A Public Servant Hunter Who Exploits Skill Combinations – Chapter 22

 

Translated by: Hanzo

Chapter 22: MT (3)

Many students asked at the same time in response to my answer.

“What!?”

“Is that true?”

“Really?”

“How do you know?”

“Isn’t it at the very end over there?”

The place we were standing now was the entrance to the uninhabited island.

At the far end of the island was the entrance to the ant den.

If you entered the ant den, its end would lead back to the entrance of the uninhabited island.

This entire uninhabited island was essentially a dungeon.

To observe the behavior of ant monsters, a queen ant had been brought to this uninhabited island where no humans lived. She dug tunnels, laid eggs, and built her nest.

The countless ants made for excellent training opponents for hunters, so they captured the queen ant alive and held this kind of event (?) at this time of year.

As someone who had already seen the end of the ant den, I knew exactly where it was located.

Thus, there was no need to go to the entrance of the ant den and struggle to reach the queen ant’s location.

If we keep digging the ground like this, by tomorrow...

We’ll pierce through the ceiling of the queen ant’s chamber and come face to face with her.

“Ants dig tunnels underground and live there. The queen’s chamber would obviously be in the deepest part.”

“How do you know that without even going in? There’s no guarantee that it’s directly below us.”

In response to someone’s doubt, Seo Ye-rin, who had been deep in thought, refuted.

“No, Tae-sung is probably right.

This island is long and narrow anyway, and if the ants have taken over, they would have made the queen’s chamber in the deepest part.”

Seo Ye-rin continued, looking toward the opposite end from where we were standing.

“If that end is confirmed to be the entrance, then where would the deepest point be? Naturally, it’s most likely directly below where we’re standing now.”

With Seo Ye-rin’s reasoning supporting my claim, my words carried even more weight.

The two top-performing students in Group A said so, leaving the others with nothing to say in response.

Seo Ye-rin... she’s really smart.

As expected, becoming an S-rank in the future doesn’t just happen by sitting still.

Although I know this because I’ve experienced it once before, it’s impressive that she could predict so much from just a few words of mine.

However, the others seemed to have different thoughts.

“So Tae-sung figured all of this out just by looking at the ants? And so quickly?”

“You’re really a born hunter, huh? I noticed how good you were even when you caught that giant spider...”

“No wonder your grades are so good.”

“...It’s not really like that.”

Still, I appreciated the compliments.

At this point, the others stopped questioning me and began digging the ground even more diligently.

The digging, which started in the late morning, continued until sunset.

‘Now seems like a good time... to slip away.’

“Everyone, take turns resting while working. If you’re tired, get some sleep. I’ll be back after a quick bathroom break.”

I could feel Seo Ye-rin subtly glancing at me, so I clutched my stomach and began acting.

“Ah, how are we supposed to do our business here? Should we have made a bathroom beforehand?”

Only after I distanced myself far from the temporary base camp did I feel at ease. Then, I called out to the damned worm.

‘Worm.’

<I am not a worm.> 

‘Don’t you want to go to the buffet?’

<What does a name matter? Are we going to eat something delicious?>

‘Yep. We’re going to eat something good, just the two of us.’

<Didn’t they say good things are meant to be shared?>

‘Hehehe...’

This place didn’t only have black ants.

There were also red ants, white ants, and blue ants, all ranging between F and D ranks.

Individually, they would obviously be F-rank, but their high rank as a group was due to their sheer numbers.

The difficulty of dealing with them depended entirely on their numbers.

‘Still, they’re just ants. No matter how many there are, they’re F-rank.’

More importantly, the ant eggs the swarm had gathered.

Those eggs contained highly pure mana stones.

The eggs weren’t even monsters, but breaking them would yield mana stones, making them a complete bonus.

If I hunted with the others, I would have to share the mana stones, but I planned to keep these mana stones all to myself.

Good things are best enjoyed alone, after all.

Moreover, I needed to show this level of sincerity to the worm to get the answers I wanted.

Using my Wind Sprint skill, I quickly headed toward the ant den’s entrance.

Darkness had already begun to fall, and since the distance was quite far, no one would see or hear me fighting.

‘Alright, let’s stretch out a bit after a long time.’

Although not inherently aggressive, the ant swarm charged at me the moment they noticed my rapid movements.

Despite their large bodies, they boasted quite fast movement speeds.

Since ants were weak to both fire and lightning, each one I struck began to burn and crumble immediately.

The sound of my sword rang out, scattering flames and sparks.

The worm coiled around my wrist eagerly sifted through the ant corpses, devouring mana stones.

“Hey! Chew your food slower.”

<There’s no time for that! With so many to eat, I have to swallow them whole.>

Ah, this old thing’s appetite is too much.

If I was going to keep feeding this worm, I felt I needed to move even faster.

I moved several times faster than when I caught goblins during the mock exam.

After all, this was a place where I didn’t have to hide my strength.

Before I knew it, I had reached the entrance to the ant den.

I ignited the ground with a fiery slash, creating a barrier of flames to block the ants’ approach, and then slipped into the tunnel.

Moving through countless ant chambers, I smashed eggs while the worm quickly gulped down the mana stones.

<So delicious!!!>

“Even though you’re speaking with your mind, why does it sound like you’re slurring your words just because you’re holding mana stones in your mouth?”

<You’re hearing my words with your mind, so that’s how it sounds.>

“Does it really work like that?”

Using Wind Sprint, I swept through the underground ant tunnels.

The ants were already weak, but with my elemental skills enhancing my damage, it became much easier to deal with them.

The old worm darted around like an energetic youth, clearly having the time of his life.

‘Huh? Wait a second. You’re flying?’

<Now I finally feel strong.>

 ‘Aren’t you just a worm?’

<I’m destined to become a dragon soon. Flying is no big deal.>

‘Alright, so after all this effort, do you feel like sharing what I want to know?’

<These ant mana stones are plentiful, but their quality is a bit lacking... Let me take a nap and think about it.>

The worm wrapped itself tightly around my wrist.

It seemed it had eaten its fill for now.

‘You feel a bit plumper than before...’

<Shut up.> 

‘How prickly.’

I took off the disposable full-body protective suit I had put on before the hunt.

I had bought it online for 720 won each. It was cheap, convenient, and easy to carry around.

It wasn’t practical to wash or dispose of clothes every time.

Since I’d run around recklessly slashing ants, my entire body was splattered with fluids.

There was no way I could return covered in monster fluids after claiming I had gone to the bathroom.

If only combat suits were developed sooner, I wouldn’t have to deal with this mess.

As I stepped out of the tunnel while mulling over these random thoughts, I sensed a new and unfamiliar presence in the distance.

***

“Professor Choi Jung-gang, would you like a cup of tea?”

Choi Jung-gang beamed as he looked at Professor Bang Seong-tae, the Monsterology lecturer, holding a teacup.

“Tea sounds great.”

“Do you spend every MT like this, just passing the time on the boat?”

“That’s right.”

Bang Seong-tae groaned dramatically.

“Spending the entire day on this boat makes my stomach churn like crazy.”

Floating all day on the rolling sea had left him severely seasick. The only reason he felt a bit better was that he had taken a nap.

“This is your first time coming, isn’t it, Professor Bang?”

“Ah, I feel like I’ve been boasting in front of someone far more experienced. Haha.”

“Well, since it’s your first time… it’s bound to be harder for you.”

Professor Bang had only recently been assigned to the academy after years of monster research, making this his first time attending the MT.

As such, his understanding of it was still limited, leaving him full of questions.

“How long does it usually take to clear the event?”

“Well, it took six days last year, so I think it’ll take about the same this time.”

“Is it usually around that long?”

“Yes, we schedule the MT for a week because it typically ends in about that timeframe.”

“But this year, with Tae-sung, things might be a bit different, don’t you think?”

Choi Jung-gang, who had always held Jung Tae-sung in high regard, couldn’t help but have high expectations.

Even so, what came out of his mouth differed from what he felt deep down.

“No matter how exceptional Tae-sung is, this is a group mission. Success depends on everyone working together and demonstrating teamwork, so it won’t be easy.”

“Aren’t you throwing the students into this a bit too recklessly?”

“Hunters never know when, where, or what type of monster they’ll have to face. The ants here, frankly, could be dealt with blindfolded.”

“But wouldn’t they still be dangerous if there were too many of them?”

“Before the MT began, the ant population was reduced to a level the students could handle.”

“Well, that’s true. Ant monsters aren’t exactly violent creatures, so as long as no one does anything too attention-grabbing...”

Ants are instinctively highly perceptive to threats.

If they sense an opponent stronger than themselves or recognize a dangerous situation, they won’t attack recklessly.

“I heard it’s usually completed with just a small number of people.”

“Yes, often students just loiter near the entrance until time runs out. Although ants are weak, their sheer numbers tire the students out quickly.”

“So it’s similar to hiking, then.”

“Exactly. Just like how hikers retreat when they’re too exhausted to keep climbing, students advance together with their teammates, but eventually tire and retreat to the entrance. Ants don’t usually approach the entrance, after all.”

Additionally, since the MT is limited to a week, the practical training disguised as MT ends regardless of whether the mission succeeds or not.

Suddenly, Professor Bang Seong-tae remembered something concerning.

“By the way, if the ant population was culled, doesn’t that mean the queen ant is currently awake?”

“Yes, she’s awake at the moment.”

“If that’s the case, isn’t there a chance the queen ant could summon an ‘Ant Yokai’?”

As expected of the monster specialist, Professor Bang was well-informed about Ant Yokai.

“Ah, it seems you don’t know. Nam Pil-jo and Choi Cheol-yung have already been deployed.”

“Nam Pil-jo and Choi Cheol-young? Aren’t they the academy’s secret agents?”

“Yes, disguised as students. They’ve been positioned to prepare for any unforeseen incidents involving the students.”

“Well, then, even if an Ant Yokai does appear, there’s no real danger.”

Nam Pil-jo and Choi Cheol-young were individuals close to A-rank, personally trusted by the academy’s headmaster.

Their existence was classified, and they primarily handled covert missions.

Even among the academy staff, only a few were aware of the existence of secret agents, and very few had ever seen them in person.

“Besides, the queen ant will fall asleep again by tomorrow night. Once she’s asleep, she won’t wake for nearly a month, so there won’t be any issues.”

“So unless someone charges into the ant den tonight, there’s no chance of encountering an Ant Yokai?”

“Exactly. In the academy’s history, not once has an Ant Yokai ever appeared. No matter how fast the students are, they’re only around F to D-rank right now. It’s impossible for them to break through the ants and reach the den entrance in just one day. They wouldn’t even have a proper grasp of the situation yet.”

After downing the rest of his coffee, Choi Jung-gang picked up a high-performance pair of binoculars and began observing the island.

“Group B, which Ma Tae-ho belongs to, has already advanced about 10%. They’re working together better than expected.”

“What about Group A?”

When he shifted his gaze to Group A, he was at a loss for words.

“...They’re building a defensive stronghold?”

“What... Are they planning to live there?”

“They’ve even surrounded the area with torches to prevent the ants from approaching.”

Professor Bang, unaware of how this was aggravating Professor Choi, grinned.

“They seem to know what ants are afraid of. It’s proof that our teachings have paid off.”

“The whole point of MT is to hunt together, suffer together, and forge bonds of camaraderie and teamwork through those hardships…”

“Well, isn’t working together to ensure safety a form of teamwork too...?”

Professor Bang trailed off after seeing the grim expression on Professor Choi’s face.

Choi’s brows was furrowed so tightly as he watched the island that they were practically crumpled.

“...”

Before long, the students had all retreated into the walls, making it impossible to see what they were doing anymore.

If the Jung Tae-sung he knew was there, he would surely have chosen to push forward quickly, but why wasn’t he attacking? It was puzzling.

As time passed and Group B made progress while Group A remained stagnant, Choi Jung-gang grew increasingly anxious.

Night was falling, and visibility was getting worse.

‘Jung Tae-sung... What on earth are you doing...?’

***

‘Ant Yokai?’

An Ant Yokai.

It was a monster that only appeared when the queen ant sensed that her eggs were being destroyed before she fell asleep.

‘So the queen ant wasn’t asleep after all?’

“Kiieeeek!”

With a flutter of its wings, an Ant Yokai landed in front of me.

By definition, any monster with the word “yokai” in its name was humanoid in form.

Standing upright on two legs, it tilted its head curiously while glaring at me.

Its hands were shaped like sharp scythes, coated with venom. A single cut could be incredibly dangerous.

Its rank averaged around B.

Why “averaged”?

Because an Ant Yokai doesn’t have a fixed rank.

Although not fully understood yet, experts theorize that the creature’s abilities vary depending on the queen ant’s power.

It seems the queen’s anger plays a significant role.

‘Did I destroy the eggs too quickly…?’

On top of that, I might have raised the queen’s rage to its peak by disturbing the den just before she fell asleep.

Judging by its appearance, it looked stronger than B-rank.

Maybe even... A?

Even though I was close to A-rank in terms of attack power, my defensive abilities still fell short.

In terms of mana refinement, I was only about C-rank.

But with my elemental skills and decent swordmanship, my attack power was close to A-rank.

The Ant Yokai, seemingly unsure of my exact strength, kept tilting its head while staring me down.

Well, regardless, it wasn’t an opponent I couldn’t handle.

‘Worm, wake up.’

<Ah, why? I was sleeping.>

The worm peeked its head out, and upon seeing the Ant Yokai, its eyes sparkled.

‘The main course has arrived.’

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