Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: The Druid's Defiance
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"No way. I don't want to. I'm going back."
"What? I'm a full-fledged S-rank Hunter, you know? Didn't you come to rescue me just to saddle me with some debt or favor and use me for your own gain?"
"That's true, but looking at you now, it feels like there'll be more headaches than benefits. Plus, your intentions are crystal clear..."
Choi Choong-seon's motives were obvious without needing to look further.
He wanted to join Yoo Seongwon as a subordinate, borrow his prestige, fame, or power to bolster security in the unstable Jeolla Province.
But Yoo Seongwon had no hobby of cleaning up other people's messes—especially when the local government and association folks would just shit themselves again afterward. So he figured it was better to leave it alone.
"No, I don't have any big plans either. I just want to stick with the boss!"
"What?"
Yoo Seongwon's eyes widened at the completely unexpected response.
Normally, in this kind of setup, people demanded a give-and-take. But for her to simply want to tag along? That was surprising.
"I... after hearing what you said, boss, my eyes were opened. The Seoul crowd only calls us when it suits them and doesn't give a damn about our safety! The local government and association? They're always knee-deep in corruption scandals but too busy clinging to their seats to fix anything! And when we try to throw our weight around? They cry 'violence' and kick up a fuss!"
Having been an S-rank Hunter for over ten years, Choi Choong-seon finally unleashed his pent-up frustrations. He hadn't done absolutely nothing, but his sense of duty as an S-rank Hunter, his love for his hometown, and the responsibility thrust upon him because no one else would step up—all those had masked his true feelings until Yoo Seongwon's words and attitude brought them bubbling to the surface.
"...They pile all that responsibility and duty on us, sacrifice us, while they sit safe and sound, never improving our treatment, just doing whatever the hell they want. We fight and come back with nothing left!"
That was the spark that ignited his rage. The sorrow of sacrificing everything only to have nothing left—it blew him up.
His comrades were all dead, his family shattered, and the system hadn't improved one bit.
"Of course, it's not like I did nothing. I scouted promising talents from within, taught them the Druid skill tree, shared all my know-how, raised them up... only for them to pay the penalty fees and jump ship to the Big Three guilds in Seoul or get snatched by that doomed Olympus. Outside the guild, when I tried to fix the bullshit from the military, administration, or corporations, they screamed 'interference' and fucked around. And then they cozy up even more with Scavengers, pull their endgame crap, and have the nerve to blame me..."
"So?"
"Yeah. I'm just gonna follow you, boss, flip them all off, and live easy! Screw this rotten world—let it burn! I'm done cleaning up shit."
In the end, furious at how he'd been played for a sucker all this time, he decided to follow Yoo Seongwon.
It might seem abrupt, flipping from worrying about his guild and city to this in an instant. But when long-held beliefs shatter under a big shock, the human mind becomes surprisingly flexible.
"Ah... uh... well, if that's how you feel..."
If she thought his way was right and wanted to follow, Yoo Seongwon had nothing more to say.
Having Jeolla's sole S-rank Hunter join him would set off alarms in the city and the nation, but who cared?
From the way she put it, they'd clearly never treated her right, and her growth had been stifled. No more words needed.
"Welcome... aboard?"
"Thank you! Boss! I'll follow you forever!"
"Uh, what about your family?"
"That's... I had one. Not anymore. My wife divorced me for neglecting home, took the kids to America. Oh, and I'm still sending child support... Haah~"
Hearing her story, Yoo Seongwon felt tears pricking his eyes.
No family, no workplace, no hope for a better future—this man had next to nothing left in life.
He'd just fulfilled his duty as an S-rank Hunter, yet his life kept crumbling. It hit Yoo Seongwon hard, like it was his own tragedy.
"Uh... mister, welcome aboard."
"Thanks! Boss!"
And so, S-rank Hunter Choi Choong-seon, the Druid of Beetle, joined Yoo Seongwon's crew.
Of course, announcing it now would cause chaos with the association and government, so they decided to keep it quiet for now and link up later at Iron Fortress.
"For now, we'll go to Busan together."
"Yep! I've had a breather, and since I already blabbed about being 'convinced' and all that, no one'll think it's weird."
"Plus, with us taking out Han Jung-ho and the execs, they're busy fighting over control again. We can relax for a bit."
By now, the surviving Scavengers in Neo Sinan Undercity were probably duking it out just as Yoo Seongwon predicted.
With Choi Choong-seon's recruitment settled, the topic swiftly shifted to Busan.
The massive assault led by the Merman Warlord showed no signs of stopping, and the front line centered on D-City Hotel was still locked in combat.
Amid that battle shone one standout figure—she was the key player holding not just Busan but the entire Gyeongsang region.
"Thunder Giant! Wipe them all out!"
Kwarrrung! Pzzt-zzt!
Before the endless waves of Merman hordes appeared a giant cloaked in blue lightning. It swung its fist, smashing a monstrous crab into oblivion and electrocuting hundreds of nearby Mermans in one sweep.
Behind the giant stood a beautiful blue-haired girl in a robe, staff in hand, channeling thunder magic to dispatch other Mermans.
"Ooh... frying them all. That's... Jeon Ji-ah, right?"
"Yes. She's a Spirit Sorceress, contracted with thunder and lightning spirits. That's why she's so lethal against those swarming Mermans."
"With her slicing up the big seafood, the soldiers dug in at D-City Hotel have it easier too... Looks like we might not even need to go."
"Pzzt-zzt!"
Thanks to her exploits, the Mermans couldn't breach the beach, their corpses piling up endlessly.
The giant crab monsters and other beasts kept falling to the Thunder Giant, so this front line seemed worry-free.
"No. She always says that Merman Warlord is no idiot. A-rank monster, but craftier than some S-ranks. Proof? That Merman Palace dungeon's been around for nearly ten years and still untamed."
"Ten years... They must really hate clearing that Merman Palace."
"B-ranks and above? Unless they're low-risk, high-danger ones get left alone a lot."
It was common knowledge by now.
Even the B-rank Goblin Empire had worn down SS-rank Yoo Seongwon and his S-rank knights without casualties. An A-rank like Merman Palace? Yoo Seongwon couldn't imagine the hassle.
"Anyway, that Merman Warlord's plotting something."
"Fair enough—she knows the situation better than I do. Akaron, pick up the speed."
[Command received.]
Taking Choi Choong-seon's advice, Yoo Seongwon ordered more speed. Akaron complied, accelerating immediately.
The trailer tore down the empty highway toward Busan.
***
Busan Haeundae, beachfront line.
Pzzt!
Spirit Sorceress Jeon Ji-ah sweated bullets, wielding thunder and lightning spirits nonstop to hold back the Merman onslaught.
The fish-headed humanoids weren't launching some Normandy invasion—they'd been coming endlessly for hours.
She held them off well enough, but the Merman Warlord lurking far off gnawed at her, driving her to the brink.
'What the hell is it thinking? No way that Merman Warlord's just sitting idle...'
The bastard had terrorized Busan for a decade.
Not just mustering Mermans for war, but destroying fish farms, kidnapping humans, wrecking water plants—every dirty human trick in the book.
For it to waste troops like this without purpose? There had to be a reason.
'Especially since it cut a deal with SS-rank Ma-in Lee Mok-sa to get in here... it's got a plan.'
But the battlefield allowed no breathing room.
Prolonged fighting had drained her stamina, mental strength, mana to the limit. Yet if they broke, Busan fell—so she threw everything into the fray.
[Grrr... grk! Kraa!]
[Kraa! Kraa!]
[Kreeeak!]
Spotting her pallor from afar, the Merman Warlord smirked and barked orders to his minions.
Soon, new Mermans emerged from the palace—unlike any before.
"What the...? Those?"
"...Are they insane?"
The frontline soldiers—and Jeon Ji-ah, straining with her thunder spirits—gawked at the newcomers.
Observation magic confirmed: Merman Soldiers and Merman Honor Guards.
Under the Warlord's command, they were bigger, bulkier than standard Mermans. But their gear was the weird part.
"Aren't those plastic and rubber trash?"
"Armor made from... no, full-body coverage? Pfft! What is that?"
"Puhahaha! Why are they dressed in garbage?"
The Merman Soldiers and Honor Guards wore patchwork armor of woven plastic waste and rubber.
So thorough, they'd even fashioned transparent plastic into goggles for their eyes.
Soldiers—and even Hunters mid-fight—burst out laughing at the garish rubber patches sporting familiar logos and product names.
"No idea where they scavenged it, but Sampyo cooking oil? Kekeke! Might as well be naked."
"Ah, wait—insulating against electricity? Idiots! No matter how much they—"
"No. That's not all they've..."
Clack! Thud-thud-thud!
As humans jeered, the trash-armored Merman Soldiers and Honor Guards charged.
Plastic blocked electricity, sure, but it wasn't invincible. Nor did it work as proper armor—magic bullets or explosives would shred it.
But the mockery didn't last...
"What? Bullet hit but... bounced off that plastic junk? Worse than kids' crafts?"
"Why isn't it burning? And no melting!"
"These psycho fish fucks... no way... they enchanted trash armor?"
Common sense said enchanting precious magic stones onto plastic and rubber waste was insane.
Yet the Mermans, for victory, had done just that on human garbage. And now it paid off perfectly.
"And those Mermans... at least C, B-rank Hunter speed!"
"Honor Guards incoming! Jeon Ji-ah Hunter!"
"I-I'm trying to stop them! But!"
Pzzt-zzt!
Thunder strikes via spirits failed against the reinforced plastic-rubber trash—now durable and fireproof.
Other Hunters charging with weapons got one-sidedly crushed by the physically superior A-rank dungeon boss minions, the Honor Guards.
"It held back until now, wasting troops... to confirm no reinforcements after Lee Mok-sa and the Scavengers' mess?"
Normally, she'd call in B or A-rank Hunters from elsewhere—or just Choi Choong-seon from Jeolla—and trash the plastic junk, turning the tables.
But nationwide Scavenger and evil Constellation uprisings tied up everyone. No calling help.
That left only S-rank Spirit Sorceress Jeon Ji-ah as top firepower. Block her, and victory was assured.
[Kihihihi! Krrahahaha-grrr!]
Gloating at his ploy's success, the Merman Warlord laughed wickedly, sword in hand, rallying morale.
He'd make them pay for calling him a dumb fish-head. Mounting his crab, he charged ashore toward Busan.
"Jeon Ji-ah Hunter!"
"Wh-what do we... do..."
She summoned more thunder spirits to block, but the fully geared Soldiers and Guards shrugged it off.
Thunder Giant held the line, but against small, agile foes, it left the giant crab monsters unchecked—letting them land.
Worst: the hitherto idle Merman Warlord now rode his crab straight at them.
'How did this happen...!'
Defeat loomed.
Her unbreakable beach defense crumbled before her eyes. Despair gripped Jeon Ji-ah as she pushed her spirits harder—but geared-up Soldiers and Guards remained unstoppable.