The Deceptively Quiet Path
11:20 AM, Siheung Intersection.
Thwack! The monster crumpled onto the asphalt road after taking a hit to the head from Unsa's spear shaft. Twenty-three monsters had already fallen to her spear alone. Adding in the rest of A-Team's kills, they'd surpassed a hundred.
"No more? Still, don't drop your guard!"
Tempest Lady issued orders to the sentries before extracting a core from the monster's corpse and crushing it in her fist. Crunch, crackle! Like popping an apple with sheer grip strength, she pulverized the core and let the fragments spill to the ground. Mana leaked from the shattered remnants, dissipating into the air. It was a smart precaution to prevent luring more monsters by carelessly collecting cores.
"Cleanup done. Whew."
The other heroes were doing the same, destroying cores from the monster corpses. Tempest Lady approached Unsa, who stood lost in thought.
"Team leader? What're you thinking so hard about?"
Unsa's gray bob swayed as she tapped the ground with her spear tip.
"I was thinking it's too easy. Up until now."
They'd covered nearly 10 km on foot. Skirmishes with monsters had popped up along the way, but for being deep into Seoul proper, the foes were underwhelming in both quantity and quality.
Tempest Lady glanced around.
"Maybe the villains hunted them all?"
"I disagree. For this point, the monsters are too weak. At minimum, B-ranks should be showing up."
But most of their attackers had been C-rank riffraff.
"I'm judging that someone—someone we don't know about—cleaned out all the B-ranks and above."
"...Could it be the dimension gates made the monsters eat each other?"
Unsa shook her head. The road was undamaged except where they'd fought.
"If so, this street would be piled with corpses. Monsters rampaging for cores, and the evolved superiors that devoured them—they should've swarmed us long ago. And..."
Unsa spun her spear at the intersection's center. The other heroes raised their weapons.
Kyaaack!!
Dozens of monsters charged from the opposite avenue. The sentries swiftly formed ranks to brace for the assault.
In a flash, Unsa dashed forward, planting a foot on a hero's shoulder.
"Team leader?!"
With effortless grace, she vaulted high, thrusting her spear skyward. White mana rose like smoke along its length.
"Hah!"
With a sharp kiai, the mana converged at the tip. Unsa whirled the shaft and slammed it down onto the road.
Boom!!
Asphalt erupted, engulfing the monsters. Unsa landed lightly, blocking their snarling charge, then thrust her spear.
"Fire!"
At her command, the marksmen unleashed mana bullets. The monsters, stalled by her shockwave, became pincushions from afar.
Kiiik...
Unsa tapped her watch after confirming the kills.
"Unsa here. Requesting death confirmation."
> HQ. No life signs from nearby monsters.
"Confirmed."
Unsa gathered mana at her spear tip. Cumulus clouds bloomed, enveloping the corpses.
Crunch! Crackle!
The clouds tore into the bodies like ravenous demons, devouring flesh and cores alike.
"Whew."
The clouds returned to the tip, mana flowing back into her body before dissipating like mist. Nothing remained but shattered road—no blood, no trace.
Tempest Lady summoned a breeze to dispel the lingering stench.
"Still scary every time. Your Devouring Cloud."
"It's perfect for mana recovery. Got me through a month solo in the Amazon once. Still got room to improve, though."
"You're A-rank. Everyone's betting you'll hit S next."
"Too kind."
Tempest Lady eyed Unsa up and down. The Yuseong Tech hero suit clung like a full-body leotard, revealing every curve—yet Unsa wore it without hesitation for practicality. Her sleek lines sparked envy even in another woman. After devouring so many monsters, Unsa's body remained perfectly toned, no flab in sight.
"......Team leader, you don't diet or anything, right?"
"Save the chit-chat for after the op, Agent Yang Seon-u. Don't you find this odd?"
Unsa gestured to the adjacent roads.
"This much racket should've woken every monster nearby. Since when was Seoul quieter than the Shin Seoul outer roads?"
"...Yeah, you're right."
Tempest Lady agreed. Unsa had deliberately blown up the ground to stir up hidden foes. Yet none came—from buildings, alleys, anywhere. Except straight north, their path ahead.
"It's weird. Like the monsters are guiding us north."
"Nah, you're overthinking."
"What do you think, Red Pine?"
The redhead turned at Unsa's question. A pine tree tattoo marked his neck.
"Why's a noble like Unsa interested in a criminal like me? Crushing on me or what?"
"Do you judge this normal? You're from Seoul, right? Hasn't changed much from the past. If anything, dimension gates increased the monsters."
Unsa ignored the taunt. Red Pine shrugged, bored.
"Fine. You got nabbed by that old Wind Elder geezer from the Three Sages."
"Your past doesn't matter. You were caught a year ago— was Seoul this monster-free then?"
"You're such a my-way-or-highway type. Conversations need back-and-forth—"
"Answer the question."
Red Pine blinked at her firmness, then replied.
"No. ...No way. Five minutes on any road, you'd hit a monster. Geumcheon was no different. Villains holed up in apartments here—too many monsters for hunting grounds. Hunters loved it."
"Understood. Thanks for cooperating."
Unsa tapped her smartwatch, calling HQ commander Shin Jin-gwang.
"Unsa here. Urgent report."
> What is it?
Shin Jin-gwang on the screen looked thrilled, smiles nonstop from the incoming kill reports.
"Monster spawns are abnormally low. Recommend splitting teams for thorough sweeps, even if it takes time."
> Don't question orders. Follow them! Join at Yeouido by 1 PM latest! Whole nation's watching!
"Understood. Proceeding as ordered."
Shin Jin-gwang irritably cut the feed. Unsa calmly updated the team's route on her screen.
"Per commander, advancing north on original route. Stay alert for ambushes en route."
"You good? Not pissed after that?"
Red Pine fumed at her poise, but Unsa strode forward calmly.
"No reason to. Commander's orders are absolute. Heroes follow in ops."
"Even if it shoves them into the fire?"
Unsa nodded firmly despite the jab.
"No commander drives subordinates to death. If the orders are wrong..."
She raised her spear again. Monsters charged from ahead.
"...We kill everything and make them right."
"Hah, hah, hah!"
Deok-bae arrived at the designated point, panting hard. From Seoksu Station to Digital Complex, he'd dashed every road, herding monsters.
Run like a dog, quick quick.
The Blue Feather on his shoulder whispered annoyingly. Deok-bae nearly crushed the mini-Phoenix, but their eyes met.
Rock lump. Weaker than me.
"...Kuh!"
The mini-Phoenix provided for him was far stronger—a "courtesy" from Phoenix in case heroes nabbed him.
"I ran plenty! Full marathon at least!"
"Yeah. So rest now."
Phoenix's voice came through the mini-Phoenix.
"What?"
"Subordinate No. 2's next mission?"
Deok-bae pulled the spirit stone from his rocky skin. It held more mana than at Doksan Station's Flame Giant shift.
"...You really mean do that? Not joking?"
"Put it in the plan 'cause it's doable. Fine. Filled the spirit stone to max—stronger than last time."
Deok-bae gulped, wedging the stone back. Warmth like a hot pack soothed him.
"Then I'm really hiding? Sleep inside till called? Crashing out?"
"Do you. Mini-Phoenix'll wake you when time. Even if it cracks your skull."
"......."
Deok-bae vanished between buildings without a word.
Deok-bae infiltrated the planned building. Through the lighthouse, I scanned the western heroes' path.
On expected trajectory. No big deviations.
The enemy commander routed the west team shortest north. Rail or highway preps were ready, but they stuck to regular roads—good.
"Coming up pretty safely, huh?"
Thinking long-term. Rails and highways need more repair focus.
I respected fighting on regular roads if battle was inevitable. Post-clear, Seoul would function again. The commander cared about recovery—reassuring.
So they'll never expect this.
"Lighthouse. East status?"
> Sticking close to expected route. Likely via Gwacheon to Dongjak, heading north.
"That's trouble. Time to start?"
I relayed orders to linked mini-Phoenixes. Cheonghwa-dan members at pre-set spots sprang into action.
"Guro-4, Guro-7 teams—initiate at positions. Release the 'hunting dogs' to lure heroes into traps."
"Gangnam-1 team. Same—unleash. Block mountain paths with monsters, force detour."
Members at sites moved on command. Grrr. Grrr.
They held leashes on beasts bigger than men: Doberman-like quadrupeds with scarlet flames like scarves around their necks. B-rank fire-attribute Hellhounds.
I'd folded humans and monsters into my forces. Not just locals—I commanded efficient fire-types. And trump cards that shouldn't exist here.
"Gotta use every resource, right?"
The Cube of the otherworldly god in my hand sparkled in the sunlight.