Chapter 114

"Since the mountain peak emerged above the surface, the rate of spread has accelerated further. At this rate, the lava will reach the land in about three to four hours."

Shin Gi-hyeon, the branch director who had been staring at the screen as if to pierce through it, opened his mouth.

"If that hits the buildings, nothing will survive. We have to stop it before it enters the land."

The sky that had been clear blue had somehow turned gray with the hot steam and dust generated along with the lava.

Even Shin Gi-hyeon, the branch director who had participated in the 1st and 2nd Great Rift disasters, felt his vision go black for a moment upon hearing the confirmation of the Great Rift. Needless to say, the other young hunters were the same. Especially the hunters around Lee Gyeong-in's age, who had experienced the Great Rift at an age when they didn't know anything, were visibly crushed by the sudden fear.

In three or four hours... Even now, as they sat in the conference room, the lava was surging towards the land of Busan. The veins on the back of the branch director's clasped hands stood out. Even if it occurred internally, he had no intention of letting the mutants that appeared outside Busan enter this land.

"Team 1 will take a boat or helicopter and push forward to the front. Even in the water, the depth is not deep. The attack will reach the rift."

...What?

Team Leader Lee Gyeong-in's face turned pale. It was no different from saying that he would lead the team and die along with the rift.

Even if Team 1 specialized in wide-area attacks, they had to at least go near the lava, and even if the attack succeeded, wouldn't the rift that had become a dungeon fiercely resist when hit? If it spewed out more lava, where would they escape in the vast sea?

As serious as the situation was, Lee Gyeong-in also steeled his resolve more firmly than usual. However, that didn't mean he would accompany them on the path to death.

"I, I, c-can't..."

"I guarantee it. Everyone will die a miserable death."

The answer came from the person who appeared late through the door instead. It was Chief Jin Soram, who had been absent without notice today. Behind him were Chief Seo Min-ki and, surprisingly, Han Tae-un, a 1st-grade hunter from the headquarters.

"Chief Jin. What did you say?"

Before expressing doubt about his appearance, Branch Director Shin Gi-hyeon asked Soram coldly.

"You said to take a boat or helicopter there. The boat will melt, and the sky is filled with ash everywhere. Do you think there are any engines in this country that are prepared for dust? And how many people here can use their powers in the sea where there's no place to set foot?"

Soram continued, not caring about the cold gaze.

"If Branch Director-nim burns at the forefront, will the Busan Branch be able to endure the aftermath?"

"Jin Soram. Watch your words..."

Min-ki stopped Soram. However, Soram, who was in a staring match with the branch director, had no trace of his usual flippant attitude.

"Then is there any other way in this situation? That thing will rush to the land in a little while."

"There's a standard solution for flood dungeons. When dealing with a flood dungeon, you don't fight head-on, but endure until it calms down, and when it stops its activity, that's when you pour in the attack."

It was because there was no physical way to block a flood dungeon that was no different from a natural disaster, such as a torrent, poisonous gas, or lava.

However, the current situation was a Great Rift where it was difficult to even guess when the activity would stop. Even so, would it be better to wait blindly than to launch a preemptive attack? There was no way Soram, who had risen to the position of chief, didn't know that some of them naturally doubted this. However, Soram spoke again with emphasis.

"You must never charge from the front."

Branch Director Shin Gi-hyeon, who had been listening to Soram's words with his arms crossed, raised his chin.

"It seems you have something in mind."

He gestured with his chin as if telling him to say what he wanted to say. Soram approached the screen displaying the map around the dungeon occurrence site. And with a red marker, he drew a long line on the land parallel to the coastline.

"We give up this much."

Then, with a half-hearted diagonal line, he colored the area between the coastline and the curved line. The colored area included a dozen apartment complexes, hotels, schools, and commercial buildings.

"After evacuating all the citizens, we set up a barricade behind this and only block it enough so that it doesn't cross here. We can't fight the flowing lava on an empty beach. We have to endure by taking shelter on top of the buildings."

In other words, it meant that in order to have a battle as advantageous as possible for the hunters, they would fight the lava on the land of Busan, a place that had been their living space until just yesterday.

"..."

There was no disagreement that the method was reasonable. However, sighs flowed among the hunters of the Busan Branch. And Tae-un, who saw the map where Soram had drawn the line, was seized by a strange sense of déjà vu. It felt like he had definitely seen the same sight somewhere…

The first to open his mouth was Branch Director Shin Gi-hyeon.

"Even if it looks as small as a fingernail on the map, there are dozens of buildings inside. It's not a place to be easily discarded with words."

"We still have a few hours left, so isn't it fully possible to evacuate people?"

"Even if they evacuate, where and how will those people live when they come back? Don't say nonsense."

Soram swallowed a hollow laugh inwardly. Even Branch Director Shin Gi-hyeon, who had experienced the Great Rift, was already assuming it would end safely. Feeling suffocated, he turned his gaze to the side and caught sight of Tae-un. As he faced Tae-un, who was silently looking at him, something hot welled up inside him.

"Why should I think that far? It's hard enough to risk our lives and fight monsters, so who cares about buildings that can be rebuilt?"

"You're talking recklessly because it's not the place where you were born and raised, Chief Jin. If you have that kind of thinking, get out. Go back to the headquarters."

Anger was evident in the voice of the branch director, who had a strong attachment to the Busan Branch.

"I wasn't like this even when I was in Seoul. I don't have the ability to go that far. Since I can't do it, I have to go with the method of struggling to survive."

However, Soram was also firm. Strength entered his voice to the point of being hoarse.

"I don't want to die, and I don't want to see others die either!"

A cold gaze passed between Soram and Branch Director Shin Gi-hyeon. Although the two had bickered many times since Soram came to the Busan Branch, the atmosphere that had been brushed off with laughter was now frozen solid. Even Min-ki, who was close to both of them, couldn't say a word.

Soram newly realized his different position from his previous life. In his previous life, Soram was a chief, but no one could ignore his words. He was a hero representing the Republic of Korea, and when he presented an opinion, even if there was dissatisfaction behind the scenes, a situation was created where they had no choice but to follow.

Even in the last round, he couldn't make the drastic choice of abandoning all the land, but the atmosphere would have been different when he said the same thing. Was that method, which didn't require persuasion, really the right one?

At that moment, one person carefully raised his hand.

"Excuse me... Is it not possible to mobilize military weapons? If it's serious enough to give up high-rise buildings, wouldn't it be better to shoot missiles instead...? Like when Chief Jin-nim threw a car during the 1st-grade dungeon at Bukhansan, if we give a big external impact..."

"Well... At least then, the location could be visually confirmed, and I controlled everything until the moment of impact. But now we don't know exactly where it occurred underground. The probability of success is low, and the probability of stimulating an actively operating dungeon is high, so I don't know if it's a good choice. The explosion might increase several times, and the dungeon and a real volcano might combine."

"..."

Silence flowed after the explanation. Min-ki, who had been standing awkwardly between Soram and the branch director, also fell into thought while looking at the map.

Branch Director Shin Gi-hyeon looked at the members of the Busan Branch surrounding him. And he opened his mouth.

"For now, only the team leaders stay, and the rest go out and arm yourselves. Be several times more careful than usual, and the person in charge should directly check the equipment of the chiefs and seniors."

Then, looking at Soram, he said,

"No matter which operation we go with, we won't be able to avoid combat."

***

―The dungeon that occurred near the coast of Seo-gu, Busan Metropolitan City early this morning has been confirmed as a Level 0 dungeon, the Great Rift disaster, which has occurred again in our country after about 8 years. An emergency evacuation order has been issued to the residents living in the area, and the Busan Branch is inspecting the site and entering an emergency meeting.

―Please send a lot of support to the hunters so that the Republic of Korea can be safe.

After the village closest to the dungeon occurrence site collapsed, a large-scale evacuation began. The scenes of elderly couples leaving their lifelong homes behind, travelers who had to abandon their luggage to hold their children in the chaos, and a captain screaming towards a fishing boat anchored in front of the approaching lava were broadcast.

The news of the Great Rift spread quickly, and transportation out of Busan was paralyzed. All scheduled programs were also interrupted on TV, and broadcasts about the current situation were aired.

Title: What is this? What are they doing?

Damn, everything is about to burn to death, so why are they just sitting there?

Are the Busan Branch bastards playing around, seriously;;;

└They must all have their own thoughts. If the Busan people are also staying still, they're talking nonsense.

Title: Every year, they praised Seo Min-ki to the skies.

It turns out Ga-eul-nuna was a fraud after all.

└Honestly, teleportation was a bit lacking to be tied with Jin Soram's psychokinesis and Kim Ga-eul's destructive power;

└You prepare to get hit with a brick the moment you set foot in Busan. The two people you can't curse in Busan are Lee Sun-shin and Seo Min-ki.

The hunters wear the same clothes even during combat. Since they have strong bodies, heavy protective gear is rather cumbersome, and the hunters' suits are also treated with special materials no less than military uniforms. However, when going into a big battle, they tie small bags on their thighs and arms to carry necessary items such as first-aid supplies and water.

While wearing the clothes and equipment provided at the Busan Branch after leaving the conference room, Soram didn't even glance at Tae-un.

"Are you still angry?"

"..."

"Soram-ah."

"Don't talk to me."

A sharp reaction burst out as if scratching with fingernails.

"You, fuck, don't even show yourself to me. Just looking at you pisses me off."

"What do I have to do for you to stop being angry?"

"Go back to Seoul."

"I already said with my own mouth earlier that I would stay here and participate."

"Change your words and get scolded a bit, you won't die!"

This was what Soram had said to Tae-un when they first met in Guncheon, trying to persuade him not to come up to Seoul. In the end, the context was similar now as well.

"Yeah. It's not that I'm not going because I'm afraid of getting scolded, but I can't go back knowing that the Great Rift occurred where you are."

"..."

Even though he had no intention of going, not even intention the size of a fingernail. Soram bit down hard on his molars.

He had never felt so foolish before. The efforts he had made to somehow save Han Tae-un by deliberately moving to this place with many unfamiliar people, and the struggles to somehow endure. And…

'If we meet again, it would be either you coming to Busan where I died, or me going to Seoul after resolving the Great Rift. Then I will also...'

'No matter what happens, I will definitely protect you.'

Recalling all the sentimentality he had trembled with inwardly on the train―in fact, he had even teared up a bit at this point―he felt truly deceived. All the time he had built up since autumn had shattered like bubbles.

Now, wasn't it no different from his previous lives? There was a difference in that in the previous lives, both Soram and Tae-un were tied to the headquarters and were dispatched around the time the Busan Branch was annihilated, but anyway, the worst situation where Tae-un stood on the battlefield of the 3rd Great Rift had come.