Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Saving the Children
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“First, drink this and let’s head to where my group is.”
I pulled a potion from my waist and held it out.
“Give this to my little sister, Hee-a, not me!”
“I have more, so drink this first.”
I half-forced it down her throat, then we headed to base camp together. The kid running after me had rested a bit and drunk the potion, and she was even faster than when I first saw her. Maybe hitting 60 kph? On this rough terrain, that was comparable to a D-Rank Hunter who was decent on their feet.
We arrived at base camp and I explained the situation to Nayoung. She was shocked to hear the kid was only ten and wrapped a blanket around her, then I started asking questions.
“What’s your name?”
“Hee-cheol. Kwon Hee-cheol.”
After introductions, I heard from Kwon Hee-cheol about the situation in Sinbukhan.
“So… you ate monster meat because you were short on food?”
In Korea, they handled monster meat carefully due to its toxicity, but starving folks in North Korea were eating it.
“Yeah. We had no choice since there was nothing to eat. But eating it makes people sick.”
“Did you eat it too?”
“Yeah. I’ve eaten a lot since I was little, but I never got sick.”
“Are there many people like you who got stronger or faster from eating monster meat?”
“A few, but not many. Some got stronger from the meat and became hunters. But a lot died. There are still tons of sick people.”
So, if you were lucky eating monster meat, your body developed; if not, like most, you died.
“How many sick people are there?”
“Um… a lot. A hundred?”
More than I expected.
“My little sister ate it too. She tried to eat as little as possible, but she was so hungry… She’s really sick now. She won’t open her eyes. I worked as a hunter, but they wouldn’t treat her right away. So I found that uncle and ran away.”
Hee-cheol sniffled and pointed at me. His body was bigger than an adult’s, but his heart was that of a ten-year-old kid.
“What about your parents?”
“They died when I was little.”
It hurt to hear him say “when I was little” when he was still just a kid himself.
“Thanks for telling me. Eat this and rest for a bit.”
I ladled him a bowl of the soup we’d been eating and handed it over.
“No! My sister’s really sick! We have to go quick!”
“We’ll call strong guys from Korea.”
“No! She’ll die if we’re late!”
Hee-cheol clung to me desperately.
Even if I contacted the Awakening Bureau now, they wouldn’t send Hunters right away. We’d only just learned Sinbukhan existed, and the Korean government and Bureau wouldn’t risk armed conflict—it was sure to take time.
“Hee-cheol, let’s go.”
I stood up.
“Oppa…”
Nayoung grabbed my arm with a worried look.
“The kid’s sister is sick. I’m not starting a full war—just pulling out the sick ones.”
“Then I’ll go too.”
“Me too.”
“Can we help?”
Nayoung, Sanghun, and the Oh brothers stepped up. Guess I had a knack for drawing people in.
“Alright. Oh brothers, prep the vehicles for departure—ditch anything we don’t need. Sanghun, the waste collectors from Hwagok should be nearby, so call them and borrow some big vehicles that can carry a lot of people. Follow us.”
While the Oh brothers sorted the vehicles, I tossed Hee-cheol’s rags and dressed him in Sanghun’s spare clothes. Sanghun had bulked up a lot, but Hee-cheol was so tall and thick that the younger brother’s outfit fit him tight.
“Wear this for now. I’ll get you better clothes later.”
“This is good! It’s my first time wearing new clothes.”
Seeing him so happy over something small tugged at my heart.
“Let’s move out.”
“Yes!”
Hee-cheol gave directions from inside the car, and I climbed on top and spread my senses.
Thud thud.
I knocked on the car roof.
“Hunter-nim, what’s up?”
Si-hwan poked his head out and asked.
“There are watchers nearby. You guys wait here for Sanghun. Come when I call. If it gets dangerous, run. If you can’t, just surrender unconditionally. Don’t get hurt.”
Sanghun could handle himself now, but if the Oh brothers got cocky despite getting a bit stronger, they’d die quick.
“Yes!”
“Nayoung, you’re with me. Hee-cheol, lead the way.”
“Okay.”
“Oppa, it’s still far. Can Hee-cheol make it? Shouldn’t you carry him?”
Big as he was, after hearing he was ten, she treated him like a little kid.
“No worries.”
From the speed he ran here earlier, he was above average.
Hee-cheol dashed through the dense forest at 40 kph. He bounded off thick branches or leaped from heights over ten meters—like Tarzan if he were real.
“Wow… Not as fast as you, oppa, but seriously quick.”
“Hmm… That’s D-Rank level. With some training, C-Rank Hunter wouldn’t be an issue. Wonder if he can learn skills?”
Musing on Hee-cheol’s potential as we followed, we arrived at Sinbukhan.
We hid on a nearby mountain and looked down. It was deep night, so Nayoung and Hee-cheol couldn’t see well, but it was like daytime to me.
Sinbukhan was just a few big buildings—too small to call a country, barely a village.
The facilities were poorly maintained, but surprisingly, the barricade was solid. Probably for monster defense.
“Where are your sister and the sick people?”
“In that building with the red roof.”
Hee-cheol pointed to the back. It looked more like a factory or warehouse than housing.
“Are there lots of strong adults like the chief?”
“There are over two hundred hunters. But the chief is the strongest.”
The chief was just past S-Rank. No other S-Ranks, probably few A- or B-Ranks, but more numbers than expected.
“Got it. Wait here a sec. Nayoung, how wide can you make your Blind?”
“This much, I can cover it all.”
“…Your range grew?”
“I practiced a lot.”
Nayoung smiled as she made a V-sign.
“Okay. Here’s the plan.”
I explained the plan to Nayoung.
* * *
I suited up fully, covering my head, and gave Hee-cheol a cloak to cover his too.
We crept low toward the barricade. They knew Korean forces were coming, but the sentries were dozing. Not much discipline in the group to begin with. They’d notice cars approaching, though.
There was a gap between watchtowers. We positioned in the middle.
“Can you climb this?”
The wall was six meters high, seven with the barbed wire on top.
“Not from a standstill. If I run up and kick off the wall, maybe.”
“Too visible. I’ll carry you.”
I checked around, confirmed safe, and leaped straight up like flying. With levitation magic, ascent and descent were smooth.
After landing, we followed Hee-cheol’s lead to the factory-like building I’d spotted from above.
Peeking through the door, I saw three guards. One dozed hugging his rifle; the other two chatted facing each other.
I signaled Hee-cheol to stay quiet, finger to lips.
Then I rushed in, grabbed the rifle, punched their guts to drop them, and choked out the sleeper deeper.
I spread my senses—no presences nearby.
“They’re behind this door.”
Hee-cheol pointed to a massive iron door barred with a rod and secured by a huge padlock.
“They always lock it like this?”
“Probably because I escaped. We need the key.”
“Step back.”
I gripped the steel padlock.
“It’s too tough. Even hitting it hard doesn’t work. Noise’ll bring people.”
I crushed it in my hand.
“Wow…”
Hee-cheol’s eyes went wide like he’d seen magic. With strength over 110, I could lift tens of tons. This padlock was a joke.
“Are the hunter uncles stronger than me?”
I wanted to gauge North Korean hunter strength.
“I don’t think so!”
…Not helpful. But the ones I’d met so far were mostly below D-Rank by Korean standards, a few B- or C-Ranks.
Hee-cheol opened the door. It never smelled great, but the stench that poured out was brutal even for my sensitive nose.
Hee-cheol went in first; I dropped the suit and followed.
Adults and kids lay on the cold floor on blankets or paper. Malnourished to bones and skin.
Half were kids. They were all listless—no reaction to me entering.
“Good uncle. He’ll help us.”
When some kids flinched at me, Hee-cheol reassured them. He was like the big brother here.
“Uncle, this is Hee-a.”
Hee-cheol took my hand and introduced his sister. The girl was as gaunt as the others. No—her color was bad, pulse weak; she was like a candle about to go out, worse than the rest. If we’d been later like he said, tragedy might’ve struck.
I gave potions to Hee-cheol’s sister and other critically ill kids, splitting what I had. My pouch emptied, but it wasn’t enough for full recovery.
“I’m from Korea. We’re getting out of here now. Adults, carry the kids.”
Hee-cheol rallied his friends, and they started stirring.
“We’re not going.”
One adult in a corner group spoke up.
“Why?”
“We’ll die if caught. We don’t want to get involved.”
His eyes were lifeless, no will.
“You think you’ll live long here?”
“It buys us a little more time.”
“Do what you want. Those leaving, carry kids and follow.”
No forcing grown adults. About twenty of the hundred stayed.
“What about those kids?”
A woman in the corner clutched two children.
“Their mom won’t go.”
I wouldn’t force adults… but the kids would die left here. Fair to worry about a stranger, but I couldn’t let them die like this.
“Hello.”
I approached, knelt to eye level, and greeted her. She hugged the kids tighter with her skinny arms.
“The kids are sick, right?”
She stared at the floor, no answer.
“I’ll take responsibility—feed them, get them doctors. Can’t force you. But staying here will make it worse for them.”
I explained calmly.
“Auntie, come with us. They’re good people. Like in the dramas.”
Hee-cheol chimed in beside her.
“Dramas?”
“We watch a lot of Korean dramas.”
Hee-cheol pointed to an old TV in the corner, DVDs scattered below. No wonder they spoke standard Korean—post-collapse, dramas and books came from the South.
At “dramas,” she finally met my eyes. Deciding her life on a drama was iffy, but if it worked…
Hoping she’d take it, I slowly extended my hand.