I’ll Retire After Saving the World

Chapter 8 - A Nose Gets Broken



 

Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: KYSOIWDI
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[ Chapter 8: A Nose Gets Broken (1) ]

Originally, life was said to be a series of unexpected situations.

Some people said that’s why life was fun, while others said that’s why life was a headache.

The headquarters director belonged to the former, while I was closer to the latter.

Look at this. Just a few hours ago, I was enjoying my vacation, and now I was traveling through time like the protagonist of a classic sci-fi movie, changing the past.

This sort of thing couldn’t be fun.

“Urgh.”

“Where the hell are those bastards coming from?”

I scratched my head and looked down.

The streets were teeming with monsters. It seemed there were more of them left than I had thought, and their numbers were increasing.

“Well, the hunters here will take care of those….”

If I were going back to my childhood, at least I could understand it quickly.

Time travel.

So, did that mean a ten-year-old Woo Hee-jae also existed here?

If there was a ten-year-old Woo Hee-jae, that would be troublesome in its own way. There was a time travel movie where changing the past erased one’s own existence….

I hesitated for a moment, then shook my head.

What did it matter?

Changing past events had become irrelevant since I saved the kids from the Hunter Development High School. How many people originally died there? Seeing as I was still fine, changing a bit of the past didn’t seem to erase my existence.

And wasn’t it the same for the suspicious item that sent me here? It had said this world was doomed anyway.

I couldn’t fully trust everything the item said… but if the world was doomed anyway, it didn’t matter what I did. If I managed to get lucky, I might even prevent the doom.

‘Stay alive.’

Yoo Ji-eun’s last words echoed in my mind. It was only a few hours ago.

“…Wait a minute.”

Come to think of it, that item had come out after the centipede died. If that centipede was the boss of the Bangi-dong Dungeon….

When did the Bangi-dong Dungeon appear?

I tapped my Magic Watch. Anyway, the battery was powered by the wearer’s magic. Although I couldn’t use the communication function, everything else worked fine.

Since only the headquarters director and I used the prototype, there was no need to restrict access to the data stored in the Magic Watch. So, this small watch contained all information about Korea’s hunters and dungeons.

Information is power. Especially in Korea.

I quickly brought up a hologram window and scanned it.

April 6, 2021: Bangi-dong Dungeon in Songpa District, Seoul appeared.

“…Ha.”

A hollow laugh escaped me.

There was a reason why it had to be this day.

*         *         *

What should I do now?

I sat on the rooftop of a building, sorting out my thoughts.

My top priority was, of course, the Bangi-dong Dungeon.

However, sneaking into a dungeon embedded in the center of Songpa District was impossible unless it was hidden away in some remote mountain.

To enter the dungeon, I needed a clear identity and the endorsement of a trustworthy hunter.

As I mentioned earlier, this was an impossible task for me at the moment. Even if I had saved the youngest grandchild at Dayeon, they wouldn’t grant permission for an unknown hunter to enter….

I tried not to use harsh language, but I couldn’t help it. Damn it,

“Shit!!!!”

“……?”

Startled, I wondered if I had cursed out loud without realizing it and quickly regained my composure.

It wasn’t my voice.

“Why the hell are these cow bastards suddenly acting up!!!”

I heard more colorful language following that.

Narrowing my eyes, I looked in the direction the sound was coming from.

BOOM!!!

“Gwah!!!”

A loud explosion scattered the herd of cows.

“Hey, didn’t that guy summon them? It happened earlier too!”

“Annoying cow-headed bastard!!!”

Looking to see who was exchanging such leisurely banter, I saw hunters coming down from the direction of Namsan.

About ten hunters were swinging their weapons at the monster horde and quickly dodging. A Minotaur was chasing them from behind.

“Grrraaaah!”

“Shut up, you dog bastard!”

“It’s not a dog; it’s a cow.”

“…You cow bastard!”

This dialogue didn’t seem fitting for the top hunters representing South Korea.

The situation wasn’t entirely under control. If it were, they wouldn’t have been pushed back here by the Minotaur.

But I wasn’t worried. I already knew the outcome of this incident. The Minotaur would be subdued, and the Myeong-dong Dungeon would be closed.

Though the number of casualties would be enormous, they would somehow recover. In the process, the guild in charge of the Myeong-dong Dungeon would be investigated, and eventually, the guild leader and key members would be arrested.

After this, the management of dungeons shifted from guilds to the state.

That matter was more related to the headquarters director than to me. Right now… the man enthusiastically swinging his spear over there.

“Man, when will this end at this rate?”

“Hong, stop grumbling and swing that spear one more time.”

“Can’t you see I’m already swinging it like crazy?”

“There are more with heads than without. Hong, you’re getting old.”

“I’m still in my prime!!!”

Every time he swung his spear, a blue wind whipped around. The fierce blade of magic slashed through the monsters, finally striking the Minotaur’s leg.

“Roar!!!”

The Minotaur’s calf was already a mess, having been struck multiple times. Blood dripped so much that the bone was visible. For bipedal giant monsters, targeting the legs was indeed the strategy.

The enraged Minotaur snorted furiously and swung its club. It didn’t seem to care whether its swarming minions were swept away or not. Intimidated by the Minotaur’s fury, the water buffaloes began to scatter. The narrow street caused them to crash into and trample each other in chaos.

This was a perfect front-row seat.

The hunters gathered here were highly renowned, despite having been assembled in a hurry. Although not many of them would still be alive twenty years from now, it was no exaggeration to say that they all played a crucial role in modern Korean hunter history.

When else would I get to see a battle from the prime of such people up close? It would be great if I had a camera. It would be perfect to show to the young hunters during mandatory education….

“Alright! One more time!”

Vines sprouted from the ground. The ruined street was now covered with blue leaves, giving off a somewhat romantic vibe.

Of course, the vines quickly climbed up the Minotaur’s legs.

Compared to the Minotaur’s massive body, the vines seemed incredibly fragile, but the beast trapped by those delicate tendrils couldn’t move an inch.

“Oh.”

It was the unique magic of the Grand Mage Kim Chae-min.

I never thought I’d see this with my own eyes.

After Kim Chae-min died, this magic was practically lost.

How did Kim Chae-min die again? If I save not just the kids from the Hunter Development High School but also influential figures like Kim Chae-min, it would definitely be beneficial later on.

Let’s think about this.

For twenty years, the Bangi-dong Dungeon’s risk level hadn’t changed. Despite being such a stable dungeon, there was a monster like that hidden inside, and having just one or two S-rank hunters wouldn’t be enough.

Moreover, it wasn’t just the centipede in Seoul.

So, if I save those who are supposed to die, like the students from the Development School, things might change. First, close the Bangi-dong Dungeon, then find the dungeon where the bastard who set Seoul on fire is hiding….

This could work.

No, it’s not just possible—it’s the only way. Saving their lives and earning some debts in the process could also ensure a comfortable retirement for me….

“It’s done! It’s in!”

The headquarters director’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

Finally, the Minotaur’s leg was severed.

Thanks to Kim Chae-min’s vines, it didn’t collapse immediately, but the Minotaur had no means to replace the severed leg. To support that massive upper body, two legs were essential. Once it lost its balance and fell, the rest would be relatively simple.

“Eliminate it!”

A sharp voice shouted from the rear. Without any fancy effects, the vines disappeared in an instant. The Minotaur flailed its arms to regain balance. A telephone pole fell, and several buildings were damaged. Hopefully, no one was inside.

“Graaaahhh!!!!”

Still, a boss was a boss; the Minotaur didn’t fall easily. Somehow holding onto one of the buildings, the Minotaur swung its arm at the approaching Hunters again.

…The distance was getting too close. Should I head to City Hall now?

“Hong, cut off the remaining leg!”

“Got it!”

The Director easily dodged the Minotaur’s arm and closed in on it. It seemed he intended to blow it up all at once rather than gradually chip away at it from a distance with his magic blade. Other Hunters were covering him.

Kim Chae-min summoned the vines again. It seemed the purpose was to make the Minotaur lose its balance, so they grabbed the arm that was swinging the club fiercely.

Then one Hunter grabbed the vines.

Planting his feet firmly on the road, he swelled his muscles significantly. He wasn’t aiming for anything grand. It was enough if he could make the Minotaur stagger a bit.

The Director struck the remaining leg. Although he didn’t manage to sever it as he had responded, he left a fairly deep wound. The Minotaur screamed in pain, and the Hunter who was holding the vines pulled them hard.

The Minotaur lost its grip on the building. Its huge body began to topple forward, and it instinctively reached out its hand.

So…

“…Damn!”

…toward the rooftop where I was standing.

*         *         *

‘This is a B-grade dungeon?’

Hong Seok-young ground his teeth as he faced the Minotaur emerging from the dungeon.

This was exactly why he opposed the self-reporting system. How could they trust the guilds to handle dungeon grade assessments?

Even though he had called for the introduction of an inspection system, the delays caused by the Guild Association’s opposition had led to this disaster.

The reasons for their opposition were obvious, as were the reasons for falsifying the dungeon grades.

Only after damage occurred did they come to their senses.

“Shall we go?!”

Kim Chae-min shouted from behind.

The Hunter, who had earned the title of Grand Mage before even turning thirty, displayed his talents without reservation.

Thin vines tightly bound the monster, which was the size of a house. Truly an enviable talent.

There were already two children at school overflowing with magical talent. Teaching magic was challenging, but even a few lessons from a Hunter like him would be…

Suddenly, the faces of the children came to mind. Hopefully, they had evacuated safely by now.

“Grrr!!”

“Hong, cut off the remaining leg!”

“Got it!”

This wasn’t the time to get distracted.

Hong Seok-young pulled himself together and gripped his spear tightly. Now, he needed to focus on taking down that creature.

Magic gathered at the tip of his spear. He had already severed one leg. Once it toppled, the rest would be easier.

Although cutting off the leg as promised was impossible, the goal was to knock it over by delivering a shock to the remaining leg. That would suffice. Without a lengthy preparation process, Hong Seok-young swung his spear.

The giant body staggered. Despite desperately flailing its arms, it couldn’t regain its balance. Its arms swept across the nearby buildings noisily before it finally fell forward.

“…Huh?”

Hong Seok-young hesitated as he was about to launch another attack. On the rooftop of the building where the Minotaur reached out its hand, a human figure appeared. It was a man in a crumpled, dust-covered suit.

How had he been so close without Hong Seok-young sensing him at all?

Hong Seok-young narrowed his eyes. The man was definitely holding a sword. It was such a brief moment, but he couldn’t have missed it.

And the man on the rooftop wasn’t just looking at Hong Seok-young.

“A person?”

“A civilian?”

“No, he was holding something!”

At that moment, a blue flame descended from the Minotaur’s back, cutting through the monsters filling the street. The monsters touched by the flames were immediately engulfed.

“Oh… thank you for your efforts….”

A lazy voice, sounding either awkward or uninterested, came from atop the Minotaur’s back.

“You seem busy, so please continue with what you were doing without minding me.”

“…Who are you?”

Hong Seok-young couldn’t help but ask.

“Me?”

The man in the crumpled suit pulled out the sword embedded in the Minotaur’s back and scratched his head. Blue sparks swirled around the sword.

“Just a passerby.”


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