Episode 84. To Kill the President of the Association (3)

What the hell is going on? So annoying. So annoying.

She didnt understand what was happening.

Seol Ah-rin shook her head from side to side a few times and struggled to stand up.

Grrrrrr.

Hmm?

This time, she had opened her eyes to a place swarming with monsters. Beasts that were drooling with their jaws open. They looked like wolves but were huge enough to reach at least 5 meters in size.

They were menacing creatures that appeared only in Great Rifts. A single creature of the species was powerful enough to wipe out a team of hunters.

However, Seol Ah-rin only clicked her tongue and shook the dust off her clothes. She looked unfazed.

Ugh It smells disgusting everywhere.

Sticky saliva dripping from their teeth, thirsty eyes looking at their prey, and the smell. The distinctive stench of monsters.

All the elements of those monsters were what Seol Ah-rin hated the most in the world.

Grrr rrrrk!

Seol Ah-rin stared at the horde of monsters and moved her finger. A sharp shot rang out through the silence.

The giant wolfs head was smashed to pieces like a watermelon. Drops of blood and bits of flesh flew into the air. And before the red particles could even hit the floor, another gunshot and explosion rang out.

One by one, the monsters lost their heads and died while looking at their prey. The smell of gunpowder and blood slowly covered up the heavy odor of monster skin.

Splash.

Seol Ah-rin stepped on the blood scattered on the floor with her broken heel. Her head always throbbed whenever she was in an environment like this.

Krrrrraaa!

The monsters across howled loudly. It was hard to tell whether they were angry that their kin was dying or excited at the sight of prey.

Seol Ah-rin stared at the dead monsters and briefly recalled her past.

It was a memory that was very similar to this situation. But Seol Ah-rin was only a child at that time, and all she could do was use her tiny body to squeeze into a corner and hide.

For over a week, she smelled the stench of the monsters and heard her familys screams. By the time her mothers blood had flowed down and wet her shoes soles, Seol Ah-rins eyes completely lost their light. It was then that she lost her emotions.

And with the loss of emotion, Seol Ah-rin gained power mighty enough to turn the world upside down. A supernatural ability that could destroy a city and crush a horde of monsters with a single gesture.

-They must have been pretty wealthy. Here, take this

-What a find. Well make more money off of their bodies than from the monsters.

-What brand is this? I remember it being quite expensive?

If the hunters who arrived late hadnt been searching her familys bodies for money and valuables, or if they had come just a little earlier and saved one of her family members.

Then Seol Ah-rin could have become a hero, not a villain.

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

A wave of all kinds of monsters rushed in. Faced with the overwhelming sight, Seol Ah-rin just clapped her hands unenthusiastically.

-Remnants of the Past-

With the cheerful clapping sound, something faintly rose from behind herweapons from the past that people didnt use anymore.

The primary weapons of the pre -Gate- era. Metal and gunpowder met technology and gave humans great power without any need for abilities.

-Great Legacy-War-

Clunk, clunk.

The metals assembled and transformed into modern firearms. Hundreds of assault rifles, heavy machine guns, grenade launchers They all moved under a single persons hand gestures.

Im going to clean this up quickly and get out. Then kill that old lady, change my clothes, and take a shower.

Unlike ordinary modern firearms, the strengthened bullets created by the Awakeners ability pierced the monsters skin. The countless number of shots fired from the guns were worthy of a one-man army.

Just like a huge wave hitting a breakwater and crumbling down, the monsters collapsed. The monsters, which were themselves disasters, whined pathetically and fell to the ground.

Seol Ah-rin strolled in the Great Rift, commanding an almost infinite number of modern firearms.

* * *

Why did you rush over in such a hurry? The situation isnt that serious.

Our support team always moves swiftly in any situation.

Hahaha, Im sure you do.

The leader of the hounds stopped in front of me and replied sharply.

Just by looking at his expression, I could tell that he disapproved of me. How stupid. He was openly hostile in front of his enemy. In circumstances like this, it was essential to maintain a poker face.

You can go back. We dont want to share credit with the Associations support team, and we never asked the Association President Kim Min-jae for backup.

Thats not something that you can decide, hunter Jeong Si-woo. The Monster Fields is the Associations property, and the President has the authority to deal with it.

So, what did the President tell you to do? If youre here as a support team, arent you working with us? Then we should know.

His face crumpled up. Outstanding Insight picked up multiple clues that he was flustered. It looked like he hadnt received any orders on what excuse to make in such a situation. I could almost hear his mind spinning.

This was characteristic of Kim Min-jaes hounds. If any of their plans went awry, they couldnt respond to unexpected factors. They were passive. They were good at following orders, but they were so stupid that they couldnt make adjustments.

What? Why cant you speak?

I deliberately took a few steps forward and showed vulnerability. I pushed my face forward brazenly, and my balance was unstable. An experienced guy like him would have definitely noticed. And he was probably thinking like this.

If I draw out my sword and stab right away, I cant miss at this distance.

Swoop-!

It was just as I expected. Like a clockwork, he grabbed the dagger on his waist and immediately thrust it towards my neck. But I wasnt vulnerable.

Swish-!

Because I could control more than my body.

Hmph!

The Mirage I had hidden in my sleeve shot like a bullet and hit his dagger. No matter how hard the daggers material was, it couldnt compare to the systems official hardest metal, Orichalcum. The blade in his hand broke in half as soon as it was hit.

You attacked first.

Ugh!

The leaders face crumpled up when he realized his attack failed. And as soon as his dagger broke, the other hounds standing behind him began to move.

All sorts of magic flew in from the back. Each and every one was threatening. Ice magic that could freeze you entirely with a single touch, Hallucination magic that paralyzed the mind, and Lightning magic that restrained muscle movement.

It was magic that focused on overpowering me rather than killing me. They were smart. If the magic they cast was just powerful, I could have deflected most of them with Mirage. But getting hit by just a single one of those would cause a deadly effect.

-Outstanding Insight-

In a short moment, Outstanding Insight boosted my brain to the limit and presented me with the solution.

Crack.

!

I grabbed the closest guy by the shoulder and pulled him towards me. He was likely a formidable opponent. However, it was no exaggeration to say that my basic stats were already as strong as a 1st class hunter, and my muscular strength didnt allow a moments resistance.

Argh!

The magic cast by the Associations hounds gnawed at their own teammate. The ruthless elements froze, burned, and ripped apart the guy I had pulled towards me and eventually killed him.

I kicked the cold dead body. It fell to the ground and bounced.

I glanced back.

The other hunters seemed confused about what was going on.

Ugh

And one of the hunters who was staring blankly over here suddenly grabbed his chest and collapsed. A spear was sticking out of the fallen hunters back. One of the Associations hounds had killed a Field hunter.

What.

He said to clean up everything in the Field! Wipe out all Field hunters, including Jeong Si-woo!

You crazy bastard.

I couldnt help but swear. Kim Min-jae had ordered the hounds to kill me, his arch-enemy, and all of the hunters that belonged to his organization. It meant that he was blinded by the profit he could earn here. He was killing those who trusted him and devoted themselves to working here.

Boom boom boom.

Numerous kinds of magic that looked like fireworks rose into the air and dropped towards us.

They werent so fast that I couldnt avoid them, but there were too many people here. Although I could dodge them, I couldnt block them all.

Argh.

Ahhhhh!

Some hunters already screamed in pain. Damn, Kim Min-jae was a much more unbelievable villain than I thought.

Everyone, stand behind me!

Boom!

Kim Seung-hyun jumped in front of the magic showering down.

Hmph! Ugh.

Thanks to his characteristic, he easily blocked the first attack. But it looked like he wouldnt be able to withstand the next one.

It was no surprise. No matter how talented a hunter Kim Seung-hyun was, he was barely as strong as a 2nd class Tank. The Associations hounds specialized in dealing with Awakeners, and each of them was a top-level 2nd class hunter or nearing 1st class.

Seung-hyun Hyung couldnt endure those hounds bombarding attacks by himself.

My mind spun so quickly that it felt like it was burning. How could I kill every single one of them? Each hounds weakness rapidly entered my mind. Information Access and Outstanding Insight created synergy with each other and identified the vulnerabilities of the group.

Ajusshi, over there.

Meanwhile, Sung Hyun-woo told me something. But I couldnt hear it properly because I was too focused. I turned my head to ask him what he said. And then.

Oh.

When I turned my head, I could immediately tell what Hyun-woo was trying to say.

Looks like Ill be able to breathe easy now.

* * *

Hm.

The magic that was pouring down like rain was frozen in place as if time had stopped. The flickering flames, the dancing lightning, and the cold air that flew in like it would cover the whole area. All of it.

When I learned magic, I was taught that it shouldnt be used on people.

And in the center of it was a woman.

A woman who was flying in the air on a long wooden staff, looking like a witch.

I thought you called for backup to hunt monsters, but am I in the wrong place? What is this, a battlefield?

Underneath the pointy hat, her light purple eyes sparkled between her fluttering hair.

The Associations hounds panicked at the sudden situation. However, the hounds that could be described as wizards felt differently. What they felt wasnt panic or surprise.

Why dont you go ahead and answer me?

Anyone involved in the study of magic could tell what level of mastery she had to reach to manipulate those magic spells. And they could also know that a wizard at that level was already beyond humana sort of monster.

The wizards unconsciously sank down. Their heads were already filled with fear and despair.

The fish in the little pond had met a dinosaur.

But she wasnt the only uninvited guest.

Wham!

Something fell from the sky and landed on the ground.

Krrraaahhh!

Wings that could span at least a few dozen meters, its lizard-like appearance, and the tiny embers that flared up whenever it exhaled.

Gasp.

The strongest creature on earth, a dragon, appeared in front of the hounds.

Dont howl so loudly. Shut up.

And someone muttered, tapping the dragons head. It was a very bold move, but instead of expressing displeasure, the dragon purred and looked happy.

A woman and a man climbed up onto the dragons head. They were individuals that the hounds knew.

Queen Han Yeon-soo and Saint Zhang Wei.

Ughhhh.

With Zhang Weis arrival, the Field hunters that the hounds wounded slowly began to stand up, groaning.

It was an amazing sight. It was a wonder that the hunters were still alive, but just because Zhang Wei showed up and took a few breaths, the severely injured hunters were revived.

However, the hounds couldnt afford to stay surprised.

I always couldnt stand how the Association bastards messed things up. And now youre messing with Si-woo. What did Si-woo do wrong? Huh?

Han Yeon-soo, who was sitting on top of the dragons head, spoke sharply. At the same time, Han Yeon-soos shadow spread out wide. Like black ink on paper, her black shadow covered the entire Fields.

Lets end this once and for all, you bastards.

Boom!

Massive hands rose out from the shadows. Some of the Associations hounds were crushed to death just by their presence. Divine animals that appeared in myths, huge mountain-like giants, and other hundreds and thousands of beasts emerged at their Queens command.

If you wont answer, Ill send it back.

And the woman who showed up riding a staff waved her hand once, sending all of the Association hounds magic back to their casters.

It was a nightmare indeed. The arrival of just three individuals completely turned the tide. Some laughed helplessly at the ridiculous, fantasy novel-like sight.

.

Amid the chaos, Jeong Si-woo calmly lifted his head.

Youre dead.

On the Monster Fields command facilitys top floor, Kim Min-jae was standing right in front of the glass wall. He was frowning as he looked at how things were progressing. Jeong Si-woo didnt take his eyes off him for a second.

Twang.

With the wave of Jeong Si-woos hand, a Mirage shot towards Kim Min-jae like an arrow.

First, Ill strip off that disgusting mask youre wearing to hide your power.

A colorful light beam flashed directly towards Kim Min-jaes head.