S-Class Hunter Heals with Monsters - Chapter 184



Only Noblemtl

184. The Hidden Land Owner of Sky Island

“I heard it’s a pretty big island. How did you get rid of all the bugs?”

It would have been simple if I had simply pushed it away.

However, if you have to rescue captured people and animals, the difficulty level increases.

‘What did you do back then?’

It was decades ago so my memory was vague.

There were many similar rescue missions in the old days, so I don’t remember much about it.

“Oh, right. I remembered. They put people in a trap and jumped off.”

He opened his mouth as he recalled the events of that time.

* * *

That day when he was 16 years old. Cheon Do-woon stopped walking on the island. He stared at the bushes nearby.

At first glance, it was just a bunch of bushes, but to Cheon Do-woon’s eyes, he saw a seven-year-old child crouching inside.

[Come out.]

At Cheon Do-woon’s words, the girl raised her head with a surprised expression.

[A, a person?]

[Yeah. People.]

[Yes, it’s true. It’s a person.]

Who knew you’d meet a human in a monster’s nest?

The girl sobbed, then covered her mouth before the words could burst out.

It seemed like they were on guard, worried that the crying would attract monsters.

‘You’re smart. Your parents must have educated you well.’

In the old days, many parents taught their children survival skills before reading. Now, those efforts have paid off.

[Are you alone?]

[Oh, I was dragged here with my dad. A bug knocked me down in the middle. So I hid here.]

The child tried to speak as calmly as possible.

Although his voice was trembling, he had no problem conveying his message.

[Yeah. You broke up with Dad. Then should we go see Dad?]

[Do you know where my father is?]

[I know.]

If he was dragged in, he would be somewhere on the island, so it wasn’t a lie.

Cheon Do-un began to search by spreading mana around him.

The presence of people could be felt everywhere, as all kinds of bugs came looking for food.

‘Let’s start with a nearby place.’

Anyway, I have to rescue everyone. Since it’s a mission like that, I’ll probably run into the child’s father someday.

Cheon Do-woon walked forward, thinking lightly. The child followed him, babbling along beside him.

* * *

Where Cheon Do-un arrived, there was a 3-meter deep tunnel.

Inside, there were about thirty people collapsed.

[dad!]

The girl’s father was also there.

A touching reunion of father and daughter took place, but it was beyond Cheon Do-woon’s interest. He looked around at the people who had fallen.

‘Everyone is conscious. However, their movements are sluggish. Are they affected by the paralyzing poison?’

As I was thinking to myself, there was a fluttering sound of wings overhead.

It was the sound of bee-shaped monsters approaching the pit.

[Mom, the monster is back.]

[Hey kid. There’s a gap in the wall here. Go inside and hide. We’ll cover you with our bodies.]

[Okay. Once the bugs are gone, get out of here. You don’t seem to have been affected by the paralyzing toxin. You should be able to crawl up here.]

People tried to protect the young Cheon Do-un and the child. Cheon Do-un laughed at that.

‘When you take on a mission, you meet a lot of interesting people.’

People who worry about others even when they are on the verge of death. This tendency is especially stronger when the other person is young. Why do they do that?

Cheon Do-woon looked at the people with a curious expression. The people were bewildered by his calm attitude.

[What are you doing? Come here and hide… Huh?]

People belatedly noticed that Cheon Do-un’s attire was unusual.

A longsword on his back, a gun on his waist, and a dagger on his thigh.

The black combat uniform was a common outfit seen among hunters and mercenaries.

[Hey, kid, you weren’t caught.]

[Are you a rescue team member? Who else? Where are the team members that came with you?]

[None. I’m alone.]

The surroundings became quiet at Cheon Do-woon’s words. How could a child be alone like that? Then he must have been captured by a monster.

At that moment of despair, a bee monster rushed into the pit.

Cheon Do-woon looked up at the horde of monsters.

It’s a pain to fight and protect something in such a narrow space.

In that case, the fight itself should not happen.

Cheon Do-woon explosively released the monster’s energy.

The bees that had been flying at us vigorously scattered in panic. The people who had been captured also froze up stiffly.

‘What, what is this energy…!’

‘Soo, I can’t breathe. What the hell is that kid?’

People gasped and looked at Cheon Do-woon. Suddenly, Cheon Do-woon’s words flashed through their minds.

-I’m alone.

People realized belatedly what it meant to say that he came alone.

That didn’t mean he was caught. It meant he was skilled enough to act on his own.

‘She’s so young?’

At that moment when people were surprised, Cheon Do-woon grabbed the person standing on the steps and raised him up.

[Prepare to land.]

[Tea, landing? What the… Ugh!]

Cheon Do-un started throwing people into the pit.

[Ugh!]

[evil!]

[Okay, wait a minute. If you could just throw it gently, I’d be grateful… Eek!]

There was no mercy in Cheon Do-un’s hands. About thirty people were thrown around like luggage.

He threw the last man and jumped over the pit.

Outside the pit, people were piled up, squirming, their paralysis not lifted.

[Okay. Perfect.]

What on earth. People wanted to shout so much.

But he stopped when Cheon Do-woon spouted thread from his fingers.

[What, what are you doing?]

[I’ll make you some gochi.]

[Oh, what?]

[I can’t take them all with me. Let’s fix them here.]

What on earth does that mean? People wanted to ask something more.

But in an instant, I was trapped in a cocoon that had been created and my vision was blocked.

Is this a structure or a confinement? At that moment, when I was too flustered to say anything, the 7-year-old cried out.

[Thank you!]

That pure cry reached Cheon Do-un beyond the Gochi wall.

[Thank you for finding my dad!]

Only when the child cried did people start to laugh.

They were shocked by the sudden turn of events, but no matter what, they were rescued.

That sense of relief belatedly seeped in.

[thanks!]

[Thank you, kid! I’ll wait here. You have to be careful too!]

[But the next rescuers, don’t throw them, handle them gently!]

At the last words, people laughed. It was a laughter created by the relief that they were alive.

After the laughter stopped, a moment of silence came.

[Come to think of it, I’ve heard a rumor. It’s a rumor about a mercenary boy in his mid-teens…]

[Oh, I heard it on the radio too. There’s a guy who’s a hundred times stronger than one, right?]

[That’s right. Once a mission is launched, it is 100% successful…]

People looked at each other.

That’s the kid. I knew it instinctively.

When I found out the truth, I laughed. I cried. They were tears of joy at being able to see my family again.

While people were enjoying the joy of survival, Cheon Do-un walked.

[That’s enough for now. Let’s go somewhere else.]

The rescue of Cheonkong Island continued.

* * *

Late at night, Cheon Do-woon dragged the last piece of gochi to the designated location.

There were already several kochis placed there.

The number of people that Cheon Do-un saved on the island that day was about 200.

If you include animals like dogs and cats, the number would be close to 300.

[That’s it for now.]

If you throw those gochis outside the island, the first task will be completed. Cheon Do-woon looked down at the island.

‘The altitude is low now. Is it going up and down randomly?’

Of course, from Cheon Do-un’s perspective, it was low. For a normal person, it was a height that would make them dizzy.

Cheon Do-woon pulled out a thread from the tips of his ten fingers. The thread, filled with mana, twisted like a rope and became a thick wire.

Cheon Do-un threw it to the ground. The wire rope filled with mana was stuck in the cliff above ground.

After pulling the rope to check its strength, the other end was driven into the bottom of the island.

[Okay. Let’s go now.]

Cheon Do-un jumped off the island holding the gochis.

It ran at high speed along a wire rope made of silkworm larvae.

[Eww!]

[What, what is this feeling! Where am I falling now?]

[Save me!]

People trapped inside the ship, unaware of the outside world, were struck by the sensation of their bodies floating.

After running along the rope and reaching the ground, he put down the rope.

When Kochi was cut in half, people poured out, all jumbled together.

[Ugh… I feel like I’m going to throw up.]

[Where is this… Huh?]

[Outside! We’re off the island!]

[I survived!]

The people cheered. Cheon Do-woon looked at them and then turned around.

There were still monsters on the island. I had to go deal with them.

As he put his foot on the thread, a man came running.

[Hey, wait a minute! Hey, are you really going back there?]

[That’s right. There’s still finishing to do.]

[Oh, I see. Thank you for saving me. I really appreciate it. I will definitely thank you later…]

I expressed my gratitude, but Cheon Do-woon had already stepped on the thread and run into the void.

The man stared blankly at the sight. He also saw the Sky Island beyond it.

[Dad. What’s wrong?]

[That’s… not a combat type, but I’m an Awakened one too. Show me what that mercenary kid did to the island.]

Emotional ability user. The ability to feel the value of something.

The man looked at the island connected to the thread and laughed.

[That kid really created something amazing.]

If that mercenary boy defeats all the monsters on Sky Island, the safest zone on earth will be created.

The problem was how to get to the floating island in the sky, but the mere fact that a safe zone was created was incredibly good news.

[By the way, you still look young. It’s amazing that you went to a place like that alone. Aren’t you scared?]

There was no need to be afraid. Fear was an emotion that had been removed from within Cheon Do-un.

The man who didn’t know that had a sad look on his face.

‘It must be scary. You have to take risks to save people.’

The man was impressed. There was no one to correct his delusion.

‘If we meet again later, let’s make sure to repay what we did today.’

And let’s find a way to use that sky island as a safe zone.

The man who realized the value of Cheonkong Island made that pledge.

[Oh, right. When we meet again, I’ll have to ask him if I can use Sky Island as a safe zone.]

That boy is the one who made the monster nest a safe zone. If that’s the case, then that boy is the owner of Sky Island. That’s what the man thought.

Please come back alive so we can meet again. The man prayed for Cheon Do-woon’s safe return.

* * *

Cheon Do-woon returned to the island and cut the wire connecting it to the ground.

If someone were to follow them in, a disaster would occur. This was to prevent that.

He climbed onto the sleeping bag tied to the tree.

[Then shall we begin?]

Things went smoothly after that.

Attacking monsters are torn to pieces. Gentle creatures are opened through the gate and thrown inside.

By the time dawn broke, the selection process and subjugation were over.

[Okay. Now that I’m done with work, you go back.]

The shuttle that was useful to me was also sent inside the gate to sleep.

The island has become quiet. All that remains is to deal with the eggs that the bugs have laid somewhere on the island.

‘It’s a hassle to search for them one by one… so I’ll just press it.’

The moment Cheon Do-woon finished speaking, the area around him began to sink with a thud.

The surrounding land was crushed one after another like dominoes.

With this, even the hidden eggs would have been dealt with cleanly.

This mission was also completed. Cheon Do-woon jumped off the island with a satisfied face.

* * *

“That’s how the subjugation ended. I haven’t been there since then, so I don’t know what happened.”

Cheon Do-woon spoke as he recalled the events of that time.

After hearing his story, Seok Woo-hyuk and his siblings became certain of one thing.

‘It’s Diacity.’

‘It’s Diacity.’

‘The beginning of that city was the teacher.’

Cheon Do-un pressed down on the area with mana to deal with the eggs.

That is, the surface of the island was made flat.

Cheon Do-woon has neatly finished the foundation work for constructing the building.

‘Wait a minute. If that island is Diacity… what would happen if Cheon Do-un releases the mana wall?’

The fate of Diacity rested in the hands of just one person.

What would their faces be like if they found out about this in the city? The siblings smiled slightly.

We don’t know what kind of place Diacity is. We don’t know yet whether it will be friendly or hostile to us.

But whatever it was, it was good to have the upper hand in the relationship.

“Sir, I want to go to that place called Sky Island!”

After hearing the whole story, Kim Na-ri raised her hand and said.

“Really? Then, shall we all go together when we get the chance?”

“Oh? Do you know where it is?”

“No, but I can tell.”

The mana wall surrounding the island was not removed. If he had wanted to, Cheon Do-un could have easily found the location.