As Minho and his court exited the dungeon, he realized the sun had just gone down.
He looked around the empty area and decided to check on the system.
[Name: Lee Minho
• Title: [Your will has refused the initial identity. Bestow your title]
• Level: 90
• EXP: [Will no longer be counted. Further Level ups are through Achievements]
• Attributes: Strength 900, Stamina 900, Agility 900, Intelligence 900, Perception 900, Destructive Potential: ∞.]
Minho stared at it for a while before taking his gaze off of it.
But he had already done what he was there to do.
[ • Title: Monarch of Tyranny]
… …
Meanwhile with the Monarchs.
The Monarchs all gathered in a tense silence.
"I knew we should have killed him. This is your fault, Monarch of Frosts!" Queresha complained.
"This time around, I agree with her," said Yogumunt.
Sillad remained quiet, a hand on his chin as his mind reeled.
"Where did all that power come from, that he has forced a whole Rakkan into that state? Did we not consume his core that day?" Queresha asked, still fuming.
"Indeed, we did. This was a question we were supposed to ask right when we found out about the human," Tarnak added.
"True, I have put us in a tight spot. But now that I come to think of it, there was always a way the Absolute Being went with favoritism." Sillad finally spoke.
"What do you mean?" Yogumunt asked.
"Yes, enlighten us," Tarnak nodded.
"It all started with that Ashborn," Sillad started, his voice leveled. "He was the strongest of the Rulers, even stronger than The Brightest Fragment of Brilliant Light. He was killed, was he not? But then he returned as a Monarch even with the Absolute Being dead, how? He must have had an unknown power source bestowed upon him by the Absolute Being from the initial birthing."
The other Monarchs started to sink in his points, exchanging glances.
"What makes Antares any different? I mean, now that he has also returned." Sillad completed.
Tarnak turned to the other Monarchs before Sillad. "He may not have transformed like Ashborn and become a Ruler, but are you saying he has become greater than his initial self?"
"You still ask such questions even after seeing the state that he put the Monarch of Fangs?" Yogumunt shot at Tarnak.
"We all know Rakkan was not as strong as he should be. He already said that vessel was getting weak. Was that not the reason for his search of a new vessel?" Tarnak explained.
"Forget that, we need to find a way to handle the Monarch of Destruction first," Sillad interrupted. "And our trump card is on his way."
"Oh, please," Queresha waved off. "He lost once and he will lose again. We need to attack at once."
"Will such a trick even work, now that he has fully become the Monarch of Destruction?" Yogumunt added.
"He is no Monarch of Destruction." A voice came in.
They all turned to a pillar where a gate opened.
"Took you long enough to fully take on the new skin?" Queresha mocked.
"Ah, there you are," Sillad smiled.
From the gate emerged Rakkan, with a new body and an angry look in his face. He had changed to the new vessel, and the most notable thing about this new vessel was,
It was Minho's father, Lee Joon-ho.
Rakkan crossed his arms. "I repeat again, he is not the Monarch of Destruction. My explanation earlier had been incomplete."
"What do you mean?" Tarnak questioned.
"He said it himself, that he is not the Monarch of Destruction. That successor has become an entirely different being and he seems to know every single thing about the time we killed his predecessor." Rakkan muttered, gritting his teeth.
"Then we may have a few alterations in our plans." Sillad said with a worried tone.
… …
The Next Day...
Korean Hunters Association Headquarters.
Chairman Go Gun-Hee's Office.
Jinwoo sat across from Go Gun-Hee and Woo Jinchul. They took what Minho had said and decided to call him in for questioning.
"Yes, I did," Jinwoo said to Chairman Go.
"But why? For what reasons would you send your summons after him?" Chairman Go leaned closer on his chair.
"For personal reasons. That has passed now," Jinwoo's reply was flat.
Go Gun-Hee exchanged a look with Jinchul. They knew very well that both hunters were hiding something.
"Have you and Hunter Minho known each other for a long time?" Jinchul further went on with the questions.
Jinwoo remained quiet for a while. "Yes we have."
"Is he really a mage that summons dragon-like beings?"
"Dragons," Jinwoo said without hesitation. "Yes."
"Is he… a monster?"
Jinwoo locked his eyes with Jinchul's. "I can't tell. Even I don't know what he is yet. His actions will determine."
Go Gun-Hee raised a brow but didn't say a word. Jinwoo only possibly meant one thing at the moment. He may not be a monster, for now, but… he surely wasn't 'just' human either.
What exactly were they even dealing with in this country?
Days bled into weeks and there strangely were no dungeons appearing anymore. In Korea especially.
This came as a surprise to the entire world as a whole.
But to two people, or two Monarchs rather, the absence of dungeons only meant something big was coming.
Minho kept on a low, suppressing his mana release and went on with his new celebrity status life, patiently waiting for the Monarchs to strike.
The suspicion between the S-ranks had not waned even in the slightest as they still believed Minho wasn't human, though the Chairman later explained the issue to them.
Today had been no different for Minho as his impatience grew even more.
He was taking a walk by the riverside, Vasha and Eslin out, when Liu Zhigang blocked his path. "Greetings, Hunter Minho, or does… 'Liege' suit you better?"
Minho tilted his head.
Liu Zhigang's smile disappeared for the first time since Minho knew him. His swords were behind him and one of his hands was on the hilt of one. "Who are you? Or what rather."
Minho smirked slightly, looking at the National Level Hunter. "Hm? I don't believe you're blind, are you?"
Liu's jaw clenched. "Indeed I am not. I see a monster in human flesh."
"Your belief determines what I am to you," Minho replied.
"Very well. Monsters should be slayed right?" Liu said.
Minho closed his eyes and exhaled. "Eslin, don't."
Liu Zhigang raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying? Is that monster langua—"
"Eslin!" Minho raised his voice.
Liu looked down to see a hand hovering just inches away from his throat. Eslin stood directly in front of him, hair fallen over her eyes.
She tilted her head, the hair making way for one of her eyes that glowed a bright silver. She wore a hard scowl on her face.
Immediately their eyes met, Liu felt hollow. He couldn't move. He didn't dare. He felt somethings he had grown strong enough to think he would never feel anymore. Helplessness, fear, overpowered, humbled.
"Call my King a monster. One. More. Time." She muttered, through gritted teeth.
"I said don't," Minho said, walking over to them. He grabbed Eslin's hand and dropped it, pushing her aside with a blank expression. Eslin fell to the ground with a dejected look while Vasha tried holding in a laugh as she helped her up.
Then he returned his focus to Liu Zhigang. "Do you really think a monster would let you leave here without a fight?" he said, circling Liu Zhigang. "Do you think a monster would leave the people it wakes up to see everyday without killing them? Honestly, it doesn't matter."
He stopped in front of Liu Zhigang, making the National Level Hunter gulp. "My kills are my type of self-defense. But, if you still want a monster… I can be one, y'know." Minho grinned, then he extended a hand. "I heard you were leaving tomorrow. I'd like to believe you came to give 'the Breaker' a proper goodbye."
Liu remained still for a few seconds before releasing the hilt of his swords and shaking Minho's hand, though he could still feel Eslin's glare on him. 'From a dragon calling him Liege, it's now a girl with monstrous amount of mana calling him King. Just what is he?' he thought.