novelraw Chapter 157 : Mission 10: The Hunters of Old (30)
Chapter 157 : Mission 10: The Hunters of Old (30)
“The Spirit Lord,” huh…
Soju Bottle conjured more alcohol inside the green bottle in her hand, then took a deep swig before grinning at Ghost.
“That Hunter doesn’t exist anymore. All that’s left is Soju Bottle, a mess of an alcoholic living the reckless life.”
“All that time in hiding… did you really do nothing but drink?”
“Better than making the world an even bigger mess by trying to do something else, isn’t it?”
“…”
The more they used their powers to save the world, the faster they brought about humanity’s doom.
Faced with this dilemma, each of the Old Five Heroes had made a different choice.
The one who had chosen to stop using her powers entirely, to live a quiet, hidden life in a corner of the world, was the Spirit Lord—now Soju Bottle.
“I was living like I was dead, but there were just so many sick people around me. What was I supposed to do? I used my ability to turn medicine into liquor and shared it…”
Soju Bottle shook the green bottle in her hand.
“And got busted for violating liquor tax laws.”
“Ha.”
“They say the only certainties in life are death and taxes, and they weren’t kidding. How the hell did they even find out I was handing out medicinal liquor?”
Even in a world on the brink of collapse, the National Tax Service remained one of the most formidable organizations in existence.
“Anyway, that’s how I got dragged to prison, and now I’ve been mobilized for this whole mess.”
Soju Bottle scratched her temple with the bottle.
“I was planning to just let this whole thing wash over me, but… well, no matter how you look at it, I can’t just stand by and watch the world end a second time.”
“…”
“That kid, your student. He’d already found the door but seemed to have forgotten how to open it, so I just gave him a little push.”
Nectar, the spirit-brewed liquor.
An image surfaced in Ghost’s mind from thirty years ago: herself, pouring an Awakening stimulant of the same name down her throat.
She gave a small shake of her head.
“It seems your freakishly good support skills are as sharp as ever.”
“Buffs, debuffs, crowd control… that was all me. Haha. Now that brings back memories.”
Soju Bottle’s laughter died down as she glanced toward the spot where Iron Knight had last stood.
“I’m a hermit now. That’s why I didn’t bother with a proper goodbye… but you caught me red-handed.”
“…”
“This was just a chance meeting, one coincidence piled on another. Besides, my sentence is super short. I’ll probably get out with the reward from this mission. Then we won’t see each other for a long, long time.”
“You’re going back into hiding?”
“I believe it’s the right thing for me to do.”
Soju Bottle smiled sheepishly.
“I have no desire to ruin the world while trying to save it… not again.”
***
Outside the main entrance of the Cheongnyangni Gate.
“What—is—the—mean—ing—of—this?!”
Just after Hae-eun had left to organize the area, Razor let out a piercing shriek while Jae-hee was happily munching on the tofu he’d been given to celebrate his release.
“Released?! You’re getting released?! You get to be free?! You’re the only one getting out for free?!”
“C-calm down. Please, just calm down.”
Jae-hee gently pushed away Razor, who had grabbed him by the collar and was shaking him violently. An irrepressible, twitching smile was plastered on his face.
“The commander didn't seem to be kidding, so I guess I really am getting out…?”
“What! Why! How! Released just for completing one mission?! Is that even possible?!”
“Well… she did mention it.”
During the mission briefing, Hae-eun had stated it clearly.
“To the distinguished operative who succeeds in subduing or ‘handling’ the Iron Knight... immediate release will be granted, along with a massive bounty.”
While he hadn’t directly subdued Iron Knight, he had played a pivotal role in taking down an even greater threat—the Demon Lord. Granting him immediate release wasn’t exactly out of line.
“Hey, you’re not gonna leave, are you?! You’re gonna stay with us, right?!” Razor yelled, clinging to Jae-hee again.
“Our adventure is just getting started! We still have to finish the Deck 1 mess hall revolution! And what about your dream of becoming the Deck Commander?!”
“Uh…” Jae-hee scratched the back of his head and answered honestly, “Like I care?”
“You little shit…!”
This time, Status Window rushed forward frantically. “Wait a minute, Boy-kun. What about the epic survivor party we promised desu?”
“Uh…” Jae-hee cleaned his ear with a pinky. “Like I care about that either?”
“Traitor! You’ve trampled on our hearts!”
“Booooo!” A chorus of jeers erupted from the crowd.
But Jae-hee was unfazed. “Nope, can’t hear you~ I’m a free man now, unlike you untouchables.”
“Look at him…! A whole different person now that he doesn't need us anymore!”
“Hey, don’t touch me. You’ll get the prison stink on me.”
Shylock, the Deck 4 leader, who had apparently been hiding somewhere throughout the entire incident, stroked his beard with a soft chuckle. Romeo and Juliet stood behind him.
“What a shame. The leaders from Decks 5 through 8 were all wiped out. I thought we might finally see the first Deck Commander in this prison’s history…”
“You really think I’d care about something like that when I’m about to walk free?”
“That’s also true, but it’s a pity all the same…” Shylock adjusted his fedora and chuckled again. “Well then, I suppose this old man will have to make one last march north…”
“You’ll end up buried in the Wuzhang Plains, old man desu. Just sit tight desu.”
Next, the Flying Tentacle God rushed forward, tears streaming from its single yellow eye.
“Cult Leader! What is the meaning of this! Our eternal contract, our promise… Gyaaaaaaah!”
The Flying Tentacle God was cut short as an electric net shot out and ensnared it.
Hae-eun’s subordinates expertly subdued the creature and dragged it away. A cold sweat trickled down Jae-hee’s back as he waved after them.
“See you in the next life~”
Jail Mojik was hugging Razor, who was pounding the ground in a fit of betrayal and despair, consoling him with lines like, “Now we’ve only got each other.”
Rabid Dog, seemingly indifferent to Jae-hee’s departure, was busy scratching behind her ear with a hind leg. And behind her…
“Huh?”
Ghost and Soju Bottle had returned together.
“What’s all the commotion?”
“Master!” Jae-hee scurried over to Ghost, a wide grin on his face. “They said I’m being released!”
“Is that so?” Ghost’s reaction was cool. “Good for you. Get lost.”
“Uh…” Jae-hee’s eyes went wide. “You’re not going to ask me to stay?”
“Why would I?”
“Aren’t you sad to see me go?”
“Why would I be?”
“Hmm…”
Jae-hee stroked his chin, pondering for a moment before blurting out, “Maybe I shouldn’t leave after all?”
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
“But there’s still so much I haven’t learned from you…”
“You’re more than capable of pulling your own weight now.”
Ghost spoke the unvarnished truth in a chilly tone.
“Your Domain Break is still incomplete, and its duration is pathetically short, but time will take care of that.”
Soju Bottle chimed in with a sly grin. “Oh, you have that kind of problem? I know a good urologist in Seoul. Want a referral~?”
“No, I’m fine… But why do you know a urologist so well?”
“I got kidney stones from drinking my whole life… I pass one about once a year…”
Soju Bottle delivered this horrifying tale with a casual smile.
Ghost crossed her arms and nodded with a stern expression. “In any case, there’s nothing more I need to teach you.”
“…”
“Our little game of master and student ends here. Go out into the world, kid.”
After a brief hesitation, Ghost reached out and patted Jae-hee’s shoulder lightly.
“Congratulations on your release. Live well.”
Just then, Hae-eun returned from the other side of the compound. She gestured for Jae-hee to come over.
Suddenly, Jae-hee’s eyes welled up with tears. He dropped to his knees on the spot and performed a deep bow to Ghost.
“Thank you… for all the goddamn trouble you went through for me!”
“…”
“I will never… ever forget this debt!”
Next, Jae-hee turned and waved to his former comrades.
“You all take care! I’ll be sure to visit!”
“Like hell you will! Besides, how do you even visit a prison on a ship?!” Razor seethed, flipping him the bird. “Get the hell out of here, you bastard! I hope I never see you again!”
“Boy-kun! If you’re leaving, at least drop your leftover Credits and items desu!”
As if he could no longer hear them, Jae-hee ran toward the main gate, waving with a radiant smile.
“Goodbye, everyone! I’m casting off all the shackles and bonds of this world to find my own happiness!”
Jeers, curses, trash, and cigarette butts flew through the air, but he paid them no mind.
He took Hae-eun’s hand and trotted out into the world.
“I hope you all find happiness, too~!”
Out into the world of freedom, under the brilliant sun…!
Amidst the continuing barrage of insults and garbage, Shylock stood calmly, placed a cigar in his mouth, and lit it.
“Heh heh. Recidivism rates have skyrocketed since the Gates appeared. In South Korea alone, the reincarceration rate within three years is over eighty percent.”
Shylock exhaled a long stream of smoke and smiled wickedly.
“A criminal who only comes here once? I’ve never seen one. Once your name’s on the books here, that kid will be back soon enough.”
“Don’t say such awful things about a kid who’s getting a fresh start…” Razor clicked his tongue, glaring at Shylock. “He’s not cut from the same cloth as us. That kid will stay out of this shithole and live a good life. I believe in our Boy!”
“Yeah, yeah, he’s leaving, but if you quit the game, you’re supposed to drop your items for everyone elseee~”
“…”
Among the rowdy prisoners, Ghost silently watched Jae-hee’s retreating back.
Her first student. An Awakened of a new era, who had just begun to awaken his own Domain Break.
I hope I never see you again.
She prayed for the Boy’s future, but she also knew the truth.
It was impossible.
Their fates were already too deeply intertwined.
***
[Mission Report]
Total: 45
KIA: 30
Survivors: 15
- “Boy” Jae-hee Han: Immediate Release
***
The outskirts of the Cheongnyangni Gate. A damaged outer wall.
“Well, now~”
A man was wriggling his way out through the gap.
“That tear-jerking performance was worth it.”
It was Cultist, the leader of Deck 3 and head of the Glasses Society.
He had sustained an abdominal injury, but it was minor. He’d used his power to brainwash those around him into believing his wound was fatal, giving him the perfect cover to play dead.
Then, he had waited for the right moment to escape in the chaos.
“And I managed to shake off that annoying tentacle monster…”
After expertly brainwashing the soldiers guarding the perimeter, Cultist slipped through the cordon, humming a little tune.
“Well then, shall we go and start a new life…?”
***
Outside the Cheongnyangni Gate.
The military cordon. Command post.
“Alright, this is as far as I go!”
Hae-eun, having escorted Jae-hee to the edge of the cordon, gave him a push on the back with a bright smile.
“You’re really free now! Go on, spread your wings and follow your dreams, Boy!”
“…”
Abruptly pushed onto the empty city sidewalk, a bewildered Jae-hee turned back.
“Uh… excuse me, Commander.”
“Yes?”
“Didn’t you also mention a huge bounty reward…?”
He was pretty sure that had been part of the mission briefing, too…?
“Ah, that?” Hae-eun smiled breezily. “That was the reward for ‘subduing Iron Knight.’”
“Huh?”
“Of course, your contribution to defeating the Demon Lord was a great achievement, so you’ll get a decent reward for it… but this whole situation got pretty messy, and the higher-ups have had their plans thrown into disarray. They’re swamped trying to clean it all up.”
It was a long-winded explanation, but the conclusion was simple.
“It’s not possible right now! We’ll get it to you soon!”
“What?” Penniless, Jae-hee asked with a grimace, “So what am I supposed to do now…?”
“Take care! Let’s not see each other again! Well then~ bye!”
Without a shred of mercy, Hae-eun turned on her heel and walked back into the command post.
Jae-hee stared after her, his mouth agape, before slowly turning around.
The vast cityscape of Seoul stretched out before him.
And standing there, he was completely broke.
All his equipment had been provided for his service in the Black Parade, so he’d had to return every last piece.
They had given him a fresh set of clothes to replace his mission-soiled ones, but that was it.
Paradise Credit, the prison’s internal currency, was worthless out here.
“Seriously… what am I supposed to do…?”
He was flat broke. He couldn’t even afford a bus ticket.
Where was he supposed to go? What was he supposed to do, starting today?
As Jae-hee stood there, his thoughts grinding to a halt, a gruff voice spoke from behind him.
“Hey.”
Startled, Jae-hee spun around, and his eyes widened in further surprise.
Clomp. Clomp.
The approaching figure was familiar.
A raincoat over a gray suit, the hood pulled low.
The leader of the New Five Heroes. The strongest Awakened, who had saved the Black Parade during the Gangnam Station incident.
It was the Hunter known as Rain Man.
“Oh… hello, Mr. Rain Man!” Jae-hee bowed his head awkwardly, making sure to add the respectful honorific.
Rain Man approached and asked in his characteristically dry tone, “I heard. You were released.”
“Yes, hehe… I was.”
“Do you have a place to go?”
“Uh…” Jae-hee answered honestly, “No…?”
“Then come with me.” Rain Man gestured with his chin. “You’ll need time to adjust to the outside world. I’d like to help you get back on your feet.”
“…!”
“Is that alright?”
Tears of gratitude instantly welled up in Jae-hee’s eyes.
He looked ready to fall to his knees as he shouted, “I’ll be in your goddamn debt, biggest of bros!”