The Catastrophe Descends
A sharp, piercing siren wailed, accompanied by a frantic alarm. This was the headquarters of the Korea Hunter Association, and it was currently hemorrhaging red warning lights. It was as if the very gates of hell had been thrown open—the lighting in the central control room was stained a deep, ominous crimson.
"Report! What the hell is going on! Did another Gate Break occur?"
"No, sir! It’s not a Break reaction!"
"Then why is the Level 1 emergency alarm ringing!"
"The sensors have blown! No, not physically—the readings are just…!"
The agents in the control room stared at the data in despair.
"It has broken through the measurement limit. The mainframe is on the verge of crashing."
On the giant screen, a map of South Korea was displayed. A dark, reddish wave was sweeping across it, swallowing the entire Korean Peninsula. And then—
Crack.
At the very heart of the Association, the object known as the Mana Core began to fracture. This was a core crafted from the heart of an S-class monster. People were struck with shock and terror. What on earth was happening in Korea?
Bang!
The door swung open violently, and a man stormed into the control room. It was the President of the Korea Hunter Association. A legendary figure who had crossed countless lines of death to secure the nation’s safety, he was a battle-hardened veteran standing at the pinnacle of all hunters.
"President!"
The Chief Secretary rushed toward him, his face pale. The President’s expression was frozen, his sharp gaze locked onto the dark red waves on the giant screen.
"Explain. Where did the Gate open? Did an S-class dungeon go berserk?"
"I-it’s not that."
The Chief Secretary swallowed hard before speaking.
"…It’s a Catastrophe-class."
"What?"
The President’s steps came to a dead halt, and his steel-like shoulders began to tremble slightly.
"A Catastrophe-class… monster seems to have appeared on the peninsula."
Catastrophe. The weight of those two words existed on a completely different plane than a simple monster sighting. If a normal monster was a 'threat,' a Catastrophe-class was, quite literally, a 'natural disaster' itself. That was why it was named as such. Just as humans could never defeat nature… an entity that could never be defeated was called a Catastrophe-class.
"Catastrophe-class…."
"Yes, sir. The kind that appeared in Australia once, and in Russia once."
Silence. In the control room, where only the sound of sirens should have been, a heavy, contradictory silence descended. The President and the Chief Secretary read the deep despair reflected in each other’s eyes. Australia and Russia—those two nations had been half-destroyed by Catastrophe-class monsters. Australia had been devastated by a single Awakened rabbit, and Russia by a single Awakened tiger. And now, a Catastrophe-class of that magnitude had dropped into the middle of this small, narrow Korea.
"…This might be the end for us, too."
The President muttered in a hoarse voice. His vision blurred, and a headache threatened to shatter his skull. But there was nothing he could do. As the President, he had to show that he would not collapse in the face of this crisis.
Step. Step. Step.
The President moved with heavy strides toward the podium in the center of the control room. Stepping up, he forced his trembling hands to steady as he gripped the microphone.
Click.
The panicked, chaotic control room fell silent in an instant, as if doused in cold water. Hundreds of agents stopped what they were doing and looked up at the President. Their eyes were filled with fear, terror, and a desperate, lingering hope for a miracle.
The President bit his lip until it bled. The taste of iron filled his mouth, but now was not the time to worry about such things.
"As of this moment," his resolute voice boomed through the speakers, echoing throughout the room, "I am issuing a top-priority summons for all S-class hunters registered in Korea. Great Guild Masters, lone-wolf freelancers, retirees—it doesn't matter. Not a single exception will be tolerated."
"…!"
"I declare that anyone who refuses will be treated as a traitor to the state."
The agents’ faces turned white, but no one dared to object.
"Furthermore, I am requesting Level 1 emergency support from the Global Hunter Alliance. Call every 'National Power-class' hunter scattered across the US, China, and Europe. Tell them we will pay in Coins."
"But, sir… that’s…!"
"I take responsibility. How many spare Coins do we have left?"
"Approximately… two years' worth remaining."
Coins were the universal currency. They were granted upon clearing towers and could fulfill most wishes. The amount required depended on the difficulty of the wish. Nations were obsessed with securing these Coins because they were used to erect protective barriers that prevented Gates from opening. In other words, without these Coins, Gates would open and the nation would fall. Of course, no matter how many Coins were spent, total safety was impossible; they only served to lower the probability of a Gate opening.
"Lastly… our top priority is to locate where this Catastrophe-class monster has appeared! Don't miss a single rat—activate every CCTV, satellite, and mana detector across Korea! Search every inch!"
"Understood!"
The agents began to move in perfect unison. The President put down the microphone and stared blankly at the map flickering red on the screen. Despite having issued the supreme command with such bravado, his back was drenched in cold sweat. As the Chief Secretary approached cautiously, the President muttered with a deep, heavy sigh.
"The fate of Korea from here on out…."
The President’s gaze remained fixed on the screen.
"…will depend on that Catastrophe-class monster."
He clasped his hands together. It was a prayer. A prayer to God. He was not a man of faith, but if a God existed, he hoped this prayer would be heard.
"It’s unlikely to happen, but…."
Please.
"Let us pray that that monster is not a bloodthirsty beast… but a creature with a gentle, human-like personality."
Of course, the President knew that was impossible. A monster was a monster. That was why he had prayed to God in the first place. The President simply stared, helpless, at the pulsing red waves.
***
At that same moment, the 'Catastrophe-class monster' was—
"Phew…."
She was buried deep in the sofa in a comfortable, languid posture. In her arms, she held a young girl named Soa. Yes, Han Soyi’s younger sister. The sister who had been suffering from the disease.
"Thank you so much…!"
"Yes, yes. You won’t be in pain anymore, right?"
"Yes! My breathing isn't hard at all, and I feel so energetic…."
"That’s a relief."
The moment Yuhwa had arrived at Soyi’s house, she had felt an uncomfortable… energy. It was coming from the bed in the inner room; to put it simply, the flow of mana was completely blocked. While Soyi was in the bathroom, Yuhwa had searched for information on her smartphone. She discovered it was a congenital Mana Reflux Disease, which affected only 0.01% of modern humans. It was apparently a vicious, rare disease that modern humanity could never cure.
'For me, it’s as easy as pie.'
Naturally, it was effortless for her. Yuhwa headed straight to the bedroom. When she opened the door, she saw a young girl who looked just like Soyi, taking shallow, wheezing breaths.
'….'
A dragon was the master of mana. Therefore, something like Mana Reflux Disease… was far too easy to treat. Yuhwa placed her hand on Soa’s forehead and channeled her mana. The young girl’s breathing began to ease. Color returned to her cheeks, and the consciousness that had been submerged in darkness began to rise.
Yuhwa met the eyes of the girl who had been lost in a dream. She smiled brightly and spoke.
"Hello?"
"Ah…?"
Soa, meeting those eyes, felt it instinctively. She knew her body had been fully healed. She knew who the being was that had saved her life. And she felt the warm heart hidden within… a feeling that made all her wariness melt away. (In truth, the 'beautiful appearance' buff played the biggest part.)
"I… I’m Soa."
"I’m Yuhwa. It’s nice to meet you."
"Yes…."
And now, in the present, Yuhwa was sitting on the sofa, and Soa had scurried over to hug her. Soa was touching Yuhwa’s tail, excited. She was just too beautiful!
"Handle it with care."
"Yes… but, you’re just so pretty. I’m sorry…."
"There is nothing to be sorry for."
It’s nice to see her smiling so brightly. It wasn't good to see such a lively child lying in bed sick. Really.
"You’re so pretty. This hair!"
"Do you wish to have some?"
"Yes! It’s just… so pretty! It feels so… refreshing?"
"Hmm… try praising me more."
I see those sparkling eyes. How cute. So cute. I’ve wanted a younger sister like this for a long time.
"The great… dragon? Is that right?"
"Yes. That is correct."
"Yes. Oh, great dragon… could you bestow a single strand of hair upon this lowly human?"
It was a grand and whimsical line. I liked it. Yuhwa chuckled and replied.
"Very well. I shall grant your request."
"Wow! Thank you!"
And then.
Soyi came out from the bathroom. She looked at the sofa, and then at Yuhwa and Soa.
"You’re out. This child is fine now."
"…!"
"Sister! I’m not sick anymore…! This person… she healed me!"
Soyi’s legs gave out, and she collapsed. Thinking that it must be a wonderful dream and that she didn't want to return to reality, her consciousness faded into black.