I Became a National ‘Disaster’ Level Monster

Chapter 21 Hostage?

Ignoring it and leaving it alone won’t matter because this place will eventually be discovered.

If the hunters capture this child, they will be dragged to the underground research center and become experimental livestock.

In other words, just leaving it as it is didn’t suit his temperament.

So, what should he do?

It felt like having an abandoned kitten destined for euthanasia right in front of him.

In the past, if it were him…

‘If I get caught, I have no excuse if I’m kicked out of the house…’

Had even his head turned into a monster?

It felt like he was siding with the monster, and he sighed involuntarily.

“I found it.”

“Krrk?”

Deep in thought, he hadn’t even noticed someone approaching.

Turning his head toward the voice, the little monster that had rushed over hid its body behind his back.

Before he knew it, they had become ‘allies.’

“Krrrr…”

‘Hey, why are you doing this… I’m getting attached…’

“Sc-scared… help me…”

Wasn’t he going to end up with the title of ‘betrayer of humanity’ if he handled this poorly?

But when he looked into those pitiful ruby-red eyes, he felt a twinge of compassion.

Ah, this wasn’t right…

“Seeing monsters huddling together, it looks just like a 1+1 sale at a convenience store.”

This kind of product would be so burdensome that no one would buy it.

He turned to face forward again.

Then he saw dozens of hunters leading the way, walking toward him with flaming red hair.

A mischievous smile, sharp eyes like a thug, and a gaudy fashion sense, wearing gold rings between his fingers like a gangster.

With such an excessive personality, it would be stranger not to recognize him.

‘Ju Sang-ho… We meet again.’

A-rank hunter Ju Sang-ho.

He wasn’t the protagonist of , but a supporting character who occasionally appeared.

“So you’re the monster of Jamsil! Nice to meet you. I am Ju Sang-ho, one of the only ten A-rank hunters in the Korean branch of the Hunter Association!”

This guy didn’t know how to gauge strength or weakness.

“Remember the name of the man who will defeat you!”

A man who had reached the level of anger management beyond anger control disorder.

Whether his opponent was an E-rank monster or a national disaster-level monster, he would fight first and ask questions later.

That’s why he was a tragic supporting character who disappeared in the middle of the story with a single sentence stating he died quietly in action.

‘This man is still the same…’

“Then here I come!”

“So, fast?!”

Ju Sang-ho declared “Here I come!” boldly and then charged at him.

“””Ooooh!”””

It was the moment when exclamations erupted from the junior hunters following him.

The little monster couldn’t see his movements at all, trembling behind his back with eyes tightly closed, which proved it.

He gulped.

This man…

How much should he hold back to not kill him?

Wham!

“…!”

“Sa, Sang-ho!”

He lightly punched his solar plexus with the same level of force he used on the hunters he had knocked out on the way here.

Sang-ho flew back, tumbling one, two, three times before crashing down.

“Krrk?”

‘Did I get him?’

Seeing the anxious faces of the surrounding hunters, he thought it was over.

“Cough?! As expected of a national disaster-level… Quite, puff?! Impressive, indeed!”

What was that, it was scary.

Sang-ho stood up shakily with one leg bent backward, coughing up blood.

However, he confidently pointed a broken finger at him.

“As expected, this level… Huff?! Makes it worth it…!”

“Senior, please stop!”

“We’re with you now!”

“Cough! Idiot! You are the future of Korean hunters! You can’t die so soon!”

Despite his flashy exterior, he was a man with a heart warmer than anyone else.

There was a reason he was popular among juniors.

So, just as he worried that Sang-ho might charge again in that state.

“…?!”

“……”

Between him and the hunters, near the right sewer pipe.

There was Yoo Che-ran secretly watching the situation.

‘Che-ran. You’re discharged.’

He hadn’t been able to visit her often due to the busy work of cleaning, but she had been deployed on a mission right after being discharged.

Then, since she was blocking the way, the only option was a frontal breakthrough.

In the end, he had to deal with this patriot who looked like a thug but cared for the future of Korean hunters.

Nod, nod.

“…?”

Suddenly, she made eye contact with him and gestured for him to come.

Did he see it wrong?

There was no way a hunter would gesture to a monster, so he rubbed his eyes and looked again, but she was really gesturing for him to come.

‘Why is she doing that all of a sudden?’

He couldn’t understand.

Was it a trap?

…No, Che-ran knew that any trap she set wouldn’t work on him.

Then, what was that gesture for?

“Sc-scared…”

Behind him, the little monster was trembling.

If he were alone, it would be one thing, but he had to protect this child while knocking out C-rank and higher hunters.

If he accidentally killed even one, there would be no turning back.

In the end, the choice he made was.

“Krrk krrk.”

‘Climb on my back.’

After putting the little monster on his back.

“…! The monster of Jamsil is coming!”

“Damn it! You guys run! I’ll hold him off!”

“No, senior!”

Turning right, away from the comic act between Sang-ho and the other hunters.

“Krrk!”

Finally, he reached Che-ran.

Why had she gestured to him?

Anyway, it was the only quick escape route, so if she didn’t step aside, he’d have to knock her out too.

He was sweating at the thought of touching Che-ran.

“S-save me! I’m a hostage of the monster!”

“What…”

“What did you say?!”

Che-ran started acting like a ‘hostage’ while leaning against his chest?

He didn’t know why, but thanks to that, the hunters, who were about to charge at any moment, stopped in their tracks.

“You coward…!”

“Monster of Jamsil! Let that child go! He’s too young to die! In a country where it’s hard to have even one child, each young person is a jewel for the future!”

Even though he himself was in his 30s, he was speaking like an old man.

But it was a good opportunity, so he decided to play the role of a villainous monster and join in the act.

“Krrr…! Kraaak! Kaggagak!”

“Eek?!”

“Don’t, don’t provoke him!”

“A monster smart enough to take a hostage. The monster of Jamsil…!”

As he hugged Che-ran tighter, Sang-ho and the hunters hesitated and stepped back.

Very good.

They say the most valuable victory is one achieved through non-violence. He didn’t know why Che-ran was doing this, but thanks to her, he owed her.

At that moment.

“Don’t think you owe me anything…”

“Krrk?”

“This is… me paying you back.”

Che-ran whispered softly, just for him to hear.

Paying back?

So, had Che-ran met him somewhere after he became a monster?

‘…When?’

She had already fainted during the Twin Head incident, so she wouldn’t have seen him directly.

He didn’t know.

As he tilted his head in confusion.

“And take this.”

Che-ran handed him a very small note.

“It’s a map of the Yeongdeungpo sewers. You can escape quickly with this.”

Not only did she hold back the others, but she also gave him an escape route.

What was she thinking?

He had many questions, but now wasn’t the time to worry about them.

“Krrk.”

‘Thank you, Che-ran.’

“?!”

Knowing she couldn’t understand, he whispered a thank you into her ear once there was some distance between him and the hunters.

Then he gently tossed her toward the hunters and turned to run.

“The monster of Jamsil is escaping!”

“Hurry and chas… too fast.”

“Yes. And we need to check on the condition of the senior and the hostage just now.”

“Damn it…!”

The sewers were very complex.

Thanks to that, if they pursued him rashly, they would end up dying a pointless death, making tracking him practically impossible.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Your face is red; are you under some kind of status effect?”

“I’m fine…”

Sadly, their role ended there.

Sang-ho looked back at the breathless junior hunters, feeling frustrated, but he prohibited any further pursuit.

***

It was in the already destroyed research wing of the Korean branch of the Hunter Association.

“Hmm. Did a newly born monster manage to do all this?”

“Y-yes! That’s right, Director.”

The research director of the Korean branch.

Also, the branch head, Jin-ah Lee, was walking around the blood-stained research wing with the only intact researcher, Hee-jeong Lee.

She smiled with satisfaction as she looked at the corpses of the recently captured E-rank monsters, the traces of them being devoured, and the deeply indented spot where the B-rank hunters had been defeated.

“Interesting. Can you report on the damage to the research wing?”

“Huh? Oh, yes!”

Hee-jeong quickly started tapping on the tablet at the director’s command.

“Well… First, four captured E-rank monsters and

one D-rank monster were disposed of. The D-rank hunter who initially entered to neutralize them died. The three B-rank hunters sent afterward were severely injured, with recovery times of 12 weeks and 3 weeks respectively.”

“How many researchers died?”

“Researchers? Just a moment…”

While a subordinate was gathering more information, Jin-ah stretched comfortably.

But then.

“All… all of them survived.”

“…What?”

“All our researchers just fainted or fled, but they’re all safe!”

The subordinate smiled broadly at the news of his colleagues’ survival… while the ones who should have died remained.

Hearing that all the researchers had survived because they had ‘run away without fighting,’ Jin-ah’s face finally lost its smile.