Chapter 158
Chapter 158
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: Changsha Secured
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I figured Lieutenant General Woo Il-seop would obviously object. Not that I could blame him. Occupying Changsha was critical, so he'd want to use the safest, most reliable methods possible.
Knowing that, I'd deliberately delayed my report just a bit.
—Intentional delays in reporting can result in disciplinary action, Hunter Yoo Chan-seok.
"It wasn't intentional."
It absolutely was, of course. But in a situation like this, you have to deny it. No reason to invite punishment I don't deserve.
—Then why was the report delayed?
"The enemy struck first. I'm in the thick of it right now."
My excuse was that things were too hectic for a proper report. Gotta hold the line first, right?
—...You're aware that if this goes wrong, the responsibility will be immense.
"Understood. Things are a little urgent at the moment."
Just wrap it up successfully, and it'll be fine. I cut off the comms for now, flashed a grin, switched channels, and issued my orders.
"There are five Erosion Cores within a 70km radius centered on Changsha."
Sure, it's relatively safe territory, but with China's provisional government in Nanning, they can't spare hunters to clear the area around Changsha.
Naturally, the cores have been forming over a long time, and their Erosion Zones overlap.
"The five teams from headquarters—fifty hunters each—will handle one core apiece. The rest of the forces will focus on clearing monsters from the Erosion Zones."
The 250 hunters assigned to destroy the Erosion Cores were handpicked from the direct command unit—veterans with plenty of experience. No issues there.
Headhunter—including me—won't enter the cores. Can't command if comms go down inside.
Instead, we'll sweep the monsters entrenched in the Erosion Zones spawned by those five cores.
"Hunters not entering the Erosion Cores will disperse to Sosan, Hunan Satellite TV headquarters, Werusan, and the international airport. Focus your efforts on securing those locations."
Key spots we absolutely have to take. Hunan Satellite TV HQ is pretty wrecked, but it's still a broadcast station—perfect for comms gear.
No need to explain why we need Sosan and Werusan near Changsha, or the airport.
"Priority order: Sosan, Hunan Satellite TV HQ, Werusan, international airport."
The troops traveling with me to Changsha had already battled through Erosion Zones, Erosion Cores, and the corpses that kept popping up along the way.
War has this magical power to bond people. You stick together or you die.
After four major battles and about thirty skirmishes to reach Changsha, everyone had forged some camaraderie.
"Alright, let's get to it?"
"No problem."
Jeong No-hoon pulled a massive machine gun from his subspace as he replied. Han Sang-ah silently drew her sword.
"Let's wipe 'em all out."
I hadn't gotten much hands-on action while focusing on command. Changsha occupation wasn't the endgame, after all.
Had to plan diversions for the detachments I sent elsewhere too. Barely slept for days because of it.
Time to blow off all that built-up stress.
"Gonna smash every last one of those filthy heads."
Curses and poison don't work on corpses. Doesn't matter.
"Play with me!"
I leaped into the sky with a whoosh, plummeting spear-first into the center of the charging corpse horde. The spear slammed into the ground, sending up a shockwave and pillar of earth that launched the surrounding corpses skyward.
"Here."
Spear in one hand, I gripped the crown in the other and channeled mana.
A brilliant white light erupted from the crown just as the ring on my finger glowed blue. The corpses weakened by the white light couldn't withstand the ring's power—they froze solid in an instant.
All that was left was to shatter the iced-over corpses.
Overwhelming domination. Unrelenting one-sided violence against foes who couldn't resist. Bones crunching, thick blood oozing, shattered fragments flying everywhere across the battlefield.
No matter how many I smashed, there were still so many more waiting.
"Hahaha! Salakadula macher kabulla bippity bobbity boo!"
From behind, Jeong No-hoon let out some bizarre chant as his mounted machine gun unleashed a barrage of laser fire. He'd tinkered with it again somehow—the crimson beams exploded like grenades on impact.
—Jeong No-hoon, you're too loud.
Han Sang-ah's curt assessment came over the radio. Still, even she was fighting with flashy flair.
Her body blinked in and out of existence from sheer acceleration.
Her movements were so agile it tricked the eye into thinking she had multiple bodies. Pale lightning crackled wildly in all directions, its output so immense it melted pristine earth into glowing red slag.
Naturally, any monster caught in her range didn't even leave a proper corpse—just tomato pulp in a blender.
Suddenly, it hit me: it was just the three of us fighting. A glance back confirmed it. The other hunters were just standing there, gawking at us.
"What are you all doing? Sleepwalking?"
Once I called them out, the hunters snapped to and got back to work.
Good lord—subordinates watching their commander fight? In the old world, heads would've rolled.
Saying that makes me sound like a total old fogey.
We swept the battlefield in no time. We were the hunters who'd taken Pyongyang with just three people, after all.
Sure, we'd used tricks instead of a straight fight back then. But the fact remained: three of us had secured Pyongyang.
"We do it 'cause we can."
Lieutenant General Woo Il-seop must've thought we were overreaching, but this level of difficulty felt almost too easy for us.
"Ooh, stars twinkling right in front of my eyes. Money's the best—letting me see stars up close! Lord have mercy, check out these explosions!"
Jeong No-hoon was firing his laser barrage even more furiously now.
"Sang-ah, has the guy's been stressed lately? Looks like he's hurting."
Han Sang-ah replied to my question.
"The most common ailment in conditions like this is constipation. Sudden changes in diet and routine make fiber intake tough."
Why bring up shit in the middle of a fight?
"No way constipation turns a guy that crazy."
Wait, could it? Han Sang-ah glanced at Jeong No-hoon and nodded.
"Looks like it. Not constipation symptoms, though."
Mid chit-chat, Han Sang-ah accelerated in a flash and unleashed mana amid the corpse swarm.
The charging corpses froze mid-stride, white steam billowing from their bodies.
"Holy crap, it's a microwave."
Not microwave-level power, of course. Just the principle mimicking one.
Microwaving living people... no, dead corpses. What a cruel woman.
Not that I can talk. I ripped the arm off a bellowing giant corpse, smashed it into its maw, and scratched my head.
"Erosion Cores still gonna take a while, right?"
We'd need more time. In the meantime, we'd clean up around here and keep smashing spawns.
About two hours after we started seriously clearing Changsha...
—Airport secured.
—Broadcast center interior just finished clearing.
The vital bases we needed were falling one by one.
I scanned the area and shrugged. Looking good. Time to check in with Lieutenant General Woo Il-seop.
Switched channels and reported.
"Yoo Chan-seok here. As of now, Headhunter has nearly completed the Changsha occupation."
—What does 'nearly' mean?
Lieutenant General Woo Il-seop's voice had a slight edge. I got it. I'd defied orders and gone rogue. Not easy for a soldier to overlook.
"Changsha region's cleared. Just awaiting confirmation on Erosion Core removals. Should take about two or three days."
—Understood. Good work, Hunter Yoo Chan-seok.
Lieutenant General Woo Il-seop didn't seem interested in pushing it anymore.
"Thought I'd catch hell for this."
—Command underestimated Headhunter's combat power and capabilities. You didn't obey orders, true, but command shares blame for how this played out.
I let out a small sigh at his words.
"You're being lenient because I'm a hunter, not a soldier. No need. Truth is, if this had gone south, it'd be entirely our fault."
Misjudged our strength, so command's at fault? That's no way to lead—you'd get nothing done.
In war, orders from above demand obedience. Even if you disagree, you follow the chain of command.
That's the core of any command structure. Mission-type command doesn't mean subordinates can rewrite ops on a whim.
"I got ahead of myself. My apologies, Lieutenant General Woo Il-seop. Won't happen again."
—Glad to hear it. But command agrees pulling those forces to punch through to Nanjing was the right call in the end.
Water under the bridge. We'd succeeded in taking Changsha. Best to keep it cordial, congratulate each other, and move on.
No point picking a fight over defying orders in a victory—it'd just tank morale for hunters who'd busted their asses here.
"So, once the Erosion Cores are safely cleared, we'll await the follow-up forces."
—Roger. Once they arrive with the assigned comms battalion, head to Nanjing. Assume you've got the mission objectives down.
Secure Nanjing and Shanghai's ports.
"Once Shanghai's secured, who's handling supply control?"
—Shanghai's different from Nanning. No Chinese refugees to steal or loot supplies, so a small Korean army contingent and majority laborers will garrison, manage, and distribute them.
Not many troops, then. The issue's the laborers.
"Means we need to clean Shanghai spotless. Conflicts with Headhunter's ops plan afterward."
We have to push straight to Nanya and smash Gonsalok's face in. We'll be the first to tangle with their forces.
"Gonsalok's Undying Legion won't go down easy like this. Can't spare troops to garrison Shanghai mid-fight."
Lieutenant General Woo Il-seop replied.
—Your constraints make sense. Until Headhunter's forces make first contact with Gonsalok, we'll support Hefei troops in holding Shanghai and Nanjing.
"Hold on. Supporting Hefei means after they take it?"
No good. That'd route us through Changsha to Wuhan to Hefei. By the time Zhu Gong's main force arrives there, we'd be dust.
"Lend Headhunter temporary command of about three thousand from Zhu Gong's forces originally bound for Hefei."
That's the play. Move together to Nanjing first, then once Hefei's secured, send the borrowed troops back. Proper sequence.