Chapter Eleven – The Resonance of an S-Rank Gate
In the Japanese embassy in Korea, [Goto Ryuji] received word of the appearance of the new S-Rank Gate.
He moved immediately,gathering his entire team.
After the catastrophe of Jeju Island,and the humiliation of being prevented from becoming a National-Level Hunter, he was furious.
So furious that he had issued orders at the level of the Japanese Prime Minister for a nationwide manhunt for the Strange-Eyed Hunter.
To him,the very idea of not knowing a person of such power existed in Japan—the country he wanted to be the strongest in, the country he boasted was home to its strongest S-Rank hunter—filled him with a gnawing doubt about his own life's trajectory.
But soon, news reached him: this hunter wasn't Japanese at all.
A vast number of documents had been combed through,and advanced facial recognition scanners had been used to cross-reference every face recorded in Japan's history over the past twenty years against the Strange-Eyed Hunter's image.
No match was found among any individuals of the same approximate age.
"Damn it all!" he snarled, the sound echoing in the opulent, tense office.
"If that's the case,how can such a person appear out of thin air? And if he's not from Japan, why did he use Japanese as his primary language? He could have spoken any other language! Even if he has Japanese features, if he wasn't born in Japan, why would he use such a language?"
This logical, maddening question plagued Japan's strongest hunter to the point where he could do little else but think about it, over and over, for days.
His pride was a raw,open wound, salted by this enigma.
"Sir, the Strange-Eyed Hunter has appeared before the new S-Rank Gate. It has also been awakened in Korea, right in the middle of a marketplace in Seoul."
One of his researchers and intelligence monitors spoke rapidly,making a few swift gestures on his computer to pull up the live news feed now broadcast across Korea.
[Goto Ryuji]'s sharp eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
The scene he witnessed in that moment—that youth who appeared to be sixteen,speaking for mere seconds with the Chairman of the Korean Hunter Association—revealed a great deal.
"He's arrogant.He didn't even properly address the Chairman of the Korean Association. That's a person even I would think twice about before ignoring outright."
His thoughts were saturated with a bitter,acidic envy.
While this act was supremely arrogant,it also confirmed that [Go Gun-Hee], the strongest hunter in Korea, had acknowledged the Strange-Eyed Hunter was powerful enough to act this way.
As for the idea that the Association Chairman was simply being nice… that was laughably impossible.
How could a man like that old fox,known for his strength and tactical acumen, allow such an act that would weaken his face in front of the entire world? Other nations were undoubtedly watching this broadcast, especially after the Strange-Eyed Hunter had demonstrated the capacity to be a National-Level Hunter—the strongest combat force in the world. There were only a handful of such beings globally, and each was a treasure to the nation that possessed them.
Is that cunning old man trying to recruit this boy? If he succeeds, will Korea gain a National-Level Hunter?
[Goto]'s assessment of [Uchiha Sasuke] was based purely on the magnitude of power he possessed.
He had been on Jeju Island.He knew intimately the terrifying aura of the Ant King.
He was certain that if he had fought the Ant King,it would have taken the creature less than a minute—perhaps mere seconds—to dispatch him.
And then he remembered.
He remembered how the Strange-Eyed Hunter had summoned that lightning,how it had enveloped Jeju Island, how it had destroyed an area equivalent to half the island with the remaining blasts, leaving kilometers of utter devastation in minutes.
And the youth hadn't even lookedtired.
He had simply…vanished afterward.
It's impossible to let such a hunter fall into Korea's hands. If I cannot become a National-Level Hunter myself… then I must control one. If I can…
The youth seemed to be sixteen. Perhaps he was just someone who had been hiding in Japan? Or perhaps he had different intentions.
But as long as[Goto Ryuji] could gain control over such immense power, his guild would instantly become an international powerhouse.
He could speak with other National-Level Hunters as an equal.
He would wield immense influence.
In a way,he would achieve his dream indirectly, becoming someone with far more global impact than he was now.
"Prepare everything," [Goto] commanded, his voice a low, urgent growl. "We are going to that gate. Immediately."
Of course, there would need to be discussions, agreements. The cooperation treaty between Japan and Korea was built on the Jeju Island incident, which the Strange-Eyed Hunter had single-handedly resolved.
Japan might not have the automatic right to enter a Korean dungeon at this moment.
But compared to that bureaucratic hurdle,[Goto Ryuji] was focused on one thing: reaching the Strange-Eyed Hunter and ensuring he was aligned with Japan, not Korea.
His entire plan hinged on the belief that the Strange-Eyed Hunter hadsome affinity with Japan.
Using that,he could bring the hunter into the fold, make him a part of Japan, which would directly elevate [Goto]'s own status and reputation.
"Sir, all hunters are ready. The vehicles are prepared. Furthermore, I've contacted the Korean embassy and arranged everything… though they seem resistant."
[Goto]didn't even look at his bespectacled assistant. He was already moving toward the armory, his polished shoes clicking a sharp, rapid tap-tap-tap on the marble floor.
He began donning his combat gear—reinforced tactical fabric whispering against his skin,the solid clack of mag-locked weapon holsters securing to his thighs, the heavy thump of a customized mana-reinforced chest plate.
"Don't concern yourself with their resistance," he said, his tone hardening into finality as he checked the edge of a monomolecular blade with a soft shhhink. "We are going to that gate, no matter what. Order everyone to prepare and equip all gear. At any cost, we must participate in this gate raid. We must enter. We must take control of the situation. We must make contact with the Strange-Eyed Hunter."
It was an order delivered with unyielding firmness.
He finished his preparations and strode towards the exit,his aura one of grim determination.
The men left in the room looked at each other,a silent communication passing between them, before they too scrambled into action, the room filling with the sounds of urgent movement—zippers, clacking equipment, and hushed, tense commands.
And simultaneously, in many other regions, the appearance of the new S-Rank Gate in Korea was becoming a rapidly escalating topic of discussion among all other global powers.
A new piece was moving on the board,and everyone wanted to control it, especially the man whose ambition had just been refocused from achieving power to acquiring it.
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End of Chapter.
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Ambition sharpens its knives, and a political storm gathers at the dungeon's entrance. Thank you for reading as the hunters become the hunted in a game of influence and power! Your insights are the true strategic intel in this unfolding drama.
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