Chapter 58
Enemy and Enemy (10)
“The time has come for the world to unite.”
Kang Hyeon couldn’t help but be taken aback. Coming unexpectedly and saying the world needs to unite – how should he interpret this?
“Um… So…”
The gazes of all the elves, including Aimel, were fixed on Kang Hyeon.
‘They’re all unnecessarily beautiful!’
Kang Hyeon was already quite accustomed to people’s stares. However, having such handsome and beautiful people looking only at him gave a different feeling.
“Yes… We should unite…”
Even Kang Hyeon didn’t know exactly how they would unite. It was simply a statement born from the basic thought that joining forces would be good in times of crisis.
“I knew you would say that!”
Suddenly, Aimel’s seemingly reserved demeanor changed dramatically as she looked at Kang Hyeon with sparkling eyes. She grabbed Kang Hyeon’s hands with both of hers and moved even closer. A fresh fragrance wafted to Kang Hyeon’s nose.
“You shouldn’t do this here…”
As Kang Hyeon spoke in bewilderment, Yoon Na-rae, who was watching from the side, shouted.
“Shouldn’t do this here? Are you crazy!? What are you planning to do somewhere else? Come to your senses!”
She looked ready to slap Kang Hyeon’s cheek right then if he didn’t come to his senses.
“Sister, put your gun away quickly.”
While saying this, she didn’t forget to stop Seong-ah Shin, who was aiming her submachine gun at Aimel’s head.
“Ahem, please step back for now.”
Kang Hyeon spoke with a forced cough. Aimel then stepped back slightly, her face reddening.
“Ah, I apologize for my rudeness.”
Aimel returned to her expressionless face. She took something out from her chest and handed it to Kang Hyeon.
“What is this?”
“These are the coordinates for the region where we live.”
“Why…”
“Kang Hyeon is planning to return to Korea now, aren’t you?”
“Well… Yes. I’ve finished what I needed to do here.”
“After you return, please open a spatial transfer portal to these coordinates. Then we’ll be able to communicate easily with each other.”
“Ah…”
Only then did Kang Hyeon understand the meaning of these coordinates.
The Heigran Kingdom where Olien is. And Shenyang City, where Han Myeong-do is. The two places are also connected by spatial transfer portals and regularly communicate with each other.
This elf named Aimel must want to connect their city with Badass Town where Kang Hyeon is.
‘While I’m at it, I should connect Heigran Kingdom and Seoul too.’
Kang Hyeon thought that when he returns to Badass Town, he should connect not only with the elf city but also with the Heigran Kingdom.
“So if I have these coordinates, I can connect the portal?”
“Usually various preparations would be needed, but we’ve already completed everything on our end. From Korea, you just need to open the portal to these coordinates.”
“That’s good that it’s simple.”
As Kang Hyeon nodded, a question suddenly occurred to him.
“But when you say the world needs to unite, are you just talking about connecting these portals?”
It seemed too exaggerated to speak of the world for something this minor.
“Of course not.”
Aimel shook her head and continued.
“Currently, various races live on Earth. Humans, elves, goblins, and dwarves are the main ones, and there are also several minority races with smaller forces.”
At the mention of so many races existing on Earth, Kang Hyeon glared at Dehera.
‘What exactly did you do?’
Even though Kang Hyeon questioned with his eyes, Dehera just smiled broadly.
“So we need to gather the strength of these races?”
“Yes. That’s what Lord Adriendel thinks.”
“Hmm…”
“We already failed to stop the undead invasion in Harken. It was because we didn’t unite our forces.”
Aimel spoke with a slightly darkened expression.
“But this time will be different. Back then it was just us elves, but now we have Kang Hyeon.”
“Huh?”
Kang Hyeon was startled by the sudden mention of his name.
“Kang Hyeon will surely be able to convince the other races and unite them.”
“No, wait…”
“Originally, we planned to seek help from others who saved the world with Kang Hyeon, but having the actual person who saved the world here means we’ve practically succeeded!”
“So, now I…”
“Yes. It’s only Kang Hyeon. The person who will unite all races and protect this Earth! The great hero!”
“Ohhh! The great hero!”
“The legendary warrior! Kang Hyeon!”
Other elves exclaimed at Aimel’s words.
“He looks like a villain, but you really shouldn’t judge people by their appearance!”
Though there were some irritating comments mixed in, the atmosphere had decidedly settled on Kang Hyeon uniting the races. Kang Hyeon looked at Aimel with a slightly protruding mouth and blank expression.
‘Seems like I’ve gotten involved in something quite troublesome…’
He didn’t want to back out now. After all, hadn’t he received help from Aimel and the elves?
Moreover, he had said with his own mouth that they should unite their forces. Although he had said it without knowing what it meant, going back on his word didn’t suit Kang Hyeon’s personality.
‘Well, protecting the world was something I was planning to do anyway…’
Kang Hyeon nodded with a sullen face.
“Thank you! Lord Adriendel will personally explain the detailed plans after we connect the portal.”
“Yes…”
“Then, farewell!”
Aimel turned around confidently. Then she returned along the path she came with the elves. Kang Hyeon, watching their departure with a dumbfounded expression, raised his hand.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes? Is there something else?”
Aimel turned around with an innocent expression at Kang Hyeon’s call.
“No, it’s not that…”
“I believe in Kang Hyeon!”
Aimel showed her tightly clenched fist with a serious expression.
“We just met today, how can you…”
Kang Hyeon muttered quietly, but the elves had already left.
“Haah…”
Kang Hyeon sighed and roughly ran his hand through his hair.
“What are you going to do?”
At Na-rae’s question, Kang Hyeon frowned.
“I don’t know either. Let’s just hurry home and open the portal.”
“Why should I?”
Kang Hyeon grabbed Yoon Na-rae’s cheek.
“Then should I open it? Huh?”
“Why are you acting crazy towards me…”
Kang Hyeon ignored Yoon Na-rae’s reaction and turned around.
“Forget it, let’s go back! I’m dying of exhaustion.”
“Mr. Kang Hyeon, what would you like to do about this?”
Shin Seong-ah asked Kang Hyeon.
“About what?”
“Yes, about the undead.”
“Ah…”
While the Beings of Chaos all fled after Helles died, the undead legion still remained on the battlefield. Although there was a temporary ceasefire, the question was whether it would be acceptable to leave behind the undead they had fought against for so long.
“Leave them be. Even a piece of paper is lighter when carried together.”
“Understood.”
Kang Hyeon has a favorite saying. When the past consumes the present, it’s the future that dies. Of course, it is true that returning both favors and grudges in equal measure is the Badass Guild’s creed.
However, with their leader Agon already dead and the remaining ones falling into division, he had no desire to let grudges ruin things.
Before leaving Beijing to return to Korea. Kang Hyeon called Bella one last time.
“Take care of those skeletons that occasionally come and cause trouble on our side.”
“As you know, I have no connection with them.”
She meant that the radical factions were the ones visiting Korea, and she, as the leader of the moderate faction, didn’t want to be involved with them.
“Don’t care. You’re all skeletons, so figure it out.”
“If anyone comes to cause trouble in our territory again, I’ll come here and drop one meteor every day.”
At Kang Hyeon’s words, Yoon Na-rae’s head whipped around. Ignoring her sharp gaze, Kang Hyeon turned around.
“Well, I’m going.”
“Sigh… This is nauseating. When do we have to walk all the way to Seoul…”
As Yoon Na-rae sighed and spoke, Seong-ah patted her shoulder.
“But once we reach Shenyang, we can use the portal to go directly to the Heigran Kingdom.”
“Even then, we still have to walk from there to Seoul again.”
“That’s true.”
“Huff… I hate this… Look how tanned my skin got! Why did I come along just to suffer like this?”
“I’m tired, so tired…”
For a moment, Seong-ah unconsciously raised her fist, then lowered it again.
Yoon Na-rae had a talent for making people angry even when they tried to be nice to her.
***
Ippotranslation
***
On the way back to Shenyang. Although midsummer had passed, the sun was still scorching.
“It’s hot, so hot… I wish I could have a cool ice cream… No, mango juice would be nice too…”
With Yoon Na-rae’s now-familiar grumbling as background noise, the group was lost in their own thoughts.
‘That magical power back then… Could I not have cut it?’
Han Se-yeon was reviewing the fight with Helles.
‘If Choi Yeon-hwa clings to Mr. Kang Hyeon then…’
Shin Seong-ah was worried about Choi Yeon-hwa, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.
‘Humans’ lips crack when they’re thirsty.’
Dehera was absorbed in studying human physiology.
Lastly, the newly joined woman Choi Yeon-hwa was surprisingly thinking about Han Se-yeon rather than Kang Hyeon.
‘I thought I had caught up, but…’
The movements Han Se-yeon showed during the battle with Helles. Just from that alone, she could tell that her level was extraordinary.
‘I won’t know for sure until I fight her directly, but I probably wouldn’t be able to win…’
Just as Choi Yeon-hwa was lost in gloomy thoughts.
– Kill… Kill her…
A voice like scraping metal began to echo in her mind.
– You need to surpass that woman… Fight. Become stronger…
– Draw your sword. Cut her down right now…!
Choi Yeon-hwa didn’t bother responding to that voice. This had become familiar now. Knowing that responding would only tire her out, she deliberately ignored it.
– Kill… Just kill her…
But the voice was particularly persistent this time.
It continued whispering in Choi Yeon-hwa’s ear even after enough time had passed for it to usually give up and disappear.
“Hey, wait. Everyone stop.”
Suddenly Kang Hyeon stopped.
“If I drink mango juice in the bathhouse, it would be so sweet, right? Hot bath and cold juice… That’s impossible. I really would die without regrets…”
“Shut up!”
Kang Hyeon hit the back of Yoon Na-rae’s head.
“Ugh… Always hitting me…”
Ignoring Yoon Na-rae’s glare, Kang Hyeon continued speaking.
“I’ve been curious about this, but that ghost-like thing behind you, Yeon-hwa. What exactly is it?”
“There you go again with that. What exactly do you see? Did you receive some divine revelation after dying so many times?”
“Didn’t I tell you to shut up?”
Yoon Na-rae pouted and turned her head away.
Kang Hyeon looked back at Yeon-hwa and asked.
“I’m sure I dealt with it before, but I can see it again now. What exactly is this?”
“This is…”
Yeon-hwa furrowed her brow as if contemplating for a moment, then continued.
“As I told you before, this was originally my skill…”
“Skill?”
“Yes. The first skill I obtained through the tutorial…”
Yeon-hwa, wearing a gloomy expression, began her story.
