Book 2: Chapter 54

Psh.

Lukas splashed tap water on his face, the coldness of the water sending tingles through his skin.

But his mind was still unfocused as if he was sleepwalking.

He’d accepted Neil’s offer. After all, Lukas also needed to gather information about the Top Three.

If he had the support of North America, including Neil himself, then it would make that task much easier.

In other words, it could be said their interests coincided for this matter.

‘Three.’

This was one of the hints God had given. 

It was clear now that it was referring to the Top Three. The mysterious man had basically said so.

If he kept his eyes on the Top Three, he’d get a clue as to how to trick the laws of the world. 

Were the Top Three humans?

And what did they have to do with ‘Hybrid’?

It seemed he’d only be able to answer these questions after meeting them in person.

Creak-

He turned off the faucet before looking at the mirror.

He saw a young man with grey hair and cold, sunken eyes. ‘Frey Blake’, a man created from a vague memory.

Unlike other appearances, it was one he was attached to. 

It was also his favorite appearance when he had to be someone other than ‘Lukas’.

Suddenly, a strange thought appeared in his head.

“…”

Was this what this face looked like originally? He couldn’t tell.

His memories were hazy. As if they were covered in dust.

It was at that moment when Letip’s words resounded in his head.

‘That won’t last long.’

Was that referring to Lukas’ mental state? And if it was, what did he know about him?

And for what purpose did he enter this universe?

He didn’t know. Lukas couldn’t help but feel that there were many things he didn’t know. 

But there was one thing that Lukas knew.

He didn’t want to turn Letip into an enemy, much less Sedi or Nodiesop.

Lukas left the bathroom and returned to the 125th floor. 

It wasn’t hard to find Leo and Min Ha-rin. They were both sitting in a spacious lounge not far from the elevator, perhaps in an effort to help Lukas locate them more easily. 

Joanna, on the other hand, was nowhere in sight.

“…”

Lukas looked on as his disciples whispered amongst themselves, completely oblivious to his presence.

They were stuck together, squirming and giggling like a real brother and sister. 

“…”

It was strange.

Looking at them made him feel like the dark clouds in his mind were dissipating.

‘Disciple.’

Children who would continue to carry on his legacy. They were Lukas’ future.

This fact somehow filled him with relief.

Right.

Even if Lukas were to disappear, his cause would continue.

It was decided that Min Ha-rin and Leo would stay in North America. At least until Lukas finished investigating the Top Three. 

They seemed to have a bit of interest in North America’s curriculum, but they expressed faint dissatisfaction at Lukas’ orders.

They whined that they would rather go with their Master.

“At your current level, you would only be a hindrance.”

So Lukas bluntly pointed out the problem. 

Min Ha-rin had barely reached 3 stars, and Leo was still incorporating the Warrior King Fist into his own martial art.

It was hard to say if either one of them would be useful at this point.

As for their training, Neil had promised to give them his full support, so there was no need to worry. There were many outstanding hunters in North America. Perhaps their rate of growth would be even faster than Lukas expected.

After thinking this, Lukas couldn’t help but look forward to their next meeting. 

Currently, he was heading towards the portal in a limousine. He leaned against the soft red seats, lost in thought.

He would probably have to meet all three of the Top Three.

The first person he would meet had already been decided. 

It was the man referred to as the Strongest Hunter. His name was Kran.

It was probably an alias as his real name, last name, and nationality were all unknown. 

There was no special reason for choosing him. It was simply that it wasn’t difficult to meet him, unlike the Black Witch, whose true location was always a mystery, and the Saint of Salvation, who even Neil, the President of the Hunter Association, would have difficulty meeting.

Except for the fact that he was in a rather dangerous area.

Kran was, at the same time, the most exposed and the most mysterious of the Top Three.

The association said that of the three, they knew the most about his power, abilities, hunting techniques, and location. But on the flip side, they knew nothing about his past.

The document stated that he was obsessed with hunting Demons and that his mindset was so extreme that he wouldn’t hesitate to kill whoever stood in the way of his goal, even if they were a fellow human.

‘He’s currently active in Africa.’

It was a place that was often called hell, or the Land of Death.

Naturally, the Demons there were stronger than in other places.

And it was there where Kran had single-handedly hunted a Demon Duke.

He had made an achievement that was unprecedented in human history.

“…Africa. Hah.”

In front of Lukas, a woman let out a sorrowful sigh as though the sky was falling. It was said in a soft whisper that might not have been heard usually, but they were currently in the relatively small interior of the limousine, so her voice easily reached Lukas’ ears.

This woman was none other than Joanna.

Lukas had also been surprised to see her. He wouldn’t have expected her to be the one to accompany him. This woman was the guide Neil prepared for him.

Of course, she was one of the few 7 star Wizards in North America. So she wasn’t lacking either as a guide or as a combatant.

What was important was that she felt extremely uncomfortable around Lukas. Even now, her brows were furrowed and her lips were slightly pursed.

‘…this is so awkward I’m gonna die.’

Joanna grumbled inwardly while stealing glances at Lukas. She’d realised that he was an extraordinary person, but she never thought he’d personally go to meet the Top Three.

Moreover, he was going to Africa of all places. 

If it weren’t Neil’s orders, she would never, ever have accepted it!

Unfortunately, Neil was not swayed by her beauty, whining, or discontent. No, above all, she didn’t want to make Neil feel she was incompetent.

Joanna forcibly pulled herself together. Since she had already been given this task, she would perform it perfectly and win Neil’s trust.

After clearing her throat, she opened her mouth.

“When we go to Africa, there are some humans you should be as wary of as the Demons and Demon Beasts.”

“Who?”

“Gray Sun.”

When Lukas stared at her blankly, Joanna couldn’t help but cry out in shock.

“You don’t know them?!”

“This is my first time hearing about them.”

“Oh, my God.”

She didn’t expect him to be clueless about something like this. She couldn’t help but feel a wave of anxiety flood her entire body. 

This might have been a bigger crisis than she initially expected.

“…it’s a criminal organisation active in Africa. Originally, it was just a relatively large organisation, but after the advent of the Demons, it grew explosively just like the other mafia organisations.”

“…”

“You’re a European Hunter, so… hmm. You know the Red Mafia, right?”

“Yes.”

Joanna breathed a sigh of relief. It was like she had finally seen light in a dark world.

“The size of Gray Sun is estimated to be about five times that of the Red Mafia. It is an incredibly large organisation. It wouldn’t be much of an exaggeration to say one in every ten people you meet in Africa are a part of Grey Sun.”

There were countless criminal organisations in Africa, but most of them were affiliated under the influence of the Gray Sun.

Ironically, in order to survive in Africa, where the influence of the association is limited, one has to go under a criminal organisation, whether they like it or not.

When Lukas nodded, Joanna continued.

“Most of the members are just cannon fodder, but you should be careful of those who have sun tattoos on their forearms. They are the Gray Sun’s officers, who have combat capabilities comparable to that of Titled Hunters.”

Depending on how many suns overlapped on their arms, the rankings of the officers differed. 

Those who had three overlapping suns had strength comparable to top-ranked Titled Hunters. Joanna could not guarantee whether she’d be able to win against two or three of them.

After hearing her words, Lukas nodded.

“Understood.”

…Did he really?

Looking at Lukas, who didn’t seem bothered at all, Joanna couldn’t help but feel doubt.

‘But… he is stronger than me.’