26
026 ― Kurenai
I don't understand why they're not shooting at me.
I thought it might be a trap, but the Elves on the mountain fortress aren't just Elves—they're monster-type Elves. They weren't beings with enough self-awareness to engage in sophisticated psychological warfare.
Monsters are beings with only fighting spirit and instinct remaining.
The fact that such monsters aren't attacking means either the level difference is so vast that their fighting spirit has frozen, or their instincts are telling them to do so.
'It's not the former, so it must be the latter.'
Is it because of instinct?
Are the Elves' instincts telling them not to attack me?
'Rona also felt familiarity when she saw me, and Shartia has been showing goodwill since our first meeting. Come to think of it, the Dark Elves were also a bit weaker in their offense compared to their notorious reputation.'
The Dark Elves did chase me and Bulkar as if to kill us, but they were easier opponents compared to the usual reputation of Elves I'd heard.
At that time, I just thought it was because I had become that much stronger, but there might have been problems on the Dark Elves' side as well.
'Are they instinctively feeling fear toward the ability to steal souls?'
If it's the emotion of fear, everything can be explained. When faced with a fearful being, you either seek refuge or avoid—it's one of the two.
Of course, it could be explained the same way, even with the complete opposite emotion of fear.
"Jin-woo? Do you have the ability to make Elven arrows heavy?"
"Jin-woo! You had the ability to push away projectiles!"
Shartia and Ayaka each understood this phenomenon in ways they could comprehend.
Shartia, being the reincarnation of an Elf, thought it was an Elf-related ability, while Ayaka, who specialized in defensive abilities, thought it was an ability to block projectiles.
Neither would be the correct answer, but the problem was that Jin-woo didn't know the answer either.
However, just as you don't need to understand the principles of a smartphone to use it, this phenomenon also seemed usable.
"Shartia, Ayaka. I'll go up alone to look for the erosion core, so please wait here."
"What? Will you be okay?"
"No matter what, isn't it dangerous? It might be a trap."
Naturally, both opposed, but Jin-woo shook his head.
"It probably isn't a trap."
...Probably.
"If it is a trap, I'll just run away immediately. If that happens, please save me when I'm running."
Even if it were a trap, it wouldn't be impossible to escape with just his body.
The two agreed to Jin-woo's words, so the party decided to remain in this place.
While setting up a solid defensive line in preparation for when Jin-woo would come running back.
"You have the amulet I gave you, right?"
At Shartia's reminder, Jin-woo took out a handkerchief from his chest and opened it to show. Inside, the flower Shartia had given him was peacefully sleeping.
Only then, seeming relieved, Shartia saw him off, and Jin-woo climbed the mountain fortress alone.
Zigzag. Following the path that winds up the mountain, Jin-woo walked.
His eyes were fixed on the Elves above the mountain fortress, ready to respond at any moment if arrows came flying.
But there was no need for that. The Elves didn't attack Jin-woo at all.
Thus, Jin-woo arrived at the castle ruins on top of the mountain.
A place where a solid castle would have been built in the past. Now only the foundation remains, conveying fragments of the once-majestic castle.
Still, the castle walls and several defensive buildings remained, and Elf monsters were densely positioned there.
'One, two... No, I can't count them?'
At a glance, it was a number that couldn't be counted with the eyes. Wouldn't there be at least 300?
No wonder the arrows fell thick enough to cover the sky...
As Jin-woo approached, the Elves stepped back, naturally creating distance. Rather than moving away from Jin-woo, it was as if they shouldn't block Jin-woo's path.
"Can you understand words by any chance?"
Jin-woo tried speaking in Elvish. But no one responded.
It didn't feel like they couldn't speak or couldn't hear; from the beginning, they didn't have the self-awareness to answer Jin-woo's words.
It felt like talking to a doll made by machines.
The dolls with only instinct remaining attack enemies indiscriminately, but conversely, that same instinct tells them not to attack Jin-woo.
Jin-woo had no way to explain this contradiction.
'Is the core this way?'
Jin-woo slowly walked toward the place where he could feel black flames.
Before his eyes, Elves consumed by erosion were teeming, but they voluntarily avoided Jin-woo and cleared a path.
Following the path that split like Moses' miracle, Jin-woo eventually arrived in front of a tree.
A tree harboring black flames.
'I cut a core made of rock and obtained a rock sword, so this time it'll be a wood sword, I suppose.'
Jin-woo raised his sword and aimed at the tree. No one interfered.
The Elf monsters were staring blankly at Jin-woo's sword with expressions of unknown thoughts.
They definitely didn't have self-awareness. Yet strangely, it seemed like expressions could be seen on them.
Receiving all their gazes, Jin-woo raised his sword.
And cut it down in one stroke.
The tree split in half with one blow, and the black flames were also severed.
The black flames, having lost their destination and scattered, stretched flames here and there as if struggling desperately, but all of them eventually flowed into Jin-woo's sword.
And the sky opens.
The opening of heaven that he couldn't see during the first erosion because he cut the core in a movie theater.
Jin-woo watched with unfamiliar eyes as thin cracks appeared in the eroded sky, then split open like a door and disappeared.
Simultaneously.
The forms of the surrounding Elves also began to disappear.
'When erosion is lifted, the monsters inside also evaporate.'
It was a natural phenomenon. Jin-woo knew it, and everyone knew it.
The forms of hundreds of Elves also disappeared, leaving only blue flames that stretched toward the sky.
This way, they too would be able to reincarnate.
This might be the kind of ending Shartia wanted.
Thinking so while watching the hundreds of flames rising to the sky, the phenomenon suddenly changed.
The Elves' flames that were rising to the sky changed direction and circled, then poured down toward Jin-woo, who remained on the ground.
'What!?'
Without even time to be flustered by the sudden waterfall of flames, they were absorbed into Jin-woo.
Thump.
Jin-woo's flame pulsed and expanded its size. The flame that had grown dramatically when he frantically hunted Werewolves on the 0th floor was now three times larger than back then.
...What?
He really couldn't help but be confused.
It seemed to be rising properly to the sky, but then suddenly fell to the ground. Isn't that somewhat ominous?
'Whether it's a good thing or a bad thing...'
It was definitely beneficial for Jin-woo personally. It meant his soul had become as solid as the flame had grown.
The problem was not knowing whether it was for positive or negative reasons.
Whether the Elves voluntarily changed direction because his soul could become a resting place for Elves. Or whether it was because of the power of some evil sorcery that covets souls, forcibly changing their direction.
"......"
Some unpleasantness remained, making Jin-woo click his tongue.
Still, he had solved the erosion, which was the immediate problem.
He safely returned to reality with blue skies and a shining sun. There was no longer any energy of erosion in this place.
Jin-woo left the castle ruins and looked at his companions waiting below. In the distance, he could see Ayaka and guild members rejoicing happily.
Jin-woo also relaxed his tension and moved his steps toward them.
[ Fragments of a past life surface. ]
[ That sword shall be more magnificent. ]
***
This morning, before entering the erosion.
Ayaka had posted her news and resolution on SNS.
[Ayaka] @AyakaSatomi 08:12 —Citizens of Tokyo. We're finally going to solve that erosion. Together with Hunter Kang Jin-woo, who came all the way here from Seoul, and Hunter Shartia. Please, everyone, watch over us!! #Tokyo #Erosion #Headache #Hunter_Kang_Jin-woo #Hunter_Shartia #Shirata_Guild
A determined-looking selfie was attached. In the background, guild members could be seen sparsely, and on one side,an unfamiliar handsome man and a beautiful woman could be seen in the photo.
Many citizens heading to work checked the SNS post uploaded around 8 AM.
Since the most talked-about recent topic was about erosion anyway, posts with the #Erosion tag spread quickly.
└ Finally that ominous erosion will disappear!
└ Fighting!
└ Are those two people in the back Hunter Kang Jin-woo and Hunter Shartia?
└ Shartia! Isn't that the S-rank hunter who recently naturalized to Seoul?
Citizens rejoiced with hope that the tumor-like erosion would finally disappear.
While working at the office, taking a break to smoke, pretending to use the bathroom while leaving some comments, news spread and circulated during such moments of daily life.
How long would it take to remove that erosion?
Everyone knew it wouldn't be easy since it was situated in a mountain fortress, and the monsters that appeared were Elves. But since an S-rank Hunter had come, it wouldn't be too difficult to solve.
Even Shirata Guild was evaluated as having considerable potential with solid A-ranks positioned.
Guild leader Ayaka, despite her small and cute appearance, handled a considerably huge shield, and even decent S-ranks found it difficult to break through her defense.
Since such people had stepped forward, wouldn't it be conquered within this week at least? No, someone even dared to predict 3 days. The power of S-rank Hunters was beyond specifications, so there was no way that conquering a mountain fortress would take a whole week.
While they were actively exchanging such opinions.
One more post went up.
[Ayaka] @AyakaSatomi 09:17 —Um... Everyone... The erosion disappeared. Hunter Kang Jin-woo went up alone and removed it by himself. #Tokyo #Erosion #Headache #Hunter_Kang_Jin-woo #Hunter_Shartia #Shirata_Guild
And attached was a photo of the mountain fortress against blue skies.
It was just over an hour from the first post.
Combined with that shocking conquest time and the testimony of Shirata Guild leader Ayaka herself, the tag #Hunter_Kang_Jin-woo began to spread explosively.
***
"What are you looking at so intently?"
On the bus ride back. Shartia asked Ayaka, sitting next to her. Of course, it was a conversation with Shartia serving as interpreter.
She was busily tapping her smartphone, as if exchanging messages with someone.
"Oh, no, it's nothing. I was just doing some SNS... haha."
Ayaka startled and hid her smartphone while giving an awkward laugh.
SNS—something completely unrelated to Jin-woo's life. Jin-woo, who didn't even check emails well, wouldn't do something like SNS.
Seeing Jin-woo's uninterested appearance, Ayaka let out a sigh of relief.
"You're going to report to the Tokyo Management Bureau, right? I'll accompany you. I have to go anyway."
"Let's do that. Actually, I don't even know where the Tokyo Management Bureau is."
"The report itself will end quickly, but do you have any schedule after this?"
"Schedule?"
"Jin-woo solved it so swiftly that you might not know, but actually, the erosion we just dealt with was Tokyo's biggest headache lately. Since we solved it, I thought we could have a small celebration party."
Jin-woo was indifferent. Actually, as Ayaka said, he had solved it so quickly that there wasn't enough sentiment for a celebration party.
I want to investigate the place called Tsukikage Guild that attacked yesterday... I want to find the guy who escaped, too.
"I know a good yakiniku place, how about it? Do you like beef tongue?"
"Let's go."
He answered reflexively.
He had eaten quite a bit of beef since awakening, but beef tongue was a first. Moreover, a Japanese-style yakiniku restaurant had no connection to Jin-woo's life.
When he apologized to Shartia for accepting on his own without realizing it, she said it was fine too.
Since the erosion was solved more easily and quickly than expected, it would be okay to do some sightseeing with the remaining time.
It was practically her first overseas trip, so shouldn't there be at least one pleasant memory?
"I'll make a reservation right away. There's a place that opens even at this hour."
Ayaka immediately called somewhere and reserved a room. It was a room that could accommodate 12 people in total: Jin-woo and Shartia, Ayaka, and guild members.
The bus first arrived at the Tokyo Management Bureau, where they reported the resolution of the erosion.
It wasn't something that would take time, so the report ended quickly. After that, they would check the erosion site and stamp it, and this mission would be completely resolved.
That was work for Management Bureau staff, not for Jin-woo or Ayaka, so the time after that was free.
Though it was still a bit early to call it lunch, the party headed straight to the reserved yakiniku restaurant.
In the quiet restaurant, Jin-woo's party was the only customer.
Taking seats in the restaurant's best room, servers continuously brought meat and alcohol.
In the center of the table were a brazier and a stone grill, so they just had to grill and eat immediately.
"Wow... It melts so well."
The taste of beef tongue he tried for the first time was beyond imagination.
It was lightly coated with soy sauce seasoning and topped with chopped green onions, and the balance of the seasoning and onion aroma was fantastic.
Of course, the meat they ordered wasn't only beef tongue, so Jin-woo grilled all the meat and devoured it.
"!$@#$#%"
"@#%!$@$"
"@%$@@#$"
Meanwhile, the surroundings were very noisy, but Jin-woo, who didn't know Japanese, couldn't understand.
Still, he could tell from the atmosphere. They were feeling relieved that the tumor-like erosion stuck near the city had disappeared.
"Everyone's amazed by Jin-woo's performance. They only knew you as an E-rank with detection abilities, but you solved everything completely."
Shartia briefly conveyed their words.
Most were praise or words of gratitude directed at him, but since the rather embarrassing words were also conveyed through Shartia, he could just listen calmly.
"I was just lucky. Please tell them it was an erosion with good compatibility with my abilities."
"I will. But what kind of Elf were you in your past life, Jin-woo? Seeing how Elves with only instincts left voluntarily avoided you, you must have been some great royalty?"
"I might have been the worst criminal everyone feared."
"Come on, that can't be."
Shartia laughed, saying that couldn't be, but Jin-woo was seriously not dismissing the latter possibility either.
Having such small conversations, the party atmosphere gradually ripened.
Jin-woo, who didn't know Japanese, had difficulty joining in, but it was rather good. He could concentrate only on the meat that much more.
At that time, a news story flowed from the TV that was playing as background music in one corner of the room.
"#$@% Tsukikage @#%!$!$."
Hearing a word he had been paying attention to, Jin-woo looked in that direction. Not only Jin-woo but also Shartia and the party members were now watching the reporter on TV.
The scene where the reporter was located was inside a building, where there had been carnage.
On the floor, several human silhouettes were marked with white tape, and on the walls were unhideable bloodstains.
Police forensics officers were busily coming and going, continuing the scene investigation.
"Shartia, what news is this?"
When Jin-woo asked, Shartia frowned and answered.
"Tsukikage Guild was annihilated."
The reporter on TV was delivering the news with a serious expression.
—Police presume it's a conflict between assassination guilds and are continuing their investigation. Targeting guilds that previously had disputes with Tsukikage Guild…
***
That dawn.
Jin-woo, who had returned to the hotel and was sleeping, opened his eyes.
An empty room. It was a room in a 5-star hotel considered the best in security within Tokyo, and there was even a security flowerpot that Shartia had given him.
In the dark room where all of that remained silent, Jin-woo quietly drew his sword.
"Christmas is still far away."
When he spoke while staring into the darkness, there was a heh laughing sound followed by something falling with a thud.
It was a human head.
"There's no law saying only Santa Claus can give presents."
An old man's voice was like cracked old wood. Perhaps in consideration of Jin-woo, it was fluent Korean.
Without relaxing his guard, Jin-woo rolled the fallen head with the tip of his sword. It was a familiar face.
The assassin from the Tsukikage Guild who had attacked them yesterday and then fled.
"I'm Kurenai Masato, the guild leader of Kurenai. I was going to leave it quietly, but I never expected you'd be able to see me."
The invisible old man spoke as if amused.