Perhaps it was because I was so startled, but my heart was still pounding.
I had thought that with so many Hunters, we would be able to slaughter the monsters without any issues, but I was wrong. Someone almost died already.
If I hadn't intentionally placed Baek Dam-bi at the most exposed part of the encirclement, one Hunter would have already died at the very start, blood gushing from their throat. I’ve long known that Hunter work is dangerous, but I was realizing that fact all over again.
As I suspected, it was impossible to just stand around acting as a radar like this. Not for the sake of those incredibly fragile non-Awakened, nor for my own mental health.
“Alright, are all the corpses loaded onto the truck? Then let's move out again!”
As we moved together, I located another group of monsters, and the Hunters once again formed an encirclement around a villa.
And this time, I didn't just watch from behind.
I took a position on the roof of the building across the street and observed the situation.
“Throw it!”
Smoke billowed from inside the building once again. And this time, too, the Deathclaws burst out from unexpected locations, attempting to ambush the Hunters.
There was one among them with superior leaping ability. It smashed through the wall of the third floor and lunged toward a Hunter. The speed of that leap was so fast that even I, a former martial artist, would have struggled to react.
If I hadn't spread my Mental Mesh out in front beforehand, and if that mesh hadn't sensitively detected the creature's movement, I wouldn't have been able to do anything either.
“Uh…”
Before the creature's claws could touch the unfortunate Hunter's neck, my Hunter Rifle roared. “BANG!”
The Deathclaw that had been about to pounce on the Hunter was shredded in mid-air and sent flying far back. While blood and flesh were spraying into the air, I also shot and hit another Deathclaw that had popped out.
Another zone was cleared.
“Wow, I thought I was dead…”
The Hunter who had just narrowly escaped death was spouting such nonchalant nonsense, while Naito-san’s reaction was far more intense.
“Whoa, did you get that on camera? You did? Great. Now, everyone? Did you see those two Deathclaws get shredded and die in succession? They were killed by the Hunter Rifle’s autocannon shells! That means Kim Geuk-ssi over there shot and hit them!
Hunter Kim Geuk, can you see him waiting on the roof of that four-story villa? He was originally only supposed to play a backup role from the rear, but he’s truly overflowing with passion. He said he’d provide supporting fire, took his position, and is already showing off his skills!
Does everyone know that during the last large-scale Incheon Gate incident, nearly a hundred Deathclaws poured out, and Kim Geuk-ssi shot and killed nearly seventy percent of them by himself? Considering there were over three hundred Hunters gathered at the scene, that’s an absurd figure, but seeing his skills right now, it makes perfect sense!”
I couldn't help but think that guy had a real talent for flattery. Even though I’d barked at him to get lost earlier, he was still rattling off nothing but praise for me, all in the name of his broadcast.
The subjugation operation continued in this manner. We were on our way to the next area after hunting another group of Deathclaws.
「Hunter Kim Geuk? Where are you right now? Does it seem like there are no monsters nearby? If so, please hold your position there for a moment…」
At the sudden call from the official, the entire group of Hunters stopped. While I waited, not knowing the reason, two vans arrived and pulled up.
It was the officials who got out of the cars. They were carrying something, and the Hunters let out cheers when they saw it.
“Chicken and pizza!”
These were foods that, five years ago, you could put in your mouth whenever you felt like it, but in this day and age, they were things you could only eat if there was some special occasion. Even then, when it came to pizza, I hadn't even known it was possible to eat it in Incheon these days, as I hadn't seen a single pizza shop in operation.
Just how precious that food was could be seen by the intense reaction of the Hunters, who belonged to the high-income bracket. It was noisy as everyone asked if they had brought it for us to eat and if it was okay to start eating now.
“I heard lunch was at 13:00? It’s only 12:00, so why did you bring the food already?”
When I asked, one of the officials explained.
“There was a meal originally prepared, but this is a gift from the local residents.”
“The local residents?”
“While we were preparing the meal, a representative of the residents came by and said they had prepared it for the Hunters conducting the operation. Everyone, please gather, take a photo, and then you can eat!”
Since this project had already been promoted in various ways, it seemed the local residents had been eagerly awaiting this operation. There were many residents who had been looking forward to the operation, and upon hearing that it was proceeding smoothly, they were so excited that they immediately prepared these gifts.
Everyone let out exclamations of “Oh!” and began to inhale the prepared food. The officials captured them on camera with smiles on their faces.
“Now, Hunter Kim Geuk, you take a chicken leg! We need to take a photo with you holding a chicken leg, so please pick one that looks the most appetizing…”
“I understand. I understand, but since this clearly must have cost a lot of money, I’ll have to stop them from doing this starting tomorrow. If we’re not careful, a bad habit might form where local residents feel obligated to provide meals whenever Hunters are running important operations.”
Even as I muttered this while acting self-important, I slowly closed my eyes and opened them again.
A corner of my heart was itching like crazy. Goodness, what a surprise attack this was.
Contrary to what I had originally thought, it seemed I wouldn't be able to slaughter the monsters all by myself, and I hadn't been in the best mood because of the annoying foreign non-Awakened dregs mixed in, so I hadn't expected an event like this.
It’s all work done to earn money, but in situations like this, you naturally feel a sense of duty and get choked up. This feeling of being filled from within was truly difficult to endure.
Truly, long live Incheon.
*******
The operation resumed after the meal.
Even I, who boasted of pinpoint accuracy from the safest location, could not let my guard down. The tension that someone might die at the hands of a monster if I missed my shot dominated my thoughts.
I could see why the Academy instructor had emphasized so many times not to waste time aiming, and why he taught us to use aimed fire or instinctive shooting as soon as we spotted an enemy, and to shoot as quickly as possible.
I’ve never hunted bears or deer myself, but you shouldn't try to kill monsters with the mindset of hunting such animals.
If you let the monsters get close, thinking, ‘I’ll be able to hit them better if they come a little closer,’ you die. Those creatures can close the distance in the blink of an eye and immediately slice through a person's neck or abdomen with their long, hooked claws.
“Still, the ones we saw today have such superior athletic ability, don't they? I haven't just seen one or two Deathclaws, but the ones we hunted today seem particularly insane. They’re all so fast and jump so far, aren't they?”
“That’s because these are ones that have already grown by eating several people. If we’re talking in RPG terms, it’s a level-up? They’ve done quite a bit of that.”
“Do we get paid more for catching ones like that?”
“Who knows? Anyway, it’s not just these guys that are unique; you know that all monsters have been steadily getting stronger since the Gate opened, right? The monsters from a year ago and the monsters these days are on a completely different level…”
While the Hunters were debating, Jang Byeong-gon, who was something of a veteran, claimed that among the ones we hunted today, there were a few that had awakened the Force Field Exoskeleton ability.
It was just that the sturdiness of that force field was only at a level that could be pierced by a rifle, so they weren't classified separately as Force Field Entities, but he argued that there were a few individuals whose athletic ability and leaping power were noticeably superior. He said that almost all the ones I had felt were dangerous and shot dead were likely those kinds of creatures.
“Anyway, we’re all indebted to you. Have some Pocari here…”
“Thank you.”
When I accepted the drink he handed me and showed my appreciation, Jang Byeong-gon waved his hand.
“Oh, please don't say thank you. If I don't do at least this much, I’ll die of embarrassment.”
“Die of embarrassment?”
“Kim Geuk-ssi, do you know what they call the non-Awakened Hunters who follow Awakened around on HuntWeb?”
“I’m not sure…”
“Pack mules. Awakened who call themselves that sometimes lump all non-Awakened Hunters together and call them pack mules; regardless, all the lackey Hunters who follow Awakened around are called pack mules. It means they do nothing but carry luggage. The work we’re doing today is exactly at that level.”
“So, do you feel a sense of shame and feel bad about it?”
“No, it’s such a sweet gig that I love it? It was just as uncertain when I’d die when I worked in Seoul, so this is so great and I’m grateful. Thank you so much for bringing us along, Kim Geuk-ssi!”
Meanwhile, it seemed all the non-Awakened on our team felt the same sting of guilt for not doing much.
Baek Dam-bi, who had done her part in the encirclement today alongside me, also became a target of praise.
“Dam-bi nuna, you were truly awesome today! Being so nonchalant even after getting your neck slashed was just…”
It was fascinating to see even Sung Moon-young, who had initially disliked Baek Dam-bi, fawning over her like that.
I also added a word, casually.
“Well, you basically saved someone’s life today by drawing the Deathclaw’s attack.”
At our combined praise, Baek Dam-bi slowly nodded with an expressionless face, but I saw her cheek twitch slightly.
I thought about teasing her for it, but I decided against it.
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