Chapter 502: The 6th Great Disaster (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 502: The 6th Great Disaster (3)
The Great Disaster.
During that era of absolute chaos, monsters appeared in three distinct ways.
The first was the Monster Wave—a phenomenon where dimensional space warped, allowing an endless tide of monsters to pour through.
The second was the Omen.
Just like the Ant Cave Incident of the past, these phenomena occurred worldwide, often completely unnoticed by the public. But with the onset of the Great Disaster, these hidden threats simultaneously shifted to the offensive. They abandoned their territories to hunt humans. Even without a localized Monster Wave, a sudden, massive assault by a horde of monsters fell under the classification of an Omen.
The third and final way...
People called it the Blood Rain.
While similar to a Monster Wave, it had one fatal difference: instead of pouring out from a fixed dimensional portal, a smaller number of monsters would spawn like a sudden downpour over a specific area. For example, if a Monster Wave struck Seoul, the monsters might burst from Seongdong-gu and spread outward across the city. But a Blood Rain was a disaster of pure unpredictability—monsters could instantly materialize anywhere within a given region.
Naturally, the sheer number of monsters spawned by a Blood Rain was smaller.
However, because it rendered traditional defense systems completely useless, it was the phenomenon that practically caused the most casualties.
Screeech!
Grrrrr.
The city center of Incheon.
Monsters had appeared.
An A-rank monster, an Ogre, swept its fierce gaze across its surroundings. It swung a massive club, smashing any buildings blocking its path.
Crash!
Rumble!
Structures collapsed into rubble.
Outer walls caved in against its monstrous strength. The monsters rapidly tore through the city, leaving nothing but ruin in their wake. Yet, there was no sign of humans anywhere. The beasts sniffed the air with sensitive noses, exuding a clear intent to kill, but grew visibly enraged when they failed to find a single human scent.
Roaaar!
The monsters shrieked.
They began to run wild.
The Ogre, wandering aimlessly in search of prey, suddenly unleashed a powerful surge of murderous intent.
Screeech!
Thud!
It slammed its club down on something hard.
The air tore apart as the struck creature exploded into gore. Not satisfied, the Ogre immediately swung at the other nearby creatures. It was a shocking sight. Had the Ogre been attacking humans, it would have been a natural scene—but shockingly, it was slaughtering its fellow monsters.
Bark! Bark!
Screeech!
The other monsters fiercely fought back against the Ogre.
Even as their heads were crushed and limbs torn away, they viciously bit into the Ogre’s flesh. Amidst the chaos, the rest of the horde began attacking one another. The monsters’ eyes were stained a deep crimson. Their gazes, already gleaming with bloodlust, now looked completely crazed. They perceived every living thing they encountered as a mortal enemy.
Mutual destruction.
They were massacring each other.
The Ogre, busy tearing into its own kind, suddenly raised its head at the sound of a presence passing nearby.
Grrrrr.
Its eyes were dyed a bloody red.
The source of the presence...
It, too, was one of its own kind.
But in the Ogre’s maddened eyes, its fellow monster looked exactly like its prey—a human.
And so...
Screeech!
Thud, thud, thud!
The Ogre frantically rushed forward to tear the "human" to pieces.
* * *
The 2nd Defense Line.
Atop the wall, Kang Min-ho stared in utter surprise.
"...This is amazing."
In the distance, the monsters could be seen viciously attacking one another. Even though they were close enough to see the wall just by turning their heads, they failed to notice its existence—even when looking right at it.
It was the effect of the formation.
Kim Jun-hyeok spoke calmly.
"It is an illusion formation. As long as they do not leave the formation’s boundary, those low-intelligence monsters will perceive each other as humans and completely fail to locate this place."
For the past three months, Kim Jun-hyeok had fully immersed himself in the study of formations.
It was a truly mysterious power.
After confirming their effectiveness, Kim Jun-hyeok had cut back on sleep to delve deeper into the profound arts, aiming to hone them into his own unique weapon. The scene before his eyes was the direct result of that grueling effort. He had arranged man-made structures according to the principles of the illusion formation, and the monsters had fallen into the trap without even realizing it.
In truth, Kim Jun-hyeok’s power alone was not enough to manifest the formation’s effects so perfectly.
That was why extensive preparation had been necessary.
They had redesigned the entire city.
They rebuilt the infrastructure to favor the formation and embedded mana stones in various locations to power the array.
'Thanks to staying up countless nights preparing, the entire city center of Incheon has become a massive trap designed to plunge the monsters into despair. As long as the illusion formation remains active, the monsters won’t be able to pinpoint the shelter’s location. First, Roman Dmitry protects the outer wall. Second, the 2nd Defense Line uses the formation to block the monsters from approaching the shelter. And finally, the Directly Controlled Unit, including Lee Tae-seong, disposes of any monsters that slip inside. We have trained for the past three months to stop the enemies using only Incheon’s own strength.'
This was the fruit of their relentless efforts.
The civilians, in particular, had been of great help with constructing the formation.
Kim Jun-hyeok had gained the full support of Incheon’s citizens. During the grueling process of rearranging the buildings, the civilians had stepped forward with open arms to assist. Thanks to them, the work proceeded smoothly. In a span of three months—a short time, yet long enough—they had succeeded in transforming Incheon from a defenseless city into an inescapable labyrinth.
However, it was far too early to relax.
Their preparations so far were merely the minimum requirements needed to withstand the Great Disaster; they were by no means a complete solution to this crisis.
Kim Jun-hyeok warned,
"Formations are not omnipotent. If any monsters break through the illusion formation and reach the 2nd Defense Line, we will have no choice but to deal with them directly. As you know, Lord Roman Dmitry is currently fighting an unimaginably massive horde of enemies at the outer wall. If the situation inside holds him back as well, Incheon’s survival will be practically impossible."
"Do not worry."
Kang Min-ho stepped forward.
Just then, a few stray monsters broke through the illusion formation.
Drenched in blood from tearing into their own kind, they spotted the 2nd Defense Line and unleashed their murderous intent.
Screeech!
Grrrrr.
The beasts rushed forward.
Kang Min-ho smoothly drew his sword.
"I haven’t just been playing around all this time, either."
* * *
Three months ago.
Roman Dmitry had summoned Kang Min-ho.
Presenting him with a sword, he spoke of a new future for the man.
"In the upcoming Great Disaster, I will use you as the final gateway to protect Incheon."
"...Me?"
It was a baffling proposition.
Kang Min-ho was highly self-aware.
Although he had made a miraculous leap from E-rank to B-rank, he was nowhere near the level required to guard the final gateway.
Roman Dmitry, too, agreed with that fact.
Kang Min-ho certainly had many shortcomings.
However...
'What matters is his resolve toward the task assigned to him. Unlike others, Kang Min-ho possesses a firm determination to protect the people in the shelter at all costs. Only then will his daughter be safe. Rather than fighting alongside me on the front lines, Kang Min-ho is far better suited to guard the rear where his daughter resides.'
His daughter’s existence.
That was Kang Min-ho’s entire identity.
A lack of strength could simply be fixed through teaching.
Just as in his past life, as long as one possessed the unyielding desire to grow stronger, anyone could become powerful by Roman Dmitry’s side.
In fact, he had initially considered the Ghost Soul Demonic Art for this exact purpose.
Just as it had made Kevin—who was once a complete nobody—strong in a very short period of time, the Ghost Soul Demonic Art was an incredibly suitable method as long as the practitioner possessed the necessary resolve.
But after much deliberation,
Roman Dmitry reached a different conclusion.
'The Ghost Soul Demonic Art is not suitable for him.'
The Kevin of his past life...
He had literally risked his life to grow stronger.
He had expressed a fierce determination to dedicate his entire existence to the pursuit of power, even if it cost him his life.
Kang Min-ho was different.
He wanted to live.
His desire to survive by any means necessary so he could stay by his daughter’s side was just as desperate as Kevin’s resolve, but its core essence was entirely different.
It was their fundamental attitudes toward life. One believed it was fine to die, while the other believed he absolutely must not die. Because of this stark contrast, Roman concluded that he could not teach Kang Min-ho the Ghost Soul Demonic Art.
But there was another way.
'The Guardian Sect.'
A very long time ago.
An era before Baek Joong-hyuk even existed.
Within the Righteous Faction, there existed the Guardian Sect, whose martial arts were passed down through a Single Lineage Transmission.
Whenever wicked men revealed their malicious ambitions to conquer the Murim, the successor of this sect would suddenly appear in the world to save it from evil.
They were an existence recorded only in ancient history. Out of curiosity, Baek Joong-hyuk had once researched the Guardian Sect and found that while their martial arts were certainly formidable, they were incomparable to his Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
But then...
Why did the Guardian Sect not exist in the same era as Baek Joong-hyuk?
The final successor of the Guardian Sect—a man who had never once lost to the forces of evil—met his end due to the treacherous schemes of his own Righteous Faction comrades, who had grown envious and jealous of his towering reputation.
The martial arts, whose lineage had been severed since that day, eventually found their way into the Demonic Cult’s grand library. Baek Joong-hyuk recalled experiencing the martial arts of the Guardian Sect while honing his Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
The essence of the Guardian Sect...
He hadn’t particularly liked it.
Which was precisely why it suited Kang Min-ho perfectly.
Roman Dmitry said,
"I will teach you the martial arts of the Guardian Sect."
* * *
Below the wall.
The monsters rushed forward.
The Ogre’s muscles swelled massively as it swung its colossal club directly at the barrier.
Crash!
Rumble!
It was a tremendous impact.
Thanks to the magical protection, the wall did not collapse, but the tide of monsters arriving right behind the Ogre slammed directly into the stone.
A Troll that rammed its head into the wall had its skull cracked open, thick blood splattering everywhere. However, it quickly recovered thanks to its unique regenerative power, showing a stubborn determination to bring down the wall by continuously ramming its body against it.
Kim Jun-hyeok shouted,
"Attack the monsters!"
Whoosh!
Thwip, thwip, thwip!
Atop the wall, volleys of arrows were released.
It was an attack by Incheon’s archers. Arrows heavily imbued with mana poured down like a torrential rain, piercing through the monsters’ thick hides.
Screeech!
Roaaar!
The monsters shrieked in agony.
They struggled desperately to scale the wall, but Kim Jun-hyeok anticipated their movements and quickly issued new orders. Magic spells exploded directly in the monsters’ faces. Among Incheon’s hunters, there were various classes with different skill sets, such as archers and mages. They successfully stalled the enemy by utilizing these ranged hunters to their maximum potential.
Yet, beyond the formation...
Monsters continued to appear.
Although they had dealt with a significant number of beasts through the illusion array, they could not handle them all due to the sheer, overwhelming numbers.
In the end,
the wall was bound to be breached.
A Werewolf leaped onto the ramparts in a single bound with incredible jumping power, but Kim Jun-hyeok did not worry about it.
Hadn’t Kang Min-ho said so?
To trust him.
The very moment the Werewolf landed on the wall, Kang Min-ho’s blade flashed, severing its arm.
Flash!
Screeech!
The Werewolf shrieked.
It rushed forward frantically with fiercely gleaming eyes, but Kang Min-ho calmly tracked its movements.
The opponent was an A-rank monster. For Kang Min-ho, who had only recently secured his B-rank status, it should have been an opponent he could never defeat. Yet, after his training over the past three months, he did not feel even a shred of nervousness.
The martial arts of the Guardian Sect.
They were truly incredible.
Specialized entirely in defensive forms, those martial arts had not allowed even a single hit to land during his sparring sessions with Lee Tae-seong.
Therefore,
there was no reason to be afraid.
He met the Werewolf’s frenzied attack head-on.
Clang!
Clang, clang, clang!
The attacks pressed in violently.
Kang Min-ho calmly deflected the Werewolf’s strikes while cleanly slicing through its flesh using the Guardian Sect’s signature counterattack forms. This was the exact reason Roman Dmitry hadn’t particularly liked this style. Roman preferred to take the initiative and absolutely crush his opponents, whereas the Guardian Sect specialized in absolute protection and lethal counterattacks.
After a fierce clash...
Spurt!
The Werewolf collapsed, spewing a fountain of blood.
Kang Min-ho did not stop there; he moved like a phantom, completely wiping out all the monsters attempting to climb onto the wall.
'The 2nd Defense Line is solid.'
This was Kim Jun-hyeok’s thought.
The formation and Kang Min-ho.
And the sturdy existence of the wall itself.
As long as the hunters with repair skills maintained the wall’s durability, it seemed they could sufficiently block the monster onslaught. Their preparations had not been in vain. Even in this worst-case scenario where a Monster Wave and a Blood Rain had struck simultaneously, the 2nd Defense Line was rapidly clearing out the attacking beasts.
Incheon...
...would survive.
With just this single battle, Kim Jun-hyeok and the soldiers of Incheon began to show hopeful expressions.
It was then.
Just as they were finishing off the monsters that had escaped the formation, a dimensional rift suddenly tore open in the air.
The people panicked.
A rift meant the appearance of more monsters.
But as the defenders prepared to face this new threat, they witnessed an absurd sight.
Flash.
It was a human.
Led by this man, a large number of humans fluttering white wings gracefully landed on the wall.
"Baek-il has come to help Incheon! Everyone! You can rest easy now!"
The identity of the leader...
It was none other than Park Min-woo.
Unleashing his mana in a grand display, he looked down from the wall, only to see a massive mountain of monster carcasses already stacked below.
In an instant,
Park Min-woo’s expression was painted with pure bewilderment.
This was completely different from the plan.
He had definitely heard that Incheon was under severe attack after the monsters bypassed Roman Dmitry.
Yet, here stood perfectly fine defenders looking down at a mountain of monster corpses.
"...You all look a lot safer than I expected?"
Park Min-woo smiled awkwardly.