Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: 23. People Who Have Lost Hope (3)
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It felt like my train of thought had ground to a halt.
Not just twice, but three trials in a row.
And the peculiar part was that the rewards weren't limited to all-stats boosts—they were also being granted in the form of stat stones.
'The fifteen stat stones probably carry symbolic weight. If it were a reward meant entirely for me, it could've just been given as raw stats like before. The fact that they've separated it into stats and stones means it's intended for sharing with my companions who'll be taking on the risk alongside me. Those stones can be divided perfectly into three equal parts of five each. That's no coincidence.'
Five per person.
An appropriate reward.
But even so, I couldn't make a hasty decision.
Kitakyushu might allow access up to the Yellow Zone, but the Red Zone was a whole different story. It was a place even the government couldn't guarantee safety in. Venturing into a zone teeming with A-Rank monsters could mean not just failing to claim the reward, but total annihilation in the worst case.
I swallowed dryly.
Logically speaking, this was something I absolutely shouldn't accept.
Nothing in the world was more important than life, but just like before, Kang San had no real choice in the matter.
'In the end, it's just a question of whether I go alone or we go together.'
There was no other way.
Kang San chose honesty.
Seeing his siblings voice their opinions, now true comrades, he couldn't force them to either back off or come along—he had to let them choose.
"I've got something to say."
He called his siblings over.
As always, a bit of embellishment was necessary.
"Among the skills I've recently acquired, there's a 'conditional' one that lets me locate people. Whether it's good luck or bad, I used it to pinpoint Eileen's position, and she's in the Red Zone. As you all know, the Red Zone is extremely dangerous. No matter how much you want to help someone in need, there's no reason to risk your lives for it. You all have families who cherish you. If we charge in thinking it'll all work out optimistically, those families waiting anxiously for you will only get the worst kind of news."
He revealed the trial's existence through the skill.
But he concealed the reward.
They weren't the type to be swayed by rewards anyway, and he didn't want that factor influencing the decision at all.
They all hesitated.
For them too, entering the Red Zone wasn't easy.
Seeing their reactions...
"Wait a second! I have a proposal!"
Jessica, who had been listening, hurriedly raised her voice.
Kang San's words.
The revelation that he could locate her brother snapped Jessica to attention.
If he could find her brother without an artifact's help, she had to secure Kang San's party's aid somehow.
Jessica spoke up.
"I haven't been searching for my brother every single day in Kitakyushu. Outside of patrolling to catch signals from the artifact, I've been hunting monsters—especially during monster waves, where I've actively stolen kills from newcomers who miss them. You've experienced it yourself, Kang San, so I'm sorry about that. But the reason I've clung to life so desperately was so that if a situation like this arose, I could offer a solid reward."
It might sound bad.
But she had to do something.
"I've saved up three million dollars—that's my entire fortune, forty billion won. I'll give it all to you. And if we rescue Eileen, I'll devote myself to the four of you from now on. Whatever you ask of me, I'll accept. If you need me as party firepower, I can join without any share of the loot, completely for free."
Her plea was earnest.
Her sharp features softened as she appealed with raw emotion.
"I'm a B-Rank hunter too. Back in France where I lived, my abilities were recognized. Helping me won't be a loss for you, I swear. Please, I'm begging you."
Jessica's gaze turned to Kang San.
She had shrewdly pegged him as the party leader, but Kang San averted his eyes, passing the decision to his siblings.
Even if they refused...
This was a trial Kang San had to accept anyway.
If he decided, they might follow, but he hoped they'd choose of their own free will first.
A brief silence fell.
After much deliberation, Yeon Woo-bin cautiously spoke up.
"......When I lost my mother and resolved to become a hunter, I asked myself a question. The people who tripped her up, the ones who ignored her when she fell. I resented those who didn't lift a hand for others. If I were in the same situation, could I help a total stranger? Honestly, I don't know. I've never had the spare capacity to help anyone, so I can't say without experiencing it. But."
She looked at Kang San.
Yeon Woo-bin's eyes held a resolute determination that hadn't been there before.
"The reason I pushed myself so hard to grow stronger was to have the power to help others. The strength to protect the people I care about. The capacity to aid someone who falls before me. I know the Red Zone is dangerous. But if it's possible, I want to help."
She projected her mother's fall onto Jessica's plight.
The mother collapsing right in front of her, Eileen sending signals from right under her nose.
Yeon Woo-bin wouldn't turn away.
Jo Han-byeol felt the same.
"I agree with Woo-bin. We've trained so hard for moments like this."
Finally, Jeong Chan-woo.
As eyes turned to him, he grinned.
"We're of one mind and body in this party, right? Let's go."
Their goodwill.
A silly laugh escaped him.
Why did they live like this?
Kang San hadn't chosen this life himself, yet here were his siblings ready to sacrifice without special rewards. It stirred strange emotions. They were good people. And since Kang San appeared good on the surface, maybe that's why they gathered around him.
Kang San thought once more.
If these repeating trials led to a bad end, he'd ensure no one died before him.
He looked at Jessica.
"We accept your proposal."
The goal was clear now.
From here on, convoluted calculations took a backseat to a solid plan to rescue Eileen.
The trial's time limit was two hours.
According to the system info, diligent movement would get them there in about one hour.
'The problem is not knowing how many monsters we'll encounter en route. Factoring in variables for detours, two hours isn't generous at all.'
They needed to hurry.
But first.
There was something to confirm with the child.
"Can you tell me how you ended up alone here?"
The child's presence.
It didn't make sense.
In the heart of the Yellow Zone swarming with monsters, a lone child abandoned like that wasn't normal. And three years had passed since the massive link. There had to be stories only known inside here, ones outsiders like Kang San wouldn't know.
Sure enough.
"Well......"
The child hesitantly spoke.
The gist was this:
Three years ago, the massive link hit, and countless people in southern Japan couldn't escape death. But it wasn't total annihilation. Amid the chaos, survivors banded together in small groups, forming their own villages. That's how Eileen and the child met—they lived in the same village. Adults scavenged food daily, dodging monsters. The child tagged along to mimic them, but came to and realized they'd gotten lost.
And fortunately, Eileen's artifact led Kang San right to them.
"A village?"
"How is that even possible?"
Everyone reacted with shock.
Three whole years.
For the first year or so, there were search efforts, but lately, the consensus was that any survivors were long dead. That's why the Japanese government had backed off. With other issues plaguing Japan, they couldn't prioritize the already-doomed.
The situation was grave.
There might be more than one village.
More people than just Eileen could be out there, making this trial far from simple. Something massive might lurk beyond it. But overthinking was pointless—solve the immediate problem first.
Kang San said,
"Jessica, look after the child's safety while we move."
"Got it."
No more.
No time for hesitation.
Kang San stood, heading in the direction the system indicated.
"I'll take point. Let's move."
The Red Zone needed no special markers.
Unlike Green and Yellow Zones defined by monster levels, the thick fog announced entry into the Red Zone. It was suffocating. Most parties would panic, but Kang San's group had faced this before.
Their first raid.
The ant cave.
They'd encountered fog before plummeting into the ant cave, so Kang San took point, advancing slowly.
"Keep a steady interval, everyone."
"Yes."
This fog was the Red Zone's true hazard.
It restricted visibility and jammed all comms gear from here on.
In the early massive link days.
The Japanese government tried rescuing survivors, but teams entering the no-contact zone couldn't return due to the fog. As deaths from wandering mounted, they deemed it futile and halted operations.
Survivors fared no better.
Like the rescuers, they couldn't navigate past monsters and ended up isolated.
Lately.
Japan's parliament had been rife with clashes.
Especially two heavyweight politicians fiercely debating prioritizing the south.
'Already an hour gone.'
Kang San glanced at the time.
Monsters in the Yellow Zone had slowed them, so even rushing, it took an hour to enter Red. No reckless rushing now—unknown monsters meant safety first, always.
Then.
Amid the creeping fog, Kang San sensed movement.
"Get ready."
Kyaaak-!
Sure enough.
A familiar monster burst through the fog, slashing with sharp claws.
Kaang!
Kyung kyung kyung!
Werewolves.
Over a dozen charged at once, swarming Kang San's group.
Kang San responded calmly.
C-Rank werewolves weren't a crisis, and his siblings handled it coolly. Kang San and Jeong Chan-woo held the front wave; Jo Han-byeol and Yeon Woo-bin's attacks alternated, thinning numbers fast. Jessica was sidelined from combat. Skilled as she was, protecting a child under ten limited her.
The skirmish.
Wrapped up quickly.
About ten minutes to Eileen now; handle these, and the trial was done.
But then.
A sound stirred bad memories for Kang San.
Awooooooo-! A beast's howl pierced his eardrums.
Simultaneously.
The monster from the tenth trial.
It stepped forward once more, asserting its presence.