Here's an Opportunity-Chapter 172: The Accident (2)

An accident had occurred, and it was not just any accident. It happened at an S-Class Gate and caused severe damage.

Hunters constantly risked their lives fighting monsters, always close to death. However, this incident involved the death of a Hunter capable of clearing an S-Class Gate, and it had happened during an operation where no one was supposed to die, unless unexpected variables had come into play.

No one could be blamed if someone died in the heat of battle. But if a death occurred because someone's mistake disrupted the operation, and that mistake was driven by personal greed, it became a different matter entirely.

"What a..."

An Animaloid Mechanical Monster lunged, its mouth wide open as if to devour its opponent.

"Fucked up..."

He didn't panic. With a light kick off the ground, he threw himself to the side. The Mechanical Monster landed and immediately extended its tail in another attack. In response, Kim Ki-Rok hurled the mace he was holding.

"Situation!"

With a boom, the mace struck the monster's side, sending it flying.

"Shit!"

Five minutes remained until backup arrived. With both the rescue team Hunters and the escaped residents of the Patera Dimension to protect, the reinforcements would be sprinting toward them from the forward base.

The incident had the potential to escalate into a major problem, possibly prompting Hunters from other countries to withdraw. Because of this, the Japanese Hunters—whose country was responsible for the accident and where the S-Class Gate had appeared—would be rushing toward them without hesitation.

"There are five minutes left. Hold on however yo—" Kim Ki-Rok was cut off as he tried to relay the situation to the rescue team members. He was currently using seventy percent of his mana to enhance his physical abilities and the remaining thirty to monitor his surroundings.

"U-uuargh!"

While the Animaloid and Humanoid Mechanical Monsters were being held back by the rear-guard Hunters, the Flying Mechanical Monsters were proving more difficult. One had retreated to the city for repairs after its mouth exploded from firing large iron balls, another was currently restrained, and the last two were being engaged by the rescue squad's S-Class Hunters.

That left one Flying Mechanical Monster. It appeared to be the commander, staying at the rear and observing the battlefield rather than engaging directly.

"Block it!"

At the shout of a Hunter guarding the Patera Dimension residents, another jumped into the air, raising a large shield. He clenched his teeth as he positioned himself in front of the Flying Mechanical Monster, its mouth wide open and ready to strike.

A thunderous boom echoed across the battlefield as a giant iron ball exploded against the Hunter's shield. The blast struck just inches from his face, sending the Flying Mechanical Monster tumbling from the sky. Though damaged, it managed to regain control and soar once more. The Hunter wasn't spared either; he was hurled to the ground by the shockwave, falling much faster than he had jumped. Fortunately, another Hunter caught him, softening the impact.

Another explosion rocked the ground, kicking up a sandstorm, though smaller than the one caused by the monster's initial landing. Kim Ki-Rok had once used the swirling sand to avoid close combat, but the situation had changed now that they had civilians to protect. The Hunters raised their shields, dispersing the storm, and glared up at the monster, readying themselves for the next strike.

What would happen if we managed to subdue the Flying Mechanical Monster? Kim Ki-Rok wondered.

Pulling it off would turn the tide of battle in their favor, but whether they could actually manage it was another question. The Flying Mechanical Monster made full use of its mobility. Whenever the Hunters leapt to strike, it simply soared higher, staying out of reach.

"We'd be lucky if all they did was avoid our attacks," he grumbled.

The Flying Mechanical Monster would rise to avoid attacks, then rain bullets down. Hunters who had jumped into the air wouldn't be able to dodge the shots and would have to block them with their shields and mana-enhanced bodies. THowever, that didn't mean they had no means of escape.

"Tsk." Watching the Hunters prepare for the enemy's next move, Kim Ki-Rok advised, "Use mana platforms."

The commander of the troops escorting the Patera Dimension residents parted his lips slightly, as if he had momentarily forgotten the technique, likely due to the need to conserve mana while fighting the Mechanical Monsters. Snapping out of it, he quickly relayed Kim Ki-Rok's advice to the others in a loud, commanding voice.

The Hunters no longer waited for the enemy to strike. After confirming that several of them had used mana platforms to close in on the Flying Mechanical Monster, Kim Ki-Rok shifted his focus back to the ground. There, the Hunters were locked in fierce combat with the Animaloid and Humanoid Mechanical Monsters.

It seemed they no longer needed his guidance. Kim Ki-Rok nodded with relief, took a deep breath, and pulled two more maces from his subspace pocket, gripping one in each hand. Around him, five Animaloid Mechanical Monsters were slowly closing in, mechanical whirring filling the air. He stood still, waiting for the enemy to strike.

"Well, at least they're not humanoid," he muttered.

Humanoid Mechanical Monsters were physically weaker than the Animaloid types, but they had exceptional learning capabilities and could quickly adapt their combat style to match their opponent's movements.

***

The rescue team successfully reached the forward base in front of the Gate. The Mechanical Monsters had retreated the moment reinforcements arrived, though another attack remained likely. It meant the rescue team would have to move again, without a chance to rest.

"Phew! They didn't attack us," one of the reinforcement Hunters said.

"They must have decided they'd taken too much damage," Kim Ki-Rok replied.

"Too much damage?"

"The humans have escaped. That alone disrupts production. Given the unexpectedly large number of people helping with the escape and the fact that those humans were strong, they probably chose to conserve their forces."

"Ah, I see!"

"Of course, that's just my guess."

Despite his words, the Hunter seemed to accept Kim Ki-Rok's guess as fact. As the man turned his gaze toward the city, Kim Ki-Rok simply shrugged and turned to check on the residents of the Patera Dimension. He saw them resting with the help of Association staff and Hunters stationed at the base.

"I guess they need to rest for now," Kim Ki-Rok mumbled.

The residents had endured sleepless nights in a constant state of fear, dreading discovery. During their escape, they had been attacked by a Mechanical Monster and left shivering as they waited for the battle to end. It was far too soon to ask anything of them.

He turned his gaze away from the resting group and toward a new one leaving the barracks, only to find them frozen in place. The new group in front of the rescue team was composed of Hunters affiliated with the Japanese Hunters Association.

"Which guild is that Hunter from? The one who left the forward base and moved toward the city to attack the Mechanical Monster?" Kim Ki-Rok asked in Japanese.

A Japanese S-Class Hunter bowed deeply. "First, I would like to apologize."

"I see. So, which guild is it?" Kim Ki-Rok asked again. "If there had been no injuries or casualties, I'd suggest we talk after resting. But there were deaths, and the injured need to be hospitalized. So, which guild is it?"

"They're from the A-Class guild, Chaser," the Japanese Hunter replied.

"And why did they do it?"

"As you suspected, it's because of Patera."

The value of this metal had greatly increased with the appearance of a craftsman who could refine it.

"This is a matter that pertains to clearing an S-Class Gate. Unless Chaser Guild had someone supporting them, they wouldn't have been able to do such a thing. Who is it? Just the fact that someone in the Command Center allowed reconnaissance, which risks discovery during a covert rescue operation, means there's a backer in the Association or the government. Someone with political power," Kim Ki-Rok pressed.

"Th-that is..."

"Who is it?"

As the Japanese S-Class Hunter continued to hesitate, a French A-Class Hunter who had participated in the rescue operation snapped, "Where are the Chaser Guild members now?! I'll kill them!"

"P-please, let me explain the situation first!" said the Japanese S-Class Hunter, realizing what had likely set him off. "There had been a deal between the Chaser Guild and Vice Association President Imanaga of the Hunters Association."

"Vice Association President Imanaga," the French A-Class Hunter repeated with bloodlust.

"But the situation is a bit ambiguous..." the Japanese Hunter concluded.

"What's this deal about?" Kim Ki-Rok jumped in.

"According to the vice president, the deal was for the reserve personnel at the rear to hunt the Mechanical Monster outside the battlefield once the all-out fight began."

"Hm! There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with that deal," Kim Ki-Rok replied.

If the Hunters had followed the plan, they could have blocked enemy reinforcements. Though it wasn't a bad plan, there was one problem.

"So, are you saying this was an independent action by the Chaser Guild?"

The Japanese Hunter nodded. "Vice President Imanaga apparently didn't fully trust the Chaser Guild. He submitted the black box from the vehicle where the deal took place as evidence. Also..."

That means... Kim Ki-Rok thought.

Imanaga wasn't a bad person, just a bit greedy. He had planned to use the Chaser Guild to hunt outside the battlefield, where they wouldn't interfere with the clear. In other words, he would have participated in external hunting if everything had gone according to plan.

"So, you're saying the Chaser Guild is at fault?"

"Yes, that's correct," the Japanese Hunter confirmed.

"Protecting their civilians while abandoning an A-Class guild..." Kim Ki-Rok muttered in Korean, glancing first at the Japanese S-Class Hunter, then at the Frenchman. "Did you report the situation?"

"Yes. I heard that as soon as they understood what happened, one of the Hunters who was waiting escaped the Gate and contacted the French Hunters Association."

"Are you giving up on clearing the Gate?"

"I heard that's the plan for now. Apparently, our French team will likely return home tomorrow morning."

There had been growing dissatisfaction among civilians about their country's Hunters participating in Gates outside national borders.

"Why is that?"

"It's because the guild at fault is an A-Class guild. Moreover, it's the Chaser Guild, whose ace is an S-Class Hunter."

"Hmm..."

There was no time to gather information. However, the French Hunter still had a radio on his waist and an earpiece in one ear. It seemed he had gathered information with the help of other Hunters.

"What to do..." Kim Ki-Rok muttered.

The Japanese Hunters Association and the government would not hold the Chaser Guild heavily accountable. They were a domestic A-Class Hunter Guild with an S-Class Hunter as their ace.

While cooperation with the French Hunters was temporary, their own Hunters were a permanent asset. Unless the members of Chaser became naturalized in another country, they would continue clearing Gates within Japan. Any punishment they received would likely be little more than a formality.

What should I do?

It had been a long time since he'd lost people during this particular rescue operation. Kim Ki-Rok used his Record Skill and skimmed through the futures after the destruction of the Chaser Guild, and those where the incident was covered up.

The future or the present, that is... Ah!

This wasn't a case of a Japanese Hunter dying due to an accident caused by a Japanese Hunter Guild.

"What if..." Kim Ki-Rok began in French, catching the attention of the French Hunter who had participated in the rescue operation, along with the others waiting in the military camp. "What happens if the Chaser Guild takes responsibility?"

"Hunter Kim Ki-Rok?" the Japanese S-Class Hunter called, but Kim Ki-Rok's attention remained on the French Hunters.

"I can't be sure," the Frenchman said as he faced Kim Ki-Rok, completely ignoring the Japanese Hunter. "After all, it's the Association and the government that make the decision. But if Japan holds the Chaser Guild accountable, I will participate."

"Understood," Kim Ki-Rok said, switching to Japanese as he turned to the third party. "Let's go."

"Go where?" the Japanese Hunter said, clearly perplexed.

"To the Japanese Hunters Association Headquarters. No... since the Gate appeared in Osaka, we should head to the Osaka branch. Come on."