Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: The Hyena Dreaming of Retirement
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Having avoided the danger at Nadon, we passed through the shrine and made our way up to Iisu.
It was a perilous path, but hyenas knew how to slink about in hiding.
Sometimes we crouched in the shadows of buildings, and other times we moved through the sewers.
Dirty, smelly, damp sewers were a path perfectly suited to hyenas. Underground, we felt at ease. Over ten years, I had come to deeply understand why rats stuck to the sewers.
Of course, the sewers weren't entirely safe.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!
A flash of light burst in the pitch-black darkness of the sewer.
It was because the rear guard was firing armor-piercing rounds nonstop.
"Slowly, slowly."
I calmly directed the team.
Nasty monsters that lived in the sewers were clinging to us. Fortunately, they weren't grade-6 or higher with barriers. Monsters with barriers could only be handled by hunters.
The monsters attacking us now were the lowest, grade-9.
Even so, for us hyenas without abilities, they were opponents we couldn't take lightly.
If the team's formation broke here, we could be wiped out. No matter that they were only grade-9, hyenas fighting monsters in the first place was a problem.
"Hey, Team Leader! I didn't know it would be this dangerous!"
The monster butcher who'd come along this time whined from beside me. What a ridiculous guy.
Seoul was a hunting ground.
Coming to Seoul meant being prepared to die.
Did he think it was a picnic?
Instead of answering, I turned my gun on the butcher.
"Eek!"
The moment the startled butcher freaked out, I pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
The monster about to bite into the butcher fell backward. As it sank into the rotten water, it splashed filthy liquid everywhere.
This bunch, resembling seven-star eels, sucked human blood greedily once they latched on. They were among the least welcome for hyenas sneaking through the sewers like sewer rats.
"Stick close. If you don't want to die."
I stepped on the still-twitching monster and emptied the rest of my clip into it.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
The sound echoed especially loudly in the sewer.
"Huh!"
The monster butcher next to me looked dazed.
I slapped his cheek.
Smack!
"Hey. You're the one who tagged along wanting a big score. That's why I never bring guys who just quietly butcher in the city. Even if we damage some byproducts, it's better to stick to how we've done it until now."
I grumbled loud enough for him to hear, but the deputy leader replied.
"Don't be too hard on him, Team Leader. He's a renowned butcher in Ansan."
"Why would someone like that follow hyenas like us?"
"Apparently, he borrowed money from Daeggeunbang."
Daeggeunbang was a well-known Chinese organization in the Ansan metropolitan area.
After the capital Seoul fell, Ansan grew into a megacity. With China's collapse, Han Chinese capital flowed in, and Seoul's southward-migrating population settled, turning it into a metropolis of 15 million.
Constitutionally, Sejong City was the capital, but in reality, Ansan was Korea's center. Daeggeunbang was one of the gang factions that came with the influx of Chinese capital.
They made drugs from monster byproducts.
Even heroin, called the worst drug, was child's play compared to monster-made drugs. They showed you paradise and killed you within a few years.
But drugs were just part of how industrial zones like Ansan's Banwol and Siwha handled byproducts.
Ansan had become an international hub for monster byproducts. Nearly half its residents were foreigners.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!
The deafening gunfire crashed like an orchestra's climax. Then, as if nothing had happened, it grew quiet.
"Phew..."
Someone let out a deep sigh.
A sign of survival, of passing the crisis—how many more times until we returned?
"Move out immediately."
I had no desire to linger longer in this stench-filled sewer.
***
"This is impossible! Let's go back! We have to go back!"
The monster butcher kept making a racket. He'd been quiet after the sewers, but upon reaching the target, he threw a fit.
And for good reason: several monsters were swarming the target carcass.
"I never imagined this!"
I clicked my tongue lightly at the foolish man.
"Tsk. When do things ever go as planned? I didn't tell you to fight, so just stay quiet."
"You don't mean...? You're not saying we fight those monsters, right? You're hyenas! Have you lost your minds? You're not hunters!"
"You know something?"
"What?"
"That even hyenas charge into a pride of lions to claim food."
Of course, a whole pack of hyenas often got chased off by a single lion. Still, wasn't it impressive that they sometimes drove lions away with numbers?
"You're insane!"
I shoved my gun barrel into the mouth of the butcher as he tried to argue again.
"Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!"
Guys like this were exhausting. Even working with guys whose hands and feet moved in sync and who understood with a glance, life was on a knife's edge for hyenas.
"Stay quiet. And insane? Good word. Madness is our strength. You think non-ability users come to Seoul without going mad?"
"We'll all die. Dung flies challenging monsters like that."
The monster butcher said no more after that.
For good reason: the three devouring the carcass were on another level from the small fry in the sewers.
But I offered no rebuttal and cut off my interest in him.
Instead, I advanced with my capable team members.
The monsters to take down were grade-7 beasts called Heavenly Mountain Armors. Their bodies were covered in scale armor like real pangolins.
But their size was rhino-sized, and they were brutally ferocious.
That's why the butcher was throwing a tantrum to abandon the target and leave.
But we couldn't. Fortunately, Heavenly Mountain Armors lacked barriers, being below grade-6.
Plus, we'd spent a fortune on intel fees for this expedition. We had to bring back at least some byproducts to break even.
The target carcass was bigger than an elephant.
Hunters had slain it and taken only the core. The byproducts weren't worth the effort to them—high-and-mighty hunters' problem. For us hyenas, they were gold.
If processed well, it was a jackpot.
In brutal Seoul, reaching Iisu was no small feat.
So, no backing down against Heavenly Mountain Armors when we had the know-how.
It was my secret technique, unknown to hunters or other hyena teams.
The veterans were already pulling out and assembling new gear at the sight of the Heavenly Mountain Armors.
M4 portable recoilless rifles.
"Preparation complete, Team Leader."
"Aim and fire at will."
Soon, with the sound of gunpowder, rounds flew toward the Heavenly Mountain Armors eating the carcass.
They hit all three clustered ones in succession.
There was no explosive boom. These weren't bombs to begin with.
The moment the rounds struck, unidentified liquid burst out, covering the Heavenly Mountain Armors.
The startled beasts soon spotted our position and charged ferociously.
Kweeek!
Their cries were furious.
Even as the three rhino-sized hulks shook the ground charging us, I stayed calm.
Sorry, but the fight was already over.
"Prepare to fire!"
I raised my hand. From behind, the butcher lamented.
"Insane! You're insane! Dousing Heavenly Mountain Armors with some unknown liquid and firing useless rounds! Even armor-piercing are no use!"
Did his wife cheat or something? Why so negative?
"Fire from designated shooters!"
Rat-a-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat!
Rat-a-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat! Bang! Bang!
The noise roared through the area. I could only hope it didn't attract other monsters more than the Heavenly Mountain Armors.
Fortunately, monster density in Seoul wasn't that high. If it were packed everywhere, civilians like us couldn't infiltrate to Iisu.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
As gunfire poured, the charging Heavenly Mountain Armors visibly slowed. One even staggered.
The butcher was shocked.
"What?! How can bullets...! Special ammo?"
"As if. Where would we get that? Even if it existed, it's too expensive for hyenas like us."
"Then what?!"
"Use your head. The liquid hit them before the bullets."
I joined the shooting without further talk.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
Kweeeeeek!
With long, mournful cries, all three charging Heavenly Mountain Armors rolled to the ground.
Five meters from the team.
It was like a massive wall had formed in front.
"What in the world..."
The butcher gaped in shock.
"What else? More work for you."
***
The butcher begged for the secret and the liquid's identity, but I refused outright. Some things you shared, some you didn't.
He grimaced unpleasantly but gave up easily.
The truth: the first liquid was 99% isopropyl alcohol. Heavenly Mountain Armor shells uniquely softened under isopropyl alcohol. So we sprayed it first, then shot them down. No other hyena teams knew, so they fled at the sight.
I didn't discover it by chance either.
Heavenly Mountain Armors were a top frustration for hyenas. Over years, I'd researched personally to counter them. The result: isopropyl alcohol.
"Move as fast as possible, everyone!"
In a hunting ground like this, boning out was extremely risky. Blood scent often drew other monsters. We'd fled mid-harvest multiple times.
Thus, though the butcher still looked stunned, he worked busily. Most team members helped him.
Vreeee!
The chainsaw whirred loudly, slicing bone and flesh. As rumored, the Ansan-famous butcher's skill was top-notch. Our team members, seasoned in disassembly, couldn't compare.
The elephant-sized-plus carcass broke down in moments.
Onlookers among the team were impressed.
"Annoyed by his griping, but good call bringing him."
Watching the disassembly was a joy. Normals might question enjoying bones cutting and rotten blood flowing, but for us, it was a mother lode.
Cheerful voices rose here and there.
"We'll make a killing on return!"
"This is worth how much? Our wives'll be floored."
"Just floored?"
"You punk! Hahaha!"
Seeing the team happy, I smiled too. Quite the haul. I'd hesitated over the intel cost, but excellent investment.
Money in the pocket was always fun. Slight regret: the disassembled Heavenly Mountain Armors had no cores. Barrier-less monsters lacked mana-concentrated cores.
"Keep watch carefully."
Team members not joining disassembly guarded the perimeter, spreading pre-prepared strong monster scat around.
No other monsters nearby, but safety measures were always needed.
"Sorry. First time seeing folks like you and your team. Hard to believe you're hyenas."
When done, the monster butcher apologized first.
"Yeah, good work."
I smiled at the sweat-drenched butcher.
We'd taken all valuable parts from the dead carcass and Heavenly Mountain Armors. Four hours, but highly satisfying.
Just return safely, and all would be bliss.
This expedition over, I'd retire.
Ten years.
I'd saved plenty. Lesser hunters were paupers compared to me.
As hyena team leader, I'd gained fame and thrown my weight around.
But now, retirement.
How many hyenas survived unscathed for ten years like me?
0.1%?
0.01%?
Not even one in ten thousand.
Yet I'd done it.
Deeply moved, I watched the team work. Then, startled, I yelled at our team's youngest.
"Hey! Hey! Don't cut the stomach!"
The dumb kid was slashing the carcass's huge stomach, peeking inside. Not a wise choice.
It spewed toxic stench and massive filth.
Luck might yield treasure, but ten years' experience said leave it—hundredfold better.
"Hey! Hey, hey!"
I shouted urgently, to no avail.
Rip! The stomach tore, spilling gruesome contents.
"Ha... fuck."
My face crumpled.
Truthfully, that alone would've been fine.
But who could've known this would torpedo my glorious retirement?