Chapter 194
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 194
“So, what did you tell them…?”
At Yoo Seong-un’s trembling question, Gio replied calmly, even as his shoulders were gripped in a vise.
“Naturally, I refused.”
“I’m so glad you have enough common sense to call that ‘natural’…”
“Just what kind of person did you think I was?”
“A portrait who leaps headfirst into anything that catches his interest.”
“That’s not entirely wrong, but it still feels unfair.”
Even Gio had his limits.
“Who in their right mind would enjoy being kidnapped?”
“There might be someone. This world has too many crazy bastards.”
“If you put it that way, I have nothing to say, but I don’t think I’m that brand of crazy.”
“Hearing you say that brings me immense relief.”
Only then did Yoo Seong-un let out a deep sigh and release his grip on Gio’s shoulders.
“Those mermaid friends of yours are certainly unique. Do people usually ask for permission before kidnapping someone?”
“Well, they aren’t exactly my ordinary acquaintances.”
“Why did they say they wanted to kidnap you in the first place?”
“They didn’t give me any details.”
“Do you have any guesses?”
“It seems they don’t want me directly involved in this fight.”
Though he currently had platinum-blonde hair and blue eyes, Gio continued with his characteristically blunt expression.
“After all, this isn’t my fight.”
“Not your fight?”
“I have never been truly connected to the mermaids’ affairs.”
“Don’t you think a lot of people would find that absurd?”
“Strictly speaking, the bond between my mermaid disciples and me ended on the ocean planet.”
That relationship had ended with Giovanni’s death.
“To put it simply, the current me is like a side story to a finished tale. The mermaids came to despise humans because of Giovanni’s death, which is why they’ve ruined several planets. Earth is no different to them.”
Meeting ‘Gio’s Portrait’ here had merely been a temporary derailment of their story.
“It seems they intend to take responsibility by doing exactly what they have always done.”
“So they want to exclude you from this fight? Because if you get involved, their sense of responsibility becomes muddled?”
“Or perhaps they simply wanted to try kidnapping me once.”
“How can you say something like that so casually…?”
“I don’t think my tone was particularly casual. Your voice is shaking, Mr. Yoo Seong-un.”
“How could it not be shaking?!”
A precious Origin, whom he treasured beyond measure, had almost been kidnapped by thugs from the deep. Even though he knew such an act wouldn’t actually harm Gio, he couldn’t help but feel his heart drop.
“As if things weren’t bad enough, the sea has been in an uproar lately, and it’s stressing me out.”
“Is the sea that turbulent?”
“It seems those mermaids really can influence the ocean. We’ve been feeling tremors, both minor and major, coming from the deep sea. Upon investigation, we confirmed that a massive, dormant indigenous monster is on the move.”
“Oh, dear. Should we be worried about tsunamis?”
“We’ll have to prepare for that, too. Man, I really don’t get along with the ocean…”
“For someone who doesn’t get along with it, I recall you being dispatched to sea quite often.”
“Well, it’s true that ice-type Hunters have an advantage at sea.”
At the very least, he could keep himself alive.
“The East Coast has been incredibly noisy lately.”
“That’s where the entrance to the ‘Deep Sea Kingdom’ is, right?”
“Since I passed the mermaids’ declaration of war to the Guild Master, the other guilds are probably making their own preparations. Seeing how busy the Association and Justitia are, they seem to be gearing up for potential casualties.”
“Have they declared that they won’t launch an attack?”
“It’s not so much a declaration… more like they’re watching and waiting until things take a turn for the absolute worst.”
They would certainly be keeping a close eye on the situation.
“The sea level has risen significantly. Since there aren’t many residential areas right on the coast anyway, preparing won’t be too difficult. But the real problem is what, exactly, those mermaids plan to do with the ocean.”
Yoo Seong-un glanced at Gio.
“As their former teacher, do you have any insight to share?”
“Well, my disciples back then were still immature…”
They couldn’t move in perfect unison with the sea as they could now.
“However, mermaids are known as children of the sea. To be precise, they’re called descendants of the deep sea, which means they possess a wide variety of ocean-related authorities.”
“What kind of authorities?”
“Things like becoming one with the ocean.”
“My head hurts already.”
“Or altering the ocean currents…”
“Are they insane?”
If even one of those came to pass, Earth’s lifeline would be severed. A mere shift in ocean currents was more than enough to ruin a planet like Earth.
Gio rested his chin in his hand.
“Since the deep sea is in an uproar, there’s a high probability they’ll trigger a tsunami. By its very nature, the ocean harbors natural disasters. It’s highly suited for sweeping away multitudes of people.”
“Can they really do that as easily as breathing?”
“Not quite. Earth’s ocean isn’t their native water. No matter how hard mermaids who have yet to attain divinity try, they can’t control the ocean of an unfamiliar dimension like a puppet.”
“Then?”
“It will take time. However, given the authority they’ve accumulated over the years, I doubt it will take very long. They seem to have already steeled their resolve.”
“So, in short, it’s a race against time.”
They had to strike first, before Earth suffered the same fate as the planets the mermaids had previously destroyed.
“We need to assemble a raid team quickly.”
“Will Hunters gather like they did for the Quadruped Rainforest?”
“Given the suddenness of the situation, the high risks, and the unclear rewards, I’m not sure how many guilds will participate. But… they won’t be entirely uncooperative.”
Koreans had a unique national trait.
“It’s the nature of this country. We fight like cats and dogs on a normal day, but the moment a national disaster strikes, everyone bands together.”
Just as Yoo Seong-un predicted, quite a few guilds declared their intention to participate.
High-profile guilds essentially had no choice but to join in, if only to maintain their public image. The Sun Cult and Moon Cult of Seoul had declared their participation early on, and Justitia also announced they would lend a hand in lifesaving operations.
“An evacuation order has already been issued for the coastal areas.”
“I heard Justitia is on standby over there.”
“I hope this commotion can be contained to the coast…”
“How’s the backlash from the residents?”
“Thanks to the Association’s support packages, they say there are no issues other than general anxiety.”
“Tell anyone who has important belongings or left things behind to retrieve them in advance. Once things progress further, it will be difficult to enter. Make sure they don’t complain later.”
“We’ve also secured the development consent forms. Now we just need to demolish the houses and build defensive walls. Did we get proper cooperation from the neighboring areas?”
After all, it hadn’t been long since the chaos of the Great Catastrophe had passed. Even for guilds with high reputations and deep histories, the fear of Dungeons had not yet faded, and they remained on high alert.
Thus, even when a sudden disaster like this struck, they were able to respond swiftly. In fact, they were almost grateful that the monsters had issued a direct declaration of war beforehand.
“But seriously, why did those monsters come and talk to us first?”
“I heard they spoke to some of the Collector’s employees who went to Jeju Island on vacation…”
“I heard about that, too. When I looked into it, Hunter Seo Gio and Hunter Yoo Seong-un were previously dispatched as a rescue team to the ‘Deep Sea Kingdom’.”
“Did they give a warning because they knew them? The minds of monsters are truly incomprehensible…”
“Did they deem those humans worthy of receiving such a warning?”
Around that time, the topic of ‘Hunter Seo Gio’ came up.
“Is that Hunter named Seo Gio participating this time as well?”
“We haven’t received a clear answer from the Collector yet, but surely he wouldn’t sit this one out?”
“From what I hear, he’s a Hunter who loves helping people, so it would be strange if he didn’t show up.”
“Unless his Guild Master detains him, he’ll participate.”
“Wait, why would a Guild Master detain their own guild member…?”
“Haven’t you heard the rumors? Word is that he’s of Bisabeol’s bloodline, kept locked away and raised by the Collector.”
“Let’s not talk nonsense. Do you really have to make such controversial remarks at a time like this? Do you want to make an enemy of the Collector Guild?”
“I’m just saying. It is strange, after all.”
Soon, the Collector Guild clearly stated their intention to participate.
“Did they say Hunter Seo Gio is participating, too?”
“They said he’ll be in the rear.”
“Well, he’s a Tamer, so that can’t be helped.”
“Wait, but I heard he’s actually quite a fighter…”
“Are you serious? You want to put a Tamer on the front lines? Are you a demon?”
“No, it’s not that, he really—”
“And he’s a Healer, too. Unless you’re completely insane, why would you put a Tamer who is also a Healer on the front lines?”
In this era, Tamers and Healers primarily played supporting roles in the rear. This was due to the strong perception that both classes were squishy.
Those who didn’t know the full story about ‘Hunter Seo Gio’ took his rear placement for granted. Even those who knew the truth couldn’t easily refute it.
“True, he is a Tamer.”
“Putting a Healer on the front lines would be madness.”
That was simply how the world perceived things. No matter how well one could fight, people could not accept a rear-line class being placed on the front lines. Thanks to this, Gio was safely assigned to the secure zone.
Arjio, however, was a bit disgruntled.
“……”
“Mr. Gio, this isn’t your battlefield.”
Ju-hyeon, who had stopped by to check on Gio before heading to the secure zone, patted him on the back. Gio nodded at his friend’s words.
“I know.”
“Then why are you grumbling so much?”
“I haven’t uttered a single word. What grumbling are you talking about?”
“I can see it all in your eyes.”
“You seem to know me too well. It’s uncomfortable.”
“I know you don’t mean that.”
After all, Arjio—the twenty-four-year-old persona—tended to complain more than the other ‘Gios’. For a personality accustomed to running wild as he pleased, being tied down to the rear was pure torture.
And then, some welcome news arrived for this very Gio.
“A-An attack…!! We’re under attack! All combat-ready Hunters, please assemble immediately!!”
“What do you mean?! We haven’t even received reports of an attack from the coast!!”
“Monsters are spawning from the hail falling from the sky! What on earth is going on…?!”
The Hunters on guard duty hurriedly gathered any available combatants. The Hunters assembled in the rear area grabbed their weapons and rushed out, soon realizing the true meaning of the words ‘monsters are spawning from the hail.’
“What in the world is…!!”
The moment they stepped out of the tents, they were met with a freezing, biting wind. Amidst the violent gales, hail of various sizes pelted the ground. Crash! With loud, shattering noises, the fallen hailstones quickly melted and transformed into grotesque monsters.
“A-A slime…?!”
“Slimes don’t look like that!”
“What is that…! How hideous!”
The monsters, which looked as though they were made of melted flesh, slithered and lunged at the people.
“Request backup from the front lines!”
“Communications are down! We’ve urgently dispatched Hunters with teleportation abilities!”
“No monsters have even come out of the sea yet, so why are they falling from the sky…?!”
Regardless of the Hunters’ confusion, the battle commenced.
“Whoops.”
Squelch!
Yoo Seong-un, who had just impaled a monster with an ice spear, offered an awkward smile.
“Well, this is quite troublesome.”
“Is it a surprise attack?”
“If you want to call it that, yes. How embarrassing. We were so focused on the sea that we completely missed the sky…”
“I didn’t expect the mermaids to launch an assault like this either.”
“Gio, how much can you handle?”
Slash!
Pulling his spear free, Yoo Seong-un asked, “I mean, what are the limits of your current body?”
“It’s not as durable as when I’m at Home.”
He was referring to when he was inside the portrait. Yoo Seong-un understood.
“There must be restrictions. Don’t push yourself too hard. If you get hurt, my heart will literally break.”
“So it won’t just feel like breaking? It’s a foregone conclusion?”
“That’s just how Curators are. If even a faint scratch gets on their masterpiece, they resent the world and weep tears of blood. Can you understand?”
“You’re being dramatic.”
“I am being dramatic, yes.”
But it was better than letting an irreversible disaster happen.
“So please, be careful. Alright?”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
And, as if to prove he had only kept it in mind and nothing more, news arrived a few days later that Gio had gone missing.
The sound of Yoo Seong-un cursing the world echoed spectacularly across the battlefield.