Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: The Super Tanker
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A conference room on the second floor of Incheon International Airport.
Smith, the director of the US Hunter Management Bureau, found this situation deeply unpleasant.
He was accompanied by the Secretary of State and the National Security Advisor.
Wherever they went in the world, those who sat before them would cower like herbivores before a predator.
But not today.
“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
The one who refused so firmly was Kang Il-seop, the director of South Korea’s Hunter Management Bureau. Not only did he refuse outright, but he also gave no reason.
Having never been rejected in such a manner, the three Americans were the ones left bewildered.
‘How dare he.’
Smith struggled to suppress the rage boiling within him.
Though they called South Korea an Asian ally, they had always held the upper hand.
“We arrived just twenty minutes ago on a private jet, under the orders of the President of the United States. The reason we chose an airport conference room was because of the urgency of this matter. And yet, you refuse in thirty seconds. Are you aware of the implications of this?”
Smith applied subtle pressure.
He was asking if Kang Il-seop could handle the consequences.
But Kang Il-seop spoke as if he were the one offended.
“This is South Korea. This emergency visit and meeting are happening not because of the US President's order, but because we chose to grant your request.”
Smith couldn't find a retort. Kang Il-seop deliberately opened his briefcase at a leisurely pace and tossed a file onto the table.
—ROK-US Gate Information Sharing Agreement.
Seeing it, Smith’s eyebrow twitched.
“Wasn’t that agreement finalized three months ago?”
“Ah, that’s right. It’s a done deal, isn’t it…”
The directors of both nations’ Hunter Management Bureaus had met three months prior.
It was for the Gate Information Sharing Agreement.
At that meeting, Smith had ignored all of Kang Il-seop’s demands and instead altered the already unfavorable contract to be even more advantageous for the United States.
He had even brought up military arms agreements, leaving Kang Il-seop no choice but to back down. Kang Il-seop had not forgotten that humiliation.
“Well, then it seems there’s nothing more to discuss. If you have nothing else to say, I’ll be taking my leave. I’ll make arrangements for you to return as quickly as possible, since you must be short on time.”
Kang Il-seop rose from his seat.
The three Americans, waiting with a sliver of hope, only grasped the situation after Kang Il-seop and his aides had completely left the conference room.
“Hoo.”
Smith sighed and stood up.
If he didn't stop Kang Il-seop right now, he would be making the biggest mistake of his life.
As he turned, his eyes fell on a lone sheet of paper, its owner now gone.
A request form, clearly bearing the signature of the President of the United States.
The most influential document in the world now lay discarded like a piece of trash.
Hunter Dispatch Request.
Only a single name was written on it.
—Bae Wang-sik
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
A desolate darkness had descended upon the world’s greatest city of entertainment.
The dazzling lights, the music, and the vibrant crowds were nowhere to be seen.
Skeletons walked out of collapsed buildings as if they were people, and the streets were filled with grotesquely twisted figures shambling about.
*Guoooo!*
A colossal creature streaking across the night sky was a dragon made of bone.
At the Bone Dragon’s roar, the skeletons and zombies responded with their own shrieks.
The city of the undead.
In just two days, the very meaning of Las Vegas had changed.
The only saving grace was that the surrounding desert provided some distance to other cities.
But even that comfort seemed short-lived.
Having gathered sufficient forces, the undead had begun to move toward other cities.
The undead army, led by the Bone Dragon, crossed the desert at a speed that defied common sense.
The cause was the black smoke that enveloped them.
Among the nearly two thousand undead troops, there was one who moved as if gliding through the air, his body floating.
The man, his face hidden by a black hood, had feet of bare bone, but his face had pale skin and eyes that glowed red like embedded jewels.
A Necromancer.
He was the source of this entire catastrophe.
No one had predicted that a B-rank Gate appearing in the desert would lead to such a disaster.
When they had assembled a sufficient force of five A-rank hunters and twenty B-rank hunters, they had expected the battle to be over within an hour.
But waiting inside the B-rank Gate was a single mage.
Only then did they realize it was a trap. When the mage scattered bone dust and summoned the undead, the B-rank Gate turned into an A-rank one.
And when he summoned the Bone Dragon, the danger level reached a value comparable to an S-rank threat.
Ultimately, a Dungeon Break occurred.
The Necromancer who emerged from the Gate swiftly dealt with the soldiers controlling it and headed for the nearest city.
That city was Las Vegas.
Hastily gathered hunters fought another desperate battle in Las Vegas, but they were no match for the Bone Dragon.
The Necromancer’s curses, followed by the Bone Dragon’s firepower, created countless casualties, and in the end, they were forced to retreat.
On the outskirts of the desert.
A temporary camp had been set up, where America's representative hunters had gathered.
Under a canopy shielding them from the harsh desert sun, a hundred of the nation's finest listened to one man’s briefing.
It was Lery, the Guild Leader of America's strongest guild, Brion.
Lery’s nickname was the War God of the Iron Wall.
He was a world-class tanker and a legendary figure who had cleared the most Gates from the front lines.
No one objected to him taking command, and naturally, all eyes were on him.
“The crux of the operation is for the tanker unit, including myself, to draw the Bone Dragon’s attention while the rest of you take down the Necromancer.”
Knowing how dangerous that task was, a look of respect appeared on the hunters’ faces.
“If we fail, the Necromancer will acquire even more forces. We must stop him here. For our families, and for all the people of the United States of America.”
Just as he was about to elaborate on the detailed strategy, someone entered the temporary headquarters.
“You’ve arrived.”
The man striding quickly toward Lery was Bureau Director Smith.
Looking utterly exhausted, Smith asked Lery for a moment and then addressed the hunters.
“We have secured Bae Wang-sik.”
At those words, a murmur spread through the encampment.
“Was he a real person?”
“Even if he’s real, his skills must have been exaggerated.”
Before the hunters' complaints could continue, Smith spoke again.
“This is the result of doing our utmost to reduce casualties. We cannot afford to lose anyone here.”
Quelling the murmurs in the room, Smith pulled a folded list from his inner pocket.
But his expression as he looked at it was not good.
Just as everyone sensed something was amiss, Smith began to call out names.
“Lucy of the Raptor Guild, Pate of the Pegasus Guild, Christina of the Hunter Management Bureau…”
A total of seven names were called.
“These are the individuals who will participate in this operation. Please board the prepared vehicles immediately.”
“Is that all? Just seven people?”
Lery, unable to hold back any longer, stepped forward.
“It was Bae Wang-sik's request. He said they would be enough…”
“What in the world!”
Everyone reacted with disbelief. Even those whose names were called were dumbfounded.
So far, 200 hunters had been sacrificed. And it had been a one-sided defeat.
No matter how elite they were, just seven of them?
Just then, Smith relayed one of the terms of the agreement.
“We have an agreement that you may retreat at any time after the first attack. You will not be put in danger.”
“Retreating isn’t as simple as just saying the word.”
At Lery's protest, Smith looked at the seven who had been called. Only then did Lery realize what they all had in common.
“Ranged area-of-effect dealers.”
“That’s right. You are free to retreat after the initial attack. That is the agreement. For now, we are short on time, so please get moving.”
Given the urgency of the situation, the seven hunters, now with a safety net, left the temporary headquarters.
After confirming their departure, Smith turned to the bewildered Lery and said.
“The real operation starts now. We hired Bae Wang-sik to minimize our own casualties. We must be ready to jump in the moment he fails.”
“How much do you expect from him?”
At Lery’s question, Smith gave a thin smile and said.
“He should at least be able to buy us some time, don’t you think?”
The other hunters, finally understanding Smith's true intentions, wore expressions of comprehension.
Upon the endless expanse of the desert.
A man stood before the seven who had gotten out of the vehicle, clad in glossy black armor.
The armor, with its rough texture reminiscent of a demon's skin, and the helmet that covered his entire head, evoked the grin of a fiend.
Even his gauntlets and boots were jet black, giving him the appearance of a true demon.
“I think gold suits me better, though.”
As the seven approached, the man offered a simple greeting.
“I’m Bae Wang-sik. You all have just one job.”
Bae Wang-sik gave the order in his characteristically low, deep voice.
“You just have to attack me.”
The seven thought the translation must have been wrong. But Bae Wang-sik had already turned away.
In the distance, the undead army was faintly visible on the desert sands.
“What the hell does that mean!”
Finally, one of them, unable to contain it, raised his voice.
He had been dissatisfied with the whole situation, and the absurd plan was the last straw.
But Bae Wang-sik nodded as if pleased.
“Right. Just like that. Attack me like you’re trying to kill me.”
Had they entrusted the fate of their nation to a madman?
That was what all seven were thinking. But Bae Wang-sik seemed to have no intention of placating them.
“It’s starting.”
Despite the distance, Bae Wang-sik began walking toward the undead army.
Via drones and satellites.
And even for those watching with their own eyes.
No one could believe the sight.
The undead did not simply let Wang-sik approach alone. It began with the Bone Dragon’s breath.
Half of the onlookers thought it would all be over with that one attack. But when a golden shield materialized in Wang-sik’s hand, everything changed.
*Rumble!*
A wall of light erupted from the ground, leaving a distinct line on the earth.
Holy Fence.
The sacred wall, a hundred meters long, soared into the sky, radiating a mystical, aurora-like light.
And then, two opposing forces collided.
*Kwakwakwang!*
The breath, blocked by the aurora, cascaded to the ground like a waterfall, creating a tremor like an earthquake.
The breath melted even the soil, carving a straight trench that seemed to stretch on endlessly.
“Holy Armor.”
*Woooong!*
The aurora wall that had blocked the breath shattered into light. The particles of light were drawn into Bae Wang-sik’s body as if sucked into a black hole. Soon, they settled over him like a second skin.
Having created a protective barrier that radiated a mystical light, Wang-sik charged toward the undead that were now within reach.
Just when everyone thought it was a reckless act, Bae Wang-sik, who had leaped alone into the enemy ranks, let out a monstrous roar toward the sky.
In that instant, something transparent began to appear a hundred meters in the air.
What emerged like a hologram was a giant, thorny heart.
*Thump!*
Its heartbeat echoed through the sky.
Pulse of Hatred.
Hearing it, the monsters’ eyes turned blood-red.
—*Kraaaa!*
The monsters, roaring in fury, lost all reason and charged toward Bae Wang-sik.
As the monsters, caught in the area-wide taunt, targeted only Wang-sik, the seven hunters watching from a distance made their move.
“Is our magic stronger than the Bone Dragon’s breath?”
They knew it was highly unlikely.
“Just attack!”
All seven specialized in area-of-effect attacks, and they unleashed firepower to match.
Their target was Bae Wang-sik.
The attacks, centered on Bae Wang-sik, laid waste to the surroundings.
The force was so great that the undead charging forward were blasted into dust.
But that one volley turned the monsters’ attention.
While the other monsters were still under the taunt and focused on Wang-sik, the Bone Dragon was not.
As the Bone Dragon changed its target and prepared to unleash its breath on the seven hunters, Wang-sik’s right index finger stretched out.
*Chwararat!*
The elongated finger became a black chain and wrapped around the neck of the Bone Dragon hovering in the sky.
*Krrr!*
The enraged Bone Dragon and Wang-sik locked eyes.
“A rowdy puppy needs a leash.”
The Bone Dragon unleashed its breath once more, but the result was the same. In fact, the undead forces nearby were melted away by the attack.
The seven seized the opportunity and unleashed another volley of attacks, instantly cutting the enemy forces in half.
It was then.
“Watch out!”
One of the support team members, having spotted something, shouted.
A gray fog was closing in on Bae Wang-sik.
The Necromancer’s curse.
It was a powerful debuff magic, the true reason so many hunters had died so miserably.
Unfortunately, the fog swallowed Bae Wang-sik.
And then, the Necromancer appeared.
“Kehheh.”
With a sickening laugh, the Necromancer moved its gaunt, skeletal hands.
Simultaneously, dozens of hands shot up from the ground and grabbed Wang-sik’s feet.
Confirming that his feet were bound by the hands of the dead, the Necromancer retreated, and the Bone Dragon, its rage having built up, fired a concentrated breath attack, unlike any before.
“Kekeke.”
The Necromancer laughed again. But he wasn’t the only one laughing.
“You should have stayed hidden a little longer. This makes it too easy.”
*Pang!*
With the sound of air bursting, a gray gas exploded from Bae Wang-sik’s body.
The curse that had been encroaching on him was blown away.
The moment the Necromancer realized something was wrong.
*Chwararat!*
A chain shot out from Bae Wang-sik’s left hand and bound the Necromancer. And when the chain shortened again, the Necromancer was in Bae Wang-sik’s grasp.
And directly above them, the concentrated breath descended.
*Kwaaaa!*
A black pillar, like a giant nail, pierced the earth.
Everyone who witnessed this scene froze as if time had stopped.
Their thoughts ceased, and their minds went blank, because they were all thinking the same thing.
Their momentarily suspended senses returned only when the power of the breath began to wane.
It wasn't just the breath; the undead legions all simultaneously became ordinary bones, scattered across the desert sand.
It meant their summoner had been annihilated.
All that remained was the deep crater left by the breath attack.
“How could he make a choice like that?”
“Why…”
The seven hunters approached the crater with complex emotions.
Though their encounter was brief, the battle they had just witnessed had far surpassed their expectations.
They were filled with a sense of awe. Their earlier disregard had vanished, replaced by a deep sense of loss at the outcome.
“He was a true tanker.”
He wasn't just strong; he protected his allies while placing himself in the most dangerous position.
Moreover, they had clearly seen his tenacity in pursuing his goal.
They couldn't shake the thought that they had witnessed the most perfect form of a tanker.
“If only his body remained…”
With that thought, they peered into the crater, and something shot up.
It was a human hand.
And then, using the strength of that hand, a person pulled himself out.
Bae Wang-sik.
That was the name of the man who had withstood the Bone Dragon’s breath with his own body.