From Today, I'm a Player

Chapter 168: Homebound Pt. 5

“So, two days…” Aegir muttered to himself in his room. There was something about it all that was strange.

He had told Yeo Seong-Gu to leave, but the Hunter instead refused.

“So, two days…”

Rather, he said that he would leave himself after two days.

Of course, granting his request made Aesir uneasy.

‘If a problem or another appears…’

If Yeo Seong-Gu and his companions wouldn’t listen to his demands, or if a conflict occurred, Aegir knew he would be in a disadvantageous situation.

No matter how much Heimdall cared for the ordinary humans, he was still a Hunter of Asgard.

There was cruelty within the bald man too.

If, by chance, Heimdall defied all expectations and moved to kill him, throwing the ordinary human’s lives to the side, he would die.

Aegir himself was a Hunter with Multiple Sponsorships and two titles.

However, he wasn’t a Hunter who had much fighting power.

It was only that he was special enough to have obtained two titles. In terms of objective strength, he had never come close to that of Yeo Seong-Gu.

He muttered, “On top of that, there’s that bastard too.”

He had seen the two rumored Hunters in person for the first time during their last meeting, and among them, there was one who had caught his eye.

“The Underdog…”

The encounter with the Hunter had been seared into Aegir’s mind.

It was a short encounter. During their meeting, Lee Jun-Kyeong had said very little.

Even so, Aegir had remembered Lee Jun-Kyeong’s voice very clearly.

Aegir was someone who had committed betrayal as a spy. That was because he had a very good intuition and had been able to find a perfect opportunity to do so.

‘There are people I can touch, and…’

He was able to judge those he couldn’t.

As for Lee Jun-Kyeong.

“He’s someone whom I should never touch.”

It wasn’t because he had felt something from the Hunter; it was just that his own instinct, his own intuition, was telling him so.

Remembering the Hunter’s indifferent gaze, Aegir shuddered for a moment.

They reminded him of a gaze he’d seen before.

“Damn, it…”

It was the gaze of an absolute.

And it invoked in him the same fear that he had for Odin and Zeus.

Aegir slammed his fists on his desk.

Bang!

“What happened?!”

The Hunters waiting outside of the room were alarmed by the sound and rushed into the room. Aegir moved his hands off his desk and looked over at the gathered Hunters.

“From today on, all of you will watch those intruding bastards. Watch every single move they make. What they eat and even when they poop. Report everything to me!”

Considering that Yeo Seong-Gu had asked for two days, it was only natural for Aegir to suspect that they would do something.

Thus.

“I refuse to have to just endure it.”

Although he had no choice but to give the party their requested time, he didn’t intend to allow them to use it to bring him to their mercy.

He had been under another’s hand his entire life, and he refused to allow it to happen again here.

“I gave them the time…but….”

Smirk.

Aegir drew a deep breath.

“It won’t work out to their advantage.”

Soon, he got up from his seat and called the other Hunters who were still waiting.

“Gather the humans. It seems we have to proceed with the ceremony.”

***

“That bastard will prepare too,” said Yeo Seong-Gu, who had asked Aegir for two days.

It was true that they had asked for two days in order to plan their next move, and Aegir wasn’t someone who wouldn’t have noticed that.

“They’ll make sure to dig traps and make preparations so that we can’t do anything.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong and Jeong In-Chang nodded.

“Did you really find a way?”

“Yes,” Lee Jun-Kyeong responded in a determined voice.

The encounter with Aegir, where he had been able to meet the Hunter at close range, was exactly what Lee Jun-Kyeong had hoped for.

It was necessary for him to observe the Hunter in order to deal with the spell formations that Aegir had spread throughout the gymnasium.

“I had been a little afraid because he was said to have Multiple Sponsorship, but to be honest, he was really lacking compared to what I had imagined,” Jeong In-Chang remarked.

“For the most part, your thinking is correct. Multiple Sponsorship is really only meaningful to the strongest Hunters. For that bastard, he had only been able to become a hero because?of his Multiple Sponsorships.”

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“Ah, okay.”

“So, what is that method you were talking about?” Yeo Seong-Gu asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

The method that Lee Jun-Kyeong had been looking for was a method to save the people.

A method that could dismantle Aegir’s spell formations and protect the residents.

‘A method to defeat him.’

And.

He had finally found one.

Smirk.

Lee Jun-Kyeong smiled and looked over at Jeong In-Chang.

“M…me?” said Jeong In-Chang, flustered, as he pointed at himself with his finger.

Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded. “Yes. This is a method for you to defeat him yourself, Mr. Jeong.”

“Hmm…”

“I… I will?”

Jeong In-Chang may have been the one who had been most angry at Aegir’s actions, but he seemed flustered when he was told that he was the method they were going to use to defeat the Hunter.

Lee Jun-Kyeong explained, “When we met Aegir, I took a look at the mana that he had spread out. It was definitely an ability that could connect to people around him and take their lives at any time.”

“....”

“Mr. Jeong.”

Jeong In-Chang shook off his bewilderment and had a solemn look on his face.

“You want to save the people no matter the cost, right?” asked Lee Jun-Kyeong.

Although he was intimidated by the warning-like tone, Jeong In-Chang’s answer was nothing but resolute, “Yes.”

“It will be very painful and torturous. Are you still willing?”

“Will I die?” he asked.

“What if you could?” Lee Jun-Kyeong asked.

Jeong In-Chang smiled bitterly and replied, “I still have to do it anyway.”

“Good.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong then looked over at the two and continued, “In two days, we’ll create the method. The only issue is that the bastard will most likely be fully prepared…”

Knowing exactly what Aegir was up to would be of great help. Although it was possible for him to keep watch through Hel, it’d become difficult if it got caught.

Even if Aegir was a weaker Hunter than they had thought, there was still the possibility that Hel’s existence would be discovered.

There were many disadvantages to Hel getting caught.

In order to defeat Aegir, Lee Jun-Kyeong would need not only Jeong In-Chang’s help but also Hel’s.

Then.

“Someone is coming.”

The group frowned as someone approached the room.

Knock, knock.

Then, someone opened the door without permission. As soon as those who had approached the party’s room entered, they bowed their heads.

“...”

“Aren’t you…?”

“Are these people you know?” Lee Jun-Kyeong asked when Jeong In-Chang acted as if he had recognized them.

Jeong In-Chang spoke in a voice that only Lee Jun-Kyeong would hear.

“These are the Hunters who had tried to help the people during the commotion before.”

During the commotion created by Jeong In-Chang’s intervention, these were the Hunters who had cautiously taken steps to protect the people when the chaos had almost gotten them into danger.

Although it wasn’t something great enough to be praised, Jeong In-Chang had still remembered them as their reactions had been different from the other Hunters.

“So you remember us.”

One of the Hunters quietly raised their head and looked at the party with a face that seemed to be full of resentment.

Their eyes were wet and inflamed.

“Help us,” they said.

***

“Line everyone up to this side!”

At Aegir's cry, the Hunters began to move quickly.

“Kya!!”

“Please!”

“At least the children…!”

The people screamed, but still, the hands of the Hunters showed no mercy.

“Sob, sob.”

After the few who had tried to rebel had been pummeled by the Hunters’ fists, the people had no choice but to follow their directions while weeping.

Everyone here knew what the result of the defiance would be, as many had already died.

They had no choice but to follow orders as they had clearly seen people dying before their eyes, their life force absorbed to serve as an example.

“Everyone shut up and line up on this side.”

Aegir had originally only connected himself through a golden thread to children, but now, those who had been lined up consisted of men and women of all ages.

Feeling the need for more hostages, Aegir brushed everyone's bodies with his right hand.

Gulp.

At that time, a certain Hunter swallowed, his hands, obviously nervous, trembling.

“It will be fine.”

He spoke quietly to the people in a voice that Aegir couldn’t hear.

Nod.

A few nodded, beginning to cry.

Not all of the Hunters in the Gymnasium were evil.

While there were Hunters who were willing to harass the people as they were attracted to the wealth gold could bring there, there were also Hunters who were only reluctantly following Aegir.

Either just to live.

Or.

“...”

Those Hunters would sometimes hand out food to the people without Aegir’s knowledge and secretly help them when they were in danger.

“It will be fine.”

The same went for the Hunter, who was reassuring the people now.

He was one of the Hunters who had no choice but to follow Aegir because his family was being held hostage.

“Mom! Mom!”

To a child who was crying for their mother, the Hunter handed over a piece of chocolate.

“Eat this,” he said, his eyes watery.

“What are you doing there? Line them up quickly!”

At Aegir’s cry, he eventually began to lead the people again. However, the people who were under his direction were still a bit relieved.

“Hehehe.”

Having come into contact with everyone at some point, Aegir let out a mean laugh.

Now, everyone in the gymnasium was his hostage.

Whatever Yeo Seong-Gu would do, he was certain that the bald man definitely wouldn't be able to abandon more than 20,000 people.

Aegir was confident in it.

His gaze moved elsewhere, to a gaze that was staring at him.

“Well, if you’re planning on trying something, go ahead.”

Aegir’s gaze focused on Yeo Seong-Gu, and the Hunter looked at him and smiled.

Everything would be fine.

He was sure of it.

***

The promised two days had passed.

Contrary to Aegir’s worries, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party had just spent the two days quietly.

Although they had occasionally come into contact with the people in the gymnasium, they didn’t talk about much with them.

A Hunter reported, “They just seemed to apologize, asking them for forgiveness.”

“They also said that someday, someone would come to save them.”

Aegir received hourly reports from his Hunters and eventually concluded that Yeo Seong-Gu had given up on everything.

"Hmm…”

Of course, that didn’t mean he would just believe everything he was hearing at face value. Because he had been a double agent in Olympus and Asgard, his ability to read the room was well-developed.

However, he didn’t worry too much because Aegir felt as though his preparations had been thorough enough.

“Then, I guess I should see you off now.”

The two days had passed as promised, and Aegir rose from his seat.

He was off to send off—no, to ridicule the departing Yeo Seong-Gu and his companions.

His hands glowed golden, and his Hunters stood behind him.

This was his kingdom, his soldiers, and his slaves.

Smirk.

Everything had become the world that he had desired.

A world where he could be king.

A world where his power, his authority, could rule everything.

Now, the invaders of his kingdom would leave.

“Hehehe.”

Moreover, the accumulated gold would one day be of great help to him.

Even if the world ended up fine, he still had his hostages, and gold could make anything possible.

He had a massive pile of gold, enough that it could be a country’s entire budget.

Everything was perfect.

That was why all that was left was for the intruders that were giving him the ominous feeling to disappear now.

“Don’t you think you should leave now?” Aegir, having met with Lee Jun-Kyeong’s party somewhere down the line, said to them with a sneer.

Yeo Seong-Gu responded softly, “That’s right, as the promised time has passed.”

Then.

Grit.

Aegir’s face contorted.

There was something, something strange.

“If you do something stupid…”

Aegir raised his right hand once again, golden light, shaped like blades, spewing from his palms.

“The humans won’t be safe. Don’t do anything stupid, and just leave,” Aegir reminded them again.

“...”

However, Lee Jun-Kyeong and his party didn’t move as if they had been nailed to the ground.

Then, at that moment.

Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted, “Hel!”

Flustered, Aegir quickly took a defensive posture, but then, nothing seemed to happen.

Grit.

Thinking that they were just trying to make fun of him, Aegir then made a move, trying to carry out his revenge.

But the moment he tried to move his hand, thinking to himself that he would have to kill at least one or two people in order to relieve the resentment in his stomach…

Crack!

…He felt a huge shock shaking the ground.

"What?"

As the bewildered Aegir looked ahead.

Smirk.

A young man with a bright smile was driving a greatsword into the ground.

The sword cleaved through the cracked ground like tofu, making it start to tremble.

“Gram. Activate.”

At the same time, as the man spoke, everything changed.

“Ugh!”

The golden light that shone from Aegir’s hand.

“NO! IT CAN’T!”

It was all pouring into Jeong In-Chang.

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