“Then does that mean we no longer have control over ‘them’?”
“Yes, from reviewing the documents for the former minister, it seems there were signs of it from that time.”
“Why didn’t anyone prepare for it back then?”
“It seems the government at the time thought they were docile like dogs or cats and that their intelligence was low, making them easy to control.”
“This is giving me a headache.”
“According to records, we suspected that we lost control over them around 2074. Although there were instances of some resistance or refusal of commands, there had never been a full-scale rejection by the species nor any attacks on humans, so the conditions for a hunt order weren’t met…”
“Now, damage has definitely occurred.”
“Yes, the leader of the hunter party that requested the exploration of the Simhaeui Kkot through the Hunter Association has been attacked, so information will likely start leaking to other hunters soon. This will allow us to officially issue a hunt order through the Hunter Association.”
“What about the Simhaeui Kkot?”
“It has been confirmed to bloom in their habitat. It’s estimated to weigh around 600 million tons.”
“Hoo, the Simhaeui Kkot was created under strong pressure and difficult temperature conditions, but it can yield up to eight times the efficiency of methane hydrate of the same size. Not to mention it contains mana; it’s an outrageous strategic resource. If we issue a hunt order for those holding such strategic resources, all sorts of riffraff will surely flock to it…”
“So what will you do? Now that a hunter has died at the hands of ‘them,’ it’s only a matter of time before the conditions for a hunt order are met. Will you perhaps commission Yeonseo?”
“That old hag Yeonseo wouldn’t get involved in such matters. She only acts in crises regarding the state’s existence or disaster situations, so she would definitely refuse. Tch, back in the day, the South Sea was practically a goldmine, but if we can’t extract that 600 million tons of Simhaeui Kkot, it will be useless.”
“That said, we can’t entrust the job to unregistered criminal Awakened Ones either. It’s not just that they have issues completing requests; they are inherently untrustworthy and likely to take the funding and run.”
“It’s easy to mislead public opinion as rumors spread among the hunters, but this matter must be resolved discreetly and swiftly. If rumors spread too widely, neighboring countries like Japan and China, not to mention Indonesia, which constantly whines for hunter technology, will surely want to get in on it. Especially Japan is likely to swoop in with their eyes lit up, proposing joint economic development in the relevant waters.”
“So we need a capable problem solver who can handle all of this discreetly with a small team. A strong Awakened One who can obey government directives… the conditions are too strict. Do such people even exist?”
“Sigh… this is giving me a headache.”
“Oh…!”
“What is it? Is there a suitable candidate?”
“Yes, have you heard of the famous Returnee known as the Mangja Seongnyeo?”
“Mangja Seongnyeo? Are you talking about Isia the Returnee? I remember hearing that she was deemed a person of interest due to her unstable mental state…”
“Her mental state shouldn’t be much of an issue anymore. She’s a hunter streamer who’s reached the ranks of a major company, but most importantly, she holds a temporary hunter certificate that hasn’t been formally graded yet.”
“Is she strong?”
“Among fans, it’s almost an established fact that she’s a near S-grade hunter. It’s also been confirmed that she has connections with the recently promoted S-grade hunter, Icicle Nine. Additionally, she supposedly loves food.”
“What? Loves food?”
“Her streaming concept revolves around hunting monsters and cooking them. She can easily consume 50 to 100 portions.”
“That’s quite unique… well, it sounds like she has the capability to exterminate them, so I don’t mind.”
“Since she’s a hunter streamer, she’s likely someone who enjoys attention and money. We can probably offer her some crumbs through a direct government commission to hunt the monsters who attacked humans.”
“Alright, let’s assign this to her.”
“Yes, understood. I will prepare the [Merfolk Extermination Order] to send to Hunter Isia.”
●●●●●
The intensely fought hunter beach volleyball match between Yeonhwa and Menelapie ended without a winner when the volleyball burst under Menelapie’s aura, leading the officiating AI to declare the game unplayable.
While it was disappointing for the spectators that there was no result, I felt relieved that it ended this way.
After all, letting something so trivial get overheated is not good for either side.
For the record, since the previous hunter beach volleyball match was annulled, Menelapie and Yeonhwa reached a settlement by deciding to go to the nearby grocery store to buy meat. Because of that, we could feast on meat without restraint.
By the way, the barbecue area where we could grill the meat is entirely booked at the Busan Hunter Association branch, as Choi Bomi Director mentioned.
When I mentioned my name at the hotel, they already had a room prepared for me.
Unfortunately, breakfast for me was not ready yet.
They probably realized I had a rather large appetite and were preparing quite a bit of food.
I wouldn’t necessarily need that much preparation, but if they’re offering, I won’t decline.
In any case, today I planned to be content with enjoying delicious meat that Yeonhwa and Menelapie brought.
It was a bit strange that the meat had an unusually strong scent of Menelapie, but grilled, it tasted just as delicious anyway.
“Sigh, the grilled pork belly was delicious…”
“Hehehe, I’m glad to hear that!”
Seeing my satisfaction seemed to make Menelapie’s face flush for some reason.
“Kyaak!” (So delicious!)
“Haha… are you full, Unnie?”
“Actually, I could eat more, but it wouldn’t be good to overeat, right?”
My mother, hearing my words, had a somewhat bewildered expression while tidying up the grill.
Well, as a mother, it’s good when her child eats a lot…
“….Ugh, this girl has turned into a total pig. This must be over 100 portions…”
Still, it would be a bit surprising to see someone eat that much meat all at once.
It wasn’t just the salt-grilled pork belly.
Along with it, we had spicy radish wraps, various vegetables, and according to my belief that carbs must never be absent when eating meat, Menelapie brought rice and bread to go with it without me even asking. I made sure to absorb all the rice and bread as well to honor my hero’s kindness.
Truly, my hero knows exactly what I want!
“Hehe, Mom, when Shia puts her mind to it, she could easily eat enough food for a thousand people.”
“You sound quite proud, don’t you?”
“Of course! If you had seen how blissfully and appreciatively Shia eats, you wouldn’t doubt it!”
“Ah, yes…”
Meat is always right.
When someone is feeling down or things aren’t going well, it’s better to shove meat and money in their mouths rather than give awkward words of comfort.
People feel happiness when their mouths are full of meat, and that provides them with the energy to move forward, so meat is undoubtedly a wonderful food.
Before I knew it, the sun had set while we were eating.
Traveling is inherently such a simple and trivial purpose.
You don’t need to do anything complicated or grand to have fun while on a trip.
Simply being with loved ones… being with someone who makes you feel at ease is happiness in itself. For me, the greatest joy was the absence of loneliness.
I stepped out onto the hotel terrace, feeling a slight cool breeze, and gazed at the dark sea.
With a satisfying feeling of fullness, everything in the world seemed positive.
By the way, where did that blonde tanned seaweed I tore off earlier go? Is it still buried right there?
Well, it probably isn’t worth worrying about…
As I stared motionlessly at the night sea, I felt as if the darkness was looking back at me.
“Sigh, I feel good…”
It’s a cliche, but I still can’t believe this reality.
When I returned to Earth six months ago, to be honest, I had nothing but bad thoughts.
The circumstances under which I came from my previous world to Earth were hardly good at all. I wasn’t someone worthy of being welcomed as a returnee.
To call me a ticking time bomb isn’t an exaggeration; in fact, that phrase feels painfully light to describe me.
Being unable to eat a Malicious Entity would lead to hunger pangs, causing me to devour everything around me, human or monster. That was me.
It was fortunate that the first monster I encountered upon falling to Earth was the Black Minotaur; if not, I might have devoured Yeonhwa the moment I returned. If I had eaten Yeonhwa, I would have naturally formed a hostile relationship with Yeonseo and the Korean government, and the Hunter Association may still be hunting me down to this day.
No, what if Earth had been an ordinary Earth before 2024, with no gates opening? I might have turned the entire world against me.
I would have faced bombings, dealt with tanks, and perhaps I might have even been hit by a nuclear bomb.
But if I lost control to hunger, not even a nuclear bomb could stop me.
At best, it would only buy a bit of time.
“Still, thank goodness…”
Everything surrounding me was safe.
It felt as though artificially and deliberately, someone had arranged for everything to turn out well.
Everything in this world is a blessing.
Earth being filled with Malicious Entities and monsters was a blessing for me. The presence of dungeons and gates meant I didn’t have to worry about civilian casualties while hunting monsters, which was also a blessing.
Not facing humanity on the brink of extinction but returning in 2088 to a period where civilization had been somewhat rebuilt and stabilized was a blessing.
Being able to reunite with my mom was a blessing. Building precious connections with Yeonhwa and Yeonseo is a blessing, and most importantly, reuniting with my hero was a joy that defies expression.
If even one of those were missing, I likely wouldn’t be here.
I still miss the empty space beside me, and I sometimes long for Teresa and Menelapie, wondering if I had turned into a shut-in, broadcasting endlessly, filled with loneliness.
Loneliness is indeed my enemy.
“Sigh, staring at the night sea makes me think of useless things…”
Unlike the brilliant sunlight that diffuses during the day, the night sea makes me feel like I’m facing a dark abyss, causing me to feel unnecessarily sentimental.
It feels as though I’m gazing into the Bottomless Pit.
I need to shake off this slightly melancholic mood quickly.
If only this had happened, that would have been dangerous; if only that had happened, that would have been scary.
Such thoughts are the most useless worries.
Let’s be devoted to the present. Let’s be faithful to the people around me now.
Thoughts of “what if” and fears of hypothetical situations are things I must never entertain now.
What I need to do is protect my daily life, protect my loved ones, and protect my world.
“Hm… someone’s watching me?”
This isn’t just a passing glance.
It’s definitely a gaze directed at me from the terrace.
I hadn’t noticed until now, lost in my feelings of fullness, but the stares looking at me were unreservedly clear, and most importantly, they were coming from the sea.
One, two, three… wait, is it three?
It’s hard to count since the stares are coming from underwater.
I can’t tell if it’s one person’s gaze or several… maybe it’s the movement of gazes shifting here and there.
Could it be that the blonde tanned seaweed I saw earlier has come to exact revenge!?
Kyaak, how scary!
However, one thing is certain: something was quietly gazing at me from the dark depths of the night sea.
I didn’t feel any hostility from that gaze.
Pat pat.
Not long after, I leaped off the terrace and headed toward the sandy beach.
As I made my way past the sandy shore to a rocky area on Gamji Beach, only the gentle sound of waves crashing was heard.
It was likely a zone where only hunters could enter, as I felt no presence of people on the nearby walking path.
Could this even be considered a presence?
An unfathomable gaze and aura were staring at me from the dark night sea.
Without thinking, I stepped into the cool waves lapping at my ankles.
I deliberately took a deep breath, trying to act nonchalant as if I were at ease in front of whoever was watching me.
And then…
“Uuh….”
“Huh?”
Something grabbed my ankle under the water.
“Uuh?”
“….What is this?”
A hand?
No, it was slightly slippery to be called a hand.
The shape seemed like a human hand, but there were faint scales, or something unknown, sticking to the forearm. Soon, as the owner of the arm popped their head above the water, I tilted my head in curiosity, locking eyes with it.
The upper body looked like a human woman, but the lower body was unmistakably fish-like.
It was unlike some monstrous merfolk that seemed to swim out of the shadows of Innsmouth; it looked truly beautiful, possessing classical elegance.
“Uuu….”
Though it was hard to see in the darkness of the night sea, her hair shimmered with a pretty blue hue above the water while her eyes sparkled with the innocence of a child, capturing my ankle with curiosity.
Is that a mermaid?
Yes, it’s definitely a mermaid.
A beautiful and enchanting mermaid, just like those I’d seen in fairy tales.
Though in this case, it seemed much cuter than beautiful.
“Uuuu?”
Like a voiceless mermaid princess, the mermaid gazed at me with a face full of curiosity and intrigue as she fiddled with my ankle.
Ah, that tickles.
She wasn’t just playing around my ankle; she was also touching my toes.
“Haha! Yeah, that’s something you can’t have! Go ahead and enjoy!”
“Uuh?”
The cute mermaid either understood my words or not, but she seemed captivated by my toes, playing with them out of pure wonder.
This is adorable.
I slowly reached out my hand, ensuring I made no sudden moves to startle the mermaid.
“Uuuu…”
The mermaid grasped my outstretched hand.
Reaching further, I slipped my hand under her armpit and lifted her out of the water like a baby.
“Uuuu?”
“Hehe, you’re quite cute!”
Fortunately, it seemed she could breathe on land, as the mermaid continued to stare at me with her wet face while her finned tail flailed gently.
Though her gentle uuing was cute, her overall appearance was also incredibly endearing.
And… she had a pretty big chest, too.
From what I know, mermaids typically used seashells as underwear, but this mermaid didn’t seem to wear anything at all.
Just like me.
I proceeded to hug the mermaid like a princess.
“Tonight’s midnight snack is mermaid stew!”
“!?!?!!?!?”
At that moment, realizing the meaning of my words, the mermaid’s face turned to pure shock.
Oh? So she understands some words…?>
