With Korea's finest Hunters drawn out of Seoul, the government and the Hunter Association hurriedly issued recall orders to the Hunters dispatched to North Chungcheong.
The death toll kept climbing.
"President! A pack of Trolls has appeared from the Jungnang Gate——!"
They had no choice but to upgrade the Jungnang Gate to A-grade as well.
"Why...... why is this happening......!"
"It's not just Seoul. Right now, Osaka and Sapporo in Japan, and Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu in China...... Dungeon Gates are reportedly rupturing simultaneously in major cities all over the world. Per satellite, a Dungeon Gate ruptured even in Pyongyang, which the beastmen occupy."
"Ngh......"
This was no time to worry about other nations.
To overcome Seoul's crisis, the Hunters dispatched to North Chungcheong had to return fast.
"Thankfully, Hunter Park Kang-hyeok began returning early on...... it seems he'll reach Seoul soon."
"That's a relief. Tell Hunter Park Kang-hyeok to support Dongjak-gu first."
"He's already heading for Dongjak-gu. His family is there, so......"
"......I see."
Just then, the vehicle Kang-hyeok was in entered Seocho-gu.
Kang-hyeok fidgeted with his blade, his face taut with worry.
'Should I have just flown?'
With the Dongjak Gate upgraded to A-grade, his unease grew stronger.
Starting from Seocho-gu, the traffic ground to a halt.
With people running out into the road, the vehicle came to a stop.
"I'll run from here."
"What? H-Hunter Park Kang-hyeok?!"
Kang-hyeok climbed out of the military vehicle and began sprinting toward Dongjak-gu.
Pa-pa-pa-pa-pat!
In an instant he passed Bangbae Station and leapt onto the rooftop of a nearby commercial building.
Fwip!
Then, bounding across to a villa rooftop, he cut across toward Dongjak-gu at high speed.
***
CRASH—!
"......?!"
An Orc General that had chased after Yu-na's group brought its greatsword down at a GH Guild member.
"We'll hold them off! Hurry and evacuate!"
Two guild members hurled themselves at the Orc General and the Orc Warriors.
Slash—! Splurrrch!
The Orc Warriors were cut down by the GH Guild members in an instant.
But the Orc General blocked the guild member's attack and even struck back.
Watching, the Orc Chief wore an intrigued expression.
-Those humans seem to have some skill.
He curled the corners of his mouth into a grin, leapt high into the air, and swung his greatsword at the GH Guild members.
KABOOM—!
The two guild members were crushed in an instant.
The Orc Chief's crimson eyes glinted as it glared at the fleeing GH Guild members.
-Kraaaaaah—!
The Orc Chief's roar rolled out in every direction.
The fleeing GH Guild members flinched and glanced back.
The two who had blocked the Orc General had lost their lives.
'Damn it!'
Bark gritted his teeth.
"Don't look back — just run! You lot, guard the Master's family! I'll stay behind and——!"
Squelch—!
"......?!"
An enormous greatsword burst through Bark's chest.
The GH Guild members whirled around in alarm.
At some point the Orc Chief had come right up behind them, and it grinned.
-Struggle a little more, humans.
"Kh...... khhh......"
Bark's whole body trembled.
The Orc Chief raised its greatsword high and cleaved Bark's torso in two.
At the Orc Chief's voice behind them, Yu-na's group turned to look.
The sight of Bark's corpse struck them with horror.
"Kyaaaah!"
Hye-in screamed and collapsed to the ground.
"Damn it! We have to hold that thing off until the Master arrives!"
"The time has come to repay the grace the Master gave us! Lay down your lives!"
The guild members gripped their blades and charged at the Orc Chief.
"Aaaaah!"
"Die——!"
As the guild members wielded the Black Moon Sword Art in a joint assault, the Orc Chief's grin only deepened.
-Krahahaha! The dance of gnats! How amusing!
The Orc Chief tossed its greatsword aside and wreathed its whole body in red battle aura.
CRASH!
"Guhk......!"
A single punch from the Orc Chief sent a guild member flying dozens of meters.
Even gripped by terror, the guild members steeled themselves for death.
'For the Master......!'
While they threw themselves in at the cost of their lives, one guild member ran to Yu-na's group.
"Hurry!"
"B-But those people......"
"Please, don't let my comrades' deaths be in vain."
At the guild member's earnest plea, Yu-na's group could only turn and flee.
Just then, an Orc General appeared up ahead.
It had moved on the Chief's orders.
"This can't be......"
The guild member quickly ran out in front of Yu-na's group.
"I'll hold it off! Evacuate while I do! Hraah!"
The guild member lunged at the Orc General.
The problem was the Orc Warriors closing in from the alleys on either side.
Kang-hyeok's father, Park Jin-o, gritted his teeth and hoisted Hye-in onto his back.
"Run! We can't let their sacrifice be for nothing!"
While the GH Guild member engaged the Orc General, Jin-o's group slipped past.
The Orc Warriors ignored the GH Guild member and chased after Yu-na's group.
"Damn it!"
The GH Guild member gritted his teeth.
He had to break off and cut down the Orc Warriors chasing Yu-na, right now.
But blocked by the Orc General, all he could do was watch the Orc Warriors' backs.
CLANG! Ka-ka-clang!
"Move!"
CRASH!
-Chiiik!
The Orc General flashed a nasty grin, as if to say there was no getting past.
Behind them, the GH Guild members were struck down one after another by the Orc Chief.
'Damn it!'
He had to protect them, no matter what!
The guild member fighting the Orc General ran toward the building on the right.
When the Orc General moved to block him, the guild member ran up the building's outer wall and vaulted over it.
"Hup......!"
Then he hurriedly gave chase after Yu-na's group.
The Orc General roared in fury and pursued him.
-Chiiik!
Meanwhile, the Orc Chief casually picked up the greatsword it had tossed aside.
Then it sprang high into the air and landed at a spot several hundred meters away.
CRASH!
With successive leaps, the Orc Chief quickly caught up to Yu-na's group.
There was no doubt these were important figures of this territory.
Otherwise, there was no explaining why Sword Master-class talents would try so hard to protect them.
Kill them, and the humans' morale would plummet.
-Krahahaha!
The Orc Chief leapt high once more and cut off Yu-na's group's path.
CRASH!
"Kyaah!"
At the explosion before them, Yu-na's group tumbled to the ground.
-You are feeble beyond words.
The Orc Chief raised its greatsword high.
"Ah......"
Once again, a brush with death.
The moment Yu-na looked up at the Orc Chief, her face pale—
Jin-o spread both arms wide before his family.
A meaningless gesture.
Once that greatsword came down, they would all lose their lives.
His mother Su-yeon and Yu-na's friend Hye-in, too, looked up at the Orc Chief with eyes full of terror.
-Die.
At its single word, everyone squeezed their eyes shut.
The GH Guild member giving chase frantically reached out a hand.
"N-No——!"
At his cry, a black flash of light struck down from the sky onto the Orc Chief's head.
KABOOOM—!
Yu-na's group was blown off their feet by the tremendous explosion.
The GH Guild member stopped in his tracks, staring blankly ahead.
He wasn't the only one.
The Orc Warriors and the Orc General too.
Everyone stared at the spot where the Orc Chief had stood.
"A mere orc dared...... to lay a hand on my family?"
A black-haired young man emerged from within the explosion.
His crimson eyes glinted as he glared at the orcs.
Flinch!
The Orc Warriors faltered, seized by terror.
"O-Oppa?"
"K-Kang-hyeok?"
Kang-hyeok checked on his family.
Thankfully, none of them seemed seriously hurt.
A moment later and his family might have lost their lives.
Perhaps because he'd valued family above all since his past life?
Kang-hyeok's fury did not easily subside.
"Wait here a moment. I'll finish this quickly."
As Kang-hyeok took a single step forward, the orcs backed away.
Fwip!
"H-He vanished——!"
Hye-in was startled by Kang-hyeok disappearing before her eyes.
And then......
Splurrrch—!
More than ten Orc Warriors lost their heads and collapsed.
Kang-hyeok walked slowly, passing the GH Guild member, and severed the Orc General's head.
Slash!
In a single moment, everything was settled.
Kang-hyeok approached the GH Guild member, Roiard.
"Where are the others?"
Roiard squeezed his eyes shut.
"......Every one of them died holding off the Orc Chief and the Generals."
Kang-hyeok quietly closed his eyes and patted Roiard's shoulder.
"Thank you for staying alive...... for protecting my family."
"Not at all."
Roiard bowed his head, tears falling.
His comrades' deaths had not been in vain.
They'd succeeded in buying time until the Master returned.
"Link up with the GH Guild members in Gwanak-gu and hunt down the monsters."
"Yes, understood."
Kang-hyeok ran straight to his family.
Fwip!
At Kang-hyeok appearing before them in an instant, his family jolted in surprise.
"Is anyone hurt...... looks like you're all a little banged up."
They seemed to have gotten scraped up rolling on the ground.
"I'm fine, but......"
Jin-o looked at his wife and daughter.
Kang-hyeok pulled out low-grade potions he'd brought along.
"Drink one each. And......"
Kang-hyeok looked at Hye-in.
"And you are......"
"Ah, hello. I'm...... Yu-na's friend from university."
"Ah......"
Kang-hyeok nodded and looked at her ankle.
It was slightly red and swollen.
Had she twisted it while running?
Kang-hyeok handed her a potion.
"Looks like you hurt your ankle...... drinking this should help."
"Th-Thank you."
Hye-in drank the potion, healing her ankle and minor scrapes.
A twisted ankle could be mended with a low-grade potion alone.
"For now, let's move to Gwanak-gu and link up with my guild members."
"O-On foot?"
At his mother's question, Kang-hyeok fell into brief thought.
He wanted to call a vehicle, but getting one into Dongjak-gu right now would be difficult.
The roads were packed with empty vehicles and monsters.
On top of that, there were people evacuating.
"Just give me a moment."
Kang-hyeok called the Association President.
[Yes, this is Lee Ho-seok.]
"This is Park Kang-hyeok. If I could ask — could you send a vehicle to the area near Nodeul Station in Dongjak-gu?"
[Have you reached Dongjak-gu?]
"Yes, I just linked up with my family. I've slain the Orc Chief as well."
[......?!]
Ho-seok let out a small cry of shock.
He'd already brought down an S-rank monster?!
[Is the vehicle...... to evacuate your family?]
"Yes, that's right."
[I see. I'll send a vehicle at once. As for you, Hunter Park Kang-hyeok......]
"Once the vehicle arrives, I'll immediately begin hunting the monsters in Dongjak-gu."
[Understood. Please wait just a little longer.]
The roads were badly congested.
An Association vehicle stationed near Yongsan-gu crossed the Hangang Bridge and came all the way to Nodeul Station.
Since it was an SUV, fitting four people posed no problem.