Chapter 195: Start (1)

It had been three days since the Hunters successfully occupied all the mines.

"Hup!"

Kim Ki-Rok gasped, catching his breath as he brought a massive hammer down on an Animaloid.

"That makes the fourteenth attack so far," he muttered.

The mechanical monster army attacked the mines and ore veins four times a day, every six hours. In response, various Gate clear teams were stationed at the mining and ore vein areas, defending their respective territories.

Kim Ki-Rok stowed his hammer in his subspace pocket and surveyed the area. The ground was littered with monster corpses. As soon as the battle ended, those who were free quickly began to clean up the battlefield, one of their most important tasks being the retrieval of monster bodies.

Watching the busy Hunters and soldiers, he pulled a communication orb from his subspace pocket. These devices worked fine on Earth, but here he had to build a network from scratch. The source of the radio interference remained unknown. Whether it was the First's doing or the work of a newly developed signal-jamming monster, like the hastily made siege models, no one could say.

Kim Ki-Rok sighed to himself, muttering, "What matters is that the signal is blocked."

—Pardon?

Since Kim Ki-Rok had already activated his communication orb, the confused voice of a familiar Korean operator came through the open channel. He replied quietly, "Don't mind me. Just talking to myself. This signal interference is driving me insane."

—Ah, I understand. The communication orbs are more complicated to use than a radio.

Unlike radios, which allowed easy frequency changes with a dial or button, communication orbs required a mana user with knowledge of magic circles to make adjustments. While multiple connections were possible at close range, long-distance communication was limited. Because of this, Hunters generally preferred radios for Gate operations.

"Getting back to the point, we've succeeded in the fourteenth defense."

—Understood. I'll relay Lieutenant General Akabe's orders.

The commander of the Gate clear team cleared his throat and began to speak through the orb.

—In three hours, all forces are to return to the main base, except for ten A-Class Hunters or one S-Class Hunter, along with B-Class and lower Hunters and regular soldiers, who are to remain at the mines and ore veins.

The number of attacking monsters had decreased day by day. This made sense, since they had lost the mines and veins where Pastera, the key ingredient for producing monsters, was extracted. In terms of war, it was like having their supply line cut off.

—We will soon face the First and the Aberrant Mechanical Monsters, classified as mid-level bosses. For this reason, all available forces are to join the main assault. However, we've decided to keep ten A-Class Hunters, or one S-Class, stationed in the mines and veins. I'll explain.

The logic wasn't immediately clear to the Hunters. Kim Ki-Rok, also listening in, noticed some of them frowning and others looking anxious. He glanced at the communication orb as it lit up again.

—We've managed to slow monster production in cities that rely on Pastera from the mines we now occupy. However, the rest are unaffected.

Although occupying six mines made quite an impact, they were far from controlling each and every ore vein.

—According to residents of the Pastera Dimension, Pastera is a metal found only in deserts. The three desert cities, including the last city, use it to produce mechanical monsters, and currently rely on six mining areas under our control. While this has made a significant impact, we're still far from controlling every ore vein.

There was a pause on the other end, as if he were taking a deep breath.

—Some mines lie a fortnight's march away for an Animaloid, and there's a risk they'll begin mining from those or send reinforcements. To prepare, we've stationed ten A-Class Hunters or one S-Class Hunter to hold the current positions. It's been four days since the occupation, with ten days remaining. There's also concern they might retrofit a Worm or Flying-type mechanical monster to transport large numbers at once. That concludes the explanation. Each country's Gate clear team should decide who will remain behind and who will rejoin the main force.

The communication orb dimmed with a soft flash, signaling the end of the transmission.

Kim Ki-Rok turned to the S-Class and A-Class Hunters gathered around him. In the distance, soldiers and other Hunters were still collecting monster corpses, but he paid them no mind.

"If you stay," Kim Ki-Rok said, "you'll just be waiting for the message that the Gate's been cleared. If you join the main force, you'll march with the siege weapons to the last city, fight Aberrant Mechanical Monsters, face Animaloids and Humanoids... and

then

take on the First. Anyone want to stay?"

He let the silence stretch for a moment, then added, "On the surface, staying sounds easier, but neither choice is without risk."

A female Hunter raised her hand. "But based on what you've described so far, it seems that joining the main force is much worse?"

Kim Ki-Rok gave a small smile. "That's one way to look at it. But the advantage of staying is just that—it's safe. Even if the enemy produces a mobility-focused mechanical monster and manages to reach us eleven days early, this area is wide open. You'd see them coming in time to call for reinforcements. That's why staying seems appealing."

"So what's the downside?" she asked.

"Your reward grade drops."

"Reward grade?"

"Thousands of Hunters and soldiers are involved in this Gate clear," Kim Ki-Rok explained. "We don't know if the civilian support teams or regular soldiers at the rear will qualify, but this Gate is different."

Once this was cleared, Patera Gates would no longer appear on Earth. So, the Dimension Administrator, or the "god" of the Patera Dimension, might reward not only Hunters, but even ordinary people.

"To put it simply, even if ordinary people don't get rewards, their reward grade will still decrease."

This was because thousands of Hunters were participating in the Gate clear. The reward grade could vary depending on contribution, just as with the resurrection of the World Tree in another Gate.

"If you stay, you'll make it through safely, but your reward grade won't improve due to low contribution. If you join the main force, you'll head to the last city. It's dangerous, of course, and there will be countless mechanical monsters to face."

"Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok," Ji Seok-Hyun spoke up.

"Yes, Team Leader?"

"Do you think the next battle will be the last?"

Kim Ki-Rok nodded. "I do."

"Even if the worst-case scenario plays out? If the mechanical army from another city moves faster than expected and hits the occupied zone early? Even if they come in overwhelming numbers?"

"That's right."

The C-Class and lower Hunters, ordinary soldiers eavesdropping, and B-Class Hunters on guard shuddered. To them, it sounded as if the clear team had resolved to continue clearing the Gate even if thousands, tens of thousands of mechanical monsters attacked the mines they claimed. It felt like they were prioritizing the clear, even at the risk of losing the occupied areas.

Sensing the regular soldiers' and Hunters' confusion, Kim Ki-Rok raised his voice. "The command post will divide our forces into three groups for the Gate clear."

"Into three groups?" Ji Seok-Hyun asked, making sure.

"Yes. The first group will be the elite force, composed of S-Class Hunters, to hunt the First mechanical monster. The second group will attack the Aberrant Mechanical Monsters we expect to encounter in the castle. The third group will defend against the remaining mechanical monsters in the city outside the castle."

Defeating the First was the only way to clear the Gate, which made the elite unit's mission essential.

"If the worst happens and the mechanical monster army attacks our occupied area, the command center will withdraw the defense group from the city and send them to reinforce the captured lands."

"And the elite and attack groups will stay in the castle to hunt their targets?" Ji Seok-Hyun asked.

Kim Ki-Rok nodded. "Exactly. And I'm sure you're all aware of how strong the Monster-type and Aberrant Humanoids are."

Some Hunters and regular soldiers had just begun to breathe a sigh of relief at the mention of reinforcements, only to tense up again as the reality sank in. Few had directly faced these monsters, but most had seen their terrifying strength in the footage.

"When we enter the last city, we'll face very special mechanical monsters. There'll be Humanoids, Animaloids, Aberrant Humanoids, monster-like models, and even the siege-types that appeared briefly before."

It wasn't just a possibility. It was certain.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"You'll face building-sized mechanical monsters with arms that strike from the walls, and others modeled after the transport vehicles we used for corpse retrieval," Kim Ki-Rok continued. "So I'll ask again. If you wish to stay behind, raise your hand."

None of the S-Class Hunters raised their hands. With threat levels rising fast, they were already used to clearing A-Class Gates. And when an S-Class appeared, they were expected to respond. They stayed quiet, knowing the rewards from this one could be critical for their growth.

The A-Class Hunters had different thoughts. Most looked deep in thought, some glancing around, others muttering as they weighed the pros and cons.

Kim Ki-Rok summarized, "This is an S-Class Gate. Are you willing to take risks for growth, or will you choose safety, even if it slows your progress?"

***

Kim Ki-Rok arrived at the main base in a flash, courtesy of a teleporter, and slowly opened his eyes. The Korean Gate clear team was already watching him. He held no official title, but acted as a de facto deputy. Even the team leader, Ji Seok-Hyun, waited for him to speak.

"We'll begin the Gate clear in an hour—three at most—so get your final preparations in order," Kim Ki-Rok said to the South Korean Hunters, excluding the two A-Class who had chosen to stay. "That includes you, Guildmaster... no, Team Leader Ji Seok-Hyun. Report to command, confirm your return, and join the briefing."

"Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok, you're not going?"

"No," he replied.

"I'm the only one participating?" Ji Seok-Hyun asked, perplexed.

Kim Ki-Rok watched him with a puzzled look, then took out a wok from his subspace pocket and gave it a shake. "Yes, just you. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a meal to prepare."

Kim Ki-Rok, the chef behind the meals tucked into every Hunter's subspace pocket, retrieved his tools once again, his well-worn wok resting comfortably in his hand. The final battle loomed ahead, and he intended to do his part to keep everything running as it should.