Chapter 4

“Sir. Are you hiding something from me? I thought you were a patriotic soldier. That’s what I was told.”

“Can I know who the source of that information is?”

Kang Mi-young glanced sideways at Kang Jin-young.

“My judgment can’t be wrong. Someone as passionate and meticulous as you, Kang Mi-young, couldn’t possibly miss it!”

Kang Mi-young, as if unaware of those thoughts, stepped in front of Lee Seong-han.

There are only three S-Rank Hunters in South Korea.

‘Because of Kang Mi-young?’

Lee Seong-han glared at Kang Jin-young, the root cause of it all.

“Kang Jin-young.”

“Yes, unnie.”

“Did you do something harmful?”

“Something harmful?”

Kang Jin-young tilted her head, resting her chin on her hand.

“Well, I did mess around a bit before coming here. It’s cute when they get all flustered.”

“How much?”

“Hmm. Death threats, forced contracts, suggestions to extend service terms, and so on?”

Kang Mi-young’s face turned pale.

[Kang Mi-young activates ‘Skill: Insight’ on Kang Jin-young.]

– Her words… are true!

“No matter how much I tried to persuade them, they would have refused.”

That’s true.

If it were such a mission, I would have refused even if it meant using force. The other side would have dragged me along anyway.

In the end, it was inevitable.

Kang Jin-young bridged the conversation.

“And there aren’t many legal personnel. The only Awakened without a license is that guy. No records either.”

After finishing her words, Kang Jin-young winked lightly.

“I see.”

Kang Mi-young’s aura cooled down like a cat doused in cold water.

Pshhhh.

She sighed as if she had experienced this quite a few times.

“I’m sorry, sir. What I heard was quite different. But the more I look at this record… you seem like a good person. Don’t you think you’re qualified to join the Hunter Management Bureau?”

“Will you guarantee my discharge?”

“Discharge?”

“Yes.”

“I guarantee it.”

“I’ll serve you to death.”

“Good.”

Yes, discharge.

Just think about discharge!

Go home, get a job.

Live a decent social life like everyone else.

Not this life worse than a slave!

They say even if you enter a tiger’s den, as long as you keep your wits, you’ll survive.

[Entering the Gray Tower.]

‘Discharge, please save me just once.’

The prayer was answered.

In a bad way.

* * *

Tsapat!

[1st Floor]

“Ugh, every time I come here, it feels like my insides are twisting.”

Lee Seong-han felt discomfort as soon as he opened his eyes.

Fruit flies touching his face.

The unpleasant sensation sticking to the roof of his mouth.

He was standing in the middle of a jungle.

“Unnie. Don’t forget this feeling. Ah, Seong-han, follow behind unnie. Don’t even think about deserting.”

Lee Seong-han secretly activated a skill.

One of the detailed abilities of [Automatic Combat].

[Reconnaissance]. As soon as he opened his eyes, monsters outlined in red appeared.

Eyes glowed from the trees and bushes.

At least A-Rank.

A category Lee Seong-han currently struggles to handle.

If alone, he might have a chance.

But in a group?

He’d be torn apart without a chance to act.

He didn’t want to die in such a remote place.

Beast-type.

Insect-type.

Plant-type.

And so on.

The variety of monsters was vast.

Like the melting pot of races in America.

‘They’re not attacking.’

But they only watched Lee Seong-han from a distance.

As if they didn’t want to spill blood unnecessarily.

‘Because of the Kang sisters. They probably don’t want to see blood.’

Lee Seong-han shivered.

Sssssssssss────!

Sword winds erupted in all directions.

The jungle was instantly torn apart.

Along with the monsters there.

“Noisy.”

As Kang Mi-young sheathed her blade, the surroundings fell silent.

‘Wow, intense.’

A tank and a dealer.

Kang Mi-young, the guardian of balance between offense and defense.

No wonder she’s an S-Rank Hunter.

“Where are we going?”

“There’s a base camp. Personnel and supplies are all stored there.”

It was decided to move to the base camp set up on the 1st floor.

“I’ll take the lead.”

Kang Mi-young led the way, breaking through the dense forest.

She was strong.

Strong enough to chew up most hunters.

Like an S-Rank, she obliterated the forest, and the rocks blocking the way?

Completely shattered. The monsters too.

“Eeek!”

“Die.”

Sssssssssss────!

Truly tremendous destructive power.

Lee Seong-han and Kang Jin-young followed at a trot.

Like chicks following their mother.

“Uh… uh, ahem!”

Kang Jin-young coughed dryly as soon as she felt the murderous gaze.

“Sir. Focus on your main job.”

“I’ll correct myself.”

“Kang Jin-young, you too.”

Kang Jin-young puffed up her cheeks like a pufferfish.

“Hmph, if you’re going to drag someone along, you should take care of them properly.”

“…Really annoying. So picky.”

“Look who’s talking.”

Tsk tsk tsk.

“It’s because you haven’t met a man. Everyone’s too busy running away after seeing the surface. Well, I’m in the same state.”

She sighed and rolled her eyes.

Actually, Lee Seong-han wasn’t unaware.

But to just reject a beauty like Captain Kang?

These are truly the end times.

An S-Rank Hunter with guaranteed achievements!

An influencer with popularity rivaling celebrities.

The Ministry of Defense’s PR ambassador.

…There were rumors that female Awakened had thousands of times more sexual desire.

But it was just a baseless rumor.

Personally, Kang Mi-young was a top-tier bride candidate.

“I think Captain Kang is cool. Actually, I was a fan.”

“A fan?”

Kang Jin-young tilted her head at those words.

With a face that genuinely couldn’t understand, she pointed at herself.

“Unnie is cool? That unemployed bum rolling around at home?! I do things a thousand times cooler!”

Unlike the confident Kang Jin-young.

Kang Mi-young, who was cutting down monsters at the front, wiped the blood off her cheek.

A monster had just ambushed her.

And was quickly defeated.

About a hundred of them.

Not even a single swarm could stop the Iron Blood Empress.

“Quiet.”

Kang Mi-young calmly descended the mountain of corpses she had created.

As soon as she came down, she deeply looked at the dazed Lee Seong-han and sighed.

“Teasing a superior officer can be subject to military law. Especially when a man does it to a woman. I’ll let it slide this time.”

“Thank you.”

“Let’s move. Increase the speed.”

Thus, Kang Mi-young took the lead again.

Now that I look, both her ears were red.

Did she sweat too much?

Feeling awkward for saying something unnecessary.

“…Tch. Anyway, back to the main point. It’s better to announce the hunting target according to the contract first, right?”

“What’s the hunting target?”

“Hmm.”

As Kang Jin-young dragged out the time.

[Reconnaissance data acquired.]

Data came in at the right timing.

One of the functions of [Automatic Combat].

Lee Seong-han reviewed the data in detail while waiting for Kang Jin-young’s answer.

‘As expected, if I don’t know anything, I’ll die in an instant.’

Like a maze created by the natural environment. No, perhaps the work of the tower administrators? Those who invaded Earth and created the system and monsters.

Traps set up everywhere.

One wrong step and I’d be done for.

“To put it simply, the hunting target is a hatchling.”

“Ah.”

Lee Seong-han stopped abruptly.

The Kang sisters also stopped in their tracks.

“Sir. Since you’ve come this far, shouldn’t you give it your all?”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t have come if I knew.”

Lee Seong-han scratched his head, showing his discomfort.

“Of course. Catch a dragon? I’d rather shoot myself in the head.”

“Your expression is rough.”

“It’s that kind of monster.”

A hatchling.

Refers to a baby before becoming a dragon.

Very fragile but equally protected by its kin.

Unconditionally!

Meaning, for discharge, the hatchling + dragon must be torn apart!

Truly, one must become a human weapon.

[Locating the hatchling’s coordinates.]

A blue arrow appeared on the ground.

At the end of that arrow is the hatchling, ah, suffering is the same whether in society or the military.

“By the way, it was around here.”

“What is?”

“The forward base. Specifically, the supply depot! We use the magic stones from here to craft equipment and such. Unnie, can you find it?”

Kang Mi-young nodded.

“Of course. If I follow the flow of magic, I’ll definitely find the supply depot. Sir, how’s your condition?”

“No problem.”

“Let’s move.”

Guide Kang Mi-young started walking again, crossing the hill.

Coincidentally, in the same direction as the arrow.

Lee Seong-han decided to think after arriving.

Huge tree trunks rising like in Maple Story’s Ellinia.

Sky-covering leaves and flora.

Rainwater flowing along their outlines.

…And black smoke visible between the gaps.

‘This feels bad.’

Lee Seong-han adjusted the zeroing on his automatic rifle.

[192 hostile entities detected.]

[Start combat?]

Ambush.

Lee Seong-han’s body lightly shook.

[Unidentified system access detected.]

[Deploying ‘Mental Barrier’.]

Tspabababat!

“What the?!”

Some strange intruders mixed in.

Lee Seong-han skillfully aimed at the forest.

Something black was flying beyond the horizon.

[Attack detected!]

‘What.’

An acid ball flying straight at me. As I tried to activate [Automatic Combat], it popped in mid-air.

“That was close. Sir. Aren’t you overreacting a bit?”

Kang Mi-young swiftly deflected the acid ball. With her body. The acid ball flowed down the hem of her coat.

Sssssss.

The melting coat. Kang Mi-young immediately took it off.

“Are you okay?”

“Captain. Your coat.”

“The coat isn’t important. The safety of the soldiers is the duty of an officer.”

Tspat!

Reinforcements of monsters.

“Sir. You go ahead.”

Kang Mi-young wiped her blade with a cloth and took a stance.

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