40
040 ― Survival
"I've been thinking a lot about what it would have been like if Hunter Kang Jin-woo had been here."
Ma Du-sik spoke as if he had been waiting for this.
In New York, thirty S-rank Hunters from various countries were already engaged in battle with that thing.
However, despite such forces being deployed, they were actually being pushed back, and the barrier surrounding New York had long since been destroyed. The outskirts of western New York were collapsing even at this very moment.
It was a situation where they were trying every possible method they could attempt right away.
That's why Ma Du-sik regretted Jin-woo's ability. The ability to find the core of Erosion. With that power, wouldn't he be able to find that turtle's weakness too?
But he had been feeling sorry after hearing the news of his death...
"Can you also find Ireland's core? Ah, Ireland is the temporary name we're calling that monster."
"Simple."
"We don't have time to discuss complicated scientific names or anything. Anyway, can you see that thing's core too? That thing is a completely separate phenomenon from all the Erosions we've seen so far."
"I'll have to try. If it doesn't work, there's nothing we can do about it."
In reality, he had confirmed it against the Black Knight, but that was something he couldn't tell Ma Du-sik.
Jin-woo's ability to see the cores of Erosion had evolved while facing the Black Knight. Now he could vaguely sense the entire structure and flow of Erosion.
Where the most vulnerable parts were, where to cut to most effectively collapse the structure of Erosion.
As if...
'As if I've been researching this for a very long time.'
Yes, that kind of feeling.
The ability itself was still vague, but the understanding and knowledge contained within it were on a different level. So much so that Jin-woo's ordinary human mind couldn't contain it all.
Perhaps that's why he could only see it vaguely. Whatever his past life was, he was still just an ordinary human for now.
Anyway, there was a big difference between being able to pinpoint an enemy's weakness in some form and not being able to do so.
"It's impossible to simply push back a monster with that much mass through brute force. That's why, even though thirty S-ranks have gathered, we can't stop it. If Hunter Kang Jin-woo can pinpoint that thing's core..."
Then the situation would change 180 degrees. If they just knew the location of the core, they could break through with a single-point breakthrough and bring it down.
In that case, what did thirty people matter? Even just five S-ranks would be enough.
"I think it's worth trying. In any case, I can't determine it from the transmitted footage, so I need to see it with my own eyes."
"Hey! Contact the Management Bureau right away and get a private plane ready! And send a car to Hunter Kang Jin-woo's house."
Through the phone, Ma Du-sik's voice giving instructions to his secretary could be heard.
Even if he was cautious until making a decision, once he made a decision, he had to push forward like fire. It was exactly the kind of leadership Ma Du-sik had talked about before.
"Thank you for volunteering so readily. You must not be on good terms with New York."
"The one I have a grudge against is David, the Management Bureau Director, not the citizens of New York."
"Even so, Hunter Kang Jin-woo doesn't have any obligation to them, does he?"
That was true. Jin-woo's decision to go to New York was naturally primarily to prevent the disaster, but that wasn't all.
"I'm planning to meet with David while I'm there."
"...! Is this about Johan that Hunter Cheon Ju-hyeok mentioned...?"
"I heard he tried to use me as bait to draw out Shartia."
"I see. Hunter Shartia has gone to help New York right now."
As expected.
Although she had become disillusioned with New York's Hunter community and naturalized to Seoul, New York was still her hometown where she was born and raised.
With New York facing the crisis of being wiped off the map, she couldn't not go.
"If the Ireland matter is resolved well, I'll meet with David together with Shartia. Depending on the situation, perhaps..."
There might be unpleasant business. He swallowed what he was about to say.
"...Be careful. Still, David won't be able to act recklessly either. The eyes of the whole world are focused on this incident, plus there are many Hunters from other countries who have come to help. Just the S-rank Hunters from other countries number over twenty, and if you include the A-rank and B-rank ones helping with evacuation, there are easily hundreds. He can't avoid all those eyes."
The scale of the Hunters who came to support New York was considerable.
All S-ranks were deployed in battle against Ireland, and the rest were helping citizens evacuate, mainly handling the task of dealing with monsters outside the city.
In the worst case, they would have to abandon the city and flee, so for a smooth evacuation, they had to eliminate all nearby monsters.
"So many Hunters went to provide support."
"Yes. Since it's a form of Erosion never seen before, every country doesn't think of it as someone else's problem. There are many experts dispatched for field analysis, and also, they need to build up debts at times like this to receive help when they themselves face danger later, don't they?"
That was true. Individual Hunters might be one thing, but when moving on a national level, there was no way they would move without considering gains and losses.
The fact that so much support came meant there was that much gain to be had. It was an interesting story that they moved by thoroughly calculating gains and losses, but ultimately ended up helping others.
"I was surprised that Hunter Kang Jin-woo is alive. I'd like to ask various things about how you survived against Johan, but let's save that for the next pleasure."
"I'll tell you when I come back."
"Understood, Teacher. Take care of yourself."
"Teacher, what's that all of a sudden?"
"Hahaha, it doesn't have any deep meaning. Anyway, have a good trip. When you arrive, make contact with Hunter Shartia first."
"Yes."
Click.
The long call ended. And several hours later.
Jin-woo was on a plane heading to New York, endlessly replaying videos of Ireland.
***
New York was a scene of pandemonium.
The barrier that had always reliably protected the city was shattered in one blow as soon as Ireland collided with it.
The invading Ireland was literally mercilessly destroying the outskirts of western New York.
"Move! Get out of the way!"
"Hey! Don't block the front!"
"Son! You must hold mommy's hand tight! You absolutely can't let go!"
All those living in the west had evacuated to the east, and some of the citizens in the east were also evacuating outside the city.
With the citizens of this massive city all moving at once, New York was an abyss of chaos just from that alone.
└ Damn it! This doesn't make sense! Such a tragedy can't happen!
└ Please, anyone, just stop that disaster! Anyone!
└ Thirty S-ranks have already been deployed! Look at the footage, they're fighting like crazy!
The sight of S-rank Hunters fighting to stop Ireland spread across the internet through numerous channels.
In an era where remote filming was easily possible with just a drone, it was impossible to prevent videos from spreading.
Of course, they were only videos shot from far away, but Ireland's size was so large that it was enough to observe the battle situation.
"Damn it! Why won't it stop! The western outskirts have almost completely collapsed!"
Field command vehicle for responding to Erosion.
In a conference room set up in a space similar to a large bus, David banged the desk.
Around him sat three figures spaced apart - S-rank Hunters gathered to devise the next plan.
The remaining personnel not in this place were...
Kwaaaaaaang!
Kwagwagwagwagwagwang!
Outside, using every possible means to stop Ireland.
"Hey, Shartia. Can't you tie up its feet or something with your precious trees?"
David spoke while looking at his counterpart sitting across from him with fed-up eyes.
There sat Shartia, unable to hide her deep fatigue.
"I'm already doing it without you telling me. Can't you see that its left foot is almost covered like a forest?"
"Don't just wrap it up, block it! What are you dressing it up like a doll?"
"Hmph."
At David's words that were already grating on her frayed nerves, Shartia turned her head away.
Not only the S-ranks in this place but also those fighting outside had all reached the peak of exhaustion.
The place where Ireland first appeared was 200km away from western New York. From that time, continuously, steadily, to stop that turtle walking toward New York, they had been fighting for nearly two weeks without rest.
No matter how S-rank they were, continuously fighting battles of this scale inevitably brought fatigue.
Especially in a situation where they were only taking hits without any progress.
"Hey, David. I know you're frustrated, but tone down the anger. Nothing will work with that kind of teamwork."
Thunder Emperor Reinhardt, London's S-rank Hunter.
The bearded old man was still vigorous despite his age, and considering that he had been dropping countless lightning bolts on Ireland's shell for nearly a week, it was impossible stamina.
It was stamina, no, mental strength that couldn't be explained by natural toughness alone.
"Shartia is already doing her best. Right now, instead of pressuring her, shouldn't we be devising some means?"
Dragon Magician Mahiri, New Delhi's S-rank Hunter.
With her forehead exposed and body wrapped in black clothes, she had a small dragon in her arms - an existence she had found and tamed in the 5th floor.
Originally an excellent Tamer, she became known as a Dragon Magician after picking up a young dragon, but due to the dragon still being young, she was evaluated as somewhat inferior compared to other S-ranks.
"Means! Strategy! Methods! I'm sick of it! We've tried everything and they all failed! I feel like contacting the authorities and firing a nuke!"
"Get a grip, David. Did you forget where we are? This is a city with over ten million people!"
Mahiri scolded the hysterical David, who was stressed out.
Shartia watched this with bored eyes, thinking that indeed, as an excellent Tamer, she knew how to handle one beast well.
Shartia pressed her tired eyes and asked toward some unknown empty space.
"Mister Kurenai. Don't you have any methods?"
"Me? What methods would I have? I only know how to kill people; I don't know how to kill monsters at all."
Then a voice suddenly came from the empty air where no one was. In fact, Kurenai Masato from Tokyo was also present in this place.
"You're not helpful. Why did you come?"
"I came to see with my own eyes since an unseen form of Erosion appeared. Didn't most of the S-ranks who came here come with similar thoughts?"
"I came to protect my hometown."
"Then try harder. It's not my hometown."
"...I'm sorry. I started the quarrel first."
Shartia sighed deeply and shook her head.
While it was true that Kurenai Masato had a bad personality, she was in the wrong this time.
Since coming to New York, she had truly worked without rest for even a moment to tie down Ireland's feet, and because of that, she had barely slept at all.
Compared to other S-ranks who at least got some sleep bit by bit, she had been awake almost 24 hours, only taking brief catnaps. For nearly two weeks straight.
'Get a grip, Shartia. There must be something among my abilities that can stop that thing. Raising a forest... Raising it to do what? Even if I create a tropical rainforest, it'll just trample through it all.'
Her mental fatigue had reached its peak. Even before coming to New York, she had been enraged by the news that Johan had killed Jin-woo.
The mental strength that began to wear down from then had become even more frayed as she fought battles without even sleeping to stop Ireland.
"Shartia. Didn't you get anything when you went to Seoul? You must have extracted a lot since you even naturalized there, right? Don't you have any items you received that could be used in this situation?"
Her stress was also partly due to being with David.
There was no reason for Johan to suddenly kill Jin-woo. If there was a reason, it would be with David, Johan's close friend.
Cheon Ju-hyeok said Johan was acting on David's orders, and that was probably the truth.
In other words, that annoying man in this place was Jin-woo's enemy. Of course, he was also her own enemy who had put a bounty on her in Tokyo...
Despite wanting to grab him by the collar and interrogate him right away, she had no choice but to endure the situation. Moreover, the Ireland subjugation she was dedicating herself to while enduring had no progress at all.
Her nerves were inevitably being eaten away in various ways.
Then, one report came to the command vehicle.
Crackle—Crack crack—
"Reporting. One Hunter is requesting to go provide support there."
"Support? Which country's S-rank is it?"
David pressed the radio button and asked.
Everyone's attention focused on the radio, hoping for a new S-rank reinforcement.
"Well... According to documents, it's an E-rank Hunter."
"E-rank? Are you crazy? What kind of situation is this, and you're playing around! Didn't you hear to redirect everyone who's not S-rank to evacuation! Who are you from which department?"
"W-wait a moment, Director! There's a guarantee from Seoul's Mayor! He says there's an ability to detect Erosion cores, so we should test it once on Ireland too..."
"...What?"
Silence fell over the command vehicle for a moment.
All the S-ranks present thought of one person. Seoul's rookie, who had recently become an issue due to Tokyo's incident.
Even Reinhardt and Mahiri, who had no direct connection, showed interested expressions.
"Kang Jin-woo, I see. He can detect even hidden cores, so it's certainly worth testing."
Kurenai Masato's nonchalant comment rang out in the command vehicle like a confirmation.
He was speaking as if Jin-woo's survival was natural, but no one could tell whether that tone was bluff or sincere.
And.
"Jin-woo!"
"Kang Jin-woo!?"
Shartia and David. The two people jumped up for completely different reasons, with completely different expressions.