Chapter 196
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 196
"I thought I was used to how fast hunters' expressions can change, but..." muttered an Association employee, glancing back at the bloodshot-eyed Hunter Yoo Seong-un. "I guess I’m still not quite there."
"Don’t let it get to you. It’s rare to see Hunter Yoo Seong-un like that."
"Oh, is it really?"
"Yes. He’s usually quite easygoing about everything."
Another employee, one with enough experience to be dispatched to a disaster of this scale, wore a troubled expression. "It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him that angry."
"A long time?"
"Well, you know what the Collector’s curators are like."
"I know they’re not people you should mess with."
"That, too, but they also have... how should I put it? A very specific trigger."
As long as you didn’t poke at their sore spots, they never caused trouble.
"They’re a guild that takes its reputation very seriously."
"Is that... because of the Collector?"
"Most likely."
Every member of the Collector Guild was one of Bisabeol’s personal collectibles. As such, they were obligated to maintain a level of dignity that met his standards. It was also why they were so diligent about wearing their uniforms.
"But it’s not like the Collector Guild members are faking it."
That was just their nature. They viewed the world through a cynical lens, yet they were individuals bound by an unusually strong sense of responsibility. However, there were times when these guild members—especially the curators—couldn’t maintain their composure.
"Usually, it’s when there’s an issue with a work they’re in charge of."
"A work they’re in charge of? You mean those monsters?"
"Watch your mouth. But yes, those hazardous items."
"It’s amazing that the curators can cherish something so terrifying."
"It’s tied to their sense of responsibility."
The guild’s demands of 'affection,' 'a hands-off approach,' and 'duty' combined to create immense pressure, which likely manifested as that obsession. Having briefly worked at the research institute, the employee understood the feeling.
"That’s true, but..."
"...Hunter Seo Gio isn’t one of those hazardous items, is he?"
"...That’s the strange part."
As he’d said, this was not a common occurrence.
"It’s incredibly rare for Hunter Yoo Seong-un to get this angry."
Even when a malfunction had occurred with a work he’d previously managed, he hadn’t reacted like this. The employee, who had been on-site at the time, knew exactly what kind of hunter Yoo Seong-un was.
"He had a bit of a temper when he was younger, but he was never the type to make life difficult for others."
"So you’re saying he didn’t pressure the staff the way he is now?"
"Exactly. Members of the Collector Guild absolutely detest causing trouble for others."
"Then why is he doing this? Hunter Seo Gio isn’t even Hunter Yoo Seong-un’s 'assigned work.'"
"Well, maybe I’m looking at it too narrowly."
He could simply be worried about a close friend’s safety.
"...Still, it’s hard to understand."
The camaraderie among the Collector’s members usually manifested in a very dry, pragmatic way. If there was a valid reason, they could use one of their own as bait and discard them without holding a grudge.
That didn’t mean they lacked affection or trust. On the contrary, their strong faith in one another was what allowed for such a harsh approach. However, the way Hunter Yoo Seong-un was acting now was a far cry from what the employee knew of them.
"..."
"...Um, I heard a rumor."
"I know what you’re going to say."
It was a sensitive topic, but a rumor everyone whispered about.
Is it the rumor that Hunter Seo Gio is of the Collector’s bloodline?
The one about Bisabeol viewing his own son as a 'work' and raising him in secret, locked away from the world.
I thought it was utterly ridiculous, but seeing Hunter Yoo Seong-un act like this... even though I know it can’t be true, it somehow makes the rumor more credible.
Hunter Seo Gio, who occasionally showed a startling lack of common sense; Hunter Yoo Seong-un, who never got worked up unless it concerned a work; and the Collector’s abnormal affection for his works...
"..."
The employee groaned and shook his head. It was a topic that offered no benefit from overthinking.
"How the Collector Guild runs its business is none of our concern. Once Hunter Seo Gio returns safely, Hunter Yoo Seong-un will probably come offer compensation as an apology, so don’t worry too much."
"What? How do you know that?"
"That’s what the curators usually do once an issue with their work is resolved."
"Doesn’t that mean they really do see Hunter Seo Gio as a work...?"
"I said it’s not our concern. I hear the guy is tall, handsome, and highly capable. With a resume like that, isn’t he worthy of being treated like a masterpiece? It’s not like locking up kids and raising them is that rare these days, anyway."
"It’s just creepy because a massive corporation like the Collector Guild did it."
"It’s not even a proven fact."
Though the pieces did seem to fit together rather well.
"Per Hunter Yoo Seong-un’s suggestion, I made an inquiry, but an official notice came down from the Association. We cannot make a full-scale entry into the dungeon until the coastline is mostly cleared. Their stance is that even with a diversionary operation, establishing a minimum level of containment must be the priority."
"But..."
"The area outside the entrance is already this chaotic. How do you expect to reach the deep sea? Rushing won’t solve anything. The only right way is to clear things step-by-step from the front."
"Even so, how am I supposed to deliver this news to Hunter Yoo Seong-un? He’s probably glaring daggers with those bloodshot eyes right now. I feel like he might actually grab me by the collar this time."
"Don’t worry. I’ll deliver this one myself."
"Is the inland area safe?"
"I haven’t heard anything specific, which... well, it’s obvious."
The employee clicked his tongue knowingly.
"Everyone must be trembling in fear."
For a disaster like this to strike before the scars of the Great Catastrophe had even faded—it truly felt like the end of the world.
*
There were still many people in the world who remembered the Great Catastrophe.
"G-Grandma..."
"Hurry inside, hurry! You mustn’t go out at a time like this."
"I’m scared."
"It’s all right. We don’t live by the sea. We’ll be fine."
This was especially true for the elderly.
"Honey, how much food do we have left?"
"Probably enough for a month..."
"Let’s ration it more, just in case. I took some time off work, too."
"Should we talk to the neighbors?"
"No. Keeping quiet is the best thing to do in times like these."
"This is really terrifying."
"We’ll be okay, right? The big guilds are on it."
"I just hope this whole dungeon thing ends well."
The middle-aged were not much different.
"Oh dear, I heard people died on the coast."
"How?"
"They say the sea went mad, raging as if it were alive."
"Wait, weren’t all the coastal residents evacuated?"
"With so many people packed like sardines, hiding all over the place, how could they possibly find every single one?"
It was an era of overpopulation, where sustaining even the existing lives was a struggle.
"Sigh... That’s why they were told to move."
"But they were scared. What could they do?"
Most of the people who had scattered during the Great Catastrophe, fleeing to hide in deep mountain valleys or remote areas, lacked civil registration and were nearly impossible to locate. When disasters like this struck, they were always the first to die.
"It seems dangerous."
"Right?"
The children were just as anxious.
"Of all things, why the sea...?"
"Our country is surrounded by water on three sides, isn’t it?"
"What if we get submerged?"
Korea was already a nation closely tied to the sea, and since the Great Catastrophe, sea levels had been gradually rising, swallowing the land. With the emergence of a sea-related disaster—always a sensitive topic—even young children grew restless.
The same was true for the Sun Cult.
"Cha Yi-sol."
"Oh, yeah."
"Have you contacted your family?"
"My sister and brother are at the Collector Guild right now."
"The Collector Guild?"
"They helped us before."
"That’s unusual."
Iruda, who had come over out of concern for Cha Yi-sol, tilted her head.
Although the Collector Guild had cultivated a citizen-friendly image through various events, it was fundamentally closer to a financial firm that invested and managed capital.
They aren’t a generous enough guild to go out of their way to care for the safety of 3rd-Grade Citizens.
Still, figuring there were things she didn’t know, she nodded.
"Anyway, that’s a relief. The Collector Guild is trustworthy."
"Yeah. Aside from my sister, there are no hunters in our village, but they said they’d help with that, too."
"The Collector Guild promised to protect your village?"
"No, Justitia? They said hunters were dispatched from there."
"Ah, them."
Although Cha Yi-sol’s hometown wasn’t near the sea, the ocean was an element capable of triggering so many disasters that hunters had apparently been dispatched all across the country.
"Justitia is famous for its volunteer work."
"Right. We’ve gotten help from them a few times before, but..."
"You’re still worried, aren’t you?"
"It’ll be fine. It’s not like our village is completely cut off."
Cha Yi-sol had received all the help he could get from the adults.
"..."
Even so, he couldn’t shake his gloom. The entire situation was just terrifying.
"...I heard people died."
"...It’s unavoidable in a situation like this."
"I wish no one would die."
"That’s a hard thing to hope for during a Dungeon Break."
A Dungeon Break was a phenomenon where monsters invaded the area outside a dungeon. Although this wasn’t a massive horde rampaging like usual, a few powerful monsters emerging was considered the same thing. Iruda shared the information she had heard from her mother.
"From what I hear, the coastal villages have been completely devastated. Most of the registered residents were evacuated, but it seems there were casualties."
"Casualties?"
"The usual. People who weren’t registered, or those who ignored the Association and government’s instructions to act on their own. Or those who hid based on their own judgment... and got caught in the disaster."
"...Couldn’t the hunters who came to help find them?"
"It’s sad, but there’s a limit to how many people hunters can evacuate one by one. Hunters with search skills would have found some, and I’m sure many were saved, but some people just couldn’t be reached."
She had heard that some stubbornly chose to stay behind. Hunters, who were already stretched thin, couldn’t look after every single one of them. There were simply too many people seeking help to waste time on those who wouldn’t cooperate.
"Still, once this dungeon raid is over, the Association or the government will probably push for reconstruction projects. They’ll also provide shelter for those with nowhere to go. That’s what taxes are for, after all."
"Taxes... My brother and sister pay them, too."
"Exactly. The government collects taxes to use in times like this, and we pay them. We learned this in class, right? Weak creatures like us can’t survive disasters like this unless we stick together."
"Yeah. That’s why they said harmony and peace are important."
"We all give and take. The reconstruction will happen after the raid, but I hear the government is already working hard to find housing and supply food for the refugees."
"That’s a relief, but..." Cha Yi-sol hesitated before asking, "Won’t there be more damage?"
"Of course there will be. Hunters are dying as we speak."
They were quite literally dropping dead.
"They say strange hail is falling and turning into monsters, and waves are crashing down as if they’re alive. Apparently, the sea is in absolute chaos."
Although a significant amount of information was being controlled to minimize public anxiety, Iruda had managed to obtain some details through her mother’s authority.
"Not only have the evacuated villages been destroyed, but marine life has abandoned its natural habitats. The most serious issue is that the ocean currents are gradually shifting."
"What are ocean currents?"
"The flow of seawater. We saw this happen occasionally before because of marine monsters, but this time is different. It can’t be controlled with magic like it was back then."
The sea itself was moving.
"I think something similar happened during the Great Catastrophe."
"W-What happened then?"
"The climate changed."
"What happens when the climate changes?"
"The weather goes completely haywire."
To put it in extreme terms:
"The entire planet becomes either a steamer or a freezer. So extreme that Earth’s native creatures could never endure it."
It would create an environment where humans couldn’t survive due to the intense heat or cold.
"It’s only been a few years since the world’s best hunters put their heads together to barely stabilize the aftermath. There’s a reason so many people still fear the Great Catastrophe."
An ecosystem thrown into chaos by monsters pouring in from other dimensions. Deadly epidemics that seeped into daily life from entirely different pathogens. Spatial distortions caused by countless creatures and objects crowding onto a single, narrow planet...
Humans had to artificially analyze and manage these problems just to survive on Earth. And they had barely managed to do so.
"And now, another problem like this has occurred."
"Then what should we do?"
"There isn’t much a couple of novice priests can do."
"But can’t we help with something?"
"We could, since we have abilities. But we shouldn’t."
"Why?"
"You’ll get taken advantage of."
"Huh?"
"People will walk all over you."
While there were rare individuals who would look upon them with kindness, in most cases, young and inexperienced novice priests were prime prey in this chaotic era. Iruda resolved to stick with Cha Yi-sol, even if the Sun Cult tried to dispatch them.
"So what I’m saying is, just relax. I know you’re worried about people, but you have to realize that the most important thing right now is ourselves. If we don’t protect ourselves, who will?"
"You will...?"
"...Of course, we’ll protect each other, but..."
"..."
"..."
After a brief silence, Iruda spoke.
"Acting cute won’t work on me. I won’t allow it."
"Iruda, I think you look at me strangely sometimes."
"I know you’re like a protected species who loves helping people, but you still shouldn’t step forward at a time like this."
"..."
"...Don’t be too disheartened."
Iruda comforted him with a pitying look.
"I-I mean, all the famous guilds have gathered, so the raid will be over in no time. Your family is in Seoul, so they’ll be safe, and you said Justitia sent hunters to protect your village."
"...Yeah."
She spoke only of the safety of those who knew and loved Cha Yi-sol.
"..."
But Cha Yi-sol worried about far more people than that.
I’m good at healing, though. Couldn’t I hide somewhere safe and heal the injured?
He was also worried about Gio-hyung.
Left alone with his thoughts, Cha Yi-sol made a decision.
*
"Teacher."
"What is it?"
"Ch-Cha Yi-sol..."
"Pardon?"
"Where is Cha Yi-sol?" Iruda asked, her face pale and haggard. "Where did my round little pebble go?"
"What on earth are you talking about...?"
"You didn’t seriously dispatch that little kid to the coast, did you?"
"Dispatch him? Sister Iruda, please calm down..."
"Give me back Cha Yi-sol! What did you do to my pushover of a partner?!"
"N-No, wait..."
There were major flaws in Cha Yi-sol’s decision.
First, having made up his mind at the worst possible time, he had recklessly entered the portrait without telling his partner, Iruda. Second, although he had belatedly sent a letter from inside the portrait, it had been lost while crossing the frame.
As a result, the veins on Iruda’s forehead bulged.
"What did you do with my kid?!"
This was the price of having a capable, well-connected, and fast-acting pushover for a partner.