Solo Leveling - Chapter 68

Chapter 68

I Alone Level-up: Chapter 68

It was an unprecedented news!

A living human came out of a Dungeon!

The Federal Bureau of Hunters (FBH) was called in an emergency .  The Deputy Director of FBH arrived at the interrogation room . He was on one side of a one-way mirror, looking at an asian man in handcuffs on the other side .

“Is that him?”

“Yes, sir . ”

“Looks human to me . ”

“I agree, sir . ”

Indeed .  If he cleaned up his messily grown hair and facial hair, he would’ve looked like an ordinary, middle-aged asian man .

“Did he say anything about himself?”

“He’s claiming that he’s a Hunter from South Korea . ”

“South Korea?”

“Yes, sir . ”

“How the hell did a Hunter from South Korea come out of a Dungeon on the other side of the world?”

“He says he was stranded in the Dungeon 10 years ago when the Gate closed before he could leave . ”

“And when he opened his eyes, he was in the states?”

“That’s what he’s claiming . ”

The deputy director placed a hand on his forehead .  How to explain all this to the director? He already felt a headache coming on .

“So why are you just waiting out here? Shouldn’t someone be in there interrogating him?”

Forget the director, this might make its way up high into the chain of command .  They shouldn’t be wasting time like this . However, the head of interrogation had other thoughts,

“It is one of our theories that that man is a magic beast that somehow obtained a human’s memories . ”

“So?”

“If it reveals its true nature during interrogation, the entire capitol might be placed in danger . ” [1]

It certainly was a possibility .  According to the report, even a raiding party with multiple A-rankers were taken down by this thing .  They could not make any careless movements .

“So we need a capable Hunter to perform the interrogation . ”

An S-ranker if possible .  The head of interrogation nodded,

“Fortunately, there is an S-rank Hunter nearby fluent in Korean . ”

The deputy director’s face brightened .  He was the Deputy Director of the FBH; the man was familiar with every single S-rank Hunter working in the U . S .

“Mr . Hwang! Is he on the way?”

“Yes, sir . ”

One of the main Hunters of Scavenger, Hwang Dongsoo .  Bringing him to the U . S . required quite an effort by the FBH .

‘But if it’s him…’

There shouldn’t be any problems .  The deputy director smiled .

“Oh right,”

He had forgotten to ask .  To report this to the higher-ups, he had to at least know the target’s name .

“What did that man say his name was?”

The head of interrogations had trouble pronouncing the name .  He checked the report from his subordinates,

“A Hunter from South Korea . His name is Sung Ilhwan . ”

Hwang Dongsoo was a merciless person .  Especially to magic beasts . Because of a Dungeon Break, he had lost his parents and grew up under his older brother .  And when he Awakened as an S-ranker, he considered it a blessing from the heavens .

‘The chance to rip apart magic beasts without mercy!’

And so, the S-ranker entered the interrogation with a cold attitude .  A man from a Dungeon . They even said the wavelength of his magic power matched the pattern of magic beasts .

‘If it’s a magic beast imitating a human…’

He would kill it on the spot .  He had accepted the request from the FBH with that in mind .

Hwang Dongsoo met the eyes of the man .

‘ . . . ’

‘ . . . ’

The pair exchanged looks .  Hwang Dongsoo placed the man’s file on the table and leaned back on the chair,

“I suggest you cooperate . My word will determine whether or not you’re a human or a magic beast . ”

“Alright . ”

Before starting the official interrogation, Hwang Dongsoo asked a personal question .  They said his brother died in the Dungeon . Was there a chance he could come back? The S-ranker wanted to know,

“Is it possible for other Hunters to come back like you?”

The man shook his head .  Hwang Dongsoo’s brows twitched,

“How can you be sure?”

“Because I know the reason why I was able to return . ”

“Reason? What reason?”

“Before that, let me ask you something,”

“ . . . I’m the one asking the questions . ”

Hwang Dongsoo’s eyes narrowed[2] .  However, the man ignored him and continued,

“Gates, magic beasts, Dungeon Breaks . Just what do you know about all of that?”

“ . . . ”

If it was a boring question, Hwang Dongsoo would’ve used his strength to silence the man .  But it was not a boring question . Since the Gates first started appearing 10 years ago, followed by the Awakened Beings, many had challenged that question but to no avail .  This might be an opportunity to finally obtain some answers .

“Deputy director…”

“Shh . ”

The FBH employees across the one-way mirror gulped .  Hwang Dongsoo asked,

“Are you saying you know?”

“Dungeons, Gates, magic beasts… They are all but a prelude to the real war that’s coming . And the existence that will become the greatest disaster of that war just opened its eyes . ”

“Then the reason you are here is?”

“To prevent that disaster . ”

“What exactly is this “greatest disaster”?”

“ . . . That I cannot say . ”

Hwang Dongsoo sneered,

“If you truly are a human who came here to prevent a disaster, why can’t you reveal any details? No matter what it is, wouldn’t it be better to work together?”

The man shook his head,

“Numbers mean nothing in front of its power . Weaklings grouping up will only become used by it . ”

“And only you can stop it?”

The man nodded .  Hwang Dongsoo clicked his tongue in his mind .

‘He’s fucking crazy . ’

Well, it made sense if the man was stranded in a Dungeon for 10 years .  Or, it could just be that a magic beast imitating a human made an error .  Hwang Dongsoo decided to entertain the man’s delusions,

“You must be quite confident in your abilities . ”

“I have a certain qualification other than abilities . ”

“Well, of course, of course . ”

What could they hope to learn from a crazy man? Hwang Dongsoo decided he was done asking questions .  Instead, he opened the file given to him by the FBH . It was a list of information and questions to confirm the man’s identity .

“Name, Sung Ilhwan…”

The picture in the file was a perfect match .

‘Instead of 10 years, it looks like only few weeks or months passed . ’

But Hwang Dongsoo did not pay it much mind .  After all, they say high-ranking Hunters can even slow their aging .

“Your accomplishments as a Hunter are rather impressive . You could earn quite a bit in today’s world . ”

Sung Ilhwan did not reply .  At the time, the system of classifying Hunters did not exist .  They were not even assigned rankings . Hwang Dongsoo continued through the document,

“Wife, Park Gyunghae . Two kids, son’s name is…”

Absentmindedly reading down the list, Hwang Dongsoo froze for the briefest of moments when he got to the son’s name,

‘Sung Jinwoo?’

Hwang Dongsoo continued without showing any indication,

“ . . . Sung Jinwoo . What is your daughter’s name?”

“Sung Jinah . ”

“Okay, next . ”

Suddenly,

“Hold on . ”

Hwang Dongsoo was about to flip to the next page when Sung Ilhwan stopped him .  The S-ranker raised his head without much thought . Sung Ilhwan’s face had turned as cold as Hwang Dongsoo’s,

“Why did I feel a killing intent when you read my son’s name?”

“ . . . ”

tak

The file was tossed to the table .  Hwang Dongsoo turned off the microphone connecting to the outside .

“I thought I said I would be the one asking questions . ”

“I need to hear your answer . ”

“And if I refuse?”

“I’ll have you talk with force . ”

Sung Ilhwan’s eyes flared .  The man was not about to back off .  With that, Hwang Dongsoo sneered widely,

“Alright . You’re a magic beast . ”

How dare a mere magic beast threaten a Hunter? Feeling Sung Ilhwan emit a powerful hostility toward him, Hwang Dongsoo felt that it was enough evidence to claim the man was a magic beast .

‘Perhaps the heavens have blessed me again . ’

Having made his conclusion without much thought, Hwang Dongsoo turned on the microphone again .

beep

“Deputy director, this man is a magic beast . He’s going to attack soon, please evacuate . ”

- “What? Hey, wait!”

beep

The presences he felt on the other side of the one-way mirror panicked then ran off .  The a siren rang loudly throughout the building . Hwang Dongsoo’s fists began to glow with a silver light .

“I will be visiting Korea soon . ”

Finishing his preparations, Hwang Dongsoo’s lips made an ugly smile towards Sung Ilhwan,

“What should I tell your son his father’s last words were?”

The TV continued to report on the Red Gate incident .  Jinwoo scratched the back of his head .

‘Things are about to get really loud . ’

However, he did not feel an annoyance .  Just a strangeness . Strangers on the TV were reporting left and right trying to figure out Jinwoo’s identity .  And if they succeeded? It did not matter .

‘I’ve become strong enough . ’

The reason why he had hid his power up until now was to avoid being used by someone .  But things were different .

Baek Yoonho .

Jinwoo was able to throw aside the grip of the S-rank Guildmaster of Baekho .  That’s how strong he had become . It was an unthinkable action in the past .

‘I would’ve probably pissed my pants if I saw those eyes in the past . ’

A light smile appeared on Jinwoo’s face .  It was moments like this you had enjoy in drunkenness .

ring~

Unfortunately, that much was not allowed for him .  Jinwoo chuckled in defeat . Putting down the shot glass, his expression became serious again .

‘Still, I’m not stopping here . ’

Jinwoo brought up the status screen .

ring~

Level 61 .  

Having invested all the points from the daily quest, even his intelligence was nearing 100 .  

‘I still have a long way to go…’

Yes, a long way to go .  To a higher place . Somewhere no one could dare to reach him .

For a start, he would begin with the Demon Castle .

‘The System definitely told me it’s something I want . ’

He recalled the description on the Blessed Random Box,

And the Demon Castle Key came out of that box .  High-leveled monsters and great rewards . He had already confirmed this with the Cerberus .  No matter what was inside, Jinwoo was sure that it would be just as great . It was finally time to return to that place .  In fact, he planned on staying there for a few days . He just had one issue,

‘Once I’m inside, I won’t be able to make contact with the outside world . ’

What would he tell his little sister? He would have to think of an excuse .  Jinwoo stood up .

tap tap

“Jinho . ”

tap tap

“Yoo Jinho . ”

“Mm-what . ”

Jinwoo shook and lightly slapped the young man, but Yoo Jinho was completely out .  What to do now?

‘Didn’t this fool say he was going to take the test at the Association tomorrow?’

Forget the test, Jinwoo had to get Yoo Jinho home somehow .  He picked up Jinho’s phone .

“Of course I can’t call Chairman Yoo Myunghan or Yoo Jinsung . ”

Was there anyone else he could call to pick up Yoo Jinho? Looking through the contact list, Jinwoo noted a name .

‘Yoo Soohyun?’

Unlike the heir’s father or brother, the young man had contacted this person quite a bit .  It looked like a girl’s name… Considering calling her for a moment, Jinwoo put the phone down .

‘What if,’

Jinwoo looked through the shop and found what he was looking for .

After confirming the transaction, a yellow bottle appeared on the table .  It was different from the red healing potions or the blue mana potions . Jinwoo looked around, then quickly tilted Yoo Jinho’s head back and poured the potion down his throat .

The effects took in an instant .

Yoo Jinho’s eyes shot open .

“Hyungnim?”

“You awake now?”

His head was tilted back .  His hyungnim was standing over him, looking down .

“Hyungnim, what are you doing?”

“ . . . ”

Jinwoo could not figure out how to explain all this .  He decided to feign ignorance .

“Let’s go . ”

“Yes, hyungnim!”

Yoo Jinho quickly got up from his seat and was confused .

‘Huh? Why does my body feel so light?’

The young man stretched his body here and there, then ran after Jinwoo with a bright expression .

As the pair left the restaurant, the news on the TV continued,

[-Here’s the next report . The U . S . government remains silent on the explosion at the FBH headquarters few days ago…]

Translator’s Notes:

[1]: It was noted in previous chapters, but the FBH HQ is in Washington, D . C .

[2]: Found another mistake in the original text! In the original text, it says Hwang Dongseok (the dead older brother’s name) here, xD . Your welcome, author!

[3]: Ok, I think I found another error here .  The original text says his intelligence was 89, but that doesn’t make sense considering he gained 10 levels since the last time we saw his status screen (level 51, int was 80) .  So his int should be at least 90 . Also, right next in the passage, he says he put in all of the daily quest points into int . It’s been 3 days since he left the red gate, that should be 9 points into int, so I think it should be 99 .

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