Chapter 480: Ant Cave (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 480: Ant Cave (1)
Park Gi-tae took the lead.
Taking cautious steps through the ruined city, he spoke to the two men following close behind him.
"I don't know how you found out about me, but choosing me, Park Gi-tae, as your guide in Incheon was a stroke of genius. If you had hired anyone else? You would have run into monsters already, wasting your energy before you even started."
He brimmed with confidence.
It was no coincidence that Park Gi-tae had taken on this mission. Generally, Hunters secured their promotion qualifications by defeating monsters of their respective ranks, but non-combat personnel like Park Gi-tae were the exception. They were evaluated solely on practical experience. Completing ten F-Rank missions earned them an E-Rank, and completing a hundred E-Rank missions earned them a D-Rank. Because they accumulated achievements step-by-step to promote, Park Gi-tae was a veteran Hunter with countless battles under his belt, despite only being a D-Rank.
Furthermore, he was on the verge of promoting to C-Rank.
Although he didn't belong to Cheongsan, there was a good reason why Gu Cheol-ho sought out Park Gi-tae whenever things got truly important.
"Right now, we're taking a shortcut. I can guarantee that I'm the only one in Incheon who knows this path. If we keep going like this, we can reach the Ant Cave without encountering a single monster."
"Ah, is that so?"
The response he received was lackluster.
An involuntary sigh escaped him. Usually, when he made a pitch like this, his employers would praise him and give him a thumbs-up. However, both the black-haired foreigner and the E-Rank Hunter reacted with complete indifference. Their attitude—as if they couldn't care less—rubbed Park Gi-tae the wrong way.
Well, you only see as much as you know. Since they don't realize how incredible this is, that's the only reaction they can give.
He checked the inside pocket of his coat. A Teleport Scroll. It seemed the time to use it might come sooner than expected. If things went even slightly awry, Park Gi-tae wouldn't hesitate to tear the Teleport Scroll open.
From then on, the conversation died.
Park Gi-tae silently led the way. As if proving his competence as a skilled guide, they traveled for a long time without encountering a single monster. This was exactly why people hired guides. Hiring someone knowledgeable about a specific hunting ground made travel convenient, and above all, minimized the chances of getting lost.
The Ant Cave.
It was a hunting ground where a guide was absolutely essential. If not for that, Kang Min-ho wouldn't have advised hiring one in the first place.
How long had they been walking?
Finally...
"We have arrived at the entrance of the Ant Cave."
The destination appeared before their eyes.
*
The Ant Cave was an underground hunting ground.
On the surface, there was only a small hole leading underground inside a mound of dirt, so inconspicuous that one wouldn't even recognize it for what it was.
Park Gi-tae spoke up. "The Ant Cave is an extremely dangerous hunting ground. It's structurally solid, so there's no risk of it collapsing, but once you step inside, escaping is no easy task. And the biggest problem is that, unlike typical ant caves, there are as many as two Queen Ants nesting here. Since those two Queen Ants have been continuously producing ants for over a month, there's no telling how many of them are inside."
Just in case, he had to increase their chances of success.
Although he had secured his own escape route, he had no intention of simply sending these men to their deaths. Doing his absolute best as a guide—that was why Park Gi-tae was so highly sought after in the mercenary world.
"I'd like to know your strategy going forward. How on earth do you plan to conquer this Ant Cave, which even the Incheon government gave up on, with just the two of you?"
He was genuinely curious.
Just two people. No matter how he looked at it, they had zero chance of winning. Unless they were on a suicide mission, they had to have some sort of plan.
It was then that Roman Dmitry spoke.
"Our strategy is simple. Kang Min-ho will take the lead, and if he finds it too difficult, I will step in."
This was unexpected.
Even without using Translation Magic, Roman Dmitry spoke his plan in fairly fluent Korean. The problem was the plan itself. Instead of some brilliant idea to overcome their disadvantage, it was a brute-force approach that made Park Gi-tae feel dizzy.
They're insane.
He was sure of it. The Ant Cave. Setting aside the fact that B-Rank Queen Ants nested there, the hunting ground itself boasted an atrocious level of difficulty. If they tackled such a place in this manner, the outcome was obvious. Just as he was about to check his Teleport Scroll once more out of anxiety, Roman Dmitry's voice rang out.
"If you judge it to be too dangerous, you may flee at any time. We won't hold you responsible."
"...Excuse me?"
He flinched. Realizing his inner thoughts had been read, Park Gi-tae's face stiffened.
Park Gi-tae's reaction didn't matter. The only reason they had hired him in the first place was because they needed a guide to reach the Ant Cave without getting lost. Of course, it would be ideal if he guided them all the way to the end as Kang Min-ho hoped, but judging by Park Gi-tae's reaction, that was unlikely.
"We also know how reckless this mission must seem to you. We won't force you. We will send the down payment as agreed, and whatever happens next is entirely ours to bear."
Park Gi-tae bit his lip.
He felt completely exposed. In all his years working as a guide, he had never felt this ashamed. But he couldn't bring himself to say he would stay out of loyalty. Since that would be tantamount to suicide, now that his true intentions were laid bare, Park Gi-tae openly voiced his thoughts.
"Fine. I will only perform my duties as long as my safety is guaranteed. So keep this in mind: the Ant Cave is no walk in the park, and I won't take responsibility for whatever happens from here on out."
*
The interior was wider than expected.
It was spacious enough for several adults to walk abreast, and Park Gi-tae illuminated the path with a Light spell.
"The inside of the Ant Cave is like a maze," Park Gi-tae warned. "If you make even one wrong turn, you'll get lost, so just follow me as quietly as possible."
Exploration Magic.
It was his ability. It was the first skill he had acquired as a Hunter, and Park Gi-tae used his Exploration Magic to slowly navigate the correct path. He knew they would eventually run into the ants. However, he intended to fulfill his duty until the moment he deemed it truly dangerous, and thanks to that, the party advanced rapidly into the depths.
How far had they gone?
In the pitch-black space, Park Gi-tae raised his hand.
"Get ready."
Beyond the darkness, the movement of living creatures was detected.
The ants.
If not for his Exploration Magic, they wouldn't have noticed them in the ink-black darkness until the monsters were right in their faces.
Skreeee!
Skreeeeeee!
It was exactly as expected.
At the sight of the ants emerging from the darkness, Park Gi-tae's face instantly turned pale. There were far more than he had anticipated. Dozens of Worker Ants and three Soldier Ants. As they surged forward like a tidal wave, Park Gi-tae hastily retreated.
It was then.
Whoosh.
Kang Min-ho dashed forward.
Seeing him charge head-on into the swarm, Park Gi-tae thought it was reckless.
What is an E-Rank even trying to do?!
The opponents were Soldier Ants. They were D-Rank. If it were just one, it might be manageable, but he didn't believe Kang Min-ho, an E-Rank Hunter, could handle a one-versus-many situation. The Hunter Database was a clear indicator of reality. The record showing he had lingered at E-Rank for years proved that Kang Min-ho's skills were insufficient to overcome this crisis.
However—
Flash.
Skreeee!
At the very front, the foreleg of the leading Soldier Ant was cleanly severed.
Kang Min-ho lunged straight into the spraying blood, thrusting his sword into the Soldier Ant's abdomen and slicing it open. The monster shrieked and thrashed. From all sides, the other ants lunged with ferocious mandibles, eager to tear him apart, but Kang Min-ho calmly parried their attacks one by one.
Clang!
Cl-cl-clang!
His swordsmanship was incredibly stable.
Most surprising of all was that, with the strength of a mere E-Rank, he wasn't being pushed back by the raw power of the Soldier Ants.
Park Gi-tae froze on the spot.
He had actually been ready to quickly use his Teleport Scroll, but seeing Kang Min-ho display a level of combat power completely contrary to his expectations, his mind went blank. Amidst the chaotic, tangled melee, Kang Min-ho remained unshaken. Even Roman Dmitry, watching from behind, showed no intention of stepping in to help him.
Just then...
Skreeee!
A Soldier Ant lunged.
Spotting the frozen Park Gi-tae, the monster bared its fierce mandibles and snapped at him.
In that split second—
Flash.
Crunch!
The Soldier Ant's head shattered.
Kang Min-ho, who had been fighting surrounded by dozens of ants, appeared in Park Gi-tae's field of vision in the blink of an eye and swung his sword at the Soldier Ant. Its head shattered instantly. Even D-Rank Hunters struggled to dispatch a Soldier Ant in a single blow due to their hard exoskeletons, but such standards did not apply to Kang Min-ho's blade.
Splatter.
Blood sprayed.
Pieces of the carcass rained down.
Amidst the shocking sight, Kang Min-ho spoke to Park Gi-tae.
"Stay back. I'll handle things from here."
*
In the midst of this sequence of events, Kang Min-ho felt his blood boiling.
Fueled by a wild rush of adrenaline, he charged headlong into the swarming ants.
Flash.
Slash.
He sent an ant's head flying.
Dispatching the Worker Ants in a single blow, Kang Min-ho sliced through the bodies of every ant he encountered.
It's true. I'm completely different from a month ago.
A month ago, he had met Roman Dmitry. Back then, he had to risk his life against a single Soldier Ant, but through Roman Dmitry's teachings, he had entered a whole new world. The Asura Sword Technique and the Asura Mind Method. This was not merely a matter of learning high-tier skills. It taught him the fundamental principles of manipulating mana, and thanks to that, all of Kang Min-ho's skills had evolved.
Dash.
Whoosh.
He slipped through the space. With movements that were faster and more destructive, he severed the limbs of his opponents before the ants could even react.
And...
Strong Strike.
Boom!
Rumble!
He struck down at a head.
He channeled the Asura Mind Method to detonate his mana, and Strong Strike—which was nothing more than a low-grade skill—exhibited a destructive power that defied common sense. Kang Min-ho was so thrilled he felt like he was going crazy. For the past month, he had relentlessly trained in the Asura Sword Technique and the Asura Mind Method. Although Roman Dmitry hadn't taught him anything specific after the first day, Kang Min-ho had gained the conviction that he was growing stronger through solo image training alone.
It was exactly as he expected. Look at the situation before him. In a scenario where even a D-Rank Hunter would be cornered, he, a mere E-Rank, was displaying overwhelming martial prowess.
Crunch.
Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!
He drove the ants back.
As soon as he cut one down, another lunged from the side, and once he dealt with that one, two more thrust their fierce mandibles down from above. It was a dizzying, chaotic battle. It was a perilous scene that made Park Gi-tae anxious, but Roman Dmitry calmly watched Kang Min-ho fight.
Kang Min-ho.
He was not the talented type. He was unlike Chris and Kevin, with whom Roman had first formed bonds in his past life.
Kang Min-ho did not possess the talent to reach their level, but he had a different kind of grit than Kevin. A reason why he absolutely had to become strong. Because he had awakened at a late age, his future as a Hunter was deemed bleak. Yet, he was a man who had stubbornly gone out to hunt and secured his E-Rank qualification all on his own.
He possessed a burning desire.
The desperation he had experienced at the very bottom had seeped into his entire being, and now that he had obtained power, it erupted with explosive momentum.
He still had a long way to go. Even so, he was doing quite well. In the not-too-distant future, by the standards of this world, Kang Min-ho would rise to a position where he could no longer be ignored.
Crunch.
He crushed an ant's head.
Since meeting Roman Dmitry, he had changed his weapon. Now he dispatched the ants one by one, wielding his sword freely with both his left and right hands. His entire body was already drenched in blood. Though he gasped for breath so hard his throat burned, he did not ask for help, doggedly eliminating every last ant.
"Huff, huff."
It was over.
Elation washed over his face. The moment he witnessed the strength he had only abstractly imagined, an indescribable sense of accomplishment filled him.
Then, Park Gi-tae caught his eye.
"Are you alright?"
He didn't know.
He didn't know that Park Gi-tae's face, painted with utter shock, looked exactly like his own on the day he had first met Roman Dmitry.