Unstoppable Barrage
The first to unleash its fury was the main weapon, the M61 Super Vulcan. Its massive barrels spun wildly, spewing an immense barrage of light energy bullets mercilessly at the monsters.
The sheer firepower shredded the front-line monsters into thousands of pieces, reducing them to dust. A massive empty space formed where they had been. In a single attack, over a dozen of the beasts vanished into thin air.
It was nothing short of overwhelming power. A world apart from the M60 he'd fired by hand. Taejeong's jaw dropped automatically at the result.
"This is insane?"
He'd expected it, but the attack was far stronger than anticipated. Thrilled, Taejeong immediately activated the flamethrower.
Shiiiiek!
The flamethrower's pipe, preheated from the main body, filled with extreme heat in an instant. Then, an unbelievable torrent of flames erupted.
Fwooooosh!
Ogre defeated.
Ogre defeated.
Ogre defeated...
Ogre defeated...
The flamethrower's power was so tremendous it drew curses from his lips. Compared to the old one—which felt like a toy now—the range was on another level. The fan-shaped blaze stretched over ten meters at a glance.
Even with the widened field of view from the mech, his forward vision was completely obscured. Taejeong didn't even feel the need to move; he simply pivoted in place while keeping the flamethrower active.
The monsters encircling him turned to ash and scattered in an instant.
"Is this even real?"
Less than a minute into the fight, the three hundred monsters had been halved. All Taejeong had done was test each weapon once. It was utterly mad combat prowess.
But he still had two weapons left untried.
"Alright. Next up, this one."
Taejeong aimed the launcher at a cluster of monsters. Simultaneously, a rocket launched from the mech's left arm.
Boom!
A deafening roar echoed as the packed group exploded into a bloody mist, debris flying everywhere. At the satisfying sight, a cheer escaped Taejeong's lips.
"That's what I'm talking about!"
The new weapon's destructive power exceeded his expectations. It was enough to wage war single-handedly. His Vulcan roared back to life, mopping up the rest in just thirty seconds.
Stage 1 cleared.
Guild Prestige +100 acquired.
10 minutes of maintenance time until next stage.
Current section ranking: 7th.
"This fast and I'm only 7th?"
Taejeong glanced at the top of the system window.
1st - Stage 1 (Clear) [LonelyWolf]
2nd - Stage 1 (Clear) [GaleWind]
3rd - Stage 1 (Clear) [Camila]
4th - Stage 1 (Clear) [MoonTear]
...
7th - Stage 1 (Clear) [WhatTheHellIsAllThis*]
...
811th - Stage 1 (Clear) [Kim Hyukjin]
The system window showed 811 people, including him, had cleared Stage 1. Among the top ranks, three were Koreans. The 300-400 range seemed dominated by them.
Checking the rankings sparked a competitive fire in Taejeong. With 14,000 participants in this section alone, how far could he climb? It was exciting.
"Still, first time out—probably can't take 1st. Not like I'm the only Hidden class. And what the hell, so many hunters?"
14,000. An astronomical number. And that was just one section. Factoring in all sections, non-participants, and those without guilds, it had to be over a million. At least.
While waiting, Taejeong checked his status window.
Lv. 301
EXP: 176,998,000
"EXP barely moved. No items either. Purely reward-based dungeon, huh."
Compared to entry, EXP gain was negligible. But he didn't mind. Competing with hunters worldwide for rankings was pure fun. Not a perfect measure of strength, but a rough gauge.
As he waited for the next stage, he suddenly remembered something untested: a skill.
1st Dimension Anti-Ground Mine
Blast Radius: 1m
Damage in Radius: -650
Mana Cost: 1,200 per shot
Max 6 shots/min
Cheonryong-1 Lv.1
[Multiple Launch Rocket]
Sealed Speed: 500km/h
Caliber: 130mm
Range: 3km
Blast Radius: 100m
Base Damage: 7,700-12,000
Mana Cost: 5,000
Max 12 shots/min
"Mine's poor cost-performance. But this MLRS... feels like it'll be nuts."
It was the skill he'd been most curious about since with Han Seol-ah. Insane range, area, and damage. What one-dealer class had something this dominant?
Deciding to test it in Stage 2, Taejeong summoned it early. A massive pole-thick pillar rose behind him. A hologram formed at the tip, materializing into a launcher dwarfing the mech.
"Whoa. What the...?"
Staring at the enormous launcher above, Taejeong questioned if it was real. Its scale was beyond comprehension from seated.
"Too big to take in at once."
He stood to view the base fully, but the top was still out of sight. He nearly dismounted for a better look when Gerard warned.
Do not step away from the mech.
"Can't dismount?"
Detaching feet cuts mana supply to the skill, deactivating the mech.
"Hmm, that's a shame. You don't know what it looks like?"
Gerard explained immediately.
The Cheonryong multiple rocket launcher has 36 tubes total. 12 are standard 130mm energy rockets; the remaining 24 are 131mm guided rockets.
"So 36 cannon holes on that launcher up top."
Tubes, sir. The 131mm guided energy rockets are an unacquired skill; lower 24 tubes locked. Only upper 12 tubes available, all loaded with standard rockets.
"Separate skill for that, huh. Damn, this thing's no joke. Launcher alone shreds everything. This size—won't it hurt me too?"
Protector armor has shields reacting only to energy rounds. Non-point-blank blasts cause minimal damage. Separate from monster physical attacks.
"Really? Using this won't collapse the room, right?"
Unsure of the exact power, Taejeong worried about the chamber crumbling. 1-2k damage was already too much; max 12k was unimaginable.
This chamber's structure is robust. Use freely; space won't collapse.
"Good. Let's try it next stage."
Just then, the alert for the next stage blared.
Stage 2 begins in 60 seconds.
Time limit: 10 minutes.
59... 58... 57...
Soon, a black portal reappeared ahead. Endless monsters surged out. Taejeong angled the launcher max and hit fire.
A launch sound rang; tube 1 fired a 130mm rocket straight ahead.
Shiiiiek—Boom boom boom!
A colossal explosion vaporized over a hundred prowling monsters. Dust billowed everywhere as kill notices flooded in.
Owl defeated.
Owl defeated...
Owl defeated...
"How many was that?"
102 monsters.
"Insane."
Truly staggering destructive power. One shot, 102 kills. But just the beginning. Tubes 2 and 3 fired next; by tube 5, the MLRS obliterated everything around.
Stage 2 cleared.
Guild Prestige +500 acquired.
10 minutes of maintenance time until next stage.
Current ranking: Section 11th.
"Cough. Cough. Urk."
Dust filled the chamber; eyes bloodshot, he checked rankings while muttering.
"Even this fast and 11th? How quick are the ones above?"
Faster than Stage 1, yet rank dropped. But no big disappointment. 11th out of 14k was huge.
"Stages ramp by 100 each? Clear kill 400, but radar shows 350 final—why?"
Taejeong alternated between display and stage kills. Gerard answered promptly.
Due to radar size and structure. Current 1st-gen prototype has narrow range; obstacles hinder detection. Weak signals miss rear monsters in overlapping frontal areas.
"Outdated, huh? Still useful for close ambush prevention... Huh?"
Taejeong's gaze fixed during Gerard's talk.
"That..."
Ahead, the stone wall had a massive hole, collapsed. From the five rockets. Dust settled, revealing it.
"What? Space beyond?"
Curious, Taejeong approached the hole and entered.
Stage 3 begins.
Rankings updated.
Current ranking: Section 1st.
"What the—?"
At the sudden alert, Taejeong checked rankings.
1st - Stage 3 (Prog) [WhatTheHellIsAllThis*]
2nd - Stage 2 (Clear) [GaleWind]
3rd - Stage 2 (Clear) [LonelyWolf]
...
1255th - Stage 2 (Clear) [Kim Hayan]
"What? Only me in Stage 3?"
Before doubt could settle, a black portal formed ahead.