Chapter 216. A Single Serpent Pt. 3
They were the world's strongest Hunters, the Hunters who were a part of secret organizations, and the Hunters who ruled over them like kings, such as Odin and Zeus.
The power that these Hunters had built up in the fewer than two years after the Gates had appeared in the world was beyond imagination. Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong had definitely said it before.
‘There is some sort of secret to their power.’
There was a reason they could be so strong and why they had a Territory that no one else would. All of those secrets had come from the very land that Lee Jun-Kyeong was now standing on.
“Andlangr…”
Lee Jun-Kyeong looked around him at everything with a different light. In the dark, all he could see was Set and his spear.
“That’s right. This is Andlangr. You’ve never been here before, right?”
“...”
“I know more about you than you think,” Set said as if he was reading his mind. “You must be curious about many things. There must be many things you want to ask.”
Set's attitude was markedly different when he was in Andlangr compared to when they were outside of it. This was a completely different attitude from when they had battled in order to prevent any interruption to the ceremony.
“...”
Lee Jun quickly began to gather all the information he had just been inundated with and compile it all together.
‘Andlangr is the forgotten dimension.’
He was in an unknown dimension, an abandoned space that wasn’t connected to anywhere else. This was a place where nothing, not even the passage of time, existed. The only thing that could be done in this place was to contact the original inhabitants of Andlangr, the rulers of the dimension before it had been abandoned.
‘The Sponsors.’
This was where a Sponsor would bring their chosen Hunter to strengthen them. Leaving them alone in the abandoned dimension, a Sponsor would then strengthen the Hunter according to their own tastes.
They would leave them with monsters, viewing them as entertainment as they watched the Hunter struggle to survive, offering sponsorship and strengthening them just as they were about to die.
In that manner, the Hunters would grow, and eventually, they would become the ruler of their own part of the abandoned dimension. They were owners of the space but had simply been used by the Sponsor in order to strengthen the Hunter.
Through this refinement, Andlangr would…
‘It would become a Territory.’
This was the secret behind the strongest and the secret behind their realms, a fact that Lee Jun-Kyeong would never have known if it wasn’t for the records he had seen in the book of the Demon King. Any Hunter who had experienced Andlangr had never revealed what they had endured here.
‘Some were here for ten years, while for people like Odin and Zeus…’
From what Lee Jun-Kyeong knew, they should have spent more than a hundred years trapped in the Andlangr, fighting enemies by themselves. This place was the source of their strength and their eccentricity. Andlangr was both their salvation and their pain.
It was a Sponsor prison from which it was impossible to escape unless one reached a certain level, and a hell where one could never reach another soul or even any other Sponsors.
“You…” Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Set and said, “You wanted to speak with me.”
Set had waited for him to enter the ceremony, to enter his own personal Andlangr, his Territory. The Hunter had wanted him to enter the dimension cut off from everything else. But why? Why would he have called him here?
“So you must have something you want to say to me without the Demon King knowing,” Lee Jun-Kyeong said as Set nodded cautiously in response.
***
Chi-Woo was a name shrouded in mystery that was feared by many.
From the moment he had awakened, he had been on an entirely different level, scouted by the Association. Although he had collected quite a bit of fame as he raided countless dungeons and grew rapidly, one day, he disappeared.
That was when rumors circulated about Chi-Woo among the Hunters.
‘They say that the Head of the Association’s Enforcement Department is Chi-Woo!’
‘I heard he’s been doing some sketchy things?’
‘Didn’t you hear about it? Phoenix Guild! There’s a rumor that the reason behind the sudden disappearance of all of their higher ranks is Chi-Woo.’
Bloody rumors continuously circulated about Chi-Woo. It ranged from being the Head of the Enforcement Department that punished criminal Hunters to being a cleaner who would take on Odin’s dirty work to kill any strong Hunters. All of the rumors had one thing in common.
‘The deaths of Hunters.’
He always seemed to be involved in huge fights, mysterious deaths, and other ominous activities of the sort. That was why even though many people just disregarded the rumors about him as simply rumors, they were still afraid of him.
In the early days when Chi-Woo had joined the Association, he had made a few public appearances. However, from a certain moment on, he failed to come out in any public appearances, so much so that people were beginning to forget if he actually existed or not. Still, the fear that he had evoked didn't seem to go anywhere.
“If you see someone with long flowing hair and a hammer, run away…” Jeong In-Chang muttered to himself as if he was possessed by something.
“That’s the Chi-Woo.”
The rumor that circulated among the Hunters and the source of intense fear was right before their eyes.
"A Korean? Do you know me?” the man asked.
The storm continued to intensify. In front of Thjazi, Thrymr, and all of the Chinese Hunters, including Liu Bei, a single person stood, ready for battle.
It was Chi-Woo.
That man was definitely Chi-Woo.
But why?
Jeong In-Chang wanted to talk to Liu Bei and hear about the situation, but there was no time.
The aura radiating from Chi-Woo was definitely bloodlust.
“Y…yes, I am a Korean Hunter,” Jeong In-Chang said as he gestured for Won-Hwa to stay as he walked forward.
Chi-Woo seemed even more terrifying than the rumors. His aura alone was enough to overwhelm all of the people around them, many of whom were strong in their own right.
It was easy to tell that Chi-Woo wasn’t a growing Hunter. He was already complete.
‘He’s as strong as the kings of the secret organizations.’
That was why Jeong In-Chang had to stop this fight. He couldn't let Chi-Woo kill those who needed to help Korea. That was the only thing that was on his mind.
“Do you mind letting me know what’s going on…”
Boom!The raging storm gathered its energy in one place, striking down on Jeong In-Chang.
“Goongje!!”
If the princess hadn’t caught sight of it and tackled Jeong In-Chang to the side, the Hunter would have been burnt to a crisp by the bolt of lightning that had struck where he had just been standing.
Crack!! Crackk!!
“You’re strong.”
That was all Chi-Woo had to say after throwing out a lightning bolt.
“...”
“Since you dodged my attack, I’ll give you a chance. If there is something you want to say, say it.”
Although it was harsh in tone, he was someone who had the right to speak that way.
“Why are you here…these people are not our enemies. They are…”
“Are you a traitor?”
“...!”
“The Chinese Hunters seem to have joined forces with those ogre-like monsters. Are you also a traitor who’s joined hands with monsters?”
Jeong In-Chang saw an opportunity at that moment.
‘He’s misunderstood the situation.’
He didn’t know why Chi-Woo was in China, but the Hunter seemed to think that the Chinese Hunters were traitors who had joined forces with the monsters. Therefore, all he had to do was clear up the misunderstanding.
“That’s not the case. They…”
“Whatever. Looking at where you stand, it’s already clear enough.”
“How…!”
As Jeong In-Chang didn’t know how to proceed when met with such a careless response, Chi-Woo made a clear declaration of war.
“I should just be content with having even one more person to battle,” he said, holding his hammer aloft.
Crackle!
Lightning descended from the raging storm and began to gather around his hammer as the Hunters, including Thjazi, Thrymr, and Liu Bei, had already finished their preparations.
“I’ll give you a chance to talk again if you don’t die!”
BOOM!
The hammer Chi-Woo threw flew toward Jeong In-Chang's face.
***
This was a place where all communications were blocked and only the Sponsor of Set was able to view what was going on. This was Set’s personal Andlangr.
The reason Set had lured him here wasn’t only because of the ceremony.
“The Demon King’s eyes can’t reach here…the only space where you can escape from his grasp and speak with me.”
The Demon King, as expected, was no longer just a human, but possessed extraordinary powers completely beyond a human’s ability.
Lee Jun-Kyeong understood. “It looks like you’re still being watched.”
“Watched you say…”
Set curled up his lips in a sneer.
“That being doesn’t have to watch. Information just flows to him naturally, like water down a stream.”
“...?”
“We don’t have much time,” Set said.
“The ceremony is still going on. If the ceremony that had just taken place was to open a link to Yashin’s Sponsor, Orochi, and create a pathway to its Andlangr in order to bring Orochi down to the world…”
Seth's body wriggled. Just like how it sounded, it was a grotesque wriggle of his body, closer to that which a reptile would do, rather than a human.
“The current ceremony, on the other hand, is meant to steal the power of Yamata no Orochi, the Sponsor, who has now descended into Yashin’s body.”
“...!”
Orochi had descended into Yashin. Through the secondary ceremony, it had entered Set's Andlangr, which was his territory and where he would be able to communicate with his Sponsors! After this ceremony ended, Set would have the power of Orochi that had descended into Yashin. However, that didn’t mean that Orochi would die. The power within Yashin should only be a part of Orochi’s full strength.
Still, that alone was suffocating. There was no doubt that Set possessed tremendous power.
But then, what was the reason for all of this?
“Why are you telling me all of…”
“I am still counting on you,” Set interjected.
His condition was gradually deteriorating. In Egypt, there were rumors floating around.
‘Apophis.’
That unlike Lee Jun-Kyeong’s and Horus’ Sponsor, The Desert’s Sun, Set had been granted the Sponsorship of The Dark Side of the Sun, Apophis.
However, as it had been uncovered that Set’s Sponsor was The Death Within the Sands, it was clear that the Hunter also had Multiple Sponsorship.[1]
“That being definitely told me that he would purify the world and build it anew,” Set said emphatically. “However, I knew the truth…that even if it was true that he wanted to purify–no, destroy the world…”
His pupils turned to slits like a snake.
“He has no intention of building a new world!”
His body continued to writhe, but Lee Jun-Kyeong didn’t attack. It seemed as though the Hunter was still struggling to convey his will to Lee Jun-Kyeong.
“It is only you!” Set screamed, his desperate feelings approaching Lee Jun-Kyeong.
Andlangr was a dimension reconstructed only for a single existence. However, at this moment, Lee Jun-Kyeong, Set, and even Orochi were here. Their emotions were all interconnected and could be felt by one another.‘He’s being sincere.’
Everything Set said was sincere and true. He wasn't telling lies.
“It is only you! Only you can stop this…!”
Crack!
Set’s body had completely transformed. It was no longer human. Dark scales covered his skin, and his pupils were as narrow as those of a snake. His red pupils created the illusion of bleeding.
“Strike me down…then, all of the power contained within these ceremonies…”
As the snake bristled its quivering scales, Set gave a final word, “It will all be yours.”
***
Clang!!
The sound of Jeong In-Chang’s greatsword and the hammer colliding was as deafening as thunder.
“Gasp… gasp…”
Jeong In-Chang’s breath rattled as he looked around.
How long had he been fighting? An hour? Two? The only thing that could be certain is that it hadn’t been that long.
“Mr. Jeong…”
“Goong…”
“Ugh…”
But, in that short time, everyone around him had already collapsed. The only one left standing was Jeong In-Chang. Even for him, if he hadn’t gotten used to the burden of Gram to this degree by this point, he would have also been on the ground with the others, struggling to breathe.
It was shocking.
Jeong In-cCang didn’t know what had happened after his party had left China, but the strength of the Chinese Hunters, Thjazi, and Thrymr seemed to have more than doubled.
With their incredible strength combined as one, as if they had joined forces for quite some time, they all banded together and tried to deal with Chi-Woo. Nonetheless, the result could be seen around him.
“Gasp…gasp…”
All Jeong In-Chang could do was try to stifle his breathing and wait for the next attack. He didn’t have the confidence to attack first and defeat Chi-Woo.
Crackle! Crack!!
The moment Jeong In-Chang stepped forward, he could feel that the blue electric current in front of him would consume all of his companions. Chi-Woo was a monster, and Jeong In-Chang could never have imagined that there would have been another such monster in existence.
That said, that didn’t mean that he could stay still and just wait.
“Ha-a-eup!”
Jeong In-Chang gave out a cry as he raised his greatsword again, sprouting scales on his body. As Gram started to regain its form around him, he heard Chi-Woo’s deep voice boom.
“How impressive.”
The only wounds on his body were some scratches on his cheeks and the back of his hands. He really was a monster.
Chi-Woo, the monster, suddenly looked up at the sky as if something was unpleasant.
Crack!!
The sound of thunder echoed loudly in Jeong In-Chang’s ears as he furiously looked for an opening as he stood on wobbly legs.
“I guess I should finish this before that bastard comes,” Chi-Woo suddenly said.
“That bastard…?”
Even before Jeong In-Chang was able to express his confusion, the sound of a bomb exploding rang right by his ears.
BOOM!
He tried to twist his body to escape it, but it was already too late. The sound of an exploding bomb had come from his own body.
“UGH!”
Chi-Woo, who had appeared before him almost instantaneously, had struck his hammer down at his head. Although Jeong In-Chang was able to escape death somehow, he fell to the ground and repeatedly vomited bright, red blood.
“Cough! Cough!!”
“It looks like I was too late.”
Raising his gaze, Chi-Woo looked up at the sky with an even more dissatisfied expression.
“Looks like that bastard is already here.”
Jeong In-Chang wondered who he was talking about. But, that thought only lasted for a moment before the sound of thunder struck again.
Crack!!!
A thunderbolt swiftly followed.
BOOM!
“Tsk.”
“...!”
As Jeong In-Chang saw what was headed for Chi-Woo, he was bewildered by the situation. Why was Chi-Woo’s power attacking himself? It was an impossible situation.
There was no way that a Hunter of that level wouldn’t be able to control his own power. It was only then that he realized it.
‘It’s him.’
There was someone else who could control storms and lightning. Someone else who could save them.
Crack!!
A bolt of lightning struck right before his eyes, blinding his vision.
“Whew.”
As his sight returned, Jeong In-Chang caught a glimpse of a gray-haired man, standing with his back turned to him.
“And here I was, wasting my time digging around Seoul.”
. In the Egypt Chapters, Set’s Sponsor was uncovered to be <The Typhonic Beast of the Desert>, not <The Death Within the Sands>. Set might have three Sponsors, it’s not clear as of yet. ☜