Chapter 310

〈 Chapter 310 〉 Part 1, Section 14

July 24th.

It had already been a day since the expedition team arrived in India.

They successfully took down Yasha almost immediately after arriving. This battle became a textbook example for many monster raid experts worldwide.

– Can we not see more?

Though we apologize to those in India, people wanted to see the expedition team fight against another SS-Rank Monster.

Specifically, they wanted to witness the expedition team utterly dominate an SS-Rank Monster. Even though victories over SS-Rank Monsters have become more frequent recently, humanity has suffered under monsters for nearly decades.

– Won’t some Black Scorpion-like thing pop out in India? Then the expedition team would totally get wrecked lol.

The agreement between Mahatma and the Executioner was already widely known through the association.

The expedition team completely and cleanly suppressed Yasha. Thanks to the significant blunder by Mahatma and other Indian Heroes during the middle of the battle, not only Korea but also other countries began pressuring the Indian Association through public opinion.

– If they have any decency, they should hand over Yasha’s Core to the expedition team, right?

This public sentiment subsided when the Executioner registered the combat data with the association, revealing Yasha’s skills—Wide-Area Provocation and Counterattack—worldwide.

After this information came out, people were curious.

– How did you know?

If they hadn’t already known about Yasha, dealing with its techniques would’ve been impossible, right? If they really managed to read the opponent’s intentions just from intuition, then the Executioner might truly be the best Commander in the world.

And before leaving, the Executioner left these words through Mahatma:

– You must anticipate at least five steps ahead. And now, we’re moving on to our next destination.

The Executioner’s expression as they announced the next destination was stiffer than ever.

* * *

<7:00 AM, July 24th, Briefing Room>

“Originally, we planned to go after Kinna-ra last night, but it’s been postponed to today. So, we’re heading out immediately.”

I projected a map onto the screen and pointed out our destination. From Kolkata, where we currently were, there was a region approximately 2,000 km away to the west of New Delhi. There, bordering India, lay Pakistan.

“Here is where Kinna-ra resides.”

“…Isn’t that outside Indian territory?”

A hero named Hwakwon raised his hand and asked. The others were also clearly not in the best condition, having been woken up so early.

“That’s correct. Although Kinna-ra originated in India, it moved westward and settled in what is now Pakistani territory.”

This is a classic case of a monster relocating its habitat, and later became one of the biggest obstacles in international disputes.

“So, here’s a question: To whom does the authority for handling the spoils of a slain monster primarily belong?”

“To the nation that hunted it. Usually, it’s handled within the country without much issue.”

“Yes. But what happens if the monster’s birthplace and current residence are different? For instance…”

I drew a brown circle between the borders of India and Pakistan.

“What if the area the monster considers its territory spans both national borders?”

“……”

It was a sensitive issue. While it’s necessary to eliminate a known monster, doing so could cause trouble for neighboring countries.

“Let’s take Moby Dick as an example. Moby Dick was a monster that originated in Japan. Japan kept the gate open in Okinawa and let Moby Dick run rampant.”

“I remember that it received heavy international criticism.”

“But they had no choice, right? The island where it originated had disappeared entirely, so how could they possibly bring the sea-dwelling monster back?”

“Yes. And Moby Dick eventually landed on Tsushima Island and reached Busan before being repelled. In the end, who did the core of Moby Dick and the Anisakis inside it belong to?”

At my question, several Heroes’ expressions soured. Just thinking about Anisakis made them look quite unpleasant.

“Even though Gale Guest appeared and caught it, because he was part of the Round Table, he only got a tenth of the spoils.”

“And even that, he personally claimed.”

“Yes. And that Gale Guest is traveling around the world using the money he exchanged from the core.”

For those who had missed catching Moby Dick right in front of their eyes, it must’ve been frustrating enough to make them furious. If Gale Guest had taken the core back to his home country, it would’ve been understandable, but instead, he cashed in his share in Korea and started traveling the world.

“Anyway, we ended up taking the rest of Moby Dick and all the lower-ranked monsters. Since the battle took place in Korean waters, it was only natural for Korea to claim them.”

“So, do we need to negotiate separately with Pakistan?”

The Executioner’s concern was certainly justified. If Kinna-ra causes chaos in Pakistan, the Pakistani Association will likely object strongly.

“After all, we can’t even tell the Association. We said it hasn’t been discovered yet, right? Thus, negotiating with Pakistan beforehand isn’t possible either.”

“Moreover, Pakistan will likely refuse negotiations. They’ll probably say they want to handle the S-Rank monster themselves first.”

It was a dilemma.

While already known monsters like Yasha are one thing, Kinna-ra is still unknown to the public.

“There’s nothing we can do. So, let’s go with this plan.”

I explained the plan I’d already devised to capture Kinna-ra to the heroes, and they glared at me with disbelief.

“Are you really going to do that?”

“We’re doing it now, aren’t we?”

“Not last night?”

“……Isn’t the timing perfect?”

I drew a line from Mohenjo-Daro in Pakistan, where Kinna-ra was sleeping, toward New Delhi.

“Bae-gnaroh detects an S-Rank monster advancing eastward while returning to New Delhi, turns around, and intercepts it. How’s that sound? Good, right?”

If a monster lives outside Indian territory but can be lured back into India, then that’s the solution.

“Ho ho…”

“Is this really okay?”

The heroes frowned and shook their heads uncertainly. The Executioner, who had been sitting quietly, raised a hand and asked me,

“…Will there be civilian casualties?”

“No. None. There might be some shaking due to tremors, causing cups to break or something, but…”

“Tremors?”

“Yes.”

I flipped the map vertically. A holographic 3D map generated through magical gear showed a long tunnel dug dozens of kilometers underground by a monster near Mohenjo-Daro, where Kinna-ra was sleeping.

“Kinna-ra moves underground.”

And it’s a durable monster that bursts vertically upward beneath what it perceives as prey.

“How about creating a dramatic scene?”

* * *

Bae-gnaroh announced its return to New Delhi.

Suspicion that another S-Rank monster might exist somewhere faded, and people admired the expedition team’s noble spirit.

– As long as we deal with the S-Rank monster, there’s no need for cores or spoils.

The Executioner’s somewhat forced negotiation attempts were beginning to be misunderstood as reflecting Cheongnyeon’s desire to quickly eliminate the monster.

– If India had another S-Rank monster besides Yasha, India would probably have split into three parts by now.

People praised and prepared to welcome the heroes who defeated Yasha and returned to New Delhi.

– Actually, we were on guard because something else might appear after Yasha fell!

They justified taking a day’s rest near Kolkata as being too exhausted to return to New Delhi.

All eyes were on New Delhi, waiting anxiously for Bae-gnaroh to land at the airport.

So, they didn’t notice.

A tiny blue bird slipping out of Bae-gnaroh’s deck and flying west.

* * *

“You’re trying to scam us again, huh?”

“Scam? Watch your words.”

I flew westward at full speed, holding Deokbae. Bae-gnaroh had already shrunk into a distant dot, and I had already passed over New Delhi.

“Seriously, why do S-Rank monsters always have to be thousands of kilometers apart?”

“Well, isn’t it strange if S-Rank monsters cluster together?”

“Think about Korea. There were two in Seoul alone—one in Yeouido and one in Jongno.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

Octopus Frog and the snake at City Hall. Despite knowing each other’s existence, they never interfered with each other. The snake at City Hall was far more powerful in size and strength, but Octopus Frog had the Cube.

“Here, there’s one in the west, one in the east, and one in the middle.”

“The one in the middle—you designated the location yourself, right? Appearing at Taj Mahal.”

“Exactly.”

“Then, why don’t we just kill Garura first at Taj Mahal, then head to Kinna-ra?”

Deokbae criticized the inefficiency of my route. Flying 2,000 km to lure Kinna-ra, and then having Bae-gnaroh turn around to intercept it…

But that’s because you don’t know much about Garura.

“Garura, well, it hatches at dawn, you see? The egg slowly grows as it absorbs sunlight, and it doesn’t reach S-Rank status until well past noon.”

“Ah, so you’re letting it grow so you can eat it?”

“Correct! Right now, it’s only E-Rank. It needs to mature under sunlight.”

“Maturation egg, huh? But isn’t Taj Mahal crowded with people cleaning up the aftermath right now? How do you plan to handle that? Burn everyone?”

“If I do that, the heroes will come after me with knives.”

I knew the expedition team’s heroes still harbored some resentment towards me. Therefore, I needed to adjust my methods carefully to avoid conflict.

“We have until at least 2 PM today, so don’t worry. Even if Garura hatches, it won’t be able to wreak havoc easily.”

I displayed satellite imagery of the sky above the Taj Mahal through magical gear.

“Take a look. See what I’ve done?”

“……There’s nothing visible.”

Deokbae scrutinized the video for a long time before giving up. The footage only showed white clouds and blue skies; nothing was visible.

“It’s natural that you can’t see anything unless you’re looking directly.”

“Damn.”

Deokbae thrashed around, causing a commotion. I twisted and grabbed his hood to subdue him, then slightly slowed down.

“Heheh, alright. I’ll teach you. Do you remember me mentioning that Garura is a Fire Attribute monster?”

“Yeah. What difference does that make?”

“Of course, it makes a difference. Fire Attribute monsters can be controlled by me. When they sense my magic power, they have to obey my commands. Though they’re pure monsters like Gae-in or Black Flame Dragon, unable to converse, they can still be tamed as pets.”

“Pets??”

Deokbae snorted derisively.

“Keeping an S-Rank monster as personal transportation wasn’t enough, and now you’re trying to keep it as a pet?”

“Isn’t it fine? With Black Flame Dragon absent from Seoul, we need another monster to fill the void.”

“Then wouldn’t Water Monkey or Earth Dragon suffice? Assuming Black Scorpion is too low-spec.”

“Underling Number Two.”

I revealed the most important point to Deokbae.

“I only accept Fire Attribute monsters under me.”

“Wow, such noble bloodlines. Is Fire Attribute really that great?”

“Yes.”

Any Fire Attribute monster associated with Blazing Phoenix boasts top-tier specs within its rank. Starting with Blazing Phoenix herself, along with Fire Fist Technique, Black Flame Dragon, and various others—all possess above-average stats.

“Especially among the three Indian monsters, Garura is the strongest.”

“Say that without bias.”

“Absolute fact. Even Yasha and Kinna-ra combined couldn’t defeat Garura.”

“Does Fire Attribute have something special? Stop joking.”

“Hmm….”

I hesitated to explain. Should I reveal the information exclusive to the Phoenix lineage to Deokbae? However, coincidentally, we still had plenty of time before reaching the Pakistan area.

I worried that increasing my speed might result in us arriving before I could answer, but Deokbae seemed to instantly pick up on my hesitation.

“Alright. I won’t tell anyone. A single word is worth a thousand pieces of gold. If I talk about this elsewhere, I’ll serve you as my master for the rest of my life.”

“So, you haven’t thought of me as your master until now?”

“Is that surprising?”

“No. I expected that.”

The reason Fire Attribute is the strongest… I considered giving Deokbae a brief explanation but decided to fully enlighten him to prevent any potential slip-ups later.

“Simply put, before Terra fell, the only ones who stood against Seongju’s army until the very end were Blazing Phoenix and the Fire Attribute spirits.”

Terra’s human race went extinct, and the spirits were transformed into monsters by Seongju.

“Seongju’s subordinates, and the brainwashed spirits fought fiercely, and only the strongest survived. Those who didn’t die were brainwashed and became monsters. Blazing Phoenix was no exception.”

The last guardian deity of Terra—Blazing Phoenix.

Though ultimately defeated by Seongju and led to extinction.