Blood Demon of the Past Life – Chapter 121

Chapter 121: Preparation （4）

Jo Han-byeol’s parents.

They respected their only son’s opinion.

Therefore, they reluctantly accepted his decision to go to Japan, but they couldn’t maintain the same attitude with the new information they received.

“Son. You know it’s rare for your mother to be this adamant. There are rumors that the Japanese government has determined that they can’t handle the situation in the south on their own, and they’re intentionally portraying it as a good hunting ground for growth. This means that it’s just the right place for people who went there thinking it’s somewhat safe to die tragically. Do you still want to go? To that dangerous place, on purpose?”

As she said.

There were rumors circulating secretly among people.

The large-scale Link incident that occurred in southern Japan was like a sudden natural disaster.

Even now, 3 years later, the extent of the damage hasn’t been accurately assessed, and since Japan can’t completely resolve the situation in the south, they’ve formed a ‘defense base’ as a last resort. If they concentrate Japan’s forces in the south and something happens elsewhere, it would be an irreversible situation for Japan. So, they wanted to attract as much external manpower as possible to resolve the situation in the south.

Of course, it was just a rumor.

Publicly, Japan secured the image of a monster field and actively allowed the intervention of foreign mercenaries.

Jo Han-byeol knew it too.

Going to Japan was quite dangerous, but there was a reason why they had to go.

“I still want to go.”

“Han-byeol!”

“Mom. We made a promise. If I pass the E-rank test, you’ll respect my life from then on.”

Jo Han-byeol’s circumstances were similar to Yeon Woo-bin’s.

Jo Han-byeol’s parents were worried about him, but unlike the overbearing Yeon Gyu-seong, they supported Jo Han-byeol’s will to some extent. That’s why the condition they set was the E-rank test. They said if he passed the test in one go, they would consider him capable of protecting himself and support his future as a Hunter.

But even so.

They couldn’t just stand by and watch a dangerous situation like this.

That’s why they came, but even with his mother’s dissuasion, Jo Han-byeol had a reason he couldn’t give up.

‘It’s a world where we can die at any time. If I can’t protect myself, it wouldn’t be strange if I died tomorrow.’

Jo Han-byeol had a secret.

A story he hadn’t even told his close friend Yeon Woo-bin, in fact, Jo Han-byeol had also nearly lost his mother, just like Yeon Woo-bin. The Link incident at that time was sudden. Monsters appeared and massacred people, but the difference was that Jo Han-byeol’s mother didn’t fall. Fortunately, they were able to escape the scene quickly, and the situation was resolved thanks to the Hunters who arrived soon after.

Whenever he recalled that time.

His heart pounded.

Seeing Yeon Woo-bin, who faced a different outcome, Jo Han-byeol felt sadness as if it were his own experience.

That’s why.

Even though they knew this trip to Japan was dangerous, the reason why no one, including Jo Han-byeol, left the group was that they knew accompanying Kang San would be a tremendous help to their growth. Before meeting Kang San, they were recognized for their talents in their own way. But by overcoming numerous dangers with Kang San, they achieved remarkable growth in just one year. They believed that this trip to Japan wouldn’t be any different.

Jo Han-byeol said.

“It’s something I have to do. It’s the life I’ve chosen, and please respect my decision.”

He didn’t back down.

He was firm.

After a long struggle, his mother had no choice but to back down.

The old saying that no parent can win against their child was true.

“Alright. But you have to come back safely.”

✦✦✦✦✦✦

That day.

Yeon Gyu-seong received a phone call.

『……It’s a frustrating situation. Han-byeol is stubborn and won’t change his mind.』

“You must be very worried too.”

Over the phone.

He heard the voice of his friend and Jo Han-byeol’s father, Jo Kang-rae.

With his wife, who had gone to try and stop their son, returning in defeat, he immediately contacted Yeon Gyu-seong to seek advice.

『Gyu-seong. Are you really just going to send Woo-bin to Japan? You know, it’s more dangerous there than you think.』

“I know. I’d like to keep Woo-bin at home if I could, but after hearing that he passed the B-rank test, I couldn’t do that. Kang-rae. Neither you nor I lived our lives obediently listening to our parents when we were young. It’s the same with our kids now. They’re focused on what they want to do and are achieving results, so all we can do is support them.”

『……Are you really the Yeon Gyu-seong I know? The one who used to get angry saying that Woo-bin was being negatively influenced by Han-byeol, suddenly talking about support? You weren’t originally this optimistic.』

He was right.

Yeon Gyu-seong used to call Jo Kang-rae and complain whenever Jo Han-byeol took Yeon Woo-bin out here and there. Back then, he thought Woo-bin was being led astray by Jo Han-byeol. He still worried about Yeon Woo-bin, but after experiencing various situations, he’d learned to relax a bit.

“I’m worried too. If anything happens to Woo-bin, I’ll drop everything and run to him, but he’s already passed the B-rank test. That means he’s not a weakling who’ll easily fall. And above all, I trust Kang San-nim, who’s with him. He’s someone who will risk his own life to protect his companions if a dangerous situation arises. If Kang San-nim wasn’t going with them, I would have strongly opposed it.”

Kang San.

He was the source of his faith.

If they couldn’t suppress Yeon Woo-bin’s growth any longer, he wanted to trust Kang San, who was by his side.

『If you say so…….』

Jo Kang-rae’s voice also softened.

Since it was the will of Yeon Gyu-seong, whose love for his son was greater than his own, if Yeon Gyu-seong believed in it, he felt like he could believe it too.

Even so, he wasn’t going to just sit back and watch.

Jo Kang-rae said.

『I’ll still pull some strings in Japanese political circles just in case. If a problem arises in a faraway country, we should have at least one place we can rely on.』

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Two days later.

Kang San’s group left for Japan.

There was a small incident where their parents and Jeong Hye-mi came to see them off, acting as guardians for the three younger ones, but after a brief meeting, they were able to enter the ‘Warp Gate’. The Warp Gate was a product of the new world. Transportation methods like airplanes were still used, but Warp Gates were utilized more often for safety reasons. Of course, the cost was significant, so they weren’t commonly used domestically.

Whoosh━

They arrived in Japan.

The first thing Kang San’s group did was use the translation artifact.

It was a truly convenient world.

The words of the Japanese immigration officer were translated and heard in their minds as if it were Korean.

“Welcome to Japan.”

They arrived at the Kitakyushu Gate.

Following the instructions, they headed to the Japanese Hunter Management Bureau.

There was a rule that foreign Hunters entering Japan had to state their purpose of visit here.

The Bureau building.

There were many people inside.

Perhaps drawn by the reputation of the monster field, people from various countries could be seen.

They waited their turn.

Eventually, their number was called.

“Number 30.”

“Yes.”

Kang San stepped forward as the representative.

A person who appeared to be a civil servant received the documents Kang San handed over with an indifferent expression.

“The purpose of your entry is simply for raiding, correct?”

“That’s correct.”

“As Japan and Korea are international allies, there’s no further procedural confirmation required. Your period of stay is exactly one year from today, and to stay longer, you must formally request it and undergo a reassessment based on your achievements here. And let me tell you in advance, there are areas outside the Kitakyushu Wall called Green, Yellow, and Red. Green is the area directly adjacent to the wall and is relatively safe. We recommend that foreign mercenaries only operate within this area. If a problem occurs when you go beyond Yellow, there’s nothing we can do to help you.”

It was a mechanical voice.

He was just stating the procedures, not showing any genuine concern for the dangerous situation.

Perhaps because there was no reply.

The civil servant glanced at Kang San.

“Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Keep in mind. I’m not just saying this, but there’s no room to help anyone here. Never forget that you always have to protect yourselves.”

He was curt.

But they didn’t take his reaction as hostile.

His hair was tied back tightly, and his face was full of fatigue.

His appearance, which proved how tough his time here was, made them understand why he couldn’t express his concern kindly.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

They turned around.

Just as they were about to leave.

Weeing.

Weeeeeeng━!

『Emergency! Emergency! A monster wave has occurred! Everyone to your positions!』

The loud siren.

It was a moment that made them realize this wasn’t Korea.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Before departure.

Kang San had researched Kitakyushu.

Among the information, there was an explanation about the monster wave.

『To explain the monster wave, we first need to understand what kind of place Kitakyushu is. The large-scale Link incident that occurred 3 years ago. From A-rank at the highest to F-rank at the lowest. Due to the Links that occurred more than dozens of times a day, the area below Kitakyushu has become ruins where humans can’t live. The Japanese government couldn’t completely subjugate this, and due to the intermittent Links, the number of monsters is accumulating day by day. As their numbers become oversaturated and they push and shove each other, a monster wave occurs about once a month, where monsters surge towards the Kitakyushu Wall.』

It was information to be aware of and the reason why people called this place a monster field.

Monsters that surged in on their own.

If they faced the monsters in front of the wall, Hunters could deal with them in a relatively safe environment. The Japanese government flew drones to monitor the situation in real-time. And they used an A.I. system to judge who contributed how much and distributed the byproducts collected by the cleaners according to their contributions.

Therefore.

Although they called it an emergency, it was actually a big event that happened once a month that the Hunters staying here welcomed.

Usually, the monsters that surged in with the monster wave were around C-rank.

As the monsters in the Red Zone pushed into the Yellow Zone, and the monsters in the Yellow Zone pushed into the Green Zone, the relatively weaker monsters that had settled in the Green Zone were pushed and shoved, forming the main part of the wave.

It was an expected situation.

As Kang San’s group immediately prepared to move, they witnessed an unfamiliar sight.

Click.

Clank, clank.

Just now.

They saw the civil servant who had just dealt with them carrying a sword and hurrying his steps.

Someone asked.

Where was the civil servant going?

The civil servant glared at them with an irritated expression.

“The main job of the civil servants here is not to deal with you guys. So, whether you want to freeload off the monsters here or tuck your tails and wait for the danger to pass, it’s up to you.”

Swish.

Tsurung.

He drew his sword.

The sharply maintained blade gleamed in the sunlight, revealing a sharp aura.

“I’m going to wipe out those bastards right now.”

They saw his name tag belatedly.

『Nakamura Genji』

Now they understood.

The civil servant’s tired face.

His unfriendly attitude.

This city was maintained in a slightly different way than other areas.

Kang San said.

“Let’s go too.”

“Yes.”

In any case.

They had no intention of forgetting their purpose.

The reason Kang San’s group came here was to become as strong as possible within the limited time of six months.

Following Nakamura Genji, who was running ahead, Kang San’s group also headed towards what appeared to be the wall.