Chained Battles to the Flame Behemoth
The air changed the moment we crossed the gate. The scent of soil grew thick, and the wind split unevenly. Traces from last time had nearly vanished. The soot was faint, and footprints looked freshly covered and blurred. We advanced a little farther when a small shadow peeked out from between the bushes. It was a female orc. The moment our eyes met, it vanished as if folding its body, and leaves rustled in succession in that direction.
Shortly after, a low, spreading cry like a signal. At its end, the trees parted one by one, and a pack of Iron Bears revealed themselves. More than thirty of them. The Hyunmu front line formed rapidly ahead. Shields locked together with a short metallic ring.
“That female orc… it looks like she deliberately led them here, doesn’t it?” Jaehoon hyung said, glancing around as he searched for the orc.
“Yeah. We spared her, and this is how she repays us. I guess completely eliminating future threats is the right call after all.”
“Earlier, they were exchanging calls, and then they popped out right away. They’re in full revenge mode. Sparing them is one thing… but we’re also the ones who smashed their tribe, so I guess holding a grudge makes sense.”
“Still, this is a bit much. Damn orc bitch… can’t repay kindness but sure knows how to get revenge.”
Just then, five bears slipped out from behind Hyunmu Team 3. Iron Bears that had broken away from the front line.
“We’ll handle the rear stragglers.” Doyoon hyung twisted his foot and pressed down on the ground. The soil curled inward as if being pulled, and the bears’ ankles sank together. Their balance collapsed all at once. Electric arrows grazed over them, dropping two first. Three flame bullets followed, pushing through the leaves and spreading out, and the remaining three fell in succession.
Once the battle quieted, Jaehoon hyung powered up the mana stone scanner. Red dots blinked three times at short intervals.
“Jihoon, one here. And two over there. All deep in the chest. Be careful.”
“Chest again…”
“That’s the most annoying spot.”
I stood before the three corpses. Using psychokinesis, I pried open their chests. Muscles split, revealing metallic particles.
“Ah, they went in deep again. People might think I’m on the dissection team.”
The mana stones slowly rose and dropped into the backpack. I moved to the second corpse, lifting my dagger with psychokinesis as I examined it.
“Jaehoon hyung, this one’s completely behind the ribs. It’s not even deliberately hidden… why are they so hard to find?”
“That’s how it is. Monsters have different physiques too.” Jaehoon hyung shook the scanner and laughed. “Alright, one last one.”
“Hah… this is intense labor.”
We extracted the final mana stone and stored it. “Three recovered.” The supply team recorded the findings, and we reformed behind the Hyunmu line to continue moving.
Second fork. The left path showed wide traces of passage, while the right had deep claw marks. Team Leader Jang Tae-wook chose to enter along the right ridge. Midway up the slope, a small orc burst out. I sent my dagger flying and pierced its back, and it collapsed forward. Moments later, another similar one jumped out but immediately disappeared.
“Damn, missed it… It’s not going to round up more monsters like before, right?”
I retrieved the dagger and secured it at my waist. We maintained our pace to avoid breaking the flow. The slope widened. In the center of the ground lay a round scorch mark and lingering heat. A report came from the Hyunmu side.
“The terrain is uneven. We’re seeing orc cubs here and there. Stay alert.”
Then the wind came down from above instead of below. Dust rose, and short cries echoed in succession from the rock face. A pack of Night Wolves. Over fifty of them. Two female orcs and one cub mixed among them rolled down, spotted us, and immediately fled into the underbrush. The Hyunmu ranged team opened fire immediately, dropping the two orcs in front first. Soon after, the Night Wolves poured down from the canyon as if falling all at once. The sound of claws scraping rock echoed across the mountain.
Hyunmu Team 3’s front line took the full impact and held. Shields were pushed back then locked again. At that moment, ten wolves changed direction and leaped over the front line. Shadows fell over us.
“Rear! Ten breaking off!”
Doyoon hyung swept his palm downward, and the ground sank, tripping two wolves. Jaehoon hyung’s electric arrows passed through the upper line and dropped two more. Three wolves charged from the left in a scattered formation. Sorin blocked the first with a wind barrier and slashed its ankle. As the second lunged in, I sent my dagger flying and drove it into the shoulder, bringing it down. The last one charged straight at me. I hurled a stone into its jaw, knocking it back, then twisted the dagger into the gap in its chest.
Three more wolves came charging from the right. Team Leader Yoo Mira raised her hand, and a flame beam split into three rays that pierced through their centers. Their skin burned, balance failed, and they tumbled down the slope. Their cries cut off, and the slope below soon fell silent.
Once the battle ended, Jaehoon hyung scanned the area. “Jihoon, three reactions here. All in the chest.”
I opened only the necessary sections and extracted the mana stones. “Done. Three secured.”
While the Hyunmu team was clearing the area, red dust rose from the upper slope. Ash-like embers mixed in and drifted down. Team Leader Yoo Mira watched the upper area for a moment, then furrowed her brow.
“That’s… likely a flame-type. It might not match well with me, so focus on defense and hold formation. Don’t move recklessly.”
“Even if the team leader is fine… we don’t have flame resistance. Especially you, Jaehoon hyung—please don’t go too far forward.”
“Do I look like you? I’ll stick right behind Sorin.”
“Oppa! I’m the shield here, remember?”
“I don’t have flame resistance either.”
“Still, your wind barrier is sturdy.”
“Hmph. I’ll decide after seeing what Oppa does. Oppa’s barrier might suddenly weaken, you know.”
“Hey, Sorin! I’ll buy you something delicious later. Just do your best, okay?”
“Hmph. Everyone else, stay close to me too. The range is narrow, so be careful.”
“Got it, Sorin. We’re counting on you. But the team leader should be fine, right?”
“I can offset it to some extent with a flame barrier. Fire… can be suppressed with hotter fire.”
“Wow… as expected, an A-class flame mage’s answer is on another level.”
“That’s enough chatter.”
“Focus like Doyoon. We’re right in front of the summit.”
Doyoon hyung silently checked the surroundings. As we crested the final slope, Hyunmu Team 3 was already bustling at the summit, looking down. Moments later, we reached the summit as well. Below spread a wide basin-like depression, with light flickering in the center like breathing.
“That’s…”
In the middle of the basin, a massive black-rock-like body slowly raised its head. Crimson embers flowed through the cracks. The Flame Behemoth. Smaller flame-type monsters surrounded it, blinking like embers being lit and extinguished. When they looked at us, only the light within their bodies brightened slightly. They didn’t move.
“This boss… confirmed as flame-type.”
The Hyunmu team reformed their front line, and we positioned ourselves behind them. The entire basin glowed red. Lava flowed slowly around the Behemoth, with a narrow path-like strip leading toward the center. On either side of the path stood layers of blackened rocks, with broken flame crystals scattered in the gaps.
Then, black silhouettes raised their heads at the lava’s edge. Short flames leaked from their mouths. Flame Lizards. Three meters long, reaching waist height. Patterns on their backs glowed hot then dimmed. At first five, then ten, twenty… dozens poured out all at once.
Team Leader Jang Tae-wook shouted, “Close the front! They’re coming up from below! Don’t break formation!”
At that single command, Hyunmu Team 3 moved immediately. The assault team edged forward slightly, while marksmen and cold-attribute users took positions on the flanks. No words were needed. Their movements alone synchronized perfectly.
The cold-attribute user slightly raised their fingertips, and a chilling aura burst outward like ripples. Ice arrows scattered in succession, precisely piercing between the scales of the two lead lizards. Their light flickered dully, and they stumbled. “I’ll take the left!” the marksman said, quickly steadying their breath and aiming. Thud—a mana bullet grazed diagonally into the scale gap, and one lizard immediately lost balance and rolled sideways.
Then the water user’s voice rang out briefly. “I’ll put out the fire.” A cool stream of water covered their backs and mouths. Flames flickered and weakened instantly, and the lizards with diminished fire moved at half speed, as if bound. The assault team didn’t miss the opening. They pushed forward a beat, pressed the heads down, and cleanly finished them.
As the lizard pack momentarily thinned, Hyunmu Team 3 adjusted their front line again. That was when it happened.
“Left side! Ten breaking off!” A short alarm came from the Hyunmu side. The shield line holding the front tightened under impact, creating a small gap, and as if targeting it, ten Flame Lizards slipped out to the side.
Team Leader Yoo Mira immediately confirmed the movement and turned her gaze to us without hesitation. “Investigation team, prepare for combat. They’re coming this way.”
The lizards that raised their heads beside the slope charged straight ahead without slowing. The sound of claws scraping the ground came in rapid succession. Doyoon hyung lowered his hand and spoke. “Bind them first.”
All ten lizards’ feet seemed to press heavily into the ground at once, their bodies tilting as their charge abruptly halted. A short follow-up command. “Reverse.” Four were lifted into the air as if flipped. Their bodies hung at inverted angles for a moment. “Gravity.” In the next beat, all four slammed into the ground simultaneously. The sound of hard scales shattering spread out.
The remaining six charged straight at us. “Jihoon oppa, in front!”
I wrapped three with psychokinesis and lifted them into the air, binding them. The three suspended in midair struggled visibly. “Good! Just like that—!” Sorin’s wind blades drew precise arcs through the air. Shhhk—the three bound lizards had their necks, torsos, and waists cleanly severed and fell in a line.
“I’ll handle the remaining three.” Team Leader Yoo Mira’s tone was briefly firm. She swept her hand sideways, and a flame beam shot out in a straight line. The thin, scorching ray pierced through the three lizards like a laser. Their bodies split and collapsed.
“Cleanup complete.”
Looking around, only faint embers drifted—no more lizards were coming up. Below the slope, Hyunmu Team 3’s front line began moving again.
“Investigation team, you held up well!” Team Leader Jang Tae-wook raised a hand toward us from above. “Just a little more! We’ll finish here and head straight for the Behemoth!”
The cold-attribute user triggered another ice explosion, and the marksmen cleared the side flows. Hyunmu Team 3 began slowly advancing toward the Flame Behemoth. We waited behind them for the next signal.
And then—the Behemoth raised its massive body, sending a dense wave of heat surging upward.