I’ll Retire After Saving the World - Chapter 7

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Chapter 7 – Even When You Fall Backward (3)

The monsters won’t eat humans right away. After all, they are afraid of the Minotaur.

But that doesn’t mean they will let humans wandering in front of them go. They just won’t eat them immediately; there’s nothing wrong with storing up some food.

It’s the same with monsters.

“How about going to the rooftop?”

Park Seohyun raised her head and suggested.

Myeong-dong is an old neighborhood. The gaps between buildings are not wide. A hunter could easily jump across, but…

“How are we going to take forty people across? It’ll take more time.”

I shook my head.

“Imagine if we get caught by the boss in the middle. The building will collapse.”

If I remember correctly, we have about an hour until the boss appears.

It’s roughly 1 km from here to Seoul City Hall. On a normal day, it would take less than ten minutes to walk down the straight road.

“Then… then….”

I looked at Park Seohyun struggling to come up with an idea. Compared to the Park Seohyun I knew, she seemed like a completely different person.

She looked so unfamiliar that it was hard to meet her eyes.

No, come to think of it, this might be the first time I’ve seen Park Seohyun’s bare face… She wasn’t always gloomy, after all.

“I got it!”

Then, the precious grandchild of a wealthy family raised his hand.

“This is the expression my teacher often makes!”

Lee Seungyeon pointed at my face.

“It’s the face that says, ‘I’ve already decided the answer, but it’s fun listening to your nonsense!’”

Sharp observation…

All eyes turned to me. I was planning to speak up soon anyway.

It was a task that required prior preparation, so I couldn’t waste any more time.

“Do you remember what I said about them earlier?”

“……”

It’s disappointing that these hunters have such poor attention spans. Even if they’re inexperienced, this is a bit much. How did the headquarters raise these kids?

None of the five answered.

“Um…”

The man who had been grumbling earlier cautiously raised his hand and spoke.

“Didn’t you say they have a keen sense of smell?”

“Yes. They’re more sensitive to mana, but…”

I tapped my nose.

“Their sense of smell itself is sharp. If fresh raw meat passes in front of them, they won’t miss it. That’s why they’re swarming around this area.”

That’s the reason why most people here died at that time.

In fact, the reason so many monsters gathered around here was partly because I used Yoo Jieun’s sword to prove that I was a hunter earlier.

It’s not like I didn’t control my power… but it’s impossible to go unnoticed. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said they were sensitive.

And to be honest, I intentionally lured them. It’s good to be a lifesaver, but if it’s too easy, they won’t appreciate it.

A little tension is a good vitality for life.

Whether it’s one cow or ten, what does it matter? I’m going to save them all anyway.

I used to have to follow procedures because I was a government official. Now there’s no regulatory agency, so… whatever.

“So if we go out without any preparation, we’ll attract all the monsters around us.”

“Oh, it’s so frustrating! Then what do you suggest we do, Hunter?”

The man pounded his chest in frustration.

“Didn’t you suggest going to City Hall because you had an idea?”

Impatient as ever.

I looked at the kids. Oh Hyunwook uses his fists, and Park Seohyun uses mana.

The rest…

“What are your specialties?”

Oh Hyunwook and Park Seohyun answered as I expected.

“I’m also a manaian.”

Choi Jinwoo. A manaian. But he can’t be compared to Park Seohyun.

“I’m a healer.”

Yoo Hyeeun. A rare healer. Unfortunately, not very useful right now.

“I’m a swordsman!”

Lee Seungyeon… it doesn’t matter. Anyway, his role is already determined.

I marked a route on the map. It was the road leading to City Hall.

“We’ll go this way.”

“Hunter…”

“Let me finish.”

I silenced the grumbling.

“They have a keen sense of smell, but their eyesight is poor. Their other senses aren’t great either. Since they’re starving, they’ll instinctively chase after fresh meat passing by. But…”

Where did I see this theory? Was it in an overseas hunter community?

It was a theory that required an experienced hunter, so it was heavily criticized. No, it’s hardly even a theory.

“But?”

“Nonetheless, their primary food source is mana. If we release a lot of mana, they’ll be drawn to it.”

The idle hunter who wrote that post would never have imagined that their theory would be used in the Myeong-dong Dungeon Incident.

“So I’ll be the bait.”

“What?”

“From in front of the building, you know the Currency Museum, right? I’ll release a lot of mana and circle around from this point… then head towards Namsan.”

I drew the path I would take on the map.

“The hunters will hold the line near City Hall… even if there are a few monsters left, here… what building is this?”

“It’s a hotel. The Goryeo Hotel.”

A guild staff member answered promptly.

“If you can reach this area, the hunters will come out to meet you. So, you all go ahead.”

The kids straightened their shoulders when they were mentioned.

“Mages, how fast can you cast a shield?”

“Three seconds.”

“Four point two seconds…”

Three seconds and 4.2 seconds. Park Seohyun wouldn’t fall behind even compared to active hunters twenty years from now, and Choi Jinwoo was excellent for his age.

“Oh Hyunwook will take the lead. The mages will deploy shields on both sides. Even if there are remaining monsters, block them with the shield first, and you finish them off. Aim between the eyes. Even if you can’t kill them in one blow, they won’t be able to move.”

Oh Hyunwook nodded with a determined face.

“Healer, swordsman, you two take the rear. Check and finish off any monsters that fall in front. If they don’t look like they’ll get up, ignore them. I’ll be following behind anyway.”

I made eye contact with each of them. I wasn’t sure if they fully understood.

I clicked my tongue internally and addressed the civilians.

“You all follow behind them. Run for your lives.”

“But… won’t the monsters come back when they see us moving all at once?”

“They will.”

I agreed.

“Then…?”

“That’s why the preparation we’re about to do is important.”

I looked at the two mages.

“Can you draw runes?”

* * *

At this point, runes are useless.

The perception of runes will change in six years when a good-hearted archmage from France reveals the mana concealing rune.

“You just need to draw it on your foreheads. Since you’re not a hunter, you don’t have mana…”

I asked the civilians.

“Does anyone here know they have awakened? Speak up now.”

“……”

No one answered.

“Hey, mages. You drew that wrong.”

“Ugh…”

“Does this really conceal mana?”

Although Park Seohyun and Choi Jinwoo were grumbling and drawing the runes, they seemed very skeptical.

Considering the status of runes at this time, it’s understandable. I ignored their doubtful looks. I wasn’t planning to explain properly anyway, nor could I.

“Since it’s drawn on your forehead and connected to your mana, it will conceal casting but not the casted mana.”

I considered drawing the runes myself, but explaining the mana pen was cumbersome.

Claiming to know a mage is one thing, but the mana pen is a tangible item. If it gets dismantled, it will be obvious it’s a manufactured product, making it hard to explain.

Besides, it’s easier to fix mistakes made by the kids than by me.

I shrugged at Park Seohyun, who was drawing a rune on Lee Seungyeon’s forehead. They might get a bit traumatized, but hunters grow strong.

Finally, Choi Jinwoo drew a rune on my forehead.

“You know how to activate the rune, right?”

I tapped Lee Seungyeon’s forehead with my finger. It’s easy to ruin a rune.

“Touch the rune with a mana-imbued hand. Activate it right after I leave.”

“Yes!”

“I’ll circle around and pass by this spot again. Start moving after I pass. I’ll catch up after dealing with the monsters.”

We had about twenty minutes left before the boss appeared. Although it took some effort to draw the runes, it was enough time.

“I’m setting off.”

I grabbed Yoo Jieun’s sword, opened the window, and jumped out.

It was only a three-story height at most. I landed silently and gracefully.

“Growl.”

“It would feel better if I waved a red cloth.”

I shrugged my shoulders and began to move.

* * *

“Who is that guy…?”

“Are you curious now?”

Oh Hyunwook looked at Park Seohyun, who was biting her lip, with an incredulous face.

“No, I mean…”

Park Seohyun lowered her hand, which had been touching her forehead.

Despite her worries about whether the runes could produce such an unbelievable effect, she couldn’t sense any mana from her friends.

But that didn’t make her feel any lighter. Lowering her voice so others wouldn’t hear, Park Seohyun whispered to Oh Hyunwook.

“Hyunwook, what if that guy doesn’t come back?”

Oh Hyunwook, who had also activated his rune and was lightly warming up, froze. It was something he had been worrying about.

“Honestly, I’ve never heard of a rune that can hide mana.”

“Why didn’t you say that earlier?”

“Did you see that guy?! The principal said never to get close to a hunter holding a weapon!”

That’s true… It was hard to argue with someone casually carrying a sword without a sheath.

“He seemed to know about the dungeon boss. Maybe he’s one of the hunters here to take down the boss.”

Choi Jinwoo, who had been quietly listening, interjected. At those words, Park Seohyun’s face brightened.

“Oh! Right, that makes sense. He did know a lot of details.”

“He might have been driving the boss toward Namsan and got left behind.”

“If he passed out there, doesn’t that mean he’s not a very impressive hunter?”

“He mentioned a Minotaur. Minotaurs are S-class. The dungeon boss might be even stronger.”

Lee Seungyeon and Yoo Hyeeun joined the conversation.

“Anyway, we have no choice but to trust him now. Whether he comes back or not, it’s a fact that he drew away the monsters in front of the building.”

“…That’s true.”

“He didn’t say anything that didn’t make sense. If he says we need to get to City Hall, it must be true. He has no reason to deceive us.”

Oh Hyunwook reassured his friends while hiding his own anxiety.

“Everyone, stay alert, okay?”

“Ahem. Excuse me, students.”

The civilians, who were also preparing to go down the road, hesitantly approached the kids.

Oh Hyunwook took a deep breath. The teacher said hunters must always maintain their composure.

“Yes. Are you all ready?”

“Uh, well… yes. We’ll run hard, so, um. Please take care of us. And don’t push yourselves too hard.”

“If we want to survive, we have to do our best.”

“They’re coming!”

“Everyone, get ready! There’s no separate signal, so follow us as soon as we start moving!”

Oh Hyunwook, along with Park Seohyun and Choi Jinwoo, headed for the building’s main entrance. A hunter in the distance recognized the three of them and waved.

“…I forgot to ask his name.”

“Ask him when we get to City Hall.”

Oh Hyunwook bit his lip with a nervous face.

There were at least a hundred monsters.

If that many had strayed from the main group, how many were there originally? Were there any other survivors in Myeong-dong besides themselves?

The man leading them increased his pace with a calm expression.

He reached the intersection where the people were gathered in one leap, scraping the ground with his sword and spinning his body.

Blue flames danced on the asphalt. Despite the heat, the asphalt didn’t melt. It was impossible to tell how he did it.

The flames divided the people and the monster horde. The man swung his sword again. Following his gestures, the flames changed direction.

They headed towards Namsan. The flames traveled up the road.

Activating his rune, the man pointed in the direction of City Hall.

Oh Hyunwook bent low and ran forward. Park Seohyun and Choi Jinwoo followed him, with forty civilians trailing behind.

Despite the chaotic road making it hard to run, they gritted their teeth and kept moving.

Last were Yoo Hyeeun and Lee Seungyeon. The man checked if the monsters were following the flames.

“…Huh?”

“Seungyeon?”

Lee Seungyeon hesitated.

“Grunt.”

One of the monsters, turning its direction, snorted as it saw Lee Seungyeon.

In that instant, Lee Seungyeon’s body froze. He was overwhelmed by the monster’s presence. Yoo Hyeeun, panicking, called out to her friend.

But the monster, charging with momentum, aimed at the small student,

Whoosh.

“Run!”

“Sir?”

The man stabbed the monster’s neck. The monster was engulfed in blue flames.

The man rubbed his forehead vigorously. The rune was erased.

“Run!”

“Sir!”

The man grabbed the dumbstruck Lee Seungyeon by the back of his neck and threw him. Reflexively, Lee Seungyeon landed safely and looked up at the man.

The sword was blazing intensely. He was deliberately pouring out his mana.

As the man was about to be swept away by the horde of monsters, he looked straight at Lee Seungyeon and said,

“Run.”

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