The Second Sun

After selecting the fruits of his training, the Honwon Stone pillar, and various spoils as his harvest.

When he awakened in reality, he spent time shifting his mood in various ways while pondering the power of the elemental spirit.

Its power feels less like the harmony of the Five Elements and more like raw elemental force.

The chaotic uncertainty it evoked was far stronger than any sense of balance, so even if the underlying principles were similar, it deserved a different name.

Despite feeling so unstable, its destructive power was immense, and there wasn’t the slightest sense of waste from mutual cancellation. The only explanation was that some form of underlying law had been woven into it.

Of course, it can’t be mere random chaos.

The deeper he examined it, the clearer the impression became.

It felt… almost like it was eroding reality itself and causing it to collapse.

Theoretically, it was entirely possible.

According to the knowledge he had gained from the Galactic Empire, reality was referred to as the “Material Realm,” and the power that could be called the representation of matter was precisely the power of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Five Elements—or elemental force. Therefore, depending on how it was applied, it could indeed trigger the collapse of reality.

This was the exact opposite of the inspiration he had drawn from the Ghost Gate Map phenomenon: the idea of “creating a domain through illusion and the power of the Five Elements.” And precisely because it was the opposite, the realization struck him all the more deeply.

They say defeating an elemental spirit yields an object called an Elemental Core.

If he could obtain and properly research it, he would likely gain profound insights into the Five Elements. The core from a spirit that had reached the Soul Formation stage would be even more valuable.

Because it concerned fundamental enlightenment, this was an extremely important matter. Naturally, once the research was complete, he would also be able to create elixirs or talismans with it.

On the day he ascended to the Soul Formation stage, while harvesting another Honwon Stone pillar, he made a firm vow to exact his revenge and obtain that Elemental Core.

In the meantime.

Time flowed outside of his personal reality, and the operation to subjugate the Aheti race entered its opening phase.

The media frenzy that had begun nearly a month earlier had already reached its zenith. Interviews and dream-filled statements from hunters with celebrity-level fame, spread across social media, poured fuel on the flames.

There were political clashes and voices of concern from self-proclaimed experts, but they were far too weak to dampen the surging momentum.

Hunters from every corner of the world began arriving in Korea by ship and plane. At the same time, reporters from countless news outlets entered the country, busy filming and broadcasting even the most trivial details.

The total size of the subjugation force was just under ten thousand, composed exclusively of elite fighters ranked B-class or higher. Among them, twenty-four S-class hunters formed the core. Considering ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the total number of S-class hunters on Earth, it was by no means a small proportion.

Roughly one week later.

A grand departure ceremony was held at the defensive base near the Great Rift, attended by Han Yujin as one of Korea’s S-class hunters.

It was not overly complicated, yet the kind of event that could sufficiently raise morale and steel their resolve. In response, numerous corporations hosted various spectacles, turning the occasion into something that felt like a global festival.

While standing in his assigned place during the ceremony, Han Yujin thought to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠himself.

As planned, I’ll simply observe in the beginning.

Judging by the strength of the organized subjugation force, they fell short of the Aheti race’s Maigbra Settlement. Especially when factoring in the existence of their chieftain, Maigbra Aurak, it would not be strange if they were completely annihilated.

Therefore, the people of Earth needed to experience it firsthand and realize just how weak and insignificant their faction was in the vastness of the universe.

As an added benefit, if he stepped forward to save them at the critical moment, he could highlight his own importance and lower their wariness toward him. It would also provide a solid foundation for executing his “grand plan” moving forward.

This was not a matter of needlessly sacrificing lives.

The moment they joined the subjugation force, every hunter had already resolved themselves to die. He had no obligation to look after each of their lives individually.

On the contrary, protecting them in that way would clearly backfire. If he rescued them before they even sensed the crisis, they would react as if their rice bowl had been stolen from them.

“I will proceed as planned.”

Amid the surrounding clamor, Park Seryong approached quietly and spoke.

Since Han Yujin intended to move separately once the operation began, this was confirmation. Communication would become difficult after entering the Great Rift and scattering.

“Take care not to die. There are many tasks ahead that require your assistance.”

At those words, Park Seryong offered a smile that came from the heart and gave a slight, inconspicuous bow so that others would not notice.

“I will definitely keep it in mind.”

He had only just begun to grasp real power. To die now would be the greatest waste imaginable.

After the departure ceremony concluded.

The subjugation force began its advance toward the Great Rift.

It was Earth’s first expedition to confront an alien species.

* * *

To Han Yujin’s eyes, the subjugation force was at a level where total annihilation would not be surprising, but that was a matter of raw power rather than mindset or strategy.

Thus, despite being composed of hunters from countless guilds across many nations, they displayed remarkably high organizational capability.

They conducted meticulous reconnaissance, advanced while concealing their presence as much as possible, and swiftly eliminated any monsters they encountered, suffering zero casualties.

They did not clump together in a single mass. Even in a situation where radio communication was impossible, hunters specialized in the messenger role moved without rest, flexibly coordinating their support.

Han Yujin, who had separated early and was observing every movement from the sky while hiding his presence, could not help but inwardly admire them.

Aside from their lack of skill, there is nothing particularly problematic.

For a force made up of hunters rather than soldiers, and for this being their first large-scale alliance of its kind, their operational ability was genuinely impressive. It was likely thanks to their abundant real-combat experience.

Of course, once full-scale combat erupted, confusion would break out in many places, so this admiration might still be premature.

Besides, organizational strength of this kind was not actually a decisive factor in battles between true powerhouses.

They will come to understand that this time.

While gazing down at them, Han Yujin firmed his resolve once more.

A few days later.

The first battle broke out with the Aheti race, who had noticed their approach.

The Aheti possessed combat techniques that utilized spiritually contracted beasts or inflicted all manner of damage directly upon the soul. Most of their warriors ranged from B-class to A-class, with around thirty fighters at S-class or above.

From the very first clash, S-class individuals appeared and waged guerrilla warfare, inflicting considerable damage. S-class hunters from the subjugation force stepped forward to defend and counterattack, but the enemy’s methods were far more sophisticated, and they repeatedly failed to catch them.

They were different from Earth’s hunters, who relied solely on their awakening abilities.

The most troublesome aspect was that the Aheti could intentionally trigger waves. When those waves included monsters that even S-class hunters would struggle to suppress, blocking them became truly difficult.

The once-sky-high morale was visibly plummeting. One nation’s guild had not even reached the enemy’s stronghold yet, but had already lost all its main forces and stood on the brink of dissolution.

The news relayed by messengers grew increasingly urgent and grim. Cases where messengers were attacked and communication lines were completely severed occurred frequently.

What the subjugation force faced was not mere monsters, but clearly intelligent alien beings. Naturally, they could employ every cunning tactic—striking at weaknesses, ravaging the rear, and more.

Of course, the subjugation force was not simply being one-sidedly beaten.

Each battle inflicted clear losses on the Aheti warriors as well. As the number of engagements increased, so did the enemy’s casualties. The subjugation force’s responses were growing sharper and more flexible with every clash.

At times they even set traps using sacrificial bait, resulting in the complete annihilation of Aheti guerrilla units that had charged in with glee.

The morale that had seemed destined to keep dropping eventually stopped falling.

In its place came fury, hostility, and grim determination. It was no longer sky-piercing, but honed to a terrifying sharpness that could cut with the slightest touch.

A few more days passed.

Finally, after breaking through all interference and attacks, the subjugation force brought the Maigbra Settlement into view. The Aheti race, facing attackers who had drawn right up to their doorstep, stood fully prepared and taut with tension.

Their settlement sprawled across both the exterior and interior of the mountain range. Attacking it was therefore far more difficult than assaulting any ordinary fortress, and encircling it was virtually impossible.

Naturally, the subjugation force had prepared their own strategy.

Awakeners could freely destroy or reshape terrain, and a small elite infiltration team could achieve devastating results. There was no need to fear it as an impregnable fortress before the battle had even begun.

Yet Han Yujin, still hovering in the sky and eavesdropping on the subjugation force command’s strategy meeting, could only shake his head.

They lack both knowledge and experience with formations…

Earth’s history of mysticism was far too short compared to that of the Aheti race. Without the overwhelming advantage of awakening abilities, a battle on this scale would never have been possible in the first place.

The operation commenced after a day and a half of rest.

The subjugation force chose the direction with the most even terrain within the mountain range. They mobilized earth-attribute awakeners to carve paths in real time, constructing barriers wherever necessary as they advanced.

Simultaneously, protective shields of various attributes were woven together to block incoming attacks. As predicted, the reserve forces easily repelled the Aheti special units that began emerging from the rear.

“Charge—!!”

“Do not fall back—!!”

Shouts meant to raise morale rang out everywhere, cutting through flashes of light and explosions. They were occasionally joined by the screams of wounded hunters and desperate cries for support.

Similar losses were occurring within the Aheti fortress that stretched across the mountain range.

All manner of long-range projectiles smashed through barriers and struck those atop or behind them. Explosions and tremors erupted everywhere as walls ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠collapsed or were hastily restored.

Yet the moment the main force—while blocking the barrage of attacks and charging beasts—finally reached the enemy’s barrier.

- KUWAAAAAAAAAAAAK—!!!

A sudden roar like that of an enormous beast erupted.

The sound did not merely shatter nearby hunters with physical force; it also shook the minds of those in the farthest rear, disrupting their senses and crushing their morale.

It was the effect of a formation imitating the roar of a Decisive Stage monster.

The subjugation force’s valiant momentum became meaningless as they were swept away in a single instant like sand before a wave. As if waiting for exactly this moment, the barrier gates of the Aheti swung open and warriors poured out from within the mountain to launch their counterattack.

Cries begging for mercy and screams filled with terror echoed across the battlefield.

With the collapse of formations organized by awakening type, hunters possessing biased abilities could not even resist properly and were slaughtered at random.

The command center urgently ordered a retreat, but it was meaningless. In that chaos, such orders could not even be properly conveyed.

By this point, most of the hunters realized the truth: this assault had failed catastrophically, and they might very well be wiped out.

That realization triggered a chain reaction of fear, causing the casualties to swell even further.

In a battle on the scale of ten thousand rather than hundreds or thousands, once such a phase unfolded, not even the greatest commander could salvage the situation.

And then.

As if to add insult to injury, a powerful presence erupted from the center of the Maigbra Settlement—one so overwhelming that even those lost in utter chaos instinctively turned their gaze toward it.

Only now did the enemy’s true strategy become clear.

They had intended to lure the invaders this close to their settlement and annihilate them in one fell swoop. They would minimize their own losses while ensuring that Earth’s humanity would never again dare to plan such a subjugation.

It was at that moment.

When every member of the subjugation force was drowning in despair and sensing their impending death.

Suddenly, an intense light burst forth from the sky as though a second sun had risen.

Not only the hunters who had been retreating in panic, but nearly all of the frenzied Aheti warriors engaged in pursuit and slaughter reflexively lifted their heads to stare at the bizarre radiance.

A human silhouette floated there, radiating a brilliant yet profoundly mysterious white halo like the sun itself, casting everything behind it in shadow.

Upon the ring of pure white afterglow—seemingly formed by gathering every color in existence—landscapes of six strange worlds revolved with infinite depth.

Those who saw it once could not tear their eyes away and froze like statues. In the brief moment an inscrutable silence descended upon the battlefield, another light exploded forth and swirled violently.

It was a vivid crimson flame. The instant it appeared, it split into more than a hundred rays of light that shot forward and engulfed the Aheti warriors slaughtering at the front lines.

Puhwaaaaaak—!!

With searing heat, the flames swept past, leaving only faint traces of ash behind.

The hundred-plus rays moved at terrifying speed, vanishing and reappearing repeatedly. In the time it took to blink, the Aheti warriors began dying by the thousands.

An utterly impossible massacre began to unfold across the hopelessly chaotic battlefield.