A Japanese online community.
(I think South Korea has way too many S-ranks.)
A bored-looking netizen placed their hands on the keyboard and began typing.
(Is there something in their groundwater?)
(No way.)
(It’s probably because Korea is practically a surveillance state. They detect Awakened people immediately.)
Recently, South Korea had been thrown into an uproar by the emergence of its fourth S-class hunter.
From the perspective of its neighboring countries, however, this was hardly something worth celebrating.
(They caught up.)
With the appearance of a fourth S-class hunter, Japan and South Korea now possessed the same number of S-ranks.
(Their population is only half of ours. So why do they have the same number of S-ranks?)
(At this point, it feels like Japan is the only country that doesn’t have enough S-ranks.)
(We’re more advanced when it comes to gate management. Since we handle that well, we don’t need to worry about anything else.)
Even if they harbored no particular ill will toward South Korea, it was only natural for a certain hostility to arise when a neighboring country threatened to overtake one of their records.
[Breaking News]
Unfortunately, their troubles did not end there.
One day, a new problem emerged in the island nation.
“This is a report concerning a newly discovered gate. An investigation team was dispatched to the dungeon that appeared in Kagoshima Prefecture, and the gate has now been confirmed to be S-class...”
An S-class dungeon had appeared for the first time since the Hawaiian raid four years earlier.
(S-rank appeared lol.)
(This isn’t the kind of S-class I asked for, lol.)
The Japanese public could only stare at the news in bewilderment.
***
(Hey, an S-class dungeon can’t be that serious. Why is everyone making such a fuss?)
Some people might think that way.
Wasn’t it simply a matter of defeating whatever was inside?
South Korea, in particular, felt little sense of crisis when it came to S-class threats. The country had recently dealt with the inevitable Malice incident without suffering a catastrophe.
As a result, some people merely thought, Oh, it’s just a rare dungeon, and moved on.
(What year were you born? Are you saying that because you’re still in elementary school?)
Japan’s situation, however, was entirely different.
The unexpected and malignant entity had been a monster that had only barely reached S-class through artificial means.
In other words, it possessed the strength of an ordinary S-class monster.
“That enormous serpent that devastated Seoul was only a minor mob?”
Four years earlier, an S-class dungeon had undergone a break.
The incident had cost the United States half of its highest-ranking hunters.
The massacre had been carried out by the dungeon’s ruler, [Nuclealave], which had slaughtered the hunters commonly referred to as S-class.
Under such circumstances, who would willingly volunteer to help Japan?
The United States was still heavily focused on recruiting hunters from abroad to compensate for the losses it had suffered at the time.
And even without considering America’s example, no country wanted to risk the deaths of its own S-class hunters.
[Japan Makes Desperate Appeal to the International Community: “We Urgently Need Assistance”]
It was therefore only natural that Japan’s requests for support were ignored.
“Ahem.”
An S-class gate.
Judging from what had happened in Hawaii, S-class monsters could exert an enormous influence on the surrounding region.
Neighboring countries such as South Korea might also be affected.
If the dungeon was going to rupture eventually, would it not be better to cooperate with Japan and reduce the danger in advance?
But...
“Isn’t prevention the most important thing?”
Contrary to what the political establishment hoped, the matter was not so simple.
[Free Bulletin Board]
• They’ll turn their backs on us the moment this is over! Why should we help Japan? What’s so special about them?
• Serves them right~
• Everyone, please help me. Korea’s S-class Hunter Kang Changho assaulted me and used medication to conceal the evidence. The police are siding with the Hunter as though they’ve been bribed. What should I do?
• Wow, this person’s comment history is legendary. They’ve spent all their time insulting Hunters.
• Looks like an attention seeker.
Setting aside the anti-Japanese sentiment present in certain parts of South Korea, the true issue was whether any S-class hunter would agree to enter that gate in the first place.
“You saw what happened in Hawaii. S-class monsters are creatures capable of killing even the highest-ranking Awakened in an instant. What hunter would willingly volunteer for something like that?”
“Ahem.”
“Jung Haseong isn’t the same person he used to be. He’s no longer someone who will obediently follow every order from above.”
The concerns of the Korean Hunter Association deepened with each passing day.
Meanwhile, Japan’s desperation continued to mount.
***
The so-called Kagoshima Gate.
Measurements of the magical energy within had confirmed it to be an S-rank dungeon.
According to the investigators, a dragon inhabited the dungeon.
The creature appeared to be a previously unknown species, meaning its exact abilities remained uncertain.
However, considering the poisonous swamps scattered throughout the dungeon, it was highly likely to be a Poison Dragon.
Even so, three days after the dungeon’s appearance, Japan had yet to take any action.
After all, even a superpower such as the United States had suffered devastating losses against an S-rank dungeon.
There was no guarantee that Japan, with only four S-class hunters, would succeed in clearing it.
“Hmm.”
I, however, viewed the situation somewhat differently.
“Let’s see.”
First of all, the Gaimche in question were surprisingly unintelligent.
At times, they were incapable even of smooth communication.
However, they were not foolish enough to destroy the very home upon which they depended.
Like most parasites, they extracted only as much energy as they required, taking care not to cause the collapse of their host planet.
“If the S-class hunters were killed in unusually large numbers during the dungeon break in Hawaii four years ago...”
I tapped a finger against the armrest of my chair and sank into thought.
“Then the Gaimche must have adjusted the difficulty. The S-class dungeon in Japan will most likely be weaker than the previous one.”
It would become a problem if high-ranking Awakened cleared every dungeon and humanity ceased to suffer.
But surely the Gaimche did not want too many hunters to die either, causing the entire food chain to collapse.
The deaths of powerful beings did not necessarily generate a greater amount of psychic energy.
In the end, difficulty adjustment was essential to preserving the balance of the ecosystem.
Furthermore, the newly appeared gate was said to contain an environment dominated by poison.
Fortunately, I had recently acquired a strong resistance to poison.
Even if I inhaled toxic fumes, I would not die easily.
In that case, the answer was obvious.
“Whew.”
After a long period of contemplation, I decided to participate in the conquest of the S-rank gate.
“I can’t remain like this forever.”
This was the alternative plan I had been considering.
If a dragon’s lungs did not appear on the market, I would soon have to begin searching for another method.
“I thought declaring myself an S-class hunter would keep me out of trouble...”
As expected, once the restoration of my lungs was delayed, troublesome incidents began to occur around me.
The consequences of having carelessly acted under the assumption that I could simply change bodies whenever necessary were gradually catching up with me.
Therefore, I would now have to hunt the dragon myself and obtain its organs as quickly as possible.
Rather than sitting idle, taking action would at least improve my chances of acquiring the [Dragon’s Lung].
“I’m merely struggling in desperation, grasping at whatever possibility I can find.”
Of course, as a low-grade individual who had barely awakened and possessed almost no magical power, confronting the dragon in direct combat would be impossible.
“Dragon hunting.”
Still, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° I had my own role to play.
That was how the world functioned.
Even insignificant insects were ultimately necessary to the ecosystem when viewed as part of the greater whole.
***
Monday morning.
The Japanese government made an enormous request of South Korea.
The reason it was willing to offer a sum equivalent to an entire national budget could be summarized in a single demand.
“Dispatch an S-class hunter.”
Chairman Go Byeongdo had always believed that there were things money could not solve.
Yet only after experiencing the current situation firsthand did he fully understand that certain values truly could not be purchased.
“Good grief. This is difficult.”
S-class hunters.
Were they truly beings that could not be replaced by anything else?
“Were invitations to the meeting sent to every S-class hunter?”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“Have any of them responded?”
“We haven’t received a reply from anyone yet...”
However, merely recognizing their value did not make people such as Kim Giryeo or Kang Changho appear any more favorable in Go Byeongdo’s eyes.
His opinion of them remained unchanged.
“An age in which the fate of an entire country is determined by supernatural powers...”
A hunter’s worth was only realized when he obeyed the master of the mountain.
How could society trust and accept a hunter who ran wild while holding a weapon in his hands?
“It’s the end of the world. Truly the end of the world.”
S-class hunters who refused to obey orders were nothing more than troublesome, ticking time bombs.
As irreplaceable military assets, they were arrogant beings who could easily run rampant no matter how many benefits society bestowed upon them.
Go Byeongdo walked down the corridor, unable to rid himself of his distrust toward high-ranking Awakened people.
“Chairman! We’ve just received a response from an S-class hunter.”
Just before he reached the association president’s office, an employee hurried over with good news.
“Ah, my apologies. I contacted the secretary’s office again, and apparently it wasn’t merely a response... The hunter is already waiting in the conference room.”
The association had summoned the country’s highest-ranking hunters in preparation for the gate that had appeared in Kagoshima.
And yet someone had arrived only fifteen minutes after receiving the message?
“I’ll head there immediately. Have the staff deliver the documents first.”
“Yes, sir.”
It had to be Jung Haseong.
The association president was certain of the identity of the hunter who had answered the summons.
That S-rank was known for his diligent personality and, more importantly, his strong sense of duty toward his country.
Go Byeongdo pictured the upright young man as he stepped into the elevator.
“Yes. As expected, Haseong is the only one I can trust.”
But how had things turned out this way?
When he reached the conference room, he turned the handle and opened the door.
To his surprise, an entirely unexpected figure sat on the other side of the table.
“Huh?”
Dull blond hair.
Pale skin.
And a piercing gaze devoid of even the slightest emotion.
“...”
The cold-looking man had been reviewing the documents.
He raised his head and greeted the association chairman.
“Hello.”
Kim Giryeo.
He was the hunter who had answered the summons.
But what in the world was going on?
***
Come to think of it, he had always been like this.
“Huh.”
The Labyrinth of the 13th Month.
Mermaid Pass.
Strangely enough, Kim Giryeo had always carried out his duties as a hunter with remarkable diligence.
Despite initially declaring that he would ignore the association’s orders, the S-rank hunter frequently became the first to appear whenever a serious incident arose.
“What is wrong with him? Does he have two personalities?”
The association president was on the verge of losing his mind from confusion.
The man sitting opposite him, however, showed no concern whatsoever and continued speaking without hesitation.
“Yes, I understand. I will enter the Kagoshima Gate as South Korea’s representative.”
“What?”
“Why are you so surprised? You were the one who asked me to go.”
He continued examining the documents provided by the association as he spoke.
“However, I have one condition.”
The hunter’s proposal was as follows.
He possessed a restraint skill powerful enough to bind the dragon inside the Kagoshima Gate.
However, he did not wish to reveal the full extent of his abilities to a foreign country.
Therefore, he intended to remain discreetly in the rear and support Japan through the use of that skill.
Or something along those lines.
“A support role?”
The statement that followed caused even the usually indifferent association president’s eyes to widen.
“I will use that skill to neutralize the dungeon boss with absolute certainty. It is possible.”
“What...?”
“So I would like the association to convey my conditions to Japan in advance.”
“C-convey them?”
“This is the additional compensation I will require, separate from the basic distribution of rewards.”
Thud.
Giryeo tossed a familiar object onto the table.
It was a thick sheet of parchment infused with magical energy.
[A Knight’s Oath?]
Was this not the item used to establish an absolute agreement?
The association president had unpleasant memories associated with it, and his hand involuntarily stiffened.
Nevertheless, he knew that he had to examine the contents.
“After the dungeon has been cleared, you will receive one item of your choice from among the loot dropped by the monsters...?”
Giryeo nodded.
“This condition applies to every dragon appearing within the S-rank gate, whether it is an ordinary monster or the dungeon boss.”
Upon hearing those words, the association president immediately thought of internal-organ items.
Eyes.
Hearts.
These crafted materials were not harvested directly from corpses. Instead, they appeared in the form of items and were considered the greatest rewards obtainable from defeating dragons.
“I’ve heard that the probability of obtaining one is extremely low.”
However, if Kim Giryeo’s claim was true...
If he truly possessed the ability to subdue an S-rank boss with certainty...
“Even so, that is a small price to pay for saving an entire country!”
Frankly, even handing over a dragon’s heart would be worthwhile.
The Japanese Hunter Association would most likely reach the same conclusion.
“I-I understand. We will... make sure to explain your conditions to them properly.”
Go Byeongdo cleared his throat and gathered the documents together.
It was astonishing.
No one had expected a top-ranking hunter to agree so readily to travel to Kagoshima.
“I don’t know what his true intentions are, but accepting his offer is clearly in our best interests. Besides, sending either of our two strongest hunters into another country has always been difficult because of security concerns.”
How would Japan react when South Korea offered to dispatch one of its precious S-class hunters?
Still dumbfounded, the association president rose from his seat.
Now that the hunter to be dispatched had been chosen, he needed to contact Japan immediately.