#261. I'll Handle the Rest.
As they delved deeper into the tunnels dug by the hornets, encounters with the fifth-generation variants became more frequent.
The basic fifth-gen types—a tank and vultures—challenged Joo Se-ah's party. At first, she handled everything before the others could even step in.
But as the tunnels branched more and larger caverns appeared in succession, the group found themselves surrounded on all sides. Naturally, the entire party had to dive into combat.
"Damn, these bastards are coming at us from everywhere?"
No Song-rin was the one having the toughest time against the fifth-gens.
A detailed-position omni-role dealer.
He was a versatile all-rounder who could handle various roles across the board, but he mostly dealt with humans rather than monsters.
Having lived among Ujungdo's criminals, he was specialized in taking down fellow hunters.
Jang Deok-gu, who had worked as a detective and bounty hunter catching villains, was much the same. But as Joo Se-ah's mentor, he had plenty of raid experience alongside her. Plus, as a weapon master who wielded every weapon to its limit, he could approach monsters in far more varied ways than No Song-rin, whose weapon spectrum was narrow.
The reason No Song-rin had shone against orcs in North Pocheon before was that they were humanoid monsters.
He was somewhat familiar with beasts, but insect-types like these stifled his full potential.
Go Eul-ji was struggling with combat too.
In truth, tankers and vultures weren't tough opponents for a telekinesist like her, honed to the extreme.
The problem was the battlefield: narrow underground passages.
With devastating power and ultra-high-speed maneuvers as her main arsenal, places blocked on all sides—especially a fragile underground world that could collapse under heavy hits—restricted her output. She had to hold back to avoid sinking the city, even if her own safety came second.
Unable to cut loose, irritation started bubbling up.
And No Song-rin's constant grumbling grated on her ears.
"Ack! Where does this puny shit get off swinging that scythe so recklessly? Sneaky when hiding, but total pushover once it shows!"
"Hey, old man, you hunting with your mouth? Shut up and kill one more!"
Go Eul-ji yelled at No Song-rin, who was venting on a vulture with sharp jabs. Spotting the tanks encircling them, No Song-rin freaked out.
"Hey, kid! You keep shoving monsters my way?! Think I won't notice your telekinesis?!"
"When did I? Got proof? Proof?!"
Irritated by the two who couldn't focus, Joo Se-ah warned them.
"Both of you, cut the games. Keep bickering and you'll get private lessons from me the second we return to Korea."
"Got it!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
She shut down the troublemakers in an instant and picked up the pace. Drawing on her Slayer experience, she pushed the party hard.
It would be reckless with unskilled hunters, but in her judgment, this party's caliber matched Slayer's expedition team.
Her philosophy: elite hunters grew stronger under intense pressure.
Eul-ji's showing unexpected weakness here? No Song-rin needs anti-large-monster training. This fight will be great first-step experience.
As Joo Se-ah advanced, the party had to keep up to avoid encirclement. What they thought was their limit escalated in response.
Even to veterans like Go Eul-ji and No Song-rin, it was an odd experience.
Jang Deok-gu supported them in the gaps, but nonstop combat in monster-packed spaces taught them resource allocation and focused bursts instinctively.
No talentless hunter could pick that up so easily.
Guild Master Joo Se-ah... she's ramping up the hunt intensity on purpose. Even Gloria's elites couldn't sustain this pace.
Even Johanna, more accustomed to chaos than the other two, tasted blood in her mouth from exhaustion.
Joo Se-ah demanded top-tier combat readiness, affiliation be damned.
Then, trouble hit Joo Se-ah mid-lead.
"Tch..."
A crack formed in her combat gauntlets.
Not rare-grade luxury, but premium from a brand famed for durability. Repeatedly shattering tank hides had worn them out.
Bare fists would work fine. But with no end to the fighting in sight, can't waste stamina.
Finally, she drew her sword.
Johanna, seeing Joo Se-ah wield a weapon for the first time, couldn't look away.
Unlike her reckless charges moments ago, the fluid, elegant swordplay danced like a waltz.
She's not a tanker?
If Jang Deok-gu's weapons boasted peak efficiency, his disciple Joo Se-ah turned every motion into art.
She'd started in his style. But upon hitting S-rank, it evolved.
Her worldview shifted; she reinterpreted the world's elements, altering her combat style.
In truth, calling her sword "beautiful" was Johanna's take. To Jang Deok-gu, it looked entirely different.
Channeling mana flow without infusing the blade, mimicking mana use. Thought she was a monster absorbing my teachings, but now she is one.
Beyond ultimate efficiency—swordplay that eliminated foes without waste.
Chills ran down his spine watching.
"Huuuuh!"
The fight ended before they knew it. The carnivorous hornets retreated, no more assaults.
Around Joo Se-ah, exhaling deeply, lay hornet remains.
The rest of the party stared, speechless.
The hunt was dominated by her afterimage.
Breaking the silence, Joo Se-ah radioed out.
"Reporting in. Made contact with fifth-gens. No breathing room to call during the fight."
Bitterness tinged Kang Moo-hyuk's tone.
Joo Se-ah trusted Kang Moo-hyuk. Radical at times, but never the type to throw hunters into hell without a plan.
They fought monsters differently, but shared values aligned.
Monster extermination. Human protection. Hunter spirit.
As long as they pursued that together, she'd respect him as a comrade on the same path.
That was why she followed his orders without question.
"Got it. The rest is on you. I'll focus on killing monsters."
"Pull back the front line and solidify defenses first."
Gunpowder Guild Master Dwight issued the order wearily.
It spread through the guild instantly. Details he left to field commanders.
Gunpowder had the chops. No need for the guild master or expedition leader to micromanage—they wouldn't blunder into a losing war with monsters.
"Call My Name's reorganizing too. Taylor's stepping up personally."
Dwight's eyes widened at General Manager Fisher's report.
"Huntington's judgment's sharp as ever. Knew he'd commit the expedition leader from the start."
"Saved casualties thanks to it. Taylor's party covered the retreat. Though Janet lost an arm to a vulture ambush."
"Janet's a fresh expedition prospect. Taylor and Huntington's prized next-gen ace tanker. Still green. Plenty to learn. Not like they can't afford a new arm—she'll sort it. Our problem's we're in a real shitshow..."
Calm on the surface, but Dwight was fuming inside.
Their steady frontal push into the hive had backfired spectacularly.
With elites holding center, the sudden fifth-gen counter crushed mid-tier vets cleaning up stragglers on the front.
"Our midsection's been gutted."
"At least they survived."
"Survived how? Retirement-bound anyway. How many lost limbs we couldn't recover? Janet's arm loss ain't even funny fodder. Huntington'd pity us."
"Latest limb-regen therapy can regrow and rehab 'em back."
"Regrow all those? Guild accounts drained dry. Rehabbed, they might not hit peak. Without that unique item, it's a massive loss."
Gunpowder represents LA—not Ithaca, not Call My Name.
To Dwight, always proclaiming that, this bruised his pride.
Regardless of the guild master's ire, Fisher had a job: advise.
"Fortifying defense is easy. The real call's next. Unidentified threat confirmed—pushing on's reckless."
"Tuck tail without intel? Hang up the Gunpowder sign. Pissed as hell, but benchmark Call My Name. Go elite. Issue Red Gate gear for the expedition. Raid like it's a level 1 gate."