Chapter 184

Soram cupped Aila's face while making eye contact with Ayoung.

"Ayoung-ah, I have a request."

"Huh? What is it?"

"Rather than resolving this situation, make it your top priority to stay safe and not get hurt as much as possible."

"..."

Ayoung chewed her lips discontentedly as if to say, "Is that what you had to say?"

"I don't want to. I'm going to fight hard too."

"Lee Ayoung. You know I'm not saying this because I don't trust your skills, right?"

"You kept fighting when you were twenty, so why are you only like this with me?"

"Because when I was twenty, Director-nim did the same for me as I'm doing now."

"..."

"And if something happens to you, I won't be able to stay rational. The other adults you know are the same."

Just as Ayoung was about to respond, a gigigigik... sound approached in front of the three again. Soram and Tae-un stepped forward and extended their swords.

However, the staff that flew with a shwaeaek sound from behind was faster. Whirling like a boomerang, the staff that struck the head with bloodshot eyes returned to Ayoung's hand.

"Okay. I'll be careful."

Ayoung gripped her weapon tightly.

"But don't try to send me away already. Trust me as far as I can go."

"...Alright."

Soram exhaled one last time. ...Saying any more would probably have the opposite effect. He opened his closed eyes and smiled. His tensed cheeks hurt a little. Tae-un's gaze fixed steadily on him.

"Now that we're all together, let's properly play our role as the flying team."

"Yes sir!"

"...Alright, just as we trained."

The three flew up into the air. At this point, they were the only ones who could dominate above the mutants' heads. Even heads higher than the ground team's attack range could be easily reached with their weapons.

Ayoung went first, and Tae-un covered the back of Soram's hand holding the sword before quickly letting go. Anyone who saw it would have thought it was contact between comrades on the battlefield. But Soram intertwined his fingers, subtly mixing in a different meaning. After that brief moment of contact, the two flew off in different directions.

Pak!

Soram immediately approached the largest mutant and stabbed his sword between its eyes.

Geueoeoeoeo!

It was eliminated more easily than before, as if a sense of duty had arisen after seeing his team members' faces. As he quickly cut through the air and advanced towards the airspace above the crack, a rhinoceros-shaped mutant charged as if to block him.

Hwiiik―

Pak!!!

Kkeueueu―...!

Before the rhinoceros could reach where Soram was, a metal airplane flew in and stabbed its eye. While the beast lost its direction, Soram thrust his sword into its neck. The hardened skin didn't pierce easily, but he was able to turn it into black smoke by passing the sword through to the opposite side of the neck before being counterattacked.

Before he knew it, the surrounding city had been devastated. The roads were completely overturned, and the walls of nearby buildings had been blown away by the horns and claws of charging mutants. Amidst the roaring sounds, howls, and screams, only the sky remained a calm blue, enough to be resentful.

At that moment, a horse that had just sprung out of the crack, dripping saliva, charged towards the white dog floating in the air. The moment Ayoung, who had been dealing with another mutant, turned her body, the horse raised its hoof sharply. The grotesquely hypertrophied hoof was larger than the head of Aila, who had maximized her body size.

"Ayoung-ah!"

A huge shadow fell over Ayoung and Aila.

Hihihing―

"Huh?"

Ayoung grasped the situation. And just as Soram was about to push the horse away with blue mist, she boldly stretched out her finger towards the horse.

"Aila, bite!"

"Woof!"

Aila, who had reduced her body size to swiftly avoid the attack, enlarged her body again and bravely bit the horse's nape. Meanwhile, Ayoung leapt high from Aila's back and struck the horse's head with added weight.

Peoeok!!

Kkiiiiiiik―!!!

"You don't need to worry about me at all!"

The mutant hit by the heavy attack screamed and disappeared into smoke. Huh, oh...? Along with the smoke that had lost its destination, Soram's eyes wavered.

"Yeeah!"

Ayoung went high up again and came down, striking the back of the horse's head a few more times, and the mutant finally turned into black smoke. Ayoung really did well. Even considering that flying hunters had a much more advantageous matchup against this form of mutant... She didn't even show any signs of fear in front of the beasts with rolled-back eyes and roaring.

Keueoeoeo!!

In front of the bear making threatening sounds with its mouth wide open, Ayoung took a deep breath.

"I am, the future veterinarian!"

"Woof woof woof woof woof!!!"

"You're the ones who should be afraid of me!!!"

"Woof woof woof woof woof!!!"

The shouts ringing out in the air spread very loudly below. Even Aila's fantastic ad-libs.

'It's quite different from what doctors do...'

But it was amazing nonetheless. It was an impressive performance in another sense, as the current Jin Soram had forgotten his fear enough to think of a joke while watching Ayoung.

Then radio messages poured into the in-ear.

―Jin Soram, tell Ayoung that unnie cried because she's so cool. Please. Quickly!

―To think the future of the world can look bright even in this situation...

Though the words were thrown out jokingly, the adults were clearly encouraged by the spirited shouts and performance of the youngest hunter. Of course, Soram was no exception. He gripped his sword again and replied.

"I'm planning to nominate her as Team 7 leader soon. I don't think anyone will object."

On the chief-level channel that had briefly become lively, a voice that had been seriously subdued appeared.

―Chief Kim Ga-eul, I think I can open a straight line at 4 o'clock.

The chatter stopped abruptly, and Ga-eul turned in that direction. The answer came immediately.

―It's possible!

―Good, let's do it.

After a brief throat-clearing sound, vine stems rose high next to Ga-eul. The stems created a solid arched path from where Ga-eul was to the crack. Nearby mutants turned to smoke as they were strangled by stems extending from the arch. Ga-eul immediately kicked off the ground and passed through the path Chief Shin Chan had created.

Reaching the front of the crack, Ga-eul put all her strength into the whip in her hand. Dozens of layers of purple afterimages overlapped before her eyes.

'Ha, really insane difficulty...'

Ga-eul's eyes, which accurately found the opponent's weakness, the point to strike critically, did find a gap among the mutants teeming in the crack. But even that looked no different from other places. It meant her attack alone wouldn't be nearly enough.

But, it could be some kind of starting point.

Kwang!!!!!

The roughly swung whip lashed the crack. The whip that rose up along the crack like a snake shooting up from below immediately struck down on the same spot again. The two consecutive booming sounds made the mutants running towards the nearby humans turn their bodies.

The arched path gradually collapsed due to attacks biting and clawing. Sensing that it could no longer withstand, Chief Shin Chan immediately added several more layers of stems while shouting.

―Chief Kim, retreat now!

Ga-eul struck the crack fiercely one last time and used that recoil to retreat.

Geu, geu, geo―

Kiik, kak, kigigik.

Kkiiiiiii―!!

As soon as the plant barrier disappeared, the mutants that rushed to that spot and the new mutants that sprang out of the crack became entangled like dough. Some mutants were eliminated on their own, crushed to death in between. It was a scene reminiscent of a horrific hell, in a different sense from the lava dungeon.

Anyway, it seemed difficult to aim for the same opportunity right away in this state. Mutants had gathered thickly as if guarding the crack, and the height of the crack remained intact.

No, had it decreased by about two... spans from the 20-story height with this attack?

If this were a game, this would be a raid, and the length of the Great Rift would be the boss monster's seemingly endless health gauge bar. It's unknown how many more times such attacks would need to succeed.

"Gotta do it. I'm a chief after all."

Ga-eul leapt back and stepped on the building wall. She was about to spring forward again, kicking off hard enough to leave a mark on the wall. That's when it happened.

Keureureureung―...!

Kiiii― Kiiiiiik!!

Muuuuu!!! Muu, ummmuuuu!!!

Geueoeo...

Kreung kkigigik geueu gik gigigigik!!!!!

Dozens, or perhaps hundreds of cries rang out simultaneously from inside the crack.

"Aeu, shit, what now?"

Ga-eul, who had been swinging her weapon, frowned. Then she spoke towards her in-ear.

"Hey, Jin Soram. Is something happening with the crack? Can you see anything from up there?"

―...Heu...

However, apart from a short sound, there was no particular answer from the in-ear. Perhaps it was too noisy to hear, or he was focused on the battle too.

***

"Ha, heup."

Shit. Weak mentality...

How many times had he resolved to fight to the death, yet his body froze just from hearing some sounds.

You crazy bastard. Get a grip. This isn't the time. Move right now.

It was when other hunters had also reflexively paused upon hearing the roaring sound. The mutants didn't miss the opportunity. They headbutted hunters who showed openings, smashing them into buildings, and raised their claws to aim for their heads.

Along with the roaring sound, the mutants' aggression also increased, causing casualties in an instant. The red bloodstains splattered on the gray roads gradually increased. It was about time for people to become incapacitated by panic, seeing fellow hunters being bitten or crushed under giant feet.

Soram moved the airplanes surrounded by blue mist while rapidly descending.

A group of mutants was chasing hunters who had fled between buildings. The metal airplanes tore apart the beast at the front. Then Soram stood between the group of mutants and the hunters.

Kaaang!!!!!

Keureureureung!

The huge teeth and his sword collided.

"...It's okay. I'm not scared."

Soram gripped his sword tightly, repeating the answer he had to have ingrained in him by Tae-un.

"I'm not scared."

The sword swung widely. The upper part of the open mouth was cleanly cut off. Immediately facing the second and third mutants, Soram moved his airplanes and stabbed them into the face of the beast that had come right up front. Then he stepped on it, digging in deeply while twisting his waist to cut the waist of the mutant that had approached right beside him. It wasn't calculation, but the instinctive movement of someone who had been through dozens of desperate battlefields.

The hunters fleeing behind him stopped and hesitated.

"Chief Jin, we too...!"

"I don't need help. You're in the way, so go. Go fight somewhere else."

"Y-yes sir..."

Moving his sword right away, Soram created black smoke once more.

After clearing the alley, he came out to the wide road again. The crack seemed to have used all its strength momentarily, stopping its spewing of new mutants. But already, every direction was occupied by hundreds, thousands of mutants.

Now, now I should attack the crack like Ga-eul did earlier.

The attacks of long-range hunters who had the same thought were being blocked by the mutants with their bodies. Then flying high is the answer. The moment Soram lifted his body, a tiger mutant leapt high up by trampling on the back of another mutant. To prevent him from getting close to the crack.

"...!"

He succeeded in cutting its neck, but this time he was left with wounds from its teeth. And beyond the black smoke, an ox with horns all over its body came charging, shaking the ground.

Sometimes, fear adds killing intent. If the object of fear is right in front of you, survival instinct will try to eliminate it. Soram raised his sword. Just as he thought the ground was shaking too much, a group of mutants with the same appearance as the ox came rushing behind it. The height of each individual looked to be about 3m.

Ha, right. Let's break through. Unlike the calm plan of reason, his hands were trembling.

Kaang!!!

The first impact came to his sword. He pushed it back forcefully and immediately seized the gap to cut off its legs.

Muu!! Ummuuuu!!!

While fighting a mental battle with the sound that seemed to tear his eardrums, his hands moved the sword wrapped in blue mist. By the time he had dealt with the third one, blood was dripping from his thoroughly chewed lips.

Now, only two left...!

Somehow the oxen seeming larger was probably a reflection of his psychological state. Soram faced the ox's bloodshot eyes while shedding another stream of blood from his lips.

That's when it happened.

Paseuk―

Suddenly, a person appeared in the view that had been full of only mutants. Dozens of people simultaneously in all directions.

Then a human shadow flashed above the ox fighting Soram, cutting the back of its neck. After eliminating the mutant, he disappeared with a swoosh and reappeared right in front of Soram.

"I'm late."

It was a very familiar face.

"Seo Min-ki, Director of Field Operations Bureau, Busan Branch."

Soram couldn't say anything. How, already... Looking at his dumbfounded friend's face, Min-ki patted his shoulder.

"You told me before to try cutting it within 5 minutes, but with this number of people, 15 minutes was the limit..."

What Soram had said then was about moving with three or four people. However, now, at a glance, the number of people who had come from the Busan branch seemed to exceed twenty.

The Busan branch hunters were the first to join the battlefield.