204. Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth (2)
204. Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth (2)
This monster subjugation request was a large-scale operation where hunters from multiple nations gathered in one place to carry out the mission together.
The United States, intent on demonstrating its influence, had swept up nearly every famous, well-known party it could gather,
so public attention was bound to focus on it whether anyone liked it or not.
Among them, the party that drew the hottest attention was, without a doubt, Utopia.
Truthfully, if it had been another party from Velvet Hunter Academy, it wouldn't have drawn this level of attention.
After all, while being from Velvet Academy gets a pretty good appraisal on average, that didn't mean every single one of them was so outstanding as to be in a different league.
Among established hunters, being a Velvet Academy graduate just meant, "Well, at least they won't shit the bed."
However.
A male hunter who displayed flashy swordsmanship as the party leader, the prospects Cheonhwa and Fighting Dog who had received countless love calls from guilds even before entering the academy, and a rookie with the unique talents of Magic Stone-based buffs and the longest-range healing— Utopia had drawn aggro in so many ways like that, which was why they'd drawn attention on this request.
Since this request also doubled as a publicity event for the United States to show off its influence,
the strategies of every party except Utopia were transparently made public.
─ Upvote if you're fucking hyped for Utopia.
─ Ah, so we finally get to see their real skills? lolol I'm curious as fuck, man. lmaooo
─ Hey, wake up. They're still first-years. No matter how much they fly around, think they can even get a word in among veterans with stacked experience? lololol
─ For real, people who only watch Utopia's YouTube and hype them up are fucking disgusting.
─ On the Utopia channel they only film Utopia's members, so they look impressive. Honestly, if you compare them with other parties, they're just about average.
And so, amid the expectations and doubts of many, the lid was lifted—and what do you know.
Utopia's overwhelming performance dispelled all doubt in one blow.
Even among active-duty parties that were fiercely competitive, Utopia's presence stood out unmistakably.
At that, public opinion began to run halfway berserk.
─ Whoa fuck, for real lmaoooo isn't that the thing the news said was a massive headache in the US? They just wiped it out instantly. Anyone know who the blue-haired new member is? No info out yet?
─ Where'd all the bastards go who kept saying Jin Yu-ha was just a no-talent getting worked on to manufacture a star? lmaooo
─ What's up with Gukbap. You on something? His form is insane.
─ A game-changer party has appeared for the first time in ages lmao Rina has once again unleashed monsters upon the world!!!
The heated atmosphere grew and grew, swelling like a snowball rolling down a snowy mountain.
It spread rapidly through both the media and public opinion alike.
By around evening when the strategies were all complete, it had grown to the point that no one in the entire nation hadn't heard about it.
And then.
It was at that moment that a single video was uploaded.
The visual quality was heavily degraded, but the audio was clear.
[ A manwhore who got famous selling the pretty face he lucked into, daring to... ]
The video began with someone's verbal abuse.
And then insults toward Korea.
Abuse toward Velvet Hunter Academy.
It continued into explicit, crude denunciation of Rina.
[ You claim a shoddy party like Utopia was wiped out, so we should halt this operation—does that make any sense?! Hah, just when did the United States start groveling to Korea like this? Are you so lacking in your own hunters that you've thrown away your pride as well?! ]
It went even further, with remarks that deeply scratched the pride of the United States, which had commissioned this request.
All of it poured out completely unfiltered.
─ What is this? What the hell is this video?
─ This seems like something that came out during this operation; anyone know who said it...?
If the video quality had been clear from the very start,
things would have been straightforward. But because of the ambiguously degraded quality, people's suspicions only grew further instead.
─ Hey, I think this is a party from China? Reposted from Ling Xiao's personal stream. Looks like there was trouble with Jin Yu-ha before the operation.
And in an instant, the flames of suspicion jumped over to Ling Xiao's personal stream as well.
There, the conflict between Jin Yu-ha and Ling Xiao remained fully intact.
─ Crazy, what kind of bullshit is that. Passed around? Manwhore? Wow, fuck, that bitch really pisses me off.
─ Wow shit, that power struggle is fierce... No wonder they went with individual strikes instead of a joint operation...
─ And in the middle of it, Jin Yu-ha says it so satisfyingly lolol totally refreshing, got wrecked.
─ Ah fuck lmaooo so these guys chickened out and ran, and then were spouting this kind of shit behind their backs?
─ If they at least had the skill it'd be one thing, but this is truly pathetic...
─ Ah fuck, this is hilarious lmaooo "Top rankings? What are you talking about. Our goal is first place." (Request already finished)
─ Are Korea and America afraid of China's growth? lmaoooooooooooooooo
─ Average Chinese logic for real...
* * *
Tremble tremble—
Ling Xiao's hands trembled with rage as she checked the video and comments her party members had handed over.
Comments began multiplying at the speed of light.
Even in this very moment as she checked the video, the comments were steadily growing in volume.
This American request had become such a huge topic, and now such an entertaining episode had arisen from it—there was no way people around the world would stay quiet.
Crack—
The phone shattered in her hand.
"Which bastard did this!!!!!! Who was it!!!!!"
She snapped her head up and shouted a wrathful cry.
"Was this you?! Was it you?!"
With her eyes rolling in fury, Ling Xiao pointed her finger at her own party members.
It was because the position from which the video was recorded had been cleverly edited to look like it was from the party members' line of sight.
"C-calm down, Captain! There's no way we would have done that."
"R-right! Why would we have? That implicates all of us...!"
But Ling Xiao, her eyes rolling with rage, heard none of it.
"You fucks, then what the hell is this!!!!"
That was when.
Ding-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling—♬
A ringtone suddenly rang in her ear.
The moment she checked the caller, her expression stiffened rigidly.
【 CGHA 】
It was short for 'China Grand Hunter Association.'
She swallowed dryly and answered the call.
─ Ling Xiao, what kind of dogshit stunt have you pulled!!!!
A rough, bellowing voice rang out from the other end of the phone.
"I-I'm sorry. I, I made a slip of the tongue..."
To that, Ling Xiao replied in a voice that had shriveled up completely, as if asking when she had ever been furious.
─ What? A slip of the tongue? Do you think I'm making this fuss over a mere slip of the tongue like that?!
"I-it's not?"
─ That sort of thing can just be ignored and it's over, the video can just be taken down and that's that! But... what on earth is this? Explain yourself.
Then, a video was sent to her phone.
The moment she confirmed it, Ling Xiao's eyes went wide as if they were about to tear apart.
"Th-this is...! How on earth, h-how...!!"
Ling Xiao was a hunter backed by China's Hunter Association.
And in that process, there had been a certain transaction—one that was far from clean.
In the video, a middle-aged woman and a Ling Xiao who still looked distinctly young were facing each other.
[ Ling Xiao. I hold you in very high regard. Precisely because you are not particularly righteous, you see. ]
[ Thank you...? ]
[ Those of that sort are originally the ones who get to see the view from higher places... Hmm. You. Would you perhaps like to try becoming a hero? ]
[ A hero... I-I want to become one! ]
At the word 'hero,' Ling Xiao's eyes sparkled as she answered reflexively.
As for her, she still vividly remembered, even now, what kind of transaction had taken place that day.
"...No."
Contrary to her wish,
the high-ranking official in the video nodded as if satisfied.
[ Fuh-huh-huh-huh, refreshing indeed. The reason I called for you is nothing else. This Gate that has appeared in the Jiangsu Province district. I understand you plan to clear it? ]
[ ...That is correct? ]
[ Leave it be. ]
[ Pardon...? L-leave it be? That place? ]
Ling Xiao asked back as if flustered, and the high-ranking official nodded with a leisurely attitude.
[ Yes. Have you never thought it unfair? The reality that no one acknowledges you even when you stake your life to clear a Gate. ]
[ ... ]
[ But it can't be helped. That's because of human nature. Because there's no crisis. People don't know gratitude. ]
[ A crisis... you mean? ]
[ Yes. Try imagining it for a moment. A scene of monsters bursting out of the Gate and slaughtering people. The sight of blood running like a river, the person who lived next door, your friend, your family—being torn apart and devoured by monsters. What kind of expressions the people who witness that sight will be wearing. ]
[ Despair and horror... I think it would be. ]
[ Yes. Only after they fall into despair and horror like that will they finally come to realize. Who it was that had been protecting them all this time. ]
[ ...! ]
[ Now you've got the expression of someone who finally understands what I'm trying to say. Yes, I intend to let that Gate explosion happen. And once the slaughter has progressed to a certain degree, I intend to call for you. Saying I have summoned the hero who will save this city. ]
In the video, Ling Xiao swallowed dryly as if tense.
[ Then I become a politician who gains the people's support, and you become the hero of Jiangsu Province. Is this not a story that benefits us both? Provided we accept just a tiny, tiny bit of sacrifice, that is. ]
The Jiangsu Province gate explosion.
It would be no exaggeration to call it the event that made Ling Xiao who she was today.
Because back then, she had won the support of the people of Jiangsu Province and made her name known as an up-and-coming rookie hunter.
Even now, Jiangsu Province was a rock-solid support base cheering for Ling Xiao.
No matter how much of a piece of trash she acted like, Jiangsu Province alone supported her.
Everything she had was in Jiangsu Province.
Wealth, fame, connections.
But if this spread...?
That meant it was the end of her as a hunter—no, as a human being.
That high-ranking official who had made the deal with her was already dead, too.
He had been a civilian who hadn't even Awakened, had acted on a stupid, reckless impulse to personally go inspect a Gate, and had been struck by a goblin's blind arrow.
So she had thought there was no one left in this world who knew about this.
'But how...'
─ Are you listening? Ling Xiao! I asked what the meaning of this is! Is this genuinely true?!
"Ah, w-well, that's..."
With her head filled with chaos, Ling Xiao couldn't give a proper answer.
─ Damn it all, we've completely lost face before the international community!!! You—no, Ling Xiao! Prepare yourself... For bringing such disgrace upon China. I will make sure you pay the price in full.
Click—
The call ended.
'...Where exactly did things start going wrong?'
She felt as if she were having a nightmare right now.