Chapter 17
Using Baek Cheon-myeong as a substitute identity.
The plan itself wasn't bad.
Baek Cheon-myeong had no family or friends on Earth.
Even if someone targeted him,
they would only be targeting Baek Cheon-myeong himself.
From Baek Cheon-myeong's perspective,
that wasn't a problem.
Of course,
Kang Ha-min felt differently.
"I didn't want you to end up in danger, Mr. Baek Cheon-myeong."
"I'm honored that Master worries about me. But this is something I'm familiar with."
Baek Cheon-myeong gave a frightening smile as though he were enjoying himself.
"Isn't it amusing? Puppies see a tiger for the first time and mistake it for another dog like themselves, so they rush in to bite it."
I wish you'd consider the Shih Tzu standing behind that tiger too.
Either way,
Baek Cheon-myeong had already caused the explosion.
There was no taking back what had already been said.
The government reacted quickly.
They fabricated a complete background for Baek Cheon-myeong.
Records were created showing that he had lived in an orphanage and attended elementary, middle, and high school.
His high school record was handled through a qualification exam.
For elementary and middle school,
they registered him as having attended schools that had since closed.
Many schools had closed during the Great Depression,
so it wouldn't look suspicious.
Ha-min wondered whether all of this was illegal.
But then again,
who was going to punish illegal activity officially arranged by the government?
[Breaking News]
[South Korea's New S Rank Hunter Baek Cheon-myeong Challenges a God!]
The response to the press conference was immediate.
Deus's reaction on social media was just as dramatic.
@Deus
[Photo]
♥ 318,431 Likes
"You dare challenge a god? Wait. I'll come to you soon."
(Korean Translation)
#Deus #GOD #Deity #...
It looked as though Deus might fly over immediately.
Kang Ha-min squeezed his eyes shut.
"You worry too much."
"Of course I worry! We're talking about Deus!"
"Yet you said he's doing nothing except posting on this SNS thing."
Baek Cheon-myeong was right.
Deus continued posting insults toward Baek Cheon-myeong every day,
but so far he had shown no sign of personally traveling to South Korea.
The United States government also knew about the danger of the Second Trial.
Since the Hunters who had achieved Tower Ascension had failed to clear the 161st Floor,
there was only one thing people on the surface could do.
Send more Hunters up through Tower Ascension.
Every country faced the same situation.
Deus had currently reached the 90th Floor.
Considering his potential and clearing speed,
his Tower Ascension was close.
The United States government had begged him again and again to focus on climbing the Tower.
Even Deus couldn't completely ignore a request from his own country.
If he possessed even a little common sense,
he would focus on the Tower for now.
So there was no chance of him coming personally.
At least,
that was what Shin No-seop had told them.
But there was another problem.
Deus had many worshippers.
His personality was terrible,
but his strength was real.
To Hunters who worshiped power,
Deus was almost a divine existence.
Now that Baek Cheon-myeong had challenged him,
those followers wouldn't remain quiet either.
Shin No-seop warned them that those people could appear anywhere at any time.
"If anyone comes, I simply need to deal with them."
"Master worries far too much."
Baek Cheon-myeong answered calmly.
But personality couldn't be changed so easily.
"So, you're not planning to move again, correct?"
"Yes. I'm not moving again."
The view in front of Kang Ha-min and Baek Cheon-myeong was different from before.
It wasn't the enormous Sarnoel apartment.
This was an ordinary-sized apartment.
Kang Ha-min had returned the Sarnoel residence to Shin No-seop.
No matter how he looked at it,
the place had been too much of a burden.
The world always demanded repayment for what you received.
They had already received plenty of favors.
Buying a home with his own money was one thing.
Living in a house handed to him for free was another.
So he bought a home within a price range he could afford.
It wasn't in central Seoul,
but slightly outside the city center.
It was an apartment of roughly thirty pyeong, around one hundred square meters.
Even this place was absurdly expensive.
An ordinary person might work their entire life and still never afford one.
But for the current Kang Ha-min,
it wasn't impossible.
Baek Cheon-myeong had continued clearing floors.
And Ha-min could easily purchase the apartment by selling medicinal herbs.
Still,
he hadn't chosen just any house.
When Shin No-seop heard that they were returning Sarnoel and buying another apartment,
he helped arrange something.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang.
"I'll get it."
Baek Cheon-myeong opened the door.
A familiar face stood outside.
"Hello, hello."
A lazy voice greeted him.
The speaker was none other than Weather Manipulator Jung Ho-jun.
S Rank Hunter Jung Ho-jun.
He lived right next door.
Jung Ho-jun handed over a paper bag.
Kimchi was inside.
"A gift for my new neighbor. Eat it well."
They had just received kimchi from an S Rank Hunter.
"Hmm. Thank you."
"Let's eat together sometime."
Jung Ho-jun left those friendly words behind and wandered away again.
Baek Cheon-myeong carried the kimchi inside.
Kang Ha-min, who had been hiding deeper in the apartment, looked at it and laughed helplessly.
South Korea's strongest Hunter was their neighbor,
and he had just given them kimchi.
It didn't feel real.
If I posted this online, people would tell me to stop lying.
Still,
having Jung Ho-jun in the same apartment building was a huge advantage.
Jung Ho-jun lived surrounded by a wide-range Weather Barrier.
Naturally,
