The President is Going to America! - Chapter 141
Only Noblemtl
141. Give me bread.
Restricted area near Sunyang-ri.
They say that place was called ‘White Forest’.
After an S-rank gate appeared in the area, high-ranking hunters from the management bureau were dispatched and cleared the area before the monsters erupted.
However, it is said that the gate did not disappear quietly, but rather, the space twisted and emitted a powerful turbid energy.
There are countless patterns of infamous gates that cause trouble for hunters.
For civilians outside the gate, it was virtually one of the worst-case scenarios.
The basic rule for hunters around the world to deal with monsters within the gate as much as possible was to minimize the turbid air coming out of monster corpses.
In effect, this renders the first principle of gate attack meaningless.
Because of this unfair gate, the terrain was distorted, the entire forest turned white, and of course, it was designated as a restricted area, so entry was strictly prohibited.
But surprisingly, the place was now full of life.
“Who would think this is a restricted area?”
Oh Hyun-seong looked around and muttered.
The trees that had turned white and lifeless have become green again, and animals are walking on the airless ground.
It wasn’t just abandoned livestock from the next village, like dairy cows.
Numerous animals flowing in from various places formed a single ecosystem.
‘That’s why the prey that was brought in with a bite was so delicious.’
Oh Hyun-seong suddenly turned his gaze.
Then, Yun Seol-ha appeared, crouching down and stroking barley.
“The child is good.”
“Kkiing…”
Although Barley’s expression seemed somewhat cowering, it did not mean that he was refusing the touch.
A guy who has become more docile, but his eyes are droopy.
“Senior, the more I look at this guy, the cuter he seems.”
Yun Seol-ha, who was smiling bashfully, stretched Bori’s cheeks.
If an ordinary person saw it, it would be shocked to death by its size and its fierce appearance. In terms of actual strength, it was a boss-level mutant that would require several rank 10 high-ranking hunters to gather to attack.
But to her, he was just a big dog.
“hand.”
“Kki… kkkiing!”
Even Barley, whose pecking order was clear, seemed to be well aware of that fact.
Oh Hyun-seong shrugged his shoulders and turned his gaze again.
It’s almost time to come back.
As I was thinking about that, Choi Jeong-il appeared, pushing through the bushes.
“Did you find anything?”
“No, there was nothing.”
“So… is the investigation completely finished?”
Oh Hyun-seong looked down at the map spread out on the ground.
He approached the densely marked map and drew an X on the last remaining area.
Inside the restricted area where several mutants were discovered.
Not knowing how many other mutants there might be, they conducted a thorough search throughout the immediate area.
As a result, a total of five powerful mutants occurred within the area.
The number included the ones that Barley had dealt with before, and there were many more mutants at a normal level.
‘It’s fortunate that the animals that are considered more dangerous aren’t caught up in this kind of trouble.’
In the current ecosystem of South Korea, there are many domestic animals and pets that have lost their owners, and even animals that escaped from zoos are occasionally found.
In Korea, many organisms that were not able to adapt to the environment were able to survive thanks to the disruptive effects of the turbid air on the ecosystem.
If a mutation as big as barley had occurred in an animal like a bear or a gorilla, a mutant that was incomparably stronger than the previous individuals might have been born.
The Asiatic black bears that were released in the Jirisan area in the past under the pretext of restoration work have already become a disaster to the general public, even though they are not mutants.
“I was hoping there might be other creatures friendly to humans, but that’s not the case, unfortunately.”
“… surely.”
They found that all mutants within the area, except for Barley, were hostile to humans.
Although this is an extremely common-sense case, I did have some expectations since I saw Barley’s case firsthand.
Anyway, we eliminated all the hostile mutants and removed the risk factor.
Because you never know when a mutant lynx might step out of the restricted area and try to harm civilians.
Choi Jeong-il looked at Bori, the only mutant left in the area.
A guy who is panting and turning over while holding a rice ball in his hand while Yun Seol-ha is holding it.
“What is different from other mutants that could lead to this kind of situation?”
“well…”
Is it an innate trait?
Maybe it’s because I had a connection with someone before.
There were many things that came to mind, but no meaningful conclusion could be drawn from this one case alone.
But it is certainly a significant number.
‘Of course, there were some parts that left me feeling uneasy. For example… why did all these mutants suddenly appear in such a large number?’
The specific causes or conditions that lead to the occurrence of the mutant have not yet been clearly defined.
But at least it is certain that this case has shattered the domestic record for the most mutant occurrences.
Even in China in the past, when air pollution was much more severe, there were never five mutants with such high levels.
Additionally, there was also some questionable evidence that the concentration of turbidity had decreased so drastically over such a large area of forest compared to the mutants that had appeared.
Anyway, the matter has been settled for now.
“Then all that’s left is to clean up the mess…”
As a model citizen, it would have been right to report it to the authorities honestly and properly.
The restricted area designation for the White Forest will be lifted after the turbidity concentration is measured again, and the surrounding areas will be re-regulated.
“I don’t think you’ll bother reporting this officially, will you?”
“of course.”
Oh Hyun-seong chuckled.
If that was the case, I wouldn’t have searched this place one by one to identify the mutants.
I guess I just reported it and left it for the management to take care of it.
But then, barley will not be able to avoid the laboratory journey.
Because the government was not merciful enough to leave alone a case as peculiar as his.
The country was willing to sacrifice tens of thousands of its own people in the name of national interest.
So while he was searching through the forest, he finished the rough outline of the plan.
We decided to actively utilize this new discovery.
‘Even if they are spirits, it is impossible for them to completely remove the turbid energy from such a wide area. Even the higher spirit, Albert, only purified the area around the reservoir, and did not drive out the turbid energy from the entire mountain behind.’
However, if the turbidity has already been reduced to this extent, you can create a space where the turbidity is completely eliminated with just a little effort.
Moreover, it is a place where no one goes because the concentration of toxic gases is so high that the adjacent areas on all sides are restricted areas.
In fact, it is no different from a natural park just for that purpose.
Taaak!
As Oh Hyeonseong snapped his fingers, higher spirits appeared at the same time.
The guys looked bewildered at the call that had been made to everyone, even though there was nothing worth fighting over.
“Everyone, we need to put in some effort.”
Oh Hyun-seong spoke to them.
The turbid air that still remains faintly within the White Forest will be completely removed today.
*
Oh Hyun-seong contacted the management office.
Of course, there was a private call with Han Su-yeon, not through official lines.
Then, the management’s action followed immediately.
The plan was to designate the entire surrounding area adjacent to the White Forest as a restricted area.
Originally, the surrounding area where the gate was built was only a recommended relocation area, but it was an appropriate measure as the concentration of toxic gases has now soared to a much higher level.
However, the White Forest located in the center was passed over without any adjustments.
Woohoo.
“Everyone looks healthy.”
Oh Hyeon-seong looked happily at the herd of cows grazing on grass.
Inside the forest, the evil energy has completely disappeared thanks to the power of the higher spirits.
The animals seemed happy as they roamed freely in an environment with clean water flowing and healthy plants growing.
At first, some of the cows got sick.
As they remain in an environment with a lot of toxic substances for a long time, it is common for them to become violent and their physical condition to gradually deteriorate.
So, Oh Hyeon-seong cured the diseases of sick cows by feeding them medicinal herbs.
Something that would have been impossible with just the crops in the field.
Because the medicinal herbs in the cave of Melts are so diverse, they can even treat diseases of these animals.
“Wow.”
“Yeah, would you like some hay?”
Oh Hyun-seong approached and offered hay to the calf that was slapping his body.
It is a dried grass stem grown from one of the many original seeds recently airlifted from the North.
I tried growing them in the field as a crop, and they definitely liked the taste. They were as excited as if I had given a treat to a cat.
I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw her wiggle her butt as I stroked her head.
Even these gentle guys were exposed to the cold for long periods of time and their barns were destroyed several times.
The effects of turbidity on animals were clearly evident.
“Then I have a little favor to ask.”
He bribed her with hay, approached the cow, and carefully milked it.
Oh Hyeon-seong secured a stable source of milk.
Thanks to this, the range of dishes to choose from has expanded significantly.
I’ve thought about livestock many times before, but I never thought I’d get to have it this way.
There is no need to build cramped pens that require a lot of care, and they run around in nature and find their own food.
It can be this comfortable.
‘There are predators in the forest, but there’s nothing to worry about as Barley is by your side watching over you.’
Oh Hyeon-seong, who had a satisfactory harvest, returned home with light steps.
And he stood in front of the kitchen.
A new field he’s been trying out lately.
It was a pastry shop.
Although Oh Hyun-seong has become quite adept at other dishes, he had a hard time with pastry and baking, which is a different area.
But after a few failures, I managed to complete it, albeit clumsily.
It had a crooked and amateurish appearance, but when I tasted it myself, I found that it was still delicious.
“Hmm… As expected, the ingredients are really strong.”
Perfect ingredients to cover up a beginner’s poor skills.
The bread was baked golden brown, not just by pouring in flour, but also by pouring in a generous amount of milk and butter.
Oh Hyun-seong nodded and headed towards the village carrying the finished bread.
“Wow, what is all this?”
“This is the price you paid for helping me last time.”
Yoon Seol-ha and Choi Jeong-il looked at the bread on the table.
The scent of freshly baked bread tickled my nose, and my mouth started watering.
“Mmm…! Mmm! This is really delicious…!”
The reaction that erupted from Yun Seol-ha as she took a bite of the hot bread.
It reminded me of the bread I ate as a child.
It was a delicious meal. She had eaten a lot of it while living in Changyeong-ri, but in reality, it was like eating bread after being forced to fast for over a dozen years.
Even Choi Jeong-il, who wasn’t particularly fond of bread, nodded with a moved expression.
“Don’t be so excited. My skills are still lacking, so it’s still far from perfect.”
“It’s not a fuss, it’s really delicious.”
“Hmm, this is bread. It’s not a rock that can break a person’s head.”
Yun Seol-ha smiled at the sight of the bread splitting apart into soft pieces.
Oh Hyun-seong scratched his head at their reactions, which were more explosive than he had expected.
“If you guys react like this, I’m sure he’d go crazy if I gave it to him.”
“Are you talking about senior Sooyeon?”
“No, he’s a potato fanatic and a bread lover.”
“iced coffee.”
As if he knew who it was, Choi Jeong-il nodded with a big smile.
Then Yun Seol-ha tilted her head.
“Who is Bbangsooni…?”
*
Achoo!
Baek Ji-soo, who was sitting at her desk buried in paperwork, sneezed out of nowhere and turned her head back.
A room with no one in it.
“…?”
Her head tilted back, a question mark floating above it.