Chapter 72 – Balance of the Ecosystem (1)

It had been a while, but I received a call from the Director of the Disaster and Safety Agency.

“Hello, Director.”

-Well, hello there, Team Leader Lee. Have you been well?

“I’ve been doing just fine.”

-I saw you on that broadcast. You were great.

“Ah, yes.”

-You’re always working so hard, Team Leader Lee. I had no idea you were putting in that much effort.

The director laughed, sounding pleased.

-If you ever need anything, just let me know. You make my job worthwhile, Team Leader Lee.

“Not at all. You’re always the one helping me out.”

-However…

Director Shin Chae-ho paused for a moment before continuing.

-Something urgent has come up. Would it be alright if I asked you to handle a quick clear-out?

My schedule was completely open today.

It wouldn’t be a problem.

“You’ve helped me so much. Of course, I’ll make time.”

-Haha, thank you. You’re such a good man, Team Leader Lee.

“You even said you’d support the Secondary Hunter Training Program despite your busy schedule. It’s only natural I pull my weight.”

You remember, right?

-Ah, that.

The director continued with a laugh.

-The thing we talked about before. Oh, right. The hunter training program for lower-ranked guilds. I’ve approved it, so you can proceed.

The training period for the new guild members who had joined Hanul was over.

The problem was, there was no one lined up for the next training session.

That was why I had submitted a proposal to the Disaster Agency.

-I read it over, and it looked good. The major guilds can run their own training, but it’s not easy for small to mid-sized guilds to run private training programs. Having the government support basic training is good in many ways.

Good.

Securing training materials would be easier now.

Most importantly, with government support, members from smaller guilds could participate in the training without the financial burden.

In other words, the trainers at the Star Center wouldn’t be sitting around idle, and we could maintain a smooth rotation.

The first step is always the hardest; once the water starts flowing, it’s easy to row the boat.

“So, what needs clearing out?”

At my question, the director began to speak, sounding a bit sheepish.

-I need you to do some pest control.

Pest control?

What was this all about?

***

Apparently, giant insects had been discovered in the eco-friendly park-like forest within the Dongshin Apartment Complex.

“Daddy! Does this mean I can’t do my vacation homework?”

“…Yeah. The insects… don’t want to be collected.”

The man’s face was pale as his child cried and whined.

“I’ll get in trouble if I don’t do my homework. All the other kids are gonna collect them.”

“Min-jun, if I’m not careful, I’m the one who’s going to get collect—… Never mind.”

The man was so shocked he was about to say something terrible to his child.

I heard the director’s grandson had also run into trouble while trying to collect insects.

This was the only place nearby suitable for insect collecting.

In essence, the request was to subjugate the giant insect monsters to ease the parents’ worries and support the children’s insect-collecting homework, which was meant to foster their observation and inquiry skills.

‘Can’t they just… not do it?’

Even a docile monster was still a monster.

One wrong move could lead to casualties.

“Please, we’re counting on you, Hunter.”

“Oh my, is that the hunter who’s good at deliveries? Wow, he looks like he could carry a lot of luggage.”

“…”

I could hear people whispering.

I let out a low sigh and asked Katrinne, who was standing beside me.

“I’ve been meaning to ask, but what is that?”

“What do you mean, what is it? It’s an insect net.”

“No, I know that.”

“You heard them, the kids can’t do their homework. Shouldn’t we support the dreams of children?”

That girl Katrinne was wearing a straw hat and holding a dragonfly net that looked big enough to catch a person.

Thanks to her, we were attracting an explosive amount of attention.

“Should we go now, Mister?”

“Hold on. We’re waiting for one more person.”

“Who?”

“Oh, there she is.”

A luxury car pulled up at the park entrance, and Seo Hyun-ji stepped out.

Sunglasses, a one-piece dress, and even a picnic hat—Seo Hyun-ji walked with an air of sophistication.

The residents of the apartment complex who recognized her let out gasps of admiration.

“Wow, look at Seo Hyun-ji’s proportions. Amazing.”

“Look how small her face is. She’s so damn pretty.”

Seo Hyun-ji reveled in the murmurs, lifting her chin slightly.

She’s enjoying this.

“What is it? Why did you call me?”

Seo Hyun-ji asked as she reached me.

She blinked upon seeing Katrinne next to me.

“Oh. Seo-yeon is here, too.”

“Hello, Unni.”

“What’s this? It doesn’t look like a date. What’s going on?”

What else? It’s work.

“Don’t you have anything else to wear?”

“My clothes? Why?”

“You look like you’ll have trouble moving in that.”

What was she planning to do in a frilly, flowing dress?

I suppose it couldn’t be helped.

When a team member lacks awareness, it’s up to the team leader to take responsibility.

I took out a change of clothes for Seo Hyun-ji from my inventory.

“What is this…?”

“Go get changed into this.”

“You want me to change?”

“Yes, yes. There’s a restroom over there.”

“……Seriously, what is this?”

Seo Hyun-ji gave me an incredulous look, glancing between me and the clothes, before slowly and haughtily walking toward the restroom.

A while later, Seo Hyun-ji emerged wearing a one-piece set of work coveralls.

“Wh-why are you making me wear this?”

Did I not mention it?

“We’re going to catch some bugs.”

At my words, Seo Hyun-ji’s face turned pale.

“You’re the best at catching bugs, Ms. Seo Hyun-ji.”

She was incredibly efficient at burning those caterpillars last time, after all.

“You call me out on my day off, and all you have me do is… catch bugs?”

“Alright, now that you know, let’s go level up.”

Leveling up is the best. Yup.

With a healing vending machine and a fire-starter shuttle in tow, I felt confident.

I felt like I could take down the king of bugs, even if one showed up.

***

Seo Hyun-ji grumbled but followed along without much fuss.

Though she was trailing behind listlessly with her arms crossed in displeasure.

She had thought that being called out on her day off might be to relieve her boredom.

But what was this? Pest control.

The three of them walked through the park’s forest for the hunt.

It was quite a scenic place.

The apartment prices here must have been quite high, because the park was incredibly well-maintained.

There was a lake in the center, and the walking path was surrounded by grassy fields and dense trees.

Normally, the park would be bustling with people, but now it was quiet.

“Mister, is it true that fried insects are that delicious?”

“…”

“I heard they’re an amazing high-protein food.”

“If you’re so confident, go ahead and try one.”

Seo Hyun-ji was dumbfounded, watching Seo-yeon talk about nothing but food.

She looked slim on the outside, but when she ate, she packed away so much food it was hard to imagine where it all went.

‘If I ate that much, I’d turn into a pig right away.’

Seo Hyun-ji, who gained weight easily and was constantly on a diet, envied Seo-yeon.

Just then, Seo Hyun-ji saw something.

She rubbed her eyes.

She opened them wide again, but it seemed she hadn’t been mistaken.

“Hey, wait a minute.”

“What is it?”

“By any chance… did we come here to catch that?”

Seo Hyun-ji pointed at ‘it’.

Lee Hyunbin looked at it, a smirk forming on his lips as he answered.

“Oh, you’re right. There it is.”

At Lee Hyunbin’s words, Seo Hyun-ji muttered weakly.

“You said it was a bug…”

“Yes, we received a request to exterminate the bugs that have appeared in the park.”

“Surely you’re not calling that thing a bug, are you?”

What appeared before them was a honeybee. But this thing was the size of a person.

‘Disgusting.’

As if that wasn’t enough, it had the V-tapered, muscular body of an American bodybuilder.

‘Utterly disgusting!’

Seo Hyun-ji’s teeth chattered as she felt a wave of revulsion.

“What’s this? The Royal Jelly Crew took over this turf. You ain’t heard?”

“I-it’s talking?”

Seo Hyun-ji pointed at the honeybee and muttered under her breath.

“Of course it talks.”

“Of course?”

She summoned all the common sense she possessed.

‘Of course they can’t talk!’

Unable to say it out loud, she glanced back at the honeybee.

It had the menacing face of a gangster.

It looked like nothing more than a man cosplaying in a cute honeybee costume.

‘Isn’t that a person? He even has a dragon tattoo on his arm.’

Seo Hyun-ji couldn’t bring herself to speak and swallowed hard.

Just then, the honeybee spoke again.

“Hey, young buck. When someone’s talkin’ to you, you answer.”

“How old are you to be talking down to me?”

“Twenty-eight days, why? Got a problem?”

“A young punk like you talkin’ back to your elders.”

Was that the problem?

Seo Hyun-ji felt like her understanding of the world was shattering piece by piece.

“Oh, Mister. Bees are beneficial insects, so we shouldn’t bother them. I heard their population has decreased a lot due to environmental destruction. They say if bees disappear, humans will too.”

“Excuse me, Seo-yeon. Does that look like a beneficial insect to you?”

“Bees are beneficial insects, Unni. They say if they disappear, the ecosystem could collapse and the world could end.”

Seo Hyun-ji looked at the honeybee.

It was holding a sashimi knife in its hand.

‘Beneficial insect. An insect that is helpful to humans.’

Seo Hyun-ji looked at the honeybee again, but no matter how she looked at it, it didn’t seem helpful at all.

Hasn’t the ecosystem already collapsed?

Seo Hyun-ji thought as she watched the ‘beneficial insect’ smoke a cigarette.

Just then, Lee Hyunbin warned the honeybee.

“I’m sorry, but this is private property. You are trespassing and destroying property. Please return to where you originally lived.”

“Looks like talkin’ nice ain’t gonna work.”

The honeybee threw its cigarette on the ground and stubbed it out with its foot. Then, it tightened its grip on the sashimi knife.

“Hey, look. I think that person is angry because of you. Shouldn’t you apologize?”

“Apologize? We’re preparing for battle.”

“B-battle? Maybe just apologizing is…”

Seo Hyun-ji was reminded of a movie she’d once seen about the bitter taste of the criminal underworld.

A vivid panorama of what happens when you get on a gangster’s bad side flashed through her mind.

*Bzzzzzz!*

The honeybee flew at them, its wings beating.

Lee Hyunbin dodged the sashimi knife and landed a body blow.

*Crack!*

After taking a single hit, the honeybee gasped for air and tumbled pathetically to the ground.

“Oh, i-it’s over?”

Seo Hyun-ji let out a sigh of relief.

Lee Hyunbin was certainly strong.

At that moment, the honeybee’s voice rang out.

“Th-this bastard. You’re pretty good.”

The honeybee struggled to its feet and muttered under its breath.

“My apologies, my Queen. It seems I will be unable to keep my promise.”

After its dramatic declaration, the honeybee detached the pollen basket from its hind leg.

The pollen basket is detachable?

Seo Hyun-ji was horrified by the sight.

*Thud!*

A heavy sound echoed as dust kicked up from the ground.

“I’ll show you. The true power of a honeybee.”

The honeybee vanished.

It began to fly in a circle around the three of them.

It was fast. Different from before.

Seeing the honeybee flying so fast it left afterimages, Seo Hyun-ji shouted urgently.

“H-hey! Honeybees are beneficial insects, can’t we all just get along—!”

*Whack!*

Struck by Lee Hyunbin’s back kick, the honeybee skipped across the ground like a stone on water, tumbling several times.

Seo Hyun-ji blinked, seeing how easily Lee Hyunbin had defeated the bee.

“Ms. Seo Hyun-ji, burn it.”

“What…?”

“Ranian honeybees recover their stamina quickly. You have to finish it with fire.”

“But, I don’t think it can get up any…”

Before Seo Hyun-ji could finish her sentence, she saw the honeybee rise.

With a demonic expression, the honeybee snorted a spray of blood from its nose onto the ground and began to beat its wings once more.

“Hurry!”

“U-uaah! Igni!”

Seo Hyun-ji summoned and unleashed the spirit of flame.

The honeybee, having not yet recovered from the damage, couldn’t dodge in time and was engulfed in the blaze.

Realizing its death was imminent, the honeybee’s face became one of resignation.

As he disappeared into the flames, he raised his arm, gave a thumbs-up, and met his end.

“Wait, what was that?! And what’s Rania?!”

“Ah, in a region called Rania, this is what honeybees are normally like. I was shocked when I first saw them too.”

“Hey, I’m from that world too. You’re saying there’s a domain with things like that?”

“Of course. There is. In that domain, the rabbits wield longswords, and the turtles chant magic spells.”

Hearing that, Seo Hyun-ji frowned.

“Are you messing with me? There’s no such thing.”

Seo Hyun-ji thought Lee Hyunbin was treating her like an idiot.

Even though she had crossed over at a young age, she still remembered the basic common sense of that world.

“So, we’re done, right? Can I go now?”

“Done? Look, more are coming.”

“…What did you say?”

Seo Hyun-ji turned around to see two more muscular, pig-like honeybees approaching, their wings buzzing loudly.

“What’s this? Did you take down one of our boys?”

“Even if he was the weakest among us, you’re pretty good.”

‘There are more?!’

Seo Hyun-ji’s eyes filled with horror.