The situation was dire. In fact, it was deteriorating rapidly.
Monsters attacked the village at least three times a day. The problem was that the number of Hunters had dwindled after the White Monster's assault, creating gaps that led to continuous casualties.
Ten days after the White Monster's attack, only 2,170 villagers remained alive, and there were a mere 11 Hunters.
Considering that the village had initially housed over 5,000 residents and 30 Hunters, more than half the population had been lost.
"Ah, fuck!"
I cursed, swinging my sword as red thunderbolts crackled along its blade.
Screeeeeeeech!
A five-legged beast-type monster screamed as it collapsed to the ground. After stabbing its neck to ensure its death, I surveyed the surroundings. The area was littered with monster corpses.
About twenty minutes earlier, a horde of monsters had attacked the village. Fortunately, most were D-Rank Monsters, allowing for a swift cleanup. However, their sheer numbers were overwhelming.
I glimpsed around 200 of them earlier...
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
Though I had sent Yuria west to somehow stem the monster assault, I was beginning to feel my limits.
The monsters attacked daily, yet the village's defenses were dwindling rather than growing. We had enough food, but we couldn't cope with the monsters.
I won't last another week here. I've already bedded every beauty in the village; time to make my move and disappear.
Just as I was gripping my sword again, ready to assist the remaining Hunters still battling,
Whoooooooosh!
A deafening roar struck my eardrums. Instinctively, I tilted my head back and gazed at the sky. Three fighter jets streaked across the sky, dropping bombs on the massive Black Tree in a relentless aerial assault.
Boom! Crash!
Explosions erupted, sending thick black smoke billowing into the air.
The Black Tree blazed fiercely.
The fighter jets circled the Black Tree and the village before veering off toward Lanzhou City.
"Fucking hell! If they were going to bomb it, they should have done it sooner! They're way too late!"
I muttered irritably, my gaze fixed on the fiercely burning Black Tree. Could mere bombs really incinerate such a colossal tree? Contrary to my expectations, the massive tree continued to blaze, and by evening, only its skeletal frame remained.
The fighter jets targeted nothing but the Black Tree.
Given the situation, it's not surprising the fighter jets are deployed. But sending them specifically to target only the Black Tree seems odd... Does China know the tree's true nature? And is it so dangerous that it requires aerial bombardment?
I abandoned my train of thought. Even if I knew the truth, there was nothing I could do. I was just a C-Rank Hunter, and I had no intention of getting involved. All that mattered to me were myself and the woman.
"Huh?"
As I habitually fiddled with my smartphone, I realized the GPS was working.
On a hunch, I tried calling the China Hunter Association, and the call went through. It was clear the Black Tree had been blocking communication.
"Yes, this is the People's Republic of China Hunter Association."
The man's voice was calm and professional.
"I'm Sung Yujin, a C-Rank Hunter from Korea assisting in China."
I explained my current location and situation, requesting support from the Chinese Hunters. Naturally, I reported the nearly 3,000 casualties, but his reaction was indifferent.
"Understood. I'll provide you with the contact information for the Lanzhou Hunter Association. Please report the situation to them daily. We'll dispatch a rescue team within a week."
Hearing about the 3,000 casualties, I brushed it off indifferently. There were only two possible explanations: either the man on the phone was a cruel sadist, or the damage across China far exceeded 3,000 lives.
Ah, damn it. I want to go back to Korea.
The rescue team would probably arrive in about a week, maybe ten days at the most. I didn't expect them to come quickly.
The next day.
I was wrong.
The rescue team arrived around noon. I was shocked by their absurd speed, but when I saw who was leading them, it made sense.
The team included an S-Rank Hunter. But I couldn't be purely happy about it. The reason was...
"Father!"
"Jayoung! I'm so sorry! I wanted to rescue you immediately, but the situation was too critical. That's why I couldn't come until now!"
Ryu Gicheon, Ryu Jayoung's father, Sect Leader of the Hegemon Blade Sect, and China's S-Class Hunter known as the Heavenly Tyrant, had personally arrived.
Standing over 2.2 meters tall, his massive physique rivaled that of a bear. He had thick eyebrows, piercing eyes, a prominent nose, and full lips, set in a square-jawed face. He wore a flamboyant black robe straight out of a Chinese drama or film.
Hunters in martial attire stood around him, likely Ryu Gicheon's subordinates, all B-Class or higher in strength. Each carried a Demon-Slaying Blade on their back.
"I'm so relieved you're safe! Of course you'd be safe!"
Seeing him cradle Ryu Jayoung in his arms and dote on her, I suspected he had a weakness for his daughter.
I felt uneasy around him. If he ever realized the true nature of my relationship with Ryu Jayoung, he wouldn't let it slide.
"Jayoung, you must have led these people well to survive this long. Judging by the Black Tree, a Pylon must have appeared here too. How did you deal with it?"
"Father, what's a Pylon?"
"A white monster that walks on two legs and can speak. They possess intelligence similar to humans."
"I didn't defeat that monster. And I haven't been leading this village either."
"Not you? Then who...?"
Ryu Jayoung stared at me. Countless eyes, including Ryu Gicheon's, turned in my direction. I grinned.
"Surely you're not talking about that dazed-looking fellow surrounded by women?"
Yuria and Han Harin stood on either side of me.
Ryu Jayoung frowned.
"Father, 'dazed-looking'? He's a disciple of the Yeongcheon Style and a martial artist skilled enough to defeat me!"
"..."
Ryu Gicheon's expression hardened as he alternated his gaze between me and Ryu Jayoung. Whether he sensed the subtle shift in his third daughter's demeanor or instinctively recognized something amiss, he clearly suspected the nature of our relationship.
"Jayoung, what exactly is your connection to this man?"
"Our relationship is..."
Ryu Jayoung glanced at me.
Ryu Gicheon and I exchanged grave looks. Anyone could see it was the expression of a woman in love.
No. It's true we were having sex every chance we got until yesterday... but that was a mutual agreement! We're friends! Sex friends!
Ryu Jayoung had once demanded I take responsibility for her and even attacked me with a knife. Fortunately, I managed to win the fight, but our relationship remained intact under the guise of "sex friends."
For the record, Ryu Jayoung was the type of woman who wet herself every time she climaxed. While not quite on the level of Han Harin, such women are rare, so I cherished her quite a bit.
Before things could escalate, I stepped forward and greeted Ryu Gicheon. I made a fist with my right hand, extended my left palm, and clasped them together in a baoquan salute the traditional Chinese martial arts greeting that old-timers in the wuxia world go crazy for.
"It's an honor to meet you, Elder. I am Sung Yujin, a disciple of the Yeongcheon Style and a C-Rank Hunter from Korea who came to support China. I happened to meet Miss Ryu in this village, and we became... new friends."
"A disciple of the Yeongcheon Style? I've heard rumors of an unparalleled genius emerging from that sect! So it's you!"
"Haha. You flatter me."
"But... a friend of Jayoung?"
"Yes. Miss Ryu and I are friends."
"And what is your relationship with the young ladies beside you?"
"Ah. Neither of them speaks Chinese. This is Han Harin, my university senior and friend."
"...And the young lady beside her?"
"Yuria Grace. She's my maid."
"A maid?"
"A housekeeper. She's excellent at cleaning and cooking. Her meals are delicious. Yes, truly delicious."
He strode toward me, his imposing physique radiating an undeniable pressure. Yet I refused to back down.
I couldn't retreat with the women watching it would be too humiliating. Besides, Ryu Gicheon wouldn't dare kill me here.
"Sung Yujin, was it?"
"Yes."
"I can read faces. You have the classic features of a philanderer a face that could never be satisfied with just one woman."
"Ha ha. You have quite the wit, Elder. But I don't believe in face reading, nor in fortune-telling."
Ryu Gicheon stared intently at me.
"Tell me honestly, what's your relationship with Jayoung?"
"We're friends. Close friends, you could say. Oh, 'close friends' is just shorthand for 'intimate friends.'"
"I know that much myself! Don't treat me like an old man!"
"Ah, my apologies."
Ryu Gicheon wasn't someone I'd be seeing for long anyway. I'd be returning to Korea, while he'd remain in China.
I'll just tell Ryu Jayoung to come visit Korea sometime.
I decided to brazen it out.
"Father!"
It wasn't Ryu Jayoung's voice. This voice was slightly more mature.
Ryu Gicheon and I turned our gazes simultaneously toward the village entrance. A woman was rapidly approaching us using Lightness Technique. She wore a gray martial arts uniform and carried a Demon-Slaying Blade on her back. As she drew closer, Ryu Gicheon's subordinates bowed their heads and parted to make way. Ignoring their greetings, she strode directly toward Ryu Gicheon and me.
She looked remarkably like Ryu Jayoung, but her physique was incomparably larger. Not in the sense of being overweight, but literally larger in stature.
Nearly 1.9 meters tall, her figure, though concealed by her clothing, exuded a palpable fullness. Her body, honed by martial arts training, appeared firm and powerful. With a face so similar to Ryu Jayoung's, she was undoubtedly beautiful. Yet, in every aspect, her physical presence was simply larger.
She appeared to be in her early to mid-thirties.
"He's a benefactor! Don't pick a fight with him for no reason! Don't you realize Jayoung is safe thanks to him?!"
"Ah, no. I was just observing his facial features..." Ryu Gicheon stammered, completely flustered by her outburst.
"Facial features! Facial features, facial features! Aren't you tired of it?! Why don't you use your precious facial features to find my husband instead?!" Her voice boomed like thunder.
"Cheongseol-ah, listen to me. This man..."
"Father, please! Please stop with that ridiculous face reading! Because of that nonsense...!"
I was too preoccupied sizing her up to pay attention. The unnatural flatness of her chest suggested she was binding it tightly, likely using bandages like Ryu Jayoung.
Thanks to Ryu Jayoung, I can estimate bandage-bound chests pretty accurately. That size... definitely a J-cup! Absolutely a J-cup!
A J-cup was rare even in porn! And she was East Asian!
Heh heh heh... I never thought I'd encounter natural J-cups here. If they weren't natural, there'd be no reason to hide them so tightly. Heh heh...
I licked my lips and focused on Ryu Gicheon and Ryu Cheongseol's conversation. It turned out Ryu Gicheon had made a grave mistake with Ryu Cheongseol in the past, and she was definitely an old maid.
And Old Maids are easy to flirt with.
Having assessed the situation, I clasped my hands in a formal greeting.
"It's an honor to meet you! I am Sung Yujin, a disciple of the Yeongcheon Style and a friend of Miss Ryu Jayoung!"
"Oh my, how forgetful of me! It's a pleasure to meet you too. I'm Ryu Cheongseol, the Sect Mistress of the Hegemon Blade Sect and Jayoung's older sister. Welcome."
Ryu Cheongseol returned the formal greeting.
"Haha, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ryu."
"Miss Ryu...?"
"Ah, was that impolite? I didn't think there was much of an age difference between you and Miss Ryu Jayoung..."
"Hehehe. I've just been called Sect Mistress lately, so I was a little surprised. Call me whatever you like."
"Then I'll call you Miss Ryu. When we're with Miss Ryu Jayoung, I'll use her full name."
"I'll call you Seong Songhyeop."
"Ha ha. Ho ho." As they laughed together, Ryu Gicheon interjected with a disapproving expression.
"Cheongseol-ah! This scoundrel has the face of a philanderer. Don't trust his words so easily! He's not someone you can rely on!"
"Father! He's our benefactor! Don't be rude! Jayoung!"
"Yes, Unni."
Perhaps because they were sisters with over a decade's age difference, Ryu Jayoung treated Ryu Cheongseol with utmost respect.
"Gather the villagers with Father and prepare to leave for Lanzhou City. I need to speak with Young Master Seong for a moment."
"Understood, Unni."
Ryu Jayoung led Ryu Gicheon away. The doting father couldn't easily shake off his daughter's hand. The subordinates, who had been quietly observing, each returned to their duties, as if this were a familiar routine.