#259. Pondering the Final Measure
No Song-rin kept checking the watch on his wrist as they moved through the tunnel.
"Stop."
After walking for a good while, he halted the party. He pulled a cylindrical object from the backpack on his back, then tapped at the ceiling and walls, inspecting them.
"This is tough. Won't pierce easily."
The soil hardened by the hornets' stomach acid had set harder than reinforced concrete. They'd used it to carve out these tunnels, allowing free movement underground.
"Just smash it in. But what's that thing? Looked like you were setting one up at the entrance too."
Go Eul-ji showed interest in the device.
"Dungeon comms relay. League-made gear, apparently. Install one every set distance, and it chains along your path for external comms within range. This watch shows the range in color. Red means install and link the next relay."
Finishing his explanation, No Song-rin channeled mana into his left hand and smashed the wall.
The sturdy wall crumbled like shedding skin, exposing the soft earth inside. Without hesitation, he pressed the cylinder against it.
Three prongs like tripod legs shot out from the cylinder's end, gripping the wall. They soon burrowed deep.
No Song-rin shook the cylinder to confirm it was secure, then pressed the button on its body.
The top of the machine, now firmly attached to the wall, bloomed open like a flower bud, transforming into a small antenna. The red LED below switched to green.
"Installed. Let's see where it's linked. Everyone, put on those earring sets I handed out earlier. Stick 'em on your left or right earlobe, wherever."
"Oh, so this is it?"
Go Eul-ji opened the palm-sized box.
Inside was a round, flat gem that looked more like an earring than a comms device—fitting its name perfectly.
"This actually works for comms? Looks like a toy earring."
"Not a toy—an item. Pricey, too. Gotta recover them later."
"You ain't expecting me to do the recovering, right?"
"Who else? You're the one who sniffed out those landmines."
"Director Kang! Why pick on me?!"
Watching Go Eul-ji wail, No Song-rin smirked to himself in satisfaction.
Kang Moo-hyuk had only mentioned recovery in passing, never issuing specific orders. No Song-rin was dumping it on Go Eul-ji.
'Didn't specify, so it's up to my discretion, right?'
To Go Eul-ji, that nuance alone would suffice. She'd grumble but follow through if it was Kang Moo-hyuk's command.
Johanna, positioned at the party's rear, watched the rowdy group with a troubled expression.
'Even with an S-rank, barging into a monster nest that wrecked a whole city like this? Acting so sloppy. Discipline's way too lax.'
From Italy's top guild, Gloria.
Johanna had been a frontline hunter there.
One more rank-up, and she'd be promoted to expedition team—everyone expected it. She was confident she'd shine as a core member. Public opinion agreed. To her, Iron Will's hunters seemed utterly undisciplined.
'Talent aside, this attitude won't let the guild grow. A guild needs to act like one. Strong hunters don't solve everything.'
As Johanna evaluated Iron Will, she startled herself.
"Why am I... judging this guild?"
No plans to transfer, so sizing up pros and cons was pointless. She shook her head, trying to dismiss the thought.
"God, everyone's so lax. What're we supposed to do with these delinquents?"
Jang Deok-gu clicked his tongue at the outsider tearing his hair out over the noisy pair, muttering to himself.
Joo Se-ah chuckled at Jang Deok-gu's sigh.
"They're just loosening up."
"Those two are too loose—can't get looser. The other one's not even a member, but Director Kang asked me to evaluate her since he's interested. Showing off like that kills any recommendation urge."
"Whatcha gonna do? Guild tradition. Don't judge harshly—keep an open mind."
"New guild with traditions? If anything, it's gathering screw-loose hunters. Been that way since Taeseong days. Without mega open-mindedness, I'd boot 'em all."
"Ouch, hits home. Can't even control those screw-looses, huh, Guild Master?"
"Th-that's..."
Jang Deok-gu had no retort. Not for lack of words or excuses. He and Joo Se-ah simultaneously stared into the darkness ahead. No Song-rin and Go Eul-ji did the same.
Johanna jolted at the shifted atmosphere.
'Like totally different people?'
The moment she sensed the incongruity, her hands went to her waist, drawing axes of different shapes. But the other four hadn't even drawn weapons—just adjusted their stances.
'Not slow reactions. Combat switches are already flipped.'
Yet not reaching for weapons meant they had the leisure to calmly handle the sudden threat.
She felt ashamed for reacting so sensitively.
"Starting with a bang, huh."
Joo Se-ah raised her fist to chest height. Thin silver gauntlets like gloves gleamed—not defensive gear, but offensive weapons. Infused with her energy, they glowed red-hot.
Clang!
Fists clashed before her chest, ringing with metallic resonance.
In an instant, Joo Se-ah shot forward. No party member caught her form.
Hornets fluttering their wings in the dark reeled from the whirlwind in the tunnel, crashing to the floor. They tried to take flight again, but for some reason, couldn't lift off.
The lead hornet rolled its compound eyes to check its back. Wings intact.
Just its body and head operating independently.
Dozens of kin behind it lay similarly bisected, tumbling. The hornet rolling headless faded from view. Consciousness soon severed.
In its last gasp, it tried signaling the queen—but its antennae were yanked, foiling even that.
"Monsters are persistent bastards. Already scheming."
"Well done."
Jang Deok-gu's voice came from behind, catching up late.
"No biggie. Just small fry. So, Johanna? Italy dealt with carnivorous hornets. What generation these?"
"Looks like third-gen."
Johanna answered after eyeing the disassembled hornets.
She was inwardly stunned inspecting the scene.
'Heard about the S-rank, but seeing it... unreal.'
Third-gen weren't impossible, but wiping dozens in a blink? No.
Joo Se-ah nudged a hornet oozing green ichor with her boot.
"Same thought. Differs a bit from Korea's back then, but overall similar. Third-gen on perimeter means fourth- or fifth-gen inside, right?"
"Likely."
Johanna agreed. Joo Se-ah shook ichor from her hands and advanced.
"Got a feel for 'em now. Push forward fast from here."
Go Eul-ji scratched her head, trailing behind and grumbling.
"Then Guild Master should've come solo. No chance for me."
"Save your strength. Might need AOE. Director Kang's orders."
"Director Kang said? Hmm, tight space okay?"
"Hive core won't be this narrow. Beehives need big spaces. Find it first. Then snag the queen."
"Queen'll get entrance-cut by Guild Master anyway. Unique item hogged?"
Go Eul-ji's laughing remark made Joo Se-ah glance at her hand, then the hornet corpses at her feet.
'Third-gen, huh?'
The sensation of slicing their exoskeletons with her hand lingered vividly.
Records varied from reality, but these felt at least two tiers tougher than documented.
'Next evolution'll confirm. Fifth-gen might differ from what we knew.'
Call My Name tackled the hive differently from Gunpowder.
"Push expedition two sectors forward. Rearguard: 1st Assault. Scattered hornet remnants: 2nd Assault wipes 'em."
Samuel Huntington, Call My Name's guild master and famed raid tactician, was a rare mage-position leader.
His bold assault team maneuvers shone here too.
"Master. A-3 bypass: hornet swarm engagement. Around 40. Third-gen intensity. Support requested."
"Send response team. 2nd Party."
"Yes."
Gunpowder cleared sectors methodically for safety. Call My Name led with elite expedition, backed by assault teams for rapid advance.
Flank ambushes were a risk, but proactive response teams countered, racing deepest fastest.
'Joint unique item ownership with Gunpowder? Ha! Ridiculous. Why share treasure? S-rank unavoidable, but max shares need results—even if forced. That's why that Kang Moo-hyuk halted us under "risk assessment" pretext.'
Huntington never intended obeying Kang Moo-hyuk.
No direct meeting, no S-rank thrashing like Dwight endured.
No ties, so rumors sufficed.
To him, Kang Moo-hyuk was just a smooth-talking civilian.
'Can't leverage S-rank without that? Pathetic.'
Borrowing S-rank and White House clout didn't make him a hunter. That let Huntington dismiss him.
'Can't pull Dwight stunt on us. Time playing outsider's over. Now they follow our lead. Race to hive decides shares.'
So far, as planned.
But the next report cracked it.
"Master! A-3 wiped!"
"What?!"
"Response 2 retreating. Tank dead. Two DPS critical. They... just abandoned wounded..."
"Bullshit? Ditch party members? Drag 'em back!"
"Contact... severed."
Command fell silent. Brief, but suffocating.
Huntington snapped alert, pressing.
"No other intel? Not third-gen level to down that force!"
"Nothing else... unseen types..."
"Unseen?"
Huntington scowled—displeasure clear.
'Die without proper intel? What embarrassment?'
Hunters clammed up, sensing rage. Not all just bootlicked.
Expedition leader Zachary Taylor spoke.
"Master. A-3 leads to B-5. Expedition supply route. Cut, and advance stalls."
"Right. Supplies. Who's on B-zone comms?"
"Me."
"Relay: Hold B-5. Dispatch Response 3rd to 7th Parties. Redirect base defense too."
"Yes."
"Taylor."
"Yes."
"Can you go personally? Vague 'unseen' intel's worrying."
"Was curious anyway. Getting stale. Taking my party."
"Good. Count on you."
Back at Hunter Crime Division, Kang Moo-hyuk spread an LA map on his desk and said to Thomas,
"Know why I asked what magic I can use?"
"No idea."
"Prepping a last resort. For if needed."
"Last resort? Detonation?"
"Detonation?"
"Yes. Overheard Go Eul-ji while waiting. Asked about Iron Will raids—lots of explosion tactics. Impressive. Radical, but."
"Grateful you see it as tactics. Just planned total wipe. Not this time. Look here."
Another LA map he offered marked hive entrances.
"Connect these entrances, draw a line through center. Even simply, spans whole LA. Blasting collapses the city. Catastrophe."
"Like closing bomb—unusable reason."
Closing bomb.
In East, called "seal detonation" strategy.
Last resort when gate can't close: blast external gate to prevent outbreak.
Effective, but risky.
Detonation scaled to gate rank caused EMP-like devastation over wide area.
Comms, power—modernity ruined. Decades reverted to stone age.
Dead city, unruined.
Why closing bombs stayed rare.
"Effect certain, damage huge. Not for cities."
"Use when certain city unsavable."
"No. Not for unsavable cities."
"Then when?"
"When failing to stop monsters dooms surrounding areas to ruin."
Thomas chilled at Kang Moo-hyuk's criteria—even destroying a city had standards.
'Thought similar due to shared symptoms. But his scale... criteria differ.'
Thomas, flustered after ages, asked,
"So, Director, your last resort?"
"Nothing special. Minimize city damage, achieve objective."