‘…Let’s get out of here.’
Putting aside the slight regret in his heart, Jin Woo gently picked up Jongryeo from the ground.
After losing their two leaders – the queen and the king – the ant monsters scattered and fled to the ends of the island in order to hide from the Shadow Soldiers. The ant tunnel, once filled to the brim with ants, was now completely empty.
Jin Woo took several steps forward before looking behind him to speak to other Hunters.
“Let’s get going.”
Their bodies and physical fatigue might have been recovered to some extent from the potions they ingested, but their mental fatigue had almost reached a breaking point by now. So, when they heard his suggestion, the expressions of the Hunters brightened up considerably.
It was now finally over.
Their smile-filled faces perfectly expressed their current emotions.
After they safely got out from the ant tunnel, they found a helicopter hovering in the air, having arrived at their location just now with an exquisite sense of timing.
“There they are! Hunters are coming out!”
“Yes!! Well done!”
The helicopter carefully descended and landed on the ground after its occupants discovered the exact location of the Hunters. The tired Hunters entered the vehicle one by one until only two people remained.
They were Jin Woo and Baek Yoonho.
Jin Woo was standing closer to the helicopter. He carefully handed Jongryeo over to Baek Yoonho, but not before giving the omega a gentle kiss on the forehead.
“What are you doing, Sung Jin Woo Hunter-nim?”
“I still have some unfinished business to take care of on this island.”
Hearing that, Baek Yoonho could only smirk softly.
There were still plenty of ant monsters that had escaped death roaming around on the Jeju Island. If some other people said that they wanted to remain here, then Baek Yoonho would’ve questioned their sanity, but the man in front of his eyes was definitely not included in that group.
To fight monsters, you need a monster.
Baek Yoonho thought that he wouldn’t be surprised anymore regardless of what Jin Woo was planning to do on this island.
“Excuse me.”
Before leaving the island, Baek Yoonho threw out one last question.
“Byung-Gyu…. No, wait. What will happen to the summoned creature that came out from Byung-Gyu? Will he… stay as your soldier and continue to fight on?”
Jin Woo shook his head.
“I’ve canceled the summoning. It won’t be possible to see him again.”
Baek Yoonho nodded his head and formed a content smile.
“That’s a relief.”
“Pardon?”
“That guy, he… really hated fighting, you know? I’m sure that he’s thanking you right now, wherever he is.”
And so, the six warriors and one cameraman who had bravely fought on finally left the island of Jeju.
Their fight was over. However, it was merely another beginning for Jin Woo.
‘I need only one more level up to hit 100.’
He’d get there with no problem, considering the number of remaining monsters on this island. And besides, there were plenty of shadows waiting to be extracted back inside the ant tunnel, as well.
So, then – should he get started now?
‘First of all, I should take care of the ants that had run away….’
Jin Woo formed a deep smile and summoned Kaisel out.
_______________
The helicopter containing the Hunters headed straight back to the city of Seoul.
Tatatatatata-!
The Association President Go Gunhee had been anxiously waiting for their arrival, so when the helicopter landed on the landing pad located at the Hunters Association, he quickly went over personally and opened the vehicle’s door.
“How is Park Jongryeo Hunter-nim’s condition?”
The gazes of the Hunters all shifted towards where Park Jongryeo was. He still hadn’t recovered his consciousness yet and was lying on top of a blanket laid out on the helicopter’s floor.
“Hurry! This way!”
…
Two A-rank Healers, waiting just outside the landing pad, hurriedly sprinted forward as soon as Go Gunhee issued his order. But, when they began checking out her condition,
“…??”
“…??”
They exchanged puzzled glances with each other.
“What’s going on?”
When Go Gunhee asked them, they answered almost at the same time, making it hard to tell who was the first to open his mouth.
“He’s not injured anywhere.”
“He’s perfectly normal.”
“Are you saying that there’s no need to treat Hunter Park now?”
The Healers nodded their heads. They also explained themselves a bit further.
“Not sure who did it, but truly incredible healing magic was cast on her. Because of that, we don’t need to do anything here, sir.”
…
Go Gunhee was feeling genuinely flustered now.
When he last confirmed Park Jongryeo’s condition through the live broadcast, his injuries looked quite severe. And also from a report he received, his condition was so bad that he failed to regain consciousness until now.
That was why he had urgently searched for and found a couple of A-rank Healers, and had them on standby here.
But now…
‘There’s no need to heal him?’
Go Gunhee swept his gaze all over the unmoving Jongryeo. For sure, his complexion didn’t look so bad. It was almost as if he was fast asleep.
Just what transpired after the camera was turned off?
Go Gunhee tilted his head in confusion.
‘They didn’t have a Healer over there, too….’
After all, their sole Healer, Min Byung-Gyu, met with a grisly fate, didn’t he?
Go Gunhee asked the team leader, Ma Dong Wook.
“Just what happened back there, Hunter Mah?”
“That is….”
As Ma Dong Wook fell into a dilemma, wondering how he should go about explaining this situation, one of the Healers hurriedly shouted out.
“He’s waking up!”
Everyone’s attention was focused on Park Jongryeo in an instant. Go Gunhee carefully sat down near his head and asked him.
“Park Hunter-nim, can you hear me?”
Jongryeo slowly opened his eyes.
“Where….?”
“You’re inside the helicopter. Currently, it’s landed on the Hunters Association, and we are planning to escort you to the hospital very soon.”
“A hospital….”
Jongryeo briefly looked around him, before taking a deep breath. The scent of Hunter Sung Jin Woo had permeated throughout his body. He stared at Go Gunhee with unfocused eyes.
“….Did Sung Jin Woo Hunter-nim show up there?”
He was supposed to be unconscious all this time, so when he mentioned Sung Jin Woo’s name, other Hunters were all inwardly taken by surprise. Instead of a verbal answer, Go Gunhee slowly nodded his head.
A thin smile formed on Park Jongryeo’s face.
‘I knew it…’
Park Jongryeo had briefly woken up, but he fell back into a deep slumber again. After confirming that his breathing was stable, Go Gunhee ordered his subordinates to take Park Jongryeo to the hospital, so he could get some much-needed rest.
____________
“How is it that you’re able to talk?”
“I just…. can.”
The ant’s shadow kept answering Jin Woo’s questions, but regretfully, none of them were much of a help.
The ant monster could talk as a shadow because it knew how to talk when it was still alive – could that be it?
‘…No, wait.’
Jin Woo shook his head.
Before he was turned into the now-trustworthy knight ‘Iron’, the former Hunter Kim Cheol not only knew how to speak, but he was actually a human being in the first place. Even then, having a conversation with Iron was still impossible.
It was the same story with Min Byung-Gyu. He was unable to say a single word before he returned to the void. And then, Tusk also shut his mouth for good after becoming a Shadow Soldier, even though he used to be such a chatty monster while still alive.
So, how come…
How come only this guy could talk?
There was only one obvious difference between this guy and those who couldn’t talk.
‘Grades….’
Unlike his other soldiers with grades of ‘Elite Knight’ or simply ‘Knight’, this guy came with a new grade called ‘Commander’.
It was possible that one would be able to talk after reaching a certain grade. As he didn’t have any solid proof yet, this was the most plausible explanation he could think of.
‘That means, my boys will all start talking as soon as they level up high enough….’
It seemed that yet another reason was added to the list of ‘why the levels of soldiers must be raised up higher’. Jin Woo thought for a little while, before throwing that one question to the ant’s shadow, the one he always wanted to ask his soldiers before.
“I’m the one who killed you.”
“…”
“Yet, you still wish to serve me?”
“I…..”
A completely unexpected reply came from the ant’s shadow.
“I didn’t die, but… through the power of my liege… I am reborn.”
The shadow then raised his head. And while meeting Jin Woo’s gaze, it continued on.
“Within me… elation… overflows. I shall follow my liege… for eternity.”
Ba-dump!
Why did it happen? Was it because he felt the shadow’s true feelings?
Jin Woo’s heart pounded powerfully right at that moment when the ant’s shadow swore his eternal loyalty. He placed his hand on his chest to somehow calm his wildly beating heart. It quickly regained its usual calmness.
It was then, the ant’s shadow lowered his head again and pleaded with Jin Woo once more.
“Oh, my king….. Please, grant me… a name….”
The talk had reverted to the beginning.
This sure came across as a rather different experience to Jin Woo, now that he was hearing the plea of the subject directly from itself, rather than from some prompts of the System.
A name, a name…..
From the get-go, he didn’t pay all that much attention to the naming of his soldiers, but….
‘But even then, it’s a bit too much to call it ant this and ant that, right?’
There were already hundreds of similar ants like him now in Jin Woo’s army, so it wouldn’t do for a Knight Commander to be saddled with a name like ‘Ant’, now would it?
That was why…..
Jin Woo pondered for a little while, before a smirk formed on his face.
“….Beru.”
He recalled the name of an author who became famous through the novel called ‘Ants’.
He readily made up his mind after only thinking about it for a very short time.
“Your name will now be Beru.”
After Jin Woo granted him the new name, Beru lowered his already lowered head even further to the ground as if he was truly moved by the gesture.
“I am grateful… my liege.”
The information floating above Beru’s head had already been amended by then.
[Beru Lv.1]
Commander grade
‘It’s done.’
Feeling genuinely pleased with his choice of the name, Jin Woo turned towards the queen’s corpse. Now, it really was the turn of the queen to get her shadow extracted.
Maybe he got a confidence boost from successfully transforming Beru into his Shadow Soldier – because the queen’s Shadow Extraction turned out to be a rather painless affair.
“Arise.”
Kiiaaahhhhk-!
Accompanied by the scream that sounded like the death throes, the Beast Soldier resembling the ant queen emerged out from the shadow.
“Nice!!”
Jin Woo expressed his delight at the continuous successful extractions, but then, began tilting his head after discovering something rather odd.
‘What’s this?’
His connections to the Shadow Soldiers who were originally ant monsters suddenly grew fainter after the queen’s shadow materialized. It almost felt as if a pale grey fog was covering up the threads connecting them.
“Beru.”
Even before he finished calling it, Beru had already approached Jin Woo’s side.
Step.
If it weren’t for his Perception Stat that had climbed past the 200 mark, Jin Woo would never have followed that movement properly with his naked eyes alone. Such a creature was one of his loyal soldiers now. Jin Woo felt his confidence soaring up even higher from that realization.
“You know what’s going on here?”
Jin Woo asked while pointing at the queen’s shadow with his chin. Beru knew everything there was to know when it came to the inner workings of the ant army so it made sense to ask him.
He politely made his reply.
“The ruling of the ant army… it’s the queen’s innate ability.”
So, did that mean the authority to control the army of ant shadows would automatically be handed over to the queen?
‘But, that is a bit….’
Even though the queen was subservient to him, he thought that it wasn’t okay to entrust the control of all of his ant soldiers. Because he’d have to issue orders through the queen every single time.
Jin Woo scratched his chin for a bit, before asking Beru again.
“Okay, what about the reason for the decrease in the queen’s magic energy?”
“Most of the queen’s magic energy… is for propagation. Propagation is impossible…. without a body, that is why…”
Jin Woo cut him off there.
“That’s why it only has half of its original magic power?”
“That is correct… my liege.”
By piecing together what Beru had said, the queen didn’t seem to have much of a use for Jin Woo. After a short deliberation later, he decided to cancel the summoning altogether.
He didn’t have any reason whatsoever to keep around a subordinate who had no use but only continued to drain his limited resources, now did he?
Kiiieeehhhk-!
The queen’s shadow instantly became smoke and scattered in the air.
[Number of stored shadows: 570/570]
His shadow was now packed to the brim with soldiers, so….
‘….So, the only things remaining here are the magic crystals.’
Jin Woo took a look around him. Top-grade magic crystals only seen within S-rank Gates were rolling on the floor like common pebbles.
Since there was no one watching here, and he was the one who killed the majority of them, he could have swept them all up if he wanted to do so. However, Jin Woo gave up on that idea.
He heard that these crystals would be used to compensate the victims, as well as to rebuild the Jeju Island to its former glory. Jin Woo wasn’t exactly hurting for cash, so he wouldn’t covet after other people’s stuff.
‘Still, I’m sure no one will mind me taking this one.’
Jin Woo took out the magic crystal from Beru’s original body. It was a beautiful pitch-black magic crystal that resembled a gemstone. After pocketing the magic crystal, Jin Woo summoned out Kaisel.
Kiiaaahjk!
Kaisel flapped its wings and finished getting ready to fly in an instant. Jin Woo lightly jumped on his back and took one last look at the queen’s chamber.
The place once filled with unbridled chaos was now enveloped in this eerie silence.
‘…….’
The Jeju Island expedition was now over.
Jin Woo’s gaze shifted away from the interior of the chamber and towards the exit.
“To home.”
And then, Kaisel powerfully flew up in the air.
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