Chapter 185

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

Those who had experienced a Great Rift before immediately plunged into the battlefield. A familiar person charged in the direction Soram had tried to break through alone.

"Huraap!"

It was Team Leader Do Jong-chan. Then another person passed by the side, unleashing a wide-range attack. About 60% of the widely spread attack hit, but the rest flew off in odd directions. However, with mutants densely packed around, even the deflected attacks somehow inflicted damage.

"Chief Jin, it's been a while!"

It was Lee Gyeong-in, still with a wide attack range but lacking in control. Here, surrounded by giant mutants in all directions, Gyeong-in's weakness became a strength.

Not only Soram but also other headquarters hunters were dumbfounded by the Busan branch's quick appearance.

The Busan branch members swept through the battlefield in an instant. The people Min-ki had brought seemed particularly familiar, and they turned out to be the Team 1 members who had shared a table when they were in Busan.

Busan Branch Field Operations Bureau Team 1 was a dungeon specialized team focused on wide-area skills, personally selected and rigorously trained by Director Shin Gi-hyeon.

During the 3rd Great Rift, the results of their training had been minimal due to the unexpected lava attack. But now it was different. This siege dungeon with huge monsters pouring out was exactly what they had trained so hard for.

"Wow, Director must have predicted a dungeon like this would come. He's a prophet, a prophet."

"I wonder. If he could predict, he wouldn't have fallen behind..."

"Haha, I'd rather fight hard now and be carried to the hospital early than meet an angry director."

"M-me too! That's better!"

Come to think of it, for some reason... Director Shin Gi-hyeon, who also served as Team 1 leader, was not seen among the arrived group. Director Park Jae-seon was the first to raise the question about him.

"Thanks for coming quickly, Min-ki. But where's Director Shin Gi-hyeon?"

"We left him behind. He's not the type to not come, but he'll probably come slowly over several hours. He's someone who thinks he owes a big debt to the headquarters, so he'd certainly not spare his body from the start."

Min-ki glanced to one side.

"Someone taught me this is how not to be a bastard."

"..."

"Good."

Soram raised both thumbs behind the director and quickly lowered them when he turned around. Min-ki smiled faintly.

"We received a full situation briefing on the way. We'll join the fight right away."

Paseuk. Seo Min-ki, who disappeared from in front of the director, appeared behind Soram.

He placed his hand on Soram's shoulder, and the next moment, Soram was teleported to the air without any interference from the mutants.

"You were trying to come up here, right?"

"Uh..., yeah. Thanks."

Min-ki let go of Soram's arm floating in the air and said as he fell downwards.

"Jin Soram. We're really going to fight well."

"Hm?"

"We're really confident about siege dungeons. ...And I have my own reasons to do well too. Look forward to it."

Just before falling onto the mutants, Seo Min-ki turned his body and disappeared with a pfit in mid-air. His sword drew an arc as he moved to a blind spot of a nearby beast. Before the mutant could notice the anomaly and turn around, the sword was deeply stabbed into its crown. It was a swift movement without any waste. Even moving on to the next target.

Upon taking the position of Busan Branch Field Operations Bureau Director, Seo Min-ki abandoned his previous attitude of quietly stepping back.

Until then, Director Shin Gi-hyeon, who had been leading the Busan branch from the forefront, tried to shoulder all the aftermath left by the 3rd Great Rift alone. Including all the ridiculous blame and shifting of responsibility.

Seeing this, Min-ki came forward to break down Shin Gi-hyeon's one-man system. This was supported by every single member of the organization without exception.

The goal of those who volunteered to come here first was similar. To lighten the work for the director before he arrived.

Then the boss can appear a bit later.

Paseuk, shwiik―

Another mutant, stabbed in a vital point by his sword, turned to smoke. With the Busan branch's onslaught, the corners of the tightly packed mutant group began to crumble little by little.

"Uwaaah!"

"Why's it so tough. Ha, I'm gonna die. Heup!"

The Busan branch's attacks, compared to the headquarters hunters, were bold if put nicely, and reckless if put harshly. It was a typical difference in leaders' styles.

And seeing the performance of another branch, the tired headquarters hunters also had their competitive spirit ignited.

In the air above the fierce battle scene, Soram flew rapidly towards the crack. Now was the chance, with the mutants that had been blocking attacks with their bodies in the crack gone. He absolutely couldn't miss this.

Geueoeo―...

The very top of the crack was about to spread another strange cry. Soram stabbed his sword into that spot without hesitation.

Kadeudeudeuk―!!!

"Keup...!"

Then once more.

Kadeuk, kadeudeudeuk! Kadeudeudeuk!!!!!

Blue mist rose like wings behind Soram's back as he raised his arm. The blue mist supported his body that was pushed back each time he attacked the solid crack. Tightly gripping his aching knuckles, he thrust his sword in again.

Kadeudeudeuk!!! Kadeudeudeudeudeuk!!!!!

Kak!!!

The sword blade was deeply embedded in the crack's crevice.

"...It worked, ugh...!"

Finally, the sword went in properly. Soram put his strength into it and came down, scraping the crack downwards. It was so hard that the blade was damaged and fragments flew to his cheek. As sharp wounds increased on Soram's face, the crack also took direct damage.

Deuk, deudeuk, deukdeuk. Geugeu, geueoeo―!!!

As the crack howled with an even louder sound, the surrounding mutants turned towards this direction. But the quadrupeds couldn't leap up to where Soram was in the air.

"Heu, kkeuk..."

Soram's sword handle became mottled. His palms were torn and nails ragged from striking the extremely hard place with all his might and now digging into it with his sword.

And then the limit came. The sword wouldn't go down any further. Soram pulled out the sword and struck the crack again.

Kaaang!!!

"Auk...!"

Now the pain had grown too great to ignore. But the crack was still towering high, and the opportunity for the crack to be defenseless hadn't ended yet.

Kaaaang!!!!!

"Ha..."

His arms trembled.

Even unfairness has its limits... While some live their twenty-first life carrying all sorts of trauma and overload, the Great Rift just gets stronger on its own without any of that. Soram raised his arm again, straining his bloodshot eyes.

If you've tormented me so much all this time, you disappear first for once!

"Aaaak!"

Blue mist thickly enveloped the sword blade and Soram's arm.

Kadeudeudeuk!!!!

Simultaneously, a similar sound was heard once more from slightly above.

Kadeudeudeuk!!!!

"Haah, ha......"

Fragments of white light clusters flowed from that direction. Han Tae-un had finally broken through the mutants' encirclement and joined in destroying the crack. Breathing roughly, he was covered in torn wounds on his arms and legs.

"Soram-ah,"

"Han Tae-un, let's just not ask each other if we're okay."

Seeing how their neat morning appearance had become the complete opposite, the heartache was mutual. They briefly exchanged regretful glances and attacked the crack again.

And then.

"Is this spot okay, unnie?"

"Yeah, it's perfect."

Kadeudeudeuk!!!!

Before they knew it, Ga-eul had come riding on Aila's back and added her attack. Aila also bit the crack with her teeth, and as the number of mutants decreased due to the Busan branch hunters' efforts, long-range attacks occasionally flew in from afar.

Kadeuk! Deudeuk!!

Kadeudeudeudeudeuk!!!!!

Kuung, kung!!! Kuung!!!

"..."

Soram was suddenly seized by an unfamiliar feeling. This was the first time he had seen such a scene among the many 4th Great Rifts he had experienced. Hunters pushing back mutants, and the crack receiving attacks from dozens of hunters...?

Of course, looking at the slightly reduced crack, it wasn't enough to dare use the word "winning chance." But had there ever been a round where this much damage was inflicted even before the Great Rift grew stronger?

His heart beat fiercely. Soram gripped his sword tighter, regardless of whether the inside of his hand was bursting open. The pain continued, but the corners of his mouth twitched.

Kaaaang!!!!!

Right, he had forgotten. Though his memories had returned due to a wrong choice and the dungeon difficulty had become like this, until just before that, this life had been progressing in a perfectly ideal form.

Even though it became the 21st life instead of the 4th, the time Soram had lived in this life hadn't disappeared. In the Bukhansan 1st-grade dungeon and the 3rd Great Rift, the Busan branch and headquarters had maintained a good relationship. They came to help the headquarters' crisis by as many reduced casualties as Soram had done his best to achieve.

Realizing this, the area around his chest grew hot.

Kadeudeudeuk!!!!

How many times had the same attack sound been heard? Even Tae-un, whose expression didn't change, showed signs of pain on his face. The arms of the hunters clashing their weapons also vibrated like spasms.

After attacking for a long time, the length of the crack decreased by about 3m.

When they first learned the crack was affected, just the fact that it was decreasing was hopeful, but as the attacks continued, their mouths dried. Because now they could gradually gauge. How many more times they would have to make such attacks with their whole bodies.

Adding up all the attacks from the very beginning, they had only reduced about 10% so far.

'Moreover, it seems to be growing back as much as we reduce it...'

Harboring a foolish hope that it might be decreasing from the bottom, he looked down. The end of the crack remained stuck in the ground. Instead, something else caught his eye.

The sight of mutants that had come out melting back into the crack like shadows.

And the crack slightly recovering its length upwards at a similar timing.

"...!"