Chapter Twenty-Two – This Person is Terrifying
(Thomas Andre), a National Rank hunter. A person known for his strength, in addition to his contempt for any other person. He is the strongest in the world, and he is fully aware of that fact.
But even at this moment, as he looked at the young man before him, he thought something ridiculous.
What is this aura? It's certainly not anything I've seen in my life. It might even be something new I've never seen before. Ever.
This thought was clear in his mind, like a bright light that couldn't be extinguished. It wasn't fear—(Thomas Andre) didn't know the meaning of the word—but a profound, intrigued curiosity. The energy radiating from the youth was… different. It wasn't the brute, overflowing mana of hunters. It was something more refined, more internal, yet carrying a latent, razor-sharp deadliness that prickled his enhanced senses.
As for (Uchiha Sasuke), his perception of (Thomas Andre)'s power was different. The activated Rinnegan eyes gave him a more precise vision of the way energy moved, in addition to the shape of the soul. They could very easily discern the quantity of power specific to (Thomas Andre) and uncover it with ease for (Uchiha Sasuke), who, when he recognized this power, was able to describe it in few words.
But not because he wasn't impressed. Because it was ordinary.
Especially after reaching the level of the Six Paths, he was far stronger than these S-rank hunters. This man was on the same level as the individuals at the peak of the Kage level. Completely.
This was (Uchiha Sasuke)'s classification as he measured the ability of America's strongest hunter. After looking at each other for a few measured seconds, a strange, silent assessment passing between them, (Thomas Andre) laughed.
It was a low, rumbling sound, like boulders grinding together.
"Very good. So, hunter, what do you say we have a drink before the meeting starts? I'd like to talk with you more, especially since I'm impressed by this power you possess."
(Sasuke) shook his head simply, a barely perceptible movement. He responded to (Thomas Andre)'s words with a flat, dismissive tone.
"I have no interest in talking with you."
Then he looked at (Goto Ryuji), who was standing a pace behind, frozen like a statue.
"Let's go now."
Then he moved, walking past the massive form of (Thomas Andre) as if he were merely a piece of inconvenient furniture.
The astonished Japanese hunter, after being freed from his stupor, began to walk behind the young man quickly, hurrying to catch up, his shoes making a soft, rapid tap-tap-tap on the marble.
As for the people who were watching this scene, their eyes were petrified, their drinks forgotten in their hands.
Is this young man insane? How can he decline an offer from America's strongest hunter?
These words rang in their heads like alarm bells. Each of them was prepared to do anything to get such an opportunity to talk with such an important man in the world—the person considered the strongest by many hunters across the globe—and he was being rejected in this manner.
The surprising thing afterward was that they heard laughter coming from (Thomas Andre).
It wasn't angry laughter. It was genuine, amused, and deeply intrigued.
"Ha… hahahaha!"
The sound boomed through the high-ceilinged lobby, causing several people to flinch.
Before saying, uninterested in anyone looking at him, "This isn't normal at all. The coming events will be more entertaining."
He said it in a way that made him seem like a person who had been feeling bored before finding something that made him forget that boredom. He took a long sip from the heavy crystal tumbler in his hand, the ice cubes clinking with a sharp clink-clink.
At the same time—
(Uchiha Sasuke) looked at (Goto Ryuji) after they reached a more secluded area near the bar. He sat on a high stool, which emitted a faint creak. He looked at the Japanese hunter, who remained standing, his posture tense.
"You there. Why do you act in this manner? Are you not aware of who you are with?"
The tone of accusation coming from the last member of the Uchiha clan was completely unexpected to (Goto Ryuji).
What did I do? Did I do something wrong? I don't recall saying anything wrong. I remained silent during that verbal confrontation between them. Does he think I failed him? That I didn't speak for his benefit? What should I do? This will be bad. I must find a way to justify my stance.
All this information spun at lightning speed in the Japanese hunter's mind. His heart thumped a frantic rhythm against his ribs.
But in the end, (Uchiha Sasuke) continued, his voice a cold, cutting whisper.
"You fool. Do not act in such a lowly manner when I am present. I am currently a Japanese hunter, even if for a short period. Therefore, I do not want you to be humble. Ever. As for this hunter known as a National Rank or the strongest, he is nothing to me."
(Goto Ryuji), who had been thinking of a way to apologize, was shocked by the words he heard.
Does he not consider (Thomas Andre) to be on his own level? Is this boy crazy? Even if he managed to defeat the Ant King and an S-rank gate, that's normal for National Rank hunters. But that doesn't make him stronger than the American hunter!
But of course, he couldn't say that. He focused on the content of (Uchiha Sasuke)'s words.
Does he think I was lowly because I bowed to someone else? What kind of arrogance is this? Damn it! I don't want to bow to you or that man! I want to become stronger!
He felt disgusted with himself for having done it, even after (Thomas Andre) had directed his contemptuous gaze toward him. That very reason had been what drove him to pursue National Rank. He wanted to show everyone who looked down on the Japanese hunter (Goto Ryuji) that he could be the new National Rank hunter. But all that had been shattered in an instant.
"I am sorry. I didn't know I was offending you, sir. I will never repeat this matter."
In the end, even with this resentment boiling inside him, he couldn't shout or say anything to the young man before him. At this moment, he knew he was too weak and wouldn't be able to do anything to prove his point of view. The weight of the truth was a physical ache in his gut.
(Uchiha Sasuke) frowned for a moment, a slight tightening around his mismatched eyes. But he didn't say anything. He looked at the S-rank hunters who were glancing in their direction and decided to ignore the matter.
---
After an hour passed, all the hunters gathered in the conference hall.
The international chairman and the heads of various nations' hunter associations also stood in the conference hall. All the hunters looked toward the National Rank hunters.
It had been announced that (Uchiha Sasuke) was a hunter of National Rank. This followed the incident on Korea's Jeju Island, in addition to the S-rank gate incident that had occurred, which was accurately assessed by specialized individuals as an S-rank gate.
According to international laws, any person capable of clearing an S-rank gate alone or destroying the threats within it is eligible to become a National Rank hunter.
Of course, all the news had been verified. Moreover, (Uchiha Sasuke)'s classification level was directly raised due to the media appearance, especially his famous nickname—"The Hunter with the Strange Eyes"—whose power was clear, in addition to the many video clips that had been published across the world, along with his image as a Japanese hunter who now held a position stronger than (Goto Ryuji), who had now become the hunter holding second rank, while (Uchiha Sasuke) became first rank in Japan.
The international representatives were all displaying images of the gates that had begun appearing for some time. They began by showing pictures of gates that had started appearing worldwide.
"Gentlemen, look at these pictures. They are pictures of all the gates that have appeared across the globe. According to our experts—"
It was mentioned that these gates had begun appearing in large numbers worldwide, in addition to the rising level of mana energy pressure.
When the rise in mana energy level was mentioned, the S-rank hunters raised their eyes clearly. They knew the meaning of that. A rise in mana level meant a rise in the gate's power level, which meant the gate's danger level prevented hunters of a lower level from entering clearly, because it was impossible for a hunter lower than the gate to be able to clear it.
And not clearing a dangerous gate meant a chance for monsters to emerge from those gates to destroy the world.
This information was extremely dangerous and, at the same time, clear to all hunters.
The security side, in addition to the ministers, spoke. "Many hunters will be dispatched to try to deactivate the gates. But so far, we haven't found a way to do that, in addition to the recent incidents that have appeared."
This time, a picture of Korea appeared on the massive screen. The screen showed Jeju Island, along with a complete video clip showing the Ant monsters emerging from that place. According to energy readings, it was clear those monsters were S-rank.
"This horror that may appear could be on the same level as what we witnessed with the dragon (Kamish), which took many S-rank individuals to try to end this threat that was the reason for its formation."
The hunters' eyes, after remembering that incident, became sharper. That incident was recent, and most hunters had been forced to enter that battle just to try to understand the matter. But only the National Rank hunters at that time were able to confront it, while the S-rank hunters weren't even able to breathe under that pressure. They didn't provide any significant help, and there was a massive annihilation of their ranks.
But the discussions didn't stop. Many pictures from different parts of the world were displayed, showing the appearance of high-rank gates, in addition to the disappearance of low-rank gates. That was something even the S-rank hunters couldn't believe.
A low murmur filled the hall, a hive of anxious buzzing.
"This is madness. Does this mean high-level gates will start appearing in the world? What in the hell is going on? Is this the beginning of the end?"
The thought was present in everyone's mind, a cold knot of dread tightening in their stomachs. The polished, secure world they thought they understood was cracking, revealing a much darker, more dangerous reality beneath. And in that hall, amidst the fear, several beings of immense power sat, each calculating what this shift meant for them.
(Sung Jin-Woo), from his position in the crowd, watched the screen impassively, his mind already analyzing the new gates as potential experience farms.
(Uchiha Sasuke), his Rinnegan casually observing the flow of fear and mana in the room, saw it as another variable in his mission to find a way home.
(Thomas Andre), leaning back with a brutish grin, saw it as the promise of a better fight.
And (Liu Zhigang), sipping his wine at the bar just outside the main hall, felt the tremors in the world's mana and knew the chessboard was about to be overturned.
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End of Chapter.
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