Oppa Packs a Punch - 2

Whenever a Gate might open is anyone's guess. Tax-paying citizens could be in danger at any moment. That's why there are state-affiliated ability users. Their top priority is the safety of the people. The moment citizens start doubting the state's disaster response capabilities, the very framework of the nation begins to crumble. That's why state-affiliated ability users are filled with those who either have a deep sense of duty or exceptional skill. They are the first to be dispatched the moment news of a Gate outbreak spreads.

And if there are those affiliated with the state, there are also those affiliated with organizations. Clan-affiliated ability users are registered with the Ability User Association, receive minimal state oversight, but get far more management and compensation from their clans. They too prioritize civilian safety according to the fundamental principles of ability users. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠However, there's one additional factor: the clan's interests.

When Gates are cleared and monsters are hunted, rewards go to the ability users who fought. Usually, it's monster byproducts—extremely rare materials. These fill the clans' warehouses and determine positions within the clan. That's why clan-affiliated ability users throw themselves into battle with monsters more desperately than anyone else.

In other words, whether state-affiliated or clan-affiliated, when a Gate appears, they must be the first to respond. They also have no choice but to give their all in combat against monsters.

The problem is, they apparently never imagined a Gate would form inside the Suppressor zone. Even though the Gate has appeared, no ability users are in sight yet.

Just when the hell are these guys getting here!

It hadn't even been three minutes since the Gate appeared. Short, sure, but still—damn it! Is there really no one nearby? They should at least be on standby! Bunch of slackers worse than civil servants!

Baek Seojin screamed internally as he barely dodged the monster's charge.

Uwooooor—!

A medium-sized monster with the appearance of a massive bison but four eyes—Orox. The very creatures that had poured out of the Gate Irina had called a "hotbar." By her standards, it was definitely a hotbar. It had to be. The Orox visible over there were classified as C-rank monsters. Even their leader was only B-rank at best. Irina could wipe out hundreds of them with her pinky finger.

But this goddamn situation! I'm not Irina, and neither are these ordinary people! What the hell am I supposed to do when my trait hasn't even manifested?!

You're not playing around with monsters again, are you? This place is hell!

Fortunately, Baek Seojin's desperate plea seemed to have reached the heavens. Ability users began emerging from the buildings.

"Hey, hurry up! Block them so they can't move!"

"Any more? Damn it! Hey! Don't use the shield! Switch to Plan B!"

"Citizens! Evacuate immediately! If you can't leave, get inside the buildings!"

But their numbers were far too few. At most, only four of them. None possessed Irina's overwhelming strength. They were completely ordinary. In contrast, the number of Orox easily exceeded ten at a glance. Even if these ability users were C-rank like the Orox, it would be a difficult fight.

Irina needs to get here fast. That crazy woman is definitely messing around again—probably experimenting on how to not instantly explode monsters with one hit or something. Even after the Association warned her about it, she still does it. Yeah, a crazy bitch is a crazy bitch.

Thinking this, Baek Seojin did what he had to do.

"Go that way! Don't head to the main road! It might agitate the monsters!"

If he had a job to do, he would do it to the best of his ability. He wouldn't go against his own principles. Baek Seojin diligently guided civilians to safety.

"Hey, you little shits!! Over here, over here!!"

Meanwhile, the ability users who had taken positions began their work immediately.

"Hey, you bastards! Over here, over here!"

"Uwaaah! Uwooooor!!"

They shouted at the top of their lungs to prevent the monsters from heading toward the civilians, drawing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them in. Whether animals or monsters, loud noises made them treat the source as an enemy. Reacting to the noise, the Orox turned and charged toward them.

"Shit, they're coming!"

"Don't panic! Take them down one by one, starting from the back!"

The ability users scattered quickly as the Orox charged in unison. It was a close call, but no one had been caught in the stampede yet.

"Now!"

"Stab them!"

Once the Orox had charged past, the ability users sprang into action. They unleashed attacks on the ones at the back of the pack—the ones that had lost speed after bumping into others.

Uwooor—!

"No need to kill them! Just cripple their legs!"

It was a reasonable judgment. The Orox's threat came from their size and speed. If they couldn't charge, their destructive power would be halved.

"Got one! Next! Get ready for the next!"

The one who seemed to be the leader shouted urgently while watching the Orox's movements. They had to stop attacking and focus entirely on the charging monsters.

"Stop! I said stop! Hey, watch out!"

"Kghak!"

One person was sent flying by an Orox and rolled across the ground. They'd gotten excited while attacking the stragglers and momentarily lost their judgment. The impact seemed severe—he couldn't move properly. Even as the others called out desperately, he staggered, completely defenseless.

"Hey, Minho! Park Minho! Snap out of it, you bastard!"

Uwooooooor—!

The leader Orox let out a roar and charged straight at him. Maybe it was seeking revenge for its fallen subordinate. An intense will to crush the human before it could be felt. A terrifying killing intent was mixed in—I will definitely do it.

The moment he saw that, Baek Seojin moved without thinking. Whether it was heroic impulse or something similar, he didn't know. It didn't matter. At the very least, he had to prevent someone from dying right in front of him. With that simple, clear reason, Baek Seojin threw himself between the monster and the person.

And honestly, there was one other reason. He could feel that intense will to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠do something, and he couldn't just stand by. It was like he couldn't bear not to intervene.

Krrrrk—!

An A-rank monster, Basilisk. A single appearance could leave even A-rank ability users seriously injured. Among B-rank ability users assigned to support missions, it was known to produce fatalities. With its grotesque appearance, tough scales, and venomous fangs, even its supposedly weakest tail could kill on impact. There were more than one or two areas to watch out for. To ordinary ability users, it was more than enough to be called a disaster incarnate.

Krrrk—! Krrk—!

That is, if the opponent was an ordinary ability user.

"Ah, shit. I shouldn't have grabbed it with one hand. If I'd known, I would've used just my fingers."

Looking thoroughly disappointed, Irina swung her hand down with an "Aish!" The Basilisk's sturdy body burst into mush and scattered in all directions. It was a sight that would have shocked anyone else who saw it. She had grabbed and killed the Basilisk with her bare hands. No—she had simply popped it. It was one of the worst monsters that other ability users had to risk their lives against, yet this blonde beauty had crushed it like an ant while smiling.

"Ah. Boring."

Brushing off her hands, Irina began walking. The entire area was already filled with fragments of what had once been adult ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Basilisks. The fully grown ones hadn't been much different from their young. They had all met the same fate at the hands of a woman who was more monstrous than the monsters themselves.

I wonder if he's doing okay?

Stretching with a "Uueung!", Irina moved forward. Baek Seojin. An utterly ordinary Grade 9 civil servant. A Silver-rank examiner dispatched to the Academy. That was all the information she had gathered about him. If there was anything else worth mentioning, it was that he was an orphan.

'Not touching the parent thing is basic manners.'

Even Irina, who had a strong tendency to do whatever she wanted, couldn't act freely in front of her parents. It was possible thanks to parents who praised Confucian values more than anyone. Because of that, Irina had no intention of digging into the orphan part either. Even without that, there were already more than enough strange things about him.

Though weaker than her, he had survived being hit twice by Elder Kwak Hyuk's spear. And considering the people who kept gathering around him afterward, he was definitely not an ordinary man.

'I have a feeling. A pleasant feeling that this oppa is going to throw something really fun my way!'

With that thought, just as Irina arrived at the location of the second Gate—

Uwooooooor—!

With a mournful cry, a massive Orox flew past her side. It was probably the leader of the pack.

"Haa?"

A sparkle began to appear in Irina's eyes. She quickly scanned ahead. One ability user sitting on the ground. And several other ability users standing around in a daze.

'All of them are trash.'

Even at their best, they were C-rank at most. The type who blamed talent instead of putting in effort—people like that were everywhere. That's why Irina didn't look at them favorably.

'There's no way those guys sent the leader Orox flying, right?'

Leader Orox were much fiercer and more vicious. They weren't the type to offer no resistance until the moment they were thrown. And because they were leaders, their size was at least 1.5 times larger than regular ones. That's why they were the only Orox classified as B-rank. Those guys had sent one flying? Even a passing dog would laugh at that. Even a B-rank would struggle. Defeating one and toying with one were two different things.

'Then there's only one answer, right? Our handsome Seojin oppa?'

Grinning, Irina turned her head toward Baek Seojin. Completely unaware of the dangerous glint in her eyes, Baek Seojin was busy supporting the fallen ability user.