Stuck in The Tower

Side Story Episode 9

After returning to Korea, two things happened that bothered me.

The first one is this.

“To commemorate the start of the Obelisk Project, we are planning to hold the 1st Petit Petit Association event!”

An event prepared by Lee Jun-seok with confidence.

It’s not something as great as a trivial name.

In addition to celebrating the completion of the first monumental obelisk, it was decided to hold a festival to encourage the people of the union who have worked hard so far.

Although I wonder if it makes sense as we rush towards destruction.

‘There should be more events like this.’

People are not robots, and a sense of duty alone cannot solve everything.

When letting go, it is important to let go.

When I listened to Lee Jun-seok and Oh Ji-hyuk, it seemed like the people in the alliance rarely got together and took a break because they were busy resolving the gate.

There are also some political reasons involved.

Now that the government and large guilds have already been overthrown, there is a need to publicize the Peujing Alliance.

There are no hunters of our generation who don’t know about it, and it has a special position in the global hunter market.

“Unfortunately, not many people know the legend of Gongdu and the Four Heavenly Kings. Even if I post it on the internet, everyone ignores it.”

The reality was that we were a minor group between the previous generation of hunters and the general public.

I know that his activity stands out, but I feel reluctant to get close to him.

“Unfortunately, there is a strong perception that they are a strange group with strong military power.”

It was difficult for the Peqin Union’s unique freewheeling spirit and Gongdu praise culture to be widely accepted.

I looked at Lee Jun-seok shaking his fist in indignation for a moment, then looked away.

‘I think people saw it accurately just by looking at the cancer.’

is not it.

Anyway, now that we have moved forward in earnest, there is a need to let people know what the coalition is doing, what its purpose is, and what steps it will take.

I’m not going to create a guild or anything like that.

Basically, the Pejing Union started as a fan club and was a form of union that could operate freely.

‘Right now, those participating in the Obelisk project are also free to apply.’

Surprisingly, there are a significant number of people who help directly or indirectly.

“The festival committee has already been created, so Evileye just needs to attend!”

“Uhm. There was an urgent matter at the time….”

“Of course, personnel dispatched from all over the country and overseas come here! “The comrades who fought alongside Evileye are coming!”

“no. that is.”

“The warriors who do not hesitate to go to barren and remote places for the sake of the world and put Gongdu’s spirit into practice!”

It’s hard to refuse when you say it like that, you bastard.

I sighed inwardly.

I guess I have to go anyway.

The festival is not long as the times are different.

I heard it lasts roughly 3 days.

Union members from overseas cannot stay away all the time, so they plan to come in alternately.

I think it would be okay to just show your face for a moment.

I don’t know what Lilka will do if I don’t go right now.

because.

“Gongdu’s fan meeting! “I don’t know how long it’s been.”

Because I’m going to be the mascot of the crazy festival.

I thought back on my plan for a moment.

‘I have time to make the obelisk, and I haven’t made a deal with the tower yet, so I have time.’

The schedule is not urgent.

Finding the right gate also takes time.

I was lucky this time.

I discovered it when I went to see Teacher Okto. The timing was right too.

“I will attend. “If something happens in the middle, it may disappear along the way.”

“That is enough. Even if something happens, it’s no problem. “During the festival, Korea will be the safest place in the world.”

I guess so. All the top hunters will be flocking here.

Now that things have come to this, I have to go see Lilka whenever I have time.

It’s not like there’s any other reason.

‘You need to teach Gongdu how to speak so there is no discomfort.’

I already felt a sense of shame at the thought of doing the most useless tutoring in the world, but it was a seed I had sown and a shame I had to bear.

That’s it.

After Lee Jun-seok left satisfied with his goal, he turned his gaze to the bald man who was diligently peeling the tangerines on the table.

Something to worry about. second.

“so. “They were plotting a plot in Cheonggyecheon.”

“uh. “I went there just in case, and it was like that.”

After teasing the King of Cheonggyecheon once, I asked him to find out what he was doing.

From my experience, those guys are servile in front of me, but they manipulate me behind my back.

I think I was trying to make things bigger than I thought.

“I gave him everything, beat him up, and put him in prison, but there’s something strange.”

“strange thing?”

“I heard the Guryong guild leader has disappeared? “Did Lee Jun-seok get away with it?”

no.

Surprisingly, Lee Jun-seok did not kill the Guryong guild leader.

It was true that the resentment was deep, but it was also one of the major powers.

‘There are several high-level hunters who follow him.’

Lee Jun-seok, who expected the damage and confusion that would result from killing him, ended up beating the guy until he was about to die.

It was judged that it was not right to eliminate hunters due to personal grudges in a world where they could not be invited to the top.

If it were me, I wouldn’t have done that.

That probably shows how generous Lee Jun-seok is.

Even though I said nonsense about the teachings of petit peace and love, whatever.

“It’s definitely strange. “Because Lee Jun-seok saved that guy.”

“I also gathered some information, and it seems that the Guryong guild leader’s influence was quite large even in the shadows.”

I nodded.

That’s why large guilds were able to act evilly.

Things like putting restrictions on the rookie or making a comeback.

Kowloon even had an assassination organization.

In the first place, most of those who worked as hunters in the early days were half-gangs, and the leaders of large guilds were the top ones.

“Some parts of downtown Seoul are fine, but you know there are still places where security isn’t good, right?”

“uh. So, there must have been a black market in Cheonggyecheon.”

“That’s especially true because it’s a popular place, but compared to the overall size, it’s small.”

The bald man, who was putting a whole tangerine in his mouth, mumbled and pointed to the map with his finger.

A large map of Seoul. Some of them are marked with red circles.

“Busan, Daejeon, and Cheongju. “Except for a few places, there are a lot of people who have crossed over because living in the countryside is tough, and there are quite a few criminals, but they can’t go on a rampage, so they stay stuck in places like that.”

Even in Seoul, there are places with poor security and underdeveloped areas.

Why didn’t you clean it up sooner?

To be precise, it’s not that I didn’t clean it up, it’s that I couldn’t clean it up.

The criminals that Hair Man talks about are from hunters.

Hunters belonging to the military or police who are supposed to clean up are few in number and not high in rank.

However, it is a waste of manpower for hunters who are busy clearing the gate to move.

“You have to catch me and wipe me out. “Now I have some time.”

There was no time to spare as the monsters were flooding in at a level that the top hunters could not handle at the time when many of the top hunters returned, but not now.

Because of their efforts, we have regained a little bit of our daily lives.

‘They said worshipers and terrorists belong there too.’

There are a lot of cults out there.

As there are many people who have lost their hometowns and are living a difficult life, it was natural that a cult would spread, enticing people with plausible nonsense.

Here is an explanation of the overall situation.

The important thing is this part.

“Four large organizations in the back world that we were keeping an eye on disappeared at once.”

“I don’t think they fought each other.”

“If that were the case, I would have known a long time ago. I think it floated quietly. “I don’t know where it went.”

The organizations that ruled the shadows disappeared in an instant.

This might have been the case in the days when CCTV was in good working order, but now we don’t know where they went.

“Guhwangmo Gu, the leader of the Guryong guild. “I think he may have taken it with him.”

“I don’t know the purpose?”

“It could be that they avoided it because they were identified by the coalition, or it could be that there is another ulterior motive.”

I feel uncomfortable.

I don’t think it will be a big threat, but the fact that an organization of that size has disappeared is concerning.

“That is a problem, but that neighborhood is also a problem. “Because the people who were in charge are disappearing, small and medium-sized organizations are making a fuss.”

“If there is no tiger, the fox is king.”

I need to clean up that side too.

It won’t be easy. There is no problem in catching unhelpful cults or terrorist worshipers as the difference in power is clear.

‘I don’t know where they will hide.’

Additionally, they are not the only ones living in places like that.

There are many people who have nowhere to go.

If an environment in which they can live is not provided, shadowy areas will continue to emerge, and the number of places for miscellaneous criminals to hide will increase.

“I got a good idea.”

“oh. “I don’t know what it is, but it sounds fun!”

Peujing Union Festival and back alley cleanup.

I plan to solve both tasks at the same time.

and.

‘I’ll have to check that too.’

A new human identified in Mongolia.

About the child who awakened without climbing the tower.

The villagers, including the child, have now immigrated to the United States.

There are 15 days left until the festival begins.

“I’m going to go to America and come back.”

In the meantime, check information about new humans.

* * *

In the past, the main method used to travel abroad was by air.

Even if you flew at 800 km/h, it took 11 hours to reach the United States, but times were different now.

“I didn’t know you could use a portal.”

“It is essential to move internationally. Yes, it is an item that cannot be used unless it is a stabilized area. Did you learn common sense education?”

portal.

You can move through hunters who have learned artifacts and special skills.

All you have to do is input the coordinates and connect the spaces.

It was expensive each time it was used, but the speed was not comparable to the past.

‘In some ways, there is progress compared to the past.’

I was amazed again and stabbed Oh Ji-hyuk, who was next to me, in the back.

‘What are you doing, you bastard?’ I nodded, looking at the guy with that expression on his face.

“hmm. Of course it’s Oh Jing-hyuk. Squid Squid.”

“It’s annoying that this kind of bullshit is telling busy people to come and go, but then they come all the way to America out of nowhere…!”

I heard the reaction was really delicious.

At the same time, there was a violent feeling, but it was cute at that level.

Because he doesn’t spread his life anywhere.

Of course, people who didn’t know the situation didn’t think that way.

“You can’t fight here. “An ordinary person like me would die just by getting caught up in it.”

“Look. Because your personality is dirty, there are people who will avoid you. Kill your temper. “Even though Kim So-dam does that next to you, nothing changes?”

“It’s okay as long as you don’t get angry around me.”

“As long as you don’t act like a bully, I’ll be fine.”

“You bastard!”

“Just a little! Please do me a favor. Ugh. “Just a little.”

Only after the middle-aged man who came with him from the government started crying did Oh Ji-hyuk gain momentum.

Anyway, with my temper.

“You said that Korea also knows about new humans, right?”

“The samples are small, but they exist. Although it has not been officially recognized.”

Since it is not possible to look at the entire population, this means that not all confirmed non-climbing awakened people could be confirmed.

“Most of them are between the ages of 14 and 17.”

Among the descendants of hunters, there are awakened individuals.

I don’t know if this is the case for everyone.

There are cases where the parents are hunters but have not awakened, and there are also cases where only one of the parents is a hunter but has awakened.

“It was only summarized to the extent that there was potential for awakening. “Follow-up research is in progress, but there are many difficulties.”

We do not know the conditions or method for awakening.

Because it was just discovered.

It is recognized at the national level that this is important information.

The creation of new hunters wasn’t a bad thing.

“Other countries are probably conducting their own research. The same goes for our country. “It’s a time-consuming process, so nothing will come out right away.”

Long-term follow-up studies should be conducted at least annually.

Because hunters’ children need time to grow up.

That is why most of them are middle school to high school students.

Because the generation after the TOP appeared and the Hunter was born is that age.

“I need to find out more.”

“It won’t be easy. Raising a new generation directly leads to the strength of the nation. “Isn’t this a time when hunters are the measure of a powerful nation?”

That is correct.

There is no need to share research results.

All they have to do is study well among themselves.

The reason I came to the United States this time was to check on the people rescued from Mongolia.

They may be less cooperative than you think and you may not be able to get much information.

I used to think so too.

“Hey! Bro!”

As soon as I met Ijikiil, my worries became useless.

“I’m thinking of creating an international hunter academy. Do you have any thoughts?”

The United States was already planning to create an academy to foster them and serve as its partner.

“We are faster in research, but Korea is better at hunter level and has experience in hunting down monsters, right?”

They were pointing at us.