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Tap.

The woman said playfully as she tapped Park Young-joon. Unless there were other team members around, he didn’t really care about formality when it was just the two of them.

“Then what, should I have said no to his face?”

“You would have originally.”

Park Young-joon nodded slightly at her words.

“I suppose so, but… He wasn’t a regular guy, either.”

“What?”

“You didn’t look into his eyes directly, did you?”

“What are you talking about?”

Park Young-joon replied briefly.

“It was like looking at a monster.”

“……?”

“You know how sometimes there are hunters that have gone mad by their hatred for monsters? The type that is so disgusted by the fact that they breathe the same air as monsters, so they try to kill as many monsters as possible regardless of getting hurt. He was just like that.”

Tap tap.

Park Young-joon tapped the table.

“Even if I had stopped him, he’d sneak in and destroy the Rifts.”

“No way. He’s a 1st class hunter candidate with a guaranteed future.….”

“I assure you, he’s not interested in anything like that. If there were a way to kill more monsters, he wouldn’t care about his social reputation, disciplinary action, or anything. And if he did sneak in…….”

Continuing to speak, Park Young-joon put his hand on the desk.

“I can’t guarantee that I could have stopped him.”

His hand was shaking slightly, like someone with hand tremors.

“He’s standing in a completely different direction from the elite path recorded on his papers. He didn’t come here for his track record or fame. He just came here because there are a lot of monsters.”

The woman gulped. Park Young-joon was once a 1st class hunter who hunted on the front line. Now that time had passed; he wasn’t as strong. But a toothless tiger was still a tiger nonetheless.

“The mad dog caught the scent. He’s come here knowing there’s plenty of prey.”

Park Young-joon narrowed his eyes.

“We won’t have to ask the Association for back-up. We won’t need to build a wall. either.”

He glanced out the window.

Outside, countless monsters were crawling like herds of animals. They trampled each other and howled. The sight instinctively sparked fear. Park Young-joon touched the window and muttered indifferently.

“As he said, the monsters might be wiped out in a week.”

* * *

“Well, this is no joke.”

“I know.”

Those were the first things we said when we arrived at the entrance of the Monster Field, guided by a staff member.

“Grr…grr.”

There were hordes of monsters crawling outside the window. Hunters were running around, shouting orders and sweating heavily, trying to push back the monsters.

The monsters howled so loudly that my eardrums rang. I could smell a mix of blood and a weird stench. It was total chaos.

“Seung-hyun Hyeong, don’t be too nervous.”

“I’m not nervous. I saw stuff like this all the time when I patrolled emergency Rifts in the city.”

Kim Seung-hyun breathed out and touched his equipment to check them for the last time. Looking at him, I smiled slightly.

‘He probably thought we were ignorant elites or pampered hunters.’

That was how Park Young-joon looked at us at first. As if he was looking at useless idiots that had come to the Field for fame or achievements.

It wasn’t that I didn’t understand. I had also struggled because of hunters like that. And since Park Young-joon had hunted from the beginning when the Fields were first formed, he would have had a lot of experience dealing with them.

‘I should correct his bias this time.’

I touched the window. It seemed like I could feel the heat coming in from outside.

“Hey, you son-of-a-bitch! I said, take care of it!”

The hunters were swearing at each other in exhausted voices.

If they made even one mistake, this defense line would be breached instantly. The civilian staff in charge of desk work and the Awakeners resting inside would all die.

The hunters outside were fighting with all their might under extreme stress. They were responsible for the lives of other people. These hunters were the unknown heroes.

They were truly honorable people, unlike the hunters that received sponsorships and showed up laughing in commercials.

We were focused on the situation outside the window when an Association staff member approached us with a document.

“Once you leave, you won’t be able to come back in until the defense line is stabilized. There’s food left to last about three days, and depending on the circumstances, the door may be blocked.”

“Okay.”

“When you move, please don’t disturb the other hunters. Your hunting fee will be calculated based on the monster byproducts. The Association will deposit cash into your account after deducting a 2-percent charge. It’s the only advantage of hunting in the Field, the low charge. We don’t even have taxes.”

“Which is probably because we don’t get life insurance.”

“Well… you’re right.”

Scratching his head, the staff replied without contradicting me. After explaining a few more things, he calmly adjusted the receiver on his ear.

“Two hunters are entering in five minutes. Their objective is to clear the ‘Rift’ located in the center. Correct the hunters’ routes; make sure they don’t miss each other.”

The staff spoke dryly. Like a worn-out person, his expression didn’t change. And the dark circles under his eyes were so thick that it looked like they could reach under his face.

This was how the people working at the Monster Field were like. They had a lot of work, but it was also impossible to stubbornly endure holding funerals every day for the colleagues they had just been working with.

“Okay. In five minutes, the door will open for ten seconds. You can go out at the right time.”

“Yes, thank you.”

After hearing our reply, the staff member leaned back on the chair nearby. He put the papers on a small table and took a sip of the coffee he had in his hand.

“Be careful when you go out. Sometimes monsters drop down from the air just when you leave. More than a dozen hunters died because of that.”

“Okay.”

“And don’t approach monsters if there are more than five of them. You might get surrounded. Once they surround you, more than a hundred monsters can gather in an instant. Not even a 1st class hunter can get out of a situation like that.”

The employee calmly gave us advice. These were realistic and cynical tips that couldn’t be found in hunting textbooks or the Monster Field precautions list.

Beep-

While we talked, a red light came in on the object the personnel was holding.

“It’s about to open. You can go over there and get ready.”

“Okay.”

The staff member picked up the papers he had put down and threw his coffee into the trash bin.

“Don’t think of killing as many monsters as you can; just focus on surviving.”

“…….”

“I heard you’re the most up-and-coming hunter nowadays. That you’re young but have the potential to become a 1st class hunter. They say you’re the hope of Korea and so talented that you succeed in everything you do.”

“It’s a bit embarrassing, but that’s what people say.”

“Then don’t die. The news that you’re alive will bring more hope than the news that you killed 1,000 monsters.”

The Association staff’s dim eyes reflected my face.

“And it’s bad luck if a newcomer dies on the first day.”

“…….”

“I’m tired of eating yukgaejang at funerals. Once you get back safely, let’s grab a meal ticket and eat something. This place has some good stone pot bibimbap, so if you come and find me, I’ll treat you guys.”

“…….”

“My brother keeps annoying me, so you can also sign me an autograph with ‘Jeong Si-woo’ written in big letters.”

“Hahahaha.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, seeing him say that so indifferently. But he simply pointed towards the entrance, his face still motionless.

Before heading to the door, I spoke with a small smile.

“Yes, I’ll make sure I sign you an autograph.”

* * *

“This is nuts, seriously!”

A shield blocked the monster’s swooping claws. At that moment, arrows shot from behind pierced the monster’s head and chest. The howling monster fell to the ground with a small groan.

But that wasn’t the end. Three monsters swarmed in and took over the area that one monster had occupied.

“These bastards, why is there no end to this.”

“They said that three more Rifts had appeared! Unless someone destroys the Rifts, these bastards will keep coming out.”

“Darn. If they know that… Why aren’t they sending any back-up!?”

Clang!

The man shouted, pushing back the swarming monsters. Ten teams of hunters were deployed to maintain the line of defense. They weren’t exceptional hunters, but they were seasoned hunters who would be appreciated anywhere because of their accumulated experience.

But even they couldn’t handle this amount of monsters. They could barely survive somehow, but ten teams weren’t enough to maintain a defense line and fight back.

“What can we do? Kim Min-jae is a massive jerk.”

“Ugh, we need to bring him here and smack his head every time the defense line falls back a centimeter!”

The hunters didn’t stop talking for a single moment even though the situation was urgent. It was because they felt like they could lose their minds if they didn’t. It was their way of confirming that their teammates were still alive and preventing themselves from going crazy looking at the monsters.

Cla-clang!

“Grrrrrr.”

“Ugh!”

A huge green giant. The Elite Ogre struck down at the man’s shield. Withstanding a single monster’s attack was easy, but it was too difficult to block three giants’ attacks.

“Why, why aren’t you shooting arrows?”

“I don’t have any. I used them all!”

“What? We have two days until the next supply. What are we going to do without any arrows?”

“It’s not my fault that Field resources are crappy!”

Shouts rang out here and there. Fortunately, the magic that was cast instead of the arrows overpowered the Ogres. Blades of fire and wind smashed the green giants’ heads and burned them to ash.

But they couldn’t relax. There was no resting in the Field.

Boom boom boom.

“Even school has ten minutes of recess, you bastards…….”

The monsters didn’t swarm immediately after the Ogres collapsed, but the hunters could see a group of Goblins approaching from afar. Individual Goblins were no threat, but it was different if they came in hundreds.

Humans could die even from a swarm of stinging bees. If a swarm of Goblins each stabbed them once with their daggers, they would suffer a hundred puncture wounds.

The man gulped and took out a nutritional jelly from his pocket and drank it.

“What kind of strawberry flavor is this, damn it…….”

The man frowned at the strange taste in his mouth. The thick nutritional jelly was bland and tasteless, and the food coloring they added to make it seem strawberry flavored made it even more disgusting.

Normally, he would never have eaten it, but nutrition was essential to continue hunting for a long time. He forced down the jelly, shook his head, and lifted his shield again.

But then.

“Wait, what’s that?”

The man spotted something strange. ‘What is that? Am I hallucinating from eating only nutritional jelly all day?’ He rubbed his eyes, but the strange thing didn’t disappear. He wasn’t mistaken. It was real.

“What is that thing doing here?”

“Damn, the analysis team messed up again. They said it was a horde of Goblins, but why is that there?”

“Those bastards are worse at their jobs than the weather station.”

All kinds of complaints broke out. However, no one stepped back or looked scared. Only people who had no regrets about dying here had remained on the Field to begin with in the first place. And the hunters guarding the line were all very determined.

“Krrrraaawr-!”

Clip, clop, clip, clop…….

Dust clouds rose from behind the wave of goblins.

It was a huge monster that was easily taller than ten meters. It held a giant spear in one hand, and its upper body was a Goblin’s while its lower body was a horse’s. It was a notorious monster even among the Green-Skinned species.

The sound of hooves shook the area like an earthquake.

-Green-Skinned Kentaurus-

A monster that was powerful enough to be the boss monster of a Rift was charging this way with an unearthly howl.

“The staff will be eating a lot of yukgaejang today.”

No hunter in this Field, at least, was strong enough to stop that powerful charge. Only those who had no lingering regrets remained here.

No matter how good their techniques were and how skilled they were at hunting, there was no way to stop it.

Just like how a martial arts world champion can’t stop a dump truck racing at top speed.

“Sigh….”

There were sighs everywhere. The sound of the monster’s hooves grew closer. The clip-clopping sound echoed through the soles of the hunters’ shoes and shook their hearts.

The hunters standing in the front anticipated death and lifted their shields. They were trying to act as a defense wall so that some of their teammates behind them could luckily survive. They closed their eyes and bit their lips until they bled.

And then.

『Those who protect the people they care for will become stronger.』

At that moment, a strange voice rang in their heads.

“Everyone, step back!”

And at the same time, part of the Green-Skinned Kentaurus that was nearing them was covered by a huge shield as big as a wall.

Boooom!

The insignificant-looking shield blocked the monster’s spear thrust without a scratch.

The dazed hunters looked ahead. A sturdy-looking man had his shoulder to the shield as he withstood the monster’s attack. Most of the hunters couldn’t even comprehend what had happened.

‘What was it? Did the Association finally send back up? Or was it a miracle?’

Brrrr.

The shield shook. Although he blocked the first attack, it looked like the man wasn’t strong enough to hold on. At the same time, all of the hunters that had been staring blankly rushed to support his back.

“Stand closer. Closer, you bastards!”

He was a stranger, but the hunters couldn’t stand still. The hunters stood shoulder to shoulder behind the huge shield and blocked the Kentaurus’ charge together. One, two, and ten hunters gathered, and eventually, the shield stopped moving back. The Kentaurus began to falter instead.

And at that moment.

Ka-booooom!

Along with a sound like thunder, the top of the shield flew off. Blue blood splattered everywhere. They could no longer hear the eerie howl, and green bits of flesh fell to the ground beneath the shield.

Thud.

The severed head of the Green-Skinned Kentaurus rolled on the ground. A giant spear shining colorfully was stuck there.

Creak.

And a young man rushed in from behind, grabbed the spear, and pulled it out. The long spear soon transformed into a cluster of light and then turned into various weapons: swords, hammers, small shields, and axes. The weapons swirled around the young man and soon flew towards the Goblin herd.

“Seung-hyun Hyeong, cover me, please. Come closer!”

“Okay!”

With a determined shout, the man who appeared with the huge shield jumped forward and followed the young man.

“…….”

The hunters stood still for a moment in shock. Of the many monsters, only one big monster had died. They were out of immediate danger, but they were still being pushed back, and the hunters were still exhausted.

But they burst out laughing without realizing it. Just two hunters had appeared on this battlefield, but the mood had changed.

“Let’s… let’s go too!”

And with those words, a massive roar broke out. The loud and hopeful voices, bigger than the monsters’ growls, filled the entire Field.

There were no funerals that day, nor any yukgaejang.

b TLNOTE: yukgaejang: Red soup served in funerals. “The color of this yukgaejang is red. Old Korean people believe that this red color protects the holly soul of a dead body from the devils. That’s the reason why Koreans have this stew in funerals. However, these days, this belief is disappearing little by little so that many other stews are served instead of yukgaejang in some Korean funerals.”}