Anomaly (3)
The area in front of the Eroded Cave Gate was already swarming with people. Association vehicles, barricades, medical teams, and reporters. Walkie-talkie chatter and camera shutters echoed nonstop overhead.
And right in the middle, a young man in a black uniform slowly opened his car door and stepped out. Seo Ijun. Taesan Guild's rising star. Officially still A-rank, but whispered about internally as an S-rank candidate. A figure of overwhelming potential and talent.
The moment he appeared, all eyes locked onto him.
"Is Taesan Guild really deploying directly?"
"Do you think you can resolve this incident?"
Reporters thrust microphones forward. Cameras swiveled to capture his face.
Seo Ijun scanned the surroundings without a flicker in his businesslike smile.
"Just one word, please!"
A reporter shoved a mic closer, and only then did Seo Ijun glance down.
"Taesan Guild always puts the citizens first."
The reporter pushed the mic even nearer. Seo Ijun stared straight ahead, face unchanging.
"So there's no need to worry anymore—I'm here personally."
His voice was calm. But the confidence laced through it brimmed over the edge.
"Taesan Guild will handle this."
That single line shifted the reporters' expressions. Flashes erupted in a frenzy, cameras zooming tight on his face.
"Filming's only allowed up to the entrance."
A Taesan Guild staffer quickly cordoned off the broadcasters. They tacked on something about safety, but it was half-staged. Showing them just the entrance was plenty. All they needed was the image of Taesan Guild succeeding where the Association couldn't.
Seo Ijun halted before the Eroded Cave Gate's entrance. A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
The world revolves around me in the end.
This incident was no different. Just another stepping stone to climb higher. He'd solo-cleared an A-rank gate before. What was there to fear from a place like this?
His vessel was never meant to stagnate here. With the guild's backing and his innate gifts, all that remained was proving it on a worthy stage.
Broadcast cameras still trailed him from the entrance. Excited murmurs rippled through the reporters.
Then.
RUMBLE!!
The entire entrance to the Eroded Cave Gate shuddered violently. Walls quaked, the ground throbbed. The red glow leaking from inside deepened in an instant—like something holding its breath had finally exhaled all at once.
BEEEEEP!!
Association equipment blared warnings.
"Gate reaction spiking!"
"This is pre-break territory—insane!"
"Everyone fall back!"
Association staff shouted urgently. Medics and reporters tangled in retreat, screams bursting from the crowd beyond the barricades.
"Gate break!"
"Back! Get back!!"
Cameras shook. One mic-wielding reporter crawled on the ground after tripping; another fled, phone clattering away.
But Seo Ijun didn't budge. His smirk only deepened.
"Perfect timing."
Red flames flickered up from his hand. At first, just a tiny spark dancing at his fingertips. Then it raced across his knuckles, wrist, forearm—engulfing him in a massive blaze.
WHOOSH!
The searing heat warped the air around him. Reporters gulped.
"That's..."
"Insane firepower..."
Seo Ijun raised his right hand.
"Keep filming. It'll be over quick anyway."
Arrogance dripped from every word. He grinned.
In that instant, a black silhouette burst from the gate. Elongated humanoid torso. Beastly, twisted limbs. No face—just a vertically torn maw. It kicked off the wall, slashing the air.
"Fall back!"
Association cries rang out, but Seo Ijun didn't retreat an inch. He stepped forward.
"Crimson Flame Spear."
Red flames compressed above his hand.
CRUNCH.
The blaze condensed into a spear shape. A scarlet, roaring lance of fire. Seo Ijun thrust it without hesitation.
BOOM!!
The flaming spear pierced the black monster's torso dead-center. Explosions scattered flames everywhere; the creature flew back, slamming into the wall. Black blood sprayed from its body.
Cheers erupted around them.
"Direct hit!"
"Seo Ijun, as expected!!!"
Seo Ijun lowered his hand slowly, business smile intact.
"See that?"
Victory certain in his tone. Borderline narcissism.
But then.
The black form embedded in the wall twitched. Amid the dying flames, it rose again. Scorched flesh sloughed off, but it didn't fall. Its torn maw slowly yawned open, leaking a grotesque wail.
Seo Ijun's brow furrowed.
"...Regeneration?"
Behind it, the gaping gate pulsed ominously.
Thump.
A heartbeat.
And in the next moment, the monster vanished from the air. Or seemed to.
"Tch..."
Seo Ijun spread both hands instantly.
"Flame Field."
Red flames erupted in a circular blast, cloaking him. A scorching barrier that incinerated all around.
Heat surged. Concrete glowed red-hot.
SLASH.
The flame field split. Not from front or side—like an invisible blade had cleaved the fire itself. A vertical tear ripped through the crimson curtain's center.
Seo Ijun's eyes widened.
What...?
Before the thought finished, the black form slithered through the gap.
CRACK!
A heavy impact slammed his jaw from below. Vision flipped. His mind blanked. He swore he heard his brain rattle.
"Guh..."
His body lifted into the air. Then he rocketed backward, crashing into a building wall. The impact boomed. Flames scattered; debris rained down.
Seo Ijun slid down the wall limply. He couldn't even kneel properly—head lolling.
"...Team leader?"
A Taesan Guild member muttered blankly.
No response. Seo Ijun lay unconscious.
Silence.
Taesan Guild's cocky prodigy, sprawled from a single clash.
Reporters' delayed screams finally broke.
"Kyaaak!"
"S-Seo Ijun?!"
"Run! Run!!"
The black monster glanced at the fallen Seo Ijun. Its maw slowly parted—like selecting true prey at last.
Then.
Space tore like paper in one spot. No one grasped it at first. Empty air split, crimson-black light seeping through.
And.
CRUNCH.
A massive, scythe-curved foreleg emerged first.
"W-what the hell is that..."
Someone mumbled dazedly. The rift widened; a huge shadow appeared.
Crimson Mantis.
A colossal body clad in blood-red chitin. Sickle arms wicked enough to bisect a person whole.
The air shifted as the Crimson Mantis emerged. The black monster, leisurely eyeing prey moments ago, froze. Its maw twisted; a beastly wail leaked out—like instinct screaming danger.
"KIIIII!!"
The Crimson Mantis unleashed a metallic screech. Then it vanished. Or seemed to.
CRACK!
A red blur sliced the air; the black monster was snatched midair. The mantis's foreleg impaled its torso, hoisting it up. The thing thrashed wildly—blade-limbs clawing air, maw gaping.
Useless. The mantis slowly craned its head in.
And.
CRUNCH.
One bite swallowed it. The upper body vanished.
"......!"
A reporter froze, breathless. The mantis chewed methodically, like fruit rind. Black blood dripped from its jaws. The lower half writhed madly, but the mantis pinned it casually with a scythe.
CRACK.
Slammed into the ground. It scooped up the remains, shoving them in. Crunch. Snap. Unidentifiable bones or shells pulverized clearly.
Moments later.
The Crimson Mantis raised its head. No trace of the rampaging black monster. Just smeared black blood and scraps where it stood.
The gate area fell into utter silence. Reporters, Association staff, Taesan members—all speechless. They just stared blankly at the dripping crimson beast.
The mantis stood motionless awhile, slowly scanning as if checking for more food. Its gaze brushed the fallen Seo Ijun. Taesan members flinched. Reporters swallowed faintly.
But it didn't move further. Losing interest, it turned toward the torn rift.
Shhhrk.
Its massive form slipped back through—like a soldier finishing duty. No hesitation.
The rift sealed quietly.
Everyone wore the same expression. Astonishment. Jaws agape, words failed them.
Eugene checked his status window as he walked. That thing the Crimson Mantis devoured had given way more EXP than expected.
Skills: Gravity (S)
The stats had climbed nicely. With the Ring of Blood Moon boosting it further, the mana circulating in his body felt sharper than ever.
As Eugene walked, he recalled his recent call with the Association President.
'Please, Eugene. We need your power.'
That one call had brought him here. It wasn't far, and in a way, it was his first real mission since joining the Special Task Force.
Plus, he'd made a deal: If a disaster on par with an A-rank gate popped up, he'd handle it.
Not mandatory, sure. But with the favors they'd done—Sua's new ward, the house, unrestricted gate access—it wasn't something to blow off like it was someone else's problem.
People should repay what they get, after all.
And since it was an "anomalous entity," it was probably an irregular—or something similar. Those had always ended up helping him so far.
No reason to say no. Especially since he wasn't even stepping up personally.