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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: The Vanguard
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“My name is Jeong Yun-chan.”
The first to speak was Jeong Yun-chan, who was fluent in Japanese.
“It is an honor to meet you.”
After offering a polite greeting to Genji, he slightly turned his head and addressed Japan’s number one hunter, Nuclear Samurai.
“It’s been a while.”
Nuclear Samurai, who had been staring at Jeong Yun-chan with wide eyes, managed to speak, his face still looking dazed.
“I heard the news through the media a while ago that you had miraculously survived…”
It had been reported that he would be focusing solely on treatment and rehabilitation for the time being, as he had not yet recovered from the aftereffects of his return from the Gate.
Because of this, rumors had been circulating that Korea’s S-rank number one hunter, ‘Time Ripper Jeong Yun-chan,’ was in a state where a comeback was effectively impossible…
Upon hearing such reports, Nuclear Samurai couldn't help but feel a deep sense of ‘guilt’ alongside his joy.
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”
At those words, Nuclear Samurai suddenly bowed his head deeply and cautiously continued.
“Back then…”
Just then, Jeong Yun-chan cut him off with a curt “No,” and answered immediately.
“If you are about to apologize for what happened at the New Delhi Gate in India, I want to tell you that I am fine.”
Then he added.
“It was an unavoidable situation, wasn't it?”
Top-tier hunters representing a country often knew each other, and it was common for them to have quite strong bonds.
After all, they were frequently drafted for large-scale projects led by the World Awakener Association, where they fought side-by-side on battlefields that straddled life and death.
The same was true for these two.
They had teamed up several times to suppress various Gates that had occurred around the world.
They had even been on the same team during the subjugation of the apocalypse-grade Gate in New Delhi, India, where Jeong Yun-chan had been left behind.
At that time, Nuclear Samurai, who had slightly more experience in Gate suppression, had taken on the role of team leader and was leading the team members…
‘We must retreat.’
During the chaotic battle, Nuclear Samurai had given the order to withdraw, leaving behind Jeong Yun-chan, who had been separated from the formation.
“I’m sorry…”
To that, Jeong Yun-chan replied again.
“It’s really alright.”
Having said that, Jeong Yun-chan spoke his mind candidly with a faint smile on his lips.
“Honestly, at first, I couldn’t help but resent you, but on second thought, if I had been the team leader, I think I would have made the same decision…”
He couldn’t have risked the entire team for a single member who had not only fallen behind in the chaos of battle but whose survival was also uncertain.
For that reason, Jeong Yun-chan simply considered the retreat order Nuclear Samurai had given at the time to be a perfectly rational decision.
Besides, wasn’t it because he was left behind alone in the Gate that he was able to serve his ‘Master’ and even learn his swordsmanship?
“In any case, for now…”
Jeong Yun-chan got to the point.
“We must resolve the crisis before us.”
Genji, who had been standing silently and listening to their conversation, shook his head a few times as if fed up and muttered.
“They’re all insane…”
As Korea’s number one S-rank hunter, he should have been able to enjoy immeasurable wealth and fame.
That’s how the world was.
Wasn’t this a chaotic era where strength was power, and the strong were destined to enjoy all sorts of riches and glory?
‘Instead of desperately trying to survive and enjoy even one more thing, why on earth…’
How long had it been since he barely escaped a Gate with his life, only to crawl back into a place that could very well become his grave?
As Genji pondered, trying to understand their way of thinking, he let out a smirk.
What was the use in trying to understand these people who would soon become cold corpses at the hands of him and his guild members anyway?
‘If they love playing that pathetic hero game so much, they can do it to their heart’s content after they’ve gone to hell…’
Just then, Jeong Yun-chan brought up the main topic.
“Could you explain the plan?”
Nuclear Samurai nodded once and began by politely asking for their understanding.
“The situation is extremely urgent, so I ask for your understanding that I will explain as briefly as possible.”
He then immediately explained the situation.
“You probably experienced it firsthand on your way here, but support from the allied nations’ hunters is being delayed due to the typhoon raging from the Gate.”
At his words, Jeong Yun-chan and the other Korean S-rank hunters all nodded several times.
In reality, the straight-line distance from Seoul to Shimane Prefecture is only about five hundred kilometers.
Due to the typhoon's influence, it had taken them a full several hours just to travel that short distance.
In such a situation, it was clear that it would take much longer for hunters from other allied nations to arrive.
“However, we’ve determined that we're in a critical situation where a ‘wave phenomenon’ could occur at any moment…”
Jeong Yun-chan, who had been deployed in numerous large-scale Gate suppression operations, cautiously posed a question based on his experience.
“In that case, even if it means taking a risk, wouldn't it be better to send in some forces first to delay the wave phenomenon as much as possible...”
“That’s correct,” Nuclear Samurai replied briefly, then looked over the hunters belonging to the Shogun Guild before adding.
“As you said, we have decided to deploy a vanguard to postpone the wave phenomenon as much as possible.”
“In that case…”
“First, myself and the hunters of the Shogun Guild under my command have been selected as members of the vanguard.”
Finishing his sentence, he said, “Also…,” then glanced at Genji of the Shadows and added.
“The nation’s number three hunter, Genji of the Shadows, who is here with us, and the hunters of the ‘Shadow Corps’ under his command have also volunteered for the vanguard.”
Both the Shogun Guild led by Nuclear Samurai and the Shadow Corps led by Genji of the Shadows were guilds of great renown.
If the Gate they were to deploy to wasn't an apocalypse-grade one, they might have been confident of victory…
“With that number of personnel, I judge that even just buying time will not be easy.”
Since the Gate they were about to attack and suppress was not an ordinary one, but an apocalypse-grade Gate, their numbers seemed insufficient.
At those words, Genji of the Shadows suddenly licked his lower lip slightly and, as if he had been waiting, abruptly asked a question.
“By any chance, the hunters from Korea…”
After a moment’s thought, Jeong Yun-chan looked at the other Korean hunters who were not yet aware of the conversation and answered in a low voice.
“I’ll have to gather everyone’s opinions to give you a definite answer, but if I were to state my own intention first…”
A moment of silence passed.
“For now, if you’ll allow it, I would like to join the ‘vanguard’ and lend what little strength I can.”
If they were to hesitate and wait for reinforcements, and a monster wave actually occurred?
It would only be a matter of time before the resulting secondary damage spread to Korea.
Someone had to take the risk, and Jeong Yun-chan had no hesitation about being that ‘someone.’
“Could you share your opinions?”
After briefly translating the conversation, Jeong Yun-chan immediately asked for the Korean hunters' intentions…
“I'll go too.”
Go Du-yeol, the first to answer, pounded his seemingly bursting chest with a rough “Thump! Thump!” and added in his characteristic belligerent tone.
“Showing the disgraceful sight of getting scared in advance like a coward is something I’ll only do once…”
When the apocalypse-grade Gate had appeared in Insadong, Seoul, Go Du-yeol had been completely overwhelmed by its presence, frozen in place.
Hadn't he repeated intense training in the training room set up within the guild headquarters to ensure he never made such a mistake again?
“Like a real man, it’s straight ahead only…”
Starting with Go Du-yeol, the other hunters also expressed their intention to volunteer for the vanguard one after another…
Just then, Nuclear Samurai interjected with a serious face, trying to dissuade the Korean hunters.
“This is not a decision to be made rashly.”
He then immediately picked up the remote control on the coffee table and pressed a button.
A beam projector then cast a bright light onto one of the walls, and a video began to play.
It was none other than a video that fully captured the abnormal behavior of the miraculously returned ‘Minami the Ghost.’
“The boss monster of the apocalypse-grade Gate is presumed to possess not only overwhelming power but also ‘intelligence’.”
However, the Korean S-rank hunters all remained impassive, showing no signs of surprise.
It was because they had already encountered an intelligent boss monster once before inside the apocalypse-grade Gate in New Delhi, India.
However…
When Minami the Ghost suddenly spoke in a voice that wasn't her own, telling them to find someone, they all flinched in surprise.
“Where is ■■■…?”
Although the ‘subject’ of her words was garbled as if there were static, making it impossible to identify…
A similar phenomenon had occurred when ‘Hela,’ the boss monster of the apocalypse-grade Gate in New Delhi, had called for Kang-jun.
“I-It was definitely like this last time too…”
As Seol Eun-bin spoke in a hushed voice, Kang Seong-hyeon immediately shushed her with a soft, “Shh,” silencing her.
“I have no intention of showing my face.”
Recalling Kang-jun’s attitude, who for some reason seemed extremely reluctant to reveal himself to the world, he had taken immediate action.
On the other hand, Nuclear Samurai, who assumed the Korean S-rank hunters had started exchanging glances because they were scared, asked.
“You will have to be prepared for death.”
To that, Jeong Yun-chan answered immediately.
“No problem.”
If the one the boss monster of the apocalypse-grade Gate that suddenly appeared in Oda City, Shimane Prefecture, was looking for was indeed Kang-jun…
‘Perhaps he might be on his way here right now…’
Nuclear Samurai, who had intended to reconfirm their intentions, clamped his mouth shut as if silenced by the resolute answer…
“Then, without delay…”
He got to the main point.
“Let’s enter immediately.”
The time had come to move, to do what someone had to do.
Because the fierce typhoon showed no signs of stopping, the subjugation team faced difficulties right from the entry stage.
Just then, Seol Eun-bin let out a long breath, “Hoo…,” looked around at everyone, and spoke in a rather serious tone.
“I'll make a path.”
She immediately drew up her mana to its fullest and, without warning, plunged both her hands deep into the seawater!
“Absolute Zero!”
The moment she chanted the magic incantation, a continuous “Crack, craaack…” sound echoed as the seawater instantly froze over.
In an instant, she had frozen the seawater to create a narrow ice path just wide enough for one person to pass, and she said with difficulty.
“I can't maintain it for long, so you have to cross quickly…”
The ice path she created started from the coast northwest of Oda City and stretched all the way to the Gate, several kilometers away.
Just as the Japanese hunters were exclaiming in admiration, unable to hide their surprise at the spectacle she had created in an instant.
Go Du-yeol, noticing her instantly pale complexion, clicked his tongue, “Tsk,” and spoke in a chiding tone.
“Kid, you’d better stay here.”
“No, I'll go with you and be of some help…”
“You’re already showing clear signs of exhaustion, what are you talking about?”
As Go Du-yeol said, Seol Eun-bin was already showing signs of ‘mana overload,’ which often appears after using a large amount of mana in a short time.
The capillaries on her face had long since burst, and she was trembling like a leaf in the wind, as if suffering from chills.
Because seawater contains salt, its freezing point is much lower, requiring more mana to freeze, and…
The sheer volume of seawater she had frozen in an instant had already nearly depleted her mana.
“B-But…”
As she tried to protest again, this time Jeong Yun-chan interjected and once again advised Seol Eun-bin to stay here.
“Stay here.”
Then he added in a serious tone.
“If you’ve used almost all your mana to create the ‘ice path’ by freezing the seawater, it will surely require a significant amount of mana to maintain it.”
“I can go…”
“You know full well that entering the Gate with depleted mana won't be of much help to the vanguard’s strength, don't you?”
At those words, Seol Eun-bin hesitated, unable to answer readily, her lips just twitching.
“Your mission is to stay here and maintain the ice path so it doesn't melt until the entire ‘vanguard’ has entered the Gate.”
When Seol Eun-bin reluctantly nodded and replied, “Okay…,” Jeong Yun-chan immediately turned to Nuclear Samurai and said.
“We don't know when the ice path will melt, so it would be best to move as quickly as possible.”
Thus, all the hunters who had volunteered for the first subjugation team began to walk diligently along the ice path created by Seol Eun-bin.
One by one, the hunters at the front of the line vanished into the apocalypse-grade Gate…
After confirming that the vanguard hunters had safely entered the Gate, Seol Eun-bin let out a deep breath and gathered her mana.
“Left behind before it even starts…”
She then looked at the Gate situated far out at sea and muttered in a tone thick with disappointment and worry.
“I hope everyone is safe…”
Just then, not only many of the Japanese hunters stationed near the emergency response committee’s headquarters but also the staff from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications began to stir.
“After the hunters selected for the vanguard entered the apocalypse-grade Gate, the Gate’s ‘mana value’ is actually rising-!”
At those words, Minister of Internal Affairs Taketa’s eyes widened, and he asked back in a voice trembling uncontrollably.
“W-Why…?”
The mana value was a term referring to the total amount of mana being emitted from a Gate, and it was also the standard for classifying a Gate's danger level.
Usually, as hunters entered and defeated the monsters inside, the mana value would gradually decrease…
But for some reason, the illogical event of the apocalypse-grade Gate’s ‘mana value’ actually rising was occurring.
“My goodness…”
Indeed, the numbers displayed on the Gate’s mana measurement device were rising at an uncontrollable speed…
Simultaneously, a “Ruuuumble-!” sound echoed from the sky, as lightning struck randomly and the wind and rain grew even more violent.
Seol Eun-bin bit her innocent lower lip and muttered as she looked at the apocalypse-grade Gate in the distance.
“What in the world is happening…”
Just then, a Ministry staff member approached her and shouted in an extremely urgent tone.
“Signs of a *tsunami* have been detected! You must evacuate immediately!”
Nodding dazedly, she finally began to move away reluctantly.
Although she couldn't fathom what was going on…
She could sense that the situation was heading in a completely unexpected direction.
Just then.
A solar eclipse suddenly occurred.
The area was engulfed in darkness…
Everyone looked up at the sky.
“What is this now…”
What blocked the sun, which had been casting a faint light through the dark clouds, was not the moon.
Therefore, it was not a solar eclipse.
What suddenly blocked the sun was a single, massive warship of immeasurable size.
“That person…”
Seol Eun-bin, who recognized the warship’s silhouette from a distance where only its shape was barely discernible, muttered softly enough for only herself to hear.
“It’s that person’s warship…”
Kang-jun’s warship, the ‘Naglfar,’ which she had witnessed once before, was advancing toward the apocalypse-grade Gate, piercing through the storm.
