Chapter 152: Episode 152

Hanging out in a pub like this wasn’t half bad. I took a seat and ordered a draft beer. The owner nodded and limped away to fetch it.

“The owner’s a foreigner?” I asked.

Samia nodded. “Yes. He’s a former member of the Tanzanian Front’s special forces. He retired after a serious injury, but he grew to love this country and stayed to run a pub for his comrades.”

Karim added, “He donates half his profits to Tanzanian refugees! He’s a truly respectable man.”

I nodded in understanding. Just then, the owner returned and placed a cold draft beer before me, its foam thick and fluffy.

“Thank you.”

The man gave a short nod. “Enjoy,” he said. His body was a roadmap of scars, a testament to a turbulent life.

We clinked our glasses together in a toast. The beer’s white foam bubbled, practically begging to be drunk. I couldn’t resist and brought the glass to my lips, downing it in a few long swallows.

The cool, refreshing liquid flowed down my throat, its slightly bitter yet savory taste exquisite. When I was about halfway done, I lowered the glass and let out a satisfied sigh.

The owner watched me with a chuckle. I gave him a thumbs-up. “Good stuff!” He nodded back with a smile.

“How’s the Tanzanian beer?” Samia asked.

I answered quietly, “It’s a bit… weak.”

“Hahaha! My apologies. Supplies are scarce with the war on.”

“In a place like this, even this is a luxury.”

As the atmosphere warmed, we talked about many things—about Princess Samia and the Tanzanian royal family, about the former commander Julian Caballero, and about Karim’s difficult childhood.

’Damn. It’s like they all grew up starring in their own personal dramas.’

Karim mentioned she had killed for the first time at twelve—her own father, no less. Our upbringings were worlds apart, so it wasn’t my place to judge.

Samia ordered another beer and sighed. “It still bothers me that we couldn’t catch White Wing.”

“He probably slipped out while the rebel garrison was being destroyed,” I said. “Still, with the rebels gone, there’s not much he can do.”

“White Wing is a certified rank-3, just like you. You mustn’t let your guard down.”

“A certified rank-3, just like ’us’,” I corrected her.

Samia gave a bitter smile. “In my current weakened state, it’s rather embarrassing to consider myself rank-3.”

“You fought well,” Karim said encouragingly. “Cheer up, Lady Samia!”

One beer turned into two, then three, then five. We moved on from the past and began to discuss the future.

“Currently, the international community holds two conflicting views on the African continent,” Samia began, her words slightly slurred as she set down her mug. “They clash sharply and are still the subject of heated debate. The first is to save Africa.”

“…Huh? Isn’t that a given?”

“Right. That view needs little explanation. And the second…” Her eyes grew cold. “Is to abandon Africa.”

The words hit me like a physical blow.

“Why would anyone suggest that?”

“For a variety of reasons. The most common argument is that the rest of the world is struggling to get by, yet we spend an astronomical amount on Africa every year. It’s not just money; we have to dispatch hunters, clear their dungeons, and send supplies. Africa accounts for a significant portion of the Alliance’s budget.”

I nodded. “In the end, it’s all about money.”

Nationalism and protectionism were rampant across the globe. As life grew harder due to disasters and monsters, people turned to extreme selfishness. Yet despite this trend, the world remained connected through the Global Hunter Alliance. With disasters often spanning entire continents, cooperation had become a necessity, not a choice.

Ninety-five percent of the world’s nations belonged to the Alliance; surviving without its protection was nearly impossible. Naturally, the Alliance demanded that its wealthier members dispatch hunters and provide aid to protect its African states. This inevitably bred resentment. Just as Samia said, the sentiment was, ’We’re struggling, so why should we pour our money and manpower into other countries?’

Just recently, Association President Hong Yul had returned injured after entering a grade-9 dungeon in Africa. The Korean government must have had a collective heart attack. Imagine if the nation’s greatest hunter had died in a foreign land over a disaster that wasn’t even her own. How senseless would that be? Could a poor African country compensate for even a fraction of that loss? Impossible.

Korea got lucky, but other nations had surely lost high-ranking hunters trying to protect Africa. It was hard to imagine they’d harbor any goodwill.

“I understand the frustration of those who have suffered losses, but to suggest abandoning the entire continent? That’s utterly reckless.”

“They do have a proposed solution,” Samia said grimly.

According to her, the plan centered on the Suez Canal on the Sinai Peninsula, which connects North Africa to the Middle East. At 64 feet deep, the canal would be fortified with a massive defense system and missile batteries to stop any monsters trying to cross. It would become the final defensive line, sealing Africa off from the world. Once the Suez line was complete, a global fleet would evacuate the African people. Humanitarian refugee agreements would be enacted to help them resettle. Then, they would bombard the entire continent with nuclear bombs, not only to cleanse it of monsters but to turn it into a radioactive wasteland where nothing could grow.

“Haha.” An empty laugh escaped my lips. “That sounds like something an elementary schooler would dream up. Are there really people who advocate for this?”

“Unfortunately, the reality is that many people support it. Influential CEOs, renowned scholars, politicians, and even guild masters openly call for abandoning Africa.”

It was like burning down the house to get rid of a mouse. The world was truly going mad.

“To them, it’s someone else’s problem. You know the saying: a melting ice cream cone in front of you is sadder than the deaths of a thousand people in a foreign land.”

“Even so, it makes no sense from a rational standpoint.”

What if monsters adapted to the radiation? What if a global disaster emerged whose solution lay hidden in Africa? What if an Irregular—a monster beyond all classification—shattered the Suez defense line? It was pure foolishness, the desperate rambling of people who had lost their minds after taking losses defending the continent.

I could guarantee it. If they abandoned Africa, humanity would one day pay a much greater price.

“But why are you telling me all this now?”

Samia took her new mug of beer and drained it.

“…Be careful, Hunter Kim Yusin.” She wiped her mouth. “Watch your every move, be cautious, and trust no one—not even me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Can you be so certain that there isn’t a single person on this Tanzanian Front who advocates for abandoning Africa, or is one of their minions?”

The thought sent a sudden chill down my spine.

“We’ve just scored the first decisive victory for Africa in a long time. The whole world is watching Tanzania. In that case…”

“The people who want to abandon Africa might not look upon us favorably?”

“You catch on quick.”

The more I considered it, the less simple the problem became.

’I need to prepare countermeasures.’

* * *

The large-scale forces dispatched by the Global Alliance were arriving one after another through the port of Kisowa. The Alliance had already advertised to the world its intent to wage a full-scale war for the ‘complete liberation of Tanzania.’ As a result, Mtwara was crawling with reporters I’d never seen before. Hong Yeon was lost in a frenzy of interviews and administrative work. I, too, was busy preparing for the coming battle, shuttling between Korea and Tanzania.

First was the Fourth Floor Team. It was earlier than I’d planned, but their combat debut would be moved up depending on the war’s progression. Back in Korea, I took them into a private instance dungeon to command them personally.

“Seo Shimhee! Use Metamorphosis and get in there! Tanking starts with holding the monsters, not attacking them!”

“Na Daeyong, prepare your lightning magic! Jo Yonghee, sneak around to the monsters’ rear!”

I drilled their roles into their heads and had each of them master magic suited to their individual strengths.

“Cha Doyeon, you’re falling behind! At this rate, you’ll only be a hindrance to the team!”

“Na Daeyong, what do you think you’re doing? The main damage dealer can’t just rush in like that! One more time, and I’m replacing you as team leader, not just fourth-floor manager!”

Preparing for the rank-5 certification exam had been child’s play. This was war, where a single moment of carelessness meant death. I had become stricter, and the Fourth Floor Team knew it. They pushed themselves to the brink of exhaustion.

“Good work!”

After clearing the dungeon, we took the warp gate back. I dropped off the exhausted team and immediately moved on to my next task.

“Bora! How are the potion supplies?”

“We have plenty!”

“Seojin, is the transport flight ready?”

“Of course. Please take a look at the logo.”

“Oh, nice. Proceed with this.”

I had even mobilized the potion department for Tanzania. As a charitable project for Alchemia, and to build our brand image before entering the global market, we decided to supply potions to the Tanzanian Front for free. Thanks to that, Jin Bora and the potion-brewing golems had been working nonstop for days.

“Sol! Can you meet the deadline for the new golems?”

“Yeah! I’ll try!”

“Na Daeyong, Kim Sarang, continue developing your field magic. Cha Doyeon, Jo Yonghee, Seo Shimhee, you have supplementary lessons. You’ll be deployed to a dungeon with an external guild. I’ll keep sending you until you get the hang of it.”

“I-Is that dungeon deployment arranged?” one of them asked nervously.

“I’m on the phone arranging it right now,” I said, holding my phone to my ear. “Yes, this is Kim Yusin. I was wondering if you could let our gang join the dungeon raid scheduled for 17:00 tomorrow? Ah, it’s difficult? My apologies, but this isn’t a request.”

They all stared at me, trembling. I hung up the phone. “The Citizen Guild gave the okay. Now, get moving. There isn’t much time left before the war.”

“Yes, sir!”

They all dashed off to their workstations.

’God, I’m busy.’

I would lead this all-out war with Selegm to victory, even if it meant mobilizing the entire Magic Tower.

* * *

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