The Weight of a Hero (3)

I woke before dawn.

The pointless war of attrition against the tentacles had dragged on for more than a week. I couldn’t afford to get impatient. Losing my composure was exactly what the Dirty Kraken wanted.

The Navy had accepted my request. This afternoon, they were preparing to set sail for a full-scale battle with the Dirty Kraken.

The decisive battle was closing in.

My heart was pounding. I pictured myself heading out over the sea and taking the Dirty Kraken head-on.

The plan was simple. A naval vessel would lure the monster out, and the moment it showed itself, the Navy would retreat at full speed. In that opening, I’d step in personally and settle the matter.

Like a warrior carefully sharpening his blade before battle, I checked the hero abilities I had available.

After Super Kid, after Speeder, after Mr. Eden...

The protagonist who would take the stage this time was the king of the sea.

Poseidon.

The hero whose power shone brightest in naval warfare.

If I had Blessing of Water, I’d have more than enough to fight the Dirty Kraken.

The preparations were perfect.

Only one thing bothered me...

It was an opportunity to gain a new skill for succeeding at the mission.

If I killed ninety-nine more people, that is.

Just as all the money I’d saved in my previous life had been converted into Awakener’s Balance without a single won missing, the system was fair to a fault.

If I didn’t complete the job, it wouldn’t hand me a thing.

Over the past week, I’d personally cut down countless tentacles.

- Murder: 1/100

As expected, the mission didn’t trigger. Since it was murder, it would only count human targets.

I didn’t regret the decision.

Not because I was afraid of killing someone.

Not because I was some pacifist.

It was simple.

It was my principle.

With Seo Gwang-pal, with Go Ju-hun, with Nike, with the Cheonyang-ji cult leader.

I chose who to kill based on my own convictions.

Not because someone ordered me to.

Not because I was following a command.

Not because I wanted something badly enough to dirty my hands with a killing I didn’t believe in.

That went against everything I stood for.

So why was I hesitating?

- Murder: 1/100

The counter still sat at one.

It hadn’t been intentional.

It had happened when Park Yu-tae killed Harpy.

I’d been dragged into it without meaning to.

Which meant...

It applied even when I interfered in a killing.

The reason I kept thinking it over was because I’d spotted a loophole.

What if I did it like this?

I could have one of the Busan hunters carry out the killing for me.

The targets would be people who deserved to die anyway.

For example, a vicious murderer, a wanted criminal, some villain trash like that.

Every time someone tried to kill, I could intentionally interfere.

Jam a dagger into the other man’s thigh and render him unable to move.

Rip out one of his eyes, the way I had with Harpy.

Wouldn’t that let me gain the skill without committing a direct murder myself?

The problem was...

It was a pain in the ass.

I’d have to pick someone to do the killing in my place.

I’d have to get involved in every single murder case.

More than anything, it felt like I was instigating a murder and then pinning the blame on someone else.

A coward’s trick.

Better to get my own hands bloody than do something so petty.

To borrow Karki’s way of putting it, it just didn’t have any style.

What kind of hero pursued practical gains by doing something so ugly?

Maybe someone would call me foolish or stubborn.

But protecting my principles was the value I cared about most.

I steadied my mind once more.

For Poseidon’s Control of Water.

I won’t force myself to kill anyone.

Rather than making a half-hearted compromise, I chose a path I could stand behind.

My phone rang.

It was the group call from hunters stationed all over Busan.

I answered.

“Good morning. Give me your situation reports.”

Rumbling voices came through the receiver.

- BlackCop standing by!

- Gwangnang is good to go!

- Blood Warrior is fully ready!

I pushed open the hotel door and stepped outside.

“Let’s have some fun fighting today.”

The morning battle was fierce.

Tentacles surged ashore without fail.

At Gamnji Beach in Yeongdo District, the BlackCop Guild had been deployed.

The Dirty Kraken’s learning ability had rendered the tentacle stopper useless. The only thing that kept the tentacles from flooding land was human hands.

Hunters.

“Hraaah!!”

Bang Su-hwan swung his spike shield in a wide arc.

The tentacle that struck the shield was torn to pieces.

“Kieeek!!!”

“Kreeeek!!!”

Slick flesh sprayed everywhere, and blood spread thickly across the white sand.

The hunters nearby clicked their tongues as they looked at Bang Su-hwan.

“Wow. That’s vicious.”

“Look at the size of him... I’m glad he’s not on the enemy side.”

The spiked shield Bang Su-hwan used was basically a moving tentacle stopper.

He methodically carved down every tentacle that crawled up onto land.

“Huaaah!”

He bellowed and drove his momentum even higher.

“Let’s finish this quick and go grab a steaming bowl of pork soup and rice!”

“Oh, now that’s a good idea!”

“Listen to that rough Busan dialect, hah. He’s already gone full local!”

“That’s right! Trust only me, Bang Su-hwan, the Dio Guild’s best tank!”

Our eyes met.

Then he shook the spike shield up and down with both hands, like a moon bear begging for praise.

I raised my thumb at him as if I were tossing him a biscuit.

Good.

Heo Da-yeong drove me to the next area.

At Jagalchi Market in Nampo-dong, the Dongbaek Guild was locked in the middle of a fierce battle.

Geumwi Daejang Park Yu-tae swung his healing wand and used an area skill.

The teeth in the tentacle’s mouth dropped out one after another.

The tentacle, now left with only gums, bit one of the Dongbaek team members.

“Aigoo. That doesn’t tickle at all!”

“Once you take the teeth out, these things aren’t anything special.”

“Die already, you disgusting bastard!”

Sharp weapons plunged into the tentacle’s body.

Following Park Yu-tae’s lead, Ha Se-na used the skill.

The effect was weaker than before. The tentacle’s teeth only became rounded; the forced extraction didn’t happen.

“Kieeek!!!”

The tentacle went berserk and attacked Ha Se-na with its blunted teeth.

“Ghk!”

The tentacle biting Ha Se-na’s arm thrashed violently.

Park Yu-tae smashed it with the wand.

The tentacle shattered into pieces and went limp.

“Listen up, kid.”

Park Yu-tae pointed at Ha Se-na with the wand.

“How many times do I have to tell you? The Soft isn’t something you spread across the whole body. You focus it on a single part. Got it, kid?”

“Geumwi Daejang, I told you not to call me that.”

“And I care because? If you’re a healer who can’t even use Nuff properly, are you really a healer? Why don’t you just switch over to being a mage?”

“That bastard...”

Ha Se-na glared at Park Yu-tae, her shoulders heaving in indignation.

Park Yu-tae stared at the arm Ha Se-na had been bitten on.

Because the teeth had been blunted, she wasn’t badly hurt, but dark bruises had been left behind in a clear print.

“Tch. You clumsy thing. You really came here as support? You’re a lot of trouble.”

“At least I can definitely treat the injured! I’m just weak on the debuff side, that’s all...”

“Shut up! Give me your arm.”

Park Yu-tae grabbed Ha Se-na’s arm and began treating it.

Little by little, the bruised skin returned to its original pale, unblemished tone.

“Be more careful from now on. If you’re on the Dongbaek team, that means you’re my precious teammate too.”

“Tch. Seriously...”

Ha Se-na’s cheeks turned red.

“You not gonna answer? You ignoring your squad leader, kid?”

“...A-alright. Geumwi Daejang.”

Watching Ha Se-na glance at him in a daze, I couldn’t help wondering just what kind of situation this was.

They always said children could be born even in the middle of a war, and sure enough, an odd current had started to flow between the two healers, who had been at each other’s throats until now.

Either way, it was a good thing.

My new peers, the so-called Round Table Hunters, were naturally blending into the Busan ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠teams.

Well, all of them except one.

At Turtle Island in Busan’s Songdo district—

“Shit! Are you a damn idiot? I gave you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the formation, so why the hell can’t you just attack like that?”

Lee Ji-jun, his hair stark white, was venting his frustration.

“This is my first time dealing with a moving formation!”

“How are we supposed to execute it right away when you explained it an hour ago?”

The Gwangnang Guild members shot back in annoyance.

From the looks of it, Lee Ji-jun had taken command and was directing the Gwangnang Guild.

Skill, weapon mastery, combat power, experience—

As an A-class hunter, Lee Ji-jun outstripped everyone else in every respect.

So it was only natural that he had taken the role of leader.

The problem was the rest of the team.

Unlike Lee Ji-jun, who had been born with terrifying talent, they couldn’t keep up with his ever-changing tactics.

Like oil and water.

Genius couldn’t always understand ordinary people.

From Lee Ji-jun’s perspective, it must have been maddening, but that wasn’t the Busan hunters’ fault.

“Everyone move! I’ll do it myself.”

Lee Ji-jun cut the artery in his left arm.

Blood burst out in a long spray, then quickly twisted into a long whip.

With Blood Whip, Lee Ji-jun struck the tentacles.

The blood-red whip, stretching and contracting at will, steadily reduced the number of tentacles.

“This! This is what I’m talking about! Why can’t you people do this?”

The whip’s flawless accuracy and the elegance of its movement made for an incredible sight.

He really is impressive.

Judged purely as a hunter, Lee Ji-jun was every bit as good as his reputation.

And yet...

“That’s a full-on one-man show.”

“Then why even make a team in the first place?”

Frustration showed plainly on the faces of the guild members who had been paired with him.

“Hah.”

Lee Ji-jun’s shoulders rose and fell.

All around him, the corpses of countless tentacles lay scattered.

A healer approached him hesitantly.

“I can treat your wounds...”

“No need. Just gather the loot.”

Lee Ji-jun turned on his heel.

One of the guild members clicked his tongue with a sulky face.

“Yes, yes. We’d better listen to the great Hunter Lee.”

“We lowly folk will handle the grunt work.”

Lee Ji-jun walked a little farther and sat down on a rock, breathing hard.

He had been trying to act alone because he was frustrated, but handling so many tentacles had pushed him past his limit.

Lowering his head, he muttered,

“...Shit. What am I supposed to do about this?”

The short complaint revealed what was really on his mind.

The truth was, Lee Ji-jun wanted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to get along with his teammates too.

He just didn’t know how.

He has it rough too, in his own way.

I only realized it after seeing the scene with my own eyes.

The outcome of the fight against the Dirty Kraken wouldn’t be decided by one person’s strength alone.

It was a war that could only be won if people encouraged one another.

If they pulled and led each other.

If they came together.

Human beings had to understand one another and fight as one.

My phone vibrated.

It was the Navy calling.

Captain Um Il-seop was in charge of the large naval vessel.

I wouldn’t be going aboard the main ship. I was planning to take the fastest small boat and head for the area where the Dirty Kraken had appeared.

The fast boat was small, so it couldn’t carry many people.

Has the crew been chosen?

The people I had selected myself were me, Geumwi Daejang Park Yu-tae, Mun Dal-su, and the youngest, Jang Na-ik.

“Just a second.”

I walked over to Lee Ji-jun, who was letting out a weary sigh in the distance.

Up close, he was covered in wounds.

Blood seeped from the scratches all over his body.

“Ghk.”

Lee Ji-jun winced and groaned.

I held out an ion drink to him.

He raised his head.

“...”

Apparently thirsty, he snatched the drink and gulped it down in one go.

“Damn it.”

Then he spat out a curse.

“Hey, Choi Yongki. When the hell is this going to end? This is impossible to keep doing. I want to finish it fast and head back to Seoul. That’d be easier on the nerves.”

Lee Ji-jun was my cooperative damage dealer.

He was the one filling in the holes in Gwangnang’s rough edges.

Right now, he was doing more than his share of the work.

At this rate, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he’s going to burn himself out.

I adjusted my grip on the phone.

“Could you add one more seat to the count?”

- Hm. Understood. I’ll prepare one more spot.

I ended the call with the naval captain and looked down at Lee Ji-jun.

“Hey. Big-shot Hunter Lee Ji-jun.”

“You mocking me? You’re the one playing commander, so this is fun for you, isn’t it? You think I’m a joke?”

Lee Ji-jun bristled.

I knew it.

At some point, he’d started to harbor resentment toward me.

I didn’t know whether it was inferiority, wounded pride, or something else entirely.

This can’t stay like this.

Lee Ji-jun had the potential to rise to SS-class someday.

He was proud, sure, but if I could bring him onto my side, he’d be a top-tier asset.

Didn’t Geumwi Daejang say it too?

Treasure your comrades.

“Come with me.”

“Come with you where?”

I held out my hand to him.

“You said you want to finish this fast. Then we need to go kill the Dirty Kraken itself.”

A gull cried overhead against the blue sky.

The waves crashed, and sunlight glittered across the sea.

If we hadn’t been on the brink of a decisive battle, I would’ve been content to sit there and enjoy the view.

Lee Ji-jun swore under his breath.

“Shit. That damn squid.”

Then, with obvious reluctance, he took my hand.

“I’ll be the one to annihilate it. You stay out of my way, Choi Yongki.”

He grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

“Sure.”