The Descent into Tsushima
The briefing room.
To gather more detailed information on the Kappas, the hunters and other relevant officials had gathered.
Flash!
A cold light burst from the projector, filling the screen.
Static...
The first frame showed the coast of Tsushima Island.
Standing on the shore was...
"..."
What looked like a normal human enjoying the water.
A group that looked just like an ordinary family out for a beach day.
However.
"This is northern Tsushima, please respond...!"
The captain's voice trembled.
The footage shook in tandem with his voice.
Whir.
The blurry screen zoomed in.
Looking closer, the people who seemed to be playing in the water were actually moving in a circle around a single person.
Whir.
It zoomed in once more.
"Ah...!"
Someone gasped.
It wasn't from the video, but from one of the Japanese hunters in the briefing room.
Thud!
Crack!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The surrounding crowd was bashing the head of the person in the center.
Crunch!
Until the skinned skull caved in.
Blood splattered with every blow.
And then.
Drip...
A shimmering, mercury-like liquid poured over the caved-in skull.
"Screeech!"
A blood-curdling shriek rang out.
Splash!
The person collapsed.
Bubble...
The others watched the bubbles rising to the surface.
A moment later.
Splash!
A figure rose from the waves.
No, a Kappa.
The collapsed person—no, the Kappa—had a pool of sloshing water sitting in the center of its skinned skull.
Its eyes were bloodshot and crimson, and webs had grown between its fingers and under its armpits.
Its claws were razor-sharp.
Before they could examine it further, the video cut out.
"That is the early stage of Kappa transformation," the association agent said, adjusting his glasses.
"In the early phase, they appear closer to humans, but they are still highly dangerous as the infection is already active."
"..."
"Once they progress to the intermediate stage, their posture becomes more hunched, and their mouth protrudes like a beak. Of course, these are just physical changes. The real issue is that they acquire the abilities of a Kappa."
"..."
"Perhaps because they adapt to their webbed limbs, they become exceptionally skilled swimmers. They move so fast in the water that it's difficult to track them with the naked eye. Furthermore, their physical strength increases to several times that of an average human."
"..."
"By the late stage, any trace of their human appearance vanishes. A shell resembling a turtle's forms on their back, where they store physical energy. We have confirmed cases where they discard this shell in emergencies to instantly restore their stamina and flee."
"..."
"Additionally, they tend to grow stronger the more they consume human flesh. The Kappas currently on Tsushima Island have not only infected the citizens but have also engaged in repeated cannibalism..."
"..."
"...making them incomparably stronger."
"..."
"Through both infection and reproduction, their numbers have multiplied exponentially."
"..."
"To date, most of the Japanese hunters deployed to Tsushima Island have fallen victim to the Kappa transformation."
"..."
"The moment they fail to kill them, even Awakened hunters will turn into Kappas."
"..."
"In a way, it is far more dangerous than death."
"..."
"Therefore, we urge the utmost caution."
Silence filled the briefing room.
The Japanese officials could only bow their heads with grim expressions.
The Korean officials were also unable to hide their tension.
Except for one person.
"So, it's fine to kill anyone who's turned into a Kappa?"
Lee Taepyeong.
A person turned Kappa was no longer a 'human.'
They were just a Kappa.
The Japanese government had also promised not to hold anyone accountable.
Hearing that confirmation made my mind feel much lighter.
No matter how much of a Heavenly Slaughter Star trait I possessed, as someone who had faithfully received a standard South Korean public education, killing a 'human' still felt a bit uncomfortable.
You never knew what kind of trouble it might cause later.
But.
Even though the Japanese government had managed to capture a live Kappa and tried various methods, they said nothing worked—not purification, items, magic, nor new drugs.
Just like how you couldn't turn a zombie back into a human.
That made it even more troublesome.
What was the most headache-inducing thing in a Demonic Outbreak?
Powerful monsters like Wyverns or Minotaurs?
No.
Zombies.
Strictly speaking, zombies, despite being relatively weak monsters, were the biggest pain in the ass.
Why?
Because of their infectivity.
Even if you killed every zombie and stopped the Demonic Outbreak, the aftermath was the real problem.
Because the zombie virus remained.
If it kept spreading, infecting one person after another, the entirety of humanity could turn into zombies in the blink of an eye.
Just like in a zombie movie.
Once, a Demonic Outbreak in Texas spawned zombies.
Unlike this Tsushima incident, hunters were deployed rapidly, and Texas was cleared out quickly.
But the problem was the 'infected' people.
Even after the Demonic Outbreak ended, zombies kept popping up all over the place, giving the US government a massive headache.
Ironically, zombies were specially classified as monsters more dangerous than Wyverns or Minotaurs.
What was happening in Tsushima right now was very similar.
I heard there was a huge debate in Japan until the very end about whether to deploy Nakamura Ryohei...
If it had been any other monster, Japan would have deployed Nakamura Ryohei long ago to sweep Tsushima clean.
But once the danger of 'Kappa transformation' became clear, Japan hesitated.
What if they lost Nakamura Ryohei in Tsushima?
To put it bluntly, Japan would lose everything.
With no other promising next-generation hunters to speak of, losing a top hunter ranked in the world's top ten was completely out of the question.
That was why they dragged their feet until things reached this point.
If they had formed a special team with Nakamura Ryohei at the very beginning to tackle the Tsushima Demonic Outbreak, it wouldn't have gotten this bad.
"Tsk, tsk..."
They dug their own grave.
Well, I guess I should thank them since this meant I could power-level like crazy.
The experience points gained in a Demonic Outbreak zone were a whopping 1.5 times the normal rate.
The higher the risk, the easier it was to grow.
Just like during the special floor in China, this was a golden opportunity for me.
I'm a bit nervous, but...
Still, I had something to rely on.
Namely, my nightly automatic training.
He'd hate it if he knew I called it that...
Since Alteon's ghost (?) was putting me through various training sessions while I slept.
That was probably the main reason I beat Nakamura Ryohei so easily.
Because of that,
Flop!
Even on my last night in Busan, unlike the other hunters who were busy training, I lay down on the bed without a single worry.
"Ah, I want a home-cooked meal..."
Busan food was delicious, but what I really craved was Do Sangjin's home cooking.
I should wrap this up quickly and go back.
Next time, I'll ask him to make rolled omelets and spicy stir-fried pork over rice.
While indulging in such idle thoughts,
Zzz...
I fell fast asleep.
— An order has been handed down.
— ...
— Once everything is finished...
— ...
— Kill the tiger cub.
— ...Understood.
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
A Japanese vessel approached Tsushima Island.
The coast, already undergoing Demonic Outbreak, neutralized all electronic devices.
Not just basic communication equipment, but even drones meant to scout the situation.
"The ship will standby at a safe distance."
At the Japanese agent's words, Nakamura Ryohei nodded.
"..."
Cold sweat broke out on Nakamura Ryohei's palms.
No matter how he was Japan's top hunter, being deployed to an island that had completely succumbed to a Demonic Outbreak was bound to make anyone nervous.
"Phew..."
Ironically, the one who eased Nakamura Ryohei's anxiety was none other than Lee Taepyeong.
Though he had been utterly crushed in the training ground, that very fact proved Lee Taepyeong's 'strength.'
Thus, in a corner of his mind, he couldn't help but lean on Lee Taepyeong's presence.
"What about the Koreans?"
"...Tsushima is Japanese territory. After the Japanese hunters make the initial deployment, the Korean hunters will approach Mount Yatate through the airspace."
"I see..."
So they weren't going in together.
I feel uneasy.
...The moment that thought crossed his mind, Nakamura Ryohei flinched.
He, the strongest in Japan, relying on someone else?
And an unranked Korean hunter at that?!
It was absurd.
Get a grip!
The strongest hunter leaning on a foreign hunter!
How ashamed would the Japanese public be if they found out?
Grit.
Nakamura Ryohei clenched his jaw so hard his teeth ground together.
...Once this is over, I will train even harder.
If Lee Taepyeong grew any further, he might lose his ranking to yet another Korean hunter.
As if Choi Muryeong wasn't enough, to be pushed behind another Korean?
This time, Japan would truly erupt in chaos.
It's fine, it's fine...
Leveling up was 1.5 times faster in a Demonic Outbreak zone.
Of course, as a high-level hunter, Nakamura Ryohei would need a massive amount of experience to reach the next level.
But regardless, he would grow stronger once they cleared the Tsushima Demonic Outbreak.
Yes.
After all, Lee Taepyeong was just a greenhorn in his 30s!
Once Nakamura Ryohei reached the dream level of 60,
A mere level 30 brat will be nothing...!
Nakamura Ryohei clenched his fists tightly.
Did they mistake that for his burning resolve to resolve the Tsushima crisis?
"...Please protect Japan!"
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
Completely unaware that Nakamura Ryohei was only thinking of his own glory, the Japanese agents and the ship's crew began to applaud.
"Japan's strongest! Leave it to me, Nakamura Ryohei!"
Nakamura Ryohei waved with a practiced smile.
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
The applause grew louder.
And the cameras of the Japanese public broadcaster were filming this entire scene.
Nakamura Ryohei winked at the camera.
As if this were nothing.
Whoosh...
Crash...
The waves crashed against the sea.
Unidentifiable body parts floated here and there.
Likely the remains of humans eaten by the Kappas.
Against that grim backdrop,
"Well then, let's set out!"
Nakamura Ryohei confidently drew his Momotaro Wooden Sword.
The other hunters also finished their preparations and boarded the prepared boats.
Since the ship couldn't dock on the corrupted Tsushima Island, they had to take boats into the Demonic Outbreak zone.
Fortunately, the coast they had scouted beforehand was quiet, with no Kappas in sight.
The Japanese hunters boarded the boats, and the cameras captured the moment.
Whir.
The Japanese hunters boarded the boats, split into Team 1 and Team 2.
Vroooom.
The moment the two speeding boats crossed into the Demonic Outbreak zone—
Swoosh!
With a sharp, piercing sound,
Boom!
Team 2's boat blew to pieces.