Rescue from the Undead
Lumos's words that he would let me rest easy were no empty promise. In the blink of an eye, he had smashed every last one of the man-eating crabs to pieces.
"I've finished cleaning up, young master."
Lumos bowed his head respectfully toward me.
"Th-thank you for your hard work."
It was good, but my conscience felt uneasy. It looked as if a young man was overworking an eighty-year-old elder. Even if that elder was strong enough to beat terrifying monsters to death with a staff.
Ether absorbed!
Ether absorbed!
Ether absorbed!
The loot wasn't just ether. Sparkle, sparkle! Small objects glimmered where the man-eating crabs' remains had vanished. Cards flew out of the Infinite Deck on their own, and several weasels emerged from within to gather the glittering items and bring them to me.
"Ah."
Small coins… They looked like currency that might have circulated in the medieval era at first glance.
'So these appear here too.'
Secret coins. At this point in time, their use was unknown, so they were either hoarded or traded sparingly as cash substitutes depending on market rates. But that was only because no one knew their true value.
I knew, however. I knew exactly where these unidentified coins were used.
Secret coins could be exchanged for runes, items, etherium, and more at hidden shops located in dungeons beyond certain gates. Right now, they traded for less than their weight in gold or silver. But once the existence of the hidden shops became known? Their value would skyrocket without limit. The runes, items, and etherium sold in those shops weren't things that could be obtained easily.
'Come to think of it, I should start collecting secret coins in advance.'
To other hunters they were nothing more than ordinary coins, but to my eyes, secret coins looked like Bitcoin before it was listed on exchanges. I planned to quietly stockpile them without drawing attention, buy what I needed from the hidden shops, and hold the rest until their value exploded.
"Young master, shall I continue guiding you?"
"Yes, sir."
"This way, please."
Lumos led the way once more.
Defense Strategy Department Situation Room.
"Current status."
Minister Ahn checked the situation every five minutes. Given the severity of the crisis, as the head of the Defense Strategy Department, he intended to grasp the real-time developments.
"Fifty 3-star hunters and the 2nd Marine Special Search Battalion have just departed aboard high-speed boats."
"What about helicopter access?"
"Still impossible. The fog is too dense and space is distorted, making aerial asset approach practically unfeasible. The on-site commander has determined that the maritime route is currently the only viable method for troop deployment."
"To enter by land, we'll have to wait for the next tide."
"Approximately five hours and fifteen minutes remain until the waterway opens."
"Five hours, huh."
Minister Ahn's expression hardened. Everyone in the Defense Strategy Department knew that the chances of anyone surviving more than five hours inside the fog labyrinth engulfing Jebudo were extremely slim. Moreover, the safety of the hunters and Marine Special Search Battalion forces deployed for the rescue couldn't be guaranteed either. They had been sent in fully prepared to accept sacrifices for the sake of the rescue operation.
In normal circumstances, they would have waited a set amount of time before carpet-bombing the area into oblivion, or even considered the use of tactical nuclear weapons if the situation appeared uncontrollable. But that wasn't an option now. An extremely important individual was trapped inside the fog labyrinth covering Jebudo.
"Captain Im."
"Yes, Minister."
"Have you relayed to the on-site commander that the operation's primary objective is the rescue of Cha Eun-seong?"
"I have, sir. Clearly."
Captain Im answered in a low voice to the minister's whisper.
"It may sound cold, but… Cha Eun-seong takes priority. Everyone else comes after. Stabilizing the situation comes after that as well. Regardless of anyone else, we must bring Cha Eun-seong back at all costs. The moment his survival or location is confirmed, divert all available forces toward him."
"Understood."
Since communications hadn't been cut off yet, Captain Im relayed Minister Ahn's orders to the on-site commander once more.
"This is truly an unpleasant task."
The minister's expression was deeply troubled. It wasn't as if Cha Eun-seong was the only person trapped on Jebudo. There were plenty of others who needed rescuing: the trainee hunters from the Special Ability Development Institute, their instructors, soldiers, and civilians. Yet the order to prioritize Cha Eun-seong above all else was a ruthless decision made purely in the interest of national benefit.
Why? Because Cha Eun-seong was the most critical strategic asset to the Republic of Korea. A hunter who had awakened to a unique profession unseen anywhere else in the world. His potential and future value were incomparable to any other force.
Even so, pouring every resource into saving just one person while relegating everyone else to secondary priority was far from pleasant.
"If it were up to me, I'd go rescue him myself."
"But—"
"I was just muttering out of frustration. Don't worry about it."
"Minister…"
Captain Im's voice trailed off.
"There are more than a few people who would be delighted if I left my post. I can't give those bastards an opening. They're just waiting for me to make a move."
Minister Ahn's sharp gaze swept across the situation room. It was as if coup forces might be hiding inside, ready to overthrow the system amid the chaos. That was why Minister Ahn couldn't go to rescue Eun-seong himself. He had no idea what might happen in his absence.
"D-don't come any closer!"
Terrified, Ra Si-hyun shouted and aimed her gun at the enemies. But the trigger she pulled in panic posed no real threat.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The bullets flew uselessly through the air. These enemies weren't the kind that could be stopped by a few rounds.
"Grrraaah."
"Guooaaagh."
Zombies reeking of rotten fish stench swarmed toward Ra Si-hyun, who was cornered.
"Ughhh!"
Ra Si-hyun screamed in terror and kept pulling the trigger.
Click, click!
The gun had jammed.
"W-why won't it work? Why won't it fire? Hngh!"
Click, click!
Ra Si-hyun tried pulling the trigger again, but the gun with a stuck casing refused to shoot.
"Why won't it work?! Why?!"
Ra Si-hyun's trembling hands fumbled over the gun, but no amount of fiddling would fix a jammed firearm. A simple fix would have solved the problem, but as a novice hunter, she couldn't handle malfunctions in the heat of battle. Aiming well might be a matter of talent, but handling firearms proficiently was a matter of skill.
Thud.
The gun slipped from Ra Si-hyun's hands and fell onto the sandy beach.
"Ah…"
A resigned sigh escaped Ra Si-hyun's lips. Her ether was depleted, her body was battered from being swept up in the tsunami, and now even her last lifeline—the gun—had jammed. There was nothing left she could do.
"Guwaaaagh."
"Grrraaah."
Meanwhile, the distance between Ra Si-hyun and the zombies grew ever smaller. If she could, Ra Si-hyun wanted to end her own life. Being eaten alive by zombies that reeked of rotting corpses and fish blood would be far worse.
Whether she died this way or that, being torn apart remained the same…
The zombies were now right in front of her. So close that the barnacles and strands of seaweed clinging to their decaying skin were clearly visible.
"Grrrl!"
"Hngh!"
Ra Si-hyun shuddered at the stench of the zombie's breath and squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to see their hideous, disgusting forms until the very last moment of her life. She could only pray that the moment of death would come quickly and with as little pain as possible.
Thwack!
Ra Si-hyun flinched involuntarily at the gruesome sound.
Squelch!
At the sound of something thick and viscous flowing, Ra Si-hyun cautiously opened her eyes.
Crack!
The head of the zombie right in front of her split open, and rotten brain matter spilled out.
Thud!
The zombie, split vertically starting from its head, collapsed, revealing the person standing behind it.
A handsome face radiating both confidence and strength. A slight smirk at the corner of his lips that seemed to retain composure even in this situation. Yet eyes that looked utterly ruthless.
…It was Cha Eun-seong.
Thud!
Ra Si-hyun, her tension released, sank to the ground where she stood.
"What are you doing?"
Eun-seong frowned.
Whoosh!
Without even turning around, he swung his axe.
Thwack!
The head of a nearby zombie fell off with a clean cut.
"Get up."
"Huh…?"
Ra Si-hyun looked up at Eun-seong with a dazed expression.
"Don't just sit there looking pathetic."
Eun-seong spat the words out and swung his axe at the remaining zombies.
"Hngh!"
When Ra Si-hyun gritted her teeth and stood up, Eun-seong had already finished off all the zombies.
"Th-thank you for saving m—"
Ra Si-hyun tried to express her gratitude, but Eun-seong didn't even glance at her. His attention was already elsewhere.
"This drops here too?"
Eun-seong picked up the emerald-colored etherium and marveled at it.
"……"
Ra Si-hyun felt slightly dumbfounded. But when she saw the etherium in Eun-seong's hand, she had no choice but to acknowledge it. Even to her novice eyes, it looked like a fairly high-grade item.