When I Returned to Farming, National-level Big Juniors Flock - Chapter 145



Only Krnovel

145. The Saint of Salvation

Oh Hyun-seong walked down the street.

A European landscape I haven’t seen in a long time.

But it was still crowded enough that it was burdensome to comfortably indulge in emotions.

The fact that people flock to a few major cities with well-established hunter infrastructure is a common phenomenon not only in Korea but also around the world.

“It seems like there are more people here than last time.”

“There’s nothing we can do. For non-awakened people like us, this is a matter of survival. Of course… I’m skeptical as to whether the city is really safe.”

“Is Europe still worried about terrorism?”

“It’s gotten worse than before. It’s more than what you see on the surface. A few deaths aren’t even newsworthy anymore.”

Arthur shook his head and said.

Europe has always been a frequent target of terrorism compared to other regions.

There are many international conflicts taking place everywhere, and there is also a lot of population inflow from outside.

But the most important reason is that Europe’s awakened extremists are particularly strong.

Unlike many Third World countries where the Awoken hold power and rule, European governments have never tolerated Awoken-dominated societies.

The problem is that there are a lot of awakened people who are resentful of the strong policy restraints against them as part of such efforts.

A dozen years ago, separatists rose up in Spain and a civil war broke out.

An incident of such a large scale that the aftereffects of the country being split in two have not yet subsided.

I know this well, as I was personally dispatched to rescue embassy staff and Korean residents.

How far can hunters consumed by hatred become violent towards fellow humans?

Ugh.

Two men leaning against the railing of the square were conversing.

“You have to leave in three days?”

“I have to go because of another meeting. But don’t worry. I’ll finish this one more than enough.”

“Still living a busy life.”

“This era doesn’t let go of capable people at all. You are a rare case. There are very few hunters who make it out of this world alive and well. Especially the first generation.”

The fact that the first generation of hunters are still alive has many meanings in itself.

They are very tough and strong, incomparable to ordinary hunters.

And somewhere it’s broken and creaking.

“It’s impossible for a human to be exposed to such an environment and not have any problems yet. No matter how great a superhuman body you have, your mind isn’t much different from a human’s.”

The environment they were exposed to was different from that of the current 2nd generation hunters.

For first-generation hunters who are thrown into various fields without any institutional support or safety measures, problems are bound to arise.

However, most of the people who managed to survive in such a situation are still guarding the site.

This is because society cannot tolerate the void left by those who have been through all kinds of battles.

“hmm…”

Oh Hyun-seong, who had been lost in thought with a strange expression for a moment, opened his mouth.

“And yet you still managed to survive.”

“I’m not a field worker, so once you’ve accumulated know-how and settled in, there won’t be any major problems. You just have to be smart enough to keep your mouth shut when necessary. Of course, there were many times in the beginning when I almost died. I’ve only saved my life twice by selling your name.”

An industry where it is not easy for non-awakened people to survive.

There were many who tried to use it and then throw it away, or who tried to take revenge.

However, his skills were clear then and now, so several big names sought him out, supported him, and continued to do business with him.

Not many people could mess with him simply because he was dealing with big names.

Oh Hyun-seong was one of those big names.

It was a name that could stop the hands of even the biggest players, even though they didn’t know anything and couldn’t understand it.

“Thanks to you, I’m doing well with my family. Should I show you a picture of my daughter? She’s grown up a lot.”

“I’m curious, but that’s for later.”

“Okay, let’s talk about work first.”

Arthur continued, chuckling.

“I read the list you sent me carefully. It was all of such a size that it seemed like it would take down an entire country… but there’s a pretty interesting rumor going around.”

“If it’s the rumor you’re asking about, then it must be plausible, right?”

“It’s obvious, but to an uninformed person, they all seem absurd and the same, but to a professional’s eye, it’s different.”

There are always plenty of rumors going around.

Unlike in the past, people were showing a lot of interest in the world of hunters and producing topics of conversation.

Of course, it’s meaningless to just hold on to a bunch of baseless rumors whose sources you don’t even know.

But if you have a wide range of accurate information, you can fit all those rumors into context.

Rumors that are not plausible are quickly dispelled, and the reliability of information gradually increases through verification.

A rumor so completely confirmed becomes another new piece of information they have.

“I asked you to come to Paris out of all the vastness of Europe. It wasn’t because I wanted to have a friendly chat. There was news recently that a national treasure was caught crossing the French border.”

“If I get caught… is it smuggling?”

Arthur nodded at Oh Hyeon-seong’s words.

It is not common for national treasures to be rolling around on the ground in the shade, but it is not uncommon.

“They say there was even a knife fight during the seizure.”

“If what they were bringing in was a national treasure, then that would be understandable. If they lost it, they would be worth ten heads.”

“If it had ended there, it would have been fine. But that wasn’t the case. They raided the government agency where the confiscated goods were stored and recovered them. Thanks to that, the other side is now turned upside down.”

Oh Hyun-seong spoke for a moment, doubting his ears.

It is true that criminal organizations have been on the rise in Europe recently.

“You raided the agency?”

But in a major developed country like France, a criminal organization cannot openly stand up to the government.

Even now that Hunters have emerged, it is one of the countries with a strong government and public power.

“What’s unusual is that the ones who caused the accident this time were Eastern European gangs. They’re not the type of force that would come all of a sudden here. But there’s also talk that this isn’t the only artifact that’s been brought in this way.”

Arthur said, lowering his voice as much as possible.

“A large number of national treasures that are not government property have been piled up on the streets of France.”

“Is that true?”

“The story added later is still in the realm of speculation, but it can be considered very likely.”

It was already an interesting rumor to him, and he was conducting his own investigation.

Information that was meant to be passed on to a few VIPs at a high price.

However, Oh Hyun-seong is his top priority customer, so much so that he can immediately tell her such information.

Even now that I’ve returned after six years of retirement.

“…Okay. Let’s get moving right away.”

“Movement? We still need to investigate further. Our informant will contact us soon with news…”

“No, I don’t need consulting. Just send me the coordinates of the location where the confiscated goods were stolen. I’m sure you know that much by now, right?”

“There’s no problem, but… is that enough?”

Oh Hyun-seong nodded.

Likewise, he possessed the national treasure, the ‘Ring of Rudra’, and was able to trace the relic’s traces.

If the artifact was indeed stored there, it would be possible to trace its whereabouts.

“Oh, I have to pay the price.”

Oh Hyun-seong sent a deposit to his account.

Then Arthur, who saw the screen, reacted in surprise.

“Wait a minute…! Didn’t you say you wouldn’t accept a commission?”

“I still owe you the life I owe you. I’ll use it when I really need it.”

“… It’s so bad.”

Arthur chuckled and shook his head.

“By the way, you’re retired and you’re making this much money without any government support… Did your business hit the jackpot?”

“The farming was a huge success.”

“Farming… Ah! You need relics, and you took over the Corn Belt Farm in America? Well, a hunter like you must have gotten a hefty retirement pay.”

He nodded, as if he had seriously misunderstood something.

At the moment when I was contemplating whether I should correct it or not.

‘for a moment…’

Oh Hyun-seong’s gaze quickly turned around.

A man who just passed by.

Arthur asked Oh Hyeon-seong, who was staring intently behind him as he went down the stairs.

“But why?”

“That guy has a gun hidden in his bosom.”

“Are you a member of the Unawakened Gang? That’s scary.”

“No, I’m not a non-awakened one, I’m a hunter.”

In this day and age, guns are weapons strictly for killing people.

Even if it reached a certain level, it was a meaningless means of force for the same hunter, and there was little reason for the hunter to carry a gun.

However, there is one notable exception.

It is a weapon perfectly suited for mass murder of unawakened civilians.

“Arthur, get inside the building.”

“Ah… I see!”

He nodded coolly.

I knew very well that in this kind of emergency situation, the best thing to do was to quietly listen to Oh Hyeon-seong.

Oh Hyun-seong went down the stairs, but the man disappeared into the crowd.

Because there were so many people in the square, it was easy to mix in.

Tsk tsk tsk!

Then Oh Hyeonseong spread his energy in all directions.

In a large city like Paris, you can easily find hunters.

However, hunters walking the streets do not necessarily expend mental power or exert effort to hide their presence.

That’s why I found the Awakened one who was trying to hide his identity in a clumsy manner among the citizens.

‘… That way.’

Oh Hyun-seong followed the man into the alley.

The man, picking up quite a bit of speed, snaked his way into the tunnel, but he quickly closed the distance.

Rattling!

A man entered through the back door of a shabby building.

Oh Hyeon-seong followed straight inside.

A blade stabbing into your face as soon as you open the door.

Oh Hyun-seong twisted his head without blinking and grabbed the other person’s arm.

Bam!

“Ugh…!”

A fist aimed at the abdomen.

The man’s eyes rolled back and he collapsed.

“He may seem like a helpless terrorist, but… it would be a problem if he died.”

Oh Hyun-seong laid the man down with a thud.

If this were Korea, I wouldn’t know, but in a foreign country, seeing someone’s blood for no reason could be a headache.

It would be wise to quietly hand it over to the police.

But at that moment.

Oh my god!

The wall next to him was completely torn apart by a sudden sword strike.

Oh Hyeon-seong hurriedly stepped back and barely managed to get out of range.

‘This is…’

A dangerous moment when a blow flew in without a sound.

The higher spirits, including Blea, were about to jump out even before he could summon them.

Damn it.

A tall woman appears between the collapsed walls.

The woman with long blonde hair, who exuded a sense of dignity even through the dust, reacted with surprise when she saw Oh Hyeon-seong’s face.

Few people in Europe today can recognize his face.

“you…”

A 13th-rank national hunter who can single-handedly bring down a country, and is known as the strongest hunter in Europe.

The ‘Saint’ lowered the sword she was holding.