Translator: Vine
Translated At: Nyx Scans
Chapter: 109
#109. Colony of the Dead (1)
2022.11.17.
It was a stroke of luck that the announcement reached E-Class Clown Ahjussi.
According to rumors, the Association was planning a massive operation.
Furthermore, apart from the Association, Doctor Plant was also separately recruiting combat personnel.
Though he didn't know the details, if he could just participate, he might be able to earn several years' worth of salary, or even more.
There was just one thing that bothered him.
The fact that such a high amount was guaranteed, and that personnel were being secretly summoned to the Gangwon-do branch instead of the headquarters, made him certain that this was no ordinary matter.
It was possible that lives could be on the line.
However.
'Honey, I think we'll be a little short on Minji's tutoring fees next month... Should we cut back on one of her academies?'
—The deliberation wasn't long.
'Dad, you're going on a long business trip this time, right?'
'Yes. I'll earn a lot of money. Our daughter, don't worry about anything and just study hard. You trust Dad, right?'
His only daughter, so precious he wouldn't mind putting her in his eyes.
For her sake, even his life was not too dear.
Jiiing—
The phone he was holding vibrated once more.
[Princess Minji♥] [8:54 AM] Dad why arent u replying?
[Princess Minji♥] [8:54 AM] My class is starting noww
[Princess Minji♥] [8:54 AM] Have a safe trip hehe!! Dont forget souvenirs when u come back!!!
Just looking at the text messages, it felt as if his daughter's cheerful voice was playing in his ears.
The father, with a gentle smile, hurriedly sent a reply before his daughter could get sulky.
[Me] [8:55 AM] Okay,,, I love you my daughter,,
[Me] [8:55 AM] Vigorously today too~,,, Aja aja fighting~~~!!?^^
Clown Ahjussi, having conveyed another positive message to his daughter today, just like yesterday, put away his phone with a satisfied face.
Not long after that, a woman in a neat suit appeared on the podium.
"First, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the hunters who have gathered here today. I am Oh Heeseo, a healing hunter affiliated with the Rose Guild. I operate under the alias 'Silver Plum Blossom'."
Silver Plum Blossom tucked her short bob behind her ear and then subtly gestured with her eyes to the agents standing beside her.
"First, please fill out the consent form we are distributing now."
The agents, following a predetermined route, distributed A4-sized consent forms to the hunters gathered there.
Clown Ahjussi scanned the distributed form with his eyes.
The first page was nothing special.
A clause stating that all matters to be heard from now on were prohibited from external disclosure.
And the next page...
Flutter—
Clown Ahjussi, flipping the paper, froze.
<Rose Guild bears no responsibility for accidents arising from the Awakened's lack of combat proficiency, personal negligence, disobedience of orders, or refusal of healing during the preparation and execution of the operation.>
It was a sentence that made one quite hesitant to sign readily.
It felt more like a pledge than a consent form.
This was especially true for concept hunters with little combat experience.
Of course, he knew that when hunters joined a guild or participated in gate subjugations, they had to sign a consent form with similar content.
It could be called a sort of ritual.
Rustle, rustle...
Most of the hunters gathered there moved their pens without much thought.
As if signing up for an online shopping mall, they lightly signed the blank spaces without even properly reading the contents.
Silver Plum Blossom continued her briefing on this operation while the hunters gathered there signed the consent forms.
"The Association speculates that a massive gate will soon open in the South Coast region. Our Rose Guild, in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances, intends to form a support unit separate from the four units prepared by the Association."
In summary, that was it.
The Association planned to form a total of four combat units: the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and a special mission unit.
The hunters gathered here would not belong to any of the aforementioned main units, but would belong to a support unit separately formed by Doctor Plant.
Therefore, the criteria were relatively lower than for the personnel recruited by the Association.
Of course, the remuneration would also be lower, but this much was something.
Clown Ahjussi absolutely had to seize this opportunity.
However, contrary to his determination, another mountain lay before him.
"Our Rose Guild promises to spare no healing support for the safety of not only the main units but also all of you belonging to the support units. However, as a major battle is anticipated, the Association insists that a demonstration of your combat capabilities is unavoidable. Therefore, we plan to conduct a simple qualification test in Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon-do."
The surroundings began to stir.
Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon-do.
However, modern people, from a certain point, no longer called it Cheorwon.
Forbidden zone, Korea's Chernobyl, or...
'Colony of the Dead.'
Though it had a rather eerie name, it wasn't actually a very dangerous place.
A C-Class gate that appeared about 20 years ago on Bokgye Mountain (福桂山) in Cheorwon.
To be precise, it referred to the remnants of that gate.
Unlike the modern era, it was a time when there was a shortage of supplies and Awakened personnel, as well as no rift detectors, or what are commonly called Gate Readers (tools that help identify the grade and coordinates of general gates) in modern times.
Due to the delayed subjugation, the gate went berserk, and more than half of Bokgye Mountain was overrun by monster hordes.
Fortunately, the said gate was a relatively less threatening C-Class, and its appearance location was a mountainside rather than a city center.
Most of the monsters were skeletons, i.e., Undead-type, and since their levels were around 5 to 10, the subjugation work itself wasn't very arduous.
The creatures had a strange characteristic.
If they strayed beyond a certain area, the creatures, whose bodies were made only of bones, would collapse like Jenga blocks.
Perhaps because the creatures themselves knew this.
The Undead formed their own colony in the mountains.
There had been no cases of them coming down to the city and attacking civilians so far.
The government and the Association decided to use this fact to their advantage.
"As you all know, Bokgye Mountain is now periodically subjugated by agents, and at times, it is also used as a tutorial field for novice hunters."
They decided to designate Bokgye Mountain as a civilian no-entry zone and manage it.
"The content of this South Coast operation support qualification test is to obtain as many skeleton cores as possible there. The final selected applicants will be determined by relative evaluation, and therefore, the number of cores to be obtained is not specified."
Time limit is 10 hours.
Withdrawal possible midway.
Party play possible.
Silver Plum Blossom, having explained that far, broadly scanned the hunters gathered there and finally added.
"Those who wish to leave may do so now."
Despite her words, none of the hundred or so hunters gathered there stood up as if they had been waiting.
Except for Clown Ahjussi, just one person.
'A support qualification test in the Colony of the Dead...?'
Gulp.
He silently swallowed dry saliva.
Even though all that was left was to sign the last blank space, his hand didn't move easily.
Of course, as Silver Plum Blossom said, the test difficulty itself wouldn't be very high.
Contrary to his firm resolve, there was no need to risk his life.
However...
'Friend, I've decided to quit being a concept hunter starting today.'
'What? Then what will you do for a living?'
'I'm thinking of becoming a combat hunter. I heard the Wish Guild is holding a Bokgye Mountain tutorial this time, and I plan to participate.'
'Isn't it too dangerous since you've never properly done combat before?'
'It's fine. The difficulty is only around C-Class, and the level of monsters appearing is also low. If worst comes to worst, I can just come out of the forest.'
It was about 20 years ago.
When his friend, who had left for Bokgye Mountain for a tutorial, went missing.
Neither his body nor even a single strand of his hair was found anywhere near Bokgye Mountain, including the mountain itself.
According to the testimony of those who participated in the tutorial together, and the Wish Guild executives, there was no man with such an appearance.
Meaning, no one there had seen him or remembered him.
At that time, a hunter going missing was a common occurrence.
It would eventually be recorded as an unsolved case even now.
However, Clown Ahjussi had a lingering suspicion.
That something might have happened in the 'Colony of the Dead'.
Of course, there was no basis for it, but he felt that way.
Perhaps he just wanted to believe that his friend wouldn't disappear so tracelessly, without any news.
"..."
Clown Ahjussi, recalling his friend, couldn't easily sign the last blank space before him.
However.
'Dad! When I go to college next year—'
The moment he recalled his daughter's face, Clown Ahjussi moved the pen he was holding as if possessed.
—Sometimes, there were things one had to be prepared for simply because one was a parent.
Just like now.
Perhaps that friend had also been like that.
Finally, after everyone had finished signing, Rose Guild members who had been waiting nearby divided the routes by row and collected the consent forms.
"...Then I'll assume everyone is participating."
The applicants who exited the underground auditorium boarded the buses prepared in advance by Rose.
Clown Ahjussi, after confirming his assigned vehicle number, found the corresponding bus.
Hunters had already taken their seats inside the bus.
Among them, some groups had already promised to party play and were drawing up specific plans.
Clown Ahjussi scanned the entire bus, looking for a place to sit.
Almost all seats were taken, but there was only one empty spot.
"Excuse me, may I sit here—"
Clown Ahjussi, who was subtly leaning his head towards the woman sitting by the window, abruptly stopped moving.
"Yes."
A calm voice replied.
The moment their eyes met, a memory flashed through Clown Ahjussi's mind like a thunderbolt.
How could he forget?
<Minji's Gift.>
Princess of Dark Flare.
A concept hunter he had appeared on a special broadcast with a few months ago.
Korean Hunter Jurisdiction Association Headquarters, Top Floor.
"President, the buses carrying the applicants to Bokgye Mountain have just departed."
"I see."
At the report from his subordinate Gwanghyun, Association President Daeyoon immediately asked.
"What about Phantom Thief?"
"We haven't been able to reach her. It seems..."
Gwanghyun trailed off.
There was no need to hear the rest.
She probably had no intention of responding to the Association's summons this time either.
It was nothing new.
Though he had contacted her just in case, he hadn't placed high expectations on Phantom Thief Kang Ayeon from the beginning.
However, it would be a lie to say he wasn't disappointed.
Phantom Thief was a hunter who primarily dealt with dark attributes.
Moreover, an S-Class.
If they could recruit her for this operation, she would probably be an asset worth several tens of people.
Especially now that the absence of S-Class hunters Baekya and Trickster was certain.
If they offered a jaw-dropping amount of remuneration, it might be possible to borrow her strength.
Just like during the Pyeongchang S-Class Gate 3 years ago.
'But to do that...'
Daeyoon pressed his temples firmly.
At the time of the Pyeongchang S-Class Gate appearance, the employment fee Phantom Thief demanded was a staggering 9 billion won.
And that was the amount after discounting it on the condition of handing over the relic-grade item 'Forbidden Book Orpheus' dropped by the boss monster.
Phantom Thief had a shrewd side, unbelievable for her age, when it came to calculating profit and loss.
Naturally, her 'calculations' didn't include even an iota of hunter's duty or responsibility.
'I'm really sorry, but realistically, 9 billion won seems a bit tight. Since it's for the sake of our country, could you perhaps lower it a little more—'
'Hmm, not long ago, the Rendezvous Guild in France said they had something urgent to discuss. Could it be a scout offer? Probably not, right? But just in case, should I meet them once?'
Ayeon smiled, her pretty pink eyes, like azaleas, narrowing.
'...I'll prepare it.'
In front of her, Daeyoon was defeated.
Just imagining how much she would demand this time as a condition for participating in the South Coast Gate made his spine tingle.
He judged it would be more realistic to hire a large number of other applicants with that money instead.
So he did.
Coincidentally, Doctor Plant had said she planned to form a support unit including healing hunters separately, so he decided to allocate a portion of the budget there.
Daeyoon picked up the thick bundle of documents before him.
It was the list of applicants for the South Coast Gate operation, forwarded by Rose.
Certainly, there were some useful hunters mixed in, but excluding a few, most were inexperienced hunters compared to the main unit, both in terms of rank and experience.
Therefore, Daeyoon proposed a qualification test for the applicants to Doctor Plant.
Unlike the past when Awakened were indiscriminately pushed into gates, the modern era had clear guidelines and principles.
Daeyoon, sitting in the Association President's seat, could by no means ignore them, nor should he.
However, that wasn't the only reason he proposed the qualification test.
"That person?"
As the Association President, flipping through the list, casually asked, Gwanghyun replied calmly, as if he knew he would ask.
"Princess of Dark Flare also boarded the bus."
At Gwanghyun's answer, Association President Daeyoon recalled the Monkey King who had visited here yesterday.
'You're not putting the Princess of Dark Flare in the main unit?'
Yoo Hwan blinked as if he had heard something absurd, then soon smiled meaningfully.
'...You'll regret it.'
Daeyoon still didn't fully understand the meaning of that smile.
The Monkey King insisted on putting the Princess of Dark Flare in the 1st unit he led.
However, that couldn't be done.
Among the five units of the South Coast Gate operation, the 1st unit was the vanguard attack unit led by the Monkey King.
For reference, the 2nd unit was a small elite unit led by the 6 members of Corps, excluding Trickster, and the 3rd unit was a treatment unit commanded by Doctor Plant.
What remained was the special mission unit...
Here, the special mission unit was a 200-member rear attack unit led by Baekrang Shin Siwoo, scheduled to move separately from the aforementioned three units.
A joker card, so to speak.
However, unlike the 1st and 2nd units, the command authority of the special mission unit rested solely with Baekrang Shin Siwoo, and therefore, the Association's influence could not enter into any judgments, including advance and retreat orders.
Finally, the support unit that Doctor Plant was separately recruiting by investing the Association's support funds and even her own private funds.
This was a so-called 'pawn (卒兵)' unit, added to be able to supplement combat personnel at any time in case of a shortage.
'Excluding Doctor Plant's 3rd unit, composed of healing hunters, it's as clear as day that the support unit will have the lowest combat power compared to the remaining units.'
Of course, the Princess of Dark Flare was a hunter possessing both fire and dark attributes, something the Association dearly wished for.
For some reason, she had also gained the full trust of the Monkey King.
However, for that reason alone, she couldn't just be 'rightly' put into the 1st unit.
If only the Princess of Dark Flare was assigned to the 1st unit, it would surely incur the resentment of the remaining applicants.
That would be a shortcut leading to a decline in morale.
There was also a safety issue.
From Daeyoon's perspective, putting an F-Class hunter in the 1st unit was not much different from letting someone without even a Class 2 driver's license take the wheel of a bus.
'However...'
Rustle, rustle—
His fingers, flipping through the applicant list, stopped on one page.
Princess of Dark Flare.
Lee Yura.
From Hae eul-myeon, Mallye-eup, Gyeongsangnam-do.
Residing in Banha-dong, Seoul.
...Graduate of Pocheon Hunter Training Center, 126th class.
'I inquired with the instructors at the training center at the time, but no one remembered a trainee named Lee Yura.'
The image of the Princess of Dark Flare from the TV entertainment program Gwanghyun had shown him before came to mind.
The arm-wrestling scene with the B-Class hunter Windmaker was still vivid in his mind.
Daeyoon, examining the Princess of Dark Flare's profile, silently stroked his chin.
Trickster, Phantom Thief, Baekya.
The absence of three S-Classes.
And amidst that, a hunter strongly recommended by the Monkey King.
Indeed, this person...
"Contact Rose."
Daeyoon, closing the applicant list, stood up from his seat.
"I'm going to the Gangwon-do branch."
—I need to see for myself.
