The Imperial Hunter Chapter 67 - The Hunters (2)

The most noticeable was the part mentioning the gospel of souls. Though extremely environmentally fixated, it was unlike these guys to use such religious terminology.

The revival of primitive faith…?

It wasn’t unthinkable, but meeting it in reality unavoidably felt awkward. As a mage, the soul I grasped was merely another component constituting the living. Its only peculiarity being current science’s inability to observe it.

Therefore I conjectured magic power and the soul may be a form of dark matter. Simply another substance interacting with the observable world only through limited pathways.

Thus there was no afterlife for humans. The soul gradually decomposed and disappeared with the death of life. This was the case for all the deaths I had witnessed through the “Eye of the Golden Age”. I had never seen souls ascend to Heaven or fall to Hell. The Round Table masters who arbitrarily attached the ‘soul’ concept to this unobservable human component were the problem to begin with.

There wasn’t really a suitable alternative term, and I reluctantly used it as well.

However, I could understand the change in the arson-loving elves with heads rather than hearts.

‘The Giant’s presence is just overwhelmingly massive.’

Typhoons, earthquakes, lightning, fire, and volcanoes, the sun and the moon, the countless celestial bodies that shine in the night sky, large beasts, towering mountains, the large rocks and ancient monuments atop them, and even diseases. Everything that was first religiously revered by humanity was a part of nature that instilled a sense of awe in the observer.

The origin of this reverence lies in the overwhelming experiential impact that these natural phenomena have on the senses.

Even I had felt overwhelmed by the forest’s presence, let alone ordinary awakeners of meager abilities, how must they feel overwhelmed? The colossal presence of the white forest shrouded in fog projecting beyond the horizon itself possessed enough force to bring someone to their knees.

“Their numbers are said to be countless?”

When I asked again Kyung-tae nodded.

“Tents and campers are gathered west and southwest of the city, looking like someone cut out and pasted a Middle Eastern refugee camp. Though I didn’t check personally, word is there’s another camp north two kilometers matching the city scale, and countless outsiders have set up camp at Sand Ledges to the east too.”

“Are they all ‘pilgrims’?”

“No. There are many who came to hunt pigs, and many militiamen, people who just came to research or observe, tourists, groups you can’t tell what they’re doing, and all sorts – army, police, Citizen Corps, state emergency management personnel, etc. There’s even Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.”

Kyung-tae took crinkly bags out of his pocket.

“Speaking of which, would you care for some cookies? Kids with apple red cheeks kept begging for just one packet so I couldn’t buy just one.”

“…….”

Cookies are good. Just in time for some pre-sleep calories. As I tore open a packet a sweet, nutty aroma arose. The cookies were studded all over with large chocolate chips. Biting into one, amidst the crispy texture a powerful sweetness rushed in.

I originally disliked excessive sweetness but…

“How is it?”

“Delicious.”

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

“You guys should eat too.”

At my words, Suyeon stood up.

“I’ll prepare something to drink.”

While saying this, she gave Hong Young-sik a chilly look, as if telling him to come along. Hong Young-sik became a picture of obedience. It felt a bit strange seeing a high-ranking officer whom I personally trained in his younger days following Suyeon like this. The hierarchy within the organization was not dependent on age, but it still felt a bit odd.

Kyung-tae scratched his head.

“But really, now that I’ve seen it myself, I can understand why each one wasn’t thoroughly investigated… Looks like Deputy Chief Hong was unlucky this time.”

“….”

Glancing at the kitchen, Suyeon was placing a pot on the stove and taking out pomegranate tea bags and cups while reprimanding someone for something. Hong Young-sik didn’t dare lift his head during the whole tirade. If Earth Liberation Front weren’t an old customer of our organization, the intensity of the scolding would probably be much less.

A little later, as I sipped my tea, I proceeded to go through the remaining pamphlets one by one. One of them was literally an advertisement.

「Exciting Razorback Hunting Tour!」

Razorback refers to wild boars. Strictly speaking, it signifies feral domestic pigs, but ordinary people don’t make such fine distinctions. It’s common to refer to domesticated pigs and feral boars as Razorbacks.

「Take a helicopter ride and hunt the pigs threatening American food security!」

「Last year, crop losses due to pigs amounted to a staggering 1.5 billion dollars! Other losses were immeasurable!」

「Pigs, pigs, pigs! These filthy and greedy swarms of pigs are everywhere! If we don’t kill two million of them each year, their numbers will keep growing! Before they become uncontrollable, we must engage in an all-out war against wild pigs!」

「With government subsidies, now you can become a patriot at a low cost! For just $800 an hour, you can enjoy the thrill of hunting, contribute to the safety of the community, and protect food security! According to regulations, you can even get a hunting permit on the spot for a mere $60!」

「Bonus! Catch a monstrous T-hog and become the hero who receives rewards from the federal Environmental Protection Agency and state governments! 50 cents per pound, and if it’s a rare beast… my goodness, you can receive a staggering $3 per pound!」

「Our ‘Pioneer Hunters’ team’, a legal civilian militia with extensive experience in high-threat hunting, will ensure your safety with skilled TAU runners and provide video records of the entire hunting process. We’ll also help you with the rare animal certification process, so don’t hesitate to contact us.」

「Patriotic hunters are waiting for your call.」

Some unfamiliar terms were mixed in, but it wasn’t difficult to understand the context. Rare beasts were referred to as awakened wild animals, and high-threat hunting meant chasing after these awakened creatures.

I looked up at Kyung-tae.

“Why did you bring this?”

“The reason is that it might turn into something different from what’s written there. The general meaning is undeniably the city’s reconnaissance, observing the ‘Code’ of strong pigs, and perhaps a change in your mood.”

The reasons he listed, one by one, were reasonable.

“From what I saw, there are some good courses available. You can book a two-hour course and have a good chat. You could quickly tour the Poplar Forest around the central area. And if you pay extra, you can visit the hot springs in the south after the tour.”

“…Hot springs?”

“Yes. After facing the cold winds during the hunt, imagine soaking your body in a warm outdoor bath. Wouldn’t that be the perfect way to end it? Haha!”

Not bad. I nodded and Kyung-tae asked,

“Should I book an early flight tomorrow?”

“It can be booked?”

“Seems doable. Supply looks greater than demand.”

“Give it a try then.”

“Yup.”

I had planned to also go by snowmobile, but aerial reconnaissance with my own eyes before that would let me identify any potential risks, if they existed, more safely. Ground approach and observation could come after. If aerial observation alone sufficed, it could even be omitted altogether.

I looked again at the wall smashed by the pig.

1.5 billion dollars…

Last year was an era without variables like awakened feral creatures. Yet even then, the damage amounted to 18 trillion won. This year’s losses were unlikely to be less than double that amount. Simple calculation meant preventing that much damage warranted pouring in funds. A prudent official would know allocating even more to nip the disaster’s roots would be ideal. Securing the budget would be a separate political task though.

Anyway, in this field it was inevitable private awakeners rather than public authority would stand out. The so-called high-risk hunting would emerge as a promising livelihood for awakeners. Korea, where our organization was based, would be no exception. When bounties were offered for nutrias.

I had envisioned fear of cancer would dampen awakeners’ activities. But that was in hindsight an incorrect assessment dramatically underestimating the masses’ foolishness.

‘The coronavirus answered this in the first half of the year.’

Even during the pneumonia epidemic outbreak from China, morons who were reluctant to wear masks, held collective worship services, and frequented nightclubs rubbing against each other existed. That sort would just as nonchalantly ignore warnings their likelihood of cancer as awakeners skyrocketed if they abused their abilities. Saying those who would get it would get it, and those who wouldn’t wouldn’t.

Grasping danger as danger ultimately still relied on intelligence backing it. By my measure, humanity’s average intellectual faculties appeared not to reach that level. Countries like America with devastated public education even more so. Perils not felt sank into the realm of indifference and oblivion.

While advantageous for me as it multiplied covers.

The next morning Kyung-tae secured an early flight as promised. At 10 AM the hunter helicopter fleet would take off from the parking lot in front of the county office.

I spoke with a somewhat absurd feeling.

“Nice foresight for this time.”

The current time was 7:30 AM. The guy who had stepped out saying he’d go buy breakfast had booked an appointment with the hunters. Bewildering, as the contact hours listed on the pamphlet started from 9 AM. Kyung-tae unpacked the food-packed hands of himself and a subordinate in order and beamed brightly.

“Those folks need breakfast too right? I happened across guys in winter camo with weapons gathered in front of a breakfast cafe so I thought, this is it! They clearly weren’t the National Guard. When I struck up a conversation they were like sure, okay. I explained my heartfelt desire to help you, hyungnim, and it seems the universe took notice and stepped in to assist.”

“Right, well done.”

“Haha!”

He laughed even brighter at the light praise. His manner made it seem he had intended this from the start.

The meal was a typical American breakfast. Inheriting the British breakfast in a more harmful fashion. In my paper box were four strips of bacon, four sausages, three eggs, hash browns dressed with gravy, and biscuits. Besides that, pancakes and French toast piled high with honey and cream, potato fries, and ribeye steak lavished with cheese crowded the table.

“This place is considered one of the city’s landmarks, right? Folks like Kurt Russell, Stephen King, and Robert Wagner have dropped by. Oh yeah. I asked why the steak price was oddly expensive for America, and they said beef prices have been consistently rising—”

I listened with one ear and let the other pass as I steadily took in calories. Whether a hunter or hunted, a hearty meal was the first step in preparation.