Chapter 77. You Will Know When You Catch It

Ryu Ja-Young was a B-rank Hunter. She was a core member of the Night Guild, but in this expedition, she was nothing more than a junior member. Not only was the group filled with formidable A-rank Hunters, but there were many stronger B-ranks than her.

But that didn’t bother her. Just being part of this expedition was enough to bring Night Guild recognition. Besides, if it yielded significant results, even the smallest scraps of the glory would bring huge benefits to her guild.

With that in mind, she had joined the expedition. At first, things went well. No monster, no matter how fierce, was a match for their team.

Oh Tae-Jin would lead the way, with Shin Yoo-Sung backing him up

—

it was the perfect combination. Up until now, no A-rank dungeon stood a chance against the team led by these two.

However, this place was different.

“

Kurrka!” “Kashu! Keraak!

”

Suddenly, a horde of orcs blocked their path. They were no ordinary orcs. Rather than fat, their bodies were covered in muscle, with menacing tusks protruding from their mouths. Also, there were strange tattoos on their brown skin.

Each one of these creatures is at least B-rank...

She could tell from the way the battle was going. Even the ones with only one or two tattoos proved to be a challenge for B-rank Hunters. Besides, even A-rank Hunters struggled against the rare ones with three tattoos.

And now, there were hundreds of these orcs, standing like a massive, impenetrable wall in front of them.

Whooong—

“

Keugh!

” Ryu Ja-Young ducked just in time, barely avoiding the swing of an orc’s weapon.

Cold sweat dripped down her face as the blade whizzed past her head. Then, she quickly scanned her opponent.

Phew.

She sighed in relief when she saw it only had one tattoo. If it had two, she’d need to call for backup; if it had three, then it was an immediate retreat. She could tackle this one on her own.

Gripping her spear tightly, she lunged forward. The orc tried to block with its glaive. Her eyes flashed, and a surge of mana flowed into her spear.

“

Raaah!

” Ryu Ja-Young screamed, driving her spear through the orc’s glaive, piercing its chest.

The orc shuddered violently before collapsing to the ground. Then, Ryu Ja-Young withdrew her spear, breathing heavily. The situation was still dire, but at least she was contributing.

However, just as she felt a flicker of relief, the real danger appeared.

“

Kerrku

.”

In the distance, she noticed an orc rising from the horde, holding a staff. It was small, but its presence was unmistakable, even from far away. After all, it was carried by the palanquin. The orc twirled its staff in the air, forming a massive fireball.

Ryu Ja-Young's face, along with those of her comrades, turned pale.

"B-block it!" "How are we supposed to block that?"

The massive fireball, more terrifying than a missile, arced through the sky, heading straight for the main group. It’d be a direct hit if nothing was done.

"Captain!"

All eyes turned to Shin Yoo-Sung. The confident, composed leader was now a shadow of his former self. There were dark circles under his eyes, suggesting his exhaustion. He quickly raised his hand, summoning a barrier in midair. However, it was too thin, far weaker than his usual ones.

"We blocked it!" someone shouted as the fireball struck the barrier.

However, not long after, the barrier shattered like fragile glass. Flames began to break through just as expected.

Crack!

Crackkk—!

"

Argh!

”

Shin Yoo-Sung gritted his teeth, gathering the last of his dwindling mana to reinforce the barrier, but it was no use. The fire was relentless.

However, he couldn’t let them all be incinerated. With trembling arms, he swung outward, twisting the barrier in the air, just enough to deflect the fireball's path.

Boom!

Thankfully, the fireball veered off, missing its intended target. However, it slammed into the forest behind them, instantly setting it ablaze.

Whoosh!

The fire spread rapidly and clearly, it was no ordinary flame.

"Retreat! Retreat right now!” Shin Yoo-Sung ordered swiftly.

However, their escape route was already half-consumed by the raging inferno.

"Oh no..." Ryu Ja-Young’s mouth fell open in horror.

Behind them, a hellish wall of fire surged, while in front, the orcs pressed forward, seizing the moment to attack. Could they really retreat safely in this situation?

Up until now, Shin Yoo-Sung's heroic efforts had kept everyone alive, but his strength had obviously reached its limit, as proven by the barrier from before.

Ryu Ja-Young's heart sank. She realized that if they were to die here, a bottom feeder like her would likely be the first to fall.

"Mom..."

Amidst the chaos of blood, screams, and clashing weapons, she felt death closing in. Her eyes, trembling with fear, lifted almost instinctively. That was when she saw it.

“...What?"

A light, brilliant and radiant as the sun, swallowed the sky above them.

***

"This is...”

A bright light flooded the battlefield, enveloping everything with its radiance. The fatigue that had weighed down their bodies vanished. The minor wounds they had ignored to conserve energy also began to heal.

Even the hellish flames that had threatened to consume them seemed to shrink back, as if confronted by holy sanctuary they dared not violate.

"What is happening?" "Did Hunter Shin Yoo-Sung do something?"

The group buzzed with confusion, turning to look at Shin Yoo-Sung for answers. However, he was just as bewildered, staring blankly up at the sky.

He had seen this light before. This strange, stirring energy that made his heart race was unforgettable. He had encountered it once, back at the Association's headquarters, when he had stumbled upon that small child and her father.

"Could it be... him?" Shin Yoo-Sung muttered to himself.

And there he was, the father, descending from the sky, holding someone in his arms.

This can't be real.

Shin Yoo-Sung thought, shaking his head. Why would that man be here, of all places? Was he so exhausted that he was seeing things? But it was all too real. The light was clearing his mind, banishing any trace of fatigue.

Before he could dwell on it further, Kim Do-Joon landed gracefully on the ground and asked.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-yes," Shin Yoo-Sung replied, still in a daze.

His eyes then shifted to the person in Kim Do-Joon's arms. It was a woman, stunningly beautiful, but that wasn’t what shocked him.

It was the light, the same one that emanated from Kim Do-Joon’s daughter and had driven him to obsession back at the Association. And this woman was radiating with it!

"Who is she?" Shin Yoo-Sung asked, gulping.

Kim Do-Joon shook his head slightly. "Introductions can wait. First, I need you to tell me about those creatures."

Shin Yoo-Sung snapped back to reality. Right, they were still in the middle of a battle with the orcs. The next moment, he quickly explained about the orcs he was battling with.

"They're orcs, but as you can see, they're not ordinary. Those tattoos on their bodies make them stronger. The more tattoos, the stronger they are. One or two tattoos put them around B-rank, but three tattoos... those are A-rank level monsters."

Hmm... those tattoos...

Kim Do-Joon muttered, narrowing his eyes as he observed the markings on the orcs. He wondered what the tattoos do, pondering their significance. Just then, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"They're the Baku tribe," someone said from behind.

It was Elena, who had followed closely behind Kim Do-Joon.

"The Baku tribe?" Kim Do-Joon repeated, more intrigued than surprised by her sudden appearance.

Shin Yoo-Sung, instead of questioning her identity, listened intently.

"They’re a warrior tribe from the Neutral Zone," Elena explained. "They hunt monsters and live under the leadership of a shaman."

"A shaman..."

"Yes, the one who started that fire," Shin Yoo-Sung said, gritting his teeth.

The orc shaman was always at the center of the horde, protected by other orcs. Thanks to its fire-starting abilities, their large-scale offensive had often been thwarted. Today was no different, and the shaman put them in a dire situation.

"But something doesn’t add up," Elena continued, with a puzzled tone.

"What do you mean?" Shin Yoo-Sung asked.

"The Baku Tribe typically resides in the northern part of the Neutral Zone. Why are they here in the south?"

Elena tilted her head, clearly confused, but neither Kim Do-Joon nor Shin Yoo-Sung had any answers for her.

"And another thing—I saw the shaman start that fire, and it struck me as odd. Because normally, shamans can’t create such large flames. It doesn’t make sense."

"What are you saying?" Shin Yoo-Sung asked, his confusion deepening.

"Shamans can barely manage to start a campfire. They shouldn’t be able to create a wildfire of this magnitude,” Elena explained.

The Baku Tribe wasn’t known for their intelligence or technological prowess. Although they were revered among their kind for the shaman’s fire-starting ability, it was usually on a much smaller scale.

At best, they could spark small flames, not hurl massive fireballs as big as a house. Elena narrowed her eyes, disturbed by the unusual phenomena they were witnessing.

Listening to her, something suddenly clicked in Kim Do-Joon’s mind.

The South... and fire.

These were the two oddities Elena pointed out, and they were directly related to his own mission.

"Didn’t you say that the Flame Lord’s domain is located in the southern region?" Kim Do-Joon asked.

“I did, but why does that—

oh

," Elena started, then paused as realization dawned on her.

However, her expression remained tense. Although Kim Do-Joon’s presumption made some sense, she couldn’t fully commit to the idea.

"It’s probably just a coincidence," Elena finally said.

"Why do you think so?" Kim Do-Joon asked.

"The Flame Lord has not been active outside his territory for over three hundred years. Why would he suddenly start moving now?" Elena responded, her voice tinged with doubt.

Kim Do-Joon didn’t argue because when it came to matters of the stem, Elena likely knew more than he did. Still, there was one thing he was certain of.

"We’ll find out when we catch him," Kim Do-Joon said calmly.

If this shaman held any clues about the Flame Lord, it was too important to let him slip away. The next moment, Kim Do-Joon drew his spear, enveloping his body in mana. Despite the blazing fire nearby, not a drop of sweat appeared on his skin, thanks to his Fire Resistance and the icy mana coursing through him.

"Wait a moment!" Shin Yoo-Sung called out, alarmed at Kim Do-Joon’s readiness for battle. "You can’t do this alone. We’ve tried to take out that shaman several times, but we failed every time."

Shin Yoo-Sung warned him, recalling how they had repeatedly attempted—and

failed

—to kill the shaman, even with their best Hunters led by Oh Tae-Jin.

Breaking through a horde of B- and A-rank orcs was no small feat, especially when the strongest ones were stationed near the shaman. Attempting a direct assault was reckless, even more so when their team was already exhausted from the day's battle.

"Besides, the ones near the shaman all have three tattoos. Charging in there is suicide. Let’s retreat, regroup, and plan a new strategy for tomorrow," Shin Yoo-Sung suggested, offering a practical, albeit cautious, alternative.

It was a rational decision. After all, Shin Yoo-Sung thought that Kim Do-Joon likely had more people with him. Furthermore, there was someone capable of such a wide-area healing spell. Shin Yoo-Sung thought that there was no reason to rush. They could recover and launch a more coordinated attack later.

However, Kim Do-Joon shook his head.

"I can’t do that."

He couldn’t afford to let the shaman escape. While the exploration team might be fine as long as they could defeat the orcs, Kim Do-Joon had different priorities. The shaman might possess crucial information about the Flame Lord, which he couldn’t afford to lose.

"Siwelin, I’ll leave this to you," Kim Do-Joon said.

Siwelin nodded firmly with a determined expression. She clasped her hands together, her lips reciting a silent chant. Moments later, a radiant light enveloped Kim Do-Joon, renewing his energy and vigor. It was a blessing, similar to the one she had bestowed when he fought Eldora.

"Sir!" Shin Yoo-Sung grabbed Kim Do-Joon’s arm, desperate to stop him.

Having seen the footage of Kim Do-Joon defeating the elf, Shin Yoo-Sung knew he was skilled. Even then, Kim Do-Joon was still only around the upper A-rank level. While that was impressive, it didn’t make this mission any less dangerous. Even Oh Tae-Jin, the strongest among them, hadn't been able to reach the shaman.

"You can’t go," Shin Yoo-Sung pleaded.

Kim Do-Joon gently pried Shin Yoo-Sung’s hand off his arm.

"It’ll be fine."

Suddenly, cold mana from the ice mana core surged around Kim Do-Joon, spiraling outward in a powerful vortex.

“This is...” Shin Yoo-Sung instinctively stepped back, stunned by the sheer power emanating from Kim Do-Joon.

I knew about Kim Do-Joon’s ability to defeat the elf but...

The difference between watching a video and up close was an entirely different and staggering experience.

Shin Yoo-Sung had thought Kim Do-Joon was only A-rank, but now, he felt like Kim Do-Joon was something more.

Had he been holding back in the video?

Thinking again, he knew that it wasn’t that. The Kim Do-Joon standing before him now was far stronger than before, as if he’d undergone significant growth in a short period of time. In fact, it was thanks to the duels with Jecheon Seong.

Of course, Shin Yoo-Sung didn’t know this. He couldn’t fathom how that was possible.

Kim Do-Joon’s voice cut through Shin Yoo-Sung’s thoughts. "If it’s just about breaking through, I’m confident I can do it."

As he spoke, the wind began to swirl around him, as if responding to his determination.