Chapter 120: Why Is Hyung Coming Out From There?

The navigation voice came from my smartwatch.

[Destination, ‘Sang-eun Elementary School’ arrived.]

About 15 km from Sokri Mountain to Boeun-gun.

The time taken to travel was 5 minutes.

Because I flew in blood mist state using the Blood Mist Ring.

……Flying is definitely fast.

I looked down at my feet.

Below the clouds, buildings and roads spread out like miniatures.

The destination, Sang-eun Elementary School, came into view.

A two-story elementary school that seemed built decades ago.

And then, I descended to the ground.

Ding-dong!

<Deactivating the item skill ‘Blood Mist’ of the Blood Mist Ring!>

Blood-red mist gathered and instantly formed my body.

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh—

Soon after, a banner hung above the school gate caught my eye.

[Sokri Mountain Dungeon Break Victim Temporary Shelter —Boeun-gun Office—]

Displaced residents who lost their homes due to the dungeon break aftermath were gathered here.

In the elementary school playground, tents were set up, and a woman in a white blouse and black pants stood alone.

At that moment.

“Ah……!”

The woman under the tent spotted me and quickly ran over.

Her civil servant name tag necklace swayed back and forth.

“Are you the hunter dispatched from the Hunter Association by any chance!?”

When I nodded, the civil servant’s expression brightened even more.

The civil servant glanced toward the school gate.

“But…… didn’t the other hunters come with you?”

“It’s just me.”

“Ah, I see…….”

Disappointment was evident.

But only briefly.

“Thank you for coming. I was worried no one would show up this time too. A few days ago, the hunters scheduled to be dispatched also canceled due to circumstances…….”

No-shows for missions here too.

Public support-type missions are inherently low in preference.

Moreover, since this mission was in a rural area far from the city, it was even more avoided.

The civil servant guided me to the tent.

Under the tent, various items were piled up like mountains.

Packaged cardboard boxes, ice boxes, fans, assembly tents, bundles of bottled water, bedding, and so on.

A scene reminiscent of a loading dock.

“First, we need to move these indoors. These are relief supplies from the county office, including hygiene products, spare clothes, various daily necessities, and food items.”

The civil servant continued while loading a box onto a cart.

“I’ve been at it since morning, but I haven’t even moved half. Even with the cart, it’s a bit overwhelming alone.”

“Aren’t there other civil servants?”

“No, more personnel are needed for the damage recovery work.”

“What about the displaced residents?”

The civil servant smiled awkwardly.

“Well…… the main affected area from this dungeon break was the villages near Sokri Mountain, right? Almost all elderly people live there. Still, with you and me, we should be able to move everything quickly!”

The civil servant struggled to load one cardboard box onto the cart.

The cart was so small that just one box left no more space.

If we move them one by one like this, we’ll be hauling luggage until sunset.

I stacked 10 flat boxes and lifted them effortlessly.

Thanks to my steadily increased strength stat, the heavy loads felt as light as balloons.

Seeing that, the civil servant’s mouth dropped open.

“Wow…….”

“Where should I move them?”

“Food items to the 1st floor cafeteria, and the rest of the daily necessities to the 1st floor entrance!”

The civil servant followed, pulling the cart.

“You’re incredibly strong. I thought you might be a magic-related hunter since you look so refined.”

Not entirely wrong.

As the warehouse keeper managing the Magic Emperor’s spear, I am related to magic.

After going back and forth a few times, moving the luggage was finished in no time.

Finally, I moved the ice boxes full of food items to the cafeteria.

The empty cafeteria interior.

No one inside the kitchen either.

“Who prepares the meals?”

At my question, the civil servant took out her smartphone and checked.

“Ah, yes yes! Meals are supposed to be helped by volunteers coming today. It’s about time…….”

At that moment.

Screech—

The sound of a bus stopping came from the school playground.

Speak of the devil.

The civil servant said,

“Ah! Perfect timing! The volunteers must have arrived!”

I followed the civil servant to the playground.

Volunteers busily unloading luggage from the bus.

Mostly women in their 40s-50s.

Among them, one woman stood out particularly.

A youthful face that looked late teens or 20s.

Despite the plain outfit of a white short-sleeve tee, jeans, and a straw hat pulled low, she exuded a model-like aura.

But the face was familiar.

That girl is definitely……

She seemed to recognize me too.

“Huh!? Hasang sunbae!”

It was my department junior, Kim Yerim.

Kim Yerim ran over with a delighted expression.

“Wow! Meeting here? Are you here for volunteer work too, sunbae?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Aw…… Then you should’ve come with me. You still haven’t read my messages? That’s mean.”

Kim Yerim pouted her lips as if sulking.

At that moment, the volunteer women approached.

“Oh my, Yerim. What’s this? Boyfriend?”

Kim Yerim giggled and replied,

“Not a boyfriend…… yet.”

“Yet, huh.”

“Oh my goodness, what’s this~.”

“Aw, too bad. I was going to introduce my son.”

The women burst into giggles and chatter.

And then, the civil servant clapped her hands to draw attention.

“Thank you so much for coming to help! I’ll guide you on what to do from now on.”

Most of the volunteer women were mobilized for dinner preparation.

In my case, I was assigned miscellaneous tasks at the temporary shelter…… the so-called ‘heavy lifting’ jobs.

Tent setup, repairing broken windows, carrying food sacks, clearing drainage ditches, washing bedding, and so on.

“Sunbae! What should we start with?”

With Kim Yerim too.

She could’ve done it alone, but she followed, insisting on helping.

And then, Kim Yerim continued,

“But sunbae. Why didn’t you come to school this week?”

“I was busy with work.”

“Did you go to something like a job fair? Or…….”

Kim Yerim chattered endlessly while following.

And then, I said to Kim Yerim,

“Yerim. I think I need some tools—can you bring them?”

“Ah, yes! What do you need?”

“One of each type of screwdriver. Screws, nails, hammer, and duct tape.”

Kim Yerim noted down everything I said and ran toward the storage.

“I’ll be right back, sunbae!”

“Sure.”

Finally gone.

I slowly looked around the school interior.

Leaking ceilings from rainwater. Creaking wooden floors. Windows letting in drafts freely.

It seemed abandoned for a long time before being used as a temporary shelter.

Since I’m at it, might as well fix it properly.

I selected one item from Featherback’s journal and summoned it.

—Ding-dong!

<‘Open’ command received.>

<Opening Morgue’s Spear.>

A rift in subspace opened smaller than usual.

From beyond the pitch-black darkness, mandarin-sized people walked out.

—Flutter—

<Runtalun Little People>

– Storage Number: MRG-377

– Storage Grade: Safety

Little people tribe residing in the Fairy Forest of the Lokpia continent.

These little people, only 10 cm tall, have exceptional dexterity and agile movements.

They handle everything from household chores like cleaning, cooking, dishwashing to crafts, and with their diligent and sincere nature, they are popular as housekeepers among mages.

In exchange for the contract, they demand hair, due to an old superstition of the Runtalun little people tribe, believing that consuming a lot of human hair will make them grow large too.

Little people in yellow conical hats looked up at me.

And then, a Runtalun little person with a lush white beard spoke.

[What do you desire?]

A youthful voice mismatched with the elderly appearance.

Other Runtalun little people also chimed in.

[What do you want?] [Want a lot?] [Giving hair?] [Want to work quick!]

I cut a handful of hair and handed it over.

Then.

Munch-munch-munch-munch—

The Runtalun little people ate the hair like sheep grazing.

“Clean this building thoroughly. From dust, remove any rats or bugs, and if possible, disinfect things like germs too.”

[Contract payment received!] [Received!] [Probably received!] [Received!]

The Runtalun chief noted the instructions on a tiny memo pad.

And then, the Runtalun chief shouted energetically.

[Time to work!] [Hurry hurry!] [Work!] [Quick!]

The Runtalun little people scattered pitter-patter everywhere.

Cleaning is taken care of.

I took out a flask containing gray semi-solid solution from my inventory.

—Flutter—

<Nano Gray>

– Storage Number: MRG-2197

– Storage Grade: Safety

An artifact that restores damaged objects to original state with just a drop.

I began repairing broken windows, doors, cracked walls, etc., while walking the hallways.

Sliiiide—

As the Nano Gray solution seeped into the cracks of the broken window, the fissures vanished instantly.

Despite using it several times, the Nano Gray solution didn’t decrease at all.

It seemed the ‘power to restore damaged objects to original’ applied to the Nano Gray solution itself.

No matter how much used, the total amount doesn’t decrease.

Meanwhile, looking at the Nano Gray reminded me of a face.

The Luddite combat robot I met in Maslow’s Tower, LDX-3021.

Since it self-dropped out midway, no way to know if it escaped safely.

No media outlet tracks the welfare of combat robots.

At that moment.

“Aigo…… aigo…….”

A groaning sound from the adjacent classroom.

I peered inside through the window.

Ten folding beds placed inside the classroom.

Elderly people with pale complexions groaned on the beds, and a middle-aged man in a doctor’s coat was attending to them.

A doctor here for medical support?

At that thought.

……!!

A strange pain in my left eye.

At the same time, a notification window appeared.

Ding-dong!

<Artifact ‘Eye of Truth’ has pierced through falsehood.>

<The target’s true appearance is revealed.>

The middle-aged man in white coat’s form began wavering.

Shortly after, when I opened my eyes again, the middle-aged man’s appearance had vanished completely.

Instead, a boy who looked about middle school age stood there.

And then, the boy turned toward me.

A familiar face.

……Why is that guy here?

One of the core forces of the Korean Hunter Association.

A+-rank 8th, White Magic Tower Master Yun Yeobaek.