Chapter 238 - Why Are You Being Vague With Your Words?

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"Damn! Ptoo! Ptoo! Ptoo!"

Billy quickly spat three times on the ground and rubbed it in with his foot. Surprised by his behavior, Ulbert asked.

"What are you doing right now? We're indoors. Spit outside."

"I had to spit right away. The branch manager just said some really bad luck stuff."

"Bad luck? Small war? What’s that supposed to mean?"

"You're saying this is like the small wars? Don't be so sure about it. The branch manager's instincts are usually spot on."

Billy made a sad face. Ulbert, in crude terms, was a hunter with a keen instinct. His rise to the position of branch manager in LA wasn’t just because of his skill but also due to his sharp judgment. That’s why most of the O.C. members tended to avoid hearing any ominous words coming from him. So, from some point onward, whenever Ulbert mentioned a bad feeling, a superstition arose where people would spit to ward off bad luck.

"Instead of wasting time on useless tasks, check the communication network one more time. Keep better track of the freelancers. That way, at least we can manage a minimal defense."

"Speaking of defense, I just remembered something I nearly forgot. We've received some strange news from a member in Culver City."

"Strange news?"

"Apparently, a hunter is rallying other hunters to carry out a defense operation."

"Our members?"

"Not just our members, but also freelancers and those from other guilds are being gathered together."

"Is that even possible?!" Ulbert exclaimed in surprise.

Even though it was an emergency, it was still shocking that hunters from factions who usually kept their distance were now coming together to work. In reality, the guilds in each region weren't taking any proactive steps, just observing the situation and being cautious.

Some smaller guilds were focused on rescuing people within their own territories, but the larger guilds, which held the most influence, had remained passive. Since O.C. wasn’t a group with compulsory authority, it was hard to manage the situation with just a few members and direct units.

Even though they weren't part of O.C., freelance hunters, who kept in contact with their networks, closely monitored the movements of these guilds and restrained their actions. For these freelancers, with their limited information, it was important to stay in the good graces of the guilds if they wanted to survive. But now, the fact that all these hunters were being mobilized was truly surprising.

"Yes. Apparently, it is possible. Thanks to that, Oliver, the strongest member from the Culver City side, ended up half-disabled. I also heard that Benjamin, the mid-tier guild party leader, had his arm broken. It seems like a few others got hurt too."

"Uh? Disabled? Broken? Was the monster particularly fierce?"

"No. The hunter who took control over there took care of it."

"??"

"He made them listen to him."

Without realizing it, Ulbert clapped his hands.

‘Is that how it’s done?’

It wasn't anything special. It was common to dominate the surroundings and control hunters through force. The problem was that, except for S-rank hunters, boasting power in North America could put one's life at risk. The relationships in the hunter world were complex, tied up with regional, factional, and personal grudges. Although rank was practically law in the hunter world, it was rare for someone to actually use their rank's power.

"That hunter, I don't know who he is, but he's certainly fearless. Do you think he can handle the consequences?"

"I don't know about the consequences, but he probably did it because he won't be in the U.S.

for long."

"What? Is he some kind of foreigner?"

"Yes. He's someone you know, Branch Manager."

"Me?"

"Yes. His name is Jang Doo-gu, Jang Ddu-kku, Jang Dak-kku? His name is really hard to pronounce. I mean that Mr. Jang, the one with Captain Kang Moo-hyuk's group, took control of Culver City."

With the advent of the Gate Era, gun incidents in the United States saw a significant decline. It was no surprise since there were frequent cases where someone pointed a gun at the wrong person and ended up badly beaten by a hunter. Even if the person being threatened wasn’t a hunter, they could still be easily subdued if one happened to be nearby.

It was a positive change brought about by the Gate Era, but the damage caused by monsters far outweighed it, so people didn’t really feel any safer from guns.

Of course, that didn’t mean gun sales went down. While firearms weren’t particularly lethal against monsters, they could still be somewhat effective against lower-ranked ones.

In addition, psychologically, having a weapon in your hand gives you a sense of security. Gun companies took full advantage of this, launching exaggerated ad campaigns. Slogans like “Protect your family from monsters” surprisingly resonated with many Americans. America became even more fixated on firearms than before. Ironically, although gun-related accidents decreased, gun shops were thriving.

Bang! Bang! Baaang—!

Gunshots rang out from somewhere. Dave pulled a pistol from the holster at his waist and placed it into the hands of his son, who had just entered middle school.

“Keep this pistol with you. Don’t release the safety until Dad gives you the signal.”

It took less than a few hours for peaceful Culver City to turn into a living hell. A swarm of bee monsters suddenly appeared and descended on the people, throwing everything into chaos. At the time of the attack, Dave had been grocery shopping at a nearby market.

As a single dad, he usually didn’t do much cooking, but with how expensive eating out had become, he’d decided to finally make dinner at home for a change. Of course, he soon regretted that choice. The monster attack had begun.

As people were being captured, he quickly slipped out of the market and jumped into his car.

The only reason he made it home was sheer luck.

On the way, countless cars were either flipped over by giant hornets or crashed trying to avoid them. He saw pedestrians get snatched up and dragged into the sky, like something straight out of a B-grade horror film.

He tried calling his son while driving, but the signal was dead. The police were no help either. All he could do was pray his son was safe and keep heading home. Thankfully, his son was there.

Dave took out the pistol, rifle, and shotgun he had prepared in advance. It was an excessive arsenal for an ordinary household, but in the age of monsters, it was considered fairly standard. He’d kept it minimal because there was a guild stationed nearby—one of the few benefits of living in a densely populated area. Out in the outskirts, where guild surveillance was looser, some homes had built bunkers and private armouries.

“Liam, you remember how I taught you to shoot, right? If something happens to me, don’t look back—just run. No matter what.”

“D-Dad…”

Bang!

The gunshot was closer this time. It came from inside the apartment building they lived in.

“Shh.”

Dave brought a finger to his lips. Liam quickly covered his mouth with his palm, holding his breath to keep even the slightest sound from escaping. Dave tried to help his trembling son to his feet and guide him toward the bedroom. It was then.

Crash! Smash!

Suddenly, the front door burst open. In the hallway stood a hornet, hunched over to fit inside—easily two or three times the size of an average adult man.

Its face was covered in thousands of fine bristles, and its compound eyes glistened like mesh screens as it stared at the father and son. Its head tilted side to side at a stiff 90 degrees, like a Halloween costume brought to life—so surreal it barely seemed real. The hornet had a person in its mouth—someone who had kept firing their gun until the very end, only to be severed at the waist.

Dave pushed Liam behind him and fired the shotgun in a frenzy. He hit with every shot he had loaded, then immediately pulled the trigger on the rifle slung over his shoulder. Gunfire roared through the house, echoing like a battlefield.

Click.

The moment he ran out of bullets, the hornet, which had been crouching low, began to move. Dave quickly tried to reload, but the hornet swung one of its legs in an irritated motion, smashing the wall by the entrance. A piece of debris flew off and hit Dave in the head, knocking him down.

“Dad!”

The hornet pushed its upper body through the widened entrance. Liam held his father, who still hadn’t come to his senses. His dad had told him to run, but there was nowhere to run to. He took a deep breath and, just as his father had taught him, switched off the pistol’s safety.

The hornet, who had entered the living room, approached him with its mouth wide open.

Liam aimed with shaking hands. He knew it wouldn’t work, but he had to fight back. He pulled the trigger with difficulty and fired the first shot. The bullet hit the hornet’s forehead and smashed the ceiling light. Darkness filled the room—but somehow, he could still see everything clearly.

Liam realized it right away. Flames were flickering outside the window. In that instant, the hornet turned its head toward the window, and at the same time, the glass shattered as a blast of intense heat surged in, engulfing the hornet in flames. It melted away without even swinging its legs.

As the hornet vanished, so did the flames. Liam stared blankly at the window. An Asian man was sitting on the broken window sill, panting and waving at him.

"Hey, are you hurt?"

"Huh? Uh… no, I’m okay…"

"Your father… is it okay if I check on him for a moment?"

"Y-yeah. Sure."

"Let me see."

The Asian man put his hand on Dave’s neck to check his pulse. He examined his body briefly, then spoke.

"Alright. He’s just passed out. We’ve taken care of the hornets around here for now. We’re gathering people and moving them to a nearby guild. You should come too. Leave the weapon behind. We’ll take care of your father. Hey, you there! Oliver! Give me a hand over here!"

As the Asian man shouted out the window, someone leapt up from below and grabbed onto the window frame.

‘This is the fifth floor though…’

Even for a hunter, it wasn’t easy to jump up that high in one go. That meant he was probably a pretty high-ranking hunter. At that moment, Liam noticed something strange. The hunter, who seemed to be high-ranking, had a bruise on his eyelid—like he’d been hit by someone.

‘No way... He probably got it by fighting a monster.’

That’s what Liam told himself, but the bruise still bothered him—it just felt off somehow.

"Could you move the man who passed out over there downstairs? He’s got a small head injury, but he’s just unconscious—he’ll wake up soon."

“Your name’s Thomas, right? Are you treating me like some porter? Don’t push your luck.”

“Why are you taking it out on me just because Mr. Jang beat you up?”

“You’re in the same team as him! How dare you lay a hand on an O.C. member? Sure, I’ll play along for now, but once this whole thing is over, you’d better watch your back. I’ve got your face memorized.”

“Same team? I’m a victim too—I got beaten up pretty badly myself. And I’m with the Ithaca Guild. See that Italian woman over there? She got caught while on vacation and ended up getting roughed up just like me. Aside from Mr. Jang, we’re all in the same boat.”

“For people supposedly in the same boat, you two seem to know each other.”

“Camaraderie born in battle, you could say. Anyway, it's an emergency—we’ve been fighting side by side, and compared to the monsters, we're at least on the same side. I mean, come on. Who’s going to win against an A+ rank hunter?”

Oliver looked at him suspiciously, but eventually nodded. The Asian Hunter, Jang Deuk-gu, who had mercilessly beaten him for refusing to help evacuate the residents, was terrifyingly strong.

‘Who would've thought a sword still in its sheath could be that scary? He didn’t even seem to use any special skills, and I couldn’t dodge a single strike even though I’m an A-rank.’

He was confident in his sword skills and tried to fight back, but got completely beaten. He got so angry from being hit over and over that he even used a skill to resist, but that only made things worse. Jang Deuk-gu started hitting him with mana-infused strikes and didn’t stop until Oliver gave up and said he surrendered.

He used an expensive potion to heal himself, but his whole body still ached. More than the pain, what stayed with him was fear. The other hunters who witnessed it felt the same. They followed Jang Deuk-gu’s orders just to avoid getting beaten. With communication cut off and no support from their respective organizations, the strongest person in front of them became the law.

Oliver let out a heavy sigh, held the father and son, and carried them down the building.

Thomas, who stayed behind, scanned the building. Once he saw there were no survivors left, he returned to Jang Deuk-gu.

"At this rate, rescuing people one by one will never end."

"We'll drop them off at the nearest guild and keep moving. If we can persuade their guildmaster to expand the rescue zone, that’d be a big help."

"I’m not sure about that… but will they actually listen to Mr. Jang? This isn’t exactly a place where people act out of idealism."

"At times like this, I really miss Captain Kang. If he were here, he’d find a way to make it work. All I can do is resort to violence."

"I'm just saying this in advance, but don't do what you did to the hunters here when you get to the guild. No matter how strong Mr. Jang is, picking a fight with an entire guild is basically suicide."

"I can make that judgment, so don't worry."

“No, I’m just saying that it seems like you’re the type to throw a punch first.”

“I do know someone like that.”

“Who?”

“Our guildmaster.”

“Your guildmaster… Joo Se-ah Hunter? Isn’t she an S-rank? Even if she throws the first punch, she could always claim it didn’t happen if she wanted to. She could probably do whatever she wants, anywhere.”

“She was like that even before she became S-rank. The reason there were no problems is that when she used her fists, it was always for the right cause.”

“I’ll say it again. Just because something it’s right doesn’t mean you should use your fists. Even though the LA-based guild is small, they have a lot of skilled hunters. Since we couldn't even handle the carnivorous hornets, starting a war with the guild is definitely something we want to avoid."

"Yeah, I know."

Thomas checked the syringe that Kang Moo-hyuk had given him. He might have to take a few more injections just in case.

‘If I get another injection, will I be able to stop Mr. Jang? I'm barely hanging on after the last dose. I just hope the effects don’t wear off too soon.’

Go Eul-ji raised her hand in excitement when she saw a familiar face.

"Captain Kang!"

"Is that how you speak to the captain?"

Noh Song-rin frowned and scolded her, but she greeted Kang Moo-hyuk with a bright smile.

"You came all the way here just to see me? Isn't it a bit much for someone who's not even a hunter? Why are you so happy to see me in a foreign country?"

"Go Eul-ji Hunter, for the LA case, you'll get a generous overtime bonus."

At Kang Moo-hyuk's words, Go Eul-ji grimaced and took a step back.

"Are you saying that you're going to work me to the bone?"

"Not to that extent. Just... well, just a little bit... hard work..."

"Captain, why are you being vague with your words?"