Skipping the complicated interrogation process, he got straight to the point.
The man under Neia’s mind control magic opened his tightly sealed mouth and began to answer Seong-hyun’s questions freely.
As expected, he was indeed a Hunter belonging to a foreign guild.
However, the name of the guild that came from the man’s mouth was beyond their expectations.
“What? What did you say? You’re from the Oracle Guild?”
Han Seung-hee, standing beside him, reacted with a start.
The man, with a dazed expression, merely nodded.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“If it’s Oracle…”
Seong-hyun’s expression turned grave.
It was a name impossible for any Hunter to be unaware of, regardless of their nationality.
A powerful, massive guild that dominated the western United States.
They were famous for their formidable Hunter forces, and their guild master was also one of the world’s top-ranked powerhouses.
Naturally, they were far superior to the Cheonha Guild in terms of power, and excluding the new variable of AEGIS, they had more than enough strength to shake the entirety of Korea.
“Then are you the only Oracle guild member who has entered the country?”
“I’m the only one in Seoul.”
“In Seoul… you say? Does that mean there are more in other regions?”
“Yes. At least a hundred or more members.”
The man continued speaking in a slurred tone.
Due to the mind control, a bit of patience was required while listening to his somewhat slow responses.
Unlike torture or most interrogation processes where lies could be mixed in, the answers here were purely the truth.
But upon hearing the story, Han Seung-hee’s expression was one of utter disbelief.
“That magic she used, are you sure it’s working?”
“The mind control is definitely in effect.”
As Han Seung-hee glanced at Neia, Seong-hyun nodded and said.
Unless the caster was a complete novice with no experience, it was impossible not to be able to tell whether the target was under a spell or not.
And as a Lich, she possessed a wealth of knowledge and experience in magic that was unimaginable for a human.
“Then what does your guild want, to suddenly come to Korea and start pulling these schemes?”
“I don’t know that either. Guild members like me, assigned to infiltration missions, are not told the details of the overall plan. The guild only instructed me not to make the first move. My only given task was to avoid friction as much as possible and quietly observe.”
The man continued to speak blankly, and Seong-hyun fell into thought for a moment.
Oracle was not a guild that was aggressive about expansion.
Certainly, their power itself was enough to swallow countries across the globe and control them as they wished, if they so desired.
But they always acted passively in external affairs.
Compared to its vast sphere of influence, Oracle had few members and pursued an elite force with high combat power, thus they had no interest in recklessly expanding their influence overseas.
In short, they were the type to only make a move outside the United States if there was a definite gain to be had.
So it was surprising that Korea held that much value to them.
‘And they only assigned someone to tail me. What the hell do they want from me?’
If it were four or five people, it could be considered information gathering on a new guild.
But if it was a number close to a hundred, as this man said, they were clearly planning to intervene in the country in some way.
“Have there been any particularly suspicious signs or reports so far?”
“No, information from outside the capital area is insufficient, since the other seven major guilds have a tight grip on it. Should I try contacting the guilds in other regions?”
“Yes, please do. That would be best.”
Seong-hyun nodded at Han Seung-hee’s words.
The Disaster Management Bureau was definitely controlling international flights in the capital area, and the Baekryong Guild, having been burned once by the Cheonha Guild, had thoroughly locked down the ports.
For a foreign guild to slip into the country undetected, their only option was to enter through other provinces.
However, the seven major provincial guilds were extremely wary of AEGIS, which had rapidly risen to become the country’s largest power, and kept them heavily in check, making it difficult for even Heungnyeon or the Disaster Management Bureau to operate and gather information.
‘Still, since this is about a foreign guild, they’ll probably cooperate to some extent. They wouldn’t want to be wiped out while bickering amongst themselves.’
With their business concluded, Seong-hyun unsummoned Neia and exited the dungeon with Han Seung-hee.
Due to the chaos caused by this incident, the guild personnel who were supposed to close the dungeon had not yet arrived.
Still, thanks to Seong-hyun rushing around, all the high-level dungeons in the capital area had been cleared, so the situation would be resolved quickly.
“I’ll take this guy, then. The mind control will wear off soon. I’ll make sure he’s locked up tight.”
“Alright. I’ll check to see if there are any remaining dungeons before I go.”
“Got it.”
Han Seung-hee grabbed the limp man by the scruff of his neck and dragged him away.
The mind control would wear off soon, so they needed to deal decisively with a man who could even deceive the eyes of an S-rank Hunter.
But just as she was about to drag the man back to the guild.
KABOOM!
“What…?”
Han Seung-hee hastily retreated from the sudden explosion.
Seong-hyun, who was about to part ways, also turned his gaze toward the explosion.
Then, on the street that was deserted due to the evacuation order, Hunters in gray coats began to appear one by one around them.
“…Who are these guys? Are they here to rescue their comrade?”
Han Seung-hee said, slightly lifting the captured man.
But before she could even finish her sentence.
FWOOSH!
A sharp arrow flew toward her.
The power of the arrow, clearly not from an ordinary Hunter, could be felt from the sound of it cutting through the air, and she dodged it by slightly shifting her body to the side.
“What the hell? Aren’t they his comrades?”
That last arrow was clearly intended to pierce through both the captured man and herself.
Their actions suggested they didn’t care what happened to him, let alone consider him a comrade.
“And I can’t see their faces since they’re all covered.”
Han Seung-hee muttered, looking at the Hunters who all had their faces hidden by hoods and masks.
Besides the dozens of Hunters who had already revealed themselves, she could feel a multitude of presences all around.
At least several hundred people were surrounding them.
But after watching them for a moment, Han Seung-hee smirked.
“Sorry, but you picked the wrong opponents.”
KRAKOOM!
Immediately after, a loud roar erupted, and a cloud of dust billowed up.
Through the dust that obscured their vision, Seong-hyun rushed in and completely shattered the rooftop where dozens of Hunters were standing.
As the floor crumbled beneath them, the panicked Hunters tried to escape, but Seong-hyun didn’t let them.
THWACK!
“Keuk…!”
Seong-hyun instantly closed in on the off-balance Hunters and began to hunt them down one by one.
Without even needing to swing his sword, they fell like autumn leaves from a single punch or kick.
Of course, the other Hunters joined forces to try and stop him.
But they were facing the world’s only S-rank Necromancer, and they could not dare to claim numerical superiority against him.
KAGAGAGAK!
The monarch ‘Maitria’ swung her eerie black scythe, splitting the ground.
Over a thousand banshees soared up around her.
“Th-This is!”
KIEEEEEK!
The banshees began to hunt the Hunters who had surrounded them.
Of course, since they had come targeting Seong-hyun, they hadn’t arrived unprepared. The Hunters immediately counterattacked and resisted fiercely.
The several hundred people here all possessed the power of at least an A-rank Hunter.
This meant that the force present here was one that most large domestic guilds couldn’t even mobilize.
“Gaaah!”
But that only changed the process, not the outcome.
The Hunters were being pushed back one-sidedly, and the man commanding them shouted in frustration.
“What is everyone doing! These mere monsters are…!”
“There you are.”
KRAKOOM!
“Keuk…!”
The man was slammed headfirst into the ground.
As befitting a high-ranking Hunter, his head wasn’t crushed by the impact, but Seong-hyun kept his grip on it, not letting go.
The captured man couldn’t move an inch in the face of the overwhelming difference in physical strength.
“The remnants of the Cheongseong and Hwashin Guilds were dealt with a long time ago. You seem to be a foreign guild, but to mobilize this many people within the country, you don’t seem like an ordinary one. Who the hell are you guys?”
“Kugh…!”
The man, held by the neck, struggled as he was lifted into the air.
His guild members were being swept away by the banshees, and no matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t escape Seong-hyun’s grasp.
But the man still refused to speak.
“You even came wearing matching masks. Looks like you came well-prepared to eliminate me. If you won’t talk, I’ll find out for myself.”
Seong-hyun first reached out to remove the man’s mask.
But at that moment, Seong-hyun felt a sharp presence approaching from behind.
It was incredibly fast.
CLANG!
Seong-hyun turned and easily parried the incoming blade.
But as if anticipating that, a follow-up strike immediately forced Seong-hyun back a few steps, and in that opening, the captured guild member was pulled away.
“That was impressive.”
Seong-hyun faced the man in the green mask standing before him.
He wore a similar-looking mask and was dressed almost identically to the other Hunters who had appeared.
But from the power behind that last strike, he could tell this was at least an S-rank Hunter.
“Are you their leader?”
“Yes, I am.”
The masked man nodded and said.
“You’re as exceptional as the rumors say. Just as expected from the one who brought down Korea’s two great guilds and made even the Cheonha Guild kneel.”
As expected of a Hunter from abroad, the man spoke in English.
But his accent felt somewhat awkward.
It was distinctly different from the man he had just interrogated; they were definitely not American Hunters like those from Oracle.
“I don’t think I’ve done anything to make enemies of foreign Hunters. Is there a reason to bring this many people just to eliminate me? No, before that, where are you from?”
“There’s no need for you to know that. You’ll be eliminated here anyway. Besides, I can’t afford to waste time in the middle of your territory.”
“…You think you can eliminate me with your power?”
“That’s right. This place will be your grave.”
Tssssss!
A red aura flickered around the man as he raised his sword.
At that sight, Seong-hyun’s eyes wavered for a moment.
“Th-This is…?”
It was too familiar a sensation and aura to be something he was seeing for the first time.
Seong-hyun immediately recognized the identity of the ominous power that had manifested.