Episode 4. Hero Hunt. (One)
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One.
‘You can’t defeat the Flame Emperor with ordinary methods.’
My heart was pounding. She tried to stay calm, but it wasn’t easy. Maybe it’s natural? Just moments ago, I was burned to death from the head down.
The pain I felt as my bones and flesh were burned alive was truly terrible.
“Damn you, you piece of shit.”
I glared at the pieces of newspaper stuck to the wall.
The history of the salt emperor. From the time he was an unknown rookie to the number one player in the world, numerous interviews and articles were published.
Of course, there was also a picture of Emperor Yan hanging. I was so unlucky that I wanted to tear it up right away.
“Tsk. But if this bastard dies, he goes back to 24 hours ago.”
Even if you kill them, you can’t kill them.
This is such a big problem.
‘It’s actually an invincibility cheat, right?’
Even so, the difference in skill between the Flame Emperor and I is as big as that between the sun and a firefly. The opponent is ranked number 1 in the world. I am outside of rankings. My jealousy is at an all-time high, to the point where it is acknowledged by TOP… but just because I am jealous doesn’t mean my skills will become stronger.
Even if there were coincidences upon coincidences and miracles upon miracles, it would be difficult for me to kill the Flame Emperor.
‘Even if we succeed in actually killing him, it’s a problem.’
What happens if I kill the Flame Emperor?
The Flame Emperor simply regresses to 24 hours ago. And that’s it. The Flame Emperor will try to kill me by any means possible, and the moment he realizes that he cannot kill me, he will try to imprison me forever.
Like making a prison in the basement and putting them in there.
With the Flame Emperor’s strength and skills, he can easily overpower me. And I will spend my life locked up in prison forever.
Bad ending number two in Gongja Kim’s life. It’s a gorgeous confinement ending.
“Ssister…”
Killing is also a problem. Even if you kill it, it’s a problem.
How on earth can I get revenge on this psychopath?
‘how will we do it.’
‘What method can we use to secure first place in the rankings?’
day.
I stayed in my room and thought about it for over 24 hours.
I was worried as I stared at the newspaper articles on the wall. All of the Flame Emperor’s information was contained there. Maybe a hint would come to mind after seeing that.
“Subdue the 39th floor alone!”
“Conquer the 38th floor in solo play! Another legend of the Flame Emperor!”
「Hunter Yoo Su-ha. Ranked number 1 in the world. “First as a Korean.”
dot
dot
dot
“The throne that ranks first has become empty due to the disappearance of the Sword Saint. Who will be the main character next? Foreign experts unanimously say, “The strongest candidate is Korea’s Yoo Soo-ha.”
「Impregnable 10th floor breakthrough. Who is the mysterious hero?”
「Geomseong, missing for 22 days. “Is the worst chaos in the hunter industry coming?”
“······.”
It was that moment.
“uh?”
A shiver arose in my head.
“for a moment. ···Look at this?”
I mumbled while touching a piece of newspaper. A magazine interview with Emperor Yeom. It was originally an article posted on the Internet, but I printed it out and pasted it myself.
+
Q. Suha Yoo, how old were you when you first awakened?
A. It’s the summer of my 21st birthday. So, 11 years have already passed.
Q. You have a really good memory, seeing that you even remember the seasons accurately.
A. I never thought that I had a particularly good memory. Simply put, the day I woke up happened to be my birthday. 11 years ago June 7th. So I remember.
Q. You awakened on your birthday. What happened then?
A. It was on the first floor of the tower. I don’t intend to tell you any more than that. It’s privacy.
+
In a way, it’s an ordinary interview.
However… it was a very valuable hint to me.
“Wow, Mr. wait for a sec. really? “Is this really going to work?”
There was a way. A way to kill the world’s number one ranked hunter.
It’s not easy at all, and if other people hear it, they’ll call you crazy. But at the same time, the only way to get rid of the Flame Emperor occurred to me. It was something that even I, an F-class hunter and only a lowly player, could do.
‘I really can take revenge!’
It was that time.
“Fire!”
There was a commotion outside the window. I opened the window to see what was going on. Red smoke was rising from the other side of the town. Residents came out into the alley and made a loud noise.
“oh. What should I do with that, oh my!”
“Let’s stop doing this here and go put out the fire!”
“That’s right!”
Residents rushed in.
The place where I live is different from the ‘outside world’. People who entered the tower to become hunters. The first floor of the tower, a city built by such residents.
This city had many different names. Some called it Babylon, others called it Hell. There are hunters who simply call it a ‘first-tier city’, and there are even people who call it an archaic city.
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This is probably because people of all races gathered from all over the world.
Most of the people living here were hunters. Whether I like it or not, I have experienced a life-threatening situation. When a crisis occurred, I knew how to move quickly compared to humans in the outside world.
I quickly left my room and joined the firefighting procession of residents.
‘crazy.’
I checked the time on my smartphone. It’s already been 24 hours since the Flame Emperor died and returned. It coincided exactly with the time when the Flame Emperor murdered the saint.
in other words···.
‘It’s a plague! The pestilence started the fire! To destroy the evidence!’
Flame Emperor Yoo Soo-ha.
That guy was a real devil.
2.
Vigilantes had already arrived at the scene. Hunters from large guilds also arrived one after another. Normally, they would growl and raise their claws, but now that the fire demon was blowing, they all joined forces.
“Those with water abilities should not use skills alone!”
“That’s right, just at the right time! yes!”
“The Black Dragon Guild is temporarily in charge of this place! “Please follow the Black Dragon’s commands for a moment, everyone!”
Hunters who are usually difficult to see except through newspapers. Two or three top rankers also showed their faces. While helping other residents, I secretly spied on the rankers.
“Well, first of all, the quarantine around the area has been completed. The problem is whether there are survivors inside or not… “I think we need to send a rescue team quickly.”
Ranked 5th. The head of the guild of doctors and pharmacists, the lord of Alchemy Castle.
“Okay. This place was originally a slum. It’s a place where no one has been living for five years, so entry is not allowed. “It’s fortunate that the fire broke out in a place like this.”
Ranked 10th. A holy knight, the leader of a vigilante group in charge of security in the city.
Hunters are indeed famous for helping others. Even among the top rankers, they seemed to be people who didn’t play solo. He arrived faster than anyone else and was directing the scene.
‘Originally, there should have been a saint among them, but…’
But the saint was not visible.
It was natural. Because she was killed by Dokgodai, who was the meanest of all Dokgodai.
The only two people in the world who know this are the Flame Emperor and me. The truth that even the top rankers don’t know yet… No. It was a truth that we might never know.
The Lord of Alchemy Castle looked around.
“That’s strange. “Why hasn’t the saint come yet…?”
“He said there was something going on tonight. “I’m not sure, but it’s probably a date.”
The Hunter and Paladin ranked 10th in the rankings chuckled.
“These days, he spends a lot of time with Emperor Yeom.”
“···I don’t like that man named Flame Emperor.”
The Lord of Alchemy shrugged his shoulders.
“Maybe I feel a little bad… It might not be polite to talk behind people’s backs in a place like this. Still, I think Seongnyeo should meet someone better.”
“The snow is too high. If there is a man better than the number one person in the rankings, who on earth should I date? So, you are still an old maid.”
“My age doesn’t matter… I’m still safe in my late 30s…”
They say that even tigers will come if you say what they say.
“It’s the Flame Emperor!”
People helping with firefighting stopped for a moment. Even the top rankers turned their heads. There was a flame emperor, or rather a flame, wandering around in a hoodie and sweatpants. Yeombyeong looked extremely annoyed.
“hey. Seed. “Who played with fire without my permission?”
You crazy psychopath.
“Welcome, Emperor Yan.”
“ok. “Brother, welcome back.”
“As you can see, arson occurred in the former slum area. “Can you help me?”
The paladin spoke politely. But the Flame Emperor was perplexed.
“What do I get if I help?”
“I feel proud that I helped many people for free.”
“Oh, stop talking nonsense. “Suggest what you can give me.”
“Tomorrow, an article titled [The Flame Emperor who extinguished the fire did a great good deed] will be widely published in media outlets and broadcasting stations around the world. “You can give the world a refreshing shock and improve your image at the same time.”
“pooh.”
The Flame Emperor put his hands in his pants pockets and sneered.
“Have I noticed any creeps until now?”
He was truly a crazy idiot.
Residents have already taken out their phones and filmed the flame. The Flame Emperor’s expressions and words would be transmitted to the world in real time. The Internet would have been divided into those who supported the Flame Emperor and those who criticized him.
What do those who defend the salt system say?
-then. You must protect your interests like a sword.
-If you help someone for free, that’s a good thing.
-It’s nice to see that even though he becomes a hero, he’s still honest.
My mind became dizzy.
‘Nobody knows.’
It was so scary that it sent a chill down my spine.
‘That’s not honest. That guy… is just crazy. ‘I’m not crazy.’
Even though flames fluttered nearby, my heart felt cold. This fire. This arson. This disaster was all caused by Emperor Yan himself. However, he came back with a normal face and asked, ‘What are you going to give me?’
I finally felt confident.
‘That guy must disappear!’
monster.
It wasn’t just for my revenge. For humanity. For the sake of the hunter’s honor, that monster deserved to be exterminated. A monster is a monster. Isn’t it our hunters’ duty and mission to catch monsters?
‘We must kill him by any means possible.’
There lived a monster flying flames in this tower. okay. It was like that. However, it was inappropriate to simply say ‘there was’. It was very inappropriate.
Because that monster was my prey.
‘Even if I die.’
I moved my steps.
Step by step.
Passing by the heroes who are thinking about after-action measures. Past ordinary people trying to put out fires. I walked towards the flames that were constantly rising, towards the flames that were burning like hell.
“uh? Wait a minute. Where are you going?”
I walked.
“Hey bro! “Don’t get too close!”
I walked.
“oh! “That person must be crazy!”
“Someone stop me!”
“What the f*ck, are you crazy!?”
And ran.
People were making a fuss behind me. There was someone stamping their feet. There were people shouting while working to extinguish the fire. Ignored them all. I ignored it and ran.
‘hot.’
That place was nothing short of hell. Grumble! Flames flickered like red tongues everywhere.
‘sick!’
Every time I took a step, my skin melted. My pupils and the film of my eyeballs were completely burned.
but.
‘It’s better than being attacked by a pestilence!’
This was the only way to kill the Flame Emperor.
How long did it run? It felt like she had been running for a while, but it also felt like only a minute had passed. I was choking on smoke and was choking, and when the choking stopped, I heard a voice.
[You are dead.]
Yes.
[Returns to 24 hours ago.]
It was my second death.
3.
People saw me jumping into the fire and made a fuss, asking if I was crazy.
Of course, I wasn’t crazy. contrary. He understood the current situation very calmly.
“···I’m back.”
my hell My 3.5 pyeong single room.
Interview articles were plastered on the walls, and live broadcasts were broadcast on television. This is already my third live broadcast.
-This is breaking news. The Black Dragon Guild set out to conquer the 40th floor of the tower…
It was back to yesterday again.
‘good. The skill works properly.’
Unlike last time, I didn’t pay attention to the TV. There was no need to give it. The skill to go back 24 hours ago is working properly. All I had to be sure about was this.
With just this, you can kill the Flame Emperor.
[Your current hunter rank is F.]
[There is no penalty due to the skill.]
“also.”
I muttered.
‘The returner’s clock… It was said that the higher the hunter rank, the stronger the penalty is.’
Conversely, if your Hunter Rank is at the bottom, no significant penalty is given.
If you’re level F like me, there isn’t even a penalty yet.
‘Now is your chance.’
Right now, I’m still in F grade.
A golden opportunity to hunt the Flame Emperor.
‘It’s your last chance.’
I took out a knife from my backpack.
old knife. It was a dagger that I had kept ever since I started working as a hunter. Even though it could no longer be used to hunt monsters… it was sharp enough to kill people.
‘How to kill the Flame Emperor.’
I kept thinking about it.
‘Cooperating with a saint who isn’t dead yet? After revealing and proving my abilities to the Black Dragon Guild, I devise a plan to keep the Flame Emperor imprisoned forever? Or, secretly film the scene where the Flame Emperor kills the Saint and send it to a broadcasting company?’
Either method was fine.
But it’s just okay. It was not possible to send Yan Emperor to the goal with 100% certainty.
‘Because I don’t have the track record to make anyone trust a saint.’
There was no performance.
‘Because I don’t have the strength to not get ripped off by the guild.’
I had no strength.
‘Because I’m not confident that I will be able to successfully film the fire without the Emperor’s knowledge.’
I wasn’t confident either.
‘but···.’
There was something like that for me too.
‘When you die, you go back 24 hours ago.’
skill.
A returner’s wind-up clock copied from the Flame Emperor.
‘okay. There is skill.’
‘Don’t worry, Gongja Kim. can do.’
gulp. I looked at the wall one last time. The content of Flame Emperor Yoo Soo-ha’s interview with the magazine reporter was written in full there.
+
Q. Suha Yoo, how old were you when you first awakened?
A. It’s the summer of my 21st birthday. So, 11 years have already passed.
Q. You have a really good memory, seeing that you even remember the seasons accurately.
A. I never thought that I had a particularly good memory. Simply put, the day I woke up happened to be my birthday. 11 years ago June 7th. So I remember.
+
’11 years.’
11 years ago June 7th. summer.
If you count backwards from today.
‘4050 days.’
Yes.
‘You just have to die 4050 times.’
That’s the only way to kill the Flame Emperor.
‘Yoo Su-ha.’
‘If it’s a monster that won’t die even if you kill it.’
I raised my sword high.
‘I’ll kill you before you turn into a monster!’
And stabbed me in the neck.
To go back to the past.
11 years ago June 7th. A time when Flame Emperor Yoo Su-ha had not yet awakened his skills. To go back to that summer when I didn’t yet have the ability to go back 24 hours before I died.
To return to the past when it was still possible to kill the Flame Emperor!
“Ugh…!”
It was hot. It hurt. My heart was pounding like crazy. Every nerve in my body screamed. I couldn’t see anything, and I couldn’t feel anything.
But I heard a voice.
[You are dead.]
[Returns to 24 hours ago.]
I went back a day.
A day ago I was lying in bed. The television was also turned off. But there were still scraps of newspaper stuck to the wall. Just going back for one more day couldn’t erase the history of the Flame Emperor or the legend of that crazy guy.
I glared at Yoo Su-ha’s photo.
‘Does not matter.’
If one day is not enough, a week. If a week isn’t enough, a month. If one month is not enough, it is one year. If one year is not enough.
“Ego.”
I took out the dagger again.
“It’s now 4049 days.”
And stabbed me.
etc,
