Chapter 24

EP 5 - The Hunters (8)

He collected rifles from all the soldier corpses in the vicinity and armed the veterans.

From the modern apartment complex to Apgujeong Station. They built a mountain of monsters while moving a mere 50 meters.

From Apgujeong Station to Shinsha Station. Over the course of a single station, Hong Seon-a fainted five times, I fainted three times, and Yeo Doyeon and David Kim saved our lives more than ten times.

The 20 Awakened individuals who took the rear did not create a single casualty among the 1200 people entering Apgujeong Station, but seven of them became disabled.

While transferring from Shinsha Station to the Shinbundang Line, Hong Seon-a and I each fainted twice, and the grandmother who was treating us from behind lost consciousness and did not regain it until the escape.

While passing through the long underground tunnel of the Shinbundang Line, they were attacked by a giant monster. David Kim captured the monster alone and lost an arm and an eye.

Stimulated by the shockwave, small monsters attacked, and Hong Seon-a and I burned them. Due to the terrible smoke, hundreds of people suffered burns.

Gangnam Station. We made first contact with the special forces dispatched by Cha Jae-gyun. However, there was no large-scale support. Six Awakened individuals became disabled during the breakthrough.

Yangjae Station. The remaining personnel of the Capital Defense Command, who were isolated on Umyeonsan, miraculously joined us.

Cheonggyesan Entrance Station. Over 1200 survivors emerged onto the ground.

* * *

I opened my eyes in the hospital room.

"......Hmm? Ah! You're awake!"

Yang Pan-seok immediately got up and called someone, and I was dragged around in a daze, receiving various treatments while under the influence of medication.

I was led back to the bed by the nurses and finally came to my senses.

I stared blankly at the TV.

Dozens of wild dogs with glowing red eyes ran in a pack through a dark cave.

- 1 o'clock! Squad 2, fire!

- Sha-lang team, start entering!

- Absorb mana stones and set fire at exit 4! Move!

- Hey! Sister! Sister! Damn! Shoot! Tear them apart!

- 15 seconds of forward fire! Everyone evacuate! Lower your stance!

Those were my voices.

Yang Pan-seok, who was peeling an apple, said casually,

"You really pulled off an amazing shot on the screen."

"......Don't even mention it. I didn't leave the front lines to film it."

"Really? Your wife was giving you a hard time."

Yang Pan-seok chuckled and popped a piece of apple into my mouth. I swallowed it listlessly.

"I never thought I'd be eating an apple you peeled for me."

"Consider it an honor. I've never peeled an apple for anyone except my granddaughter."

He meant he had never peeled an apple even for his children. I asked in a daze,

"......Is everyone safe?"

"There are people who need to stay in the hospital, but no one died."

"What about Seon-a?"

"In the ICU. According to Colonel Cheon Hwa, it's a serious injury by civilian standards, but good by Awakened standards."

"......Colonel?"

"Research director. You founded it, didn't you?"

"Ah."

Yang Pan-seok smiled contentedly and said to me,

"Did you know that right after you went missing, you were heavily criticized nationwide?"

"......It's understandable."

A politician who meddled unnecessarily and caused trouble.

"Your aides did quite a bit of media play."

"......What?"

"Especially Lee Ho-jeong. He cried bitterly and said, 'Our representative went into the danger zone just to save a friend.' Ha ha ha......"

Yang Pan-seok smiled warmly and popped another piece of apple into my mouth. I could only swallow it in silence.

"Well, I did try to help from behind, but there were limits. Anyway, public opinion changed dramatically after that press conference."

It seems others also suffered in their own positions. I sighed with a complex feeling.

"......You were in a mess, but you've improved a lot."

"Excuse me?"

"Exaggerating a bit, if you run for president now, you'll win."

My voice was blaring from the TV. I was yelling and ordering people to set fires and shoot.

"......I don't know about the presidency, but I've made a movie. A disaster movie. A hard-core slasher movie."

"I don't know about slasher movies, but don't people like heroes? Like, Marvel? My granddaughter loves it......"

Suddenly, Yang Pan-seok fell silent and then lowered his voice calmly.

"You've silenced the local government officials."

"......What do you mean?"

"Using your reckless trip to Seoul and subsequent isolation as an excuse. Many people called for the dissolution of the National Assembly. That's what I mean."

It was chilling. It meant that the executive and military branches were trying to dissolve the legislative branch with public support.

"......What happened to them?"

"......You gave me the strength. Now it's my turn to roll up my sleeves."

Yang Pan-seok smiled kindly.

He is a person who doesn't like to make enemies.

In fact, he hardly has any enemies.

This is because he sometimes takes a loss to prevent enemies from arising.

"Seung-moon. Pay attention to the news from now on."

Because once an enemy is made, they are all eliminated.

"I'll show them that they can suffocate and die with their heads in a bowl of rice."

*

Kang Seok-ho is still in a coma, apparently with burns to his lungs. As an Awakened, his recovery is not hindered.

"The world is truly ironic."

"Uh?"

"Finish eating and then answer, damn it."

Yang Il-ho, Lee Ho-jeong, and I were eating cheese-tuna-mayo tteokbokki in Kang Seok-ho's hospital room. Lee Ho-jeong took a bite and exclaimed,

"Wow, this is delicious!"

"It's a special treat for the Apgujeong survivors. Eat it with gratitude for being alive."

"But the calories are no joke......"

I cleared my throat and continued the conversation.

"Life hit rock bottom in a day, and then when you snap out of it, you're back on top?"

"......Ah, yes."

"Life is full of regrets. Hmm? But when you look back, there's always a better way, and in other words, even if the current situation is hopeless, there's always a way if you think a little more. That's it!"

"Mmm."

Lee Ho-jeong made a 'munch' sound while eating the tteokbokki broth. Yeah, he didn't make a 'choke' sound.

"Did I sound like a grumpy old man?"

"Very much so."

The wisest person here was Yang Il-ho, who didn't get involved in the argument and quietly ate only the cheese from the tteokbokki.

Yang Il-ho finished eating all the cheese he liked and put down the plastic fork.

"Bro, I've roughly put together the foundation."

"Really?"

"Dr. Cheon Hwa is already running the research institute, but the orphanage needs more time to prepare because there are too many orphans. As for the security, there are no superhumans."

Hmm.

"Are there no superhumans?"

*

A day passed.

"The doctor said she'll be bedridden for the rest of her life."

"......"

"Sixteen of the hunting team members became disabled."

"My condolences, Mr. David."

David Kim smiled sardonically and fiddled with the eye patch on his right hand. He had lost his left eye and left arm after a fierce battle.

"Looks like we're both disabled now."

I nodded absentmindedly. He stared into space and muttered,

"It's a punishment. How many did I kill?"

He chuckled as if making a bad joke.

"I've killed a lot of people. In Iraq."

He opened a bottle of Chamisul he had smuggled in without the nurses knowing and took a sip.

"Have you killed people?"

He grinned and pointed at me.

"Those who kill people for the first time often go crazy trying to save people. Their eyes get a little glazed over, and they can't escape the hero complex."

"......"

"That's why I pushed your stupid plan. I made sixteen of our cute kids disabled. Got it?"

"......"

"I understand how you feel."

I nodded heavily.

Although I became a star due to the success of this escape, in reality, the greatest credit goes to the Awakened of the Apgujeong camp.

They blocked the continuous attacks of the monsters with their bodies in the middle and rear of the 1200-person formation. Out of 40, 16 survived.

They survived thanks to the healers who were scattered among them, and because these 40 Awakened were more elite than I thought.

People were enthusiastic about the ingenious plan I came up with, but the reason the plan succeeded was,

due to the cohesion of the organization that David Kim built in just a few weeks.

"......I won't go into detail. As a former U.S. soldier, I believe you understand what I'm saying."

I smoothly handed him a contract and recited the slogan of the U.S.-Korea alliance.

"Let's go together."

*

"What is this?"

Hong Seon-a blinked her deer-like eyes. I smiled kindly and began to explain.

"Have you heard of a PMC?"

"Huh?"

Instead of Hong Seon-a, who tilted her head, David Kim pronounced it fluently.

"Private Military Company. A private military company."

"Exactly. I want you to establish such a company. Specifically, a company that hunts monsters."

David Kim began to read the contract with his solemn single eye, while Hong Seon-a started peeling and eating an orange.

"......This is,"

"I want you to continue operating a superhuman combat team and hunt monsters."

"......Me?"

I smiled and nodded.

"I want you to suppress the monsters wreaking havoc in southern Gyeonggi Province. It's not feasible to use artillery in civilian areas......"

"Cleanly. Just beat the monsters and come out?"

"You catch on quickly."

Hong Seon-a raised her hand slightly and smiled.

"Um, what about social welfare activities?"

"Rescuing civilians, labor at construction sites, etc. Public welfare activities using the abilities of superhumans."

I added subtly,

"Technically, it's public welfare, but it will be a well-paying part-time job. You know how laws work, right?"

"Ha! You're a born politician."

David Kim chuckled and showed the share distribution.

"I like this."

[Monster Damage Recovery Foundation 40%

David Kim 30%

Hong Seon-a 10%

Others 40 people, each 0.5%

*CEO David Kim

**No dividends to the Monster Damage Recovery Foundation]

David Kim smiled contentedly.

"Doesn't this mean we can support the disabled friends from this time?"

"Exactly. If the business grows, they can live comfortably."

I added a bit more explanation.

"......The military or the National Intelligence Service will likely try to recruit superhumans. The orders I received were also more in that direction."

"......"

"......We can create an environment where superhumans can dedicate themselves to the country, but I don't think it's right to put a leash on them."

"Seung-moon......!"

"This is my way of repaying you."

Hong Seon-a hugged me tightly.

It was a bit nauseating, but I endured it.

I smiled and patted Hong Seon-a while asking David Kim,

"By the way, what should we name the company?"

He smiled happily.

"......Guild."