140. We Can't Let You Step on Korean Soil
"Team Leader Seong, something's off with the sky up there, right? Like, stuff's exploding left and right. It's super noisy. Feels like a massive brawl's going down."
The next ace of Slayer Guild, Gam Woo-young, stuck his head out of the helicopter and said.
"Close the door. It's loud."
"Got it."
He spoke as if uninterested, but Seong Seon-je was focusing intently on the skies over Sinuiju.
Who the hell is that? If they're hostile, this could be trouble.
Destructive power beyond what the sensed strength suggested.
Whatever the trait, dominating an entire city's airspace alone was no force to ignore.
Even if they're from Iron Will, it'd be a headache. Joo Se-ah's bad enough on her own. Better if they're old North Korean hunters. At least we could sway them.
Seong Seon-je listened to the increasingly ferocious battlefield clamor, audible even from afar, and urged the pilot.
"Hurry it up. We're already way behind."
With Slayer Guild's elite mobilized, they had to make it worth it.
Kang Moo-hyuk isn't ready to die yet. Not our ally, but a far better business partner than Joo Se-ah.
Only afterimages lingered where Go Eul-ji had passed.
A piercing sonic boom followed the long trail of light like a meteor. The shockwave that chased it rattled Sinuiju's streets. Glass shattered, car alarms blared wildly.
The anti-air guns couldn't catch Go Eul-ji. Mages who'd been firing spells couldn't even react, and archer-position hunters who'd boosted agility with mana sight were helpless.
Flying through the sky, Go Eul-ji felt something surging up her throat.
Gulp. Ugh, bitter. Motion sickness is killing me. Can't do this for long.
Go Eul-ji forced a turn, charging straight at the anti-air battery targeting her.
The guns belatedly adjusted aim and swiveled barrels, but they wouldn't make it in time. Nearby hunters waiting in reserve unleashed every skill to weave a net of fire, but it all missed.
You had your fun blasting away? Eat this!
Go Eul-ji wrapped herself in a barrier and skimmed past the building housing the battery.
Crash! Shatter!
Glass exploded outward,
Thud! Bang! Boom!
The rooftop-mounted anti-air guns ripped free and detonated.
"Argh!"
"Hold on... whoa!"
Hunters flew through the air. One who'd closed in to intercept Go Eul-ji ended up half his body pulped.
After Go Eul-ji repeated these dives a few times, the anti-air batteries fell silent.
Magic tapered off, arrows stopped coming entirely.
"Hoo~"
As Go Eul-ji exhaled, the light enveloping her faded. She pulled a stamina potion from the ampoule kit on her waist and downed it, mixing in mana recovery and nerve stabilizers.
Her pounding heart and throbbing veins calmed.
"Wears me out, this."
But no time to rest. She flew straight to the prison village.
The village from above was a ruin. No longer a home—everything burned and collapsed.
She expanded her senses to find Kang Moo-hyuk. Luck was on her side; she spotted him quick. Where the hunters clustered. In the center, a non-hunter.
Kang Moo-hyuk.
The spot was moments from battle.
"Why's a non-hunter always in the thick of it?"
Go Eul-ji landed on the drill field, déjà vu from her first North Pocheon visit hitting her.
Boom!
A crater formed underfoot. She blasted away the hunters lunging at Kang Moo-hyuk.
"Not late, right, Boss Kang?"
"Perfect timing."
The reinforcements he'd waited for.
Kang Moo-hyuk felt déjà vu too, like he'd seen this scene before.
"Final phase. Begin, Hunter Go Eul-ji."
"You got it!"
Go Eul-ji's hairpin glowed again. Flashes sparked in her eyes.
Jang Jung-shin saw it and knew she was up to something big. The mana gathering was immense.
"What the hell's that? Block it! Stop whatever that bitch is doing!"
At Jang Jung-shin's order, hunters charged from all sides.
"Block 'em!"
At Ryeon Jeong-mun's command, prison village hunters counterattacked.
Jang Jung-shin charged Go Eul-ji himself now, no more hanging back. Cheon Deok-su intercepted.
"Where you headed? Fight me first, yeah?"
"You traitor scum!"
"Forgot? You betrayed first."
As Cheon Deok-su and Jang Jung-shin clashed, Go Eul-ji said,
"Boss Kang. But this won't work on A-ranks. Range is limited anyway. Just nearby."
"No need for A-ranks. Low ranks are the priority now. And I know that ability's range. That's why we fell back to the prison."
"Whoa, if I tried balls-to-the-wall anywhere else, I'd hold my own. But you? Straight-up betting your life. That's why you let 'em surround you? Whew, good thing I trained with the guild master all this time. Lucky break."
"Yes. That's why the mine-hunting drills."
"Huh? Wasn't that the guild master's idea?"
"Training to detect buried mines only. To supplement our guild's lack of wide-area magic and non-lethal suppression. Distinguish friend from foe clearly, control the field. That training paid off sooner than expected. Fortunate."
"Fortunate? I shat blood doing that!"
"You're no ordinary hunter, Hunter Go Eul-ji. Show them."
Go Eul-ji was speechless, mouth flapping.
"Grandpa was right. You got a devil's tongue. Makes me wanna smack you."
"Hunter Go Eul-ji, sir."
"Expel me then!"
"Cancel your LA concert tickets?"
"Just clear those guys out? Use me all you want, Boss Kang Moo-hyuk."
"I'll book the hotel too. Right by the venue."
"Whoa!"
Morale boosted by unexpected guild perks, Go Eul-ji cranked her output.
That instant.
"Huh?"
"W-what's this?"
"My b-body... argh!"
Suddenly, Gaeryeo Alliance hunters' bodies lifted into the air.
Not high. Just restrained. Limbs moved fine, but they couldn't budge from place. Plenty terrifying mid-fight, frozen in spot.
"Get lost—all of you!"
Go Eul-ji swept her arms; hunters flew east, west, south, north.
Left on the field: prison village hunters and Sinuiju's so-called Five Elites, the high-rankers.
"What the...?"
Won Ha-o muttered in disbelief.
Hundreds of hunters—even low-rank—gone in a blink.
"Don't fall for it! Check with telepathy skills! Not dead—just shoved outside village bounds!"
At Jang Jung-shin's shout, Won Ha-o and the Five sent urgent messages via skills to subordinates.
Soon confirming Jang Jung-shin's words: booted back outside.
But can you call that 'simple'? Hundreds... picking only enemy hunters? What monstrous spatial sense is this?
Won Ha-o shuddered at the panting little girl. Maybe S-rank talent was just that.
"Huff... huff... Boss Kang. Twice max, even killing 'em."
"Enough. We've bought time."
"Bought time? Ridiculous."
Jang Jung-shin shoved Cheon Deok-su back and bellowed.
"Call the grunts back! We'll return and wipe you all... urk!"
Mid-bluster, Jang Jung-shin groaned. He clutched his back in agony. A dagger pierced a tiny gap the basilisk leather armor missed.
"Whoa, pricey stuff, huh? Aimed for vitals, missed."
Behind him, eyes gleaming greedily... a stranger's face.
Sizzle!
"It's me."
"Hyeon Jeong-geon...!"
"Huh? No, Hyeon Jeong-geon!"
"You bastard!"
"Boss Jang!"
Won Ha-o hurled his sword, but Hyeon Jeong-geon had vanished.
Kang Moo-hyuk welcomed the approaching man.
"Mr. Jo. Didn't run."
"I keep contracts tight. Was waiting for the shot."
"Thought you'd bolt if it turned sour."
"Eul-ji, kid, you don't get the world yet. I'm a pro spy. Pros earn their pay. Was gonna fetch Boss Kang's corpse for your guild master... oops!"
"See? Planned to sneak out after we died."
With momentum flipped, Won Ha-o rallied the remaining Five. Guarding Jang Jung-shin, he said,
"Fall back and regroup. Smart play. They'll be worn out—minus a few high-ranks, can't pursue. We can handle that."
"Agreed. This humiliation... we'll repay it."
As Jang Jung-shin gnashed teeth and edged back, Kang Moo-hyuk pointed skyward.
South.
"Come again? Next time, you die."
Following his finger, Jang Jung-shin's face twisted demonically.
Hunter sight caught twenty helicopters inbound.
"Called reinforcements? Iron Will's C-grade, right? Think that'll stop us?"
"No. Slayer."
"What? Why the hell...?"
"Takes this much to keep Dandong from acting rash."
"You knew our forces...? How? Lies!"
"See for yourself if it's lies. Would've called even without Dandong intel. I like sure wins. Half-assed responses let snakes slither back. Like snake-heads?"
"You son of a—!"
"Boss Jang! Not the time. Retreat now!"
Won Ha-o dragged him forcibly. Jang Jung-shin knew retreat was wise. But this failure? His guild wouldn't let it slide.
"Life first."
Won Ha-o's words made Jang Jung-shin grind teeth and turn.
Tell Slayer to open the gate. Contact Dandong too.
Won Ha-o startled at the sudden telepathy.
Open the real gate? Makes Sinuiju unusable. And calling Dandong's assault team means all-out war with Slayer. Even Korea's wrecked hunter scene treats them different.
No exceptions for a podunk nation without S-ranks. Time to show what happens when you poke a giant.
Jang Jung-shin withdrew slowly.
Cheon Deok-su moved to pursue, but Kang Moo-hyuk stopped him.
"Threat's not over. Tend wounded, form defenses."
"Reinforcements here, ain't we winnin'?"
"Dandong's elite assault team's waiting. Who knows their next play. They'll fight in street battles here anyway. No need rushing in. Time's ours now."
Cheon Deok-su obeyed grudgingly. Started prickly, but without Kang Moo-hyuk's command today, the village would've been massacred.
Soon, helicopters touched down on the patrol base field.
First off: Seong Seon-je.
"Kept my promise, Boss Kang."
"I'll keep mine. Bury Sinuiju—and Makyung too."
"Idiots."
Shao Zan, commanding Dandong's waiting assault team, spat at Jang Jung-shin's message.
"Fail alone if you're gonna fail. Making my life hell and dumping cleanup on me?"
"What now, Shao Zan?"
His subordinate's question got a yell.
"What? Can't just leave! Gotta see Slayer's faces at least. Seong Seon-je's slippery, they say. Snag his head, maybe topside cools off?"
"Better than nothing."
"Then snag it. Shame Joo Se-ah ditched Slayer. Could've grabbed her as tribute."
Shao Zan rallied the team.
Drunks, womanizers, gamblers holed up in dens.
Human scum, but pros at fighting hunters.
That's why the guild hired them.
Shao Zan topped that trash heap.
"Assemble. Crossing Zhong'eou Bridge now. Into Sinuiju—smash every Korean bastard."
Zhong'eou Bridge. Koreans called it Yalu River Rail Bridge.
Other bridges crumbled in great and small wars, but this one's reinforced—still solid.
Dandong team marched boldly to Sinuiju, buzzing to massacre freely. Back home, higher-ups watched too close for mischief. Get caught fleeing trouble? Guild execution squad.
So expeditions like this: unleash desires.
Mid-crossing, Shao Zan spotted something.
A figure on the tracks, bridge midpoint.
Looked like a woman.
"What's that bitch? Ooh, pretty hot."
A grunt leered forward; Shao Zan blocked him.
"Wanna die? Stay put."
"Boss, why? Just us. Hogging her?"
"Dumbass. Tsk! All wait here."
Shao Zan sent subordinates back, approached alone.
Ten paces out, she stood.
"Korean soil from here. Where to? Visa?"
"Honored to meet the famous witch in person."
"Know me? Who're you?"
"Nameless pawn—no need for name. But to be memorable: Shao Zan."
"Oh? You're Shao Zan?"
"You know me?"
Shao Zan beamed at her recognition.
"Yeah. Trash of trash. Waste. More worthless than uranium. You got tons of nicknames."
"Haha... Feels weird hearing it from a foreigner."
"Why act like first time?"
"Weird as hell. Makes me wanna kill, kill, kill again. But only once per kill. Such a shame, Joo Se-ah!"
"Yeah, Boss Kang was right. I had to block here. Can't let scum like you touch Korean soil."