The Return of the Legendary All-Master

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 323

Union Hall.

Simply put, it was an alliance established by various races who had gathered in one place to form a pact.

This hall was a place accessible only to the leaders of each race, and they personally screened the outsiders who visited via the portal.

If they failed to make a good impression, they would be forcibly expelled, and reentry would become impossible.

That was why Jeong-hoon visited the hall alone.

‘You must at least step into Celestial territory to be recognized as qualified.’

Due to the renewal, the difficulty of all dungeons had drastically increased.

Normally, it would have taken about eight years for enough people to build their strength and challenge the dungeons. However, due to Escanon's interference, only a select few could now clear the renewed dungeons.

For that reason, it was even more crucial to finish the episode and settle things with Escanon.

Even if it was a fight with zero chance of victory.

"Who are you?"

Jeong-hoon was standing in the center of a large table where the leaders were seated.

Because of that, everyone seated was looking up at him.

===

[NPC Information]

- Nickname: Ereshion

- Level: 1,200

- Class: Elf Elder

===

The one who spoke was Ereshion, the leader of the Elves.

"I am an outsider."

Jeong-hoon knelt on one knee respectfully.

This was a moment to prove his qualifications.

If less than half of those present acknowledged him, he would never be able to visit the Union Hall again.

There was no need to ruin his first impression.

"And what is the reason this outsider has come here?"

Ereshion’s voice was flat and emotionless.

Even in the face of a sudden visitor like Jeong-hoon, he showed no signs of surprise.

To be precise, it meant he had no interest whatsoever.

‘James was the only one ever recognized in the hall.’

James Marcus had explained the details about the hall to Jeong-hoon thoroughly.

It was clear that this situation had been factored into his explanation.

Thanks to him, Jeong-hoon could easily understand their mindset.

‘Actually, despite how they seem, they’re very interested in outsiders.’

Ereshion's indifferent attitude was only because Jeong-hoon hadn’t yet proven himself.

It wasn’t that he lacked interest in outsiders.

On the contrary, they were desperately hoping for a capable outsider to appear.

"I wish to help."

"Help?"

For a brief moment, Ereshion's eyes glimmered faintly.

However, it was fleeting enough that one would have to watch closely to notice. His eyes soon returned to their usual dry expression.

"Yes."

"You're spouting nonsense. What do you know that makes you think you can help?"

A man with a massive build, bulging muscles, and a body covered in thick hair scoffed as he interrupted.

===

[NPC Information]

- Nickname: Dregar

- Level: 1,130

- Class: King Titan

===

He was Dregar, the leader of the Giants.

Unlike Ereshion, who watched with indifference, Dregar was openly looking down on Jeong-hoon.

"Well, seeing so many people gathered here makes me think this must be a serious issue."

Although James Marcus had thoroughly explained the purpose of the alliance, Jeong-hoon deliberately pretended to be unaware.

"Ha! Acting like you know something when you don't know a thing."

Dregar clicked his tongue in disdain.

"This outsider just arrived here. Isn't it normal for him to not know anything yet?"

A much smaller woman scolded Dregar while glaring at him.

===

[NPC Information]

- Nickname: Niaiv

- Level: 1,095

- Class: Fairy Queen

===

She was the leader of the Fairies.

"It's because I don't like someone who knows nothing claiming they can help."

"Is that so? Well, I'd say that's better than someone who silently watches from the sidelines, waiting to pounce on their prey when they find a chance."

"Hey! Are you talking about me?!"

Bang!

Dregar slammed his fist on the table.

His face twisted in anger, and his thick, brutish hand trembled with rage.

"Now, now. We're not here to fight, are we?"

Elf Elder Ereshion intervened to calm the situation.

"Dammit... Regardless, I don't like that outsider."

Dregar glared at Jeong-hoon as he shouted.

"Then let me prove myself."

James Marcus hadn’t been able to win Dregar over either.

But Jeong-hoon was different.

Even if his level was lower, he wouldn’t lose to Dregar in terms of raw strength.

If they were to fight, five minutes?

That should be enough time to subdue Dregar.

"What?"

Dregar's eyebrows shot up sharply.

"If you want, I’m willing to duel you. My level may be low, but I can still take you down."

For the Giants, the most effective method was to dominate with strength.

Power was authority, and it decided everything.

Dregar had also reached his position through sheer strength.

If a stronger Giant were to appear, he could be overthrown at any moment.

That was why Dregar took great pride in his power.

Jeong-hoon's provocation was bound to be incredibly effective.

"Alright! Let's see what you've got!"

Dregar shot up from his seat.

It wouldn’t have been surprising if he lunged at Jeong-hoon right then and there, but Jeong-hoon moved a step faster.

By stepping into the Heavenly Demon Lord's Dominion stance, he closed the distance and appeared right in front of Dregar.

At that moment, Dregar’s shoulders flinched.

It was proof that he couldn’t fully read Jeong-hoon's movements.

"Stop acting tough. You might really die."

Before Dregar knew it, Jeong-hoon had Leviathan aimed at his neck.

That grin on Jeong-hoon's face made Dregar's chest tighten.

For a brief moment, the killing intent radiating from Jeong-hoon made cold sweat trickle down Dregar’s back.

'Did I... just get scared?'

Unbelievable.

He had claimed the position of the Giants' leader through strength.

He was called the strongest Giant, yet here he was, frightened by a mere outsider — a human.

The unfamiliar feeling shredded his pride.

"You damn savage...!"

Dregar clenched his teeth and swung his fist —

"Stop!"

===

[NPC Information]

- Nickname: Siron

- Level: 1,500

- Class: Hero (Grand Master)

===

With Siron's intervention, the situation ended in an instant.

Like Jeong-hoon, Siron was human.

As the leader of the humans, he held the rank of Hero and was a Grand Master.

"Dammit..."

Suppressing his anger, Dregar sat back down.

Even then, he didn’t forget to shoot a murderous glare at Jeong-hoon.

"You should get down from the table as well."

Ignoring Dregar, Siron addressed Jeong-hoon.

"Sure."

Jeong-hoon calmly withdrew Leviathan and stepped down from the table.

"I’ve seen your skills just now. Truly impressive."

Siron approached Jeong-hoon and extended his hand for a handshake.

"Thank you for the compliment."

With a calm smile, Jeong-hoon nodded and shook his hand.

'If you manage to win Siron's favor, consider it half the battle won.'

James Marcus had said that Siron was the de facto leader of the United Hall.

Despite being human, Siron had the highest level among the leaders, and even the hot-tempered Dregar became as meek as a lamb at Siron's words.

Most of the other leaders likely followed Siron's decisions implicitly.

"Alright, shall we continue our conversation? I am Siron, a Hero."

"I'm Jeong-hoon."

"So, you're Jeong-hoon. What brings you here?"

"I came through a portal. I wanted to help with the Union's affairs."

"You want to help… But you said you don't know what we do?"

"That's right."

Siron guided Jeong-hoon to an empty seat.

More than half of the leaders, including Dregar, eyed Jeong-hoon with displeasure, but Siron paid no mind and continued speaking.

"We are preparing for war."

"War?"

"Yes. With those things up there."

Siron pointed to the sky.

"I see."

They, too, intended to confront the transcendent beings that destroyed dimensions.

'How do they expect to stand against them with that level of power…?'

'They don't even know their place, yet they think they can defeat transcendent beings?'

At Mukho and Anima's scathing remarks, Jeong-hoon nearly broke his poker face.

From the moment Dregar looked down on Jeong-hoon, the two had already dismissed this place as a gathering of trash.

Anima, in particular, clicked its tongue while gazing at the distant Dragonkin leader with disdain.

'For the so-called leader of the Dragonkin to just sit there watching… pathetic.'

===

[NPC Information]

- Nickname: Kanteon

- Level: 1,230

- Class: Dragon Lord

===

The Dragonkin leader, who had a lower level than Siron.

He sat with his eyes closed, showing no intention of getting involved.

"I'll ask again. Will you help us?"

Jeong-hoon nodded.

To complete the episode, agreeing to help was the only option.

A question mark blinked above Siron's head.

* * *

At that moment...

Jeong-hoon's home and the surrounding buildings were in an uproar.

Displaced residents were crowding into intact buildings.

The shelters were too cramped to accommodate both lodging and meals, leaving them no choice.

"We have nowhere else to go!"

"Can we stay here?"

Of course, the original residents did not welcome them.

“Sorry, but outsiders are not allowed in.”

“Please leave now.”

There were simply too many of them to welcome peacefully.

“What?”

“Can't we just help each other out?”

“Damn it, just push through!”

The riot broke out in an instant.

Since the original residents refused to accept them, they intended to force their way in and claim a spot by force.

Bang!

At that moment, a gunshot rang out, and someone at the front screamed and collapsed.

“Arghhh!”

“W-What?”

“What the hell?”

The people trying to push in hesitated in shock at the gunfire.

The person who had been shot clutched his thigh in agony, but no one stepped forward to help him.

As a result, the local residents gained confidence and shouted at them.

“Get out right now!”

“If you don’t leave, we’ll kill you all!”

Bang!

Another gunshot rang out.

This time, no one was hit, but it was enough to break their fighting spirit.

“Damn it…”

“Ugh, forget this!”

They retreated quietly, and the residents cheered, celebrating their victory.

Only then did Lee Na-yeon, who had been aiming her gun at them, finally lower it.

“That’s enough. Things should stay quiet for a while now.”

“Mother, is it really okay to drive them out like this…?”

Yeo Min-Ji asked with a cautious expression.

She had visited Jeong-hoon’s house alone just a short while ago.

And not long after, those people had shown up.

Whatever the case, they were also survivors just like her.

Was it really right to drive them away at a time when people should be helping each other?

“If we take them in once, it’ll never end. If that happens, this place will become chaotic too.”

The outside world was already turning into a lawless zone.

If they welcomed them in out of kindness, it would only take a moment for everything to fall apart.

“That’s true.”

Yeo Min-Ji quickly agreed, finding the argument reasonable.

“Of course, this is only temporary. If things get worse, they'll force their way in no matter what.”

For now, scaring them off had worked.

But since it was only a temporary measure, if the situation worsened, those people would undoubtedly push their way in by force.

When that time came, there would be no way to stop them.

So, they needed to find a way to stabilize the world before that happened.

“Mother, please take this.”

At that moment, Yeo Min-Ji handed over a notebook.

“Hm? What’s this?”

Lee Na-Yeon accepted the notebook and looked at her with questioning eyes.

“Mother, you’re gathering Celestial Energy too, right?”

“Yeah… Is this related to that energy?”

“Yes.”

Yeo Min-Ji nodded.

Lee Na-Yeon opened the notebook, and just as she said, it was filled with detailed information about Celestial Energy.

“My goodness… How did you get this?”

“Mr. Hoon gave it to me.”

“Hoon did?”

“Yes. So I thought we could use this to gather Celestial Energy.”

Yeo Min-Ji had visited Lee Na-Yeon’s house to join forces and collect energy together.

“Alright. Then let’s contact Ha-Jin and Bong-Goo so we can all move together.”

Currently, Bong-Goo was at a shelter with his family, while Ha-Jin had gone down to his hometown.

“Huh? Do you have a way to contact them?”

“Hoon left a smartphone with me. Apparently, this smartphone works even without a network.”

Lee Na-Yeon took out the smartphone.

Unlike a regular smartphone, it had a rugged design.

“I didn’t know something like that existed…”

Yeo Min-Ji examined it with curiosity, and Lee Na-Yeon placed it in her hands.

“Here, Hoon left several behind, so take one.”

“Thank you! Then I’ll go and bring Father back.”

“Okay. Contact me using that.”

“Yes!”

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]