Chapter 170: Operation is a Go (2)

"Mr. Kim Ki-Rok," the spirit said.

"

Huff... Huff...

Yes..." Kim Ki-Rok replied.

"I was, as you know, a very famous painter in Yuashiel."

"Right. Huff... Huff..."

The spirit continued, "I was sometimes even commissioned by the country to capture battlefields on canvas, even the lairs of terrible monsters. In other words, I was confident I wouldn't flinch at any horrific scene."

"

Huff... Huff...

But you can't say that anymore," Kim Ki-Rok responded.

"Yes. Battlefield? Monster lair? Those places were like hell."

Everywhere they turned, all they could see was a ditch flowing with sewage and excrement.

"I usually focus intensely before I paint, so I can capture every small detail. But if someone asked me to paint this scene?" the spirit said.

"Yes?"

"I'm certain I would curse them and haunt them for life."

"

Hehehe!

"

The Hunters who had been eavesdropping on the conversation all nodded in agreement.

If someone asks about the sewer? I'll beat them to a pulp,

every single one of them thought. Even if it went to court, they were sure they'd be acquitted. In their minds, they had already shown restraint by not killing anyone who asked such questions.

"

Huff...

At least my sense of smell is gone," Yoo Seh-Eun muttered through gritted teeth, thinking the stench alone might have killed her if her sense of smell were still intact. "Why did I join the DG Guild...?"

Thanks to Kim Ki-Rok's many trials and tribulations, she had been through a lot. He had once sent her into a volcanic area so hot it nearly burned her despite her thick, fireproof suit. Another time, she'd participated in a freezing icy Gate, wearing only a short-sleeved T-shirt and cloaked in her mana. Once, she had infiltrated a monster habitat after hearing Kim Ki-Rok's detailed strategy.

Yet as she stood before the spectacle now, she understood that what she had endured before was neither true hardship nor real adversity, only a prelude to what awaited.

"I'll kill him before he retires. No, I'll kill him

when

he retires," she muttered under her breath.

Kim Ki-Rok's level often fluctuated due to his constant use of the Guardian. If she wanted, she could have messed him up anytime. She had held back thus far because he was her Guildmaster, and because she owed a lot to the benefactor who had helped her get where she was now, but her patience had already worn thin.

"Guildmaster.

Huff... Huff...

" Yoo Seh-Eun sputtered.

"Yes."

"Be careful on your way home at night."

"

Hehehe.

After I retire?"

At Kim Ki-Rok's question, Yoo Seh-Eun paused for a moment to think.

Then, without realizing it, she turned her head back to look at the black waters. "No. I've changed my mind. After we clear this Gate."

"But Ms. Seh-Eun, I'm your Guildmaster."

"And that's exactly why I won't kill you."

***

The Hunters made every effort to ensure a safe and flawless escort, carefully avoiding any encounters with the Mechanical Monsters in the underground waterway's dark, churning currents.

"

Huff... Huff... Huff...

"

"F-fuck..."

"I-I've come back from hell," one of the Hunters said between ragged breaths.

"Oh, it took us four hours and twenty-seven minutes!" Kim Ki-Rok chirped.

Although escaping with the residents of the Patera Dimension had taken that long, infiltrating the city had only taken two hours and thirteen minutes.

"That's almost eight hours in total."

Including the time spent preparing for the escape—fitting the evacuees with gas masks and protective gear—the rescue had lasted well over eight hours. However, the Hunters dismissed that preparation period, having done everything they could to shorten their time in the underground waterway.

"You've all worked very hard," Kim Ki-Rok said, turning to look at the Hunters.

One Hunter lay on the ground, while another was retching along with the residents of the Patera Dimension. Nearby, a Hunter was taking deep breaths. And finally, there were those like Lee Mi-So, who had drawn their swords from subspace.

"The clear hasn't happened yet, Hunter Lee Mi-So," Kim Ki-Rok pointed out. "You all are better off than I am."

"In what sense?" Kim Mi-So demanded.

"As soon as I confirmed the underground waterway, I went down there myself to memorize the path with Ji-Hee's help."

The Hunters fell silent. The residents of the Patera Dimension stared at Kim Ki-Rok in shock. He sighed under their gaze.

The problem is, this might not be the last time,

he thought. If they failed to stop Hell in this Attempt, he would have to return to this hellish place again.

"

Hoo!

I don't want to think about this hell-on-earth anymore, so let's stop talking about it."

Everyone nodded.

"It will take about thirty minut—"

Boom!

Kim Ki-Rok turned his head mid-explanation of the safe zone location as an explosion echoed through the air. A massive blast had erupted in the city's airspace. The faint light from the production machines was suddenly overwhelmed by a flood of brightness. Overhead, a Flying Mechanical Monster soared through the sky, scanning the area.

"But there should still be about twenty minutes left on the decoy..." he muttered.

For some unknown reason, their escape had been detected.

Searching for an explanation, Kim Ki-Rok enhanced his vision with mana, focused on the flying monster in the city's airspace, and groaned. "We've been discovered. I'll contact the command center for support right away. We'll have to fight our way out, so take off your gas masks and protective suits and get ready for combat."

Following his orders, the Hunters removed their protective suits and gas masks, donned their armor, and drew their weapons from their subspace pockets. Thanks to the Permanent Gate connected to the Yuashiel Dimension, all the high-ranking Hunters had subspace pockets of their own.

"Hunter Kayano, please lead the residents of Patera. The rest of you, hold off the monsters approaching from the rear."

The Hunters and the residents of the Patera Dimension got ready to move. Despite their exhaustion, the escapees gave everything they had, following the Hunters' guidance. As they advanced, Kim Ki-Rok and the rescue team formed a defensive line at the rear.

"The gate is open."

Flying monsters appeared in the sky, and Animaloid Mechanical Monsters poured out from the wide-open castle gate. Hundreds of machines charged forward.

"Perhaps they've decided they've found new human slaves, and confirmed that these new humans are armed with weapons made of Pastera."

At Kim Ki-Rok's words, the Hunters glanced down at the weapons in their hands. According to the dwarf craftsmen, the Mechanical Monsters' weakness was a hard metal with high mana resistance. They called it Pastera, named after the dimension, since its true name was still unknown.

"If we had long-range ability users among us, they'd habitually use mana-based skills, but our rescue team is made up entirely of Hunters skilled in physical reinforcement or close combat."

Hundreds of monsters rushed at them at once, kicking up a sandstorm.

"Although we requested support as soon as we escaped, the command center would have dispatched reinforcements anyway, given the anomalies in the city. So, let's focus on buying time."

Kim Ki-Rok stepped forward to take the lead, and the Hunters followed, bracing themselves against the sandstorm whipped up by the swarm of Mechanical Monsters.

A Giant Mechanical Monster, shaped like a tiger, loomed over Yoo Seh-Eun. Instead of a roar, it let out a mechanical whirring as it lowered its stance. Clearly modeled after a real animal, it crouched like a true predator, stalking its prey and locking eyes with its target.

"

Hoo...

" Yoo Seh-Eun unconsciously steadied her breathing, channeled mana to enhance her body and senses, and locked eyes with her opponent.

Who would show weakness first? As man and machine faced off in a battlefield swallowed by a sandstorm, it was only natural that the human would be the first to falter.

The Animaloid Mechanical Monster charged the moment Yoo Seh-Eun closed her eyes against the blowing sand. A lower-level Hunter might have panicked, but Yoo Seh-Eun was S-Class, someone who had risen quickly through the ranks. Thanks to Kim Ki-Rok, she had gained a wealth of experience most Hunters wouldn't have in such a short time.

Not only did she use mana to reinforce her body and senses, but Yoo Seh-Eun also spread it outward to sense her surroundings. As the Animaloid Mechanical Monster charged, she kicked off the ground and narrowly dodged the attack. It was a close call, but she managed to avoid the strike and counter, lunging forward with a swing of her sword.

If it had been an ordinary monster, it might have relied on brute force to block the blow. But this was an Animaloid Mechanical Monster. A sharp clash of metal rang out as its short tail suddenly extended and deflected her sword before it could reach its forehead.

She frowned at the sight of the tail stretching to intercept her attack, then quickly brought her sword back between herself and the enemy.

"It is a machine, after all!"

She turned the blade to protect her left side, deflecting the iron balls spewed from the monster's open maw with a clang. These monsters could not only extend and retract their bodies freely, but also had various weapons that took advantage of their mechanical nature. Seeing this, Yoo Seh-Eun tried another counterattack, blocking and striking while gathering information. Soon, she noticed white smoke leaking from her opponent and quickly put distance between them.

"

Phew!

This is no joke."

There had been Gates in South Korea that connected to the Patera Dimension. As a man who prioritized efficiency, however, Kim Ki-Rok did not use the Gate—just like the other guilds. The Association and government cleared those Gates to prevent Breaks, and the information gathered inside was shared with each guild.

The other Korean guilds had learned about the characteristics of the Mechanical Monsters that appeared within, but that knowledge was of little help here. The monsters typically encountered in those Gates were a type of wandering creature shaped like a giant worm. None of them had been Animaloid or Humanoid, and none of them had the ability to fly.

"They can freely extend their bodies and have special weapons..."

But what's up with the heat?

After a moment of silence, as the Animaloid Mechanical Monster took its stance again, Yoo Seh-Eun let out a bitter laugh.

"Is that machine overheating?"

***

Kim Ki-Rok was locked in combat with the Mechanical Monsters, using mana to enhance his body and senses while spreading it out to detect enemy movement. He bent his knees, lowered his waist, and tilted his head, narrowly dodging a sharp steel tail flying his way.

Closing the distance, he stepped forward and drove his axe through the monster's outer shell with a loud crack. Into the opening, he thrust a dagger held in a reverse grip. The blade was shredded by the machine's inner workings, but he remained calm. He tightened his grip until the monster's moving parts gave out, then released the weapon and backed away as it collapsed with a dying mechanical groan.

Without hesitation, he leaped at another target and summoned a massive shield midair. Pouring mana into raw strength, he raised it to absorb the impact, but the resulting explosion sent him crashing into the ground. Fortunately, the soft sand minimized the damage from the fall, though that did little to cushion the rest of the impact.

Kim Ki-Rok quickly looked skyward as he rose to his feet. The flying monster that had launched the massive shell was staring down at him.

"But there shouldn't be much change from before?"

Why had the Flying Mechanical Monsters reacted differently in this Attempt?

He let out a deep sigh and glared up at the monster.