Beach Vacation ②
Unfortunately, monster assaults weren't easy to predict. There were cases where the dimensional rift spawning monsters could be foreseen in advance, but there were also times when it was completely unexpected until just before the rift erupted. Situations where the assault began without any warning were extremely dangerous.
After all, ordinary civilians could end up getting attacked by monsters with no protection whatsoever.
"Monster assault alert? Then we gotta evacuate, right?"
"Hey! But where do we evacuate to from here?"
"Huh?"
The beach was chaos, with people milling about in confusion. Most of them were tourists who had no idea where the shelters were.
The beach safety officers were doing their best to guide everyone, but since they hadn't received prior warning either, there weren't enough of them, and proper evacuation wasn't happening.
"Sis! Monster assault alert!"
"I heard it too!"
Miyeon burst out of the tent at Jinseok's shout. She was still in her swimsuit, but she'd grabbed her usual sword, and her combat-ready tension radiated a sharp aura.
"Whoa! It's Miyeon!"
"And in a swimsuit! Holy shit!"
"Eeeeek! Unni Miyeon!"
The crowd around the tent, despite the blaring alarm signaling crisis, lost their minds at the sight of Miyeon in her swimsuit and surged forward. They'd been waiting ages for her, but even so, with no sense of urgency even though no monsters had appeared yet, it was pathetic.
"Everyone! Hurry and leave the beach to evacuate! Monsters are incoming!"
"Unni Miyeon! You okay?!"
"Monsters attacking in a situation like this..."
Miyeon shouted firmly for people to evacuate. At the same time, Serin and Ye-eun dashed out of the tent in their swimsuits too. There was no time to change into combat gear since the alarm meant monsters were coming any second.
"Whoa! Check out Ye-eun's massive tits!"
"It's Serin! So cute! I'm moved!"
"Seeing Team Valkyrie all together in person. Ughhh."
The onlookers went wild at the sight of Serin and Ye-eun in swimsuits as well. Their cheers were so loud that Miyeon's urgent evacuation orders were barely audible.
"Wh-what do we do! This isn't the time to gawk! Run, damn it!"
Jinseok yelled desperately at the crowd. Team Valkyrie's appearance had unintentionally halted the evacuation. Even those trying to snap out of it and flee were stalled by the mindless fans cheering wildly.
Woooooong—!
In the midst of the panic, the dimensional rift was already forming. Out on the ocean surface a short distance from shore, space cracked with vibrations, and a gate spawning monsters began to open.
"Ugh! The gate's opening!"
Jinseok tensed up as the gate ripped open, revealing the monsters emerging from it. With civilians not even properly evacuated yet, fighting now was way too risky.
"Aaaah! M-monsters!"
"Run!"
"Where do we run?!"
Only after the gate fully opened and monsters poured out did the murmuring beachgoers finally try to flee. But it was already too late. Once you faced monsters head-on, escaping was incredibly tough—they were faster than humans.
"I'll hold off the monsters! Serin, Ye-eun—you protect the people! Jinseok, get everyone evacuating!"
"Got it, Unni!"
"Okay, Miyeon!"
"Yeah, Sis!"
Miyeon made a snap judgment. She charged straight at the monsters first, ordering Serin and Ye-eun to safeguard the civilians.
Everyone moved according to her command. Not only was Miyeon incredibly skilled, her cool-headed nature made her an exceptional combat leader.
"Serin! Put up a barrier to block the monsters!"
"Everyone! Get behind the barrier!"
Serin and Ye-eun combined their powers for a double-layered barrier. Both could generate barriers—Serin's pink one layered with Ye-eun's silver one above it.
It enveloped the entire beach, vast and sturdy enough to keep monsters out.
"Ooh! Getting help from Serin herself! I'm truly moved."
"Don't just stand there—run!"
Jinseok hoisted a chubby guy who was weeping tears of joy over Serin's aid and sprinted him to the road beyond the beach. The dude was heavy as hell, and a thick, greasy sweat stench wafted off him like pork broth.
"Here. Hurry to safety that way."
"Y-you! Yoo Jinseok! Trying to keep me from Serin?!"
"No! Just run already! Stop getting in the way!"
Jinseok dropped the guy on the road and yelled for him to scram. But the man, outrageously, flew into a rage and lunged at Jinseok.
Confused why the hell he was mad, Jinseok shoved him off. The pudgy, round guy tumbled away rolling like a ball.
Roll roll roll—!
"Ugh—! As expected, a normal guy like me can't beat a B-rank hero. I'm so sorry, Serin. This worthless me can't do anything right now. I'll awaken my own S-rank powers soon and come help."
"What the hell... Oh right. Gotta help more people fast."
Jinseok sighed as the guy muttered nonsense while rolling off to safety. He dashed back to the beach to aid those still stranded.
"Huff! Huff!"
Jinseok piggybacked the stragglers one by one, ferrying them out of the beach. Luckily, people were starting to come to their senses and flee on their own, but with crowds drawn by news of Team Valkyrie, tons still lingered.
"Unni Ye-eun, almost everyone's out, right?"
"Yeah. Just hold on a bit longer."
While Jinseok evacuated them bit by bit, Serin and Ye-eun held the barrier firm against the monsters. Maintaining such a wide, impenetrable shield wasn't easy, even for two S-rank heroes.
"Grrrrowl!"
Thud—!
Thud!
Boom—!
They had to keep repelling the monsters slamming into it nonstop. Fighting them outright might've been easier. Cold sweat beaded on Serin and Ye-eun's foreheads from the strain.
"Everyone, hang in there! Haaah!"
Shwick shwick shwick!
Miyeon charged solo beyond the barrier, single-handedly slicing through hordes of monsters. She darted like a blur, unleashing sword qi with every swing, shredding dozens at a time.
Miscellaneous low-level monsters were no match for her, no matter the numbers. But there were just so damn many—even Miyeon couldn't sweep them all easily alone.
"Grraaak!"
Squelch!
"Ah?!"
An octopus-like monster lashed a tentacle around Miyeon's ankle. She lost balance mid-sprint and tumbled.
Jinseok, who'd been glancing at her feats while rescuing people, jolted in shock as the monster struck.
The tentacle coiled around her body in an instant, squeezing her legs, crotch, and breasts tight.
"Sis!"
"Haat!"
Brushing off Jinseok's worried cry, Miyeon blasted sword qi, shredding the tentacle monsters to bits.
True to her S-rank prowess, Miyeon was dominating, but the sheer monster swarm made her look like she was thrashing in mud.
"Ngh! If only I could provide covering fire... Ugh. Gotta evac everyone quick and help Sis."
Jinseok hustled with rescues, but plenty of people remained. Plus, some idiots loitered on the coastal road overlooking the beach instead of heading to shelters.
"What are you doing? Get to the shelter now!"
"I-I gotta film Serin in action!"
The greasy-sweat dude Jinseok thought he'd evacuated was now parked on the road, smartphone out, filming Serin intently. He wouldn't budge even when Jinseok yelled at him to run.