Chapter 145 – Rank S (Part Two)

Due to the recent appearance of jammers interfering with Gate analysis, security around the sites had become extremely tight, with access strictly forbidden to unauthorized personnel.

However, Park So-yeon had entered without any trouble, even carrying simple filming equipment.

I’d heard she had incredible connections from frequently showing her face at government and Aegis functions, but this seemed to be beyond my expectations.

Just as I was thinking that this must be possible for a world-renowned journalist, she approached me first.

“Congratulations on your appointment as team leader. It was a personnel change none of the officials expected…”

“Thank you. I only heard about it on the day of, myself.”

“Really?”

A surprised Park So-yeon asked.

Normally, when someone was appointed as a team leader in Aegis, they were given at least a week’s notice to ask for their opinion and allow them to prepare. In many ways, this appointment was highly unconventional.

Considering the urgency of the recent situation, there wasn’t much time for lengthy preparations, but a same-day notification and announcement was a peculiar case indeed.

“Haaah…”

Meanwhile, Hyeon-seo, who was in a corner of the rooftop, let out a long yawn.

Wiping away the tears welling in her eyes, she stared blankly down at the Gate.

She had little interest in the conversation she could hear in one ear.

In the first place, Hyeon-seo couldn’t understand why a reporter was allowed in to chat idly before such an important Gate.

She had a lukewarm reaction, wondering why headquarters had even granted permission.

“Oh, right. There was something I wanted to ask. There are rumors that Director Oh Yoon-ha of Aegis has disappeared…”

“…How did you know about that?”

At Park So-yeon’s casually thrown question, Il-hyeon flinched and reacted sensitively.

The S-rank Awakened, who was practically the spiritual pillar of Raven, had suddenly vanished during a mission, causing a huge uproar.

It was classified information that had not been disclosed outside of Aegis, known only to those at the team leader level or higher within the organization.

“I’m a journalist. It’s my job to know these things.”

“Nothing is certain yet.”

“Right… I have no intention of needlessly spreading unconfirmed stories and adding to the anxiety.”

Reading the look in Il-hyeon’s eyes, Park So-yeon took a step back in her reply.

“I feel like I’ve brought this up rather tactlessly. I’m sorry. Especially with an important mission ahead of you…”

“No, it’s fine. But please don’t speak of it to anyone outside.”

“You can trust me on that. It’s not for nothing that I’ve built a relationship of trust with Aegis over the years.”

At Il-hyeon’s request, she gave a slight smile.

Then, she looked down at the cityscape spread below the rooftop for a moment before continuing.

“Did you know? Even amidst all this chaos and confusion, so many people are looking to you, Il-hyeon. Many are calling you the greatest talent in history, the hope of humanity.”

“That’s far too much of an exaggeration.”

“Is it? Your track record is just too extraordinary to still be called modest. Your name has pushed the recent exposé incident off the top of global search rankings. It’s not an exaggeration at all.”

Il-hyeon was a little surprised by her words.

The exposé incident she mentioned was likely the major scandal that broke about governments covering up Gate damages. He never imagined he would have surpassed that.

“…That’s hard to believe.”

“Haha, right? People are tired of the endless stream of disasters with no end in sight. They now want someone who can give them hope. And that someone is you, Il-hyeon.”

Just as she said, the expectations people had for Il-hyeon were enormous.

His astonishing growth, his achievements, and his track record were more than enough to capture public attention, and the faith of citizens yearning for hope began to converge on one person.

*Click!*

A small notification sound came from her pocket.

“Ah… my permitted time is already up. Well, I’ve already gotten all the footage I wanted on my way here, so I should probably get going. I wouldn’t want to break your concentration with a pointless interview request.”

There were only thirty minutes left until the Gate’s activation.

Even Il-hyeon didn’t think it was the right time for an interview.

“I sincerely wish you the best of luck. I hope you know that everyone is cheering for you. Truly, everyone.”

***

*Thrum! Thrum! Thrum!*

Powerful waves of energy pulsed from the Gate as it began to writhe violently.

The slowly opening crimson rift grew in size with a horrific sound, and from within, a monster revealed itself.

It was a colossal beast with a bizarre appearance, its entire body covered in a thick, tan-colored shell, a small head protruding from the top, and a bloated torso that resembled the letter ‘N’.

The monster’s size surpassed the initial estimate of 40 meters, reaching nearly 95 meters.

Without the usual roar of a monster, it began to move slowly.

Merely walking forward, its massive bulk crushed the structures beneath it into pieces.

Moreover, the already ruined path it left behind was coated in the mucus it exuded from its body and began to corrode, the very traces of destruction melting away.

A monster whose very existence was a catastrophe.

It was freely indulging in the unfamiliar world laid out before it.

*Shing!*

In the city filled with noise, the sound of a sword being drawn reached its ears.

The monster then looked at the lone human standing tall in its path.

As if looking down on a worthless bug.

*Shwaaak!*

From within its chest, which was riddled with small holes.

Hundreds of tentacles shot out.

The tentacles, dripping with mucus, writhed in the air for a moment before extending toward the human simultaneously.

The intent was not to kill immediately, but to use him as a toy.

But the outstretched tentacles never reached the human.

A swift swing of a sword sliced through the hundreds of tentacles, sending them falling to the ground.

Tumbling to the floor like severed noodles, the tentacles spewed sticky mucus.

“You’re seriously disgusting.”

Astrid said with a look of revulsion.

Words that would have surely hurt the monster if it could understand.

But it couldn’t, and the monster raised its right arm high into the air.

Its abnormally long arm was gaunt compared to its bloated body, but its power was beyond imagination.

*KRA-KOOOOM!*

The descending arm completely collapsed the surroundings, and the ground caved in as if a hole had been punched through the planet.

The monster lifted its arm, which was oozing sticky mucus, to check, but there was no trace of the human there.

*Swoosh!*

Astrid, who had manifested her black wings to evade the attack, sliced off the monster’s right hand in a single blow.

Blood and mucus poured from the severed stump, and the monster let out a pained roar.

Its scream, befitting its massive size, was deafening, echoing throughout the entire city.

However, the severed part regenerated completely before the scream even faded, returning to its original state.

*Tssss!*

“Regeneration? Just like Choi Seong-won.”

Astrid muttered as she observed the monster.

Hearing this, Seong-won, who was hiding his presence below the monster with Hyeon-seo, frowned.

“Just like me, my ass…!”

*Slice!*

The simultaneous sword strikes of Hyeon-seo and Seong-won sliced clean through the giant monster’s two hind legs.

The monster lost its balance and teetered backward.

Its legs would regenerate in an instant anyway; merely stopping it for a moment wasn’t enough.

Il-hyeon appeared behind the monster and tossed a lighter into the air.

The lighter spun in the air before shattering with a pop, unleashing an immense burst of flames, which Il-hyeon then amplified using his ability.

*FWOOSH!*

“KIIIIIIEEK!”

A massive wall of fire, large enough to engulf the monster’s entire body, swallowed it whole.

The monster thrashed about in the intense heat, strong enough to melt even its hard shell.

But even as the flames melted its skin, its powerful regenerative ability activated, creating new flesh and shell.

Taking advantage of the opening, Marco flew into the sky and used his psychokinesis to rip several buildings from their foundations.

The massive, uprooted buildings floated in the air.

One by one, the buildings gathered, then suddenly dropped from above, crashing down on the monster.

It wasn’t just the weight pressing down; they were accelerated by Marco’s psychokinesis.

*KABOOM!*

Amidst the thunderous collapse of the buildings, the monster was not unscathed.

It was crushed under the tremendous impact, its body sinking lower and lower.

But it still wasn’t enough.

*Thwump!*

The monster caught the last building Marco threw with its two long arms and tentacles.

A decisive blow had yet to be landed to end the beast’s life.

“So it won’t go down that easily, huh…”

Il-hyeon muttered and took a core from his pocket.

He crushed the brilliantly glowing A-rank core in his hand.

The indirectly absorbed Ether coursed through his body, and he could feel power surging within him.

‘But no more than this. I have to end it here.’

Il-hyeon was assigned to three S-rank Gates in total.

The second S-rank Gate was set to activate tomorrow.

If he recklessly absorbed cores now and ruined his condition, it would create problems for the schedule. And if the schedule was disrupted, another team would have to take responsibility for the S-rank Gate instead.

That meant more damage would occur at the other sites those teams could have been handling.

The reason Il-hyeon had taken on three S-rank Gates alone was also to reduce the damage elsewhere; such a thing could not be allowed to happen.

*Rumble!*

The building the monster had caught was hurled straight toward Il-hyeon.

Normally, he would have quickly dodged it.

But right now, Il-hyeon didn’t evade. He felt he could counter the attack without any special power.

In his eyes, he could see a ‘grain’ that was invisible to others.

Taking his stance, Il-hyeon swung his sword forward with all his might.

*CRACK! KRA-KA-BOOM!*

The cleaving strike that shot from his sword split the incoming building in two.

The building, sliced cleanly down the middle as if it were a radish, passed by Il-hyeon on both sides as he stood still.

*Shhhh.*

Through the thick dust that filled the area, Il-hyeon’s unharmed figure could be faintly seen.

He looked down at his sword, recalling the sensation from a moment ago.

It was just like the black light slash Lee Soo-yeon had shown him when he first faced her as the Scavenger.

Just like the one that had split the giant snake made from a transformed building in half with a single strike.

“Yes… I’m finally starting to see this state of mastery.”