Chapter 366. Let Do It, Honorary Firefighter of South Korea
The alien man paused while removing the burnt parts of the frozen pork cutlet and turned around. Then he went back to where his phone was and answered the call.
"Ah. Yeah. Yoonseung-ah."
By the way, it did cost a lot, but was it really a good idea to co to a mansion with floor-to-ceiling windows? Through those windows, the snow-covered yard could be seen.
The alien landlord, burdened with a debt of 30 billion won, took in the scenery of the world outside as he spoke on the phone. By now, the voice of another person he had grown so accustod to was coming—strangely enough—from his own body.
"What's the matter?"
But then, what do you know? After a long conversation through the dium of a shared cigarette, an interesting piece of news reached the alien's ears.
"Huh?"
For reference, when listening in, Koreans' phone conversations tend to have this kind of vibe.
"Huh? Ooh, okay."
However, on the other side of the speaker, a fairly significant incident was clearly being conveyed...
"Mm. Yeah. Yeah. I got it. Let's wrap up the call for now. I'll head to the site imdiately. No, you don't need to apologize at all. On the contrary, I really appreciate you reaching out."
The alien being spoke these words and truly ended the call imdiately.
Tuk.
Sothing urgent had co up, so everything seed to be moving quickly.
"Outdoor clothes! Get on now."
By the way, he wasn't sure if this was really sothing to be happy about. Anyway, the alien, alone in the spacious living room, hurriedly donned his winter suit.
"Hahaha. Finally, a chance to take in a ton of money has co."
Though his expression was dark, inside he was practically beaming just the sa.
"Moreover, this matter is one where the richer I beco, the happier everyone will be. Where in the world is there a better form of opportunism than this?"
A mont later, the archmage dramatically changed outfits, even showing off his psychokinesis.
But why was soone who hadn't even earned enough to pay for als in recent weeks—due to interference from other S-rank hunters—suddenly delighted by talk of money? And what matter could the acquaintance, Ahn Yoonseung, be calling about? To explain all of this, there was actually a very simple sentence. It was just about as straightforward as the mont an alien ruined a frozen al.
***
There was a burning sll.
...
The crackling of sparks. And the sll of sothing burning, sharp and pungent. Familiar sensations stread in one after another, riding through the air into his senses.
[City Safety Publicity Office]
[Beware of Winter Fires!]
At this very mont, the thing that caught his eye was that very poster. At the nearby administrative welfare center, notices warned everyone to be careful with fire this season. The black-haired man, staring at it, soon began to think.
"Winter is definitely a season when fires break out easily."
The humidity is low. Above all, it's cold, so the use of heating devices increases during this ti.
"My mom used to check the fire extinguisher at ho every fall."
But no matter how high the fire risk is in winter... isn't it a bit much for a fire to start in a way like this?
"Kyaaah!"
"Citizens, evacuate this way! This way!"
"Everyone, don't panic and move calmly—!"
Rumble.
A certain hunter, whose scattered gray hairs glimred like silver threads under the frontal light.
Haseong.
He watched the chaotic surroundings for about a second longer before speaking.
"Once the pedestrians have finished evacuating, we'll start suppressing the situation..."
"Ah, yes. Yes!"
"Yes, Hunter Jung. Then we'll step aside as well!"
Then, from here on, cos the explanation of why this chaos erupted.
Today was the first week of December. Therefore, normally, there wouldn't be a nationwide event like the College Scholastic Ability Test, nor would it be the Great Cataclysm in January—it should have passed without any major incidents.
But...
"Damn it!"
True to the era of Dungeon Shock, another anomaly occurred on Earth. Had those who created the gates been conducting so kind of experint? Lately, the number of Blue Gate instances around the world had sharply declined, while sudden Red Gates began appearing, flooding the surface.
Of course, South Korea was no exception.
[Briefing on the Predicted Red Gate Rush in Mid-December]
Boom!
"So a hole made with this technique ans it's B-rank or lower. Then the passage that monster ca through...?"
The disaster, which the Korea Hunter Association had warned about, struck the world a full twelve days earlier than expected.
"That's a relief."
This country had enough strength to withstand the coming disaster. But the problem lay right here.
Seoul.
The phenonon known as the [Red Gate Rush] didn't actually occur simultaneously in all regions; it unfolded sowhat sequentially depending on the distance. In South Korea, the first anomaly occurred in the capital region, which had been the heart of the nation for over 600 years. But what on earth was this commotion wreaking havoc on such a noble and long-standing product of civilization?
Whoosh!
Jung Haseong activated his skills against the giant monster that had appeared right before him. As can be seen from the scene, it goes without saying that a large number of Red Gates had recently appeared in Seoul.
And the real cause of the disaster was... precisely this part.
"I found it! The passage!"
The hunter nad Haseong finally discovered the entrance from which the monsters were erging. But the mont he identified the nature of a particular Red Gate, his face flushed, and he was struck with horror.
"A, as expected, it's fire attribute again this ti!"
Swoosh!
From afar, the sound of flas—ones he hadn't even ignited—echoed. This was the cause of all the problems he was facing.
Whether it was simply a matter of chance or sothing else, every single monster that appeared in the city was of the fire-attack type.
"This didn't happen in overseas cases..."
The famous hunter who imdiately ca to mind when thinking of the fire attribute, Jing Haseong couldn't hold back his anger and twisted his face in frustration.
"It's completely a sea of fire in every direction..."
In a street battle like this, it would be a hundred tis better if sothing like golems just popped out and stomped around. How on earth was he supposed to deal with flying flathrowers?
To be honest, dealing with those monsters was nothing for the top-ranked hunter. Even now, he's killing the B-rank monsters he's found, living up to the phrase "instant death." Yet, despite his repeated streaks of success, his expression showed little sign of relief.
"This is the kind of scene that could really show up in a nightmare."
His thoughts returned to square one.
Fire, fire, fire.
In the end, it was that damn attribute that was the problem. The various flas spewed by these otherworldy monsters caused devastating damage to human civilization as a whole.
Rustle!
Anyway, who even knows if it's winter or sumr. The street trees around him scread as they were scorched by the flas unleashed by the S-rank fire-attribute hunter. He fired his abilities with precision, compressed to the utmost, yet due to the very nature of heat acting in a radial pattern, he couldn't prevent all the damage.
"Haa..."
And what about the flas spewed by those monsters, which showed not an ounce of consideration for the citizens?
Jung Haseong gazed at the ravaged street with a troubled look. At this rate, the clear skies of Seoul would soon be filled with nothing but ash. Even with him and Seo Esther—two S-rank hunters—doing everything they could, the city was still being destroyed by the natural force of fire.
Boom!
And just how long had he been thinking this when another explosion rang out from the other side?
"_ _"
The black-haired Awakened couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. He knew better than anyone just how terrifying a fire could be—after all, he himself was born with that very attribute.
"Has the evacuation of residents been properly completed? With an explosion like that, how much property damage could there be?"
In fact, the national hero had lived a normal life just a few years ago. He had been part of the rote education system, attending school or academies according to a strict titable.
And for an ordinary citizen, who had never really reflected on such a system, to awaken... After attaining the superhuman status of S-rank, Jeong Haseong honed his ntal strength under his own will. However, thanks to this otherwise straightforward upbringing, he still had monts of being montarily overwheld when faced with a harsh disaster.
"Ha."
Just like now.
"Seriously."
The harder he worked, the more the fire spread. What kind of absurd situation was this?
"I wish all of this would just stop."
A man with a face covered in soot stands up. The hero, greatly discouraged, blurted out his true feelings. But perhaps voicing his thoughts carelessly in front of the beasts of the street was what caused the problem...
Grumble.
Soon, sothing began to boil nearby. The sound ca from the airway of a monster that could have erged from anywhere, its maw gaping like a furnace as it spotted Jung Haseong. And it imdiately tried to attack.
But even though Jung Haseong was aware of all the changes, he didn't move from his spot.
"C-rank."
This was because he had gauged the enemy's level to so extent. Jung Haseong knew that the nearby monster posed no real threat to his body, so he simply ignored it. Rather than reacting emotionally to the appearance of such insignificant creatures, it was far better to gather these few seconds to compose himself.
"Let's focus."
Jung Haseong took a deep breath, filling his lungs. It was just around the mont he closed his eyes and tried to force his anger down.
Keugh!Chiiisk!
A truly strange sound ca.
It seed as if the monster, which had been about to spew lava from its stomach, had its neck severed. Or perhaps the fire failed to release into the air had t sothing cold and extinguished violently—such was the situation.
"Jung Haseong."
The hero opened his closed eyes.
"What are you doing out there, alone?"
After a mont, a human voice echoed from afar. With precise pronunciation and a distinctive low tone, it was now deep and clear enough for all the citizens to understand at once.
"No matter how weak the attacker is, it'll at least respond. And what's with that face, all pitch-black like charcoal...?"
Jung Haseong rolled his eyes to survey his surroundings. Now he noticed that the lava-colored monster that had attacked him had been neatly finished off, lying sprawled on the ground. It was thanks to soone who had hunted it.
"Kim Giryeo..."
South Korea's fourth S-rank. He had appeared in Seoul.
"Hunter."
Haseong stared at the industry professional who had appeared in the alley. Hunter Kim Giryeo usually dressed similarly when handling business, so today's appearance was nothing particularly unusual.
Suit. Gloves. Coat.
In fact, in the middle of a sea of fire, that outfit might even be warm. Jung Haseong's expression betrayed his surprise, as if he hadn't expected to run into him here. Yet, from sowhere in his chest, a sense of relief also began to rise.
"_ _"
Even now, an acrid sll of burning lingered throughout the city. But the blond hunter before him spoke without a single change in expression, even amidst the chaos.
"By the way, fire... you know, you really can't just douse it with water recklessly."
These calm words were tied to the status of a particular individual.
"Still, in a situation like this, it should be fine for an unqualified firefighter like to step in, right?"
Kim Giryeo. He was one of the world's top-tier Awakeners with the water attribute.
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