The moment the emergency contact network was activated, messages were sent out to all personnel in charge of the Gyodongdo request. It was a message from the boss who had been chewing them out just moments ago.
[All Gyodongdo request officers, assemble in the situation room within 30 minutes. Anyone late gets their skull cracked. If you think you'll be late, show your ID and hitch a ride in a police car if you have to.]
Why did it have to be my on-call day of all days? That thought didn't even have time to form properly in the officers' minds. The hunters participating in this request were about to take heavy losses.
With hunters already in short supply, they couldn't afford to lose them in such a senseless way.
"Move… move fast."
While hastily preparing briefing materials, they compiled a list of hunters who had responded to the emergency cooperation request and were capable of handling this situation.
"I'm here!"
One by one, the officers arrived.
"The list of hunters who agreed to emergency cooperation is basically done, right? Hurry up and secure transportation."
"I'll handle rallying the hunters, you take care of something else!"
"What about medical support?!"
"I've requested cooperation from a general hospital in Ganghwa!"
"Hey, are you not taking off that face mask on your mug?!"
"Huh? Aaagh, I forgot!"
The officers were all moving frantically, but no matter how urgent things were, there was always a minimum amount of time required to get things done.
Being impatient doesn't make work finish any faster.
"Fourth fatality reported!"
"Are you even guiding the hunters properly?! Are you trying to get everyone killed?!"
At that moment, one of the officers who had been on the phone spoke up, his face pale.
"The hunters who responded to the reinforcement request have arrived at Gyodongdo… but they've encountered monsters. The interference is making it difficult to land."
A heavy silence fell over the situation room. At the very least, if they'd managed to land, they could have held out there while waiting for reinforcements—but even that wasn't possible.
"Change the rendezvous point."
"If we redirect them to a new rendezvous point right now…"
"I know, damn it. But what other choice do we have?"
At those words, everyone swallowed hard and followed the order, changing the rendezvous point. More casualties would follow.
Amid the growing tension, one of the staff members working away suddenly shouted in an incongruously bright voice.
"We've received reports that the monsters are disappearing!"
The room erupted into murmurs. There was only one thing a sudden, mass disappearance of monsters could mean.
The destruction of the erosion source.
Just as the controller in the situation room was about to order an investigation into the cause, another report came in from the opposite side.
"We've received a message from Hunter Yoo Chan-seok, who was previously listed as missing!"
"What? Wasn't he inside the erosion source? There shouldn't be any signal at all!"
"This is critical! Putting the message on the central screen!"
With a sharp flicker, the message supposedly sent by that rookie hunter appeared on the screen.
[The alpha erosion source on Gyodongdo has been neutralized as of this time.]
Everyone rubbed their eyes and reread the words on the screen.
"Have you locked onto Hunter Yoo Chan-seok's position?"
The signal from the rookie hunter who had been considered missing was now being detected again.
"His location matches exactly where the alpha erosion source on Gyodongdo was situated."
"This… this is…"
All the officers who had been rushing around froze with stunned expressions. He took out an erosion source by himself? A hunter on his very first assignment?
Eliminating a Grade-3 erosion source on a first mission.
There had never been a hunter capable of that. Well—there was one. The very first hunter. But that person was practically a legend.
To think that Yoo Chan-seok had accomplished something only a living legend of this world had ever done.
If that were the case… then—
Rather than the title of "the first," this would mean something even greater to the people.
Not long after sending the message, a phone call came in.
"Yes, this is Yoo Chan-seok."
— Hunter Yoo Chan-seok. First of all, I'd like to express our gratitude.
The countless messages that had piled up on my smartphone flashed through my mind.
"Looks like a lot happened while I was out."
— Would it be all right if we continued the detailed discussion after you return?
That sounded like something the police would say to a drunk.
"The atmosphere's completely changed."
It had been a gloomy island even in broad daylight, but now, despite it being night, the air felt entirely different. Fresh—like the kind of clarity you only feel in untouched nature.
Maybe it was because the alpha erosion source was gone. After checking the messages and confirming the rendezvous point, I headed there.
At the rendezvous point, not only hunters but also medical staff were waiting.
"Hunter Yoo Chan-seok… you're… unharmed."
Kim Min-jae spoke to me, his face worn with exhaustion. He seemed oddly hesitant.
Not just him—other hunters were looking at me in ways that felt burdensome.
"Thanks to you, we survived."
Kim Min-jae was injured. In fact, among the hunters gathered here, it was hard to find anyone who wasn't hurt.
"We weren't taught that monsters from a Grade-3 erosion source could move that systematically."
Then Han Sang-ah limped over to greet me. Her awkward gait was memorable, so I tossed out a joking remark.
"What is it, did you hunt a whale or something?"
"Whaling has been officially banned in Korea since November 1, 1985."
"The whale I meant wasn't that kind of whale… never mind."
Honestly, you don't even need to hunt whales.
It's only been about a day since we started moving together, yet I can already tell exactly what kind of person she is. Plain, transparent—and strangely odd.
"Hunter Han Sang-ah was impressive too. You handled the work of three or four people on your own—no, even more."
At Kim Min-jae's words, Han Sang-ah shook her head.
"I received a lot of help."
"What help did I provide, really?"
The exchange was strangely heartwarming. Are you two planning to get a room tonight or something? Judging by looks alone, Han Sang-ah's kind of a waste.
Thinking that, I turned my gaze away. In the midst of all these injured hunters, five men in suits spotted me and started walking over.
They all looked pretty worn out. The man walking slightly ahead greeted me.
"I'm Byun Jeong-tae, branch chief of the Korea Operating Corporation, Gyeonggi–Incheon Northern District Branch 3. Are you Hunter Yoo Chan-seok?"
A branch chief, huh. If this were the police, what rank would that be equivalent to?
"Yes, nice to meet you. I'm Yoo Chan-seok."
"May I have a moment of your time?"
Branch Chief Byun Jeong-tae said that and led me to a temporary tent that had been set up.
He cleared his throat and then spoke.
"During the resolution of this sudden emergency, Hunter Yoo Chan-seok played a key role."
I replied in a calm, gentle tone.
"Honestly, if you'd listened a bit more seriously to the message I sent at the very beginning, there's a chance the damage could have been reduced."
I warned you. Clearly. And you didn't listen. Branch Chief Byun fell silent.
"Regarding that matter, there will be clear follow-up measures."
"Is that so?"
At my words, Byun Jeong-tae nodded.
"The operation for this request was conducted under my command. Naturally, I will take responsibility for the current situation and submit a written report, along with accepting a pay reduction for a certain period."
What is this—does he not have a family to support? A corporation like this is a public enterprise. It's rare for someone at the level of a branch chief at a public corporation to so readily accept a blemish on their record.
"Even if I don't raise an issue about this matter, will those measures still be carried out?"
If he'd spouted some hollow nonsense about recognizing the problem and striving to improve, I wouldn't have asked that.
Someone who takes responsibility instead of shifting blame—he's a rare breed. And rare breeds' mistakes are worth overlooking at least once. Byun Jeong-tae answered me.
"In that case, it won't go as far as a pay reduction, but I will still submit the written report."
I nodded at that.
"Oh, by the way—will the portion of your salary that gets cut be transferred into my bank account? If so, I might be inclined to make an issue of it."
At my words, Byun Jeong-tae gave a faint smile and shook his head.
"Then I won't make an issue of it."
In truth, it wasn't just the Operating Corporation that ignored my warning—the hunters did too.
Everyone ignored what I said, but it's kind of ridiculous that only the branch chief ends up being punished for it.
"You look tired."
"Huh? Ah, yes. I came straight here after commanding the field operation once the situation was resolved."
Guess their job is extreme too.
"I stayed up all night anyway. How about we talk over a cup of coffee?"
"That sounds good. Just a moment. We have some supplies that were delivered to the hunters who were active on Gyodong Island."
At my words, Branch Chief Byun Jeong-tae immediately stood up and brought back two cups of instant coffee.
"A report about Hunter Yoo Chan-seok should have already reached Incheon City Hall."
"I hope the report only says good things."
At that, Byun Jeong-tae scratched his head and replied with an awkward expression.
"He did ignore the damdangja's messages and contacts and approached the Alpha Erosion Source on his own, but the results were good, weren't they? Not only the Incheon Integrated Branch, but City Hall is showing interest as well."
I watched his expression for a moment before speaking.
"Sounds like something's bothering you."
At my words, Branch Chief Byun looked at me briefly, then, as if he'd made up his mind, asked a question.
"Hunter Yoo Chan-seok… may I ask what your purpose is in continuing your activities?"
I answered without hesitation.
"If there's a clogged toilet spewing filth, someone has to run straight into that overflowing sewage and unclog it."
"…I see."
After hearing my answer, Byun Jeong-tae spoke carefully.
"You're going to become famous. Capable hunters gain enormous popularity. Companies will want you in advertisements, and TV programs may try to recruit you."
City Hall would probably send a fancy plaque of appreciation, and reporters would swarm to write articles. I could tell roughly what he was getting at.
"You're worried I'll get ruined by it."
At my words, Byun Jeong-tae drained his coffee in one go and set the cup down.
"Yes. There are many cases where hunters with promising futures lose sight of their duty after getting intoxicated by popularity and fame."
After finishing his sentence, he scratched his head roughly.
"The moment you cross the ceasefire line, an erosion zone crawling with dangerous monsters spreads out before you. That place is hell."
Everyone knows how dangerous the front near the ceasefire line is. Byun Jeong-tae continued.
"Korea is the only place completely safe from those monsters and erosion sources."
"It's called the last remaining sanctuary on Earth."
Byun Jeong-tae nodded at my words.
"Back to the point—what you accomplished this time is tremendous. Many people who are in desperate situations and need hope will be paying attention to you. That's what worries me."
It's like when a promising athlete films too many commercials and appears on TV too often, leaving no time to train and losing their edge.
Hunters are the same. Byun Jeong-tae was worried that all the attention would go to my head and that I'd end up devaluing myself.
"Thank you for the advice."
Honestly, I've lived too long and suffered too much to be swayed by things like that.
I was about to continue the conversation when Branch Chief Byun's smartphone suddenly rang.
"Just a moment."
After answering the call and speaking briefly, he ended it and looked straight at me.
"The mayor would like to meet you."
The mayor of Incheon? Looks like Byun Jeong-tae wasn't wrong. What I handled must have made quite an impression on the public.
"Sounds good. Come to think of it, we never agreed on how much additional compensation I'd get for dealing with a Grade-3 infection source, did we?"
The request I accepted was to patrol Gyodong Island and report or handle any additional erosion sources if they appeared.
There had been no mention of payment for taking down a Grade-3 erosion source. If the mayor was meeting me personally, this would be a good chance to negotiate.