Auto Hunting (Web Novel KR)

Episode 88

…

After the hunt…

Kim Ji-woo sat at the debriefing.

He began to tell the story, one that he would repeat countless times to other people.

It all started with Oh Yoo-seong falling from the sky. The man they thought was gone forever asked him what the current situation was.

Kim Ji-woo informed him that the rift size had grown unexpectedly, leaving them with a disproportionately small number of hunters deployed.

“He looked at me straight in the eye,” Kim Ji-woo described. “Then he said…”

…

“Let’s get to work.”

Kim Ji-woo felt uncomfortable with Yoo-seong’s tone. It was clear that he didn’t understand the gravity of the situation.

‘Did I somehow mess up my explanation? ‘Kim Ji-woo doubted himself.

The crack had already grown to a Storm-class.

Even if Yoo-seong could block the Shantigas at the outer area, more monsters would be pouring out soon. No matter how skilled the hunters were, they couldn’t split themselves in two. The problem was the range of the rift.

Whether it was Oh Yoo-seong or Lee Jae-hak, they couldn’t cover a distance of hundreds of meters alone.

“If the reinforcements do not arrive as soon as possible… we have a really huge problem.”

Kim Ji-woo was a little embarrassed as he said this.

Yoo-seong’s expression was like that of someone who had just been told a household appliance was broken. He looked as if the problem was a little annoying but could easily be fixed.

“Can you lend me a phone?” Yoo-seong asked Ji-woo.

“Yes?”

“Your phone. Is it connected to the central control center?”

Kim Ji-woo nodded. The terminals were set up so that any hunter in operation had a direct line to the control room.

Of course, it was only to be used for difficult situations that management needed to know about. Kim Ji-woo immediately pulled out his phone and handed it over.

He later learned that the phone call would save everyone’s lives.

***

At the central control center operated by the Special Defense Agency, the atmosphere was in chaos.

“Please check the evacuation status!”

“There is no precedent…”

“We can’t just wait to…”

“The fire department and the police department in other districts must…”

The crack had expanded significantly faster than expected, rendering the plans prepared by the Defense Agency useless.

“Reinforcement team,” Yang Chang-guk’s voice was raised, “report estimated arrival time…”

He soon lowered his head.

They had just finished identifying available hunters and military support. Thankfully, the waiting time had been reduced to the minimum.

Ten minutes.

All they could do now was pray that there would be no monster wave during those ten minutes.

“Director!” an employee called for his attention. “Situation report from a field hunter!”

He nodded, and the employee sent the call to the speakerphone. A voice came through the speakers.

It wasn’t just the Special Defense Agency director, Yang Chang-guk, who raised his head.

-Central control, can you hear me?

Every employee in the control center soon stopped what they were doing.

It was not easy to recognize a voice that had been amplified through a speaker. However, the owner of the voice was someone who had left a deep impression on everyone’s mind.

Yang Chang-guk and the others couldn’t mistake it for anyone else’s.

“Yes. I’m listening… Oh Yoo-seong?”

Everyone was exchanging astonished glances.

-Yes, Director Yang.

Yang Chang-guk fell silent. He felt his chest fill with emotions.

The disappearance of Oh Yoo-seong had shaken everyone in the Korean hunting industry. However, now was not the time to wonder at his miraculous return.

Yang Chang-guk composed himself.

“Welcome back.”

-Thank you.

It was far from the welcome celebration that he deserved. However, it was all Yang Chang-guk could do for now.

-From now on, please convey this to all areas as a briefing. There are ways to minimize the damage…

Yoo-seong began to explain his plan as concisely as possible. It took just a little more than a minute.

Everyone at the control center fully understood.

What Yoo-seong advised was immediately sent out as a briefing. After hearing it, everyone felt giddy.

The voice was persuasive, and everyone found themselves acting accordingly.

“That…”

“It makes sense…”

They couldn’t believe it.

It was the same with Yang Chang-guk. In the end, he trusted Yoo-seong’s proposal and moved the control center according to his plan.

Yang Chang-guk clenched his fist as he realized what had happened. He had just taken responsibility for what Yoo-seong said.

If Yoo-seong could make him do such a thing…

This country might have a new “single.”

…

“Long live Korea. How comfortable it is because a system is in place.”

Yoo-seong sighed in relief as he handed the phone back to Kim Ji-woo. Then he pressed the button and started ‘working.’

Tatataht-!

In the world beyond the crack, the glowing rift appeared inviting to the monsters. If one or two fell through while passing by, it was not a big deal.

However, sometimes, herd-type monsters could get out of it.

Other times, apex predators moved toward the rift, causing other monsters to be driven out as well, in an escape to flee them. That was the official definition of a ‘monster wave.’

The wave had not come yet.

Bang-!

It was the Spider Walk with maximum acceleration. Yoo-seong stepped on the walls of buildings and street posts underneath the massive crack.

He was rapidly passing through the operation area in a swirling direction, drawing circles around the area.

“There!”

“It’s really Oh Yoo-seong!”

Hunters along the streets that Yoo-seong passed through couldn’t help but greet him with surprised cries. The updated briefing messages had begun to arrive on their phones.

-All hunters in the operation area should climb up to the tallest buildings nearby.-

-Hunting will commence from the rooftops of the buildings.-

-Long-range personnel must prioritize flying monsters.-

-Close-range personnel must cover the long-range personnel.-

-Important: No personnel should go outside the buildings, even if there are no flying monsters.-

This was what Yoo-seong had ordered through the control center.

Honestly, Yoo-seong was a little worried when he made the call. No matter how much Yoo-seong’s name was worth, the plan would fail if the control center did not believe him.

It was a plan that was hard to believe.

However, because he was directly connected to Yang Chang-guk, who trusted him well, Yoo-seong got a chance. This was an opportunity to apply the secrets he had learned during the last six months inside the crack.

Of course, experimenting with his skills was not his main priority; it was to end the operation without any casualties.

Yoo-seong swirled and gradually approached the center of the crack.

He was almost at the very center when he noticed it.

Bang-!

He stopped in his tracks. A team of hunters was camped out on the street. A hunter who was in his forties approached Yoo-seong.

“I’m Kang Dong-wook.”

Although not a ranker, he was a veteran Platinum-seal hunter who had been a team leader since the cracks began to appear. He had vast experience and was proud of his skills. However, he couldn’t understand the purpose of Yoo-seong’s instructions.

“Was that you? Did you tell the control center to put out such… such a nonsensical briefing?”

Yoo-seong nodded.

“I don’t know what your intention is. I know that flying-type monsters are dangerous.”

Of course, the most threatening beasts to civilians at the moment were the flying type. They could cover great distances in an instance. The rooftops would be the best place to intercept them.

Kang Dong-wook understood that much.

“You want to put all our firepower on the rooftops. What are you thinking, giving those instructions?”

If they did as Yoo-seong ordered, the hunters could easily block the flight-type monsters.

But what was the point if they missed all the monsters on the ground?

Yoo-seong’s expression was unreadable. At this, Kang Dong-wook’s face flushed.

“You want everyone to stay on the roofs and wait for the flight type that may not come? It’s not too late, even now. I don’t know what your plan is, but we can still…”

Kang Dong-wook suddenly fell silent. He sent a warning look to Yoo-seong.

A Monkey Viper was hiding next to a fifth-floor window. Kang Dong-wook slowly pulled out his Geller Gun as the monster leaped towards Yoo-seong.

“Like this trash…”

Tub-!

Before he could fire his Geller Gun, Yoo-seong blocked its muzzle with his palm.

“What?! Hey, hey!” Kang Dong-wook was shocked.

He tried to pull his gun away from Yoo-seong and aim once more, but Yoo-seong’s grip was firm. Meanwhile, the Monkey Viper was approaching, gliding towards Yoo-seong in a perfect parabola.

Kang Dong-wook’s eyes widened as he foresaw a catastrophe.

However…

The Monkey Viper didn’t reach them. Because Yoo-seong’s ‘work’ had done its job.

Yoo-seong didn’t even have to turn around to look at it.

Plok-!

Plok-!

The sound of chunks of flesh falling to the ground echoed. Yoo-seong stared deeply into Kang Dong-wook’s eyes.

There was no need for further explanation.

“Hurry up, please,” Yoo-seong told him. “We don’t know when the wave will come.”

“Ah… yes, yes.”

Kang Dong-wook had now perfectly understood.

He turned to his team members, who were as shocked as him upon witnessing what happened.

“Everyone, go up!”

Kang Dong-wook also took out his radio to advise the other team members who weren’t with them.

“I made a mistake. All teams… cancel your current positions and move quickly according to the briefing.”

He hesitated a little before adding.

“Never. Never come out of the buildings.”

Kang Dong-wook then followed Yoo-seong with his eyes.

Yoo-seong’s head hovered just below the crack. Then he went down to the ground, to the very center of the crack.

Considering that he had run through the operation area so effortlessly, he looked strangely exhausted.

Yoo-seong looked up at the sky, then closed his eyes for a bit. It would have been best if the crack had remained silent as it was just then, but…

Jeeeing-!

Finally, the wave came.

species began pouring out the length of the Storm-class crack. Hunters watched with their mouths wide open.

Even if they weren’t on the rooftops, it would be impossible to stop them all.

“Don’t we have to go to the streets now and stop them?” a hunter asked.

“No,” Kang Dong-wook answered. “Trust him.”

Then he turned his muzzle to the sky. “Our job is to stop the flying monsters.”

Kang Dong-wook began firing with all his heart as if he was trying to make up for doubting Yoo-seong.

Papapapapapat-!

Amid the monsters and the bullets flying in the air, Yoo-seong’s eyes remained closed. This was because the air wasn’t his realm.

His area was the ground.

Countless monsters were falling to the ground now.

Sha-a-a-ah!

Syringe Lizard-★★★★★

These were cruel beasts who drove their pointed tails into the body of their prey and sucked their blood. One of them was falling towards Yoo-seong, its yellow eyes flashing greedily.

The moment its distance was less than ten meters from Yoo-seong’s head-

“Hueup-.”

Yoo-seong took a deep breath, and-

-Flame-

A flame appeared around Yoo-seong in the form of a black dragon.

Then it blew fire into the cobweb that covered the operation area he had passed through.

Yoo-seong had filled the area with Ki threads not visible to the naked eye.

Monsters fell through it like tofu through blades, chunks of their flesh scattering in the air.

Beneath the vast crack, the screams of Yoo-seong’s prey filled the entire operating area. They were caught in Yoo-seong’s Giant Flaming Spider Web.

After some time, Yoo-seong opened his eyes. The crack was now closing.

The sky had turned peaceful again.

Yoo-seong borrowed another hunter’s phone to call the central control office.

Then…

His word arrived on every hunter’s phone as a briefing message.

-Thank you.

…

It all happened according to Yang Chang-guk’s guess. Less than an hour after the situation ended, the announcement came.

Yoo-seong was considered a ‘single’.

The hunters in the field informed Yoo-seong of it and congratulated him. However, Yoo-seong himself remained silent.

Then, after a while, he opened his mouth.

“What is that?”