Chapter 487. Unusual (4) |
Chapter 487. Unusual (4)
For now, he couldn't properly talk about the light-attribute monster that had appeared in downtown Seoul. Even though Kim Giryeo knew the full truth, he had to pretend to be clueless.
‘If it’s revealed that the mastermind behind that incident was a manufactured product from a magic scholar, things will get even worse.’
If he wasn't careful, he could be unfairly blamed as the one who summoned the monster into the present world.
“Hunter, please, just listen for a moment. Besides water-attribute skills, I also have a variety of support abilities...”
After some thought, Kim Giryeo began persuading from a different angle. Skills like [Binding] or item [Appraisal], and so on—he revealed part of his abilities to try and sway the humans. In fact, even with just these support magics, he could contribute enough for one member of the strategy team. Using that as justification, he argued to be allowed into the dungeon.
Does Jeong Haseong have some kind of scheduling issue? Why isn't he showing up at all in this discussion?But if the other party insists like this, then there's nothing to be done.
“I'm sorry, but due to circumstances, we can't send Jeong Haseong.”
Kim Giryeo discussed the matter with the Hunter Association officials. He then honestly explained the situation. The top-ranked hunter—so exceptional that one might think his surname should be written with the character for ‘Jeong’—was effectively the most important hunter in the country. They had declared that he could not be sent to extremely dangerous locations like the [Nuckelavee] gate.
Whether it's reputation or achievements.
Even though Jeong Haseong had gained fame quite some time ago, he had never caused any major trouble. So how could the South Korean government possibly send such a talent into a deadly situation? His raw power might not even measure up to a fraction of the fourth S-rank, but the value of his name was so significant that Jeong Haseong could not be sent abroad.
“Hmm.”
Moreover, recently his mother had recovered and his life was finally getting back to normal. What if he went abroad to a place where he couldn't be properly protected and ended up being interrogated about the truth behind [Elixir]?
“Anyway, I can allow multiple departures, but Hunter Jeong Haseong is absolutely off-limits.”
Kim Giryeo crossed his arms and refused once again. Yet, surprisingly, the other party responded fairly reasonably, despite his big effort.
Well, now that I think about it, that's actually true!Finally, the conversational partner nodded.
Everyone easily talks about achieving world peace, but it's natural to want to protect your neighbors rather than those on the other side of the world.The former sports star adjusted his color sunglasses.
That's why I don't go out recklessly in the U.S. either! So I really have nothing to say about this matter.He spoke in a clear, bold voice, one statement after another.
Alright. Then I won't whine anymore about sending the top-ranked hunter. You, the fourth S-rank, come.“Really?”
But still, I won't take responsibility inside the dungeon! Don't expect protection just because you're an S-rank.A statement that no special measures would be taken even if a monster caused a serious accident. In response, Kim Giryeo brought up a certain line of reasoning.
“On the other hand, if I perform excellently, you must compensate me for it in monetary terms.”
An S-rank hunter in modern society held a status comparable to that of a next-generation fighter jet. Kim Giryeo therefore demanded proper defense compensation. And since the other country accepted those terms, this side moved forward without hesitation to prepare for the [Nuckelavee] gate operation.
“These incompetent mammals, wasting time without realizing the goodwill of this archmage who's trying to protect them.”
But just as he was in the middle of looking up plane tickets and the like.
“Sir!”
Bang!
A person entered from the direction of the conference room door. He was holding a cellphone and shouted urgently at the association staff huddled around the laptop.
“I've also checked the locations of the other S-rank hunters!”
It was good news.
“Did you finally get in touch with Seo Esther?”
“Yes. She replied via the Korean Magic Tower, and as expected from the records, she was indeed at a regional dungeon.”
“What about Hunter Kang Changho?”
However, the conversation that followed didn't flow smoothly.
“He still hasn't entered the country...”
It's been a while since he smashed all those illegal clinics—why is he still overseas?
‘No wonder there's been no word from him.’
Kim Giryeo wondered.
‘Is he digging up every last remaining illegal clinic by the roots or something?’
However, that concern didn't last long. After all, when dealing with an enemy like [Nuckelavee], it was better to have as few eyes watching as possible.
‘It's better to be alone.’
The blond man finished the last remaining preparation for guild operations and headed overseas.
The guild. Originally, it was an Earth-based company he had set up lightly to enjoy tax benefits.
However, as of late, the guild members' unexpected overwork had caused spoils to pile up within the organization. Therefore, just before leaving for the United States, Kim Giryeo hurriedly recruited freelance appraisers domestically. Only after entrusting all item classification work to professionals was he able to board the plane.
“I'm in the red.”
And the cost of hiring freelance appraisers for a full week amounted to tens of millions of won...
‘At this rate, I am going to end up burning through the entire 20 billion won I got in tax reductions as investment costs?’
There was nothing he could do for now. The guild's loss-ridden profit structure could be dealt with after [Nuckelavee] was taken care of—it wouldn't be too late then. Kim Giryeo gathered up his heavy heart and forced himself to prepare his travel luggage.
***
“Welcome.”
A few hours later. At an airport on the far side of the Earth, which he had finally arrived at. Listening to the usual, all-too-common greetings, I was able to head toward the birthplace of the gate in question.
‘So this is the area where the Sea Devil appeared?’
But it was the moment I fully stepped into the temporary hunting camp at the site. As an alien, I found myself facing an unexpected and unpleasant situation.
‘And this is a memorandum.’
Because the overseas raid team presented a certain contract to the archmage who had come all the way abroad.
[Contents: We cannot structurally “guarantee” the absolute safety of the dispatched hunter, and the dispatched hunter must agree in advance, prior to entry, not to request any personal “assistance” inside the dungeon.]
For this side part, as long as the success-based compensation was guaranteed, none of that really mattered.
“Raid team members, I wasn't planning to go so far as to say this, but...”
Feeling a bit hurt, I ended up letting a petty complaint slip out.
“Do you perhaps not remember at all what kind of evaluation I received after finishing the [Black Dragon Raid]?”
The tone was gentle, but it was essentially a retort, “What do you know?”
“Dispatched Hunter, first of all, please accept our apologies if you were offended.”
However, when I voiced my displeasure, the other side immediately began a taking a new approach. The person who spoke up this time was the United States' S-rank hunter.
“I've already seen that face a few times on video-sharing platforms.”
Since he was on the list of participants for the [Nuckelavee] operation, I had deliberately checked his profile in advance as well.
‘He was originally a soldier who retired due to an injury during training, but they said he returned to society after the D Dungeon Shock.’
The problem was that he couldn't actually remember the other man's name... In any case, the mammal with a military background soon spoke up.
“However, we're not concerned with the achievements you've made in the past. Due to the circumstances, we're focusing on your current capabilities.”
I focused on the American's words.
“Unfortunately, there have indeed been confirmed cases recently of awakened individuals losing their abilities.”
At this point, his body's overall movements briefly came to a halt.
“Moreover, this loss of abilities occurred in an artificial Awakened individual.”
That a mage who had lost their magic could exist in this world.
‘Could it be that something like his lungs were badly damaged, throwing his senses out of balance?’
Magic, both in the past and now, relied heavily on intuition. Like riding a bicycle—once you learn it, your body remembers how to use it and keeps the skill intact. But if a critical failure occurs, like a tire coming off the bike...
‘Artificial Awakened tend to have their bodies break down often because of the mismatch between the capacity of their vessel and the skills they use. In that case, it wouldn't be surprising if even activating skills became difficult now.’
There was no need for further explanation. After finishing my brief deliberation, I signed the document they handed me.
“Huh?”
“It's done, right? It's not like I was asking for money anyway, so I'll let this slide just this once.”
“Y, you'll let it slide...?”
“Now that [Nuckelavee] has appeared, let's not waste time on pointless arguments.”
But around that time, a certain hunter who had been on a video call with me hurriedly cut into the conversation.
“Wait a second! You know, even without the translator, your tone is obviously pretty sharp!”
The very hunter who had succeeded Brooklyn Morgan—the great American superstar—and now held the position of the new number one. The American, wearing a snapback on his head, spoke up shortly after.
“But let me be clear beforehand—I don't want you to twist our intentions. I've been holding you back only because I genuinely worry about you.”
Worry. It was a word that was hard for an S-rank Awakened to hear.
“What we have to hunt now is that very [Nuckelavee]. But if people die in the name of maintaining safety, that completely defeats the purpose. So, in order to minimize casualties, we're deploying the elite among elites...”
“Should we have gathered them and gone?”
“Exactly.”
But in the end, this still implied that they were viewing the Korean hunter as second-rate in terms of ability, leaving his feelings decidedly mixed.
‘I pretended to be weak to avoid annoying attention, so why am I not happy about this situation?’
That damn pride. I took a moment to consciously criticize the personality I'd developed because of my overwhelming talent. But while I was locked in that inner struggle, the American hunters began laying out their plans going forward.
“Now that the negotiations have gone smoothly, we will disclose all of our plans from here on, sir.”
For reference, the one giving the explanation was a certain retired soldier.
“The Sea Devil possesses a level of power that is nothing short of nightmarish.”
“Yes.”
“Therefore, with the hunters' lives as our top priority, our team plans to hunt the monster through long-range intercept ion first.”
“By ‘interception’, you mean...?”
“We've rounded up every top-tier [Telekinesis] skill holder currently in the country. They'll restrain the monster, while the rest of the team focuses their firepower and finishes it off.”
The retired soldier was the kind of perceptive mammal who would provide additional explanations without anyone having to point it out.
“Until now, this method hasn't really been attempted because it wasn't cost-effective. But the United States has decided that, if it's to bring down the Sea Devil safely, then committing 100—or even 1,000—hunters to this single operation is the right call.”
But if they were going to approach it this way, there was naturally one type of ability that would be left out.
Sullen.Just then, I spotted a human nearby who looked like a sack of barley left lying around. An Awakened like that—whose strength lay in close-quarters combat—would, at best, be relegated to dealing with small fry in this operation.
I took a steadying breath and looked away.
‘Then shall we head into the gate first and take a look?’
It was a remark born of impatience, wanting to quickly check if the curiosities had caused another commotion.
“Well, by now there should be a decent number of minions stacked up anyway.”
The Americans nodded in agreement without much difficulty.
“Everyone, focus! Information on the dungeon enhancement has already been distributed through each country's association. From this moment on, we're going to make a real attempt at the raid!”
Since I was the only foreign S-rank hunter, the representative naturally felt more at ease speaking.
***
Muttering.
“By the way, that water-attribute hunter... is he really fully capable...?”
“To be honest, I don't understand why he's joining the raid team even though the team leader treated him rudely.”
“Does he have relatives to support with the raid's reward money or something?”
“Fools. That's it. That hunter simply has no choice because he lives in an absolute monarchy. It seems the system there has the ruler send the weakest S-rank overseas every time to claim a share of the raid rewards.”
“I don't think that's a story about the South...”
“Friends of the world. I've got archmage ears—so even if you whisper, I can hear everything anyway.”
A few minutes later, I took a spot in a corner as support staff, placed there by the Americans. I quietly listened—and let it slide—the others' gossip, all while keeping my eyes on the Blue Gate.
‘A house like this is too nice to give to a demon.’
The first thing to catch my bipedal, mammalian gaze was the “Sea of Lava.” Peering down at the pitch-black floor, where a man's shoes were firmly planted, the bubbling, orange molten waters greeted me with fierce intensity.
Strangely enough, the temperature and humidity of the space weren't particularly uncomfortable. Those white particles floating in the air were actually tiny, extremely cold magical granules.
‘It's almost like the rain is flowing upward.’
The searing heat combined with the magical spheres created a somewhat surreal, almost fantastical scene. As if cheering on the raid, the cold particles kept rising from below without pause.
“By the way, focus on that Asian over there. Seeing him in person, he's even more serious than on the video call. At that size, he can't weigh more than a hundred pounds, right?”
“Captain, sorry, but even someone as short as me easily weighs over 50 kilograms.”
“Hey! Lower your voice. No matter how capable he claims to be, Kim Giryeo might be an artificially awakened superhu man forcibly dispatched because of the relations between our two countries...”
Aside from the nonsense coming out of the raid members' mouths, the dungeon environment itself wasn't half bad.