Chapter 183

Just as he was about to leap to directly attack the crack,

Muuuuu―!!!

"!"

"Agh, the sound...!"

Several hunters with particularly developed senses covered their ears with both hands. As a sound unsuited to the city rang out at an abnormal volume, some hunters shuddered at its dissonance.

"..."

It was also the sound Soram was weakest to. His body, which had risen about a hand's width into the air, stopped abruptly. In the brief moment he hesitated, the mass of footsteps approached right in front of the crack.

Deudeudeuk―...

"Uwaaah!"

Deukdeukdeukdeukdeukdeudeudeudeudeuk!!!

As if to compensate for its slightly lowered height, the crack widened with a jerk. Dozens of shadows extended their bodies from within. It looked like a swarm of black ants pouring out of a crevice. Though in terms of size, the hunters would be the ants.

Behind the ox with horns as large as its body at the front, four-legged beasts four to ten times their normal size exhaled steam.

Keureureuru―

Kiiik! Kiiiiii!

Geureuru keueo kkiiiiik uuuu―...

The giant beasts pouring out stubbornly filled the open gap of the crack.

Kkieek! Kkeok!

Among the sounds were also the screams of mutants being crushed. With things like this, it would now be difficult for attacks to directly reach the crack as before.

The mutants that sprang out from that gap and came down to the ground shook the asphalt with kung, kung as they explored their surroundings. The brief gap that had formed in the crack as they escaped was quickly filled by other mutants. In less than a few tens of seconds, the crack had spewed out hundreds of mutants. This time, not a single person could even scream. They just urgently followed the order to retreat and widen the distance.

Geureung, geuu...

The red bloodlust unique to beasts without intelligence looked down on the hunters from a high position. The eeriness of the huge monsters full of hostility gradually increased their fear.

The same scene from past lives overlapped before his eyes. Soram took a breath and looked towards where the close-range attackers were standing. Coincidentally, the man he was looking for among the group was also looking his way.

The moment their eyes met, it felt like the tension that had been tightly constricting his airways loosened. Perhaps it was to tell him this.

'It's okay.'

Soram whispered with his mouth shape.

Kugugugugu!

"Uwaaah!"

At that moment, some form that had fallen to the ground charged rapidly towards the formation.

Kaaang!!!

The giant horns and the sword of the chief standing at the very front collided. The formation that had been standing in a line collapsed in an instant. Following that, other mutants opened their mouths wide and leapt upwards.

Shwiik―!

This time, plant stems that rose from the road entangled their legs and stopped them.

The in-ears were filled with the voices of team leaders who quickly regained their composure.

―Mutants have arrived at the first line. Commencing battle.

―Team 3, commencing battle.

―Team 4, commencing battle.

―Team 1, commencing battle.

...

Keureuk, keueoeo!!!

Kang! Kaaang!

The battle between the close-range combatants and the mutants began. Soram also bit his lip and then released it before speaking.

"Team 7... commencing battle."

―Yes.

―Yes sir!

The responses of only two team members were heard.

***

The 4th Great Rift.

Its form was a siege dungeon, with mutants taking the appearance of commonly known beasts or gigantic animals. They poured out endlessly from the huge crack that had risen in the city center, each individual exhibiting strong aggression.

Geueoeo!

Pak―!!

Though they weren't real animals since they were born from the crack, they retained most of their characteristics. Typically, they would be eliminated if their heads were cut off or hearts stabbed, and if they received other fatal wounds, they would disappear after a time when excessive bleeding would occur. Of course, even while fallen, they could still writhe their large bodies and inflict damage around them.

They also possessed the animal traits of keen five senses and wide field of vision.

"Huaak!"

Unlike the lava that didn't notice even when its core was cut from behind, the beasts immediately sensed human presence. The mutant swinging its jaw with huge teeth was faster than the stabbing sword attack. The sharply transformed teeth scratched the hunter's arm.

"Aeu, ugh...!"

The smell of blood heightened their reaction speed even more. The mutant raised its front paws as if pouncing on prey. While overwhelmed by the pain of flesh torn to shreds, a shadow fell over the hunter's body.

Kwakwakwakwang!!!

"Hik...!"

Just before the hunter was pounced on, at a breathtaking timing, a bombardment rained down on the mutant that had risen into the air. The deputy chief of Team 6, to which he belonged, came forward and blasted the mutant's body, completely cutting off its breath.

"Go to the aid point, get treated, and remove the blood smell before coming back."

"Augh... yes...!"

"I'll cover you, so run without looking back!"

The headquarters had many 1st and 2nd-grade hunters with extensive combat experience, and though they were flustered at first, they quickly regained composure and proceeded to eliminate the mutants.

The injured hunter ran desperately towards the nearest point. First aid tools were prepared in various places among the numerous buildings and structures in the area. There were also dozens of escape routes to slip out through building windows to the opposite side if necessary, and all hunters had memorized their locations during training.

The hunters were clearly doing better than in any round Soram had been through.

But even the most thorough preparations couldn't prevent every situation.

―One fatality occurred. Team 4 Leader Park Seung-yeon.

The sad news reached the chief-level channel. The abnormal speed at which the crack spewed out mutants was miserably breaking down the solidly built defenses.

Guung, gung, gung, guung, gung.

Before they knew it, the wide 10-lane road was filled with beasts howling and stomping their feet. The humans standing before the massive legion were too small. Even the head of the mutant, a mix of leopard and goat, that Soram had just cut off was almost as tall as Soram himself.

After confirming that the long-range attackers behind him had widened the distance sufficiently and taken position, he approached the director.

"I'm going to check on my team members."

Since both of his team members were typical close-range attackers, it had been agreed that he would leave here to go to them after the initial phase passed.

Soram turned his body and flew towards a large leopard in his path of movement. This time it was the orthodox appearance of a leopard, but the difference was that it was standing on two legs.

Hwiiik―

The front paw with protruding claws swung. As Soram dodged this way and that, the leopard, seemingly irritated, opened its feline mouth wide to crush its enemy with its teeth.

Soram moved quickly to the side and tore off a long strip of skin from its cheek. The feeling of muscle tissue being cut was clear in his hand, but the blade didn't penetrate properly, even less than when cutting some hard iron.

"Ugh...!"

Blue mist immediately shrouded his trembling arm. Soram barely moved his arm and cut the monster from its cheek to the back of its neck. The mutant that had received a fatal wound soon disappeared into black smoke. Even after eliminating the mutant, Soram's expression hardened further.

"...Shit, get a grip. Jin Soram."

His body contained the power accumulated from 20 lives. It didn't make sense to fight similarly to other 1st-grades with this power. His body wasn't moving properly.

The reason for his labored breathing despite the amount of activity was likely the same.

Get your mind straight.

As he urged himself, he flew to where his team members were visible. The white Pomeranian, who had puffed up its size to the fullest and was fighting bravely, stood out distinctly. And Han Tae-un was also fighting while circling around not far from Ayoung.

Pak!

The shadow cast in front of them was cut away by a long sword stroke. Soram landed in front of his team members with a smiling face, cutting through the black smoke.

"Were you fighting well?"

"Woof!"

Aila answered proudly first.

"Aila is amazing. Even though you'd be the most scared with so many beasts, you haven't lost your spirit at all."

"No. Even when we went for walks since she was little, she would charge at large dogs without knowing to be afraid. She just thinks she's the strongest right now."

Hearing the spirited testimony, Soram laughed, saying she was better than him. Aila, who understood human speech, pushed her head towards Soram as if expecting praise.

"Aila, Soram oppa didn't come to see you. Right?"

Ayoung looked at Soram and Tae-un alternately with a strange gaze. Soram chuckled and gently stroked Aila's nape. Though she had pretended to be energetic, there were wounds all over her fur.

"Han Tae-un is important too, but I came more to see you."

"Me? Why me?"

Ayoung also already had a blood-stained cloth wrapped around her arm holding the weapon. Soram temporarily turned off all radio communications.

"Did you contact your parents?"

"Yeah. Of course."

"...Aren't they worried? What did you tell them?"

"I said I'd win everything and come back, so make japchae and galbi when it's over."

"..."

While Soram recalled some memory, Ayoung said "Ah," and smiled brightly.

"You oppas should come too. My mom's cooking is really good."

His breath, which had paused briefly before exhaling, became hot.