Seong-jun discussed the Jeju Island issue with the group.
Although only the final cleanup remained, the Seoul Dungeon Break was not yet fully over.
More importantly, they had just dealt with a group of bosses and moved civilians to a safe area.
But now, they were suddenly told to go to Jeju Island and start all over again?
“We don’t have an obligation to go to Jeju Island, but wouldn’t it be the right thing to do morally? I heard they haven’t even established a defensive line like we have here; they’re just defending the airports and harbors. If that’s the case, doesn’t it mean hundreds of thousands of people who couldn’t evacuate are falling prey to monsters?”
Gwang-taek’s position was that they should go to Jeju Island regardless.
“That’s true, but there’s one thing we need to clarify. In the case of guilds, they have an obligation to respond to crisis situations at the Association’s request. In return, they receive appropriate compensation when the situation ends. However, since we don’t have that obligation, the Association isn’t obligated to compensate us even if the situation is resolved. Even if they did, it wouldn’t be as much as what the guilds get. So, if we’re going to Jeju, shouldn’t we at least receive compensation equivalent to what the guilds get?”
When a group is registered as a guild with the Association, there are various benefits and obligations.
One of those obligations is responding to crises like a Dungeon Break at the Association’s request.
In return for faithfully fulfilling their duties, the Association pays out compensation, and the amount is quite substantial.
On the other hand, since Seong-jun’s group was not a guild, they had no obligation to comply with the Association’s requests.
Even if they did, the Association was not obligated to pay them like they did for guilds.
This was why Choi Gang-hyeok had asked for Seong-jun’s intentions.
Yuseon agreed that going to Jeju Island was a good idea, but she insisted they should be treated at least as well as the other guilds.
Seong-jun looked at Chang-su.
“What about you, Chang-su? What do you think we should do?”
At Seong-jun’s question, Chang-su replied with a smile.
“Me? I’ll just do whatever you want to do, Brother Seong-jun.”
Since Chang-su followed Seong-jun devotedly, he said he would follow whatever decision was made.
Seong-jun sighed, as if he had expected that response.
“Sigh, alright. So, Brother Gwang-taek and Yuseon both have no objections to going to Jeju Island, right? Then the only thing left is the matter of compensation. I heard the Association President is on his way here, so I’ll talk to him.”
Although he said he would “try” talking to him, Seong-jun was confident he would get a meaningful answer.
He didn’t know what the future held, but for now, Seong-jun had always been in the superior position of power, and he judged that it was still the case.
Seeing him like that, Gwang-taek asked, “What about you? You said you’d go straight to your uncle and aunt once things were settled here. If we go to Jeju Island like this, we might not be able to return today. Will that be okay?”
Knowing how special his uncle and aunt were to Seong-jun, Gwang-taek was asking if he was truly alright with it.
If they went to Jeju now, there was a high probability they wouldn’t return within the day.
“I’m going to call my uncle and aunt to explain the situation. Given the circumstances, I’m sure they’ll understand.”
The impact of just one person, Seong-jun, on the battlefield was more significant than one might think.
His presence alone could make the impossible possible.
Even so, if his uncle and aunt had been in danger, Seong-jun would have prioritized their safety regardless of what happened to Jeju Island.
But since they were currently safe, he felt comfortable going to Jeju despite his worries.
Yuseon spoke up tentatively while looking at Seong-jun.
“By the way, Brother. About that compensation. It’s paid differently depending on the size of the guild. I heard the top ten guilds in the country receive anywhere from one billion to several billion won every time they’re deployed to a Dungeon Break. So, shouldn’t we at least get as much as the top ten guilds? Honestly, putting us aside, you’re different, aren’t you? Your presence alone is comparable to any of the top ten guilds.”
Both the B-rank Dungeon Break in Taean and the one today had shown that the performance of Seong-jun’s group was unrivaled.
Of course, Changcheon, Genesis, and the Holy Emperor could have stopped it on their own, but they likely wouldn’t have been able to block it so perfectly without casualties.
From this perspective, Yuseon believed that Seong-jun’s presence alone was not inferior to the top ten guilds.
“I suppose so. Like I said before, I’ll discuss that part with the Association President separately. Anyway, wait here for a moment. I’ll go call my uncle.”
Seong-jun stepped away to explain the situation to his uncle.
—
A short while later, the Association President arrived at the scene in Ahyeon-dong and immediately sought out Seong-jun.
Since Seong-jun wanted to speak with the Association President privately, they cleared the surrounding area before beginning their conversation.
“I’ve heard the reports. You performed remarkably again. I heard you treated all the critically injured patients whose lives were in danger and played a crucial role in dealing with the boss monsters. You are truly incredible.”
The Association President praised Seong-jun’s achievements at the temporary shelter, extolling his performance.
Seong-jun spoke as he looked at the President.
“Every minute is precious, so let’s set aside the meaningless flattery and get straight to the point. As you know, we don’t have the same mandatory clauses as other guilds, so we have no reason to go to Jeju Island.”
Seong-jun made it clear that, unlike other guilds, they were under no obligation.
“Haha, of course. However, there are hundreds of thousands of civilians in Jeju Island who haven’t been evacuated yet, and even at this very moment, many are likely dying at the hands of monsters. We desperately need Healer Kim Seong-jun’s help.”
The Association President tried to persuade Seong-jun by appealing to his emotions.
However, Seong-jun’s expression remained unmoved.
“If you need my help, there must be something in return, right? The compensation given to the top ten guilds in the country. If you promise me exactly that much, I’ll head to Jeju Island immediately.”
At Seong-jun’s proposal, the Association President appeared to contemplate for a moment.
“Hmm.”
The top ten guilds in the country each had over 100 B-rank members, and most of them had deployed over 100 people for this incident.
On the other hand, Seong-jun’s group only had four people.
Of course, Seong-jun alone was worth 100 average B-ranks, but the difference in the number of personnel mobilized was significant.
Seeing the Association President hesitate, Seong-jun’s expression slightly soured.
“What is it? Surely, Mr. President, you don’t think I’m not worth that much?”
The Association President was startled by Seong-jun’s words and quickly waved his hands.
“No! Ah, of course not. I naturally value Healer Kim Seong-jun more than any of the top ten guilds. It’s just that other guilds might not see it that way, and there could be complaints later. I was just worried about that part.”
The President meant that while he personally believed Seong-jun was worth it, he was concerned about the backlash from other guilds.
Seong-jun spoke as if it were no big deal.
“I don’t think that will be a problem. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I was told that if I stay here, the Holy Emperor stays, and if I go to Jeju Island, the Holy Emperor goes as well. In other words, the Holy Emperor moves according to my decision. Which of the top ten guilds could possibly compare to the Holy Emperor?”
In truth, there likely wouldn’t be any complaints even with just Seong-jun alone, but if the Holy Emperor were added to the mix, no one would dare say a word.
In fact, since one of the world’s strongest guilds was moving based on Seong-jun’s decision, it was a situation where they might need to give him even higher compensation than the top ten guilds.
“Ha, haha, I heard about that, but I hadn’t thought of it that way. Certainly, if we consider the Holy Emperor, the other guilds won’t be able to say anything. Understood. I will promise you the same compensation as the top ten guilds.”
Once the Association President promised the same compensation as the top ten guilds, Seong-jun continued with a smile.
“Then that’s settled. Shall we move on to the next thing? It seems you’ll be using my performance again to promote the Association’s image. Should I help you a bit more actively?”
Unlike the Taean incident, there had been property damage and loss of life here, but thanks to Seong-jun’s actions, the situation in Seoul had been settled relatively quickly.
Although the damage in Jeju Island was much worse than expected, considering that Dungeon Breaks had occurred in four regions simultaneously, the Association still had a story to tell.
If they could suppress it early, they could use that to their advantage.
In other words, if they actively used Seong-jun’s performance again, it would be a huge help in improving the Association’s image.
“Oh! If you would do that, it would be more than I could ask for.”
“Then you should naturally think about what you’ll give me in return, right? Last time, you promised a total tax exemption, the permanent loan of an A-rank artifact, and unconditional support whenever I needed it. What will you do for me this time?”
Just like last time, he had no intention of helping for free.
Give and take. It was only natural for one favor to follow another.
“Pardon? Ah! Haha, I think I’ll have to discuss that at the Association level.”
Unlike the treatment equal to a top ten guild for the Dungeon Break itself, this was an implicit deal between the Association and Seong-jun.
Therefore, they had to prepare a suitable justification and appropriate compensation that wouldn’t cause controversy regarding fairness.
Naturally, it was difficult for the Association President to decide this arbitrarily on the spot.
“Of course you should. Oh! And if it’s a burden, you can just use my performance at the Association level as much as you want. I won’t be as actively helpful, but it’ll be less burdensome for both of us. Anyway, think about it and let’s get moving. You said the situation in Jeju Island is urgent.”
Since he had already secured what he wanted, there was no reason to continue a meaningless conversation.
Seong-jun hurried his steps to head toward Jeju Island.
—
A hotel in Yeon-dong, Jeju City.
Dozens of people who hadn’t been able to evacuate rushed into the hotel lobby to escape monsters, hiding in fear.
For some reason, the master keys and all individual room keys were missing, and the elevators weren’t working.
They had no choice but to sit together in the lobby, praying that no monsters would appear.
“When on earth will the rescue team arrive?”
“I don’t know. But it won’t be anytime soon. I heard a B-rank Dungeon Break happened in Seoul, just like here. To deal with a B-rank Dungeon Break, the country’s top guilds have to be mobilized, and since most of them were deployed to Seoul, they probably won’t come to Jeju until the Seoul situation is resolved.”
Although all of Jeju Island had been devastated by monsters, the internet was still working.
Therefore, they could sufficiently check how the current situation was unfolding.
“They aren’t going to just abandon Jeju Island, are they?”
“Oh, surely not.”
“Who knows? Once the airports and harbors all fall, they might just give up.”
Given the gravity of the situation, people were worried that Jeju Island might be abandoned.
Even though they knew it was unlikely, it was difficult to make rational judgments when placed in such a dire environment.
“Sigh, what on earth am I doing? I came for a fun vacation, and now I’m filming a survival movie.”
At that moment.
*Roaaaaar!*
The roar of a monster was heard from outside.
“Gasp! Ev—everyone, be quiet.”
Fearing they might be discovered, the people covered their mouths with their hands, taking care not to even make a sound of breathing.
Meanwhile, a woman who looked to be in her mid-to-late twenties was crouched in a corner.
‘Please just pass by. Please just pass by.’
The woman desperately hoped the monster would pass by without discovering them.
Curiously, although her expression was earnest, she didn’t look terrified or paralyzed with fear.
It was more like… an expression of someone who wasn’t necessarily scared but didn’t want to get involved in a bothersome situation.
Unfortunately, like many things in the world, her wish did not come true.
“Waaaaah! Waaaaah!”
The baby held in a young woman’s arms suddenly burst into tears.
Judging by the diaper, it seemed the baby had wet itself.
“Gasp! Hey, keep that baby quiet!”
“What if the monster finds us because of this? Cover the baby’s mouth!”
People were startled and told her to quiet the child, but the mother was flustered and didn’t know what to do.
“Oh, why is he suddenly doing this? Please, be quiet. Please?”
Despite her efforts, the baby’s crying grew louder.
“Waaaaah! Waaaaah!”
At that sight, a large man yelled out in a burst of anger.
“Ugh! Just cover its mouth! If we’re discovered, are you going to take responsibility!”
Since everyone’s lives were on the line, tensions were high, and the unexpected outburst caused someone to explode.
At that moment.
*Growl?*
A Crimson Tiger, a B-rank monster passing in front of the hotel, stopped in its tracks and turned its head toward the building.
Although the people were hiding out of sight, the sound of the child’s crying felt even louder in the silence.
“Waaaaah! Waaaaah!”
That crying was more than enough to catch the Crimson Tiger’s attention.
*Roaaaaar!*
It slammed its massive front paw into the hotel’s front entrance.
*Crack!*
*Crash!*
With just that one attack, the glass doors shattered into pieces, and the Crimson Tiger shoved its massive body inside the hotel.
*Roar! Roaaaaar!*
Fortunately, there was only one, but even a single monster was a disaster for ordinary civilians.
“Kyaaaak!”
“Damn it! I knew this would happen! I told you to shut that damn mouth!”
“What should we do? What do we do now!”
Seeing the Crimson Tiger squeezing through the entrance, the people fell into a panic.
Meanwhile, the single Crimson Tiger successfully made its way completely into the hotel.
*Roaaaaar!*
The entrance had been somewhat narrow, but since the lobby interior was spacious, the Crimson Tiger was no longer restricted in its movements once inside.
“The—the stairs! Let’s run to the stairs for now!”
Although it was some distance from where they were to the stairwell entrance, doing something was better than just sitting there and dying.
People began to run toward the stairs.
“Run!”
“Waaaaah! Waaaaah!”
The baby continued to cry, but no one cared about the sound anymore.
The damage was done, and now they had to focus only on survival.
As the people began to run toward the stairs, the Crimson Tiger also immediately lunged forward.
*Roaaaaar!*
*Thud!*
Kicking off the floor, the Crimson Tiger moved at an incredible speed.
“Ugh!”
In an instant, the Crimson Tiger reached the sturdy-looking man who was leading the pack.
And then.
*Crunch!*
It opened its massive maw and swallowed the man.
“Gack!”
Leaving behind only a short scream, the man fell prey to the Crimson Tiger.
At that sight, the people screamed and turned back toward where they had come from.
“Kyaaaaaaaak!”
“Get—get out of the way!”
The woman who had been quietly watching the scene sighed and stepped forward.
“Sigh, I wanted to pass through quietly if possible, but it ends up like this.”
While the people were struggling to get away from the Crimson Tiger, she actually approached it.
*Grrrr.*
The Crimson Tiger growled as it looked at her.
Yet, even in the presence of the Crimson Tiger, a B-rank monster, she showed no sign of fear.
“Why couldn’t you just go on your way? Why did you have to come in here and make things difficult? I really shouldn’t be standing out.”
The moment the woman finished speaking.
*Crack! Snap! Crackle!*
Her body began to transform strangely.
The woman’s height, which had been roughly 1.5 meters, instantly grew to over 2 meters.
Both of her arms transformed into something resembling sharp blades.
Her skin turned a dark brownish-black, her eyes turned golden, and something that looked like wings—though not quite wings—sprouted from her back.
Naturally, as her body grew, all the clothes she was wearing were torn to shreds.
*Grrrrrrrrrr.*
As the Crimson Tiger looked at the woman who had transformed into something that could hardly be considered human, it didn’t attack recklessly and only growled.
The woman, whose mouth was now torn all the way back to her ears, spoke.
“I really hate transforming into this form, you know? So don’t even think about going out in one piece.”
The moment she finished speaking, the woman kicked off the ground.
*Flash!*
Despite her large frame, the woman charged at an incredible speed.
*Roaaaaar!*
At the same time, the Crimson Tiger, a high-agility monster, countered with nimble movements.
*Boom! Crash! Bang! Thud!*
The battle appeared fierce at a glance, but in reality, the woman was not taking any damage from the Crimson Tiger.
On the other hand, the Crimson Tiger’s wounds increased as the fight continued.
*Roar! Roaaaaar!*
The Crimson Tiger let out a great roar and increased the intensity of its attacks, but the monster-like woman remained relaxed from beginning to end, toys with the Crimson Tiger as if she were mocking it.