Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Spoiled Aid
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Ja Su-jeong flicked the displayed supplies with the back of her hand and continued.
"Anyway, since it went from Europe to Korea and back to Europe, it's hard to expect anything decent."
Canned goods past their expiration, low-quality mixed meats, potatoes that had already sprouted—that's what made the return trip.
"Relief supplies too?"
At my question, Ja Su-jeong hesitated for a moment before answering. What was with that reaction? Was there something special about relief supplies?
"Sixty percent of the relief goods transported by train are food, but eighty percent of that is Reprocessed Organic Compound Powder No. 65."
"Reprocessed organic what? What's that?"
She tossed the answer right back at me.
"It's food waste that's been dried at over 390 degrees and then pulverized."
The "No. 65" indicated the percentage of 'reprocessed organic material' in the powder—meaning 65 percent.
Good grief. I was at a loss for words.
"You mix it with water and boil it to eat."
In simple terms, it was hygienic baby food mush.
"No helping it, I guess."
Ja Su-jeong looked genuinely surprised at my response.
"Actually, I hear Korea has the capacity to send better ingredients."
I replied coldly.
"Then who do you think those better ingredients would end up in the mouths of?"
This was the real absurdity. If you send food fit for humans as relief aid, the odds of it reaching those who need it are next to zero.
What happens when proper meat, grains, or vegetables arrive as aid? I knew all too well from war-torn countries.
The warlords entrenched here would snatch it all up for themselves.
"Something like that, at least... has a higher chance of reaching the mouths of people starving to death."
Anyone with even a little means wouldn't covet such aid. Even the underlings they kept around wouldn't touch it.
So, if they wanted to play the benevolent benefactor, they'd hand it straight to the poor without a second thought.
"But it's still going into people's mouths."
"Try saying that to someone on the brink of starvation."
Hunger—especially the kind right before death—strips away all humanity.
The world was a mess. And there were probably more people who couldn't even get that.
"Ah, I'm going to wash up now."
I nodded and sank into thought.
"Crazy bastards."
After sitting quietly for a while, I muttered under my breath.
"Damn, my conscience wouldn't let me do it."
Not long after arriving in Poland, my opinion of the Dangun's Descendants organization had plummeted into the abyss.
The world turned like this, and there was nothing I could do about it right now.
But an organization that controlled Erosion Cores to manage Erosion Zones and monsters, all while hoping this messed-up world lasted forever?
Satan himself would beg to take them on as unpaid interns just to learn from their evil.
"Hey, could you hand me a towel?"
At the voice from the bathroom, I left a towel by the door and sank back into thought.
"Lee Se-eun's words in the car too."
It made sense now. If you didn't know how the outside world worked, you'd think Dangun's Descendants had a point.
That's why I'd said I understood Lee Se-eun saying such things—she didn't know.
"That spit was definitely a sign of disgust."
Anyway, if Lee Se-eun asked again now, I could answer definitively. Dangun's Descendants or whatever they called themselves—they were a harmful bunch that needed stopping.
And assuming the Korean government was tied to them, I wasn't thrilled with them either.
"National interest, huh."
I muttered that and plopped down on the bed, staring blankly out the window.
"Ah, whatever."
I just couldn't stand by and watch because it pissed me off. That alone was reason enough to clash with Dangun's Descendants.
Since I'd first encountered them on Demon Island, it had taken a bit longer to decide they were enemies.
"Hoo."
Ja Su-jeong finished washing up and came out. I stood right away.
"Rest if you want to, then head back. I'm stepping out for a bit."
"Y-Yes...?"
She was towel-drying her hair and gave me a weird look.
What was with the 'yes?' I finished my goodbyes, left the building, and headed to the royal palace where Lee Se-eun was staying.
"I'd like to see Hunter Lee Se-eun."
The Mazurka soldiers guarding the palace checked my ID and contacted someone to verify.
"Yes, we'll escort you."
After being led inside, I finally met her.
"I'm a bit busy right now. Get to the point, quick."
Lee Se-eun was in training clothes, hair rollers in her bangs, reviewing documents.
"Dangun's Descendants are trying to control Erosion Cores."
She looked up from her papers at my words.
"I heard it from one of their members I ran into on Demon Island."
"Why tell me now...?"
She started to say more but stopped, clicking her ballpoint pen.
"You've made up your mind, huh."
"Yeah. I don't think I can get along with those guys."
I liked Korea too. I was born and raised there, after all. Everyone wants the place they grew up in to thrive.
But when it twisted into something like this, I couldn't sympathize.
"Good."
Her satisfied tone came back at me.
"You were a promising junior, and now you're making the same call."
"Makes me curious what you'd have done if our views differed."
She looked regretful.
"There'd have been friction one way or another. I'm glad it's not the case now."
Then she handed me a cup of liquid.
"I was gonna drink this. Here, take it. I'll just make another."
I took a sip of the steaming liquid and immediately wanted to scrape my tongue off with a spatula.
"What... is this?"
"Milk tea."
Milk tea my ass. It was so sweet my skull tingled. Sweeter than the same weight in sugar?
My teeth felt like they were rotting instantly! While I was reeling from the shock, Lee Se-eun got a call and glanced at me.
"Looks like Han Sang-ah's here too."
Han Sang-ah here? Why? I thought about it, and the answer came quick.
She'd run into that taekwondo-pierced guy from Dangun's Descendants on Demon Island with me and heard their goals.
Seeing Warsaw's state probably led her to the same conclusion as me.
"You and Hunter Han Sang-ah took a joint request on Demon Island, right?"
Lee Se-eun seemed to think the same. She approved Han Sang-ah's entry, and soon we were all together.
"Warsaw's situation is honestly hard to believe even seeing it with my own eyes."
Han Sang-ah jumped straight to the point upon arrival. Lee Se-eun smiled faintly.
"Doesn't Korea know what's going on in other countries?"
"As if. Miss Geumyang Group."
Han Sang-ah looked a bit flustered at the response.
"If I weren't a hunter, I'd have lived my whole life clueless."
Even without succession battles, Han Sang-ah was part of Geumyang Group's owner family. If she hadn't become a hunter, she'd have had no reason to leave Korea.
Thus, no chance to see Warsaw or learn how the world outside turned.
"I can't accept this situation."
Lee Se-eun eyed Han Sang-ah softly and spoke.
"You know Geumyang Group has a social welfare foundation under it?"
"You mean the Hanuri Foundation."
Hard for her not to know internal Geumyang affairs. Lee Se-eun held something out.
"I run one personally too."
"You're talking about Neulbom Social Welfare Corporation, right?"
What? They were chatting about fun stuff without me. I looked at Lee Se-eun.
"You didn't know?"
Would I make this face if I did? Han Sang-ah added,
"This Siberia train was carrying Neulbom relief supplies too."
Ja Su-jeong had said eighty percent of the food was Reprocessed Organic No. 65.
"The other twenty percent is from Neulbom."
Paste or biscuit-form ready-to-eat relief food, trace nutrient tablets—nothing like reprocessed waste.
"I survived a month on it myself. No issues at all. Honestly, not great tasting, but."
"Chance of warlords grabbing it...?"
Lee Se-eun snorted at my question.
"That's why you need fame. Neulbom is mine. Europe's petty warlords think they can steal it? That's a declaration of war on me."
That wasn't courage; it was hubris. Anyway, I knew she funded her foundation personally.
"But why bring up Geumyang's Hanuri suddenly?"
Lee Se-eun glanced at Han Sang-ah.
"Hunter Han Sang-ah, put in a little effort, and you could run a welfare foundation."
"Yes. Got a prime example right here."
Welfare foundations had nothing to do with succession fights. With Lee Se-eun's precedent, Geumyang could easily allow it.
"Truth is, Hanuri's purpose isn't all that pure."
"I know."
Lee Se-eun crossed her arms and proposed to Han Sang-ah.
"Change the owner, and the workers adjust accordingly."
She envisioned Han Sang-ah taking Hanuri's operations and partnering with Neulbom. I watched them and sighed softly.
"What about you? Interested?"
Lee Se-eun tossed it my way. I shook my head.
"Not my thing."
Their gazes snapped to me.
"Good deeds are great. Impressive how you hunters juggle that too."
But it wasn't enough. It just kept people from dying immediately.
"I'll focus on clearing Erosion Zones."
Feeding the hungry and providing medical aid to the sick was admirable, sure.
"If a patient's dying of cancer, you smash the cancer."
Of course, keeping them alive in the meantime mattered. But ultimately, without removing the cancer, it was pointless.
At the root of all this was the Erosion Zones.
"Hunters are steadily clearing Erosion Zones."
"Grade 1s."
To her rebuttal, I said firmly.
"We need hunters obsessed with Grade 1 and above. Ones with the will to challenge them and the skill to match."
Grade 2s, 3s, unrated—hunters lined up for those. Decent ones could handle them fine.
But Grade 1? Different story. I grabbed paper and jotted down.
1. Greenhouse (USA)
2. Gonzalok (China)
3. Club Sandai (Israel)
4. Al Ramadi (Saudi Arabia)
5. Ristorante (Italy)
6. Winter Closet (Canada)
7. Polbora (Argentina)
8. Kasan Factory (Australia)
The worst eight Erosion Zones in the world. The Great Eight.