Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Chapter 3. Descent of the Angel
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The streets filled with screams in an instant.
The initial chaos broke out on the sidewalks.
People panicked and started running. Vehicles on the roads, catching on a bit later, accelerated one after another, racing down the streets regardless.
No one was paying attention to traffic lights. Accidents began erupting all over the place.
Amid the hellish scene unfolding, a horde of monsters came swarming from beyond the wide eight-lane road.
- System Alert: You can check the monsters' ranks and types.
What good would checking do? I had to cut them all down anyway.
Even I felt overwhelmed at the sight. The monsters flooding the road were so numerous it was chilling.
Hundreds at a glance.
Most chased after the people fleeing through the streets, but a few smarter ones sniffed around and started smashing through building doors.
It was only natural that they grew more excited as people began screaming.
Before anyone could react, people started dying right in front of my eyes.
For now, I slashed at a monster lunging toward a man who had collapsed in shock nearby.
- Apex Holy Sword deals absolute damage to demons!
The head of the pig-like orc rolled across the ground. The man right in front of it, splattered head to toe in green blood, clutched his head and screamed.
- Warning! Insufficient stamina prevents the Apex Holy Sword from performing at full effect.
- Stamina is severely depleted with each swing.
- Potion effects will wear off faster.
And the merciless system messages popping up.
Just kill me already!
Damn it, my reset stats were holding me back. Instead of wasting time on that treadmill, I should have raided dungeons to build up strength. My wrist throbbed like it might give out after slicing just one lowly orc trash mob.
My burned palm hadn't fully healed and was killing me already.
To make matters worse, the man I'd saved just sat there, not even trying to dodge.
“Argh, I'm just a civilian... P-please, save me!”
“You just got saved.”
I grabbed his arm, yanked him up, and kicked his ass in the opposite direction of the monsters.
“If you want to live, run!”
“U-Uwaaaah!”
He bolted like his ass was on fire after the kick.
He tried to flee into the nearest building, but the shutters were already coming down. He pounded frantically on the descending shutter.
“Please, let me in! Open up!”
“Run instead of wasting time, you idiot!”
God, what a pain in the ass!
In the meantime, I sliced down another orc but couldn't ignore the strain on my wrist anymore and pulled a dagger from my inventory.
I'd kept the longsword for the Apex Holy Sword's effects, but swinging it around with my current stamina was impossible.
At least the Hunter Store headquarters and Eternal Guild were near Gangnam Station.
That meant plenty of hunters were already nearby when the Dungeon Break hit.
Hunters who grasped the situation joined me, weapons in hand, starting to fight the monsters.
“Block from there! We need to set up a defensive line!”
“Toss that truck over here!”
But there was bad news too. No matter how many hunters gathered, Gangnam in broad daylight was packed with people.
Those who couldn't escape in time were trampled by the monster horde, and monsters that breached the hunters' defensive line before it fully formed were attacking civilians.
That's when it happened. The guy I'd yelled at to run earlier came sprinting back to me with a pitiful expression.
“P-please help! Can't you just escort me to the building?”
“You think I have time for that right now?”
The situation was dire.
Hunters fought monsters while piling cars and vending machines on the road to build a defensive line.
I was busy handling the monsters slipping past up front while they worked, throwing poison-coated daggers at them.
It wouldn't kill instantly, but they'd die or weaken enough before spotting any humans.
The man looked desperate.
“B-but I haven't Awakened yet...”
“Stick around me like this, and you're dead.”
And he would be, if my hunch was right.
- Warning! Primary Monster Wave commencing. Monster rank restrictions apply (D and F-rank only).
- Primary Monster Wave activation time: 00:20:00
- Cannot leave the designated area during Monster Wave activation.
Sure enough, the golden announcement appeared. Groans of despair erupted among the hunters.
The man's face filled with horror as he read the system message.
“M-Monster Wave...!”
Even a civilian like him knew how serious it was, given the Monster Wave five years ago.
He was a hassle, but unavoidable, so I pointed toward the hunters, then spun my finger to indicate the rear.
“If you can't get into a building, run to the edge of the zone now. Monsters spawn in the center, so hold out there.”
“H-hold out how...?”
“We'll block here, so go!”
Scram already!
I considered kicking his ass again, but luckily he ran off sobbing. With luck, he'd survive.
I kept cutting down monsters while heading toward the defensive line being built.
Fixed dungeons let you escape by entering and clearing the mission inside.
Sudden Dungeon Breaks had no clearable mission. Instead, Monster Waves occurred, and you couldn't leave the system-designated zone for the announced time.
Survive until time's up—that was it.
Of course, easier said than done. The monsters pouring in during activation were endless.
“Damn! Zone restriction already!”
“No word on military entry? Without firepower, this is tough!”
“Zone's set—they can't enter till it's over!”
“This is the front line! We hold!”
‘Ah, shit.’
I wanted to tear my hair out.
Just 20 minutes. And already struggling against D and F-rank trash mobs.
Best strategy in this case: a mage or skill user with AoE hits the horde with wide-range attacks, protected by close-combat specialists.
It also draws aggro away from civilians via taunt effects.
That's why I'd come to the defensive line where hunters gathered—to find an AoE mage and guard them.
Anyone fighting monsters would think of it first. Protect whoever steps up.
But the hunters just eyed each other warily, picking off monsters from cover. No one volunteered.
Fed up, I asked.
“No one with AoE skills or magic?”
“No one's stepping up.”
“Huh?”
“If someone uses AoE in the first wave, how do we survive the next? No guarantee anyone'll keep protecting them.”
One hunter snapped back sharply.
I was stunned by the attitude.
I'd thought Korea's system was pretty organized from what I'd seen since returning... but on the front lines, the distrust among hunters was palpable.
It was common, though.
AoE skills and magic drained stamina massively, and waves usually went up to three, with longer durations each time. No safety guarantee bred anxiety.
In Tartarus, we'd sworn oaths via priests to protect combat mages and mercs...
‘No priests here!’
A blind spot I hadn't considered.
Even in Tartarus, it wasn't foolproof or instant trust, but it provided some assurance. Here, nothing.
I couldn't just tell someone to trust me with their life.
Plus, I wasn't confident protecting anyone right now.
What to do?
The makeshift defensive line held thanks to the hunters, but monsters were now breaching into buildings beyond.
Glass shattering, screams, the smell of blood.
Hunters looked miserable but still held back.
I bit my lip.
No choice?
I had to decide now. But my mental scales wouldn't balance.
- Primary Monster Wave activation time: 00:14:24
About 15 minutes till first wave ends.
My plan could get us through the first wave.
But then, truly no 'next.'
Second and third waves brought stronger monsters and longer times. If no one stepped up for the first, what about later?
Everyone scrambling to save themselves could doom everyone in the zone.
Then a bloodcurdling scream pierced my ears.
It snapped me alert.
What the hell was I weighing?
“Fuck that shit!”
Not doing it! I gritted my teeth.
“Open inventory...!”
That's when it happened.
Azure flames flashed like lightning across the sky.
White clouds tinted, then cleared, as something like a streak of light slammed into the monster horde beyond the line, like ants swarming.
KABOOM!
The ground split, debris flying everywhere. I reflexively cleaved a massive concrete chunk hurtling my way.
Someone shouted.
“It's Lee Woo-yeon!”
“Lee Woo-yeon the hunter!”
Cheers erupted. People on rooftops who'd evacuated whooped. Voices cried, “We're saved!”
Everyone looked up. I followed suit.
I knew who the 'Lee Woo-yeon' they chanted was.
Korea's undisputed top hunter. System Rank 2, Lee Woo-yeon. Nicknamed Monami.
One of the most recognizable rankers.
His drop to Rank 2 had been such a shock he'd dominated news this past week, so even I, clueless about Korea, knew his face unlike other rankers.
My first impression from screens: looks like an idol, pretty doll, probably huge online.
Something like that.
Honestly, his delicate features made me underestimate him inwardly a bit.
But seeing him now, I had to narrow my eyes slightly.
‘But that's...’
The real deal was different.
Because 'that' was descending from the sky.
“An... angel?”
A nearby hunter muttered. Dumb, but not entirely wrong.
Behind the man fluttered a massive pair of white wings shimmering gold.
Wings flapping gracefully as Lee Woo-yeon landed elegantly. One hand wreathed in lightning-blue flames, the other gripped a longsword.
Each swing of the mana-charged blade decapitated monsters, flames spreading to incinerate them.
The black swarm purified by fire, dying with horrific shrieks in seconds.
His face, lit by the blue flames roasting monsters, was strangely, strikingly beautiful.
Even from afar, his sharp features stood out like footprints in snow. Pale skin, black hair, yet vivid red lips.
“Uh... Snow White?”
I muttered nonsense to myself, and as if hearing, Lee Woo-yeon slowly scanned the hunter defensive line.
Our eyes seemed to meet briefly—probably illusion.
The winged angel-man made eye contact with no one, yet everyone, smiling brightly as he said.
“Alright, everyone fall back now.”
Sighs of relief, words of thanks flowed from somewhere.
A performance anyone would fall for.
But I knew.
‘Whoa, shit.’
I cursed inwardly.
That guy's a real sly fox!