To hear more details about the monster that destroyed the Hell Gate Lab, I had to take an early flight with Yekaterina to China. After reading some additional documents about the monster, I turned on the TV.
-…The so-called ‘walking disaster’ or ‘Monster 2’ has appeared and many people are trembling with fear because of it. A mysterious monster that swept Hawaii Islands and disappeared. What exactly is it? We have brought in expert Professor Alex to dwell deeper into the matter!
-Nice to meet you. My name is Alex.
No matter what channels I tuned in, it is all filled with stories about the monster.
-Professor, is it possible for us to identify the true identity of the monster?
-There is still not enough data to exactly know its identity. But according to the information we had gathered so far, it has been confirmed that the monster resembles a human more than a monster.
-It resembles a human?
-That’s right. Normally, because of the influence of ether, monsters bleed blue blood, whereas, according to Hunter Cheong, the monster’s blood was red. In addition, some of its body organs have been found to closely resemble humans.
– Then, can we say that the monster became another species of human?
-I can’t say for sure…
Prof. Alex answered vaguely before drawing a deep breath.
-… It would be more apt to view it as an evolved form of humans rather than another species of human.
-Ah….
The remarks of Prof. Alex, the number one monster researcher, will spread widely because it was something he said on TV. But will it impact humanity greatly?
No.
Whether it’s a new race or not, people don’t care. The only thing they cared about was the fact that the monster was a walking disaster which had reaped countless lives.
-…We confirmed that the so-called ‘Monster 2’ landed in Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula around 15:00 Korean time.
– Citizens were not evacuated from Baja, California because the monster was not detected by the monster sensor, resulting in numerous casualties. As a result, the Hunter Association is being criticized by the media for not properly protecting humanity.
-Hunters! What the hell are the hunters doing without protecting us! What’s the point of taking our money!
-Next, we brought an expert to dwell deeper on the movement of Monster 2…
In my preparation to Attack Hell Gate, I planned to only include several elites while leaving the rest. I believed that all power that was left behind was sufficient to block the threat of the Gray Humans which was threatening Earth. However, the story changed when that monster, which exceeds the level of the SSS rank, appeared.
-Breaking news! All fifty-five hunters, including three SS rank hunters, who were waiting on the predicted path of Monster 2, died.
“Sigh…”
Monster 2’s speed was faster than expected. Since it first appeared, in less than a day, it has already destroyed a part of Mexico. A part of the battle in Mexico was shown on TV, but most of the scenes were edited out. The video they showed was no more than three seconds long, but it was played over and over again.
‘I should have asked them to send me the unedited video…’
While I was watching all the events on TV, the plane landed at Beijing airport. I felt I had moved as secretly as possible without notifying anyone. But it seems like I was wrong, because reporters were already all over the airport.
“Ugh…I really hate them…” Yekaterina said with a disgusted expression as she saw the reporters.
“Don’t hate them too much. They are only doing their job.”
At my words, Yekaterina nodded and walked towards the reporters. At that moment, the superhumans of Another League, who had boarded the same airplane as me, put on their suits and split into two rows. The next moment, the reporters all retreated to the side, reminding me of the miracle of Moses.
Of course, some reporters had physical strengthening superpowers, but if they dared to jump on their own to press for an answer, they would only get kicked out and would be unable to get the answer.
“What do you want to do, Seodam-nim?”
“I can’t speak Chinese.”
“I’ll give you a translator.”
I wasn’t going to do anything big in China, so I guess I just need to give them a few answers.
“(Hunter Yoo Seodam! Do you have any plan in mind to kill Monster 2?)”
“I have to make it from now on.”
“(I heard that the reason you wanted to meet Hunter Cheong was to hear about the weakness of Monster 2 which she secretly discovered. Is that true?)”
“If there was such a thing, why would I be here rather than hunting it?”
“(Hunter Yoo Seodam came here to protect China, right?)”
The last question was so far away from the earlier question, so I was taken aback.
“Why should I do that?”
“(Because…. Isn’t it natural for you to protect China? Research has already revealed that Hunter Yoo Seodam’s ancestors originated from China.)”
“Did you eat something wrong? How do I have the same origin as you?”
“(Yes?)”
“Seo-seodam nim! Let’s just go!” Yekaterina panicked and dragged me out from the reporters. Only after we boarded the back seat of the limousine waiting for us, did she become angry.
“I’m already dying because Taylor noona is so popular in the media. So what do I do if the guild master also does the same thing as her?”
“Sorry…”
“Whew… I know you must have been angry, but the correct answer is just to ignore them.”
She was right. And, if it was the former me, I would definitely have ignored it. So why did I do what I just do?
‘Something…’
Something is strange…
Ignoring all political, diplomatic, and social issues that exist in reality, I spoke only for the sake of the moment. This is similar…
[Give some cider to get the probability!!]
“!!!!”
“Seo, Seodam-nim, What’s wrong?”
Because of the message that suddenly appeared between my face and hers, I unknowingly stared at her. Thanks to that, Yekaterina, whose feeling assimilated with me, got flustered and bumped her head to the window on her back.
“No… It’s nothing.”
“Seriously… Don’t surprise me.”
“Okay… I have something to think about, so don’t talk to me, please.”
“Okay….” Yekaterina opened her laptop and started to write something down. Meanwhile, I moved my hand and pinched my temple. It was something I had expected before. So, there’s nothing to be upset about. But, it’s just not the time yet.
‘I have to be patient.’
Now, not only the act of hunting the protagonist, but also the simple act of everyday life has begun to build probability. And that was not a good sign.
‘Maybe… killing Monster 2 will be my last time hunting a protagonist. After all, once I successfully hunt it, I will receive a large amount of probability. I can’t avoid becoming the protagonist anymore.
Fear bud in the corner of my heart. It was something unavoidable. After all, I was human too.
Tiriing-!!
[Taylor: You crazy bast*rd LOLOLOLO]
[Taylor: Hey, why are you so cool today? LOLOLOLOLO]
When I checked my ringing smartphone, those texts were the ones who greeted me. Looking into it, my mind somehow calmed down.
[Yoo Seodam: Well… I know I’m cool.]
[Taylor: LOLOLOLOL]
Thanks to her, my tension fell considerably. And, I firmly hardened my heart as I reminded myself of my purpose.
“…” The limousine passed through the road for a long time. And that long time was enough for me to organize my thoughts. We arrived at the Beijing New Age Hotel, which was built after the Great War 30 years ago. This hotel was mainly used as a banquet hall for high-ranking people, and it was even featured in many dramas. So, I found the place familiar even though it was the first time I came here.
As I was escorted by the receptionist of the hotel to the restaurant, I was able to meet the people I wanted to meet: SS rank hunter, Cheong, The Hunter Association’s President, Rycle Cyrus, and, Murim Lord, Seol Jungyeon.
I especially invited Noonim to this event because I thought I would need her help to hunt Monster 2.
“…Nice to meet you, Hunter Yoo Seodam. I’ve heard about your exploits a lot.”
“Likewise, Hunter Cheong. I’ve always respected you, and it’s an honor to meet you like this.”
Cheong smiled bitterly at my words. As a mixed-Chinese woman, she had a strong Asian image, but the sadness in her smile was vivid.
“I am not worthy of respect. This time, I escaped without being able to protect those who died… Someone even sacrificed his life for me.”
I know that. Wasn’t his name Dang Baek-soo? He was a person I met every time I stopped by Murim hideout to meet noonim. But I didn’t have a good impression of him because his personality was too easy going for my liking.
But such a guy had sacrificed himself for others…
“It was only after he died that I was able to understand his heart. To be honest, I didn’t like him because of his personality..”
“Yes. Hunter Yoo Seodam is right. I too, used to not like him.” Hunter Cheong said.
After a brief moment of mourning for Dang Baek-soo, Rycel brought up the subject first. “It’s really reassuring to know that Murim Lord Seol Jungyeon and Another League’s master Yoo Seodam are directly participating in the extermination of Monster 2. On behalf of my family, I would like to thank both of you, as I do not dare to represent the whole Earth.”
Noonim burst into a small laugh at his polite humor.
“First of all, we are gathered here because we need to hear more about Monster 2 in more detail.”
“I understand.” Cheong hesitated for a moment, then took a sip of her tea and put something on the table. “…This is the file of the action cam I was wearing on the day of the incident. It was not disclosed to the public.”
Then, when I plugged it into the tablet I had prepared in advance, the video was immediately played. Monster No. 2 appeared after destroying the Hell Gate Lab, and Dang Baek-soo and Cheong immediately responded to it. The video went by quickly, but some scenes could not be seen properly because the quality was either blurred or cut off. Fortunately, the person in question was right in front of me, so I was able to get a supplementary explanation about the situation from her quickly.
The video ended shortly thereafter, and Cheong spoke first. “Hunter Yoo Seodam. Do you know why I called you here?”
“Yes? I don’t know…”
“That monster and Hell Gate were connected.”
“Yes?”
After a moment’s hesitation, she tapped her own head.
“Telekinesis is fundamentally a mental attack. Gravity is another force that violates the magnetic force. This allows telekinesis users and gravity users to react a little more sensitively to the movement of forces.”
“Is that so?”
“Monster 2 is a ‘part’ of Hell Gate. For example, would you like to see this tea?” Cheong raised the tea with her telekinesis and floated it in the air. Then she took a small drop of water from the tea.
“This little drop of tea is Monster No. 2. When it is separated from the main body water like this, it can be active on its own. But…”
She once again combined the small and large water droplets. The tiny water drops were nowhere to be seen.
“…Like this, Monster 2 will melt into Hell Gate again.”
I pondered without saying a word, and then nodded my head.
“That’s why you called.”
“…”
She lowered her head because she was deeply sorry, but I understood her. After all, Monster 2 was the worst monster to ever threaten mankind. If there’s no way to defeat it, it’s better for me, who had promised to enter the Hell Gate, to sacrifice myself to kill it. With just one sacrifice, all 7 billion human beings can live.
“It’s okay. It’s natural for me to do it. Because I promised to go through Hell Gate anyway.”
“Sorry… I’m really sorry. I’m sorry there’s only one thing I can tell you…”
“Don’t blame yourself.”
Cheong bowed her head again and again. However, before long, Noonim stopped her.
“Huuuh….”
Even though I was sipping on hot tea, my chest only grew colder.
Comments