Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Hide and Seek in the Jewel Garden
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After filtering out the hunters who could no longer fight and those who'd given up entirely, exactly 300 remained.
It felt like we were about to charge into battle wearing nothing but our underwear, armed with just a spear and shield.
Anyway, the day we'd head to the Jaun Valley Erosion Core was already set: tomorrow. And tonight? Sirloin steak.
Not Hanwoo beef, mind you. The absolute top cuts from ranches around the world all pass through Korea first anyway.
Cuts you couldn't buy no matter how hard you tried in other countries were available even at the local butcher shops here.
Most folks who used to raise cattle in Korea didn't do it here anymore—they raised them overseas now. Anyway, we fired up the charcoal grill and got to work barbecuing the meat.
"I just can't understand the hunters who decided to quit. It's not like this came as a surprise."
Han Sang-ah wore a look of utter incomprehension. She couldn't wrap her head around people who'd come all this way, gotten thoroughly thrashed by ghosts, and only now turned tail.
"Reality's always different from expectations."
You could tell just from ultra-spicy pork cutlets or those challenge foods where you eat for free if you finish.
People charge in thinking, "I got this," only to back off with a "Whoa, nope, not happening." It happens so often you couldn't list every example.
"Anyone leave without paying up?"
I made a vague face at Jeong Oh-hoon's question.
"A few said they'd pay the penalty later since they couldn't cover it right then."
Roughly speaking, 60% paid the full penalty, while 40% negotiated installments.
Jeong Oh-hoon tossed a piece of grilled meat into his mouth and said,
"If anyone tries dodging the penalty later, let me know. I've got friends who are wizards at collecting debts."
"Like debt collectors?"
He nodded at my words, crossed his legs, and kept eating.
"They dance right on the line between illegal and legal. But they're pros, so you can trust 'em. As long as there's no corpse, they'll collect every penny."
Good to know. The meal continued in silence, accompanied only by the crackle of the charcoal.
"Anyway, 150 of us will clear the path and keep watch for surprises, right?"
I nodded at Han Sang-ah's question. In reality, the ones entering the Erosion Core would be the three of us plus Adakawa Nanami and 100 others. The remaining 50 would hold Harbin.
"Couldn't we squeeze in a few more?"
I chopsticked some meat as I replied to Jeong Oh-hoon,
"No headcount limit might mean cramming in more won't make a difference."
Having cleared a few Erosion Cores now, I had a rough sense of it. Bratsk's fridge limited entrants for a reason.
The inverse of a true statement is true as well.
If the Jaun Valley Erosion Core didn't restrict entrants, there had to be no reason for it. Which implied its gimmick wasn't affected by the number of hunters who entered.
Plus, 100 hunters wasn't exactly a small number.
"Already worrying."
"You always worry more before you face it."
If we had to confront it anyway, there'd be no time for fretting.
"Don't imagine the worst before it happens. That kind of speculation never helps."
Best to leave the unknown alone until you figure it out properly. Act once it's confirmed.
"Anyway, we've gotta move early tomorrow, so let's turn in."
The next day, 250 hunters in total—including us—headed to the ski resort I'd pinpointed as ground zero.
— That ski resort backs onto a lake. Probably...
It'd be shrouded in thick fog too. Masks made from sulfur willow or standard resistance wouldn't cut it.
"100 should be manageable."
Coating all 250 heading to the Erosion Core with Paradox Flame gas masks was impossible. But the 100 escorting us all the way? Doable.
The other 150 would pave the way so the 50 entering could conserve strength, then hightail it back to Harbin. Lingering too long risked those hallucinations again.
At least the magic circle causing them needed considerable time to activate.
"You sure? Slapping black flames on 100 heads means you can't use it for attacks."
I smiled and nodded at Adakawa Nanami, as if it were no big deal.
"Keep in mind: no in-ear comms inside."
Everyone knew that already. No operator support once you're in an Erosion Core.
"At least we've got radios."
Hunters could still communicate with each other. We'd set call signs and taken pains to avoid crosstalk.
"Plus, everyone's experienced."
This wasn't a rookie party. Most had coordinated via radio inside Erosion Cores before. No one would screw up using them.
The hunters entering the Erosion Core waited on Changchun's outskirts. After about three hours, word came through the in-ears.
Time to move. As fast as possible.
"No need to worry about that."
It had to be there. No doubt. I understood if other hunters doubted me, but I had ironclad certainty.
Jeong Oh-hoon and Han Sang-ah glanced my way.
"Come on, trust me a little. You’ve never regretted it."
"That's true."
Han Sang-ah agreed just as Jeong Oh-hoon whistled.
"Not my call. This is basically my first gig with you."
"Fair point. Then let's confirm it this time."
I finished and gestured.
"Everyone, run!"
Finally, time to plunge into the thick fog. Who knew clearing a single Rank-1 Erosion Core would take this much effort.
Harbin, the undead horde, hallucinations, purple fog—we'd overcome it all. Come to think of it, Bratsk's fridge had demanded similar time and toil.
I couldn't even imagine the grind for Great Eight.
Run as fast as possible, dive into the Erosion Core. That way, the path-clearers could bolt straight back to Harbin.
100 hunters, with me in the lead, broke into a sprint. The thunder of their charge echoed like a hundred galloping horses.
"Ignore 'em and keep running!"
A few ghosts lunged at us mid-sprint. The path-clearers had handled most, but stragglers remained.
"So hot the sweat on our soles dries instantly!"
The mad dash didn't falter. Charging straight for the ski resort, we arrived in under 30 minutes. Mana-boosted hunter speed easily outpaced cars.
"I told you it was here, you bastards!"
Beyond the lake, through the viscous fog, the Erosion Core's silhouette shimmered faintly. Jeong Oh-hoon burst out laughing at my shout.
"Lend me your power!"
Immediately, Adakawa Nanami summoned pink mana. A massive orb floated overhead, spewing white frost toward the lake.
The water flash-froze solid, creating a path straight to the Erosion Core in the center.
Thank god we didn't have to wade in. The fog spewed from that lake meant the water was lethally toxic.
"Hoo."
Adakawa Nanami caught her breath after forging the path. Onlookers murmured in quiet awe.
I stepped onto the frozen lake, slid straight toward the Core, and yelled,
"What're you waiting for, run!"
Does gawking make it vanish? Hunters snapped to and charged across the ice toward the Core.
I faced the massive maw up close and spoke into my radio,
"Yoo Chan-seok entering!"
Radio functionality checked out while sprinting over the lake. I hurled myself into the black void.
Darkness swallowed me, then light exploded anew.
"..."
Emerald leaves, ruby, peridot, and topaz-citrin petals.
A rich fragrance wafted in, while a distant waterfall cascaded rainbow-hued water.
Rainbows draped everywhere; the sky was mosaicked into countless colored squares, each flickering through hues to dazzle the eyes.
The ground beneath my feet sparkled with sand in thousands of shades. Each step chimed like faint bells.
Nearby hummingbirds whirred with amber clockwork on their backs.
"Vicious."
Amid paradise's rapture lurked sticky malice. I pulled a leftover sirloin chunk from my bag and flung it into a gem-carved flower.
The meat blackened on contact with a leaf, dissolving into sludge.
"Everything's laced with deadly poison..."
The myriad rainbows and mosaic sky disoriented vision.
Chattering birds deafened subtly; sand's chime wearied the ears craftily.
The thick scent piercing nostrils matched Jaun Valley's purple fog—not just in nature, but in exhausting the sense of smell instantly.
And amid the glittering gem foliage? Fleeting glimpses of grudge-filled ghost eyes.
This Erosion Core resembled an endless model garden sculpted from jewels. And it wasn't welcoming us.
I grabbed my radio and shared my findings. Then a bird landed nearby, pecking sand into letters.
I scowled at the message.
"Damn it. Should've come in with just three."
A masked ball? Way easier with me and two others.
Distinguish real from fake. No using appearances or voices.
As if on cue, radios erupted in chaotic chatter.