Chapter 241: Conquering the Kraken (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 241: Conquering the Kraken (3)
It was the third day of our battle with the Kraken Juniors.
Finally, the cleanup was over.
The Kraken Juniors that had slithered up through the open defensive barrier had all been reduced to fishy-smelling corpses, and the number of eggs floating on the sea had decreased significantly.
Judging by the drastic drop in mana concentration around the water, it seemed the spawning was finally coming to an end.
"It'll probably start moving soon."
The real fight would begin the moment that giant squid revealed itself above the water.
Han Ju-hee, Kim Tae-yang, and our very own Namgung Hyeok.
I wondered how the three of them would take on the Kraken.
"Not that it matters to me, but..."
Whatever happened, I hoped there would be as little loss of life and property as possible.
No one wailing over the loss of a colleague or family member.
No one falling into despair after losing their home.
Seeing faces like that was painful.
Extremely painful.
"You guys, you worked so hard!"
As we returned to the rear area, Ju-yeon ran up as if she'd been waiting and threw her arms around us.
Every time my face was buried in her ample chest, I felt a pang of guilt.
I hate myself for smiling foolishly at the sensation, knowing I shouldn't. I really do.
"No injuries today, either. Good."
Just like yesterday, Han Ju-yeon checked us over and nodded with a satisfied expression.
"You're all done with your work now. Are you heading back right away?"
I shook my head at her question.
"Um... no. I was thinking of staying a little longer."
I was curious to see how they would take down the Kraken, and I also had a promise with Han Ju-hee.
Seo-yeon, who had been mulling it over as well, quietly shook her head.
"I... want to stay a little longer, too."
Even after killing so many Kraken Juniors, she still looked like she had unfinished business.
Still, she wouldn't do anything rash.
What could she possibly do?
It's not like she could just show up where S-rank Hunters were in the middle of a fierce battle.
Hearing our decision, Han Ju-yeon offered a word of caution, her tone laced with worry.
"Haa... I don't know why I'm so worried about leaving you two here."
Her unexpected words made question marks pop up over my and Seo-yeon's heads.
"Are you going somewhere?"
"Oh... did I not tell you? I'm joining the Kraken raid."
This was the first I'd heard of it.
Didn't she say she came here to support the injured in the rear?
"Weren't you here for rear support?"
"That was the original plan, but..."
Han Ju-yeon smiled awkwardly.
"The Association made an official request, saying they needed a buffer."
"Ah..."
Ju-yeon's buffs were undeniably top-tier.
In all of Korea—no, in the entire world—there were few with buffing abilities superior to hers.
Aside from those S-ranks famous or infamous throughout the world, like the Saintess of the Vatican, the Witch of the Underworld, or the Commander of the Battlefield, she was probably the strongest.
This was actually great.
"Then you must have been briefed on the strategy for the Kraken raid, right?"
"Yeah. There's an abandoned city a little ways from here. They're planning to lure it there and fight."
"An abandoned city..."
Decades had passed since the dawn of the Hunter society.
Though it had weathered countless crises and hardships to reach a period of relative stability, the scars of the past remained all over the land.
The nearby abandoned city was likely one of those scars.
"Hmm..."
It wasn't a bad method.
The Kraken was a marine creature.
If they could lure it onto land, they could start the fight on more advantageous terms.
However...
"Why? You don't like the plan?"
"Ah... it's not that."
It wasn't that I disliked it.
It was just that I couldn't help but wonder if there was a better option.
"Then why don't you tell me?"
Han Ju-yeon asked, a curious smile playing on her lips.
"Tell you what?"
"How you would fight the Kraken if you were an S-rank Hunter, Do-jin."
"Uh... well."
If I were an S-rank Hunter participating in the Kraken raid... the answer was obvious.
"I'd probably attack it from the inside."
"The inside... you mean you'd go inside its body?"
"Yes."
While this was true for any catastrophe-class monster, the Kraken was an exceptionally tricky opponent.
Its outer skin was not only incredibly tough but also slippery, and its magic defense was considerable.
Even for three S-rank Hunters boosted by Ju-yeon's buffs, it would take a significant amount of time to pierce its hide and inflict damage.
During that time, the A-ranks supporting them would suffer casualties, and even in an abandoned city, who knew what kind of massive scars the giant squid would leave on the surrounding area as it thrashed about.
"Considering all that, wouldn't it be better to just go inside and attack it from there... huh?"
As I rambled on excitedly, my eyes met Ju-yeon's, who was staring intently at me.
...That was a very intense gaze.
Then, she broke into a wide smile and muttered something in a small voice.
"Hehe... I thought you'd changed a lot, but maybe not so much, huh?"
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
Han Ju-yeon shook her head and quickly pulled back.
I was sure I heard her say something about me changing... what was that about?
Ju-yeon straightened up and reached out to gently pat my head.
"You're going to be a great Hunter, Do-jin. You will."
"Haha..."
That's the last thing I want to be now.
* * *
With less than twelve hours until the full-scale assault on the Kraken began.
Five people were gathered around a table at the top of the Haenam Surveillance Team's outpost.
Han Ju-hee, Kim Tae-yang, Namgung Hyeok, and Kim Seong-tae.
And the newest addition to the party, Han Ju-yeon.
Kim Tae-yang, who had been thoroughly scolded by Han Ju-hee just a day before, licked his lips as he looked at Han Ju-yeon.
'Tsk... this pair of sisters is insane.'
They had similar faces and figures.
But they gave off completely different vibes.
One was cold and alluring, while the other exuded a warm and bright aura.
Perhaps that was why.
'It'd be better to conquer the younger sister before the older one.'
Han Ju-yeon, who was the polar opposite of the ice queen Han Ju-hee, seemed like a much lower hurdle.
His tongue moved smoothly as he licked his lips.
"What's the reason for calling us here in the middle of the night? Don't feel pressured, just speak freely."
At his greasy tone, as if his mouth were slathered in butter, everyone except Han Ju-yeon frowned.
He was right.
It was none other than Han Ju-yeon who had gathered them, pulling them from their respective quarters where they had been trying to get enough rest before the raid.
Why had she called them all here?
"Thank you all for coming!"
Han Ju-yeon greeted them with a bright smile.
"The reason I've asked you all to gather... is to suggest we change tomorrow's plan!"
"...What?"
"Oh my?"
"Hmph."
The S-ranks reacted in various ways to the sudden and absurd proposal.
Startled, Kim Seong-tae shot up from his seat and questioned her demandingly.
"Hunter Han Ju-yeon, are you saying you want to change the plan with less than twelve hours to go?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Ha..."
Kim Seong-tae wore a flustered expression at her energetic reply.
At the same time, he was curious.
"...Could you please explain it to us first?"
He wondered what kind of plan she would propose with such confidence.
And whether it was truly more efficient than the one he himself had proposed.
Nodding without losing her smile, Han Ju-yeon immediately began.
"We're going to attack the Kraken from the inside."
The expressions of the four people instantly hardened.
The inside of the Kraken?
"By that... you mean you want us to go inside its body?"
"That's right."
The four of them were at a loss for words, staring at her confident face even after she had made such a preposterous suggestion.
They couldn't understand what gave her the confidence to wear such an expression.
Han Ju-hee, who probably understood her sister's personality better than anyone else there, was the one to ask.
"Tell me why. The reason we should attack the Kraken's interior instead of its exterior."
As if waiting for her question, Han Ju-yeon began to speak.
"First, the Kraken's outer skin is incredibly tough and even slippery."
"And?"
"Not only is it hard to pierce with any ordinary attack, but it will also take a long time just to get to that point."
She began to list the reasons one by one.
It was a carbon copy of what she had heard from Kim Do-jin just a little while ago.
The only difference was that hers came with a string of detailed explanations.
After explaining all the potential damage that would be incurred the longer the battle dragged on, she asserted her point once more.
"Considering all these points, it's better to attack from the inside."
The abolishment of the existing plan and the proposal to attack the Kraken's interior.
The four people's expressions were quite different after hearing the explanation compared to when they had only heard the proposal.
At first, it had seemed merely absurd and ridiculous, but now, with the reasoning made clear, it felt quite plausible.
"But... as you all know, don't you?"
Sensing the atmosphere shifting in a strange direction, Kim Seong-tae quickly spoke up to stop it.
"In the case of large monsters, they have defense mechanisms against internal intruders."
"That's also true."
Namgung Hyeok nodded in agreement.
As if they anticipated humans trying to infiltrate them, colossal monsters possessed internal defense mechanisms to prevent intrusion.
For instance, they might command giant parasites, or secrete an acidic fluid that could melt even steel in an instant.
The danger was so great that it made one wonder if it wasn't better to just attack it slowly from the outside.
As a catastrophe-class monster, the Kraken would surely have such defense mechanisms thoroughly prepared.
"One wrong move, and we could be wiped out in vain inside the Kraken's body."
This was also a very valid point.
Perhaps that was why.
The opinions of the S-rank Hunters were split down the middle.
"I'm for the internal assault."
Kim Tae-yang, giddy with the thought of seducing Han Ju-yeon one way or another, sided with her without a second thought.
"I find Director Kim's opinion more reasonable."
Namgung Hyeok sided with Kim Seong-tae.
He believed a standard method was more logical, even if it took a little longer, than a plan with a high risk of annihilation.
And so, only Han Ju-hee remained.
As all eyes focused on her, she, who had been lost in thought with her eyes closed, looked at Han Ju-yeon with a cold gaze and asked.
"What do you think the success rate of that plan is?"
To which Han Ju-yeon replied instantly.
"100%, of course, sis."
Another absurd number had been thrown out.
100%?
On what grounds could she assign such a success rate to such a dangerous operation?
"Your basis?"
At the follow-up question, Han Ju-yeon looked around at everyone with a sensual smile on her lips and answered.
"Because this strategy... is the one Hunter Son Si-woo told me himself."
Her words struck the conference room like a thunderbolt.