Chapter 5
5fire god(1)
Honam Plain. It was a week ago that a gate appeared at this place responsible for Korea's rice production..
The Scarlet Gate, which has an average difficulty level of attack of Grade A, was scheduled to be cleared with ease as the Firebird Guild won the bid..
If only the Firebird Guild had attacked properly..
"How did this happen?!"
Manager Kim Jin-su and Assistant Manager Han Ha-ri boarded a helicopter and flew straight to the Honam Plain. There, I was able to meet Lee Yong-wan, the leader of the Phoenix Guild..
"Ah, Manager Kim. We also have our rookie Han Ha-ri.?"
Despite the seriousness of the situation, he took his time. The two people had an intuition when they saw that expression..
'This bastard… on purpose!'
It's definitely true. The Phoenix Guild intentionally caused a dungeon break by deliberately slowing down the gate strategy.!
'They persistently asked for exemptions, but then they did things like this.?'
Recently, there has been frequent friction between the Association and the Phoenix Guild..
Throughout this year, the Phoenix Guild has consistently requested exemptions for themselves, one of the top 10 guilds in the country..
They requested an exemption of up to 1 trillion won for income generated from by-products obtained from gates, import of magic stones, and materials from monsters..
The purpose was to train the next generation and increase medical expenses for guild members..
The government, which was already providing various benefits to large domestic guilds, expressed dissatisfaction and rejected guild leader Lee Yong-wan's request..
I thought they were going to use some kind of trick, but I couldn't believe they were doing something like this in the midst of all the commotion over the black gate that appeared for the first time in 13 years.!
'Damn bastards! What kind of land is the Honam Plain? How could they do something like this when the cleanup work on the Naju plains has not been completed?!'
After the Gate incident, the world's food trade routes froze..
The vast plains, which were slow to respond to the initial Gate incident, were contaminated by magic, and this was the same in Korea..
The granary area, which is said to be the deepest part of the country, is polluted, and the amount of money purchased from Magic Tower for the purification reagent is astronomical.!
If this year's crop in the Honam Plain is ruined immediately, the food self-sufficiency rate that has been maintained so far will be cut in half..
Assistant Manager Han Ha-ri, who became desperate, made a request..
"Yongwan Lee Hunter! We need to close the gate now! It's been a week today! After that,──"
"I know, I know. The authority for the winning gate is transferred. But what should I do??"
Guild leader Lee Yong-wan mocked the two with a mean smile..
"A lot of our guild members were injured. I think it will be difficult to attack in this state. I think our Phoenix Guild will have to give up the right to attack the Honam Gate.."
"……!"
Manager Kim Jin-su and Assistant Manager Han Ha-ri's faces turned red. The two of them wanted to immediately swing their fists at the bastard in front of them, but he was an S-class hunter..
Not only Kim Jin-su, who is a B-level hunter, but also Han Ha-ri, an A-level hunter, could compete with his subordinates..
'Bastards! There are so many A-classes, but it is impossible to attack the gate.?'
"What do you want to do??"
"……What do you want to say??"
"How did the association deal with the first monsters that appeared right away? But you know the gate hasn't fully opened yet.?"
The association was now free thanks to the fact that the employees brought in due to the black gate were not harmed..
But that only lasts for a moment. A gate filled with monsters causes a dungeon break from the 7th to the 10th day..
In other words, the scarlet gate of the Honam Plain has not yet been completely opened..
"Take control of the gate right now──"
"That's not possible. Manager Kim, why are you like this? You know that according to the Hunter Act, the guild that won the bid retains the right to attack until the 8th.."
No matter how strong the association was, it could not forcibly take away the right to target a gate that had already won the bid. The Phoenix guild leader was abusing it..
"We will try our best until tomorrow. However, I don't know if the strategy will work well because there are so many broken friends.."
"motherfucker……."
Han Ha-ri could not hold back and swore. Lee Yong-wan laughed and relaxed at her remark..
"So, it would be nice if we could reach a mutually agreeable agreement. Was it just us? Cheongseong, Mujin, and Shark The heroes who risk their lives to protect this country cannot ask for even the slightest benefit.?"
"already… We have already received so many subsidies and tax benefits.……."
The benefits that the government gives to large guilds are by no means small. The problem is that these people are insatiable pigs..
"Should I go to Japan? They promised that they would treat us much better than in our poor country of Korea.?"
"……!"
Yeah, this was the problem..
A battle between survivors and awakeners taking place around the world..
The richer a country was, the more they tried to recruit high-ranking hunters for their own safety, and they risked diplomatic friction and carried out operations..
In order to preserve what little power it had, the Korean government was tying down large guilds with enormous benefits... Even that has reached its limit..
"you are… Don't you have the slightest sense of patriotism??"
Even if contempt for the weak and monopolization of the strong are virtues in this world, at least… Shouldn’t there be a minimum of conscience and justice??
"patriotism? definition? That kind of thing has been out of fashion for a long time. Why are you being like this? Miss Hari, I told you this during last year’s draft, right? The world says money and power are justice.."
Hari trembled and swallowed his anger. It was like this. Why she joined the Hunter Association.
The behavior of current Korean hunters who only think about money and risk and do not even consider those who are harmed by it..
We live in an era where humanity is lacking, justice has plummeted, and those who want to live righteously are ridiculed..
It was a very disgusting reality for a young girl who admired heroes and wanted to protect people..
But should we admit it? That the world is all about money and power? If we acknowledge such a miserable reality, where will we find justice??
"They are truly shallow and old-fashioned.."
It was then. Everyone's eyes turned to the voice heard from beyond..
"Le, Your Majesty Leon?"
"Don’t take the King’s name in vain, Hanuman. Only honorifics are allowed to you.."
A man followed the two hurriedly moving people, saying he wanted to see the world. He stood between the two gaps, as if he had been listening to this entire conversation..
"What are you? Looks like he's European──"
"It's the king's palace! How can a thousand things play with a light tongue?!"
"Ex?"
S- class dealer Lee Yong-wan. He was one of only 20 S-class hunters in Korea and the leader of the Phoenix Guild, a teenage guild..
In this day and age, where the power of a hunter is replaced by power and wealth, no one dares speak in front of him. however…….
'What is this, you bastard??'
10This is a gift for you, the guild leader of a large guild and one of only 20 S-class hunters? What kind of nonsense is this about the king’s presence??
"want to die──"
"Stop, Hunter Yongwan Lee! he is a survivor!"
"survivor?"
At those words, Lee Yong-wan calmed down the magic he had been raising. Yes, survivor. They are strangers from a culture different from Earth..
Aside from their cultural differences, survivors have great value in themselves. Of course, not everyone is like that..
Lee Yong-wan did not commit the foolish mistake of immediately antagonizing the survivors..
"This was rude. My name is Lee Yong-wan from the Phoenix Guild. A survivor... Surely at that black gate──"
"The King Never Speaks Twice."
Leon immediately shut him up and asked Ha-ri Han and Jin-su Kim..
"tell me the problem."
"yes?"
"Don't make me say it twice. Jim doesn't know much about gates. Organize the problem neatly and resolve it.."
Those words made the two people blush. As a survivor, he showed his will to solve this problem himself..
"It's Dungeon Break! When a dungeon break occurs, a large amount of magic is released and the land is polluted! If that happens, there is a possibility that the entire Honam Plain will be polluted! Even now, the magic that has already spread is polluting the land.!"
"The solution is?"
"You must purify the contamination through decontamination and clear the dungeon as soon as possible to eliminate the dungeon itself.!"
"I understand. Is the expansion of contaminated land and gates a problem? Muster your strength. As soon as the attack period for those bastards or something is over until tomorrow, the king himself will step forward.."
"Is it true??"
To put it mildly, Leon was an S-class hunter. When such a strong person offers to help, no fool would refuse..
"But before that……."
"Before that?"
The two plan to accommodate whatever he wants. Should I match the weapon first? No, he already has his sword..
It looks like I don't have any armor, so I guess I need to rush to the auction and get the item.?
But what Leon asked for was something completely strange..
"A king of a foreign country cannot arbitrarily carry out military action in someone else's territory. First, I need to get permission directly from the king of this country.."
"yes? No, it's okay……."
"There are legal procedures and formalities in everything. Why not send a dispatch to your king?."
""…….""
Not even the world's top 10 guilds ask the president to show his face. Yongwan Lee thought for a moment..
'This bastard is no worse than me?'
* * * *
「……I'm the president.」
Fortunately, the president, who was on an overseas trip, did not fly all the way to the Honam Plain..
Leon was convinced when he heard that he had gone to request assistance regarding the Black Gate, and was content with a quick phone call and congratulations on his return..
"your majesty! All 50 members of the Hunter Association's subordinate attack force have completed preparations.!"
Han Ha-ri and Manager Kim Jin-su, who filled the 50 people who were the official target of Gate, stood in front of him armed..
"good night. Did they say that the legal deadline for miscellaneous birds ends tomorrow?."
"Ah, yes……."
Hari stared at Leon in surprise. If he was someone who advocated a class system, it seemed like he would ignore legal procedures and rush through the gate right away, but his actions were so unexpected..
"Do you see Jim as a barbarian??"
"yes? Well, it can't be like that.!"
"In civilization, there is such a thing as due process. How can one be an honorable knight if one does not obey the laws that contain the authority of the state?."
"oh oh……."
Association staff in admiration. Leon captured them at once and demonstrated his natural commanding ability..
"More than that, have you prepared??"
At those words, the association staff, including Hari, could not shake off their puzzled looks..
"I… your majesty."
"speak."
"You told me to prepare, so I did, but... What on earth are you going to use these for??"
What Leon ordered was a pumpkin skull decorated with a bow, arrows, and accessories. He ordered him to make a doll or something made of rice straw..
"Precious land has been polluted, right? We need to clean up the pollution of the land.."
"Yes?"
The association's staff hurriedly traveled around the city asking 'women with childbirth experience' to urgently make over 100 straw dolls..
"Are they the ladies who made the dolls??"
"Yes, that's right.."
Around 100 women are lined up in the early morning after receiving urgent requests from association and local office staff..
The age range was very diverse, from young women to middle-aged people to elderly people over 60 years old..
"Show each person the doll they made.."
Although there were some who were constantly murmuring at the orders, the compensation offered by the association was generous to them..
Leon began to inspect the straw dolls that the women had made..
"hmm… That's ridiculous.."
"……yes?"
"Would you ever think of calling such a metaphysical monster a doll?."
"Ugh…!"
The first straw doll was thrown away..
"Whoa, this is?"
"Do you like it, bachelor??"
"It's like a living doll."
"I don't think it was made that well.──"
"I would rather commit suicide than live in this ugly state.."
"……."
The second, third, and twentieth dolls were also thrown away. It was Han Ha-ri's turn..
"hmm? Did you participate too??"
"Ah, yes! I'm very dexterous, so I'm good at making things like dolls.!"
The doll Hari made certainly looked believable. Even though it is made of rice straw, it has a cute shape and is well decorated..
"It's surprising that you have experience giving birth.."
"yes? Ah, that wedding… I didn't do it. Not all women were okay... Me?"
"No, that's stupid.."
-Boom! Boouk!
"Ugh! Crest stone!"
The straw doll that was cruelly torn was blown away in the wind and disappeared in vain..
After such harsh standards, it was the eighty-ninth old woman who caught Leon's eye..
"Excellent! How many children has her wife had??"
"Twelve."
"Hmm, you are truly a patriot and a living source of life at such a young age. Do you have any plans for children in the future??"
"I'm out of inspiration?"
"Hehe, if you have a lot of vitality like your wife, it would be possible to remarry. You're still young, so think about it carefully for about 10 years.."
"I'll go out and search first.."
"Originally, I would dispatch a knight to personally deliver a plaque and a gift to a wife who had given birth to ten or more children, but please forgive me for not being able to handle the situation.."
Leon kissed the back of the old woman's hand and placed the straw doll on the altar..
"The conditions are met."
Leon took something out from the prepared items..
Subspace opens and a cup appears in his palm..
It was an old, faded glass with cracks here and there, but no one could take their eyes off it. As if a mysterious energy was flowing through it..
"You are the mother of a bountiful land. Please dwell in the doll of a good harvest presented to you by the children of the earth.."
The glass was filled with water. A strange thing happened when the self-filled cup was placed in front of the altar..
The water in the glass boiled violently and then surged out as if flowing backwards, entering the straw doll.!
"Oh, what the hell is going on??"
The association's employees, the women who made the straw dolls, and the Phoenix Guild guild members could not take their eyes off what was happening in front of them..
The sunset comes to mind.
Red light colors the clouds and a repetitive day is about to begin..
But on this day, May 24, 2032, the sunset... It will be a special beginning for the whole world.
「Lionheart, my child.」
The straw doll wakes up. A doll imbued with divinity testifies itself with a benevolent voice..
"Greetings to the Earth Mother. Demera, divinity of life and abundance."
Divinity has descended on this land.
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