The Real Raid Begins
"No issues here. Good work, everyone."
After finishing their shift, Park Taemin's group gathered in the middle of the tents.
"We'll take turns keeping watch. If you spot anything, give the signal right away."
Kim Hana, the highest-level member, issued instructions to the group, and they scattered to their positions.
Taemin settled into a corner, eyes wide open as he stared into the distance ahead. The moonlight was bright enough, but the swirling snow limited visibility beyond a certain range.
Staring blankly at the blizzard, Taemin's mind drifted to old memories.
'Never imagined I'd end up in something like this.'
Just a short while ago, he'd been a regular part-time worker scrubbing griddles at a restaurant. Now here he was, in this unknown world, fighting alongside all these people. The realization hit him fresh all over again.
At the same time, the face of the woman who had awakened him flashed in his mind.
'If I hadn't opened that window back then...'
Staying up late that night had been a stroke of divine luck. If he'd fallen asleep a bit earlier or skipped opening the window out of curiosity, he'd probably still be slaving away under that sleazy boss, scrubbing griddles and hauling trays.
'Come to think of it, she said something weird at the end.'
Taemin replayed the woman's final moments. He couldn't recall exactly, but she had been filled with intense hatred toward someone.
"Something about destruction."
Muttering to himself without realizing it, a phrase suddenly pierced his mind.
The countdown to the end of humanity has begun.
"I remember now. Yeah, after I awakened, I definitely heard something like that."
The vague memory that had been teasing him finally clicked into place.
The countdown to the end of humanity. What the hell did that even mean? It was definitely strange. He'd never heard of anyone else getting a message like that during their awakening.
'Once the hunt's over, I need to look into this more.'
Deciding to check it out once they returned to headquarters, Taemin soon drifted off to sleep.
How much time passed? Taemin woke to the sound of murmuring voices and opened the tent flap to peer outside.
People were emerging one by one from their tents. A glance at his watch showed it was almost time to get up. The sun had long since climbed high in the sky.
Shaking his head a few times to clear the sleep, he stepped out and stretched widely.
"Ugh, looks like nothing happened overnight."
As everyone rose, Ha Jung-woo, who had been out the longest, quickly checked headcount.
"One, two, three... thirty. Everyone's here. Pack up your tents and grab some breakfast. We depart at noon."
After a simple meal and maintenance, they formed up and began marching.
Their destination was the ice cave beyond this ridge. Having covered a lot of ground the day before, they reached the final goal—the ice cave—without a single battle.
Standing at the entrance, Ha Jung-woo addressed the gathered hunters.
"Listen up, everyone. This cave right here marks the start of the real raid. Think of everything so far as just warm-up. From here on, even a moment's distraction could lead to disaster. Stick to your positions like your life depends on it."
Tension etched across the faces of the party members as they absorbed his words. This was the true fight now.
"Once we enter, the path gets narrow. Support team in the center—Teams 1, 2, and 3 take the front, Team 4 the rear. We'll clear as we go. One key thing: Ignore the small fry, but Ice Golems need special care. Avoid solo action if one shows up."
As Ha Jung-woo's briefing ended, one hunter raised a hand.
"Are we taking down the Kaiser today?"
"We'll assess after clearing the waves. Our goal for now is the plaza. Any other questions? Alright, let's head in."
Following the lead team into the ice cave, the hunters stuck close, scanning their surroundings.
The interior resembled a lower dungeon mine. Caves were caves, after all. The main difference: icicles and crystals instead of stalactites.
Once oriented, they split front and rear as planned, forming up.
The monsters appeared faster than expected. Less than ten minutes in, the front team's eyes locked on a pack of white-furred Smilodons.
"Monsters ahead. Looks like Marcs—over thirty of them."
At the lead team's report, healers and sorcerers began casting buffs. Dealers activated support skills, awaiting the attack order.
"Team 4, hold the rear. Support, back up the front. Charge!"
With Ha Jung-woo's booming command, warriors and knights surged toward the Marcs pack, power surging through them. Red-glowing greatswords and blue-shining blades carved arcs through the air.
Schwak!
You have defeated the Marc.
13,000 EXP acquired.
The Marcs were fairly tough, but easier than the previous day's foes. The narrow passage prevented multi-directional fights or encirclement.
Taemin, too, was slicing through them, his blades gleaming white.
Unlike other hunters aiming for big hits, he used short-range quick strikes. It looked random at a glance, but followed a pattern: left hand for stabs and slashes, right for sweeps and thrusts—a technique he'd honed on the hunt.
A Marc trading blows with him collapsed, shredded in seconds. Just ten seconds ago, it had lunged to devour him.
'Evasion's up, and my arm speed's faster too. Wasn't like this recently.'
The sharper his swings grew, the more exhilaration he felt. The monsters seemed laughably slow.
And Taemin wasn't even using Arrainba yet. Pure evasion-based combat, overflowing with margin.
Less than ten minutes in, the thirty-strong Marc pack lay dead.
They pocketed materials into inventories and resumed marching as if nothing happened.
Shortly after, a tense warning echoed from the front.
"Halt! Something's there."
Moments later:
"It's an Ice Golem."
Everyone froze. Ha Jung-woo stepped forward to confirm.
A massive, near-transparent ice hunk. Definitely Ice Golems—five of them. They hadn't noticed the group yet.
"Five is more than expected."
Ha Jung-woo's gaze darkened. These were the worst to encounter in a raid.
Ice Golems were leagues above field monsters—immensely powerful. One per team just to have a shot, and even then, full force was no guarantee.
Their magic resistance was insane; most spells bounced off.
As Ha Jung-woo pondered, Taemin eyed their stats.
'Defense at 1,490... Full buffs and crits might make it doable.'
Insane numbers, but his eyes brimmed with confidence. He still had aces up his sleeve unused here.
Even just Ambush would drop one instantly.
'Let's see how they handle it first.'
As the group gathered around Ha Jung-woo, Taemin followed.
"More than expected, but we can take them without casualties if we're careful. Passage is too narrow for full aggro, so tanks draw fire, dealers slot in gaps—that's the plan. Magic won't work, so mages stick to support. All ranged support except Taemin moves up front. Healers, hang back a bit for quick recovery on injuries."
Taemin shot him a puzzled look.
"What about me?"
"Guard the rear."
"Rear, not front?"
"Possible ambushes. Can't leave healers exposed if everyone's up front. You're the only one who can handle multiples solo—perfect fit. Plus, frees up just one spot."
"You sure about this?"
"Fought with less. Not easy, but we'll end it fast. Protect them."
"If you're that insistent... Be careful."
No monsters behind them, but he followed orders. First raid for him; Ha Jung-woo was the vet. There were reasons.
Separated from the combat team at the rear, Taemin awkwardly addressed the healers.
"They told me to guard here."
"Oh, with you watching us? Perfect for us."
"No worries then?"
"Thanks, Taemin."
Coincidentally, all the healers were women. Their warm response made him nod and take position.
The healers clustered around him. A chuckle escaped Taemin.
'Feels like they're guarding me now.'
SSS-Class Assassin Player