Chapter 232: The Calamity Strikes (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 232: The Calamity Strikes (4)
It was a tedious lecture.
Just as the old professor's slow drawl was making me feel an unbearable urge to sleep, a message window suddenly appeared before my eyes.
[10,800 Seekers hid on Earth.]
[Following the lingering energy left by the 918 Seekers who barely survived, the disaster that crouched in the darkness now descends upon Earth.]
[Disaster Difficulty: B-rank.]
[The theme of the disaster is ‘Flood.’]
As I was reeling from the sudden message, a notification arrived on my smartphone.
The sender was the Hunter Association.
The message announced the appearance of a Kraken on the South Coast and stated that an emergency summons was being issued to S-rank and A-rank Hunters to form a subjugation team.
And one more thing.
They were also forming a support team with B-rank Hunter volunteers to assist the main force.
“A Kraken…”
The Kraken.
A monster over several hundred meters in size, one of the few classified not as S-rank, but as a disaster.
It had only appeared once before.
But that single appearance was enough to instill a deep understanding of its power and terror.
A rift had opened in the sea off the coast of Japan.
The creature that emerged from the dungeon—which had been destroyed by a sudden spike in mana concentration that went undetected—had dyed the waters around it red, killing thousands of Japanese Hunters in just one week.
“…So this is the ‘Flood.’”
The Kraken and the word ‘Flood,’ which the message window had just displayed in a menacing red font.
There was no monster more fitting for that word.
Every time its tentacles, each dozens of meters long, slammed into the sea, they would unleash waves of unimaginable height, submerging everything in the vicinity.
In other words, the disaster was the Kraken.
“……”
After class, I leaned back on the club room sofa, lost in thought.
Should I go, or should I not?
If the S-rank and A-rank Hunters were mobilized, the Kraken would eventually be defeated, even if it took some effort.
And they would do so while minimizing the kind of catastrophic damage Japan had suffered in the past.
Why did I think that?
“Because it’s a monster we’ve faced before.”
Do you know what the most terrifying monster in the world is?
It’s one you have no information on.
To figure out its traits, its strengths, and its weaknesses, you have to clash with it head-on.
In that process, countless Hunters lose their lives to the enemy’s attacks.
But the Kraken, despite having appeared only once, was a monster registered in the Hunter Association’s database.
Information exists on how Japan managed to defeat it and where they suffered the most damage.
It was information bought with the lives of thousands of Hunters.
That meant we could minimize casualties by preparing thoroughly before the battle.
“It’s not like there will be zero casualties, but…”
They could probably pull off a subjugation that would make people say, Considering a Kraken showed up, this is a pretty good outcome.
After all, unlike Japan, which had information and three S-rank Hunters, our country had a whopping five…
“Ah, right. Four.”
I had to start excluding Fake Si-woo from our total strength. Ahem.
In any case, four was more than enough to take down a Kraken.
When Japan fought it, they only had two S-rank Hunters.
Of course, they were backed by hundreds of A-rank Hunters, but we would have the same.
“There’s nothing for me to gain by going, is there…?”
It might sound a bit cold, but it was the truth.
A Hunter’s sense of justice, the duty to save people and the country?
I’d left all that behind in my old body; I hadn’t bothered to bring it with me into this one.
If this disaster was my fault, I might have gone out of a sense of responsibility, but that wasn't the case, was it?
I’d beaten the crap out of so many Seekers!
Ultimately, the only thing that could move this heavy body was whether an action would benefit me or not.
I was just a B-rank Hunter.
In terms of ability, I was confident I wouldn’t lose to most A-ranks, but still.
A Kraken’s corpse is a drool-worthy treasure in itself, but the most valuable parts would all go to the S-rank and A-rank Hunters leading the subjugation. Was there really any reason for me to…
No, wait.
“Haa… I guess it’s not like there’s nothing to gain…”
Materially, it was true there was nothing for me. But if I thought about non-material gains, there was something to be had.
A fresh-faced rookie who just became B-rank volunteers for the support team, wanting to lend a helping hand, however small, to stop a disaster?
“That paints a pretty good picture.”
To quickly rise to A-rank, recognition was just as important as achievements.
The more public support I had, the more the Hunter Association would have to pay attention to me, even if just a little.
“Okay, good.”
My mind was made up.
“Let’s go.”
Even if I couldn’t take the Kraken’s head with this power, I could at least pretend to have lent a hand.
The moment I decided, I immediately called Yoon Ji-an.
—Ah, Do-jin. I’m a bit busy right now, so if it’s alright with you, could we talk a little later…
“I’m going to the South Coast.”
—I… I beg your pardon? You’re going to the South Coast?
“Yes. Put my name down for the support team.”
—W-Wait, Do-jin. No matter what, that’s…!
I expected this.
That she would try to interfere with my plans.
“If you don’t sign me up, I’ll go by myself.”
—…F-Fine. I understand.
She must have done the math the moment she heard my answer.
The probability of me getting hurt was lower if I was part of the support team rather than going alone.
—But, Do-jin. I want you to know one thing.
“Yes, Ji-an?”
—I… am a little angry.
“Uh, um.”
Huh.
This wasn’t part of my calculations.
—S-So, if you don’t appease me soon, you might be in big trouble.
“…In other words, you want to go on a date once this is over?”
—How you interpret my words is up to you, so don’t ask me.
I’ll take that as don’t ask because it’s embarrassing, right?
“Anyway… let’s meet up after this is all settled.”
—Understood. And… please be careful. Absolutely do not put yourself in any danger.
“Don’t you worry. I don’t like getting hurt, either.”
I ended the call after coaxing and soothing her as she poured out her worries.
At the end, she said she was too anxious and that she’d pick me up after her work was done so we could go down together. It was such a pain talking her out of that.
“Phew… Well then, shall I get going?”
If I was going to do it, the sooner the better.
If I showed up at an awkward time, the attention I’d receive would be just as awkward.
To really capture the spotlight, struggling from the very beginning would make for a much better picture.
With that thought, I swung the door open, only to find an unexpected person standing there in an awkward posture.
“Shin Yu-jeong…?”
What was she doing here?
I thought she was so mad at me that she wouldn’t even show her face anywhere I might be.
Did she come here for a quick break, thinking I wouldn’t be around?
I spoke to her with an awkward smile.
“Here to rest? I’m heading out now, so make yourself comfortable…”
“Hey.”
Her formidable voice cut me off.
Then came the question.
“Why are you going to Haenam?”
It seemed she had been eavesdropping from beyond the door.
“…Why? That’s obvious.”
To rack up achievements and recognition, of course.
…Instead of saying that, I was about to offer up some more impressive-sounding words.
“Is it because of… my dad?”
“……”
Why is she suddenly bringing up her dad out of nowhere?
Just as I was about to ask what she meant, a memory buried deep inside me pushed its way through my thoughts.
Ah.
Yu-jeong’s dad worked for the Haenam Surveillance Team.
Which meant… that Ajeossi was currently at the epicenter of the Kraken’s rampage.
Could this be…?
“…It’s not like that.”
I stirred her emotions with a vague tone.
I said it wasn’t, but I laced my words with a nuance that made it feel like it was true, and her eyebrows shot up.
“Stop bullshitting me. If it’s not that, why else would you go to Haenam?”
“That’s…”
I let my voice trail off as if I were at a loss for words.
I didn’t need to correct her assumption or confirm it.
All I had to do was give her the impression that there was something more to it, and her own mind would do the rest—thinking, judging, and deciding.
“You bastard.”
Her fist weakly struck my chest.
Thud.
“Why are you doing this to me?”
Thud.
“You did everything with me, then said you liked another girl, and now you…!”
It hit me.
I knew exactly what I had to do now.
I grabbed her limp arm, pulled her into my embrace, and held her tight.
“Let go… Aren’t you going to let go…?”
Despite her words of protest, despite her struggling arms and legs, I couldn’t feel a single ounce of genuine rejection.
Instead, I held her even tighter and whispered into her ear.
“I’m sorry.”
There’s an old maxim passed down among married men.
It’s easier to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
What does that mean?
It means you do what you want without permission first, then you beg on your hands and knees to be forgiven.
That way, you get what you want, and the relationship goes back to normal.
The collective wisdom of married men, dreaming of killing two birds with one stone.
You could see this as a similar approach.
First, I shake her up with a shocking statement, and then, when her heart is at its most turbulent, I ask for forgiveness.
Of course, this wasn’t my original plan… but plans are meant to change with the situation, aren’t they?
Her weakly struggling arms dropped to her sides.
“Are you… going to save my dad?”
“Yes.”
To be honest, I didn’t particularly want to.
The man was a candidate for my father-in-law, but he was also a love rival.
But still… since things turned out this way, I had to at least try my best to save him.
Hearing my answer, she pushed me away with surprising strength and wiped her eyes.
Then, with a much softer expression, she glared at me and answered.
“…Just go. We’ll talk later.”
That felt like a good answer.
Of course, it wasn’t permission to have a harem… but I just needed to get my foot in the door.
The first step is always the hardest. The second and third times are much easier.
I gave her a confident nod and replied.
“I’ll be back.”
Haenam, just you wait.
You’re so dead.