"Are you nervous?" Jin-Woo asked him as they stood outside the conference hall.
Haru along with Jin-Woo was invited to the Internation Guild Conference this year with Jin-Woo as the representative of the Ahjin Guild and Haru as a special guest.
Outside the hall, there were numerous entities standing who were quite influential and held great strength. Coming from different nations, everyone had their translators beside them. As for Haru and Jin-Woo, their translator as well as bodyguard was none other than Woo Jin-Chul.
With a sigh, Haru looked at the crowd and said, "No...I am just thinking what would these people do after mana disappears from this world?"
Unlike what happened originally, in this timeline, Jin-Woo wouldn't be using the Cup of Reincarnation to reverse the time so everyone would retain their memories. And naturally, having the memories of spending their lives as hunters only to suddenly get their power robbed from them would be quite unsettling for them.
Imagine sharpening your skills for your whole life only for them to disappear in an instant....yeah, that seemed awful.
Jin-Woo heaved a sigh before responding, "Well even if Mana doesn't disappear, we cannot let this chaos continue. And without dungeons, these powers would bring nothing but disaster."
What he said was true. Without a common subject to fight against, with these abilities, humans would slaughter each other and humanity might end up being pushed into the same spot from where Jin-Woo and Haru were trying to pull them away.
"Yeah...that's true. Well, I hope they can find themselves a job and let their ego fade away with time."
Just as Haru finished speaking, someone from inside the conference room arrived and spoke to everyone present, "Please step inside the conference hall."
Since everyone present here was an invited individual there was no need to recheck their invitation.
Woo Jin-Chul was naturally not allowed inside as Jin-Woo and Haru made their way along with others.
"Haah..." As Haru got seated, he released a sigh and propped his chin on his palm which further rested on the table.
He knew this was going to be boring with all these wannabe aristocrats around him but well, he has come here to see what these guys have plotted against him.
Haru could easily pry through one's mind but he doesn't know whom he has to look at so he decides to relax and let the show begin.
There were some individuals that intrigued him, like the Chinese star hunter Liu Zhigang and the German hunter Lennart but Haru has long lost that urge to challenge someone.
Being the strongest is quite difficult~
"Hunter Sung Jin-Woo." Suddenly the Goliath and the pride of America—Thomas Andre appeared on their left and called out for the shadow monarch.
The last time they met, Jin-Woo broke Thomas Andre's arm and severely damaged him. The reason was Jin-Ho's abduction.
'Damn...I missed such a glorious battle...' When Haru was in a coma, it all happened. But now, provoking Thomas to see another battle seemed foolishness.
"I have something to discuss with you. After this conference, my secretary will contact you." And like that, before Jin-Woo could say anything, Thomas Andre walked away—allowing many around them to breathe properly.
"Are you gonna fight him again?" Haru asked nonchalantly to which Jin-Woo shrugged and said, "I didn't harm his guild members last time, so I don't think he still holds a grudge against me."
Then it probably about the daggers—Haru inwardly muttered.
"The conference is about to start. Please maintain silence." The moderator spoke before an old man in his late sixties walked up to the stage and advanced to the mic.
Haru recognized the old man but couldn't remember his name.
"Good evening to everyone. I am Doctor Belzer."
Well, the man introduced himself.
"Today we have gathered here to discuss the matter relating to the frequent dungeons break out and red gates. And also, the factor concerning regular awakening of hunters."
The doctor began, as he took out a file and read something from it before speaking again,
"It was recorded that just in these past six months, above seven thousand red gates have appeared and the death rate of the hunters has tripled."
Many in the hall, gasped and began to murmur upon hearing that information.
Red gates are a unique type of dungeon that throws the hunters into a different dimension, and until they didn't kill the boss, they can't leave the dungeon at all.
Naturally, the death rate would elevate—however, to balance out the equation, the number of awakened has increased as well.
"From the reports that we have recorded and analyzed, this frequent occurrence has begun to show up after that incident back in Japan when an S-rank gate appeared there."
Hearing that, slowly most of the people started to glance in Haru's direction since the one who negated the danger of the S-rank monsters was none other than the only teenager in the conference hall.
"Doctor, are you trying to say that there is someone behind the summoning of the dungeon and they increased the summoning after they sensed that Hunter Nanase is no longer there to protect humanity?" Someone asked.
The question was going inside the heads of many individuals since there was only this route to connect Haru's death to this sudden spike in dungeon appearance.
However, "If it had been true then after Hunter Nanase woke up, the dungeons should have slowed down, right?"
This time it wasn't the doctor who spoke, rather it was the American Hunter's Bureau chief who responded.
Another round of whispering and murmuring erupted as people began to talk to each other about what was just announced.
Amidst the chatting, suddenly a voice that held amusement, raised a query, "So what are you suggesting, Mister Chairman? Is there any connection between me and those gates?"
Hearing Haru's voice, everyone turned silent and redirected their attention towards the man on the stage.
No one said anything for a moment, and when the man on the stage spoke again—
"Although we don't have any solid evidence in hand, it seems those beings behind the appearance of the Gates are particularly interested in you, Hunter Nanase."
—verbal chaos befell.
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A/N:- Plotting? Hmmm ...