“That’s an A-rank Boss!?”
“Why is it here in a D-rank Gate!?”
“Calm down and get ready! Its petrification is troublesome, so be careful!”
Lee Min-hyeok shouted, apparently having experience with the Monster.
At the same time, the Supporter Hunters cast Mental Enhancement Skills on the A-rank Hunters.
“With this...!”
Lee Min-hyeok adjusted his grip on his greatsword and charged at the Medusa.
“Haaah!”
BOOM—!
The Medusa’s blade crossed with Lee Min-hyeok’s greatsword as they traded blows.
CLANG—! CLANG-CLANG-CLANG—! BANG—! CLANG—!
The sound of metal crashing against metal rang out.
“Fire Rain (B)!”
A-rank Mage Hunter Song Ju-min supported Lee Min-hyeok with his magic.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—!
A rain of scorching flames melted the Medusa’s heads.
“Good!”
SLASH—!
Lee Min-hyeok’s greatsword severed two of the Medusa’s necks.
SKREEEEEEEEK!!!!
The Medusa shrieked and writhed in pain.
“W-will they be all right, Big Brother!?”
Every member of Team C was unharmed because Poppy and Choco were blocking the Medusa’s roar with their mana.
Inside the mana barrier, Kang Gi-tae clenched his fist.
However, he could not bring himself to step forward.
“...Probably.”
Kim Jin-woo was not a Combat-Type either, so he had no choice but to wait in the rear.
For now, all he could do was marvel at Poppy and Choco’s defensive power and place his hopes in Lee Min-hyeok, Song Ju-min, and the Supporters.
HUMMMMM—
“It’s a petrification attack! Everyone, close your eyes!”
Everyone closed their eyes.
Everyone except Ji-hoon.
He kept his eyes open and stared straight at the Medusa.
The petrification magic lightly bounced off Poppy and Choco’s barrier.
With their eyes closed, Lee Min-hyeok and Song Ju-min relied on their senses to retreat a good distance.
“Phew... phew....”
Lee Min-hyeok paused to catch his breath.
Then, after exchanging a signal with Song Ju-min—
“Hraaah!”
Lee Min-hyeok used his greatsword to fling a mound of sand toward the Medusa.
At the thick cloud of sand billowing upward—
“Burn it all!”
Song Ju-min’s A-rank Skill, Fire Wall (A), erupted.
The Medusa’s silhouette could be seen writhing within it.
“Now!”
SLASH—! FWOOSH—!
BOOM—!
Skreeee....
THUD—!
The Medusa, which looked roughly three times the size of an adult man, collapsed with all its necks severed.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
“Hahahaha! That was nothing!”
“Do not worry, everyone! We are here!”
Lee Min-hyeok and Song Ju-min, the greatest contributors to the victory, triumphantly raised their weapons and savored their triumph.
***
Meanwhile, Baek Kang-hyeon continued flying over the sand in search of the Hunters.
SWISH-SWISH—
“Hm?”
A powerful mana signature appeared, then vanished.
Judging by its energy, it was either A-rank or at the upper end of B-rank.
Baek Kang-hyeon’s gaze slowly swept across his surroundings.
Something was wrong.
The Medusa had unmistakably fallen.
Its mana signature had vanished as well.
And yet....
‘...I’ve got a strange feeling.’
His fingertips tingled faintly.
This was not the settled feeling that came when a battle ended.
Rather....
It felt as though something was building further.
At that moment—
CRACK—
A fissure formed to his left.
KRAAAH—!
“Orc Warriors?”
A group of Orc Warriors, B-rank Monsters, burst out.
“Out of my way!”
SLASH—!
After sweeping away the Orc Warriors with Heaven-Shattering First Sword, Baek Kang-hyeon launched himself forward again.
SWISH-SWISH—
‘A Mutation Gate...!’
Please, let me not be too late!
SLASH—! SWISH—!
Baek Kang-hyeon continued cutting down the hordes of Monsters flying at him, then readjusted his grip on his sword’s pommel.
–What the hell is happening to the Gate!?
It was Jin Seo-yoon’s voice.
“The Monsters are respawning far too quickly. I just eliminated an A-rank, and now B-ranks have appeared.”
–What!? That doesn’t make any sense....
“I can scarcely believe it even as I witness it myself.”
Baek Kang-hyeon drew up his turquoise mana.
He focused the energy into his sword, then unleashed it.
“Heaven-Shattering Second Sword.”
A flash of sword light struck the fissure directly.
FLASH—
KABOOM—!
The entire fissure was obliterated.
Only then did the Monsters stop respawning.
“Guild Master Yoon Do-ha, have you confirmed anything?”
–I do not know about anything else, but one thing is certain. The mana is gathering in one place.
“It’s gathering...?”
Yoon Do-ha murmured excitedly.
–That single point... The Hunters must be gathered there. Ah, ah, the Hunters overcoming this crisis! Please create an opportunity for me to study their mana, Branch Director!
“...I’ll go rescue them first. Guild Master Jin Seo-yoon?”
–I’ve requested all available support. I’m going in too.
HUMMMMM—
Just then, a vibration resonated from somewhere in the space ahead.
“Again!?”
As Baek Kang-hyeon cut his way through the oncoming waves of Monsters, his eyes and mana continued searching for the Hunters.
***
Ji-hoon watched Lee Min-hyeok and Song Ju-min in admiration.
They were strong.
They had not become A-rank Hunters for nothing.
“H-here, drink this!”
Kim Ji-eun handed them a bottle filled with water gathered from her spirit.
GULP-GULP—
“Ahh, that tastes good! It seems to restore mana, doesn’t it?”
“Thanks. I used quite a lot.”
“Y-yes! It’s Spirit Water. Have some more. I have plenty!”
“Thank you, little lady. All right, let’s collect the corpse!”
Lee Min-hyeok planted his greatsword in the ground and stood there triumphantly.
That was when—
“It’s... not over....”
Kim Jin-woo trembled as he muttered.
“Hunter Kim Jin-woo! What did you say?”
“Mr. Min-hyeok, there’s still... there’s still more!”
The mana surged.
It took the same form as before.
But what emerged this time was not a Medusa.
“An Orc Knight...?”
“Now we’ve got B-rank Monsters!?”
“Everyone, prepare for battle! Hey, pull yourself together!”
“W-wait. I still haven’t recovered from the Medusa’s roar....”
In the end, Lee Min-hyeok and Song Ju-min moved once again.
The members of Team C did the same.
Poppy and Choco easily disposed of the charging Orc Knights as they observed the battlefield.
[Big Brother, something is strange.]
“I know. Do you think you’re the only one who noticed?”
[That is not what I mean... Does this Gate not feel different from the Gates we visited before?]
This was not merely a problem with the movement of mana.
All kinds of Monsters were bursting out.
This space was even shaped like several Gates had merged together.
If an A-rank Medusa had appeared, something even stronger could emerge afterward.
“You don’t smell anyone from Hell Farm, do you?”
[No, Big Brother.]
[Nothing. I can sense the Hell Farm family better than anyone.]
Before long, the Orc Knights had been eliminated as well.
“Huff... huff... Is there more, Hunter Kim Jin-woo!?”
“...Another wave is coming!”
Yet another wave followed.
“Son of a bitch...!”
It was another Medusa.
“The Monsters aren’t respawning at a normal rate!”
“Motherfucking hell, reform the ranks!”
“Brace for its roar!”
While the Hunters faced the newly appeared Medusas, Ji-hoon stared wide-eyed at the situation unfolding before him.
‘This is strange.’
Could it really be this abnormal?
This was not a simulation space created by the Management Bureau.
It was a real Gate managed by the Awakened Management Bureau.
And it had been a D-rank Gate at that.
[Warning: Dungeon Grade is being recalibrated from D-rank to C-rank.]
[Warning: Dungeon Grade is being recalibrated from C-rank to A-rank.]
[Warning: Dungeon Grade is being recalibrated from A-rank to B-rank.]
[Warning: Dungeon Grade is being recalibrated from B-rank to A-rank.]
Not only was the grade continuously recalibrated according to the Monsters that appeared....
“Haaah!!”
CLANG—!
“Ngh...!”
Even Lee Min-hyeok’s attacks, which had worked moments ago, were ineffective against the newly appeared Medusa.
“The Monsters are getting stronger every time they’re resummoned...?”
Ji-hoon grabbed Poppy’s feather and tore off a tiny piece from the tip.
“Golden Guidepost (S).”
Then a shimmer rose into the air.
The Skill had not reacted when he first entered the Gate.
But now....
“...Damn it.”
A shimmer was rising above the respawned Monster’s head.
“Ngh... ngh!”
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG—! CLANG—! CLANG—!
CLANG-CLANG-CRASH—!
CRUNCH—!
At that moment, Lee Min-hyeok’s greatsword snapped in two and plunged into the ground.
The Medusa smacked its lips and swung its blade at Lee Min-hyeok.
“Ah... no....”
“Choco, throw it!”
[Hup!]
Choco enlarged himself in an instant, plucked out a strand of iron spike fur, and hurled it with all his strength.
WHIZZ—!
ZIP-ZIP—
BOOM—!
The iron spike pierced the Medusa’s body, killing it on the spot.
“Huff... huff....”
“Are you all right, Mr. Min-hyeok?”
“K-Kim Jin-woo... I-I’m alive.”
“Do not let your guard down. More may appear.”
Kim Jin-woo repeatedly activated Mana Scanning.
More Monsters respawned within its range.
Fortunately, there were no A-ranks among them, so the Hunters managed to eliminate them even without Lee Min-hyeok, who had lost his weapon.
“Mr. Ji-hoon, there’s an injured person over here too!”
Ji-hoon was tending to the injured alongside Kim Ji-eun.
He kept Golden Guidepost active in one eye.
‘This is strange.’
The shimmers rose into the air, but vanished when the Monsters were killed.
Yet they did not simply disappear.
When a Monster with a shimmer above it died....
“Why is it rising into the sky?”
“What? What did you just say...?”
FWOOSH—!
At that moment, Song Ju-min defeated an Orc Shaman, a B-rank Boss Monster.
The shimmer that had risen above the Orc Shaman’s head also—
RUSTLE—
—vanished into the sky like sandy dust.
“...Ms. Ji-eun, excuse me for a moment.”
“What? Where are you going, Mr. Ji-hoon? Wait!”
Ji-hoon hurriedly ran in the direction the shimmer had flown.
When he reached its destination, he thrust his right hand into the air.
“There! Hey! Up theeeere!!!!”
The Bracelet Made from Choco’s Spines around his right wrist began to resonate.
“You two felt it too, didn’t you?”
[Felt it! We felt it!]
Ji-hoon’s gaze changed with newfound certainty.
“Little Brother Ji-hoon! Where are you going?”
“Please hold off the Monster wave over there!”
“What about you!?”
“I...!”
Should he enlarge Poppy or Choco here?
No.
He had no idea what kind of uproar that would cause.
But merely shouting himself hoarse would not accomplish anything either....
BOOM—!
KABOOM—! FWOOSH—! FLASH—!
SHING—! CLANG-CLANG—!
The sounds of the Hunters fighting rang out.
He could not reveal Poppy and Choco, both Boss Monsters, here.
He needed a pretext.
“A pretext, a pretext... a pretext...!”
“Hunter Lee Ji-hoon!!!!”
“My pretext is here!!!”
“We’re in serious trouble... what?”
The instant Ji-hoon saw Baek Kang-hyeon fly in like lightning, he grabbed Baek Kang-hyeon by the shirt and shoved him toward Poppy.
“Huh? Wh-whoa?”
“Poppy!!!!”
[Yes, Big Brother!!!]
FLASH—
RUMBLE—!
Poppy’s wings expanded enormously as he grew to the size of a house.
KROOOOOOOAR!!!
With Poppy’s roar, pure mana scattered from the Griffin’s wings.
If shooting stars were made of mana, would they rustle this beautifully?
His form was beautiful enough to inspire such an illusion.
“Let’s go up!”
FLAP—
KABOOM—!
The King of Griffins’ wingbeat unleashed tremendous wind pressure against the ground.
Low-rank Hunters were blown away by it, while even the A-ranks felt pressure they could barely withstand.
“Wh-what is that...?”
The eyes of those looking skyward widened.
Golden mana gathered, and a fissure formed.
The mana within the fissure fused with the golden mana.
Pure-white mana manifested where the Griffin and Baek Kang-hyeon hovered.
At the same time—
RUMBLE—
Lightning raged briefly.
HISS. HISS—
A reptile with white scales.
One so enormous that it traveled with its tail held in its mouth.
SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!
The white serpent that had absorbed every shimmer.
Jörmungandr.
[Warning: Sub-Boss Monster Jörmungandr (S) has appeared in the Gate.]
“Jörmung... andr...?”
At that moment, some dropped their weapons, while others could not even breathe properly.
Their instincts warned them.
That was a being they must never confront.
And yet a being like that was....
“...A Sub-Boss?”
At that moment, Jörmungandr’s tail—
—slammed down.