Chapter 6: Fucking Country calls you back

For three days, we stayed with President Volkov of the association.

Thanks to the mountains of food and water he brought, South Korea’s usual strategy of starving out rebellious hunters was no longer effective.

“I’d like to see you hunt sometime.”

President Volkov requested.

In response, we took him to watch us hunt high-level monsters.

We used wyverns to transport our forces, avoiding unnecessary battles and conserving our strength before entering the hunting grounds.

President Volkov clapped his hands in delight as he watched our hunters, who had honed their teamwork with Younghak, precisely and ruthlessly slaughter the monsters.

“It’s astonishing to see such high-level hunters working so well together!”

“South Korea couldn’t afford to build multiple bases. So we built only one and had our hunters run raids directly to the rifts. This risky approach resulted in a high engagement rate, leading to more high-level hunters.”

“Our approach is entirely different. We build as many bases as possible and lure bosses or monster hordes to our bases to deal with them through siege battles.”

“It’s much more efficient and stable.”

“On the downside, our hunters aren’t as high-level. Haha! And our supply of magic stones is relatively lower.”

Younghak and President Volkov often talked.

After all, Younghak had spent ten years living at the base, creating most of the existing monster hunting techniques, manuals, and strategies, so he had much to say.

For three days, the South Korean government didn’t send anyone back through the gate.

Despite our worries about a possible incursion, no one came.

And after three more days,

[The health of the Despair Flame Dragon has been fully restored!]

In front of everyone, I summoned the level 1200 dragon boss we had hunted.

Its 60-meter body, 100-meter wingspan, and the enormous level of 1203 visible to any awakened individual with a status window left President Volkov grinning from ear to ear.

“Is everyone ready to leave?”

Over the three days, we had done our best to empty the containers of food and fill them with magic stones.

We also made multiple baskets to carry 100 people at once.

Just before leaving our base for the US territory,

“One last question! Is there anyone who wants to stay at the Korean base? If anyone doesn’t want to leave, you can immediately turn back and return to Daejeon through the gate.”

Younghak asked the 103 hunters one last time.

From the rookies who had been here less than three months to the veterans who had seen it all, no one moved.

Everyone had seen Sangmin’s death.

And they saw how his death was received by South Korean society.

The one who sacrificed himself to prevent South Korea from being overrun by rifts was met with concealment, the insult of being labelled as having died of underlying conditions, and the women’s mocking comments like “One less male insect.”

There was no patriotism left among the 103 people here.

“Then we’re leaving! This is the choice you all made!”

The decision was made.

The hunters and President Volkov boarded the baskets.

The 30 tons of high-level monster magic stones were securely loaded into the container.

“We’re heading to the US territory.”

Following my command, the dragon easily lifted everything.

It spread its massive wings and began to fly.

The South Korean base quickly receded into the distance.

And the US base grew closer.

***

Inside the presidential office in the Blue House, a cold silence hung in the air.

It was due to the news delivered yesterday by Major Lee Haechul, who had dragged in the horribly mangled body of Base Commander Cho Geunsung.

The hunters who were supposed to protect the South Korean base had fled.

If a rift appeared in the South Korean territory tomorrow, there would be no one to stop it.

“How could you manage the hunters so poorly to let this happen?!”

In response, the Minister of Defense and the President of the Korean Hunter Association, Joo Cheolwoo, hung their heads.

“I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t call you here to hear apologies. Bring me a solution. A solution!! If a rift occurs within the Korean territory of the gate as soon as tomorrow, and monsters pour out, causing the deaths of our citizens, will you take responsibility?”

The Minister of Defence and the Association President, Joo Cheolwoo, had no choice but to bow their heads in silence at the irritable president’s words.

Magic Stones.

Everything fell apart when it was suddenly revealed that the wretched stones had near-magical utility.

If it wasn’t for that, this rebellion could have been easily suppressed by starving them for a few days.

However, the United States caught wind of it and quickly snatched the hunters, leading to this mess.

“How about summoning the U.S. ambassador to lodge a protest?”

The Minister of Defence stammered out a suggestion, but it only worsened the president’s mood.

“Do you think the U.S. will let them go? They’ll create laws if they don’t already exist to keep them. They’ve secured people who can continuously supply Magic Stones and they’re not foolish enough to let them go.”

“At the very least, we should request the return of the stolen Magic Stones…”

At these words, the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, standing next to the president, answered in a cold voice.

“We’ve already made the request, but the response was that the government cannot take away what hunters risked their lives to obtain. If we want to engage in a tedious legal battle, we could, but by the time it’s settled, the Magic Stones would already have been processed into elixirs and distributed in the market.”

“Those Magic Stones belong to the Republic of Korea!! They belong to Korea!!!! Does it make any sense that the U.S. took them?!”

The president’s furious words, accompanied by a bang on the desk, left the two men bowing their heads in silence again.

After glaring at them with disdain, the president clicked his tongue.

“Losing the Magic Stones is painful, but more critical is that we have no way to handle the rift issue within the gate. What are we going to do? Do you have any solutions?”

“…… This is the first time we’re facing a situation where hunters have defected to another country, so we don’t have a manual yet. We’re still figuring out how to deal with this…”

The Minister of Defence fell silent.

Joo Cheolwoo, the Association President, cautiously offered a suggestion.

“What if we use the families of the defected hunters as leverage to bring the hunters back? We could impose heavy fines on their families if they don’t return…”

“The opposition would love that. I can already see tomorrow’s headlines: ‘The conservative president, a successor of the military regime, is taking ordinary citizens hostage to force young people back into danger.’ Isn’t that a perfect topic to tear into the president who created a security hole?”

The Association President also fell silent, looking crestfallen.

The president waved his hand in frustration.

“Keep protesting to the U.S. government. They won’t listen, but keep applying pressure and send people over. If you want to keep your positions.”

At the chilly tone, the two men barely managed a bow before quickly exiting the room.

Now, only the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs and the president remained.

“Senior Secretary.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“This situation… can we consider it a national emergency?”

“Absolutely.”

“I see.”

The president tapped the desk for a moment.

After a brief contemplation, he spoke again.

“There is one way to solve the security issue.”

***

High-purity Magic Stones from high-level monsters weighing up to 30 tons.

As soon as the U.S. saw the Magic Stones, they went mad with greed.

“Welcome to American citizenship! Haha!”

Within three days, citizenship was granted to 103 people at lightning speed, and all the conditions I had previously proposed were immediately fulfilled by presidential order.

We were assigned the 32nd outpost, the frontline among the 32 outposts the U.S. had set up in their territory within the gate.

Additionally, we were given the task of training U.S. hunters and levelling them up together.

In return, we were granted the right to sell the Magic Stones we obtained to American private companies.

Settling into the new outpost and unpacking our belongings.

Obtaining U.S. citizenship and making our faces known among the American hunter community.

Even while doing that job, we received a flood of daily calls to the US military base inside the gate, to the point where our phone was about to explode.

Some company chairmen even came to the military base because they wanted to meet us.

It was a moment that showed how valuable and prestigious the magic stones were.

After a hectic week, the magic stone auction hosted by the US government was finally held in Los Angeles, California.

Brother Younghak and I went to LA as representatives of 103 people and started selling the magic stones amidst enthusiastic support from an enormous number of companies.

“A magic stone obtained from a 701-level monster! Weighing 2.3 kg! Starting at $10,000!”

“20!!”

“30!!”

“50!!”

It was madness.

Younghak and I just sat there, doing nothing, and earned an enormous amount of money.

Finally, when all 30 tons of magic stones were sold out,

“After deducting taxes, the net profit will be deposited into your account. Thank you for your hard work.”

“So, what’s the total amount?”

“It’s $6.1 million.”

We were able to make a profit of about 80 billion won.

The amount was mind-numbing.

Younghak and I hugged each other and screamed like kids.

“This is just the beginning, and it’s already this undervalued, bro!! Think about it!! The full potential of elixirs hasn’t been discovered yet!! Research has just begun! As more uses are found over time, we can make even more money! Bro!!!”

“This is crazy! It’s insane!! Even if we divide it equally among 100 people, each person gets…”

“800 million won each! Damn!!!”

“Ha ha ha ha!!!!!”

That night, I stayed up with my brother, pondering how to distribute the profit.

The distribution was decided based on skill, level, and experience.

We returned to the main gate in Nevada with big smiles.

We distributed the profits to the 103 hunters who had trusted and followed us, and their eyes widened when they saw the money in their accounts.

“What are you doing, you bastards!! Let’s party!!!!!”

When we informed Chairman Volkov that we were going to have fun, it took less than 10 minutes for several luxury trucks to arrive in front of us.

We headed as a group to Las Vegas, a city near the main gate.

For a week, we had a wild party.

We enjoyed all the food, shows, and fun we couldn’t have while being stuck inside the gate.

Chairman Volkov quickly arranged for some Korean students and expatriates to act as our interpreters.

It was a truly enjoyable and happy time.

And on the seventh day of our crazy partying.

“Hey, Sungho.”

“Yes, Younghak hyung.”

“They’re recalling the discharged hunters in Korea.”

I stopped eating the ice cream I ordered via room service while lying on a soft bed in a luxury hotel and realized why the Korean government hadn’t approached us.