'Hell yeah! Did my prayers finally reach the gods?'
Choi Kahng-Sik's black eyes sparkled like the Milky Way in the night sky. Why? Because he just received another divine donation!
He couldn't help but excitedly wonder what the second donation could be, since the first one he received, the shovel, was really to his liking. With the sole exception being its outer appearance, of course.
So, what were the gods planning to give him next?
If there were no one around him, he'd definitely shout out 'hooray' by now.
However...
He couldn't spot any changes at the moment.
'Do I need to wait until it arrives over here or something?'
[A certain god thinks you're a disappointment.]
[Another god is smirking at you.]
"So? How about it? Let's end this trade with smiles on our faces, okay?"
The Hunter completely mistook Choi Kahng-Sik's expectant face and spoke conceitedly, not realising that the young man was waiting with bated breath for the gods' donation to arrive, instead. The Hunter even tapped him on the shoulder, too.
And that broke Choi Kahng-Sik out of his joyful daydream.
His brows furrowed right away.
'I should take care of this guy first, huh.'
"The shovel's not for sale. Well, even if I say that, you won't go away, I assume? You'd probably recite 'pearl necklace on a swine' or something similar. Am I wrong? Or, maybe you're thinking of saying something more creative, maybe doing something a bit different from the template?"
"T-that, well, no...."
The Hunter stopped being arrogant then and flinched.
'What the hell is up with this b*stard?'
The Cameraman ended up correctly guessing the plan this Hunter had in mind. He even managed to say the words 'pearl necklace on a swine' too, so that left the Hunter with nothing else equally smart to say now.
Not only that...
"You don't have to be that scared. I already turned the camera off."
"I, I don't care about that....!"
"Oh? Should I switch it back on, then?"
"....You brat! Just gimme the d*mn shovel!"
Realising that he'd been played for a fool, the Hunter shouted out in anger. The decibel of his voice rose up almost subconsciously after he heard that the camera was off at this very moment.
Unfortunately for him, that was not the correct thing to do.
"What is wrong with that man?"
"Is that Hunter bullying a Monster Streamer?"
"And I thought that he looked like a normal person, too. Tsk, tsk."
….Well, there weren't only Hunters currently in this place, after all.
First of all, there were plenty of people who received help from the MS Cameraman here. As they sent out the word of their survival to their families, their cousins, their friends and lovers, they also didn't forget to describe what their saviour did, too.
As a result, many internet forums were absolutely losing their minds.
┖ That MS? Yeah, he was really incredible!
┖ Oppa! You're so cool!! Smooch! (^3^)
┖ He sure is a dependable young man, isn't he?
Wasn't there an old saying about speech travelling a thousand miles in the blink of an eye? The word of mouth had spread to distant friends and even to acquaintances now.
Was that all?
┖ One swing of his shovel and the monster went croak!
┖ The army of Pig-Jons was trembling in fear!
┖ Other Hunters? They were nothing more than extras. ㅋㅋㅋ
The situation had evolved to the point where people were believing that the MS Cameraman was solely responsible for resolving this dangerous event.
As for the Hunters, they were roundly criticised as a bunch of cowards. The truth of them holing up inside the Association building got exaggerated and sure enough, some people were questioning their humanity and wanted them to take full responsibilities, too...
Even if they felt aggrieved, there was not a whole lot they could do. Since they were guilty of some of those sins, after all.
"If you behaved yourself, it'd not be half as bad as now."
"Because of you, even we're getting badmouthed."
"In any case, that's why the young ones are no good nowadays."
The other Hunters hanging back and observing from afar began throwing their pointed criticism at this guy. If things continued to slide downhill at this rate, they might drag the poor guy to some hill somewhere and bury him alive there.
Was it in order to carry out justice? Of course not.
'How dare he jump in front of the queue? I called dibs on that thing first!'
Avarice was burning fiercely in the eyes of almost all the Hunters present.
That was a shovel that managed to strike a five-star monster.
It also displayed unrivalled effectiveness in the MS Cameraman's antics until now, so they no longer questioned the true worth of the shovel. Not anymore.
They did their best to ignore the fact that, even before he found that shovel, he was able to kill two one-star monsters, Any-Wons, and chase away an Under-Dok.
No, they were convinced that it was all due to that shovel.
"Good lord. I see that there are plenty of you who desire this shovel, huh."
And the current owner of that shovel began talking to them with a mocking smile on his face.
"Caww!"
Even the baby Oh-Racle perched on his shoulder echoed him while flapping its wings.
With a provocative smile on his face, Choi Kahng-Sik presented the shovel in his right hand so everyone could see it.
".....Mm?"
And then, he finally realised that there was something odd about the shovel itself.
'….Just when did this handle appear on this dang thing?!'
The somewhat-lacking end of the shovel's metal shaft now suddenly had a handle attached there. It was shaped like a round doughnut, no less.
It was such a sloppy design that he couldn't help but think the one responsible didn't give much consideration before haphazardly creating it.
Choi Kahng-Sik's eyes narrowed to a slit.
'Wait a minute... Is this the 'donation'?'
'Dear gods, please tell me it ain't so.'
[A certain god is asking you if you like it.]
'You aren't even gonna deny it?!'
As he gazed upon the shovel with a new handle that made it a bit easier to wield, Choi Kahng-Sik's expression became distorted until it became pretty hard to read what he was thinking.
Because he was feeling an emotion that couldn't be printed into words!
Even though he was feeling such an emotion, he still hadn't forgotten about his plan.
Stab!!
He stuck the shovel hard into the ground and declared confidently.
"Have you all heard about the legend of Excalibur? That's right! If you can pull this shovel out without resorting to using your powers or your equipment, then I'll give it to you, no strings attached! However, in exchange, if you fail to pull it out, then you will kneel in front of the shovel and repeat the words 'I'm sorry' ten times!! Isn't that simple?"
[A certain god is feeling uncomfortable.]
[Another god is complaining that this is too cumbersome.]
[A different god is getting interested.]
Regardless of what the gods' messages said, Choi Kahng-Sik went ahead with the shovel-pulling.
'I'll use this opportunity to make sure.'
….To make sure that none of them would bother him about the ownership of his shovel.
As soon as his words came to an end, Hunters descended like a pack of ravenous vultures. They completely forgot about their pride and reputation and tried to get to the shovel first.
After all, they interpreted what they heard as 'first come first served'.
"Get out of the way!! Get lost!"
"Get in line!"
"Don't jump in front of me, man!"
As the avarice quickly blinded these Hunters, the overall atmosphere in the area became quite volatile. However, they all flinched and quickly corrected their postures and their expressions. Because...
┖ They are really all sons of b*tches, aren't they?
┖ Their true colours came out. ^^
┖ Mister MS? Why give to these worthless fools? ㅡ.ㅡ;;
┖ I'm logging off. ㅃ2
….Because, a camera lens was pointing at them.
The live stream was on. Again.
Realising that they had been demoted to a bunch of frenzied circus attractions now, the aggrieved Hunters opened their mouths to voice their discontent.
However, Choi Kahng-Sik curtly dismissed their complaints.
"You don't want to be seen on camera, then get the f*ck out of here."
"...."
"I'm an MS, so shouldn't I be earning something in return? It'll get real tiresome if some of you decide to run away without repeating those words ten times, too. Dear Hunters? You can also think of the current situation this way. After you manage to pull it out, what would you do if I refuse to hand it over?"
It went both ways, in other words.
The Hunters agreed with this idea, yet they hesitated as unconvinced expressions still remained on their faces.
'Feels as if I've fallen for the Under-Dok's trap here....'
"Hmph!! Cowards can get lost! I'll pull it out in one go!"
The troublesome Hunter who had blocked Choi Kahng-Sik first stepped forward arrogantly. He was the closest, so he was given the first shot at winning the prize.
*SFX for the guy spitting on his hands*
He spat on his palms and got into the proper pulling position.
"Hey!! Can't you think about people after you?"
"What a mannerless b*stard!!"
The Hunter ignored the jeers of the crowd calling him an 'unsanitary' person, reached out to the round handle of the shovel, and pulled it upwards.
"Oh-raaaah-chcha!!"
However, there was no change.
As if to make a mockery of the Hunter's loud warcry, the shovel didn't even budge an inch.
'W-why the hell is this thing so heavy?!'
It did seem to shift ever so slightly if he tried to lift it with everything he had. But, that was all. It felt like he was trying to pull out a tree with roots extending deeply underground.
No matter how many times he tried, the story remained the same.
"Kek, kek! Look, he's sh*tting on himself!"
"Hey, dude? Go over there and start apologising."
"That's right. Apologise for making us wait."
"Stop wasting your energy and step aside."
There was no need for Choi Kahng-Sik to do anything here at all. The Hunters waiting for their turn did the job for him and things moved along smoothly on their own.
"B-but, how come?!"
"Something's not right!!"
"This, this!! It's a trick!!"
Not a single one succeeded in pulling the shovel out. Instead, the number of those Hunters who tried too hard and ended up dislocating their shoulders or hurting their backs appeared in droves. Also...
*SFX for people falling on their knees*
Every single one of them was kneeling.
┖ Weakling, Korean Hunters! (^0^)b (TL note at the end)
┖ ㅋㅋ They can't even pick up a shovel.
┖ Kneel. This is the difference between you and this MS.
┖ Ram your heads in the plate of water and repeat. 으TL
The viewers at home were busy laughing their heads off.
On the other hand, the Hunters were trembling from rage and shame while shouting out their apologies ten times on their knees.
Insisting on not doing it was out of the question.
"Everyone's watching."
"Hey, do it while we're being nice."
"I also did it, so it's your turn. Grit!!"
The Hunters who had tasted the rage and shame earlier on were vigilantly watching the folks lining up to kneel. Didn't matter whether one possessed more experience or age, no one was spared.
After all, if someone ran away without apologising, then they wouldn't be able to sleep for the next few weeks from the sore stomach!
And so.... in the front lawn of the Monster Association's Korean branch, a somewhat spectacular sight unfolded.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!..... Argh, godd*mn it!! D*mn it!!"
"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sor... ehck?! Use your mouth, man!! Your mouth!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
And all of this was being broadcast live.
The Hunters who failed to pull the shovel out were completely robbed of their reputation and even their souls after the whole world witnessed them in real time.
"Anyone else wanna have a go?"
"..."
"..."
Once the number of failures went past one hundred, arrogant Hunters stepping forward to take on the challenge had disappeared completely.
Someone trembling in pure rage and shame suddenly shouted out loudly.
"This is a trick!! You're tricking us! I'm sure of it!"
That was the spark that lit the fuse. Hunters, with their deeply wounded pride, moved in one voice and one mind as if they had rehearsed it prior.
They began stepping forward while denouncing this result.
"That's right! I should've known the moment you sounded so confident!"
"You installed some kind of a trap to make sure no one can pull it out, right? Right?!"
"It's a trick!! I'm telling you, it's f*cking trick!"
┖ Wowsers! A bunch of lowlives. ㅋㅋㅋ
┖ But, what if it was really a trick? ;;
┖ Choi Kahng-Sik. Show them what you can do. ^^
The viewers stopped laughing their a*ses off and began showing their interest as well. After all, it was just impossible for every single one of those Hunters to be a weakling, no?
So, suspicion was bound to rise up.
That was the gist of what the clamouring masses were saying.
"MS Cameraman!! Pull it out while everyone is looking!"
Choi Kahng-Sik replied to their ardent wishes.
"Alright! I shall!"
However...
[A certain god is giggling.]
[A certain impatient god is about to explode in a fit of laughter.]
[Another god's shoulders are trembling in a barely suppressed guffaw.]
The incoming messages were rather suspicious, to say the least.
'Wait a minute. They surely didn't do something to make it impossible to pull out, right?'
Hoping that wasn't the case, Choi Kahng-Sik stood before the shovel.
His upright and straight back, framed by the crimson of the falling sun, seemed so powerful and unyielding as if to prophesize the fate of a King that would walk down the lonely path soaked in blood.
"Caw!!"
Even the baby Oh-Racle did its best to imitate a divine bird and gave him it's blessing.
A cooling breeze gently blew in and his clothes flapped too....
"Gulp!!"
"Why did the atmosphere become so....?"
"Shush! Shut up!"
Everyone held their breaths and focused on the young man.
The camera he placed at the best possible spot captured this MS's movements from the most optimal angle and distance while streaming it live to the world.
┖ Oh! My, King Arthur...
┖ Excalibur? Really?
┖ Sword? No. Spade! (>_<);; (TL note at the end)
Maybe because the Hunters wasted a ton of time 'shovelling'? The foreign viewers with no grasp of the Korean language were tuning in now and showed as much interest as anyone else.
So, it was not an exaggeration to say that the attention of the entire world was now focused on him!
And finally...
*SFX for the MC tightly grasping the shovel*
He tightly grasped the shovel's brand-new round handle.
Choi Kahng-Sik fully enjoyed the heightened atmosphere and spoke in an airy tone of voice.
"Dear viewers? This shovel is just astonishingly heavy. That is all. A trick? What a funny notion that is. I shall prove it to you, once and for all. Well, then! Let's pull it out together! Three, two, one....!"
*SFX for an earthquake going off*
Suddenly, an earthquake rocked the ground.
'What the hell?!'
[A certain god is laughing his head off.]
[A certain impatient god is rolling on the floor laughing.]
[Another god is asking you for your first impression.]
'What impression?!'
Choi Kahng-Sik hurriedly looked around him.
And he saw...
A shocked old man, crying children, people running away, scared students, some girls fell over, Hunters freaking out, a pale-faced woman...
".....Dear viewers, as you can see, there is no trick whatsoever. No, it was just a pure coincidence that there was a small earthquake just now. Yes, indeed. How very unlikely, no? Aha, ahaha...."
Could he really fix this situation, somehow?
< Chapter 24: The Air Raid/Sneak Attack (6) > Fin.
(TL: There was a reference to an old Korean song from the 80s here but I simply couldn't think of a way to TL that into English properly. Sorry. As for that '으TL' bit, I don't know what it means. Left as is.)
(TL: All those lines were written in English. I left them as is.)