Before Lee Ganghyeon and Maru arrived at the scene.
The Hunters of the Emergency Response Team were still locked in a standoff with the monsters.
It was an urgent situation, with monsters bursting out of the dungeon and threatening human civilization.
They had been dispatched to resolve it, but the situation had not improved at all.
If anything, they had discovered that there were two A-rank monsters.
“Kh.”
Han Jeongcheol, the leader of the Emergency Response Team, bit his lip in frustration.
‘I was wrong from the very beginning.’
They had known about the ghouls, the Incubus, and the Death Knight, but the Arch Lich had been unexpected.
How could anyone have known there would be two A-rank monsters, each of which would be a burden to face alone?
Probably no one could have predicted it.
On top of that, their greatest loss was losing the vice team leader.
Misjudging the enemy’s true strength and charging in had been their mistake.
And.
This was where the terror of the enemy monsters revealed itself.
The undeadification of those they killed.
The Death Knight turned its opponents into ghouls.
Similarly, the Arch Lich raised skeletons from corpses.
In theory, the enemy could produce monsters endlessly.
Of course, they had been dispatched here to stop their advance, but now it was meaningless.
The vice team leader who had charged forward had also become a skeleton.
A Hunter who had once been loyal to the nation was now trying to bring that nation down—an ironic scene unfolded before them.
Han Jeongcheol slowly looked over the subordinates around him.
The morale that had risen only moments ago had plummeted back to the bottom.
With the vice team leader’s death, no one could move from their place.
Their faces were full of despair and fear.
The Emergency Response Team was considered quite powerful in its own right.
But perhaps they had grown too accustomed to the peace that had lasted for far too long.
They had no ability to suppress the current monster wave.
The situation had become so twisted that they deserved praise merely for not abandoning the scene or fleeing.
As things stood, fighting them head-on was suicide.
Just as he was wondering whether they should retreat temporarily and join forces with support units—
Boom—
Suddenly, a streak of light shot toward the monsters.
“?!”
Naturally, the Death Knight raised its grotesque shield to defend itself, but.
“The light…!”
The beam of light struck the shield and scattered outward.
The light that spread around them finally became the decisive blow.
Some of the ghouls nearby began to melt.
Of course, the other monsters besides the ghouls remained intact.
Even so, a crack had appeared in the monsters’ ranks, which had seemed like an iron fortress.
‘S-strong.’
And beautiful.
That was what the Hunters here were thinking.
Han Jeongcheol’s gaze immediately followed the direction the light had come from.
From behind, dozens of armed Hunters were walking toward them.
Armor with a distinctive pure-white design.
It was the Shinseong Guild.
At the front, he could see a man leading them.
It was obvious who had just launched the attack.
“Kim Suho….”
A member of the Shinseong Guild, and at the same time, an A-rank Hunter.
He was an A-rank Hunter like Han Jeongcheol, but they were on completely different levels.
Kim Suho was a talent who had already been to the Eldorad Continent.
And that was not all.
They said he had even been appointed as a paladin there.
Even Han Jeongcheol, who had never been there himself, could not fail to understand how remarkable an achievement that was.
Thanks to that, Kim Suho currently held the title of Paladin.
Apart from the image he showed on the surface.
“Hah, you can’t even take care of this much? The title of Emergency Response Team is wasted on you.”
Han Jeongcheol had long known that Kim Suho himself had a rough personality.
Due to the nature of the Emergency Response Team, they interacted with various guilds even outside of field deployments like this.
Han Jeongcheol knew him well because he had met Kim Suho several times through such exchanges.
“Lee Mirae. You left the Shinseong Guild just to come to a place like this?”
And sure enough.
Kim Suho’s tone was arrogant and provocative.
From the look in his eyes alone, it was clear he was itching to tear into someone.
Kim Suho harshly snapped at Lee Mirae, who had been waiting behind them.
‘Haa….’
Han Jeongcheol felt a headache coming on because of the situation.
Kim Suho was always like this.
People who did not know him admired the name Kim Suho, but this was the man’s true nature.
But right now, the situation was urgent.
Even if his first impression just now had been poor, they currently needed to join forces and resolve the crisis.
They had already grasped the enemy monsters’ combat power to some extent.
On top of that, the Shinseong Guild mainly utilized divine power of the light attribute.
If they used the Shinseong Guild’s abilities along with their own knowledge, they should be able to quickly quell the monster wave.
Cooperation was that desperately needed.
Despite Kim Suho’s rudeness, Han Jeongcheol said nothing and merely held out his hand.
It was a gesture asking for cooperation, but the other party only sneered.
“No need. What kind of joint attack am I supposed to do with people who can’t even handle this? We’ll take care of it ourselves, so just stand back and watch.”
Because it was a strictly public setting, Kim Suho at least did not speak informally.
But his words were full of mockery.
At the same time, he belittled the Hunters of the Emergency Response Team.
“……”
Han Jeongcheol had nothing to say either.
Even if he said anything more here, Kim Suho was not the type to listen.
The Shinseong Guild would also follow Kim Suho, and there was a high chance they would ignore his words.
But the situation was dangerous right now.
Since he at least did not want the Shinseong Guild’s forces to be whittled down, Han Jeongcheol spoke.
“Don’t let your guard down, and be careful of the Arch Lich.”
He said it with as much courtesy as possible, but Kim Suho did not even listen and passed by them.
Han Jeongcheol did not bother stopping them.
They would realize it soon enough anyway.
That their opponents were different beings from the monsters they had faced until now.
It was the worst monster wave, but ironically, when looking at the situation as a whole, the damage was small.
He did not know what those monsters were aiming for, but for now, there was still hope.
That was why, for the moment, he resolved to do the best they could.
“Make sure the damage doesn’t spread to the surrounding area!”
At the team leader’s order, the Hunters of the Emergency Response Team began to move again.
“……”
Kim Suho silently advanced.
“A Death Knight and an Arch Lich, huh….”
He could see the monsters across from him.
He had known about the Death Knight, but the Arch Lich was an unexpected force.
Thanks to the report from the Emergency Response Team that had been dispatched earlier, everyone knew now.
They knew that the worst-case scenario had occurred.
But he was not worried.
Who were they?
Were they not the Shinseong Guild, the greatest guild in the Republic of Korea?
The Hunters he had brought with him now were all elites.
On top of that, the enemy was centered around the undead.
That meant they had the advantage in compatibility as well.
Above all, Kim Suho himself was here.
‘This much is nothing.’
Kim Suho briefly recalled the past.
Until now, he had walked an elite path.
He had never once lost the top spot at the Hunter Academy.
In the end, he graduated at the top of his class and even went to the Eldorad Continent.
It was on the Eldorad Continent that his true worth had appeared.
He joined the Order and accomplished various deeds there.
Thanks to that, he received the position of paladin from the Order, along with a mass-produced holy sword used by paladins.
That much was what was known publicly.
Of course, during this process, Kim Suho had faced many monsters.
In particular, the monsters on the Eldorad Continent were on an entirely different level from the monsters that existed on Earth.
“The monsters before us are nothing but parasites clinging to Earth!”
That was why Kim Suho was not afraid at all.
If it was him, who had rolled through hardship in Eldorad and grown stronger, then this much should be nothing.
Kim Suho slowly drew the sword at his waist.
“I’ll show you.”
It was not a true holy sword that was a genuine sacred relic, but even so, it shone white all on its own.
“The power of divinity!”
Kim Suho’s sword fully left its sheath.
“My power!”
At the same time, he swung it forward.
Whoosh—
The light fired from the sword let out a fierce sound as it flew toward the monsters.
Boom—
The result was a direct hit.
However.
“!”
This time too, the attack was blocked by the Death Knight’s shield.
But Kim Suho did not panic.
He continued attacking, firing beams of light.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Each time, the Death Knight blocked Kim Suho’s attacks with its shield.
Even though it kept blocking the light, the aftermath was gradually causing the ghouls around it to collapse.
But Kim Suho could not be satisfied with that.
“Krgh!”
Kim Suho’s face twisted.
The number of ghouls was decreasing, but the Death Knight itself remained intact.
Why were all of his attacks being blocked!
Kim Suho carefully observed the Death Knight.
“A maid outfit?”
He had not been given any information related to this beforehand.
No, before that, why had it attached a maid outfit to its shield?
It was a bizarre combination.
‘Perhaps….’
Was there something about those clothes?
Otherwise, he could not understand how it kept blocking his attacks.
If that was the case, wouldn’t it be fine as long as they avoided that shield?
Thinking so, Kim Suho gave an attack order to his guild members.
“Attack at the same time!”
All the Hunters of the Shinseong Guild behind him began attacking the monsters.
And Kim Suho also drew up his power to the maximum.
‘I have to end it in one blow!’
The Death Knight was moving back and forth under the Hunters’ simultaneous attacks, swinging its shield.
It was unable to keep up with attacks coming from multiple directions.
“Now!”
When the enemy could not pay attention to him, Kim Suho swung his sword.
A dazzling light shot from his blade.
It was brighter and larger than before.
“It worked!”
The light Kim Suho fired flew precisely into an opening in the Death Knight’s defenses.
Boooom—
At the same time, a tremendous roar rang out and shook the ground.
Smoke spread thickly, blocking everyone’s sight.
The Hunters of the Emergency Response Team opened their mouths at the sight, and the Hunters of the Shinseong Guild were already in a festive mood.
There was a great difference between there being two A-rank monsters and only one.
The Death Knight should have been subjugated by that attack just now, so from now on, they only needed to focus on the Arch Lich.
A moment later, the thick smoke began to disperse.
By now, the enemy should be too shabby to be called a monster wave.
However.
“What the hell!”
Even they, who rarely panicked, were shocked at this moment.
“……!”
The same was true of Kim Suho.
That blow just now had clearly been an attack carrying every bit of power he could draw out.
He had believed it would eliminate at least the Death Knight, yet a completely different scene had unfolded.
“Oh my, goodness. You are quite a violent one, aren’t you?”
Because of the being who had appeared in front of the Death Knight, Kim Suho’s attack had been blocked far too easily.
It had even been blocked by the hand the target had extended.
“Wh-who are you!”
This time, even Kim Suho was flustered.
The opponent did not look ordinary at a glance.
She was a being who boasted tremendous beauty and charm, but the horns extending from atop her head spoke for what she was.
He adjusted his grip on his sword, but the other party had turned her back on him.
“Kh.”
Kim Suho tasted humiliation.
How insignificant did she think he was, to show him her back so openly?
Just as he was about to swing his sword to punish the opponent who was openly ignoring him—
“Mr. Death Knight and Mr. Arch Lich, once this is over, come see me.”
The voice of the woman whose identity he did not know rang out.
For some reason, the monsters beside her began trembling.
The Incubus at the front pressed his face all the way to the ground.
Even the A-rank monsters, the Death Knight and the Arch Lich, began cautiously watching her mood and slowly stepping back.
In the process, the Arch Lich was diligently writing something down, but that did not matter.
‘What is this….’
Kim Suho was dumbfounded.
The monsters who had shown such overwhelming power were trembling at a single word from the woman who had suddenly appeared.
What in the world was that being, for them to shake like that?
“Don’t tell me….”
A possibility suddenly occurred to Kim Suho, and he shouted at her.
“Are you the master of the dungeon!”
But as if she had heard something she should not have, she raised a finger near her lips.
It was a signal telling him to be quiet.
* * *
In that hair-trigger situation where the attack was headed for the Death Knight, Celia appeared.
Celia immediately stretched out her right hand and neutralized the opponent’s attack.
The light scattered weakly.
It had been a blow into which he poured all his strength, yet it was easily blocked by Celia’s hand.
In truth, it would be more accurate to say she had taken the damage in full.
“My, my. What a violent person you are.”
Celia looked down at her hand.
From the attack just now, her hand had turned the faintest shade of red.
The gap between her and her opponent was so great that it amounted to only this much, but if the Death Knight had taken that attack head-on, it would have suffered quite a heavy blow.
Celia looked around and spoke.
“Mr. Death Knight and Mr. Arch Lich, come see me after this matter is over.”
At the same time, she also spoke to Azmo.
“Mr. Azmo… I will let it slide just this once.”
Celia, the dungeon’s chief administrator, entrusted by Master with maintaining discipline.
When she delivered her verdict, the reactions were starkly divided.
Azmo prostrated himself before Celia and expressed his gratitude.
In truth, Azmo had only been trying to devote his loyalty to Master.
For that reason, Celia decided to give him one chance.
But the Death Knight and the Arch Lich were a different matter.
At her words, the Death Knight began trembling violently.
Even amid all this, the Arch Lich beside him did not forget to record matters as an inspector.
- When Chief Administrator Lady Celia personally appeared, the humans were aghast, the incubus bowed his head, and the Death Knight trembled. As expected, she is great.
As he recorded that and slowly backed away…
He felt killing intent from behind.
Clang—
The Death Knight immediately raised his shield to respond.
The Arch Lich saw it.
The figure of the one who had attacked the Death Knight.
And he also realized that the opponent possessed the same aura as them.
In other words, they were on the same side.
Why attack someone on the same side?
The Arch Lich spoke with that question in mind.
And even then, he did not forget to record it.
But from the opponent’s mouth came something entirely different.
“It is an order given by Master.”
At those words, the Arch Lich was shocked.
An order given by Master!
Come to think of it, he could faintly sense Master’s aura far away.
The Arch Lich immediately revised what he had written.
- Obeys the words of our great and noble Master exceedingly well. This is cause for praise.
Of course, he wrote that, but why had Master given such an order now?
He could not understand.
As he was pondering Master’s intentions, Better suddenly sprang out beside him.
Better, chosen as an adjutant in the dungeon managed by Azmo.
He was a slime, and at the same time, a master of transformation.
Even now, he was not in the form of a slime but in the form of a human.
And moving his mouth, he spoke with precise pronunciation.
“Ah! Master intends to make use of the current situation!”
What did that mean?
How was he going to make use of the current situation?
Everyone was puzzled.
Even Celia, who stood at the front, perked up at the mention of Master and listened to Better’s words.
“In other words, it is like this!”
Better began explaining in crisp, broken points.
1. At present, Master wishes to rule this world.
2. However, rule that relies only on power cannot draw out true loyalty.
3. Therefore, Master will stage the sight of personally saving the world and earn everyone’s respect.
4. He will swallow the world whole.
Better had spent many long years in the research institute.
Though it was called a research institute, it was not a place where people simply conducted research in peace.
Even among the researchers, there were so-called ranks, and it was a place overflowing with schemes and intrigue.
Naturally, Better had been able to internalize such things.
And it seemed certain that the current Master also harbored a grand ambition.
That was why Better explained with confidence.
“Oh.”
At Better’s explanation, Azmo, who had been prostrating himself, reacted first.
“To think he pursues such natural beauty!”
As someone who believed that forcing loyalty was not beautiful, Azmo was impressed by Master’s insight.
As expected, Master was someone who understood true beauty.
Celia also nodded.
“I see. I, Celia, have finally understood Master’s thoughts as well.”
She understood why Master had sent her here.
The Death Knight and the Arch Lich also nodded.
The Death Knight immediately looked ahead.
There stood the being sent by Master, Maru.
Nod.
The Death Knight nodded toward Maru.
This was Maru’s first time hearing any of this as well, but when he thought about it carefully, it seemed correct.
Then only one thing remained.
All that was left was to act according to Master’s will.
When Maru lightly tapped his sword against the Death Knight’s shield…
The Death Knight was sent flying backward.
It was tremendous acting.
As if he could not lose to that, the Arch Lich charged toward Maru.
Maru’s sword pierced through the Arch Lich’s body.
Of course, since the blade passed between the Arch Lich’s bones, it did no harm whatsoever.
But the Arch Lich stretched a hand toward the sky.
Ahh.
As if in misery.
Even more desperately.
Sorrowfully.
The hand stretched toward the sky dropped limply to the ground.
And so, the Arch Lich did not move.
“……”
At the same time, the hunters of the Emergency Response Team and the hunters of the Sacred Guild, who had been watching the scene, were stunned.
In their eyes, an unidentified figure who had concealed his body had suddenly appeared and was now felling the monsters.
Not only Han Jeongcheol, but Kim Suho as well could only blink at the situation.