Chapter 220: Knockout Tournament (7)
So, there’s this S-Class Hunter from South Korea, suspected to be a defensive-type.
With a body as robust as Hyeonmu’s, sure, there’s already one from this country, but hey, more muscles can’t hurt, right?
‘If the proposal goes through, maybe I should assign him to the abandoned areas.’
China has the second-lowest number of S-Class Hunters relative to its land area, right after Russia.
Domestically, there exists a monstrous dead zone, referred to as the “dead land.”
With the current S-Class Hunters in China, it’s hard to solve it internally, so welcoming a suitable naturalized Hunter wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“Ah, understood. I’ll handle the requested food and drink right away.”
Zhu Han, impressed by Kim Gi-ryeo’s performance, decided to suggest special naturalization.
But even if it fell through, not much would change.
No matter how awesome that Korean guy was, the winner of the tournament was pretty much predetermined.
‘Defensive-type Hunters are relatively sluggish and lack sharp attacks. That’s their chronic issue.’
If the thief was using a specially made competition necklace, Kim Gi-ryeo’s attacks would be nothing more than a nuisance.
Besides, being backed by the Chinese government, he had plenty of ways to deal with it.
‘To let some steam off, I need to set him up against S-Class Hunters leading up to the finals.’
The announcement that the match-ups would be determined by a draw was a lie.
The better Kim Gi-ryeo performed, the more likely he would be plucked down by the emerging hero of China.
That Korean was nothing less than a brilliant stepping stone to elevate China’s status.
With a carefree attitude devoid of worries, Zhu Han was ready to meet Kim Gi-ryeo.
Thump! Thump!
“Huh?”
But at that moment…
Someone suddenly kicked the door open like it was made of paper and barged into the hotel room.
Cold sweat pouring down and looking as pale as a frostbitten corpse in winter, it was a senior Awakened from the Invincible Guild.
“Z-Zhu Han! It’s urgent…!”
He was Zhu Han’s subordinate.
But what was he yelling about, bursting in like that?
“H-Hear this: I contacted the Lounge, where the Korean was supposed to eat… and that blond guy…”
“Kim Gi-ryeo? What about him?”
“He’s left the arena! There’s no one in the Lounge!”
Hmm?
Zhu Han, along with the Chinese nationals in the hotel, were all bewildered at once.
So right now, it’s the official lunch time provided by the organizers, and Kim Gi-ryeo wasn’t around…
Essentially, he had vacated the premises?
‘Did our lunch box not sit well with him, and he went to grab a bite elsewhere?’
‘Well, we did cut corners on the budget there…’
Whispers, whispers.
Event organizers started looking around nervously at one another.
But since the arena was chosen to be as far from urban areas as possible for safety, it would take quite a while to find an external restaurant.
“So… do we know where Kim Gi-ryeo is right now?”
Just as various thoughts passed through their minds.
“Not that!”
The pale subordinate exclaimed with wide eyes.
“It seems he plans to completely give up on the competition and leave the country! His mobile is off, and on top of that, a Tianjin citizen saw that Korean using a dungeon artifact to teleport!”
Cue the panic—Chinese officials shot up from their seats like fireworks.
“Give up?”
“Give up what?”
“Does that mean he’s forfeiting all upcoming matches?”
This was utterly absurd.
Of course, there were no penalties for withdrawing from this event (I mean, they were practically begging for participants and offering rewards, so a cancellation fee would be ridiculous).
But still, if an S-Class decided to forfeit, that changes the scenario!
“What on earth is he thinking?!”
One referee from the Hwangryong Tournament, aghast, gritted his teeth.
This event had significant differences in prize money and rewards based on rankings.
Since he was up against an S-Class Hunter, even climbing a few ranks by trampling over A-Class competitors could net a grand prize fairly easily.
Not that lower-tier rewards were worth more than an [Item Box (Rare)], though.
In terms of efficiency per hour, sure, winning one match and then forgoing it would be more lucrative, but still, for an S-Class to do this…
Why would an S-Class Hunter resort to such a thing?
“Is he that desperate to hide his ability? Ha! Is that it? Trying to hide my skills!”
The people present couldn’t possibly understand.
In reality, that blond man was a fake S-Class with a pitifully shallow deck of tricks, evoking pity.
His entire strategy revolved around that earlier stalling technique, and even the [Divine Tree Sapling] had limits: its effect would instantly wear off once a certain amount of damage was dealt!
The moment news hit about Kim Gi-ryeo leaving the arena, the room fell into chaos.
“Stop.”
But there was still someone maintaining composure.
“Everyone, calm down.”
It was Zhu Han, the representative Hunter from China.
Always adorned with the same calm smile, he continued speaking.
“Well, this Zhu Han is firmly present at the Hwangryong Tournament. So I can understand why someone would run away in fear.”
“Hah… that’s true but…”
“Still, this is really against common decency, don’t you think? To be honest, days like today are rare when we can see each other’s faces, yet he leaves like that—it’s a rather cold-hearted move, don’t you agree?”
Then came a chilling declaration from a strong man with a warm visage.
“For now, let’s prohibit his departure.”
Zhu Han’s remark left his subordinates in shock.
But the man’s opinion wouldn’t change.
“If we take measures to prevent him from leaving China, he’ll have no choice.”
“Ah…!”
“Once we have him cornered, it’ll just be a matter of bringing him back to the arena. Schedule the afternoon matches by advancing the A-Class matches as much as possible.”
“Understood!”
“If you mention my name, they’ll act immediately.”
Despite thinking he was a decent Awakened for a foreigner, to think he’d create such chaos…
Hearing that a participant had fled didn’t faze Zhu Han in the slightest.
As a representative Hunter, he was practically a symbol of the nation and held a great deal of power in China.
Especially when involving the success of an event, he could whimsically shut down all airports and seaports across Tianjin with a single phone call.
“Z-Zhu Han…”
But what could possibly be happening now?
A certain Awakened, having contacted the National Bureau of Public Security on his superior’s orders, turned pale as a ghost.
“That is…”
Shudder, shudder.
What followed was a quavering report.
“I just checked with them… and it appears Kim Gi-ryeo isn’t using regular airline services…”
“Hmm?”
“He left on Kang Chang-ho’s private jet… through the Business Aviation Center…”
The Business Aviation Center.
This was a facility recently constructed specifically for the private jets of corporate owners and equivalent wealthy individuals.
Since VIPs who generally had a different asset level than the average public primarily used it, it had many differentiating features from ordinary airports.
And most importantly, the standout advantage was the rapid exit and entry processes.
Unlike typical cases where one had to arrive three hours before departure for checks…
There, departure procedures could finish in roughly ten minutes tops.
“Oh no. I should’ve thought of this…”
With a small exclamation, Zhu Han slapped his forehead, then after a few seconds of silence, spoke up.
“…Wait a minute.”
Thinking it through, he felt that something was awry in the message conveyed by his subordinate.
“Did you just say ‘Kang Chang-ho’s private jet’?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“…Then does that mean Kang Chang-ho has also left China? Come to think of it, didn’t you mention the Korean Lounge was empty…? Hold on. Let me verify this again. You mean to tell me both Kim Gi-ryeo and Kang Chang-ho left the country at the same time, so they both simultaneously forfeited the matches?”
At Zhu Han’s frantic inquiry, a lower-tier Hunter, sweating buckets, finally confirmed.
“Yes…”
The shocking truth was finally revealed.
Yes.
In reality, what Kang Chang-ho sought from this event was the [Item Box (Rare)].
-What I want is something entirely different. That item is rarely available on the black market, and it’s nearly impossible to find.
The magical pouch holding secret space was like a breath of fresh air for traders who had something to hide.
-Though we probably won’t face off in our matches…
So, from the start, Kang Chang-ho told Kim Gi-ryeo there was a slim chance they’d meet in the matches when he entered China.
Why? Because the event aimed to showcase S-Class Hunters as much as possible, last-minute adjustments wouldn’t allow top-tier fighters to go head-to-head from the very first round.
He’d been planning on forfeiting after the first round from the beginning.
Once the observation with [Dragon’s Eye] revealed there wasn’t anything noteworthy at the IHT arena, he attempted to leave.
Truth is, even Kang Chang-ho expected to encounter some hurdles at this juncture.
But counter to his fears, the middle-aged Chinese official handling the exit checks allowed their escape without hassle.
-Oh, what’s this…
-The Korean’s pretty impatient and doesn’t like waiting. So, knowing how swiftly you processed the checks, I’m personally thankful.
Who cares about the rambunctious activities of Awakened in the common public?
Right before their eyes, a VIP was dangling thousands of yuan in tips! Of course, they’d approve.
“…”
A shocking silence.
This whole ordeal transpired because China was completely blindsided, completely unprepared for an S-Class Hunter to make off after merely one hour into the competition, simply cashing in on the basic rewards.
After grasping the situation, Zhu Han took a moment of silence, then opened his mouth once again.
“What the hell… these damn Korean bastards leaving in such an arrogant manner—how can people be so pathetic─────!”
The soft expression he held until moments ago marred into a grim visage as he spat out curses.
But now that their private jet had already taken off, there was nothing they could do.
By the time South Korea’s S-Class Hunters returned home…
Zhu Han planned to hold them accountable for messing up the event by saying their selfishness led them to abandon the matches.
-Oh, because they left the arena on their own, so no Item Box will be awarded?
China didn’t want to reward the audacious fugitives with what they desired but…
Unfortunately, Zhu Han’s rising blood pressure wouldn’t go down anytime soon at least not within the week.
Whenever the pressure increased from the Chinese side, Kang Chang-ho, an S-Class Hunter, communicated through his interpreter such responses.
-I get it. If you don’t want to give it, then don’t. We didn’t break a single rule you laid out for the event. But if that’s how you want it…
-…
-Of course, from the second IHT onward, if China were to make up rules on the spot to delay rewards from the promised event details, then your country will earn itself a reputation as a bandit state, but what can you do?
-…
-You requested it.
-…
-It’s fine. Do as you wish. We don’t really care if we don’t receive the Item Box.
And thus, China’s first supernatural tournament concluded amidst an unprecedented incident.
Zhu Han, for the first time since awakening, took a three-day medical leave.
