1.

No place was free from the nightmare that began on December 31, 2016. In that sense, the nightmare that Japan had faced was enough to say that it was nearly the worst nightmare.

It was the worst from the start. Four dark-blue monsters settled in the Japanese islands and built their own territory. But that was the beginning, as was said earlier. On the nightmare that began with the emergence of monsters, an unavoidable monster called "natural disaster" came to Japan.

It began with a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Kyushu, Japan on March 11. After that, earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 6.3 came to Tokyo sequentially.

The tsunami that came after the earthquake drowned those that had survived in the forest of buildings. Of course, the blow was fatal.

Japan had a better disaster preparedness system than any other country, but the system was useless after the monsters appeared. Then, as July started, a typhoon swept through the Japanese mainland.

It was simply a series of disasters at which even monsters would scream, and Japan could no longer play its part. At the time of the typhoon's arrival, the country of Japan no longer existed in the islands, and a new nation was built there.

The great Japanese Empire.

It was the official name of the new nation established in the islands.

Musashi founded the empire so that he could put himself on the throne as the empire's first emperor. He had driven away monsters with the Sword, Kusanagi, from the Tokyo ruins that had become hell.

Of course, there was no such thing as democracy. There was no equality either. Instead, classism and inequality took their place.

Musashi divided the citizens of the Japanese Empire into nine classes, from first to ninth.

Those who were not Awakened became ninth-class citizens, and those who were Awakened were fifth-class citizens, each of whom was able to become higher-class citizens, depending on their role, performance, and achievements.

Most common survivors remained ninth-class citizens, who were treated like slaves. Ironically, this system helped the Japanese Empire recover its infrastructure quickly.

Those who wanted to survive in a world where they had to prove their worth in any way in order to survive were desperate.

Hiyoshi Taiyo was one of the survivors of this new Japan.

"Hooooo!" In addition, he was a successful man who could puff out long cigarette smoke from his office at any time.

'That's crazy.'

The background of his success was the Imperial Hunting Unit. It was a core organization of the Japanese Empire, a group that took charge of everything about monster hunting as it was. It was the most supported group in Japan that was still full of monsters, and it was a powerful and influential organization.

Hiyoshi belonged to such an Imperial Hunting Unit.

"Goddammit!"

In addition, he was a third-class citizen of the Imperial Hunting Unit, a great place to describe his success. It was really great. He was living a much better life than before the monsters had appeared.

Until about a month ago, when Matsumoto Kanyo, his superior, one of the closest aides to and one of the four heavenly guardians of Musashi, named him as the head of the Kyushu branch of the Imperial Hunting Unit, he had nothing to envy.

'It's better to go to hell.'

"Goddammit!"

Kyushu.

This huge island, located south of the archipelago, was one of Japan's two largest Hell islands, along with Hokkaido.

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Kyushu did not leave any social infrastructure, and an Eight-tailed Fox, with its dark-blue pupils, had made Aso Mountain, located in Kumamoto City, its territory.

He became the branch manager of a place like that. It was a demotion. This alone would leave him feeling bad.

'How the hell am I supposed to solve the problem that is on Tsushima Island?'

However, the bigger problem began a week ago, when Tsushima Island, a base for advancement into the Korean Peninsula, fell to the enemy overnight.

As said earlier, Kyushu was now a monster's territory. Of course, Hakata Port in Fukuoka City, located in Kyushu Province, the nearest port to Korea's Busan Port, was currently unavailable.

So, Tsushima Island was important. Once they had a naval base on it, they could send a ship to Busan Port or Yeosu Port from the central location of Tsushima Island, even though it was insufficient.

In fact, Musashi was able to show his willingness to advance to the Korean Peninsula immediately thanks to the construction of a minimal facility to accommodate the naval forces on the island.

But now that they had lost Tsushima Island, it was no wonder the plan was broken. Of course, the Japanese Empire was now trying to recover the island. The effort included recapturing Hakata Port in Kyushu Province, which could send enough powerful naval force without needing Tsushima Island

Naturally, an urge for Hiyoshi, a branch manager of Kyushu who had been demoted, began.

'I am crazy. I have to match the number of the monster stones which should be sent home country somehow…'

This urge was not simply done by a word. It was done by increasing the number of the monster stones which the Kyushu branch of the Imperial Hunting Unit had to pay back to Tokyo, the home country, which demanded action, not words.

'I am done if I can't fill the number of the monster stones this time again.'

In addition, this was his last chance. If Hiyoshi could not prove his worth here, he would be demoted once again.

'I will be deployed to the Korean Peninsula without conditions. It will be the first…'

The next region for his demotion was a hundred percent likely to be the Korean Peninsula. It was clear that he would become a prologue actor in the war to make the Korean Peninsula a bridgehead for the Japanese Empire. It was actually a suicide squad.

'No, there's a crazy monster in Korea. If I am deployed to the Korean Peninsula right now…'

Moreover, Hiyoshi knew that currently, there was an absurd monster in Korea that the Japanese Empire wanted to hide somehow.

Hiyoshi was an able man. If he had wanted, he could have become a samurai of the Empire, not an Imperial Hunter. In other words, if he stepped into the Korean Peninsula, his mission was highly likely to face the monster of the Joseon Dynasty.

'Fuck!'

That's why Hiyoshi now smoked incessantly.

Knock! There was a knock on his office door. Hiyoshi did not answer. He looked at the door with nervously.

Screech! Then the door opened, and his subordinate showed up.

"Well, sir?"

"Why?"

Looking at Hiyoshi'scigarette and his sharp eyes, the subordinate acknowledged that he came at a really bad time and lowered himself as much as he could before speaking cautiously.

"Oh, I've brought in the payment for the home country for section 392, led by Arashi."

Hiyoshi breathed out a long cloud of smoke at the report of his subordinate.

"Really?"

It was not a matter of anger, since the payment for the home country had arrived at a time when the monster stones were in urgent need. The only thing that bothered him was the name Arashi.

'A group leader, Arashi…'

A branch manager of Kyushu, Hiyoshi remembered Arashi because he was incompetent.

"Bring it in."

However, Hiyoshi was in need of the monster stones that even Arashi had brought, and he couldn't help feeling annoyed.

The subordinate, unaware of his thoughts, carefully put a heavy pouch on his desk.

'Huh?'

The moment Hiyoshi saw a heavy pouch the size of a young child's head, his eyes changed. Then he opened the pocket and saw the red stones filling it. He no longer worried.

"Call in the group leader Arashi."

2.

Arashi Jun was a very good man on the outside. It was hard to find a problem on the outside. It seemed difficult to sum up the man named Arashi Jun with only a few characteristics.

"This is him."

On the other hand, next to Arashi was a man of a different type than Arashi. He was a man of short cut hair, bushy beard, and sharp eyes, with a Horn Bow on his back! Everything about him was impressive.

"This man from Korea, his name is Kim So-hoon." Arashi introduced the Master Sergeant.

"He was a member of the Capital Defense Command in Korea. His rank was a boss."

At the next introduction, Hiyoshi opened his eyes slightly and looked at the man named Kim So-hoon.

"But since he is wanted for rebellion in Korea, he risked his life to arrive in the territory of our great Japanese Empire."

"Stop." Hiyoshi stopped Arashi. Instead, Hiyoshi directly asked a man named Kim So-hoon, "Do you speak Japanese?"

"Yes."

"How much can you speak?"

"I have no problem communicating with Japanese people."

"Why did you come to Japan?"

Arashi made a grim face at the question. He had explained why the man named Kim So-hoon came to Japan. Hiyoshi asked this question again to the man named Kim So-hoon again.

Arashi did not think that Hiyoshi would ask this question just because he wanted a simple answer as Kim had been driven to Japan on account of rebellion.

"I'm here to go back to Korea."

"Go back?"

"I was under Major General Lee Ki-soo. I know to some extent what kind of deal he made with Japan."

Major General Lee Ki-soo. 'I've heard of him.'

It was a vague name in Hiyoshi's memory. Of course, it wasn't important if it was vague.

'The name was mentioned several times when Matsumoto was referring to Korea.'

What was important was about the dim memory character was Kanyo Matsumoto, the leader of the Imperial Hunting Unit.

'A runaway from a power struggle?' At this moment, a picture was painted in Hiyoshi's mind.

Lee Ki-soo, who was in contact with Japan, died, and the new group would have moved to root out Lee's remnants. If he didn't want to die, he would have to be a fugitive.

So, what was the escape route that a fugitive could take from the land of the Korean Peninsula, not from North Korea? To North Korea or Japan.

A man named Kim So-hoon chose Japan as an escape route, and he eventually reached Japan. This was the picture Hiyoshi painted.

"What do you want?"

"I want to take over the plan of Major General Lee Ki-soo. Of course, I'd like to speak to someone who can talk about it."

'He shows his ambition.'

As soon as Hiyoshi heard this, he was sure of one thing. 'He's worth a lot of use.'

Kim So-hoon was a man who could only benefit from him, from Hiyoshi's perspective, no matter how he used him.

'How do I use him?'

He was a pumpkin that had rolled in. It wouldn't hurt to just send this man to the home country as he was. At least Hiyoshi would hear the praise.

'A compliment is not enough.'

Listening to such praise would not improve Hiyoshi's situation. What he needed right now was performance.

'I think his ability is good.'

The speed of gathering the monster stones after contacting Arashi, as well as having the guts to come from Korea to Japan, was definitely impressive.

'But he must have come this far because his ability was good.'

He must have been a good hunter in Korea.

The key was that. 'I can use him anytime, and throw him away if necessary.'

Right now, Hiyoshi was in a hurry for monster stones, and a sharp knife came in, which would not harm him if he broke it. It was simple, then.

"I cannot accept your offer right now. As you know, now Korea has attacked our empire. Very recently, Tsushima Island was attacked. Under such circumstances, it is impossible to send a Korean to our home country. Not killing you right now is the greatest consideration I can show."

"I guess consideration isn't free. What do you want?"

"I'll be a middleman, if you prove you are faithful and if you pay for the introduction." Hiyoshi would only use this knife until he could use it no more.

"You don't want me to write with my blood, and what you want are monster stones?"

"It's nice to have a quick understanding. There are now monsters in Kyushu. There's no better place to play."

"So, what do you want?"

"Hmm?" Hiyoshi looked sideways at the following reaction. 'Did my communication fail?' Here, Hiyoshi thought the man named Kim So-hoon didn't really understand what he was saying. No matter how good he was at Japanese, it was almost impossible to master another language.

'Even though the people talk with their own people in their own language, there is a person who can't understand the words. That's a human being.'

So Hiyoshi tried to explain it again. "So now Kyushu is full of monsters and…"

"So what do you want?" But this time, the conversation went wrong, and Hiyoshi remained silent. Then he stared at Kim with an angry look.

Kim said in front of such eyes, "So what color do you want?"

Hiyoshi relaxed his expression at the remark. "… what color is possible?"

"Yellow. If I get the right support and assistance, that's what I can do."

"Yellow?" Hiyoshi expressed his admiration for the remark.

'Oh, God, only someone that is at least a samurai is needed to kill a yellow-grade.'

Instead of responding to him, Kim took a smartphone out of his pocket. Snap! Soon after he took off his gloves, he took a picture with his smartphone and showed it to Hiyoshi.

[Basic Abilities]

- Strength: 294

- Health: 217

[Special Abilities]

- Energy: B- Rank

- Mana: C Rank

- Telekinesis: C Rank

- Defense: B- Rank

- Mana Resistance: C Rank

Hiyoshi's eyes changed after reading the contents of the smartphone.

'Not normal.'

Those stats were enough to express such confidence. But the surprise did not stop there.

"If I can bring my team here, and if I can get some solid support, I can kill a green-grade. Actually, my team has a lot of experience killing green-grade monsters in Seoul."

"Is, is that true?"

"Ask the man who knows the situation of the Capital Defense Command about Major Oh Se-bum. I hunted monsters with him. If you learn of his achievements, you will find that I'm not talking nonsense."

Hiyoshi didn't worry about it anymore.