Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 289 – Shaky Politics (6)

Woo Jin-Cheon sat at the table, his carefree mind aimlessly wandering. His jaw dropped after hearing what he had just heard. He had not a shred of doubt that Lee Han-Yeol was definitely going to accept this proposal. He had even brought the contract papers with him, thinking that things were going to go smoothly.

What shocked Woo Jin-Cheon even more was the fact that his grandfather, Chairman Woo, was no longer smiling but was now looking at Lee Han-Yeol with cold, sharp eyes.

“…Do you understand the implications of this impolite rejection you just made?” Chairman Woo asked.

“Yes, I am a pacifist, so I do not wish to partake in recreating humanity’s terrible past of colonialism,” Han-Yeol replied as he raised both hands and shrugged.

“A pacifist, you say? That's an excellent word for those weak losers who can't fend for themselves.”

“Well, you are free to think as you like.”

Slurp…!

Han-Yeol took his first sip of tea, closing his eyes to savor the flavor. He thought to himself, ‘Mmm… This is quite the good stuff.’

Chairman Woo stared at him for a while, though it didn't last long.

"Hoho… There’s nothing I can do if that’s how you feel about it."

"I will see you out now."

"Hoho… Let’s go, child."

"Yes, grandfather."

Woo Jin-Cheon glared at Han-Yeol for a moment before he followed his grandfather out of the mansion.

And thus, round two between Han-Yeol and the Hunters' Association came to an end.

‘I guess I'm more suited to be alone for the rest of my life,’ Han-Yeol snickered and thought.

It was then.

“Han-Yeol?”

“Yes, Tara?”

Tayarana finally spoke for the first time.

“Why did you refuse the offer just now?”

“Ah, because I didn’t like it.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes, that’s it.”

“I see…” Tayarana muttered with a nod despite his unreasonable answer.

“But why are you asking?” Han-Yeol asked.

“I didn’t… like what he said too…” she replied.

“Hahaha! Me too!” he replied with a laugh.

"Hmm…?" She tilted her head in confusion, unable to understand why he was suddenly laughing.

Han-Yeol found her innocent look to be quite adorable.

***

The South Korean government went after Han-Yeol the day after the conclusion of round two between him and the Hunters’ Association. It was quite rare for the South Korean president to appear in front of cameras, but he was standing there now, wearing a black suit and a white flower badge on his left chest. It was clear from his attire that he was paying tribute to someone's death.

[My fellow citizens, our country lost one of our steadfast pillars three days ago. His death was not a result of serving his country, but rather at the hands of another Hunter blinded by greed! We were able to stand proud not only against China and Japan but also against Russia and the United States because of him. However, our hero is no longer with us due to one person's actions!

Lee Han-Yeol had a duty to play fair as a Hunter, but he mercilessly murdered Kim Tae-San just because he was in his way! My fellow citizens, Lee Han-Yeol has not shown any signs of remorse or repentance for his actions, despite the damage he has inflicted upon our country. Instead, he boldly went against his own country!

He used his wealth to hire the best legal team to make it seem like he is not at fault! Yes, we are powerless against him and his wealth. He has now become a Master Rank Hunter, transcending others, his rank glorified by many.

However, our government will fight for justice until the very bitter end! I will stake my honor as the president, and the honor of our country, to ensure that Lee Han-Yeol kneels before the scales of justice and receives his punishment under Article 13, Section 2 of the Hunter Law. This section dictates that any Hunter who murders a fellow Hunter is to be held accountable under the law!

My fellow citizens, our nation is a land of laws and justice! I hope that this demonstrates, not only to you but to the entire world, that we are a fair and just nation!]

Chwak!

President Kim Sang-Gon bowed deeply in front of the camera. Politics often involved various theatrics, but this moment was distinct, igniting a media frenzy across South Korea.

[Korea: I Site]

[Wow… I never knew Lee Han-Yeol would do that...]

[I know Kim Tae-San was a thug, but killing someone is just crossing the line.]

[Yeah, he might be an eyesore, but he was still someone who fought for our country...]

[I agree. Kim Tae-San might be hot-headed and all, but he was renowned for his abilities. Remember when we almost had a fight with that Japanese Master Rank Hunter? They immediately backed down after Kim Tae-San appeared!]

[Don’t forget he was a patriot who paid a lot of taxes!]

[If I’m not mistaken, Lee Han-Yeol is closer to the United States and Egypt rather than his own motherland!]

[We need to support our government on this one!]

[He needs to be punished!]

[Punish him! Punish him!]

The right-wing extremists in the country rose up and made their voices clear on the internet.

Meanwhile, even the Congress was riled up with this issue, and both parties unanimously agreed to punish Lee Han-Yeol. Thus, the entire country was plunged into confusion.

***

"Hmm..."

Han-Yeol sat on his living room sofa, carefully considering the current state of events.

The world had evolved significantly, allowing anyone to stay informed about what was happening from the comfort of their living room.

"Han-Yeol-nim..."

Both Vidya and Albert rushed over after seeing the news, their concern for him evident on their faces.

“Heh.”

Surprisingly, Han-Yeol was currently smiling.

"Han-Yeol Hunter-nim?"

"Han-Yeol-nim?"

"Ah, my bad. I just find it quite amusing how our government never changes. They've been the same since the Joseon[1] period until now, even after the dimensional gates appeared."

“…”

“…”

Both Vidya and Albert were left speechless, as neither of them were Koreans and had no knowledge of Korean history. Not that they were interested in it to begin with.

"Haha! I'm not even mad. I didn't expect much from them anyway, which is why I kept rejecting any proposals they made until now."

It was not mentioned, but the Hunters’ Association and the government had made numerous proposals to Han-Yeol. He was the only connection between the demon world and the human world, the only growth-type Hunter in the world, so on and so forth. Furthermore, he was the only one capable of hatching monsters from eggs and possessed a mechanic-type Hunter capable of creating all sorts of intricate devices.

Due to these unique abilities, both the association and the government had tried their best to coerce him into joining their side. However, he had flatly refused all of their proposals without giving them much thought.

The Hunters’ Association and the government were not entities Han-Yeol wanted to get involved with, as they were run by greedy old men who placed their greed before anything else.

Beep!

Han-Yeol changed the channel. On the screen, numerous scholars, politicians, businessmen, and experts were sitting together, discussing the current state of affairs. They had different opinions on the matter, but all of them reached the same conclusion that Han-Yeol had to be punished by the law.

“T-Those rascals!”

“They’re the ones that deserve to be punished!”

Both Vidya and Albert exclaimed in anger.

On the other hand, Han-Yeol was simply laughing while watching the show.

“Hahaha! Our country has a knack for comedy. It hasn’t even been that long since the government made an announcement, yet they’ve already prepared all of those people.”

“That means…?”

“Ah, that is one of the government’s theatrics. Geez, they should’ve thought things through at least. Do they really think it’s possible to prepare all of that in such a short period of time?”

“…I see, it seems that the South Korean government’s reach stretches quite far and wide in this country.”

“Well, to be precise, you can say that it’s the collective strength of everyone in the ruling class and not the government alone.”

“Oh…” Albert instantly understood what was going on based on Han-Yeol’s explanation. He said, “They are probably trying to stamp out the HY Group before it even manages to sprout.”

“Bingo.”

“Ha! What a despicable bunch!”

“They are disgusting, Han-Yeol-nim.”

“Haha! I agree with both of you. They’re despicable yet funny at the same time.”

Han-Yeol continued laughing as if finding the whole thing amusing, and Vidya started to get concerned about him.

“Han-Yeol-nim, the whole country is up in arms against you right now. What do you think of staying in Nepal or Egypt until the whole situation calms down a bit?” Vidya asked.

It was a very realistic piece of advice. The entirety of South Korea was like a boiling pot right now, but it was going to simmer down quickly once the stove was turned from ON to OFF.

“Why should I? I want to watch this comedy show until the very end from the front seat.”

“Han-Yeol-nim…”

Vidya looked even more concerned after hearing his response.

It was not only Vidya and Albert who were worrying about him right now.

Bam!

The living room doors were flung open as Tayarana angrily stomped in, followed by Mariam.

“Good morning, Tara, Mariam~”

[What do you mean by good morning?!]

[Han-Yeol-nim, what on earth is happening?]

Both women seemed quite worked up, as they spoke in Arabic right away.

[Just how low do they think of you that they would pull something like this?]

[I agree. You need to show them a taste of their own medicine!]

[I will not simply stand by and watch this.]

Grrr…!

‘Why… does she look pretty even when she’s angry…?’ Han-Yeol was completely distracted by Tayarana’s beauty.

[Han-Yeol-nim!]

Bam!

Mariam attacked Han-Yeol's brain with her telepathic ability when she sensed that he was not focusing.

'Ah! Mariam! I told you not to come inside my head!'

[Silence! This is not the time for you to be thinking about something else!]

'Hahaha... Sorry...'

[You really...]

Mariam trembled in anger after seeing how carefree Han-Yeol was.

[Enough, you two.]

“Ahem…”

“Ahem ahem…”

Both Han-Yeol and Mariam flinched and awkwardly coughed after hearing Tayarana's angry voice.

Tayarana did not possess telepathic abilities, so she couldn't listen in on Han-Yeol and Mariam's mental conversation. However, she could tell from the flow of mana between them that they were communicating through their minds.

[Han-Yeol.]

[Y-Yes?]

[Are you aware that things are quite serious?]

[O-Of course, that’s why I have been preparing to fight back.]

Han-Yeol wasn't being carefree without any plans in place. Of course, he didn't expect the government to come out so strong, but he already had a Plan B in case they did.

Tayarana smirked at his words. Strangely enough, her smile, which should have made her look pretty, only made her appear even scarier.

[Can you share your plans with me?]

[T-That is…]

[Yes?]

[That is…]

[Hmm?]

Han-Yeol had originally planned to handle things alone, but his mind went blank after seeing Tayarana's determination to know what his plans were.

[I asked you, what are you planning?]

[Ah… Alright, I’ll tell you…]

[You should've done so from the beginning.]

[Why does it seem like your master has become even more cunning than before, Mariam?]

Han-Yeol looked at Mariam and let out a sigh, then grumbled, "It's because you didn't do your job properly."

"No, Tayarana-nim's change is 100%, no, 1,000% because of you, Han-Yeol-nim," Mariam retorted.

"What's that supposed to mean..." Han-Yeol grumbled.

He couldn't help but feel wronged that he was being blamed for everything.

1. Ancient Korean Kingdom. ☜