Chapter 182

A black crack the length of an adult's arm appeared in the air at the height of a 20-story building.

Below, on the ground, stood people wearing clothes the same color as the crack. It was a large formation spread out on roads, shop rooftops, and atop street trees, surrounding the location where the crack appeared.

It was about 11 months since the day the 3rd Great Rift ended. The season had become autumn, the same as then.

'Perhaps the date was drastically moved up because I regained my memories and power...'

Soram quickly shook off that thought and looked at the sky. Self-blame would only be poison now.

The place he had come to with Tae-un before was now filled with dozens of people. The wide 10-lane road, large shopping center, and various apartments and shops looked unchanged. Also, the problematic amusement park sign was still visible over there. There's no zoo in Lotte World. Now that mascot only reminded him of that.

―Director, civilian evacuation is complete, and armed soldiers are being deployed in the surrounding area. Also, we've contacted other branches. The Gangwon and Jeju branches have departed immediately, and other branches said they would finish preparations and support right away.

The content transmitted to Director Park Jae-seon's in-ear was also heard by Soram standing right next to him.

"Good work. You did well."

―...Please, return safely.

"I will."

Though they said other branches departed immediately, it would take time to arrive. They had no flying hunters, and even if they had abilities to fly or run fast, it was better to conserve energy and use transportation in this situation. They would need to replace the exhausted headquarters hunters in a few hours.

The key would be whether they could endure those "few hours."

Of course, if the headquarters couldn't hold out, it would already be over even if other branches came to support. Because more than half of the country's hunters belonged to the headquarters.

"Oh."

Jeojik― Tseujeujeuk...

The crack vibrated up and down, making a sound like a broken radio.

"Did it get a bit bigger...?"

"No, the size seems the same, but it feels a bit more eerie..."

Since everyone was so tense at the news of the 4th Great Rift's outbreak, even small changes quickly spread ripples.

And now, it was about time for that opinion to come out.

―Wouldn't it be better to attack now?

The contact that came through the chief-level channel was also heard on Soram's in-ear. Soram, who briefly exchanged glances with the director, stretched his neck forward to look at the person on the opposite side of the director.

"Why, you bastard."

Deputy Director Kwon Jung-oh, who usually controlled the situation at headquarters instead of the director who would rush to the scene at the drop of a hat, had come to the front line this time. Considering the 3rd Great Rift, he, as a 2nd-grade hunter, couldn't stay back in the rear lines of a battlefield happening right in front of him.

"Deputy Director, give the crack one hit. Do it gently since we don't know what might happen."

"Me?"

"Yes. It's a bit risky to send someone close, and I only have a few airplanes so it would be troublesome to lose them already, and what if ice shards fly everywhere if the director does it?"

"You sure know how to use an old man, use him well."

"Mmm, I'm originally good at everything. Even making this situation embarrassing."

"That's not a compliment, you bastard!"

"Why won't you praise your admirable Soram?"

The director, caught in the middle, pondered when to intervene while looking around at distant places, then stopped his gaze at one spot.

A head that stood out prominently even among other hunters was looking this way, and when their eyes met, he bowed in greeting. He was a typical close-range attacker, so he was positioned on the road side, while Soram, the director, and deputy director, classified as long-range attackers, were placed on the sidewalk.

Tae-un's gaze, which seemed to be turning away, returned to Soram. Then, seeing him arguing loudly with the deputy director, he smiled faintly. Or was it just the same expressionless face?

While the director was puzzled, the argument between the people on either side of him concluded. With the deputy director sighing as if aging 5 more years.

"Fine, I'll do it. Go ahead."

A wooden gavel suddenly appeared on the deputy director's palm. It was the small shape commonly called a judge's gavel or chairman's gavel.

Though both had disappeared long ago domestically, he said that when he used to sit in the judge's seat, he sometimes wished. If he had a gavel in his hand, he'd crack that bastard's head first.

The special ability that everyone thought contained his lifelong professional spirit as a judge was born from such an origin.

Shwaeaek―!

The wooden gavel flew through the air, thrown with all his might.

Kagagak!!!

The wooden gavel stuck into the upper part of the crack, burying its head. Along with the impact sound, the crackling rift stopped vibrating.

Just as the thought 'What's this? Is it effective?' was about to rise in the hunters' minds.

Shwaeaek―!

Kaang!!

The gavel returned in the exact direction it had flown, with the same intensity. Soram, who had leapt up, blocked it with his sword. The gavel struggled for a moment before disappearing.

"Did it reflect?"

Murmurs spread. The director put his hand to his in-ear.

"It seems to be concentrating all its power on defense since it's not spewing out mutants. We attack the moment it fully dungeonifies and mutants appear."

Soram also came down from the air to the road surface.

When he first encountered the 4th Great Rift, he naturally didn't know this fact. That led to worse results than expected, as tanks and fighter jets were deployed thinking they could add force since there were no mutants. Cannons and bullets were fired at the crack, and the result was... the city was devastated and hunters were injured by blind attacks before the battle even started.

Even after that, the situation wasn't much different, with people always rushing out despite being told to wait. It was better to show them like this with their own eyes.

Moreover, as expected, the crack had become stronger than the last memory. His wrist was ringing a bit, as if it had returned with even greater force than the reflection. It was fortunate he could warn them in advance.

However, this was as far as Soram could advise with certainty. From here on was an area he had never overcome.

'I can still stay calm because it's before the mutants appear...'

The hundreds, thousands of giant beasts pouring out were firmly lodged in the center of Soram's trauma. Moreover, when he died here, their forms were always horrific. It made him think dying by burning in lava was preferable in comparison.

But.

Now he had a wish much greater than fear. So it wasn't as scary as when he had curled up and confined himself in the room.

A single white cloud in the bright blue sky drew closer and closer to the crack. The cloud moved slowly on the cool autumn wind, but at a speed clearly perceptible in its movement. After slipping past the black crack, the cloud gradually disappeared from the view of people staring at the crack with tense eyes.

Finally, only blue sky remained around the crack. The pure black floating in the flawless clean sky stimulated an inexplicable unpleasantness. While everyone slightly furrowed their brows, Soram gripped his sword until his knuckles turned white, clenching his mouth tightly.

This was the appearance.

It was exactly this appearance.

Deuk, deuk, deuk, deuk.

Deukdeuk, deuk, deuk.

"...!"

As if mocking them for being scared, the crack increased its movement. With a strange sound, it repeatedly stretched and shrank like a bundle of rubber bands while gradually increasing in length. The crack that had been at the height of the 20th floor came down floor by floor, opening its black mouth at the 19th, 18th, 17th... Then at some point.

Deukdeukdeuk, deudeuk, deukdeukdeukdeukdeudeudeukdeuk―!!!

"Uwaaaah!"

In an instant, the black crack extended to the ground. Several people screamed unknowingly and stepped back.

Kwadeuk!!

Finally, the crack stopped after penetrating through the asphalt and into the ground. It looked as if a black tower had risen in the middle of the road.

The in-ears became noisy. Even among the chief-level, there was agitation, let alone other hunters. The unprecedented imposing size of the crack made the bodies of hunters tremble, despite having come with their own resolutions. Though the size and intensity of the crack weren't necessarily proportional, anyone would have a premonition that this was dangerous.

"Get a grip, this is just the beginning!"

Guuuuuu―...

The sound of beasts howling flowed out from inside the crack.

Kung, kung.

At the same time, heavy footsteps shook the ground, gradually approaching.

"Get ready!"

Soram shouted towards the people standing behind him. Those with him were all long-range attackers. After confirming that battle formations were hurriedly being made, Soram also wrapped blue mist around the metal airplanes he had raised.

Geugeuk, geu― geuuuu...! Geueo― geuu...

Kung, kung, kung, kungkungkung, kungkungkungkungkung!

Geueoeo!!!!!

Finally, a huge form revealed itself from between the crack. The head height of the quadruped beast that took its first step was higher than the street trees planted in the surrounding area. Its appearance resembled a lion, but the spines growing in place of its mane and its red inverted eyes prevented it from looking like a complete lion.

The appearance of the first mutant meant that the power the crack had concentrated on defense was now dispersed.

"Attack!"

As the signal of a loud voice fell, the full-scale attack of long-range attackers poured towards the black crack.

Along with explosion sounds loud enough to shake eardrums, the attacks continued endlessly. Sparks flew, weapons like arrows and spears were thrown, and metal airplanes scraped the crack. The huge crack took all the attacks head-on, unable to avoid them.

As the sound gradually intensified, the surrounding roads were destroyed, raising dust. Black smoke mixed in the midst of it. The first mutant had been eliminated. Soram pulled back his airplanes and then made them charge at the crack again.

Kwang!

Kwang, kagagak!!

As the attacks continued, Soram's frowning eyes gradually widened. Of course, everyone was in their prime early stage, but the attacks were more effective than expected. Moreover.

"I-it's gotten smaller, right?"

The height of the crack had lowered, if only very slightly.

It would be naive to consider this an entirely good sign, but they couldn't miss the situation where attacks were clearly effective. Blue mist rose from Soram's body.

"Soram-ah?"

The mist eventually thickly enveloped the metal airplanes and roughly collided with the crack.

Kwang!

Kwang! Kwang!!!

Kwaang!!!!!

The explosion sounds became even fiercer. Also, Soram knew through the sensation of the airplanes he was controlling repeatedly colliding that the attacks were properly effective.

"Keup...!"

It was when several long-range hunters who had been continuing their attacks were getting tired. Soram finally spread the blue mist widely to surround the crack and smashed it down whole. A heavy impact sound reverberated, bouncing off the surrounding high-rise buildings with a guuung―.

"Heuk, ha... haah..."

Regardless of whether those around looked at him with somewhat surprised gazes, Soram widened his eyes at the crack that had lowered even more.

Right, there's no reason to hesitate when it's working.

He gripped the sword in his hand and lifted his body.