The troubled woman looked toward .
"Um, excuse . I’m still not quite..."
It wasn’t that I didn’t understand she needed ti to gather her thoughts.
Her boyfriend had died, and she had spent several days surrounded by those reeking corpses, consud by the fear of not knowing when she’d die.
But we didn’t have much ti either. We couldn’t afford to stay here indefinitely.
Our goal was to eliminate at least three grade 2 Erosion Cores before the transfer window closed.
"Here, drink this."
Han Sang-ah, watching the woman, made her a hot cup of tea and handed it over. After taking a sip, the woman took a deep breath.
"Anything you can rember is fine."
At my words, the woman pressed her head with both hands, then suddenly let out a small sound of realization.
"The monster that held captive was a corpse. You probably already know that though."
"Yes, but there must be a reason you brought that up."
She nodded at my response and carefully continued.
"If I wasn’t hallucinating, I think a truck ca to the shrine where I was being held in."
What was that supposed to an? Monsters driving trucks?
I wasn’t the only one confused. Even the woman who ntioned the truck seed unsure of her own words.
"Please continue."
"Soone got out of the truck… and they looked human. But the monsters didn’t act hostile at all."
She said they selected so of the captives and loaded them onto the truck.
"Soone succeeded in escaping."
At my comnt, the woman trembled once and replied right after.
"I think I know who it was. They let him go on purpose."
According to her, the being that stepped out of the truck knocked out one old man and then implanted sothing in him.
Han Sang-ah looked at with a shocked expression.
"Why are you so surprised? Isn’t it obvious?"
To leave this island, you had to cross the sea. Even if they managed to find a boat, back then, the ghost fleet must have still been active.
But she said soone escaped. Sothing like that should’ve been impossible.
"Maybe us coming here in the first place was the trap. If only soone had told beforehand."
I deeply agreed with Han Sang-ah’s words.
"Then what would have changed? Were you planning to stay away?"
I pointed my chin toward the woman lying on the bed.
"It was suspicious, sure, but I kept quiet and still ca. That’s why we managed to save at least these people."
“...”
Han Sang-ah fell silent.
"And even if we had known, there wasn’t much we could have done at the ti."
It had only seed suspicious. There was no concrete evidence. It would’ve been hard to press soone who had supposedly escaped.
Now that we had clear testimony, we could finally take so kind of action.
"If the purpose of letting soone go was to lure us here, then that ans we’ve already walked into the trap, doesn’t it?"
I looked at Han Sang-ah with a pitiful expression.
"I guess you thought you’d never walk into a trap doing this kind of work?"
This was a dangerous job. A life lived with risks lurking nearby, never knowing when or how they’d strike. I patted Han Sang-ah’s shoulder and stood up.
"Falling into a trap doesn’t matter. What matters is whether or not you can get out."
Just because a tiger gets caught in a mouse trap doesn’t an it panics. I turned my gaze back to the woman lying on the bed.
"Is there anything else you can tell us?"
After thinking for a while, the woman muttered softly.
"A cat."
"Sorry?"
Where had that co from?
"The person who stepped out of the truck had sothing like a cat mascot hanging from their waist. So..."
When we brought her paper and a pen, the woman began sketching a rough drawing. Han Sang-ah looked at it and spoke.
"This isn’t a cat. It’s a wildcat, called 'yamaneko' in Japanese."
"You could tell that from this ssy drawing?"
In response to my question, Han Sang-ah searched on her smartphone and showed sothing.
"It was the mascot for Tsushima Airport."
I had thought it was just a crude sketch, but I glanced at the woman again. It was actually quite accurate. She clapped her hands when she saw the image Han Sang-ah showed her.
"Ah, yes, that’s it."
"Then that ans the Erosion Zone is probably at the airport."
If it wasn’t there, we’d have to look elsewhere. I looked toward the woman’s tired face.
"I understand you’re heartbroken. Even so, you dug up such painful mories and told us. That was brave. Thank you very much."
"No, not at all. I’m just glad it helped sohow."
"If you rember anything else, please ssage this number anyti."
After wrapping up, I handed her my contact information and t with the dical team.
"Are the victims now well enough to board the ship?"
"Yes, as long as we accompany them, it should be fine."
Good.
"I want everyone off this island. Coast Guard, victims, and dical staff too."
Han Sang-ah and I planned to head directly to Tsushima Airport. That ant no one would be left to defend this place. We had to send them off before moving on.
"Understood. Then we wish you luck."
As the boat carrying the survivors, dical staff, and Coast Guard drifted into the distance, Han Sang-ah asked ,
"Isn’t there still a chance they’ll be attacked?"
"There’s no reason to attack them. It wouldn’t have any aning either."
If their goal had been to lure Hunters by letting soone go, then they had already succeeded.
"But it’s just the two of us. Maybe they wanted more people."
"Then what? We’re headed to the airport anyway."
Even if they hadn’t reached their target number, if their base was under threat, they wouldn’t care about numbers. It’s like a company on the brink of bankruptcy worrying about departntal performance.
"What if it’s not the airport?"
"You worry too much. Sotis situations are just unavoidable."
"But it feels like we’re weighing human lives on a scale."
I agreed without hesitation.
"Yeah. We’re weighing lives right now."
Han Sang-ah froze slightly after hearing my response.
"That’s…"
"It’s not a beautiful thing to do. If you only want to do kind and lovely things, put on a diaper and ride in a stroller."
With one hand on her head, Han Sang-ah seed to wrestle with sothing before muttering,
"Well, it’s our decision to make anyway."
"Exactly. And the worst-case scenario you’re thinking of? The odds aren’t that high."
That’s why I coldly cut her off.
"Roughly how likely?"
"Definitely less than 33%. And it’s not like we’re relying purely on chance either."
I quickly pulled out the chip injector we got from the scrapyard.
"What’s that?"
"It has a tracking function. With their permission, I embedded chips in the clothes of those getting on the boat."
Once they reached Korea safely, they’d probably dispose of those clothes properly.
"If they get kidnapped, we’ll know."
Whether they’re taken, and if so, where. We’d be able to confirm that.
Han Sang-ah nodded, and her expression softened.
"Then you should’ve started with that."
"Yeah, probably."
I just wanted to see how she’d react. Even if I didn’t expect much, I was a curious type.
For soone from a wealthy family, she was surprisingly soft. Most people would expect her to have a nasty personality like those characters in Korean dramas where they slap another character’s face with kimchi.
Once we were ready, we quickly set off. While we drove, both of our smartphones rang with alarms.
What now? Ergency? Since Han Sang-ah was driving, I checked the phone and read the alert.
"What is it this ti?"
"What’s going on?"
At her question, I answered imdiately.
"Near Hakata Port in Fukuoka City, a large number of monsters have appeared. Seems like around three thousand of them."
"But we are already on a mission of our own."
Han Sang-ah hesitated for a mont, running her fingers through her hair.
"I’m worried about getting punished."
Han Sang-ah replied to my thoughts.
"There won’t be punishnt... But we probably should go, right?"
"What do you an, no punishnt? It said it’s an ergency."
At my words, Han Sang-ah made an “ah” sound and glanced at .
"There haven’t been any cases of Korean Hunters being punished under the Jeonju International Treaty."
"Because of the 'reasonable cause' clause?"
She nodded.
"Recently, soone even got away with saying they were eating lunch."
"That’s just being a jerk."
"They claid they were in an important eting. Our country is like both a global police force and thugs right now."
Police and thugs, huh. Sounds like a certain country across the Pacific in the past.
Anyway, that ant Japan wasn’t actually expecting full cooperation from Korean Hunters when they sent the ergency request.
Fukuoka was Kyushu’s largest city. It wasn’t a place they could abandon like Tsushima. So they were probably grasping at straws.
"Saving lives is what matters. I don’t feel like nitpicking over nations right now."
That was Han Sang-ah’s take, and I answered simply.
"Alright. Then step on it. The faster, the better."
"We are not going back to the port?"
I replied,
"The monsters in Fukuoka are the sa ones we’ve been dealing with."
Not just similar, but identical.
Han Sang-ah turned her gaze to , and the car shook greatly for an instant.
"Hey! Watch the road, damn it!"
She quickly looked forward again.
"So you’re saying the monsters broke free from the Erosion Zone in Tsushima?"
"Sothing like that."
I had no idea how that was possible. But I had one solid guess.
"If we eliminate the Erosion Zone on this island..."
"Then however those monsters made it to Fukuoka, we might be able to wipe them all out."
"Right. So are you ready to go faster now?"
Once the Erosion Zone is gone, all monsters tied to it will disappear. As Han Sang-ah realized that, the car roared louder and picked up speed.
While we sped along, I decided to contact the Association.
"Hello, this is Hunter Yoo Chan-seok. I just got the alert about Fukuoka City."
— Ah yes! Hunter Yoo Chan-seok? I’ve heard of you. What can I help you with?
The voice was very calm. After all, the one with their hair on fire right now was Japan, not Korea.
They actually sounded more surprised that a sowhat well-known rookie like was calling.
"Can you connect to the Japanese branch?"
— Of course. Shall I transfer you now?
Sure, I’d appreciate that. The only problem was...
"I don’t speak Japanese though."
— Ah, that’s fine. None of the Association staff in any country are unfamiliar with Korean.
So it’s basically beco a common language. That was a relief.
※ This is an ergency request from the Japanese governnt. A large number of monsters have appeared in Fukuoka City, near Hakata Port. Korean Hunters who received this ssage are ranked by proximity to the ergency location.
Please respond imdiately. Compensation and additional information about the monsters are attached. This ergency request is made in accordance with the Jeonju International Treaty and thus carries mandatory authority.
Failure to comply without reasonable cause may result in penalties under the treaty.
Hunters who respond to this ergency request will be guaranteed compensation in accordance with the treaty, and the paynt will be made by the Japanese governnt within one week after the situation concludes.
Relevant docunts are attached.
...
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