U.S.A. International Hunters Association.
The various heads of the Guilds across the world, including three of the four current National Rank hunters, watched the video recording being broadcast from the ruined wasteland that was once the West Coast.
Except for the National Rank hunters who watched with a serious look, the rest of the hunters and the government officials couldn't help but sweat in fear as the man on the monitor slaughtered the powerful A-Rank and S-Rank monsters as if they were cattle, progressing lazily through the wasteland that is ground zero for the very first S-Rank dungeon break, the same gate from which Humanity's Greatest Calamity, the Dragon Kamish, had emerged more than a decade ago.
Now, this cursed place had once again experienced another S-Rank dungeon break recently, prompting the Federal Bureau of Hunters to pour in a large amount of resources to resolve the situation.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how someone saw the situation, things went in a way no one had foreseen.
"Fucker is trying to show us up just before his trial. I like his style!"
Liu Zhigang, the National Rank hunter of China, grinned savagely as he watched the man without any armor or weapon slaughter the monstrously large stone golems that were all in the A-Rank, and the metal golems that were in the S-Rank, with his bare hands.
It was clear that this man, who was known for his armor, weapons, and his craft as a blacksmith, had elected to do this to prove that his power did not come from some kind of magic equipment, but from himself.
Liu Zhigang also recognized that this was a strategy. A strategy that this man used to forcefully suppress the investigation launched against him for the disappearance of the S-Rank hunter, Hwang Dongsoo.
Originally, this man, James Hudson, formerly a citizen of America and a resident of California before the emergence of the Gates, was supposed to have appeared in front of the International Hunters Association for his trial after being summoned by them for the trial.
Even though he had been declared a National Rank Hunter by the Korean Hunters Association, his title was just for show, at least, that is how every other country viewed it.
After all, you can't really judge the rank of Hunters, especially those belonging to S-Rank and above, solely based on their mana quantity and quality.
That was why this trial request made by the Scavengers Guild went through in the first place.
It also helped that Thomas Andre, another National Rank Hunter, was the one pushing for this trial.
However, the news must have been leaked somehow because the moment James got off the plane, he did not head for his accommodations nor for the Association.
Instead, he headed straight back to the counter, booked a flight to Vegas, and fucking ran westwards, all the way into the heart of the S-Rank dungeon break in the ruins of San Francisco.
Under an hour.
This meant that James had run from Vegas to San Francisco at speeds exceeding 400 miles an hour, which is roughly the speed of a commercial jet.
An insane speed, even for an S-Ranker and barely achievable for a National-Rank hunter like Thomas and Liu Zhigang.
And yet, by the time the FBH's drones and surveillance systems caught up to the man in question, he did not even look winded, showing that he had not even used his full speed, and jumped straight into action.
"Whoa! Look at the size of that thing! Looks like this is the boss of this Dungeon Break."
The impressed words of the final National Rank hunter in this room, Christopher Reed, made the other hunters watch seriously as James slowly walked towards the hulking figure.
The massive figure that was easily the size of a five-story building and appeared to be made out of some kind of crystal roared angrily as the surrounding Metal Golems and Stone Golems gathered around him.
James said something, but his words were not recorded by the drones that were keeping a large distance from the hunter and the monsters, transmitting the image back to the Association.
Whatever he said must have enraged the monster further, as it suddenly manifested massive chains made of the same kind of crystal as the boss monster, chaining James down as the surrounding monsters moved as one, intending to kill the human with extreme prejudice.
Yet, James did not even look worried as he simply took a solid stance and pulled.
The entire room filled with powerful hunters and experienced government officials could not help but watch with slack jaw, as the boss monster, which probably weighed as much as a fully loaded commercial cargo ship, was thrown into the air by James, as if it weighed nothing, and then used as a mace to destroy the surrounding golems.
Spinning like a top while holding the chain taunt, James moved across the battlefield like a tornado, destroying every single golem he came across and picking the disaster zone clean.
Finally, once all the monsters were dealt with, James let go of the chain, letting the Boss monster shoot into the distance, several miles away from the ruins and closer to the coastline.
It was only when James was sure that the heavily injured boss monster was now truly away from the ruins and well into the water that he made his next move.
As if he were pulled straight from the ancient myths of Greece, James jumped into the air, above the free-falling boss monster, and extended his arm upwards.
The weather instantly turned, becoming a tempest, as a colossal bolt of energy manifested in his raised hand.
In front of the whole world's top hunters watching, this modern interpretation of the Skyfather of Olympus cast his judgment with the flick of his hand.
And the world was bathed in light.
The aftermath of the blast must have destroyed the drone since the footage stopped transmitting, plunging the room into silence before Christopher Reed spoke up with a smirk.
"Well, I guess this farce of a trial is now meaningless? In that case, I would like to leave now and get some rest."
Nobody spoke up to stop the National Rank hunter as he got up from his seat and moved towards the exit. How could they when they now had definite proof that James Hudson truly deserved his title as a National Rank Hunter?
Watching the changing expressions on the various hunters and officials, Thomas shook his head and got up from his seat as well, an action that was followed by Liu Zhigang.
Thomas always looks after his own. That is true. But it is genuinely not worth it to go against someone equal to himself in power for the sake of a single S-Rank hunter.
Thomas could only lament that Hwang Dongsoo had picked a fight that he never should have and paid the price for it.
But whatever the case might be, one thing was true.
The world now had a fifth National Rank hunter, and a considerably powerful and cunning one at that.
A fact that every hunter and official in the room understood at this point.
The political landscape between the countries is now destined to become turbulent in the coming days.
While the government officials and hunters were contemplating such heavy thoughts, there was one family of hunters who stared at the now offline screen with glee and pride.
Of course, this was none other than the Blanche family from the most powerful guild in France, the Justitia Guild.
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Author Notes: Read 5 chapters ahead on Patreon: patreon.com/Ruijard1