#277. Glad I Became a Hunter.
The city returned to normal faster than expected. America's system, well-versed in monster disasters, proved its mettle in the recovery efforts.
But to the citizens, it felt agonizingly slow. That was because so many had died, leaving gaps that couldn't be filled easily.
The city hall had taken the heaviest blow. The mayor and deputy mayor—positions critical for calming the public and leading reconstruction—were vacant, and over half the administrative staff had perished, paralyzing city operations.
Thankfully, California Governor Kevin Cock intervened swiftly, preventing total chaos.
There were a few guild rivalries and political flare-ups, but no one caught up in rebuilding had time for that.
People were busy rebuilding shattered homes, grappling with grief over lost family, friends, and neighbors. They weren't in their right minds.
Yet in this chaos, they had to keep going. That resilience was what had carried humanity through the Great War and the smaller ones.
"Nari!"
"Eul-ji!"
Go Eul-ji finally reunited with Kim Nari, who had been staying at the Gunpowder Guild headquarters.
It was due to post-raid fatigue. The queen had been slain before evacuation, so her body was fine—no overexertion. But her mind and spirit had taken a hit, requiring two days of rest. An invisible scar from the Golden-Eyed Sovereign.
Kim Nari scanned Eul-ji's paler-than-usual face and body, asking, "You didn't get hurt anywhere, right?"
"I'm tough as nails, remember? Of course I'm fine."
"Good. Oh, but did you call your grandpa?"
"Why him?"
"I called your mom the second my phone worked again. Then suddenly your grandpa took the line—scared me half to death. Looks like the news blew up in Korea too."
"Jeez, I'm not some kid who goes getting herself hurt. Why's he gotta make such a fuss?"
"'Cause you're his granddaughter. That's why he worries."
Eul-ji smiled despite her words.
After confirming each other's safety, Kim Nari brought up something new.
"Hey, you hear about this?"
"What?"
"BTA came to this building."
"What?! Where? Where?!"
"They left already. Headed back home as soon as the lockdown lifted."
Eul-ji's shoulders slumped as she sighed deeply.
"Why'd I even tangle with those wasps for some glory? If I weren't a hunter, I could've been here all cozy with the oppas. Maybe I should just quit."
"Anyone'd think you knew them."
"I'm a fan. Fans are family."
"Well, yeah. Not friends, but you did save their lives."
"What're you talking about?"
"You saved people at the concert, right? They must've heard. Said thanks to you for taking out the monsters so they could escape safely. Wanted me to pass it on."
"Gasp! They told you directly?! Do they know me? How?!"
Eul-ji's eyes lit up, ears perking as she shook Nari.
"Hey, dizzy! Stop it."
"Sorry, sorry. So? What else?"
"Not directly to me—they said if anyone knew you, pass on their thanks."
"You know me! Why didn't you say so? Chance to meet the oppas!"
"You hide being a hunter at school too. What if word got out and trouble followed?"
"Still... a once-in-a-lifetime shot. Even burning all my luck..."
"No matter how cool they are, are they more precious than you? Whatever. Just enjoy their music as a fan."
At Nari's words, Eul-ji's eyes welled up.
"You're a true fan role model."
"Wait, that's where they went?"
As Nari pouted, Eul-ji waved it off, adding, "Of course your care for me touched me more. But a one-on-one with BTA... Could I pass that up? Honestly, no clue."
"Bowing already."
"Anyway, glad I'm a hunter. Got their thanks and all."
"Weren't you ready to quit earlier?"
"Oppa are humanity's cultural heritage. Gotta preserve that. Never felt more proud as a hunter."
Eul-ji clasped her hands, beaming. Nari mimicked her, gazing skyward dreamily.
"This LA trip was super rewarding for me too. Never thought I'd hear oppa live up close."
"Huh? What?"
"You didn't know? They felt bad about canceling the concert, saw folks were anxious, so they did a live set in the auditorium here. No backing track, but it was amazing. The vibe was insane. Wanna see? Someone filmed it and posted on SNS."
The video Nari showed was BTA's a cappella performance. In the monster crisis, the global stars sang to give hope and courage—stirring, with views and comments exploding.
Eul-ji clawed at her hair watching it.
"Missed it live. Such a rare—no, unique concert. They'll never come back. Damn, I hate being a hunter!"
'Gasp! Oppa said my name...'
Eul-ji froze, mouth agape. Nari said, "Guess folks heard me calling you. Still regretting becoming a hunter?"
"No way. Glad I became a hunter. T_T"
"Wipe your nose."
"So, bottom line: zero unique items secured?"
"Yes."
Gunpowder Guild Master Dwight Hill stared at the floor, face grim, after Camilla's report.
The silence stretched until Camilla, fearing an extreme reaction, spoke up.
"Just to reiterate: the carnivorous wasps' forces could've leveled LA. The queen was beyond 5th gen, we suspect. Champions and drones were one-on-one nightmares. Red Gate-level threat."
"And Joo Se-ah handled it?"
"Yes. Even for an S-rank, dominating a Red Gate boss like that is rare."
"Red Gates vary wildly. If we'd had time, followed protocol fully, we could've cleared it."
"But Joo Se-ah did it solo."
"Yeah, that's the issue. Damn, means she's top-tier S-rank."
"And as mentioned, another powerhouse was there."
"The mage unscathed amid Joo Se-ah and the queen?"
"Dropped three wasps we struggled with—in seconds. We blacked out after, but probably cleared the rest too. I suspect S-rank."
"Call My Name agrees?"
"Captain Taylor does, at least."
Dwight knew it was time to drop the greed. The unique items tempted too much, though.
He closed his eyes, breathed deeply, then said, "It's a poisoned chalice. If an S-rank claims it, we fold. Rider Wolf biz ahead—we'll keep cooperating. Bigger issue: Ithaca slipped away."
"Sorry. Tried luring them into the queen fight before evac, but raid ended too fast."
"Can't avoid power dip now. Ithaca won't sit idle. Need to talk with Call My Name."
He eyed an alliance between the two guilds.
LA rivals, but collaborators too. They'd built the city together.
Couldn't let thugs like Ithaca take top spot.
Reading him, Camilla ventured, "Master. Got word Kang Moo-hyuk has a proposal."
"Kang Moo-hyuk? How's he know?"
"They caught us targeting Ithaca on-site. Word spread."
"Sigh, this mess is extra exhausting. Don't wanna tangle with him. What'd he say?"
Camilla hesitated, then: "To check Ithaca, connect with James Ulvert."
"O.C. LA chief?"
"Yes. He'll bridge to ally with him."
Secretary of State Madeline received Deputy Secretary Liam Spencer's report on a group disrupting State Department order.
"Who?"
"Jack Fisher."
"Affiliation?"
"Deputy Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs."
"He greenlit Joo Se-ah's entry without clearance? A deputy messing with S-rank national security?"
"That's where it gets messy."
"How?!"
Spencer's face showed distress. Madeline soothed, "Spill. My problem, not yours."
"Fisher worked the president's election campaign."
"President? From campaign to consular? Not enough to tie to the president."
"Dug deeper—beyond Joo Se-ah, caught multiple high-rank hunter visa fakes. All Fisher, each with White House contacts."
No hard proof, but circumstantial was solid.
Madeline realized the issue was ballooning.
"So Joo Se-ah's visa was White House—presidential—discretion? Why?"
"Probably like Bertrand Lefebvre."
"What?! Why am I banned from leaving?!"
Joo Se-ah yelled in disbelief.
The Hunter Crime Unit agent who'd informed her shrugged, wilting under her S-rank glare.
"Calm down first, Guild Master. Handle it coolly."
Kang Moo-hyuk soothed her, then asked the agent, "Reason for the ban?"
"Uh... illegal export of strategic materials."
"Strategic materials?"
"The queen wasp. That's the issue."