Rankers on Their Knees
Seoya sprinted swiftly toward the direction of the voices and soon spotted a group of about fifty people backed against the sea, surrounded by mutants.
Those are hunters.
And encircling them were a total of eleven mutants.
Eleven? That's fightable.
Not for those people, of course.
"Wha-what?"
"Over there…!"
As Seoya launched herself high into the air, some of the hunters finally noticed her. They locked eyes with her floating form and gaped in shock.
Ah, they probably couldn't see my face.
Those folks couldn't make out her features—just the sudden appearance and her outfit had startled them. A faceless figure charging at them dagger in hand? It could pass for a humanoid monster. Anyone would freak out like that, unsure if it was human or not.
Whoosh—
The instant Seoya landed smack in the middle of the mutant pack, her dagger sliced clean through one mutant's neck.
Thud.
She touched down softly on the ground without a sound and lifted her head.
"Ah, this is getting so damn tedious."
Killing mutants was always the same old routine—boring as hell.
Kieeeek—
As one dropped dead in an instant, the mutants seemed to realize Seoya outclassed them. They began slinking away from her one by one.
Running won't save you.
If they were human, she might've felt a twinge of pity, but Seoya had been taught from the start that mutants weren't living beings—they were pure evil, the antithesis of life itself.
No mercy for runners, unfortunately.
Seoya eyed the mutants splitting off to her left and right, five on each side, her eyes gleaming.
Slicing them one by one with a knife feels off.
She'd always fought however inspiration struck, but she did try to pick efficient methods.
Standing alone amid the black mutants in her pristine white garb, Seoya murmured softly.
"Ignition."
Blazing blue flames erupted from the earth, engulfing the mutants before they could dodge. Their ear-piercing, high-pitched shrieks filled the air.
Kirrruk—!
Kieeeek—!
Seoya stepped back from the scorching heat radiating even toward her and calmly observed.
Unreal blue flames, like something summoned straight from hell, danced before her eyes.
The mutants flailed their arms upward, emitting grotesque cries amid the inferno, but their half-melted legs offered no escape.
Finally, their bodies began melting away, slowly sinking into the ground.
Clink—
Clink—
In the spots where the mutants vanished, fist-sized blue magic stones lay scattered, tinkling as they bumped together.
How am I gonna collect all those?
Seoya pondered how to haul out the eleven stones.
Come to think of it, how had she managed with the previous ones?
Oh right, Gayeon unnie bagged them all.
Dungeons seemed to eject magic stones along with people when they broke. No need to grab them now—her guildmates would help later, right?
"Um, excuse me…"
As Seoya mulled over when the dungeon might shatter, one of the battered hunters—still slack-jawed from the spectacle—approached hesitantly.
"Who… who might you be…?"
"Uh, well…"
What should she say? Seoya? World Rank 0? Was her voice a secret too?
She fidgeted in silence, unsure, when a familiar voice rang out from behind the hunter.
"Hey, move aside."
A man whose face she recognized strode toward her with heavy steps.
Jet-black hair, pitch-black coat, an expression stiff and haughty to the point of annoyance—Go Heejae.
"I know who you are. Even with your face hidden, the vibe matches that time."
Go Heejae halted before her, casting a dark shadow over Seoya's head.
His clothes were grimy from time spent in the dungeon, his face etched with fatigue, but his sharp features and innate pressure still made him imposing.
Recalling his past bad blood with Neverending Guild, Seoya clenched her fist hidden in her coat sleeve—just in case. One wrong word, and she'd knock him out.
After staring at her intently, he finally spoke.
"Fine. I acknowledge it."
With eyes dark as night, Go Heejae enunciated each word deliberately.
"You deserve the highest seat in this world."
Go Heejae was no fool.
Like most hunters who'd survived over a year of action, he excelled at reading situations.
And right now, he'd grasped what had happened to him crystal clear.
He'd always assumed he held the top spot, untouchable.
Not anymore. That kid's stronger than me.
The moment he'd seen 'Seoya' battle the mutants, instinct told him: no matter what he tried, he'd never beat her.
Facing those horrific monsters, her mental fortitude didn't waver a bit.
She dispatched them without strain, utterly composed from start to finish.
Our starting points are worlds apart.
Go Heejae had never felt inferior at birth, but witnessing her fight made his own gifts seem worthless.
How high were her stats? Her MP or mental strength probably laughed at his challenges.
World Rank 0—now he got it.
Accepting someone stronger had been tough at first.
But if anyone's to rule this world, it has to be her.
Not just strong—overwhelmingly so. To shield people from catastrophes and deter other hunters, Earth needed an absolute powerhouse.
Beyond Dimensions
Name: Seoya
Grade:Unmeasurable
Ranking: World Rank 0th
Achievements: <Strongest in the Worldview>, <Shaker of the World's Roots>, <The One Who Will Return>, <Master of Hunters>, <Ruler of Humanity>
Skills: -
Ruler of Humanity.
It'd be weirder if he, a mere human, didn't acknowledge what the System endorsed.
Kneeling to someone? Unfamiliar territory for him. But for her, Go Heejae resolved to embrace all such novelties.
She rightfully belonged at the world's pinnacle.
Seoya stared oddly at Go Heejae, who'd knelt before her with those cryptic words she couldn't parse, when another hunter approached.
The brown-haired man marched right up and dropped to his knees with a thud.
His neat features clashed with his somewhat unpolished gait.
Gazing at the misty interior of Seoya's cloak—her face obscured—he spoke, his face beaming in stark contrast to Go Heejae's stern one.
"It's you, right? The new World Rank 0, Seoya."
Should I answer? Who's this guy?
Seoya stiffened awkwardly, but the man pressed on as if her response didn't matter.
"First off, our deepest thanks for saving us all."
"Uh, it was just… what needed doing…"
Unable to brush off the gratitude, Seoya replied awkwardly, voice be damned.
Na Seonghyeon continued in his ingratiating tone.
"I'm Na Seonghyeon, Korea Rank 2 hunter and guild master of WithYou."
"Na Seonghyeon…?"
Lee Gayeon had mentioned him before entering: WithYou's guild master Na Seonghyeon leading the Gangdong District dungeon raid team.
Was his System name Na Seonghyeon too?
As silence stretched, Na Seonghyeon smiled softly, as if realizing something.
"Ah, I changed my name. System doesn't allow updates, so it's still my old one there."
Right, Rank 2 was Na Manhyeon.
That must've been his name from two and a half years ago, when the System first appeared.
"Got something to say?"
Seoya asked bluntly, and Na Seonghyeon replied with an enigmatic expression that seemed almost bashful.
"You know what? You saved me at the most miraculous timing! I was just swearing to the heavens up there."
"Swearing what?"
Seoya looked down at him. His vibe screamed relief-induced delirium—not quite sane.
—Watch out for water, fire, people, ignore weirdos who talk to you, and…
Is this Na Seonghyeon guy the weirdo in question?
As Seoya seriously debated heeding Lee Gayeon's advice, Na Seonghyeon grinned with a hint of mania.
"If you save me, I'll give you everything I have."