The Evolving Threat

Lizard Men are C-rank monsters. They aren't particularly fast, nor are they exceptionally strong. At best, their size is roughly the same as a human's. They earned their C-rank largely because they inhabit the extremely annoying swamp environment and, though crude, use 'weapons.'

Kyaruk—!

“Ugh!”

But these ones were different. They weren't weak. If anything, they could be called strong. On top of that, their speed was on a completely different level from the others. Just moments ago, the students—who had been at a numerical disadvantage—had easily seized the upper hand. Now the situation had reversed. Despite holding the numerical advantage, they were locked in a desperate back-and-forth struggle.

“Ice Wall!”

A wall of ice rose up, wide enough to block three people. Taking advantage of the opening, Yu Dasom quickly moved toward an injured student.

“Over here!”

“My shoulder! Fuck, it hurts like hell!”

“Stay still! Moving makes it harder to heal!”

Normally, the correct procedure would be to pull the wounded to the rear for treatment. But the situation was too urgent, and Yu Dasom wasn't the type to stay in the back anyway. That was why Kang Hana continued casting attack spells while still covering for her.

Kek—!

The students finally managed to bring down a single Lizard Man. Yet four more still remained. Just as Baek Seojin had advised, taking intermittent breaks had been a godsend. If they had kept fighting without understanding the situation and run into this mess, accumulated combat fatigue would have led to far more serious injuries.

What the hell is going on? How can a mere Lizard Man withstand my magic?

This shouldn't be possible. Kang Hana bit her lip. Her freezing magic was strong enough to inflict critical wounds even on B-rank monsters. For C-rank creatures, it should have been impossible for them to even react properly. The earlier battles proved that. Even with relatively low-powered spells, the Lizard Men had been dropping like flies. She had even worried that the other students might run out of things to do.

But now…

Kang Hana quickly scanned the battlefield. Since she had conserved her mana, she had plenty left for area-of-effect magic. The problem was that the students and Lizard Men were too close together. It would be ideal if they could create some distance, but the question was whether the monsters would allow it.

“Doesn't this seem strange, sunbae?”

The female student handling healing from the rear quietly asked a question.

“Were Lizard Men always like this? This is my first time seeing them. They weren't this fast or this strong before.”

“It looks strange to me too. There aren't any obvious external abnormalities. Ah, maybe…”

When Kang Hana glanced at the girl, she shook her head.

“The examiner just confirmed it a moment ago. They are definitely C-rank.”

Examiner Baek Seojin specialized in support roles—specifically detection and measurement. Though the abilities he had displayed were unmistakably those of a seasoned combat specialist.

“Then how do we explain that…”

As she spoke, Kang Hana suddenly noticed something odd. Baek Seojin had been fighting alongside the students just moments ago. At some point, he had vanished from the front line.

What? Where did the examiner go?

Could he have been taken down by a Lizard Man? Kang Hana hurriedly scanned the ground, but all she saw were Lizard Man corpses. Besides, with Yu Dasom present, there was no way she would have simply watched if he had been injured that badly.

Surely not… No, no way. The examiner isn't that kind of person.

Both Kang Minsung and Ma Hakjun were extremely strict when it came to judging character. Baek Seojin had earned the trust of both old masters at the same time. Even Kang Hana herself was certain that Baek Seojin was someone they could rely on. So she shouldn't be having such ridiculous thoughts. There was no chance he would run away like those worthless bastards. There had to be a reason. That's right. If it was Baek Seojin—if it was the examiner—there must be a reason he left his position.

…That's it. Come to think of it, what about the others?!

She had been so focused on the immediate battle that she had forgotten the most important thing. In the current situation, getting flanked would lead to a catastrophic outcome. Yet even though the battle had been going on for quite some time, no other Lizard Men were approaching. Their kin were fighting for their lives, yet none of the other Lizard Men were coming to help?

Examiner. Don't tell me you're facing them alone!

Boom—!

As if to confirm Kang Hana's prediction, a tremendous roar echoed from not far away.

Just moments ago, the students had been leisurely cutting down Lizard Men. Now they were struggling far more than expected. The students weren't weak. They hadn't let their guard down. The change hadn't come from them—it had come from the monsters.

At first I thought they were a new variant or that their rank had increased.

Neither was the case. Their overall level had simply risen. During the early days of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Gate incident, the newly awakened ability users were said ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to have been much weaker than they are now. Then specialized training institutions were established, veterans provided instruction, and their level gradually rose to what it is today. The same process was now happening to the monsters. While humanity had absorbed the previous generation's lessons quickly and effectively through education, the monsters had changed through survival instincts—a form of 'evolution.'

In fact, I had debated whether to try making use of this. Monster evolution. When you think about it, it's a truly remarkable discovery. These were beings that had grown stronger without any increase in rank. And if such incidents were only going to become more common in the future, it could have been one of the few bright spots in my futureless life as a civil servant.

But the problem was that I was just an ordinary civil servant, not some monster researcher. I worked in an office job and had no reason to encounter monsters, so suddenly talking about monster evolution would obviously get dismissed. Even a passing mutt would probably bark, “Don't spout nonsense.”

Kiiik—! Kiruk—!

“Only look ahead! I'll cut off anything that comes in!”

“If it's too hard, don't hesitate to pull back! Don't push yourself and make it worse!”

The fortunate thing was that these Lizard Men could be considered 'transitional' specimens. They had grown one stage above the norm but weren't yet perfect. And the third-year students were performing far better than expected.

Not bad. Yeah, for now it's still manageable.

I pushed one Lizard Man toward the students. Since its back was exposed, it would soon be subdued. The problem was that the current battle was dragging on too long. Everyone's attention was focused here. On just five Lizard Men. Considering the battles up to this point, more could be approaching. And if those ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had also evolved, it would be a real disaster.

The anxiety I'd felt since earlier and this sense of dissonance—had they been warning me about the current situation? I don't know when I developed this kind of sense. It happened before too, this prickling sensation. Was it since I gained my trait? No. Come to think of it, it seems like it existed even before that. Like the feeling right before my boss threw a tantrum, or before a malicious complainant appeared. Or when I would urgently leave my seat right before a Gate opened.

I've always been good at detecting crises. If that's the case, then the real danger is only just beginning.

The direction the prickling sensation pointed toward was the complete opposite of the current battle. Something was coming. Very quietly, but unmistakably. I couldn't pull any more people out. The line here was already stretched thin. So I slipped away while the students' attention was focused on the Lizard Men and moved toward the direction where the worst premonition was coming from.

…Yeah. Sad premonitions always turn out to be right. Goddammit.

Not far from where the third-year students were fighting, in a place thick with reeds.

Grrrr—

I encountered the boss of this dungeon, the 'Alpha.'

When Ma Hakjun entered the video conference room, the Minister of Public Administration and Security and the Ability User Association President greeted him. Since they were all familiar with one another, they skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the main topic.

“The abandoned mine dungeon located in Sokcho, Gangwon Province. Do you all remember it?”

“If it's that place, I believe it's classified as A-rank.”

“Correct. It's classified as an A-rank dungeon. It's already been cleared several times.”

The Minister of Public Administration and Security let out a heavy sigh before continuing.

“An accident occurred in that dungeon. No, it would be more accurate to call it a tragedy.”

“A tragedy?”

Kang Minsung blinked and asked in return. Ma Hakjun had a similar reaction. The word 'tragedy' rather than mere 'accident' was difficult to accept.

“What do you mean by that? A tragedy?”

“Senior.”

The Ability User Association President answered the two elders' question.

“We received a report just moments ago. The team that regularly handled dungeon clears was completely wiped out.”

“…What?”

“What did you say?”

Both Ma Hakjun and Kang Minsung reacted with disbelief. Their expressions showed they couldn't comprehend what they were hearing.

“What do you mean, wiped out? And not just anyone—an A-rank team? Why?”

The nation's highest combat power consisted of S-rank ability users. However, they were extremely rare, and their movements carried enormous influence. In practice, the main force handling most operations was A-rank. Most Gates and dungeons that appeared were also resolved at the A-rank level. The last officially recorded S-rank Gate outbreak had been half a year ago. Therefore, in terms of real combat experience, A-ranks were by no means inferior to S-ranks.

“That's impossible.”

Ma Hakjun, who knew the capabilities of his juniors all too well, immediately shook his head and spoke to the Minister.

“Those juniors have abundant real combat experience. They know better than anyone what a single moment of carelessness can bring. A complete wipeout? Association President. Tell me the names of the team members.”

“Yes, Senior. All six fallen warriors were A-rank ability users. They consisted of weapon specialist Gu Tae-beom, martial artist specialist…”

One by one, the names of the fallen were listed. At that point, both Ma Hakjun and Kang Minsung let out sighs. The names belonged to juniors who were quite capable even among A-rank ability users. They weren't newly promoted A-ranks who were still B-rank on the inside.

“…Just what the hell happened?”

When Ma Hakjun, biting his lip, spoke up, the Association President answered.

“Not long after the dungeon conquest team entered, monsters began pouring out. As you know, if a dungeon conquest fails, the monsters escape outside. Upon learning of the internal failure, support was requested from various clans, and an investigation team of twenty A-ranks was formed.”

“And then?”

“They discovered a War Hound pack there, engaged in combat, and successfully defeated even the boss. However, according to them, the monsters' level had risen to a degree that was incomparable to before.”

At the Association President's words, Ma Hakjun let out another sigh. The anxiety he had felt since earlier was, unfortunately, not unfounded.