Chapter 8: National Hunters in Uproar
The national hunters were buzzing with excitement. It was a standoff between Nam Gyuil and Han Kangsu. Left path or right?
Nam Gyuil pointed with his finger at something.
"See those footprints over there?"
Everyone turned to look at the clear prints stamped into the left path, vivid against the dust-covered floor.
In a clear voice, Nam Gyuil laid out his logical reasoning.
"Those are from 03 Team, who got here first. As you all know, 03 Team was wiped out except for one survivor—who's still unconscious. The fast path is too dangerous."
It was a claim backed by solid evidence.
At that moment, Park Taesu cut in with a sly grin.
"Hey, hey, Nam Gyuil. Let's just go with what our ace says, yeah? No need to pick a fight with Kangsu when he's got it all figured out."
Han Kangsu chimed in too.
"Don't worry, Sergeant Nam Gyuil. With me here, no monster stands a chance."
He thumbed at himself confidently.
"I'm strong!"
Nam Gyuil was at a loss for words. Especially with Han Kangsu—he wondered if the kid was right in the head. What do you even call this? Overinflated ego? Way too cocky?
With that level of bravado, he had no idea what to say anymore.
"I'll take the longer but safer path. No need to follow the one where 03 Team failed."
Nam Gyuil stuck firmly to his opinion.
Park Taesu frowned.
"Come on, why so stubborn? This isn't like you."
"Lives of national hunters are on the line. As 01 Team leader, I have to think of my team's safety too."
"Jeez, this guy..."
Sparks flew between Park Taesu and Nam Gyuil.
Then, out of nowhere, Han Kangsu wedged himself between them with an intriguing proposal.
"How about a bet?"
Nam Gyuil stared at him in disbelief.
"A bet?"
"We each take our preferred path—whoever beats the boss monster first wins."
Han Kangsu's suggestion was absurd. Even onlooker Lee Chanu had to speak up.
"What kind of bet is that? You think a gate's some walk in the park? And you're just a rookie who doesn't even know what a gate's like..."
Park Taesu stepped in for Han Kangsu.
"And who are you to raise your voice with team leaders here? Shut it."
Park Taesu might've been controversy-prone, but as 05 Team leader, Lee Chanu couldn't push back.
Nam Gyuil glared.
"Don't be rude to my team member, Park Taesu!!"
"Aigoo, can't even take a word."
Park Taesu smirked slyly, hands on hips, jutting his chin at Nam Gyuil mockingly.
"So, you in or not?"
"......"
Nam Gyuil fell silent. Truth be told, he wasn't thrilled. But teaming up with 05 Team in this situation was impossible.
"What do I get if I win?"
By hinting at acceptance, Han Kangsu grinned and pointed his index finger at the longsword on his back.
"I'll give you my 500-million-won longsword. If you lose, follow my orders without question from now on."
Han Kangsu didn't like Nam Gyuil. He saw him as a weakling barking like an idiot. With his massive pride in his skills, he always needed to seize control to feel satisfied. Things had to go his way, and he loved the spotlight. So when opinions clashed with Nam Gyuil, he provocatively wagered obedience on a loss—arrogance piercing the heavens. 01 Team grimaced.
Nam Gyuil nodded.
"Fine. But one piece of advice."
"Pardon?"
"Don't act like a spoiled young master inside the gate."
Nam Gyuil leaned close to Han Kangsu's ear, making sure he heard every word.
"Wh-what...?"
Before Han Kangsu could retort, Nam Gyuil led his team down the right path.
Lee Chanu pouted.
"That Han Kangsu punk! So damn arrogant. And his team leader acting like that too!!"
"Right? That's not how you behave."
Hong Shinu chimed in from beside him.
Lee Chanu snorted hard, jabbing at the air.
"Han Kangsu, you showoff! Enjoy it while you can. We've got Gyuil hyung on 01 Team! He's gonna regret it big time."
Hwang Ilsu nodded vigorously in agreement.
"Yeah, Chanu's saying something smart for once."
Hong Shinu added,
"Exactly. Sergeant Nam Gyuil is way better than Han Kangsu."
With his team hyping him up, Nam Gyuil waved it off.
"Hey, enough. No need to put me on a pedestal."
He pressed forward.
01 Team, taking the right path, walked for quite a while. Lee Chanu wiped sweat from his brow with his sleeve and asked Nam Gyuil,
"How much farther to the boss? Feels like over an hour."
"Who knows..."
Nam Gyuil halted, drawing the dagger from his waist.
"Right now, we've got these guys to deal with."
Ahead slithered long-bodied snakes. Nam Gyuil identified them.
Uraeus. Saw them in a monster book from the Akashic Records.
Uraeus hunted with neurotoxin, paralyzing prey—not lethal, but prolonged full-body paralysis was the issue. They'd constrict the immobile throat till suffocation.
01 Team raised shields.
Drip.
The humid heat and tension drew sweat from faces, drops trailing cheeks to the floor.
"Hiss-!!"
The Uraeus charged.
Nam Gyuil commanded,
"Form up defense! Circle into a round formation!!"
They obeyed, clustering in a tight circle with shields like a fortress wall.
"Watch for fangs—especially at your feet!!"
Nam Gyuil detailed every point. Teamwork was key in a circle formation: perfect roles meant unscathed victory, but one gap led to chain collapse and peril.
"Stay sharp!! No gaps anywhere."
He emphasized one last time.
The Uraeus reared up, baring venom-dripping fangs. Then they lunged fiercely.
Thud, clang.
Shields blocked the assaults. The formation held; attacks bounced harmlessly. Meanwhile, 01 Team struck throats with daggers whenever gaps appeared in the snakes, methodically thinning them.
The slow, safe fight seemed headed for clean victory—until Hong Shinu slipped.
"Kuh-!!"
Her inexperience let a Uraeus shove her back post-block. It slithered up the shield edge. Crisis.
Its eyes atop the shield pierced sharply. Hong Shinu chilled.
Locking eyes, one thought hit: I'm screwed.
Her face blanched, body froze—then Nam Gyuil struck. Dagger reversed, he smashed its crown. The blade's impact vibrated through the hilt against skull.
Crack-!!
Like snapping dry twigs, the skull split, piercing brain. One-shot kill.
"Hong Shinu, snap out of it!!"
Nam Gyuil bellowed. She shook off fear.
Relied on Sergeant Nam Gyuil again.
This couldn't continue. No more dragging the team.
Circle formation's perfect if flawless—but one lapse crumbles it fast.
Her fault nearly doomed them all.
Grip.
Hong Shinu readjusted her shield, vowing firmly.
No more mistakes—ever!!
Nam Gyuil glanced sidelong. Prolonged fights bred errors.
I'll cover them as they happen.
He clenched his dagger. Battle dragged on. Occasional gaps arose, but Nam Gyuil plugged them. The formation endured; no injuries as they felled all Uraeus, ending the first fight unscathed.
Lee Chanu panted.
"Huff, huff, huff."
He nudged a corpse with his toe.
"Whew, so many gross bastards. Look at 'em piled up—freaky as hell."
Then, one "dead" Uraeus's eyes snapped open. Lee Chanu realized too late.
Damn, one wasn't fully dead.
Relaxed guard, too late for shield. It sprang.
Shhh-!!
Nam Gyuil compressed mana into legs and shoulders, bulking calves. He leaped—dust exploded.
A blistering launch; the Uraeus couldn't react. Dagger arced sharply.
Puke.
Blade cleanly pierced crown, claiming life. Lethal strike. Blood dripped along the edge, clotting dusty.
The snake slumped dead. Crisis averted again.
"Lee Chanu!!"
Nam Gyuil roared.
"S-sorry! Let my guard down thinking it was over."
Lee Chanu owned up quick.
Nam Gyuil didn't scold further—just flicked his forehead hard.
"Ow."
"Be careful next time. Nearly gave me a heart attack."
"Yes, sir."
Nam Gyuil had them double-check kills for safety. Severing necks, something snagged his blade.
"Hm?!"
Scraping flesh revealed a purple stone from the Uraeus skull.
No way! Getting this here.
Cobra Stone—a material for poison resistance elixir. It rendered most venoms useless. Unexpected prize.
Lucky break.
After confirming all kills, 01 Team rested.
"Ten minutes, then move out."
Nam Gyuil ordered. Exhausted, they slumped against walls, wiping sweaty faces.
Nam Gyuil swept back his hair.
Even the weak-monster safe path's this risky—what's the fast-dangerous one like?
His gaze drifted left.
The left path—fast but monster-ridden. 05 Team encountered a bizarre beast in under ten minutes.
Ammut: crocodile head, lion torso, hippo lower body. It crunched something in its long maw—human flesh from the wiped-out 03 Team!
It devoured the corpse, smacking lips contentedly, then eyed the new humans.
"Wh-what the hell is that?!"
"Too damn big."
"Can we really trust Han Kangsu alone?"
Fear gripped 05 Team, voices rising. A monster that huge was new to them.
Ammut rose massively; they craned necks to see. Enormous.
"K-Kangsu!"
Park Taesu eyed him doubtfully—Can you really win?
Shing.
Han Kangsu drew his longsword.
"I can handle it alone. Everyone else, just watch."
Utter confidence. Park Taesu smirked faintly.
"R-right, if Kangsu says so. You lot, don't get in his way!!"
He yelled at his team needlessly.
Han Kangsu charged Ammut, unleashing mighty swordplay. Impressive power—the air whistled sharply.
But.
Clang-!!
Unexpected: Ammut gaped wide, clamping fangs on the blade.
"?!"
Han Kangsu's eyes widened. Blocked. Ammut's bite locked the sword immobile—no advance, no retreat.
"Kuh!"
Now Ammut held the sword, Han Kangsu dangling from the hilt.
Whoosh.
Ammut swiped a paw. Claws huge—half a man's head.
Han Kangsu twisted torso muscles like a gymnast, spinning around the hilt to dodge, then kicked its eye.
Thwack-
"Grah!!"
Ammut recoiled in pain; jaws loosened. Han Kangsu yanked free, landing safely.
Ammut glared through bleeding eye, pupils narrowing murderously.
Han Kangsu exhaled long.
This won't be easy.
His sword grip tightened.