Ground Zero (2)

Kang-hoo sent a casual reply to An Young-ho.

He told him to stay well and that he would contact him when the time came; the message was predictable, yet it brimmed with a hint of expectation.

‘It’ll be night by the time I arrive.’

Kang-hoo watched the setting sun disappear beyond the western sky.

While most hunters avoided traveling at night, Kang-hoo was different.

He had this ability.

He actually preferred the night.

Not only hunters, but monsters too, relied on visual information.

Once he entered Ground Zero, he would have to be highly alert and cautious.

This place was untamed.

Filled with variables and mutants.

A moment of carelessness or misplaced confidence could lead directly to death.

Crack. Crack.

Kang-hoo loosened the muscles in his wrists and neck, warming up to be ready for combat at any moment.

Once he reached the site, he wouldn’t have time to prepare his body.

He planned to actively heighten his physical senses as he headed north along the Gyeongui-Jungang line.

In Ground Zero, every sense was vital.

Two hours later.

After disembarking at Imjingang Station and enduring a long journey, Kang-hoo arrived at Ground Zero.

Precisely, at a location 1 km from the boundary fence and the entrance checkpoint.

“What a mess.”

The atmosphere was as dismal as he had anticipated.

The checkpoint was not managed by the Hunter Public Safety Bureau but by a guild delegated by the Bureau.

The ‘New World’ Guild.

Despite its grand name, they simply opened and closed the gates of the checkpoint.

Their lack of involvement in everything happening in the nearby streets of entertainment and pleasure was proof.

Though the area teemed with red-light districts and entertainment pubs, prone to frequent disputes, there was no intervention.

Even if a murder occurred, they would just clean up the body and bloodstains, and that was it.

The officers of the Hunter Public Safety Bureau, of course, never showed up, and the New World Guild hunters were disinterested.

Broken streetlights.

Randomly abandoned cars.

And heaps of trash bags piled haphazardly.

This place, reminiscent of a slum, seemed devoid of dreams, hope, or a future.

Even in the old, abandoned buildings, homeless individuals expelled from Seoul had staked their claims.

Disputing ownership was pointless, and a knife fight had already erupted by the time Kang-hoo arrived.

An intruder had tried to oust an established resident, leading to a deadly stabbing.

“…….”

Faced with the blatantly obvious red-light district, Kang-hoo, not wanting to deal with bothersome solicitation, deliberately took a detour.

Here, the main paths were near the red-light district, so just one block over, the surroundings grew significantly darker.

Just then, his eyes met those of five hunters smoking marijuana in a dimly lit alley.

It was clear they were hunters, as no ordinary person would dare wander here.

“Hey, stop for a sec?”

Kang-hoo heard a voice call out to him as he tried to quietly pass by without engaging.

But he didn’t respond. Engaging in conversation here was an invitation to trouble.

There was only one exception.

Hunters in the red-light district only showed interest in someone if they were soliciting ‘sisters’ looking for customers or if they were about to commit a crime, exploiting the lawlessness of the area.

“I told you to stop, brat.”

The hunter, irritated by Kang-hoo’s indifference, raised his voice.

He wished they would just part ways, but that didn’t seem likely.

“For every word you say from now, one of you will die. Go your way. I’m giving you a chance.”

Kang-hoo issued a short, stern warning and was about to step forward again when…

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, acting all tough…”

The voice that shattered his last bit of patience echoed through the alley.

In that moment, Kang-hoo, utilizing acceleration and leaping, positioned himself behind the source of the voice.

He used lateral movement at the last second.

Swoosh!

“Ugh!”

Kang-hoo, now behind the hunter, swiftly slit his throat with a dagger, cutting through the armor’s most vulnerable part.

He didn’t forget to link the Blood Flower technique to ensure a certain kill.

Subsequently, a series of explosions erupted from the deeply slashed throat.

“Shit, what the hell is this…”

The remaining four were shocked.

They were dumbfounded by the combination that severed the head with a single slash.

Instead of thinking they could somehow survive, the realization that a mere touch meant death struck terror into them.

“Aaagh!”

Without a moment to seek the brotherhood they had previously boasted about, the remaining four scattered in fear.

“……”

Kang-hoo watched their retreat with disdain and collected items from the dead hunter.

Though there were no useful items, gathering everything to sell could fetch around 100 million won.

It was just a mediocre hunter adorned with cheap, cost-effective items, so there wasn’t much sentiment involved.

He simply thought of it as earning enough money to buy about 20 strands of Solarkium.

At the entrance checkpoint, Kang-hoo applied for entry and wrote a pseudonym in the register.

It was a meaningless procedure where any name would suffice.

There was only one thing they made sure of: the level scan procedure.

“Ah, a newbie.”

The administrator, after scanning Kang-hoo’s level, sneered and glanced at him dismissively.

From the start, calling him a newbie was a clear sign of condescension.

Perhaps that’s why.

Despite his expectations, the administrator quickly began to act tricky.

“Right now, there’s a long waiting list for entry. You might have to wait around two days. Is that okay?”

He started with a casual tone without any formal introduction.

No anger rose in Kang-hoo.

It was like ignoring the buzzing of an insignificant insect; it wasn’t even worth his attention.

Since he deemed it unworthy, the words seemed to pass by unheard.

There was nobody else waiting for entry nearby, and it was clearly a situation where entry was feasible.

Such nonsense from the administrator usually indicated a need for a bribe.

Kang-hoo pulled out a bundle of 50,000 won notes from his backpack and tossed it to him.

100 notes. 5 million won.

“Oh?”

“Open it.”

Kang-hoo made his request briefly.

The quick-witted administrator immediately changed his demeanor, scratching the back of his head.

“Oh, my. Mister, it turns out there’s one hunter who hasn’t entered today. You can go right in!”

It was better that he was straightforward about money.

Had he been someone who merely caused trouble, he would have ended up like the one whose throat had been slit earlier.

I wonder if he realizes that his wise conduct just saved his life.

Of course, he wouldn’t know. And someday, he’s likely to suffer severely at the hands of someone else.

Fortunately, it wasn’t going to be today.

Entering the area, Kang-hoo chose a tall tree to climb rather than moving around haphazardly.

It was completely dark with no lights illuminating the surroundings since the sun had set.

Inside Ground Zero, there were no streetlights or lighting facilities.

To be precise, they used to exist but had not been repaired or replaced after breaking or wearing out.

From a distance, he could see a hunter using a flashlight to navigate.

A logical choice, but in Ground Zero, it was the most dangerous one.

The light became a ‘target’ for numerous monsters, beasts, and other hunters.

“Hmm.”

Kang-hoo had one reason for not moving right away.

There was one entity inside Ground Zero that concerned him greatly.

The monster, the Black Inducer.

Also known as the Reaper.

A collection of specters, it was an entity close to a soul that couldn’t be killed or cut.

Because of this, it made no sound, even when approaching closely.

Its black form blended into the night, rendering it nearly invisible.

The frightening part was that if the Black Inducer ensnared one’s entire body, they would lose their sight.

Then, they would suffer from mental delusions and be driven to take their own life.

The control happened so swiftly that the victims were unaware of their impending death.

Imagine waking up to find oneself in the afterlife.

Then, while scanning the area with his Nocturnal Vision ability, Kang-hoo spotted something odd.

A hunter, lighting his path with a flashlight, suddenly veered at a right angle.

He then threw himself onto a sharp rock ahead, striking his forehead and collapsing.

From the absence of movement, it was clear he had died instantly.

‘Should I go?’

Kang-hoo descended from the tree.

Black Inducers had distinct territories and didn’t encroach upon one another’s realms.

After leading an intruder to death, they entered a cooling-off period.

This was similar to how a murderer might take a respite after killing.

The previous hunter’s ‘sacrifice’ gave Kang-hoo the confidence to proceed.

Sshhhh.

Kang-hoo landed on the ground and unfolded a map marked with fluorescent ink.

GZ-5. 11. 13. 19. 24. 45.

The key points were highlighted.

These six zones were guaranteed to contain Mad Solarkium.

As an original author, Kang-hoo often used these numbers as lottery picks.

He had designated these zones as the locations where Mad Solarkium could be found.

The numbers were organized by proximity to the entrance, with zone 5 being the nearest.

It was time to move quickly.

He pressed on with his journey.

Night had fallen, and Ground Zero appeared to have entered an ‘alert phase,’ reducing the visibility of other hunters.

He also felt an overwhelming presence of yin energy, as if ghosts lurked around every corner.

The alert phase was a time when monsters grew more potent than during the stable phase, adding to the danger.

However, this also meant more experience and rewards—a high-risk, high-return situation.

Kang-hoo actually preferred this time.

If he handled it well, he could gain twice the benefits he normally would.

Then.

“Hmm.”

An unnatural-looking sunflower caught his eye, its petals closed in an unusual way.

It should have been fully open, indicating that it was not merely a flower but a monsterized one.

It posed a potential threat to hunters at any moment.

As Kang-hoo casually approached it, he suddenly leaped back, aligning himself with the sunflower.

The closed sunflower petals burst open, spewing a lime-green liquid.

Sssss!

It was highly acidic.

Everything it touched disintegrated instantly, be it rocks or bushes.

“Truly wild.”

Kang-hoo nodded in acknowledgment.

He then quickly dispatched the sunflower, which had depleted its store of liquid.

Squeak…

It was a pitiful demise.

The mutant sunflower granted Kang-hoo abundant experience and a blue mana stone as it ended its life.

A mana stone worth ten million won!

For the effort of cutting down a single flower, it was an exceptionally profitable transaction.