#29 There Are No Fools Who Go Find It Themselves...? [This Is a Human City!]
Theo glanced around wildly, then startled and stuck close to Kang-ho's side.
Whiiiish— A motorcycle zipped past.
[What is that?]
"That's a motorcycle," Kang-ho said, walking slowly before adding, "And where you're standing is the road. Great place to get yourself killed."
[Oh ho. Human civilization is truly splendid.] Theo nodded and quickly fell in behind Kang-ho.
Towering buildings rose here and there—structures absent from the Demon Realm. He observed them with keen interest.
Kang-ho walked slowly, recalling Cheol-bae's words.
—One of our rankers went missing in the Daegu-Busan dispute zone again.
—Could you do me a favor?
The 'southern dispute zone.' Kang-ho had never been there. He wasn't one to venture much beyond Cheorwon. It wasn't just his laid-back nature; he also loved watching the snow fall with Furball and Seol-a. Those two went crazy for it, leaving him no desire to go elsewhere.
But now, curiosity was stirring.
What's in the south?
The northern and southern dispute zones differed fundamentally. The north had order among the disaster species since Kang-ho had claimed his territory. Incidents in Cheorwon were ancient history.
The south, however, lived up to its name as a 'dispute zone.' Disaster species emerged endlessly, locked in fierce territorial battles.
Why not exterminate them? First, no need. Thirty years post-Great War, civilization had recovered, but the population hadn't. No point expanding southward.
Second, nothing to gain. Magic stones—monster hearts—drove the hunts. Monsters evolved using that mana energy. Even among Shabel Tigers, some boasted ferocious attack power, others—like Furball—overwhelming defense.
Catch them pre-evolution for high magic stone yield; post-evolution, yield dropped. The irony: wild monsters growing stronger meant lower yields when hunted.
No fool sought out the world of disaster species adapted to ruined cities, even evolved stronger. Plenty of gates nearby anyway.
Kang-ho respected Cheol-bae for that reason.
His hometown's Busan.
Cheol-bae hailed from Busan. That explained his persistent southern pushes.
Hometown...
Kang-ho glanced up at the cityscape. His own hometown was Incheon.
"......"
He was likely one of the few who truly understood Cheol-bae.
This was Daejeon. Less populated and developed than Seoul, but still reeking of human life.
One of the four great guilds, 'Lebadon,' held territory here—a traditional magic house dominated by magic-type ability users.
Exiting Daejeon, massive barricades loomed. Like Cheorwon's, but Cheorwon's felt leisurely; these brimmed with grim resolve.
Approaching, Kang-ho flashed his SS-rank ID. The guard captain saluted.
"Ah, uh, hello, Senior Choi Kang-ho."
"Mind if I pass?"
"Y-yes, of course."
SS-rank was an all-access pass. Only ten in Korea. Even after decades away, it held weight.
Heard of him, but first time seeing the real deal.
The captain swallowed hard, staring. Rumors said he still looked mid-20s—true. Glancing sidelong at the rare sight, his eyes shifted to the man next to Kang-ho, slurping away at something.
"Uh... and this gentleman?"
"My assistant."
"Assistant...!"
"Need ID?"
"We got the heads-up from Director Im Cheol-bae. No issue. Go ahead."
He'd been briefed.
Assistant, huh... He eyed Theo, lollipop crammed in his mouth.
Looks a bit dim-witted...
Beyond the southern barricade stretched a desolate vista. Nature encroached on what was once a city, creating a discordant world. Half-collapsed buildings mingled with nameless plants and soaring birds. Roads cracked wide, weeds waist-high. Abandoned cars became new dens.
"Furball."
Once far enough, Kang-ho called. Furball bounded over, tongue lolling.
He could've flown via Thunderbird, but ground travel had purpose.
Need to gauge the mood.
Descending the city, no civilian anxiety or guild movements registered.
Seol-a peeked curiously from his pocket at the unfamiliar sight.
"Hop on."
[Huh? Oh, right.] Theo crunched his lollipop and climbed Furball's back.
"Let's go."
They shot forward. Scenery blurred by. Deeper south, nature thickened. Ruined buildings vanished under green veils, resembling massive plants. Monsters peeked out here and there.
Grrrrowl—!
Furball's roar sent them fleeing.
Deeper in...
"Hm."
Kang-ho sensed dissonance.
"Hm?" He patted Furball, who halted, panting.
Scanning around—
Pop! In an instant, he held a forearm-sized insect.
Ant-like, but with stag-beetle mandibles. Glossy black carapace, powerful legs thrashing.
New species.
"Know this one?" Kang-ho held it out to Theo, who nodded.
[Gigantic Ants. Common in the Demon Realm.]
New species from the Demon Realm, as expected.
That was why he'd brought Theo—to pinpoint southern anomalies.
Headache.
Kang-ho pondered the ant. Insects terrified him more than most disaster species; they wrought far worse calamities.
"Fast breeders?"
[Immensely. Queen ants lay about ten eggs a day.] Theo nodded.
"Omnivores? Hunt in packs?"
[Yeah. Hundreds team up on big game.]
"Maturity time?"
[Around a month post-hatch?]
Ant monsters rocketed from birth to combat-ready unnaturally fast.
Kang-ho crushed it.
Squelch!
Trash mobs—zero magic stone, pure nuisance. But knowing them mattered; base ecosystem shifts rippled upward.
Here... He checked his smartphone. Southeast from Daejeon—nearing Daegu.
"Walk from here."
Theo tapped his chest. Kang-ho unlocked his mana core without hesitation.
[Phew, breathing room.] Theo stretched.
[Since we're out, why not cut me loose fully?]
"I'll think about it."
Theo scanned around, blinking.
[Whoa, corpses everywhere.]
Mana—not magi—flowed from his core, spreading.
Rumble—groooan—
The ground heaved; bone piles assembled into skeletons.
'Gnome Boy, Kandiru.' Both FF-rarity trash mobs, revealing the old locals.
[Damn, low mana—only small fry.]
Straight ahead. Foliage thickened; new monsters emerged.
Entering Daegu's core, the ecosystem shifted starkly. If northern Cheorwon was eternal tundra, south felt like jungle.
Whiiiish—
Still winter, biting winds mingled with humid mugginess.
Theo nodded at the lush grass.
[Heat bugs. They radiate warmth everywhere. Dense heat bug zones inevitably...]
"Form tropical climates," Kang-ho finished.
Palm-like trees everywhere. Midwinter jungle—clearly abnormal.
More shocking: Demon Realm link less than a month old.
"Heat bugs grow this fast normally?"
[No way. Full ecosystem like this? At least a year.]
Suddenly—
Ruuuuumble—
A building collapsed afar, kicking up dust. Decades-abandoned structures crumbled easily.
Ruuuuumble—
Another fell.
Ruuuuuuumble—
Earthquake?
—Aaaaooooow!
"......?"
[......?]
A bizarre voice echoed.
Kang-ho turned slowly.
"Hear that?"
Theo nodded silently.
—Yaaaaooooow! Achoooo!
"......"
Ruuuuumble—!
Another building down—and a massive monster fled toward them.
Rhino-like. B-rank disaster species, Rhino—troublesome with bulk and horn.
Thud thud thud—
Terror-stricken, it barreled past Kang-ho and Theo, vanishing afar.
"Adadadadadot!"
Then the voice's owner appeared. Familiar: yellow tracksuit top and bottom, backpack on.
Spotting Kang-ho, eyes widened.
"Telepathy?"
No fool seeks the world of adapted, evolved disaster species in ruined cities...
—That saying was now void.
"......Here be that fool."