The Late Game Healer Is Way Too Strong – Chapter 205

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟓: 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 1

The World Hunter Association ranks Hunters through the Gaia System.

The System requires Hunters to input their magical energy according to four stages. Based on their progress, the System can measure their magical energy control, utilization, mastery, and finally, their firepower.

High-ranking officials briefly debated whether or not to conduct the ranking process.

A heated discussion ensued, with some arguing that it was pointless to do so at such a chaotic time, while others maintained that it was precisely during such times that they needed to conduct a proper assessment to demonstrate the stability of the Hunter System.

“Let’s just focus on damage control for now. The news is already flooded with reports of high-ranking Hunters betraying us and dying. Wouldn’t that just further confuse the public?”

“That’s why we need some good news. Instead of announcing that their positions are vacant, it would be much better to announce the rankings of new Hunters to emphasize stability.”

“Hmm. . . I agree that we can’t leave the high-ranking positions empty.”

“If we don’t rank them now, it’ll be months before we can do it again. Isn’t that too long to wait?”

The divided opinions gradually converged.

HSIU, the Hunter Association, and high-ranking government officials announced their decision.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

“Let’s proceed with the ranking process.”

Marquis Charles spoke in a deep, yet gentle voice.

The Hunters were now gathered not in the ruined banquet hall, but in the measurement facility of the Gaia System.

In the center was a large machine, with five smaller measuring devices connected to it.

“Starting with the lowest-ranked Hunters within the top 100, please come forward in order and input your Magic Power into the machine.”

The announcer began calling out the names of the Hunters ranked within the top 100, starting from the lower ranks.

Among them was Kang Yeo-hwa, ranked 98th in the world.

“Don’t be nervous. You’ll do great.”

Siwoo playfully ruffled Yeo-hwa’s hair and chuckled

“Oh, I’m not nervous. . .!”

Kang Yeo-hwa pursed her lips, then touched the spot where Siwoo had caressed her hair as she stepped forward.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

The machine beeped, and a large monitor lit up.

The first test was magical energy control.

The Hunters being measured poured the amount of magical energy specified by the Gaia System into the machine.

However, it was not enough to simply pour in the energy; they had to do so at a steady, consistent rate.

Those who lacked fine control over their magical energy tended to have erratic readings, their numbers fluctuating wildly.

“Ugh. . .!”

Regardless of whether the required amount was large or small, emitting an even flow of magical energy was quite difficult.

However, thanks to Siwoo’s daily training sessions on magical energy control, Kang Yeo-hwa was able to proceed through the test without much difficulty.

About three minutes later, the buzzer sounded.

“Whew. . .”

“Man, that was intense.”

“My fingers are already trembling.”

As soon as the first test ended, the second test began.

The second test was the Path of Wisdom maze.

Each person was given a 30-centimeter-diameter wooden sphere connected to the machine.

It looked like an ordinary decorative wooden ball, but the inside was actually a complex maze.

The test required the Hunters to blow magical energy into a small hole on the outside of the sphere, guiding the energy through the maze to reach the core.

However, this test was notoriously difficult to complete; even with ample time, almost no one had ever managed to reach the core.

Therefore, instead of reaching the core, the test measured how far the Hunters could progress within the given time limit.

“This level is still ridiculously hard. . .!”

“My fingers are about to break!!”

Exhausted groans could be heard from all around.

Guiding the magical energy through the maze, like threading a needle with a fine thread, required immense magical energy utilization.

For Hunters who were not accustomed to manipulating their magical energy with precision, it was a herculean task.

Each person’s progress was displayed on their respective monitors.

Kang Yeo-hwa closed her eyes and focused all her attention on the magical energy flowing through the maze.

Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her back grew damp.

She would never have been able to maintain such intense concentration if not for Siwoo’s training.

She calmly poured her mind into every sensation resonating with her magical energy.

It felt as if she herself had entered the maze and was navigating its paths.

The heat emanating from the core seemed to reach her fingertips.

Beep!

The test buzzer sounded.

Her legs felt like jelly as the sudden release of tension washed over her.

The large central monitor displayed the records of everyone who had participated in this test.

Anderson: 7.3%

Yakun: 8.1%

Goreeda: 5.4%

Kamnueng: 6.8%

And

Kang Yeo-hwa: 38.9%

Cheers and applause erupted from all around.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

The people gathered in the President’s office had grim expressions.

It had been about twenty minutes since they had received the report from Hunter Choi Sung-il and urgent requests through various hotlines.

As soon as the President’s summons arrived, the aides rushed to the office.

They swallowed hard as they looked at the head of the administration sitting at the grand wooden table.

Normally, they would have helped themselves to the refreshments and exchanged brief greetings to ease the atmosphere,

but there was no telling what kind of criticism they might receive if they did that now.

“Hmm. . .”

Choi Dae-soo’s low voice sent shivers down the aides’ spines.

Even without raising his voice, the mere fact that he was sitting there was enough to make their breath catch in their throats.

“The number of monster attacks has been unusually high lately.”

He took out a cigar from his suit pocket and placed it in his mouth.

While frequent Gate occurrences were not uncommon, it was not a good sign for the government to experience such frequent, intentional attacks.

“You’re saying that four of them appeared in Seoul?”

“Yes, sir. One each in Mapo-gu, Gwangjin-gu, Dobong-gu, and Seocho-gu, covering all four cardinal directions.”

“The Four Divine Beasts, huh?”

“Yes, sir. They are known as the Four Symbols: the Red Bird, the Black Tortoise, the White Tiger, and the Blue Dragon.”

Choi Dae-soo leaned back in his chair and examined the holographic map of Seoul.

‘𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘪𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦.’

He would have preferred an S-rank Gate.

Of all places, four monsters, each one a mythological being, had to appear in Seoul, the city with the highest population density.

This was not a disaster; it was a catastrophe.

“What are the various agencies doing about it?”

“We have requested support from Heptagram and other major guilds. We have also contacted the Ministry of Defense and the Hunter Association through hotlines.”

“HSIU has also dispatched A-rank or higher Hunters to each location.”

Baek Geon-ho, the Korean branch manager of HSIU, replied with a grim expression.

Choi Dae-soo took a deep drag of his cigar and exhaled the smoke into the air.

Sending low-ranking Hunters would only increase the number of casualties. 

They desperately needed one S-rank Hunter more than a hundred A-rank Hunters.

“How long until the Hunters who went to the United States return?”

“It seems like it will take some time for them to wrap things up over there due to the ongoing Pandemonium.”

“There was a commotion at the banquet, wasn’t there? I heard about it in passing. That idiot Giovanni.”

Choi Dae-soo had once fought against Giovanni in a martial arts competition in Europe many years ago.

Apart from Siwoo, it was the first time Choi Dae-soo had been pushed to such a tight spot in pure hand-to-hand combat. Giovanni’s martial arts were top-notch.

‘𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘦’𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺?’

He had not considered Giovanni a rival, but he had at least respected and acknowledged him.

Choi Dae-soo could not shake off the bitter taste in his mouth as the anticipation he had held for Giovanni turned into such an absurd betrayal.

“Even if it takes a little longer for the others to arrive, ask the US to send Min Siwoo as soon as possible.”

“Excuse me? Not Hunter Do Kyung-hoo or Hunter Gi Il-lyeon?”

Choi Dae-soo glared at the man who had just spoken.

“Can’t the Director of National Security distinguish between who is needed and who is not?”

“Well. . . there are some who disagree with the Mad Dog Guild continuing to be maintained in the Heptagram, considering its smaller size. . . There’s also public opinion about exploiting the legacy of the former Three Venerables. . .”

“You can’t grasp the situation properly because you listen to such nonsense.”

Those who sat in the political arena and engaged in desk work had no understanding of how things actually worked in the field.

Their public discourse was nothing but empty rhetoric, devoid of any real substance.

Even Choi Dae-soo, who had no particular affection for Min Siwoo, was often surprised by his recent exploits. Yet, the aides in the President’s office were spouting nonsense that was out of touch with public sentiment.

“But for the sake of Your Excellency’s approval ratings, it would be much more advantageous to deploy Hunter Do Kyung-hoo. . .”

“Listen here, Director.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Get out of my sight.”

“Excuse me. . . ?”

“I said get out, now.”

“B-But, Your Excellency. . . ?”

The other aides did not dare to defend or protect the Director of National Security as he was dismissed.

Who could possibly challenge the fury emanating from Choi Dae-soo’s icy glare?

The man who was truly closest to Mistilteinn, the strongest man in the world.

The others turned their faces away from the Director of National Security’s anxious gaze and kept their mouths shut.

The Director of National Security hesitated for a moment, but as soon as he saw Choi Dae-soo’s lips twitch, he quickly gathered his things and left.

“If any of you have anything to say that is not related to resolving this situation, speak now.”

“N-No, Your Excellency!”

“We need to resolve this situation immediately!”

“I will contact the Americans right away!”

“Do so. The meeting will continue.”

Choi Dae-soo took a deep drag of his cigar, recalling the brief phone call he had had with Siwoo before entering the meeting room.

The most urgent matter at hand was those four Divine Beasts, but the crux of the issue lay in the cause of this situation.

‘𝘐𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵?

If this was also the doing of Pandemonium, then they must have a purpose beyond mere chaos.

Choi Dae-soo briefly thought about Siwoo, who had uncovered the behind-the-scenes machinations of the HSIU international headquarters meeting.

‘𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯?’

Min Siwoo was a more reliable comrade than anyone else in this situation.

He had the ability to see beyond what others could not, to grasp the underlying truth that was hidden from plain sight.

Choi Dae-soo regretted that he did not have someone like him in his own camp, but for now, he decided to focus on solving the immediate problem.

“What is the personnel distribution?”

“Currently, Guild Leader Min Si-joon and Choi Sung-il are assigned to the Blue Dragon. Guild Leader Han Tae-chi is assigned to the Black Tortoise. Guild Leader Lee Ye-ji is assigned to the Red Bird.”

“Why are there two S-rank Hunters assigned to the Blue Dragon? Shouldn’t one of them go to the White Tiger?”

The Chief Secretary questioned Baek Geon-ho’s briefing.

Of course, a single S-rank Hunter would not be able to subdue a Divine Beast.

Each of those monsters was a being rooted in mythology, so even if their medium was weak, their power would be on a different level compared to ordinary monsters.

Han Tae-chi and Lee Ye-ji, in particular, were Hunters who were not suited for combat, making it even more difficult for them to handle a Divine Beast on their own.

“Your Excellency, should we send one of them to the White Tiger even now?”

However, the difference between having an S-rank Hunter on the battlefield and not having one had a direct impact on the morale of the other Hunters.

At the very least, they could draw the attention of the Divine Beasts and minimize collateral damage. Therefore, the presence of S-rank Hunters was indispensable.

“Oh, that’s fine.”

Choi Dae-soo replied, exhaling a long stream of cigar smoke.

He took out the rings he had kept in his item box and slipped them onto his fingers one by one.

The aides gasped, understanding the implications of his actions.

“I’ll take care of Baihu myself.”

The world’s current Rank 0, the Artifact Collector, rose to his feet.

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