Chapter 137: Episode 137

“Demonkin and monsters are allies with a common goal,” I stated. “Some demonkin even have the authority to command monsters. What if one of them struck a deal with Legion Commander Selegma? Suddenly, the picture becomes much clearer.”

Hong Yeon nodded, her face grim.

Just then, the meeting room door burst open. “Aigoo, you young folks are just full of motivation. What’s the big hurry?” Zhang Wei, our next-door neighbor, strolled in. He was followed by the other hunters, who ambled in and slumped into their seats. Generals from the Tanzanian army also filed in. This command meeting was the nerve center of the entire Tanzanian front.

The meeting finally began, a full thirty minutes late. Commander Julian, seated at the head of the table, cleared his throat. “Thank you all for your hard work in this oppressive heat. Before we begin, I would like to introduce two new hunters dispatched to our front.”

Julian looked at us, and Hong Yeon and I rose from our seats.

“They may be young, but they are incredible hunters who have already proven their skill in Kisowa. This is Kim Yusin, rank-3, and this is Hong Yeon, rank-3.”

’Clap, clap, clap.’

The hunters offered a smattering of applause. We bowed our heads. And that was it. It didn’t feel like a welcome, but it didn’t feel like a slight, either. They just clapped with dead eyes, completely devoid of soul. They had no interest, no expectations, no thoughts about us at all.

“Then let’s begin the meeting,” Julian said.

The rest of the meeting continued in the same vein.

“Charlie, rank-4, what’s the status at point B1?”

“No issues.”

“Scorpion, rank-4, the mountain defense line?”

“No issues for now, but three centurions from the Plant just joined them. It’s going to get dangerous soon.”

“General Augustine, can you send additional support to the mountain defense line?”

“I will review it.”

“Good. Then next…”

I listened quietly, my chin propped on my hand, and soon noticed a pattern. Julian would ask the person in charge of an area for a status report. Most would report “no issues.” If there was a problem, Julian would ask a Tanzanian general for support, and the general would promise to “review it.” This cycle repeated endlessly. The review was just words; no actual action would be taken. The general never even took notes, just mechanically repeating the same phrase. The other hunters would doze off or fidget once their turn was over, and no one seemed to care. It was clear this meeting was a mere formality.

“Let’s move on to the next item,” Julian announced, holding up a piece of scrap paper. The ink of a Swahili document on the back was smudged. “A new directive has come down from the Global Hunter Alliance. We are ordered to drive out the monsters and capture the city of Linda.”

“Here we go again!”

“What do those desk jockeys know about the field!”

Sighs and grumbles filled the room. Julian held up a hand for silence. “Ahem, quiet! Quiet! If anyone has a plan to capture Linda, speak now.”

If the first half was just a status check, this was supposed to be the real meeting. A rank-5 hunter immediately raised his arm.

“Now that we’ve secured Kisowa, we have a chance. Let’s gather our forces at point B5 and, instead of taking the plains route through the living fields, we’ll advance through the mountains. Like this…” He traced the route on the map with his finger. “The living fields haven’t fully spread to the mountains. We can cross them and attack Linda directly!”

“Ah, there he goes again,” Zhang Wei interjected, leaning back with his hands behind his head. “Are the monsters idiots? If our forces move there, point B2 will be left vulnerable. They’ll attack us from there.”

“What? B-But…!”

Other hunters, previously silent, chimed in.

“If we move the Kisowa forces, we’ll be attacked by the local Company Captain. We risk losing the ground we just gained.”

“And what happens when we’re on the mountain and the monsters surround us? We’ll starve. And if Mtwara sends out a rescue party, the rebels and monsters will come pouring in here.”

“It’s an unrealistic plan.”

Faced with the barrage of criticism, the hunter who had spoken fell silent, his expression hardening as he sat back down.

“Next opinion,” Julian said.

But after seeing their colleague get shot down so thoroughly, no one dared to speak. As the clock ticked away, Julian pressed them, and a few more half-hearted suggestions were offered. But for every idea, there were ten critics.

“You idiot! You think the monsters will just sit there and let us do that?!” Zhang Wei, in particular, seemed to relish his role as the chief critic, tearing every plan to shreds.

Every proposal was dismissed as “not feasible” or “unrealistic.”

’This is getting ridiculous.’ How could any strategy emerge in an atmosphere so determined to fail? The meeting dragged on, the hunters fidgeting in their seats, desperate to leave.

Finally, Julian sighed. “For now, let’s have everyone fortify their defenses and continue to observe the situation.”

In other words: nothing changes.

The moment the meeting was declared over, the hunters flooded out of the room like an ebbing tide. They were a group that had lost all hope, mired in a sense of defeat, without a shred of will remaining. Negativity was a contagion, and they were all infected. Even if you offered them hope, they would only think of the pain of having it crushed. What had broken them so completely?

Soon, only Yeon, Karim, and I remained. Karim hung her head.

“I’m ashamed. When Samia was here, it wasn’t this bad…”

“Samia?”

“Ah, yes. A certified rank-3 hunter from Tanzania.”

“There was another rank-3 besides Commander Julian?”

“Yes.” Karim went on to explain. They were known as the twin wings of Tanzania: the certified rank-3 Black Wing, Samia, and the certified rank-3 White Wing, Erasto.

“What happened to such incredible people?” Hong Yeon asked.

“Erasto joined the rebel army.”

“Ah…”

“And Samia,” Karim’s voice dropped, “was captured by the rebels two weeks ago.”

What a complete and utter mess. Instead of joining forces against the monsters, what little strength they had was being devoured by internal conflict.

“Yusin.”

“Hm?”

“Are we really just going to stand by and do nothing?” Hong Yeon’s intense brown eyes demanded a decision.

I smiled. “You think I’d let things stay this way? Of course not. We’re going to turn this whole thing upside down.”

Hong Yeon nodded, satisfied.

“For today, let’s just cool our heads,” I said. “I’ll set the stage for you to shine.”

“Sounds good. You’ll help us too, right, Karim?”

“Huh? Ah, yes! For Tanzania… But what are you planning to do?”

I turned to her, my smile gone. “We’re going to take over the Tanzanian command. Before we hunt any monsters, we need to clean house.”

* * *

After the meeting, we returned to our lodging. I was just about to get some rest when Hong Yeon burst into my room.

“When can you set up the barrier, Yusin?” she pleaded, grabbing my arm and even attempting a cute expression that didn’t suit her at all. She must really, ’really’ hate cockroaches.

I let her drag me to her room. ’Might as well do it properly. Ea, please locate any bugs in this room.’

-Commencing scan. Three life forms detected.

It felt a little absurd to use the world’s most advanced AI for bug hunting, but it was important to her. I used ignition magic to eliminate the three roaches hiding under the furniture, just as before. Once the room was clear, I began my work. Since I was doing it, I decided to cast sturdy third-order magic. Using the rune of hardening as the base, I created a mana barrier, spread it to the size of the room, and fixed it seamlessly against the walls.

-Tower Master. Isn’t there a flaw in this design?

“Ah, you can’t get out!” I realized.

Hong Yeon watched, confused.

I made a hole in the barrier and began the more detailed work of cutting out openings for the door and window. After about thirty minutes of tinkering, I was finished. A custom-made cockroach barrier, just for her.

“There. As long as you keep the window screen secure and the door closed, you won’t have to worry about cockroaches for a while.”

The look on her face as she gazed up at me, hands clasped, was that of a devout follower witnessing their savior. “You saved me! Thank you so much!” she said, her voice brimming with sincerity.

“Ah, one more thing. If you happen to break the barrier with any rough movements…”

“Th-That won’t happen!”

“Anyway, if it does, place your hand on this magic circle here.” I had her demonstrate. “Now, channel your mana into it. Good. Can you feel the shape of the barrier?”

“Yes.”

“If it breaks, just touch this spot and supply it with mana, just like you’re doing now.”

“Such detailed service. Thank you again.” She bowed politely, then gave a shy smile. “I would have been in big trouble if I hadn’t come with you.”

Good grief. She measured my value as a bug repellent.

“You’re having dinner, right?” she asked. “The food here is iffy, so let’s go to a restaurant. My treat.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m fine. I don’t have much of an appetite, and I’m tired. I’m just going to bed early. If anything comes up, message me.”

“Message you?”

“Yeah. Make sure it’s a message.”

“Okay.”

She saw me to the door, and I returned to my room. ’Alright, time to get started on my own project.’

This magic circle was for me: a warp gate connecting to the Magic Tower. Once it was made, I could travel back and forth three or four times without any trouble.

’Ea, print out that copy of the Dimensional Link Magic Circle blueprint.’

-Yes, Tower Master.

I’d practiced it a few times, so I was able to draw it smoothly. Still, dimensional magic was incredibly difficult. It required complex spatial formulas based on local mana coordinates, demanding a high degree of three-dimensional spatial awareness and advanced formula design. After about forty minutes, it was complete. I locked the door, closed the window, and with a pounding heart, stepped onto the magic circle.

“Whoa!”

My body was seized by a tremendous velocity, like being on a roller coaster. My vision spun wildly, the world dissolving into a chaotic swirl of every color imaginable, as if I’d been sucked into a narrow, fourth-dimensional drainpipe.

’Fwoosh!’

The bizarre sensation ended. I opened my eyes. The shimmering portal of the warp gate pulsed behind me. I was surrounded by the familiar sight of constellations drifting through a void. I was in the Dimension Hall.

“I’m back!” I cheered, throwing my arms wide.

Ea materialized beside me in a haze of light. “Your first dimensional spell was a great success.”

“You worked hard too, Ea.” We shared an energetic high-five and headed down to the first floor. The bubbling sound and delicious aroma of cooking filled the air.

“Ah, Yusin! You’re here?” Jin Bora, wearing an apron, was stirring a pot on the stove.

“What’s that?”

“’Kimchi jjigae’. You said you’d be here soon, so I got it started.”

“Wow!” I was speechless with emotion. To think I could be deployed in Africa and still pop back to Korea for a home-cooked meal in a matter of seconds.

“You’re right on time. Have a seat.”

“Okay!”

She placed a trivet on the table and set the steaming pot on it. “Be careful, it’s hot.” The moment she lifted the lid, a burst of steam revealed a vision of heaven. ’Kimchi jjigae’! My heart swelled with a wave of intense gratitude.

“Thanks for the food!” I dug in, devouring the stew greedily. Bora watched me, her chin resting on her hand.

“It’s good, right? It’s good?”

“It’s the best! You have some, too.”

“I already ate. It’s eleven p.m. in Seoul, you know.”

“Oh, right. It’s late in Korea.”

“Yusin!” Eunsol cried, running from the magic circle elevator. She held up her arms, asking to be picked up.

“Sol! Have you been well?” I put down my spoon and lifted her onto my lap.

“Yep!”

“What are you doing up so late?”

“I slept a lot this morning! I’m not sleepy!” Her Dreamscape was a real problem. Like Jo Yonghee, Eunsol’s Unique Ability caused some disruptions to her daily life.

“Sol, come here!” Bora called, taking Eunsol into her arms. “You can’t disturb Yusin while he’s eating. Got it?”

“Okay!”

“Ah, Yusin,” Bora said, “tell me about Africa while you eat! How’s it going?”

“Don’t even ask. Every day has been insane.”

I shared stories of my adventures as I polished off the last of the stew. It was a deeply satisfying meal. I thanked Bora again.

“What do you want to eat next time? ’Tteokbokki’? ’Gochujang bibimbap’? ’Kimchi-jeon’? Just say the word!”

“Hmm, so many choices. I’ll message you from Tanzania when a craving hits.”

“Okay!”

“Has the Fourth Floor Team gone home?”

“They’re probably still on the fourth floor.”

My face went blank. “You said it’s eleven p.m. Why are they still here?”

“Ahaha! I don’t know,” Bora laughed. “Those people are just so passionate. Even when I tell them to go home, they insist on finishing one more thing. What can I do?”

“You’ve been sleeping at the tower every night lately, too.”

“Hehe, well, I’m telling everyone I’m on a dungeon business trip, so I don’t have much choice.”

Why did my family love their workplace so much? It was a mystery. No matter how much I told them to go home, they always ended up sleeping at the tower.

“Well, I’ll go up to the fourth floor and say hi.”

“Yep! See you later!”

“Bye-bye, Yusin!” Eunsol waved.

I took the magic circle elevator to the fourth floor, Weather Design Bureau. Inside, Na Daeyong was lying on a blanket on the floor, while Jo Yonghee was meticulously piecing together field magic formulas.

Jo Yonghee spotted me first. “M-Mr. Kim?”

“What?” Na Daeyong shot up from his blanket, his face alight with emotion. “Master! When did you return?!”

At his booming voice, the female members came running out from their rooms. It seemed they had claimed the few private rooms on the floor. They were clearly getting ready for bed; Cha Doyeon wore a hair cap, and Kim Sarang had a face mask on.

“Welcome, Mr. Kim!”

“When did you get here? Are you hurt?”

“Look how tanned you already are.”

I was surrounded. I wished they would speak one at a time, but their excited chatter came from all directions at once. I calmed them down. “Is the work manageable for everyone?”

“Yes!” they chorused.

“Ah, Mr. Kim! We had something important happen, too!” Doyeon said with a smile, glancing toward Na Daeyong.

A huge grin spread across Daeyong’s face. “I wanted you to be the first to see, Master!”

* * *

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