I’ll Retire After Saving the World - Chapter 6

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Chapter 6 – Even When You Fall Backward (2)

“You lost it?”

“Yes.”

The more you have to hide, the more confident you need to act.

This wouldn’t work against seasoned individuals, but the kids in front of me are just 18-year-old high school students.

It’s easy to sway them.

“Lost… then, um….”

See? Even the one trying to act sharp is quickly flustered and speechless.

But Oh Hyunwook’s question made me realize something I hadn’t considered.

Right now, I have no proper identification.

Even if I get out of here safely, the problem will come afterward. I can’t just do nothing after coming back to the past, knowing that South Korea will fall apart in twenty years.

At the very least, I need to check out that dungeon. The one in Bangi-dong that Yoo Jieun insisted we had to clear.

To enter a dungeon, I need solid identification.

…How old was I in 2021? Ten years old? If I’m here now, does my ten-year-old self exist somewhere?

I’ll think about my past self and the identification issue later.

For now, I need to focus on what I can do immediately… What can benefit me?

I looked at Oh Hyunwook. A future S-rank hunter.

Behind him, the students in Hunter Training High School uniforms. Two girls and two boys.

Among them, one would become famous enough to be known by name in the future.

…Hmm.

Being a lifesaver seems like the right amount of involvement.

“Is proving I’m a hunter enough?”

I subtly scraped the floor with my sword. A small line of blue flames flared up and then extinguished. Flames full of mana.

“Is this enough?”

“…Alright. You’re a hunter, mister.”

Oh Hyunwook hadn’t fully dropped his suspicion but accepted it for now.

This proves I’m awakened, but not necessarily that I’m a good hunter. He hasn’t realized that part yet.

The other training high school kids also relaxed slightly. It was clear they felt some relief having an active hunter around.

On the other hand, the civilians reacted more openly.

“If you’re a hunter, can you get us out of here?”

“I don’t know. But it’s better than just having kids around.”

Let’s consider the possibilities.

I’ve read about this incident countless times.

There have been many papers written on it, even internationally, and it’s a regular topic on various hunter sites.

Everyone has proposed their solutions. Generally, the conclusion is the same as mine: back then, there was no way to get everyone out safely.

“How many people are in this building?”

“…Forty-one.”

“Is that counting all of you?”

“Then forty-six, no, forty-seven including you, mister.”

Matches the number I know.

I can think of at least five or six escape methods off the top of my head. Excluding those that take too long or require too many resources, there are still that many.

I could just pick one that seems feasible….

I looked at the kids again. Apart from Oh Hyunwook and Park Seohyun, there are Yoo Hyeeun, Choi Jinwoo, and Lee Seungyeon.

Among them, I remember only one name.

Lee Seungyeon.

Pale-faced and shorter than Park Seohyun standing next to him. Honestly, I doubted he could even hold a sword properly.

Yet, in some ways, he was even more famous than the prodigies Oh Hyunwook and Park Seohyun.

Not because he showed extraordinary talent from a young age. He used all his luck just being born. Coming from a prestigious family is a kind of talent too, so in that regard, he was an SSS-rank hunter.

He was the cherished youngest member of the Dayeon family, one of the most prominent conglomerates not just in Korea, but worldwide.

Even after his death, his family never let him go. They supported the trial high school in every way possible, ensuring it stayed operational.

They played a role in establishing the Paranormal Control Bureau and even supported the uncle to become the head.

All this even after his death.

So what if he stayed alive?

What if I save a kid who was supposed to die? The Dayeon family I know wouldn’t turn a blind eye when it comes to family.

If I’m lucky, they might vouch for my identity.

Of course, that’s assuming things go well.

“Is there anyone here who can’t move easily?”

“Can’t move?”

“Injured or young children.”

I didn’t remember any, but it’s best to confirm.

“No, none.”

Good. Very good.

No identification?

Then I’ll just have to become an unquestionable hero, even if it’s a bit suspicious.

Koreans are suckers for that.

At the very least, Lee Seungyeon should remember my name and be grateful enough to shed tears.

There’s one perfect method for that.

Everyone survives, but it requires someone’s heroic sacrifice.

* * *

“We’re heading to City Hall.”

“…City Hall?”

The kids looked skeptical.

So did the civilians.

“City Hall?”

Usually, hunter strategy meetings shouldn’t be public. But given the situation…

“Are you crazy? Hunter, do you even know how far City Hall is from here?”

There’s always someone who doesn’t know their place and interrupts.

I looked at the man and let out an exaggerated sigh.

Dungeon emergency command authority… I need it.

It’s a law that hunters’ commands take priority during a dungeon break. When was this law enacted?

After the incident here where forty people died, right?

I think so. There were testimonies from the survivors that they weren’t listened to because they were just young students.

“Listen.”

I lowered my voice.

How many clueless hunters had I knocked some sense into before?

A loud civilian is nothing.

“Do you want to die?”

“What, what?! Are you threatening people now?”

“Shut up.”

Without the authority, hunters also have no obligation to rescue civilians.

Even if I don’t help this guy…. I’m not saying I’d kill him.

“Honestly, getting myself out of here is no big deal. I’m helping because I can’t just leave these kids behind. You there, students.”

“Y-yes?”

“Do you guys want to go alone? I don’t care.”

I caught myself as I spoke harshly, like I would to Paranormal Control Bureau hunters. I shouldn’t take out my frustration on kids who barely qualify as hunters.

The kids exchanged glances before Yoo Hyeeun spoke up on behalf of the group.

“Uh, no… we can’t just leave the others behind….”

The other kids nodded in agreement.

“Did you hear that? Because of these students, people like you have a chance to survive. If you don’t want to come, you can stay behind. No one’s forcing you.”

“Uh….”

He seemed reluctant to stay behind, though.

Seeing he was still unsure, I decided to help him make up his mind. I should try to resolve this with words since I’m a civilized person.

“For the record, those monsters out there? They don’t just graze on grass like cows, despite their appearance. They’re monsters.”

“What, what do you mean?”

“They’re carnivorous.”

“…So?”

He still didn’t get it. Others seemed to understand, though.

“What kind of meat do you think they’ll find around here?”

I smiled kindly at the now pale-faced people.

“If you get caught by them, don’t expect your body to be intact.”

“…….”

The man finally understood. I patted him on the shoulder.

“So let’s keep it quiet, alright?”

“Ahem.”

“Also, is this your first time in Myeongdong? It’s a short distance to City Hall from here.”

“That’s… only if there are no monsters!”

He had a point.

I shrugged.

“This is a guild office, right? Do any of you work here?”

“Y-yes, we do.”

Since this is a guild office, there should be a map somewhere.

If I can’t exclude civilians from the strategy meeting, they might as well all listen.

“Do you have a large printed map of Myeongdong?”

“There’s one in the meeting room! Should I get it?”

“Yes. Please put it up on that wall.”

They moved quickly, being guild office staff.

Standing in front of the map, I addressed everyone.

“This is where we are right now.”

We were between subway stations, halfway between Hoehyeon Station and Myeongdong Station. At the intersection.

I traced a path down towards Namsan.

“This is the dungeon location.”

“It’s that close?”

It was only a ten-minute walk away.

It really was a dungeon in the heart of Seoul. They should have been more vigilant about it.

I pointed towards Namsan.

“The boss raid started two hours ago, so by now they’ve likely driven the dungeon boss towards Namsan.”

“How do you know that?”

One of the kids asked.

Despite the lack of comprehensive laws and proper response protocols, some things remained unchanged.

If a battle breaks out in a densely populated area like Myeongdong, the damage would be catastrophic.

There would be many people taking refuge inside buildings like here. Imagine if one of those buildings collapsed during the battle.

“The boss of the Myeongdong dungeon is a Minotaur. A 20-meter-tall bull-headed monster. How do you think it will go down, fighting that in the middle of the city?”

“…It would be a disaster.”

Fortunately, Namsan is right behind the Myeongdong dungeon.

“Exactly. Even though it’s carnivorous, its behavior is similar to that of a cow. It moves in herds. By now, most of them would have followed the boss to Namsan, leaving only a few stragglers on the streets.”

“So, you want us to go to City Hall?”

I picked up a fallen pen and drew a circle on the map, centered on our building, with Sungnyemun, City Hall Station, Euljiro Entrance Station, and Myeongdong Station forming the perimeter.

“Does anyone know what this is?”

“…….”

“No guesses?”

Yoo Hyeeun raised her hand slightly.

“It’s a containment line… right?”

“Correct.”

A defensive line set up during a dungeon break to prevent monsters from spreading.

“City Hall Station is the headquarters. Once we get near there, we’ll be safe for sure.”

“If the monsters went to Namsan, wouldn’t it be better for us to stay put? When the boss is defeated… the dungeon break will end….”

A civilian asked. It was a reasonable thought.

But I shook my head.

“The Minotaur is a dictator.”

“What?”

“It doesn’t need subordinates that don’t follow its orders. So the monsters gather when it commands and hunt when it tells them to. Same with eating.”

Right now, the command is to gather.

That’s why the monsters headed to Namsan.

“Now imagine the boss is defeated. That means the Minotaur is dead, and the leader controlling the monsters is gone. What do you think the monsters will do without a leader? Here’s a hint: they’re carnivorous and starving. The boss monopolized the food.”

This was an aspect the hunters fighting the Minotaur hadn’t anticipated.

“And they have a good sense of smell. They’re currently lingering around, unable to eat because of the boss. But….”

I pointed to the window with my chin.

“Yoo Hyeeun, right? Can you check how many monsters are on the road?”

Hesitant, Yoo Hyeeun cautiously looked out the window.

I heard a sharp intake of breath.

“How many?”

“I-I don’t know. About twenty? They’re all looking this way….”

“There will be more soon.”

The stragglers.

Or those so hungry they ignore the boss’s orders.

As soon as the Minotaur is defeated, they’ll charge at the people.

The room fell silent.

“Th-then tell the hunters not to defeat the boss….”

“Are you telling the hunters to die?”

The Myeongdong dungeon is currently rated as a B-rank, but due to the scale of the break and the presence of the Minotaur as the boss, it will be reclassified in a few years.

To S-rank.

This is all due to the flawed, haphazard administration.

Allowing guilds to self-regulate dungeon rankings led to this. They didn’t want to lose the valuable dungeon in the heart of Seoul, so they downgraded its rank to B.

“There isn’t a hunter in the world who can capture a Minotaur without killing it. Be thankful it’s not here right now. It’s thanks to the hunters risking their lives to fight it.”

I clapped my hands lightly to refocus everyone.

“So, let’s move quickly before the Minotaur is defeated.”

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