Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Jaun Valley Incursion
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The next day, pressing on with our march, we halted right before the bounds of Jaun Valley.
"This isn't fog."
It's more like a curtain. True to its name, Jaun, the mist was a thick, dense purple.
The cliché about not being able to see an inch ahead in the fog? The sight before us made it impossible to imagine anything more extreme.
"I heard it doesn't lift even in the rain."
Fog normally clears when it rains. But this mist wasn't natural, so that rule didn't apply.
"For now, it's the initial survey."
We still had no idea where the Erosion Core was located within this Erosion Zone. Naturally, the goal of this investigation was zeroed in on pinpointing it.
"At least the intel Mr. Jeong gathered is proving useful."
The routes used by illegal border-crossers were inherently limited, but they gave us a vague sense of the terrain around Jaun Valley.
At my words, Jeong Oh-hoon grinned and flashed an OK sign with his thumb and index finger.
"So, do I get a bonus?"
"If everything goes smoothly, sure."
I couldn't commit right now. Rewards and spoils were always divvied up after the job was done. No point fantasizing about the pie before we'd even baked it.
As we chatted, a group of hunters approached me.
"Hunter Yoo Chan-seok?"
They were treating me with real deference. Between the rumors they'd heard and what they'd witnessed firsthand, the other hunters had naturally grown respectful.
Managing a group of people? Nothing beat raw skill—cut all the bullshit.
"Yes. What can I do for you?"
He hesitated at my question before answering.
"We'll conquer Jaun Valley successfully, right?"
We'll see once we try, you idiot. Did they think I was some prophet? Expecting me to huff opium, roll my eyes white, and rasp out, "Hehehehek! Three shall come~!"?
But I answered with a relaxed smile.
"We've handled everything fine so far. It's all under control. No surprises. We'll head back to Korea with results worthy of our preparations."
Answers to questions like that didn't have to be true. The moment Han Sang-ah opened her mouth to say something, Jeong Oh-hoon smoothly cut her off. Good man.
She would've wanted to nitpick my words, no doubt.
"We're putting our faith in you and the Headhunter team."
"Yes, we'll do everything to live up to it."
Whether you'd still be breathing afterward? Honest answer: no guarantees. Jeong Oh-hoon, who'd been listening in, grinned and slung an arm around the guy's shoulders, letting out a hearty laugh.
"Piece of cake. Nothing tough about it, friends. Just follow the operator's orders and mop up whatever monsters show up in front of you. Same shit we've always done—and will keep doing."
Jeong Oh-hoon patted their shoulders, his smile unwavering.
"So yeah, same drill this time."
Once the other hunters had gone, Han Sang-ah spoke up.
"You two are both liars."
"True enough."
I admitted it readily. She let out a small sigh.
"That's a promise we can't keep."
"Yeah. And those guys came to us with questions we can't answer."
Whose fault was that? I figured the ones asking bore more blame. They didn't know better? Bullshit.
They knew damn well we couldn't deliver but asked anyway, turning a blind eye.
Hunters went into Erosion Zones to hunt monsters. No way these battle-hardened vets didn't grasp the risks.
I pressed the button on my in-ear.
"Prep for entry in 15 minutes. Counting on solid operating support."
Seagull operators responded. My words were broadcast to the hunters in seconds.
Then the operators swiftly assigned personnel per the pre-planned setup and relayed missions and objectives to each hunter.
The hunters moved out. Me, Han Sang-ah, and Jeong Oh-hoon followed the flurry of instructions crackling through our in-ears.
"Rear guard arrived."
Didn't need Seagull's report to know—we were already swallowed by the purple mist.
"If anyone's not feeling right, report it now."
Some had their own fog countermeasures. Others wore masks woven from sulfur willow. For me, Han Sang-ah, and Jeong Oh-hoon, Paradox Flame coated our faces.
Everyone seemed fine for the moment. We kept rolling forward on the trucks.
"Over there. Just now."
One of the hunters spoke up.
"Yeah. Several."
A handful of ghosts were prowling around us. Undead, sure—but not the rotten-flesh kind.
"Eight."
Exact count. Soul-bound undead excelled at masking their presence. Hiding this well meant they were no pushovers.
Probably hesitating to close in thanks to the Talisman Drawing Method etched on our trucks.
But they'd come eventually.
"Steel your minds."
These weren't physical attackers. They shredded your sanity, tormented you, drowned you in despair, then ripped your soul apart.
Jeong Oh-hoon answered.
"I've tangled with ghosts before. Possession tugs, but I'm not craving it."
He was a well-seasoned hunter with all sorts of experience under his belt. No doubt he'd faced ghosts. I glanced at Han Sang-ah.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Cruel thought, maybe, but I was curious if she'd crack under a ghost assault. Her headspace wasn't exactly standard-issue.
Right then, a faint banshee wail heralded a hazy shape lunging straight at me.
White smoke sucked into my nose, ears, eyes, mouth. Moments later...
— Kkyaaaah!
A scream fiercer than its entry—white smoke burst desperately from the holes in my face. The hazy intruder that had plunged in and out twisted wildly in the air, shrieking for ages before shriveling up.
Looked exactly like a mosquito zapped by bug spray.
The ghost that hit me vanished without a trace.
"Aigoo, pick your marks better, fool."
Plunging into my body? Like diving 25 kilometers deep in nothing but a rash guard. It must've been crushed flat by my soul's weight the instant it tried anything.
"Handy."
Didn't have to lift a finger—they dove in and died on their own. No fighting required. Pure bliss. Of course, the ghosts weren't gunning for me exclusively.
"..."
I quickly scanned the others.
"Knew it'd go down like this."
A few couldn't hold out against the assaults and buckled. They clawed at their masks or lunged at fellow hunters.
"Farewell."
I speared their chests clean through. The souls lodged inside fled belatedly from the gaping wounds in the corpses.
Then, just like the one that had exited toward me earlier, they screamed, crumpled, and winked out.
"Why...?"
Tough question to field. Best answer off the cuff:
"I'm not a priest."
If the host was on death's door, the ghost bailed. Otherwise? Once possession stuck, it never volunteered to leave.
Forcing it out meant exorcism rites...
Which I couldn't do. And obviously, I couldn't just leave a successfully possessed hunter be. A ghost-ridden body turned enemy, slaughtering the rest.
So I killed enemies. The hunters staring at me went wide-eyed in horror first.
"No other choice."
"But...!"
One hunter yelled.
"Maybe not! Just restrain 'em till it passes."
"How do you plan to restrain magic-wielding hunters?"
Had to use magic bindings or special-material restraints.
That chewed manpower—and risked casualties.
"Even if you pull it off, the end's the same."
Bind the body, ghost pops out, hunts a new host.
Couldn't let the damage snowball.
"Listen up: fail to resist, you die. Not letting this spiral."
My cold, iron words locked their faces tight.
Crack under ghosts? Die by my hand. That one line honed their nerves razor-sharp.
"Want me to slit throats?"
Han Sang-ah's question drifted from behind.
"Outta nowhere, huh."
"If you fail resistance."
I glanced at her. No emotion—just a pure question.
"Damn right. Possession means you won't access my full power right off anyway."
"Gotta be quick then. Gotcha."
Mid-sentence, a ghost whooshed into Han Sang-ah—then rocketed right back out.
— Uh-ehhh? Eh-ehhh?!
The ones that hit me got pulped by soul weight and poofed on exit. Hers bounced out bewildered, yowling in confusion.
Both of us repelled possessions, but for different reasons.
Ghosts targeting me bolted like "Aaah, monster!" and evaporated.
Those aiming for Han Sang-ah ejected like "What the hell kinda psycho is this?"—then steered clear forever.
Her head was scrambled for sure. Scrambled enough to spook ghosts off mid-try. Either way, no spearing her chest.
"That's the proper way."
Meanwhile, Jeong Oh-hoon resisted textbook-style. He'd twitch faintly, muster magic power, and the ghost would rebound right out of him.
The ghosts were proving he was the most well-adjusted of our trio.
"Y'know, countering with magic power should tag 'em, ghosts or not."
I replied.
"Sure. Crank it to recoilless rifle levels, and it'd sting like a pistol shot."
Classic reason ghost fights sucked. Magic worked, but the punch tanked hard.
"Mental attacks are all they've got anyway."
Endure 'em, and damage stayed low. Han Sang-ah responded.
"Weeding out the weak?"
"Might prowl this place for days."
Trudging thick purple fog for days to hunt an Erosion Core? Hunters crumbling to ghosts this early were dead weight.
"Company ain't school, yeah? Same here. This is the real deal—not some academy drill."
Overreach beyond your limits? You die. Couldn't stress it enough.
"Headhunter here, moving out. Request guidance."
We pressed deeper into the Erosion Zone under Seagull's directions.