Chapter 23
I can do this too.
An anomaly similar to a Gate. It continuously releases high-density mana, eroding the surrounding terrain and transforming it into an otherworld.
Unlike standard Gates, physical entry is impossible. Monsters do not emerge from within — instead, they spawn directly from the corrupted ground.
The Erosion Core is fundamentally similar to a Gate. Both act as passages connecting our world to another realm. But there's one crucial difference: it doesn't create a physical pathway. That's why entering it like a normal Gate is impossible, and monsters don't pour out from inside. Yet in some cases, its danger far exceeds that of an Outbreak Gate.
An Erosion Core constantly emits high-density mana, gradually transforming the surrounding area into an otherworld. In other words, the terrain slowly turns into something like the inside of a Gate.
"Grrrrk..."
"Kaaaaah!!"
The asphalt cracked and split as otherworldly soil erupted from below. Monsters began appearing one by one from that corrupted ground. The creatures stepped onto crushed cars, sniffing the air for the scent of humans. Since the event was just ending, quite a few people were still scattered throughout the parking lot.
"GRAAAAAH!!"
With a monstrous roar, a wolf-like creature charged straight toward the terrified crowd. Just as its fangs and claws were about to tear into the frozen people—
Clang—!
The incoming teeth and claws slammed into something invisible and bounced away. One wolf even shattered its own fangs from the force of its bite, blood spraying everywhere.
What protected them was a translucent Barrier.
Whoosh— Thud!!
A glowing blue arrow flew in right after, piercing straight through the wolf monster's eye. While the creature thrashed in agony, the civilians finally snapped out of their panic and began to flee.
"Hurry and take shelter inside the building!!" I shouted while nocking another arrow.
Bang bang bang bang bang—!!
Five arrows streaked out at high speed, tearing through the wolf's vital organs and ending its life.
The reason Erosion Cores are so dangerous is exactly this. Every second you waste stalling, the corrupted terrain keeps expanding. The wider the affected area grows, the more ground you have to defend and the more monsters spawn. If you don't suppress it quickly, the situation becomes a massive headache.
Thankfully, this was the parking lot of a hunter-related event. Plenty of hunters were already gathered here, so a proper response should come soon.
I ducked behind an SUV and stretched out my right arm.
"Come out, Hawk!!"
Yellow mana immediately bloomed above my palm, condensing into the shape of a majestic eagle.
"Hawk! Fly high and tell me the positions of all the nearby monsters!"
Kiruruk—!
With a sharp cry, Hawk shot into the sky. At the same time, his thoughts began flowing into me through our mental link.
...Six wolf monsters... They haven't spread out too far yet... Nice!
Luckily, the number of monsters wasn't overwhelming, and no high-rank powerhouses had appeared either. In that case, I just needed to buy a little time. The other hunters would arrive soon, and Yoo Sumi would definitely come running once she figured out what was happening.
Focus skill, on.
I took a deep breath, then suddenly leaned out from behind the car and fired.
Thud.
The arrow struck one monster right in the neck. Its defense wasn't particularly high, so it immediately collapsed, thrashing on the ground. But that single attack had completely exposed my position.
"Grr! Grr! Grr!!"
"Kaaaaah!!"
With bloodcurdling howls, the wolf monsters began charging toward me, crushing cars under their paws. Drool dripped from their pale, glistening fangs.
For a split second, pure terror washed over me.
Until now, Yoo Sumi, Kim Seohwa, and even the party members from that first Gate whose names I couldn't remember had always protected me. But right now? I was completely alone in this dark parking lot. The monsters were sprinting straight at me with murderous intent.
...Staring down monsters from the front line is way scarier than I thought. How does Sumi-unnie handle this every time?
But I had one reliable trump card...!!
I cast a Barrier on myself. A translucent shield enveloped my entire body. With this, I didn't have to fear any attacks from these trash mobs.
"Come at me, you weaklings!!"
I drew my bowstring. One arrow flew out and slammed into the shoulder of the lead wolf, sending it tumbling across the ground. I immediately leaped high, landing on the roof of another car.
The Rapid Fire skill flowed out like water. Five arrows struck in rapid succession, killing one of the wolves outright.
When another wolf crushed a car beneath its weight and leaped toward me—
Swoosh—!
With the sound of cutting wind, Hawk dove like a meteor and smashed straight into its head. The monster crashed into the asphalt, twitching violently before going still.
"Hawk!!!"
Kkik-kkik-kkik!
Hawk let out a loud cry as he circled above my head. That's right. I wasn't alone. I had Hawk with me.
"Hawk! Let's go! The two of us are gonna wipe out every last one of these monsters!!"
Hawk cried out once more, his golden-white feathers standing on end. He spun through the air like a whirlwind, slicing clean through another wolf's neck. I kept firing arrows in rapid succession, taking down the remaining wolves one by one.
But the moment I finished off the last one with a barrage—
"Ah...!"
More monsters spawned from the corrupted ground. This time there were fifteen of them — wolves mixed with goblins. There was no way I could handle this many by myself...!!
Had the evacuation finished? Where were the other hunters?
I could still see people fleeing in the distance. There was no way hundreds of civilians could evacuate in just one or two minutes.
While I hesitated, the monsters began swarming toward me.
No choice then.
"Ugh... Fine!! Let's do this until the end, Hawk!!"
I was confident in my ability to run away. And with my Barrier active, I wouldn't get hurt. I'd fight as long as I could. If it got too dangerous, I'd retreat.
I immediately drew my bow again. I raised my concentration to the limit with Focus and activated Rapid Fire. The world slowed to a crawl. Five arrows shot out in succession, each one striking a monster directly between the eyes.
Since my arrows lacked raw destructive power, I had to aim for vital points with every shot. I pushed my concentration even further and stood my ground against the horde.
Hawk performed deadly dive attacks, skewering monsters one after another. I kept spamming Rapid Fire like basic attacks, dropping monsters left and right.
Then, the next moment—
A massive reptilian monster the size of Sumi-unnie's pickup truck opened its jaws wide, lunging straight at me. Even with my Barrier up, it looked big enough to swallow me whole in a single bite. I'd never seen anything like it in my life. Its mouth was packed with rows of wet, disgusting teeth — straight out of a horror movie.
For a moment, my entire body froze in terror.
But there was someone who would never let me die.
CRACK—!!!
Yoo Sumi swung a gigantic chunk of ice and smashed the reptile sideways. The creature, half-crushed by what looked like a nuclear ice meteor strike, flew off to the side.
"Jiyun! Are you hurt? Are you okay?"
"S-Sumi-unnie..."
The moment I saw her, relief flooded through me so strongly I almost cried. I'm a healer, damn it. A healer! How could you throw me into such a brutal environment like this...
"It's okay. Unnie's here now. Sorry I was late."
"Uuu..."
Yoo Sumi pulled me into a tight hug. No, I'm not crying. Even if my body looks like this, the contents are still male. After facing dozens of monsters head-on today, I've officially become a badass, okay?
"Want to evacuate with the others? From here on, unnie and the adults will handle it."
She was right. The hunters who had been at the event were finally stepping forward one by one to fight the monsters. What the hell were they doing this whole time? While a middle-school-looking girl was fighting all alone out here.
"But..."
"Don't worry. We can fight just fine without you, Jiyun. Korean hunters aren't that pathetic."
Still... I couldn't just run away now. Sure, I'd taken a mental hit, but it wasn't like I'd broken my leg or injured my arm. And even if I had, I could heal it in one second. There was no way a perfectly healthy healer could run away...!!
I'm not running. I'm going to be a badass.
I cast Spring Wind's Healing on myself. Unlike normal healing that only closes physical wounds, this skill also restores mental and physical fatigue. My startled heart quickly calmed down.
"Let's go, unnie!"
Yoo Sumi looked surprised for a moment, then smiled.
"Alright, let's go!"
The maestro of the battlefield has arrived.
The hunters' coordinated attack began in earnest. The Erosion Core's corruption had already progressed quite far. What started as the size of a studio apartment had now expanded to roughly half the size of a school sports field. The number of monsters was increasing, and they were getting bigger too.
There were only seven hunters left at the event. At best, that meant three B-rank hunters including Sumi-unnie and four C-rank hunters. But it was fine.
Because I was here.
The road had grown dark as evening fell. A black limousine crossed it, flanked by two escort vehicles. They were the transport cars arranged for the three S-rank hunters who had come all the way from abroad to attend the event.
"...And that's the end of today's schedule. Here are tomorrow's. Make sure you memorize them properly."
When Lena Richter gestured at her tablet, a hologram appeared in the air.
"Ugh... Why is the schedule so packed? On the second day, I wanted to go eat something delicious."
"We don't have time for that. We're not here to play around."
"Can't we just pretend we are...?"
Claire Moreau let out a long, disappointed sigh.
"Still, since we've come all this way, wouldn't it be nice to enjoy ourselves a little?"
"See? Even Emma is saying that."
In the end, Lena couldn't withstand the combined stares of Claire and Emma and let out a sigh.
"...Fine. I'll clear my schedule after six tomorrow. Do whatever you want."
"Yes! Then, Repeti, look up some good places to visit in Korea!"
"You're the one who wants to go play, yet you're telling me to find the places?"
While Lena and Claire bickered, a warning icon suddenly popped up on one side of Lena's tablet.
Beep— Beep— Beep—
"What is that? What's that sound?"
"It's nothing serious. Apparently an Erosion Core opened nearby. Near the event venue we were just at?"
"How did you know that?"
"I accessed Korea's Gate Defense Network."
"We don't have time to stand around! Let's go help!"
But Lena's reaction was closer to indifference.
"Do you know how many Outbreak Gates and Erosion Cores appear in this country every single day? You expect us to run around helping with every one of them? No way."
"Why not?"
"If an S-rank hunter causes any damage while fighting in another country, the diplomatic issues that follow aren't small. Even without that, every time people like us take action, the Korean government has to pay Europe an astronomical amount of money. Making a fuss for no reason will only cause trouble. Do I really have to explain all this?"
"Is that more important than people's lives?"
"......"
The looks in Lena and Claire's eyes as they stared at each other were complete opposites. Calm and rational Lena. Always passionate Claire. And the one mediating between them was Emma.
"I think we should go take a look. If nothing else, think of it as protecting our public image, Lena."
"It's two against one. Guess we're going to help."
"Wait...!!"
Lena looked like she was about to explode, but eventually let out a long, exhausted sigh.
"Then you two explain it to the agency. Tell them that European hunters who came to another country for an event arbitrarily joined a battle."
Claire looked at her and spoke a single sentence.
"I am a knight."
Then she opened the sunroof of the limousine and climbed on top of it. Claire closed her eyes for a moment, sensing the direction of the mana, then reached her hand forward.
"Come forth!"
Her voice rang out clearly above the rushing wind on top of the speeding limousine.
"Battle Steed, Bucephalus—!!"
BOOM!!
With a tremendous roar, Claire mounted on her warhorse began charging down the road.
"Then I'll be going too, Lena."
Emma lightly flew up onto the roof of the car and vanished as well.
Right after that, Lena noticed another warning that had appeared on her tablet.
"...What? The Erosion Core's mana levels are spiking...?"
Even Lena, who had let out a deep sigh, finally made her decision.
"Looks like I have no choice but to go too..."