Chapter 275: Episode 275

The floor of the jjimjilbang was teeming with people. It was literally half space, half people. It hadn’t been this crowded last night…

Eunsol, following me out, explained, “The evacuation order was issued. People from the provinces are all coming up here.”

“…Ah, right. Of course.”

Seeing the refugees, the reality of the approaching disaster finally sank in. The sauna was filled with families. Still, even refugees had to eat. We made our way to the snack bar.

“Ma’am, four stone-baked eggs, please.”

“That’ll be 8,000 won.”

I stared at her, aghast. “Weren’t they two for a thousand won?”

“Sorry, young man. The prices for things like eggs and ramen have all gone up a bit. They might go up even more tomorrow.”

“Ugh.”

Fighting back tears, I paid four times the normal price for eggs and sikhye and found a spot in a corner of the snack bar.

“Let’s eat!”

I turned on the news on my phone and started peeling an egg for Eunsol.

[I’m here on the Gyeongbu Expressway! There’s no end in sight to the line of evacuees. The DECC has declared a mandatory evacuation…]

[Price surges are intensifying! Centered around ramen and canned goods…]

[A growing number of elderly citizens, dubbed bunker-dwellers, are refusing to leave their hometowns.]

[President Lee Deokbae has promised support for the provinces. The President has taken a firm stance, urging the DECC to devise countermeasures and stating he will not hesitate to demand the Association President’s resignation.]

[President Lee Deokbae’s approval ratings have risen sharply. Analysts suggest his Gwanghwamun speech and the support of refugees who have abandoned their hometowns for Seoul have had a positive effect.]

Watching the news, I let out a bitter smile. ’Hong Yeon must be having a tough time.’

Lee Deokbae was a brilliant politician. He knew what the public wanted and was adept at cherry-picking those issues to boost his own ratings. For Hong Yeon, who valued substance and efficiency, he would be a trying opponent. The best choice isn’t always the one that brings the most satisfaction.

’I wonder if she’s doing okay.’

I had looked up information on her, too. Her career path had been a series of radical moves. Some said she was even greater than her sister, and among hunters, she was an object of fear. With her background as Hong Yul’s younger sister, her skill as an Official rank-1 hunter, and her unique star power, she had ascended to the position of Association President without much trouble, but there were still many in the world who disapproved of her. It would take time for her to fully establish herself as the Association President, like her sister Hong Yul had. Until then, she had no choice but to endure.

“Ah, Oppa!” Eunsol called out, mid-egg. “Are you going to fight in this disaster, too?”

“Well, Seojin said I could rest, but…” I glanced around. I could see exhausted refugees huddled together, sleeping fitfully. “Looking at the situation, it’s too dire to just sit back. I think I’ll have to step in.”

“But you haven’t figured out who the demonkin is yet.”

“I’ll move while keeping my identity hidden. And if I have to…” I rested my chin on my hand and picked up a stone-baked egg. “I’ll have to fight for real, even if it means blowing my cover.”

She fell silent for a moment, then suddenly grabbed my hand tightly. “If something happens to you again, Oppa, I’ll…”

She might be a certified rank 2 hunter, but in my eyes, Eunsol was still just a cute kid. I stroked her head and said, “You don’t have to worry. I won’t go far away and leave you again.”

“Okay!”

“By the way, where are you headed, Sol?”

“For this disaster, I think I’ll be working as a mercenary for Garam Management! Garam is in charge of the Red Gate, so probably somewhere around Paju…”

Just then, a notification popped up on her phone. It was a message from Garam.

“Ah!”

“What’s wrong?”

“My assigned area changed! From the Red Gate entry team to a regional defense team!”

“…So Garam has been pulled from the Red Gate.”

“Yeah! There’s a list here, too.”

It was a top-secret document, distributed only to hunters of certified rank 2 or higher: a list of guilds whose assignments were being changed from the Red Gate to the Cataclysm. The top ten guilds were all to remain at the Red Gate, but Garam, along with other management companies and several guilds within the top twenty, were being withdrawn. Among them was the Magic Tower, a World Guild.

’Yeon, are you planning to fight without Garam and the Magic Tower? That’s like going into battle without your rook and bishop.’

With the uproar from President Lee Deokbae and the public, perhaps this was the only way to appease them. Just because the Cataclysm was considered less dangerous didn’t mean it could be ignored. But it was certain that an excessive burden would now fall on Hong Yeon’s side.

’Hmm, if that’s the case…’

I quickly revised the plans I had been forming in my head.

’I might end up facing Hong Yeon in the end.’

* * *

Seoul’s Yongsan Station. The place was swarming with people arriving from all over the country. Some were struggling with four or five suitcases on their own, while others had arrived with all their moving boxes. Some were huddled around the station, using their padded jackets as blankets to sleep. The fast-food restaurants inside the station were closed, and an endless line snaked out from the convenience store.

“Mom! Didn’t I tell you to take the train?!” a young woman shouted into her phone. “How much longer is it gonna take?!”

—”I don’t know,” came the reply in a thick dialect. “The road’s completely backed up. There’s no tellin’ when, honey.”

—”Where are you?”

“I’m at the station waiting for you! What would I have done if I hadn’t come up to Seoul?” Narae exclaimed.

—”You did good, girl! I’ll be there soon!” her father replied.

Sighing, the young woman ended the call. Before she could even catch her breath, another call came in.

—”Narae!”

“…Choi Eunhye? What’s up all of a sudden?”

—”This is a real, true, once-in-a-lifetime favor! You live in Seoul, right? Can I please stay at your place until the disaster is over?”

Narae pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed again. “Just you?”

“Uh… no. My family, too… and we’ll need space for our stuff…”

—”Hey,” she said, her voice turning cold. “I’ve gotten over thirty calls like this today alone. You call me for the first time in three years just to ask for that? I’m hanging up.”

—”W-Wait! Narae!”

She jabbed the end call button irritably and let out another sigh. ’Seriously, what is the world coming to?’

“Today is the projected day of the disaster’s manifestation. All citizens are advised to evacuate to the shelters immediately.”

She had been hearing that same damn broadcast for nearly a week. The Disaster Emergency Countermeasure Committee had ordered everyone to the shelters, but with most of South Korea’s population crammed into Seoul, the underground shelters were a living hell. The lighting was dim, there was no room to lie down, and the dank smell of sweat was so overpowering it felt like her nose would fall off.

The lines for the restrooms were so long that people, men and women alike, had resorted to relieving themselves against the walls. The mere thought of it made her shudder. It was the worst, a scene of human rights violations.

Besides, she’d heard Seoul was supposed to be safe anyway. She’d decided it was better to be cooped up at home than to go to a place like that.

“Huh?”

Just then, something was rising from the floor.

“…Grass?”

’Why is grass growing out of the marble floor?’ she wondered, blinking hard, thinking she was still half-asleep. But then her surroundings began to blur. The station’s pillars morphed into trees, the grand plaza into a forest, and the ceiling into an open, endless sky. People around her, startled, shot to their feet. It was as if the entire environment was melting away. Even the luggage on the floor began to fade.

“No, my stuff!”

“That cost a fortune!”

Amid the commotion, a train pulled into the station with an announcement, but it, too, was becoming transparent. By the time it stopped, it looked as if it would vanish at any moment. A few people who had been dozing in their seats fell onto the tracks below.

“What in the world…”

All of Yongsan Station was disappearing. No, not disappearing—it was changing. The rich scent of grass filled the air, accompanied by the sound of a babbling brook. The trees and grass grew more distinct until, suddenly, everyone found themselves standing in a field of knee-high grass. People who had been sitting by the fountain now found themselves plunged into a swamp. Insects buzzed through the air, and the rustle of leaves in the wind created a constant, whispering roar. They were in the middle of a jungle.

Kreee!

Grrrr…

Narae gasped in shock. From the undergrowth, a monster with glowing purple eyes, reminiscent of a jaguar, was stalking toward them, its body low to the ground.

“Aaaahhh!”

Of course, the jungle’s native monsters had come along for the ride. Yongsan Station descended into utter chaos. People dropped their luggage and scrambled to run, their possessions meaning nothing in the face of death.

“Ugh, aghhh!”

Monsters in the trees snatched people up with their long tongues. The ensuing carnage was hidden by the leaves, but the continuous splatter of blood and the wet, tearing sounds of chewing were unmistakable.

“Look over there!” someone shouted, pointing ahead.

A circular, dome-like barrier surrounded the area that was once Yongsan Station. Outside it, the familiar scenery of Seoul remained.

“Run! Let’s get out!”

People ran for their lives, trying to escape the dome. The jungle monsters, eager for their first hunt in a long time, gave chase.

“Ugh!”

“Watch your step!”

The unfamiliar jungle terrain proved treacherous. People tripped over roots or sank into the mud. Those who fell behind were immediately devoured by the pursuing monsters. Cries for help echoed from all sides as people were picked off one by one, but the terror was so overwhelming that everyone could only focus on saving themselves. It was as if their very DNA had reawakened the forgotten law of the jungle, plunging their bodies into a state of extreme tension.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

This time, a massive, dinosaur-like monster blocked the path of the fleeing crowd. Instead of scales, crimson flames flickered along its back.

“Get out of the way!”

The dinosaur snatched a person in its jaws and swallowed them whole. Terrified, the crowd scattered in every direction.

“Huff! Huff! This place is bigger than I thought—!”

Swish!

The running man’s legs were suddenly ensnared, and before he could react, he was yanked into the air.

“Aaaahhh!”

His skin was torn by sharp branches as he was dragged up a tree. A monkey-like monster with a long tongue pinned him down with its limbs. As the monster opened its gaping maw, the man screamed in terror.

A gunshot rang out, and a hole appeared in the monkey monster’s forehead. A rope then wrapped around the man’s waist, and he was lowered back to the ground, breaking branches on his way down.

“Gotcha!” a hunter in a suit called out, catching the man in his arms. “Are you alright?”

The man nodded dumbly.

“The escape route is that way. Please hurry.”

“Th-Thank you so much!” The man scrambled away.

The hunter spoke into his radio. “This is Y-7. The first Cataclysm in South Korea has appeared at Seoul’s Yongsan Station.”

* * *

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep