After giving his instructions, Rhode lightly stomped his right foot on the ground.
"Roar—!"
A deep, yet joyful, dragon's roar exploded from the shadow beneath his foot.
Under the terrified gazes of countless people, the pitch-black shadow suddenly boiled and swelled.
A ferocious and majestic giant dragon's head, formed from pure shadow energy, abruptly shot out from the ground.
Its eyes, burning with a faint blue flame, were filled with adoration for Rhode, and it gently lifted him up.
Rhode stood on the dragon's head with his hands in his pockets.
Kamish's massive shadow head let out a cheerful roar, then carried Rhode, transforming into a black streak of light that pierced the heavens and earth, soaring into the sky and instantly disappearing into the clouds!
Click! Click!
Countless flashbulbs, as if waking from a dream, frantically lit up at this moment, forever capturing this mythical scene.
The deepest nightmare of countless American citizens in the past now hovered over their homeland once again, in a different form.
Everyone's emotions were incredibly complex.
But one thing was certain.
From today onwards, no one on this land would dare to utter a single bad word about the name "Rhode."
After a long while, someone finally dared to speak at the entrance of the Administration Bureau, which looked as if a typhoon had passed through it.
The Deputy Director hesitated, then asked softly.
"Director… why didn't you… convey the President's wishes just now?"
David remembered the President's almost insane promise—as long as Rhode nodded, the entire M-Country, including the resources of all conglomerates, would be at his disposal; he would become the de facto emperor of this country.
He shook his head, sighed, a deep hint of mockery on his lips.
"…Tell those guys living in the White House to stop daydreaming."
He looked up at the now empty sky and murmured.
"Do you think a king as arrogant as him would want… us, this group of citizens, to be his subjects?"
The Deputy Director was about to argue, but then the surreal social realities of his country flashed through his mind: LGBT, racial discrimination, rampant drug use, gender activists, pedophilia… and so on.
His mouth twitched violently, and he finally nodded vigorously in agreement.
"Uh, you… you're right."
[Z-Country.]
Liu Zhikang pressed the pause button on the remote control, freezing the image on the giant holographic screen: Rhode standing with his hands behind his back on the dragon's head, looking down indifferently at all of Washington D.C.
"Before, weren't you complaining that Rhode was too low-key and we didn't have any video footage for positive publicity?"
Liu Zhikang's tone carried a hint of teasing.
"So… what about now?"
The intelligence chief across from him had already chugged his third bottle of mineral water, and the tissues he used to wipe his sweat had already filled the trash can by his feet.
His eyes still held an unshakeable terror and bewilderment.
"Are you… are you sure that… that really was Kamish?"
Liu Zhikang raised an eyebrow in displeasure.
"Are you doubting my eyes?"
"No! I wouldn't dare!"
The chief quickly shook his head, only sighing with an indescribably complex emotion.
"His own strength, in the battle with Thomas Andre, has already proven him to be undoubtedly the strongest in the world… And now, he has also subdued Kamish…"
Liu Zhikang understood his unspoken meaning, chuckled disdainfully, and rose from the sofa.
"Do you think a guy like that would want to take over such a complicated situation from us?"
"I guarantee that if you really did crown him, the first thing he'd want to do is start beheading people based on their posting history on Weibo, Zhihu, Douban, and a bunch of other online platforms."
When Liu Zhikang said this, his tone even carried a hint of subtle anticipation and excitement.
The chief was instantly speechless, cold sweat pouring down, completely giving up on that wild and crazy idea.
There were many power-hungry people in Z-Country, but there were even more who could recognize reality.
If National Power-level Hunters were equivalent to a country's nuclear weapons.
Then Rhode, far above them, was undoubtedly a God, transcending all nations.
Liu Zhikang patted his shoulder, and thinking of the other party's undisguised personality, he gave a wry smile.
"Instead of thinking about all these useless things, it's better to figure out how to complete the tasks he assigned, and then…"
Liu Zhikang's smile became somewhat profound.
"Find him a few more women of high caliber and perfect character to send over."
The chief's spirits lifted at the words, and for a moment he was quite moved, firmly remembering the last sentence.
"What about Hunter Rhode's identity then…?"
Liu Zhikang made the final decision without hesitation.
"Let's use the Nine-Star Hunter, symbolizing supreme power. We'll hold a press conference tomorrow, and I will personally announce this."
The chief looked at Liu Zhikang in shock. He hadn't expected that Z-Country's only Seven-Star Hunter would so readily give up his unique status, and even willingly acknowledge Rhode as an existence far above him.
Liu Zhikang seemed to read his thoughts, glanced at him, then turned his head to look out at the sky.
"If the 'crisis' he spoke of is real… then so-called status means nothing to me."
"As long as I can protect the people of this land, I… will do anything."
[H-Country, Hunter Management Association]
In the conference room, the atmosphere was initially tense.
Several hot-tempered S-Rank Hunters angrily slammed the table, shouting with spittle flying.
"How can our great H-Country allow a foreigner to have extraterritoriality!"
"We must act according to the law! Let him know whose territory this is!"
Every S-Rank Hunter was accustomed to being high and mighty, accustomed to controlling everything.
However, when Che Huiyi received a hint from the shadow and pressed the power button on the giant LCD screen on the wall—the whole world fell silent.
On the screen, Rhode crippling Huang Dongshu with one move and defeating Thomas in ten minutes—this shocking scene left everyone speechless!
The S-Rank Hunters who had been shouting the loudest just moments ago were now all like ducks with their throats squeezed, silent, with fine beads of cold sweat on their foreheads.
Is this… is this power that humans can possess? This is clearly a Demon King! A God!
The impact of the visuals had not yet ended.
A colossal god, towering between heaven and earth, like a god of war from ancient myths, stood in the sky above M-Country.
That oppressive aura, looking down on all beings, even through the screen, made everyone in the conference room restless and short of breath!
And at the end of the video, when Kamish—the giant dragon of disaster that had brought endless nightmares to the entire world—transformed into a black streak of light piercing the sky, carrying Rhode and soaring upwards, heading straight towards H-Country…
"Thump!"
Finally, someone couldn't bear the extreme fear, their legs gave out, and they slid from their chair to the floor, their face ashen, their lips trembling.
It was as if the world-destroying giant dragon would crash through the window in the next second and incinerate them all.
They wished they could kneel before the man on the screen, kowtow in apology, and beg for his magnanimity!
"Hoo—"
Gao Jianli, the Association President, let out a long, turbid breath. He leaned weakly against the back of his chair, rubbing his throbbing temples, unable to utter a single word.
So-called dignity and law were simply a joke in the face of such absolute power.
Not far away, Liu Suxian, a member of the audience, had eyes that were initially hesitant, but now sparkled with immense excitement and fervent light!
Initially, when she received the invitation from Che Huiyi, she was actually a bit hesitant.
A man, establishing a company with an all-female membership?
That sounded… odd, full of some ill-intentioned hint, especially in H-Country.
But after watching this historical video…
She lightly squeezed her thighs, a seductive blush rising on her cheeks.
My… my future boss… is actually this handsome, this strong, this lawless?!
After returning! Immediately! I will join! I'd even pay to join!!!
Just as the atmosphere in the room was terrifyingly oppressive—
Bang—!!!
A deafening crash of a table instantly drew everyone's attention.
Bai Lvhao was seen suddenly standing up, his burly physique erupting with astonishing momentum, his eyes flashing with an unyielding, firm light, and he roared defiantly at everyone:
"What are you all thinking?! What we're discussing now is Hunter Rhode openly poaching our people!"
"This kind of overt, undisguised poaching is an absolute taboo, not allowed in any industry! Where is your backbone?!"
All the Hunters widened their eyes in astonishment, their expressions towards Bai Lvhao becoming incredibly complex.
My goodness… I didn't expect…
I didn't expect that after watching that miraculous video, this man could still speak such firm words!
Should one say he was truly fearless, or that he was truly adhering to his principles as a Hunter…
For a moment, even the guild masters who had been at odds with Bai Lvhao felt an inexplicable admiration for him in their hearts.
However, Bai Lvhao's next sentence directly stunned everyone.
He suddenly changed his tone, a perfectly timed look of distress on his face.
"But, you see, our White Tiger Guild has expanded too quickly, we have some redundant personnel, and with such a large organization, I'm almost unable to pay salaries."
"Furthermore, I hear that Hunter Rhode intends to establish a noble, multinational, great company dedicated to humanitarian aid! I, Bai Lvhao, cannot remain indifferent!"
"I've decided to, conveniently, send out one… ahem, to lay off a highly paid Hunter, and persuade her to support Hunter Rhode! And by the way, optimize our guild's profit margins."
Before everyone could recover from this shocking reversal, Bai Lvhao had already turned and nodded slightly to Che Huiyi, his expression as solemn as if attending a state funeral.
"Hunter Che, the current Vice President of my White Tiger Guild, I entrust her to you."
0 · · · Please give flowers · · · · · · · ·
"Please convey to Lord Rhode that this is my greatest sincerity!"
"Pfft—!"
Everyone present almost spat out a mouthful of old blood!
They instantly realized, and at the same time, in their hearts, they cursed this seemingly brawny but more cunning than anyone old dog with the most venomous language!
Damn it! The Vice President of your White Tiger Guild, isn't that your own daughter—Bai Meihao?!
You spoke so righteously just now, making us almost believe you!
But now it seems, you're really going all out to latch onto the biggest leg in the world!
You're even directly packaging and sending off your own daughter!
Cui Zhongyin, the Guild Master of the Hunters Guild, suppressed the urge to cast an Exploding Flare on Bai Lvhao's old face.
He took a deep breath, slowly raised his right palm, extended four fingers, and spoke in an undeniable, domineering tone.
"I think Guild Master Bai makes a lot of sense. Hunter Che Huiyi is, after all, a talent who came from our Hunters Guild. I cannot let her fight alone in front of Hunter Rhode, making it seem like our H Nation has no one."
"I have decided to provide an additional four A-Rank Hunters!"
Hiss—!
All the Guild Masters inwardly gasped.
As expected of the H Nation's strongest and largest guild.
Extravagant! Too damn extravagant!
This move instantly overshadowed Bai Lvhao.
Che Huiyi seemed to vaguely guess who Cui Zhongyin intended to send, and a sincere smile finally appeared on her face.
"Then, on behalf of Hunter Rhode, I thank Guild Master Cui for his generosity~"
Now, it was the turn of the remaining Guild Masters to scratch their heads and fidget.
One sent his precious daughter, and another immediately offered four top-tier A-Rank Hunters.
.... ..... ...
Damn it, if they only sent some C-Rank, D-Rank cannon fodder, wouldn't that be purely embarrassing themselves, and even embarrassing Rhode?!
Just then, Liu Suxian, who had been silent, lightly coughed and elegantly raised her hand, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"I, well, I originally intended to become an idol, so I conveniently bought a small management company."
"This company currently only has one trainee group signed, whom I've watched grow up since they were little."
"They've all just turned adult and are about to debut. You might not have heard of them, they're called... (G)I-DLE."
Lin Zigui, the Guild Master of the Envoy Guild, frowned deeply and said unhappily.
"Miss Liu, you're not planning to send some defenseless ordinary women to Hunter Rhode, are you? That would be an insult to him!"
Liu Suxian tucked her long hair behind her ear and wiggled her fair fingers at him.
"Guild Master Lin, those five aren't just ordinary people, oh~"
"Just on their debut stage, they unfortunately suffered an attack from monsters that poured out of a suddenly opened portal."
"And then, all of them, in that emergency situation, very coincidentally... all awakened as Hunters~"
Liu Suxian showed a feigned regretful expression and let out a soft sigh.
"Alas, it's such a pity, these children failed right after their debut, and haven't even completed a single official performance yet, it's truly heartbreaking..."
Lin Zigui's eyelids twitched wildly. He snorted in anger, sharply turned his head away, and no longer wanted to bother with this Versailles woman.
What the hell kind of flaw was this?
This was clearly a precise jab at a powerful man's soft spot!
Shining stars on stage, fierce Hunters on the battlefield.
Under the blessing of such a double identity with extreme contrast, it was simply the best gift for that person!
Especially, it perfectly considered a man's possessiveness—these five girls were flawless from beginning to end, pure beyond reproach.
Damn it, as expected of a young lady from a chaebol family... her methods are too vicious!
Gao Jianli coughed heavily, breaking the stalemate.
"How about this, our association doesn't have many immediate combat forces, but we'll also provide one A-Rank Hunter."
The remaining Guild Masters exchanged glances, and finally all showed a bitter smile of resignation.
"Since that's the case, our guild will also..."
All the Hunters present had the same thought.
Now, that man named Rhode would probably truly become the H Nation's... Emperor.
On his way back to the H Nation, Rhode quietly put away Kamish.
The next second, he directly used his divine power to appear in the hospital room where Cheng Xiaoyu's mother was.
"Who?!"
Rhode's sudden appearance startled Cheng Xiaoyu, who was guarding the bedside, but the moment he saw who it was, his face immediately showed an expression of immense excitement and apprehension.
"You... you've come..."
"Mm."
Rhode nodded faintly.
"I'm here to fulfill the contract."
His gaze fell upon the woman who had been in a coma for many years on the hospital bed.