Chapter 5
They realized Han Chasu was gone only after all five layers of barriers had been set up.
“Wait. I don’t see Mr. Chasu.”
It was a sharp voice.
At the voice that seemed to slice cleanly across the nape of his neck, Jeong Seohun turned around without realizing it.
Baek Seon’s narrow eyes were gleaming, rolled wide.
“Has anyone seen Mr. Han Chasu?”
No answer came back. The faces of the team members preparing to return stiffened.
It was an opponent even an A-rank Hunter couldn’t drive back. The situation had been too terrible. Everyone had been struggling just to keep themselves alive.
If they wanted excuses, they could come up with dozens.
But every single one of them had reached the exit safely without so much as a scratch.
Raid Team 1 had suffered no casualties whatsoever.
In the midst of that, the disappearance of a support team member was more than enough to freeze everyone in place.
‘The moment we return like this, we’re fucked.’
While the minds of every member of Raid Team 1 whirled furiously—
—What’s going on, Seohun?
Jeong Iheun’s calm voice struck Jeong Seohun’s eardrum.
“Ah.”
Jeong Seohun came to his senses and turned his gaze to the red bead in his hand.
It was a communication item his older brother had given him just before departure, telling him to take it in case something happened.
“…
I think a support team member got left behind.”
—What?
His brother’s eyes reflected in the red bead were sharper than ever before. Jeong Seohun bit down hard on his lip.
‘Damn it.’
The image of Han Chasu flashed through his mind.
He was someone who had barely managed to keep up in the body of a production-class Hunter, and had still helped him even while trapped in the blizzard.
A deep sense of guilt dug into his chest.
“Hyung, I’ll contact you again. For now, we need to send a rescue team—”
Just then, the frozen ground rumbled, and heavy air slammed into their bodies.
Woooooo—
A pitch-black form, as if it might touch the sky, was gliding toward them.
“How many minutes until the gate activates?!”
“Three minutes! We just need to hold out for three minutes!”
“Damn it, it’s too fast!”
The team members moved in perfect order. Jeong Seohun was no exception.
But the movement of that pitch-black shadow was too fast—far too fast. In the blink of an eye, it was already in front of the barrier.
Kuuung—!
With a chilling sound, pitch-black nails as large as a person’s head tore through the air.
Kagagak!
A hair-raising sound struck the air, and the first barrier shattered.
Kwaang, bang, bang—!
Then the second, third, and fourth barriers broke as well.
[Heeheeheek—!]
The shadow mocked the humans as it brought its nails down.
Each time the staff it swung with its other hand touched the ground, small shadows sprang out.
“Clear the mobs first!”
“Damn it, what are we supposed to do if it’s already cracking…!”
Everyone gritted their teeth to defend the final remaining barrier.
Jeong Seohun was the same. But hope did not last long.
Craaaack—
Every time the wraith swung its enormous staff, cracks spread across the barrier.
‘Is this how it ends?’
Jeong Seohun smiled bitterly and gripped his sword. If he stood in its way, at least a few of the others might survive.
Clang!
The final barrier shattered, and just as Jeong Seohun thrust himself through the flying fragments—
“No!”
Kwaaaaang—!
A powerful explosion erupted with a roar that seemed to tear his ears off.
A pungent smell stabbed his nose, as if he had been dropped into the middle of the blast site.
“What the… Cough, cough!”
Jeong Seohun barely opened his eyes through the haze, and his face went deathly pale.
The enormous wraith that had seemed ready to cover the sky was crumbling like ashes.
And beneath it, standing with both arms spread as if to protect him, was—
“M-Mr. Han Chasu?”
When he asked in a wretched voice, the man before him smiled faintly.
“I’m… glad you’re… safe… Cough!”
Thud.
The man collapsed, pouring out blood like a waterfall. His body was a complete wreck.
As though he had taken the final blow with his own body, the back where his armor had been blown away was covered in horrific wounds.
“Chasu hyung! Hyung!”
The white snowfield at their feet was dyed bright red.
As Jeong Seohun stood there stupidly, staring at the sight, Baek Seon ran over and screamed.
“Hyung! Wake up! You can’t die!”
At the sound of Baek Seon clinging to Han Chasu and sobbing, people gathered around them.
—……
Flash.
The light of the red bead rolling across the ground flickered faintly, then went out.
***
The Cheonryeong Guild raid team came out of the Frost Giant Dungeon less than half a day after going in.
“They’re out already?”
The Dungeon Safety Department civil servant, who had been absorbed in his work, tilted his head.
According to the signal sent by the attached gate stone, the raid team had left the dungeon two and a half hours after entering.
And not because they had given up midway or retreated, but because they had “cleared” the dungeon.
“I heard Jeong Seohun was sent in as a replacement, and he’s pretty good. I guess even if he’s a parachute hire, S-rank blood is still S-rank blood?”
The civil servant twirled his pen between his fingers.
As if displeased by the achievements of Jeong Seohun, who was much younger than him, deep wrinkles were carved into his forehead.
He probably got out quickly because he’s fire-type. Since he’s the guild master’s younger brother, they must’ve funneled high-grade items to him too.
Having relieved his inferiority complex by belittling Jeong Seohun, the civil servant sprang up from his seat.
“Where are you going?”
“To get a coffee.”
The civil servant smiled and lightly rolled his wrist.
“Then get me one too.”
“Yes, sir.”
He entered the pantry and turned on the coffee machine. Then, naturally, he accessed an anonymous community.
At the top of the board, one bolded title caught his eye.
It had been uploaded ten minutes ago. For it to already be marked as a recommended post, it seemed to be baiting people pretty hard.
[Title: Milhyeon-gu almost got fucked today because a monwave nearly broke out + proof included]
Monwave? Did that mean a monster wave had almost broken out? Kim Ingyu frowned and clicked the post.
—Title says it all. A dungeon on Seoraksan in Milhyeon-gu almost had a monwave break out. One Hunter stopped it and is on the verge of death right now.
ㄴAnonymous1: No proof, total bullshit
ㄴAnonymous2: What a load of crap lol I’m there right now and it’s peaceful as hell
ㄴAnonymous3: Not a single portal article is up, so what’s wrong with this idiot? Some bastard who’s never even seen a monwave is going around saying monwave this, monwave that hahahahaha
ㄴAnonymous4: No, so bring proof already...
ㄴAnonymous54: You think you can just shit out one post and leave?? Seriously, look at these dumbasses getting dragged around because they can’t even ignore bait properly
ㄴOP: (image.jpg)
ㄴAnonymous54: Fuck, put a gore warning
ㄴAnonymous36: Crazy bastard
ㄴAnonymous13: What, is he dead?
ㄴAnonymous51: That’s Jeong Seohun following them
The photo the poster attached was slightly shaky. It seemed to have been taken secretly from close by.
But the subject was captured clearly. A blood-soaked man lying sprawled on a stretcher.
Medical staff were urgently placing an oxygen mask over his face, and several people were holding the stretcher.
Among them was someone Kim Ingyu knew very well.
“Holy shit. That really is Jeong Seohun, isn’t it?”
The moment Kim Ingyu burst out of the pantry, eyewitness accounts began appearing from all over.
[Title: The Hunter who stopped the monwave is that Hunter]
—Yeah, they’re talking about Seoraksan. One green gate erupted there.
The person following him is J.S.H. too. I confirmed it through a friend at Cheonryeong. Apparently he’s a production-type who tagged along to gather something, and inside they’re treating him like a total hero right now;;;;
“…
This is driving me insane.”
Cheonryeong Guild’s vice guild master, Lee Jinryeol, pressed the back button with the face of a dying man. Jeong Seohun’s voice came from the other end of the receiver.
—I’m sorry, Jinryeol hyung. We were all so out of it that we didn’t think to contact you.
“…
That can happen.”
He had only learned of the situation half a day after the incident happened, but sure, that could happen.
One of the employees had blabbed everything like a chatterbox, but sure, that could happen too.
“Focus on recovering first. We’ll take care of getting the posts taken down. We’ll send the security team over there too.”
—Please.
The call ended, and Lee Jinryeol let out a sigh.
This incident was both good news and bad news for the Cheonryeong Guild.
The fact that a B-rank Hunter belonging to the guild had stopped a dungeon outbreak was good news. But the fact that an elite raid team had been with him at the time was bad news.
If they weren’t careful, public opinion would point out the incompetence of the Cheonryeong Guild’s raid team. Then Jeong Seohun, who had been the raid captain, naturally would become the target.
“Jeong Iheun, that bastard really is lucky.”
Lee Jinryeol clutched his head and groaned.
Of all times, something like this had to happen when Jeong Iheun had gone to Jeju-do. He really had rotten luck too.
“First, contact the media outlets on our side, and tell the legal team to send emails to the ones just parroting things.”
“……”
“Could you listen to me, Secretary Kim?”
“Vice Guild Master, I think you need to see this.”
When Lee Jinryeol saw the screen of the device his secretary handed him, his face twisted.
Yubaek Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in Korea. A tall man was pushing through the crowd of reporters gathered there.
It was none other than Jeong Iheun, who was supposed to be in Jeju-do.
“Why is he here?”
As Lee Jinryeol sat there with his mouth hanging open in shock, Secretary Kim looked at him pityingly and said,
“Because Mr. Jeong Seohun has been hospitalized too.”
“Ah, right.”
He was a younger-brother fool, acknowledged by all. It would be stranger if he had stayed still after hearing the news.
Lee Jinryeol swiped across the device screen. Sure enough, an alert appeared saying that the emergency gate that had appeared in Jeju-do had been cleared an hour ago.
‘That lunatic.’
It seemed he had steamrolled it with firepower. As Lee Jinryeol clicked his tongue, his secretary asked,
“Since the Guild Master is there, we should increase the security team as well, shouldn’t we?”
“…
Yeah. Pick people who can put up shields and send them.”
For the safety of the people who would cling to Jeong Iheun, the security team was absolutely necessary.
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(5)
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