Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Ghost Fleet Onslaught
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Fighting these things without any finesse, just brute-forcing your way through, was never going to work.
I moved the spear tip smoothly, minimizing the impact I took and deflecting their attacks as much as possible.
"A spear's great for fights like this."
Handling multiple enemies at once wasn't hard. Keep the right distance and thrust to deal a lethal blow to a specific target, or swing wide to hit a bunch.
The problem was the space. On the cramped deck of a ship, the spear kept snagging everywhere.
"In that case..."
It looked like I'd have to quickly finish off one and switch weapons. I ignited Paradox Flame at the spear tip and focused on one of the charging corpses.
"I see it all, you bastard."
A corpse perched precariously on the mast—which looked like it could snap any second—fired off a soggy matchlock musket. The bullet ricocheted off my spear tip and buried itself in another one's skull.
Dark green, viscous goo oozed from the hole in the exploded head. What a nauseating sight.
"Mind if I borrow that?"
I rushed the hole-headed one, shortened my grip on the spear, ignited Paradox Flame, and battered it relentlessly. In an instant, its body crumbled, engulfed in flames.
Seizing the opening, I snatched the cutlass it had been holding. One hand on the spear, the other on the cutlass, I swept across the deck.
"Hoo."
I glanced at Han Sang-ah, who'd hopped to another ship. She was holding her own pretty well.
"She picks things up fast."
A bit clumsy, but she was putting my advice from earlier on deck into practice. Go for the quick kill. With a flash, the blade slid from its scabbard and severed a corpse's neck.
I thrust out my hand, wreathed in black flames, incinerated the head of a lunging ghost, and shouted,
"You're using too much power! Control it better!"
Exactly enough to overwhelm and decapitate in a flash. Unlike me, Han Sang-ah had to squeeze maximum efficiency from her limited mana.
I could tell she was trying, but she was still wasting a fair bit.
"Got it."
"Or for now, crank it up and take out a bunch at once!"
Fine-tuning the output could wait for practice later. Better to go big right now and slice through multiples in one go.
"Oh."
I had to admit, I was impressed in that moment. Han Sang-ah, who'd paused to think after my shout, went with my first tip instead of the second. A finely controlled slash bisected a ghost diving from the air.
She'd distributed her power much more cleanly than before. I blocked the charging corpses' and ghosts' attacks with crisp parries from my spear and sword, admiring her inwardly.
She was the kind of person advice just stuck to.
"..."
Han Sang-ah's eyes turned to me. And then...
"Well, well."
She strained to copy me. Specifically, the way I was blocking the corpses' attacks.
Every attack followed a set path, and there was a point along that path where it hit peak power.
Read the path the instant they started, block before it peaked, and you could deflect a heavy blow with minimal effort.
"Hey, cut the unnecessary crap!"
I got that she was ambitious. But this wasn't a technique she could pull off reliably yet.
Without senses sharp enough to handle it, forcing the mimicry would get her seriously hurt.
At my words, Han Sang-ah clamped her mouth shut, then obediently dropped the imitation and followed my lead.
"Focus on what you're trying now. Don't branch out till you've digested that."
With that, I finished off all the ghosts and corpses on deck, leaped to the next ship, and repeated the process.
Deflect, dodge, preempt their strikes. Fight like that, and whenever a gap opened, I'd dart in and turn the corpses back into proper corpses.
"..."
Once the ships were cleared, Han Sang-ah wore a dissatisfied expression. While she'd handled the corpses and ghosts on one vessel, I'd wrecked three.
We took care of the last one together.
"Keep pushing."
Han Sang-ah clenched her fist at my words.
"Thanks for the advice."
"The world's overflowing with people who can't take it even when you give it."
Han Sang-ah replied,
"Not many at the academy gave me pointers. You sure you're okay with that?"
"What're you talking about? The academy's for learning."
What's the point if no one's advising? Han Sang-ah answered,
"They said it hurt their feelings since I picked things up too fast."
I caught the underlying intent in her words and let out a disbelieving laugh.
"No way—you think if I keep giving you tips, you'll end up stronger than me someday?"
"I learn really fast."
Ah, yeah. People usually called that having a sharp mind.
"She's cute, too."
I almost felt bad enough to pat her head. For her to catch up to me, she'd need to reincarnate twice—memories intact.
"Won't happen, so don't sweat it."
"Your answer's making me feel pretty crappy."
What can you do? It's the truth. Even if Han Sang-ah sucked the marrow from my bones, it wouldn't change a thing. With the ghost ships cleared, we headed back to our boat.
"Can you keep cooperating?"
The helmsman swallowed hard at my question.
"Not trying to force you."
I could guess how terrified these cooperators were.
"We can. No—we have to."
With that resolve, the boat pressed on. Tsushima wasn't far now. And the Talisman Drawing Method I'd etched was still holding strong.
"We'll call once the job's done safely."
Even if ghost ships swarmed again, the talisman should let them break free and wait at Geoje Island.
"How long do you think it'll take?"
I set down our supplies and answered,
"Honestly, no clue."
I had my own time limit, so I'd hustle, but this was a Grade 2 Erosion Core. The interior scale was on another level—no way to give a firm answer right now.
For starters, we'd packed supplies for about a month, so we'd wrap it up by then. If not, they'd need to resupply us once more.
"Got it. We'll stand by."
The coast guard boarded their vessel and departed. Han Sang-ah and I faced the fog-shrouded Tsushima Island.
"How about setting up a base first? We could use that Talisman Drawing Method from before."
"Yeah, secure a place to stay."
And unlike Gyodongdo, we had no plans to roam far.
"This is Hitakatsu Port."
A small inn sat about a one-minute walk away. Easy to haul supplies quick, and the basics like bedding were probably still intact. We decided to make it our base.
"Can't you etch that talisman on weapons?"
I shook my head. No point. The Talisman Drawing Method demanded precise specs. Shrink or expand by just 10%, and the effect halved.
While Han Sang-ah moved the supplies, I completed the talisman at our chosen base.
By the time she finished unloading, it was done. I quietly scanned the fog blanketing the island.
"They've caught on."
Sounds echoed from beyond the mist. Something was prowling nearby. No telling how many.
Not all ghosts made noise. Tsushima—Daemado. The island had become a domain of the undead and spirits.
"No gas, no power... but at least comms work."
Hunter smartphones ran on satellite in places like this.
I sent a quick text to the Association President's saved contact—Can you talk?—then dialed.
— Yoo Chan-seok Hunter.
"Sorry for the sudden call."
Not a big reason for reaching out. My meeting with the president hadn't exactly ended on a high note.
"I'm on Tsushima now."
— Yeah, got the report about you taking a commission. Said you were rescuing captured fishermen.
Reports reaching him confirmed I was under heavy watch.
In this situation, Yoon Sung-hyun was probably getting updates on my moves too.
"That's the public line."
That's why I'd announced it as a fisherman rescue, not a Grade 2 Erosion Core clearance.
— Public line? What do you mean?
"I'm here to handle Tsushima's Grade 2 Erosion Core."
Laughter leaked from my words.
— You're overestimating yourself, kid.
From his view, it must've sounded ridiculous. Claiming a Grade 2 on just my second hunt—not even a 3.
"Telling you ahead of time? Figured once it's cleared, you'd have a lot you could do with it."
I ignored him and said my piece. And this mattered.
"You think Japan effectively controls Tsushima Island right now?"
More precisely: was this Tsushima I stood on even Japanese soil anymore? That's what my question implied.
— ...
No way. No electricity, no gas, everyone evacuated—uninhabited rock. No one coming, no one living. Japan had ditched Tsushima.
The reason? The Grade 2 Erosion Core that settled here.
"From what I know, Japan's barely holding their own mainland defenses."
Five Grade 2s, two Grade 1s. Countless Grade 3s and unrankeds besides.
Begging Korean companies for hunter dispatches just to hang on by a thread—they had zero bandwidth for a remote speck like Tsushima.
— So, what? Korea annexes it?
"Even the pretense would give Japan plenty to gripe about."
And those gripes couldn't take the form of demands or threats. Japan abandoning Tsushima was their own call—no external pressure.
Plus, like it or not, Korea was today's superpower.
"If I clear Tsushima's Grade 2, what pretext does Japan have to reclaim ownership?"
They could claim it, sure. But Korea would suddenly have a ton to say on the matter too. If Korea got stubborn, Tsushima might just become Daemado from here on out.
— Korea doesn't care about one island either way right now.
"Exactly. Leverage to pry more concessions."
And the president? He'd have ties to folks prepped to handle this.
— And if you fail?
"What do you lose?"
I didn't love tangling with politics, true. But this wasn't politics. I was doing my job; he just pocketed a bonus on the side.
Politics meant putting your face out front. Besides...
— What do you want?
I had nothing to ask in return for the heads-up.
"Nothing. Korea and Japan have that awkward relationship, you know."
Japan barely bothered with Dokdo anymore. They knew prodding Korea over it got them nowhere.
But the decades of friction, arguments, and back-and-forth over that one island? Every Korean remembered.
If I could tap that built-up national sentiment to my advantage, why wouldn't I?