Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Erasure, Rescue Operation
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“Everyone adapted to the Molrangtex alright?”
“““““Yep!”””””
“Then let’s scatter and search. I’ll take the deepest part, D Zone, so handle the rest well on your own.”
“““““Yep!”””””
The moment the words ended, the team members’ shadows vanished into their respective zones as if sucked away.
Haneul confirmed that the last team member had safely crossed the mana spring before finally turning her body toward the depths of D Zone.
D Zone was the deepest part, so it took quite a long time to reach.
Even for an S-Rank Hunter like Haneul, she couldn’t cover it all.
So she would search the most likely place for missing persons first.
Flash!
Haneul’s body sliced through space as she advanced. The passing scenery distorted unrealistically.
Especially closer to the core, it was even more so.
As if the boundary between dream and reality had collapsed, the ground became the sky, and the sky dropped to the ground.
Clang!
Mana fragments poured down enough to obscure her vision, crashing into her from the front. Dodging was pointless. Haneul simply fixed her gaze ahead and broke through head-on.
‘……Without the Molrangtex, this would’ve been dangerous.’
Running fast in the rain means getting hit by more raindrops.
Thus, Haneul had no choice but to collide with even more mana fragments.
Clang! Clang clang!
Without Molrangtex, it would’ve been hard to maintain this speed.
The raining bombs wouldn’t have inflicted major damage on her, but they had enough power to slow her down.
The closer she got to D Zone, the more grotesque everything in sight became.
Because the source of the collapse was at the core.
But the core was an extremely stable substance in normal conditions. It rarely caused issues.
Thus, there was one leading hypothesis.
‘Someone tampered with the core.’
Whether it was intentional or not, she had no way to know right now, but that could be investigated later.
Flash!
Haneul shook off stray thoughts and accelerated further.
Mana-enhanced physical reinforcement.
Unused mana trailed behind her like an afterimage.
Keeeeh…!
Monsters drawn by that intense mana lunged toward her.
No, less monsters and more like repulsive contaminants.
Unlucky beings born from the twisted core’s mana, half-formed.
As hideous in appearance as they were threatening. Their unstable mana could explode at any moment.
Splash!
So dodging was best.
Their speed couldn’t catch Haneul anyway.
Haneul’s physical prowess was the primary reason she was an S-Rank Hunter.
She had no special abilities. Just a body she could reinforce—that was it.
Some scorned her as the weakest S-Rank, while others said she was the most special and to take pride in it.
Splash splash!
And today, of all days.
She might really have reason to take pride.
“……This is it.”
Without that physical prowess, she couldn’t have reached D Zone this quickly.
[Remaining Time: 70 minutes 21 seconds]
It had taken 20 minutes to reach D Zone. Another 20 to return, and factoring in variables, the best search time was about 40 minutes.
Haneul began combing through the zone relentlessly.
She couldn’t spread mana webs like some to grasp everything around her.
She couldn’t track mana traces with exceptional eyes like others.
Flash!
She just ran.
Using her innate legs to scour as wide an area as possible.
That’s why she could find it.
“This is……?”
Traces of a destroyed artifact.
An unidentified machine? Something like that.
It was so smashed it was hard to identify perfectly.
The artifact was soaked in white liquid. If she’d searched with mana, she probably wouldn’t have found it.
“Groooan……. Help…….”
And not far from the artifact, she spotted a human figure.
“…….”
The condition was horrific. Burns from an explosion. Unstable mana gnawed at the insides.
At least their limbs were still attached—that was a relief.
There were two people.
‘They can’t walk on their own.’
Carrying them piggyback would be tough too. In their state, they couldn’t withstand the speed or the raining mana remnants.
Swish.
In the end, Haneul took off her Molrangtex. Then she spread it out as wide as possible.
She placed the two on the large cloth it formed. Like a bundle merchant, she wrapped them neatly and hoisted them onto her back.
“……Ugh.”
“…….”
“Hold on just a bit.”
Ignoring their groans cleanly, Haneul started running again.
Good thing they weren’t dead.
She had mountains of questions, and it would’ve been a shame if they were.
**
Bang!
“Guild Master……!”
Hwayeon’s skyscraper, Yeonhwa Palace rooftop.
The mercenary team leader burst through the rooftop door and bowed deeply.
“Wh-what should we do?”
Even with his vast experience, he couldn’t stop his legs from trembling. Sweat drops plopped onto the rooftop floor.
It was overwhelming pressure.
A dread no mere monster could imitate strangled his throat.
“G-Guild Master?”
But the guild master, Choi Seong-han, was utterly calm.
He showed no reaction, just puffing thick cigarette smoke. His gaze fixed solely on the gate accident site.
“Ho-how should we handle the……”
When the team leader mustered courage to ask again.
“What?”
Choi Seong-han tossed the question back casually. While flicking his half-smoked cigarette to the floor.
“……Pardon?”
He couldn’t comprehend.
The team leader’s eyes darted confusedly. He racked his brain, but nothing clear came to mind.
Handle it himself? Or pretend ignorance?
In the end, the team leader spoke again.
Better to risk a scolding and get the right answer than make a mistake that invites wrath.
“Th-the disposition of those two……”
“Hoo……… What about it?”
“…Pardon?”
“The two dispatched to the White Night Gate……”
“Who’re they?”
An absurd question flew at him.
Hadn’t Choi Seong-han himself chosen those two?
Under his orders, they’d already siphoned mana from White Night’s gates five times.
And now he claimed ignorance?
“Best not bring up anything unrelated to Hwayeon.”
With another cryptic remark—
Ding! Fwoosh…!
Seong-han lit a new cigarette.
“…….”
Cold eyes stared down the team leader. No more words allowed.
The mercenary team leader bowed deeply again.
“Y-Yes, sir!”
He gave a polite bow to Seong-han and left the rooftop.
Crash!
After descending over 10 floors in an instant, confirming no one around—
“…That bastard, what the hell does he want me to do.”
He spat curses loudly.
Talking to the guild master was pointless. So, second best: the vice guild master.
As he prepared to send the profiles of the two problematic mercenary hunters to the vice master.
“……Crazy bastard.”
That’s when he finally grasped Seong-han’s intent.
[User does not exist in the system.]
**
Flash!
Was it the difference in experience?
Haneul arrived at the gate entrance far faster. Even with two people on her back.
And the moment she passed through the entrance.
“Guild Master! Are you alright?”
The management team leader greeted her with a bright smile.
“Found two and brought them. The rest?”
“Two…… That’s enough now!”
“…Huh?”
“We’ve already rescued the other 18.”
“Really?”
“Yes. They’re all low-rank hunters, wandering near the entrance.”
What a relief.
The rescue op wrapped up without issues. As Haneul sighed in relief and nearly collapsed—
Click! Click! Click! Click!
Camera flashes erupted all at once, interrupting her.
Countless reporters. And behind them, ordinary citizens.
Because the barriers had collapsed, they couldn’t block the attention.
In the end, she forced strength back into her legs. Then she instructed the management team leader.
“Go give an interview saying everyone’s rescued. And from now on…… Don’t let them film the monsters with the Molrangmol mark.”
“Got it! Reporters, over here! I’ll brief you on the final status!”
The management team leader dashed off to draw the reporters’ attention.
Haneul caught her breath and approached the golems still blocking the gate from closing.
“You can stop now. Ah…… Do you understand words?”
Wooee!
…They understood perfectly.
Wooee!
Under the leader mini golem’s command, all golems withdrew from the gate in unison.
Crack…!
The rift began closing rapidly.
Perhaps the backlash from forcing it open.
The rift sealed completely in under 5 minutes.
Thus, the gate vanished without a trace. As if nothing had ever been there.
“Phew……. So how are you all getting back?”
Should she ship them via courier like last time? No time for that.
She needed to treat the two suspects and start interrogating immediately.
But it seemed she didn’t need to worry from the start.
After all, they were monsters summoned by the Molrangtori creator.
Pop!
White smoke burst around the mini golem the same size as the leader—the one supplying mana from behind.
“……Huh?”
Haneul’s mouth let out a dumb sound simultaneously.
And understandably so.
Kwaaa!
The golem had turned into a small wyvern.
As the stunned Haneul blinked in surprise.
Wooee!
At the leader golem’s signal, all mini golems climbed onto the wyvern’s back.
Then flap!
With elegant wingbeats, the wyvern took flight.
Wooee!
The mini golems waved in unison toward Haneul.
Thus, the cute monster allies vanished into the fluffy rising clouds.