Chapter 236 – The Strongest Reinforcements (1)

In the aftermath of the Great Gates.

Some nations had managed to destroy their gates, while others had failed.

Some, like Japan, were lucky enough to face a low-star boss. Others were unlucky enough to have a high-star boss appear and ravage their entire country.

While Korea was grappling with the existence of an unprecedented villain, other countries were on the verge of total collapse.

France.

A hunter powerhouse in Europe, home to a Global Ranker and many other famous hunters. Or rather, it had been.

France had yet to clean up the remnants of its Great Gate. Even now, its citizens were fleeing their homeland, which had become a sea of fire, seeking refuge elsewhere.

Reporters on the scene to cover the events were left speechless, witnessing a scene straight out of hell.

There were citizens pleading to the camera, searching for their families, and others wailing in grief over their loss. Some prayed fervently for the Union, with its global superheroes, to send hunters.

Of course, the French government was also continuously requesting aid from the Union Hunters. But the Union’s response was tepid. They claimed their forces were stretched thin from supporting other developing nations.

France had lost the power to defend itself.

Countless French soldiers had lost their lives. Awakened hunters, too, had fallen valiantly to protect their country and their comrades.

Now, only 20% of their hunter force remained.

Still, they had no choice but to fight. In this new era of Great Gates, there were no safe zones. Even the United States was in chaos, dealing with the daily onslaught of monsters.

But a single ray of hope shone upon them.

The man revered by French hunters as the true number one ranker, David Henri, had returned to defend his homeland.

Everyone knew that his strength alone would not be enough to resolve this crisis.

But his mere presence was enough to boost their morale.

No one felt this more than Yann Michael.

He devised the best, most optimal strategies for battle, but his forces were still being ground down relentlessly.

Had he not been there, many more hunters would have been slaughtered.

But he was exhausted by the situation, by the constant devastation wrought by that damn 6-star monster.

His was a position that bore the responsibility for countless lives, that carried the weight of sending them to their deaths. There was no way his sanity could remain intact.

David Henri did not come alone.

He was accompanied by Danny McGuire, the head of the Union Hunters’ Asian branch. Though it was only two people, their arrival briefly rekindled the courage of the French hunters.

The two lived up to their reputations.

Henri, now even stronger than before, stood at the forefront, smashing monsters to protect his comrades, while Danny supported them with his Legion.

Of course, the casualties continued to mount.

The situation grew more dire. France continued to plead for help from the international community.

There was no room for pride as a European powerhouse. France itself could cease to exist by tomorrow.

It wasn’t just the government; the plight of the citizens was truly horrific.

Did their voices finally get through?

Today, the European Union joined the battle on what was being called France’s last line of defense.

“Damn it. I never thought I’d be so happy to see your disgusting face.”

Yann Michael, France’s number one ranker, said as he looked at Emily Esilia, the number one ranker from the United Kingdom.

Emily scoffed in response.

“Seeing you sniveling like that, I almost wish I’d come sooner.”

“Damn it. You’re still late.”

The rankers of the two nations embraced.

“So, how’s being number one? You were stuck at number two for ages because of Jean-Pierre.”

“You were in the same boat, stuck at number two forever.”

Both had been perennial number twos, only rising to the top spot after the deaths of their respective number one rankers.

Jean-Pierre of France. And Oliver of the United Kingdom. Coincidentally, both had died in the eastern land of Korea.

“Damn it all, but thank you. Sincerely.”

At this point, he was desperate enough to accept help from anyone.

Yann revealed his true feelings, and Emily from the UK grinned.

The arrival of the UK, their rival and neighbor.

They themselves had only recently managed to subdue a 5-star boss monster and stabilize their own country.

A single 5-star boss could threaten a nation’s existence; it was a miracle that France, facing a 6-star, had survived this long.

“That bald guy still looks as tough as ever.”

“All humans are born bald and die bald.”

David Henri replied to the German ranker’s comment.

Germany, a nation they had once fought against in a world war; the UK, their rival and neighbor; and other support forces from across Europe had all gathered in one place.

The French hunters and soldiers who witnessed the sight wiped away tears.

The European Union forces looked upon the ravaged French warriors.

They too had fought difficult battles, but these people must have been fighting a battle with no hope at all.

Until now, the appearance of a 5-star monster had been a rare event, something you could count on one hand.

The Great Gates this time were the exception.

“We’ve brought plenty of firepower. Now let’s figure out how to deal with these monsters that even a MOAB can’t handle.”

Emily of the UK began the discussion, referencing the most powerful non-nuclear weapon.

The France she had seen on her way here was nothing but ruins.

Not even a nuke could take down a 6-star monster.

The reason was simple.

When they fired a MOAB, the 6-star monster, Fenrir, had simply swallowed it.

Everyone who witnessed that sight couldn’t believe their eyes.

The hunters gathered here knew this, yet they still came.

It wasn’t just a sense of duty.

This was not just France’s problem.

No one knew why Fenrir was touring only French territory, but it was clear that after France, the neighboring countries would be next.

If they were going to fight, it was more advantageous to do so on French soil, which was already in ruins.

Of course, France had no choice in the matter. In fact, they couldn’t be more grateful.

“Do hunter skills or weapons work?”

“They do.”

It was Henri who answered.

In terms of pure power, he was undoubtedly the strongest in France.

Coming from him, the words carried weight.

“That’s good to hear.”

“But its HP is insane. When you attack, a force field appears, but there’s no damage at all.”

Usually, an HP shield served to mitigate damage. But occasionally, there were monsters like this.

“It’s not an anti-barrier, is it?”

“No, it’s not. I managed to wound its toe once.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“Of course, the price for that was about a hundred of my comrades being eaten.”

A solemn silence fell over the group at Henri’s words.

It was a gruesome story, but the 6-star monster, Fenrir, was still growing stronger even at this very moment.

“Have you tried surrendering?”

“It would probably swallow the white flag, too. That thing has a huge appetite. It’s active 24/7.”

“Ha. It’s a wonder you all haven’t been wiped out yet.”

Its HP was tougher than anything they had ever encountered.

As the first pure 6-star, its strength was to be expected, and it never rested or slept.

But the most terrifying thing was that Fenrir was continuously getting stronger.

“Its minions have grown to a force of three thousand.”

“Damn it. Did that giant dog appear just to wipe out humanity?”

Three thousand monsters.

And it wasn’t just a horde of low-level creatures like goblins.

It was a grand army mixed with high-grade and elite monsters.

The appearance of a single elite-grade monster could paralyze a city. The beast was growing stronger, and it was even forming an army. It truly felt like a harbinger sent to destroy mankind.

“What about magic?”

“Same thing.”

“Poison or status-altering attacks?”

“No effect.”

“This is insane.”

It was a being they couldn’t figure out how to defeat.

As the grim discussion continued, the faces of the allied forces darkened.

They had come prepared, but they now realized that their current course would lead to nothing but a pointless death.

Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Emily spoke up again to change the subject.

“I heard a 6-star appeared in Korea, too. Didn’t they take it down in a single day?”

This was the second time a 6-star had appeared.

But unlike in France, the one in Korea had been subjugated in just one day.

Because of that, there were even rumors that Korea’s 6-star was a fake.

“Of course, a naturally born 6-star and an evolved 6-star are different, but it can’t be completely impossible. Henri, you fought back then, too. Is there really no way to beat it?”

Henri was the only one here who had fought against two 6-star monsters.

“It’s not that there’s no way.”

Everyone focused on Henri’s words.

‘If it weren’t for Vinnie, we wouldn’t have been able to defeat even the evolved 6-star.’

Because it had been subjugated in just one day, some people thought the evolved 6-star wasn’t as strong as they had imagined.

After all, some monsters were specialized for combat.

“We just have to hold out for a little while.”

“A little while?”

Emily questioned Henri’s statement.

“Yes. If we just keep pouring on firepower without engaging directly and wait, there’s a chance.”

“What’s the basis for that?”

They needed a strategy, a reason. A single wrong decision could lead to the annihilation of the entire allied hunter force.

If the people gathered here were defeated, it would literally be the end of Europe, so they had to be cautious.

“I can’t tell you the basis.”

“Ha! Yann, get a hold of your bald friend here.”

Emily’s face was filled with disbelief. The other allied hunters felt the same.

If any other hunter had said this, they might have called him crazy. But this was David Henri.

“Henri. Is there some method you haven’t told me about?”

“I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. But I can’t explain the reasoning.”

It was an absurd answer.

“Don’t tell me you’re expecting the Union Hunters to come help? Even with their official here, I’ll say it to his face: we all know what those Union bastards are like, don’t we?”

Scoundrels who, upon awakening, became drunk on their own heroism and developed a superiority complex.

Emily thought of Oliver, the former number one ranker of the UK.

A mad mage. A man who would conduct any kind of research if it meant increasing his own magic power.

Emily couldn’t bring herself to reveal the inhumane acts he had committed.

Demeaning a man who was a hero to the British people would only bring about a sense of loss.

They were called heroes who saved humanity, but they were becoming more like a band of criminals.

Though on the surface, they were an organization dedicated to world peace.

They were, in every sense, the ones in power, the ones who were revered.

Rumors had already spread that they had demanded an enormous price from France in exchange for salvation.

That was why Europe had formed its own alliance, separate from the Union.

Most of the people who had come here were anti-Union.

“Our bald friend here, did you get hit a little too hard by that giant mutt? Is this some ‘the sun will rise tomorrow’ kind of wishful thinking?”

“You don’t have to believe me. But right now, this is the only strategy I can think of.”

Henri’s standing here was not insignificant. When a man trusted by all, a hunter’s hunter, spoke like this, even the number one rankers of France and the UK couldn’t just dismiss him.

Finally, Yann spoke again.

“Henri, we are going through a very difficult time. Please, share as much as you can. It’s the only way to ease our anxiety.”

“Henri hasn’t lost his mind.”

At that moment, Danny McGuire, who had been silent until now, spoke up.

The only person from the Union Hunters here, and a man ranked 10th in the world.

“Ang. Is it about that friend?”

“That’s right, Dan.”

The two were having a conversation no one else could understand.

Everyone looked puzzled, while Danny McGuire was smiling, completely out of place in this situation.

“What, you should have said so sooner. So, that’s how it is.”

Danny was laughing to himself, looking pleased about something.

“Let’s wait. The ultimate tactical weapon is on its way.”

“Tactical weapon?”

“Yes. The strongest reinforcements are here.”

With both of them saying the same thing, everyone began to think it wasn’t just empty words meant to give them hope.

But no matter how many times they asked about the identity of this “friend” the two believed in, they could not find out who it was.

The next day, the 6-star boss monster Fenrir began to move, ready to devour the last remaining piece of France.