Flames Ignite on the Road to Gwanak
"Huh?"
A prickling sensation irritating my nerves stabbed into my skin. I slammed on the brakes and focused on the energy pulsing from far away.
"Ack! Can't you drive straight?!"
Deok-bae, who hadn't buckled up, jerked forward violently. Just as I was about to call him out, my smartwatch blared wildly.
Weee-ooo-weee-ooo——
"Monster alert, huh. Gwanak Mountain? A Dimension Gate? Aigoo. Things are gonna get messy."
Deok-bae peered out the window and snorted derisively.
"Gwanak Mountain..."
It wasn't far. The shard of the god slumbering in Yeouido wouldn't up and run just because I was a day late. And if a Dimension Gate had opened there, hundreds of monsters would come pouring out.
I glanced at the crossbag on Deok-bae's feet, then floored the accelerator.
"Hey! The tires are gonna blow! Ease off!"
"We can reinforce 'em with mana! Let's see what this baby's got!"
Deok-bae watched the speedometer shoot past 100 in a hurry and quickly buckled up.
Chaos.
No matter the situation, Seung-hyung had to stay cool and rational—but right now, he couldn't sort out the turmoil in his heart. He shouted at the film crew staff.
"Everyone! Head west and run!"
His A-rank voice, laced with mana, finally calmed them down. Seung-hyung cleared his throat and yelled again.
"I'll hold the Dimension Gate! Hero Association backup will arrive soon. Get to Gwangmyeong City however you can!"
Gwangmyeong City hadn't fallen yet. With so few people, if they followed the road they'd come by car on, they could escape the immediate crisis.
"W-what about you, Seung-hyung?!"
The director hemmed and hawed, asking Seung-hyung's intentions. He looked deflated, probably because it was his fault they'd come all the way to S University, but a hero's sharp senses picked up his true feelings loud and clear.
"Sorry, but I can't help you right now."
Whoosh.
Red flames erupted behind Seung-hyung's upper body, forming a shape like a bear pelt draped over him—revealing exactly why his hero name was "Fire Bear."
"I'm heading straight to seal that gate."
"G-got it. See you alive!"
As the director bolted, the rest of the crew scattered to their vehicles. Seung-hyung approached Cheon Ga-eul, who stood frozen amid them with a pale face, and gripped both her hands tightly.
"Ga-eul-ssi, it's okay. I told you—I'd protect you."
Ga-eul's dazed eyes gazing at him regained their spark. She pulled her hands away, avoiding his gaze.
"...Yeah."
Her eyes fell to her high heels, chosen to make up for their height difference. Running downhill in those would be rough. Seung-hyung fussed and tried to take them off for her.
"I'll escort you to the van. No—to the station first. Just a sec—"
"No. It's fine."
Ga-eul's small hand pushed his shoulder. A hand half the size of his stood him up like a mountain.
"Seung-hyung-ssi, go seal the gate. That's a hero's job, right?"
"But—"
"I've got legs. If they hurt, I'll take 'em off. I'm good at running. You know I'm two years older than you, right?"
Seung-hyung couldn't help grinning at her clenched fists and fighting pose. Ga-eul puffed her cheeks, dropped her hands, then flinched as their eyes met.
"Ga-eul-ssi."
"?!"
Having lived with acting for over a decade since her child actress days, Ga-eul had an innate sense for human emotions. Her talent and effort told her the man before her was speaking from 100% pure sincerity.
"I'll seal that gate and be right back. If I make it out alive, there's something I really want to say... Will you hear me out?"
"Hmph, fine, I'll listen."
"Hehe."
Seung-hyung grinned like a kid, stood, and charged toward the mountain peak like a bear. Ga-eul, cheeks flushing from the intense emotions he left behind, headed to the parking lot without realizing it.
"..."
Ga-eul's nape was red.
Dimension Gate.
The countless gates the Castle Lord had opened from Terra to Earth. With the Castle Lord in recovery, control slipped, triggering random monster waves.
These Dimension Gates popped up everywhere, leaking alien mana reactions as a precursor. Humanity learned to detect this otherworldly mana—Terra's mana corrupted by the Unknown God—and apps on smartphones and watches warned people of the danger.
'And nearby heroes and hunters step up.'
A race against time. Fail to hunt the swarming monsters and destroy the gate fast, and stronger ones emerge.
Heroes seal gates to protect humanity. Hunters cross to hunt monsters for their cores.
'So I gotta clear it before any S-rank shows.'
With a gate open, even a sluggish government couldn't ignore it without sending Gwanggeom.
'Clashing with Gwanggeom now would suck.'
A hero hiding his power for some reason. If his identity leaked and he came at me full force, lives would be on the line.
His or mine. No plans to die or kill right now.
"So you're heading to Gwanak to cut loose? Thought you said handle Yeouido then lay low and build forces."
"It's a Dimension Gate. If an S-rank monster hits Seoul, I'm the one in trouble."
"Feels like you'd just burn 'em all."
I shrugged. The truck, blue flames flickering on its bumper, plowed into a monster leaping onto the road.
Bam!
"I could, if I wanted. But that'd piss off the whole world. Identity blown. You think I made Cheonghwa-dan for fun?"
Screech—!
I whipped the truck into a sharp right at the intersection, shaking off the monster clinging to the side. It rolled across the pavement and slammed its weak spot into the guardrail.
"Gotta collect those shards quick, but if enemies know I'm after 'em? Who knows—might hide 'em at the bottom of the Mariana Trench or rocket 'em into space. Real annoying."
"That's some serious paranoia."
"It's real."
The devs were nuts, basing each country's real rulers on infamous lunatics. Germany's chancellor was literally Adolf Wilhelm—no need to mention the others.
"Cheonghwa-dan needs enough power to take on a whole nation. In five years."
The truck jolted hard. A monster prying open a manhole got its face shredded by the reinforced tire.
"Could be America or Russia."
"...That Cheonghwa-dan sounds even more messed up than I thought."
"You're in it too."
I swerved the truck, smashing the guardrail. It plunged from the overpass, skidding across the asphalt ahead.
Screeeeech!!
Deok-bae gripped the frame tight, then whipped his head toward me and yelled.
"Hey!!!"
"I'm not deaf. Nav's taking the long way around the mountain, so shortcut."
The nav hesitated like its data glitched, then rerouted.
"Oh? Yeah. Punching the mountain shows the detour."
I closed the app, flung my senses wide open. A nauseating hum from an indescribable direction.
I pictured the last map from the nav and unbuckled.
"Alright, Jo Deok-bae-ssi. Get ready."
"Ready for what?"
Deok-bae scowled but unbuckled like me. I floored it straight, rolled down the window.
Kyaaargh!
Zombie-like monsters chased us down the road. Despite sensing my B-rank aura, they pursued—thanks to the A-rank core in Deok-bae's bag.
"...Hmph."
I tapped the wheel, pulled back my mana, then hit the brakes hard. The truck skidded to a stop before the dam, inertia shoving it.
Deok-bae braced like he'd predicted it, smug glint in his eye kinda pissing me off.
"Jo Deok-bae-ssi. Hand over the bag?"
I took the bag he passed, unzipped it. Shoved aside convenience store snacks, grabbed what I needed.
"Here."
"...Huh?"
I draped the veil over my neck. Deok-bae took the bag back, rummaged, and pulled out a glowing red monster core.
"What's this?"
"What else? An unsold A-rank core that tanked hard."
I spread fiery wings behind me, vaulted the truck cab, and swatted the charging monster.
Kyaaak!
The sudden mana burst scared them; they backed off growling, keeping distance. Drunk on the A-rank core's allure, but instinct recognized a stronger predator.
"Jo Deok-bae-ssi. As you see, these little orbs are monster magnets. Right?"
"Obvious at a glance. So?"
The surrounding monsters drooled, eyes mad. High on the core's drug-like scent.
"I'm off to seal Gwanak's gate. Oh? But pesky heroes are rushing that way. Identity leak would suck. Can't fully trust Korean heroes yet? Guess I gotta go! So Deok-bae, draw their eyes. I'll seal it quick."
"Pull aggro, in short. Can't say it simpler?"
"Yep."
I crushed the two orbs in my grip. Mana-laced strength cracked them, then—pop! They burst like balloons.
Deok-bae gaped.
"You... that... just now..."
"Hehe. Watch close. This is another of your master's powers."
Core shards floated above my hand, whipping up wind as they soared over my head. Losing original color, they took on Phoenix's azure flames—pure mana jewels.
"Spirit stones. Made 'em myself, but damn, they're pretty. Kinda wasteful."
Deok-bae's eyes glued to them. I stifled a bursting laugh, grabbed one, and turned to him.
"Subordinate No. 2. Time to be my guinea pig again."
"...Guinea pig? Hey, you don't mean—"
I answered with a laugh. The blue gem erupted Azure Flame, swallowing Deok-bae.
"Gaaack?!"
Deok-bae thrashed in agony. But the flames ignored his screams, wrapping his body, growing larger.
"Pain's temporary. You'll see the world differently soon. Hehe. Take care of the annoyances."
Confirming the flames forming a massive human shape, I bolted toward Gwanak.
"Kyaaak!"
"...Hmph."
A monster pack blocked ahead. Seoul's asphalt jungle beasts, stirred by stronger kin, fled in panic.
"Should collect D-rank cores to sell to Baek Sang-woo, but..."
Snap!
I snatched a leaping leopard monster's head. It flailed midair; I hurled it forward.
Kiek!
"Annoying..."
Mostly D-rank. Some C-rank mixed in, but all small fry I didn't care for.
'Gotta clean trash anyway.'
Seoul needed a full purge eventually—people or monsters, wipe the calamity clean.
Kyaang?!
Burn 'em, kick heads, yank claws and chuck into eyes. Torch blood splatters before they stain, push forward bit by bit.
'Crank output a tad?'
S-rank too much, but B-rank safe enough. I raised mana slightly, reached toward charging monsters.
Click.
Like flicking a lighter. Blue flames ignited on their bodies.
Kyaak!
They rolled in torment. I trampled corpses, leaped to a rooftop, sprinted straight for Gwanak.
Grrroooar!!
Burning every monster daring to charge the Phoenix.