The Duke's Son :Re-Chapter 271

“This is impossible!”

“I-is this real now?”

From the time Jae-Hyeok had overwhelmed Zhang Soso, the ministers gathered at the Blue House couldn’t stop being shocked.

Jae-Hyeok had turned death into life, leveling up in the same nearly instant Qilin had caved in his head.

And just when the atmosphere in the room was at a fever pitch, they’d seen roiling thunderclouds appear in the sky over the stadium.

The ministers sprang to their feet.

“Thunder tribulation... he’s already level 150?”

After Jae-Hyeok became a National Treasure candidate, they’d had Special Intelligence conduct a thorough investigation into his life.

It was unclear exactly how Jae-Hyeok had spent the last eight years secluded in his manor, but besides that, they were able to trace nearly everything he’d done and everywhere he’d been following that period.

They knew Jae-Hyeok’s awakening during his re-admission test was genuine, and that was less than half a year ago, meaning Jae-Hyeok had risen from level 1 to 150 in a matter of months.

“His growth is unheard of..."

“No one has even come close to what he’s pulled off.”

People who were born with great talent and luck became National Treasures, yet even they took an average of twenty to thirty years to reach level 150.

Meanwhile, Jae-Hyeok had reached level 150 in almost half a year—this was a record that was completely beyond common sense.

“He’s an irregular among irregulars..."

Awakening from their daze, the excited ministers began laughing and slapping the arms of their chairs. Gone was the dignity of their stations.

On the other hand...

The president was still staring at the screen with a serious expression. He showed no signs of excitement at all. Instead, sweat beaded his brow.

It’s too early to rejoice.

The head of a country must always be sober.

Right now, Jae-Hyeok had jumped from one disaster to another. So until the water settled, there was no point in celebrating.

The best he could do was steeple his hands and pray.

Young Master Kang, I believe in you.

The boy who’d declared he would devour China...

Were it anyone else, perhaps they would’ve thought Jae-Hyeok was insane. But he’d seen Jae-Hyeok's stats for himself. Moreover, Jae-Hyeok was the descendant of one of Korea’s Three Great Families—the very same families responsible for guiding Korea through the dark years following the Great Upheaval.

Put simply, Jae-Hyeok was the descendant of a hero.

For these reasons, the president held firm in his faith in Jae-Hyeok, at least for a time.

Just when Jae-Hyeok neared the end of his tribulation and the president started to relax, the final lightning bolt appeared.

Can he really do it?

The president’s expression changed, and the ministers stirred uneasily. Even through the screen, they could tell from the size that the lightning bolt was unusually potent.

“Gasp! White Night!”

Just when everyone thought things couldn’t get worse, Qilin charged toward Jae-Hyeok, only for Seol Su-Ah to intercept him halfway.

This was anything but good—Seol Su-Ah was a National Treasure, but the gap between her and Qilin was like heaven and earth.

“No!”

“Move!”

The ministers roared with pale faces.

Were they destined to lose not only Kang Jae-Hyeok but also White Night, one of only three Korean National Treasures?

Just as the ministers thought this, someone else intervened.

“Gate Hunter?”

It was Blake Borsus, a top ranker of the United States.

Blake had remained at level 149 for years now, but his skills were such that he was sure to become a National Treasure the moment he succeeded in his tribulation. This was the prevailing opinion—and it had to be said that becoming a National Treasure of the United States was no ordinary title. After all, the United States was the number one superpower in the world; naturally, only the best of the best of its transcendents were bestowed National Treasure status.

For this, the heights of Blake's talent could be seen.

And sure enough, despite the vast level disparity, Blake had managed to redirect Qilin’s palm away from Seol Su-Ah, extending her life by at least another couple of breaths.

Against Qilin, this much was already a legendary feat that Blake could be proud of. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.

Qilin’s fists blended into hundreds of after-images as he stuck toward Seol Su-Ah and Blake simultaneously.

They’re dead...

The ministers' hearts dropped into their stomachs, but then, lightning crashed, and the ministers’ eyes gradually widened.

Jae-Hyeok withstood the final lightning bolt!

Awash in lightning energy, Jae-Hyeok arrived in front of Seol Su-Ah and Blake like a specter. Then, his hand flickered.

Slash!

Under the disbelieving gazes of the president and the ministers, Qilin’s head flew.

Perhaps even more shocking was Jae-Hyeok’s attitude. Despite having killed China’s strongest player, Jae-Hyeok appeared utterly at ease, as if he’d done something insignificant.

The spectators in the audience and the over a billion Chinese at home could only watch in stunned silence.

They didn’t feel any sadness or anger. They were just numb, yet to fully register the scene before them.

“Let this stand as a warning.”

Jae-Hyeok broke the silence.

His calm voice easily filled every corner of the stadium.

“In the future, other countries, including China, shouldn’t interfere with the diplomacy and politics of Korea.”

His meaning was clear: Korea was a sovereign country; from here on out, no one had the right to interfere with its autonomy.

“If you ignore my warnings and play tricks in my lands..." Jae-Hyeok placed his foot on Qilin’s head. “Don’t blame me for being rude.”

It was only then that people reacted.

“L-leave him alone!”

“H-how dare you!?”

The pale Chinese audience members came to their senses and shouted in outrage.

“Respect the dead!”

“How dare you do such a thing to the corpse of a great man who devoted decades to China!”

“......"

Jae-Hyeok remained silent, looking every bit as if he were listening to barking dogs. And like barking dogs, the incensed Chinese spectators raised their voices even louder.

Jae-Hyeok increased the strength in his foot, and—

Bang!

Qilin’s wide-eyed head became a pile of pink and red flesh under Jae-Hyeok’s heel.

"......!"

The noisy crowd finally quieted down.

Public killings were rare enough in modern society.

But insulting the corpse?

Such gruesome behavior was the domain of ghosts and devils.

Moreover, Qilin wasn’t just anyone; he was a national hero to the Chinese, someone whose funeral would be a country-wide event.

And yet...

As if killing Qilin wasn’t enough, Jae-Hyeok had delivered a second slap to China by relegating Qilin to a closed-casket showing.

The Chinese spectators trembled in rage and fear, yet no one dared speak.

He was the most dangerous kind of person—unpredictable, unrestrained, and violent. He seemed to have no fear of sparking international conflict with China.

Jae-Hyeok inclined his head toward the balcony cameras.

“Ignore my words at your peril.”

Jae-Hyeok cycled his mana, and the fabric of space seemed to flex above the stadium.

The trembling Chinese spectators trembled even harder. Gone was their earlier outrage—what remained was pure, unadulterated fear.

Jae-Hyeok’s aura, directed solely at the Chinese, promised a swift end for anyone who crossed him.

That threat hung heavy in the air, and faced with it, the Chinese became like lost children, soiling themselves upon realizing that, this time, they’d ventured too far from home and might never make it back.

Waaaaaaaah! On the other hand, the small number of Korean spectators roared in excitement. Their cheers and applause shook the stadium for several minutes. Only when Jang Baek-San, head of the Association’s Gangnam branch, spoke into his microphone did order return to the stadium.

“Thank you for coming. That concludes this day’s event. Please begin leaving the stadium in an orderly fashion.”

Jang Baek-San may not have known Jae-Hyeok long, but he had seen firsthand how Jae-Hyeok had handled the other Association branch managers.

If push came to shove, he feared that Jae-Hyeok might actually carry out a massacre. But on the contrary—

“L-let’s go quickly!”

“The high-ranking nobles will take care of the aftermath!”

“Y-Yes! It isn’t a problem for us to care about!”

Chinese audience spectators didn’t so much as whisper about Jae-Hyeok; instead, they turned and fled as if running from death itself.

Given the number of Chinese, their rapid retreat was like a receding tide.

Meanwhile, the surviving Black Dragon players cautiously approached Jae-Hyeok.

“Can... May we recover Quilin and Vice Leader Zhang’s remains?”

Jae-Hyeok dismissed them with a wave.

“Go collect the trash. Be quick about it.”

“Y-yes.”

The Black Dragon players didn’t dare to criticize him.

With a bow, they quickly left to collect the bodies.

......

Collecting the scattered pieces of Qilin’s splattered head took quite some time, and by the end, many of the players were stifling tears.

For them, Master Qilin and Vice Leader Zhang had been both a parent and a teacher.

Grief is universal. If only Qilin realized this before crossing my father...

Jae-Hyeok’s expression turned wistful, sad even.

I may have been the blade, but you people sowed the karma.

Today, he’d witnessed with his own eyes how China viewed Korea. They treated Korean’s like dogs, cursing and beating them as they pleased.

It was heinous to say the least. And if it was this bad now, there was no reason it would’ve been any different eight years ago.

Just how much humiliation had his father faced at the gate meeting?

Jae-Hyeok couldn’t imagine it.

No.

He could imagine it, but he didn’t dare to.

Jae-Hyeok closed in eyes and inhaled deeply. Then he shook his head.

I have no regrets. Respect is for those who know its meaning. China needs to be taught this lesson. Before then, I won’t let up.

Jae-Hyeok’s eyes flickered with a ruthless light.

......

After wrapping things up with Jang Baek-San, Seol Su-Ah appeared before Jae-Hyeok in a flash, wrapped him in a big hug, and patted his back gently.

“The Yaksha would be proud, so proud..."

Feeling the gentle pats, Jae-Hyeok’s thoughts settled.

Meanwhile, Cheon Hye-Ji, who was dust-covered and dragging her feet toward Jae-Hyeok, froze in abject horror.

“T-the chairman! Why is the chairman with my man!?”

Next to Cheon Hye-Ji, Hae-Rin's eyes were practically slits as she gauged Seol Su-Ah.

“Haha...”

Da-Hee stepped between Cheon Hye-Ji and Hae-Rin and linked arms with them. She laughed nervously.

“We’re all comrades here..."

Listening to the bickering, Jae-Hyeok’s eyes drooped.

It’s finally over...

Jae-Hyeok’s consciousness fuzzed. The sensation of Seol Su-Ah’s embrace blended with the warmth of his mother’s from long ago.

It soothed his heart.

Before Jae-Hyeok knew it, the world went black...

***

“Hah.”

Staring at the unconscious boy, Blake let out a sigh.

From China to the heavens themselves, the forces that had blocked Jae-Hyeok’s way could only be described as colossal.

Yet Jae-Hyeok had overcome them all by crushing the opposition with decisive and ruthless means; for a time, his aura and momentum seemed beyond even the Thunder Emperor.

Since when were there sixteen-year-old boys like this? Is the relationship between him and Thunder Emperor really that of master and successor?

Just as Blake was wondering this, Seol Su-Ah held out a hand to him.

“Come with me to the Kang Estate.”