Chapter 110 (1/2)
The First Deal (2)
The Australian dungeon was a vast field-type dungeon.
According to the initial exploration team, the monsters lived in the canyon in the dungeon center, and only dungeon creatures that didn’t impose any threats lived in the plains. They were species that maintained their ecosystems by becoming prey to monsters.
If the hunters that counted around 50 of them traveled by flight skill, it would save time, but if they did so, an astronomical amount of Mana Potions would evaporate, and there’s the danger of potion shock, so they moved by walking all day on the first day.
“Let’s take a break here.”
Regardless of the hunters’ body clocks, camping and bedtime were set according to the middle dimension’s time zone where the dungeon belonged.
They set up their combat tents and went to bed or exchanged information with hunters from all over the world. As usual, Hibiki planned to train alone quietly.
“Miss Amano Hibiki? Can we talk for a moment?”
That was the plan until an uninvited guest came to her from the darkness.
“… What is it?”
Having kept her contact with others to a minimum before coming to Korea, she still wasn’t comfortable talking to strangers. That meant she wasn’t welcoming around anyone except Seo Jin-Wook and Nate.
The name of the approaching hunter was Fujiwara Naomi.
“It’s nice to be close with the same Japanese people, right?”
She sat on the outdoor chair without her permission.
Hibiki’s mental assessment of her was reduced by one notch.
“Although we familiarized ourselves through the briefing beforehand, group video calls aren’t the atmosphere for private conversations.”
Naomi was the only hunter whom Japan dispatched.
She made some meaningless small talk then asked about Hibiki’s life when she was in Japan.
It naturally only made Hibiki, who didn’t even want to think about those days, show the adverse effect of shutting her mouth tight.
“…”
Naomi’s eyes became filled with embarrassment.
However, she still seemed determined to move on to the main point.
“This, please take it.”
When Naomi manipulated the terminal, her contact number was entered on Hibiki’s screen.
She whispered.
“In fact, the real reason I was dispatched to this dungeon was to meet you, Ms. Hibiki.”
When Hibiki acquired A-Rank, followed by S-Rank in Korea, the Japanese government attempted
The threat-filled recommendation to return to her country and work had continued tirelessly.
When they didn’t have a family to hold as a hostage, they even mobilized a distant relative whom she had never met and an old colleague with whom she was only acquaintances, but honestly, it only made her snort.
With such attempts thoroughly blocked and nullified, the government had to mobilize a different method.
“I have no thoughts about it.”
She refused firmly.
“How long are you planning to be active in Korea? Pardon me, but the term of the contract is…”
“I have no reason to answer you.”
“Think about it.”
Naomi didn’t give up persuading her.
“To miss Amano, who achieved the S-Rank in her first year, there’s a promised exceptional treatment.”
Hibiki, who roughly knew of the profits of Japan’s S-Rank Awakened, didn’t necessarily mention that her salary and performance bonus she signed with Seo Jin-Wook had already exceeded Naomi’s offer by ten times.
“Moreover, Korea is much more dangerous than Japan. You know that more people are registered in Japan, but there are more Gates in Korea, right? The burden of roaming around many dungeons with limited hunters eventually comes back as life-threatening risks. Also, think about what’s on the border of that country. Can you trust the U.N. army? You don’t know when the monsters will flock from the old North Korean land.”
While she thought she was annoying and bothersome…
Hibiki countered in a quiet and calm voice to drive her out.
“First of all, isn’t the ratio of Awakened similar in both countries in terms of population?”
“…!”
“The reason why the number of Gates in Korea has increased these days exponentially is that the Celestial Dragon is working hard to find them. Also, those dungeons are strictly monitored. Don’t you think it’s much safer this way than leaving the Gates undiscovered and allowing it to collapse beyond observation?”
Hibiki added a few more words using a monotonous voice.
“Hunter activities are dangerous because there’s a lot of Gates? The ‘very unstable’ Gates have disappeared in Korea because of the incident you already know. It means that there’s no reason to overdo exploring, being chased by the minute.”
She then ended her rebuttal with a story about how the U.N. forces stationed at the old North Korean land would be supplied with the world’s first mass-produced artifacts designed by the Celestial Dragon.
Naomi’s expression hardened when she refuted every point she dished out.
“… You really must have been in Korea for a long time. From the way you talk, you sound more like a Korean than a Japanese.”
“I’m just telling you what I’ve figured out.”
Naomi replied in a somewhat exasperated voice.
“Think carefully about it. Do you think you can live in Korea forever? Someday you’ll miss your hometown.”
“Yeah, right,” Hibiki thought.
Naomi continued to talk persistently.
“Ms. Amano, I wasn’t going to tell you this, but…”
“Then don’t.”
“… The high-ranking government officials are angry at the fact that miss Amano Hibiki belongs to the Celestial Dragon Guild.”
“So what?”
There was a part Naomi didn’t speak of.
The incident about the [Aurora of Stability] covering the Korean territory worsened the public opinion about Japan’s governing body, which offended the government.
The people’s torches were directed at the government and the Awakened beings, asking why Japan couldn’t do what Korea could.
In that situation, a Japanese S-Rank hunter worked in Celestial Dragon, so they somehow wanted to get her back.
“Ms. Amano, let me give you some serious advice as an Awakened. If you think you don’t have to watch out for anyone just because we’re in a world that can’t function without hunters, then you’re mistaken. You can’t just do whatever you want. It is still the State system that moves the world, and the reputation of the people at the top should be considered. A country can do more things than you can ever imagine. Even if you can enter the dungeon and shoot flames out of your hands, you are only an individual. Don’t forget that you can’t win against the organization of a nation.”
At that point, it had become a threat.
‘Then… What kind of weakness does a woman have that she’s trying so desperately to cling on to me?’
With such a question in mind, Hibiki replied without expression.
“It was nice to meet you.”
“…!”
Naomi clenched her teeth and got up from her seat.
When Hibiki thought that she would turn her back on her–
“What’s wrong with your attitude? Why aren’t you listening to others? Are you a single-minded person who believes that only your ideas are right?”
Hibiki looked straight into her eyes and spoke.
“I judge what’s right or wrong. I might leave this guild someday. But it won’t happen because of the ’emotion’ or ‘reputation’ of a high person. It’s my choice, and I’m going to move based on my own will.”
Naomi, who was unable to speak for a while, asked one last question, which she was clearly instructed to do.
“What do you think the Japanese government can offer to change your will of choice?”
A person came into Hibiki’s mind and disappeared.
Fiddling with the [Renace’s Ring] on her finger, she spoke like it was a final warning.
“Something you people can’t ever provide.”
“… You’re more stuck up than I thought.”
Naomi shook her head and left.
*
“I can see it!”
The next day, after waking up early in the morning and crossing the dungeon, the expedition team reached a huge canyon.
The monsters that needed to be wiped out in the dungeon were the Ogres.
Their habitats showed signs of civilization. As they must have started to use fire, there were traces of bonfires everywhere, they had carved wood to make a bulwark, and hut-like things were built by peeling off the skin of the dungeon creatures.
The expedition team magically examined the enemy’s base from a distance, keeping away from the guards’ sight.
They hadn’t noticed us yet.
“Long-range, forward!”
Eight Awakened, including Hibiki, stood at the front.
Due to the lack of other predators and the nature of the species that were vulnerable to moisture, they lived outdoors in a hut instead of digging caves.
It was the perfect condition to bombard them remotely.
“Prepare to attack!”
Each hunter prepared unique long-distance skills and magic spells, respectively.
“Attack!”
They followed the orders of Greg Myers, the captain of the expedition team.
[Energy Storm!]
[Arrows of Annihilation!]
[Ring of Fire!]
[Lightning Arc!]
The Ogres were helpless against the bombardment from outside their sight and range.
Flash, black arrows, fire, and rainbow-shaped lightning covering the sky struck the habitat, drawing a smooth trajectory of death!
I could see it in my eyes as I had been observing separately. A fierce attack out of nowhere from the sky tore and burned the ground.
Many of the Ogres that were caught up in the mess died instantly.
But there were more that survived.
“Kaaaargh!”
Shouts full of pain and anger rang through our ears from where they were.
“They’re rushing in!”
Rumble!
I could hear the earth vibrating.
“That’s a quick response.”
Instead of panicking because of the sudden attack, the Ogres figured out the attack’s direction and rushed in groups.
A daunting battle cry and chilling murderous intent flooded over the clouds of smoke.
Greg continued to command the team.
“Long-range! Fall back, close-range! Forward–”
Even before Myers could finish…
“Screech!”
A piercing cry tore through our ears.
But the direction where it came from was a little different.
“Wizard, confirm the source of that scream!”
“On it!”
The wizard’s expression hardened as he looked in the direction of the sound with light in his eyes.