Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: The Kaesong Fortress
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Ding, ding, ding. The sound echoed through the room. Han Sang-ah sat at the table, staring blankly at something.
It was what they called Newton's Cradle. Five steel balls strung together on wires—lift one up and let it drop, and it clacked away in pendulum motion.
"What're you doing?"
"Watching the steel balls."
She gave that short answer to my question, then went right back to staring vacantly at the orbs. Jeong Oh-hoon clicked his tongue.
"You okay just sitting there like that? The results so far have been pretty underwhelming."
Han Sang-ah responded to Jeong Oh-hoon.
"Nothing changes if I don't sit here. Besides, this was expected."
The hunters weren't showing much enthusiasm for joining. Even those who expressed interest mostly lacked the skills.
Han Sang-ah watched Newton's Cradle, I watched Han Sang-ah, and Jeong Oh-hoon scratched his head. Meanwhile, an expert's voice came from the TV.
―Right now, protecting our own country takes priority. The threats in Korea so far have been beyond common sense. Blocking Erosion Zones isn't the whole story.
―The government has poured massive budgets into protecting citizens, signing additional contracts with hunters. Previously, we concentrated hunters along the borders and the 38th parallel, but this time it's a bit different.
People were afraid. And the government, as if waiting for that fear, had successfully hired a large number of hunters with generous terms.
Han Sang-ah turned her gaze toward me.
"The pay and conditions are fantastic. Honestly, for any hunter with decent skills, there's no real reason to jump into the Samhyeol-dong subjugation right now."
"Yeah, makes sense. And in this situation, even if I go around shouting about it..."
Jeong Oh-hoon shook his head at my words.
"Forget it. You'd just get backlash. Rumors are already flying."
The kind of rumors Jeong Oh-hoon meant could be summed up in a few lines.
'Our own citizens are in danger right now—how can they be off subjugating Erosion Cores?'
'One little success and now he wants to play hero all by himself.'
'If he's got time for that, shouldn't he use his skills to protect the people? What the hell is Yoo Chan-seok doing?'
'That Yoo Chan-seok guy's obsessed with bounties.'
At least, thanks to what I'd accomplished before, the criticism stopped there.
It stung, though. In the end, it always came down to this.
My policy never changed. If there's time to protect someone, I go straight to the source and eliminate the threat.
The problem was that people in the midst of those threats had a hard time sympathizing with my approach.
Truth be told, I wasn't doing this for their sympathy, so it wasn't like it hurt my feelings or anything.
But it was definitely a roadblock.
"The government says that once they've investigated the monsters appearing outside Erosion Zones and uncovered the cause, they'll end these emergency measures."
I couldn't help but chuckle at Han Sang-ah's words.
"You think they'd actually investigate the cause aggressively? Why do you think people are following the government's orders without complaint?"
It was fear of the monsters. Without that, no one would tolerate the current inconveniences. Not even me.
And I was 100% sure the incident in the foreign residential district was the government's doing. No way they'd smear their own face with shit like that.
"So, how many have we got?"
Han Sang-ah answered my question.
"Around thirty. The companies are supporting us too, but they're being pretty half-hearted about it."
They're providing funds, sure, but not dumping tens of billions like they did for Jaun-gok.
"We got the crown—why can't we subjugate it!"
Jeong Oh-hoon muttered that while eyeing the crown on its stand.
I placed my hand on the crown the Association had delivered and channeled a bit of mana into it. It scattered a soft white glow in all directions.
Powerful stuff. Just like Sa Seung-hee said, if we maxed out this crown's power, every undead in range would be toast.
"Damn it, after all that hell to get this prime crown, and it's just sitting there like a desk ornament."
Jeong Oh-hoon sized up the glowing crown. After staring at it for a moment, I spoke up.
"Then we change the plan."
"How?"
Han Sang-ah perked up immediately. She'd been blankly watching Newton's Cradle with a neutral expression, but she must've had complicated feelings brewing.
"Get results first, then recruit."
Just swap the order a bit.
If people aren't interested in your startup and you can't hire, start the company anyway and rack up achievements.
In the end, everything speaks through results. You can draw people with a dazzling vision, but if that doesn't work, dazzle them with results instead.
"First, prep with the guys we've got and punch through to the Unique Trait."
"Man, the government'll hate that."
Jeong Oh-hoon's assessment.
"If they hate it, let 'em eat shit."
We weren't getting subsidies from the government or anything. We weren't a state corporation or public institution.
There wasn't any solid ground for them to nitpick hunters entering Erosion Zones to hunt monsters.
With our shoestring budget and about 33 hunters including us, let's push forward.
"To Paju. Send notices to the hunters joining us."
We'd beaten Seong Si-hoon, so we had every right to request cooperation.
"Ah, shit, you think they'll give us proper support?"
Jeong Oh-hoon grumbled. But I figured Seong Si-hoon would provide solid backing.
Assuming he had a brain. And he wasn't stupid. No way the head of a massive hunter company was.
If I were him... I glanced at the crooked TV.
―Breaking news. Taebaek LLC's CEO Seong Si-hoon has officially announced support for everything the Headhunter team needs for the Samhyeol-dong operation.
Yeah, that's how it'd play out. Support was inevitable anyway. And if he didn't back us aggressively, I could pick a fight again.
In a situation like this, a leader's job was simple.
Might as well milk the support for all it was worth, down to the bone. So what would that be here?
I'd heard Headhunter and Taebaek didn't get along.
This would squash those underground rumors. Solid move, had to give him that.
It was just cooperation, not a joint operation, after all.
If we slipped up later, Taebaek could always say, 'We just provided support—we didn't run a joint op!'
"See that? Let's move. Monsters and Erosion Zones are waiting."
"Probably just more stinking corpses anyway."
Pretty much all the monsters threatening Korea from Erosion Zones were undead. Freshly spawned Erosion Cores aside, no exceptions.
"Jeong, cut the crap and pack your gear."
Meanwhile, Han Sang-ah waved her smartphone.
"Notified the hunters."
As we packed, I tossed out a question.
"Most of them joined the Jaun-gok subjugation before, right?"
"Yeah."
They'd worked with us once, so trust was built. With trust, they signed on again.
If Samhyeol-dong was our first rodeo in this situation, gathering 30 would've been impossible. Small mercies.
"Let's go."
We headed straight for Taebaek's Paju branch.
"We've been waiting. I'm Lee Hee-seon, managing the Taebaek Paju branch."
A woman in a black jin and rider jacket greeted me. Behind her stood about fifteen of her underlings in a line.
"Nice to meet you. Glad Taebaek's CEO promised support."
Lee Hee-seon replied in a somewhat icy tone.
"Considering what Hunter Yoo Chan-seok did to Hunter Yoon Sung-hyun, the CEO's decision is pretty magnanimous."
Ah, she meant that dead guy.
"I tried talking it out, but he wasn't interested in talking."
So it turned into a fight. Of course, even then, I hadn't planned to kill Yoon Sung-hyun. But what could I do? He charged at me to kill, and I couldn't just let him.
"Here's the participant list."
Han Sang-ah handed documents to Lee Hee-seon.
"Got it. We'll factor that in and guide the hunters to the assembly point."
"Curious about this assembly point."
Lee Hee-seon led us right away to the lodging where we'd be staying.
"You'll be at Munsan Dang-dong-ri. Supplies and medical support will come from the Taebaek Geumchon branch via Tongil Road."
A bit north of Munsan was Imjingak right away, and past that lay Dora Observatory, once North Korean territory.
A little further from Dora Station, and you'd hit the infamous Kaesong Industrial Complex.
"Our top priority is punching a path to Kaesong."
From Kaesong to Sariwon, Sariwon to Pyongyang. Once in Pyongyang, Pyeongseong—where Samhyeol-dong sat—was practically next door.
"Uh, Kaesong's completely fortified right now."
I let out an "oh" at Lee Hee-seon's words. Fortified to that extent?
"Can we get more details?"
"Of course. If you need it, we'll share. My subordinates will take your luggage to the lodging."
Lee Hee-seon took the three of us to a conference room at the Taebaek branch. Inside, a massive screen displayed info and data on Kaesong—the gateway we had to breach.
"A barrier."
Han Sang-ah tilted her head as she scanned the screen.
"Looks kinda like the barriers from the gear deployed in England right now?"
"Only on the surface."
Totally different thing. More bluntly, worlds apart. A triple-layered barrier. And not just any triple—the core one sandwiched between the other two was a honeycomb structure, aka hex grid.
"Impossible to break with our current manpower."
Lee Hee-seon's take. Of course, that was just her opinion.
"It's sturdy, sure."
Barriers like that meant nothing in front of me. No matter how intricately built or tough, pointless.
"We could ask the Korean military for cooperation—light it up with mortar rounds and blast it."
Paju had military bases. Borrowing some 120mm mortars wasn't a big ask. We weren't requesting nukes.
"Mortars would get intercepted easily."
According to Lee Hee-seon, beyond the barrier loomed a star fort—low, thick terraced walls stacked in a star pattern.
And at each protruding bastion tip floated ominous dark orbs radiating eerie energy.
"Those orbs intercept incoming projectiles."
No need for military help then. I looked at Jeong Oh-hoon.
"Hey, looks like you're up for some hard work."
What's the use of being a long-range sharpshooter?