Is Seoul Doomed?
Kang Cheol-ung, the leader of this raid team and an S-rank Hunter. As befitting a high-grade Awakener, he possessed a powerful physique along with the Super Regeneration ability, making him the undisputed strongest tanker in Korea. A healthy body keeps the mind at ease. Having conquered countless high-grade dungeons, Kang Cheol-ung was a man who knew no fear. The conviction that nothing in this world could pierce him! That was why—
'A magic-type monster or a corrupted spirit!'
Kugugugugung! Even as the ground trembled and the earth twisted, he maintained his composure. Taking a stance to charge forward immediately, he issued orders.
"I'll draw its attention, so get ready to counterattack!"
Tadat. With the shout, he kicked off the ground and rushed the boss. He surged toward the grotesquely undulating amorphous monster. Neither the heaving floor nor the crushing intangible pressure could halt his charge. The distance closed in an instant. The monster's form grew clearer in his vision. Within the writhing mass of mana, a faint humanoid silhouette existed. And something that appeared to be the figure's head locked onto Kang Cheol-ung.
"You bastard, that's far enough!"
Paaang— A sonic boom tore through the air. He drove forward a fist brimming with mana. At that moment—flash! An explosion erupted. Whether the boss's body itself was explosive or it had used magic, Kang Cheol-ung shut his eyes to protect them, analyzing and memorizing the boss's pattern in his mind. Feeling that the pain from the blast was nothing, he quickly regained his vision. Before he knew it, the boss had widened the distance.
'So it's not fighting back, but retreating?'
Heh. The corner of Kang Cheol-ung's mouth twitched upward. The matchup was clearly in their favor. All they needed now was timely support from the team. Glancing at his fellow Hunters—
Kugugugugung——— They were still being crushed toward the center by the intangible pressure from both sides. The A-rank Hunters were at least resisting, but the B-ranks had already been helplessly overwhelmed. Buried under piles of dirt and stone as the terrain folded inward.
Kang Cheol-ung's brows furrowed into an inverted V.
"Huh?"
They still hadn't deployed defensive magic? He had clearly disrupted the boss's focus. Kang Cheol-ung turned his gaze back to the boss and shouted urgently.
"Na Beomin! Are you even doing your job properly?!"
"Shit… The mana around here is all under the boss's control! I can't cast spells properly!"
Na Beomin, the S-rank mage and leader of the damage dealers, spat out a curse that was almost a scream. It meant it would take longer than usual.
'As expected. A boss specialized in magic.'
Grinding his teeth, Kang Cheol-ung prepared to charge again. No matter what, he had to prevent the boss from focusing on magic and give the dealers room to breathe. Tueng! Leaving a massive crater in the ground, he shot forward like an arrow. And that was—
———!!!!
Kang Cheol-ung's last memory.
"……Huh?"
Blink. Blink.
An unfamiliar ceiling. A pristine white space. Where was this?
"Ah. You're awake."
Kang Cheol-ung turned his head toward the voice. A woman in a white coat approached and spoke.
"To put it simply, you really do have the Super Regeneration ability. Fortunately, there are no abnormalities with your body, but I still recommend resting for a while."
"…Excuse me?"
Kang Cheol-ung sat up, a dumbfounded expression on his face. The woman gave a wry smile and added,
"The entire raid team survived, but many are unconscious. They kept their lives, but… honestly, they were lucky."
"……"
Kang Cheol-ung nodded blankly. After checking his condition a bit more, the woman said, "Call me if you need anything," and left the room.
Some time later, through a guild employee he knew who came to visit, he learned the full details. The boss's powerful magic had swept through all the Hunters on the raid team. While injuries piled up, when the distance from the boss increased—
"Hunter Na Beomin judged it was for the best and deployed defensive magic at full power, gathered the injured, and escaped through the exit."
"Hah…"
In short, they had barely escaped by turning one of the boss's patterns against it. Even though they were an elite force capable of raiding even S-rank dungeons! What the hell was this…
'Did I also get caught in that magic and lose consciousness?'
Because he charged too recklessly? It was hard to believe, but it felt like the rational conclusion. Frowning in disbelief, the employee spoke.
"The Administration is in emergency mode."
"Mm… This is going to be terrible for the guild's reputation."
"Will you attempt the raid again?"
Kang Cheol-ung thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"We got ambushed by the boss this time. If we fought fair and square, it might be possible… but the boss won't give us that chance. It's a cunning bastard."
"Then…"
"Tch, I hate to say it, but Korea's in deep shit."
His sincerity made the profanity slip out naturally. It was the declaration of an S-rank Hunter. The employee's expression grew serious as well.
Kkeueung, Kang Cheol-ung ruffled his own hair vigorously and said,
"A dungeon with mana stability under 5%. What we went through might not even be the tip of the iceberg. Maybe waiting for the break and intercepting it at the gate would be better."
At least they wouldn't be caught in an unprepared ambush that way. After adding that, he let out a hollow laugh, as if even he found it ridiculous.
Soon, Kang Cheol-ung picked up his smartphone and checked the news and reactions.
"……"
It was complete chaos. He scrolled through the reactions with his finger.
The place that grasped the news of Ilhyeon's failure faster than anyone was the Korean Hunter Administration. Because of that, the headquarters, now in emergency mode, was bustling nonstop. They urged domestic hunter guilds to participate, requested support from the World Hunter Association, and sent cooperation requests to neighboring countries and guilds—mobilizing every available means to clear the special gate that had appeared in Seoul.
"Haa……"
"Huu—"
Thanks to that, dark circles under the Administration staff's eyes only grew deeper. Overtime was expected, and with no rest in their daily lives as calls kept coming in. Answering one call didn't mean freedom from work. They had to contact other departments to check the situation. Even when lines were busy and wouldn't connect. Just when they finally finished something and caught their breath, another call came. It was an endless hell of work. A sight that would continue until the gate was cleared and vanished from the world.
Yet despite these efforts—
"Everyone's just watching cautiously and not declaring their stance……"
"This isn't the first time, but honestly, it's a bit much. Ha."
"Even though the predicted break time is approaching by the minute."
Haa. They let out yet another sigh. The reason was obvious. It was just that the situation made it hard to accept. They didn't want to send their precious Hunters into a death trap. After all, even Ilhyeon, Korea's representative guild, had failed. And in such a bizarre way! The lack of deaths was certainly good news, but rumors that they had been completely overwhelmed were spreading widely. Combined with the unprecedented nature of this special dungeon, it held them back. No guild was stepping forward to attempt the raid.
"Even so, it's Seoul. They'll step up before the break, right?"
"If they're not planning to flee overseas, they should!"
They sighed heavily. Then one day, when the data suggested there was still considerable time left before the average dungeon break period—
An urgent report came into the situation room.
- T-the gate is collapsing!
"What?!"
- Gate rupture! It's the same as a break phenomenon! Respond immediately!
The report that the boss of what was essentially an S-rank dungeon had suddenly appeared on Earth—right in the middle of Seoul! They immediately entered emergency protocol. Disaster alerts were sent out.
Beeeeep———!!