Chapter 11
'A dungeon break...?'
Everyone's pupils dilated at the employee's words.
This was absolutely no joke.
Outside, air-raid sirens began to wail, overlapped by the sound of helicopter rotor blades.
The nearby personnel on duty also froze in place, their faces turning ashen.
Even Vincent's expression hardened.
But amid all that chaos, Lee Chang-jin tilted his head with his hands in his pockets.
"I know what that is, but evacuate...? Where did it happen for us to evacuate?"
"At the zoo...!"
"Which zoo?"
"......M-Malard Zoo..."
His mouth fell slightly open. Then he furrowed his brow deeply, showing his confusion.
"Didn't they take care of everything there? I heard a major guild went in."
"......I don't know. But both the dungeon-clearance report and the Gate-disappearance confirmation were determined to be forgeries."
“…?”
At that moment, a vein on Lee Chang-jin's forehead began to twitch.
"What! How could that be possible!"
"I-I don't know the details yet..."
"Damn this crazy...!"
-BOOOOM!!!
"Aaaahhh!!"
"U, ugh!"
The ground shook with a powerful explosion. Even though the epicenter was some distance away, its destructive force was easy to imagine.
'Did a gas station blow up?'
The personnel at the scene began staring at Lee Chang-jin with ashen faces.
The booming continued one after another, and Vincent muttered toward the direction of the sound.
"......Looks like they've engaged. They seem pretty strong?"
'Yeah, I can feel it too.'
The vibrations reverberating through my skin... The only time I'd experienced something like this was when top guilds in Seoul had clashed.
The ones who had clashed back then were the guilds' A-rank leaders. In other words, the monsters over there were that strong.
"Raebi. Let's go."
Vincent said this as he pulled me by the forearm. I opened my eyes wide and asked him,
"G-going is fine, but what about the people here? The fighting seems to be pretty close by."
"That's the ambassador's responsibility. And since it happened in Egypt, the Egyptian Hunters will deal with it."
“Huh?”
My mouth fell open.
"You're going to abandon them?"
"No? I'm saying we should each go our separate ways."
That's the same thing...
Vincent looked annoyed.
"Ah, don't make such a difficult face. Besides, even if you helped, you wouldn't be much help anyway."
"......."
I ground my teeth.
'He's right. But...'
...Lee Chang-jin.
"What about you, Mister?"
"I'm staying. What else would an ambassador do by leaving the embassy? I'll move once I've evacuated all the employees. All right, everyone, move!"
-Yes, sir!
The embassy employees began moving in a panic after hearing his command.
Lee Chang-jin simply watched them in silence.
'Shouldn't he at least get a weapon?'
I looked at him anxiously. Vincent approached as if he were going to drag me away, but I pressed my palms together and begged him.
"Wait, just give me a moment to think."
"......No."
"Why?"
"Because I have to deliver you safely to the head of the family."
...Deliver?
"What kind of joke is that at a time like this...!"
'Huh.'
But I couldn't continue speaking.
The eyes Vincent turned on me were gleaming more chillingly than ever.
He gripped my shoulder tightly and said,
"Ow...! L-let go a little!"
"Raebi. Do I look like I'm joking right now?"
"Why are you suddenly acting like this!"
"I'm asking you. Do I look like I'm joking? I felt it from the moment we met, but you don't think this 'noble' system that's taken root in society is a joke, do you?"
What did he mean by that...! Well, no choice!
Ding-
[Skill 'Blade Claws' is activated.]
Whack!
Using the skill, I forcefully shook off his hand. I deactivated it immediately so no one else would notice.
"Let's talk. What am I doing wrong?"
"...Fine, I'll spell it out so you understand. The family head, 'Douglas Kim,' is known by the epithet 'the Collector.' He has a hobby of collecting unusual things."
"The Collector...?"
The Collector... And unusual things, at that.
No way.
"Do you get it now? How you, who was barely D-rank at best, managed to get in here."
"......."
I looked at Lee Chang-jin.
"Mister... was I being sold...?"
"Don't get the wrong idea. You were adopted because the ambassador asked them to, at least. Originally, you were going to enter a servant family."
"Ah..."
Vincent took hold of my chin and straightened my head again. Then he placed his hands on both my shoulders. He seemed somewhat calmer than before.
He spoke in a low voice.
"Raebi, we're siblings and family now. So shouldn't we look out for each other? If I can't even properly bring back a D-rank Hunter, what do you think my standing in the family will be?"
"......I don't know, but it'd get worse if we applied the commonly understood aristocratic norms."
"Right? Then you understand why I'm in such a hurry."
I lowered my head.
'I...'
I'd been far too ignorant of the world. I'd treated this system, newly rooted beneath overwhelming power, as nothing more than a joke.
Even though I knew better than anyone that there were no free lunches, how ridiculous.
"Why... are you laughing?"
"It's just a little absurd. Ah, of course, I'm laughing at myself."
"Hmm... Anyway, you're coming, right?"
"Ah! Wait a second!"
"What now?"
Even so, I couldn't back down just like this. I had another principle besides that one.
'I repay grudges with grudges, and favors with favors.'
That was the resolve I'd made when I left Korea. I looked at Vincent with determination in my eyes.
...Yeah, let's call him, damn it!
"Come forth.... Vincent."
"......What?"
"Answer me honestly. Do you think Mister Chang-jin can evacuate everyone on his own?"
Ruuuum-
The booming sounds were getting closer and closer.
The battle zone continued to expand, suggesting that the situation was far from good.
Vincent answered me.
"It'd be difficult."
"What if you help?"
"If I step in, of course I'll wipe them all out. But I can't guarantee your safety."
"Really? If you step in, you can wipe them all out?"
He crossed his arms and looked down at me.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'll put it bluntly. If you stay and help, I'll show you the world's most unusual Awakener."
"And if I refuse?"
"The head of the family will be disappointed. He'll say you threw away your chance to learn my secret forever."
"......What."
Vincent's eyes widened. His mouth even fell open in a stupid gape. Then he stammered as he asked me,
"…Are you blackmailing me right now? Because it's working really well."
"Heh heh heh, then choose."
"......"
Vincent began staring at me silently. I hypnotized myself.
Please. Please take the bait. Let me do something a human would do for once in my life.
".......Fine."
Yes!
"But there's a condition."
"A condition...?"
At that moment, an explosion sounded almost right beside us.
Rumble- Boom! Boom!
"We don't have time now, so I'll tell you later. ...Ambassador?"
"Yes?"
"......A suitable weapon. No, just give me yours, Ambassador. I'm stronger."
"That young punk has a filthy mouth."
"Pardon?"
"I said nothing. I'd be happy to give it to you. Follow me."
We moved to the office and worked out a battle plan.
***
"You really can do this, right? And this 'new ability' of yours—you only realized it thanks to me during this battle, got it?"
"I said I get it. Just move."
"Okay!"
Fwoosh! Vincent vanished. Lee Chang-jin and I climbed onto the embassy roof, carrying a longsword and a dagger, respectively.
'If Vincent holds back the stronger ones at the front, the two of us will handle the small fry.'
It was a strategy we'd chosen because fighting all together could turn into an excessively chaotic melee.
"……They're coming. Get ready!"
Lee Chang-jin tightened his two-handed grip on his sword. Following his gaze, I began to see red figures in the distance.
'Red-Haired Werewolves...!'
They were werewolves covered from head to toe in red fur and clad in armor. I was told that even a single foot soldier was equivalent to a C-rank.
They weren't particularly fast, but they had an 'Explosion' skill, so we had to avoid getting struck by them.
"So those explosions earlier were all them...!"
Taat-!
Lee Chang-jin sprang forward. Then he began cutting them down without mercy. Though it wasn't his usual weapon, he was still a high-ranking B-rank Hunter.
The werewolves fell one by one beneath his disciplined sword strikes.
‘But.’
There were too many for him to handle alone. There were dozens just within sight.
"Look out!"
Ding-
[Skill 'Blade Claws' is activated.]
As Lee Chang-jin began to tire under the overwhelming numbers, I charged at the werewolf behind him.
He had told me not to step in unless the situation was urgent, but I couldn't just stand by and watch.
'The eyes...!'
Slash!
"K-kyaaaagh! Which bastard did that!!"
“…Huh?”
I hadn't expected to hear their language.
Ah! Come to think of it, I knew the monster language!
I thought this might be easier to resolve than I'd expected.
I chuckled to myself and approached the creature.
"Want some help?"
"W-who are you? Anyway, yes. I can't see right now..."
"Oh no... That must hurt. Come over here."
I stealthily climbed onto the creature's back. Then I spoke to the confused werewolf.
"I'll be your eyes. Just move a little to the right from that position."
"L-like this?"
"A little more."
"Is this good?"
"Yeah, perfect. Charge straight ahead and tear apart all the human bastards you come across."
"Heh heh, thanks! Raaaargh!!"
The creature charged straight into the middle of the enemy lines. I dismounted as soon as it moved, and the werewolf began setting off Explosions among its own allies before getting its head cut off.
Thanks to that, their numbers were drastically reduced. Now Lee Chang-jin alone, having regained his rhythm, seemed to have things under control.
That was only possible because Vincent was holding back the terrifying creatures at the front.
'Now, about those pygmies...'
Ding-
[An essence has been detected nearby. Approach and use the 'Essence Absorption' skill.]
"Huh?"
Essence Absorption? What... Could monsters do that too?
I cautiously approached the corpse of one of the werewolves.
'Essence Absorption.'
Then a glowing jewel popped out of the corpse. It leaped into my chest and vanished.
It was exactly the same phenomenon as before with Kim Young-hak.
Ding-
[‘
Essence Deficiency’ penalty has been weakened. You can exert 50% of your stats.]
"......"
That day, I gazed greedily at the dozens of corpses spread out before my eyes.