#192. Can It Be Stopped?
Twenty in total. Four parties.
The half-raid team from Huanglong Guild's guerrilla unit, the Thunderbolt hunters, swiftly cut through the forest.
The assault leader at the front turned back while running and shouted.
"We'll circle around the forest and seal off the Harbin Gate entrance. Fourth party, assemble the opener-closer. Everyone else, hold the line firm while they work."
Following his orders, the hunters who entered Harbin City struck the Russian hunters guarding the gate.
"Damn it, it's the Thunderbolt team!"
"Requesting backup... ack!"
The Russians had no room to counter the enemy guerrillas. With Huanglong and Nakil already in play, plus Dayeong and Yeokcheon finally showing up on the battlefield, most of their forces were tied up on the western defense line.
The Russian gate guards were no pushovers, but Thunderbolt was a cut above.
They exploited their superiority to perfection, herding and hunting flawlessly. Caught off guard, the Russians were swept away without a chance to fight back. Before long, the allies had their backs to each other. No more room to retreat. All they could do was charge forward.
"If we're gonna die, I'll take at least one more with me."
"Don't do something stupid—hold out somehow! Message is sent; backup's coming soon!"
The Russians gritted their teeth and resisted, but it didn't last long.
Only after a sword plunged into the last hunter's chest did reinforcements arrive from the front.
"Shit, what the hell's the front line doing? If they told us to watch our backs, they should've pinned those bastards down."
"Captain! It's the Brown Bear assault team!"
One Thunderbolt hunter recognized the enemy.
The Brown Bear assault team was infamous from the major guild Bloody Sunday in St. Petersburg—hunters who hunted other hunters.
They showed up every time there was a scuffle in Makyung, so the local Thunderbolt team knew them by sight.
The Thunderbolt assault leader spotted the familiar face, drew his sword, and bellowed.
"Lisenco! What's a scavenger like you crawling all the way out here for?!"
"Well, if it isn't Uzing? Hey, long time no see. Let's trade a blow first, then talk."
Lisenco and Uzing clashed, and both sides threw themselves into the fray.
It was the start of human hunting, not monsters.
Swords brimming with mana slashed at each other, spears wove chaotic patterns. Axes cleaved heads like splitting firewood.
Bones tore through flesh, blood sprayed like fountains.
One poured a potion over spilling guts, but it was futile. That hunter's eyes dulled as he slumped against the wall, breathing his last.
At least he left a corpse. Another was charred to cinders by magic, scattering in the wind. Someone else was crushed flat into an unrecognizable pulp.
The skirmish lasted barely ten minutes, but both sides lost nearly half their strength in the brutal melee.
The two assault leaders gauged the moment to pull back.
No point dragging this out—we'll all die before there's a winner.
We've stalled Thunderbolt, so strategically, it's our win. No need to get greedy.
As they eyed each other, ready to retreat—
A group burst into the battlefield amid the ruins, where crumbling buildings were the only proof this had once been a city.
"Watch out! Tomahawks!"
The hunter who shouted the warning lost his head on the spot.
Chewing on the hunter's neck was a bipedal bear.
The bear wielded an axe like those used by Native Americans. Hunters called them Tomahawks instead of the official Warrior Bear.
"Uzing, let's call it here before those bear bastards crash the party."
"Hmph! Cherish that borrowed life the mob gave you. I'll finish you someday."
Lisenco and Uzing backed off. The hunters, who moments ago had murder in their eyes for each other, now turned their blades on the uninvited guests.
"Party formation three. Surviving tanks, solid shield wall."
"Northern formation! Deploy the array! Wounded inside!"
About twenty Warrior Bears eyed the battle-ready hunters before starting to drag off the scattered corpses.
"Fucking bear tanks. Too chickenshit to fight, just grabbing scraps and running."
Someone ground their teeth in frustration, but inwardly, everyone sighed in relief.
Warrior Bears were tough individually, but in group fights, their coordination was so slick it made you question if they were really monsters.
And they were sharp—if the enemy looked strong, they'd snag food or weapons and bolt.
As the Warrior Bears lumbered off, clutching corpses like honey pots, the remaining hunters could only glare awkwardly.
The standoff dragged on until Uzing made the call.
"Pull back slow."
Thunderbolt had lost half their force; they were no longer an assault team. Out on guerrilla ops, supplies were far, backup nonexistent.
Brown Bear, meanwhile, could get reinforcements anytime. Plus, parts for the opener-closer were lost or smashed in the fight—the op was a bust. No reason to stick around.
Confirming Thunderbolt's retreat, the Brown Bear members slumped to the ground.
Lisenco, masking his fatigue, contacted Harbin ops. He explained the situation, requested a team to hold the gate entrance, and scouted the perimeter.
Soon, reinforcements arrived from due north. But the Chinese sent more forces too. A new assault team appeared along Thunderbolt's retreat path.
"Looks like this is as far as I go."
Lisenco missed his window and got dragged into fresh combat.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Baek Gwi of Yeokcheon Guild stood across from Sinuiju.
He gazed down at the Yalu River reflecting the city lights. The old Yalu rail bridge, collapsed during the mini-war, swayed in the current.
With wistful eyes, he took in Sinuiju's skyline.
"Already ten years?"
Ten years.
It had taken a decade to cross this river.
"Faster than I thought."
He'd originally pegged it at twenty years. Luck halved it.
"A few more days, and I'll be home."
But those days dragged like a stopped clock.
Baek Gwi felt impatience laced with anticipation.
"What to do first when I get back? Kill my enemies? Nah, they're still useful—hold off. Hit the Korean government? No real gain. So what then, Dae-cheol?"
Do Dae-cheol, the top hunter loyal to him in Yeokcheon Guild, fielded the question.
"Whatever it is, secure yer position first, sir."
"Boring guy. When I'm lost in sentiment and hype, you gotta play along. Flatter me or somethin'."
"If ya want flattery, find someone else, sir. I'm just a monster hunter—good at killin', not sweet talk. But if ya order it, I'll give it a shot."
Baek Gwi burst out laughing. It could've stung, but Do Dae-cheol's face stayed stone.
"Take it back. Calling a riot like you boring? You got this weird talent for being funnier when you're dead serious."
"Don't sound like a good one, sir."
"Nah. It's what makes that stiff mug of yours bearable."
Do Dae-cheol finally clocked the ribbing but didn't complain. He just turned back with his usual blank look.
"Enough of that. Cross the river already, sir."
"Too soon."
"Same whether ya go now or later, sir."
"No. Better to cross once the gate monsters start moving. Makes things easier."
"'Cause of the riffraff in Sinuiju?"
"I know you think Korea's tier guilds are jokes after rollin' in Gobi Desert, but Sinuiju's got expedition-level top brass. Gotta wrap up contingencies first."
Do Dae-cheol nodded at Baek Gwi's words.
"Then we'll speed things up, sir."
"Already sent folks into Makyung. Results soon."
Baek Gwi turned northeast. He pictured the gate boss somewhere in Makyung.
"I wonder how many it'll take to stop it?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Gwan Hong ground his teeth, dialing numbers frantically. To verify Kang Moo-hyuk's claim.
Nearly an hour later, he confirmed it.
"I see. Intelligence Bureau already got the intel? Sources? The market? Covering Japan, Korea, Russia? Understood. Hold off notifying the Party for now. We'll propose a fix for Shenyang Gate first, before any announcement. Yes. Director, I'll visit soon. Goodbye."
He slammed the receiver down and gripped the armrest. The plastic cracked; metal fittings buckled inside.
"Once the Party knows, next they'll go public to the people."
Gwan Hong saw through Kang Moo-hyuk's play.
Simple. While Party brass flails over Shenyang Gate, leak it to the media.
China, scarred by the old Makyung Uprising that cost them three northeastern provinces, would panic again.
Hebei and Inner Mongolia evacuations en masse. Northern China paralyzed.
Big population was a curse then. Hundreds of millions moving? Uncontrollable.
Party'll pressure us. Easiest move. So we'll have to fix Shenyang first.
Guild interests screamed Jilin. Revealing the opener-closer meant international backlash, scrutiny. Guild ops crippled.
Checkmate. Can't skip Shenyang either.
Should've erased Jilin Gate evidence first. Never dreamed they'd target an open gate.
Gwan Hong deep-breathed, clearing his head. In, out, repeat—calm settled.
"Alright. Decided."
His eyes turned ice cold.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Kang Moo-hyuk sought out Seong Seon-je with one more request.
"Moving the unified assault force."
"Boss raid prep isn't done yet, as I understand."
"Not for the boss."
"Then what?"
"To Jilin City."
"Jilin? Isn't Kamenisky there now?"
"Yes. Exactly."
"Sending the unified force there... Do you think Huanglong's targeting Jilin, Commander Kang?"
Kang Moo-hyuk paused before answering, layering assumptions into his prediction.
People don't always act rational. Don't know Gwan Hong, but he's sharp.
Plotting to flip Russia and Korea via Makyung gates proved it.
Smart, ambitious. Huanglong doesn't tolerate failure. Might roll the dice.
Calculations done, Kang Moo-hyuk spoke.
"Not to fight. Just deterrence, for any contingency."
"Deterrence? Not facing an S-rank, I hope. You mean expedition-scale forces might come too?"
"Probably."
For the first time since becoming Titan's strategy chief, Kang Moo-hyuk lacked full conviction in his words.