Chapter 107

Chapter 107

“What the heck are those things?”

Floating in the sky, Kwak Ji-hyuk rubbed his goatee at the sight he’d never seen before.

“Thank you!”

A child covered head to toe in dust and dirt climbed down from the Stone Golem’s embrace and bowed in greeting.

Many people had already gathered where the child landed, and the golems continued to carry people to safety.

“Huh? Mr. Kwak’s child?”

“Oh! It’s Kwak Ji-hyuk!”

“He came from Taebaek! He survived!”

People who saw Kwak Ji-hyuk shouted his name toward the sky.

He was practically a guardian deity to the people of Gyeongsang Province, including Busan. Kwak Ji-hyuk waved his hand toward the people, each bearing their own wounds.

That gesture alone brought comfort to the people, helping them overcome their fear of the monsters.

“This monster swarm… Who’s here?”

Flying through the sky, Kwak Ji-hyuk saw the monsters turned into corpses.

Even amidst this, the golems roamed tirelessly, tearing through the wreckage.

Who could have arrived so quickly and possessed the ability to command golems?

None of the hunters in this area came to mind.

“I don’t know. Anyway, thanks to them, I can use magic without worry.”

Kwak Ji-hyuk began gathering mana.

He didn’t know who it was, but thanks to whoever was rescuing the survivors from the Dungeon Break, he could now cast a powerful spell.

Whoosh.

A chill swept around Kwak Ji-hyuk, the air froze solid, and dark clouds formed in the sky.

It was night already, but with the moonlight vanishing too, a pitch-black darkness descended.

“Blizzard.”

Whoosh-.

Thud-thud-thud-!

Hail began pouring down with the fierce snowstorm.

Not just ordinary hail, but sharp, cone-shaped hailstones pierced the monsters’ bodies.

“Kyaaah!”

“Craaack!”

The terrifyingly powerful magic, Blizzard, was one of the highest-level spells Kwak Ji-hyuk could cast.

Despite his massive, imposing physique, Kwak Ji-hyuk was a magic-based hunter. Because of this, he had the somewhat childish nickname ‘Strength Mage’, but he liked that moniker.

Because he truly possessed the strength to tear monsters apart.

WAAAAAAGH-!

“Kwaaah!”

Landing on the ground, Kwak Ji-hyuk grabbed both arms of an orc and tore them clean off.

Already born with a naturally strong physique, Kwak Ji-hyuk had gained the strength to tear apart orcs with his hands through physical enhancement magic.

Therefore, he wasn’t restricted by magic. In this situation where the golem was rescuing survivors, he could engage in direct combat instead of using area-of-effect spells that could cause collateral damage.

“Mr. Kwak Ji-hyuk… My cousin’s older brother is in the neighboring village…”

“Don’t worry! I’ll definitely save him!”

The middle-aged woman being carried by the golem spoke through tears, and Kwak Ji-hyuk reassured her with a bright smile.

Never losing his smile, no matter the situation, was Kwak Ji-hyuk’s trademark.

That’s why people called him a ‘hero’.

“Representative Kwak Ji-hyuk!”

A man rushed up beside Kwak Ji-hyuk as he advanced, slaying monsters.

It was Park Kang-joo, the guildmaster of Dawn, ranked 12th in the guild hierarchy.

“Oh, you’re here? You got here fast?”

“What on earth is going on? A sudden dungeon break?”

“I don’t know either. Maybe the Hunters’ Office missed it, or maybe it’s something they didn’t detect. Anyway, it’s good to have you here.”

“I saw Taebaek Guild members evacuating civilians. Our guild members should arrive soon too.”

Park Kang-ju was also an A-rank Hunter.

With him and his guild members joining forces, they were undoubtedly a formidable ally.

Kwak Ji-hyuk bulged his forearms, ready to burst, and crushed the goblin’s skull with his palm.

“More importantly, did you see any golems on the way here?”

“I did! What are those things? Are there hunters in Taebaek who can tame monsters?”

“No way. Then you’re not part of his guild, huh?”

“Yes. Who could it be…?”

“Freezing!”

Crack-!

As Kwak Ji-hyuk cast his spell, the monsters’ feet froze solid. In that instant, Park Kang-joo swung his beloved sword, the ‘Golden Wave Sword’, cutting down the enemies.

***

“Master, how did my brother know to go there?”

“I don’t know either… Probably one of Bugilma’s abilities.”

Young-jin and Jeong Hoon-hyun were racing toward the location of the dungeon break by car.

Though they had stayed up all night at the pension waiting, as Dojae had said, their minds were clearer than ever.

“My brother’s abilities are truly limitless… Suddenly casting magic, then sensing the dungeon break occurred.”

Young-jin said, pressing the accelerator firmly.

While many cars were exiting on the opposite lane, almost none were entering, allowing them to move quickly.

“But I wonder if it’s okay to go like this without our swords? No matter how urgent it is.”

“By this time, the extermination force should have arrived too, so we can borrow weapons then. I sent the kids, so let’s just use these until then. Look, they’re moving over there!”

Jung Hoon-hyun said awkwardly, and Ji-yoon, sitting in the backseat, answered while looking out the window.

Before they knew it, they had reached the barricade and could see the suppression troops blocking the road.

“How did you get here?”

Zzzzzz-.

Young-jin rolled down the window and pulled out his Hunter License.

He was about to verify that they were the guild sent for support when…

“Huh? Captain?”

“Huh? Kwang-hoon?”

The man directing traffic at the entrance.

Jeong Kwang-hoon from Chilgok University Class 2 recognized Young-jin.

“I’ve heard about you, but seeing you here is truly a pleasure!”

“Me too, me too! Hey, what’s going on? Were you guys dispatched here too?”

“Yeah, we rushed down here early this morning. Everyone’s pretty exhausted.”

Jeong Gwang-hoon and Yeong-jin shook hands, sharing their mutual joy.

The news that Young-jin had switched to being a Hunter was already common knowledge among all Class 2 members, so no background check was needed.

“How’s the new squad leader? Is it manageable?”

“Well, he’s not bad. But he’s a bit of a cheapskate… I miss when Chief Shim was here.”

“Hehe, we should get together sometime. I’ll treat, so round up the guys.”

“Sure thing, sounds good!”

“Hey, Jeong Gwang-hoon!”

Ji-yoon shouted as she rolled down the window.

Jeong Gwang-hoon recognized Ji-yoon and broke into a bright smile.

“Whoa? Ji-yoon? Long time no see, seriously!”

“Ugh, whatever. Did Class 3 come too?”

“What’s with that? You don’t even acknowledge my greeting…”

“Damn it. Did you come or not?”

“I’m here! Class 3 is deployed at the eastern blockade line, so head over there.”

“Alright, thanks!”

Beep-!

The car following Young-jin honks its horn.

“Kwang-hoon, see you later!”

“Aye, Captain, be careful! They say the enemies are even stronger than the ones in Gaeseong, swarming everywhere.”

Young-jin gave Kwang-hoon a nod before steering the car toward the inner road.

***

Inside the makeshift barracks.

Inside, surprisingly well-decorated for a makeshift space, sat four men and women.

First, Taebaek’s guildmaster, Kwak Ji-hyeok.

He roared in a rage.

“682 people died. A full 682 citizens of Busan! We need to round up those damn monsters and wipe them out!”

“It was an unstoppable disaster. Right now, instead of blindly sending an extermination force, we need to properly assess the situation inside and approach cautiously.”

Then, a man with a partially bald head wiped the sweat trickling down his face with a handkerchief as he spoke.

He was Hwang Taegeun, Deputy Chief of the Busan Regional Hunter Bureau.

“That’s right. Extermination forces keep gathering, but we’re still struggling just to establish containment lines. We’re also having a hard time rescuing survivors. We need to completely clear the entire Dungeon Break area and then conduct a thorough investigation.”

Another man voiced agreement with Hwang Tae-geun’s opinion.

Bang Han-su, commander of the 7th Suppression Division responsible for the Gyeongsang Province area, spoke with his arms crossed.

Then, a woman wearing large sunglasses slammed her fist hard on the desk.

Thud.

“So you’re saying only our Association and Guild should go in first? This is a waste of time.”

Song Jeong-eun, head of the Hunter Association’s External Support Division, snapped irritably.

She was extremely on edge, having rushed out of Seoul at dawn.

“We’re investigating as quickly as possible right now, so let’s just monitor the situation a little longer. There are procedures, aren’t there? If we just rush in recklessly, the hunters from the Association and Guild could be put in danger.”

“When have our hunters ever entered a dungeon worrying about safety? Besides, what’s the problem with me being here? What gives you the nerve to doubt us Taebaek hunters now?”

Hwang Taegeun’s words made Kwak Jihyeok flare up.

Song Jeong-eun also rolled her eyes and sneered with a mocking tone.

“Exactly. The Hunter Bureau couldn’t even properly scout a single dungeon to begin with, and the expeditionary force just showed up late to play catch-up. This isn’t a joke.”

“What did you just say?”

“Did I say something wrong? Anyway.”

Clunk.

Bang Hansu snaps his baton in two and frowns sharply.

The atmosphere turned completely icy.

Mana rippled around Bang Hansu, making his skin tingle.

But Song Jeong-eun, seemingly unfazed, glared at Bang Hansu intensely over her sunglasses.

“Now, now, don’t get angry… Of course, it’s not that we don’t trust Representative Kwak Ji-hyeok, but what if… What if it’s like what happened in France…”

Hwang Taegeun spoke, constantly wiping away the sweat dripping down his face.

Being a C-class Awakened, he was sweating cold sweat from the standoff between Bang Hansu and Song Jeong-eun, chills running down his spine.

“Are you implying I’m going to kill someone?”

This time, Kwak Ji-hyuk growled.

The bulging veins on his forehead clearly showed his displeasure.

At that moment, a young man burst through the barracks door.

“What is it?”

“My apologies. I was told a guildmaster named Jeong Hoon-hyun had arrived…”

“Who is that? Can’t you see I’m busy right now?”

“I called him. Jung Hoon-hyun is the guildmaster of the Guardian Guild.”

As Song Jeong-eun crossed her legs and spoke, Bang Han-su and Hwang Tae-geun asked in turn.

“Guardian?”

“Guardian… you mean the guild that cleared the rumored double dungeon?”

“That’s right. Tell him to come in.”

A moment later, Jung Hoon-hyun entered the barracks.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, he forced a kind smile and said.

“Ah… Hello?”

“So you’re the guildmaster of Sudo!”

Song Jeong-eun greeted Jeong Hoon-hyun.

She had heard about him through Association Chairman Jeong In-gon.

“My name is Jeong Hoon-hyeon. The Director called for me…”

“Yes, that’s correct. But where is Lee Do-jae? Didn’t he come with you?”

“Ah, you mean Bu Gil-ma? But Bu Gil-ma should have already arrived by now? He rushed here alone last night.”

At that moment, Kwak Ji-hyuk’s eyes flashed.

Then he asked.

“Does Suho’s Bu-gil-ma know how to command golems?”

“Yes, he does, but?”

Kwak Ji-hyuk jumped up from his seat.

He turned and walked straight out.

“Chairman Kwak Ji-hyuk!”

“Taebaek Guildmaster!”

Hwang Taegeun and Bang Hansu called out.

But Kwak Ji-hyuk stormed straight out of the tent.

“Hmph, you guys go ahead and do your damn thing by the book! Let’s go, Guardian Guildmaster.”

Song Jeong-eun also left the tent after saying that.