Chapter 45 – The First S-Rank Supporter (2)

The evacuation of citizens was underway, but the monster’s relentless advance brought only destruction.

A colossal monster.

An airstrike was carried out to hunt the creature, commonly known as a dragon. But it was ineffective.

Even without its hard scales, the dragon’s defense against firearms deflected all the missiles, causing them to detonate prematurely.

Witnessing this, the military’s high command fell silent.

It wasn’t that modern weaponry was useless against all monsters.

But against creatures that could block attacks like that, one had to use weapons infused with ether.

The price of magic stones, the raw material for ether, was so exorbitant that development costs were astronomical. And since it was a new material, it also took a long time.

In other words, aside from conventional weapons that used ether, there was nothing that could effectively damage it.

“We will transfer all operational authority to the Hunter Agency.”

Shin Chae-ho, the director of the Gate Management Bureau, received the command and gathered all available hunters.

It was unfortunate that such a disaster struck just as multiple A-Rank Gates had appeared.

Everything near Seoul Station was reduced to ruins.

Citizens who witnessed the event trembled in fear. It was no wonder they welcomed the establishment of guilds in their neighborhoods with open arms.

The rise in land prices near guilds could also be attributed to this reason.

Because neither the police nor the military could guarantee their safety.

-Posting a pic for proof. This is so f*cked, in real time.

└ You crazy bastard, run! LOL

└ How desperate are you for upvotes that you’d risk your life?

A photo in one post captured a scene with an apocalyptic atmosphere.

The area the dragon had swept through now looked as if a storm had descended upon it.

-Is the Deliveryman dead?

└ Looks like it, yeah.

└ This is how scary eighth-grade syndrome is. He thought he was an S-Rank or something and got himself killed instantly.

└ What’s with the attitude in the comment above? That’s harsh, talking about someone who died trying to protect people. Watch yourself.

└ The Deliveryman was cool as hell, running around saving people. Honestly, if he’d just tried to save himself, he would’ve lived. A whole mob of Hunters can’t even scratch it now, but the Deliveryman even cut off its leg.

└ Is that you, Deliveryman? Cut what leg?

└ Here’s the link. Watch the link and let’s stick to the facts, okay?

Two hours and thirty minutes since the dragon’s appearance.

Hunters and supporters of A-Rank and below gathered to contain the damage.

There were about seventy of them.

The first defensive battle. They launched a raid. But the result was catastrophic.

The dragon itself was a monster, but the spore parasites emerging from its body were steadily increasing in number.

In short, the hunters fought bravely against overwhelming odds but were forced to retreat.

Still, they couldn’t just stand by and watch.

The second defensive battle began. This time, they were joined by the military.

The military eradicated the parasites with overwhelming firepower.

Special forces risked their lives to protect the hunters, who in turn attacked the dragon with Ether Weapons.

And the result.

Seven hunters died, and over thirty were seriously injured.

The special forces suffered even greater losses. Nineteen were dead, and over sixty were seriously injured.

“Urgh.”

“Aaargh, my… my leg! Aaaah!”

The groans of the injured were incessant. The hunters watching them wore looks of despair.

Never since becoming hunters had they felt so powerless.

At the same time, they keenly felt how important S-Ranks and A-Ranks were.

“Damn it. What’s the point of having S-Ranks!”

A hunter with a bandage over his eyes hissed, but then his gaze met Seo Hyun-ji’s, and he clamped his mouth shut.

As the only S-Rank hunter present, Seo Hyun-ji felt the weight of the world on her shoulders.

She had joined the defense team and summoned all sorts of spirits to attack, but the dragon hadn’t suffered a single scratch.

She was filled with nothing but frustration.

She didn’t know why her powers weren’t working or what she should do.

Even if she wanted to ask someone, she felt she would only be chided with, “Shouldn’t you know better than anyone?”

“If only Team Leader were here.”

Someone else voiced her thoughts perfectly.

It was Kim Tae-yang.

As a regeneration-type ability user, Kim Tae-yang was still in good shape. However, lacking the calories for regeneration, he was busy stuffing something into his mouth.

“He’ll be here soon.”

Kim In-ho chimed in after Kim Tae-yang. But no one said what they were all thinking: that it was unlikely he would return.

They had called him several times, but he didn’t answer. All they heard was an automated message saying his phone was off.

The commanders on site were also repeating fruitless meetings in the face of the grim situation.

“There are no other options now. We can only wait for the elite hunters who entered the Gates to come out.”

The representatives of each guild held an on-site meeting. They had succeeded in eliminating a significant number of the dragon’s parasites, but it was merely a stalling tactic.

The overwhelming difference in power. They had to accept it.

“All we can do is evacuate as many people as possible and continue to avoid engagement.”

“The damage will increase, but we must keep it to a minimum…”

The course of action was nearly decided.

In the meeting room, a man in a suit with slicked-back, pomaded hair was tapping the armrest of his chair with his index and middle fingers.

‘Did something go wrong?’

This wasn’t what he had expected. He should have been contacted by now, but there was no response.

‘Did I push it too far?’

The thought briefly crossed his mind, but he shook his head.

The Hero he knew wasn’t someone who would die so easily.

His own legion wouldn’t have fallen to someone who could die so easily.

Synchronization Rate.

It was a value that everyone who came from the other world possessed.

An indicator of how much one’s new-world self and old-world self had become one.

In essence, a verification system.

Once that synchronization rate was restored, the Hero would regain his qualifications and power as a Hero.

‘Compared to what’s about to happen, this is just child’s play.’

The needlessly time-consuming meeting was finally coming to an end.

Just then, Im Jae-joon felt his phone vibrate and unlocked it.

-The Hero is on his way.

A smile formed on Im Jae-joon’s lips.

‘Yes, he has to come.’

He had gone out of his way to prepare a new weapon; it would be meaningless if the Hero didn’t show up.

Im Jae-joon raised his hand to draw attention for his statement.

“I understand all of your intentions. To help you minimize the damage, we are tracking the dragon’s movements in real-time via drones. As long as we can predict its path, we can reduce the casualties.”

Now that the actor had taken the stage, it was time to gather the audience.

***

-I will provide you with the dragon’s coordinates. And the weapon you mentioned will be ready for ‘delivery’ soon.

I was currently chasing the Earth Dragon on a motorcycle.

Leaving Karin behind in the ruins didn’t feel right, but it was also hard to abandon her when she insisted on coming along.

When I thought about it, she wasn’t an ordinary girl. She had experience commanding an army and a career of hunting monsters.

“So you’re like an experienced rookie.”

“What are you talking about, Ajeossi?”

“Nothing.”

A thought I’d been having internally slipped out of my mouth.

The sound of explosions grew closer. I heard that two defensive lines had already been broken.

It was inevitable.

The Earth Dragon blocks all long-range attacks. Physically, it defends with its hard scales, and it blocks ranged attacks with its field energy, making it the worst kind of monster. Of course, there was a way.

Its energy wasn’t infinite, so if you continuously made it consume its field energy, it would eventually become unusable.

‘There are other ways to defeat it, too.’

I could see the military using its firepower to hunt the Earth Dragon, aiming for the safest possible battle.

*Rat-tat-tat-tat!*

*Boom, bang!*

Support fire rained down from attack helicopters. Hunters ruthlessly cut down the parasites that swarmed toward them.

I wasn’t too late.

I could see some familiar faces over there. The Hwarang Guild was there, and so were my team members: Seo Hyun-ji, Kim Tae-yang, and Kim In-ho.

“Ajeossi, be careful.”

“Don’t worry. It’ll be different from before.”

Right now, my whole body was overflowing with power.

It couldn’t compare to my prime, but it felt like I could at least hold my own.

Once I got into the flow, my awakening level was steadily rising too.

Then, something unexpected happened.

“Huh?”

All the hunters were looking up. I was, too.

The government and hunters were currently luring the Earth Dragon to engage it in a way that would minimize civilian casualties.

But suddenly, the creature leaped high into the air. Then it broke through the encirclement and started running.

The bewildered hunters and soldiers gave chase.

“Don’t just chase it blindly!”

I shouted as I sped toward them. The Earth Dragon suddenly spun around and opened its mouth wide.

Fire Breath.

“Get back!”

*KRRRRAAAAAAA!*

A storm of flames that shook the very earth engulfed everything in an instant.

I instinctively gritted my teeth.

That attack had just caused massive damage again.

“Hey, when the hell is that weapon getting here!”

-It’s on its way! In six minutes and twenty seconds!

Six minutes wasn’t long. I had no idea where it was coming from or how.

Just then, I felt a sense of foreboding.

The Earth Dragon suddenly let out a great roar. A brilliant light began to emanate from its body.

“Damn it.”

A rank-up.

***

The hunters and soldiers stared, mesmerized, as light erupted from the Earth Dragon’s back.

Unless they were mistaken, those were wings of light.

“A rank-up…”

The brows of the commanders, including Im Jae-joon, furrowed.

There had been talk of monsters leveling up like people. But they never expected to see it so blatantly.

The dragon had now transformed from a disaster into a cataclysm.

It was impossible to subdue when it was a 4-star, and now that it had become a 5-star, there was no guarantee of victory even if the S-Rank hunters trapped in the Gates were to arrive.

Everyone understood without needing an explanation.

Without waiting for their commander’s orders, the soldiers opened fire on the evolved dragon. But the flying shells were blocked by something and melted away.

The dragon opened its mouth.

And it let out a scream that shook the earth.

Dragon Fear.

It was a declaration sufficient to reduce the humans, who had thought themselves rulers, to mere insects.

Low-level hunters wet their pants on the spot, while others trembled and collapsed.

Everyone on the scene was frozen, overwhelmed by the dragon’s presence.

The wings of light on the dragon’s back began to grow larger. It was now taking on the form seen only in fantasy, preparing to take flight.

That colossal monster would fly unopposed, slaughtering people. And if its parasites spread everywhere, the civilian casualties would be countless.

They knew this, yet no one could move.

“W-we have to run…”

“How can we fight that… It’s impossible…!”

They could only tremble in terror.

“Get off, this isn’t going to work.”

“Ajeossi?”

Worry filled Karin’s face. There was no time to argue.

Nothing is impossible for the Hero. But that was a story from the other world.

Because Karin was in contact with Hyunbin, she was aware that he had regained some of his power.

But he hadn’t regained all of it. He didn’t have proper equipment either. In such a situation, it was reckless, even for the Hero.

“They said a new weapon is coming. It’s worth a shot, don’t you think?”

Karin’s fine brow furrowed at Hyunbin’s optimistic words.

If she couldn’t stop him, she would follow him to the end.

Hyunbin possessed power. And with that power came a sense of responsibility.

Once, that responsibility had ensured Karin’s survival and growth. She was grateful for it then, but now, she hated it.

“At least take a buff before you go.”

“You can do that?”

“Once you get a taste, you’ll keep wanting more.”

Karin spoke with forced brightness as she poured a massive amount of magic into Hyunbin’s back. Her magic would protect him and heal him.

Of course, she herself would be left defenseless.

“Wow, as expected.”

Hyunbin’s lips curved into a smile.

He had Karin take cover, then started the engine again.

*Whoosh, whuff!*

The wings of light moved slowly. The beast roared once more, and people covered their ears, tears streaming down their faces.

At the same time, dark sub-spaces began to form all around.

*Kieeeek, kyeek!*

One by one, monsters began to drop out of the small gates.

The monsters rejoiced at the sight of their prey. They began to run toward the disoriented victims.

“Everyone, move!”

When everyone else was frozen, Hyunbin shouted. The first to snap out of it were Kim Tae-yang and Kim In-ho.

It was thanks to all the grueling training they usually endured.

As soon as he came to his senses, Kim Tae-yang was horrified by the sight of the pouring monsters and infused magic into his weapon.

Hyunbin took the lead on his bike. After imbuing his number 1 sword with magic, he charged head-on into the approaching monsters.

Kim Tae-yang couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

The monsters were sent flying.

The motorcycle slid across the ground, scraping the pavement as it slammed into the monsters first, followed by a single hunter who began the subjugation.