Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: Infiltration, Intense Battle at the Gangbuk-gu Papal Court (1)
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0.
“You all need to bind your hands with these later. Grab one each.”
“This is……?”
What Gong Min-young handed us was a chain gleaming with frosty light. The very one that had bound her mother.
“Song Chan-un made it.”
“……!”
“It neutralizes the bound person’s unique skills and drags their physical abilities down to normal human levels.”
For a moment, I couldn’t believe my ears.
What kind of research does it take to invent something like that?
It was nothing like Seo Hwa-yoon’s work.
This guy’s research direction…… wasn’t about humanity’s progress. It was about control.
“Well…… Oppa’s higher level than Song Chan-un, so it won’t work on you, but we have to do this or they’ll get suspicious.”
Gong Min-young winked at me.
Had she buried the grief of losing her mother deep in her heart?
I decided not to bring it up anymore.
Wounds in the human heart never truly heal.
“I’ll do as you say.”
“Um…… me too!”
“……Me as well.”
The three companions obediently held out their hands without a hint of suspicion.
“No, not yet. We still have to cross the Hunting Zone again. Just hold onto them for now.”
Anyone who’d just witnessed that funeral rite wouldn’t dream of doubting us.
“Let’s get set up quick and go.”
Gong Min-young rubbed at her tear-streaked eyes.
“Because of me…… we’ve wasted too much time. I’ll explain what we need for the strategy on the way.”
1.
August 1, 2045.
Hunters from another Paradise had invaded Star Pleasure Garden’s Seodaemun and Jongno-gu.
Led by shaman Hwang Ga-in, along with Sword God Choi Sin-yul and Pope Song Chan-un, they shattered the northern gate.
When the gate fell, so did the peace.
“Ah~ I changed my mind. No mercy. I’ll just kill them all.”
Jongno-gu was reduced to ruins once more.
Rumor had it…… demons who devoured humans alive had nested in that frozen wasteland.
“It looks like a total trap.”
“No. For a trap, isn’t it too sloppy?”
“Seongbuk-gu, Anam-dong…… If we hurry, we can make it in time.”
That’s where Chairman Kim Baek-jun of the inaugural Association set out for Anam-dong.
To meet those who had secretly requested contact.
“Captain Jeong Ha-kyeong, what do we do now?”
The Association leadership had abandoned Star Pleasure Garden’s Jongno-gu, evacuating all refugees to Seodaemun-gu.
The war wasn’t over yet.
The massive influx of Paradise dwellers had turned into a disaster. Food rations, housing support, treating the wounded……
Three days passed like that.
The Lead Hunter detachment still hadn’t returned.
“……Fuck, two major broadcasts today, huh.”
At Seodaemun-gu’s eastern gate.
The Association’s 1st Regiment (provisional) stood at attention before Jeong Ha-kyeong.
“First one…… Park Ji-won?”
“Yes?”
“Happy birthday, you little shit. Getting old sucks, right? Let’s eat your rice cake soup in hell this year.”
Park Ji-won gave an awkward bow to those around him.
The regiment hunters whistled or slapped his back enthusiastically.
“And second. No need to explain. Let’s go clean up those fuckers who stirred shit in Jongno-gu.”
No sooner had she spoken.
Than the 1st Regiment mounted their horses. All fully armored.
“You all know those ice freak monsters…… always ambushing from some hideout, right?”
“Yes!”
“Anyone who forgot, I’ll smash your skull. Keep your guard up at all times.”
Jeong Ha-kyeong fiddled with the watch on her wrist—Kim Baek-jun’s.
Like a lucky charm……
Praying that both he and she would return safely and reunite.
“H-H-Ha-kyeong!”
It was just as she was about to mount up.
A voice she wasn’t thrilled to hear……
She knew who it was even before turning.
A beauty with youthful features.
Tall for a woman, with other generous proportions…… Park Ji-yeon.
“Ah, sis! I’m fine, really?”
Park Ji-won protested, but Park Ji-yeon barreled straight toward Jeong Ha-kyeong.
“What?”
Not in Association uniform.
Her outer district knight order leather armor made her stand out even more.
“Could…… could we come along too?”
“We?”
Jeong Ha-kyeong pointedly glanced above Park Ji-yeon’s head, at her level window, provocatively.
“You’ll just get in the way. And if you’re worried about Park Ji-won, don’t. He’s way stronger than you.”
Jeong Ha-kyeong always got snappy around Park Ji-yeon. She didn’t even know why.
“I am worried about Ji-won, but…… that’s not why I’m tagging along.”
People meeting Park Ji-yeon for the first time always got thrown off by her boldness.
They expected an innocent, girlish vibe, only to be shocked by her tough, market-auntie speech.
“Then why?”
Instead of answering, Park Ji-yeon pointed behind her.
A few wagons were approaching.
No…… roofs removed, converted into carts.
“We’re short on rations. Really short. So many people are starving.”
The outer district knight orders were overseeing Seodaemun-gu’s security and relief efforts.
“So you’re going out to Jongno-gu to fetch some?”
“It’s a frozen hell out there anyway, right? I heard the dead animal corpses aren’t rotting.”
“Who the fuck went around spreading that…… Just go to the Hunting Zone and farm soul stones.”
“Ingredients themselves are scarce now. Holy Blood Pills cost a fortune.”
Jeong Ha-kyeong let out a long sigh.
When the justification was this solid, refusal wasn’t an option.
“I’ll protect you as best I can, but no guarantees. Got it? Our lives come first.”
“We’re just hitching a ride out anyway. We’ll scavenge bodies from the rear, so don’t worry.”
“Ah, sure sure. Thanks a fucking ton for that.”
Like old-school guys, Jeong Ha-kyeong rolled up her sleeve for no reason and glanced at her watch.
Park Ji-yeon’s eyes locked onto it.
Heh…… Jeong Ha-kyeong flashed a wicked, victor’s smile.
2.
The north.
The higher they climbed, the fiercer the cold grew.
“……Insanely cold.”
Past the limit line, sleet began to swirl…… and as they trekked a full day toward Gangbuk-gu, the snowflakes thickened relentlessly.
Was this for real……?
Altering the Hunting Zone’s climate too?
“No need to be shocked, Oppa. Gangbuk-gu and Nowon-gu are even worse.”
Gong Min-young was right.
Gangbuk-gu…… was a winter kingdom.
Amid the silent blizzard pouring down, the gates and walls gleamed white, frozen into ice barriers.
“Everyone, heads down now.”
“……?”
“Like sinners! Hoods up tight. Watch your step on the snow.”
We advanced north with Gong Min-young’s pack of hunting dogs.
Gong Min-young at the front of the formation.
Us in the center, in tattered priest robes, hands bound with iron chains.
The hunting dogs flanking us on both sides.
How long had we walked like that?
Gong Min-young suddenly halted and blew a shrill note on her flute. Then……
……Bwooooooo……
A trumpet replied.
Kigigigigigigig──
A beat later, with a metallic groan, the gate began to open.
I let out a hollow sigh.
Had we been…… too careless? They guarded the gates this tightly.
Nowon-gu had clearly been preparing for war between Paradises for a while.
- I’ve been looking forward to this meeting for a fortnight……
That’s what Song Chan-un had said.
But something felt off. Why hadn’t we known about this?
───Kuuuung.
A heavy boom rattled my ears. The gate opening.
“Let’s go.”
As Gong Min-young started walking again, I hesitated for a split second.
What if this was a deception……? Unthinkable, but to save Do Ye-jin and Choi Uk, we had no choice.
“……Hoo.”
Steeling myself with a deep breath, I crunched through the snow into Gangbuk-gu’s interior.
‘This is weird.’
Gangbuk-gu city streets.
Lee Seong-mi, walking beside me, whispered softly.
‘No fog barrier…… It’s like the Paradise and Hunting Zone are connected.’
Could it be……?
A sharp pain lanced through my mind. But soon, the cityscape stole my focus.
Gangbuk-gu……
The eerie city slumped in white ruins.
‘They’ve demolished all the houses……?’
‘Yeah. Stacked them up like barricades. Probably…… prepping for street fighting.’
No matter how I thought about it, something was wrong.
Right then, an [info window] popped up before my eyes.
[New Area: Star Pleasure Garden - ‘New Gangbuk-gu’]
[Paradise Transfer Bonus]
- All unique and exclusive skill uses are reset.
Wh…… what……?
What kind of bonus was this? It felt like…… encouraging fights between hunters……?
That’s when Lee Seong-mi spoke.
‘But if it’s like this, where do people even live……?’
The answer came soon enough.
Emaciated citizens…… were being herded somewhere by hunters who hadn’t turned into monsters yet.
“Won’t you all get out of the way? Huh?”
Gong Min-young barked fiercely.
The hunting dogs threw their heads back and howled in unison.
Instantly.
The citizens scattered to the roadside like fleeing prey, prostrating themselves on the ground.
Pitiful…… I thought.
Watching their bony spines tremble…… gave me a rough idea of the north’s situation.
That’s when crisis struck.
“J-J-Judge…… Your Excellency. You’ve arrived? Heh…… hehehe.”
Two hunters approached, giggling creepily.
Ghastly pale faces.
Spasmodic laughter. Staggering gaits. Something was deeply off.
“Well, we’re here, so fuck off. Or I’ll suck your eyeballs out.”
“S-S-Sorry…… heh heh.”
“But what are you doing with these slaves?”
As she said that, Gong Min-young flinched and glanced at me.
Slaves…… I see.
That loaded word carried their suffering, letting me grasp the northern citizens’ treatment in an instant.
“Th-The P-Pope…… ah…… ahehe…… ordered us to b-bring them all……”
“Why?”
“W-W-Winter mass…… hehe…… he’s holding one.”
A mass?
Classic Song Chan-un. No idea what he was plotting, but his fanatic naming sense shone through.
“B-But what are…… th-these?”
“Choi Su-cheol and his lackeys.”
The hunters exchanged looks and cackled.
Then, in one moment.
Spotting Lee Ha-ram, they burst into loud laughter and approached, poking her head.
Endure…… endure……
Seeing Lee Ha-ram’s fists tremble, my heart began to race anxiously.
Please…… no.
If Lee Ha-ram snapped here……?
Despite the bone-chilling cold, cold sweat poured down my body.
It felt eternal.
Until the hunters spewed every vile insult and finally turned back to Gong Min-young.
“Ah…… fucking freezing. When’s the wagon coming?”
“Y-You’re gonna…… heh heh, load them on the wagon……?”
“Hey, it’s so cold my balls are freezing—think I’ll walk?”
I wondered how she knew the cold that well.
“It’s d-dangerous…… hehe…… b-better leave them to us…… heh.”
“Save your sleep-talk for your mom.”
Gong Min-young jabbed the hunter’s chest with her pipe.
“Wanna try it? Let’s see if His Holiness stays quiet. You take responsibility.”
Pope.
The moment that word dropped, a gasp rippled through the citizens. The hunters backed away in reverence.
This…… wasn’t fear.
Genuine awe…… From a lunatic like Song Chan-un?
Huh……?
That’s when I felt a gaze and whipped my head around.
My eyes met a girl’s.
Her hollow eyes, lifted just a sliver from her kneeling position on the ground, stared at me…… at the [Lead Hunter] title above my head?
“Ah…… aaah…….”
As the girl’s lips quivered.
I had to stealthily raise my chained hand, pressing a finger to my lips.
I’ll come back for you someday, without fail.
Hoping that promise conveyed through my eyes and mouth alone.
That’s when the wagons arrived.
And for a moment, I widened my eyes in shock.