Soul Devourer Chapter 2 Episode 24 — Four Suspects and the Next Course of Action
From the rooftop of a distant building, several men in unsettling attire watched Yuito Matsubara as he carried rubble from collapsed buildings and monster corpses.
One of the masterminds behind this artificially induced Stampede slowly opened his mouth.
“The damage was extremely minor… only a few B-rank Hunters died. We failed entirely to achieve our original objective of causing significant losses in combat strength.”
“And on top of that, we thought it’d be a stroke of luck if that S-rank Hunter also died in the chaos, but… he’s a monster.”
“The Empress Ant that underwent mutation and enhancement was without question an S-rank monster. And yet he defeated it effortlessly, then wiped out nearly a hundred Soldier Ants with a single spell.”
“The cause of mission failure is obvious. We underestimated his individual combat strength.”
“Still, we gained something. Given his unprecedented promotion speed and overwhelming personal power, there’s no doubt he possesses a unique skill.”
“He didn’t seem to use it directly in combat, so it might not be battle-related.”
“For now, we withdraw. We’ll report to the master, devise countermeasures, and next time… for sure…”
(E/N: Sybau~ Dead men shouldn't talk~ 😂)
The men leapt from the rooftop in unison and vanished into the night.
♦︎♢♦︎♢♦︎♢♦︎♢♦︎♢
The next day. Around 10 a.m., I received a call from a Guild staff member and headed to the Hunter Guild’s Kyoto Branch.
*Knock, Knock, Knock*
“Excuse me.”
“Oh, Hunter Matsubara! It’s an honor to finally meet you. And thank you for your efforts last night.”
When I entered the Guild Master’s office, a slender man in his forties hurriedly stood up from his chair and bowed deeply.
“Please raise your head. I only did what any Hunter should.”
“Thank you. Now, please have a seat.”
At his gesture, I sat on the sofa and quenched my thirst with the tea a staff member brought. Once I finished drinking, the Guild Master spoke.
“We truly appreciate it. Thanks to your efforts, the damage was kept to a minimum. Considering the rank and scale of the monsters, this is nothing short of a miracle.”
“Th-thank you. But there’s something else that concerns me more.”
“You mean the humanoid monster.”
“Yes. That monster called the Empress Ant had strength equal to the boss of the S-rank dungeon, the Fire Dragon. Has the Guild ever documented cases where dungeon monsters mutate like that?”
“No, this is the first recorded case. Since it happened at night, there were very few Hunters active inside the dungeon, and no eyewitnesses.”
“I see.”
“However, there is one thing that troubles us. Just before the Stampede began, four Hunters entered the dungeon.”
“What are those Hunters saying about it?”
“That’s the problem… we can’t locate them. We can’t reach them by phone, and their homes appear to be empty.”
“That’s highly suspicious, but without any leads, there’s not much that can be done. Changing the subject, what will happen to the dungeon itself?”
“We’ll need to close it temporarily for investigation. That said, would you be willing to join the investigation team, Matsubara-san?”
“Because there’s a possibility another Empress Ant could appear?”
“Exactly.”
“I’d prefer not to be tied down for too long…”
“We’ll have to rely on the investigation team to work efficiently. Proper compensation will be provided based on the time you’re restrained.”
“…Understood. Does the investigation start tomorrow?”
“Yes. We’ve already contacted Hunters who seem willing to cooperate. We’ll gather on-site at 9 a.m.”
“Got it. Is that everything?”
“One last thing, regarding your reward this time. Would you like us to purchase the Empress Ant’s corpse?”
“Yes.”
“Then, sixty billion for the Soldier Ants and the Empress Ant. Plus six billion considering your contribution. That brings the total to sixty-six billion.”
Hahaha… that’s brutal.
(E/N: In a good way, of course! 🤑)
“Thank you very much.”
“No, thank you again for everything.”
“Well then, please excuse me.”
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E/N:
The Hunter's gonna be the Hunted! The real Grim Reaper is coming for yo ahh, you knock-off Grimm Reaper 😂!
Stay tuned!
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Check out my other translation -
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