Chapter 76

Crash!

The Hunter, Jeon Yong-hae, was thrown to the ground.

Before his eyes stood a giant scorpion-shaped monster. Instead of a stinger, its long tail had a considerably large metal club, and Jeon Yong-hae had just been struck by it.

“Ugh, damn it…!”

Despite taking an immense blow, Jeon Yong-hae staggered to his feet.

In the past, such a feat would have been unimaginable.

The scorpion-type monster’s name was Scorpio-B.

It was named so because it was a scorpion-type monster that appeared in B-rank dungeons.

Its attacks came from that tail and its two large pincers.

The tail, no different from a metal club, held enough power to pulverize a human body with a single hit, and the pincers also possessed formidable strength capable of severing human limbs right through the bone.

But Scorpio-B failed to knock Jeon Yong-hae out. Jeon Yong-hae’s defense was far stronger than the monster’s attack power.

The results of all his accumulated battles were evident in this situation.

“Hurry up and get up! Stop slacking off!”

His comrades, looking back at him, also seemed at ease.

“Ha, damn it! Aren’t you worried at all?”

At his words, Baek Myeong-han grinned and said,

“You’re not going to die from that, are you? Right?”

“Damn it… I guess not.”

“Get up quickly. The Captain is already over there.”

Jeon Yong-hae stood up and saw Kang Yuseong’s figure in the distance.

Kang Yuseong, who had been with the party just a moment ago, had somehow moved there and was in the process of swiftly severing Scorpio-B’s pincers and diving into its embrace.

“We’ll be late. Run!”

At Baek Myeong-han’s command, the Hunters gritted their teeth and ran.

They knew Kang Yuseong’s strategy all too well. He wouldn’t offer a hand if they fell behind.

He would only clear a path for those who fell to get up and run, but getting up from where they fell was their own responsibility.

Jeon Yong-hae also sprang to his feet, gripping a massive hammer in his hand.

“Aaaargh!”

And he charged forward furiously.

Boom!

His hammer struck Scorpio-B’s leg. And that wasn’t all. All the Hunters moved with extreme skill, engaging Scorpio-B.

Their fierce assault didn’t stop until Scorpio-B collapsed.

Only two hours had passed since they entered this B-rank dungeon, D-49 Dungeon.

* * * * *

Boom!

Power clashed with power.

To be pushed back meant certain death.

The Hunters, gasping for breath, endured the monster’s attacks and began to push back.

In this fight where not even the slightest mistake was tolerated, the Hunters were being pushed to their absolute limits.

Overwhelming physical and mental exhaustion constantly assailed and tormented them.

It had been three days since they started their survival hunting, and they were now clearing an A-rank dungeon.

Two B-rank dungeons had already been cleared.

They had endured until now, driven by an insane hunting schedule with hardly any rest.

‘Fu…ck!’

Jwa Myeong-hoon felt his eyes slowly closing.

This was unbelievable.

To feel sleepy even in such an extreme situation!

But his body, as if having reached its limit, incessantly demanded sleep.

And he wasn’t the only one.

Even Han Do-seong, filled with fierce determination, bit his lips to endure, but his eyes were already beginning to close.

They had been hunting for over twenty hours, maintaining intense tension in a life-or-death situation.

And it wasn’t just a matter of enduring.

Monsters continuously swarmed them, and upon entering the A-rank dungeon, a large number of monsters that could kill them with a mere touch appeared, threatening the party’s lives.

Yet, Kang Yuseong, as he had promised, pushed them relentlessly without any mercy.

For them, who had already surpassed their limits and were now challenging another, it was maddening.

It was a situation where a moment’s distraction could cost them an arm, a leg, or even their lives.

But their eyelids felt like a thousand pounds, their limbs wouldn’t move as they wished, and the Hunters were utterly miserable.

Clang!

But they had no choice but to move.

Before their eyes, Kang Yuseong was moving.

He swung his sword, ruthlessly cutting down monsters, and the Hunters, despite their extreme fatigue, had no choice but to follow him.

It was obvious that if they collapsed here, Kang Yuseong would leave them behind.

In other words, to survive, they absolutely had to wield their weapons.

Kang Yuseong glanced back, checking the Hunters’ condition.

The reason he pushed them so hard was simple.

During the Second Shock, an unimaginable number of monsters, far more than during the first Mega Shock, would pour onto Earth.

More powerful and numerous monsters would be controlled by intelligent special monsters.

If they had previously only fought monsters driven by primal instincts, the battle dynamics would completely change during the impending Second Shock.

The combat abilities of these creatures, controlled by special hormones, mirrored human tactics, and more terrifyingly, they possessed the ability to absorb and evolve human strategies.

They would devour human brains, fully assimilate the memories within, and then develop them further.

These entities, known as Monster Lords, would use their intelligence to control monsters and slaughter humans.

That was why countless nations would be shaken to their foundations after the Second Shock.

Compared to the situation that would unfold then, this was nothing.

At that time, they wouldn’t be able to eat, much less sleep, and countless situations would arise where a single misstep could cost them their lives.

‘Not yet.’

Kang Yuseong had planned this survival hunting as the minimum training required to endure the Second Shock.

And as expected, the Hunters were unable to overcome their physical fatigue, and their combat efficiency was rapidly declining.

However, after a little more time, they would experience something mysterious.

The human body, and Chakra Force, were truly full of unexplored mysteries.

When fatigue reached its peak, a moment would come when one would awaken and their mind would become clear.

This was a physical awakening, but the Hunters’ awakening was different.

When Chakra Force awakened, it rapidly recovered physical fatigue and strengthened the body so that fatigue could not be felt.

Of course, this period was not long.

At most, three days.

But for a Hunter, knowing this or not knowing it made a significant difference.

The more times one experienced awakening, the faster it manifested, and the longer it lasted.

That was why Kang Yuseong was now trying to give them a taste of that ‘awakening.’

Awakening was, after all, one of the most essential survival skills a Hunter needed to master.

Clang!

Kang Yuseong swung his sword relentlessly, slaughtering monsters.

The time for awakening had not yet arrived.

* * * * *

A-rank dungeon, D-29.

The attack unit, on its sixth day of survival hunting, appeared before it.

Kang Yuseong did not allow them to rest even during dungeon transfers.

They had to run during transit and enter the dungeon immediately upon arrival.

Hunters from other guilds would often cast strange glances at the attack unit, but Kang Yuseong paid them no mind.

Since no awakening had occurred yet, there was a need to push them even harder.

The attack unit, having arrived in front of the D-29 Dungeon, stood with expressions of utter exhaustion.

No, they were “standing” in name only; their legs looked precarious, as if they would give out at any moment.

“This is the last dungeon.”

Kang Yuseong’s words grazed their ears.

The last dungeon.

At those words, the Hunters seemed to regain some focus, but they couldn’t stop the overwhelming urge to sleep.

Some Hunters were nodding off, using their weapons as staffs, their eyes closed. Others swayed, and some even staggered and collapsed.

“Dungeon, entry.”

But Kang Yuseong was merciless.

Having pushed them this far, there would be no point in survival hunting if they gained nothing.

The attack unit members moved their feet with great difficulty. And all of them disappeared into the D-29 Dungeon.

* * * * *

‘Dungeon type, desert… I smell it.’

Entering the D-29 Dungeon, Kang Yuseong identified its type, his eyes gleaming as he surveyed his surroundings.

He had noticed a strange smell wafting through the air for some time.

‘This smell… it’s a Desert Sulfur Ray.’

A pungent, almost nose-stinging stench.

The kind of smell one would encounter in a volcanic region was emanating from somewhere.

In the desert, only one creature emitted such a smell.

The Desert Sulfur Ray.

A smile briefly touched Kang Yuseong’s lips.

The strong smell indicated that the creature was nearby.

It was a highly dangerous monster even in A-rank dungeons. A single mistake could lead to instant death from its paralyzing sting.

‘Good. In that case…’

The attack unit members were trying their best to keep their eyes open, but they were still swaying.

They had now reached their absolute limit.

A little more stimulation, and they seemed ready to awaken.

There would be no better opponent than a Desert Sulfur Ray to trigger their awakening.

– Attack unit, prepare for battle!

Kang Yuseong immediately sent a comms message.

Now, with them at their limit, was the opportune moment.

The attack unit members gripped their weapons with incredibly tired faces. Even in their semi-conscious state, Kang Yuseong’s command had the power to make them move.

‘Where is it!’

Kang Yuseong looked towards where the Desert Sulfur Ray was likely to be.

And he soon found it.

In the desert sand, he saw boiling hot sand.

Whoosh!

Kang Yuseong conjured flames in his hand.

Bang—

And a fireball instantly flew towards the spot.

Crash!

An explosion erupted, and black smoke billowed upwards.

“Kieeeek!”

Simultaneously, a giant ray burst through the desert sand, revealing itself.

Its body was roughly the size of a large school playground, and its tail was covered in countless spines.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

Greatly agitated by Kang Yuseong, the creature scanned for its attacker, then fiercely cut through the sand, charging towards them.

It was at that moment that a smile played on Kang Yuseong’s lips.

– Everyone,

The attack unit members gritted their teeth and tightened their grip on their weapons.

– Begin battle!

The moment the ray soared high in front of them, Kang Yuseong leaped into the air.

“Kieeeek!”

The ray foamed at the mouth, glaring at Kang Yuseong.

And at that instant, something astonishing happened.

Crash!

The Desert Sulfur Ray spewed the foam it had been generating directly at Kang Yuseong, who was suspended in mid-air, taking a direct hit.

Thud!

“Ca-Captain!”

Kang Yuseong, struck by the foam, fell to the ground and lay motionless.

“Kiaaak!”

The attack unit members looked at him with surprised faces, but then the ray turned its body towards the unit, spewing even more foam than before.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

And it lunged its body directly at the attack unit.

“Scatter!”

At that moment, Baek Myeong-han shouted loudly.

With Kang Yuseong down, the attack unit had to survive on their own.

They, who had been standing with extremely tired faces, scattered in all directions as if they had never been tired.

Boom!

The ray narrowly missed them as it swept past.

– Attack unit… eliminate the creature and rescue the Captain! Everyone, charge!

Baek Myeong-han seized the opportunity and gave the charge order.

Clench—

The attack unit members gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes burning with determination.

Now, their only way to survive was to defeat the monster!

“Uwaaah!”

They roared and charged at the ray.