Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: The Crashing Transport
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“Damn it all!”
“What the hell are you doing? Knock it off quick! Throw yourself at that monster and drag it to the ground...!”
[That’s not the only one...]
Kuuuung! Graaah-grrrk!
The disaster didn’t end with just the Fire Army Great General. Another Great General burst through the opposite wall.
The Wood Army Great General, covered in flowers, trees, and moss, was forcing its way inside, shoving vine roots and stems ahead of it.
Fujiwara and the other S-rank hunters were all thrown into panic, not knowing what to do.
They numbered nine, and could have taken on one S-rank monster each with four or five per group, but they were hundreds of meters up in the sky above the ground.
“Somehow knock it down! This transport can’t be allowed to crash!”
“Easy for you to say! Damn it! It’s too cramped in here... Wait... Gasp! Fujiwara! Look over there!”
“W-What’s that?”
Even more shocking was the Wood Army Great General. As it clung to the transport trying to force its way in, it was rapidly dropping root tendrils toward the ground like ladder ropes.
And to top it off, even crazier, more monsters that looked like other Great Generals were climbing up those tendrils.
“Take out that tree! That tree bastard first!”
“Damn it! Even sword energy barely scratches it! We need to burn it!”
“Should we just blow the whole place up?”
“Or slice off the whole wall section!”
“The vines are already dug in deep...! The Fire Army Great General behind it first!”
It was pandemonium and chaos nonstop. Fujiwara, the guild master, desperately wanted to get things under control, but he had no sharp countermeasures.
No, there was one idea flickering through his mind.
Have one person tie down an S-rank monster while the rest plummeted to the ground. The ultimate sacrifice strategy.
“Damn it, if we stay like this, we’re all done for. Someone has to grab that thing and take it down with them, or else...”
[I’ll kill you allll!]
“Who’s gonna do it?”
“I’d love to, but unfortunately, I’m rear-guard only. I don’t have skills to push them back or take a fall with them. So this job... someone else has to kamikaze it...!”
Graaah-grrrk!
The situation spiraled straight into hell, and the transport suddenly tilted toward the Wood Army Great General’s side.
Probably because countless undead soldiers were grabbing onto the tendrils it had extended and climbing up.
If they stayed like this, they were all dead. A situation demanding someone’s sacrifice. He even considered using the A-rank hunters aboard, but they averted their eyes from Fujiwara’s gaze—they were people on the cusp of S-rank themselves.
“J-Just... drop with that metal plate over there...”
“At least let’s take out that Wood Army Great General first. Hey! You there! Didn’t you say you were ready to lay down your life for great Japan? Now’s the time. Step up and deal with it!”
“Don’t make me laugh. You think I’m gonna pull a kamikaze? Everyone knows only the sacrificed ones are the idiots.”
“Damn it! I don’t want to die!”
“M-Me neither! I hate it! Uwaaaah! We’re falling!”
Rumble! Kuuung!
In the transport’s interior, where they couldn’t even fight properly, nine of them aboard, but in the end, these S-rank hunters only spouted nonsense about noble sacrifice and the Japanese spirit without a single one stepping up as an example.
So their underlings just eyed each other warily and couldn’t step forward either. The end result: the transport’s crash.
Kwaaaang!
A massive explosion erupted in a pillar of fire, and from inside, hunters who’d survived with their personal survival skills burst out.
Teamwork was already shattered. The hunters banded by guilds and scattered to flee for survival.
Now their only goal was personal survival.
“The sea’s our only way out. Everyone, run!”
“Damn it! No! We gotta go east!”
“H-Hey! Don’t scatter! That’s more dangerous! Stick together and use firepower...”
“That ship’s sailed! You idiot!”
With survival instinct overriding reason, even wise advice from someone was ignored.
From afar, watching the scene, the Heavenly Army Great General laughed maniacally, certain of victory.
[Hahaha! Look at that, Earth Army Great General, Human Army Great General. See that? Those are the so-called strongest hunters from this place called ‘Japan.’ Running around like tailless monkeys! I’m actually more excited about the ones who beat the Dark Army Great General.]
[Those guys are across that sea. If we’re gonna face them, we’ll have to cross it. Anyway, I’ve already sent the Gold Army and Water Army ahead so they don’t escape. The Light Army and Earth Army are advancing on Nagoya first. All that’s left is us—heaven, earth, and human.]
[Good. All that’s left is hunting them down. Pass the word to the Fire, Wood, Gold, and Water Armies: surround them, wear them down, and capture them alive. We’ll use them as negotiation tools.]
[Of course. We’d rather head across the sea than this boring battlefield anyway. Dragon-Phoenix King, Frozen Ruler, Slaughter King... Just hearing those names makes my heart race!]
[How many times have I told you to leave Slaughter King out? That one’s a lost cause...]
Correcting the Human Army Great General, the Heavenly Army Great General ordered the pursuing undead infantry and cavalry to capture the prey alive.
And he anticipated an even greater war now that the chance to cross the sea had finally come.
***
Shikoku Base.
At that moment, the Japanese government was in full emergency mode over this turn of events.
They’d thought they’d sent the transport fully prepared, only to learn it had crashed due to betrayal from within—a worst-case scenario.
“Summon the S-rank hunters from the Nagoya defense line! We have to rescue them now!”
“Impossible! Right now, the Light Army Great General and Earth Army Great General—two S-rank monsters—are leading their armies toward Nagoya. To counter them, all seven Special Forces hunters need to be on the defense line.”
“Isn’t it better to form a rescue team, save those nine, and then defend together? Nine of them! Nine S-ranks! Hunters who could shake the fate of the nation! Do you know what happens if we lose all nine?”
“But trying to save them could cost us every hunter we have. Please calm down, Prime Minister.”
The Prime Minister, Special Forces hunters, and Japanese Hunter Association executives scrambled for solutions, but the Special Forces leader—who already cherished his overworked hunters—vehemently opposed forming a rescue team.
“Let’s call Yoo Seongwon first. That’s the best option right now. Forget costs—we need to rescue them fast. Especially his mobility on that dragon is crucial now. Contact him immediately!”
“Yes, sir! We’ll reach out through Association channels.”
With their own hunters in crisis, contacting the most powerful available hunter—Yoo Seongwon—was the obvious next step.
Around the time they made contact, Yoo Seongwon was atop the castle walls, savoring the SimCity-like thrill of watching the frontline city’s development over the past few months: maintenance, new buildings sprouting up everywhere.
“Ooh... It’s finally starting to look like a proper city. Watching it change every day is a real treat.”
“That’s the joy of building something. Plus, it’s in the most dangerous spot, yet becoming the safest city in Korea.”
“We’ve poured in as much cash as Shin Gangnam. Haha. Speaking of, I hear people are clamoring to get in here?”
“That’s right. Now that the magic stone train line’s fully operational, people and goods move freely. Once they hear the real story, everyone wants in.”
If Shin Gangnam thrived with two S-ranks in the old Gangnam area as a Seoul guild, it was natural everyone wanted into a place where SS-rank Yoo Seongwon was dumping money.
But Yoo Seongwon’s side used the city’s status as a military zone to strictly control entry of people and companies, massively impacting Korea’s economy and businesses.
They were also preparing thoroughly against speculation and fraud.
“All good with the real estate controls and such, but don’t forget this is only possible because it’s a frontline city. Someday, you won’t be able to use that excuse.”
“This city’s a bubble anyway. Looks like paradise for now. If that damn government doesn’t shape up by then... I’ll just wash my hands of it.”
“Well, that’s your call, but don’t you want to leave a better world for Ayoung... or any kids you might have someday? Things seem to be progressing nicely with that young lady lately.”
“That’s... different from handing over an environment and world to family. If they’d thought that way, would they be in the mess they’re in?”
Baek Gayeon had no rebuttal to Yoo Seongwon’s perfectly logical point.
In any case, his actions had jolted the Korean government into major improvements.
The three-guild system was fully dismantled, shifting to Association-centered operations led by Jeon Ji-a the hunter and the Association chair. Olympus Guild, originally foreign, now only took trainees, cooperating accordingly.
“And placing whistleblowers and public interest reporters in special hires has helped tremendously. Real miracle cure. Those folks~ sorry to say, but they made great decoys too.”
“As long as we protect them properly, I’ve got no complaints. We did, so no issue.”
“Those Heavenly Sword Army knights aren’t messing around.”
“Ah, those guys... B-rank hunter level, right?”
With facilities built, staffing solved, and half a year of know-how accumulated, Yoo Seongwon summoned high-tier Heavenly Sword Army knights to deploy once the city stabilized—saving points in the process.
Heavenly Sword Army knights. Legendary figures who’d etched their names in history were rare, but these knights from that fabled unit each boasted B-rank hunter-level power—and cost a fortune in points.
But as elite personnel, their bodyguard and combat prowess was top-notch, perfect for assigning to prime targets.
“Keeping the pressure on like this while we fortify seems best. And... Huh? Hold on. Incoming call... Let’s see~ Japan? What’s this?”
“If they’re calling you, it must be dire... Sounds like the subjugation went south.”
“...Not a good sign. Sigh~ Hello? Yes? Who’s this? Japanese government? Yeah. So... you want me there ASAP? Uh, mind telling me why? What? The subjugation team?”
Hearing the explanation, Yoo Seongwon was stunned.
Subjugations succeeding or failing depended on battle aftermaths, but the transport exploding right as they began—without even landing properly—was unprecedented.
“...No, how the hell do you manage people like that? The subjugation members aren’t just hunters—military too, all vetted ages ago, right? How does internal betrayal even happen? Constellations or whatever, this is...”
(Anyway! The situation’s extremely urgent. We need a rescue op—come quick. Costs! We’ll pay handsomely, of course.)
“Hmm... Got it. I’ll prep and head out right away.”
(Yes! We’ll handle supplies here—just fly in on that dragon ASAP!)
With promises of generous pay, Yoo Seongwon agreed immediately, descended the castle, summoned Krokbane, Gaulf, Seom-myeol, and Akaron. Then he mounted Eldraen and set off straight for Japan.