Within Half a Day
Gates harbor a handful of monster “series.”
The most representative of them is the Magic Empire series.
“They’re war weapons the Magic Empire once fielded,” the melee dealer explained.
Magic Empire armaments all die the same way: smash the mana core. Unlike living armor, the core isn’t randomly placed. In human terms, it sits fixed where the heart would be. The trade-off is formidable defense that makes the core hard to reach. Power drawn from that engine lets them rocket across the field and hammer out crushing blows. Same C-rank as ghouls, yet the difficulty sits half a tier higher.
“You know a lot about C-rank monsters.”
“W-well, I actually sat down with CEO Baek and studied.”
“Prep work?”
“If we’re going to support hyung, that’s the bare minimum.”
Unbelievable. I only handed over my contact info yesterday afternoon. He called them in for a meeting that same evening and even put them through lessons?
Director Baek Seonghyeon’s—no, CEO Baek’s—drive is something else. But why are these guys going along with whatever he says?
“If we stick with hyung, we figure we can grow right alongside him.”
“We’re not just here for support. We want to operate as a hunter team too.”
Well, if they’re fine with it, I won’t argue.
They have discerning eyes. Swearing loyalty to you speaks well of them.
Hohoho. I like them, Master. May I try teaching the one who uses magic?
I’ll float the idea once. I know Ingrid is the continent’s strongest witch, but the hunters who joined as support have no idea. If they refuse, I can’t force them.
My Lord, grant me the chance to teach as well!
Yes, yes. Suit yourselves.
The one who should be offering the rice cake isn’t even thinking about it, yet they’re already drinking the kimchi soup.
“Annihilate the enemy.”
“The mission given to us.”
Booster
Mana Crash
Mana bullets streaked in from range. The Magic Empire sentries, built for close combat, vented mana from their feet and closed dozens of meters in a single burst.
Crude.
Shhk.
Who dares cast magic before me?
Unique Formula — Solar Eclipse
Flame Bit × 2
Ice Bolt × 2
Modification – Extreme
Condensed azure mana bolts canceled out against white light. While Magic Empire Sentry B recharged for its next strike—
Too slow.
Body Enhancement → Mana Release
A bone blade punched straight through the mana core. Three of them made no difference. Even outnumbered by the party’s foes—
A machine’s movements are simple. Learn the pattern and they are easily avoided.
Brute force that only piles on power has no beauty.
The two retainers dismantled the Magic Empire sentries with ease. The only difference was how long each hunt took.
“Um, hyung-nim.”
“Something to say?”
“CEO Baek told us we absolutely have to do a strategy briefing.”
Wasn’t the briefing right after we entered the guide?
“We need to cover each type’s weaknesses and how to counter them.”
“Let’s just go.”
“Yes, sir.”
What strategy do we need? The two retainers will handle everything.
One disappointment: I couldn’t feel the effects of the Predation stacks.
Not a valid predation target.
Only living organisms can be consumed.
Tch. Doll weapons are off the menu.
We can’t even harvest vitality. Such a shame.
“Let’s finish the clear today.”
Today, you say?
“What, is that hard?”
Within half a day I shall offer the boss’s head to you, my Lord.
I’ll give it my all too!
Witch, keep cooperating as you have been.
Hmph. If I could use a wider range of spells I’d step in myself.
Ingrid focused on neutralizing attacks and applying pressure rather than striking directly, while Sir Isra tore across the battlefield and butchered Magic Empire soldiers.
The boss monster spoke with natural, human-like diction. Three meters tall. Four arms gripped a spear, a sword, an axe, and a dagger.
“The squad leader’s combat style is to overwhelm opponents with a variety of weapon techniques.”
Overwhelm?
Sir Isra snorted.
A pile of petty tricks is still just petty tricks. Before a true blade they amount to nothing.
Ten soldiers appeared behind the squad leader.
Witch.
I’ll handle the underlings.
I leave my rear to you.
Mana gathered in her feet and exploded outward in one burst. Sir Isra shot forward like an arrow and swung. One of the Magic Empire Soldier Squad Leader’s arms was severed before it could react, yet—
“Initiating intruder-elimination sequence.”
—it counterattacked without a flicker of panic.
Clang! Clash-clash-clash!
Sparks flew in a continuous shower. Even through the senses of the Heavenly Martial Body, the exchange was razor-thin. Slip past one strike by a paper’s width and the next weapon was already seeking Sir Isra. Without that first severed arm, weathering the barrage one-on-one would have been pure fantasy.
No—that’s exactly why she cut the arm. To stand toe-to-toe she had to remove one limb first. She saw the angle before the exchange of blades even began?
Unique Formula — Solar Eclipse
Ice Bolt × 12
Flame Bit × 12
Maximum Repulsion
Modification – Release
Opposing mana bound by the formula detonated all at once. A white flash bloomed, and four of the charging Magic Empire soldiers melted halfway away.
Master!
“Fireball.”
I hadn’t been sucking my thumb either. Proficiency past fifty percent. Using the knack Ingrid had taught me, I timed the mana release with blade-sharp precision and sent a sphere of heightened destructive power flying.
KWA-AANG!
A follow-up barrage destroyed four units.
“How much mana do you have left?”
A little under twenty percent.
Another big blast is out of the question. Close-combat Magic Empire Soldier A units were already closing in. Here I should—
Master isn’t planning to step forward, is he?
Of course not. The thought of waving a sword around hadn’t even crossed my mind.
Leave holding the line to the knight order.
“You have room to worry about that?”
Our minds are linked; I feel as if we are one body. It is fine.
Clang!
Sir Isra knocked a blade aside as she answered. The deflected sword twisted off course and slammed into another of the squad leader’s weapons.
“Unbelievable. Making the boss’s own weapons collide…”
“How is that even possible?”
“Hyung-nim’s summons are amazing no matter how many times I see them.”
Even I think they’re amazing. But this isn’t the time to stand around gawking.
“Fireball.”
I fired at the Magic Empire soldiers reloading mana bullets in the rear. KWAANG! Unlike the first strike, the damage was modest. They had spread out, so the concentrated firepower wasn’t landing as cleanly.
“Flame Bit!”
Leave the long-range harassment to me.
Unique Formula — Solar Eclipse
Fireballs collided with azure mana bullets. In raw power the Magic Empire soldiers held the edge. Ingrid altered the nature of her magic, canceling entire volleys with lesser force. That let me focus purely on attack without worry.
“Fireball.”
KWAANG!
One Magic Empire soldier melted down.
Kang! Kang!
“Guuuuh.”
“Guuuh. You shall not pass.”
The Armed Zombie Warriors used their massive frames to full effect, blocking the Magic Empire soldiers’ approach. Two against three. Outnumbered and slightly out-specced. Even so, perhaps thanks to the influence of the Heavenly Martial Body received from Sir Isra, they minimized damage with agile footwork and held on.
Around the time every Magic Empire Soldier B had melted under fireballs—
—all three remaining arms were torn free and a blade punched through the chest of the Magic Empire Soldier Squad Leader, who toppled backward.
The enemy commander has fallen!
Clear successful.
Rank — SS
Reward: 80 C-rank mana stones.
When we stepped out through the exit, Director—no, CEO—Baek Seonghyeon was waiting to greet us.
“What’s with the coffee cart?”
“I prepared it for you to drink, Hunter-nim.”
Isn’t a post-clear coffee cart something only famous hunters get?
“You don’t have to go that far.”
You should be saving the budget. This is the man who said his entire severance went into the contract fee.
Perhaps he read the meaning in my eyes.
“I bought this entirely with my own money.”
“What?”
“I am quite serious about brewing coffee. And now I have the chance to serve it to Hunter Park.”
The line from our meeting… he meant it?
“Will you continue raiding after a meal?”
“Yes. The timing’s awkward anyway, so let’s do that.”
“How was the C-rank gate?”
“Strong, I’ll give it that.”
If I hadn’t already raised Sir Isra’s specs, we would have struggled. We would have cleared it somehow, of course—but a high rank would have been out of the question.
“It’s your first time, so please don’t overdo it. Even so, with your skill, Hunter-nim, two days should be enough for a clear.”
“We’re already done.”
“Pardon?”
I pointed behind the questioning CEO. The blue rift was shrinking—the mark that a clear had been completed.
“Wh-whaaat…”
“It was pretty rough. We only got SS.”
“S-SS?”
“It’s an unbroken record after promotion. I’ll have to do better next time.”
A clear rank I couldn’t even dream of before meeting Sir Isra. Maybe because I’ve seen SSS a few times already, being short one letter left a real sting. The rewards differ too. Starting with the next raid, I’ll push the pace a little harder so SSS can pop.
I shall strive harder.
This maiden will also do her utmost to be of aid to Master.
The two retainers, still not returned to the death space right after the clear, answered in kind.
“Deciding to serve Hunter Park may have been the best choice of my life.”
Out of nowhere?
“A D-rank hunter solo-clearing a C-rank gate at SS rank… Hunter Park is almost certainly the first.”
“Those guys were with me. How is that solo?”
“Support teams are not entered into the record.”
Strict as a blade.
“Even if there’s no domestic record, there must be some overseas, right?”
“Not that I am aware of.”
I… see.
CEO Baek’s eyes burned hot. They looked ready to shoot lasers; meeting them was uncomfortable. Pretending not to notice that gaze, I filled my stomach at a nearby restaurant and entered the second gate.
Zombie warriors and skeleton soldiers. Monsters I’d seen before.
I can’t fill up on vitality.
Regret dripped from Ingrid’s thoughts. Getting high-performance items is nice and all, but why is she so fixated on absorbing vitality?
It’s a mechanism that doesn’t exist in our magic system. I want to analyze the activation principle.
Ah. I see.
“I’ll give you a chance to analyze it soon.”
Yay! Thank you, Master!
Stop chattering and do your job, witch.
Shhk—
The heads of the zombie warriors scattered into the air.
Gate cleared.
Rank — SSS
Reward: 100 D-rank mana stones.
Yes. This is how a clear should feel. Seeing three S’s lined up put my heart at ease.