likely an A Rank.

However, an A Rank Hunter was nothing to underestimate, and the young man seemed to be at the apex of that rank. Nevertheless, he appeared exceedingly ordinary for someone who was meant to be the chairman of the most powerful organization in the country, the Hunters’ Association.

“Hahaha! Certainly, grandfather. This individual is South Korea's finest Hunter, Hunter Lee Han-Yeol! There has been much talk about his growth-type ability, but he is unquestionably the country's most formidable Hunter now that he has vanquished Kim Tae-San,” the young man declared.

“Hoho! You're absolutely correct,” the old man responded.

‘What are they trying to pull right now…?’ Han-Yeol frowned as he overheard the casual conversation between the two individuals.

Then, they approached Han-Yeol.

“Nice to meet you. I'm Woo Jin-Cheon, the current acting chairman of the Hunters’ Association,” the affable young man introduced himself to Han-Yeol and extended his hand.

Tak…

Han-Yeol shook his hand and replied, “Nice to meet you too. I'm Lee Han-Yeol.”

Immediately after the handshake, Woo Jin-Cheon added, “Oh, and this gentleman here is my grandfather. You may know him by the title 'The First Hunter.' He's the actual chairman of the Hunters’ Association. I'm just temporarily filling in for him at the moment.”

“…!”

Han-Yeol was taken aback when he heard the name, and Chairman Woo didn't overlook this shift in his expression.

“Hoho! I heard that you nodded off during your Porter classes, but it appears that you recall all the crucial details, considering your immediate reaction to my name,” Chairman Woo remarked with a chuckle.

"N-No way... I heard that Chairman Woo had already passed away, but how...? Don’t tell me...?"

"Yes, it's just as you're thinking. I didn't die; I merely feigned my own death."

“Ugh…” Han-Yeol could not help but groan at those words.

“Hoho!” Chairman Woo laughed heartily upon seeing Han-Yeol's troubled expression.

Only a select few knew that Chairman Woo was still alive, and anyone who encountered him typically had the same reaction as Han-Yeol. It was one of the few amusements in Chairman Woo's long life on Earth.

“Until when do you intend to keep this old man waiting outside?”

“Ugh… Please come in…” Han-Yeol reluctantly invited them into his mansion.

It was just before they entered the mansion gates that Chairman Woo suddenly stopped and looked around. He remarked, "Ah, they must be the ladies from Egypt. Good... They resemble two fully blossomed flowers, showcasing their beauty. They put the Korean flowers to shame."

"I agree, grandfather."

"Hohoho!"

The grandson and grandfather duo engaged in some frivolous banter before continuing into the mansion.

Han-Yeol shook his head, sensing that these were quite troublesome guests, and he anticipated a long day ahead.

Unfortunately, he couldn't afford to treat their visit lightly, as they were here on official business representing the association. He might have taken it more lightly if the young 'proxy' chairman had come alone, but there was no way he could relax with the presence of the Hunter, adored and respected by everyone.

“Haa…”

"What's that person, Han-Yeol?" Tayarana asked, looking seemingly upset.

How dare he evaluate her? This was something unimaginable in Egypt, and it was only right for her to feel offended. However, the one who responded to Tayarana's question was not Han-Yeol but Mariam.

"He is the Hunter with the title 'The First Hunter,' Tayarana-nim."

"What does that mean?"

"Ah, I apologize. I forgot that we do not teach about the First Hunter in Egypt. Please allow me to explain. The First Hunter refers to the Hunter who awakened with his own powers even before people started awakening, and he defended Earth while the monsters from the dimensional gates were running amok. Not much is known about him since the world was at war with the monsters, but we do know that the First Hunter was Korean, and he was the basis used when deciding whether a Hunter is a Master Rank or not."

"Really?" Tayarana asked with a hint of skepticism, as this was something she was hearing for the first time.

"Yes, Tayarana-nim."

"He managed to awaken before the aliens offered their help?"

"Yes."

"That's quite amazing," Tayarana muttered, genuinely impressed.

The Egyptians firmly believed that a country ignorant of its history had no future, so they provided their children with thorough education in their country's history. They placed particular emphasis on the events leading to the dimensional gates, a subject that had been a constant topic of discussion in their academia.

Tayarana was well-educated in history, and that was why she was genuinely impressed upon hearing that someone managed to awaken without the help of the aliens.

"But..." Mariam muttered.

"But what?"

"Based on what he said just a while ago... It seems that he has been pretending to be dead and intends to continue doing so for the foreseeable future..."

"Pretending to be dead?"

"Yes, Tayarana-nim. I have no clue what compelled him to make such a decision, but I sense that there's a significant secret behind it."

"A secret..."

"Yes."

Tayarana was growing increasingly curious about the man known as Chairman Woo. In fact, anyone who met Chairman Woo face to face would likely be as curious as she was at that moment.

Tak…

"Let's leave it at that and go inside. I'm quite certain we'll uncover this secret sooner or later if there is one," Han-Yeol suggested as he placed his hands on Tayarana and Mariam's shoulders and smiled.

Both of them gazed at him with tenderness and warmth in their eyes. Others might have been surprised to see the two beauties, known for their coldness, looking at someone with such affection, but these were looks they exclusively reserved for Han-Yeol alone.

“Okay, Han-Yeol.”

“Yes, Han-Yeol-nim.”

‘Ah, both of them are so beautiful…’

Han-Yeol was in awe of their beauty once again.

‘Why does it seem like these two are growing more beautiful by the day?’

***

Han-Yeol led the guests to the adjacent house within his mansion grounds, which was now heavily guarded by association guards and Gurkhas. There were no enemies within the mansion grounds, but there was no harm in being extra cautious.

The meeting included Han-Yeol, Tayarana, and the grandfather-grandson duo.

Slurp... Slurp...

Hot green teas were placed on the table, and the four of them were seated, with the sound of them sipping tea being the only noise in the room. However, anyone could sense that the atmosphere was far from light as they scrutinized each other.

‘Hmm... She's truly beautiful...’

Chairman Woo's grandson, of course, was too preoccupied with admiring Tayarana's beauty to focus on anything else.

Clack...

Breaking the silence, Chairman Woo himself asked, "Hoho... So, are you claiming that you killed Kim Tae-San in self-defense?"

‘So it's finally here.’

Han-Yeol had already expected this to happen.

"Yes, as you will clearly see in the video, Kim Tae-San was the first to attack me. He used some strange skill after getting subdued and sacrificed his subordinates to continue fighting. He threatened my life with his strange skill that made him stronger than a Master Rank Hunter, and I had no other choice than to kill him to protect myself. That is the very definition of self-defense, would you not agree?" Han-Yeol recited the script provided by his legal team.

His legal team had thoroughly reviewed every aspect of the law to ensure that no fault would be found in his actions.

It was then that a sudden thought crossed Han-Yeol's mind, 'I sound like those chaebols[1] that appear on the news after causing trouble...'

He was not wrong. As the general public knew, wealthy individuals often managed to avoid punishment for their crimes, thanks to their wealth.

‘Well, as unfair as it sounds, I'm technically still facing consequences,’ he thought.

However, the truth didn't matter to the general public, as Han-Yeol was still being criticized by some people.

‘I guess I’m going to live a long life…?’[2]

The internet was filled with trolls hurling insults at him, but he was unfazed by them, as they paled in comparison to the insults he had received from the Hunters and the factory manager during his time as a Porter.

"Hoho... Your expensive legal team is probably right, if that's what they said. I mean, what can I do against them, right? Maybe pay a visit to the powerful guy living in the house with a blue roof? But, even so, I'm just going because he keeps asking me to visit him," Chairman Woo nonchalantly remarked.

Both Han-Yeol and Chairman Woo locked eyes, and it seemed like a battle of wits was transpiring between them.

"Then, I suppose that concludes the purpose of your visit today?" Han-Yeol inquired.

"Hoho! Why are you in such a hurry to kick me out? My body is quite old, and I fall ill if I move too quickly. Such is the plight of an old man like me," Chairman Woo replied with a smirk.

‘What a cunning old man…’

Han-Yeol was certain that Chairman Woo was an exceptionally astute individual. While other Hunters might be blinded by their respect and admiration of him as the First Hunter, Han-Yeol was not interested in superficial titles like that; what mattered to him was the present.

"Don't give me that look now. I'm just beginning to get to the heart of my visit here, you see?"

"As expected, I knew you wouldn't have come all this way with only that agenda in mind."

"Hoho! You should have let this old man fool you, even if you saw through it, you know? Geez..."

Chairman Woo seemed to be speaking in jest, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Ah, you must be aware of it then. Earth is still in the first dimension, and we are going to evolve into the second dimension after the thirty-year period is over."

Han-Yeol replied before taking a sip of his tea, "Yes, I am well aware of that, as Ms. Yulia informed me."

Slurp…

However, he had more to say, but he chose to keep it to himself for now.

'I spent twenty years in that dimension...'

He hadn't merely passed time there aimlessly; he had become the most powerful being in that dimension.

"We will most likely be connected to the Bastro Dimension if we enter the second dimension," Chairman Woo said.

"I see," Han-Yeol replied, but his thoughts were elsewhere once more.

'That's definitely going to happen; it's not a matter of most likely or what if.'

Han-Yeol had already experienced the Bastro Dimension, so he was certain about what was going to happen.

"So, I've been secretly preparing for war with the Bastro Dimension," Chairman Woo dropped a significant revelation.

“…?!”

Preparation for war? Against the Bastro Dimension, which was already in the second dimension?

'Is he crazy...?' Han-Yeol was completely flabbergasted by what the old man said.

The dimensional connection he experienced as Harkan was not for waging war, but for trading with other dimensions. What was all this talk of war? This seemed utterly insane.

"It's not just me. Distinguished Hunters all over the world have been secretly preparing for war. In fact, there's a secret organization centered around me that will lead the charge against the Bastro Dimension. The name is a bit cheesy, but we call ourselves the Freemason Society. So, what do you think? Would you like to join us and create the most powerful organization in the world? Your Gurkha raid party seems quite promising. Hoho!"

Han-Yeol finally realized why the cunning old man's eyes resembled those of a snake. ‘He's been preparing something I would have never imagined in my life…’

However, there was something Chairman Woo was not aware of, and that was the fact that the Bastro Dimension was brimming with powerful warriors.

Han-Yeol didn't immediately reject the offer and decided to ask, "Why? Why do you wish to wage war against the Bastro Dimension?"

They say that every grave has either a story or an excuse, so Han-Yeol was certain that the cunning old man had a reason for wanting to wage war against the Bastro Dimension.

"Hoho! It's only obvious, right? As you're aware, our Hunters are going to become even stronger once we enter the second dimension, and the number of people awakening will increase as well. We have seven billion people in this world, but we can say that the hunting grounds on Earth won't be able to support all of them. Our history shows us that if demand far outweighs supply, then we have only one option..."

"Colonialism..."

"Hoho! Exactly!"

Han-Yeol glimpsed not only what the South Korean government but also governments worldwide were aiming for.

‘Haa… Human greed truly knows no end…’

Han-Yeol wasn't sure about the exact words or where he had read the quote, but it was quite a famous saying on the internet. He couldn't say this to the cunning old man's face, but he certainly thought it was the perfect quote to describe what was happening.

'Why can't they consider peaceful options first and avoid jumping the gun?'

What if the Bastro Dimension was far stronger than they expected, and they couldn't handle them? What if they initiated the attack but ended up losing the war? They were likely to launch the first attack and then portray themselves as victims if they lost and suffered heavy casualties.

“I see… I understand.”

“Hoho! So, what do you think? Will you join us?”

“Well, I have clearly made up my mind.”

“Hoho!”

“I refuse.”

“…!”

“Hmm…”

1. Chaebols refer to families that own the Korean conglomerates. ☜

2. There is a Korean saying that your lifespan will increase if people curse or insult you. ☜