NOVPUB
Chapter 233
Simultaneous reports of “Vigilantes” operating worldwide began to emerge.
“Oh, god!”
“Th-there’s a body here!”
Bodies started appearing one by one in alleyways.
When police or hunters associations responded to citizen reports, they discovered that all of the bodies belonged to wanted villains.
Upon further investigation, it became clear that the villains were, without exception, heinous felons guilty of serious crimes. Occasionally, there were some with lighter charges or even regular hunters among them, but follow-up investigations would always reveal that the victim had been secretly engaged in illegal activities.
There was something peculiar about it all. After killing these villains, these so-called Vigilantes always left similar notes on top of the bodies. These notes gave each villain’s name along with a detailed list of their crimes.
Thanks to this, the police officers responsible for cleaning up the bodies found their job significantly easier. It was obvious what the notes were for.
—The Vigilante is helping the police!
It was as if the killers were stating their purpose with every note they left behind.
Similar reports from civilians sprung up everywhere.
—The Vigilante begins activities in Brazil!
—The Vigilante is in Canada. Finally!
—The killer who leaves death notes behind has arrived in the Philippines!
This phenomenon spread like wildfire. Every day, reporters churned out articles on dozens of new incidents.
There was a reason why the world referred to these mysterious figures in the singular—“the Vigilante”—despite the events taking place in such different locations. Each body was found with a note, which the media dubbed the “death memo,” and survivors saved by the Vigilante always gave identical testimonies.
“I saw a dark shadow.”
This was all any of them could say. None of them ever saw a face, and the interviews were exactly the same.
This led people to a simple conclusion: “The Vigilante” was not a single person, but a vast network. This was not something being done for the amusement or vengeance of a single individual. Instead, it seemed that “the Vigilante” was actually an organization with a shared purpose and desire to enact justice.
—What is the true goal of the international vigilante group?
—The Vigilante cleanses the streets all over the world!
—Discussion: We demand to know what right the Vigilante has to take the law into their own hands!
—What is justice? Do villains deserve human rights too?
—Here is an opposing view. The Vigilante only kills villains, and the police’s role remains the same. The Vigilante is like a hunter police force!
—Breaking: Global crime rates plummet as villain activity declines!
—What does the public think?
“Haha! What a ruckus.”
It was truly ironic. The World Hunters Association was holding daily debates on whether to classify members of the Vigilante as villains or recognize them as “villain hunters,” but in reality, it was all a waste of time. No one knew who or what the Vigilante actually was, so they were all just fighting over speculations.
That was how it appeared on the surface, at least. There were some who did know who was behind it.
“Adam, did you see this? Suho’s getting serious,” Thomas Andre said, grinning as he leaned back on the sofa.
Thomas was snickering at the flood of news reports about the Vigilante that seemed to pop up daily. He looked like a grandfather brimming with pride over the playful antics of his grandson.
Meanwhile, Adam White, the director of the Federal Bureau of Hunters in the United States, sighed. He looked extremely troubled.
“Mr. Andre, there’s only so much we can pretend not to know. People are already saying that the sightings of the Vigilante members seem to match the dark shadows in the footage broadcast by China.”
“Oh, Adam! Relax. Don’t be too concerned and let things play out! Sooner or later, everyone will figure out that the Vigilante is linked to Suho anyway.”
“Ugh...”
Adam sighed again. To him, the words seemed downright irresponsible.
The Federal Bureau of Hunters would have confronted Suho already if not for Thomas’ intervention. He was extremely protective of Suho, and he was a man not even the U.S. government could ignore.
Thomas... He’s getting stronger and stronger.
Adam clenched his sweaty fists as he stared at the old man, who was sipping tomato juice like he didn’t have a care in the world.
Officially, Thomas Andre was still detained by the bureau on charges of murdering Christopher. Technically, he was currently undergoing a court case, backed by a massive legal team. The trials never seemed to end.
But it was all a charade. Thomas had actually been pursuing the Church of the Outer Gods in secret, partnering with the bureau, in an operation code-named “Dark Hunter Police.”
Despite the uninspired name, they had already produced incredible results. They had discovered a few bases belonging to the Church of the Outer Gods and even managed to eliminate their priests.
However, something unusual had been happening. Every time Thomas killed a priest, his power visibly increased. Ever since Adam had realized this, he had quite frankly been terrified.
I simply can’t believe it. He grows stronger as he fights... No, that’s not the right way to describe it.
As he had watched Thomas from up close, Adam corrected himself.
It’s more like recovery than growth. As he fights the Church of the Outer Gods, it’s like he’s regaining a power he used to have.
Adam’s observations weren’t without reason.
Most hunters experienced a sense of euphoria when they gained new power, becoming almost drunk on their newfound strength. But Thomas’ reaction was different.
The stronger he gets, the more relaxed he looks. It’s like he’s finally back home.
It simply did not make sense to Adam, and things that were difficult to understand naturally led to fear. At the same time, he was very relieved that this old man was still willing to fight for America.
One thing is clear, at least...
As the director of the Federal Bureau of Hunters, the organization in charge of protecting the nation, Adam was certain of one fact.
This man has already surpassed the level of an ordinary S-rank hunter.
If Thomas Andre ever turned against the United States, it would be inviting a nuclear war.
“How long do we keep suppressing this information?” Adam asked, casting aside the thoughts filling his mind.
Thomas grinned. “Until Suho gives the signal, of course.”
“And when will that be, exactly?”
“Soon, by the looks of it,” Laura interjected in a calm voice. She stood next to Thomas, inspecting news from South Korea on a tablet.
There was something quite odd. A few days ago, the news about the Vigilante had been all over the Korean media. Trends, however, could change in an instant.
“The South Korean public isn’t interested in the Vigilante anymore,” she said. “Now they’re all talking about North Korea.”
“North Korea?” Adam asked.
“This seems related to Sung Suho as well,” Laura replied.
Adam nodded at her in interest.
“Hmm. South Korea’s major guilds are backing him, saying he’s strong enough to assist the chairman of the Korean Hunters Association in North Korea,” she continued. “Some people claim the guilds are just trying to remove a competitor by sending him north.”
“Hehe! North Korea... So Suho wants to fight at his full potential.”
Thomas grinned as if he understood Suho’s intentions. The look on his face suggested that he was itching to go on a rampage himself.
Adam frowned, uneasy. “It won’t be as easy as it sounds. If you think about national security, the stronger the hunter, the more of a loss it is to send them to North Korea.”
“That’s true, which is why the public is divided,” Laura responded. “No side has a clear advantage. Without something to sway them, Suho won’t be allowed to go.”
“Change their minds, huh?” Thomas’ eyes glowed with mischief. “I think I know what he needs.”
Just then, his phone rang.
“It’s Suho,” Laura said.
Thomas shot to his feet and took the call.
After getting off the phone, he bared his teeth in a smile.
“Adam! The time has come,” he said with a grin, their eyes locking. “Connect the Vigilante to Suho.”
“I see...”
No further words were needed. Adam, seasoned in political maneuvering, understood right away what needed to be done. With a nod, he summoned the employees of the bureau.
Shortly after, foreign media outlets began reporting on the connection between the Vigilante and the hero who had saved India.
At the same time, information about Sung Suho began trickling out within South Korea. As if on cue, Korean public opinion began to shift rapidly.
—Video: Live stream of China’s Loktak Field
An invisible hand seemed to manipulate the algorithm.
Suddenly, every South Korean citizen was watching the video. In it, Suho stood confidently among thousands of black shadows.
—What the hell?! What are those dark shadows?
—They’re all part of the Vigilante!
Those worldwide who had seen the Vigilante members in action began to recognize the black shadows from the video. 𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑝𝘶𝘣.𝑐𝘰𝘮
—So who’s the hunter standing with all those shadows?
—What’s his relationship with the Vigilante?
—He’s apparently the strongest hunter in South Korea.
—Isn’t it dangerous to let someone like him just walk around?
“That’s Adam for you. This should be more than enough,” Thomas said, smiling with satisfaction as he watched public opinion roil. “Now Suho will have no choice but to go to North Korea.”
***
The next day, all of South Korea’s attention was focused on one person: Sung Suho.
—Sung Suho, the hero of India! Let’s find out who he is!
—Why did the association keep information about Sung Suho of the Woojin Guild hidden until now?
Click! Click! Click!
At the moment, reporters were swarming like a colony of bees, their camera flashes blindingly bright as they captured Suho from every possible angle.
Jinho stood behind his nephew, gazing at him with the look of a worried parent.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” he asked.
“Of course,” Suho said.
He had suddenly been exposed to a great deal of interest from the public, which came with a corresponding sense of pressure. He was currently at a press conference being hosted by the association.
There was a high-pitched screech from the microphone, and the reporters, who had been buzzing like flies, suddenly went silent. A chilling stillness filled the room.
In the middle of it all, Suho stood calmly, facing the crowd. He reached for the microphone, preparing to answer their burning questions.
Of course, they all wanted to know his true identity.
Suho took a moment to think about the tasks ahead of him before responding. They weren’t system-generated quests, but rather goals he had set for himself.
Number one: protect Esil’s territory in the demon realm. The reward: When she becomes the King of Demons, I’ll have access to her purified blood.
Number two: investigate the nightmare bulbs with Jiwoo. The reward: access the Sea of the Afterlife, where the World Tree is to be found.
Number three: go to North Korea. The reward: fast leveling.
The first two were crucial for obtaining the materials needed to craft the Life-Giving Elixir, and the elixir was essential for saving his grandfather, Sung Ilhwan.
Ilhwan’s body was currently unstable because of the countless Stones of the Outer Gods inside it. It would not have been surprising if a dimensional breach occurred in his body, tearing him apart at any time. In order for him to recover, he needed the Life-Giving Elixir as soon as possible.
To achieve these first two objectives, Suho needed to grow stronger. And for that purpose, it was important for him to go to North Korea and work on increasing his level.
Yes... This is the fastest way if I want to save him, Suho told himself. He casually looked over the reporters who had come to see him and smiled.
“Suho! We want an answer!”
One brave reporter spoke up, breaking the silence.
With that, the floodgates opened. Questions came at him from every direction, colliding, overlapping, and drowning each other out.
“What is your connection to the Vigilante?”
“Are you their leader, as the rumors claim?”
“What’s your true identity?”
A miscellaneous item that had been lying around in Suho’s inventory suddenly appeared in his hand.
This was the surest way. He would have to suffer a moment of embarrassment, but the impact would be undeniable.
Suho put on the crow mask, closed his eyes tightly, and began to speak.
“I am... Crow, the Beast King.”
There was a beat of stunned silence.
Click! Click! Click!
Instantly, a frenzy of camera flashes lit up the room like strobe lights.
The identity of the infamous figure, who had been called both a villain and a hero, was finally revealed to the world.
—Breaking: Is THIS the Real Reason Guilds Want to Send Sung Suho to Woo Jinchul?
