Chapter 191: Start (1)

With a flash of light, twelve Hunters emerged from a large pit.

"Oh."

"It's huge," Daniel Jackson said in English as he peered out from the pit.

The last city lay in the heart of the desert. From his vantage point, Jackson spotted mechanical monsters stationed around a large mine entrance carved halfway up the side of a barren mountain.

"And there are more than I thought," he noted.

The monsters weren't just clustered around the mine entrance. At the foot of the mountain, on the desolate ground where not a single blade of grass grew, more mechanical monsters stood on guard.

At least there aren't any Flying Mechanical Monsters.

After observing the surroundings for over five minutes, the only things that came into view were Animaloids and Humanoids. There were no mechanical monsters underground near the mine or ore vein. Neither the worm-types that slithered like snakes nor the flying-types were present.

As Daniel Jackson continued his observation, he suddenly turned, sensing a presence.

"Ah, there they are," he mumbled.

He saw the teleporters and A-Class Hunters who were urgently deployed from the United States to clear the newly appeared S-Class Gate. They would soon be followed by B to S-Class Hunters, as well as regular soldiers, mobilized in stages. The lower ranks and soldiers would mobilize only after Hunters from the top two classes secured the mine.

Even equipped with powerful Pastera weapons, the third group faced enemies far exceeding their physical capabilities. B-Class Hunters and lower ranks were unable to match the speed of S-Class mechanical monsters, thus they would only deploy after the area was secure.

We don't even know how many there are,

Daniel Jackson thought.

They would have to fight not just the guards stationed around and inside the mine, but also machines specialized in mining and metal transport.

He took a breath and exchanged a few words with the American teleporter. After watching him disappear, he rolled up his sleeves.

Thirty minutes left...

he thought, waiting in tense silence for the simultaneous strike on all six targets.

Turning to the others monitoring the mine alongside him, he said, "The battle begins in thirty minutes. Let's proceed with the final check."

***

At the clear team headquarters near the Gate entrance, Kim Ki-Rok stood beside the siege weapon, checking the time before glancing around.

"Fifteen minutes remaining," he mumbled.

Lower-ranked Hunters and regular soldiers gathered in one area, checking their weapons in tense silence. Meanwhile, the elite S-Class Hunters had already moved ahead to scout the terrain and neutralize potential threats, with the A-Class team set to follow soon after.

A blond French teleporter emerged from the shadows, took the hands of several A-Class Hunters, and disappeared into the darkness. He wasn't the only one handling transport, however, as Japan's Kayano Yukie appeared shortly after, followed by spatial ability users from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia. Each of them was teleporting A-Class Hunters to the battlefield.

Kim Ki-Rok turned his head again. Once the S-Class and A-Class Hunters secured the mines, C-Class and lower Hunters and regular soldiers would be transported to the battlefield by spatial ability users.

He quietly watched the others, some checking their weapons, others passing the time in conversation. His gaze settled on a Hunter sitting between one who was chatting and another who was resting.

Hmm, Kay...

This was a Hunter who knew how to use his head. Although he wasn't the strongest, he had been scouted by the United States in a previous Attempt thanks to his excellent tactical abilities. Kay had rescued civilians and held a siege for an hour with ten soldiers who had happened to be on leave with him during the Breaks incident in 2043. Afterward, he had gained the authority to command a battalion and minimized casualties caused by Breaks.

"Hmm."

Why hadn't he naturalized to the United States this time?

Kim Ki-Rok wondered.

He could think of two possible reasons.

The first was the World Tree. The World Tree, which bestowed various blessings, was in South Korea. The second was the direction of the DG Guild's actions. Gates leading to the Patera Dimension caused more losses than gains. Without artisans and machines capable of working with the bodies of the mechanical monsters, namely Pastera, their remains generated little revenue.

The same was true for the rewards given for clearing a Gate. Since the condition for clearing a Patera Gate was simply to annihilate the monsters, the rewards were generally poor. Hidden bonuses might have helped, but there were none. And if the monsters had been weak, it might not have mattered, but these machines were notoriously difficult to hunt.

With low profits, poor rewards, and high difficulty, most Hunters avoided the Patera Gates. Despite this, the DG Guild remained active there. To make the Gates worthwhile, Kim Ki-Rok used his own wealth to boost the rewards, turning the otherwise unprofitable Patera Gates into viable opportunities. The Gates themselves offered little, so he supplemented the rewards using treasure stored in a subspace pocket.

The monsters in this dimension were powerful and difficult to hunt, making the Gate unpopular among Hunters. To change that, Kim Ki-Rok imposed a penalty: any guild member who cleared a Gate with his help, despite being capable on their own, was sent to a Patera Gate.

None of them complained, however. They understood that while Kim Ki-Rok assigned them to a Gate that was difficult and exhausting, he never sent anyone where success was impossible.

"In other words, it's because DG Guild has cleared the most Patera Gates among all the current Hunter guilds."

It was because South Korea had a guild so familiar with mechanical monsters in Patera Gates that Kang Seung-Hoon had chosen not to naturalize.

"And because the World Tree is here," he muttered to himself.

After all, the tree had become a cornerstone of Hunter development and ability awakening. It was another quiet reason he had chosen to stay. Kim Ki-Rok, who had been observing him in silence, smiled as members of the DG Guild turned under Kang Seung-Hoon's gaze.

He checked the time and muttered, "Three minutes...

Pheww,

I should get ready, too."

In three minutes, the S-Class and A-Class Hunters would move to seize the mines. Kim Ki-Rok wouldn't participate in this particular operation, but stay at headquarters to guard the siege weapons and monitor the last city. As a foreign Hunter beside him swallowed nervously, Kim Ki-Rok raised his mana, reinforced his vision, and peered at the last city.

"There it is. The last city has moved," he reported to the command center.

—Okay. We will confirm their direction.

Kim Ki-Rok stood beside the siege weapon, gazing toward the city. Then, he kicked off the ground and soared into the air. The monsters were on the move, but not toward the north, west, or east gates.

"They are moving toward our main forces via the south Gate."

Instead of the Korean male operator from before, the voice of the lieutenant general responsible for the Gate clear came through the earpiece.

—What do you think is the reason, Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok?

"Hundreds of people attacked six different areas under their control simultaneously. I think they judged that our main forces have weakened and decided to attack us there."

—You think their goal is to make the extermination team that moved to subdue the mines return to our headquarters?

"Probably," Kim Ki-Rok replied.

—I think we need to change our operation within thirty minutes. What do you think, Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok?

"My thoughts are the same," he replied as he slowly descended, landing while reaching into his subspace pocket.

There was no benefit for the last city to attack the main force. Therefore, the mechanical monsters attacking the main force to scatter the clear team would soon change direction in less than thirty minutes.

"Prepare for battle!"

The Hunters sprang to action at the shout of the S-Class Hunter waiting at headquarters.

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

The regular soldiers and Hunters below B-Class, waiting for news of their forces' successful occupation of the enemy's posts, all began moving as well.

—S-Class and A-Class Hunters have been mobilized, but they're facing S-Class mechanical monsters. Securing the mines and veins will take time. B-Class and lower Hunters, along with regular soldiers, follow orders from the command center. I repeat: S-Class, A-Class...

Those below A-Class moved to their weapons as trained, armed themselves, and followed the unit commander's orders.

"Wow! It's Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok!"

Upon getting recognized, Kim Ki-Rok turned his head.

This person had shouted at him even as a mechanical monster charged out of the Gate. From their behavior, it was clear they weren't here for revenge; they were participating for compensation or experience.

It's much easier to distinguish them when there are others to compare to,

Kim Ki-Rok thought.

Beside the Hunter who had just spoken stood another, eagerly waiting for orders. Their posture was tense and focused, clearly driven by a desire for revenge.

Kim Ki-Rok spoke to the Hunter staring blankly at him. "They're coming."

"Ah, right!" The Hunter, participating for rewards or advancement, quickly turned his head. "H-holy..."

The newer Hunters had heard the stories and seen footage, but seeing firsthand was entirely different. That Hunter in particular was nervous since the opponent was an S-Class monster, and he had only just received his C-Class license.

—Archer troops on standby! Cannons and firearms, fire!