Hunters Don't Seek Out Places to Die
Jang Deok-gu gave up on taking the elevator. Every single one had been severed and plummeted to the bottom.
With no choice, he headed for the stairs, but it was already hell. A horrific scene beyond imagination awaited them.
"Urk!"
The man following behind retched. Even Jang Deok-gu, hardened to most atrocities, furrowed his brow.
The metallic stench of blood numbed his senses, making his head throb. Chunks of flesh that had clearly once been human were scattered chaotically, and the entrails draped along the railings already reeked of rot.
"Let's head back to the room."
Thomas, clinging to Jang Deok-gu's shoulder, offered his opinion.
"The room?"
"From the looks of things here, the bees have already taken over the surroundings. There's a method that's perfect for situations like this."
"A method?"
"Hunting. We need to take down monsters."
Jang Deok-gu tilted his head.
"I'm all for hunting monsters. But with that body of yours?"
"That's why we need to go back to the room."
He caught on to Thomas's intent.
"You're planning to use the suppressant Guild Master Kang gave you."
"Against low-level monsters that rely on numbers, nothing's as efficient as a mage."
Jang Deok-gu agreed with Thomas. But uncontrolled power was more dangerous than the monsters themselves. Reading his concern, Thomas assured him.
"Nothing to worry about. I learned my lesson from last time, so I think I've got the knack now. With a little help from you, I can set a proper trap."
Jang Deok-gu hesitated.
Too risky to support him based solely on his word.
He considered alternatives.
Heading down while rescuing who he could, then letting the mage sweep the monsters to create an evacuation window.
Which would save more lives?
As he pondered, Jang Deok-gu swung his sword. A bee climbing the stairs had its crown pierced and tumbled down. He reflexively grabbed a person caught on its leg, but they were already gone.
Gently laying the body on the floor, Jang Deok-gu said,
"If you lose control, I'll step in again."
"I'll make damn sure I don't give you the excuse."
Hamilton contacted the situation room. Given his position, Jonathan, the LA branch chief of the Hunter Crime Bureau, came to the bunker personally.
Hamilton relayed Kang Moo-hyuk's words to the chief. After hearing it all, the chief spoke awkwardly.
"Well... Right now, we're only getting reports of isolated carnivorous wasp attacks. That doesn't necessarily mean they've formed a large-scale hive. It could be vanguard scouts from an undiscovered gate somewhere. If other monsters follow, it'd be hard to take responsibility for acting on unconfirmed intel."
"Forget blame. So? You're saying my points are being completely ignored?"
"The idea that the entire underground city is a monster den is pure speculation. A hive that size wouldn't have gone undetected this long, and even if it did, the guilds would already be handling it. Wasp monsters aren't that strong individually—if we give them enough time, they can be dealt with easily."
"And in that 'enough time,' hundreds of thousands will die."
Kang Moo-hyuk cut in abruptly, and the chief's face soured.
"This isn't a place for civilians."
"I can't stand by with judgment worse than a civilian's."
At the sarcasm, the chief glared at Kang Moo-hyuk but held his temper.
His rank was only B, but he'd climbed this far on political savvy alone. He tried to gauge the relationship between Kang Moo-hyuk and Hamilton.
White House involvement directly. A private meeting means there's real weight here. With the director backing his words, I can't show outright disdain.
Sizing it up, the chief softened his expression.
"The Hunter Crime Bureau deals with villains, not monsters."
"So monsters are out of your scope?"
"Misunderstanding, Mr. Hamilton. I mean we're not equipped for it. As a taxpayer-funded official, it's awkward to say, but America's monster defense relies too heavily on the private sector."
"Hard to believe. There's the federal strike team, right? Just buying their gear costs billions annually."
"Precisely—it's supply gear. For hunters we support in emergencies."
Hamilton headed the White House Hunter Policy Division. New to the role since the administration change, but he'd grasped the broad strokes of national monster defense. The chief's explanation didn't add up.
As he moved to point it out, the chief spoke first.
"I know exactly what you're thinking. But those are just numbers on paper. The plans have never been executed in reality. Guilds handled it every time. As someone who knows the full picture, Director, you'll understand."
"Mm, I see. Budget issues."
Hamilton realized his oversight instantly.
A nation of over 300 million, but vast land. Protecting it all with a state-run hunter force would drain endless funds, no matter how rich.
"Fine. What's the fallback?"
"Send cooperation requests to each guild."
"And then?"
"Coordinate ops with the government liaisons from cooperating guilds."
"How long will that take to scout and raid the monster origin?"
Hamilton stared incredulously, and the chief shook his head.
"That's why I said we need time."
For simple defense, local guilds' autonomous responses sufficed.
Named monsters got raid teams; swarm types fell to hold-and-counter strategies.
But city-wide attacks with an unknown enemy? The system couldn't handle simultaneous defense and assault effectively.
Hamilton, who usually mediated guild interests, grasped the limit quickly and shifted gears.
"No choice, then. Handle the attacking wasps first, form strike teams ASAP. I'll stay in LA to coordinate instead of heading to Washington. White House clout means guilds can't push back. And request federal support simultaneously—"
"Sorry to interrupt. We won't have time for that."
Kang Moo-hyuk interjected again, and the chief snapped.
"Who the hell are you to boss around in our country?"
"Ignore my status and listen. Carnivorous wasps must have their queen killed before the hive reaches final form."
Hamilton stopped the chief from retorting. To him, the bureau seemed lacking in monster knowledge.
Focused on villains over monsters, specialized in hunting people, not beasts.
Plus, carnivorous wasps were new to North America. Info was scarce—not every hunter knew every monster.
Hamilton cautiously gave Kang Moo-hyuk the floor.
"Why?"
"Two reasons."
"Two?"
"First: hive expansion."
"Expansion? Even after taking the whole underground?"
"Bigger hives produce new queens to send out. The problem? Not just one."
"Dozens at once to other cities."
"With ample food, hundreds, depending on the queen."
Hamilton and the chief envisioned hundreds of cities turning to hives.
Low-rank didn't matter anymore.
Hamilton steadied his pounding heart with deep breaths. Even a seasoned ex-CIA field agent feared monsters.
"Second reason?"
"Why carnivorous wasps top the danger list: they're a prime 'acute evolution species.'"
"Acute evolution...?"
"Their queen consumes prey and learns. Absorbs traits to spawn new generations. Eventually, an evolved offspring ousts her and becomes queen. Each new generation surpasses the last. More time means harder to raid."
"......"
"......"
Kang Moo-hyuk drove it home to their rolling eyes.
"Worst case: like Botswana in Africa."
"Botswana...?"
"Wiped out by carnivorous wasps. National-level mission."
"Oh my God!"
Hamilton barely moved his lips, eyes fixed.
"Chief Jonathan. Connect me to LA major guilds' emergency lines. No time for jurisdiction."
"Connecting's easy, but..."
"What? Problem?"
Hamilton glared sharply. As the chief hemmed, Kang Moo-hyuk answered.
"Chief just realized the implications. What comes next."
"Y-yeah... sorta..."
"What? You two know something I don't?"
Kang Moo-hyuk smacked his lips bitterly.
"Some LA guilds have already caught on."
"Even better. If they know it's serious, cooperation's easier."
"Mr. Hamilton. You've dealt with people, not monsters."
"Seen a few on-site."
"Hunters don't seek out death. A guild spotting final-phase hive will prioritize evacuation over fighting."
"No way. Then who handles these?"
"Super S-ranks. They'll wait for them to fix it."
Back in the room, Jang Deok-gu found the suppressant Kang Moo-hyuk had given Thomas. Thomas injected it into his arm as instructed.
"Huh? Why isn't it all going in?"
"Half's the limit. Felt it during last rampage. Dosage affects body load differently. Full dose amps effects too much. Gut feeling, but my instincts are usually spot-on... Ngh!"
A faint golden light swirled in Thomas's eyes. He gritted his teeth, straining visibly.
Moments later, Thomas exhaled long. His pallor returned to normal.
"Success."
"B-rank-ish?"
Jang Deok-gu finally got it. Thomas had stabilized at B-rank, unlike before.
"With my trait, B-rank's plenty."