Chapter 949

EP.949 Part 2 Chapter 9 Section 6: No Regrets Here

Gangseo, Guro, Gwanak, Gangnam, Gangdong.

Under the Commander’s direction, the five S Rank individuals advanced from five directions toward northern Seoul, cleaning up not just their assigned zones but also surrounding areas.

Five S Ranks.

And countless battle personnel supporting them.

Essentially, this was the largest mobilization of forces in the world over the past year outside of London’s battlefield, and they achieved incredible results in less than two hours.

Han River region cleared.

All monsters hiding in basements were swept away, and every single A Rank monster entwining buildings was eliminated.

The issue? They only “repelled” them.

Everyone watching the live broadcast thought:

With all these cores, if I could grab just one, I’d easily get a million won!

It’s human nature—when your cousin buys land, your stomach hurts; when others succeed through choices you didn’t make, it hurts even more.

Especially when, in a perfectly safe situation, there’s an opportunity to legally earn vast sums of money while contributing to national pride and world peace—who wouldn’t step forward?

– To those who have come to help liberate Seoul.

The Commander officially declared:

– All battles are being recorded via magical gear. The cores and remains belong to our team members and Seoul citizens.

Of course, as with anything Korean, you must listen till the end.

– We seek assistance from heroes who’ve joined us in reclaiming Seoul. Any monsters you hunt are entirely yours. Guaranteed by this Commander, focus on hunting.

The Commander wasn’t just addressing magical maidens and Seoulites but also those who came illegally (according to Sun Icheol) to protect Seoul citizens.

– The byproducts of the monsters you hunt, including cores, will be collected by Seoul’s ‘environmental caretakers.’ I promise not a single E Rank core will go missing. This Commander guarantees it.

Guarantee. Assurance.

How perilously hollow yet dangerous such words can be for Koreans.

But the Commander’s voice carried weight.

– Based on real-time magical power fluctuations across Seoul, we’re meticulously recording data: who delivered the final blow, who dealt the most damage, who supported best—all publicly.

At the Commander’s words, everyone turned their gaze to an internet site.

There, detailed records resembling raid meters showed everything about each monster hunt happening across the city.

-[Professor H]. This big data will calculate your core earnings in real time. Focus on eliminating the monsters like true heroes reclaiming Seoul.

“UWAAAAH!!”

The heroes cheered.

The hunters cheered.

What had hunters worried most while fighting monsters?

Isn’t it recovering cores?

If someone stole a B Rank core after you risked your life to defeat a B Rank monster while unconscious?

Or if the government confiscated cores in the name of national interest, taxing heavily before handing over meager amounts?

Until now, Korean ability users suffered greatly trying to recover cores themselves.

But if the Commander personally guaranteed based on data…

“I’ll trust you! If you don’t deliver, I’m suing later!”

“Already at thirty million? Ugh! Everyone else, back off! I’m killing all the monsters in this area!!”

Free from core recovery duties, Seoul’s heroes fully engaged in monster hunts.

And the cores left behind by defeated monsters were recovered by Seoul citizens.

“Hey, mister! Don’t secretly smuggle that or it’ll ruin the fun!”

“We’re graded too for collecting this stuff!”

“One core equals how much, ten thousand won?”

“Hearing rumors that one bag of cores gets you a house in Seoul!”

Those whose abilities awakened under the Commander but lacked sufficient power or couldn’t fight directly supported from the rear.

“Yo! Careful with that monster tooth extraction! That thing is worth a million!”

“Handle core dismantling carefully! Damaged cores hurt our stats!”

“Who are we anyway? Aren’t we the farming nation?!”

“Farming.”

While gathering valuable materials from dead monsters, they focused intently on recovering the essential ‘cores.’

“What are you doing?! Kill the monsters faster so we can collect cores into bags!”

“Don’t just watch from the back, help out!”

“Doesn’t that increase our share?”

“Argh, damn it!!”

Seoul citizens recovered cores with unparalleled enthusiasm.

Thanks to them, K-2 magical rifles wielders could safely eliminate monsters, while non-combatants showcased their skills disassembling monsters underground, stuffing cores into backpacks.

“Wow.”

The hunter ‘Patriotpay,’ who volunteered for Seoul’s cause, couldn’t help but be shocked at the seamless coordination.

“How do they move so enthusiastically without cutting corners?”

He assisted Seoul citizens while advancing north from Guro.

To the point where he almost felt unnecessary, Seoul citizens efficiently handled even C Rank monsters.

“How does no one slip something into their pocket?”

Even with full data recording, could they really manage tracking hundreds of monsters killed by three hundred thousand people in real time?

“…Still, I’ll take care of my wallet.”

Crack!

Some hidden monsters still lunged at him, but Patriotpay found little excitement in them.

“…Did I come to protect Seoul? Hmph, I came for the jackpot.”

His goal was to capitalize on the chaos of Seoul’s liberation, gathering cores from slain monsters.

Scavenger-like behavior, sure, but the current battlefield left no room for it.

– To all heroes south of the Han River. Current monster clearance rate: 69%. Please swiftly finish the remaining 31% for safety.

The message appearing on everyone’s magical gear made Patriotpay’s lips dry.

Less than two hours and already 70%.

Meaning, in about an hour, all monsters south of the Han River would vanish.

Before worrying about his potential core earnings, a deeper concern and hope arose.

“Is… Is Seoul really getting reclaimed?”

Reclaiming Seoul.

A tingling sensation spread through his limbs.

Something everyone wanted but assumed impossible was unfolding right before his eyes.

Before being blinded by money, this hunter once swore as a young boy to dedicate body and soul to a free and just nation.

“…There’s no way we’ll succeed. How many times have we failed already?”

But the boy had been corrupted by the world.

Had he retained his youthful idealism, he would’ve become a hero, not a hunter.

“…What am I, some kind of hero?”

“Senior?”

“…You?!”

Patriotpay jumped in surprise.

The white-suited woman standing before him was someone he knew well.

“Park Raon?”

“It’s been a while, Senior.”

“You… that mark…?”

“Yes. I’m a magical maiden.”

Introducing herself as a magical maiden, Park Raon displayed no trace of embarrassment she might’ve shown long ago when meeting guildmates.

“Did you come to reclaim Seoul? I remember that day clearly. Heh heh.”

“You just said ‘that day’…!”

“Yes. I’ve changed a lot. Though I haven’t completely shaken off my old self…I’m no longer Unsah but Magical Maiden Park Raon.”

She seemed proud of her identity as a magical maiden.

“I knew you’d come, Senior. Remember how you never missed a single Seoul Recovery Operation until last year?”

“…That was only because of the cores.”

“Yes, I know. Because of the cores. But if you’re going to gather cores anyway, why not reclaim Seoul first and then collect all the cores afterward?”

“That’s…”

If Seoul were truly reclaimed…

Wouldn’t the golden goose known as Seoul disappear?

“Can we really reclaim Seoul?”

“Yes. After reclaiming Seoul, we’ll advance beyond the 38th parallel, moving further north.”

“!!”

Patriotpay trembled.

Could they really surpass reclaiming Seoul and aim for even greater goals?

“After reclaiming Seoul, we’ll face stronger foes.”

“…Stronger foes mean better-quality cores, right?”

“Yes. Exactly.”

ROAR!!

A massive tentacle burst from the asphalt road.

Like an octopus, it stretched its legs in all directions, attempting to ensnare people.

“Danger…!”

SCHWIIING!

Raon swiftly swung her spear.

A round hole appeared in the octopus’s head, and it collapsed onto the ground.

“You, how did you…!”

“The Commander revived me.”

“……”

Something Patriotpay tried hard not to think about.

But now, it was unavoidable.

“…Was it, good?”

“…Big Brother.”

Raon placed her hand on her lower abdomen and smiled seductively.

“From my first experience to now, I’ve never once been unhappy. That person remade me as an ability user.”

“…Crazy.”

Patriotpay removed her helmet, revealing hair dyed red and blue on either side.

Someone might call her a harlequin, but she called it Taeguk style.

Just like Unsah Park Raon, she once pursued tradition to boost patriotism under her old alias, C Rank Hero [Taeguk Girl]. Now, she calls herself Patriotpay.

“How strong are you now?”

“B Rank now.”

“…How far did you go?”

Patriotpay’s question was met with a firm shake of Raon’s head.

“You’re wrong. It’s not how far I went but how many times I climaxed. That’s the correct question.”

Raon gripped her spear again and unleashed magical power.

“At least sixty times.”

……

Half an hour later.

With the complete clearance of monsters in Yeongdeungpo District, the heroes advancing from five directions gathered at Yeouido.