Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Hunting
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A tent labeled as the strategy meeting room.
We gathered inside to listen to the briefing from Tactical Team Leader Jeon Gyu-hyuk.
"We'll hunt the Blue Drake at the site where the second Dimensional Rift was cleared."
It was a barren open lot with no obstacles, probably because a rift had been there.
The plan was to lure the monster there and take it down.
It was a solid choice.
Of course, I was the one doing the luring.
"It's a spear with strong piercing power when mana is channeled into it."
The tactical team leader handed me a short spear about a meter long.
"Even if its mana defense is down, the drake's hide boasts considerable durability."
It looked high-end and expensive just at a glance.
"When I give the signal, aim for its weak eye and damage the brain. That should let us finish it off easily."
I wondered if it would work with my mana.
"Even if it fails, don't panic—just keep drawing the monster's attention."
Well... even if it didn't work, it wouldn't matter much to me.
"Success means a bigger incentive bonus."
They wanted to preserve the monster as intact as possible to maximize profits.
"And during the hunt, make sure no other monsters interfere. Hunter Lee Jae-eun and Hunter Kim Jin-ah, we'll need your help with that too."
The tactical team leader gave various instructions to the other hunters as well.
As soon as day broke, we headed to the rift area that Jin-ah and Jae-eun had already cleared the day before.
There, the tactical team launched drones to scout for the monster.
And I entered the jungle alone to lure it out.
Following the tactical team leader's guidance, I spotted the monster.
It was huge, about the size of a large dump truck.
A massive fat lizard with blue skin and a bulging body.
I picked up nearby rocks and threw them.
-Thwack!
The lizard's cracked eye turned toward me after the rock hit its head.
As if it found me ridiculous.
-Puff!
It snorted and started approaching me.
-Thud. Thud.
It bulldozed through trees and bushes like they were nothing.
Seeing that, I turned and began luring it to the planned spot.
-Crunch. Snap.
Trees and foliage breaking behind me.
A quick glance back showed the massive bulk following nicely.
When I reached the clearing,
the hunters were already in formation, looking fully prepared.
The tactical team leader's instructions came over the radio.
Hunters seemed to follow the tactical team leader's orders over their own judgment during hunts.
Probably directing from drones overhead, monitoring the battlefield.
-Boom!
The massive fat lizard burst from the jungle, toppling trees.
-Thud. Thud.
It spotted me in a visible spot and charged.
Its fat bulk didn't look very agile.
I slowly led the monster to the center.
-Thud. Thud.
Dodging its bites and claw swipes, I occasionally smacked it with my greatsword.
Not landing a single hit enraged it.
Its attacks were indeed simple and sluggish.
This had to be one of the easier monsters out there.
At the tactical team leader's command, the party members at a distance unleashed their attacks.
-Boom! Kaboom!
Red and white mana blasts poured onto the Blue Drake's back.
It didn't seem heavily damaged visually.
But the goal was to chip away its mana defense anyway.
The party continued their mana attacks skillfully.
"Got it."
Jae-eun lightly cleaved an emerging monster snake with her axe.
The noisy Blue Drake hunt seemed to draw nearby monsters.
Taking mana hits to the back, it stubbornly targeted me.
Then suddenly, it turned its head.
The team leader's words were polite, but laced with subtle frustration.
Party hunts.
Someone always had to screw up, or it'd feel empty.
Meanwhile, I was enjoying it like an RPG game.
"Shit, fuck."
Lee Do-hoon cursed in panic as the monster turned on him.
-Snap.
I grabbed the monster lizard's tail as it lunged at Lee Do-hoon.
And held firm.
The giant beast thrashed on the spot.
"Keep going?"
-Kaboom.
Intense mana barrages scorched heat toward its face.
Thrashing on the ground toward Lee Do-hoon, it sensed danger and turned back to me.
I drew the spear the tactical team leader had given me from my back.
Infused it with mana and thrust at the giant monster lizard's massive eye.
The target was huge.
And with my abilities, failure wasn't even an option.
The sharp spear tip pierced without resistance, sucked into the Blue Drake's eye and shattering its brain.
The monster's body stiffened, then collapsed.
-Thud.
A hunt faithful to party play.
After soloing all the time, team play felt refreshingly novel.
"Kyaa! Uncle, you're so cool! Taking down something this big!"
I hadn't done it alone, but Jae-eun hugged me excitedly anyway.
"Whew, look at all this sweat."
She wiped my face with a handkerchief.
I hadn't sweated a drop.
Still, I enjoyed her touch.
"Uncle, tired? Let's go to the tent. I'll give you a massage."
"Ahem. Shall we?"
I felt jealous glares from the guys around.
"Holding that tail... impressive strength. First time seeing that. Care to join our team regularly?"
The tactical team leader approached with flattery.
Of course, I refused.
A day might be a fun change of pace.
But four nights and five days was too long.
That time was better spent hugging Jae-eun or Yu-na.
"Haha. With skills like yours, you're bound to be busy. Understood."
Jin-ah, knowing my lifestyle, shot me a prickly look.
The hunt ended early, but processing this big monster's byproducts meant staying another day.
I was sleeping with Jae-eun in my arms when Jin-ah woke me at dawn.
It was still dark out.
Way too early for sunrise.
But Jin-ah's hardened expression stopped me from complaining about the hour.
"Emergency situation."
Inside the strategy tent, hunters were already gathered, faces grim.
"It's a Dimensional Rift zone."
Tactical Team Leader Jeon Gyu-hyuk gave the report.
"Rift zone? Like Jeju Island?"
"Jeju was from neglect. But rarely, Dimensional Rifts spawn en masse in a fixed area. North Korea's a prime example."
North Korea was a rift zone too.
I'd heard vaguely it'd collapsed.
With our own country at risk, I hadn't paid much attention.
Seemed it fell to a sudden rift zone like this.
Now, Korea, China, and Russia were blocking monsters spilling from there.
"But a rift zone forming inside a Gate like this? Never heard of it."
"Not a good situation, then."
"Yes. The problem is we can't gauge how widespread the rift zone is."
Current gear couldn't map it fully—it was that vast.
"Here's the explored map for now."
Our camp was encircled by rifts on the map.
F-Rank rifts aside, plenty of D- and C-Rank mixed in.
"The route back to camp has quite a few D- and C-Rank rifts."
"So, what's the plan?"
I could just bulldoze through.
Without me, even a single D-Rank rift would be tough.
And the hunt team had civilian supporters too.
"Option one: hunker down quietly. Camp must've noticed the rift zone too."
"Wait for rescue?"
Go Eun-ha seemed skeptical.
"If we're on the outskirts, great. But deep inside? Rescue could take ages. And food's low."
The tactical team leader didn't seem to favor it either.
We'd left camp for a 2-night, 3-day schedule.
Didn't pack much food, naturally.
Couldn't last a week.
Rifts spawn monsters over time.
Monsters from nearby rifts creeping in was inevitable.
"Hm..."
"Option two: break through the rift zone fast."
"Your pick?"
"I say push through ASAP."
"Feasible?"
"Have to stick to F-Rank heavy paths."
F-Rank monsters were fodder even supporters could handle.
"Yes. South looks good—clustered F-Rank rifts."
But camp was west.
About 20-30km—not far, not close.
"Detour?"
"Yes. Safer than punching D- or C-Rank rifts; fight F-Ranks while looping."
"Anyone want to wait for rescue?"
Silence meant no takers.
I didn't want endless field life either.
This elite C-Rank hunt team could reach camp in half a day even detouring.
"Breakthrough it is."
I deferred to the experienced tactical team leader on this.
"Any objections to breakthrough?"
I checked with the other hunters just in case.
No one wanted D- or C-Rank rifts, detour or not.
Only me, Jae-eun, and Jin-ah could melee D-Ranks—fatal weakness.
"Tactical team leader's plan it is."