Chapter 89

Chapter 89.

Lee Hyeong-je and Kang Hyo-jun scattered for their respective missions.

Min Ji-hee and I moved toward the Mana Stone helicopter.

“We have no time, so I’ll explain on the way.”

At my words, Min Ji-hee followed close behind and immediately took out a notebook.

“Degraded Entities cannot be killed with Earth’s current firepower.”

“...They are that severe?”

“A nuclear weapon could do it. But think about what the Eggs of an Outer God containing the Degraded Entities are disguised as.”

“Mana Stones...”

The Eggs of an Outer God were in the form of Mana Stones.

And Mana Stones were usually placed in power plants, large factories, and similar facilities.

Dropping a nuclear weapon there just to kill one Degraded Entity?

That meant smashing a nation’s infrastructure to pieces with one’s own hands.

In truth, it was a trap-level option that should never be chosen.

“Degraded Entities, and all beings empowered by Outer Gods, possess immense physical resistance. Guns, of course, do not work, and missiles below nuclear level do not work either.”

“...Then how do we fight them?”

“Hunters, and only magic-type Hunters of S-rank or higher who use elemental magic, can fight them.”

A physical-type Hunter could also do it if they were a Martial God-class powerhouse.

If they were below Martial God, they could never defeat a Degraded Entity.

And Martial God was an EX-rank Hunter considered the pinnacle of the physical type.

In other words, it was best to assume they could not win.

I counted off on my fingers as I spoke.

“A strategy team must be formed. Put a magic-type Hunter of S-rank or higher as the Damage Dealer, then add a Tanker who can endure the Degraded Entity’s attacks and a Supporter who can assist that Tanker so they don’t die.”

To put it simply, they should think of it as raiding a humanoid Boss Monster.

“Three people is the ideal number.”

“What about more than that?”

“Anyone below A-rank is better off not participating.”

That was what I thought when I recalled the Degraded Entities I had experienced in the Tower.

“These bastards absorb souls and grow stronger when they kill humans.”

“....”

Min Ji-hee’s hand, which had been busily taking notes, stopped.

It seemed her mind had started working at full speed.

“What is the expected difficulty...”

“....”

I chose my words for a moment.

‘Come to think of it, how strong are Earth’s S-rank Hunters?’

I had only heard about them. I had never actually seen one.

“If Han Seol-ah, S-rank rather than EX-rank, was the Damage Dealer, Jin Cheon-jin was the Tanker, and you were the Supporter, up to what floor level could you subjugate?”

“In practice, we could subjugate Bosses that appeared mixed into Monster Waves in the 90th Floor range. Break Bosses were also possible, somehow. It became impossible starting with the Frost Dragon, when enemies with Frost Reduction or immunity began appearing.”

“Across the whole Earth, where would the combat power of your three-person party rank?”

“First.”

Min Ji-hee answered instantly, without the slightest hesitation.

“It would be different for a large-scale raid or Tower-climbing operation. But you specified only three people.”

“Using the three of you as the standard...”

I ran a simulation in my head.

‘Han Seol-ah has enough firepower. The key is Jin Cheon-jin, the Tanker.......’

Though he was only A-rank by rank, his actual durability and experience rivaled that of most S-ranks.

On top of that, he now had the S-rank Artifact I had “lent” him, so he should somehow be able to endure even a Degraded Entity’s fatal attacks.

Above all, assuming Min Ji-hee raised Jin Cheon-jin’s efficiency to 120%....

“The win rate would be around 90%.”

Even that was under the assumption that no one made a single mistake and they fought perfectly.

Since there was no such thing as a human who never made mistakes, realistically, it would have to be lowered to about 80%.

“An enemy that powerful...”

But even that much was enough to make Min Ji-hee’s expression harden.

Were they not the strongest party on Earth, capable of subjugating Bosses in the 90th Floor range?

However, the truly despairing news lay elsewhere.

“However, even in that case, killing the Degraded Entity is impossible.”

“...!”

Min Ji-hee gasped.

There was something one had to know when facing Degraded Entities and other individuals blessed by Outer Gods.

No matter how much of a fatal blow these bastards suffered, they did not reach complete death.

“Even if you destroy them enough to cut off their breath, they simply return to the form of an Egg of an Outer God.”

And the moment that egg awakened again... they revived in perfect condition, without a single wound.

“Th-then there is no way to kill them...?”

“That’s not true. But there is no one on Earth capable of doing it.”

There was exactly one way to clear this.

Sever the blessing bestowed by an Outer God, “Degradation” itself.

My Sword Energy and Sword Aura could do it because I had developed them to specialize in that...

But could Earth’s Hunters do it?

I did not think so.

“To summarize, be careful not to awaken the Degraded Entity.”

“...Yes.”

“If it awakens, build a strategy team around an S-rank elemental mage, with a Tanker and Supporter attached, then subjugate it.”

“Yes.”

“After successfully subjugating it and returning the Degraded Entity to egg form, be careful not to awaken it again.”

“...Yes.”

Min Ji-hee held her head.

“If we’re careful... it won’t awaken?”

I shrugged.

“No.”

***

“I will inspect the Mana Stone Power Plant.”

James, now the acting Association President, chose the Mana Stone Power Plant as his first destination.

‘Heh, heh. How much would even one Mana Stone from there be worth?’

The reason was simple.

He intended to steal a Mana Stone piled up in the Mana Stone Power Plant storage facility and sell it to Black Market!

‘It can’t be helped because of that stupid bastard brother of mine!’

Until now, it had been his brother, Richard, who monopolized every Artifact their family had gathered.

But now that Richard had gone to the underworld in this “accident,” the byproducts of that would be... impossible to recover.

Then he had no choice but to obtain high-grade Artifacts equal to the disappeared ones, no, greater than them, in order to protect himself.

That was for the sake of the U.S. Hunter Association, and furthermore, for the great nation that was the United States.

James sincerely thought so.

Just as he was rationalizing it that way and about to move his feet...

“Y-you must not go to the Mana Stone Power Plant, Vice President.”

A young man in a suit who had been following behind turned pale and blocked his path.

“Not ‘Vice,’ Association President! You bastard. Are you insane?”

THUD!

“Urgh!”

After being kicked in the shin, the man collapsed onto the floor.

“What do you mean, I can’t? I’m the Association President. Insolent bastard... Ptooey!”

James even spat on the man, then strode out.

Inside the car headed for the Mana Stone Power Plant, James flipped through the catalog Black Market had delivered.

The “Spatial Expansion Bag,” the top-tier Artifact he wanted as his first priority, was already completely sold out.

‘Tch. Since there are no bags, I’ll have to settle for filling all ten fingers with rings.’

Just as he was giggling, imagining both his hands covered in Artifacts worth eye-watering sums, the car smoothly slowed down and stopped.

“We have arrived.”

“Mm. Let’s go to the storage facility.”

A short while later, guided by the power plant director who had hurried out to greet him, James visited the Mana Stone storage facility first.

“What is the most expensive Mana Stone here?”

“We have an S-rank Mana Stone imported from the Republic of Korea. However, that is currently being used for power generation...”

“That’s the country where sudden Gates in the 90th Floor range appear often. Are there no more?”

“According to I-MAP, for our turn to come around...”

“Tch.”

Even James’s small head knew the contents of the “agreement.”

The Republic of Korea was a country with disastrous national strength, but it constantly produced high-quality Mana Stones.

The unfair agreement created by the great powers in order to stick a straw into that country and suck it dry was the “International Mana-stone Allocation Pact.”

In other words, “I-MAP.”

And the organization that monitored the smooth operation of this pact, the “IMCC,” or “International Mana-stone Control Commission,” was chaired by the U.S. Hunter Association President.

If nations started competing to purchase Mana Stones from the Republic of Korea, the price would soar through the roof, so the agreement had been created to set turns and allow them to purchase Mana Stones at extremely low prices.

It was also the most fatal unfair agreement that had kept the Republic of Korea from rising until now.

‘Now that I’m the chair of the IMCC, I can take measures so our turn comes around more often.’

“Then that S-rank Mana Stone you said is being used for power generation right now. I suppose we can’t remove it?”

“N-no, we cannot! If you remove that, not only my head, but even your position as Association President could be blown away!”

Even the parachute-appointed director James had put in place turned pale and blocked his path.

“I-it’s that serious?”

For James, whose own safety was his highest priority, he smacked his lips with an uneasy expression and took one step back.

“What’s the next most expensive?”

“It is stored separately. Please come this way.”

They passed through the general storage facility filled with Mana Stones from F-rank to B-rank, then reached the end of a special management storage facility holding A-rank Mana Stones...

And finally arrived in front of a secret vault protected by a thick security door.

‘The security is incredibly strict.’

He could barely remember how many security procedures he had passed through on the way here.

‘If I hadn’t parachuted the director into this position, I wouldn’t even have made it this far.’

After they passed through the complicated security procedures and the heavy door opened with a deep RUMBLE...!

Inside lay two enormous Mana Stones.

“Of the three S-rank Mana Stones held by the United States, two are stored here. You may take one of them. Heh, heh.”

“Hm, let’s see.”

James swaggered into the storage room.

Then he pressed his face close to the Mana Stone on the left, which was the size of an adult’s head.

‘Heh, heh, heh. How much is all this worth?’

Just as he was savoring its brilliant light...

“...Hm?”

“What is it?”

At the center of the Mana Stone, which should have been transparent, something like a pitch-black vein was writhing and pulsing.

“This Mana Stone... has something inside it?”

“Pardon?”

***

“It has reached it.”

Iranshu, whose eyes had been closed, grinned in the darkness.

Richard had failed three times.

Originally, he should have paid the price by becoming a Degraded Entity, but since the bastard had died at Master’s hands, even that had become impossible.

As the price for that, Iranshu had been about to detonate the “egg” planted in the American mainland.

But that egg had been locked inside a dreadful thick, specially treated secret storage facility, and “Father’s Voice” had not been able to reach it.

Yet just now, the sturdy door had opened.

“I do not know what kind of idiot you are... but thank you very much.”

Through the gap in the opened barrier, “Father’s Voice” finally reached the egg.

“Now, awaken.”

The egg sent to the United States was a special-made one, using an American A-rank Hunter as material.

It would make a very fine party.

***

CRACK-

The Mana Stone split in half.

“Argh!”

“Aaaagh!”

At the words that there was something inside the Mana Stone, the two men, who had pressed their heads close, clung to each other and screamed.

That expensive Mana Stone!

That S-rank Mana Stone had been reduced to a mere stone!

“Huh?”

SQUELCH- SQUELCH!

From the cut surface of the Mana Stone split in half, a pitch-black, mud-like energy began pouring out...

That ominous energy instantly clumped together and swelled, then transformed into a massive monstrosity with dozens of grotesque red eyes and tentacles.

“...?”

Their minds gone blank, the two men froze in place, dazed, without even thinking to run.

In that defenseless instant.

The “Degraded Entity” newly born from the Mana Stone swung its tentacle once, and the bodies of the dumbfounded two men were split in half.

GULP, GULP!

When the Degraded Entity stabbed its tentacles into the two severed corpses, black energy was sucked up through the tentacles.

CRUNCH! SQUELCH!

After swelling to its fullest by using life as nourishment, a thick tentacle soon rose from the Degraded Entity’s body.

[GUUUAAAAH-!]

Letting out a ferocious roar, the Degraded Entity shot its tentacle upward with all its might.

BOOOOM!

With a single leap, the bastard broke through the storage facility ceiling and burst outside.

The monster that surged into the air gleamed with dozens of red eyes and searched for a place where the presence of strong life-forms was densely gathered.

It did not need to go far.

The entire site it had just broken out of was throbbing with delicious energy.

The Degraded Entity, revealing an air of satisfaction, dropped toward the ground.

THUUUD!

With that simple motion, the power plant crumpled.

BOOM! BOOMBOOM! KABOOM!

Explosions erupted.

Fortunately, amid the misfortune, there were no civilian casualties.

The center of the explosion was America’s Hunter-only special training facility, the “San Francisco Bay Hunter Academy.”

Because it was built in the middle of the site, civilians could not access it.

“Unidentified Monster discovered!”

“We will eliminate it immediately!”

The B-rank Hunter team guarding the Mana Stone Power Plant detected the commotion and deployed at once.

They discovered the hideous form of the Degraded Entity standing tall amid the dust and immediately entered combat readiness.

“Stone Skin!”

The B-rank Tanker activated his Skill first.

With his whole body hardened like stone, he stepped forward holding a large shield.

Behind him, a melee Damage Dealer holding a sword, two ranged Damage Dealers aiming bows, and one Healer at the very rear slowly closed the distance toward the Degraded Entity.

“Now!”

The instant the Healer, the leader, gave the signal.

“Hyaa!”

“Hah!”

The Tanker and melee Damage Dealer charged fiercely.

The Tanker went straight for the Degraded Entity to draw its attention, while the melee Damage Dealer ran diagonally to take its blind spot.

At the same time.

FWIP! FWIP!

Two arrows fired at the same timing rushed in to bind the Degraded Entity’s feet.

However.

CLANG-! CLANG!

The arrows bounced off pointlessly without leaving even a scratch on the bastard’s skin.

[Heh, heh, heh.]

The Degraded Entity looked down at the prey rushing at it and laughed gloomily.

Then it drew its tentacle far back...

WHOOOSH!

And swung it like a whip.

BAANG!

With a rupture that tore the air, the tentacle “swept” across a wide 180-degree space in front of it in an instant.

“Huh?”

That was the entirety of the short death cry left by the five B-rank Hunters.

The Tanker at the front, whose body had been firmly strengthened with his Skill and shield Artifact, and the Healer, who had been at the very rear, died on the spot as their upper and lower bodies were separated before they could even dodge.

And the remaining three, whose defense was weaker.

The one melee Damage Dealer and two ranged Damage Dealers could not withstand the impact and burst apart in midair.

[Khk, khkh.]

The Degraded Entity absorbed the black energy of the five people who had become horrific corpses and laughed grotesquely, as if pleased.

At that very moment, the presence of people gathering after hearing the commotion could be heard from afar.

Many B-rank Hunters who had been in training and a team of A-rank Hunter instructors were ambling toward the Degraded Entity.

“What’s that lump of meat with tentacles?”

“I thought a Dragon had popped out or something. Let’s just slice it up quickly and collect our bonus.”

Seeing only its appearance, they dismissed it as some common mutant Monster, and ease filled their faces.

As it watched the A-rank Hunter team approaching without fear and the B-rank Hunters preparing support from the rear...

[Khkhhu.]

Slurp-

With a satisfied smile, the Degraded Entity smacked its lips as if they looked delicious.

***

I had just opened the door of the Mana Stone helicopter and was about to board.

BEEP-! BEEEEP-!!

The highest-grade disaster alert rang out simultaneously from my Smartwatch and Min Ji-hee’s terminal.

• San Francisco Bay Hunter Academy and Mana Stone Power Plant completely destroyed.
• One unidentified Monster discovered. (Entity Name: Unknown)
• “Unknown” moving toward downtown San Francisco.

Beneath the red text on the screen appeared a blurry photo of “Unknown,” writhing with grotesque tentacles.

The color drained from Min Ji-hee’s face the instant she confirmed the urgent report.

“...Apostle.”

The terror attack had already begun.

“...What will you do?”

Min Ji-hee presented two choices.

One. Change direction and go hunt the Degraded Entity in America.

Two. Continue on as planned and go subjugate Pandemonium’s Guild Master, an Apostle of an Outer God.

My choice?

Of course, it was already decided.