Chapter 473. With All Due Respect (3)

The Hunter of the Other World Who Is Being Misunderstood

Chapter 473. With All Due Respect (3)

So the person who put out the urgent "fire" turned out to be a pyromancer. For reference, he had just used a newly learned, latest skill in midair. It was the [Flame Incantation] technique, setting his entire body ablaze in blue flames and sweeping across the enemies, taking them down on a massive scale. However, this full-body fire technique, while incredibly powerful, had a drawback: if it lasted more than just 30 seconds, it became dangerous.

'Come to think of it, the first time I used this, the magic kept burning endlessly, and I nearly died from suffocation...'

Additionally, the fact that this was outdoors played a significant role. Jeong Haseong, despite being born human, was a creature whose sheer physical strength alone seemed to live like a tank. After finishing his training, Jeong Haseong had no choice but to use his skills very cautiously due to the circumstances.

'Since this is my first real battle, I'll have to put all my effort into controlling my strength.'

Carrying all those shortcomings, he barely managed to handle the situation safely.

"H, Hunter Jeong Haseong!"

"Thank you for saving me--"

"Save the thanks for later. There are still monsters around, so move to an open area where I can protect you easily!"

Whirwind!

The person called Hunter Jeong Haseong faced the monsters that were charging at him. He targeted the monsters falling from the sky like meteors, burning them one by one.

"There's no scream or anything."

The bright blue flames roared fiercely. Once they burned the enemy to the point that their limbs could no longer move, their movements finally came to a halt.

'Nevermind.'

Since the enemies had completely lost all mobility, there was no need for follow-up shots.

"Are you alright?"

"Th, thanks to you, Hunter, I survived. Really."

True to his status as an S-rank Hunter with exceptional combat skills, Jeong Haseong quickly finished rescuing everyone. As he repeatedly confirmed that the area was completely safe, he took out the walkie-talkie from his waist.

"How far along are the [Barrier] skill users?"

What followed was a question he directed at the association personnel who were there to assist him.

The roads are a mess again. Unit 1 will arrive within five minutes, and Unit 2 will take a bit longer.

But to hear such bad news... The voice of the association officer, tinged with a southeastern accent, echoed calmly. Hearing this, Jeong Haseong hid the disappointment welling up inside him and spoke again.

"Then, for now, I'll proceed with controlling the population."

The corridor where the winged monsters were pouring out was right in front of him. In a situation like this, a hunter didn't have many options: either hunt the monsters, or just stand still.

'I'd really like to just block it off with concrete or something.'

Moreover, unfortunately, it was difficult to seal the gate using human-made science. However, if awakening skills were used, the desired result could be achieved in just a few seconds, so South Korea's public institutions had already reached that conclusion.

Be careful, Hunter Jeong Haseong.

The urgent task was to set up a magical barrier around the angels' passage. The enemies were flying across the precious airspace of South Korea, spreading rapidly to various regions in an instant. Therefore, at the very least, the points where the enemies appeared needed to be restricted.

Flap!

Flap!

Srrk, srrk, srrk...

Of course, with the monster density this high, the barrier installation team couldn't just enter recklessly.

"Citizens, please stay as far away as possible. Safety cannot be guaranteed if you get too close."

"Oh! Of course."

"We're not that reckless! Don't worry and just go, Hunter!"

Jeong Haseong used his overwhelming magical power to incinerate every monster he saw. It was for this very purpose that the national hero had been dispatched urgently to the gate.

[Crackle.]

But just as he was in the middle of hunting monsters, static crackled through the walkie-talkie as usual.

Hunter!

Moreover, every message that followed was in a tone that demanded a person's full attention.

Hunter, we just received a report from the government investigation team. It's an analysis of that new type of monster... By any chance, did you bring an A-rank colleague to the site?

By the way, he wondered what they were trying to convey in such a frantic voice.

"No?"

Squeak

.

Jeong Haseong lifted the walkie-talkie and responded quickly. However, a question still lingered in his mind.

'Everyone knows I usually go alone, so why are they suddenly asking about an A-rank colleague?'

There's only one social S-rank who goes around with a companion, and it's not here... it's somewhere else.

***

"Ah! Damn it!"

Inside the forest of buildings, a young modern person's curse erupted sharply.

"What the heck, you guys!"

When Jeong Haseong was just approaching the angels' passage, the head of the Magic Tower Guild was engaged in urban combat in the surrounding city. But at some point, as she focused on rescuing citizens, she suddenly screamed in shock.

"What cowardly act is this supposed to be!"

"Guild Master!"

"Aaagh!"

Because the thirteen angels roaming throughout the city suddenly all targeted one of her innocent comrades and charged at once. For reference, they didn't use any baiting skills like [Lure Scent] at all.

"Please save me!"

"All right, I'll save you! Don't panic, keep your distance, and try to avoid a direct confrontation!"

Even so, the angels strangely targeted a single hunter, ganging up on them. Their persistence in chasing the target was relentless.

[Crackle.]

So Esther couldn't hide her bewilderment and tried to rescue her comrade, when, from this hunter's waist, the familiar sound finally came through.

Hunter Seo!

What followed was a warning sent from the association's central control room.

That monster has a tendency to grab A-rank Awakened individuals and take them back to its nest! There have been cases of this overseas!

What on earth is this terrible habit supposed to be?

"Ah!"

The report didn't end there. The Earth's [Appraisal] skill users generally had a low amount of magic. When encountering high-grade monsters, they were so fragile that even a single gust of their breath could make them tremble. However, if monsters had spilled into the city like now, humanity could observe them as well...

[Srrk.]

Through the apartment windows—a symbol of human civilization—someone peeked out with one eye. Appraisers from around the world analyzed monsters appearing in this way and quickly shared the information with one another.

A new report has come in. That monster must not be fought with a blade.

Even if it's not a sword, under no circumstances should you 'sever' it!

If a body part is cut off, the severed piece will become a completely new creature, doubling the number of monsters—so be careful!

Hearing this, Esther shouted in anger without even pressing the walkie-talkie button.

"What kind of nonsense is this!"

Half of the weapons that come out of dungeons are primitive swords, and you're telling me the enemy actually splits if you try to fight it with one?

"Get lost! You damn gate pigeons."

Crackle.

Esther overpowered the fake angels clinging to her teammates with sheer strength. Since they were warned never to split the monsters, she attempted to subdue them by wrenching their joints instead.

"They look alive no matter who sees them, so why isn't my skill working this time?"

The angel that had appeared now was, astonishingly, a monster completely immune to mental attacks—[Curse] had no effect at all. However, Esther didn't feel particularly disappointed by this fact itself.

Compared to others, her innate attribute could produce overwhelmingly powerful effects with just a single skill. So, the drawback of having a limited number of targets was something she could easily accept—but—

'I don't like the way it looks.'

Crackle!

The professional hunter, who had clearly dealt with the monster, frowned at an unexpected detail.

Esther, the owner of that rather uncommon name for a Korean didn't particularly follow any religion, but her family, in contrast, were devout believers—nine out of ten of them. Now, imagine that a being everyone had praised since childhood suddenly appeared, twisted into such a grotesque monster.

'When its eyes were closed, it at least looked somewhat human, but ripping its eyelids open... and now there's some kind of rainbow-colored crystal coming out.'

Korea's second-ranked hunter couldn't possibly view this situation positively. And it didn't even have to be an angel. A humanoid big ass ones (roughly 3 meters) I would totally believe that shit was

true that one had carefully paid respects at temples nearby would naturally feel upset if they encountered a Buddha-statue monster that killed people.

'Of all things, it even looks human-like, and the monster that appeared this time has an appearance that's really awkward to take down.'

As an S-rank Awakened, Esther unleashed superhuman strength. The monsters that had swarmed in were eliminated safely within a few seconds.

"They're not following me... anymore."

"They must have a limit to how far they can sense enemies. They'll wander aimlessly, and only when they spot an A-rank Hunter will they go completely berserk."

As a result of facing such a relentless enemy, the distinctive sound of their wings could still be heard in her ears.

"Ugh- At this rate, I'm going to get a nervous breakdown."

Esther humbly began reorganizing her equipment as she thought to herself.

'The only consolation in this disaster... is that the Rank 1s mother isn't an A-rank Awakened, I guess?'

She absentmindedly fiddled with her own eyelashes.

'No matter how much of a national hero he is, he still lived an ordinary first half of his life. If something were to go wrong with his family, he'd definitely break mentally, and be unable to work on-site.'

As long as Jeong Haseong could work with peace of mind, there was no reason he couldn't handle increasing the number of people under protection. No matter what happens, it was only right to protect his family thoroughly. In fact, doing so would even benefit the national economy. Thus, as had been mentioned earlier, someone's mother was already under the protection of a strict security system.

'But still, in a situation where all A-rank Awakened are exposed to serious danger, I can't help but feel selfish for being glad that the important person isn't a target.'

In a crisis where monsters have been unleashed onto the streets, how long can humanity realistically dream of safety?

Boom!

This time, it wasn't a hallucination caused by her neurosis. An actual explosion had sounded somewhere in a distant building. Consequently, Esther's team turned their steps toward protecting the city's safety.

"Either way, A-rank people will become the angels' primary targets even if they move elsewhere! So you might as well stay right by my side!"

"Yes, Guild Master!"

But what's this message now, right in the middle of such a hectic time?

[Crackle.]

It was the moment they were just moving toward the angels' point of origin. The walkie-talkie hanging from the S-rank Hunter's waist rang once again.

"Have they discovered a new trait of the monster?"

For a moment, Esther thought this might be the case—but the next sentence was far worse than she could have imagined.

Hunter Seo, it seems you'll need to start considering entering the gate from now on.

The original role of the Magic Tower Guild Master was to hunt angels outdoors. Likewise, Korea's top-ranked hunter, Jeong Haseong, had no particular plan to enter the monster-infested lair from which the creatures were pouring out. After all, the hole called the gate was still spewing dozens of angels at a time—under normal circumstances, there was no reason to even think about sticking your head in there.

"You just told me to protect the city earlier!"

Esther felt bewildered. However, it seemed there was a reason why the command had made such a decision.

I apologize for reversing the orders.

The voice on the other end of the walkie-talkie finally explained the full story.

But this time, there's nothing we can do. Even in our country... there have already been cases of A-rank individuals being captured by monsters.

The Awakened with keen hearing all tensed their bodies at that sound.

On top of that, the Korean A-rank who was kidnapped by the monster is a student! The missing-person report came in late, so the control center has only just managed to grasp the situation!

While the monster modeled after an angel was wreaking havoc across the world, the gate, hidden from human eyes, had already claimed innocent victims.

***

A minor. Nowadays, awakenings at this age weren't unheard of. Cases of adolescent Awakened were gradually increasing each year. Of course, most countries didn't let this generation, who were supposed to be in full-time public education, take on the work of hunters.

Now that the shock from mana surges had somewhat subsided and the social safety net had been rebuilt, it was common for minors with supernatural abilities to fulfill their obligations simply by completing mandatory ethics and safety training.

"Ugh, ugh..."

But one day, the very group that society had so carefully protected was captured inside the [Angels' Nest]. As a result, South Korea hastily began discussions for a rescue operation. When an immature creature is in danger, it's instinctual for a primitive being to take interest.

"Ugh."

Meanwhile.

Inside the all-too-common gate known as the [Angels' Nest], a single Korean opened her eyes. She was an Awakened who had been captured while walking alone on a back-mountain trail during lunch break at school.

Fortunately, it had nothing to do with school bullying. She had simply gone out alone because her Awakening level was so high that she worried it might adversely affect her classmates' digestion. But if she ended up being kidnapped when she was out of such selfless concern, it would be natural for her to hope for some help, if only out of a sense of injustice.

"This gate must never be entered by a Hunter!"

Strangely, the Awakened kept having the same thought over and over.

"No hunters must be allowed to enter here... it should all be blown up from the inside with something like a bomb!"

The Earthling's face, as she opened her eyes in the unfamiliar space, was filled with terror.