The Late Game Healer Is Way Too Strong – Chapter 224

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟐𝟒: 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝟎

That evening.

Siwoo went up to the roof of the hospital and looked at the city of Seoul.

Numerous buildings and the lights from various structures twinkled brightly against the darkness.

It was hard to believe that this had been the site of countless incidents just a short while ago.

Siwoo took a sip of vending machine coffee as the chilly wind brushed against him.

A sweet flavor lingered in his mouth.

“Aren’t you cold?”

At that moment, someone’s voice cut through the scent of coffee.

Siwoo didn’t even turn his head as he answered, still looking ahead.

“Did you buy my get-well gift?”

“They said you were a patient, but I don’t see any sign of it.”

Choi Dae-soo stood next to him, similarly gazing out at Seoul.

“I’m not a blockhead with a body like yours.”

“Hehe. I’m an average human too, you know. That’s why I didn’t lose an eye like you.”

“I had all my ribs broken instead.”

“You sure do like to talk big. You recovered in no time with your healing powers.”

Siwoo smirked but didn’t bother to respond.

A cool breeze passed over them for a while.

Choi Dae-soo took out the cigarette case in his arms and, as always, bit down on one and lit it.

Looking at him, who looked like the head of some evil organization, Siwoo thought to himself, ‘They actually elected a guy like this to be president.’

“When can you be discharged?”

“Well, there aren’t any big issues, but they told me to rest for a couple days.”

“In that case, as soon as your body recovers. . . How about leaving this weekend?”

“What’s this all of a sudden about?”

“Another country has named you. They want you to help them.”

Siwoo looked at Choi Dae-soo, waiting for him to continue.

Choi Dae-soo exhaled cigarette smoke, then continued.

“It’s not an order or anything. You could say I’m just passing on the request from another country’s president on their behalf.”

“Is this something the HSIU headquarters or the Hunter Association can’t do?”

“They don’t want it to blow up into an ‘official international incident.’”

“But why me, of all people?”

Choi Dae-soo laughed as if he found the question absurd.

“Because you’re the world’s strongest right now. I’m the president, so foreign affairs are out of the question, and Shamal is the type who generally avoids getting involved in other countries’ business. Namir is obviously difficult to even ask.”

“I’m just curious. . . Wouldn’t it be better to resolve things by hiring a large guild to do the job?”

“Of course, they tried several times, but they all failed.”

“But you believe things will be resolved by bringing just me along?”

At that question, Choi Dae-soo blew out a long stream of cigarette smoke.

In truth, even he didn’t know the ins and outs of the other country’s situation.

There might be things they were keeping quiet about internationally, or perhaps they were trying to cover up some national corruption.

However, he knew one simple truth that held sway in the world of Hunters.

“There are no problems that can’t be solved by overwhelming force. Plus, you’re the first official SSS-rank Hunter, aren’t you?”

“. . .Hmm.”

“Let me say it again: I have no right or authority to order you to do anything. In fact, just by holding the world rank 0 position, the nation’s prestige is increased. . . You’re practically a living national treasure.”

“Is that so? You wouldn’t know it from the treatment I get.”

“Tch, tch. You talk big even though you’re not expecting anything anyway.”

Siwoo crumpled up the empty paper coffee cup and threw it in the trash.

“That country’s president must be pretty desperate, huh? Calling me out like this so soon after the news of rank 0 was released.”

“They were originally going to call Giovanni. . . but as you know, you killed him. By the way, I heard that Koga Haruki refused this job.”

“Why did he refuse?”

“Because it’s a really dangerous place.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll have to go.”

“. . .You’re crazy. Hehehe.”

Choi Dae-soo shook his head as he laughed at Siwoo’s answer.

He wished Siwoo had just said that from the beginning.

“There will be a slight national advantage to you doing this. Since you’ll inevitably be in their debt, you’ll be given diplomatic priority.”

“You do what you want. I’m not interested.”

Siwoo had realized while battling 〈Pandemonium〉 that their movements were becoming increasingly active.

A war was likely imminent.

In order to prepare for that moment, he needed to spread the name ‘Min Siwoo’ far and wide, and build up debts all over the world.

“So where is it?”

At Siwoo’s question, Choi Dae-soo pointed across the Pacific Ocean.

“It’s the world’s most dangerous city, ‘Ciudad Juarez’ in Mexico.”

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

The Demon Realm, a place where humans are forbidden entry.

The highest building in the area ruled by the Demon King of the 3rd Realm was currently hosting a meeting.

A grand conference hall where the right-hand men of each Demon King gathered.

The four demons sitting at the large round table were glaring at each other, engaging in subtle psychological warfare.

Demons were a race that was far removed from concepts such as coexistence, cooperation, and unity; and the situation was even more severe when it came to high-ranking demons.

A place where only the hierarchy of power held sway—that was the Demon Realm.

“Kikikiki. You’ve all grown quite sharp. How about you share the good stuff instead of keeping it all for yourselves?”

The man who spoke first wore an expensive white suit and had slicked-back silver hair.

He was Tatar, the retinue of the 3rd Realm’s Demon King.

“Y-y-you, y-you b-bastard! B-because of y-you! I c-c-couldn’t b-bring the Q-queen of the half-demons, the h-half-demon b-back as a s-s-slave!”

A purple-skinned demon with a large frame that hid his large chair shouted, his voice filled with fury.

He was Hikatan, the retinue of the 2nd Realm’s Demon King.

He was the mastermind behind the recent invasion of the half-demon city ‘Sult Ordd.’

“What’s this shrimp talking about? Who’s the one who went and messed things up while chasing after their own tail?”

“S-s-shut u-up, T-Tatar! I-I w-wanted to m-make the Q-queen my o-own n-night c-concubine, my s-s-slave!”

“Vile creature. Do you think the Queen of the half-demons would become a slave to a pig-like thing like you?”

“D-D-don’t c-call m-me a p-p-pig!!”

Hikatan’s eyes flashed, and foam bubbled at his lips as he shouted.

Tatar’s lips curved into a smirk as he gave Hikatan the middle finger.

“Everyone, shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

Just then, Solaso, the retinue of the 2nd Realm’s Demon King, who was sitting near Hikatan, stopped them.

“Bablehner, you say something too! Say something! Say something!”

He said to the demon sitting across from him with a stern expression.

Bablehner, a demon who had the appearance of a small boy and a stunted body, looked at him blankly.

“Say something, I said! Say something! Say something!”

“Maal. . . .”

“No, not that! That’s not it! Not it!”

“Maalgo. . . .”

“Is that the only thing you can say? Say something else! Say something else! Say something else!”

“Moot say sometheeng. . . .”

“. . . . . . . . . . . .”

Solaso let out a sigh and rubbed his chin with his hand, looking resigned.

‘𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘴, 𝘩𝘶𝘩, 𝘩𝘶𝘩.’

Just when he had realized that there was no way the conference would proceed as expected, the door opened and someone entered.

Kraken, the retinue of the 1st Realm’s Demon King.

He walked inside, wearing an ominous-looking small-sized mask that covered his head.

The other right-hand men fell silent the moment he appeared.

They didn’t dare make a peep, overwhelmed by his distinct and dense demonic energy and the immense aura that enveloped the space around him.

“You’re late.”

“I’m, I’m s-sorry!”

“You’re laaaate. . . .”

Bablehner’s slow words followed after Hikatan’s groveling.

Kraken sat down in his seat and looked over them.

Although they couldn’t see his face due to the mask, they could feel his indescribable gaze sweeping over them.

“Min Siwoo has become the world rank 0.”

His words, spoken in that voice, came as a surprise.

Tatar gasped in shock, and Hikatan and Solaso’s eyes went wide.

“W-w-what? Min Siwoo? Isn’t that the one who barged into the half-demon gathering that one time. . .?”

“He’s t-t-the o-one who s-stopped me f-from t-taking Namir!”

Hikatan added to Tatar’s trembling words.

“When he took out Giovanni, we should’ve gone and killed him right away.”

Kraken clenched his fists and growled the words as if he were chewing on them, his voice full of rage.

The other demons gulped and stole glances at each other at the sight of his green skin.

In the Demon Realm, where power held absolute sway, they had a rough idea of each other’s abilities.

The reason they treated Kraken with respect, despite being right-hand men of the same Demon King, was due to the large difference in their abilities.

“But I heard that Penelshul’s research had borne fruit this time? However? However?”

Kraken nodded quietly at Solaso’s attempt to change the subject.

“They say they succeeded in creating a hybrid of a demon, devil, and human.”

“As e-expected! K-Kraken-nim’s i-idea was the r-right o-one!”

“However, even that was destroyed by that Min Siwoo. That bastard has now become the most annoying enemy for all of demon race.”

“Kikikiki. But he still can’t be stronger than Kraken-nim, can he? Even if a human is strong, they won’t be able to stand up to a demon, right?”

“If he was at Giovanni’s level, he wouldn’t be my match.”

Kraken said, his red eyes gleaming beneath his mask.

If his abilities were on a similar level to the former 4th realm Demon King, there was no way he would be able to win against himself or the other high-ranking demons at the moment.

Back then, the demons had been unable to properly utilize their original power due to the side effects of the dimensional transition.

They needed more time to use their powers to their fullest extent.

That was why they had made peace with humanity, even going so far as to sign a peace treaty.

Now, all the Demon Kings and demons were able to use 100% of their original power; and from their current perspective, there were no humans who could compare to the high-ranking demons, with the exception of ‘Misteltein’ and the top rankers.

“Soon, this world will belong to us demons.”

Kraken recalled the long years he had endured as he looked at his brethren.

They had never expected to sign a peace treaty with a race like humans; and they had been even more shocked when the Demon King was defeated by those same humans who had invaded the Demon Realm.

If only they had been able to fight at full power.

If they had been, there was no way humans would have dared to set foot in the Demon Realm.

“The time has come to show those lowly creatures the extent of our power.”

Now, it was time to be compensated for the long years of suffering.

Kraken said the words, his voice full of murderous intent.

“We will deal with mankind’s rankers first.”

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

Siwoo sat cross-legged and breathed slowly.

Inhaling and exhaling.

He could feel the cold air passing deep into his lungs and coming back out.

With his eyes closed, Siwoo opened his dantian and sensed the mana.

The place where he currently was was a cavern owned by [Imperial].

He had come back to the place where he had expanded his mana veins last time to check on his body.

Siwoo was sitting at the center of a large magic circle with a radius of at least 10m, and there were about a hundred top-grade magic stones placed around him.

Perhaps it was because he had become world rank 0, but he had received these gifts from here and there as presents.

“Haa. . . .”

After warming up his body a little, Siwoo opened his eyes and picked up the box in front of him.

A gift from the President of China, Xi Jinping; an immortal peach from the Queen Mother of the West’s garden.

‘I wonder just how effective this is.’

Even the elixirs found in dungeons and towers were usually traded for hundreds of millions of dollars, so an immortal peach from Xiwangmu would probably cost several billion.

‘At the very least, it can’t be any less effective than those. . . .’

Siwoo steadied his breath once more and swallowed the immortal peach in one bite.

He focused the mana he had released into the peach as it traveled down his esophagus.

The immortal peach, which had clearly been as small and hard as a walnut, melted like liquid the moment the magic power entered it, and its vitality gradually disappeared.

‘What the. . . .? There’s no effect. . .?!’

At that moment, blood began pouring out of Siwoo’s mouth.

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