It’s not just the Awakened who feel fear toward that thing.
Anything alive instinctively senses the sa dread toward the monster towering over the shimring Rift.
I wasn’t an exception either.
The mont I recognized its presence, I felt my chronic drowsiness intensify. Without realizing it, I felt an impulse to walk forward, completely unguarded.
But soon, the fla of hatred in my chest scorched my soul, and I ca to my senses. I was able to face the thing head-on.
“Everyone, listen.”
Back in the Professor days, I rarely spoke over the comms.
It was a team of my closest friends. We didn’t need to give orders—everyone naturally fulfilled their role in the most optimal position. Even if instructions were necessary, hand signals were usually enough.
But now, with everyone's resolve visibly shaken, silence was no longer golden.
“That monster is stronger than anything we've ever faced. And it’s also true that we know absolutely nothing about it.”
It was clear that my usual silence gave my words more weight.
If I’d been like Jang Ki-young, endlessly preaching about spirit and willpower, it would’ve long lost its impact.
“Which is why I’ll take the lead.”
What builds trust in a team isn’t tough talk—it’s taking responsibility.
I wasn’t telling them to swallow poison alone.
Nor was I saying I’d take all the hits in their place.
I was saying that I’d stand at the forefront, bear the risk, and take responsibility for the outco of my decisions.
“Keep your distance. Whether you stay back further or support from where you are, I leave it to your judgnt.”
I heard the sound of saliva being swallowed, and heavy breathing over the comms.
It was the sound of them trying to recover from the monster’s shockwave.
Even when morale drops, giving each team mber sothing to do is the minimum duty of a team leader.
“...At the very least, make sure no fanatics or third parties interfere with .”
I said it even though I knew there were no fanatics nearby.
“And Kim Daram, fire a diversion shot on my signal.”
“Copy.”
I entrusted the task to the person I trusted most—and charged forward.
As the scenery flew past, I absorbed the shape of everything around , like the compound eye of a dragonfly.
Three things mattered most:
The distance between and the checkpoint ruin, the monster’s movents, and scouting the next cover point.
Soon, I heard footsteps behind .
The team.
Those who had shrunk from the monster’s presence were now following again, having regained their resolve.
Jeon Sang-soon, who had been shaken the most, charged past with incredible speed, securing cover at the 2 o’clock position—clearly trying to redeem himself for earlier.
Smiling faintly, I headed for the cover I’d marked as a checkpoint and observed the monster.
After the initial shockwave, it hadn’t moved at all.
I signaled Kim Daram.
“Daram.”
Bang!
Even before I finished speaking, a heavy gunshot rang out—and the monster released another shockwave.
BOOM!
The shock was enough to make my whole body tremble.
My spine tingled, and I felt my guts shudder.
Daram’s round reached the reflective barrier and was bounced back, smashing into the wall of the building she was hiding behind, leaving holes and shrapnel.
“Phew.”
I heard Kim Daram’s exhale.
Even though she was in the rear, the danger she faced wasn’t any different from ours.
Every ti she pulled the trigger, she stood naked in front of death.
Without delay, I moved to the second checkpoint and observed the monster.
Still no movent.
Strange.
So-called “monster responsiveness” refers to how a monster detects and reacts to a hunter.
So monsters attack as soon as a human enters their territory. Others don’t react even if you're walking around ard within 50 ters.
But that’s only before being attacked.
Once we initiate an Intimidating move—a clear act of aggression—the monster will, regardless of type, begin a self-defense reaction aid at killing the human who hard it.
That behavior is one of the few consistent rules we've discovered about monsters.
But that massive thing standing there had endured two Intimidating actions—and still only watched us.
“That guy...”
Gam Ho-seop spoke from behind.
His call sign was Sage.
My peer and always in the top five, an exceptional spotter.
Sharp eyes, wide field of view, rapid reaction ti.
He’d saved the team countless tis with gunslinger-level marksmanship against ambushers—fanatics or rebels alike.
But what I valued most wasn’t his combat ability—it was his knowledge.
He was the only graduate from our school sent to India as part of the international exploration team.
In the post-collapse world of India, he survived over 100 days, gaining firsthand experience with Rifts and unidentified monsters.
His ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) experiential knowledge of monsters far exceeded mine.
Though not the best fighter, his vast knowledge repeatedly provided reliable analysis when facing new species—what we used to call them.
And now he offered an opinion.
“No visible hardpoints.”
“Really?”
Hardpoints—he ant anatomical features functioning as weapons attached to the monster's body.
Like a tank’s cannon, a missile launcher’s pod, or a helicopter’s minigun.
These are especially common in battle-class mid- and large-types. For example, the Centurion-type’s pillar-firing structures, the Annihilator-type’s head-to-body integrated cannon, and the Phalanx-type’s bow-like projectile launchers.
Such monsters attack with Rift-infused hatred using those weaponized organs—collectively known as hardpoints, responsible for their main offensive capability.
“If there’s no visible hardpoint...”
What corresponds to that is “Authority.”
Without visible structures, monsters display supernormal abilities accompanied by pulses—like the reflective barrier that made them infamous.
But that’s not their only Authority.
They can ignite flas across wide areas, drop drones, control zombies, rupture space, even trigger EMP-like blasts that disable electronics—all from their Authority.
Yes.
Awakened also possess Authority.
The higher the level, the stronger the ability. But even Kang Han-min, with his transcendent powers, can’t imitate the innate hardpoint abilities of monsters.
Gam Ho-seop was pointing that out.
Despite advancing rapidly, his tone was calm as he laid out his real-ti observations like a web.
“Look at it. There’s nothing that looks like a hardpoint. The body’s oversized, sure—but to , that seems more like the core for issuing commands to other monsters. A brain-like organ.”
His thoughts matched mine almost perfectly.
This new monster—just as both we and the Chinese military had speculated—was likely the leader commanding others.
So far, monsters often behaved like bees—clear role separation in the swarm.
“...You an it’s a queen bee?”
At the second checkpoint, with a rotting corpse half-hanging out a window, I watched the monster and spoke into the comms.
“More like the brain than a queen bee.”
Probably couldn’t see it, but I nodded.
I thought so too.
Gam Ho-seop added:
“The pulse output seems extrely strong, but its actual defensive ability might be low.”
We couldn’t be sure.
“No complacency. Everyone, stay on maximum alert. Assu death is at your side.”
The distance to the monster continued shrinking.
Now within 100 ters.
We were about to enter killing range.
Still, it didn’t react.
“Daram.”
Bang!
At the sound of her diversion shot, we moved forward.
I focused on the statue beyond the towering monster.
Could I knock it over sohow?
Maybe if I fired a Harpoonizer in an Intimidating arc—missing the monster on purpose and hitting the statue behind it—I could crush the thing beneath the fallen structure.
Seed worth a try.
Distance: 80 ters.
Still no movent from the monster.
Click.
Jeon Sang-soon pulled out his weapon.
Bigek Jinchonroe.
A dostically produced Hunter weapon, modeled after a grenade launcher.
It fires six fragntation grenades in rapid succession—tearing monsters to shreds.
It didn’t pack the single-shot punch of the Harpoonizer, but it was versatile.
Still, I never liked it—too bulky and heavy for my close-range style.
“Sunbae.”
Jeon Sang-soon ran beside and spoke.
“This... might actually work.”
As soon as he said it, a white line slashed across our path like a mark made with unknown paint.
I knew what it ant.
A laser—an Awakened’s attack Authority.
“Evade!”
I dove aside just as our surroundings were netted in glowing threads.
BOOM!
With a shockwave, blinding flashes burned everything along those threads.
“Status check.”
We dropped to the ground to avoid the death lines.
As I got up, I checked on the others.
“I’m good.”
“I dodged.”
Everyone was okay.
But—
BOOM!
Another shockwave burst in front of us.
“Shit.”
Jeon Sang-soon muttered.
A strange distortion in space—
A prelude to a rift rupture from an over-level-5 Awakened.
“Evade!”
There was nothing else to do but yell.
Before I finished speaking, space around us ripped open with deafening roars, scattering debris and storms.
“Everyone okay?!”
I spat out dirt, waiting for the dust to clear.
Seed like they all made it.
Or so I thought.
But the monster wouldn’t wait.
BOOM!
Another shockwave.
BOOM!
And another.
The trajectory of death lit up, and space twisted again.
“Goddamn it.”
Gam Ho-seop’s frustrated voice echoed through the noise.
“That bastard—”
BOOM!
A rupture erupted nearby.
I flung myself back, teeth clenched.
My back hit the ground hard.
“Guh!”
Thank god I’d taken painkillers.
If not, the overwhelming pain would’ve crushed my mind and body.
In that hazy mont, I heard Gam Ho-seop’s last words.
“No hardpoints. But it’s an all-in Authority type.”
Another blast.
A drop of hot liquid splashed on my cheek.
Blood.
“Casualty check.”
Kim Daram’s cold voice ca from behind.
“Sage is down.”
“......”
I kicked off the ground and charged.
Through the lingering dust, a figure erged.
Jeon Sang-soon.
“Bastard.”
His eyes burned with unstoppable vengeance.
“Don’t lose your head.”
I said calmly.
“Losing it will only dull your precision.”
Distance: 60 ters.
Almost there.
Regular monsters also use Authority, but due to lack of intelligence or attack pattern diversity, they never execute it as sharply as humans.
But this one is different.
Its massive, sweeping attacks are nearly at Kang Han-min or Na Hye-in's level.
Still, even Authority has vulnerabilities.
It doesn't require hardpoints—but it does require a brief mont to manifest.
It’s not like a bullet—instantaneous.
Which ans it can be dodged.
Not easily—those attacks cover massive areas like a net—but that’s what Hunters are for.
Click.
I pressed the Harpoonizer’s chamber-release button and adjusted the load, gauging the distance.
Two seconds left.
In my speed-heightened vision, a white line appeared.
Not a laser—combustion.
It was trying to ignite a fla.
“Daram.”
“Yeah?”
“Should I run?”
“Very fast.”
I threw away my firearm and sprinted at full power.
All I had were two axes and one Harpoonizer.
I ran through the lines of death.
I heard Jeon Sang-soon stop behind , but it didn’t matter.
My eyes focused only on the massive monster standing like a fortress.
Now, the world had beco astonishingly simple.
There was only and the monster.
Rifts, the world, the fate of humanity—none of it mattered now.
In this hyperlimited world, only two truths exist:
Either I kill the monster.
Or I die.
And of course, I do not want to die.
A flash of thought—and then the white fla blazed through the spot I had just left.
It burned everything behind , missing by less than a sheet of paper.
That was the mont.
The first ti the monster moved.
That massive being flinched—its enormous body trembled—and it turned its head toward .
And with that motion,
I was certain—
It feared .
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