Kang Seh-Hyuk sprinted forward, slamming his feet into the ground. He threw himself between his teammate and the incoming blow, blocking the attack that should have struck the other Hunter. A thunderous boom echoed as Kang Seh-Hyuk was knocked back and slid across the ground, but he had managed to take Aspera's tail strike head-on.
He glanced at his throbbing arms and gave a curt nod. "This can't be blocked..."
Unlike most Hunters who balanced offensive and defensive artifacts, Kang Seh-Hyuk was a pure tanker. Every artifact he wore boosted his defensive power. Given that, he was certain that the only Hunters who could withstand Aspera's attack head-on were veteran tankers like him, teammates who had always been the shield during Gate activities, and those with similar defense or aggro skills.
"No wonder they kept emphasizing dodging and deflecting," he mumbled.
Shaking his head, he looked up and t Aspera's gaze. All five of its eyes were locked onto him, ignoring the Hunters attacking from every angle. It was as if the monster found him fascinating.
—It's curious. It must be amazed to see sothing so small manage to block its attack.
Kim Ki-Rok's voice ca through the earpiece just as Kang Seh-Hyuk took a few more steps back.
"Guildmaster."
—Yes, Kang Seh-Hyuk?
"Will it stop at curiosity?"
—Of course not.
The instant Kim Ki-Rok answered, Aspera moved. Kang Seh-Hyuk watched its tail swing, blocking the Hunters' approach while the monster advanced toward him.
"I need so advice," Kang Seh-Hyuk called.
—Dodge and deflect.
Kim Ki-Rok advised him to evade and deflect the attack rather than taking it head-on. It was simple enough, though easier said than done.
"I already learned that from my first encounter!"
—It's just like a human.
"Huh?"
Just like a human?
Baffled, Kang Seh-Hyuk glanced around for Kim Ki-Rok and easily spotted him battling a Hell monster.
With practiced ease, Kim Ki-Rok thrust Trident into the beast, killing it one-handed. He lowered his hand to his belt and drew a dagger, flicking it straight into the chest of another approaching Hell monster.
The injured monster lunged for Kim Ki-Rok instead of the female Hunter it had been targeting. Without pausing to retrieve Trident, Kim Ki-Rok hurled another dagger, ending the threat. Though the situation looked dangerous, Kang Seh-Hyuk wasn't concerned.
—Focus on the enemy in front of you. Then you'll be able to anticipate its attack. You don't have ti for that now. Blink five ters back.
Startled by the warning, Kang Seh-Hyuk activated his artifact. "Blink."
He vanished just as Aspera snapped its jaws shut on empty air where he had stood. Its five open eyes remained fixed on him.
—Mr. Kang Seh-Hyuk, close your eyes. Miss Ji-Ah, Light.
"Light!" she responded instantly, casting her spell.
A bright sphere of light erupted between Kang Seh-Hyuk and Aspera at close range. After the flash, Aspera reeled back, squeezing its eyes shut.
"Mana Defense," Kang Seh-Hyuk muttered, picturing the shield as dozens of sharp blue spearheads.
At the sa ti he conjured the damage-absorbing aura, he spread out his mana to track the monster's movents.
—Stop Mana Defense. If you draw more aggro, you'll die.
At Kim Ki-Rok's warning, he dropped the skill and leaped back to widen the gap.
—The Hunters' attacks are working. That's why Aspera is still blocking others while focused on you. But if you destroy even one of its six eyes, it'll forget the others and hunt only you.
Following his instructions, Kang Seh-Hyuk aid his spear at one of Aspera's eyes with his conjured blades.
—Keep drawing aggro, just as you are now. Maintain this situation.
"Understood."
***
Managing hundreds of troops alone was nearly impossible. After all, Hunters weren't simply ga characters to be controlled directly. With squads scattered, the task only grew harder, and on top of that, Kim Ki-Rok was himself locked in battle.
But with support, things changed.
Kim Ki-Rok drove Trident into another Hell monster and listened closely to the male voice in his earpiece.
—Eleven o'clock... werewolf and crow. Three o'clock... spider and frog.
"Team Eleven and Fourteen, switch positions," Kim Ki-Rok ordered. "Standby team, join Team Three. After heavy long-range attacks and spells, push in for close combat. Status on reinforcents?"
—Their numbers are down, but monsters are still coming from eleven, three, and six o'clock.
"The standby team will—"
A Hell Werewolf lunged at him. Kim Ki-Rok twisted aside, dropped Trident, and drew a dagger. In a blink, he struck the beast's weak point and put it down, then resud his commands.
"Standby team, join Team Three for focused damage on the monsters, then pull back. Form a group of ten. Make sure you have long-rangers, buffers, and curse-casters."
Footsteps converged, and the growing noise confird the ten-person standby unit had joined the assault on Aspera.
Kim Ki-Rok gathered his mana and pressed the button on his radio to connect with headquarters. "Has the wave stopped?"
—Yes, the monster in sight is the last one.
"Ti elapsed?"
—It's been thirty-three minutes and twenty-three seconds since subjugation began.
Hearing the report, Kim Ki-Rok stepped back, surveying Aspera and the sixty Hunters battling it. So Hunters bore injuries, but thanks to holy edicts, healers, and S-Class detoxification spellbooks, there had been no fatalities.
***
At that mont, Aspera—who hadn't opened its eyes for thirty minutes—finally revealed all six.
"Sixth eye open. Assu its physical abilities have doubled."
The Hunters sprang back. Kim Ki-Rok advanced, directing both the subjugation of regular monsters and the fight against Aspera.
"Team leader Kim Ki-Rok, joining engagent in five minutes."
Kim Ki-Rok, once S-Class and now newly ascended to SS-Class after battling Hell monsters, was, by the numbers, unremarkable. He was just another elite Hunter among many, and ordinarily, expecting miracles from a newly-minted SS-Class would be unreasonable.
Kang Man-Ki watched Kim Ki-Rok and the assembled Hunters, fingers laced, eyes flicking between them and Aspera's relentless breath attacks. He addressed the operator managing Kim Ki-Rok. "Have him use Discernnt again. Confirm if any monsters have the Berserker Skill."
"One mont," the operator said, relaying the request. "Confird. According to Discernnt, the monsters possess Berserker-related skills."
Monsters, sensing death, were unleashing their mana and gaining a powerful but temporary boost.
"Tell the Aspera team that common sense doesn't apply with this Gate. No one can predict just how much stronger these monsters will beco using Berserker skills. Even dodging the breath attack may not save them from poisoning if you're close."
When no reply ca, Kang Man-Ki glanced at his operators. He saw they were relaying orders to the field and instead returned his focus to the monitors.
Teams of two, three, and four battled regular monsters. More and more Hunters, having learned Aspera's patterns, pressed their advantage. Fearing this confidence might turn to carelessness, Kang Man-Ki issued a directive from headquarters.
—It's been confird that the monsters have Berserker Skills. Their physical strength is expected to double.
Faces hardened and caution returned as Hunters resud battling Aspera.
As Kang Man-Ki let out a sigh of relief, the search team operator who was not part of the subjugation group approached. "Commander."
"Did you find it?"
An encounter during a search was to be avoided at all costs. The search team's direct report could only an one thing.
"Yes. They found a monster resembling a Hydra. Like the other Four Dukes, there are no nearby monsters."
"Any special characteristics? Nine heads?"
"No."
This wasn't a snake. This was Hydra.
"How many?" Kang Man-Ki asked.
"Four. But—"
"But?"
"Each of its four heads breathes heat, frost, and a pale green poison."
"Its na?"
"It's called Archduke, Hydra."
The na invoked the Poison Duke of the North, Iron Duke of the East, and Ice Duke of the West.
"Archduke? Not 'Archduke of the South'?" Kang Man-Ki asked.
"Yes, just Archduke, Hydra."
A mont of silence. Hearing the na, Kang Man-Ki knew this monster was even more formidable than the other Four Dukes of the North, East, and West.
"Kim Ki-Rok has moved!" one of the operators reported.
"Order Search Team Two to return... no, confirm if they can continue observing. Have them monitor for hierarchy battles or hunting activity as much as possible before pulling out." Kang Man-Ki ordered.
"Understood." The operator nodded and returned to his station.
The Archduke can wait.
For now, there was no need to worry about the Archduke. The team's current target was not the Hydra entrenched in the South, but the Poison Duke of the North, Aspera.
***
Search Team Two used a different approach than Team One, which relied on teleportation skills and magic to comb the Gate.
"Brrr."
"Yes, yes, Mandong. It does look terrifying."
"Brrr."
"Yes, yes. But can you really see it?"
"Brrng!"
"I see. Oh, wow!"
Most Hunters knew it was possible to communicate with the Pegasus, but it still made for an odd scene.
"Uh...Ji-Hee?" one of the Hunters ventured.
"Yes?" Kim Ji-Hee said as she rode atop Mandong the Pegasus. She turned to face the other Hunters who were now riding various animal spirits and towing along Awakened criminals.
"We got a ssage from headquarters."
"Return order? Standby?"
"They want us to confirm any hierarchy battles or hunts if possible, then return."
"I see."
"Is that feasible?"
"Hmm..."
Letting out a short sigh, Kim Ji-Hee brought her binoculars to her eyes and scanned the ground below. It was impossible to know when the monster might wake up. No flying monsters were in sight, likely because they'd entered Hydra's domain. The altitude was high enough that she couldn't sense any presence or mana, but perhaps thanks to being within Hydra's territory, the area was clear of monsters.
"Please tell them we'll return after observing any hierarchy battles or hunts."
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