Thumbs Up, Level Up

Chapter 277

Unsurprisingly, all of Japan and Northeast China were within range of this artillery, which was not only good against other armies, but also effective at killing low to mid-level monsters.

As a countermeasure, the Chinese military had recently developed a defense system for long-ranged attacks, but given the situation they were in, communications-wise, that defense system was useless.

For that reason, the General had nothing to do but sigh and wait. At least until the computer network was restored, he could not do anything.

Flash.

Just then, the main monitor in the commander’s office was suddenly up and running.

“Has it been restored?”

General Yen Tao looked at the screen in hope. However, his hope quickly turned to despair. The screen showed a location where the Chinese troops were waiting, with a caption written below.

[We will fire artillery in this vicinity as a warning. Do not be alarmed and do not move your troops.]

The video then showed a meteor shower hitting the ground in the vicinity of the military base. It was some distance away, but it was visible that the terrain changed, while debris from the explosion fell on the troops. It was not a direct attack on the military, but on the area around it.

Seeing that, Yen Tao instinctively knew that this war could not be won. His face turned pale as he watched the footage.

“Open the internal communication channel. Put me through to the President.”

He had no choice but to report this to the President.

? ? ?

The area from where Mount Kunlun had taken off into the sky could be seen by satellites. This meant that other countries were aware of what Mount Kunlun was planning on doing.

Many of the administrations of the great powers already knew about the secret societies. They had members in the highest levels of the executive branch, as well as members of Congress and important lawyers. In the United States, for instance, Golden Horizon was so influential that it was hard for those in power not to notice.

The relationship with these secret societies varied from country to country, but at least among the great powers, none was completely dominated by an underground organization.

Or so people had thought.

Now that it had been confirmed that China was completely under the control of Mount Kunlun, the entire population could not help but be alarmed.

The world, shocked by China’s actions spearheaded by Mount Kunlun, issued various statements condemning China’s actions. However, they did not intervene, instead choosing to observe from a distance. They wanted to see how South Korea was going to retaliate.

What they saw was Um Ji-Cheok suddenly bringing out a Mass Driver and using it to launch hundreds of satellites into the sky.

‘Mass Driver? Do you mean the project that failed in the United States? How did he manage to create one all by himself?’

As a result, every government in the world eventually had to acknowledge that Ji-Cheok was a completely different entity from the existing Hunters, and already had the power of a sovereign nation just by himself!

An individual that could take on a nation!

It shocked many countries more than the flying mountain. After all, Mount Kunlun was still an organization with many members.

‘Isn’t it unfair that only a single individual can possess such power?’

Just as the powers of the world decided to watch and not intervene at all, a volley of orbital bombardment struck near the Chinese army. It was a bombardment that hit a large area and even altered the terrain. On top of that, they saw the result of Cheok-Liang’s electronic warfare—the Chinese army was informationally crippled.

The world was now beyond horrified. The authorities in many countries thought that Ji-Cheok could not be left to his own devices.

But there were those who thought the exact opposite.

A/B was one of them.

A top investor and a formidable Hunter in his own right, he also led a major Hunter guild. The ABM Guild was small, but its strength belied its size—it was the second most powerful in the country. The number one most powerful guild was actually run by the United States government, so the ABM Guild was the most powerful of the privately owned guilds.

The average level of the Hunters in the first team of ABM, which was the strongest team, was a whopping 140.

The average level of the Hunters in the second team was also over 120, and the average level of the third team was over 100.

There were Hunters of all nationalities, not just Americans. The guild was considered small, but that was only in comparison to other major guilds, which generally had a far larger membership. In fact, the ABM Hunters were a formidable fighting force, with a combined total of eight hundred members split into three teams.

All these people had immediately gathered upon A/B’s call. They were now in the hangar where A/B’s secret superweapon lay waiting.

“Yeah, I didn’t think there was anyone crazier than the boss,” a woman with long red hair and medieval witch-like clothing said with a look of disbelief on her face.

“Our boss is not even on any drugs and he is that crazy. What is this Ji-Cheok dude smoking that he’s so far off his rocker?”

The red witch’s question was followed up by another asked by a muscular giant, over two meters tall. He was dressed in sci-fi armor, and he looked like he was a Tank.

“I don’t think the word ‘crazy’ is enough to describe him.”

Next to the giant, stood a short-haired woman with a slender figure, who was wearing seven daggers at her waist.

“Now, now. Don’t be so hard on the boss, everyone. He is just a little overzealous.”

The one trying to stop the other three from trash-talking their leader was a woman in a black nun’s habit.

Elia the Destroyer.

Ted the Steelwill.

Karen the Killing Anger.

St. Sinclair.

These four were A/B’s closest confidants and teammates who entered dungeons together. Elia was the main Damage Dealer, Ted was the Tank, Karen was the melee Damage Dealer and a Support, and Sinclair was the Healer.

Of course, Adam Bronze was their commander.

The team was so powerful that they had cleared several five-star dungeons with just five Hunters. By this point, they had already destroyed dungeons in important areas of the United States, and A/B’s showmanship had made them heroes. They were celebrities in the country.

Behind the four of them, hundreds of the guild members were gathered inside the spacious hangar.

Vroom!

“Alright everyone, be quiet.”

While everyone was still chattering, A/B arrived in a flying vehicle. It was basically a big drone, just large enough to carry a man, and it landed next to a podium on one side of the hangar.

A/B walked up to the podium.

The podium had a desk with only two things on it: a big red button that could be seen from a distance and a microphone.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice. Today, it is time to unleash the superweapon that I have been telling you about so many times.”

“Wait, boss. All the bullshit stories you told us about were true?”

“I had no idea our guild had such a thing.”

“I know the guild was talking about making it for years.”

The members chattered amongst themselves.

“Alright, alright, calm down! That is why I asked you to come here to the hangar, so I can show you the superweapon, and we can all board it and take off.”

“Take off? Where are we going?”

“Please don't tell me we’re going where I think we’re going.”

Someone looked like they knew the destination.

“You’re right. We are going to destroy Mount Kunlun.”

At that declaration, there was a collective gasp.

“Those Chinese guys?”

“We’re not even a private military company! Why are we doing this?”

“Isn’t that a breach of contract?”

Obviously, American Hunters were still Americans after all. They were not just going to do what their Guild Master said—their own interests were their only priority!

A/B knew this, of course. He did not expect loyalty or a sense of belonging from them either. Instead, A/B knew the magic word that could control them.

“If you want to leave, you can, of course. But the cowards who turn back will not be able to ride the superweapon in the future, because this is a bit of a special thing. Also, I will pay triple the amount for those who participate, not including hazard pay, of course.”

It was the famous carrot and stick!

As A/B used this one-time opportunity of going on the superweapon as the punishment and promised a lot of money, people started voicing their thoughts.

“It is?dangerous, but…”

“I needed some money anyway. I should do this.”

“Our boss has been doing a good job so far, so I trust him!”

“I can’t go because my father is sick.”

Everyone immediately decided whether to participate or not, based on their own personal reasons. People were quickly divided into two groups.

Two or three hundred of the nonparticipants walked out of the hangar. A/B did not stop them.

“Okay, does that mean the rest of you are with me?”

“Of course!”

“Let’s goooo!”

“Alright! It’s time to activate the superweapon! Look at the big red button!”

A/B pointed to the large button on the podium.

“I authorize the activation of the superweapon Sky Warlord!”

He then slammed his fist on the button. With a loud buzz, the floor of the hangar started to split into two, right down the middle.

As the Hunters standing on top of it jumped to their left and right in surprise, the ceiling began to open, just like the floor.

There was a sound like something out of a movie, then something big slowly emerged from the underground.

It was an object that looked like a spaceship at first glance.

“Holy shit. Is that a spaceship?!”

“Our boss built a spaceship?”

“Didn’t he say that thing is called Sky Warlord or something?”

“I guess that’s it.”

“Okay, everyone! Get in!”

Sky Warlord.

There it was: 670 meters long and 132 meters wide, a monster four times as big as the largest aircraft carrier ever built. With a design straight out of a sci-fi movie or game, it was clearly made to fly into space.

The sight of a space battleship that looked way too big and powerful to be built by a private company was enough to ignite a fire in the members’ hearts.

At A/B’s words, everyone began to board the carrier.

Once everyone was aboard, this massive ship began to rise vertically. Soon, rockets were firing, and the ship was cutting through the sky.

The United States government, which had always had its eyes on A/B, was in panic mode.

? ? ?

Surprise operation ‘Mount Kunlun’ was, of course, a bold move into enemy territory.

Ji-Cheok was well aware of the sacrifices that might be made. However, it was something they had to do, so he used all his connections.

As a result, the ABM Guild offered to join the attack, and a group of Hunter companies and organizations united by the Tama Clan in the Philippines contacted him.

That was not all; Jungjin had also decided to join, and several guilds in South Korea had also decided to join the attack.

The army was on the move.

The final battle was going to be in the middle of the Yellow Sea.