Chapter 8: The Rise of the Sea King

S-rank, 3rd place.
A superhuman.
Min Hayul.

Her body was soaked.

It was because she had let herself get drenched by the sudden downpour.

Step after step, water splashed around as traces of her path were left behind.

The lobby had gotten damp, but none of the Hunter Association staff dared to say anything unpleasant to her.

Instead, they wore expressions of shock and hurried about.

It was understandable.

The title of 3rd place S-rank was not just a number.

Moreover, the 1st and 2nd ranked hunters in Korea had gone missing.

In essence, Min Hayul was the strongest hunter in Korea.

And now, she appeared at the Association without a word.

Her clothes clung to her body, and water dripped down from her wet hair.

The staff scrambled to bring her dry towels.

“Are you okay, Hunter?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

The staff’s eyes were full of confusion.

She was the strongest superhuman who had saved countless lives and defeated countless enemies with a mere gesture.

They had never seen her use an umbrella.

She possessed such strong telekinetic powers that raindrops couldn’t even touch her.

But here she was, looking like a drowned rat as she visited the Association.

Min Hayul slowly lifted her head and looked at the staff with a neutral expression.

Her eyes were cold, giving the impression that she was looking somewhere far away.

Min Hayul was deep in thought.

She swept her wet hair back with one hand.

‘Should I say it?’

The unidentified enemy who had invaded Korea’s airspace had been too much for even the strongest hunter to deal with, forcing Min Hayul to struggle.

But she shook her head.

‘No, I shouldn’t say it.’

For some reason, the once-powerful woman now appeared extraordinarily polite.

She left a strong impression on her, with an elegance and grace that seemed to have developed over many years.

Her noble and refined movements were impressive, to say the least.

‘For now, there’s no real threat.’

If she crosses a line, then it would be a different story.

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you. To give me coins at such a good price… I wish you wealth!”

Even if she said that, it was clear she was already wealthy.

I looked at the money in my hands.

It wasn’t much.

After all, I was being raised, so I didn’t need money.

“Master, is that all right with you? Is that enough?”

“Yes. It’s more than enough for me.”

“Well… I’ve gained basic knowledge since coming here, so I know. With that small amount of money, you can’t maintain your dignity!”

“But, Kiriel, you don’t even have that much money.”

“Ugh… Th-that…!”

Did I hit a nerve?

She seemed speechless for a moment, looking a little embarrassed from the pointed remark.

“Instead of that, we need to leave quickly.”

“Master?! Where are you going?”

“Yawn. I’m starting to feel sleepy.”

“What?! You’re feeling fatigued? I will serve you with my utmost loyalty, Master, and provide rest for you!”

“No, I just want to go home and sleep.”

“As you command!”

We had to go back by subway.

We headed straight to the ticket gate.

Beep, student ticket.

I passed through normally, but then—

Crack!

“…Huh?”

It was destroyed.

The ticket gate’s barrier, which looked expensive, was completely uprooted.

Instead of gently moving aside when touched, it had been completely torn from its roots.

However, Kiriel stared at me blankly, as if she didn’t understand what the problem was.
It seemed she didn’t realize what mistake she had made.

“Oh no, I’ll have to compensate for this.”

“Did I cause trouble? Is it my fault, Master?”

“It’s fine. I’m wealthy.”

…She said she had acquired basic knowledge, but she seemed unfamiliar with the customs of the human world.
I could consider running away, but after all, I’m an angel.
I didn’t want to do anything that would go against my conscience.

I called the station attendant to explain the situation and ask normally.
Her eyes darted back and forth.
Kiriel was feeling very guilty about what had happened.

“Because of me, Master had to use the money you worked so hard for. It was my mistake. How can I make up for this foolishness…”

“Ah, don’t worry too much. These things happen.”

“But… but…”

She seemed downcast, her head drooping in sorrow.
She had said the money was hard-earned, but…
Who gave it to her, though?

Still, seeing her so miserable, like a wet cat, I felt a strong urge to comfort her.
I rubbed my tired eyes and made a request.

“Kiriel, could you bend your knee for a moment?”

“At once! I’ll do as you command!”

She immediately responded.
She bent her knee slightly and awkwardly stood in front of me, her eyes still flicking nervously around.
I wondered what she was feeling at that moment.
I didn’t know why she was so loyal to me.

I couldn’t sleep, so I got into a game to pass the time.
There wasn’t much to do. I knew I was going to die anyway, but I wanted to see the ending of this game.
So I was busy pushing through the content.
Before I knew it, I had a beautiful subordinate.

‘…She doesn’t have to go this far for someone like me.’

As I thought this, I gently placed my hand on her head.
The height was just right, so it felt comfortable.
Her soft hair brushed my fingertips, and I could feel her body tense up.
I started to stroke her head slowly.

“Master? What is this…?”

At first, her face was filled with surprise and confusion, but gradually, it transformed into a look of ecstasy.
Her eyes closed slightly, and her face turned a shade of pink.
The sight of her, looking like a model, blushing and flustered, made those around us lose their composure.

“Hey, what are you looking at?”

“N-no, it’s not like that…!”

“You’re dead.”

Rest in peace, boyfriend.

“Master, such a reward for someone as lowly as me…! I would die happily now!!”

“Don’t get too worked up over small things. I’ll do this more often for you in the future.”

“Ugh! To think you’d bestow such a delightful reward upon me…”

Is petting really that enjoyable?
She trembled slightly, like a little kitten.

Just then, a man, seemingly gathering his courage, approached us.
His face showed that he had made a decision after much contemplation.

“Excuse me, hello? I’ve been watching you, and… could I get your number?”

Hmm.
She was so beautiful, and seeing her flushed and unsure of what to do, who wouldn’t fall for her?
But Kiriel, the person in question, was still focused on me, feeling embarrassed.

It seemed she had no interest in the guy.
“I think she’s not really interested,” I said. “Sorry, but…”

“Huh…?”

In fact… it was you who asked for my number, wasn’t it?

An unexpected response.

“Ah, well, I’m not really interested either. Sorry about that.”

What was this?
Someone like me being liked?
Wasn’t that a crime?

I thought about the “corrupt fallen loli amoeba” stored in my Halo,
and the man, face flushed bright red, hurriedly backed off.

We boarded the subway safely, and for some reason, there were people offering to give up their seats for me.
Such kind people.
Thanks to them, I was able to sit comfortably.

“Hi-heeek.”
I could feel Kiriel’s body stiffening as I leaned against her.
I was just so tired.

I closed my eyes and boarded the subway, heading home.

Hunter Association.

“Are you checking it?”

“Yes, I haven’t read any messages from the scout or agency. We’re tracking all large coin transactions, without fail.”

“It seems like they really don’t want to reveal their identity. The more they try to hide, the more meticulously we need to check.”

“The whole country has been sending a large amount of coins in support of Zz’s actions.”

“If they start using that money properly, we’ll be able to track their movements. We might even make contact with Zz.”

“That’s right! Since they’re human, they’ll inevitably spend some of the wealth they accumulate in economic activities.”

“Especially considering the money earned through donations—300 billion. There’s no way they wouldn’t waste it.”

Records of expensive item transactions, auctions, large-scale coin cash-outs, high-tier gate or labyrinth raids…
We were closely monitoring all places where Zz could be active.
However, so far, there was no sign of them.

Then…

“We’ve detected suspicious activity!”

“What is it? Where? Did they cash out coins?”

“No, no. We’re checking all cash-outs above 100 million coins, but no one with suspicious ties to Zz has appeared.”

“Damn it, that person doesn’t even spend money. So what’s the suspicious movement?”

“Well, that’s…”
The staff silently showed the screen.

It was the sea.
Why the sea?

For a moment, the director rubbed his eyes, thinking he might have seen something wrong, but his eyes widened in disbelief.
He thought the waves were coming, but upon closer inspection, they were all monsters.

What do hunters hate the most?
World bosses?
The Tower of Infinity?
Gate raids?
Each hunter has their own specialty, but the common thing they all avoid is the ‘World Boss.’
Although the rewards are good, world bosses are mythic beings that transcend standard expectations.
Facing these beings, who could be a disaster for an entire country or even the world is something even the strongest hunters would avoid.

Next in line is the monster wave.
When gates open in barren places like deserts, frozen tundras, or jungles, people usually give up on trying to conquer them.
Such environments form ecosystems of monsters.
When monsters eventually overflow, they surge forward in waves.

In South Korea’s case, with seas on three sides, after ‘that event,’ we only needed to be cautious of the waves coming from the North.
But this monster wave was different.

The sea was filled with gates no one had ever conquered and was considered one of the most dangerous places in the world.
This time, a monster wave was coming from the sea.
Countless marine monsters rose from the depths, moving from the east.

At the center of this disaster was a figure, presenting itself like a protagonist.
It was a massive sea creature, and what stood out was the strange sign it was holding.
On the sign, in clear letters, was written:
[I am the Sea King.]