Chapter 42

Recently, Seollsan Iri Ha Seo-ho had been putting a bit more effort into his work.

To others, it seemed like he was just trying a bit harder, given his recent achievements.

However, that perception changed when rumors about him started circulating.

The rumor was that Ha Seo-ho was planning to enter the Tower of Apocalypse.

The truth of this rumor was uncertain, as Seo-ho had not made any official statement.

But rumors, as always, don’t need truth to spread, and soon, discussions about Seo-ho were all over various communities.

[Breaking News: Ha Seo-ho Challenges the Tower of Apocalypse]

RFF: What’s up with Ha Seo-ho? Is he really challenging the Tower of Apocalypse?

└ ㅇㅇ: No official statement yet. Seems premature.

Jidori: His recent achievements are unusual. Seo-ho’s form is insane.

Zom: He’s been blocking dimensional gates like crazy. Is he going to become a national hero?

└ FDZZ: For real, for real. Starting today, I’m investing in Seolsan Iri coins. Holding my breath until he makes a statement.

YouTubeRekka: [The world is shocked! Korean S-class Hunter finally reaches the Tower of Apocalypse!] Link

At the same time, people started paying attention to Seo-ho’s recent activities.

Though not significant, his participation rate had increased slightly compared to usual.

It wasn’t a steep rise, but it was a steady climb, as if he was pacing himself.

Because of this, the rumors gradually gained credibility.

Seollsan Iri Ha Seo-ho is preparing to challenge the Tower of Apocalypse!

In truth, clearing the Tower of Apocalypse offers no tangible rewards.

The tower has always just watched over people, showing no reaction even when floors are cleared.

However, one thing is certain: all dimensional events occur after the tower appears.

Thus, many believe that clearing the tower would end the dimensional phenomena.

This trend naturally led to those who challenge the tower being called heroes.

As a result, anyone who clears a new floor of the tower is treated as a global hero, becoming a figure that companies or nations can showcase as a global icon.

Being a global hero means being known worldwide, and the value that comes with that is immeasurable.

Just one advertisement with them could change the scale of income.

Therefore, among S-class Hunters and Returners, there are often those who challenge the Tower of Apocalypse.

Though dangerous, success means gaining a great treasure for their affiliated nation or company, so support is not spared.

In such a situation, the rumor that Seo-ho is preparing to challenge the Tower of Apocalypse has gained enough credibility to cause a stir.

Of course, Seo-ho himself has still not made any official statement.

Rumors are just rumors.

But for Giraseong, who aims to kidnap Seo-ho, are these just rumors?

The failure to kidnap Si-ho has led to trouble with the World Returner Association, and with the recent artificial dimensional gate incident, the Association has accelerated its efforts to eliminate Giraseong, bringing a full-scale war closer.

Among this, the reappearance of Cheonma Cheon Hong-ryun, who briefly worked with the Association before disappearing, is also a significant pressure for Giraseong.

Cheon Hong-ryun, who once crushed forces hostile to the Returner Association at the front lines, is a top-tier figure in the Murim world, and few among the Returners can match her prowess.

Since her reappearance, she has been relentlessly eliminating Giraseong, causing headaches within the organization.

Ironically, the situation has worsened to this extent because of just one person, Kang Ha-chan, but they can’t figure out why, driving them mad.

Adding to this, the rumor that Seo-ho might enter the Tower of Apocalypse has further complicated things.

Conflict and impending war with the Returner Association.

The reappearance of Cheonma.

The failed kidnapping of Ha Si-ho and the added complication of a Returner with tricky spatial abilities.

Ha Seo-ho’s challenge to the Tower of Apocalypse.

With these four situations overlapping, Giraseong is feeling the heat.

Just entering the Tower of Apocalypse would keep Seo-ho in the spotlight for a while.

Moreover, if he does challenge it, the kidnapping plan would naturally fall through, and the last means to extract Ha Si-ho from the Returner Association would disappear.

Thus, Ha Si-ho’s kidnapping must occur before Seo-ho enters the tower, and they must act before the Returner Association turns its attention to Seo-ho.

The only silver lining is that the Returner Association has only assigned a Returner to Si-ho for now.

Seo-ho is an S-class Hunter, and they are too focused on eliminating Giraseong to pay attention to him.

The only positive aspect is that Seo-ho’s increased pace might have led to accumulated fatigue.

Even an S-class Hunter cannot ignore accumulated fatigue.

This is practically the only chance to kidnap him, the last opportunity to trade Si-ho.

Perhaps because of this, Giraseong had to consider that this situation might be a trap.

Unlike the World Returner Association, they are a criminal organization.

Not being publicly known limits their ability to gather information, and the situation is turning against them.

Thus, they cannot just wait idly by as the last card that could turn the situation might disappear.

So, they moved forward, unsure whether the last card would be a joker or lead to ruin.

That was the apparent situation.

If only there weren’t different variables between Giraseong and the Returner Association.

That day, Seo-ho was on his way back after closing a dimensional gate.

It wasn’t a large gate, so Seo-ho handled it alone and closed it without much difficulty.

“The dimensional gate is closed.”

[Good work. A car is waiting below.]

“Confirmed.”

After finishing the conversation with the handler through the earpiece, Seo-ho stretched his stiff shoulders.

Indeed, maintaining this pace had accumulated quite a bit of fatigue.

‘Feels like I’ve downgraded appropriately.’

Feeling the fatigue enveloping his body, Seo-ho began descending Mount Gama in Paju.

At that moment, a chilling aura swept over him.

As planned, he had deliberately drained his stamina to lure the opponent.

Coincidentally, today was in the mountains.

Though descending, reaching the residential area would still take more time.

Meaning, it was a very suitable situation for a kidnapping attempt.

Pazik!

At that moment, the earpiece Seo-ho was wearing exploded.

Ziiing!

The explosion right next to his ear caused Seo-ho to grimace as a ringing sound filled his left ear.

At that moment, something moved in the forest.

Pueok!

Despite recognizing it, Seo-ho’s brain shook from the impact on his chin.

In his blurry vision, a figure cloaked in darkness stood before him.

Only red eyes glowed, creating an eerie presence.

‘Strong.’

Moreover, this eerie presence clearly indicated a mental intrusion.

Seo-ho quickly averted his eyes and, just before falling, erected an ice wall to support himself.

As the mental attack began, his vision split into hundreds, like a bug’s eye.

Meanwhile, the enemy kicked off the ground again.

Though he was supposed to be kidnapped, he was an S-class Hunter.

Being kidnapped too easily would surely raise suspicions.

Seo-ho gave up on his eyes and immediately slammed the ground.

Chwajajajak!

Ice spears shot up from the ground, surrounding him and attacking the enemy.

The enemy, with inhuman movements, dodged the ice spears and quickly reached Seo-ho.

Simultaneously, the enemy’s fist was about to strike Seo-ho again.

Kwajik!

The fist was blocked by a translucent ice barrier around Seo-ho.

Looking at him, Seo-ho held an ice-crafted flower.

“Don’t underestimate people too much.”

Closing his eyes, Seo-ho shattered the ice flower, instantly covering the surroundings in a freezing cold.

Absolute Zero.

The freezing cold that could freeze everything engulfed all.

“Haa.”

A sigh froze along with the cold.

Still unable to see, Seo-ho tried to rise from the ice wall, but his movement was halted by a wall of flames.

Apparently, another ambush was hidden, as the burning flames began melting the ice forest.

Soon, a massive light source was felt beyond his eyelids.

A blazing heat hole in the sky shone fiercely.

“We’re in a hurry, so we don’t have time to waste.”

A male voice reached Seo-ho’s ears.

The heat was so intense it felt like it would burn him just by being nearby.

An opponent with a perfect counter to his ice abilities.

They were moving at full strength from the start to kidnap him, indicating their urgency.

‘No need to hold back then.’

Even at full strength, he might have been kidnapped without a chance.

Swallowing a bitter smile, Seo-ho gripped an ice-crafted sword.

Then, resisting to the end would be enough.

Soon, the heat hole descended into the forest, marking the beginning of Ha Seo-ho’s kidnapping incident.

The car sent by Baekseolhyang arrived at the café shortly.

A white Sonata, a common car model seen on the streets.

At that moment, an elderly gentleman stepped out of the front seat and opened the door.

“Please get in, Kang Ha-chan.”

For some reason, it felt burdensome.

An elderly foreign gentleman opening the door of a Sonata.

With an awkward smile, I got into the car, only to stiffen as the interior suddenly expanded luxuriously.

The inside reminded me of a lavish limousine, making me wonder if I could ever afford such a car in my lifetime, recalling that it had looked like a Sonata just moments ago.

“It’s a distortion magic. What you see and what’s inside are different. Probably made by a Returner.”

Baek San spoke casually, as if such interiors were nothing special.

Perhaps made for covert operations.

Truly a car worthy of an elderly gentleman opening the door.

As a lifelong commoner, I awkwardly sat on the seat, and the elderly gentleman began driving.

His driving was incredibly stable, with the wine in the car not even shaking during turns.

“Are you perhaps a Returner?”

Since Baekseolhyang sent him, I asked just in case.

It would be quite embarrassing if a Returner was driving to pick me up.

“No, I’m not a Returner. Just an old man who knows a bit about driving.”

The elderly gentleman smiled kindly and answered.

“Even in the Returner Association, there are quite a few ordinary people working. Most are those who want to repay the Returners for their kindness. So, they keep things confidential.”

I see.

Since most internal affairs of the Returner Association are top secret, I felt a sense of wonder.

“What’s so surprising? There are several Returners around you.”

As Baek San said, it was a bit late to be surprised now.

“Ha-chan, you are an important person emphasized by the Association President. This vehicle is prepared against ability attacks, so please relax and enjoy the ride.”

I wondered why I was receiving such treatment.

But it would be rude to voice that to those treating me well, so I quietly nodded.

Having grown up in Korea, where Confucian values remain until 2030, I was naturally weak against the elderly.

Trrrrr-

At that moment, my phone started ringing.

Perhaps it was Baekseolhyang.

Picking up the phone, I was surprised to see the caller.

Because the caller was none other than Si-ho.

A bad feeling started to creep in.