Heroine Hunts Heroines-Chapter 101

“So, does this mean our dealings are coming to an end?” she asked cautiously.

“Not at all. I actually came to request some weapons.”

“Weapons?”

Her face turned pale, as if she’d seen a ghost.

Even in the shady world of underground deals, providing weaponry was a significant escalation.

“The magic-based firearms your group developed a few years ago,” I clarified.

“You can’t be serious. You plan to fight the guild alliance with those inefficient relics?”

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

“Do I look like someone who’d lose?”

I had a feeling this woman already knew who I truly was. Did she really think I would lose?

“Well... no.”

“Then give them to me. I’ve got more than enough mana stones to power them, so you don’t have to worry about charging them. Don’t tell me you’ve scrapped all of them?”

If I knew Yi Yu-jin, there was no way she would have thrown all of them away.

The Akashic Records had confirmed it: she was the type to hold onto things she deemed valuable.

[The Cheonsan Group has disposed of some weapons and projectiles but retained a majority of the inventory, Master.]

With this knowledge in mind, I intended to extract everything I could from her.

“There are a few left, stored for future contingencies. But if word gets out that these weapons ended up in Baekhwa’s hands...”

“That’s Cheonsan’s problem to manage,” I interrupted.

Why was she acting like it was my concern? If her company supplied us with weapons, then it was their responsibility to manage the fallout.

“This feels quite irresponsible on your part. We’re valuable partners, after all,” she protested.

“Didn’t the government approve your disposal of the weapons into the West Sea?” I countered.

If Yi Yu-jin wanted, she could easily navigate this situation.

“Well... yes.”

“Let’s just say Baekhwa salvaged them. Do you think the government was completely unaware that a conglomerate like Cheonsan disposed of a large cache of firearms? Of course they knew.”

In fact, it was Ha Jung-seok himself who had proposed the development of magic-based firearms to Cheonsan. When the project failed, he washed his hands of it and ordered the weapons to be dumped in the West Sea.

Later, in the original storyline, these weapons were revealed to have been repurposed to supplement the lack of hunters by arming outdated military forces.

Even then, this was not widely known among the general public.

“Fine. That does make sense. It would be suspicious for Baekhwa to have a massive arsenal of our weapons. Very well. We’ll provide support.”

Smart choice. But why was she acting so... excited?

The pheromones she was giving off were overwhelming. Was she really sitting here with something inserted into herself?

There’s not a single normal person around me, I swear.

If I didn’t leave quickly, she might end up arching her back and gyrating right in front of me.

Time to make my exit before she tried to assert herself as a submissive mate.

***

The weapons I brought left the heroines stunned. They’d never seen anything like this before—guns resembling old-fashioned rifles and machine guns.

“What are these weapons?” Reina asked, voicing the obvious question.

“Magic firearms developed by the Cheonsan Group,” I replied. “They consume a massive amount of mana stones.”

“And you brought these because…?”

Why else? To use them, of course. Most hunters prefer cost-effective weapons like swords, bows, or staffs that they can enhance with mana.

“They’re to make up for our lack of manpower.”

“But these will drain mana stones like crazy! Oh...” Reina’s eyes widened as she remembered. “You can just create mana stones out of thin air, can’t you?”

Grinning, I conjured a pile of mana stones on the spot. Reina looked at me with a mix of disbelief and irritation.

“I never thought your murky dark energy would come in handy.”

“Murky?” I scoffed. “Only someone who can freely manipulate both mana and dark energy like me can pull this off.”

“What are you going to do with them?” Han Suji asked.

“I’m going to arm the people of Songdo,” I said, nodding. “We’ll form a defensive line and hold our ground. Also, Yujin-sunbae, I’ll need you to broadcast from drones around Songdo’s outskirts. The fight isn’t starting just yet, but preparations are key. Also, gather all the adult residents of Songdo.”

“Got it.”

There might already be scouts sent by Ha Jung-seok in the area, so I decided to act quickly.

I assembled Songdo’s adult residents in front of the penthouse. Among them were villains, mutants, and ordinary citizens—all of them survivors who had been taken in and given shelter under my protection.

“Believers of Baekhwa’s teachings and citizens of Songdo, hear me!”

I infused my voice with mana, letting it carry like a melodious echo that would reach everyone clearly.

“Ha Jung-seok, who abandoned the isolated citizens in the quarantine zones, has pressured the association to prepare an operation to eradicate Songdo. They’ve placed a bounty of fifty billion won on my head, planning to destroy Baekhwa and claim Songdo for themselves.

“But most of you are no longer ordinary humans. If Ha Jung-seok succeeds, the law and his authority will ensure none of you survive. Even if they spare your lives, they’ll likely lock you away in prisons or camps. The choice before us is simple: fight, die, or flee.”

The crowd fell silent, absorbing my words. Many exchanged glances, some nodding grimly.

“I intend to fight,” I declared. “If you can wield a weapon, take one of these magic firearms and stand with me. If you lack the courage to fight, then flee—but beware of crossing paths with hostile villains.”

There was a tense pause before one of the men raised his hand and shouted:

“Fuck it, let’s fight!”

“Yeah, better to die on our feet than live running!” another chimed in.

“What’s the worst that can happen? Death? We’re used to it.”

The residents, many of whom had survived in the quarantine zones, were no strangers to firearms. Without natural abilities or powers, they had relied on old weapons to stay alive. While Songdo already had some outdated firearms, most were useless due to a lack of ammunition.

“From this moment forward, Songdo will prepare to resist the government. The Baekhwa Church will fortify barricades around the outskirts of Songdo.”

Even the mutants seemed convinced, and I was satisfied with the resolve I saw in their eyes.

Now, the priority was to establish barricades and prepare for battle.

When the fighting starts, we’ll have about 500 combatants at most. They might not be an army of monsters, but they’ll be a determined militia.

Ha Jung-seok, if you come, we’ll crush you. Bring everything you have—we’re ready.

***

Hunter Association

The Hunter Association headquarters was bustling with guild hunters for the first time in a while. However, the atmosphere in the conference room where Choi Cheol-sik presided was icy and tense.

It was no surprise—an official directive had been issued to the gathered guild masters to initiate a punitive expedition against Baekhwa.

What made matters worse was that the order was being strongly pushed by the Blue House. The guild masters, many of whom were already on edge, were now visibly seething with rage.

With a resounding bang, Ice Queen Cha Ji-eun slammed her hand on the table.

“Unbelievable! Have we become nothing but Ha Jung-seok’s dogs now? Are you seriously out of your minds? Do you think we’ve been standing idly by because we don’t understand what Baekhwa is?”

The other guild masters nodded in agreement. Everyone present had experienced the Great Flood that occurred right before their graduation as trainees. The catastrophe had devastated every region outside the capital and a few major cities, leaving the rest of the nation submerged in miasma.

Seoul had only survived thanks to Cha Ji-eun, who erected a massive barrier to prevent the miasma from entering. However, to do so, she had to abandon Incheon.

The events of that day were seared into the memories of the current guild masters, especially those of the Yu Jin-seok generation. They could never forget the desperate cries of those quarantined beyond the barrier.

Baekhwa, whom they were now being ordered to eradicate, had saved many of the people they couldn’t. For Cha Ji-eun, this wasn’t just about Baekhwa—it was about those survivors. Eradicating Baekhwa meant eradicating them as well.

Even if the survivors were somehow reintegrated into Seoul, many would still be trampled under the boots of the hunters sent to subjugate them.

Not to mention, the people of Songdo would find it nearly impossible to integrate with Seoul. There was one primary reason for this.

“Why are we poking a hornet’s nest?” Cha Ji-eun continued. “Have you forgotten? Half of the people in Songdo are probably mutants by now. Some have already begun to transform naturally. Do you honestly think Ha Jung-seok is going to let them live after we’re done attacking Songdo?”

During the Great Flood, many people had succumbed to miasma and become mutants. Post-Cataclysm, most mutants were considered dangerous criminals, making their reintegration into society an impossibility.

This was one of the reasons Cha Ji-eun had no choice but to erect the barrier back then.

Would Songdo be any different? Even if its citizens were benevolent mutants, Ha Jung-seok would still consider them a threat.

As the guild masters expressed their discontent, Choi Cheol-sik wiped the sweat from his brow and furrowed his brows.

He’d served as the association president for over a decade, and while he often played the part of a lackey, he wasn’t a mindless subordinate to Ha Jung-seok. He had his own plans.

“Keep it reasonable,” he said, breaking the tense silence.

“Reasonable?” Cha Ji-eun shot back. “What does that even mean in this context?”

“You’re telling us to go easy after issuing an extermination order?” another guild master demanded, their frustration evident.

“If their resistance is too strong, retreat. Make it look like you lost,” Choi Cheol-sik explained. “The Association’s reputation is already in the gutter. If the guilds start mercilessly attacking Songdo, public trust in hunters will hit rock bottom.”

Baekhwa’s popularity and public trust were largely to blame for this precarious situation.

If not for that, the Association might have been willing to accept some sacrifices to secure Songdo.

“And Ha Jung-seok?”

“He’ll send his own hunters, of course. Use them as cannon fodder.”

The hunters under Ha Jung-seok were notoriously unscrupulous.

No one would bat an eye if they ended up as collateral damage.

With Association-affiliated hunters already spread thin, it wasn’t an option to lose any more of them—or the guild hunters.

“What about meeting with Baekhwa directly?”

At this suggestion, Baek Cheong-gang, who had been fiddling idly with his fingers in the corner, raised his head and asked, “What about Seo Ji-yeon? Where is she?”

“She’s sitting this one out,” Choi Cheol-sik replied.

“What?”

“She’s taking a break. Something about it being ‘that time.’ She told us to handle it without her.”

Seo Ji-yeon had informed the Association and then promptly disappeared.

“What? That woman has never taken time off in her life!”

Noa, the master of the Lily Guild, let out a bitter laugh.

“She’s just looking out for herself. Typical Seo Ji-yeon.”

Even as the room erupted in grumbling and frustrated murmurs, Choi Cheol-sik kept his face calm, his thoughts racing. If Seo Ji-yeon, of all people, was stepping away, it only complicated things further.

The stage was set for a battle no one truly wanted, but no one dared to avoid.