Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Wooden Puppet
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"Why... didn't you tell me..."
Luna muttered those words in a bitter tone without realizing it.
If only someone had told her first, she would have protected the teacher faster and more safely than anyone else.
She was just about to inwardly curse the guild staff for that, when...
Lily, who had been listening to her mutter from the side, tilted her head innocently and asked.
"Huh? What are you talking about? I thought emergency dimensional transfers only send the Lightning Squad on standby? That's why Elise went."
Only then did Luna remember.
Elise's whining about recently being assigned to standby duty.
"Ah...?"
Luna was surprised.
Ah.
So that's how it was.
Elise hadn't gone to protect the teacher for any special reason.
'And I didn't even know that...'
The dark flames that had been scorching Luna's heart until just moments ago turned to shame and died out in an instant.
And Luna immediately clasped her hands together, praying that nothing would happen.
I'm busy.
So busy I'm dying.
The temporary on-site command post set up near the chaos at the presumed center of the dimensional transfer in Seoul Forest was incredibly hectic.
"Please wear this transparent protective gear... and the in-ear..."
This world's technology had advanced dramatically even after the transfers began.
At first, it only sounded alarms after anomalies occurred...
But now it could analyze waves, predict where they'd happen, and even estimate the strength of the incoming Otherworlder.
In other words, I had a tiny bit of prep time too.
Transparent protective gear designed not to intimidate newly arrived Otherworlders.
A small in-ear for communication with headquarters.
I roughly finished preparing and let out a deep breath.
"Hoo..."
Now it was time to begin my first mission.
- Bzzt-bzzzt.
At that moment, the smartphone in my pocket vibrated and rang.
[Jin Sea]
It was Jin Sea.
I answered immediately.
"Hello."
From the receiver came her weak, trembling voice.
- Seon-woo...
"Yeah, what's up? Something wrong?"
Her feeble voice made my heart sink for a moment.
Had something happened...?
- I'm fine, of course... Seon-woo, are you okay? Be careful. Haah... Seriously. Our guild should've handled the escort... But we can't go if it's not our assigned guild...
Jin Sea seemed worried about me.
She sounded frustrated at not being able to come herself.
I hadn't known other guilds couldn't make initial contact with Otherworlders right away.
It must be a rule because multiple guilds want access to fresh arrivals.
"I'm fine. Union assigned solid escorts too. You know Elise, right?"
To reassure her, I mentioned the surest name.
- Elise...?
Her voice over the receiver turned icy cold.
"Yeah, the S-Rank hunter..."
"Teacher~ You okay?"
Right then.
Elise pushed aside the command post tent flap and strode in.
Spotting me on the phone, she flashed a playful smile without a care.
"Ah, Hunter Elise. You're here. One moment..."
I signaled her to wait a sec.
But Elise ignored it breezily, sauntered over, put her hands on her hips, and grumbled.
Of course, in a bright voice loud enough for the person on the other end to hear clearly.
"Teacher might be fine, but I'm not okay at all. You went so hard yesterday, my back nearly broke. Almost couldn't come escort today."
She was talking about yesterday at the orphanage, giving the kids nonstop rabbit piggyback rides.
I'd excitedly piled the thrilled children on Elise's back one after another, and in the end, even she got pretty worn out, as I recalled.
- ...What was that just now? Seon-woo. Seon-woo?
And following Elise, an Association staffer entered.
The briefing was about to start.
"Yeah, briefing's starting now. It'll be fine, I'll call after. "
- No, wait, why's your back--
- Click...
Before she could finish, I just powered off the smartphone.
This was more important right now.
"Who was that? Girlfriend?"
From behind me after hanging up came Elise's voice full of mischief.
"No."
I felt her ears perk up straight at my reply.
But I had no time to play along with her teasing now.
The Association staffer's briefing was starting.
"Commencing briefing, Counselor. At 06:03 today, a dimensional transfer wave from the designated world, Central Plains, was detected around Seoul Forest."
The staffer pointed to the massive hologram screen in the center of the command post.
The screen showed blinking red warnings and complex data.
"Judging by the current wave scale... A single Otherworlder has crossed over. Estimated at minimum A-Rank strength. Considering Central Plains traits, high probability of a martial artist using internal arts."
'Central Plains... internal arts...'
I repeated those two words in my mind.
And one person's face surfaced in my head.
The one who vanished without a word the moment the siren sounded.
Jahwa-yeon.
She was an Otherworlder from Central Plains too.
The staffer's briefing continued.
"The transfer phenomenon will fully conclude shortly. Once it's finished... please enter then."
He looked at me and continued.
His voice carried more weight.
"Your mission is clear, Counselor. Enter the site first with the escort team, attempt initial contact with the subject. Through conversation, induce psychological stability and assess the threat level. That's your role."
The staffer handed me a palm-sized device.
It had three color-coded buttons lined up.
Red, yellow, and green.
"Danger, caution, safe. Press the button matching your judgment of the subject to inform us."
In simple terms, chat with them, get a vibe, press the button.
"Escort as mentioned will be handled by Union Guild's Hunter Elise, this week's on-duty."
From behind me came a cheerful voice.
"Don't worry~"
I gave a wry smile at innocent Elise waving her hand.
Right at that moment.
- KABOOM!!
The entire command post shook.
No, the whole site trembled with a deafening roar.
All monitors in the post switched to red alert screens simultaneously.
The staffer who'd been calmly briefing said to me.
"It's started, Counselor."
I, Elise, and the staffer hurried out of the tent.
Outside, heavily armed hunters had deployed multiple layers of massive translucent barriers, sealing the area perfectly.
And at the barriers' center.
The target point shimmered with an unreal blue haze, like heat waves.
A landscape where space itself seemed warped... alien.
I could see the shimmering slowly settling.
- Wave stabilized. Transfer complete. You may enter.
Then the command HQ voice came through my in-ear.
Elise and the staffer beside me got the same, nodding with grim faces.
The staffer gave final clearance.
"Wave stabilized. Site control now transferred to you two."
And added solemnly.
"You may enter."
- Static...
We stepped into the barrier.
Passing the translucent membrane felt like entering another world; all outside noise cut off like a lie.
In the air beyond the barrier, dozens of camera drones blinked red, pursuing us for real-time broadcast of the new Otherworlder.
All those gazes and the silence made my body tense up unwittingly.
"Don't tense up too much, Teacher."
Then Elise walking beside me said softly to reassure me.
"I'm... tougher than I look, y'know?"
Her voice held her usual playfulness plus confidence.
"Reliable."
Instead of a wry smile, I replied with a genuine one.
I knew.
What kind of hunter Elise was.
The weight of an S-Rank title was beyond what normals could imagine.
Even for me, a former hunter, it was unimaginable.
One tough rabbit girl beside me now was far safer than dozens of mediocre escorts.
Feeling some relief, as we walked toward the transfer epicenter with her.
"Indeed, worry not."
"...?"
A third party's voice came from right beside us.
"I shan't stand idly by while my physician falls to some righteous faction wooden puppet."
"Yes, thank y...?"
I reflexively started to reply, then stopped.
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
What the--.
Me and Elise.
In this space that should have only us two, somehow a shadowy figure walked silently with us.
Not just me.
Even Elise hadn't noticed her approach.
She turned to the intruder with a shocked look.
There stood the Heavenly Demon, Jahwa-yeon in black martial robes, with a very leisurely smile.
"We meet again, Physician."
Jahwa-yeon glanced pityingly at the massive barrier the other hunters strained to maintain, as if strolling her own garden.
Hiding my fluster, I asked in as calm a voice as possible.
"Heavenly Demon... what brings you here...?"
"Ah... you mean me?"
Jahwa-yeon gazed at the transfer epicenter shimmering blue in the distance.
A faint hint of anticipation mixed in her voice.
"I sense... a most vicious... and unpleasant aura beyond."
She turned to me and continued.
"So I've come to see with my own eyes."
With that, Jahwa-yeon flashed a deep smile.