Ch.3434. Why Are You Coming Out of There?

Exactly 43 minutes after the river.

In the middle of Gangwon Province’s great forest, 3km away from the Hive Mind “Bomb Spider’s” forward base in Gangwon Province.

‘……..I’m sorry, everyone.’

Crack!

At the forefront of the hunter group advancing to eliminate the forward base, Theresia, piloting a 7-meter Giant Armor modified for this operation, was engaged in what appeared to be a fierce battle while apologizing to her brethren.

[Missile pods, loading complete.]

“Switch to automatic fire!”

[Command recognized……..target confirmed. Firing.]

After entrusting the missile pods on her back to the installed artificial intelligence, she immediately began firing the shortened energy cannons on both shoulders at the Grade 4 monster—a Drake—visible ahead.

KWAAAAAAAAAANG—!!!!

KRRAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

Thunderous noise erupted as bioenergy shells collided with the barrier field, but the Drake (or rather, a Hive Mind monster resembling one) withstood it effortlessly while roaring and charging toward Theresia.

[All missiles fired. Preparing to reload.]

All twenty anti-tank missiles fired from the missile pods hit their mark, and energy shells continuously flew toward the Drake, hammering its barrier field.

Even the laser machine gun, a weapon designed for lower-grade monsters, was being fired at maximum output, but the opponent was a monster with defensive capabilities approaching the highest tier of Grade 4.

This massive six-legged terrestrial dragon advanced through the barrage from the 7-meter Giant Armor using its thick bio-armor and barrier field. Consequently, Theresia ceased firing—and instead activated her close-combat weapons.

The weapon activated from her right arm, previously stored as nanomachines, was a very orthodox shock lance. It was a close-range anti-tank weapon that, when its blade tip was thrust into a target, released shockwaves inside. While the Hive Raptor’s version was just a tail-like weapon, this was a proper spear.

The shaft alone was 5 meters long, with the cylindrical blade of the shock lance measuring 1 meter. On the opposite end of the shock lance was a psychic glaive, a type of close-combat psychic weapon, making it fully capable of combat beyond anti-tank purposes.

This psychic glaive was particularly effective, being made entirely of nanomachines with extremely high psychic energy conductivity. Its built-in functions could transform the blade portion into a saw blade and rotate it, allowing it to be used as a chain glaive (chain weapon).

Meanwhile, the weapon in her left hand—or rather, replacing her left arm—was a modified plasma tank cannon, a model typically mounted only on 10th generation tanks in the modern era.

The three massive fingers at its end could form a plasma mass between them that could melt even battleship armor on contact, and fire it. Alternatively, it could crudely surround the hand portion with plasma and rotate it as a close-combat weapon.

And now, Theresia chose the former option—firing a plasma mass.

Woong—KWOOOOOOOO—KWAAAAAAAAAANG—!!!!

Because the already low accuracy had been further reduced by forcibly adding close-combat options to the plasma weapon and shortening it, the plasma mass merely grazed the Drake’s back.

But even that was enough to inflict serious damage. The barrier field covering its body, thin around the back to cover the entire body, was predictably shattered. The armor plates, scales, and skin on its back all melted away, exposing the flesh and bones beneath.

KRYAAAAAAAAAAAAAK—!!!!

Despite the horrific injury, the Drake charged forward, howling in pain but driven by hatred for the human(?). This was the worst possible move.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOONG—!!!

Whoosh—CRACK!

Theresia deployed the rotating saw blade of her psychic glaive and thrust it into the wound on the Drake’s back, clearly visible due to their height difference. Even though the barrier field had been thickened to protect the wound, there were clear limits.

The saw blade of the glaive, surrounded by barrier field and psychic energy, easily carved through the Drake’s back, severing its spine and paralyzing half its body.

WOOOOOOOONG—!!!

And finally, to confirm the kill, Theresia began rotating the hand portion of her left arm.

Crackle, crackle, crackle……..!

After rotating her hand with blue lightning—plasma—crackling around it, she swung the massive cylindrical arm and smashed the Drake’s head.

CRACK!

Like an egg hit with a hammer, the Drake’s head was easily shattered the moment the plasma fist made contact.

For a brief moment, Theresia felt a strange emotion as she looked at the brain matter and flesh on her hand, having killed her brethren on orders—but unfortunately, she paused momentarily while experiencing this emotion, which became a major problem.

KRRYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

One of the Drakes that had come to provide support after confirming nearby combat charged toward Theresia, who was not recognized as kin due to the Hive Mind’s manipulation.

‘—Damn it!’

Though she quickly regained her senses and began charging plasma, it was certain that the monster would approach before sufficient plasma could accumulate in her left arm.

“No choice…!”

She therefore decided to sacrifice her right arm and attack with the plasma fist on her left hand. As she extended her right arm and the Drake eagerly moved to bite it—

—SLASH!

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared, and all three legs on the Drake’s left side were severed with a chilling sound of flesh being cut.

THUD

The Drake’s characteristic pale purple blood gushed from the severed areas, but only briefly. The legs began to regenerate due to the trait “Regeneration (C)”…but no fool would wait for that to happen.

‘—Now!’

WOOOONG—CRACK!

The Drake that took a plasma fist to the head from Theresia’s 7-meter Giant Armor barely withstood it by tremendously depleting its barrier field, but couldn’t overcome the impact and staggered.

—SLASH!

THUD.

And as the barrier was stripped away, leaving the head vulnerable, another flash of light flew in, this time severing the head, which rolled on the ground.

At this, Theresia turned her head toward the source of the flash, and there stood a person sweeping across the battlefield, randomly sending out energy slashes in all directions.

Holding an antique-looking greatsword in each hand and wearing a 2-meter Giant Armor resembling full plate mail, this person’s name was Choi Seo-rin.

She was the vice guild master of Seonggwang Guild and considered the strongest among the guild’s only three high-rank hunters—an A-rank psychic user.

※ ※ ※

After Choi Seo-rin, who had been conserving her psychic energy, fully joined the front line, the assault team was able to advance quickly as if they had never been hindered.

Despite encountering over 100 mid-grade monsters during their 3-kilometer journey, Choi Seo-rin’s performance—literally like a human bulldozer—was decisive, as monsters were dismembered after just a few swings of her sword.

In any case, advancing rapidly and cutting down all monsters that stood in their way, they were able to reach the very front of the forward base.

The forward base was a mountain right next to a vast plain where low-grade and mid-grade monsters were being produced.

As they were walking toward the peak—which had a disgusting atmosphere with its surface entirely made of red flesh—while literally plowing through the monster-producing plain:

《Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr…》

Suddenly, a sound like an animal growling came from the mountain peak, and upon hearing it, Choi Seo-rin’s face turned pale as she shouted loudly:

“Danger! Everyone, mo—”

—SLASH!

And before she could finish her sentence, ‘it’ revealed itself by cutting a 12-meter Titan Armor at the front into seven pieces.

Long, snow-white fur. A body length of tens of meters. Black stripes running down its back. And massive teeth with a feline appearance, but looking far more ferocious.

The name of this monster, which had easily destroyed a 12-meter Titan Armor that could almost be considered Grade 3.5, was Mountain Lord (Sangun).

It was the ruler of the Baekdu Mountain Range and the strongest monster on the Korean Peninsula—something that absolutely should not have been here.

“Why, here…!”

Though it wouldn’t answer, Seo-rin stared blankly up at the owner of the fangs that had been the material for her swords, in a state of shock.

The appearance of this Grade 1 monster, which had been confirmed to be at war with the newly emerged Black Dragon, was shocking to the other hunters as well—but—

—SLASH.

Mountain Lord had no reason to be considerate of the shocked hunters.

Charging at a speed unbelievable for its massive size, Mountain Lord weaved between the hunters, swinging its claws—and the result was nothing short of a massacre.

Three out of four Titan Armors. Seven out of ten large Giant Armors over 6 meters. Fifteen small Giant Armors were destroyed, and only three combat vehicles survived.

Additionally, more than 20 mid-rank hunters were killed, and more than half of the low-rank hunters were swept away.

In just seven seconds, this high-grade monster called Mountain Lord had annihilated 24% of the assault team’s fighting power.