Chapter 203: Heroes are Born in Crisis
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 203: Heroes are Born in Crisis
Heroes are born in crisis.
Before the boat even touched the shore, we leaped out and secured the perimeter.
"Hah!"
Kwon Ye-jin shoved a monster back with her shield, and Hornet followed up instantly, piercing through its body.
After confirming the kill with a final blow, we scanned the surroundings again, but there weren't many monsters in this area yet.
"Let's go!"
Lee Yu-na called out to Hornet as she leaped onto a rooftop.
Leaving the two of them to handle reconnaissance, the rest of us began establishing a base.
I constructed a magic formula and pressed my hand against the ground. A path of earth rose up, stretching in a straight line toward the sea.
Meanwhile, the field team and the other members moved the equipment from the boat onto the newly formed land and began setting up a barrier.
"Remember, our primary objective is to rescue people from the monsters. It's not just about killing them."
I emphasized this once more over the comms as I poured more mana into the spell to complete the path leading to the ocean.
A ship would follow us shortly to pick up the people we rescued.
After creating a temporary pier, I set up booby traps and secured the area around the barrier.
"This is enough! We'll take it from here!"
Woo Jae-hee said as she pulled out medical supplies.
She was right; we couldn't afford to spend too much time building the base.
Now that the barrier was properly established, we had to leave the rest to the field team and go save people.
"US Department of Defense approval granted. Tactical satellites active. Gliders deployed. Drone pilot reinforcement complete. AR active. Connections to international support headquarters established. Current drone range is 4km from base. Requesting installation of additional communication relays."
"Everyone, goggles on. Lee Yu-na, Hornet, return to base."
"Understood. We'll head back while guiding any refugees we find to the base."
As I listened to Ryu Ji-hye and coordinated with the members, a call came in from the Korean Support Headquarters.
"This is Heo Jeong-hye from the Korean Support Headquarters. The Support Team Leader is currently absent. Since Black Unicorn is the only support team currently on-site, field command is being delegated to Hero Jeong Yeon-woo."
"Confirmed. Please send communication relay deployment equipment on the next support vessel. Also, contact the China Support Headquarters and relay their operational plans to me."
"Understood."
After ending the call, we sprinted down the path.
Drones equipped with loudspeakers guided Japanese citizens toward the base, while the members of Black Unicorn picked off monsters one by one.
Even with a Dungeon Impact, there were still residents in the area.
The government had promoted the idea that it was safe as long as monsters didn't leave the dungeons, and some people simply couldn't leave because of their livelihoods. Though few in number, there were definitely people who needed rescuing.
"Boss-class monsters confirmed. Three are heading north."
"China will handle the ones going up, so don't worry about them. What about the other three?"
"Transmitting locations. Target info: B-6 rank Recara and Pelligis. B-9 rank Helpard."
Of course, only the weak ones went north.
Currently, we were the only hero party that had landed on the coast and was working our way up from the bottom.
The Chinese support team assigned to Kanagawa Prefecture and heroes from other nations were all moving down from the north.
"Focus on rescuing people rather than engaging the boss-class monsters. Is there a rescue team in Miura City?"
"Connected and operational plans relayed. Miura City firefighters and the Self-Defense Forces are on standby to cooperate."
Things were much easier thanks to Ryu Ji-hye’s efficiency.
While we cleared out monsters and protected citizens, personnel capable of driving transported the civilians back to the base.
It was a simple plan, and it worked well—aside from the fact that we were the only ones capable of fighting the monsters.
"Clear all the cars blocking the road."
At my command, Kwon Ye-jin shoved aside the cars overturned on the street.
"Situation Room, use the satellites to guide the rescue teams."
"Understood."
We moved urgently, continuously striking down the monsters around us.
"Aaaagh!"
A woman whose leg had been pierced by a monster's attack screamed. Anna rushed over and swiftly decapitated the creature.
The woman, drenched in monster blood, trembled violently. Lee Yu-na pulled the spine out of her leg and applied a hemostatic agent.
"Ugh... ah... Save me, please save me."
"You're going to live. We'll protect you."
Lee Yu-na entrusted the woman to some fleeing citizens and gave them the coordinates for the waiting rescue team.
"Navy support incoming. Drone range extended. They say naval gunfire support is available."
"Tell them to fire at the bosses and lure them to the designated coordinates."
"Understood. Temporary designated locations will be referred to as Alpha and Beta from this point on. Contacting Self-Defense Force support."
The fodder monsters were dangerous enough, but the city suffered more damage with every single step the boss-class monsters took.
We had to draw their attention, even if just a little, so the citizens could evacuate.
"Shit, die! Die! Just fucking die!"
Annoyed by the relentless swarm of monsters, Hornet vented her frustration by kicking a dead one.
They really were endless.
Though we were intentionally luring them, the sheer volume of monsters pouring out of six dungeons at once was no joke.
Many citizens had already perished, and as time passed, the chances of finding survivors grew slim.
"Aaaaagh! Somebody help me!"
At the cry of a man emerging from an alleyway, Astra spat fire. While the monster was momentarily stunned, Hornet and Yoon A-young rushed in and finished it off.
The man, trembling on the ground but still filming with his smartphone, looked at me with a dazed expression before running over.
"B-Black Unicorn, right? Hero Jeong Yeon-woo?!"
"Yes, that's right. It's dangerous here, so follow this path to the fire station. The rescue team will move you to a safe location."
"I-I'm a streamer. I'm pretty famous—"
So what?
"Oh, you're famous? Too bad the afterlife doesn't have a VIP line."
Ellie, invisible to the man, mocked him by flipping him off in front of his camera.
"Can I follow you and... ah... probably not, right?"
"No, you can't."
Seeing my expression, the man's voice trailed off as he read the room.
"We came here to protect you all. Even if this is your job, your life is more important right now. So evacuate."
"Uh... but it's dangerous for you heroes too. You don't even have Jewels of Life..."
"This is our job."
I didn't have time for an interview.
Just as I told the man to move and prepared to turn away, a transmission came from Ryu Ji-hye.
"Endline has finished their dungeon conquest and is currently en route to support. Estimated time of arrival: 30 minutes."
Endline was the party Jeong Sae-bom was in.
Since they were a party that had climbed to B-9, they would be a huge help in this situation.
But for fuck's sake—why were the Chinese nowhere to be seen?
We had been fighting for nearly an hour, but there wasn't a single sign of other heroes.
Even if they were coming down from the north, it wasn't like only one party was struggling like us.
I should have been able to see something in the distance by now.
"Leader... I've located the Chinese support team."
As I was questioning their whereabouts, Ryu Ji-hye continued.
Judging by her grim tone, it wasn't good news.
"The Chinese support team is currently establishing a defensive perimeter at the border of Miura City and Yokosuka City."
"They're not pushing into Miura City?"
"No. Currently, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian heroes are stationed at that defense line."
"Do they have another plan? Did they relay anything to us?"
Are they expecting us to lure the monsters to them? That's a bit much.
If they were planning to concentrate firepower to take down the bosses all at once, it would be more advantageous to move the defense line further down. Should I request that?
"...No. Leader... the support teams up north have no intention of saving Miura City."
"..."
Ryu Ji-hye corrected my assumption.
...Why?
My mind went blank at her words.
"Wait, why... why aren't they saving Miura City?"
I was so bewildered I started to stutter.
Fine, if it were other countries, I might think there were conflicting interests, but she said Japan was there too. Why Japan?
They're abandoning Miura City?
As I stood there, mouth agape in total disbelief, Lee Yu-na spoke with a dark expression.
"Because they don't have Jewels of Life..."
"..."
This was making my head spin.
I get that they value their lives, but do they not know why they earn so much money and why people treat them with such respect?
People treat them as heroes because Awakened are the only ones who can put their lives on the line to fight when it matters.
It's not like there's anyone else who can replace them. They have the power to save others, yet they're playing it safe?
"You're saying they're running away because they're afraid of dying right now...?"
"To put it bluntly, yes."
Lee Yu-na nodded, her brow furrowed.
So this was the downside of the Jewels of Life.
Heroes are accustomed to death because of those jewels.
But it's the jewel that gives them the confidence that they won't stay dead.
Without the jewel, if you die once, it's over.
Having experienced death dozens or hundreds of times might make one numb, but because they've experienced it so much, they also know the sheer terror of it truly being the end.
So, they were all choosing the safe route.
They set up a defense line and wait for the gathered heroes to pick off the monsters one by one.
But isn't that defense line a bit too high up? It's so transparent.
"Heroes are always such hypocrites. They act all high and mighty about saving citizens, but in the end, their own lives are all that matters."
Hornet sneered.
"Are the rest of you scared too?"
"It would be a lie to say I'm not. But we're Black Unicorn. As long as we follow Yeon-woo, we won't die."
"Exactly, Master. I'm not scared at all! We've never even used a Jewel of Life before, right? If we just do what we always do, we won't die, just like always."
Lee Yu-na and Kwon Ye-jin placed their trust in me.
Anna and Yoon A-young were the same, but what about Satomi and Hornet, who had only recently joined?
"I've lived my life on the edge from the start. My mindset is different from you cowards."
Hornet said with a smirk.
"..."
Satomi had grown up in a society where melee attackers were the mainstream, so she had experienced death many times.
After a brief silence, Satomi looked me straight in the eye with a fierce gaze.
"If one fears death, they have no right to hold a sword. If the Captain commands it, I will proudly walk into the jaws of death."
"While the other samurai are shitting themselves and hiding in their rooms."
Satomi ignored Hornet's cackling at the Japanese heroes.
Han So-ye, who had joined Black Unicorn temporarily, nodded with a gentle smile.
Her hands were trembling slightly, showing her fear, but she was still following me.
Fortunately, morale was fine.
Even so, in the end, Black Unicorn was the only hero party left to save Miura City.
Ah, since Endline is coming too, I guess that makes two parties?
"Phew—let's go. Whether we have jewels or not, we have to save people."
"Right, let's save them."
"I'll follow only you, Leader."
Yoon A-young and Anna walked behind me.
The other members began to walk as well, and we continued doing what we had always done: killing monsters and saving people.
"As the field commander, I'm going to request the China Support Headquarters to move the defense line down to Hatsusemachi."
"Request sent... It was denied."
Ryu Ji-hye spoke in a dejected voice.
Are they really that terrified of moving down just a little bit?
...Fine. I'll just be grateful they're handling the three bosses heading north, goddammit.
No matter how hard we ran, there were only seven of us.
It was difficult to eliminate all the monsters spread across Miura City, and even harder to rescue every citizen in such a vast area.
I had been moving north slowly, planning to rendezvous with the heroes coming down, but I had to change my strategy.
"Has the boss lured by the Navy reached the location?"
"Helpard is close to Area Alpha. Recara and Pelligis are ignoring the lure."
How is it that civilians are braver than heroes?
Offering my thanks to the Navy, who were still fighting hard, we moved to deal with the bosses that weren't being lured.
"They're B-6 bosses. Even without tactical training, we're more than capable of clearing them, so follow my orders exactly."
"We follow the Captain's word."
"Go! Black Unicorn! Slay all the monsters and save the people!"
Ellie sat on my head and shouted spiritedly, as if she were the leader herself.
"A Japanese party from the Chinese defense line is ignoring the standby order and heading toward Miura City. Party name: Tenshin."
"Haruka..."
Satomi murmured at Ryu Ji-hye’s report.
If it's Haruka, is it that 'Pika-pika' girl?
If a party expected to be the future of Japan was joining us, it would definitely be a help.
"Has Endline arrived?"
"Arrival within 3 minutes."
"Establish comms with Tenshin and Endline. Send them all the intel on both parties."
"Understood. Additionally, a Korean support team is on the way. Estimated arrival: 40 minutes."
Thankfully, it wasn't just cowards out there.
With more strength, a B-rank boss would be easy pickings.
Alright, let's do this for real.