Auto Hunting

Chapter 25

Episode 25

The people were watching the operation closely.

With companies that move in multiple team units, a situation control center was usually located outside the hunting area. The control center sent briefings, monitored action cam videos in real-time, and even directed operations in some cases.

QR was one of those companies.

Experienced hunters such as Yoon Kang-cheol were in control of the field without necessarily going to the front line themselves.

Today, as usual, the command was conducted without any problems. Each leader gave commands from the center with urgency in their voices.

“Send support right away to Section 02…!”

“All available waiting personnel are…!”

Yoon Kang-cheol put his hand on his forehead as he watched the Alpha Team members through the five large monitors in front of him.

The Alpha Team was not aware that he could watch them through their action cams.

However, the purpose of monitoring was for them to get support whenever they needed it.

They would handle the operation themselves, and the monitoring was just a fallback option. That way, their confidence could be built.

He observed the action cams and judged each Alpha Team members’ ability.

If the hunt were successful anyway, there would be no problem.

But right now, the Alpha Team was in the midst of a huge problem.

“Why the hell are you running away?!” He groaned as he watched the footage.

The Alpha Team members started running away when the second Whipper appeared.

Instead of saving Jang Yoong-cheol, they hurried to hide inside a building.

“These cowardly humans!” he yelled in frustration.

Were they really running from a 4-star Whipper?

He wasn’t expecting them to jeopardize their lives. Life was paramount.

However, the least they could do was to be courageous.

For example, when the second Whipper appeared.

If they had maintained formation, it would have been possible to save Yoong-cheol and take him into a building with the rest of them. Then, using the room’s advantage, they would have been able to disengage the Whippers’ tentacles.

Even if the facility was destroyed, the Alpha Team could have captured the two Whippers that had lost their tentacles.

He became tired of watching. He had worked so hard training that squad of Alpha Hunters over the months, spending money with devotion.

It had been a difficult and harsh training, but these members had completed it with minimal injuries.

Their problemwasn’t that of skill but mentality.

Yoon Kang-cheol recalled what happened ten years ago. He succeeded in hunting a 6-star Kargadon with like-minded colleagues.

There were only a few people on that team.

The equipment, the amount of CE, and the accumulated know-how were also considerably less in the past. The conditions for hunting were incomparable then and now.

However, the major difference between the old teams and this one was the members’ resolution. Those days, the hunters weren’t ‘honey’ jobbers that bragged about their strengths.

The death rate per operation was close to 40%. Everyone had felt afraid.

But that gave them more reason to be thorough and bold. Yoon Kang-cheol shook his head. The change in mentality down the years had always been vivid.

He had to focus on what was happening at the moment.

“Captain Jang, are you applying for support?” He asked urgently, though he already knew the answer.

Regardless of whether or not he applied, the end was already certain.

When the Whipper’s tentacles caught Jang Yoong-cheol, a silence filled the control room.

Even by today’s standards, the deaths of hunters weren’t uncommon.

It could even have been said that it was fortunate that nine people were still alive in the building. However, this was the Alpha team that he’d been training personally.

Watching them die could never be pleasant.

“Boss!” Someone shouted, and at the same time, Yoon Kang-cheol saw what was happening.

Yoo-seong appeared on Jang Yoong-cheol’s action cam.

He jumped and grabbed Yoong-cheol; then, he jumped alternately between power poles and the tentacles using the Spider Walk.

“Huh?!”

“Wow!”

When he was hit by the tentacles and crashed into the 6th-floor window, everyone in the room shouted in horror.

Then, after a few moments, they saw him approach the window.

Everyone gasped in relief. He was alive.

Even Yoon Kang-cheol found himself wiping his brow in relief.

Yoon Kang-cheol’s desire to recruit Yoo-seong grew even more intense. That special walk was definitely from Kim Sung-wook. He had seen it before.

Of course, what Yoo-seong displayed was nothing compared to Kim Sung-wook’s heydays.

However, it had only been two months. Even though the Aura level he had shown was small, it was remarkable considering the meager amount of time spent training.

He had to have Yoo-seong. A couple of plans had already formed in his mind.

Since he had saved Jang Yoong-cheol’s life, he could be given compensation and the right to participate in future hunts in return.

Or, he could form a new beta team and make him the leader.

“What?” an OB spoke suddenly.

“Why is he doing that?”

The murmur around him brought Yoon Kang-cheol out of his reverie.

The people in the control room stared at the action cam feed from Jang Yoong-cheol.

Yoo-seong went back to the window.

Suddenly, the signals from the action cams began to break. They could hardly see him; neither could they hear him.

“What happened?” Yoon asked. “Reset the Alpha Team’s communication frequency.”

The moment they were back online, they all watched Yoo-seong jump out of the window.

Everyone was horrified. Yoon Kang-cheol spoke into the communicator.

“Jang Yoong-cheol. Go up to the rooftop, right now!”

-But, sir, it isn’t safe out there.

“I said, go up to the roof. Don’t try to second-guess me.”

This time, he raised his voice – something he seldom did.

When he yelled, Jang Yoong-cheol and all the personnel in the control room held their breaths.

“Get to the roof with your action cam. Though I doubt you will be able to observe anything without fear of injury,” he said.

-Ahhh!

With the yell, Jang Yoong-cheol ran up to the rooftop.

He moved so quickly that he reached the rooftop of the 16-story building in less than ten seconds.

Jang Yoong-cheol stood on the ledge and watched the unfolding scene beneath him as had been directed. Yoon Kang-cheol reached out without looking at the control panel.

He pressed a button, and the monitors that had shown footage of the ten Alpha Teams now only reflected Jang Yoong-cheol’s cam.

Soon, they spotted Yoo-seong under the roof between two buildings.

“Oh my gosh,” someone whispered as they stared at the screen.

It was as if they were looking through a scene from hell.

…

A Whipper spotted Yoo-seong as soon as he jumped.

Just then, Yoo-seong pressed the button.

The Whipper swung its tentacles at him with murderous intent. Yoo-seong knew that the energy with which the tentacle came was quite equivalent to a moving car.

He turned lightly and dodged the first tentacle.

However, more tentacles were flying towards him.

The second and third tentacles are coming in at the same time.

Instead of dodging, Yoo-seong held out his left arm. This time, he didn’t take the Assault Form.

The automatic hunt bent the ring finger and pinky as though he were holding an imaginary gun. It was the same posture he had used to kill the queen ant.

As silent as light, a murky aura sword came from the back of his hand.

Just before the two tentacles touched him, he swung his blade.

The two tentacles were split in half.

Whippers had a regenerative ability, which made them an excellent raw material for CE injection.

However, that ability wasn’t infinite. With each laceration upon it, the raw material obtainable from its body was reduced in quality.

Continuous cutting wasn’t the way to fight it. He had to hit it clean in a spot where it wouldn’t survive.

With its regenerative ability, its split tentacles could join together to become one again. Yoo-seong landed on the ground as the Whipper took a second to get its bearings. Then, it rushed at Yoo-seong, throwing more tentacles in his direction.

The second Whipper spotted Yoo-seong two and headed in his direction. They were like two Greek Hydras coming for Yoo-seong.

Yoo-seong stood still as he waited for them.

Finally, they came close enough, and their tentacles were right above him. However, as they landed, he spider-walked on them, using each tentacle as a stairwell to go higher. He then cut the ends of the tentacles in two.

Back in the control room, a hunter who was watching through the screen muttered.

“Why… if he could easily avoid them, why not stab vital spots instead…”

However, he became quiet before he could even finish talking.

He noticed it.

Even the Whippers noticed what had happened and screeched in horror. As they had continuously tried to hit Yoo-seong, their tentacles had become entangled with each other.

They pulled together, and the force sent them both to the floor. Before they fell, Yoo-seong alighted gracefully on the ground.

Their wounds would heal, but there was nothing they could do anymore.

They had been captured alive.

…

The control center was quiet once again until Yoon Kang-cheol spoke.

“Jang Yoong-cheol, go down to Oh Yoo-seong immediately,” he said.

Although the line broke a bit, Yoong-cheol understood what the CEO wanted and slid along the building’s exterior walls with aura in his hand.

The rookie had just dealt with two Whippers – a 4-star and a 5-star – singlehandedly.

He tried to keep a cool expression as he approached Yoo-seong, who was sitting on the sidewalk.

“Oh Yoo-seong, Oh… Mr…” he spoke with trembling.

“Yes?” Yoo-seong asked.

“The CEO… says he wants to speak with you…”

Yoo-seong received Jang Yoong-cheol’s device. It was a video call.

“This is Oh Yoo-seong.”

“Yoo-seong! You did a great job. I watched everything from the control center.”

“Yes.”

“Are you injured? You don’t sound well.”

“No, I’m not.”

Yoon Kang-cheol read a subtle dissatisfaction in Yoo-seong’s face. He became worried.

“Of course, you will own the two Whippers you captured, if that’s the problem,” he said.

It was too generous an offer.

Usually, as long a person hunted with a team, he was obliged to share the bounty received with his teammates.

However, Yoon Kang-cheol wanted him happy by all means.

“Thank you,” Yoo-seong said. His face was still drab.

Yoon Kang-cheol thought it was because of his disappointment in the Alpha Team skills.

He didn’t know what excuse to give on their behalf.

He had to take a new route on training the hunters, and it was all the more reason why he needed Yoo-seong on the team.

He spoke once more.

“You saved Jang Yoong-cheol. It is a debt that cannot be repaid even by QR. It’s too heavy a price to be paid by money.”

Jang Yoong-cheol, who was listening to the call, trembled.

“You saved our future,” Yoon Kang-cheol added.

However, in his head, it was clear that the future was Yoo-seong himself.

“If there is anything I can personally do for you, I’ll gladly do it. Even…”

“Then, I’d like to ask you one thing.”

Yoo-seong spoke, cutting Kang-cheol off.

“Yes. Just say anything.”

The CEO expected something massive.

Regardless, he would find a way to provide it to Yoo-seong, then use it to hold on to the novice hunter.

Yoo-seong spoke.

Contrary to Yoon’s thoughts, it was a pretty simple request.

However, it was also a request that Yoon Kang-cheol never thought of.

“I need…”