Chapter 68
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Emergency Ascent
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“This is an announcement! Monsters are continuously appearing along the coast up to Samcheok City, Donghae City, and Uljin County! Local heroes have formed a blockade line with the military and police, but they lack numbers and it's dangerous! They're continuously requesting reinforcements!”
“Reports have come in of monsters landing via the coast in Gangneung City, where our center is located, and Yeongdeok County as well! The numbers aren't large, but they're calling for hero redeployment to prepare for the worst!”
I'm going insane. Completely losing my mind! Damn it. Damn it!
The director of the East Sea Monitoring Center gnawed at his fingernails.
Ulleungdo, of all places. Why Ulleungdo? This is truly the worst.
“What about the cadets who went there for reconnaissance? What's their status?”
“We're confirming now!”
“Enough with the 'confirming, confirming, confirming'! Nothing's coming in properly!!”
The lack of proper reports meant one thing.
Ulleungdo had been completely overrun before they could even prepare.
A mass escape was underway, but even that was a dangerous situation.
'Please. Please, please!'
The Hero Academy cadets being swept away was a nightmare in itself.
It could greatly shake Korea's status as a hero superpower.
It wouldn't end at just losing an entire grade.
Morale would plummet, and faith in heroes would waver.
Increased social unrest was never good for the nation.
'And they're not just any first-years. How many of the most promising cadets are there?!'
The Sword Saint's granddaughter. The VIP from England. The granddaughter of Hwiun's founder.
Just looking at those three made his stomach churn.
The other cadets were also promising talents.
Losing even one would be a disaster beyond imagination.
“The heroes!”
“Excluding those holding the coastline, they're preparing to move to Ulleungdo!”
“Get every military transport plane, warship, cruise ship, fishing boat—whatever! Mobilize everything! Hurry!”
At the director's scream, the staff broke into cold sweats as they requested support in all directions.
But the news that came back was the worst of the worst.
“D-Director.”
“Don't tell me if it's bad news!”
“...”
“You gonna actually not tell me?! What is it?!”
What am I supposed to do? The staff member's face crumpled.
But with the director being the boss, what choice was there?
“The current weather conditions are the worst, so deploying aircraft is too risky...”
“Bullshit! Didn't Japan's Self-Defense Force transport just take off earlier?! What about that?!”
“Japan's weather was decent, but not here. The weather service says in these conditions, there's too high a chance of danger before even fighting the monsters...”
The director stormed out of the control room, demanding what that meant.
Upon checking the outside situation, he clutched his head.
“Please... fuck, God.”
Gale-force winds blew like a typhoon, and heavy rain poured down.
It was highly likely a distortion caused by an Apocalypse-Class monster.
That meant the situation on Ulleungdo was even more severe.
They could force planes or ships into the air or sea.
But accidents couldn't be ruled out.
In the worst case, they'd suffer non-combat losses.
“Fuuuuck!! What the hell are we supposed to do!!”
Not a believer, but this time even the director pointed at the sky and cursed.
He ended up screaming profanities at a god he didn't even believe in.
Panting heavily, he eventually returned to his seat.
In those few minutes, some new reports had come in.
“S-Rank Hero Guardian has boarded a transport plane, saying crash or whatever, just get him near Ulleungdo. He says even if he falls into the sea, he can survive...”
“Does that guy even know how to swim?!”
A ship might be better. Oh, but too slow?
“There's a proposal to run the sea train, but with the weather like this, it's tough.”
“Keep requesting it. Hwiun founder's granddaughter is there too!”
It's suffocating. Please, any good news to breathe?
“Director! We just got contact from Ulleungdo!”
“What?! What do they say! What's the situation?!”
“Jeodong Harbor has essentially fallen to the monsters, and civilians are evacuating from Dodong and Sadong Harbors!”
Thank heavens. If Sadong Harbor had fallen, it would have been a total catastrophe.
It was the harbor most used by ships coming and going to Ulleungdo.
They had to evacuate everyone as quickly and safely as possible through there.
“Civilian evacuation is mostly complete, and...”
“The cadets! What about the Hero Academy cadets!”
“W-Well, that's a bit problematic.”
Please, what's the problem now?
“The situation escalated, so some cadets entered combat with their supervising instructors. A few who participated managed to return safely, but there are still groups that haven't arrived.”
“The instructors should've knocked them out and shoved them on a boat if they had to! What were they thinking dragging them along?!”
Even as the director screamed, the staff continued the report unfazed.
“And the latest news: S-Rank Hero Valkyrie has just joined the Ulleungdo battle.”
“Finally!”
S-Rank Hero Valkyrie. A hero balanced in all aspects of offense and defense.
She had a quirky personality, but no rough edges.
Her combat sense and talent were astonishing, earning her a spot in the Special Task Force.
A specialist at hunting monsters and villains.
She could handle even a mature Apocalypse-Class monster.
“Director!!”
A staff member monitoring Ulleungdo screamed.
With a bad feeling, he rushed over, and something odd appeared on the screen.
“What? What's wrong!”
“Didn't two Apocalypse-Class individuals appear earlier?!”
“Yeah. But one vanished right away due to territory dispute, right?”
“Exactly, but it's changed direction. It's heading back toward Ulleungdo!!”
“...”
The director's face turned pale.
S-Rank Hero Valkyrie. She was undoubtedly a great powerhouse.
She could win against an Apocalypse-Class monster.
But what if there were two such monsters?
Could she win against two calamity-level beasts front and back?
No, forget winning—could she even survive?
“I-Is there any force on Ulleungdo that can support Hero Valkyrie?”
“None!”
“Then... in the worst case, Valkyrie has to face two Apocalypse-Class monsters?”
“I-In the worst case, yes...”
Ah. It's over. Everything's done. The director collapsed into his seat.
Losing another S-Rank Hero. To monsters, no less.
Imagining how the country would react to that news was impossible.
“Director...”
Misfortune never comes alone, they say.
Another staff member cautiously approached the director.
With a face about to burst into tears, he delivered the latest news.
“M-Monsters... have appeared at Sadong Harbor.”
“Ah.”
“The harbor's in chaos right now...”
Kang Yuna, Jeong Ye-bin, and Louise had barely escaped Jeodong Harbor.
While moving with the unconscious Seo Ha-eun and Jin Seo-ah on the verge of collapse,
By some divine intervention, they boarded a vehicle heading to Sadong Harbor.
They couldn't fight anymore. Any further would just be a hindrance.
So the state of Sadong Harbor, where they arrived hoping to escape, was...
“W-What is this...”
Kyaaaaah!!-
Boom! Crash!-
Screams from people at the harbor and village.
Those who believed this place was still safe.
Thus, the monster that appeared was all the more horrific and terrifying.
Chaos and fear spread like a plague, breaking the people.
“Uwaaaah! Help!”
“Don't push! Stop pushing!”
“Waaah! Mommy! Mommmy!!”
The monsters have come this far. Kang Yuna gritted her teeth.
That means Dodong Harbor is in danger too. Louise clutched her head.
Does that mean Ulleungdo is completely lost? Jeong Ye-bin despaired.
“What the...”
“Seo-ah! Calm down! You can't fight anymore!”
“Monsters? Monsters here too...”
Monsters surged toward their location.
Chasing civilians. People were in crisis.
The moment she saw it, Kang Yuna leaped forward first.
“No!”
A mother hugging her child was visible. The monster targeted the mother and daughter.
She had to stop it. No matter her own condition. Absolutely. Absolutely!
Grraaaah!-
But too far. The monster was much closer to the mother and daughter than Kang Yuna.
Louise's gun was empty. Jin Seo-ah and Seo Ha-eun were out of commission.
Jeong Ye-bin was relatively intact but had almost no combat ability.
Can't save them. Can't save them. No matter what...
Splurt!-
Splat! Splat!!-
“Ah?”
Right before her eyes, the monster's body swelled like a water balloon and burst.
It wasn't just one. Every monster at Sadong Harbor met the same fate.
As if squeezed by an invisible force...
“Begone.”
At the sudden voice, the cadets jolted in shock.
No one had noticed until the voice rang out.
Clearly a person, yet with no presence of one.
“Gasp...”
Gazing at the Black Woman passing by.
Everyone instinctively bowed their heads.
She was a monster of a different caliber.
“Tch.”
The Black Woman clicked her tongue and clenched and unclenched her fist.
The harbor below was visible. Monster chunks too.
“I had no desire to do this.”
She dusted off her hands and spat.
Ridiculous. Help heroes, of all things.
At first, she'd been furious enough to strangle the Smiling Man.
But recalling his words, it wasn't entirely bad.
“Think about it, Boss. How amusing is this? Ulleungdo is a holy site for heroes. They think they're so great they even erected a victory monument.”
“But when it's in crisis, no heroes around. Instead, they get help from the villains they so despised? Hahaha! Nothing more pathetic or humiliating! Ahahaha!”
Yes. Indeed, you're right.
The savior of the holy site is a heretic.
And with so many eyes watching.
Surveying the gazes filled with anxiety.
The Black Woman smiled in satisfaction.