Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: The Stakeout
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"Control room, this is Lee Ji-seok."
I radioed the Awakening Bureau control room.
[Yes, Hunter. Go ahead.]
"I've found the missing personnel. All deceased."
[...As expected. We'll dispatch a recovery team immediately. Should we send them to the GPS location of the deceased Hunters?]
"Ah, the GPS signal is pinging from somewhere else. I'll keep tracking it, so please send the team to my current location."
[Location confirmed. Thank you. Please continue your efforts.]
After finishing the report, I followed the GPS signal a bit further and encountered a herd of Mad Bulls. About twenty in total. A lot, but not impossible for D-Rank Hunters to handle if they knew the tricks.
I grew to three meters tall and charged at the Mad Bull herd. They spotted me and, sensing the threat, snorted and rushed toward me.
I ramped up my speed and slammed my shoulder into the lead one, sending it flying limply. Then I shoulder-checked or punched away the ones charging after it, one by one.
Even as their kin fell before them, these dumb brutes didn't stop. The lucky ones that grazed past me without a direct hit circled wide and came back for another attack.
In just tens of seconds, I'd beaten the whole crazed herd into submission. I pulled out my phone and checked the GPS signal again.
I slowly walked through the fallen Mad Bulls. Then, from one of them, the phone signal blared strongly.
I sharpened aura along my hand blade and swiftly slashed its belly open.
Rifling through the guts spilling from the split hide, I sliced open several stomachs to reveal chunks of the Hunters they'd eaten, along with the GPS transmitter. So the earlier Hunters had fallen to these guys after all?
Something felt off, but with this coming straight from the Mad Bull's guts and no other evidence, it was hard to imagine anything else.
I sent the final report to the Awakening Bureau and headed back.
* * *
"More missing persons?"
[Yes, two teams this time.]
It's unrealistic to expect zero casualties during monster subjugations. We analyze nearby monster habitats using satellite imagery and drones to match them to appropriate Hunter levels before assigning anyone.
And Hunters themselves don't want to die, so they generally retreat at the first sign of real danger.
But one team dead yesterday, and now two more missing in a single day? That was too many.
"Understood. Heading out now."
Thanks to the Director's recommendation, I'd been assigned to an easy zone as punishment, so I had more time than the other A-Rank Hunters.
I could hunt monsters en route anyway, and there was rescue request pay, so it worked out for me.
Back at the scene, all I found was the same as yesterday: Hunters killed by monsters, and GPS transmitters from inside the monsters' stomachs.
Awakening Bureau investigators came out too, but they reached the same conclusion as me.
The Bureau notified all Hunters of the incidents, advising against hunting monsters mismatched to their ranks or in excessive numbers, and to always move in groups.
"Lee Ji-seok Hunter, sir, a lot of deaths, right? So we'll tag along with you starting today?"
President Yu, the mountain of a man, asked, spooked by the news of casualties. Big guy, huge scaredy-cat.
"No. Starting today, just the Oh brothers hunt separately."
The Oh brothers and Sang-heon stared at me like, what kind of guy are you?
"Bro, it could be dangerous. I'll go with you."
"No. You join another Hunter group for hunts or help at Hwagok Station. Oh brothers, you're hunting Mad Bulls today."
"Mad Bulls? The ones that killed D-Rank Hunters? How are we supposed to take those?"
President Yu said, voice cracking.
"They charge in straight lines, so dodge and attack from the sides. Think of it like bullfighting. And I'll be following behind."
"Ah... You're coming along? Why scare us like that?"
"But I won't interfere with the hunt at all."
The Oh brothers' faces lit up then darkened, over and over like a flickering light.
"I've seen all three incidents up close, but something feels off for monster berserking or Hunter error. You'll be the bait."
The light in the Oh brothers' faces went out and stayed out.
I marked the incident sites with X's on the map. Aside from all being in plains, no obvious pattern, but hunting Mad Bulls in nearby plains might turn something up.
"I'll be hidden, so hunt without worry. You got the traits I explained?"
"Yes..."
"Why so down? You've all passed level 10, right? Think leveling up this fast in under a month is easy? Guys who don't improve no matter how hard you push them don't. So have some confidence."
"Got it!"
Their voices got a bit louder.
I draped the transparent cloak I'd gotten from capturing Richard, one of Tellus's terrorists. Pulling up the hood to cover my head made me vanish. Even raising my arm, only a faint, transparent outline showed. Flat on the ground like this, no one would spot me.
Not my favorite for covering up, and since the Awakening Bureau didn't know about it, I couldn't use it carelessly. But stashing it secretly would be pointless if I didn't use it when needed, so I pulled it out for today's stakeout.
I climbed to a slightly elevated spot and flattened myself prone. Using the breathing technique from the deep sea dive, I minimized my breathing and heartbeat. That would make detecting me even harder.
In that state, I watched the Oh brothers hunt. My sharp senses let me see and hear clearly from afar.
"Big bro, see those two over there?"
True to his role as ranged dealer, Chang-hee spotted the distant Mad Bulls first and notified President Yu via in-ear comms.
"Ooh, I see them."
President Yu, squinting hard for a while, finally spotted the Mad Bulls.
"Two we can handle. I'll go first."
"Bro! We're right behind. Don't worry."
Si-hwan punched President Yu's shoulder.
"Thanks. Chang-hee, can you take the other one?"
"Yes."
Chang-hee took position while President Yu led, the other three spacing out to his flanks and rear. Lining up single-file against a charging Mad Bull would just bowl them over.
"Here I go!"
President Yu roared and charged. The Mad Bull snapped its head up, spotted him, tossed its horns twice, and barreled toward him.
With armor on and a shield matching his bulk, he finally looked the part of a Hunter.
Bang!
Chang-hee's mana shot nailed the trailing Mad Bull between the eyes. Its head snapped sideways, slowing it, but unbothered, it shook its head and accelerated again. An E-Rank Hunter like Chang-hee couldn't crack a Mad Bull's thick skull with ranged fire.
Bang!
Catching on, Chang-hee exhaled slowly and fired carefully. The shot looked like a miss at first, curving to suck right into the Mad Bull's ear as it charged.
The Mad Bull toppled sideways at full speed. Even if monsters reinforced their bodies with mana, they couldn't harden their brains.
Spotting that and hitting a charging Mad Bull's ear? Impressive skill. Chang-hee had the highest growth potential here.
With one down, President Yu's burden lightened. His enlarged bulk matched the Mad Bull's.
President Yu angled his shield with his left hand and lowered his stance. Longsword in his right.
Circling to lure it would've been ideal, but not for low-agility, low-stamina President Yu. So I'd advised him to read its straight charges and deflect.
Distance closed. President Yu and the Mad Bull collided. He tried sliding his shield along its head at impact and thrusting with his sword, but mistimed and flew back.
"Urk!"
Armor spared him external wounds, but the internal shock was rough.
"Bro! Raaargh!"
Si-hwan's Taunt startled the Mad Bull, tripping its feet. Jin-woo and Min-woo closed in from both sides.
"Min-woo! Stab it!"
Si-hwan yelled, drawing its attention from the front, but the Mad Bull recovered and spun, trying to gore the Oh brothers with its horns.
"Whoa?! Bro, watch out!"
Missing their window, the Oh brothers flailed to dodge the Mad Bull's attacks.
I saw Chang-hee aiming to help his brothers.
"Chang-hee, don't help."
I spoke to him via in-ear.
[But... the bros are in danger?]
"Not at all. How many piling on one Mad Bull? If you keep helping, they won't improve. Watch the surroundings for other approachers."
Chang-hee got it and shifted his aim from the Mad Bull to scan farther out.
"Urgh... I'll lure from the front, stab it!"
President Yu, recovered from being thrown, charged head-on again. He shoved its head with his shield and stabbed with his sword. Good attempt, but weak thrust and off-target. Solo, he'd be dead. Lucky for him, his brothers guarded the flanks, stabbing the Mad Bull's neck and sides.
They brawled like that for minutes until the hole-riddled Mad Bull finally collapsed.
"Huff... huff..."
'All out of breath. Against two Mad Bulls...'
Frustrating, but I'd just observe today.
After potions and regrouping, the Oh brothers moved to find more Mad Bulls.
When spotting a herd, Chang-hee sniped one first, then the melee quartet handled the rest.
His first one-shot had luck involved; he often missed or avoided vitals now. But his misfire rate dropped over time.
President Yu deflected a Mad Bull sideways with his angled shield and stabbed its throat. After several failures, he'd gotten the hang of it.
"That's it!"
His face lit up at the first success.
The other three didn't bull-rush like him; they used their skills, striking openings. After hours of hunting, they were gradually getting the knack. Frustrating, but not hopeless.
Hours passed with no odd vibes.
Post-incidents, Hunters reported periodically to Awakening Bureau command. No report meant trouble, and I'd deploy. No contact from them meant no incidents today.
Just gonna waste the day? Then, far off, a dust cloud approached.