Part 1 Chapter 2 (10)

Dokseon Station.

Thump!

The Flame Giant slammed its fist down. Buildings collapsed, raising dust and dirt throughout the surrounding area.

“Hey! Get out of the way first!”

“Why is an A-rank so brutish?!”

The Hunters dodged the Flame Giant’s attacks, surrounding it from their respective positions.

“Die, you dumbass!”

Kim Seong-oh fired a mana shell from the Magic Cannon slung over his shoulder. Gun ownership was still illegal in Korea, but Ability Users like Kim Seong-oh, who had a talent for related weapons, were granted special licenses to prevent them from leaving the country.

Magic Cannon.

That ability, which created and fired mana shells, boasted outstanding firepower against giant monsters.

ROOOOAR!!

The Flame Giant swung its fist at the shell flying towards its solar plexus.

“Huh, huh?!”

As if hitting a dodgeball with its fist, the Flame Giant struck the shell. The Magic Cannon shell, which grazed past the Flame Giant, reached the river and destroyed a bridge.

“Seong-oh hyung-nim.”

“I didn’t do that on purpose!”

At his fellow Hunter’s taunt, Seong-oh got angry and gathered mana again.

“The bastard attacks like an idiot but defends like a genius!”

The Flame Giant was terrible at attacking, to the point where it seemed like it was intentionally missing. Even now, the Flame Giant’s kicks only sliced through empty air and destroyed a commercial building.

The moment the Flame Giant rolled on the ground, a Hunter leaped from the rooftop of a 15-story apartment building. He held an axe in both hands, aiming for the Flame Giant’s head.

“The A-rank is mineeeeeee!!”

Mana frosted the axe blade, and it struck down on the Flame Giant’s head.

Thwack!

“Huh?”

The axe, which had even been forged with mana, plunged into the Flame Giant’s crown. The Flame Giant grabbed the man in its hand faster than any speed it had shown so far.

“Ugh, guh!”

The man, tightly gripped in its hand, struggled desperately to escape the Flame Giant’s grasp. But the blue flames were already rapidly cooking his body.

ROAR!

The Flame Giant threw the man, axe and all, into the river. Then, it suddenly took a stance and leaped powerfully towards the road.

“Ugh?! Get out of the way! It’s diving again!”

The Flame Giant flipped itself backward and lay down on the main road. Kim Seong-oh aimed his cannon at the Flame Giant, which was now sprawled out on the road.

“Let’s see if it can block even while lying down.”

A notification appeared on the display carved next to the cannon barrel, indicating that mana was fully charged. Kim Seong-oh pulled the trigger as is and fired the Magic Cannon.

“Got it!”

The Magic Cannon shell, falling in an arc, dropped towards the monster’s solar plexus.

CRASH!!

A massive mana explosion erupted from the chest of the Flame Giant, which was just about to raise its upper body. The explosion threw the Flame Giant’s head back, slamming the back of its head onto the ground.

“Did we get it?”

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

At his fellow Hunter’s words, Seong-oh frowned. The fellow Hunter, who had uttered the cliched line, chuckled as he re-checked his weapon.

“Anyway, hyung-nim, your Magic Cannon’s firepower is weak as hell.”

“Hey. I’m still B-rank, you know? My firepower alone is rated A-rank, you know?”

“What’s a bore that takes 15 seconds to reload once?”

While the Hunters were joking around, the dust settled.

Silence.

The Flame Giant lay motionless on the ground.

“Huh? Really? Seong-oh hyung-nim killed it?”

Seong-oh was still bewildered, even though the Flame Giant had fallen to his attack.

“It actually died.”

“Hyung-nim, I think that was a fluke shot? Look over there.”

A grayish rock was slightly exposed in the Flame Giant’s solar plexus. Anyone could tell it was the Flame Giant’s Core.

“See the size of that Core? It looks like it’s at the very end of A-rank, doesn’t it? I thought it was S-rank.”

“You hit the jackpot, hyung-nim. Even if you only get 10% for the last hit, you could leave Korea, couldn’t you?”

It was a common saying among Hunters active in Korea: “Save up a lot of money and immigrate to a country where Round Table Heroes reside.”

Seong-oh swallowed hard at the golden future unfolding before his eyes.

“Dimensional Gates are really a jackpot. If only these kept pouring out, I’d have no other wish.”

“I wish more would pour out, hehe.”

The Hunters each approached the Flame Giant, chuckling. Seong-oh gave a casual salute to the woman approaching him.

“Salute! Hunter Kim Seong-oh, reporting to the Association Hero-nim.”

“…Why you, of all people.”

The green-haired woman turned her head away in disgust the moment she saw Kim Seong-oh. Kim Seong-oh grinned slyly and approached the green-haired woman.

“What’s wrong? Storm Girl?”

“I told you, I changed my Hero name to Tempest Lady!”

“Everyone in the world knows you as Storm Girl, Chun-ja.”

“Don’t call me by my old name! I told you it’s Yang Seon-woo!”

Yang Chun-ja, no, Storm Girl, no, Yang Seon-woo screamed. Kim Seong-oh laughed heartily, waving his hand.

“Sorry, sorry. It’s been a while, you know. Hehe. But what about the Dimensional Gate? How did you come straight here?”

“An A-rank went to block the Dimensional Gate right now. I came to deal with that. Lucky break.”

Yang Seon-woo breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at the fallen Flame Giant. Other Heroes who came with her began to control the Hunters gathering near the Flame Giant and started to bind the Flame Giant to the ground.

“Ah. So the Dimensional Gate is closing? That’s a shame. I thought we could hunt more.”

“Maybe if it were near New Seoul or Busan. But it’s too dangerous here. And you even got the A-rank last hit, didn’t you? That alone guarantees you 10% of the share.”

“How does our Chun-ja know so much about Hunter work? Is it a side job? Or a full-time one?”

“I’m going to live as a Hero! And don’t call me Chun-ja!”

As Yang Seon-woo’s face flushed red with anger, Kim Seong-oh patted her shoulder and laughed. A fellow Hunter, who had been observing their conversation, cautiously asked Kim Seong-oh as he approached.

“Who is this, hyung-nim? This?”

As the fellow Hunter extended only his pinky finger and wiggled it, Kim Seong-oh hit the back of his head with the Magic Cannon.

“Hey, you punk. How dare you insult me like that. Me, with her? Good grief. You’re talking about me marrying Gwanggeom Seolhwa Princess.”

“…….”

Yang Seon-woo’s hair fluttered, and wind rose. Kim Seong-oh swallowed hard at the wind rising from Yang Seon-woo and raised both hands.

“Chun-ja? Um, Seon-woo? Shall we resolve this with a conversation? We ended things amicably, so fighting like this is-“

“Get out of the way, you idiot!”

As Yang Seon-woo stretched out her arms, a strong wind surged. Kim Seong-oh, who hastily rolled on the ground with his fellow Hunter, was stunned by the immense heat behind him.

“It didn’t die after all, huh?”

Yang Seon-woo’s mana-infused gale blocked the Flame Giant’s hand. The Flame Giant had been reaching out to snatch Seong-oh while lying down.

Thud, thud.

The mana-woven restraints easily fell off, and the Flame Giant raised its upper body.

The Heroes each unleashed their abilities, ready to fight at any moment, and the Hunters, a step behind them, raised their equipment to support the Heroes.

ROAR.

The Flame Giant, with only its upper body raised, turned its gaze to one side. Simultaneously, the gazes of the people around it followed the Flame Giant.

“……What is that?”

Kim Seong-oh looked at the peak of Gwanaksan Mountain, which was at the end of his gaze, and dropped his Magic Cannon.

CRACKLE!

A gigantic Dimensional Gate floated in the air. Its size had grown large enough for even the Flame Giant before them to easily pass through.

“You said an A-rank went?!”

“……Emergency!”

Yang Seon-woo checked the signal on her smartwatch and quickly read the message. Other Heroes also confirmed the signal, and their expressions hardened.

– Dimensional Gate Rampage.

– Mana reaction of an S-rank ‘Dangerous Species’ confirmed.

Rampage? Why? Did Bulgom fail?

Yang Seon-woo checked the subsequent signal and fell into despair.

– Evacuate Seoul immediately.

“Ah, aaah!”

The Hunters started screaming and fleeing. They already knew all too well how the Dodgers’ disaster in America had begun.

And Yang Seon-woo had witnessed that incident firsthand. As her spirit broke, her legs gave out, and she knelt down.

“Ahhh….”

“Snap out of it!”

Kim Seong-oh approached and shook Yang Seon-woo’s shoulders. But when it seemed she wouldn’t come to her senses, he slung Yang Seon-woo over his shoulder like a Magic Cannon and shouted to his fellow Hunter.

“Start the engine! We’re leaving Seoul!”

“Uh, where to?!”

“Damn it, we have to run, whether it’s Incheon or North Korea, anywhere!”

As soon as Kim Seong-oh shouted, the Flame Giant stood up.

ROAR….

As if it had completed its recovery in that short time, the exposed Core was once again enveloped in blue flames and became invisible. Kim Seong-oh’s mouth went dry.

“They say it’s always a market day when you go out, this is driving me crazy.”

He should have been suspicious from the moment an A-rank suddenly appeared. Kim Seong-oh continued to shake Yang Seon-woo, even abandoning his Magic Cannon, and climbed into the back of the truck.

Thump.

The Flame Giant took a step. Seong-oh swallowed hard, thinking it was a prelude to it going on a rampage.

Thump.

The Flame Giant took another step. Seong-oh was puzzled that the direction of its second step had changed.

Thump!

The Flame Giant stomped its foot hard and leaped. Seong-oh tilted his head, thinking it resembled how body-enhancement ability users strengthened their bodies and charged.

“That’s towards Gwanaksan Mountain, isn’t it?”

ROOOOOOAR!!!

The blue flames burning all over the Flame Giant’s body began to blaze fiercely. Gwanaksan Mountain lay in the path of the Flame Giant, which was running in a straight line, trampling buildings and completely destroying apartments as it advanced.

“What the hell, ah.”

Seong-oh was speechless.

At the peak of Gwanaksan Mountain, a gigantic bird, burning purple, was flying with its wings spread wide.

SCREEEEECH!!

The purple monstrous bird roared with a metallic screech, like nails on a chalkboard, revealing its presence. Seong-oh covered Yang Seon-woo’s ears against the powerful mana wave that seemed to burst eardrums.

“Ugh!”

The shock, as if directly shaking his brain, made Seong-oh’s head throb, and he collapsed backward.

“Ughhh….”

Even in his fading consciousness, the Flame Giant was running towards the mountain peak.

* * *

At that time, over the West Sea.

The sea was stretched out with numerous ships. The Coast Guard officers on patrol boats, wary of illegal fishing vessels, felt their legs tremble at the sight of a human-horse figure confronting them.

“This… this is a disaster.”

And not just any disaster.

A Dimensional Gate had appeared in Seoul. According to international agreements, if the country where a Dimensional Gate appeared could not close it within one hour of its appearance, there would be no problem for Heroes from neighboring countries to intervene.

“Hey! What happened to Seoul?!”

“They say an S-rank dangerous species has appeared.”

“Crazy….”

The Coast Guard officers felt fear at the existence of an S-rank monster rampaging in the heart of Seoul, behind them.

And whether or not they were aware of that S-rank monster, the Coast Guard officers felt awe at the S-rank Hero who appeared just outside their territorial waters immediately after the Dimensional Gate opened.

“This is the territorial waters of the Republic of Korea!”

“I know.”

The voice, imbued with mana, resonated louder than a voice spoken through a microphone. The opponent’s deep, low voice overflowed with dignity.

“If Korea cannot close the Dimensional Gate, we will simply deploy immediately.”

Jeokto snorted and stepped on the waves. Unjang rode his horse as if he were just out for a stroll, and his position was the shortest route to Seoul.

“It’s good if only Unjang comes out, that’s what I mean.”

The Coast Guard swallowed hard, seeing the countless dots on the radar.

“But mobilizing hundreds of landing ships is not okay!!”

Was it called human wave tactics?

Chinese Heroes, who filled the West Sea, were linked with the military, gripping their weapons on the decks of assault landing ships, anxiously waiting for the time.

One hour after the Dimensional Gate appeared.

Once that time passed, they would have to open the sea lanes for the landing ships that would soon arrive.

“Damn it…. Damn it!”

There was nothing they could do. Other than just hoping the Dimensional Gate would close quickly.

* * *

“Your Excellency.”

The secretary in a black suit cautiously asked the man engrossed in thought on the sofa.

“The Praetor wishes to mobilize Gwanggeom.”

“……Why?”

The man, compiling the information coming in moment by moment, showed annoyance at the secretary’s words.

“Isn’t it just a Dimensional Gate? Then the people in Seoul can handle it themselves.”

“…They say an S-rank monster also appeared….”

“Then all the better.”

The man pushed up his glasses and twisted the corner of his mouth.

“Isn’t this a stage for Lee Seung-hyung to become the protagonist?”

“…Forgive my presumption, but Bulgom is merely an A-rank Hero-“

“He’ll awaken when he’s in danger. Don’t Heroes always do that?”

The man sipped his tea with a leisurely expression, sneering.

“Well, if he dies, we can just use him as propaganda. Hero Lee Seung-hyung, gloriously fallen defending Seoul.”

“……Yes. And a message from the West Sea, if I may.”

The secretary showed another photo. Unjang, an S-rank Hero and one of the Round Table Heroes, was preparing to run to Seoul at any moment from atop the sea.

“Those damn bastards.”

The man trembled as he observed China’s movements.

“The international agreement clearly stated one hour, didn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s close it at 59 minutes.”

“……Then during that time, Seoul-“

“Is there a problem?”

The man laughed heartily, making a jest.

“It’s already a ruined city; nothing will change if it gets ruined even more.”