Chapter 45. Everyone’s Hero

The noisy restaurant instantly fell silent. Every customer's gaze was glued to the television screen.

A black pillar suddenly appeared and soared through the sky, tearing through the clouds. Black sparks crackled in the air, and monsters began falling like overripe fruit from a tree.

There weren’t just one or two of them but hundreds, possibly thousands, swarming across the screen like a wave.

[

Aaaah!

]

The reporter on the television screamed and started to run. The cameraman did the same, dropping the camera, which captured their retreat.

[

Krrr...

]

[

Crack

...!]

The camera, now lying on the ground, recorded a monster crushing it underfoot before going fuzzy with static. Only then did the customers regain their senses.

“W-what the hell is going on?”

“Wasn’t that Hwaseong? Isn’t that just down the road?”

Panic and concern spread as people grabbed their phones to call family or friends.

“Hyung?” Hwang Hyun-Woo called out.

Kim Do-Joon stood up with a grim face. Seoul was still safe for now, but for how long?

Clang—!

Suddenly, the restaurant window shattered, and a monster burst in. A man sitting by the window screamed in terror.

“

Aaah!

”

Kim Do-Joon was the first to move. He drew his spear and thrust it through the monster’s forehead, splitting its head in half. Blood splattered, covering the nearby customers.

“

Ugh... Ah...

”

The man who’d screamed could only tremble, overwhelmed by the stench of blood. Kicking the monster’s carcass aside, Kim Do-Joon dashed out through the broken window.

"This is..." Kim Do-Joon muttered.

His face hardened. Just like in Hwaseong City, black sparks crackled in the sky, and monsters fell.

—What's with this chaos?

“No idea,” Kim Do-Joon replied to Karlish, his spear.

He genuinely didn’t know. Why would monsters appear when the roots hadn’t risen? Questions swirled in his mind, but he shook them off.

Don’t think! Act!

Still, compared to Hwaseong, there aren’t that many monsters here...

There had been hundreds, thousands even, at Hwaseong. But here, only one or two monsters were falling sporadically, which was nothing to Hunters. However, the monsters had appeared in the city instead of a dungeon, which could lead to pandemonium.

“

Aaah!

What is that?”

“Get to the shelter, now!”

Horns blared as vehicles jammed the streets and people scattered in all directions. Those who attempted to escape by car soon abandoned their vehicles and ran. Meanwhile, monsters continued to fall over the area, wreaking havoc on the streets.

“Everyone! The shelter is this way! Please evacuate in this direction!”

Police and firefighters were guiding citizens to nearby shelters. Ever since the roots emerged, shelters had been constructed all over the place, funded generously by taxes from Hunters.

Kim Do-Joon stood like a statue amid the chaos. However, he soon began to move against the flow.

Cars won’t work. Running would be faster.

His mana split into ten strands and coursed through his legs and feet. He then launched himself off the ground.

Baam—!

The asphalt exploded under the force of his leap, propelling him forward.

“Hyung!” Hwang Hyun-Woo called from behind him, but Kim Do-Joon had no time to respond.

So-Eun!

Kim Do-Joon had to get to his daughter as fast as he could!

***

In the top-floor office of Mir’s building, one of the four great guilds, Shin Yoo-Sung leaped to his feet. "What? A horde of monsters appeared in Hwaseong?"

"Reports indicate at least a thousand of them! Also, the government just issued an urgent directive. All guilds are to cooperate," his subordinate reported.

“Dispatch our team immediately!"

"Shouldn't we negotiate with the government first?"

Shin Yoo-Sung glared at him, and the sheer force of his presence dominated the office. The subordinate trembled as his eyes widened in fear.

"You're one of the old Priests' Association members, aren't you?"

The subordinate felt like a frog facing a snake.

Struggling to control his shaking, he answered, “Y-yes, I am."

Shin Yoo-Sung squinted at him. "The sluggish Priests’ Association is gone. Have you forgotten what I emphasized when I reformed this place into Mir?"

"N-no, I haven't!"

Shin Yoo-Sung's speech when the guild transitioned from the Korean Priests' Association to Mir echoed in the subordinate’s mind.

— Remember this: if we delay by even one minute, another life is lost.

The subordinate turned pale. He had thought the speech was just for formalities—something a secretary had written for public relations purposes—but it turned out to be heartfelt.

Realizing his mistake, he knew there was only one thing he could do: apologize through actions, not words.

"H-how many should we send?"

"Send everyone who can move! Prepare a helicopter as well!" Shin Yoo-Sung ordered.

"Understood!"

After one last glare, Shin Yoo-Sung swiftly left the office, his urgent footsteps echoing through the hallway.

When he arrived on the rooftop, a helicopter was already waiting for him.

"Guild Master!"

Just as Shin Yoo-Sung was about to board, another subordinate ran up to him.

"What is it?" Shin Yoo-Sung replied, one foot already in the helicopter.

"It seems like monsters are appearing all over the country, not just in Hwaseong!"

Shin Yoo-Sung's brow furrowed deeply. Gritting his teeth, he gave rapid orders.

"Contact the vice-guild master! Tell him to handle other areas instead of following me!”

"Yes, sir! Then, for Hwaseong...”

"Just because we’re aiding the other regions doesn’t mean we’re going to neglect Hwaseong! Send the spare team over!”

"A-are you sure?! The scale of the disaster in Hwaseong is unprecedented!"

Shin Yoo-Sung boarded the helicopter and looked down at the man.

"It’ll be fine. I’m going there myself."

Shin Yoo-Sung left the order to move quickly. Then, his helicopter disappeared into the sky.

***

“Damn it!”

Jang Hyuk-Soo, a C-rank Hunter, swung his massive hammer to fend off a charging monster.

With a dull thud, he sent the creature, which resembled a small dinosaur, flying into the distance.

“Why did this have to happen when everything was going so well?!” he yelled in frustration as he swung his hammer again.

He met a wonderful woman today. She was the most beautiful lady he had ever seen. Since their conversation had flowed effortlessly, he had planned to spend the day with her and perhaps even arrange another date.

She must have made it to safety, right?

When the situation took a turn for the worse, he led her and the nearby residents to shelter. He stayed behind, guarding the entrance and keeping the monsters at bay.

Everything will be fine. I showed her how brave I was. My date might work out well this time.

Unaware of the larger crisis unfolding in Hwaseong, Jang Hyuk-Soo remained optimistic.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

As he continued to fight off the dinosaur-like monsters, he suddenly heard a chilling sound from behind.

“Kraaar!”

He turned quickly to see a larger monster coming straight at him with its jaw wide open.

"Oh, no..."

Jang Hyuk-Soo’s mouth opened in shock. Instinctively, he swung his hammer, but his arms suddenly felt heavy, causing his movements to feel sluggish. The monster’s wicked eyes seemed to be mocking him.

At that moment, something whistled through the air.

Whoosh! Boom!

The monster's upper body exploded, the shockwave sending Jang Hyuk-Soo sprawling on the ground.

“W-what the hell is going on?”

Jang Hyuk-Soo looked up to see a figure disappearing into the distance. They seemed to be wielding two spears—one short, one long.

The situation finally dawned on him. He had almost been eaten, but a high-ranking Hunter passed by just in time to save him.

“Thank goodness, I’m alive...” Mumbling in a daze, Jang Hyuk-Soo patted his chest in relief.

Kim Do-Joon sprinted through the streets, stepping on traffic lights as needed. Each stride sent him soaring forward.

Bzzzzt.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated. Kim Do-Joon pulled it out and checked the notification.

— Si-Ah: I’ve arrived at the academy!

It was a message from Siwelin. Kim Do-Joon had asked her to rush to Kim So-Eun as he left the restaurant.

Just as he finished reading the message, Karlish raised a question.

— Who is it? Is it the clerk?

"Yes, it’s her. She says she’s arrived at my daughter’s school," Kim Do-Joon replied.

— That’s a relief.

Kim Do-Joon shook his head. Of course, having Siwelin there was better than nothing, but he still could not feel at ease. Without slowing down, he threw lightning spears at any monsters he saw.

— It seems monsters are appearing all over the city.

“Yes, but we don’t know why,” Kim Do-Joon replied.

Another monster appeared in the distance, but Kim Do-Joon ignored it. No one was in immediate danger, and it was too far away.

— Since the clerk is already with your daughter, why don’t you just save other people?

“What do you mean?” Kim Do-Joon asked.

— Exactly what I just said. You're strong, but still not up to my standards. You are definitely far better than most, though. Don’t you think you can save many lives?

“Are you telling me to do the right thing?” Kim Do-Joon asked.

— This is not about right or wrong. It’s about choice. Won’t you regret not helping out later?

Karlish’s tone was unusually resonant.

Kim Do-Joon frowned. “Are you talking from experience?”

— Maybe. I don’t remember exactly, but something about this situation feels familiar.

Sometimes, people with amnesia would regain memories when exposed to similar experiences. Did this situation jog Karlish’s memories?

Regardless, Kim Do-Joon knew what his response and actions had to be.

“While it might be the right thing to do, I don’t care about such things, Karlish.”

Kim Do-Joon kicked off the ground again, his strides free of hesitation. Finally, he saw the academy in the distance.

“I’d rather be a father to my child than a hero to everyone.”