Chapter 207: Heroes are Born in Crisis (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 207: Heroes are Born in Crisis (5)
“Hellpard suppressed. No casualties reported.”
The Chinese hero acting as the deputy support team leader said nothing in response to the report from the command room.
Even with the B-9 party there, to defeat it without a single death...
This was Hellpard. A gatekeeper-class monster.
They had taken down the massive Recara and the notoriously difficult Pelligis one after another, and now they had even succeeded in repelling Hellpard.
Despite facing boss-class monsters in rapid succession, Black Unicorn and the rescue team under their command reportedly hadn't suffered so much as a scratch.
The Chinese hero was bewildered, but there was more weighing on her mind.
She had been certain that the rescue team, who had charged in without knowing their place, would surely die.
Those fools, blinded by heroics, should have died for the world to see that the People's Republic of China's judgment had been correct.
Instead, the rescue team had not only slain three bosses in a short time but was now focused on rescue operations with the additional parties, all without any casualties.
Frustrated by China's stagnant defense line, several hero parties had already jumped in.
First the Japanese parties, then the Korean ones, followed by France, Poland, Germany, India, Italy, and Spain.
While the support headquarters hadn't officially deployed a rescue team, a justification for the rescue operation had been established regardless.
“The UK and Russia are deploying large-scale rescue support teams.”
Sly bastards.
The Chinese hero scowled the moment she heard the report.
The UK and Russia, who had previously agreed to and supported the establishment of the defense line, began moving the moment they heard Hellpard was dead.
And they were moving faster than anyone; every party near the defense line was being mobilized at the national level.
“What... what should we do...?”
The command room staff asked for orders, but the Chinese hero was too confused to give any.
Her trembling hands betrayed both rage and fear, and her anxious eyes darted around, unable to settle on a single spot.
“We should—”
“Shut up!”
When the staff member tried to speak again, the Chinese hero shrieked at them.
“No, you shut up.”
The door swung open, and a woman dressed in a white dobok walked in.
However, the dobok, which should have been pristine, was stained with dust and blood, and the woman made no effort to hide her exhausted face.
“Team Leader Hwa-ryeon, the dungeon...”
The acting deputy asked with wide eyes, but Hwa-ryeon only glared back with a chilling gaze.
“I forfeited and came out.”
“But the dungeon conquest...”
Thwack!
Hwa-ryeon kicked the Chinese hero in the shin.
As the woman collapsed forward from the bone-breaking blow, Hwa-ryeon lifted her leg and pinned the woman's head against her knee.
“You have brought great shame to China.”
Thwack!
Hwa-ryeon slammed her fist into the face pinned against her knee, then looked up at the command room staff.
The staff members swallowed hard, watching the acting deputy who had been knocked unconscious without even a hint of resistance.
“Bring me all the communication and situational records.”
“Yes, ma'am!”
Hwa-ryeon, a Chinese A-rank hero rumored to be close to S-rank, was someone they could barely look in the eye.
The command room moved swiftly to avoid upsetting her further, especially since she had abandoned a dungeon conquest and was radiating a murderous aura.
“Get this out of here.”
As she reviewed the materials, Hwa-ryeon kicked the unconscious hero aside like a piece of luggage. A hero guarding the door rushed over and dragged her out.
Hwa-ryeon frowned as she read through the communication logs with Jeong Yeon-woo and their movement paths.
Jeong Yeon-woo’s request to push the defense line down to Hatsusemachi had been brilliant.
However, because that stupid deputy had dawdled, it was already too late.
The monsters had already scattered in all directions, and the defense line couldn't be lowered recklessly now.
“Double the defense line. Maintain the line protecting Yokosuka and establish a new one at Hatsusemachi.”
“Understood.”
“Form a rescue team to turn the gap between the lines into a safe zone. Do not lift the Yokosuka defense line. Maintain it for at least two weeks even after the situation is resolved.”
Maintaining such a line required a vast number of heroes, but Hwa-ryeon gave the orders without hesitation.
No matter how many monsters the heroes killed, a lot of ground had to be covered manually.
Monsters could be hiding in remote areas they hadn't found yet, or there could be monsters that were difficult to detect.
Once monsters were loose, they would keep popping up like cockroaches; they couldn't allow them to spread outside Miura City.
Initial response was crucial, but because of that idiotic deputy, heroes would have to be tied to the defense line for a long time—so long that they couldn't even properly handle their assigned dungeons.
Furthermore, Miura City was under Chinese jurisdiction.
Dungeons with high erosion levels would have to be cleared even while maintaining the defense line, which carried the risk of being ambushed by hidden monsters in the process.
Since all the boss-class monsters were dead, there were no truly dangerous threats left, but that only applied to B-rank heroes and above.
To clear a single dungeon, a large amount of personnel had to be deployed, and they would have to wait indefinitely in places where they didn't know if monsters were lurking, completely vulnerable.
In the end, more heroes would be consumed just to guard dungeon entrances.
On top of that, C-rank and D-rank heroes couldn't even descend into Miura City.
They should have lowered the defense line and narrowed the zone before the monsters could spread in the beginning.
China will be the slowest to finish.
Support would eventually come from other nations once they finished their sectors, so it wasn't a catastrophic problem, but having to rely on other countries because they couldn't handle their own business was a blow to her pride.
Hwa-ryeon smirked as she read the log of Jeong Yeon-woo’s conversation with the acting team leader.
She had already heard the gist of it through the situation room while she was clearing her dungeon.
The situation room had seen the videos spreading on the internet and relayed the information to her.
She had been on the verge of completing the conquest, but thinking that the situation needed to be resolved as quickly as possible, her party had used their Treasure Orbs to "die" and exit the dungeon early.
“I’m curious to see what he looks like.”
She had heard his name a few times since he was gaining fame for his supporter tactics, but she hadn't been particularly interested and didn't know his face.
But now, Hwa-ryeon was intensely curious about Jeong Yeon-woo.
Jeong Sae-bom had boldly suggested throwing a drinking party, but unfortunately, it had to be postponed.
Even though the immediate fire had been put out, it took time to completely wipe out the monsters that had scattered across Miura City.
They had to comb through the vast area with a fine-toothed comb, so even with numerous heroes deployed, they were still struggling on the third day.
The Tenshin party had returned to Japanese command, while I was leading the Korean contingent.
I didn't mind, but wasn't it a bit strange to give command to a party leader who wasn't even a high B-rank, but had only just reached Level 5?
“It’s because they trust your abilities, Oppa.”
Yoon A-young acted as if it were only natural, but I found it a bit embarrassing.
Well—it’s been a while since I’ve commanded on a large scale, so it is kind of fun. It brings back memories.
... ...
Actually, no. Thinking about Colonel Park’s unreasonable demands makes me feel sick.
I clicked my tongue, remembering operations where Awakened were ground down like disposable supplies.
“Do you need anything?”
Even if only "trash mobs" remained, there was nothing more tragic than losing one's life to a weakling, so the heroes were searching in pairs at the very least.
“I’m fine, So-ye Nuna.”
“Okay. Let me know if you need anything. I feel like I’m not doing enough, so I should at least wait on you.”
If we're talking about "waiting on me," I have something else in mind...
If it were any other member, I would have unzipped my fly right then and there, but it was a shame that Han So-ye and I weren't in that kind of relationship yet.
Since her skills were limited to humanoid targets, she stayed with me rather than going out on the search.
“Monster location pinpointed. Displaying on AR. There is a margin of error due to distance.”
“Please guide me.”
As soon as I heard Ryu Ji-hye’s transmission, Han So-ye rested the sniper rifle on my shoulder.
The delicate touch of her hand lightly stroking my shoulder to encourage me was arousing, but I had to focus on the monster for now.
I aimed the barrel toward the monster being guided by the drone.
Boom—!
With a thunderous roar, the bullet—no, the shell—was fired, and the monster’s body was instantly blown to pieces.
Ugh, cleaning that up is going to be a chore.
The roads were littered with monster carcasses.
Since civilians couldn't enter yet and the heroes were busy hunting, the corpses were starting to rot, becoming a gruesome sight.
“Moving to the point in Sakaecho.”
“Understood.”
With my Mana Detection, I was tasked with searching cities and towns with many blind spots.
Han So-ye skillfully cleared the surroundings and moved with me.
“You came to Japan so suddenly, didn't you? Your family must have been disappointed.”
“Mm-mm, no. When I told them it was an escort mission, my daughter actually asked me to protect Yeon-woo.”
Han So-ye smiled softly.
Ah—that strangely sexy yet maternal smile was healing.
She pulled out her smartphone and showed off a photo of her daughter.
“She’s cute. Is she in elementary school?”
“Yeah, she started this year. She’s a fan of yours, Yeon-woo. She even has your hero card. She was so jealous when I told her I was working with you.”
“Hahaha, I’m honored.”
Han So-ye continued to flip through photos, showing off pictures she had taken with her daughter.
No matter what world you're in, parents bragging about their kids is a universal constant.
But looking at the photos of the two of them, they seemed like a happy family... so why weren't there any photos of her husband?
“How are things with your husband?”
“Ah...”
Damn it, I stepped on a landmine again.
Seeing Han So-ye’s complexion darken as her voice trailed off, I shut my mouth.
Forcing a smile, she steered the conversation back to her daughter.
I had to play along.
Maybe things weren't going well with her husband.
Yeah, everyone has their own circumstances.
We both forced awkward smiles and tried to act as if nothing was wrong.
While we moved to the next sniping point and I picked off nearby monsters, I glanced at Han So-ye and saw her lost in thought.
Even when there was nothing to do, she had been focused and stayed close to me, but it seemed I had truly triggered something.
“Master, Ellie is asking for more of a reward.”
It was awkward, so this was good timing.
I immediately responded to Kwon Ye-jin’s transmission.
“What does she want?”
This damn sex fairy was being surprisingly helpful to the rescue team.
She could detect monsters through negative emotional energy, and she could cover a much wider area than I could.
I wanted to smack that smug look off her face, but her utility as a portable monster detector was too great.
When I asked for her help, she had acted all high and mighty and demanded a reward, and I had promised her everything she wanted.
But this brat is asking for more in the middle of the job?
“She... says she wants to go to a Japanese amusement park. You know, the one with the mouse and the princesses.”
“No. We’re here for support, not a vacation. What would people think of us if we were playing there?”
When I refused, there was a bit of silence as they presumably talked to each other, and then another transmission came through.
“Then she says she wants to eat Wagyu. The best kind.”
“...Ellie, you’re listening, right? I think you and Ye-jin are plotting to fleece me. Just wait until you get back.”
I spoke as if I were talking to Ellie—who couldn't communicate through the radio because she was an "error"—while actually warning Kwon Ye-jin.
“Aaaah! Master, no! It’s really not me!”
“Ye-jin, your intentions were way too obvious.”
“I will treat everyone. You came here for Japan’s sake; I was being thoughtless.”
“What’s Wagyu?”
“No, Satomi-san, you don’t need to pay.”
“I’m telling you, it’s not me! Master! Believe me!”
As all the members except Hornet chimed in, Kwon Ye-jin panicked and continued to deny it.
“Stop talking nonsense and focus. We need to resolve this quickly so we can get back to the dungeons.”
The transmission ended with the sound of Kwon Ye-jin and Ellie bickering.
“Hehehe, Black Unicorn is always so lively.”
“You’re a part of Black Unicorn too now, So-ye Nuna.”
Taking the opportunity, I spoke with a gentle smile. Han So-ye looked at me with a thin, smiling gaze before nodding.
With a face that looked somewhat wistful yet happy, she turned her head and gazed into the distance.
Silence fell again, and just as I was thinking of what to say, Han So-ye spoke up.
“This isn't really the place to talk about this, but...”
“We were just talking about Wagyu, after all.”
“Hahaha... true... but it’s a very personal matter...”
Is it about her husband?
“If it’s something weighing on your heart, try letting it out. Sometimes you feel better just by venting.”
At my urging, Han So-ye hesitated for a moment before looking at me.
“I think my husband is having an affair.”
“...Why?”
No, why?
Cheating on Han So-ye? When he has a woman who is overflowing with maternal love, yet is sexy and gentle, right by his side?
“Why...? I suppose I’ve been too neglectful of my family.”
“It might be awkward for me to say this, but haven't things become a bit easier since you came to Square Garden?”
“Yes, they have. The pay and treatment are much better, and I have plenty of free time to spend with my family. All the photos I showed you were taken after I joined Square Garden.”
She had left the "black company" Break Line, and she didn't even have to be active as a party member.
She probably had twice as much free time now that she was at Square Garden.
Han So-ye looked into the distance with a bitter expression.
“But... I guess my husband doesn't like that. He even asked me if I was just 'pretending' to care about the family now.”
“Does your husband have a job of his own?”
“No, he just does the housework.”
“Then, you’ve been working hard to support the family. You worked hard alone so your daughter could eat well and your family could live in a nice house. Is that wrong?”
“...Yeon-woo, you’re different from other men.”
No, it’s not a matter of gender; it’s a matter of intelligence.
The person bringing home the money worked like a dog without any personal time, and now that they’ve finally found some leisure and want to spend it with their family, he’s looking at that with contempt?
“Actually, this is the second time. I’m not certain, but...”
“Hmm... you forgave him?”
“He blamed me. He said he was lonely because he never saw his wife even though we were married. It was a difficult time when he was focused on childcare, and he said it was hard to handle it all alone.”
I’ve heard this story somewhere before.
The genders were just swapped, but it was such a common story that I felt a strange sense of cognitive dissonance.
“And? You were the only one earning money, Nuna. Did he help even a single cent? You both just worked hard at your respective roles, so why do you have to take the blame?”
“...Thank you... for taking my side.”
However, the tension in Han So-ye’s expression didn't fade.
“Let’s stop talking about this. We have to save people from the monsters.”
She forced a smile and ended the conversation.
There was no point in forcing her to talk when she said she didn't want to anymore.
It would be better to arrange a place where she could honestly pour her heart out.
Conveniently, once we finished here, a drinking session with Endline and Tenshin was already scheduled.
I’ll have to listen to her properly then.