The Prelude to Misunderstanding
Meanwhile, a secretive meeting was underway on the third floor of the Hunter Association.
“…Therefore, if we do not eliminate the 4th Grade Kaiju that has nested in Hwanghae Province, South Korea will fall within a year.”
Kaijus possessed unique behavioral traits. They sought to establish their own territories and rarely ventured outside them. Furthermore, they did not tolerate any other threatening lifeforms encroaching upon their domain—even if those lifeforms were fellow kaijus.
Right now, South Korea was on the brink of ruin because of those very traits.
Six months ago, North Korea failed to clear a B-class gate that had manifested in the Yellow Sea. As a consequence, they surrendered a portion of the Yellow Sea to a 4th Grade Kaiju...
The real problem arose afterward: there was no longer any force left to clear the gates that continued to appear in the Yellow Sea. The monsters emerging from subsequent gates chose not to fight the superior 4th Grade Kaiju. Terrified by its territorial markings, they fled either north or south.
At the time, South Korea was already stretched thin trying to contain the gates appearing within its own borders, leaving them with no resources to spare. The country crumbled bit by bit. And it was still crumbling.
“So, what is the solution? This is already our dozens of meetings on the subject. Are you saying we still have no way forward?”
“There is no easy way. The number of active hunters we can deploy is steadily dwindling. Our only option is to accept heavy casualties and attempt to eliminate the 4th Grade Kaiju now...”
It was a gamble with abysmal odds. Just carving a path to the Yellow Sea would require a grueling war of attrition, and the neglected 4th Grade Kaiju had undoubtedly grown in power, meaning it was likely far stronger than an ordinary 4th Grade by now.
“…In the end, you're saying ruin is unavoidable either way.”
A heavy silence descended upon the conference room. They had held dozens of meetings on this exact topic, but with each session, the suggestions grew scarcer. Everyone looked utterly defeated, drained of all motivation.
As they sat in agonizing silence, someone finally directed a question at the blameless team leader, clinging to a shred of vain hope.
“Is there any good news from the New Recruit Discovery Team?”
Kim Na-hyun, the leader of the New Recruit Discovery Team, shook her head as she always did.
“…There are no awakened capable of turning the tide. Even the decent ones are all being snatched up by the major guilds. Perhaps we should cooperate with the guilds to resolve this...”
“Cooperate? How can we cooperate with people who are only interested in lining their own pockets? Besides, those bastards know exactly what's happening, yet they're just sitting on their hands!”
“But at this rate, we really will...”
“Enough. This isn't a problem that can be solved by simple cooperation anyway. Let's end the meeting here.”
Kim Na-hyun let out a heavy, gloomy sigh. Ah, it's the exact same story. Honestly... I'm getting so tired of this. Today's meeting had been another exercise in futility. It was a repetitive cycle that only served to highlight the severity of the crisis without offering a single clue to a solution. At this point, these meetings felt worse than doing nothing at all.
One by one, the attendees stood up. The scraping of chairs against the floor sounded exceptionally loud today. Not a single person spoke as they filed out of the room, dispersing back to their respective offices.
Kim Na-hyun headed toward the mana measurement room. Although her team had their own office, she spent most of her time here. When she quietly opened the door and stepped inside, she found two men in the middle of a heated discussion.
“I'd like to get a rank higher than F-class, you see.”
The Association employee let out a weary sigh at the words of the man, who appeared to be a newly awakened hunter.
“…I understand. However, the practical evaluation is conducted in teams, so please wait over there for a moment.”
But the man scratched his cheek, looking as though he still had more to say.
“I'm really sorry to push, but is there any way I could be evaluated separately? I mean... without any supervisor or manager accompanying me.”
This was highly intriguing. For someone who had only just awakened, where did this sheer audacity come from? Honestly, the Association had no right to refuse such a request. It was our duty to accurately evaluate an awakened's rank, and denying him would actually border on dereliction of duty. Safety had been pushed to the back burner long ago. However, the employee seemed too flustered to think logically.
“…W-what on earth are you talking about? Have you lost your mind? Just because you suddenly awakened some power, do you think gate clearing is some kind of joke?”
Yet, the man's eyes were peculiar. He didn't look overconfident; instead, his expression was apologetic and slightly awkward. It didn't seem like a bluff. What on earth was he thinking? Could he have awakened a unique ability? Driven by intense curiosity, Kim Na-hyun walked over to the man who was trying to persuade the flustered employee.
“What's going on here?”
“Ah, Team Leader! Well, this gentleman's measurement came out as F-class, but he keeps making unreasonable demands. I was just trying to talk some sense into him.”
“…Is that so?” She quickly scanned the man. The mana radiating from him was practically nonexistent, yet he carried a strange, inexplicable aura. To get a better read on it, she extended her hand.
“Pleasure to meet you. I'm Kim Na-hyun, the leader of the New Recruit Discovery Team.”
“…I'm Park Yuchen.” The man hesitated for a brief moment before gently taking her hand. Kim Na-hyun maintained a polite, professional smile while internally focusing all her senses to gauge his mana. His mana was indeed incredibly sm—
Thud. In an instant, the strength drained completely from her limbs. An inexplicable, bone-chilling dread washed over her, paralyzing her on the spot.
“…Huh?” “Team Leader?!” Both men stared at her in utter bewilderment. Why am I acting like this? How embarrassing. What a disgraceful display. Leaning heavily on the employee who rushed to support her, she managed to steady herself. Flustered and eager to deflect, she quickly got straight to the point.
“…You aren't making this choice because life has gotten too hard, are you? I mean... you aren't trying to commit suicide, right?”
Park Yuchen let out a dumbfounded chuckle. “Of course not. I just don't want to show my abilities to a crowd of strangers.”
“…Just what kind of ability did you awaken?” “…” He didn't seem to have any malicious intent, which made her wonder: did he truly possess something extraordinary?
“Alright. But let me make one thing clear: if this turns out to be a mere bluff, I will not let you off easily.” “Team Leader?!” Ignoring her subordinate's protests, she looked directly at Park Yuchen. “We depart in ten minutes. If you change your mind before then, let me know.” “Understood.”
Watching Park Yuchen's retreating figure, the employee asked in disbelief, “Team Leader! What on earth were you thinking? No matter how you look at him, he's a textbook F-class.”
“…His mana is highly unusual.” “What? Unusual how?” “It doesn't feel like a typical hunter's mana. It feels more like the aura of a kaiju. That's what's bothering me... Besides, if we just stamp him as an F-class and he ends up causing a massive incident later, who's going to take responsibility?”
The employee swallowed his protest, unable to argue with that logic. In truth, Kim Na-hyun had one more reason she couldn't share. The sudden, overwhelming dread that had seized her when they shook hands—her intuition screamed that it was connected to him. Of course, she was far too embarrassed to ever admit that out loud.
An F-class gate had manifested near the Association headquarters. Standing before it, Kim Na-hyun voiced her concerns once more. “Do you really have to go in alone? This is incredibly reckless...”
She was a striking woman with dark hair and reddish eyes. Since she was an Association team leader, I had been quite nervous at first, but fortunately, she turned out to be surprisingly reasonable.
“I have no intention of pushing my luck. I'll assess the situation, and if it looks dangerous, I'll pull out immediately.”
“I suppose I can't stop you. Honestly, this isn't the first time we've had a request like this. Your evaluation will be scored based on your clearing progress...”
“Clearing progress?”
“Yes. Since I won't be able to see what's happening inside, I will enter the gate exactly fifteen minutes after you do. Your score will be determined by how much of the gate you've cleared in that fifteen-minute window.”
Fifteen minutes. It was ridiculously short. But considering she had already accommodated my difficult request, I was in no position to complain. Besides, it wasn't like I lacked confidence. F-class gates were supposedly teeming with 10th and 9th Grade Kaijus, but those were the kinds of things Yugi used to play with back when he was only four years old. Granted, active, living monsters might be a different story, but Yugi had grown quite formidable lately.
Once Kim Na-hyun finished her explanation, I stood directly before the swirling portal. “Should I head in now?”
“…Just to be absolutely clear: please don't die. And even if you do, make sure you survive for at least ten minutes first. That way, I'll have enough time to pull you out and save you.”
It was a rather chilling yet bizarrely reassuring piece of advice. Unsure how to respond, I simply nodded and stepped through the portal.
A brief sensation of weightlessness washed over me. When I blinked, my surroundings had completely transformed. The damp, musty smell of earth filled my nose. I was standing in a pitch-black cave. Feeling a sudden chill run down my spine, I quickly summoned my personal gate. A dark red portal materialized before me, its crimson ripples casting a faint glow across the cavern walls. In the dim light, I caught sight of Yugi stepping out.
“Gyu.” He tilted his head slightly, seemingly curious about the unfamiliar environment.
“Park Yugi! Over here.” Park Yugi—I had felt a bit bad just calling him Yugi, so I decided to bestow my own surname upon him. Fortunately, he still responded when I addressed him by his full name. As Yugi nuzzled his head against me, I gave him a gentle pat.
“Yugi, there are other monsters in this gate. We need to clear them out. Can you help me?”
Yugi didn't make a sound. Instead, he lowered his head to the ground. Hmm? I stared at him, trying to decipher the gesture. I stroked his shell, examined his neck, and even tried to lift his massive head, but I didn't have nearly enough strength. Then, on a whim, I climbed onto his back. Only then did Yugi raise his head high and begin to march forward. Ah, so he wanted me to ride him.
Thanks to our Contract, Yugi could understand my words perfectly. Unfortunately, the reverse wasn't true; I couldn't understand his thoughts or expressions. I'll have to teach him how to nod and shake his head later. Regardless, I didn't have time to worry about that now. I had to test Yugi's power and secure at least some results within fifteen minutes. Even if Yugi was a Myth-grade kaiju, completely clearing the gate in fifteen minutes seemed like a stretch. Still, if we could take down at least a few monsters, I would surely qualify for a rank higher than F-class, right?
As I rode on Yugi's back, a strange skittering sound echoed through the darkness. The pitch-black environment only amplified my growing anxiety. “…Yugi, is there any way you can make it a bit brighter in here?”
The moment the words left my mouth, the cavern suddenly became visible. It wasn't that the cave had actually lit up; rather, it felt as though I was looking through a pair of high-tech night-vision goggles. But as I scanned our surroundings, my breath caught in my throat. This wasn't just a cave—it was an anthill. Dozens of giant ants, each the size of a wild dog, had completely surrounded Yugi and me.
“Yugi… you can beat them, right?” I whispered, clinging to his shell for dear life. The sheer terror of facing dog-sized ants was no joke. There are actually hunters who fight these things alone? Well, count me out. I finally understood why the Association employee had looked at me like I was insane. But I wasn't alone. Even if I squeezed my eyes shut, I had a companion who would handle these monsters for me.
“Hiss!” Yugi let out a menacing threat toward the surrounding monsters. Instantly, a bizarre phenomenon occurred.
You are immune to the status effect: Fear.
“…Huh? Get them!” Yugi immediately gave chase. But the ants were running as if their very lives depended on it. Why are they running? Come on, fight us! I need to see how strong Yugi is!
The chase didn't last long. After all, the gate's interior wasn't infinitely vast. The ants fled straight into a massive chamber housing their queen. But she wasn't alone; floating right beside her was the gate's Magic Core. Even ordinary citizens knew that destroying the Magic Core would collapse the gate.
Suddenly, the ants halted in unison. A tense silence filled the chamber. Are they gathering all their forces for a final stand? Or do they have some kind of strategy? Maybe I shouldn't have chased them... Pushing aside my mounting regrets, I took the only logical action available to me.
“Yugi, be careful!” I cheered him on while pressing my body flat against his shell. It was a desperate, pathetic attempt to ensure I wouldn't fall off. Even I had to admit I was being incredibly cowardly. But honestly, what else was I supposed to do? Rationalizing my cowardice, I swallowed hard. Alright, here comes the fight...
“Wait, what? Hey! Why are you guys breaking that?!” A battle had indeed begun, but it was unfolding in the most bizarre way possible. Not a single ant dared to attack Yugi. Instead, they turned on each other. A low-ranking 10th Grade worker ant was savagely tearing into the 9th Grade queen ant, while another group of ants began frantically clawing at the gate's Magic Core.
If the Magic Core shattered, the gate would close, ending the raid regardless of whether the monsters were actually defeated. After all, the primary goal of clearing a gate was simply to prevent monsters from escaping into the real world. It was an utterly incomprehensible sight. I was so flustered that I actually found myself trying to stop them.
“Hey! Don't break that! Fight us fair and square!” But my pleas fell on deaf ears. Crash! The Magic Core shattered into pieces. The moment it broke, the ants either resumed tearing each other apart or straight-up committed suicide. “What on earth is going on...”