#274. Did We Break Through?
Uplink Dict.
'Fight? Against what?'
Kang Moo-hyuk couldn't grasp the meaning behind the words left by the unknown entity, the Golden-Eyed Ruler. It didn't seem to simply mean battling monsters.
Unfortunately, he had no time to leisurely puzzle it out. Uncovering the identity of a being that defied common sense—or even cognition itself—right here with zero information was impossible.
'And that's not the pressing issue right now.'
Joo Se-ah was still locked in combat with what they presumed was the queen bee. No telling when the shockwaves from that fight might reach here. He needed to wake the unconscious hunters and get them out safely, pronto.
'The good news is most of the fifth-generation swarm here got wiped out. Any survivors in the tunnels are for the other hunters to handle. Leave the queen to the guild master.'
Kang Moo-hyuk focused on what he could control.
He decided to revive Jang Deok-gu first. He approached the man, who still hadn't come to.
Just thinking about the entity that even an A+ rank hunter couldn't withstand by facing it alone made his head spin.
Kang Moo-hyuk pulled a cardiac stimulant from Jang Deok-gu's ampoule kit.
Cardiac stimulant was something of a misnomer—it was an injectable potion used to rouse hunters who'd passed out from mana exhaustion or total stamina depletion.
Named for the injection near the heart, the mana core, to rapidly restore vitality throughout the body.
No sooner had the needle pierced his heart than Jang Deok-gu exhaled sharply, coughing violently. He soon regained consciousness.
"Cough... cough. Deputy Leader Kang? Wh-what the hell happened?"
"No time for that. Questions later—wake the other hunters. We need to evac this place."
True to his veteran status, Jang Deok-gu sensed from the lingering ache in his chest that Kang Moo-hyuk had used the cardiac stimulant. He swiftly assessed the situation and prioritized.
"Guild master's in the thick of it. Got it. I'll evac the hunters. Cardiacs do the trick?"
"Yeah. Every basic kit has 'em. Wake our party first, then grab anyone from the guilds to find their party leaders. That'll help control the rest. I'll check on Thomas Hunter."
Jang Deok-gu had a ton of questions, but years as an investigator had drilled crisis response into his bones. He shelved his curiosity—rambling queries were poison in chaos like this.
He pushed his stiff body into motion, seeking out Go Eul-ji. He spotted her collapsed nearby and thought as he hurried over.
'Second time she's blacked out and lost her memory since the goblin matriarch.'
Never happened on dangerous missions or against brutal villains. Yet twice now, since Kang Moo-hyuk joined the guild.
First time, Kang Moo-hyuk blamed the goblin matriarch's magic, but Jang Deok-gu didn't buy it.
Sure, he'd played along outwardly—for Joo Se-ah's sake. She seemed to know something but kept quiet. He figured she had her reasons.
'She'll spill when the time's right. Wouldn't have made it this far without trusting her.'
He shook off the distraction, recalling when Joo Se-ah had first been assigned to him.
Kang Moo-hyuk approached the fallen Thomas.
The oppressive aura around Thomas was gone. The golden glow peeking from his closed eyelids had vanished long ago.
He shook Thomas gently to rouse him.
"Thomas Hunter. Wake up."
Thomas's awareness didn't return easily. Kang Moo-hyuk reached for the ampoule kit at his waist to grab a cardiac, then paused.
"Right, he only packed syringes for the breakout since he wasn't fighting."
Thomas hadn't worn a full kit, planning no combat—just syringes and suppressants to wield power while curbing his mana addiction.
"This is a problem. Can't just leave him."
Twitch.
Kang Moo-hyuk caught the faint quiver in Thomas's facial muscles. He smirked bitterly and said aloud on purpose.
"What a dud. Too weak to be of any use. Can't even handle treatment with that stamina? Skip the healing and ditch the transfer paperwork?"
"Ah, slept like a baby. Good morning, Deputy Leader."
"More like good evening."
"Didn't feel that long."
Thomas rose with a quip. Kang Moo-hyuk asked.
"Why play dead?"
Thomas hesitated, then spoke.
"Even possessed... I remember everything. My mind stayed awake."
"So you shared a body with it while conscious. Then, its identity...?"
"No clue."
"Sure? Possessor? Descender? Whatever—linked to it, you'd sense something."
"Vaguely. Doesn't exist in this world? God-like?"
"Not exactly news. I guessed that much."
"That's it—your chat with the Golden-Eyed Ruler, events here. Overwhelmed; couldn't process. Haven't felt this tangled in ages... needed to lie low."
Casual tone, but Thomas was deeply shaken. Briefly one with the unknown, the impact burned vivid. Mana addiction had dulled his emotions to near-nothing; now they surged.
Awe, terror, reverence.
Like existing in the universe while being the universe.
Kang Moo-hyuk got it—not identical to his encounters, but twice facing the unknown gave him insight.
Pretending ignorance, he shifted topics.
"Any idea how it entered you?"
"Hard to describe. Whispered urging—cross the line, overdose syringes, push limits. Thought it my choice at the time, but now? Not sure. No clue what to do if it recurs."
"Best avoid repeats."
"Agreed, Deputy Leader. Its mere presence threatens Earth. Might not be the Golden-Eyed Ruler—can't assume others benevolent."
"Not that... it mentioned a 'price' for descending."
"Shortened lifespan?"
"Unclear. Seemed to leave wiggle room."
Thomas pondered; Kang Moo-hyuk pressed gently.
"You okay?"
"With what? Oh, life? Fine. Already on borrowed time—shortening it? No biggie. You know my mana addiction. Resigned long ago."
"Relieved to hear."
"Bigger issue: next time it shows."
Thomas spoke of his life like another's. Kang Moo-hyuk, no stranger, empathized.
"Couldn't control it—different league—but dialogue worked. Next time, maybe leverage that."
"Expecting a sequel?"
"Not sure if Golden-Eyed Ruler, but past and this case? Communication opens doors."
"You've seen this before?"
"Yeah. Back in North Pocheon..."
"Watch out!"
Thomas shoved Kang Moo-hyuk mid-sentence, thrusting his right hand skyward. A roar echoed; a crater meters wide formed.
Kang Moo-hyuk rolled, looking back. Thomas blocked something at point-blank.
"The queen..."
An unmistakably formidable monster bore down on Thomas.
Kang Moo-hyuk's shock wasn't the attack—but Thomas solo-tanking the boss.
'Barrier... Thomas Hunter holding a raid boss alone?'
But the real stunner followed.
Phoenix
A fiery bird bloomed from Thomas's left hand, engulfing the queen.
"Kihyaak!"
Screech or scream, the queen reeled back.
'What? Magic so fluid?'
Kang Moo-hyuk gaped. Thomas had strained for spells even piercing the earth with syringes—now instant cast.
But the caster was more stunned.
"Huh? It worked?"
Instinctive, yet he reeled at blocking the attack.
And then.
"Kuhk!"
Pain like shredded lungs hit.
Thomas couldn't straighten, doubled over.
'Wh-what pain is this?'
Clarity snapped in with agony.
Only now did Thomas sense the change in his body.
'Not exhaustion like before. But post-magic pain... different from mana addiction?'
Queen shook off flames, lunging as Thomas faltered.
Her eyes blazed pure malice—unlike against Joo Se-ah.
"Distracted in my presence?"
The voice inches away reminded her of her original foe.
Spinning Slash
Basic skill for low-ranks, but S-rank full-force cleaved the queen's flank.
Queen countered. Her wings flashed mana—hundreds of light shards hurtled at Joo Se-ah.
Massive blast engulfed the area.
Thomas endured pain, erecting another barrier over Kang Moo-hyuk and himself.
S-rank vs. raid boss aftershock—he somehow held.
'Guild Master Joo and queen don't seem that strong. Maybe me...'
Did we break through the wall?
"Get clear or you're paste!"
"Fall back!"
"Unconscious ones—hoist 'em and move!"
Thanks to Jang Deok-gu, Go Eul-ji, and the party hustling, nearly all hunters were up.
They didn't know why they'd blacked out—no time to wonder.
Joo Se-ah vs. queen, plus Thomas's barriers scattering attacks, menaced them.
Hunters hauled downed comrades out of blast zones—heads, shoulders, whatever.
Stragglers got Go Eul-ji's shaky barrier despite her unrecovered state.
Safe evacuees fled to the cavern exit in panic.
"What the fuck even happened...? Never seen a raid flip like this."
Camilla Parker directed the retreat amid chaos, barely hiding her unease.
Zachary Taylor beside her felt the same.
"Friendly raids don't exist. Surviving to retreat? Count blessings."
"Still too wild!"
"S-rank here in this mess? Lifetime luck. No clue what's up, but that's it."
Camilla nodded silently. She agreed—pure fortune.
Then a Gunpowder hunter reported to her.
"Leader, check this."
"What now?!"
"Hunters down over there..."
"Ours? Grab and go. Quit yapping!"
"Not ours."
"No discriminating Call My Name—comrades!"
"Not them either."
"What?"
The hunter said cautiously.
"Dolores. Ithaca's Nothingburger's down."
Camilla and Taylor yelled together.
"That bitch here?!"
"The wrecker?!"