Chapter 696

〈Chapter 696〉 Part 2, Chapter 4, 23

<At that moment, near the guild gathering spot in Incheon Port>.

“Damn it, is Jung Shuri really coming this way?”

The scouts gathered near Incheon Port were all pacing anxiously, waiting for the taxi to arrive.

“They say she’s coming by taxi. If she insists on taking a taxi from the Academy, who can stop her?”

“That’s right? Hmm, she’s practically an active hero already, isn’t she?”

The autonomous taxi carrying Jung Shuri left New Seoul and was speeding northward toward Incheon via the highway. Scouts eager to recruit Jung Shuri also hurriedly arrived in Incheon and waited nearby.

Fortunately, the taxi moved slower than expected, and many people even came by helicopter flying into Incheon. The interest and recruitment efforts for Jung Shuri were immense.

“So, did you find out about those weirdos called ‘Kyeokkuldan’ or something?”

“Nope. It’s definitely a front organization, but there’s no trace. And the Association won’t tell us anything, so how would we know?”

“Damn it. At this rate, Jung Shuri might really become a magical girl, huh?”

Though said as a joke, the scouts were burning with frustration inside. Having Jung Shuri taken away by an unknown organization was beyond frustrating.

As the saying goes, when your cousin buys land, your stomach hurts.

“Agh. Our boss is causing a ruckus trying to get Jung Shuri.”

“You guys too? Ugh, ours are even worse. There’s already someone in our guild claiming they’ll marry her, can you believe that?”

“Eh, even so, it’s not like she’s some old hag. She looks like she’s got plenty of fun ahead of her, doesn’t she?”

“Old hag?! There’s no such rumor. You know how female heroes take care of themselves. Such rumors would lower her value.”

Amidst the malicious rumors swirling around Jung Shuri, the taxi finally arrived in Incheon. As people began surrounding the taxi, a gray light emanated from inside.

“Huh?”

“What is it?”

Suddenly.

SQUEAL!!

The taxi suddenly reversed and made a U-turn back toward New Seoul.

“What, what is this?!”

The scouts had to rush back to New Seoul.

***

Thud thud thud thud thud.

The fishing boat’s engine roared loudly as we rented it at Mokpo Harbor and set sail. A small fishing boat that could easily capsize if hit by a 2-meter shark monster swayed unsteadily on the waves as it moved forward.

“Hmph. It’s surprising that there’s a place where Yu Sung’s power doesn’t work within the Republic of Yu Sung.”

“Yeah, right? It’s astonishing that a boat like this costs 3 million won per day.”

“No, Raon-ssi, it’s 100 million won. If we don’t return it intact, we only get 97 million won back.”

“……”

Ha Yu-eun wasn’t Seok Harang, yet the frosty atmosphere around her was enough to make the air around her cold. The boat owner asked for 100 million won to rent the boat.

“Normally, there’d be ship insurance, so even if it breaks, we’d get compensation through insurance. But these days, fishing is practically impossible in reality.”

“The appearance of monsters means insurance claims aren’t applicable.”

With the emergence of monsters, countless jobs have disappeared and lost their meaning. While humans can somewhat manage the land, with monsters infesting the deep sea, fishing has literally become a life-or-death profession.

In fact, the occupation of fishing itself is on the verge of disappearing.

At the same time, while we understand the boat owner’s mindset of renting out a dilapidated fishing boat on the verge of being discarded, charging 3 million won just for one day seems outrageous. Yoon Yuhwa was filled with anger and irritation over the significant loss.

“Manager. If we want to ensure Ha Yu-eun doesn’t break anything, we need to achieve good results this time.”

“Of course. Otherwise, the backlash will surely reach us, won’t it?”

Yuhwa didn’t take any overt measures to hide our movements because she wanted to keep our destination a secret. If she had known we were heading near Shinan, she would have certainly stationed a Yu Sung vessel in Mokpo beforehand.

However, doing so would reveal our movements to Sun Icheol, so we moved cautiously. This caution ended up costing us a hefty fee—3 million won, or 100 million won if we don’t return it intact.

“Puuh, we need to make a big profit and return according to the boat owner’s wishes?”

“As long as we go out to sea and secure cores properly, we can earn 1 billion won.”

“That’s true. I’ve heard from my parents that if you survive on a distant-water fishing vessel, each person can take home 10 billion won. It’s real.”

“In practical terms, it’s a life-risk allowance…”

“So, Manager, where are we going? Are we continuing?”

“Uh-huh. We should earn some pocket money too.”

“At least with this, we’ll cover the boat rental.”

Thanks to the monster fish blindly colliding with our protective barrier like moths, we were collecting cores. Each time the fish storage filled with cores, Yuhwa’s anger gradually subsided, and we passed by islands until we reached our destination.

“Ugh.”

“…Is this an abandoned island?”

“Yeah. A place that has been forgotten by people’s attention and has become a paradise for monsters.”

In this world, islands are the easiest places to be abandoned. Since the gate opened in Okinawa, Japan, and the entire island sank, most residents fled for their lives and relocated to the mainland.

Even islands connected to peninsulas by bridges, like Yeongjong Island or Ganghwa Island, have been abandoned due to monster attacks. It’s unsurprising that remote islands lack proper defenses for people to live safely.

“One day, when the world regains peace, people will return to these salt fields, won’t they?”

“…Oppa, do you know what kind of people will come back here?”

“Hmm. I’ve heard online that foreign workers live like slaves.”

“……”

I subtly checked Shuri’s reaction. She sat at the bow, gazing at the sea, pretending not to hear me but clearly listening intently.

“This country is truly difficult for foreigners to live in, don’t you think?”

“Manager is living well, though, isn’t he?”

“That’s true. Where else can you live better than here if you have money? Puuh.”

Money. If capital is absent in a capitalist world, it’s undoubtedly tough to survive. While happiness can’t be bought with money, having money allows you to create happy things.

“Therefore, we need to make money. Will you help, Shuri-san?”

“……”

“Eh? Not answering? Yuna, come here-”

“Do you intend to assign this task to the trainee?”

“Tch.”

Yuna clicked her tongue and sat back down. Shuri looked at her with an expression of disbelief, and I patted Yuna’s waist while pointing around.

“Since we’re out for training, I’ll give you a tour. This is a salt field now, right? So, what might pop out?”

“Salt?”

“The correct answer is monsters hiding in the salt fields.”

KIEEKK!!

As if responding to my words, monsters emerged from the salt fields. They were ambiguous creatures, with fish-like bodies but human arms and legs, wielding iron spikes and gnashing their teeth at us.

“Yuna, what rank are these?”

“D-Rank Monster <Deep Sea Catfish>. But I’ve never seen ones with white bodies like these.”

“Of course. These are C-Rank monsters.”

The team members – magical girls – raised their weapons dressed in marine-themed outfits. With A-Rank Gaon present and an unseen S-Rank bodyguard following, facing monsters still required utmost tension.

“The name is <Salt Merman>. It’s a merman-type monster that appears in areas with high salinity. A case of fish becoming monsters after being pickled in salt fields.”

“Manager, any precautions?”

“The spears are decoration. The real threat is their teeth.”

KIIEEK–!!

The fishing boat collided with a buoy in the salt field. The square-shaped salt field had hardened enough to walk on.

“Listen carefully. Consider the entire salt field as a battlefield. Think of it as a frozen river prone to breaking and try to fight on the frames.”

“If we step on it, will it break?”

“All of our team members are as light as feathers, so I’m not worried about that. Surely, no one will break it, right? Puuh.”

My joke to ease the tension made the team members giggle as they jumped off the deck. Except for Gaon protecting the bottom and Yuhwa holding the helm in the wheelhouse, Yuna, Raon, and Nuri took their positions on the frames.

“Don’t worry if you fall in! I’ll save you!”

“Just stay there and guard well, sister!”

“Don’t let your guard down. Start the battle!”

KYAAAH!!

The Salt Mermen, or Deep Sea Catfish, rushed toward us en masse. Their numbers spreading fan-like were easily dozens at first glance.

“Yuna, use wide-range blasts to distract their vision. Raon takes the left flank, Nuri the right. Just freely beat them up.”

Fighting against a large number of C-Rank monsters didn’t require detailed commands. As Yuna scattered light to blind the monsters, Raon and Nuri began eliminating them one by one while running across the hardened salt field.

“Shuri-san, aren’t you going to work? Should I call Yuna to punish you?”

“A-Ah, that’s…”

Shuri hesitated greatly, pressing her hands against her groin. Her face turned red as she fidgeted, unable to remove her hands from her exposed costume.

“How can you expect me to fight like this?!”

“Then are you suggesting fighting naked?”

“Are you crazy?!”

Shuri protested, pointing at her outfit. Unlike the others wearing marine-style uniforms, Shuri’s attire consisted of a pink leotard with a red ribbon on the chest.

“How am I supposed to fight like this?!”

“Feeling embarrassed about a hero’s costume deserves a deduction of 5 points.”

“Hey!!”

“Dissenting against the commander deserves a deduction of 10 points for poor attitude.”

Shuri’s skin, revealed by the side of her leotard, turned bright red. For students who cared deeply about their grades, scores were highly sensitive, and seeing her evaluation score decrease in real-time made her grip the staff trembling.

“Go, Magical Girl Flame Kyeokkul!

“Puhuff!”

Yuhwa, holding the helm in the wheelhouse, couldn’t contain her laughter. Gaon, stacking cores in the fish storage, also giggled behind her hand.

“No, it’s not ‘Flame Kyeokkul’! I have the title <Pyromancer>!”

“Go, Blaze Kyeokkul!”

“Shit!”

Shuri cursed as she lifted her staff high. Unlike her usual staff, the children’s magic wand I deliberately gave her emitted a “porororon” sound while sparkling in heart shapes.

WHOOSH.

Despite its goofy appearance, a core weapon is still a core weapon. In fact, its ridiculous form symbolizes Payo-en, and Shuri’s magic wand boasted far superior efficiency compared to ordinary mage staves, making it an expensive item.

WHOOSH WHOOSH!

Fireballs began raining down across the salt field. Shuri unleashed fireballs in all directions as if trying to burn away all her embarrassment. Avoiding Laon and Nuri’s movements, the fireballs exploded, quickly eliminating the salt catfish.

“Indeed, an A-Rank is an A-Rank.”

“Currently, her mana is higher than mine.”

“That’s true. If the two were to fight, Gaon would naturally win.”

Having trained abroad as a squire for the Round Table Hero, Gaon’s combat ability was comparable to Shuri’s. Indeed, Shuri was a promising talent coveted by all guilds in New Seoul Academy.

“But battles can always involve unexpected situations.”

A monster battle isn’t fully determined until you completely finish it off and extract the core. I nudged Kim Penril’s butt resting on my shoulder.

“The world is full of unpredictable variables, huh. Hehe.”

Monsters typically arise from animals or natural creatures, but monstrosities often originate from people.

“It’s quite effective against regular monsters, but what if a sudden monstrosity appeared?”

Could she indiscriminately unleash fireballs in battle against humanoid enemies?

Through this battle, I aimed to address Jung Shuri’s weaknesses.

Humanoid combat.

Not just creatures with fish-human hybrid forms but also adversaries resembling humans like monstrosities.

“How capable is she against such opponents?”

“The sea, you see, is a great place for monstrosities to be born. Puuh.”

The moment the team finished dealing with the salt catfish, ghostly white arms suddenly shot up from the salt field floor. Skinny, skeletal arms emerged.

“Big-Shrimp.”

“Hello.”

Creatures wearing shrimp-like helmets on their heads started rising one by one from the salt field.