Min-Hyuk was a veteran with eight years of experience and was ranked seventh among all professional Hunters.
Even if he wasn’t inside a Fissure, he was always on high alert for survival.
Did I really not notice him? he questioned himself, shocked.
It seemed unlikely, but if that was the case and Do-Jun had been a PK, he could have been killed instantly in that very spot. Min-Hyuk looked at Do-Jun with an expression of disbelief.
“Is there any change in the Fissure entry time?” Do-Jun asked.
“We have been ordered to enter in thirty minutes.”
“Thirty minutes should be enough. I need to brief you all before we head inside. Can you gather all the Hunters?”
With that, Do-Jun walked toward the entrance of the Fissure.
With the sun having set, Umyeonsan Mountain was dark enough that one couldn’t see an inch ahead of them.
But one spot was an exception—thanks to the skill called Light, which illuminated the surroundings, the gathering area was bright.
“You’re telling me that person is the commander-in-chief...?”
“Have the higher-ups gone mad?”
“Apparently, it was Chief’s direct fucking order. Fuck.”
Eleven operational teams had lined up with a three-meter gap between each, their leaders standing at the front of their respective teams.
Do-Jun stood alone on the opposite side, scanning the Hunters.
After taking a deep breath, he said, “Attention, everyone.”
In the desolate mountain, Do-Jun’s voice echoed in the Hunters’ ears amidst the occasional sound of the eerie wind.
But it wasn’t like he particularly shouted or raised his voice. In fact, his tone was no different from what he used in everyday speech—nothing more, nothing less.
But why was it that, with just one word telling them to pay attention, all the gathered Hunters felt overwhelmed?
It didn’t seem like he was using any skill.
It was instinct, a defense mechanism that automatically activated when facing a formidable presence.
W-what is this feeling? Kwak Young-Ho, the leader of Team 5, felt a cold sweat forming on his forehead and then noticed that his passive skill, Shout to Survive, had been activated.
It was a B-rank skill that reduced incoming damage by 20% when the user sensed a crisis.
“Thank you for your attention. I will now briefly go over the operation plan. I will hand out some materials, so please listen while you review them. Team leaders, please take copies according to the number of your team members.”
The eleven team leaders stepped forward and took the materials.
“What I’ve just handed out is the map of the Fissure’s interior,” Do-Jun continued.
At those words, everyone was taken aback, not out of surprise but utter disbelief.
The team leaders quickly skimmed through the materials while Do-Jun looked at the screen of his SpacePad and began to speak.
“The operation area is divided into nine zones in total, labeled A-1 to A-9. Upon entering the Fissure, we will step into Zone A-8, as marked on the map. We will then clear the monsters in Zones A-7 and A-9 simultaneously and advance upward. Are there any questions up to this point?”
At that moment, a Hunter from Team 7 raised a hand.
“Go ahead,” Do-Jun said.
“Is there any proof that this is an actual map of the Fissure?” Team 7 Leader asked the question Do-Jun had expected.
Do-Jun shook his head and answered, “Even if there were proof, you probably wouldn’t believe it. Are there any other questions?”
This time, Min-Hyuk spoke up. “Supervisor Lee Do-Jun, you need to answer that question accurately. Where did this map come from, and what proof do you have that it is the map of the S-rank Great Fissure we are about to enter? Whether we believe it or not is for us to decide.” He glared at Do-Jun.
The Hunters waited for his response.
“Civil servants in the Fissure Management Division have access to an application called the Fissure Management System. This app allows access to information on registered Fissures. The information about the S-rank Great Fissure in Umyeonsan Mountain is also stored on this SpacePad I’m holding.”
There wasn’t a single Hunter here who didn’t know about the Fissure Management System used by the Fissure Management Division to document and manage Fissures below the B-rank, which was then posted on the Seoul City Hall website.
But information on an S-rank Great Fissure? Not only did Seoul City Hall lack the authority, but the Fissure in Umyeonsan Mountain had appeared less than a day ago. Under such circumstances, Do-Jun’s words lacked credibility.
“Do you really think we can believe that?” a Hunter shouted, to which Do-Jun replied, “Yes.”
Everyone looked stunned by the brief answer without any supporting evidence. They were at a loss for words.
“I understand that you are all anxious. I know this S-rank Great Fissure, with a reading of over 2,000, is the highest measured Fissure since the Masalis incident three years ago. But your commander-in-chief is a mere civil servant, and the map he just handed out, claiming to be of the Fissure, is just a piece of paper.
“You must feel reluctant to entrust your lives to this uncertain map. I’m also sure that no one here is confident that this operation will succeed. In fact, some of you may have already concluded that we will be wiped out,” Do-Jun said as he glanced at the massive violet Fissure behind him.
He scanned the faces of the hundred-plus people watching him, every single one of their eyes filled with anxiety.
And he looked at the city lights visible behind them. If this operation failed, Seoul would be decimated.
But obviously, that wouldn’t happen.
“Despite this, for the sake of victory, you must put your trust in me.” Do-Jun infused his words with internal energy, giving them weight.
Perhaps because of that, the moment he spoke, people felt goosebumps and shivered involuntarily.
Continuing with that momentum, Do-Jun said, “And the more trust you place in me, the more I will secure victory.”
He checked his watch. There were fifteen minutes left until the Fissure entry. He needed to finish speaking and start the briefing as soon as possible.
Clicking his tongue internally, Do-Jun declared, “I can guarantee everyone’s survival.”
As soon as the eleven operational teams entered the Fissure, the Hunters’ eyes widened upon seeing the desolate expanse stretched endlessly before them.
“Huh...” Min-Hyuk alternated glances between the map in his hand and Do-Jun.
He couldn’t be completely sure yet since they were just at the entrance, but the terrain up to the points visible to the naked eye matched the map exactly.
“As mentioned earlier, Team Alpha, composed of Teams 1 through 5, will take Zone A-7, and Team Beta, composed of Teams 6 through 10, will take Zone A-9. Team 11, which is responsible for supplying materials, will follow Team Alpha. Also, report immediately if anything happens,” Do-Jun instructed everyone.
Zone A-7 was home to ogres, while Zone A-9 had trolls.
Team Alpha, with more A-rank Hunters than Team Beta, was assigned to deal with the ogres, and Team Beta would handle the trolls.
With that, Min-Hyuk ran toward Zone A-7, followed by Team Alpha.
Meanwhile, Team Beta leader Kwak Young-Ho glared at Do-Jun and muttered under his breath, “Don’t screw up.”
He then ran off to Zone A-9, followed by Team Beta.
Min-Ji then approached Do-Jun. “I’m heading out too, Supervisor Lee.”
“Alright, be careful.”
“Thank you,” Min-Ji expressed her gratitude with a bow before running off toward Zone A-9.
Left alone, Do-Jun raised his head and gazed toward the end of the Fissure, where he found a creature standing alone.
The large screen in the Hunter’s Bureau Situation Room was transmitting footage from eleven different feeds.
The screens showed the footage sent from the emergency cams of the team leaders who had entered the S-rank Great Fissure at Umyeonsan Mountain.
The eleven teams had split into two groups, each focusing on hunting ogres and trolls. Young-Chul watched the screens and sighed with relief as ogres were semi-A-rank monsters, and trolls were B-rank.
The teams gathered now consisted of the cream of the crop Hunters of the Bureau, who should be able to deal with trolls with ease. While the ogres might pose a bit more of a challenge, the footage showed them being handled smoothly.
But the person who I just saw on the screen...
It was a familiar face. Young-Chul searched his memory and realized that it was Lee Do-Jun, a civil servant from Seoul City Hall, whom he had met at the National Hunter Academy admission ceremony.
He recalled the moment when the Hunters entered the Fissure.
When Do-Jun pointed west with his finger and mumbled something, the Hunters moved in perfect coordination.
However, since the emergency cams couldn’t capture sound, he had no way of knowing what was said.
I can’t figure out what’s going on here.
As the sword fell, the ogre’s head flew right off.
Min-Hyuk withdrew the mana infused in his sword, then took a thumb-sized stick from his bandolier and placed it in between his lips.
Mana Smoke, a type of mana potion made using mana stones, was an artifact that instantly replenished mana in the body.
Sword Aura, the pinnacle technique of using Infusion to infuse mana into a blade, showed itself as blue energy busting from Min-Hyuk’s sword.
The instant he pushed off the ground toward two ogres, Min-Hyuk’s figure vanished, and the ogres were sliced clean in half.
It was Super Speed, an S-rank skill that greatly enhanced movement speed and attack power. It was also the very skill that made Min-Hyuk the seventh-ranked S-rank Hunter.
“That’s Min-Hyuk for you,” said Lee Jin-Goo, the eighth-ranked S-rank Hunter and leader of Team 3.
Min-Hyuk turned around to see him and asked, “Is everything wrapped up now?”
Looking around, the ground was littered with ogre corpses. Team Alpha had taken down a total of eighty-seven ogres, which was essentially equivalent to an entire A-rank Fissure.
Min-Hyuk picked up his radio and pressed the button.
“This is Team Alpha. Zone A-7 is clear.”
—Good work. Any injuries?
Do-Jun’s voice came through the radio.
—That’s good to hear. Please return to Zone A-8.
Listening to the radio, Lee Jin-Goo clicked his tongue.
“If I were the chief, I would have made you the commander-in-chief. Honestly, you’re the only one who could replace the Sword Emperor. Things are going smoothly now, but... who knows what’ll happen later?” he said with a clear tone of complaint.
The operational teams here had always been under the control of the Sword Emperor, who led the operations from the front with overwhelming force.
And the Hunters, who felt awe for such a commander, followed his orders.
“A leader who fights alongside his men versus one who just gives orders from behind. I honestly prefer the former, and I bet others feel the same way.” Min-Hyuk agreed with that sentiment.
But it was too late to turn back now.
Min-Hyuk looked at the emergency cam hanging around his neck.
Bureau Chief Young-Chul would be watching everything right now, and Min-Ji would also know this fact.
We’ll find out whether your choice was right or not soon enough, he thought.