Side Story 3

The combat support team had established a command post some distance from the gate to assist with the operation.

Rommel approached them.

The members of the combat support team who knew Choi Hansung greeted him.

"Mr. Rommel? What brings you here...?"

"I saw the setup as I was driving by, so I thought I’d check in."

"I’d expect no less from you, Mr. Rommel."

The combat support team seemed to think that Rommel was here out of a sense of duty or even compassion. Rommel just shrugged his shoulders.

"Who's in the operation area?"

"Team 'Harmattan' and 'Goguryeo'. Hunters Kim Hyung-Chul and Park Ki-Yoon are taking the lead."

"What's the class?"

"It’s an Ogre-class..."

"What?"

"There’s only one."

"Did you say Ogre-class?"

"Y-yes. The gate suddenly expanded out of nowhere..."

"That is above those Hunters’ pay grade."

"They've developed a lot over time, and they said they can handle it if it’s just one."

"Still, you should have contacted me or 'White Knight' first."

"They said there was no need to..."

He got the gist of what was happening.

Hunting monsters was their duty, but it was also a job that came with guaranteed financial benefits. A tremendous reward was given for hunting monsters of each class.

Especially since the United States, which was always sensitive when it came to security, began recruiting Hunter personnel indiscriminately. Because of that the South Korean government had to promise their Hunters a salary not less than what the US was paying to prevent a mass loss of manpower.

And Ogre-class was considered a top class.

They wouldn't have wanted to lose the glory to Choi Hansung.

He sighed.

"I’m going to spectate for now."

"That's..."

"I'll only jump in if it gets dangerous. You can leave my name out. This is about the safety of the people, is it not?"

"You’re right. Thank you."

Choi Hansung sighed as he turned around.

He was startled after he saw again the four-man group from Elder Lord that was standing behind him.

The government agent looked at Choi Hansung.

"Who are these people...?"

They were strangers he had never seen before. Plus, one was short, one had long ears, and one was wearing an abnormally huge hood. Hunters often had unique appearances, but this was beyond that usual unusualness.

"Hehehe... I can already see what’s happening.”

Tiyo smirked.

"Those weak but greedy men are going to get themselves in trouble."

"Ah, they'll manage somehow," Anor commented.

"Hmm..."

Tashaquil spoke.

"From what I can sense, the enemy’s aura feels bigger... I think we’ll have to go help. If we leave them be, it’s probably going to end in annihilation."

It was what Tashaquil, one of the strongest shamans of Elder Lord, believed.

If that was his reading of the situation, that was exactly how it was going to unfold.

"We better hurry," he urged Choi Hansung.

"Understood."

When Choi Hansung politely responded, the expressions of the government agents changed.

The four mysterious figures could be a famous Hunter team from abroad.

"We'll enter with the van we came in."

"Oh, okay."

It was a van borrowed from the combat support team in the first place. It was fortified for combat entry.

They took the road and entered deeper into the city.

It was the center of a bustling area. Clothing stores, restaurants, and bars lined the roads on both sides.

Unlike the usual scenery, not a single person was on the streets.

They drove through the deserted city.

It was a scene familiar to Hunters.

"There’s no one around," Tiyo pointed out.

"Everyone's been evacuated," Choi Hansung explained.

"The system is well established. This place is amazing. It’s far ahead of our world," Tashaquil marveled.

They were able to reach the battle scene without trouble.

Choi Hansung recognized the monster. It was an otherworldly creature of Ogre-class, a 'Gramas'. It was a bipedal beast with four arms and a body covered in black slime.

Every time Gramas opened its mouth and screeched, a deafening wave made the Hunters lose their balance. One Hunter was injured and left the frontline.

The Hunters fighting under Harmattan and Goguryeo tried their best, but their attacks couldn’t deliver any damage to the Gramas at all.

Gramas then turned its attention to the rear of the formation.

There, wizards endlessly firing flames and lightning were stationed.

"Shit."

Choi Hansung groaned and floored the gas pedal.

That was exactly what he was worried about.

Gramas let out a deep, thunderous roar. As the wave hit, the Hunters' knees buckled, and they all lost their balance, collapsing to the ground.

As soon as the melee classes lost their ability to resist, Gramas charged toward the rear.

Its four arms, dripping with slime, swung toward the mages and archers.

"Aaaaaaah!"

"Gaaaaaah!"

Monsters were not foolish. They were rather clever. They possessed something akin to intelligence.

Choi Hansung, who had faced them countless times, knew this all too well.

That was what made them even more terrifying.

Gramas thought it would be best to first eliminate those hiding in the back while shooting painful attacks. Its judgment was absolutely spot on, and it became a moment of crisis for the Hunters.

The Hunters in the rear were about to be wiped out.

At that moment a majestic voice shook the ground, "The earth is a cradle. The earth is a tomb. Both the living and the dead lie beneath the sky!"

Just as Gramas was about to reach the Hunters, the ground surged up. Asphalt and concrete rose like a tidal wave, engulfing Gramas. Unable to continue its charge, Gramas was knocked to the ground after being struck by the obstacles.

"Keeeeeer... Keerrrrk..."

"Even the groan of that ugly thing sounds like a burp."

Tashaquil chuckled and waved his staff.

Choi Hansung's expression brightened.

Right…Gramas was an Ogre-class, a mere Ogre-class.

Users might have struggled against ogres in Elder Lord, but those four were legendary beings who had stood against gods alongside Crockta.

Just like Jung Yi-An, they would prevail even against the Dragon-class monsters.

Choi Hansung shouted.

"This is Choi Hansung. I’m supporting."

The expressions of the Hunters changed tremendously. A mix of relief and embarrassment was seen on their faces.

Soon, the Hunters' gazes shifted toward the four-man group standing behind Choi Hansung. They were curious about those who had come with him.

They were not the usual Hunters of Team Rommel.

"I'll finish this off."

Tiyo stepped forward.

He somehow had a cigarette in his mouth.

"...?"

A short man who had appeared out of nowhere. At first glance, he seemed unimpressive.

Moreover, he was unarmed and alone.

What could he possibly do against this Gramas monster, all by himself?

The Hunters' eyes were filled with doubt, but Tiyo didn't care.

"I've gained enlightenment through all the hardships I've had to endure to get here."

With the cigarette smoke seeping out of his mouth, Tiyo pulled something out of his pocket. It was a stick. The stick then emitted light and began to transform into a new shape.

More precisely, it transformed into his prided dragon-killing weapon, the General!

Tiyo had spent a long time mastering it, exploring its ultimate form, which had now borne fruit.

The final form of General that Tiyo had devised was finally revealed.

Amid the bleak cigarette smoke it had turned into a pair of pistols.

Tiyo slowly twisted his wrist.

He slanted the pair of pistols.

"Die."

He then walked forward, firing relentlessly.

His steps were leisurely.

To the Hunters watching him at that moment, it seemed as if background music was playing from a far-off place. Over the sound of gunfire, a lonely melody that stirred the pure heart of a man was being overlaid.

The Hunters felt a sense of melancholy. How much pain and parting had this man with the guns endured? Were men destined to be alone?

"Brother Chow Yun-fat...?" Someone murmured in disbelief.

Tiyo's gunfire was merciless.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Keeeeer... Keerrrrk!"

Gramas could no longer withstand Tiyo's assault and died.

Tiyo walked over to its corpse, looked down with cold eyes, and fired a few more shots to confirm the kill.

"...!"

What an overwhelming brute force!

The Hunters thought to themselves.

This seemingly small man was in fact a hero.

They were just not aware of Tiyo's true nature.

Tiyo, exhaling cigarette smoke, spun the twin pistols in his hands and tucked them back into his pockets.

Choi Hansung, who had silently walked over to Tiyo, handed something to him.

"What's this...?"

"I thought it might suit you... I brought it without even realizing."

It was a pair of sunglasses; the pair Choi Hansung had used for driving.

"I don’t really know what it is, but I like it."

Tiyo nodded and put them on.

The moment the Ray-Ban-style sunglasses got on Tiyo's face, his swag was complete.

* * *

The Benghazi Reclaiming Operation was not easy.

The lair-ification had already progressed severely.

Lair-ification meant that the area had become a domain of monsters, where the monsters bred, increasing their numbers even after their gate closed. From the very onset of the city, plants and monsters that the Hunters had never seen before attacked them.

"Everyone, follow me slowly. I will open up a way from the front."

Yi-An took the lead to minimize human casualties.

As he cleared the way and eliminated the monsters, the hunters would set up camp in the secured areas, reclaiming human territories.

The hunters following him were basically just infantry occupying the land. Their sole strike against the enemy was Jung Yi-An, their strategic weapon.

"Be careful."

From the entrance, Ogre-class monsters poured out.

The Hunters did not panic. Libya had thoroughly prepared for the reclamation of Benghazi, and the rough location and distribution of monsters had already been communicated.

Beyond the Ogre-class monsters were the Cyclops-class, and at the core, the Dragon-class monster, 'Parthenon,' would be there.

The Ogre-class monsters were just the beginning.

"So that’s Raven!"

The Hunters were then able to witness a truly marvelous scene.

It was a new class of combat that flipped everything they knew upside down. They realized that what Raven was displaying was not something that could be learned or mimicked by watching it.

He slayed.

He killed.

That was all there was to it.

It was so repetitive and monotonous that it was almost boring. Dodge the enemy's attack and behead them. Counter the ambush and kill.

If the monsters don't come, go to them and kill them.

With each slash, a life was taken.

It was less like the swordplay of a warrior and more like the mechanical slicing of a chef preparing ingredients on a cutting board.

And that meant, they’re no match for him.

The Ogre-class monsters were nothing more than well-prepared ingredients to him. Their job was to shoot arrows at the backs of monsters fleeing in terror and finish off the monsters that lost their composure and attacked them.

"Is it true that Raven is Crockta?"

"Actually?"

"Apparently it’s pretty widely known already."

"Enough with the chitchat, just kill the monsters."

"Should we ask him later?"

They were also the finest Hunters gathered from various places. They could eliminate the demoralized Ogres through cooperative attacks.

"Keep your distance as you follow from here on."

"Understood!"

Soon, they reached the innermost parts of the lair-ified area.

The cityscape had completely transformed into a different world's environment. Even the vines climbing the buildings emitted a foul odor and stretched their tentacles toward them. The ground was melted and sticky.

The entire land stretched and grabbed at their steps like a swamp.

This was a place one would never wish to battle in under normal circumstances.

But humanity had lost the city and had to reclaim it. It wasn't about defense; it was a siege. They had to advance into the enemy's home ground.

Through Australia, all of humanity witnessed what happens when a lair-ified land was left alone. They had to launch several nuclear bombs to completely burn down the area around New South Wales, where Sydney was located.

"…Hold."

"Sorry?"

Right after Yi-An called for a standby, a giant maw burst from the ground.

"W-what is that!"

"It's a Black Worm. Handle it defensively. I'll take care of it."

It was a Cyclops-class monster, 'Black Worm'. It was a subterranean monster found only in lair-ified lands. It hid beneath the soil of another world and suddenly emerged to attack enemies when it sensed their vibrations.

Despite technically being a Cylops-class, it was tricky to handle, and its destructive power was actually rated above the Cyclops-class.

"Step back!"

But the Hunters gathered here were not just the average ones. Before the Black Worm's maw could engulf the flank of the Hunters’ formation, a wall of lightning floated in the air and blocked the Black Worm's assault.

The Black Worm hit its head against the wall and was electrocuted, twisting its body in midair. It was magic.

"Nice!"

Such quick spellcasting was hard to find anywhere in the world. There was a rumor of a top-ranked wizard from the Elder Lord days being based in Northern Africa, and it seemed he had arrived.

Yi-An immediately pursued the Black Worm. It was trying to bury its head back into the ground to hide. Just before the creature disappeared, Yi-An's grip caught its tail.

"…!"

The Black Worm struggled, but Yi-An did not budge. He tightened his grip and started pulling it up slowly.

Unreal strength!

Despite his human body, he fully retained the strength of the Orc warrior, Crockta.

His grip, having reached the God’s Power beyond the World-Engulfing Mountain Wrenching Strength, did not let the Black Worm escape. Soon, the Black Worm was dragged above ground by its tail.

Yi-An swung his greatsword, chopping the Black Worm into pieces.

It was a straightforward and brutish style of fighting, unbefitting his slender figure.

"He really is Crockta."

"It seems like it. He’s just like in the videos."

"I was able to return because of Crockta..."

"Which Hunter wasn’t?"

"I should get his autograph."

The Hunters murmured among themselves.

What they had seen was the very image of Crockta, the orc warrior who once thrilled people all around the world.

Yi-An signaled, covered in the blood and viscous fluids of the Black Worm, along with the thick soil of another world, for them to advance.

The Hunters followed him.

Monsters that had never been seen before emerged. There were casualties. However, there was enough personnel, so the injured were quickly replaced.

As they cleared their way through the Cyclops-class monsters, they soon faced a dark cave.

It was terrain that wasn’t there before.

Originally, it was the Benghazi city hall building. However, after being contaminated and reshaped by the other world, it had transformed into the form of a massive cavern.

They spotted two glowing eyes floating high above in the lurking darkness.

The Dragon-class monster 'Parthenon' rose to its full height and covered the sun.