Hunters' Rush and the Phoenix's Descent
April 4, 2020, 6:40 PM – Near Gwangmyeong City Hall, 'Hunters' Haven'.
Ability users are broadly divided into heroes or villains, but there are those who exist in the gray area between. People who have awakened abilities but don't operate as heroes. And yet, they don't use their powers for evil deeds either. Excluding a tiny fraction, those who don't align with either side make their living by hunting monsters with their abilities.
People called those who registered their abilities with the government and listed their names in the official database Hunters. They hunted monsters and sold the byproducts. The Hero Association scratched their heads over them but formed a symbiotic relationship under the common goal of "slaying monsters." This partnership shone especially during dimension gate outbreaks like this one. While heroes focused on closing the gates, Hunters handled the monsters that leaked out.
"Hey! Grab your gear!"
Kim Seong-o urged his fellow Hunters while double-checking his own equipment. There were countless Hunter parties based in Seoul besides theirs.
"Boss! The Association sent the map!"
At his subordinate's words, Seong-o tapped his smartwatch to open the map. It showed a top-down view of Gwanak Mountain, with red arrows marking the predicted paths of descending monsters.
"The Gwacheon crew's gonna have a field day. Tch."
Most monsters followed the human-made hiking trails southward and eastward. Those heading northwest toward Seoul National University were scattered but marked as dangerous for some reason.
"What's this? Hazard type?"
"Seems like it."
"This sucks. No cores means we're in the red this month."
Seong-o spat on the ground and climbed into the truck. Modified for instant response to monster attacks, such trucks were essential for Hunters.
"Hope a B-rank shows up at least..."
"Boss! Over there!"
Seong-o was about to curse at his subordinate's shout but lost his words instead.
"What the hell is that?"
A massive pillar of fire erupted from the south. The enormous blue blaze, dozens of meters tall, was visible even from their base 2km away.
"...Already spilling out monsters like that?"
Should he run? Licking his lips, Seong-o frowned at the new monster alert, then gaped.
A-rank monster detected near Dok-san Station! Extreme danger! Evacuate immediately!
Seong-o and the Hunters exchanged nods.
"Jackpot!"
The trucks heading for Gwanak Mountain swerved en masse toward the pillar of fire at Dok-san Station.
* * *
"Hah, hah!"
Cheon Ga-eul ran downhill without looking back. If she didn't, the monsters would devour her.
"Uwaaak!"
One filming staffer screamed and fell, shocked by the monsters' faster-than-expected descent. His fleeing companions, legs tangled in panic, couldn't even help him up. Despair hit the staffer harder than his sprained ankle—the betrayal of colleagues he'd shared meals with.
Vroom!
Starting with the director of photography, everyone piled into their cars and fled the parking lot. Watching even his own ride abandon him, the staffer swallowed his rage.
Then a hand grabbed his arm.
"What are you doing? Get up!"
A delicate hand he'd only seen through a camera lens. Ga-eul strained to pull the staffer up.
"Hey! Are you crazy?!"
"Help instead of yelling!"
The manager stomped, then joined Ga-eul to hoist the staffer.
"Can you run?!"
"Y-yeah, somehow!"
Dragging his injured leg, he had to flee. The nearest hero was heading to Gwanak's summit to block a greater threat.
"Lee Seung-hyung...! He could've just helped us first!"
The staffer whimpered. Ga-eul, supporting him, shook her head.
"If it were just monsters, maybe. But it's a dimension gate."
Humanity didn't know why dimension gates appeared or their true nature as links to other worlds, but they knew leaving one open meant worse monsters.
"Plenty of people still live in Seoul. He has to block it for them."
"And we die?!"
The manager yelled, sprinting to a van parked in the farthest corner. Ga-eul bit her lip, dragging the staffer along. Other cars had already fled to the main road.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Monsters had reached the campus grounds behind them. An orangutan-like beast pounded its chest from a rooftop, roaring.
Kya aaa aak—!
"Hngh?!"
The mana-infused roar knocked the staffer unconscious, black-red blood trickling from his ears.
"Ugh?!"
Ga-eul steadied her shaking body. Tempted to abandon him and leap into the van, she clenched her teeth, hooked her hands under his shoulders, and dragged him inside.
"Hurry up!"
The manager, frantic, fumbled the keys—trembling from tension or terror, failing the ignition several times.
Vrrrum— The low engine rumble finally kicked in. Ga-eul, summoning every ounce of strength to haul the staffer to the door, gasped at the manager.
"Help me, oppa! I can't do it alone!"
"What? What are you—?!"
Bam!
The monster leaped from the building nearby. The van jolted up then down; the manager panicked, shifting gears and yelling.
"Ditch him!"
Ga-eul froze in shock. Ditch him—use him as bait to escape.
"B-but..."
"No buts! The living survive!"
Spit flew from the manager's mouth. But Ga-eul's hands stayed gripped on the staffer's shoulders.
Rumble!
The ground shook as the monster charged. Ga-eul's grip faltered toward the door from the beast's pressure, but the manager floored the accelerator first.
Vroooom!
The van lurched forward; Ga-eul's hands clutched air. The half-in staffer tumbled out as the van spun and rolled across the lot.
"Ah."
Ga-eul slumped, watching the van flee emptily. Her manager of over a decade since child actress days abandoned her without a glance.
Grrr.
Trembling, Ga-eul turned. A deep purple-furred monster sniffed the air, eyeing her and the fleeing van alternately, now right before her.
Grr.
Was that a smirk? It crouched, then leaped skyward with a roar.
Kya aaang!!
Soaring higher than a district block, it landed squarely before the escaping van.
"Uwaaak!"
The manager swerved in panic. Arms outstretched, the monster body-blocked the van.
Screeech...
It skidded to a halt, barely shoving the beast back. The manager stomped the gas, but it wouldn't budge.
"Ah, uwa."
Through the window, their eyes met. The monster spat on the glass, grinning, then raised a fist high and smashed the driver's side.
Crack!
Something crumpled—not just the door. Ga-eul covered her mouth as the manager's limp left arm flopped out the mangled frame.
Grr. Gr.
The monster wiped blood from its fist on its fur, stomping slowly toward Ga-eul. Her legs buckled, strength gone.
Grk.
It reached into its crotch amid the thick fur, extracting a grotesque pillar.
"Urp."
Ga-eul fought vomit rising to her chin and turned away. Survival instinct screamed to flee, giving her superhuman will to turn her back.
Grk. Grk.
" "
But two more identical monsters blocked her path. Reality crushed her; tears burst forth.
"That's why I said don't come here, sob!"
She didn't want to die. She'd scraped every won to drag her parents to New Seoul. Why this?
Grk.
Their growls mocked her plight. Wiping tears, Ga-eul stood, heels reversed as improvised weapons.
"D-don't come closer!"
Grk-kuk.
Open mockery. Hands shaking, she brandished the heels.
Thud.
A massive shadow loomed. Turning, she faced a monster 2-3 times larger, glaring down.
It snatched her in a huge hand, hoisting her skyward.
"Aak!"
Even dangling, Ga-eul stabbed its hand repeatedly with the heel. No wounds, just glancing blows, but she kept stabbing till exhaustion dropped it.
Grk.
The giant flung her down. Tumbling on asphalt, shock wracked her; she coughed blood.
"Euk! Khek!"
Blood mixed in. Vision blurring, she stared at the approaching behemoth, self-mocking.
'I don't want to die yet.'
Memories flashed: a man far above her status, showing interest since the script read.
— No matter what, I'll protect you.
Maybe he'd come save her—like a prince slaying beasts for his princess. But reality had heroes, not Cinderellas.
'Of course. As a hero, blocking the gate comes first.'
She'd urged him on, pretending strength, prioritizing the gate over one life—for Seoul, humanity.
Never dreaming it led to her death.
'If I survive and see him again.'
She turned from the fist hurtling at her head.
♩♪♬——!!
A bird-like cry shook her eardrums. The giant exploded in flames.
"Phoenix Kick!"
A dropkick pierced the blast smoke into its chest. The behemoth rocketed into Gangnae-dong.
Bam!
Crashing through a building wall after dozens of meters.
Ga-eul turned to azure flames blazing before her, entranced.
Kya aaak!
Raging monsters lunged at the girl shielding her, eyes burning with kill-or-die resolve, claws raised.
"So slow."
Blue flame wings unfurled behind the girl. The gust alone hurled the leaping beasts like the giant, slamming them down.
"What, chaos attribute? No cores from these. Total dud."
Ga-eul couldn't parse her words. But the wings' warmth eased her tension unconsciously.
"In a rush, so... incinerate."
The girl snapped her extended fingers.
Snap.
Whoosh!!
Blue flames erupted from the monsters, ash in an instant. Even the 3m giant vaporized in one hit. Ga-eul reached for her.
"Hm?"
The girl turned, skirt grasped. Ga-eul blanked at the casually strolling blue-haired girl's face.
"Angel...?"
With that, darkness claimed her.