《SSS-Class Summoner》 Chapter 1 Coincidence or Necessity (1) Environmental destruction, war, limited resources: humanity has always lived with these problems. Now though, these problems reached a turning point. An unimaginable disaster ravaged humanity. Gates suddenly opened in unexpected places, and scores of apocalyptic monsters were rushing out of them. Modern firearms couldn¡¯t hurt these monsters. At first, in an effort to catch the smallest of these monsters, billions of missiles were launched. The only way to close the gateways was to wait for them to spit out all of the evil monsters, exhausting what appeared to be the gates¡¯ supply of the creatures. The problem was that even if some of these gates vanished, more would appear just to replace them. All over the world, this was happening. All over the world, humans were trying but failing to stop the cataclysmic tragedy brought about by these treacherous monsters. Humanity was devastated; cities were left empty, destroyed. But out of dark despair, there came the glimmer of hope. When the gates opened, a small group of people found themselves blessed with new abilities. Known as awakeners, these people had power and stamina far beyond human limits. Some of them even received unique abilities. This group, known as ¡°The Awakened,¡± defeated the monsters using their special powers and newfound instincts. They vanquished the invading savage monstrosities ¡ª conquering the creatures who were otherwise immune to humanity¡¯s intervention. After the appearance of the first gate, there came a time of mass confusion while the Awakened put the Great War policy in place. Once the disaster was subdued, and a semblance of normality returned to the world, the catastrophe created an opportunity. Ether, the monsters¡¯ nuclei, a potent energy source, boasted an overwhelming efficiency compared to any modern terrestrial resource. With the advent of ether, the price of oil plummeted, and human technology took great advantage of this newly acquired efficiency. Many new technologies using the new ether were developed, making it easier to deal with monsters, even without the Awakened¡¯s assistance. In developing countries, where civil war and wars between nations prevailed, whose governments were constantly engaged in fighting off monsters, the battles between humans stopped and disappeared as people put aside their differences to recognize the common enemy. It was in this massively altered world that the Awakeners became the main figureheads of society. The number of Awakened that a nation could lay claim to had a direct impact on that country¡¯s national power. In Korea alone, the number of Awakened compared to the number of people was very much noticeable. Korea¡¯s status was unparalleled. Its standing in the international community was higher than any other nation, and it quickly became the most influential country in the world. All over the world, the often-asked question was why the Korean Awakeners were greater in number and could boast superior abilities to other nations. People speculated that the first gate was linked to Seoul in some way. Awakeners had saved many lives, and this, coupled with their extraordinary powers, led to them quickly becoming prominent in modern society. It was not long before Awakeners started to appear on TV far more regularly than celebrities and politicians. But the interest in the very highest-level Awakeners was far greater than that. Being a top-ranking Awakener lead to wealth, honor, and power. Everyone knew that. Probably everyone has dreamed of being an Awakener at least once. And when I was 20, I felt that feeling for a while. * * * ¡°You said it was SSS rank.¡± ¡°Really? Surely you¡¯re mistaken!¡± Kang Il-hyun, speaking to a government official, found himself taken aback by this revelation. He stood up. The grade of intellect was SSS. He had never heard of a grade being that high before. However, the blurry-eyed female official shook her hand as if she was bored. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a machine error. Sometimes when I test it against the general public it doesn¡¯t give the right rank or ability.¡± As if this wasn¡¯t the first time, the civil servant spoke, her voice taking on the tone of vocational wisdom. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you come back next week and retest, but you haven¡¯t had any other results yet. If you were really Awakened, your results would have been right.¡± She held out the paper towards Il-hyun. ¡°Arghh, yes¡­ Thank you.¡± Il-hyun, momentarily ashamed of his dashed expectations, quickly took the inspection paper and left the building, unable to conceal disappointment from showing on his face. The taunts of the people waiting behind him burnt into the back of his head. This occasional Awakening machine error was notorious and had become an in-joke among testers. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s a triple S. It¡¯s not something to laugh about¡­¡± Il-hyun, now standing in front of the pedestrian crossing, sighed deeply. There was an aura of despair about his person. The rank of the ability itself and the rank of the Awakener was not always proportional. Still, even a single A-rank ability had the potential to make someone a celebrity. But it wasn¡¯t S, it was SSS, so it was even more ridiculous. He read the letters on the test paper to shake off his regrets. Category-Awakening . . . SSS Rank: [Summon], [Predation], [Transform] When his eyes caught his instincts list, Il-hyun laughed at himself and threw the test paper into the trash. * * * People started to evacuate. In the middle of Seoul, gates had appeared, and special police officers blocked the surrounding streets and attempted to widen these black cracks. The authorities took control of a large area surrounding the B2-rank gate. The cordon spanned many kilometres, effectively causing a mass exodus of the city. The B2 was a high-rank gate that first starting appearing in Korea only very recently. Two of the world¡¯s leading A-class Awakened gathered, and there were over ten B-class Awakened to back them up. All of them wore black coats that fluttered in the wind. These black coats were a symbol of the Awakened, along with the swords that they kept sheathed on their waists. This wasn¡¯t a mere uniform: the black coat was designed for its defensive capabilities. The ether sword was made by processing ether from monsters ¡ª ether that could now be used against them. The Awakenings were cheered on by surrounding citizens as they crossed over the gates. Not long after they entered, hordes of almost human-sized worms started to pour out of the gates. A fierce battle ensued between the monsters and the Awakened. Shrieking screams and wild wailings echoed over the barricades. Helicopters joined the fray, firing at the monsters from afar. These sensational scenes of war were broadcast all over the country. ¡°It¡¯s great.¡± Il-hyun was sipping coffee in a cafe and staring at a scene on TV. ¡°Once I thought I was capable¡­¡± Il-hyun said sourly, his voice trailing off weakly. He did have a small ability from the past. He could move small particles without touching them. On sandy beaches he was able to shift the shape of the sand. Thanks to this discovery, he thought he had awakened some kind of kinetic force. But that was all¡ªthere was no further development. Even though he had not tested optimally for a great Awakener, there was no reason why he couldn¡¯t use his ability at some point. Il-hyun didn¡¯t have a strong body, and this was partly why his abilities were as limited as they were. It was an occasional occurrence among the general public. If you have feeble abilities from a young age, there is absolutely no possibility of development. You couldn¡¯t escape that fate even after the Awakening occurred. When he was 20, he was tested for Awakening by the state, but now a machine error had caused him only ridicule. ¡°I thought I had some intellect.¡± Il-hyun put his hand on the sugar powder and focused his mind. The powder moved in slow motion to form a small circle. The ability was still there, but it was still really useless, a skill that couldn¡¯t help anyone. He was living an ordinary life, far from exceptional, his job small and insignificant: a manager¡¯s assistant for a small company. He was twenty-six. He was lucky conscription had been scrapped after the Awakening. ¡°Yes, it wasn¡¯t a fuss because I had a gate in my uncle¡¯s apartment,¡± said the clerk, who was sitting across the street and looking at the screen, clapping her hands. ¡°What?! Really?¡± Her female colleague¡¯s face smacked of incredulity. The woman nodded vigorously. ¡°I mean it. My cousin took an authentication shot next to the gate and posted it on SNS.¡± ¡°There really is no fear in the world.¡± ¡°The monsters never appear right away anyway. In time, there¡¯ll be no need to worry about the Awakened people having to come and deal with them. My uncle¡¯s house was destroyed, but we were entitled to compensation, so I thought about moving.¡± ¡°Yeah, the old building owners wanted to open a gate¡­ buildings now though, they aren¡¯t built with any particular attention to detail. Even if you don¡¯t want to pay much for a home though, you still need to save because of the high cost of mandatory insurance.¡± Il-hyun, who was listening to the two talkers, said. ¡°Are you still worried? The cycle will be back soon.¡± It was a peaceful time worldwide. Gate generation was down, and so there weren¡¯t that many monsters. The reason was simple. There was a cycle in the gates that seemed to follow a schedule. The cycle repeated every five years, and the number of gates depended on the current time within the schedule. This year was the beginning of the five-year gate cycle. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen monsters.¡± ¡°Awakening was five years ago, and we had no problem then. But I wish I could see the monsters at least once.¡± ¡°Yeah, same.¡± Il-hyun stared at his watch as the two female workers laughed and chatted away. ¡°Lunch is almost over.¡± ¡°Oh, remember to drop by a high-ranking convenience store¡­¡± The two of them talked behind Il-hyun. * * * Tiddididick. Tiddididick. The alarm clock sounded in Il-hyun¡¯s ears. He frowned and sat up in bed. ¡°Tsk tsk.¡± Il-hyun rubbed his eyes and turned off the clock alarm. He had woken up at his regular time, and now prepared himself to go to work as always. He dressed, then decided that for his breakfast, he¡¯d finish the leftover food from yesterday. While he waited for the food to heat up, he brushed his hair. He left his house and got on the subway. These were all free to use now ¡ª ether had virtually eliminated the running costs. He scored himself an empty seat. Then he looked at his cell phone. He read a news article about more gates opening. Some of the Awakened had been injured. ¡®Awakened people suffer, too¡¯ Il-hyun realized. The gates opened without any outside help, so there were a high number of Awakened people and police waiting at night to deal with the situation. For larger countries such as Russia, with wide expanses of uninhabited land, they only managed to control the gates with massive expenditure on security forces. ¡°Wait¡­ Is this near the company?¡± Surprised, Il-hyun stopped. ¡°Are there any problems with the family?¡± Il-hyun was overhearing an interesting conversation, but before he could fully process its meaning, a subway announcement came up over the loudspeaker. [We will guide the passengers. Due to the gate opening near Cheongseong Station on Line 11, we will pass the controlled Cheongseong and Gudo Stations without stopping.] ¡°Argh.¡± Il-hyun¡¯s face screwed up in frustration. Chapter 2 Coincidence or Inevitability (2) Il-hyun got off at a station in Cheongseong. The areas surrounding the station were completely under control since 4 am in the morning due to the D4-class gate that occurred near the station. Of course, since the area was controlled, the road to the company was blocked. It¡¯s a big deal. If I¡¯m late, my boss is going to be completely upset. Il-hyun, who has never been late, sighed deeply. It¡¯s my fault for not studying properly. My job is really stressful and boring. He wanted to write a resignation letter right now, but it was impossible. No fussing, I have to find the way. If he takes a taxi from here, the control will just block the car and ask them to go around. Then, the only way left is to break through. He swiped through his phone to check the control area. It was something he wouldn¡¯t normally think of, but it wasn¡¯t that much dangerous either. The monster at the gate that appeared had already been taken care of by the Awakeners, and Il-Hyun was waiting for the staff to finish up. Okay, let¡¯s go in. Out of the station, Il-Hyun entered a control area that was poorly blocked by access tapes. There were no people around. The empty roads and buildings are in a dilapidated condition due to the battle, creating a gloomy atmosphere. But it wasn¡¯t that scary because it was daytime, and the sun is shining. Il-hyun hummed as he walked alone on the quiet street. Wow¡­ Is this how a monster body looks like? Several corpses of wild dog monsters that have not yet been removed were dumped in a rough pile at the street corners. The control team seemed to have completed the primary field treatment, and all the ether in the monsters¡¯ bodies had been recovered. If ether, the most important resource, remained, the control team would still have been there until the last of it is taken. However, Il-hyun felt an unusual aura. He followed his instincts and it led him to something¡­ a corpse in the corner. He stood in front of the body, staring blankly at it for a moment. Then, without hesitation, Il-hyun boldly put his hand toward a bright light that laid inside the monster¡¯s open belly. Ughh¡­ The unpleasant smell and feel of the corpse nauseated him, yet it didn¡¯t stop him. A cube-shaped nucleus emitting bright light leaked out of his right hand as he retrieved his hand from the monster¡¯s gut. It was surely a mistake. It was not impossible that the squad had in their haste left one of the monster¡¯s ether cores intact. Is this an unprocessed ether stone? It¡¯s my first time¡­ Il-hyun was fascinated and looked at the beautiful form overflowing with light. Even the weakest monster¡¯s ether core cost millions of won. Although he has one in his hands right now, taking it away, of course, is a serious theft. But Il-hyun is not thinking about that, at least not yet. The ether had certainly enchanted him. His thoughts became obvious when the words came out of his mouth. ¡°Looks delicious¡­¡± Surprised by his own words, he took a step back and did a quick look-around, trying to see if there¡¯s anyone who may have heard or seen him. ¡°Oh no, what am I talking about.¡± He returned his gaze at the glowing ether on his hand. At the back of his mind, the right decision has formed: drop the ether, and leave. However, a part of him strongly rejects this thought. Meanwhile, he is beginning to lose control, and his hand holding the ether began to tremble. ¡°Just a bite¡­okay?¡±, Il-hyun murmured. Meanwhile, the strength of the grip was getting stronger. Wow! The cube slowly began to crack, and the ether core shattered. It could never be broken by physical force. The core broke out like a piece of glass. And the bright white light that was in it appeared so savory that Il-hyun had to eat it. ¡°Hoo, it¡¯s delicious.¡± Il-hyun said, running his tongue over his lips. The power of predation, which had been hidden in him, has finally been awakened. * * * Tadadak! Il-hyun, who ate the ether, quickly left the control site. He continued to run hurriedly and without caution. He drew in a good breath and then jumped into their company building. When Il-hyun entered the office, his boss noticed and simply shook his head. Il-hyun, who would normally have his head bitten off, chuckled, sat down, then began to organize his desk. ¡°Il-hyun¡­? What are you doing?¡± ¡°Thanks for everything. Don¡¯t mind me.¡± He uttered, his voice filled with exhilaration. He began to write something hard, and gave it to his boss. When his boss peeked at what he has written, his eyes opened wide with surprise. ¡°Did you win the lottery?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even compare it.¡± Il-hyun smiled and shouted from the chair. ¡°Choi Choi! Resign!¡± * * * ¡°Jungcha!¡± Il-hyun dropped the baggage from the company on the floor. It felt as if a huge weight has been lifted off his chest, and it seems like he was light, so light, that he was going to fly off. ¡°I feel like ten years has been added to my age due to stress.¡± He raised his arms and shouted. ¡°I am now an Awakener!¡± Il-hyun raised his arms and shouted. It was said that if you are an awakener, you will know instinctively. And now, he understood the words properly. He pointed to the wall of his room and slowly put intangible power into the wall, making it follow a pattern drawn in his head. Suddenly the wall turned into the form he wanted. A square pillar popped out of the wall as his hand moved. Then, when he put his hands on the end of the pillar and pushed it back, the wall surface returned to its original state. Il-hyun picked up a dumbbell that he bought a long time ago and rarely used. He wasn¡¯t going to exercise now. When he grabbed the end of the dumbbell and gave it a pull, it was surprisingly very light, as if it was made of clay. It was an incredible strength, a power beyond humanity. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± Il-hyun was unable to hide the excitement. He kept moving back and forth and around the place. He remember the three features of the SSS rank written on the Awakening paper he received. Summon, predation, transformation. The awakening of tremendous potential was indeed born after the gate was opened. But the ability to summon hasn¡¯t been reached yet. Il-hyun raised his right hand and stared at it. No one told him about the abilities of predation and transformation, but he instinctively knew all his abilities and how to use them. But not the first one. Summon. Even while on his way, he tried many things, drawing several images in his head, but nothing like the word summoning happened. Is my power still not enough? One thing was certain, he ate the energy of the ether and turned it into his own power. ¡°Then I will have to absorb more ether. But it¡¯s impossible to get ether core with the money I have.¡± Although ether is expensive, pure ether cores that came out of monsters and have not yet been processed are prohibited on the market. If the general public wants to obtain it, they have no choice but to obtain it through a trafficking transaction, and the price will increase tremendously. ¡®Or can I go into the government or business?¡¯ The Government Gate Response team or a private awakening company, these were the two main paths of the awakening. Private companies hire a large number of awakened people and negotiate with governments in each country to win the case or territory to be dealt with. The government cannot handle all the gates alone, so many private bids to block the gates and kill monsters come and go. Most people who did not join the Government Gate Response team joins a private company. Awakeners who entered the company were paid according to the quantity and quality of ether obtained from the number of cases they had. In other words, it means that you receive exactly what you worked for. Instead of having a basic salary, it is a relatively free atmosphere where you can take a vacation at any time and get back to work. On the other hand, the government gives the hired Awakeners the ether¡¯s profits from the monster and a substantial amount of the basic salary. It¡¯s a lot more money than a company, but there were also disadvantages. As it was to become an Awakener belonging to the government, the intensity of work was very high for the safety of the people. They often waited to prepare for an emergency, and when things get busy, when gates broke out one after another, they couldn¡¯t rest freely. The interesting thing was that it was the opposite of the general image of governments and companies that they often think of. And now, Il-hyun, thinking about two cases, shook his head. ¡°No. Either way, you¡¯ll make a lot of money, but you can¡¯t get the ether core you need right now. It¡¯s useless.¡± Whether it¡¯s government or business, it¡¯s the same to get huge profits from ether and hire Awakeners with that money. Naturally, without ether, the profits of businesses and governments also disappear. In other words, if you say you hunted a monster, you can¡¯t use the ether from it freely. All the ether cores obtained by catching monsters are used or sold to companies and governments that are not Awakened, and the appropriate price is converted into money and paid to the Awakened. If so, I have no choice but to act individually. I¡¯ve never committed a crime, but this is a big deal. As it is a problem directly related to security and national safety, gates are managed and controlled by the state. All the Awakeners who worked as companies or crews work with the permission of the country. Unless in an emergency, it was strictly illegal to enter the field without permission and hunt monsters without permission. Although, in this situation, finding an ether was strictly by chance. Oh, I already stole one from the scene. Il-hyun laughed as he recalled what he had done on his way to work. He reasoned that the first one was usually the hardest, and then the second one. At this, his heart became lighter. I can¡¯t help it. Il-hyun turned on his cell phone and hurriedly searched for information about gates in Korea. There were several. He found the one he needed. E-rank gate. It was the lowest-grade gate, whose monsters can be easily suppressed with ether firearms. ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡± This gate was expected to appear in Suwon after 7 hours and was being controlled by the Dane Company in combat. He got up from his seat and changed his clothes. Chapter 3 Let¡¯s eat! (1) Il-hyun sat alone at the window of a cafe in Suwon, watching the scenery outside turn dark with the approaching evening.. The cafe is located on the 3rd floor of the building and has a wide view. Of course, he never came to Suwon for a view or a visit. Il-hyun was watching the controlled street. Traffic on the road was blocked, and the police and eight Dane Company Awakeners were talking. Around the barricades, there were several heavy armored vehicles and police cars marked as special. It¡¯s a little scary. Il-hyun looked at the sight in front of him. There was his mission right in front of him. For the first time in his life, he felt life surging inside him. He felt truly alive. But now I can¡¯t chicken out. It was a simple E-rank gate, so there were only policemen assigned to the area, and there were not a lot of them gathered. Moreover, Dane Company, who took charge of this place, was not a well-known Awakening company. If the people in charge of this place was the Government Gate Response team or the world¡¯s best company, Aegis, he would have looked for another gate without consideration. The chances of getting past the gate and the people in charge is good. It was safe to say that it was the best bet for him. He was thrilled when he glanced his watch and noticed that the time for the monsters to come out of the gate was getting closer. Awakeners in black coats began to enter the control area after passing through the street barricades. I should start slowly. He gulped down the rest of the coffee in one swallow, snatched up his bag and left. Outside the cafe, Il-hyun entered a building he had previously seen. The building was just outside the barricade, facing the gate. It may be dangerous. Il-hyun entered the men¡¯s bathroom in the building. No one was in the bathroom. He quickly entered the middle compartment. He took out the black coat from a man¡¯s bag next to it. On one arm, the initial DE was small. It was a fake outfit that looked almost exactly like the defensive coat worn by the Awakeners. He wanted to wear the real thing, but he couldn¡¯t help it because he had no money and it was hard to get. Quickly, he slipped on the clothes in and checked himself out with the bathroom mirror. ¡°Oh, good. Nice!¡± Il-hyun, satisfied with his appearance, said with a smile. After wearing a black coat, he felt like the veteran Awakener he had always dreamed of. ¡°Now, beyond this ¡­¡± Il-hyun touched the wall of the bathroom. The thick wall gradually faded and formed a hole the size of a person. ¡°Good!¡± He was delighted on the about-to-be-success of his ability. His heart surged with ecstasy. Before he got to that building, he began first by making an itinerary plan of how he¡¯d go in and out of the controlled gate. The best place was right here¡ªhis plan was concrete. It was an easy place to enter through his Transformation ability. Il-hyun lowered his head and crossed over the wall, then restored the bathroom wall to its original state. The more he used this feature, the more he felt better at it. The streets in the barricade also held parked cars. The people had time to move their valuables and cars in time so that they do not get involved in the fight. He went up to the building where the construction was underway without using the dark street. He went down through the 4th floor, which was open above and to the side, looking down at the other Awakenings waiting near the eagle gate. ¡°You know all the points of understanding, right? Just do as usual. Don¡¯t be careless.¡± A man with an awkward impression of being a leader was telling his other colleagues. One came after another, and the number of Awakeners increased to nine. The man talking over there is a D-class¡­ So was the curly hair next to him. There was a total of 2 class D awakeners? Il-hyun tried to recall the information he saw at Dane Company¡¯s website homepage. All seven of them, except the two, were E-class. The rest, he couldn¡¯t remember. Then, I wonder what grade they will be. Awakening, monsters, and gates ¨C each are all ranked. Unlike Awakening and intelligence that can be determined by simple examination, as in the previous one, the combat power is measured through a fairly complicated process to determine the approximate grade of the awakening. Most of the Awakeners are not able to take advantage of their ability, so it has nothing to do with the rank of the Awakener and the rank of the ability. Each one has a probability to get stronger, or weaker, depending on how they use their ability, and how much their body could handle it. Among the ranks, the Class A Awakened was treated as an excellent veteran wherever he went, and Class B Awakened is a major national power. Uninterested people in Korea will often only see the various A-ranked Awakeners on TV and ignore other ratings. However, the A-ranked Awakened people were out-of-field, so there were usually not more than one or two people in any country. It¡¯s not long since I¡¯ve been awakened. Il-hyun roughly expected his grade to be E or F. But he knew he would not stop there. He remembered his SSS ranking from the test. There is no such rank as ¡®SSS¡¯, although it includes the highest grade: S. There are only four Class S Awakened in the world. ¡°It¡¯s starting.¡± Just then, the gate began to open. The gate shook with a strange sound that seemed to scratch his nerves. ¡°It started!¡± The leader of the Dane Company group called out. ¡°All ready!¡± His colleagues responded, pulling out their weapons, bracing for battle. Most of them had swords, but some had spears or axes. All were weapons processed with ether. ¡°Key profit!¡± was their battle cry, as they watched dozens of monsters starting to pour out of the gate. The monsters are red-skinned humanoid frogs called Forn. Standing on both legs with a crude spear, Forns have a nasty face with red thorns on their back. ¡°Die!!!!¡± Awakeners stormed the pouring Forn, then a fierce battle ensued. The sound of their weapons echoed and reverberated as they clashed against each other. The Awakeners hacked the monsters in half one by one. The Forns attack by bowing back and firing the stinger on their backs. However, the Awakened deliberately did not even care about the flying sting, and did not even try to avoid them. All of the attacks of these less powerful E-class monsters were blocked by the self-protection of the Awakeners¡¯ defense coat, each stinger falling off uselessly after hitting the tough coat. ¡°Oh, is there any Awakener here who has the ability?¡± Il-hyun said with admiration in the middle of a fight as the flames burst out of the hands of an Awakener. This is the first battle scene of the Awakeners that he has witnessed, and he watched it excitedly. ¡°Okay!¡± An Awakener with an ax screamed and cut off the necks of two Forns in one blow. ¡°Come out here!¡± The man shouted when he saw one of the Forn stepping away from him, trying to exit the battle. Although the Awakeners are superior in power, it was unreasonable to stop dozens of monsters from escaping with only nine members. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s annoying to follow them¡±, the man complained. Thanks to the special police, the monsters will not be able to get out of the barricade, but if you are stuck somewhere in the inner buildings near the barricade, you may encounter one. The annoyed man turned and was forced to focus on the other Forn in front of him. And this was when Il-hyun moved. ¡°It¡¯s a building over there.¡± Il-hyun happened to watch the Forn escape. He came here to aim for monsters that escaped in battle from the beginning and now was the only chance. He went to the building the monster had escaped to. He had to make sure no one sees him as he entered the dark interior. ¡°Damn, I can¡¯t even turn on the light.¡± The electricity wasn¡¯t cut off, but he couldn¡¯t turn on the lights as he needed to remain unnoticed and not draw any attention. Now that he had become an Awakener, he went inside, relying on his improved sensitivity. ¡°Kkeok, Kkeok.¡± Forn¡¯s cry was heard far and wide. Il-hyun lowered his posture and chased after the sound, pulling out his knife ¨C a fruit-cutting knife. ¡°Damn, I don¡¯t have the money to buy an ether sword.¡± Chapter 4 Let¡¯s eat! (2) Krew! The Forn made a mess of the fruit shelves. Il-hyun was tracking it carefully. It was the first living monster he saw. Monsters looked scarier in person than on the screen, he thought. It ends in this room, now. Il-hyun knew that he was inexperienced and that it would be dangerous for him if the fight took a long time. He had to make a surprise attack at once if he wants to remain at an advantage. He held the knife tightly and approached the Forn, whose back was turned to him. ¡°Take this!¡± He plunged the knife into the monster¡¯s back. As far as he knew, the surprise attack was successful. The Forn didn¡¯t notice him at all until he had plunged the knife in its body. However¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± The knife stabbed in the monster¡¯s neck was lightly crushed. It looked like a paper knife. The attack was of little impact because of the Forn¡¯s tough skin. It was an attack that carried the power of the Awakened Il-hyun, but the damage it did was just in the level of acne popping out. ¡°Aarrghh¡­!¡± Il-hyun, embarrassed, stared blankly at his weapon. ¡°Kiiiiii-¡° ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± Angry at the unexpected attack, the Forn rushed at him. Il-hyun ran away. It was an awkward situation. He regretted not bringing a bigger knife. He chose the fruit-cutting knife among his other kitchen knives because it was easy to hide. Of course, no matter what he chose, it won¡¯t have that much effect. He needs an AT sword to kill a monster. Bang! The Forn threw a rugged spear! It smashed the concrete wall behind Il-hyun. ¡°Oh, crazy!¡± Il-hyun spat out swear words and then raised his fist. There was no better option than to run away. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to do this.¡± He had to get things done as quickly as possible to steal ether from the company in charge. It would be the worst scenario if he was caught, and if he was caught dead from a monster¡¯s attack. Il-hyun calmed his mind and dodged another Forn attack with his dramatically improved reflexes. Then he punched in, searching for a weakness. Paak! The Forn¡¯s head turned from the impact! The shock hit the monster like a cannon. To some extent, the damage seemed to have been inflicted well, but it was not enough to bring it down. After taking a few moments to recover, the Forn took back its spear and swung it at Il-hyun. Il-hyun grabbed the oncoming spear and grasped it strongly. ¡°Don¡¯t just use it; give it to me!¡± Forn and Il-hyun pulled at the spear, and the tug-of-war began. The rivalry between them was tight. Gradually, the spear went to Il-hyun¡¯s side, and he was finally able to take it from the Forn. However, the Forn suddenly bowed its head and charged the stinger on its back. Il-hyun, frightened at the sting, flew to the side. Although he wore a coat similar to the Dane Company Awakeners, his coat had no defense. ¡°Hey, stop that, you coward!¡± His opponent was a monster that does not speak human language; thus, it continued to rush at Il-hyun. It¡¯s too late to avoid it now¡­ At the time of the crisis, his ability manifested. A strong force came into his hand, and he slammed the floor with it. ¡°Wow!¡± Massive thorns soared from the floor and pierced the monster¡¯s body. It wasn¡¯t even able to make a sound. It died hanging from a thorn, like a frog on a skewer. ¡°Heooh, Heo-oh.¡± Il-hyun exhaled a rough breath. ¡°Fuck, this is crazy.¡± As the adrenaline subsided, he stared at the scene and reflected on his ability. But rather than serious reflection, a pleasant laugh came out from him. He approached the body of the dead monster. Huge thorns pierced the red-skinned monster, and the whole body was twisted in weird angles. ¡°Hoo, let¡¯s do it quickly.¡± He stared at the body, dripping blood. Gross. It nauseated him, but he began to reach out and dig into it. Normally, ether had to be extracted using a small extractor, but such equipment was a luxury, so he had to extract it with his bare hands. ¡°Please come out soon¡­¡± * * * The battle was over. Dane¡¯s Awakening Team was counting the bodies and piling them up for ether collection. The other team members were searching for the stray monsters. An Awakener went inside a building¡­ ¡°Here, I found one!¡± The colleagues who heard him ran. Parts of a tattered corpse were scattered on the floor. It looked like it has been pierced by large weapons. ¡°What? You should have told us its already dead. We went running for nothing,¡± the others grumbled. Suddenly, a man noticed the hole on the monster¡¯s chest and pointed at it with his finger. ¡°Wait, I think someone pulled out the core inside?¡± They didn¡¯t have to check it with their extractor. The ether core was really gone. Everyone¡¯s expressions changed. The leader of the Awakening team shouted in anger. ¡°Oh, what the fuck! If this is a prank, I will kill you!¡± His ugly face caught everyone¡¯s attention. Another person interrupted him. ¡°Scavengers?¡± Scavengers. They appear at the gate sites, without permission, to steal ether. Since the value of the core is so high, there was a lot of competition for it in the field. They were considered public enemies. No one would dare scavenge on a big company with high-ranking Awakeners, but Dane Company is a relatively low ranking company. The leader shook his head and grumbled. ¡°Fucking scavengers. I thought they were gone these days.¡± Overseas, scavengers remained to be a big problem, but in Korea, the government once had a massive sweep to address the problem. Korea has the largest gate-related market in the world, and the government had to control risks such as scavengers. With strict government operations, it was difficult for scavengers to remain in Korea. ¡°We can¡¯t be guarding for scavengers while fighting monsters ¨C what are the police doing?¡± The leader marched angrily off the scene to protest to the police. ¡°Oh, did you find the remaining monsters?¡± The officer in charge of the police welcomed the Dane Company Team. The leader was still furious. ¡°What did you do here while the scavenger went inside the site?¡± The police officer looked confused and embarrassed. ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Well, someone caught a monster without us knowing and took out the core. Aren¡¯t you here to stop that from happening?¡± ¡°We are here to protect our citizens. And it doesn¡¯t make any sense. No one has passed beyond the gates, including our personnel.¡± ¡°Ha, then let¡¯s check the CCTVs around the area. We¡¯ll sue you for damages in the future, just so you know.¡± The Dane Company leader said and walked ahead in a rush. The police officer talked to another member of the police. ¡°Contact the headquarters and ask for footage of CCTVs nearby. I wanted to finish this now.¡± The police officer removed his hat, put it between his arms, and walked behind the Awakeners. * * * The Awakened and some of the police sat in the compartment behind the police truck, looking at multiple monitors. The truck was equipped with multiple devices and could be used as a temporary control room at any time. ¡°The footages have arrived,¡± a police officer said, as the videos appeared on the screens. Then, the people fixed their eyes on it. Footages from CCTVs all around the barricade flashed. They looked at it, searching for people coming and going within site. ¡°No one has passed?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± The group tried again, adjusting the speed, but there was really nothing. ¡°Wait,¡± an Awakener said urgently. They paused the footage. Everyone stared at the frozen CCTV screen. A silhouette was caught. It was blurry. ¡°What¡­ is that a member of our team?¡± ¡°All nine of us are caught on different screens. Who is that fucker? Can you zoom in and play it once more?¡± the leader said. It was impossible to recognize the criminal¡¯s face. ¡°Damn, the picture quality is bad, and it¡¯s too dark to see. Is there any other angle?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all we have now,¡± a police officer controlling the monitor said. While they were looking at the footage, the silhouette suddenly disappeared. ¡°Well? What happened? Did you skip some time?¡± the leader asked the police. The middle-aged police looked at the men and asked, but he shook his head. The video wasn¡¯t fast-forwarded, nor has the camera angle changed. The silhouette just disappeared without a trace. ¡°There are no windows or exits on that side. How can someone just disappear?¡± an Awakener pointed out in disbelief. They played that section of the footage several times, and it was the same. The silhouette disappeared at the same timestamp. ¡°Could it be an ability?¡± someone from the Awakeners asked. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. An ability to go through the wall, to easily get out¡­¡± the police officer-in-charge answered. Each of the faces in the group looked confused. The Dane Company team leader shook his head as if the thought was ridiculous. ¡°Why would an Awakener with such powerful ability do scavenging for?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh, well, after watching the video multiple times, what else do you think it could be?¡± the police officer retorted. While the two of them were fighting, the criminal, who stole the core, was heading home on a bus. Chapter 5 Clumsy First Step ¡°Wow.¡± When he arrived at the house, Il-hyun took the ether core out of his bag and examined it. It was a cube of bright light, only slightly larger than the one he took before. It was an enchanting wonder in his eyes and a mouthwatering view for his mouth. He stared at the core on his hand like a man who hasn¡¯t eaten all day stares at a delicious meatball. ¡°After absorbing this, will the remaining ability be revealed?¡± he said out loud. He squeezed the core tightly. ¡°Wow!¡± The core cracked. Ether poured out from the broken core, and Il-hyun swallowed it all hurriedly. The debris from the broken core fell over the floor. It was done in seconds. Il-hyun took a deep breath and licked his lips. ¡°There is a reward for doing something crazy,¡± he laughed. He reached out and tried to transform the floor. As his hand hung in the air, the floor below it rose slightly. His ability was less powerful if he does not directly touch the object, but he¡¯s now, he¡¯s able to transform objects from a distance. I think my physical ability is better, and it¡¯s easier to express my ability. However¡­ Il-hyun closed his eyes and concentrated. He thought of a creature to be summoned and tried to use his power to shape it. It¡¯s different from Transformation, where he simply changes the form of an existing object. Now, he creates the object out of nowhere. It¡¯s like creating a new life. His ability slowly began to manifest, and a dim form of a small man began to take shape. He knew he couldn¡¯t summon something huge right now with his lack of power, so he aimed for a smaller goal. The form of a small man kept flickering until suddenly, it disappeared completely. ¡°Ah, damn it!¡± Il-hyun yelled and let out a big, heavy sigh. The Summoning ability he had hoped for was still not awakened. It was hard not to be disappointed. ¡°It¡¯s hard to create something, but then again, nothing is easy,¡± he said as he sat down on the sofa. If the Transformation ability was just changing the shape of an object, Summoning seems to be everything from conception, to sketching, to coloring¡­ Wait, then what if I draw the sketch in advance? Il-hyun began to search for things in the house. He was looking for solid objects. A toolbox stuck in the corner caught his eye. He pulled a hammer out of it. He used his Transformation ability. The rubber handle fell off the hammer; the shape of its head changed, and gradually, the image he wanted began to appear. Two wings were formed, and the hammer¡¯s head turned into a little head with eyes and a beak. It had been difficult for him to summon a man¡¯s figure, so this was the image he chose this time. A statue of a small bird made out of a hammer settled on his hand. Il-hyun focused harder on the statue, harder than when he was simply transforming it. He poured out his ability on it. Suddenly, the statue¡¯s eyes blinked, and its wings shook! Kuru Kuru Kuru Kuru! ¡°Oh, I¡¯m surprised! It was really successful¡­¡± Il-hyun laughed. The pigeon flew around the living room with its iron wings fluttering. He was filled with joy as he stared at it until it went down and broke a glass on his table. ¡°Stop! Come here!¡± he beckoned at the iron bird. The pigeon then stopped wandering around and quickly jumped onto his right wrist. Il-hyun couldn¡¯t help but smile at the pigeon¡¯s behavior. ¡°So, right now, I have to use the Transformation ability first¡­ but¡­ can I make falcons?¡± He excitedly took another tool from the box and tried to make a falcon, but it came out as weird-looking, bigger pigeon. ¡°This is too ugly. I still need to practice more because it¡¯s not good enough.¡± It was not how he imagined the Summoning ability would be, but it would have to do for now. At least, he can now bring creatures to life. He was only successful because he had the Transformation ability, but he was still lacking. However, he knew that as he becomes more proficient, and as he absorbs more ether, he would be able to maximize the Summoning ability. There was nothing to worry about for now. He was more excited about having created a living creature. I have never heard of anyone with this kind of ability. The pigeon on his wrist spread out its wings and extended its chest as if trying to show off. Il-hyun looked at it proudly. But it definitely requires more power than Transformation. Wait, is it possible to fix my weapon problems with the Transformation ability? Il-hyun recalled the incident with the Forn. He did not even scratch the monster. He can¡¯t keep going to sites bringing small knives. Il-hyun stood up and began to collect all the steel items in the house. From kitchen knives to pots, chopsticks, and awls ¨C all the miscellaneous items were collected and transformed. He combined the metal items together, and they clanked loudly as he did so. Il-hyun frowned in concentration as he gave strength to the pile of steel items. ¡°Ugh!¡± he exhaled loudly as he finished it. In front of him, there was a stainless-steel sword with a silvery appearance. It looked crude but strong. Bang! Il-hyun lifted the sword and swung it. He tried to hit it with his hand, and it didn¡¯t bend at all. It seems like it was fine. He hoped that he could inflict fatal injuries to low-level monsters with this. Of course, nothing would be better than having an AT sword. This sword that he made was also difficult to conceal, unlike the fruit-cutting knife. Gradually, Il-hyun noticed that his eyes were drooping. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve spent up all my power today.¡± It was a long day. He fell on the bed and drifted off. The summoned dove soon lost focus in its eyes, and its body fell slowly, as Il-hyun slept. A serious incident broke out in Seoul as Il-hyun lay sleeping. * * * The next day, he was up early and ready to go out in no time after watching the breaking news. He could not stay at home any longer. ¡°This is too upsetting,¡± Il-hyun murmured as he browsed the Internet through his cell phone. At dawn, a gate opened in the city center. It was normal for monsters to rush out in huge numbers when a gate opens. Hours before that happens, special forces controlled the site and evacuated the citizens. Awakeners dispatched by the government or by the private companies deal with the monsters until the gate disappears. It was the standard protocol, and every city or country responds to gate situations this way. But what happened in Seoul was different. It was a Surprise Gate. It is said that an F-ranked Surprise Gate is more frightening that a normal B-rank gate. Surprise Gates are impossible to foresee, and as such, could not be handled with the standard protocol. These gates deal more damage than normal ones, and since such a gate appeared in Seoul, there may be a lot of people affected. It was not far from where he lived. Fortunately, the majority of the monsters have been defeated by the government and the Awakeners, but four undiscovered monsters are still hiding in the area. All four are E-class monsters. Although it was not a high-level monster, a normal person would not be able to face it. It was an emergency. Schools and businesses around the area have been ordered closure. There were a lot of people on the Internet criticizing the incompetence of the authorities. In reality, it was impossible to predict and prevent a Surprise Gate, but the general public found it difficult to understand. There were casualties. This fact alone worsens the situation greatly. ¡°17 casualties, three people dead? This is bad¡­¡± Il-hyun shook his head. If it happened in another country, the damage and casualties would have been more. Somehow, it was almost fortunate that it happened in Korea ¨C narrow lands, citizens with high gate-safety knowledge, and overwhelmingly high proportions of Awakeners. These factors ensure that the whole city would not be decimated. Still, it was upsetting to suffer casualties. Il-hyun quickly shoved things into his bag and left the house. The long sword he made yesterday was hard to carry, and he couldn¡¯t walk around holding it. He separated it into three parts before putting it at the bottom of the bag. When I get to the scene, I¡¯ll just combine them again together, he thought. He ran out of the house and immediately hailed a taxi. ¡°Please, would you go to Ilyeon-dong?¡± ¡°Are you crazy? There are monsters there right now!¡± the taxi driver looked shocked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡­ No, just drop me off somewhere near then.¡± Il-hyun sat in the back seat and looked into his phone. He read in an article that there was no progress yet on the missing monsters. Even government detectives with sensory abilities were having trouble tracking them. Hmm¡­ Considering that, it would be unlikely for him to find the monsters hiding. He had to do it differently. Il-hyun took something out of his bag. It was a piece of brown wood that has been broken off old furniture. Chapter 6 - Bounty Hunt (1) Bounty Hunt (1) Il-hyun took the piece of wood into the taxi¡¯s corner so the driver couldn¡¯t see it. Then, he used his Transformation ability. He turned it into a small, gray mouse. It was hard to tell from a real rat. He then focused his power on his Summoning ability. After a few seconds¡­ The little mouse squeaked and smelled Il-hyun¡¯s hand. He hurriedly covered the mouse so that it would not make a sound, as he felt proud of what he had just made. It looked just like the picture of the rat he had at home, the shape was exactly right, and he didn¡¯t have to worry about someone finding it. It looked natural. The reason why he made a mouse is to help him find the monster. He heard that a mouse¡¯s sense of smell is as developed as a dog¡¯s. It is also unnoticeable, as it is small. The problem is whether the wooden mouse can also perceive. ¡°Hey,¡± Il-hyun whispered at it. ¡°Can you smell?¡± He shook his palm. The rat nodded as if it understood his words. Il-hyun was usually disgusted by mice, but he felt differently for this one because he had created it himself. ¡°Okay, I only believe in you,¡± he murmured as he placed it in his shirt pocket. He felt that the taxi driver was looking at him strangely from the rearview mirror, but he didn¡¯t seem like a threat to Il-hyun. He looked on the Internet for news about the situation. Uh, it looks really disgusting. Il-hyun stared at the monster¡¯s photo on the screen. It¡¯s a monster called Balak, he gathered from the comments and information under the photo. It has never appeared in Korea, but there was information about it because it has appeared several times in the Middle East. The government set a bounty of 4 million per monster, apart from the ether value, the information disclosed. I bet it would be hard to find it¡­ If not, the low-grade Awakeners, who obtained permission to enter the site, would have caught the monster already, given the bounty. The mouse in his pocket was his only chance of finding the monster. The odds are not good. However, finding the monster would be easier than stealing ether from the government and private companies on the site. He had no intention of giving up. ¡°Are you an Awakener?¡± the taxi driver glanced at the rearview mirror as he spoke to Il-hyun. Il-hyun nodded after a little pause. There seemed to be no need to hide. The taxi driver asked him. ¡°Why go into that place? Do you have a good reason?¡± ¡°¡­No, nothing.¡± The taxi driver shook his gray head and continued. ¡°The money is good, but take care. My daughter Naomi was also seriously hurt while working there¡­ I thought my life would change once I was awakened.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Il-hyun nodded. It was common. Stories like the taxi driver¡¯s were buried in the dark, while brilliant and prominent Awakeners attracted the public¡¯s attention. The taxi went around the alley and stopped. ¡°I can¡¯t go further. If you go down this hill, you¡¯ll get to Ilyeon-dong, so go that way.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Il-hyun said. He wore the coat he had packed, got off the taxi, and looked around. Overall, the scene looked fine, as if there were no monsters that arrived. But he noticed that the road was broken in one part. There were also a few cards and people moving around the usually crowded city. I hope they haven¡¯t recovered all the bodies yet¡­ Il-hyun, feeling a little anxious, hastened to step. He needs a monster¡¯s body to be on the scene so he could be able to track the missing ones. It was still early in the morning; he could feel the chilly air of autumn. However, it was possible that the squads handling the bodies worked faster because it was an emergency. As he moved closer, he began to see more people. It was still a quiet street. Most of the people around are Awakeners or special police personnel dressed in coats. They were searching across buildings and alleys. Il-hyun looked with interest at the scene before him. Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him: ¡°Good morning.¡± He was surprised and turned around to see a woman smiling. Strange ¨C he didn¡¯t feel any sign of her approaching him. It was the first time it happened since he had awakened. ¡°You gave me a shock!¡± he said. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she smiled comfortably and stepped back a little. She looked beautiful. She had smooth, brown hair and was wearing a casual suit. There was a large camera in one of her hands. Considering her attire, she doesn¡¯t seem to be an Awakener. Suddenly, she went closer. ¡°I was wondering what you were doing with a fake coat,¡± she said, looking at him up and down. Il-hyun stuttered as he thought of an excuse. ¡°I¡­ I d-don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ There is no defensive coat with such a design.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± he asked her, embarrassed. There are hundreds of different types of defensive coats around the world. She couldn¡¯t have known all designs. The woman shrugged and suddenly grabbed one side of Il-hyun¡¯s collar. She turned it over. The embarrassed Il-hyun was startled. ¡°There should be a barrier machine here, but why is there nothing?¡± She pointed to the back of the collar. Barrier machines, which should be located in various places of clothes, were essential parts for the protection function. Without barrier machines, of course, it could not be called a defense coat. When Il-hyun couldn¡¯t answer, the woman adjusted his collar back to its position. ¡°You don¡¯t look stupid to play as an Awakener¡­ are you an average citizen?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m an Awakener. It¡¯s been a while since the equipment was¡­¡± Il-hyun, who was trying to make defensive excuses, suddenly paused. ¡°By the way¡­ who are you?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh, me? I¡¯m Park So-yeon, a reporter at the JTR gate.¡± He looked at the big camera she was holding in one hand. ¡°Ah¡­¡± JTR is one of the five biggest broadcasters in Korea¡­ As he looked at her, he felt like she was someone running the field, rather than a reporter. Why do I feel that way? He thought. ¡°Are you a member of a private company? Fighting without equipment is dangerous. How about joining a team?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t joined a company yet. But being a reporter, aren¡¯t you in more danger than me?¡±, Il-hyun asked. It was more dangerous for the general public to come to this place alone. ¡°Huh, I don¡¯t have to worry,¡± Park So-yeon smiled pleasantly. Park So-yeon smiled pleasantly and passed it. ¡°I couldn¡¯t keep still while this incident happens. Anyway, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re an Awakener. Believe it or not, there are a lot of people who rush at this place looking for monsters.¡± She explained that there are ordinary people who want to hunt monsters because they long for Awakening or because they urgently need money. In a well-prepared country, the citizens should have no actual encounters with monsters, as much as possible. In some movies and cartoons, though, monsters can be caught by an average person, so some stupid ones end up thinking they can do it, too. They arm themselves with bombs, air guns, and such, and they started hunting. Obviously, it would not go well for them. Il-hyun remembered his urgent need. ¡°Oh, right. Have you seen a monster corpse around here?¡± If she were a reporter covering the incident, she would have seen the monster bodies in the area. Meeting her is a good opportunity. ¡°Monster corpse? They recovered it. The public opinion is already not good, do you think the government would leave corpses on the street?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Monster corpses have strong toxicity and may leave pathogens that can affect the citizens. Therefore, since the treatment team has already recovered the corpses, it was over. Not even its smell would remain once the team has finished their job. The answer was a disappointing one, and Il-hyun sighed. Without a monster corpse, the mouse wriggling hard in his pocket was useless. Like everyone else, he had to go around and look for the monsters the hard way. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you need the monster¡¯s body for, but I¡¯m sorry. The cleanup was over two hours ago.¡± Park So-yeon continued. ¡°Yeah¡­ Thank you. There is no use. I will go. I have to find the monsters quickly,¡± Il-hyun said as he turned to leave. But Park So-yeon stopped him. ¡°May I know your name? Sorry, I didn¡¯t catch it earlier.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Kang Il-hyun.¡± ¡°Kang Il-hyun¡­ Il-hyun¡­ Il-hyun? Okay, I remembered.¡± She repeated it as if to ingrain it in her memory. Then, she continued. ¡°Maybe I will see you again, Kang Il-hyun. I think you will succeed.¡± ¡°Haha, thank you.¡± Il-hyun smiled as he left her. Park So-yeon smiled back and watched him thoughtfully as he walked away. Chapter 7 - Bounty Hunt (2) Bounty Hunt (2) Il-hyun looked tired as he walked through an empty alley. If he gets lucky, he could get two or more ethers today, at once. However, he could not find any of the four monsters yet. Suddenly, a rat squeaked and ran out of the building next door. It ran quickly and stopped near Il-hyun¡¯s feet. He lifted the rat up and put it on his hand. ¡°How did you go? Was there nothing in that building?¡± he asked it. The little mouse nodded vigorously. Il-hyun sighed heavily. He was searching through the buildings and streets with his summoned mouse. He thought that with it, he could find the monster right away. However, there were many high-rise apartments and many locked spaces, so it took more time than he thought. ¡°What¡­ Still, it¡¯s better than going around alone,¡± he murmured. He quickly placed the mouse back in his pocket when he sensed someone was approaching. There were two men who seemed to be Awakeners, running. He listened to their conversation as they passed by. ¡°Where did they find it?¡± ¡°It was stuck in the library¡¯s underground warehouse. Ah, damn it. There are only three left now. I don¡¯t have any work these days; I was trying to take advantage of this opportunity.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ if you can catch even one of them, you get the bounty, and you get ether prices. Big¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s find one before it¡¯s too late!¡± They rushed in the opposite direction. After hearing their words, Il-hyun ran straight to the library. A little more than ten people gathered in front of the library where Il-hyun was running to. All were Awakeners, except for the two police officers who ran after hearing the news. A man opened the library door and yelled, ¡°Coming out!¡± When the library front door opened, a man cried. There were gasps from the crowd as a man and a woman in black coats dragged a monster body out. It was an ugly monster. Blood was dripping behind it as it was dragged. Balaks have dark scaly skins and long tails. One of the men dragging it was swearing over the body. ¡°Cuck, it was eating one person.¡± The man couldn¡¯t help feeling strong hostility and resentment to a monster that ate an innocent civilian guard. People gathered around it and buzzed with excitement and fear. ¡°Look at this guy!¡± ¡°It looks unique.¡± ¡°The real thing is scarier than the photos, though.¡± Il-hyun blended into the crowd and evaluated the appearance of the monster. He was surprised at himself because he didn¡¯t feel much while looking at it. I don¡¯t find it scary at all. Is it because I am an Awakener? Meanwhile, a woman came across the street from the other side. He recognized her. It was Park So-yeon, who he met just 20 minutes ago. She approached the man and woman who pulled out the monster. ¡°Where is the victim¡¯s body?¡± she asked urgently. ¡°Uh? You are Park So-yeon, the reporter, right?¡± the man answered. ¡°Yes, that is correct. Can you bring me to the area where it was discovered?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She didn¡¯t notice Il-hyun in the crowd. Park So-yeon went into the building with the pair who pulled out the corpse. Il-hyun felt interested as he watched them. How did the man know her? Is she a well-known reporter? He felt embarrassed that he didn¡¯t recognize her when they met earlier. By the way, they just left the body! Il-hyun saw his chance. Ether has already been extracted, and the body has just been left outside the library. Other than ether, most of the by-products from monster corpses were useless. Monster¡¯s flesh could not be used for animal feed, or as edible food. It also rotted quickly and spewed strong toxics. In addition, it was difficult to dispose of them, so they had to be processed at a specialized monster carcass facility. Il-hyun listened as the Awakeners around him chatted. ¡°Damn, they caught one while I was shoveling.¡± ¡°I looked everywhere, where are they hiding? I don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°Well, they said that the monsters could go underground¡­¡± Il-hyun¡¯s lips were damp as he thought about his next move. Finally, a body came out. Il-hyun walked around as he waited for this chance. After a while, the majority of the crowd left. Making sure that no one is looking at him, he tapped his chest with his fingers. Then the mouse in his pocket pulled its head out. The two exchanged looks; then the mouse acted as previously told. The rat jumped down, looked around for a moment, then ran to the body of the monster. Fortunately, no one has seen it. Il-hyun walked away and went to the back of a building, where he was alone. He waited. Soon, the mouse arrived. Il-hyun looked at it expectantly. ¡°Did you get it?¡± The mouse nodded and opened its tiny mouth. A tiny chunk of the monster¡¯s flesh fell on the floor. Il-hyun couldn¡¯t help but smile as he saw the flesh. ¡°Okay, then shall we start?¡± * * * ¡°Shhh!¡± An Awakener woman jumped in surprise when she saw rats crossing the road. The man beside him had the same reaction. ¡°Oh. What is that?¡± the frightened man faltered. There were five rats running hard and in a line. It was the first time the man saw anything like it. The rats passed by, but the woman is still shuddering at the creepy sight. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s gross. There are so many rats in the world these days,¡± she grumbled. ¡°How are you scared of a mouse? You¡¯re not even scared of looking for the monster.¡± ¡°They are not the same! Rats are disgusting. By the way, you were scared too. I saw your face.¡± ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t. I was just shocked because there shouldn¡¯t be rats in the middle of the city,¡± the man denied. ¡°You are funny. Last time, you had the same reaction against the moth monster¡±, the woman laughed. When the old story came out, the man couldn¡¯t find a response and shut his mouth. He couldn¡¯t forget the feeling of looking at the dozens of moth eyes staring at him. The moth monster was bigger than a human. At that time, it was really scary. He hated to lose. The man thought about how to retort to the woman when he noticed something in her feet. ¡°Hey, hey! Look! There¡¯s a rat on your feet!¡± the man yelled and pointed. ¡°Are you stupid? That won¡¯t fool me! Sucker!¡± the woman laughed. She thought it was a joke, but when she looked down¡­ there was indeed a mouse on her feet. ¡°Ahhh!¡± she panicked. As she did, the little mouse got frightened and fled quickly. ¡°What a lot of mice!¡± the woman shouted in a mix of embarrassment and anger. ¡°Is there a rat den around here?¡± The man, too, was puzzled and shook his head. It was unusual to find a single mouse in cities in the 2030s. It was more unusual to see them in bunches. ¡°By the way, don¡¯t the mouse look a little strange?¡± he asked the woman. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It sounds strange, but I think its face was little crooked¡­¡± ¡°Strangely crooked¡­? I don¡¯t know; I haven¡¯t looked at it closely. We can¡¯t find any monsters, let¡¯s just go home,¡± the woman said as she started to leave. The man, who was also tired of finding monsters, followed her. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go just back.¡± * * * ¡°Arghh!¡± Il-hyun stopped. He was making a mouse out of a brick he found, but the mouse¡¯s back was too round, making it look strange. ¡°I¡¯m losing my concentration.¡± Il-hyun frowned and stiffened his eyes. ¡°I should do this. I can¡¯t even fight the monsters if I can¡¯t find them.¡± He squatted down on the floor. He was quickly making and summoning mice in the back of a building. Using this ability consumed more mana than he thought. ¡°Anyway, I already made fifty¡­ No, I think I made seventy. That should be enough.¡± Il-hyun lay on the floor and threw a brick sideways. All he had to do was wait quietly. What is that terrible smell? He looked at the flesh of the monster his first mouse brought him. It hasn¡¯t been long, but the flesh is already decaying and emitting a foul smell that was difficult to describe. He had dozens of rats sneaking through the city, thanks to this piece of flesh. Create a rat, make it remember the monster¡¯s smell, have them track the others. In special circumstances, police bring two or three police dogs to the site. Il-hyun smiled as he thought about the dozens of mice scouring the city for him. Still, the bad smell¡­ Il-hyun grumbled and turned his head. He can¡¯t seem to escape the smell. Fortunately, it was not long before he heard a squeak. He immediately jumped up. A rat was staring at him. It was soaked and quite dirty, unlike when he sent it out. ¡°Did you find it?¡± Il-hyun asked. The rat nodded. Upon hearing the good news, his fatigue and irritation flew away. He followed the rat as it ran through the streets. Whoa, I made a lot. Il-hyun looked around as he walked. He encountered rats multiple times as he went past the city center. ¡°But where are we going? Did you really find it?¡± he stared suspiciously at the mouse he was following. The scope of investigation covers Ilyeon-dong, where the gate appeared. But now, Il-hyun and the mouse were beyond the city. They entered a neighborhood with people in the streets. Unlike in Ilyeon-dong, where there were only police and Awakeners moving around, they are now in a neighborhood with people in the streets. There is no way a monster could be hiding here, Il-hyun thought as he looked around. Surely, people would have seen it. The mouse in front of him continued to run, and he had no choice but to follow. Suddenly, the mouse stopped. It stopped at a manhole cover and tapped at it with its tiny feet. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Il-hyun was frozen in place. It was the entrance to the sewer. He knew what this means¡­ Il-hyun looked around for a moment and lifted the manhole cover. People walking around suddenly paused to look but didn¡¯t think it strange when they saw he was wearing a defense coat. Il-hyun heard what they were saying. ¡°Wow, I thought it was just a honey sucking job¡­ you also get into shit.¡± ¡°Hey, are there monsters down there?¡± ¡°Huh, stupid bitch. Why are you here?¡± The manhole was near the pedestrian crossing, and people giggled and mocked at him as they waited for the signal to change. They continued their abusive language as Il-hyun descended. Tuck, his foot touched the floor. The smell wasn¡¯t bad, and there was no debris floating. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a place to transport sewage, as the people above said. It was like a place to move rainwater. ¡°Is this the way you came here?¡± his voice rang out. Monsters rarely entered sewers with lids, unless the lids are smashed or left open. The sewage pipes also go a great distance. So, this is why no one has found this one yet. Il-hyun took the pieces of the sword out of the bag. The pieces fell on the floor and made a sharp sound. He used his ability to put the pieces together and made a sword. ¡°Where is it?¡± Il-hyun asked, and the mouse advanced, sniffing the ground. Il-hyun, who was somewhat nervous in the long and dark space, fiddled with his sword. When he was a child, he fervently practiced using a sword, believing that one day, he¡¯ll become an Awakener. He also searched for the countermeasures against monsters posted on YouTube. Of course, he couldn¡¯t remember any of the details at the moment, and even if he remembered, he knew it was only worthless knowledge. It was stupid to read and watch all those tips. It doesn¡¯t go like that in real life. A sound startled him. The monster¡¯s low and fierce cries came from a distance. He stopped. A moment of silence filled the surroundings. A crazy rumbling rang in the sewer. From the sound of the monster¡¯s cries, Il-hyun realized something. ¡°There are two of them here?¡± Il-hyun¡¯s lips were dry. Obviously, the situation was dangerous. Just the day before, he struggled to defeat one E-rank monster. Even though he just consumed an ether core yesterday, he wasn¡¯t sure if he could fight and win against two monsters at the same time. For some reason, however, a thick smile that he couldn¡¯t control spread across his mouth. They are going to be my prey. Chapter 8 - Bounty Hunt (3) Bounty Hunt (3) It appeared in the dark forest faster than Il-hyun thought it would. Kagagak! Balak swung its tail vigorously, and it scratched on the floor. Caen! Il-hyun¡¯s sword bumped its tail. He flew backward with a heavy sound, rolling a few times before he stood up again. ¡°Okay!¡± he yelled. Il-hyun frowned as he shook his hand. A sharp shock traveled on his arm when he delivered his attack, his sword blocking the Balak¡¯s tail. The faces of ugly monsters appeared in front of him. Two Balaks approached him slowly. Once more, Il-hyun fixed his grip on his sword again. His safety would¡¯ve been a little bit assuring if he had a protective coat with him. One mistake, and it could end his life. However, Il-hyun and the others already devised some strategies based on the information they found about Balaks. He remembered hunting the Forn¡ªhe shook his head and focused on not being noticed by the monsters, but he realized that it was too reckless. After a short period of planning, Il-hyun decided to make the first move. He knew the Balak mostly use their tails to attack. It was the Balak¡¯s deadliest body part, and it narrowed down Il-hyun¡¯s distance when it comes to blocking its attacks. The tail lost its control, and he was able to avoid danger while drawing his distance closer. Il-hyun lowered his posture to dodge two sharp, forked tails coming his way. Then, he ran toward the closest Balak and kicked its head. Bright, red blood burst out from its skin as the monster trembled, then Il-hyun struck down his sword. Caen! But the Balak recovered immediately in a short amount of time despite getting stabbed. Lifting its head, it removed the blade from itself. The other monster¡¯s tail flew on Il-hyun¡¯s side. He barely dodged it, and it could¡¯ve blown him away with unimaginable force. He escapes it again, and the monster¡¯s tail fell near his forehead. Terrified, Ilhyun quickly took a step back, but the two monsters didn¡¯t wait. Il-hyun immediately narrowed his distance to the Balak. He felt pressured, not knowing when to attack them again. He was in a difficult situation. The speed was fast, and the power and strength were good. Also, both breaths fit well with the monsters¡¯ theme. Even an E-class is much stronger than the previous Forn. If he hadn¡¯t absorbed the second Ether core yesterday, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fight them properly, and he would surely die. Of course, it¡¯s a different story now. Il-hyun felt hot as he got up on his two feet. He looked at the area around Rang Kugu-gu, and it echoed. The ceiling above the monsters got carved out into a square. A clump of concrete began falling over their heads. The Balaks alarmingly noticed this. They tried avoiding it, but their movements were too slow. This is because Il-hyun used the vines and transformed it like strings that looped around the monsters¡¯ ankles. His mind control felt far more delicate than it had before. Kung! A pile of concrete crushed the Balaks as the dust began to bloom all over the place. Shortly after, the pile moved, and the two Balak popped out from underneath layers of concrete. Their faces looked as if they were in shock, their bodies bloody, but they didn¡¯t suffer any fatal injuries. Il-hyun already expected it to happen, so he ran straight to them with his sword. As soon as the Balaks attempted to run to where he is, he lifted the floor where the monster stood. ¡°Chat?¡± Suddenly, his body was flipped over, and his bare feet struggled while he floated in the air. Bouncing toward his direction, Il-hyun¡¯s transformation ability shook the floor strongly where the monsters stood. Thanks to that, both Balaks flew in complete disarray. Il-hyun avoided the tail that went his way, and it struck down the other Balak instead. It wasn¡¯t able to protect itself from the tail¡¯s blow. Even after eradicating its neck, the remaining torso struggled for a long time to lurch toward Il-hyun. Only one monster left now. The remaining Balak realized that the situation has become unfavorable. It began retreating. That Balak had a stronger will to survive than any ordinary monsters would¡¯ve. It chose to escape rather than attack the human in front of it. The moment the Balak turned around and tried to run away, a huge wall unexpectedly blocked it. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Il-hyun said. His eyes shone like a predator with its prey in front of him. * * * Pooh! Il-hyun¡¯s sword penetrated Balak¡¯s chest. The monster collapsed on the floor and stopped moving. ¡°Phew.¡± Il-hyun palmed his knee while holding his breath. It¡¯s only the second fight, and he felt incredibly skilled already. Every time he fought, his body would heat up, his excitement rising when he¡¯s in battle. His predatory instinct was not only affecting his body but also his mind. But he couldn¡¯t afford to think about it right now. There are other important things ahead. Il-hyun walked toward the Balak¡¯s dead body. Then, he took out two cores from it. He placed them on the floor, looking at it warmly. Il-hyun wanted to absorb the core instantly, but then he tried to exercise his patience. If he dared to absorb it right now, the crystal fragments would litter on all directions, and the government-side squad assigned for cleanup will find it strange. It was not known that the Ether core could break by physical force. There was no way other than to extract all the energy contained in it and make it disappear on its own. He must never leave any trace that will get the government asking too many questions. Il-hyun put the two cores in the bag and rearranged the distorted scene in front of him. The raised floor was put in place again, and the walls and ceiling were restored. When it was roughly finished, he looked at the crushed and curved swords all over the place used in fighting the Balaks. It was a mess due to the corrosion of the monster¡¯s toxicity. Even if he tried to clean it, it seemed to him that it was too much to re-write. Il-hyun threw the sword on the floor. He didn¡¯t forget to break it down finely so that no one would suspect anything odd. ¡°What should I do now?¡± After finishing the cleanup, Il-hyun sat on the floor for a moment and thought. It was a problem for the bounty with the monster killed here. He was a little hesitant to contact a special security guard who took care of thieves. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s better if you would just disappear.¡± He kicked the monster¡¯s body. Anyway, he showed several people the way to this place. After killing monsters, removing the Ether, and not receiving any compensation¡ªit was still better to not buy more attention to himself. He left no trace on the previous site, and so far, no one has noticed what has happened yet. Il-hyun decided it was enough to leave this place without worrying. ¡°Where are you? Let¡¯s go!¡± It stuck its face. Il-hyun found the hidden mouse. When the battle began, the man who fled from Burinake quickly entered the inner court¡¯s pocket. Il-hyun quickly dragged the bodies of two monsters and walked out of the sewer. It was heavy and tiring, but it was too late to back down. Less! He opened the closed manhole cover, and Il-hyun escaped into the street. When he jumped out from the ground, the eyes of citizens who weren¡¯t familiar with English, stayed at him. Soon after, he threw the corpse of the monster with one hand on the ground. The people who saw it screamed and fled, and then the surrounding streets quickly became empty. Il-hyun, who was watching the scene, remained silent. ¡°What a waste. If some middle schoolers had been hitting shit at this time, it would have been great,¡± he said. Whether or not people looked at him, he contacted the police and brought another corpse up the ladder. ¡°Ugh!¡± He looked disgusting as he came out from the manhole. Even for a small flesh, the smell was evident, not to mention it was all over his body. Fortunately, it hadn¡¯t begun rotting that much yet, but after an hour or so, it will, and the stench will be unbearable. ¡°Oh, the stench is all over my body,¡± Il-hyun murmured while rubbing the monster¡¯s blood off his clothes. Then, he heard a clicking sound. By reflex, he covered his face with one hand and looked back. People who watched him from a distance started pulling out their cell phones. Citizens did not get close even though they knew that the monster on the floor was already dead. It¡¯s appearance looked disgusting, and it was only natural to be scared of the monster. However, most of them stopped on the way. They couldn¡¯t take their eyes off of the monster while taking pictures. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s my first time to see a monster.¡± ¡°It looks really disgusting.¡± ¡°Are the gates opened?¡± People have heard the noise of the navy. When he became an Awakener, he can clearly hear people¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Why did the monster come out over there?¡± ¡°Oh, I see. They¡¯re monsters that appeared in Il-yeon this time.¡± ¡°Then, the monsters that have disappeared are here? That¡¯s really dangerous! Goose-goose!¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze started to feel uncomfortable. ¡°Whee! Profit!¡± One of them placed his hands in his mouth and whistled. People cheered and applauded. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Cool!¡± The drivers of the cars passing the noisy area also looked up to see what was going on. ¡°What¡­what?¡± Il-hyun stared blankly around an unfamiliar sight. It was his first time experiencing such a thing. He had never been this praised in his life, let alone by strangers such as the crowd. No, perhaps these ordinary people do, he thought. ¡°Haha¡­¡± Il-hyun laughed continuously at the cheering crowd. But then, there¡¯s the Ether and compensation. He simply acted according to his greed, but the citizens of the streets were applauding him. He was standing silently in the seat, and he felt like crying from the inside. Amid the confusion, a police car arrived to save him. ¡°Are you the person who called us?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. There you are.¡± When two police officers from the special police force got out of the car and asked Il-hyun what he called for, he pointed to the ground bodies. The police officers¡¯ faces brightened when they saw the stacked bodies of the monsters. ¡°I checked the bodies. They¡¯re two Balaks!¡± the police officer exclaimed. The other police officer sighed in relief. He bowed his head and expressed gratitude toward Il-hyun. ¡°Hyung, thank you. We caught them all. The other one was hiding in the water tank in an apartment, and I never thought the guy in Ilyeon-dong would be here.¡± The last four police officers to arrive missed what had happened. Il-hyun, who¡¯s still raising one hand, wanted to get out of here quickly. ¡°Uh¡­Let¡¯s have a seat first.¡± * * * Il-hyun checked his account at the ATM. He confirmed that 8 million won had been deposited directly as compensation. ¡°If you include the money here, you can get a protective coat.¡± The protective coat price was beyond his imagination, and most of the items started at 10 million won. He needed it because of the value of his performance. ¡°The face¡­It doesn¡¯t seem to sell.¡± Il-hyun, who came out of the building, searched SNS with his cell phone. The news of a monster that escaped Ilyeon-dong and was later caught wasn¡¯t a big topic, but it still came up quite a bit. He checked 3 hours ago, but fortunately, there was no picture of his face. If his face was shown clearly, it would have been a major obstacle for the activities to come. ¡°By the way¡­¡± Il-hyun sighed and sat down on a bench in the street. And he remembered what he had been doing. After his first accidental absorption of the Ether to awaken his instincts, his nerves were all over the core. When it comes to cores, he rushed back and forth to the point where it would seem irrational. He did his second job dangerously, and he even indirectly stole it¡ªbut he¡¯s convinced he didn¡¯t do anything wrong. He was possessed by something, even though he was proud that he had lived honestly ever since. ¡°There are time wherein people who are awakened wants to taste something good.¡± Il-hyun shook his head because of the absurdity of his thoughts. He didn¡¯t feel anything strange. He thought again of the meaning of the awakened people who had suddenly been forgotten by the citizens. Monster hunter? A golden spoon with long life? He looked down at his right hand that had already absorbed four ethers. ¡°Can I really use these powers this way?¡± To be honest, he neither feels guilt nor sorry for the stolen awakened people. While daydreaming, he recalled that he wanted to be an awakener, and the reason was that he had a great responsibility for humankind. Chapter 9 - Bounty Hunt (3) 2 weeks later (1) Two awakened men in protective coats decided they should go get something to eat at the convenience store nearby while waiting for their mission. While the other one was busy looking for food, the man looking at his cellphone opened his mouth. ¡°What did you say again yesterday?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Scavenger.¡± I-iss! A man with a hood on unexpectedly dropped the drink he was holding. The bottle rolled on the floor with a loud noise. The two Awakeners looked at him for a moment but continued on as he was insignificant. ¡°You still have him?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the first time a single criminal had lived so long.¡± The man, who was surfing on the internet, laughed at the comments. ¡°Haha, well you look at that? Aren¡¯t you good scavenger that led the rescue of the people?¡± ¡°What good scavenger are you talking about? They¡¯re all motherfuckers,¡± the harsh words automatically popping out of the other awakener¡¯s mouth. It was still difficult to receive favorable responses from the awakened. The man wearing a hood accidentally overheard their conversation. He laughed boisterously about it. It¡¯s been two weeks since Il-hyun awakened. * * * It¡¯s been over twenty years since a monster¡¯s first appearance. Today, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that detecting a gate was the most important task for every country worldwide. If he missed the gate¡¯s creation once, he had no choice but to suffer enormous damage in his unprepared state. The monster cannot be removed immediately, and the problem grew bigger if left unattended. Secondary damage, such as breeding or contamination of the monsters coming out of the gate, was more difficult to convert into money. Governments around the world have spent countless taxes to prevent that from happening. They launched sensitive satellites and installed detectors in cities and valleys. However, no matter how much attention was put into detection, it was impossible to predict a gate that had not yet appeared. Gates that appeared suddenly were quickly notified and responded to as soon as possible. And the people in charge of that is the Korean government¡¯s Disaster Monitoring Department. ¡°Move quickly!¡± The manager, who was unable to leave the office after 9 o¡¯clock at night, said nervously. The department had turned upside down because of the gate that appeared in the Seoul residential area. ¡°Did you get the wavelength analysis results?¡± ¡°Gate rating is E1, 12 minutes until the advent of the monster.¡± ¡°Shit! I expected it, but it¡¯s faster than I thought.¡± If he looked closely at the gate¡¯s appearance, he could see each gate¡¯s approximate characteristics. The manager had been doing this for over ten years, and he noticed that it would be active in less than 30 minutes from the first picture received. He immediately called it an emergency and contacted the correspondent and the awakened person in charge to respond. And here was the Disaster Observation Department. The world¡¯s best equipment and workforce succeeded in completing detection and analysis within three minutes of the gate¡¯s appearance. A 15-minute gate was almost a surprise gate. And now, the remaining time until the activation was going into 12 minutes. Time was running out. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any ace monsters, but it seems that their count is quite high.¡± ¡°Are Awakeners going to the field?¡± ¡°The scene on the other side is under the jurisdiction of C & A, but they¡¯re still far from the field.¡± ¡°Then hand it over to another company that¡¯s sending awakened people around!¡± ¡°I told them to wait, but C & A doesn¡¯t want to transfer.¡± ¡°Do those people only care to make money? Ignore it and hand it over!¡± The chief felt terrified. He worked with hundreds of companies that we¡¯re crazy about Ether and money-making; it was not strange that he became upset about it. He looked at the watch nervously. The extraordinary scene was going as planned, but 12 minutes isn¡¯t enough to properly install the barrier. ¡°The traffic signal control is said to be over. What do you do now?¡± a newcomer unfamiliar with the situation had asked with an anxious look. ¡°How do you do it? It¡¯s slipping out of our control. I hope the people who went out to the field do it properly.¡± * * * ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go! It¡¯s worthwhile waiting in the streets to get a job,¡± said the man who ended the call while clapping his hands. Two cars stood on the roadside, and seven Awakeners, who were smoking, moved quickly. ¡°But can you cope with less than 10 minutes left?¡± The man holding the steering wheel asked. Rather than doing well, the concern was that it took time for them to arrive. ¡°It will be alright. We only need to catch the monster.¡± ¡°The police should do the care and rescue. When I think of the hawks behind the scenes caring only about the money they pay for taxes, my anger grows.¡± The awakened people in the first car giggled. The light beacon and siren rang, and two cars competed along the night. ¡°Whoa!¡± A man riding in the passenger seat opened his mouth while they drove wildly. ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t we meeting Scavenger this time?¡± ¡°What? who?¡± ¡°You know, there are scavengers that come out only by choosing a timely gate.¡± ¡°Alas.¡± The awakener nodded. He knew who they were talking about. The guy who suddenly appeared two weeks ago has become quite popular these days. Rumors spread more quickly because scavenger was a sensitive issue on this ground. He had been scavenging in Korea for two weeks and was not caught, but he was active throughout Seoul. The most unusual thing was that he only went to places where evacuation was not appropriately done. Perhaps the barricade was not correctly made, and it was speculated that he wanted to steal the monsters, but many points didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°Yes, it is. Didn¡¯t you say it almost appeared on the Seoul side?¡± ¡°He has a disguise ability, but why is he doing scavenging? He must be a stupid person.¡± ¡°Probably his interest.¡± The unidentified scavenger changed face every time he appeared on the scene. Had the body and the manner of crime not been identical, they wouldn¡¯t have known it was the same person. There were rumors about IRC¡¯s media activity, an international crime organization, and owners of abilities dealing with strange animals. All kinds of weird speculations and rumors were floating about. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to appear¡­If you come across it, don¡¯t hesitate and miss the opportunity.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± They found and pulled a car in the middle of the centerline of the road when they arrived at the main apartment complex entrance. Eight Awakeners got out of the car at once. ¡°Yeah, the guys are fast.¡± Police were already on the scene and were pulling people out. Although it was weak, they were still building a barricade with an iron fence. The man approached one of the police officers on the move. ¡°You work hard!¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re finally here! There¡¯s 1 minute left remaining until the monsters appear. You have to go inside,¡± the police said urgently. In contrast, the awakener walked effortlessly and nodded. ¡°Yes, yes. Monsters, we¡¯ll deal with them, so please get them out.¡± ¡°Yes, then please.¡± At that time, an urgent announcement was reported on the police man¡¯s radio, where he¡¯d buckled it on his waist. ¡ªDamn it, activate the gate! Activate the gate! I¡¯ll step back! ¡°This¡­¡± The police were embarrassed and clutched at their foreheads. ¡°We will hold the guys coming from the outside, so please handle the inside.¡± ¡°Erai, jump fast! It bothers me.¡± The awakeners began to run. If the monster escapes or hides, it could¡¯ve been taken on the other side and the Ether without any time to spare. Bang! Bang! Bang! A roaring gunshot rang out from the inside, and the Awakeners reached the battlefield. Police were shooting large-caliber guns at monsters. The E-rank monster¡¯s skin could not be penetrated at all, but it might have given it a small wound. Off! One awakener cut the head of a rushing monster. Humanoid monsters and undead rotten bodies scattered everywhere. ¡°The Awakeners are here! Evacuate quickly!¡± The police shouted and took the protected citizens out. Terrified citizens crawled off the scene as they swept the floor. ¡°Not half of them are out of the gate yet!¡± ¡°Okay, go there!¡± cried by the Awakeners near the police. The speed at which the monsters came out was different for each gate, and this gate was fortunately slow. Rather than dealing with the monsters that spread worldwide, it was easier to catch and kill the monsters coming out of the gate. They cut the bodies blocking the road and proceeded to the parking lot inside the complex where the gate is. The red gate quaked with strong wavelengths as monsters pour out from it. Whenever the gate struck, fifteen bodies roared fiercely as the Awakeners slaughter them immediately. They changed direction as they stopped three or four waves. ¡°The speed of the gate is slow, and we can afford to go in small groups. First, try cleaning the outside,¡± said the leader. When he told them to split up, they divided without hesitation. Four Awakeners guarded the front gate, and the other four wandered inside of it to catch monsters. Dead bodies splayed between corridors. ¡°I heard there¡¯d be tons of monsters, but I didn¡¯t expect them to be this many.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good thing that you have a lot of cores left. You can play and eat for three months.¡± ¡°Think about it, it¡¯s stupid. Instead of having a lot of numbers, the output is low, so it won¡¯t be the same as usual.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± He foolishly replied. He wielded a hammer and squeezed the head of an incoming corpse. As the green juice splashed all over the place, the yellow-haired man next to him glanced at him with arrogance. His new white sneakers got painted beautifully. ¡°Let¡¯s get some more, huh?¡± ¡°Look over there.¡± The man with a hammer jerked his head directly at an apartment. Several bodies were crawled up its wall. He wasn¡¯t sure why he left the entrance and the stairs, but he¡¯d go through it later anyway. ¡°Did it suddenly eat something wrong?¡± ¡°It must have smelled people,¡± the man with the hammer shouted. ¡°Come here and help me.¡± ¡°What? Why me?¡± The yellow-haired one asked as if he seriously didn¡¯t know English. It doesn¡¯t seem to matter at all whether a person dies or not. The man said that he was accustomed to his casual attitude, and once again, he had a taste of it. ¡°It¡¯s better not to die than to die.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late to say that. You can just come and go over there, anyway.¡± Even if he leaves right now, he could still be eaten by monsters. ¡°It¡¯s annoying to go over them one by one upstairs. Just kill them all at once when they¡¯re gathered.¡± The yellow-haired pondered at his words. If you¡¯d think about it, he¡¯s actually right, he thought inwardly. Even if it wasn¡¯t a good motive, it could be a reason for him to move from that perspective. ¡°Then, where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to go through the road,¡± the man placed the hammer on his shoulder. Monsters blocked the rescue work at the special scene, and a child was in trouble. He headed for their direction to help overcome their helpless situation. ¡°Huh, that asshole.¡± The yellow-haired one looked at him sadly as they began to run to the other side. As he sliced ??a few monsters, he arrived at the apartment entrance and began to climb the stairs quickly. With the Awakened listener¡¯s enhanced hearing, the screams of the people upstairs became clear. ¡°If you don¡¯t evacuate, and you¡¯re still hiding inside the house, what can I do about that?¡± He grumbled. The monster had climbed to the top, giving him more work to do. He just wanted to eat the monsters slowly. He climbed at the end of the stairs. When he saw a house¡¯s door at the end of the hallway being ripped off, a curse slipped on the yellow hair¡¯s tongue. However, the scene was completely different from his expectations. ¡°What are you?¡± Two citizens were safely intact but terrified. It was a messy house with an undead monster inside. And a man in a black coat was standing in the middle. The man was pressing the hood of the tee that he wore inside. His face was not visible. ¡°Oh, I see. Are you that scavenger?¡± The yellow hair, who had roughly guessed the other person¡¯s identity, had a smile on his face. Black shoe marks were left on the floor. He glanced at the Ether of the blood in the hands of the unidentified, hooded man. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get hurt, can you put it down?¡± The man who heard the yellow-haired guy¡¯s threat slowly took off his hood and turned around. He was a middle-aged man that had fine wrinkles on his face and neck. However, his voice sounded young and didn¡¯t match his appearance. ¡°You¡¯re late. They almost died.¡± He spread out his hand and pointed to the cowering people on the other side. A woman had blood on her one of her fingers. She must¡¯ve hurt it. Beside her was was a young man in a wheelchair who had paralyzed legs. It¡¯s possible that the monsters suddenly came into the house because of the smell of blood from the woman¡¯s wound. ¡°So, what?¡± the yellow-haired guy¡¯s answer was concise. ¡°I saved something you almost couldn¡¯t. Is that okay with you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bullshit me! Who wants to come here and catch you? You can¡¯t just touch someone else¡¯s catch on the table!¡± Yellow hair said in an aggressive tone. The man looked at his wristwatch. The monsters are still running around, but the yellow-haired man didn¡¯t show any interest in it. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t interested in Sang-Dok. Why don¡¯t you go down there and save the isolated people in the house? Or are you guarding something here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not whether people die or not. That Ether is ours.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± The man asked, but the only response he got was a raised middle finger. ¡°Originally, I wanted only one or two. Now, I¡¯ll take your share.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s fucking boring. Shut your mouth and go to the detention center I¡¯ll send you to.¡± He frowned slightly. The yellow hair pulled a sword as he said volatile languages at him. No¡ªhe tried pulling it. However, before the blade was pulled out, his vision became distorted. Kwa-jik! The protective function of the protective coat was completely destroyed. ¡°What is this? Ugh!¡± The yellow hair was blown away as he crushed to the wall, halfway groaning in pain. The man approached him, and in a blink of an eye, he completely smashed his coat with a single punch. The man dragged the yellow head that was unable to move due to his legs getting paralyzed. He threw him in front of the broken door. ¡°I¡¯ll keep you here until the situation is over.¡± He walked back into the living room and went straight to the house¡¯s bathroom, he looked in the mirror and put his hand on his face as he used his ability to transform. The middle-aged man he had transformed back into his original face. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t get used to this feeling,¡± Il-hyun muttered. He opened his mouth as he massaged his facial muscles. Then, he touched his face again. This time, his face turned into one with yellowish hair. ¡°Now, shall we get back to work?¡± Chapter 10 - Bounty Hunt (3) 2 weeks later (2) Two weeks is a pretty long time. Even ordinary Awakeners who has just been awakened, will noticeably grow after two weeks of systematic training. Even a beginner who couldn¡¯t use weapons properly could handle the monsters quite well. However, prospects with high-ranking instincts or physically superior specifications from the beginning¡ªor known as buds, were different. As pushed by their companies and countries, they complete twelve times the growth of others within a period. In about two weeks, it was possible to immediately put them into action on the D-rank gate site. That¡¯s why it¡¯s said that the world of awakening was more in the talent play than any other field. A few people could overcome the difference, but they were also different from the rest¡ªthey do predation. During the two-week period, Il-hyun ate dozens of Ether cores. He kept pulling Ether from dead bodies inside the house. Pulling a core without an extractor from a monster with his own bare hands has become a casual routine for him. Il-hyun took the core and looked back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The country will compensate you for the smashed building. That human, well, he¡¯s awakened, so it would be safe if he had it.¡± He said, pointing at the yellow head still leaning on the wall. ¡°Thank you. Thank you,¡± they muttered. The woman had her head between her knees. The man sitting on the wheel chair enclosed her in an embrace. Il-hyun¡¯s face suddenly changed in the middle, and when he saw the same two faces, he felt awkward, but he didn¡¯t show it as much as he¡¯d like to. ¡°This bastard¡­ Did you turn into my face? Ah¡­!¡± The yellow hair who leaned on the front door, made a painful sound when saw his one-sided figure, his eyes widening. He heard that Scavenger had a disguise ability, but it was a completely different story than being surprised by his ability. ¡°Oh, right. I forgot about one thing.¡± ¡°Ah¡­! Don¡¯t come!¡± As Il-hyun approached, the frightened yellow-haired held up his sword. ¡°Aw¡­!¡± Il-hyun broke his hand with his light sword. He looked through the yellow hair¡¯s arms and took out his cell phone. Kwajik! The cell phone became a thinly chopped ratpo as Il-hyun continuously stepped on it. ¡°S¡­shit!¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯m going now? Don¡¯t come out until the police says so. Don¡¯t start bleeding quickly before the monster weakens,¡± Il-hyun told the young couple before he opened their veranda door, and jumped straight down. The woman who watched what he did shouted in amazement. ¡°Wait, we¡¯re in the 13th floor¡­!¡± Thud! Il-hyun, who landed on the floor with both feet, frowned. The strong impact of his landing broke the parking lot floor. Debris were everywhere. Il-hyun¡¯s legs were a little erratic, but it was only for a while. Unlike the cracked concrete floor, his legs were fine. Il-hyun looked around before wiping off the dust on his clothes. No one has seen him. Il-hyun whistled for a long time, and the mice that had been released in the field began to gather one by one. ¡°Did you find someone?¡± one out of the twenty mice he gathered, nodded. There were more people who couldn¡¯t escape even after the efforts of the police. Il-hyun bounced his finger. Then all but the one mouse that nodded, turned into sand and scattered on the floor. The mice are made of sand so as not to leave any trail behind. ¡°Come on. Lead the way.¡± The mouse ran ahead, and he followed. Il-hyun ran and threw three pieces of his sword into the sky. After a piece of knife got trapped in the air, he grabbed it in one hand. The body was hit in the middle, but after gently separating the neck, it kept its pace. ¡°Seongtae! Is it over?¡± A one awakened person said from afar. He must have thought it was his partner, the yellow head, but it was Il-hyun that copied and changed his face. As an one of the awakened, he clearly heard his voice, but he pretended not to hear it. Even if he could change his face, it was impossible to change my voice. As Il-hyun kept running, the man he was talking to angrily smashed the monster. He was surprised when he entered the underground parking lot with his mouse. Moving corpses were filling the basement. He hid on the wall and began to grasp the situation. ¡°What are they? There¡¯s too many of them¡­¡± At least a hundred, at most. The number of monsters in the underground parking lot was too many that they couldn¡¯t see the bodies coming down from the upper gate. ¡°A double gate?¡± Il-hyun raised his eyebrows. Unlike other gates that usually appear one at a time, several gates appeared this time. In this case, the gate wasn¡¯t exactly easy to detect because it was created with the same coordinates, the same kind, but with slightly different heights. Besides, it was located in the basement, so it seemed to have not yet been found. The awakened people who went to the scene usually caught the monster trying to escape. Places like underground parking lots¡ªthey couldn¡¯t escape it. Therefore, the clean up toward the final stages began. ¡°Is there anyone still alive?¡± he lowered his voice and asked the mouse that¡¯d led him to this place. The mouse nodded and pointed in one direction. He saw a warehouse door that¡¯s tightly closed on one wall. The mouse seemed to say that someone was hiding in it. ¡°I thought you developed a sense of smell¡­ Are you only responding to the smell of blood?¡± He thought that when he climbed the apartment that his sense of smell developed. However, when he couldn¡¯t find anything across the door. He seemed to rely mainly on sight and hearing except for the smell of blood. ¡°First, from the CCTV¡­¡± Il-hyun looked at the surveillance cameras all over the underground parking lot. Then, he raised his hand to use his ability. All cameras in the basement got crumpled like crushed tin cans that fell on the floor. After hearing the sound, the corpses¡¯ eyes were everywhere. From behind the wall, Il-hyun pulled a lighter out of his pocket. There was a sparking sound as the lighter created a small flame. When Il-hyun used his ability, the small fire grew bigger and bigger. The flame, which is as big as a human head, burst out¡ªit materialized quickly, and Il-hyun came face to face with its fox form. It resounded with him, and he felt its hot flames. The summoned familiar was in the air, and it gently gathered on Il-hyun¡¯s left shoulder. ¡°Just follow the road. You don¡¯t have to kill everything,¡± Il-hyun said. His goal right now was to rescue people. The Ether can wait. Then, in response to his words, the fox¡¯s fur sparks, and it began to rise. ¡°It¡¯s better not to leave traces as much as possible¡­ It would be okay if you burned a little.¡± Il-hyun has hidden his ability as much as possible while working, except when it comes to changing his face. Not only did he not want to reveal his identity, but he purposely left that space to wash off his Scavenger life any time. He¡¯s planning to close the space soon. In the meantime, the corpses that figured out the presence of Il-hyun started to rush everywhere. At the same time, the flames that made up the fox¡¯s body also shook violently. After focusing, the fox¡¯s body turned into a large flame. One of Il-hyun¡¯s intense flames spread out ahead. Quaang! The stretched-out flame broke one pillar, and continued its way toward the warehouse¡¯s door. Bodies on the road burned black and oxidized, the surrounding bodies failing to approach the flames. Il-hyun broke his way out. A normal fire wouldn¡¯t have nodded at Il-hyun, but the E-rank monster was a spark created by a powerful Awakener. Il-hyun walked the path of the burning flame. The flames he created did no harm to him. In front of the warehouse¡¯s door, Firefox roared at the end of the blaze and sat quietly while waiting for him. When Il-hyun reached out, the monster jumped up and climbed over his shoulder. ¡°Alright, good job.¡± He gently stroked the fox¡¯s chin while bouncing his palms up and down. Then, the fox burned out and disappeared. The mice that guided the road turned into sand and died on the floor. Il-hyun immediately tried to open the door. However, the locked door did not open with a rattling sound. He took a little bit of strength to tear the door apart. Il-hyun went into the warehouse with a bang, quickly roaming his eyes around. Inside the small warehouse, he saw a small girl stuck in the corner. At best, the child who appeared to be a typical elementary student, was holding her breath when the door fell roughly. The child¡¯s face paled. She trembled and burst into tears when Il-hyun¡¯s eyes met with her¡¯s. ¡°Oh, ah¡­!¡± Il-hyun grabbed her shaky hand. Then, he lifted the child with his other hand without a sword, and held her in his arms. ¡°Are you scared? Let¡¯s go back.¡± * * * The human figure suddenly fell over the fence of the apartment complex. Then, two police officers guarding the place were surprised and pointed at the muzzle. When they realized that the figure passing over was an Awakener with a child, they shot down and approached. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Il-hyun with the yellow-haired face, handed the child over to the police. When the police saw the limp girl, they anxiously asked if something was wrong. ¡°The child¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. She¡¯s just nervous,¡± At the end of Il-hyun¡¯s sentence, the two police sighed with relief. ¡°Are there any more civilians who haven¡¯t evacuated yet?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, exactly¡­ In the list of residents found, we just evacuated two young couple. Even though the emergency evacuation broadcast was working properly, it would have been difficult for one of the couples to get out quickly because of discomfort. Right now, I¡¯m just hoping to stay safely inside the house until it¡¯s cleared up¡­¡± Among the widely known evacuation manuals, it was said that if you were at home and couldn¡¯t evacuate within a short time, you should stay calm inside the house rather than trying to escape. Waiting inside their houses while the gate is activated has a higher chance of survival rate than waiting for the monsters to be eradicated by Awakeners or the police that will come to their rescue. But in the present case, there was no need to worry about them. ¡°Oh, those people¡ªone of our colleagues are protecting the apartment.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± The police asked in surprise. It¡¯s not 20 years of evangelism anymore, and these days, it¡¯s considered rare for awakening teams to actively help citizens evacuate. ¡°Of course, it is. I¡¯ll see you later. I have to go back.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back to the scene?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little bit hurt¡­ My other colleagues will take care of the remaining monsters.¡± Il-hyun rolled up his sleeves and lifted the wound on his arm. It seemed to have been cut by something sharp, and the muscles were visible. The startled police officer jumped and said, ¡°Go and tend it. The ambulance is at the front door.¡± Unlike the surprised police, Il-hyun laughed lightly, ¡°No. You might be busy treating other people. The other Awakeners didn¡¯t say much either. I¡¯m also going to work early tomorrow.¡± The police still looked at the wound anxiously, but the Awakener said he was okay and that he couldn¡¯t bear to wait for the ambulance. He was just saying hello carefully. ¡°Then, have a good time at work.¡± Il-hyun, who said hello, turned around. He took off the defensive coat, put it on his arm, and pressed his hood firmly. And when he turned around the corner of the street where the police were out of sight, he reversed the color of the gray hooded sweat to white. The black cotton pants turned into ripped jeans, and a dirty beard appeared on the face behind the hooded sweatshirt. More than anything, the open wound on his arm got sealed up as if he had never been hurt¡ªit mystically healed. Il-hyun¡¯s figure disappeared into the darkness. Chapter 11 Il-hyun arrived at the house, and then reversed his face and clothes that had been transformed earlier. When his face had gone back to its original, he went straight to the bathroom. After the battle with the monsters, the overturned dirt and bloodstains were not acceptable. And after taking off the messy clothes, he turned on the shower and poured warm water over his body. After a pleasant wash, Il-hyun took out the items he had obtained. Eight ether cores were smaller than the usual one. He grabbed the core with one hand and absorbed it one by one. ¡°Definitely, the output is a bit weak¡­ It tastes boring.¡± Il-hyun had tasted bad. Just as a person cannot live on one, the core of the E-rank monster that was absorbed by predation was also bitten. But it wasn¡¯t too hard right now. D-rank monsters are on a different dimension from E or F-ranks. It was the starting point of the monster rank, classified as the Ace Monster. D-rank gates did not pour dozens of D-rank monsters. If so, mankind would have perished. If it was a D-rank gate, it was a concept in which a base monster appeared in dozens to hundreds of E-ranks, and one or two ace monsters appeared in a D-rank. When playing as a game, if the base monster was a nasty monster, the ace monster could be considered as a semi-boss. Of course, there was no pattern of ace monsters at all for the inclination of the gate, and the pattern changed, for instance, the base monster had a relatively high rank, but in the normal case. So, of course, the difference between the level of D and E rank monsters, which is the standard for distinguishing between ace and base, was remarkable. There was no need to take that risk while hiding the instincts of scavenging. After he finished living in scavenging, he wasn¡¯t too greedy. Il-hyun collected the core pieces that were broken and scattered on the floor and put them in a plastic bag. He threw it in the corner of the veranda, which already had several of the same envelopes. It was impossible to separate and collect the core pieces that piled up while absorbing them, and it was impossible to transform them to the opposite sex. That said, he couldn¡¯t throw it away anywhere, so he was privately troubled. ¡°You must stop doing this.¡± Il-hyun sat on his sofa, his back pressed against the sofa¡¯s rest, he murmured without help. Hiding around the congestion consumed more heart than he thought. He had many things to think about, and when he used the power. He became hesitant for a while. He became cautious about even the smallest things he usually did without thinking. ¡°But there is not much left now.¡± Il-hyun clenched one of his fists. He felt strong enough to be incomparable to the first. If he absorbed the core a little bit more, he could have the power required to demand for a contract in the awakening company. (For example, in a condition where a detailed performance grade was not disclosed and was treated as private.) Lee Tae-in, a B rank awakener who was the current sign of Vals, has not revealed his ability grade to anyone. Usually, since the awakening¡¯s skill level was essential to the company¡¯s promotion or job hunting, such requests were rarely accepted. However, it was said that Itaein laid the point in terms of the contract from the beginning. His request was eventually accepted, and that was possible because he was the main class Awakener. And one of the most important conditions for Il-hyun. Taking ownership of the ether core from the monster he hunted. It was essential for his future growth. Ether was nothing more than an awakening company¡¯s profits, so he won¡¯t be able to demand it all. However, some stipulated that they wanted to the core instead of money. ¡°C rank chin¡­ No, even if it¡¯s just the top rank of D, if you put up the instinct I have, I¡¯ll try to take it with my prospect turned over.¡± Il-hyun did not know what grade he was exactly. The level of awakening was not so simple as to be randomly measured anywhere. But only three instincts. Even if he hid the level of detailed instinct, having three instincts was huge merit. Moreover, all three instincts were an entirely new type of intellect that had never been known. It was a spec that could remain even after the eyes of companies turned around. If he revealed that all three of them were SSS ranks, it would be annoying, and all governments and companies will take him with a free pass. No, he was going to have to make a decision. And he didn¡¯t have to worry about that. But the problem was that they weren¡¯t the only ones interested. Instead, an overly extraordinary talent could be the target of others. A South American awakener, who received the expectations of everyone on the S-ranked instinct, died of a throat (this is incomplete) in her home when she was 19. IRC, a criminal organization of awakened people, tried to recruit him, but when the story went wrong, he was killed and left without regret. Unless they were members of the same group, they were awakened men who could be a threat to them, so it was something they had to recruit, remove, or do. Also, a promising individual, with an A-ranked instinct, who was in Iran for ten years, was missing only for his dead body to be found drifting down the river. Sometimes, there were no rumors about rats and birds dead, but rumors got out that they were assassinated and killed by other country¡¯s enemies. If he has a high level of awakening in Korea, he might think it¡¯s relatively safe, but what about SSS ranks that have no history? He didn¡¯t even want to imagine what might happen. Even if he concealed his head, it still hurt, but he didn¡¯t want to live his life worrying about being assassinated. At the age of 20, the prosecutor¡¯s office had revealed all of his instincts. Still, at the time, the employee dismissed it as a simple machine error and made a record as a general without any ability. At least, due to the prosecutor¡¯s examination in the past, there was no chance to break the rank. ¡°You have to hide your intellect rating until you get strong enough.¡± Il-hyun clearly awakened and was awakened late. However, as long as he had an unrivaled predation ability, he didn¡¯t have to worry about growth at all. ¡°It would be nice if you could enter a place like Aegis, not a strange company.¡± Awakening companies also had bad companies, and there were quite a few places where they wanted to eat their own awakened. Whether you¡¯re playing pranks on contracts or eating ether at a much higher rate, there were places where the awakened alone could not properly get a job from the government. In contrast, Aegis. Together with the Korean government¡¯s response team, it was the last goal of all awakened. This place was home to over twenty A class awakened people who have no other country in the world, and are proud to be the best in the world. Il-hyun was merely a child when he thought he would become an awakener and had dreamed of entering there. ¡°But, I¡¯ll be starting right now.¡± Aegis was where the best awakens gathered, not the prospects. Il-hyun looked back at the house. Inside the house, all sorts of miscellaneous things were piled up, making a mess. There were large wood and chopped pieces, glasses, rubbers, etc. It was necessary to get used to it because each time a different material was transformed, it felt different. The more he used this ability, the faster he became proficient and the wider the application. Il-hyun lightly lifted the water from the bowl on the table into the air. The water that floated in a gravity-like state and formed the shape of a human figure. The small size of the body and the dim neck, thin arms, and legs, infused the summoning ability there. The moment his power was released, however, the water that had floated fell back into the bowl. In the meantime, even though he was very good at summoning, there was no sign of success in summoning as easily as the number of human-shaped summons. Il-hyun conjured it once more. Water droplets splattered all over the place again. He began to put them in a bowl. Just then, he felt the vibration of his cell phone. A reminder popped up in a chat room with three friends, including him. He had agreed to see them this week. After checking the contents, Il-hyun flipped her phone and put it on the side for a while. Meanwhile, he had been insulted to read and cheat on two of his friends. ¡°I have to explain this.¡± He became an awakener at this age, and he had three instincts, and he said he had tremendous potential. It was a good repertoire to be treated like a crazy man. Of course, he won¡¯t say anything until he was done with scavenging, but it was something he would have to tell someday. When he thought about that time, he felt somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Well?¡± Il-hyun looked at the phone. This time the app worked and a notification popped up on his phone. It was an app that told him that a gate was being created in Seoul right now. ¡°D4 grade gate in Songpa¡­ What day is it today?¡± An emergency evacuation letter, enclosed in parentheses next to the notification, caught his eye. An emergency evacuation order had been issued, meaning that the gate was about to be activated within 20 minutes. In fact, not only today, it seemed that the amount of generated gates had increased these days significantly. The gate with a tight activation time had particularly increased noticeably. ¡°The next cycle has not come yet. Are you starting to see signs already?¡± Il-hyun finally took care of that and sat up on the sofa he was sitting on. Even though it was a D-rank gate, the ace monsters were handled by the awakened people in charge of the scene, so it was relevant for him. It was a waste to have washed at all, but it felt better than never. Soon after, he packed his clothes and climbed to the roof of the tallest building around. Il-hyun, stared at the streets around the dark, attracted, and transformed the air overflowing from all directions. Deforming the air that was difficult to catch was much more difficult than other objects, but it was possible enough in today¡¯s hyeon-hyeon. So dimly, the bird took shape using the summon ability. A giant hawk appeared capable of carrying one person freely. The translucent figure was not noticeable, even close to the eye. Il-hyun changed the color of clothes to be invisible to the people, then climbed on the back of the hawk and soared into the sky. He didn¡¯t use this method other times, but this time the distance was quite far, so he couldn¡¯t help it. He flew as high as possible away from the human eyes. After flying so high, Il-hyun transformed the hawk into black so that it could merge with the night sky. So that if someone saw it, it would look like an ordinary bird. Only feathers and beaks, eyes, and dignified masses all began to appear clearly. The hawk quickly traversed the sky in Seoul, and the cold night air flung through Il-hyun¡¯s face. The night view of Seoul was visible at a glance, tall buildings, and countless lights. It was a superb view for anyone to see and feel good whenever they saw it. However, there was one point he had missed. -Upgraded the gate grade. Current prediction rank B3. The company in charge changed from Raon to Aegis. Team A is being dispatched. A new bond was approaching him. Chapter 12 A transport helicopter was flying over Seoul. On the side of the helicopter was the logo AEGIS. It was the logo of Aegis, the world¡¯s leading awakening company. And there were three awakens in it. Each had a white transceiver in one ear and sat in a black coat, two men and a woman. Everyone was famous enough to have fewer people in the world. ¡°The 11-minute semi-surprise gate. Plus, it¡¯s a B3 rating, and as soon as I¡¯ve gone on vacation, things start happening one after another.¡± Seok Pil-jun said while looking at the scenery of Seoul outside the helicopter. He was a neat-looking man with a chunky height but had a unique feature due to his slightly protruding eyes and dark circles. His tone was somewhat tired. While returning from his mission, he suddenly heard an emergency request from the government saying it was near the air. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Take a break before the next cycle comes, and the team is running out of space for two vacations. I mean, two team leaders, but one team member?¡± Lee Su-yeon, the leader of Aegis A team, grumbled. Twenty-nine-year-old she was one of the 13 veterans who was awakened. The dark black hair released in a strikingly beautiful appearance awakened and was quite long. ¡°Then, where did Chief Jeong go?¡± ¡°E Team is out. A5 class gate came out in the Middle East. It will be activated there soon.¡± Lee Soo-yeon said while looking down at the watch tied to her wrist. Her team¡¯s gate also had only four minutes to activate. ¡°Ghost, are you sleeping? It¡¯s coming soon. ¡° She crossed her legs across the seat and touched the sleeping man¡¯s leg. But the man replied without moving. ¡°Don¡¯t you see that I¡¯m keeping my eyes open right now?¡± ¡°I had to know if you¡¯re alive because of the mask.¡± A man called Ghost, not his real name, was wearing a black balaclava with a white skull on his face. The only part of the eye that was open was covered with dark sunglasses, so no part was exposed on the face. ¡°I arrive in 1 minute!¡± The pilot in the front seat spoke to the awakens. ¡°Have you heard? Prepare everyone. Remember what the analysis team told us, this gate is very fast at generating monsters.¡± Lee Soo-yeon reminded the team members. It was a very secure gate, but there were already police officers in the vicinity, and most of the malls had been evacuated. She didn¡¯t have to worry about the problem. All three awakens, including her, relaxed and held their arms. In the meantime, Seok Pil-jun asked the team leader a question. ¡°By the way, aren¡¯t we going to go back to being four?¡± ¡°No, even if I can¡¯t, I need to fill one more. I don¡¯t want to pull it out of another team ¡­ Who should I look for?¡± * * * Il-hyun¡¯s face suddenly turned sharp. He came to the scene in a short time, with the help of a short ride on the back of the hawk. It wasn¡¯t too late. ¡°Well?¡± To find a suitable place to drop off, Il-hyun, looking down, found something strange. ¡°Why are you controlling so wide?¡± The radius of several kilometers was controlled around the site where the gate was opened. If you don¡¯t know the outskirts, it was a busy area with lots of buildings, and there was a lot of traffic to and from it. The response to the gate of D4 level was excessive. ¡°Although it¡¯s good for me,¡± It was easy to operate as it was widely controlled, and it was good to get unnoticed by people. When Il-hyun pointed at a building with his finger, he turned the tie. The hawk that picked up Il-hyun turned back to a translucent color and lowered the altitude to descend on the roof of a building. As soon as he got off the falcon¡¯s back, he quickly dismissed it. Then, as the fog disappeared, the shapes scattered and disappeared. Il-hyun lowered his posture and approached the edge of the roof. The building on which he stood was the tallest building on the site so that he could look over the area. ¡°Ah¡­ what is this?¡± Looking down closely, he realized that something was wrong. All of the monsters were already dead, and only three awakened men stood over the corpses. The gate that spat out all the monsters shook for a moment and then closed and disappeared. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been up to 15 minutes yet?¡± Il-hyun hurriedly took out his cell phone. Once he dropped an object, a large accident was almost apparent, so he tried not to put his hand in his pocket during flight. However, in the meantime, the grade of the gate has skyrocketed from D4 to B3. ¡°It¡¯s so different! Besides, suddenly Aegis¡­¡± He didn¡¯t care if it was a little late until he had already sorted it out. It was unavoidable to strike out occasionally because he wasn¡¯t acting exactly as the disaster watchdog had contacted him. But the problem was the identity of the awakened. The government response team, Aegis, and another one of them was caught. He recognized the faces they¡¯d known themselves. Like celebrities, he often saw on TV. ¡°Was it Ghost, because I see him wearing a strange mask, and that concept was still the same?¡± Il-hyun concentrated and observed the people seen below. The first thing that stood out was Ghost. He was famous for his A-class Awakening but was also well known for his overturned mask. His name was also named after his instincts and concealed his full name, covering his face completely. No one except his teammates knows his face and identity. It was a material that attracted the public¡¯s attention. They were other people that also caught Il-hyun¡¯s attention. ¡°The face is Seok Pil-jun. Oh my God, Lee Soo-yeon is also here.¡± Lee Soo-yeon was the co-team leader of Team A, one of Aegis¡¯s signs. As an A-class awakener, he was one of the greatest in the world. His friend Byeong-cheol Lee was also an avid fan of Lee Soo-yeon. He would have asked for a signature if they had met elsewhere, but now he was not happy. ¡°Should I run away now? Or do I have to stay quiet and get out?¡± He couldn¡¯t make an easy decision because he thought he might get caught if he moved quickly. Il-hyun also listened only in words. A or B ranks of the awakened people did not really know how much level. But he knew for sure that it would be difficult to get out of the way when he was caught. A monster with blue horns more than 4 meters long that looks strong. He could see only a few B-rank ace monsters being torn on the floor. Awakens of Aegis were talking among themselves, laying monster bodies on all sides. Meanwhile, three people turned at the same time. Exactly where he was. Il-hyun and their gaze met. ¡°Suction!¡± A startled Il-hyun took a breath and stepped back. ¡°You never noticed me on this street?¡± Even the awakened people felt it was too much. He never looked down again. It was all two people just staring in that direction. The other, Ghost, disappeared. Then, an object appeared suddenly and was blindfolded. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Oh! As the face of the person wearing a mask flipped out of the rooftop, Il-hyun was surprised and stepped back. The man who appeared suddenly had his body pass through the wall and climbed up to the shoulders. Ghost shook his head to one side and asked again. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I think I was on the wrong track while evacuating.¡± The frightened Il-hyun made excuses that could not be worn while wearing a protective coat. Then, Ghost went through the floor and materialized. His translucent body returned to the original distinctive color. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this for years, but the degree of awakening is blindfolded. There is one guess¡­¡± For a moment, the man, who was overcast, suddenly grabbed one of Il-hyun¡¯s arms. Reflectively, Il-hyun tried to shake his arm, but both of the bodies became blurred this same moment. As he looked at Il-hyun¡¯s eyes with his eyes wide open looking at himself, Ghost laughed cheerfully and pulled him down. ¡°haha! Let¡¯s go together!¡± ¡°What is this¡­!¡± Il-hyun and Ghost¡¯s bodies disappeared, and they were sucked under the building. He couldn¡¯t even scream out of his mouth. As he continued to go down the floor, he felt dizzy as if the world was spinning. When about three stories remained on the ground, Il-hyun rolled out of the building and rolled unto the floor. ¡°Collocolocolo!¡± Il-hyun was incapable of enduring his first experience. Meanwhile, Lee Soo-yeon and Seok Pil-jun were walking in front, and Ghost came from behind the building. Surrounded by three awakened people wearing black coats, Il-hyun gave out a muffled sigh. ¡°Ha, I think it¡¯s wrong to run away properly.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the Scavenger who I had only heard from rumors would come to us.¡± Lee Soo-yeon, who came forward, said, flipping her flowing hair backward. It was quite improbable that the awakened people would be invaded in their own field. She stared at him with a curious look, as if she were just curious. She seemed to have never expected a Scavenger to come to them. It was natural for Il-hyun to come to the courtyard, which was unexpected. ¡°Well, Scavenger.¡± Il-hyun paused while talking. At first glance, they seemed to be convinced that he was a scavenger. They weren¡¯t an easy opponent to cheat on, and Il-hyun thought it would be useless if he did, decided to go out honestly. ¡°Sorry. I came to the wrong place without knowing that I was transferred to another place in the middle. I¡¯m going to go quietly without interruption, so let¡¯s continue doing what we were doing.¡± It was his fault that he entered the scene on his own, so he bent down and went in. She suspected that Il-hyun was trying to end the conversation no matter what. But she asked instead. ¡°Where do you belong to?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­? No, nothing.¡± ¡°How long have you been awakened?¡± ¡°It must have been about two weeks.¡± The woman continued to speak, Il-hyun replied moderately, and scanned her around. He was looking for a runway while thinking about getting out. He was expecting a slight gap. ¡°2 weeks? It¡¯s not a good time to get used to being a scavenger.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Stay still.¡± Seok Pil-jun did not hold the man in front of him but stared at the team leader in conversation. But she continued the conversation as if it were interesting. ¡°If you have the ability to turn your face into a free material, even if you are not an awakening company, you might be a talented person looking for information in a place like an information agency¡­ Did you deliberately not belong?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Lee Soo-yeon touched her mouth. ¡°So why can¡¯t I tell you why I started working for Scavenger?¡± ¡°What¡­ right.¡± She had been curious about his story, as she had already learned in detail from her acquaintances that Scavengers, who had recently become a hot topic, has taken the lead in the rescue of citizens in every field he goes to. But when the man didn¡¯t seem to answer anymore, he deemed it a pity. ¡°I don¡¯t like to stand up and play, though. How many flies are twisted in foreign countries¡­ Scavengers has no good feelings.¡± Even if he has heard a story about the people in front of him, the fact that he intercepted a monster in another¡¯s territory has not changed. Scavenger was Scavenger and even saying that he didn¡¯t actually know it wasn¡¯t sincere. There were also scavengers aiming for hot water, taking risks, and tackling high-ranking ether cores. There was no reason to let them go. ¡°I¡¯m going to lead the police outside, so don¡¯t blush each other, are we clear?¡± He said it to be clear, but it sounded to be calm. It was rather generous in situations where the difference in power was obvious. However, Il-hyun had no intention of being quietly caught. He started running in the direction he had seen. Lee Soo-yeon sighed at his actions and glanced. Then Ghost moved. Chapter 13 - The Phone Call (3) The Phone Call (3) ¡°Okay!¡± Il-hyun, struck by the air, rolled on the floor again. When he ran away, Ghost ignored all the obstacles on the wall and followed him. Seok Pil-jun and Lee Soo-yeon were staring at him. ¡°But it¡¯s never going to work.¡± Il-hyun was dragged to his original position, and he wondered how it happened. In the meantime, he had been caught by Ghost three times. When Ghost disappeared, he couldn¡¯t influence Il-hyun, and conversely, Il-hyun also couldn¡¯t affect him. If he wanted to attack or stop someone, he had to materialize. Moreover, if it wasn¡¯t during the moment that Ghost was materialized, he could not touch other people. Of course, even if he knew his weakness, the situation did not change. Il-hyun realized that he couldn¡¯t escape from the situation if he continued to hide his ability. If he was caught and passed over to the police, it would all be useless anyway. Il-hyun made a sword. ¡°Isn¡¯t that an ether sword?¡± Lee Soo-yeon stared at the sight. She didn¡¯t know what the principle was, but Il-hyun pulled out a strange sword and assembled it. ¡°I think it¡¯s past the stage to convince you.¡± Seok Pil-jun pulled a sword and went forward. Then Il-hyun looked around. Of course, there was nobody there, and there was no trouble with visibility due to the wide control radius. However, the problem was that there were countless surveillance cameras in downtown Seoul. ¡°Are you hiding anything? When we are active, all CCTVs are turned off, so show your skills with confidence.¡± Seok Pil-jun said in a blunt tone. Il-hyun provocatively rolled his foot. Around him, ten golems made of concrete appeared with the floor shaking. The ground was dug by the volume of the golems, which were quite large. It was a summons conjured by Il-hyun previously. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Monster?¡± The awakened were taken aback by the sudden golem. They have been active all over the world for many years but have never seen such a thing happen. It was the first time in their lives. Meanwhile, Il-hyun had summoned a hawk and soared into the sky. As soon as he tried to escape the building forest, Seok Pil-jun jumped several times using the air as his foothold and continued to chase him. Seok Pil-jun, who had C-rank [Leap], split the hawk¡¯s neck, and Il-hyun crashed onto the ground. ¡°Ugh! Damn it!¡± Il-hyun hit the ground ungracefully and spat out a curse. It was already his fifth time rolling on the floor today. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Seok Pil-jun, who immediately followed, looked at him with a slightly surprised expression. Il-hyun replied with a throbbing waist and extended his sword. ¡°You bastard!¡± Ca-en! Two swords hit each other with a sharp sound. His opponent¡¯s tremendous power had struck with just the first blow. Seok Pil-jun gently shed the sword off of Il-hyun, who was stabbed at the chest right under his shoulder. Seok Pil-jun tried to reach him again quickly. But it couldn¡¯t be done. ¡°What is this¡­!¡± A vine with a deformed bottom came out and grabbed his ankle. Seok Pil-jun lifted his foot and smashed the vine, then attacked again. And the moment he tried to counterattack one side, Seok Pil-jun felt something strange at his feet and flew to the sky with his jump ability. Thorns came up from the floor to where he was previously. Seok Pil-jun did not know what the opponent¡¯s ability was. However, he had reacted instinctively and continued the fight. In the midst of Seok Pil-jun¡¯s twisting blade, Il-hyun bounced back. He barely avoided the sword, and he immediately settled down. However, Seok Pil-jun has been attacking dynamically by using his ability to make a foothold in the air, and Il-hyun was in a hurry. Paak! Il-hyun was hit and flew back into the building. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± As Il-hyun looked up, Lee Soo-yeon and Ghost were walking slowly towards him. All the golems that were used to buy time had already been shattered. Il-hyun was forced to admit the difference. They weren¡¯t opponents he could take on at his current level. They weren¡¯t even breaking a sweat. They consistently dealt with him in a relaxed manner and were dominating him with ease. It was just two weeks after his awakening; he was still a novice and couldn¡¯t beat a member of an elite team. When Il-hyun was about to give up, he discovered a body that appeared to be a B-ranked monster lying next to him. He thought of collecting the core from the body of a monster that just died. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Il-hyun rushed to it and searched the body to take out the core inside it. Lee Soo-yeon stared with a puzzled expression. After all, the opponent had suddenly aimed for the ether of a B rank monster. When Il-hyun tried to run away with the core, Lee Soo-yeon only watched him calmly because she believed that Il-hyun had no way of escaping the situation. ¡°Now, what do you want to do with the core?¡± Seok Pil-jun asked. ¡°It¡¯s all useful to me.¡± Il-hyun replied briefly, holding the core in his right hand. The core in his hand had a superior quality from the E-rank cores he¡¯d absorbed so far. He concentrated power and pressed his right hand as firmly as possible. And, then, the core collapsed. ¡°What¡­? Nonsense! The core¡­¡± The three awakened were astonished when they saw the ether core shattered in front of them. Research teams couldn¡¯t dismember the core even after adopting all kinds of methods. But now, the core was shattered by the grip of a single person. The ether of the B-ranked core entered the body of Il-hyun, and momentarily the power flushed all over his body. However, the force was not fully absorbed. Rather than accepting it into his body, the power was left intact for immediate use. ¡°It might be possible now.¡± Il-hyun envisioned what to do with this power. He wanted to try something new. It was dangerous, but it was pointless to worry about the risks in his current situation. The ether that flowed through his body merged with his enthusiasm for the battle. He felt like his head was spinning. Il-hyun noticed that there was a large eight-story shopping mall behind his back. He put his hand on the wall of the building. Il-hyun poured all the power he had and used this ability. Kugu-gu! The surrounding land rang, the debris of the building drooped, and the appearance was changed totally. The eight-story mall twisted around and displayed the shape of a giant snake. The eyes of the giant snake shook. Kiaeek! The giant monster raised its head high and ran toward the other awakened. ¡°I just need one big summon.¡± * * * It was a giant snake. The monster rushed at a terrifying speed and came to swallow the road. An enormous amount of dirt accompanied it, and the surrounding buildings were lightly pushed away. Seok Pil-jun and Ghost faltered at the tremendous shockwave from the devastated streets. A high-ranking giant monster had appeared without explanation. Wi-ing! A black attack thwarted the tremendous snake. The center of the serpent disappeared, forcing it to lose its balance, and slipped to the ground. Kuung! The giant snake, which had split into two branches, swept through the streets. A boom followed the huge blast. Only one person could do this. Lee Soo-yeon, who held the sword, had black energy in her arm. When she released her posture, the black energy soon disappeared. ¡°Ha¡­ this is too much.¡± She hit Il-hyun, and he was knocked out. With a sense of weariness, he became relaxed, fell across the floor, and fainted. After Il-hyun passed out, the silence settled for a while. ¡°What is that child¡¯s identity?¡± ¡°Wow, that was really cool.¡± Unlike Seok Pil-jun, whose fish-eyes were dull, Ghost admired it purely. His tone was a little excited. ¡°When I heard it before, I thought it was definitely an unusual case, but it was much more than I expected.¡± Lee Soo-yeon also laughed at the unexpected situation. They were surprised that Il-hyun¡¯s bare hands broke the indestructible ether, and it seemed that he still had more abilities reserved. In particular, the last attack went far beyond the general awakened category. She approached Il-hyun, who had past-out, and looked over his condition. He was breathing fine, and there were no visible wounds. ¡°I don¡¯t think he was injured or seriously hurt. Was there an overload due to excessive use of this ability?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like a regular scavenger. He may be part of the IRC.¡± ¡°It sounds stupid. If there were a prospect with such an ability in an organization like that, he would have grown more. What would you have done for a scavenger?¡± She couldn¡¯t tell the level of his ability by just looking at him. Even if he looked great at the moment, there were usually limitations and weaknesses in unforeseen places. However, it was clear that the ability that the man showed was, at the very least, completely different from the ones she had seen so far. And, these instincts have increased infinitely, especially in criminal organizations. If a criminal organization had such a talent, it would have been carefully nurtured, avoiding the eyes of all governments and corporations; it would not have been a scavenger. It also didn¡¯t make sense to leave him here in Korea. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s just a quick turn. I have to tell the government and keep him out of Yeong Young¡¯s prison.¡± ¡°Only with theft¡­ Why are you so aggressive now?¡± Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s mind changed. ¡°But isn¡¯t it a waste? I want him to join our team.¡± ¡°What?¡± As if something was wrong, Seok Pil-jun looked at her with a strong sense of rejection. But Lee Soo-yeon didn¡¯t even care about thinking differently. ¡°I don¡¯t know where to come in since this was our first meeting.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m in favor. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen this ability. I thought the gate was open.¡± Ghost laughed pleasantly. If someone would be recruited anyway, the man in front of him was the most interesting choice. However, Seok Pil-jun objected by shaking his head. ¡°Aren¡¯t we Aegis? We already have a few unique abilities.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just the abilities. You can see the buds.¡± Lee Soo-yeon was admiring the two of them fight. The body specs were still insufficient in her standards, but the outstanding combat sense and elaborate performance of the opponent were more than enough. Of course, even the body specs were not comparable to ordinary awakenings. They were under the assumption that Il-hyun was awakened for only two weeks. ¡°Do you really believe that he had only been awakened just two weeks ago?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been that long since he appeared as a scavenger, and there¡¯s something irregular about him.¡± ¡°Even if the offender has such a talent, I think he should be locked up before he gets stronger. He already has a criminal record, and he would raise it properly if he went into a criminal organization.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Lee Soo-yeon said firmly. As if she was sure it wouldn¡¯t happen. She knew the details of Il-hyun¡¯s actions from police acquaintances. Facts that didn¡¯t appear in the media. Of course, nothing was certain yet, but the puzzle was already unwinding in her head. ¡°Even if he does, there is nothing wrong with it. If you put him back, then it¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°After joining the team anyway.¡± ¡°Then, we are going to acknowledge the majority.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really.¡± Seok Pil-jun stared at Ghost that slipped in. Ghost just made a gesture by raising his arms and groaned. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not final because we have to listen to Jung. Above all, it¡¯s his decision whether to join or not.¡± Lee Soo-yeon, who had collapsed, put her arm around her shoulder and raised her back. ¡°I won¡¯t give him to the police anyway. The street was broken during the battle. I¡¯m in charge, so cover this quietly.¡± Seok Pil-jun still looked dissatisfied, but he was forced to follow the words of the team leader. Ghost whispered confidently between his masked face. In the meantime, the helicopter he had contacted was on its way. Chapter 14 - Choice Choice ¡°Mhh.. Huh?¡± Il-hyun opened his eyes slenderly in bed. It was surprisingly daytime, and the sunlight was peeping in through the blinds that covered the windows. He glanced around. It was not a familiar place. He was inside a fairly large white room and was lying in a hospital bed. The structure of the hospital¡¯s single room was a bit different, and he felt uncertain in many ways. Il-hyun, who traced his body, woke up slowly after identifying that his body was intact. He didn¡¯t know exactly where he was, but he was glad that it wasn¡¯t a detention center. He was out of energy, so he had to maneuver his head to get out of a moderately stupid position. ¡°Right¡­ It didn¡¯t work at that time.¡± Il-hyun sighed a little after recalling his performance at Songpa. Honestly, it was a disheartening memory. At that moment, he poured out everything he had, but in the end, it was completely blocked by the A-rank awakened. If he knew this would happen, he would have just absorbed the ether. He discovered a new use for cores through predation, but it was too wasteful after considering the value of the B rank core. It was the worst-case scenario. He had started working as a scavenger to get ether without having to reveal his abilities, but it took just one accidental mistake to ruin everything. He was flustered at himself as he anticipated what was going to happen. ¡°But, where is this place?¡± He could only recall up until he collapsed, so he couldn¡¯t figure out why he was lying in a hospital bed rather than a police station. He wasn¡¯t seriously injured either, so the police wouldn¡¯t have had him hospitalized. He approached the window, raised the blinds, and looked out. It was a building with a familiar design. A massive U-shaped structure immediately caught his eyes. Many busy people, vehicles, varieties of ground transports, and helicopters were parked in the middle of the building. Some helicopters even took off and landed. Il-hyun was not entirely certain, but he believed that he had seen it on TV before. It was the headquarters of Aegis. ¡°Crazy¡­ What is this?¡± Il-hyun witnessed the spectacle outside the window and became nauseated with apprehension. Abduction. Confinement. Torture. Dissection. Many conspiracies of corporations and governments that he regularly saw in movies came to mind. Il-hyun shook his head and denied the thoughts. He touched his face. It was returning to its original appearance. When he lost consciousness after losing, his face naturally became distorted. Someone was approaching the door. Il-hyun could hear the sound of footsteps. He was startled and twisted toward the door. After a while, a woman came in. ¡°Are you up?¡± Lee Soo-yeon said in a calm voice. Unlike before, she was not wearing a coat and was dressed comfortably without weapons. ¡°I just did what scavengers do, and I broke the ether.¡± Il-hyun said it as it was. Although it was an unspeakable situation, he was the one who did the illegal scavenging and invaded the field first. In the process of running away, he used a B rank core, which was a precious resource worth tens of billions of dollars at will. But why were they kidnapping him? ¡°I think there¡¯s a misunderstanding. It¡¯s not like that.¡± Lee Soo-yeon said with a smile on her face. She took a water bottle from the small refrigerator and handed it to him. The thirsty Il-hyun accepted it, but couldn¡¯t take it to his mouth with her gaze fixated on him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know your address, and I wasn¡¯t handing you over to the police, so I brought you here instead since there¡¯s a bed.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Didn¡¯t you hand me over to the special forces? ¡°I changed my mind. I decided to cover it up quietly instead. I didn¡¯t hand you over to the police, and I don¡¯t intend to ask for anything. Don¡¯t you know how much the ether that you broke is worth?¡± Lee Soo-yeon smiled curtly. Il-hyun sighed upon hearing her words, but on the other hand, he was suspicious of his current circumstance. Lee Soo-yeon continued. ¡°It was a quite impressive show you put up back there, even though you made a big mess, I can¡¯t deny that it was spectacular. I mean, you made a snake out of a building.¡± No matter how expansive their authority was, the snake was so large that there must have been many witnesses and remnants. ¡°I told them that it¡¯s a new monster, how frantic must the government be right now?¡± Monsters that prey on nearby objects have already appeared many times in the past, so it wasn¡¯t unusual. But, of course, none of them were ever at this scale. The government had continued to ask for the new monster data, but she ignored them all. Unlike conventional companies, Aegis was not a government subcontractor. It was a unique partnership. Especially when they went abroad, the point was even more noticeable. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°Should I speak directly? The scavenging that happened in the past two weeks was you trying to hide your abilities, right?¡± Il-hyun¡¯s facial expression stuttered. If you were handed over to the police, it would have already been known in the preliminary prosecutor¡¯s office. ¡°Did you even test my intentions while I was unconscious?¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Then how?¡± ¡°You were not greedily taking the core. You also lead the way to people¡¯s rescue. You seem to have the ability to absorb the ether of the core. As well, you seem to have a reason to remain hidden and become stronger while avoiding affiliations. Then isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Lee Soo-yeon had unveiled his situation approximately. Il-hyun shook the water he had received earlier. ¡°I think the minimum you have is B rank, and the rest of your skills are A¡­ No, the ability to absorb ether may be an S rank.¡± Il-hyun didn¡¯t react to her thesis. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to say, ¡°No, it¡¯s all SSS rank.¡± ¡°If you have any S-ranks¡­ Well, it¡¯s definitely a level that I¡¯ve never seen before. It was a good choice. I wouldn¡¯t have been involved in annoying things like this if It wasn¡¯t worthwhile.¡± S-rank abilities alone will attract attention from all over the world. If he had an S-rank and two A-rank skills, they would have struggled to take him here and there. ¡°Anyway, I saw the possibility and wanted to make a suggestion. Soon the cycle is coming back, and I don¡¯t want to see that talent rot.¡± Lee Soo-yeon, who came to the front, made eye contact with Il-hyun. ¡°How about joining our team?¡± Il-hyun, who was surprised by the sudden development, stepped backward. ¡°Ah, so wait¡­ Are you scouting me to Aegis? Join the team? Team A?¡± ¡°What? If you are uncomfortable, you can also talk to other teams.¡± ¡°No, not that¡­¡± Il-hyun hesitated. It was totally unexpected that he was offered to join in this way. ¡°One team member doesn¡¯t like it, but I¡¯m for it. It¡¯s not a place where you need to publicize yourself just to get some work.¡± Unlike other companies, Aegis was reached out to by the countries for help first. As long as his abilities were certain, it didn¡¯t matter. Lee Soo-yeon had observed his potential and possibilities herself, so it wasn¡¯t an issue. ¡°You will have access to cores too.¡± To be honest, it was a fantastic condition for his situation. He was worried that she might have been cheating him somehow. Il-hyun pondered. ¡°Can I refuse this¡­¡± In fact, in his current situation, they could have just forced him to accept. However, Lee Soo-yeon smiled and shook her head. ¡°Aegis is not a place that holds people. Even if you refuse, you won¡¯t be abducted or handed over to the police, so choose whatever you like. However, I can guarantee that there will not be a better option than here wherever you go.¡± * * * Il-hyun came home from the vehicle he had boarded from Aegis. He hadn¡¯t provided a conclusive answer yet, as he still needed time to tidy up his cluttered thoughts. Meanwhile, Lee Soo-yeon had a conversation with the staff of the medical team. ¡°Someone said that this team leader is a blind-eyed person, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen it.¡± ¡°Team C also has a lot of potential prospects, so we can¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Do you think that friend will be like Lee Taehee?¡± Lee Taehee. He was the best prospect they had. At the age of 19, Lee Taehee had two ranked A abilities. He was already a member of the A-class C team and was expected to become the fifth S-class awakener after being a big shot A-class awakener. ¡°No, he will be more than that. Don¡¯t you know? He will be the next representative to lead the whole company.¡± Chapter 15 - First Task First Task He had two choices. To either remain a scavenger or enter Aegis. It was, in fact, a no brainer. Fortunately, such a beneficial opportunity introduced itself. He couldn¡¯t be a scavenger forever, and he was offered all the conditions he wanted. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t answer right away due to the irregularity of the situation. He was invited to the place where the best in the world were gathered. Additionally, he was offered recruitment at such an odd situation and by the team that he had just fought with. Of course, with his abilities, he assumed that he would be in such a situation someday once he became stronger, but he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be offered the opportunity this quickly. The conditions were excellent. To start with, one of the essential conditions was the salary portion; the company organized it so that the awakened divided the value of the core obtained fifty-fifty. Il-hyun thought that eighty-twenty was a lot of money, but if he belonged to a different company other than Aegis, he wouldn¡¯t be exempted from the country¡¯s huge taxes. Overseas, in particular, where there was a shortage of human resources, consigned work with further compensation, and that alone would be worthwhile. Better yet, he was not tied to the terms of the contract, and he could leave whenever he wanted to. Over time, the treatment of contracted awakened had improved thanks to the fact that the executives themselves became awakened since the incident ten years ago. Thanks to this, rather than pursuing the maximum profit, they made many proactive investments and have many gate-related technologies developed. ¡°So, I signed a contract.¡± Il-hyun, who was lying on the sofa, looked into his phone and scratched his head. He was still spending his second day at home, even after signing the contract. Due to the nature of the Aegis company, there was no training or education program to raise prospects, and there was nothing to be done. It was not helpful to Il-hyun, who was a predator in growth. In the same vein, there was no need for a training center or training room in the company. Il-hyun heard when he became contracted that the contract would be put into action right away. However, there was no action. They said they would call him when something happened, but there has not been any news for two days. He feared that they might have forgotten about him. ¡°What¡­ I¡¯ve heard about it before signing the contract.¡± That¡¯s not to say that Il-hyun didn¡¯t expect anything at all. Lee Soo-yeon told him in advance that there would be fewer jobs momentarily. The Aegis A team, which had been dispatched to South America for some time, returned to South Korea. It was a relatively narrow area compared to the other continental regions. The fact that the area was narrow meant that the gate was less likely to come out and was more convenient for them. Not only that. Being part of securing ether and diplomatic activities, the Korean government response team was active abroad. There was also a government response team that handled most of the high-ranking gates in Korea, reducing their work. In fact, due to their home country¡¯s symbolism, they interchanged teams and alternated vacations. Though they rotated swiftly, he still thought it was a vacation and was a little reluctant to do anything while waiting. Il-hyun sat up from a lying position and picked up his phone. He was playing games to get inspiration to use for his future summons. ¡°A wolf with a horn?¡± Il-hyun, who was swayed by the monsters coming out of the game, woke up while covering his cell phone. Then, using the summoning ability, he began to form it as he had seen. However, there was a slight difference from his usual procedure. He did not use the transformation ability before summoning the monster. The wolf appeared in the air from nothing. ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s great, but I don¡¯t know why it has horns there.¡± Il-hyun shook his head as if he was not pleased. He thought it would be better to increase the concentration of horns on the forehead. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m somewhat used to the summoning ability.¡± Going forward, even if he did not use it with his transformation ability, he could still summon a monster without a base. But, of course, it was still more efficient to use the ability as he did previously. It took less power and was easy to maintain. It was much more effective to use it together unless it was an unusual situation. ¡°Transformation and summoning, it¡¯s fortunate that they synergize so well.¡± Il-hyun, who summoned the horned wolf, picked up the paper on the table. It was the result of the first contract condition; it was the awakened class inspection results¡ªthe intellect portion was omitted due to consideration by the company. The test showed a rough grade by measuring numerous items such as body vision, muscle strength, and acceleration with a complicated device. Awakening-grade testing was a fairly complex process and costly. However, even though it was not mandatory, and even after considering the high cost, almost every person who awakened measured it periodically. It was a test that has been proven to be quite reliable; it gave information that was vital for gauging a person¡¯s current capacity. It was better to know your limits, and challenge monsters appropriate to your level rather than going in blindly and dying. ¡°I just barely got C-rank.¡± It was higher than what he thought it would be. Even a veteran awakener had to work for at least ten years under normal circumstances to reach the C-rank. That was also only applicable when the awakener had above-average talent. It was said that the higher the level of awakening, the more difficult it became to grow to a higher level. Even if the person had predation, it would have been impossible to grow steadily with only E rank cores. A turning point was needed; entering Aegis was the most conducive opportunity for him to grow. But today, it was already past 6 pm, and there was no sign. The sky continued to darken. After checking his watch, Il-hyun hurriedly dressed up and left the house. * * * ¡°Well? Didn¡¯t you say you can¡¯t come out because of work? ¡° ¡°Sometimes, the schedule changes.¡± Two friends sitting in a meat house looked at him with eyes wide open. Il-hyun then came into the room with a smile. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°Good. Sit down quickly.¡± In the meantime, he was greeted by his friends, friends he hadn¡¯t met in almost three months. Kim Byeong-cheol was slightly larger in frame and was sitting on the left. He had an ugly face, which often mislead people as his appearance was no representative of his character. Besides, he was a passionate fan of Lee Soo-yeon, who just became Il-hyun¡¯s colleague. On the right was Kwon Se-hyeong, a guy who worked in the field directly from Special Scene. Even though the special police work was challenging, his salary remained substantial enough to offset it. Because of that, the competition was quite fierce compared to the general police. He was probably the most successful of the three. It wasn¡¯t long before the liquor began flowing, and they continued talking, adding two additional bottles of soju. ¡°I went to the scene last night and got Lee Taehee¡¯s autograph. Originally, the awakened don¡¯t do that kind of thing but this brother got one.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± When Kwon Se-hyung noticed the subject matter, he smacked Kim Byeong-cheol. ¡°Oh right.¡± Kim Byeong-cheol, who was still excited quickly closed his mouth. Apart from his livelihood, Kim Byung-cheol was a big fan of digging deeper into the gate and the awakened. After the gate crisis, like fans of celebrities, passionate fans arose. In fact, not only that, but most people paid attention and were eager to hear this kind of stories. However, Kim Byung-cheol and Kwon Se-hyeong had refrained from telling their stories as much as possible for Il-hyun¡¯s sake. But that was in the past, things were different now for Il-hyun. ¡°Continue. I don¡¯t care if you talk about it now.¡± ¡°What? Why, all of a sudden? If it was an awakening story, you always became depressed in the past.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can tell you. Ha-ha.¡± Il-hyun, smiled, and passed the cup of soju. Initially, he wasn¡¯t weak to alchohol, but after he became an awakener, soju had the same effectiveness as water. Rather than getting drunk now, the more he passed the cup, the clearer his mind became. ¡°I quit the company.¡± ¡°I sang a song saying I wanted to quit, and I finally got it.¡± ¡°Oh what, are you here to rob me today?¡± Kwon Se-hyung¡¯s mind hovered through the thought that the company suddenly changed the schedule today. Of course not. ¡°No, I quit it for over two weeks. And I got a job elsewhere.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± ¡°Where?¡± His eyes were focused on him, and Il-hyun hesitated for a moment. And slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Aegis.¡± ¡°Foo-haha!¡± ¡°Aha-haha, I thought you were serious!¡± At the mention of Aegis, the friends laughed boisterously. Although he expected it, Il-hyun sighed at the reaction. ¡°Ha, I knew you guys would react this way.¡± The two friends began to talk about the new topic, regardless of his slight mumbling. ¡°I wish I could get a job at Aegis too. Then, can I see Lee Soo-yeon every day? O-M-G.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dream job, even if you¡¯re not an awakener. It is said that the white-collar job starts at 100 million won. There are a lot of people who have a career in special forces and still want to transfer to their backup team.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m being serious though.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make jokes like that, just eat the meat man.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not kiddi-¡° Kim Byeong-cheol put meat in Il-hyun¡¯s mouth with forceps. Then, Hyun-moo drew a tissue to wipe the oil off his mouth. ¡°Oh, really. Would you like to show your abilities here?¡± ¡°I think I saw salt powder move last time.¡± His friends weren¡¯t going to believe him. As Il-hyun was considering to deform the spoon slightly, the outside suddenly became disturbed. People on the street outside gathered and stared at the sky. ¡°What?¡± The people inside the houses and Il-hyun¡¯s party that looked out through a glass window were all shocked due to the sudden turmoil. ¡°Well. The text came.¡± Il-hyun, looking out, looked at his phone. And when he realized who the letter came from, his face turned pale. ¡°No¡­ can¡¯t you wait?¡± A white VTOL transporter with a tremendous appearance landed on an unobstructed street in the alley. With the advent of the transport, which didn¡¯t go well with the surroundings, people took pictures of it, and soon the door of the transport came open. Ghost and Lee Soo-yeon, wore a black coat, and the skull mask came out. The sounds of cheers and screams came from the people. They opened the glass door and went into the meat house. When his idols came closer, Kim Byeong-cheol could not move. It was as if he was stunned. Lee Soo-yeon approached Il-hyun, who was still standing in amazement, then tossed a defense coat and a sword towards him. Il-hyun stared at them embarrassedly. ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m here to pick you up. Put those on fast.¡± Chapter 16 - The Practice (1) The Practice (1) ¡°Hey¡­!¡± Kim Byung-cheol and Kwon Se-hyeong called out to Il-hyun. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I need to go.¡± Il-hyun replied. Leaving his friends, Il-hyun followed Lee Soo-yeon, who was already opening the door. He left the building and his newly-acquired coat started swaying in the wind. The sword swung loosely on his waist. It would take a while to get used to that. Il-hyun felt stern eyes pressing into his neck as he boarded the plane. The inside of the aeroplane, quite unlike its exterior, was cleaner and less sparse than expected. It was like something out of a war movie. It seemed to be full of messy and weird equipment. There was a seat at the back and a monitor on the side of the door. The plane soon rose. The take-off was almost silent. As a vertical launch and landing aircraft, it soared up rapidly without the need for a runway. Il-hyun looked out through the open hatch and could see the world from above. He had had a fantastic experience on the back of the falcon before, but the feeling here was quite different. While he was staring blankly, the door hatch automatically descended from above and closed. Lee Soo-yeon, sitting a couple of meters away, called out to Il-hyun: ¡°Hey, I know I told you this before, but now that I¡¯m a team member, it¡¯s gonna be a lot easier. Here¡¯s Ghost.¡± ¡°Good to see you again. Ha.¡± Ghost, held out his hand for the handshake, and took off his mask, much to Il-hyun¡¯s surprise. There was a secret lying behind Ghost¡¯s mask. Anyone was likely to think that, but Il-hyun knew it for certain. Now the secret was revealed. Il-hyun looked bashfully at Ghost¡¯s face while the latter took off his mask. Contrary to the rumors, there were no colossal burn marks or scars on his face. Il-hyun looked intensely at Ghost¡¯s face and considered it neither ugly nor handsome. The secret after all was that there was no secret. It was the face of a very ordinary young man. ¡°Oh¡­ It¡¯s very different from the face I imagined.¡± ¡°I hear that often.¡± ¡°Do the rumors not get to you?¡± Il-hyun asked. ¡°Why are you even covering your face? If you didn¡¯t cover it, people wouldn¡¯t be trying to guess what¡¯s behind the mask.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. It¡¯s a very complicated situation.¡± ¡°What¡¯s complicated about it?¡± Lee Soo-yeon, sitting on a seat with her arms folded, started laughing. The hilarity of Ghost¡¯s concept of ¡°complicated situation¡± had really tickled her. Ghost took no notice, or at least pretended not to notice. He decided to change the topic. ¡°Il-hyun, do you mind if I call you brother?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah¡­ sure.¡± Il-hyun wasn¡¯t quite sure how to reply to this request. The tone of Ghost¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t exactly earnest when he had asked the question. Ghost came off as pretty smug. ¡°How did you manage to break the core again?¡± Ghost asked. ¡°Oh, that.¡± Il-hyun looked incredibly satisfied with himself. The revelation of Ghost¡¯s face was something of a miracle, and at first Il-hyun had considered it a very pleasant surprise. Now though, he was finding his personality unbearable. Il-hyun couldn¡¯t help but think that Ghost would¡¯ve been more likeable with a ravaged face and an agreeable easy-going personality. Before, Ghost had been the masked man with the low booming voice, and there had been a gravity about his person whenever he had been wearing the mask. Now though, Il-hyun felt the urge to remark how wrong he had been with these first impressions. He suppressed the urge to speak. Meanwhile, Lee Soo-yeon looked at her watch, looked up, and decided to put a stop to what she saw as a possible argument in the making. ¡°Look, it¡¯s all well and good to get along well, but we can talk about this later. We¡¯ll arrive soon. I need to explain the operation to you before we get there.¡± ¡°But how did you know where I was?¡± Il-hyun asked, his curiosity burning inside him. ¡°You said you were using location information during the operation¡± she said, pointing at a cell phone sticking out of her pocket. He remembered that he had signed a contract and had been told to plug something into his cell phone. Of course, this was the tracking device. Using that device was standard procedure, designed to prevent hacking, look up location information, and prove an individual¡¯s identity. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re just a little surprised because I¡¯m monitoring you, no? Privacy is a bit of a false construct.¡± Lee Soo-yeon saw no reason to beat around the bush. Team members, as well as team leaders, including her, all went through the same vetting process. A small company comprised of unimportant individuals wouldn¡¯t know anything about monitoring. But the end result was, if anyone tried anything in Aegis, the meeting place of the senior Awakened, they certainly wouldn¡¯t last very long. ¡°Where did the other two go?¡± Ghost, once again wearing the mask, asked with a flutter. He saw only three people, including himself, and other team members. Jeong Jin-sung, famous for teaming up with Lee Soo-yeon, and Seok Pil-jun, had already been and gone. He remembered that his first impressions of Seok Pil-jun had not been very good. ¡°They applied to another team. What would you have done if you were playing here?¡± ¡°Yeah, but now the foreign side is busy again.¡± ¡°Only because the cycle is coming.¡± Lee Soo-yeon sighed. He had heard from the awakenings that the cycle of active gate generation was an ongoing nightmare. Many ordinary people thought that it was not right to increase their income to take advantage of the situation. ¡°Do you know how to use the equipment?¡± Lee Soo-yeon turned and asked. Il-hyun nodded. He had memorized his guidebook two days ago. He had learned how to use the equipment for his mission. He knew how the coats with their various functions worked. He knew how to use them to purify contaminated air, carry out temporary hemostasis to stop blood loss; and thermostasis, maintaining body temperature. Lee Soo-yeon passed him the white transceiver. Il-hyun took hold of the transceiver. It was about half the size of the regular ones he¡¯d seen. He plugged it into his left ear. He felt like a true Awakener. When he first awakened, it felt similar to when he wore a fake coat. Of course, unlike last time, everyone was in a real situation on a real machine, so he felt more important. ¡°We got you a sword. Try it: it¡¯s pretty decent.¡± Il-hyun gave it a whirl. Overall, the sleek blade was very sharp, and the design was neat. He wasn¡¯t an expert, but he realized that this was different from the temporary sword he had made using his instincts. The Aegis AT Sword and the Defensive Court he received were all monster-like objects made from an entire B-class ether. Aegis was the only place to acquire this kind of equipment without meeting any special conditions or going through special procedures. ¡°OK. New intel. It¡¯s from the analysis team.¡± Lee Soo-yeon pressed the monitor screen. 3D graphics appeared on the monitor, and the surrounding structures appeared along with place-names. The surrounding streets and target buildings were visible. ¡°An hour ago, a double gate appeared inside the hotel in Ulsan. The government response team in Korea is taking care of the other matters.¡± When Lee Soo-yeon touched the screen once more, the map zoomed in, revealing the interior structure of the hotel building in detail. Within the image, two gates could be seen on different floors, both highlighted in red. ¡°There are two rooms on the 17th and 5th floors of the hotel hall with a B5 grade gate. The remaining time until activation is 15 minutes. B-rank ace monsters will only appear on the 5th floor, so you can block them on the 17th floor. Remember ¡ª the monsters spawn pretty fast.¡± Lee Soo-yeon and Ghost discussed the strategy calmly, but in his corner, Il-hyun was sweating slightly and listening anxiously. ¡°I expected it to be different this time, but¡­¡± Il-hyun knew that the gates that Aegis dealt with would be above B rank. For the veterans, B rank scenes were nothing special. Il-hyun had never been to even a D rank scene, but he took comfort in knowing that Lee Soo-yeon was more than capable of taking care of B-ranked ace monsters. If it were a base monster, it would be E rank even though it could well be much stronger than usual. E ranks were easy to think about it. ¡°The owner of the hotel has asked for no damage to the property, but honestly, it doesn¡¯t matter. This is a B-ranked gate, and it¡¯s full. He can¡¯t expect miracles. Well?¡± Lee Soo-yeon looked at Il-hyun, who seemed to be staring intensely at the monitor. Il-hyun, who had been studying the display while listening to Lee Soo-yeon, now looked at the phrase ¡®base monster-D rank¡¯ and his eyes widened. He thought it was wrong, but it was correct. It was still correct when he closed his eyes and opened them again. ¡°I think something is wrong there¡­¡± ¡°Where? I can¡¯t find anything wrong. ¡° ¡°No¡­ Isn¡¯t D rank an ace monster?¡± ¡°Oh, normally it is. That¡¯s the standard, and it¡¯s the base for the B-rank gate.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Il-hyun scratched at his forehead. It was unfortunate that there were dozens of ace monster-class D-rank monsters at the gate. He was expecting trouble ahead. Il-hyun was a little nervous, to say the least. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need to feel any kind of anxiety because you don¡¯t need to do anything heroic right away¡± said Lee Soo-yeon. It wasn¡¯t dangerous because he would have Ghost with him, and wouldn¡¯t be right at the gate when the ace monster came out. It was an ideal task to test how much power he had. Il-hyun felt the aircraft going down. Lee Soo-yeon pushed a button with her fist and the door-hatch of the aeroplane opened slowly. They overlooked a bright street at night. A large hotel and a barricade spanning the surrounding area caught Il-hyun¡¯s eye. ¡°Already¡­? It is time already?¡± From Seoul to Ulsan, he felt like he had taken a bus and gotten off after just two or three stops. The development of ether and related technologies made even ordinary passenger planes several times faster. Plus, the V-74 Whisper, a model developed by Aegis, used a high-grade ether core to achieve tremendous high-speeds. Because of the nature of Aegis¡¯ work, they had to travel the world in the shortest amount of time possible. This was vitally important. The aircraft was almost silent in its descent, and made a smooth landing near an empty parking lot. Three Awakened got off the plane. A police officer who was standing around was waiting for something to happen. His face was full of excitement. ¡°Good morning! Are you here to¡­?¡± the police officer was feverish in anticipation. ¡°Is the civilian evacuation over?¡± Lee Soo-yeon asked, ignoring his irrelevant and unfinished question. ¡°Yes, control is over. Internal power¡¯s still the same though.¡± ¡°Please keep a safe distance as the building may break, and debris may scatter.¡± The police officer¡¯s excitement got the better of him and he burst out in a rapture. ¡°Yeah! Okay. Champions! I¡¯m a fan!¡± Lee Soo-yeon and Ghost were accustomed to familiarity, but Il-hyun struggled to hold in his laughter over the starstruck police officer. The remaining time until activation was 12 minutes. They entered the hotel through the front door. Chapter 17 - The Practice (2) The Practice (2) The hall on the ground floor was quite spacious. It was open for 24 hours a day exclusively for them. Ghost went into the open staff hallway, behind the desk, and picked up a square piece of cake, throwing it into his mouth. ¡°If you still can¡¯t figure it out, it¡¯s likely to be a new monster. Be careful and take care of the newcomers.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He said to Lee Soo-yeon before they got off the elevator on the 5th floor. The party was divided into the 5th and 17th floors. After arriving on the 17th floor, Il-Hyun and Ghost opened the door and went out into the hallway. ¡°There it is.¡± The gate was in the middle of the hallway, incomparable to the gate Il-Hyun had seen before. Ghost dragged two chairs into the room and sat down in front of the gate. Waiting for the monster to come out from the ominous gate¡¯s entrance, Il-Hyun was quite tense. While he sat on the chair and waited, he heard stories from the industry¡¯s high ranker. It was about how Aegis worked hard, and how other companies operated. No matter how interested he was in the past, there was quite a lot of information that the general public could not understand. And it was genuine since the story came from an experienced veteran who ran the field. Ghost lifted the mouth of the mask and bit a cigarette. The mask was quite uncomfortable for him. ¡°Do you smoke?¡± ¡°Yes, but I gave it up.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an Awakened. Just do whatever you want.¡± Awakened people smoked freely, and didn¡¯t care about how many cigarettes smoked. The Awakened also consumed very large quantities of alcohol. However, it wasn¡¯t just concern for his health that made Il-Hyun quit. ¡°I just hate being tied to something.¡± ¡°Aha.¡± Ghost, nodding his head lit a cigarette. The smoke puffed with a shimmering sound. ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t even smoke until I started this job. You might think the same way when you look outside.¡± ¡°Outside?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a foreign story. Maybe it¡¯s better to see it for yourself.¡± Ghost spat out the smoke. He has heard that if one side was foreign, the gate¡¯s damage would be greater than that of Korea. Korea had an unusually large number of awakened people, and it was inevitable that the institution was well prepared. However, as the number of internationally active companies and awakened people increased, it was said that the damage caused by the deaths of many people abroad significantly reduced. Il-Hyun was wondering what Ghost was talking about, but he knew Ghost wasn¡¯t likely to tell him in this situation. ¡°But won¡¯t you tell me your real name?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the team leaders. I can¡¯t tell anyone who came in yesterday.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the team leader? Is that possible?¡± Il-Hyun asked in amazement. As far as he knew, it has been several years since Ghost entered Team A. It was hard to believe that after all this time, he didn¡¯t know his real name or his true identity. ¡°Hahaha! I don¡¯t care about what you do in your private life.¡± Even after seeing him smile, Il-Hyun still had a hard time believing him. Then Ghost smiled and said, ¡°Everything here is thoroughly business. It¡¯s a place where the best human beings come together. The people who support the signboards at large companies are also the youngest members of the team here, so they don¡¯t touch each other¡¯s egos as much as possible. There is less hierarchy. Some distance.¡± Ghost shook his head once and spoke. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t like that, but Team A is satisfied. The atmosphere is good, and the people are not bad, either. I like how the team leader manages things, and Tae-Sik, who was on vacation a while ago, is also well suited for the task.¡± He was surprised as he quietly listened because all of the names he called were the ones he¡¯d heard of at least once. ¡°Don¡¯t go to Team E even if you¡¯re going to move teams later. It¡¯s really not the right atmosphere. At least that¡¯s how I feel.¡± Then, the gate shook with a bizarre noise. The two Awakens reflexively rose from their chairs and drew their swords. A monster with horns on its forehead ran out on all fours. It had rough eyes, sharp teeth, and a nasty appearance that seemed to be a rough blend of humans and monsters. However, the problem was that monsters of other species also appeared at the gate. ¡°There! I think the analysis team was wrong!¡± ¡°What? What is it?¡± Ghost put his left hand across his ear and mouthed through a transceiver. Unlike the other monsters, two appeared with blue skin and several tentacles on their backs. Two B-rank Ace Monsters appeared there, contrary to the predictions. The monsters cried fiercely, and the tentacles approaching at a tremendous speed pierced Ghost¡¯s neck. Il-Hyun was so startled, but he sighed with relief after he watched him turn his head. The attack had passed through the invisible ghost painting. ¡°Damn it! I¡¯ll take care of these two, so take care of the gate.¡± Ghost escaped from the attack¡¯s trajectory, smashed the floor with a sword, and fell to the third floor with two B-rank monsters. On the 17th floor, there were only open floors, gates, and Il-Hyun. There was the sound of fighting downstairs. ¡°Whose turn?¡± Il-Hyun raised his sword with many monsters standing in front of him, staring at him. D-ranked monsters were not at a level that could be prevented by Special Forces around the barricades. They had to be stopped from leaving. In practice, unpredictable situations often broke out. ¡°After work, I have to eat the core or heart.¡± * * * In front of the gate, D-rank monsters continued to appear. Il-Hyun rolled his feet first, filling the floor. The window at the end of the corridor also deformed the walls on either side, closed. If the monster decided to concentrate, he can pierce as much as possible as long as he was in a hurry. As he was still analyzing these thoughts, a monster hit him. He jumped with tremendous leg strength with his mouth wide open. Il-Hyun, who was disgusted by the upcoming expressionless face, shook his sword vigorously and gently cut his hair. This created a temporary crack in the monster and he took a different dimension. ¡°Wow! This equipment is very good! Now it feels like I am fighting!¡± The sword was better than the time he was dealing with E-rank monsters,. It was worth it. But at that moment, the monsters that reacted to the smell of their fellow monster¡¯s blood rushed in like crazy. There were twenty of them who already filled the hallway, and even the monsters appearing there, all headed towards Il-Hyun. ¡°Damn!¡± Il-Hyun became impatient and used his ability. A huge deformed foot came down and stepped on them. Thud! A few crushed bodies died violently and instantly, but the monsters behind them smashed their feet in front of them and struck him. Like bugs, they walked on the walls and ceilings, approaching like a horde of crazy zombies. Quickly, Il-Hyun transformed the floor and the walls on both sides into a stiff Golem that was almost the size of a full hallway. Il-Hyun filled the Summoning Ability there. At that moment, the Golem, which had an ego, instinctively protected Il-Hyun from the kneeling monsters that were running towards them. Bang! The Golems and monsters collided and made a loud noise. The Golems that had attacked face-to-face were broken in several places but did not collapse. Instead, he wielded his fist and crushed a monster¡¯s head. Although it was made using the walls of a building, Il-Hyun¡¯s ability allowed him to further strengthen the Golem using the same materials to an incomparable extent. If he summoned it, he could strengthen a level further. Il-Hyun, who had earned some time, hurriedly transformed the wall on the right to create a new wolf shaped monster. It wasn¡¯t as big as a Golem, but it still was taller than Il-Hyun. Unlike the monster he had summoned while experimenting, there was no horn. Instead of sharing several powers, he chose to focus on one or two summons. ¡°Great¡­¡± The lowly wolf lowered its body, as it made an aggressive sound. It jumped abruptly. The wolf climbed the ceiling, crossing the Golem. Attacking the monster, the wolf was tearing it with its sharp teeth, as they both landed on the floor. Il-Hyun was not watching. He was dealing with the monsters that were coming from the walls, one by one. He had a little trouble with the monsters¡¯ level because they were stronger than before. But he too had a lot of power compared to before. Il-Hyun was struggling with the two monsters at the same time. Then the monsters lost balance and fell to the floor. ¡°Ugh!¡± Il-Hyun felt something strange and looked down. The poison was coming out of the wound of the dead body. A viciously, powerful poison spread through the air. It was a poison that could melt his skin if it came in contact. Il-Hyun quickly activated the purification function of the defense coat. Even if the body was not immediately affected by the poison, it would be dangerous if accumulated. A small white circle appeared on the left side of the coat, an indication of purifying the surrounding air. ¡°How was it? Was it ok?¡± ¡°It was manageable.¡± In his left ear was his transceiver. From it, messages came in continuously asking about the situation. It was Lee Soo-Yeon, who was dealing with multiple Ace Monsters and one gate by herself. She didn¡¯t even have time to breathe. ¡°What about Ghost?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing fine as well!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m asking how the situation is over there. Are you planning to leave the gate to the newcomer?¡± ¡°Ughh, I only have one left. Heading there soon.¡± Bang! A loud noise reverberated from the bottom. It was probably the sound of Ghost and B-rank monsters fighting. However, Il-Hyun had no time to be thinking about what was going on there. Pow! During the battle, Il-Hyun was hit on the abdomen. He had slipped up. He smashed a wall and was thrown to the floor. ¡°Damn it.¡± Because of the protective function of the coat, he didn¡¯t receive any direct impact. His stomach was throbbing, but it didn¡¯t pose a threat to his performance in battle. The only problem was that the monsters¡¯ counterattack was substantial, and the wolf¡¯s side had been broken during the battle. In some instances, they were the ones who played the role of the Ace Monster. Thus, they weren¡¯t easy opponents. With his eyes closed, Il-Hyun focused on his breath for a moment. He then stood up. It was only for a moment, but the number of monsters that passed the Golem had multiplied. If things continued this way, monsters could escape the scene. Chapter 18 - The Practice (3) The Practice (3) Il-hyun cleared his thoughts as much as possible and focused on the monsters before him. It hasn¡¯t happened recently, but it evoked memories from the past. Soon, the influence of the predation ability revived his mind. Il-hyun ran into the hallway. The first monster he encountered was the one that had punched him in the stomach. He twisted the monster¡¯s arm and cut it off its body. After kicking the monster, it fell powerlessly to the ground. He looked at the monsters running from all directions. The place he needed to focus was the front. ¡°Argh-!¡± Standing behind Il-Hyun, the wolf protected him by fighting with the monsters on the opposite side. There was not an ounce of hesitation, even though his body felt like it was broken into pieces. Il-Hyun shoved his sword into the wide-open mouths of the monsters. He added more pressure to split their heads in half. Next, he transformed the floor and knocked over the feet of the running monster. He quickly finished the monster that had fallen in front of him. Then, he twisted his sword around and held it straight, piercing the monster that jumped from the side. The monster that was stuck in the sword was thrown at another monster, and then he rolled his feet to make a speedy maneuver on the ground. The two monsters that had bumped into each other squirmed in the air. Il-hyun continued to kill all the monsters that ran continuously towards him. It took a moment before the blood from the monsters soaked the floor and heated up. The Golem shattered, and debris bounced everywhere. ¡°What?¡± Surprised, Il-hyun looked blankly at it. It was a conjured creature made of his abilities, and he didn¡¯t see any signs of how it collapsed. Suddenly, an attack broke. It was ridiculous, considering that it was a summoned creature, made with particular attention to durability. However, if a B-ranked monster had appeared, the story would have been different. A blue monster appeared at the gate and was about to pass over to the other side. It was the monster that first collided with Ghost. The gate had spat out its entire quota, and the last thing it called up was gone. ¡°Crazy!¡± Il-hyun hesitated and retreated. If it was a B-ranked monster, he couldn¡¯t face it. Tentacles approached at a pace that he could barely react to. Bang! Il-hyun rolled over the floor in shock as the tentacles hit him. He survived thanks to the defensive coat. Although the coat was on the verge of being broken, the electricity remained intact. The tentacles moved again immediately, and Il-hyun couldn¡¯t move fast enough to avoid it. At that crucial moment, Ghost suddenly broke through the floor and stopped the attack, while at the same time cutting off the tentacles. Then he grabbed Il-hyun¡¯s shoulders and went into the ghost state. The two penetrated the floor at the same time and descended downstairs. ¡°Huh! That was dangerous!¡± ¡°Wait, if we run away, what about the monster?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Boom! There was a loud explosion upstairs. All the walls came down, and now the outside world could be seen. One-quarter of the building was blown away. All the monsters, including the Ace Monsters, became corpses at once. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lee Soo-yeon pushed her head between the blown ceilings. Suddenly, she was on the 17th floor and had jumped down to the floor that Il-hyun and Ghost were located. ¡°Huh.¡± The tension of the battle eased up, and Il-hyun sat down on the floor. Lee Soo-yeon patted Il-hyun on the back. ¡°Good job! I never expected you to stop a gate. Ghost, go ahead and do some scouting. Report back to the squad.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± When Lee Soo-yeon glanced at him, Ghost saluted humorously, then became a ghost and slipped down the building. ¡°I almost died from my first mission.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t common. I had no idea that things would turn out this way. I just brought them here to conduct a light test, to see how they fight. Anyways¡­ you didn¡¯t now I called. Right?¡± ¡°You called?¡± Il-hyun suddenly remembered that he was wearing a transceiver. He had totally forgotten about the transceiver all through the battle. Lee Soo-yeon and Ghost had been communicating with each other, and only Il-hyun did not pay attention to his radio transceiver and therefore did not answer it. ¡°I had no idea that you contacted me.¡± ¡°What exactly are the names of the abilities you have?¡± ¡°It is Summoning, Predation, and Transformation.¡± Il-hyun answered freely. He had to hide the level of the abilities, but he disclosed the type since he had already shown it before anyways. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± After hearing the three abilities that Il-hyun told her, she fell into thought. Lee Soo-yeon quickly cleaned up the lower gate and climbed to the 17th floor. Then suddenly, the responses stopped, and she saw Il-hyun fighting violently with dozens of D-rank monsters. Not only did he not notice how he moved, but he was also in a state of battle where he was unable to hear any communication. Lee Soo-yeon had seen a lot of such cases, and could roughly guess Il-hyun¡¯s status. ¡°Summoning and Transformation¡¯s capabilities are already roughly known. So is it the effect of Predation? Abilities that can affect one¡¯s mind can be dangerous. Especially if they affect the moral part.¡± After awakening and gaining abilities, even those who have lived well have become severely affected by bad influences and became criminals. Many world-class criminals became criminals only after acquiring their abilities. It wasn¡¯t like Il-Hyun hadn¡¯t heard this before. However, he never thought that he would be that way. It wasn¡¯t until he heard it from someone else that he began to doubt some of his past actions. Everything aside, he would do any and everything to obtain the ether. ¡°Is that the case?¡± ¡°Okay. But you don¡¯t have to worry. I don¡¯t think there was anything that badly affected me mentally. However, it can be more dangerous to keep fighting like that.¡± ¡°You should be as restrained as possible.¡± ¡°No, practice will help me adjust better. That way, I don¡¯t get so excited. I will keep my view wide, and I will lessen my immersion from the battle.¡± Lee Soo-yeon picked up the sword that Il-hyun dropped. Then she grabbed Il-hyun¡¯s hand, raised it up, and passed the sword. ¡°If used properly, this might be your biggest weapon.¡± * * * The situation ended without much damage, and Aegis¡¯ squad arrived and took over the site. Team A, who had finished their work despite the unexpected situation, was returning to headquarters. ¡°I was wrong once again last week, and now I have to say something to the analysis team.¡± Lee Soo-yeon murmured inside the transport plane, sitting opposite of Il-hyun. The analysis of the gate information was an essential part of the Awakening Operation. From determining the number of people to dispatch to knowing the power required was based on the data. But what if that information was completely wrong? It was not strange when a major accident broke out. Because of this, the awakened people who were risking their lives were forced to take it sensitively. Moreover, dangerous sites such as B-rank gates were even worse. ¡°The other team was also dissatisfied, but I think there are a lot of mistakes lately.¡± ¡°I never had this before. What could be the problem?¡± Most companies rely on government awareness. In the case of Aegis, however, it was increasing its detection network and was confident that it was the best in the world. But these days, there has been a lot of misinformation. Even after a major replacement of the Analytical Equipment a week ago, the problem persisted. Because of this, the Analysis Team was in a state of emergency. ¡°But if you look at it, the government¡¯s disaster monitoring department seems to have a problem with the gates that are emerging these days?¡± ¡°Hah, the way that Team 1 was shoveling¡­ It¡¯s such a shame. We should¡¯ve seen their shitted faces.¡± Lee Soo-yeon and Ghost laughed. Team 1 was said to have had the highest skills of the awakened amongst the government. It was comical how the E Rank Gate came out, despite the Observation Department making a big deal about them reporting here. The South Korean Government¡¯s Awakening and Aegis¡¯ awakening had a strange rivalry. Even when they needed to collaborate, they were never in good terms. The government¡¯s awakenings viewed Aegis as humans without a sense of mission, while Aegis viewed the government¡¯s awakenings as crazy, dumb jerks. Il-hyun asked, wondering. ¡°Are things that bad with the response team over there?¡± ¡°What? Not that much.¡± ¡°They are all idiotic.¡± ¡°You may soon be working with them a lot, so don¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the people like that who go against the government that are beaten up as it happened ten years ago. Or what do you say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different now.¡± Even so, Ghost and Lee Soo-yeon seemed to have no good feelings for them. Il-hyun watched with a lot of interest. He wasn¡¯t prejudiced against any of them. He didn¡¯t consider either of them as too good or too bad. However, if it was ten years ago, Il-hyun knew what the difference would be. It was a fact that everyone knew. When the gate first appeared 20 years ago, the awakened people appeared and blocked the monsters from creating a crisis. At that time, the awakened were treated as heroes, and all societies were enthusiastic about them. But the story changed when the first cycle ended, and the next cycle came. It was probably the most peaceful cycle in the last 20 years. When the number of monsters generated dropped drastically, and most of the nations¡¯ restoration plans succeeded. There was room to spare. At this time, there was an emergence of criminal gangs from the awakened population. They were feared because of their power, which was difficult to control. Unlike before, public opinion about the awakened was now much less favorable. Nine years after the gate appeared, the Korean government first proposed various regulations aimed at the awakened people. From the Awakening Registration System or the Ability Display System to the Information Inquiry so that the location can be tracked at any time, and the disclosure of new information, everything was enacted. The awakened strongly resisted these moves, but their opinion, which was only an insignificant number, was rejected, and the government proceeded with their actions. Until then, there was no corner on the political side where the awakened could use their power. At that time, a number of awakened weapons were mobilized against several awakened opponents. After the cycle was changed, weapons were made using ether¡ªspecial EMP bullets and various anti-personnel weapons that temporarily neutralized the coat and abilities. The conflict became even more intense when it became known that they were developing weapons to neutralize the awakened people who fought and risked their lives for the government instead of weapons that they could use to deal with monsters. But the dispute ended in vain. It was then that the fifteen-year cycle, which was unknown before, became known. When the monsters soared again, it was on the third cycle that high-ranking officials, including the President, were smashed. They apologized several times to the next regime and the next one, and such discussions were not repeated or mentioned twice. ¡°It was absurd.¡± Il-hyun was a Junior High School student at that time. But still, it was stupid when he thought of it. Even now, when the problem was resolved, the distrust of the awakened and government remained. There were opinions that the position of the old regime was still reflecting, and so the government was completely changed so that it did not matter anymore. Instead, there was a perspective that looked more favorably at the shifting and intensely working government awakened than those of private companies interested only in the profits. The government awakened were paid huge basic salaries through taxes. ¡°So, because I am orderly and have a sense of mission, I should squeeze out everything from the unfortunate? Be careful. You¡¯re treading.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Il-hyun mumbled. Lee Soo-yeon still did not seem to be complaining about the analysis error. In fact, even if it was a little too late, Il-hyun was in a dangerous situation, and as a team leader, she was angry. ¡°Well, anyway, what are you going to do? Because we¡¯re anxious about a poorly analyzed site. The Analysis Team should normalize it quickly. The gate analysis pattern has changed a few times.¡± Lee Soo-yeon looked at her watch and then opened the door by pressing the button of the transport. The journey back was also quick, just over the outskirts of Seoul. And below that, the most prominent building was visible. The second view was the headquarters of Aegis. Chapter 19 - Free Free The plane landed in the middle of the building, and Lee Su-yeon entrusted Ghost with the supervision of offloading protocol of the rest of the team and then headed for the analysis team. Ghost tried to look around using his abilities, but Il-hyun didn¡¯t allow him to and refused. He was not so thrilled about that, he walked quietly and dragged him towards the inside of the building. It was his first time to see it properly. Ghost said there wasn¡¯t much to see upstairs, so he went downstairs using the elevator on the left side of the building. The upper floor had an open visitors¡¯ lounge while the basement was a high-security area where only authorized personnel were allowed to enter. ¡°You know, there are a lot of different teams in this big company besides the Awakening, Il-hyun said. ¡°Before going out into battle, I always pass by the Analysis Research Team. They are the ones that made my defensive coat. The coat I¡¯m wearing was tasted halfway, so let¡¯s go see them.¡± After going down a few floors, the elevator stopped on the underground floor. Once the doors opened, huge facilities came into view. Ghost looked around the grounds with admiration and told Il-hyun that he is not allowed to access that floor unless he was a Team Leader or Repairer or Equipment Trainer. There were too many employees, and the grounds were vast, so the awakened people didn¡¯t like it. After walking around for a while, they went to Research Team¡¯s office. The door had a plaque with ¡®The Team Leader¡¯s Office¡¯ inscribed on it. ¡°Hello!¡± When the door flung open, the woman sitting behind the desk looked at her visitors with surprise. ¡°Ah! This is a surprise! Ghost you shouldn¡¯t come to my office like that! What if I wasn¡¯t here? Is this a member of the new team?¡± Ghost laughed happily and grabbed Il-hyun. Suddenly, a woman itin a white gown, jumped from her seat and approached him. ¡°Oh, I heard rumors. I heard that this Team Leader brought a lot of good this time. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± ¡°This is Choi Eun-chae, the Head of the Research Team.¡± ¡°This is Kang Il-hyun.¡± The two shook hands lightly. Choi Eun-chae, who seemed to be in her early 30s, was a prominent celebrity in the scientific world, so Il-hyun was familiar with her. In particular, as the authority of Ether Utilization Technology, she was responsible for the development of all technologies within Ages. Choi Eun-chae also stared at him and asked, ¡°what kind of abilities do you have in your eyes? You should be able to see the team leader well in the future. He¡¯s the one who breaks the core with his bare hands.¡± ¡°Fuhaha, you like kidding too much!¡± Choi Eun-chae laughed. It was ridiculous to think that someone could smash the core with their bare hands. However, Ghost spoke only the truth and did not step back. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t believe it? Would you like to bet on it after a long time?¡± ¡°Bet? Okay Cole. If you stick out flippers this time. And don¡¯t even think about using equipment from the Research Team.¡± ¡°Well, excuse me?¡± Suddenly, the environment in the room became a bit awkward, and Il-hyun felt a little embarrassed. But the situation soon passed. ¡°I would like a pair of defense coats made of A-rank cores that were prototyped a while ago.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it too strong? That hasn¡¯t been done for any of the team leaders yet.¡± ¡°Are you already afraid you¡¯ll lose the bet?¡± ¡°Hey! I know I will win anyway. Are you saving this time for the next study?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± They often bet on all kinds of topics, but always ended with Choi Eun-chae¡¯s victory. However, Ghost who was wearing a cheeky smile behind his mask, tried to use this opportunity to reverse the results. ¡°Sometimes, I bet you don¡¯t really understand.¡± Choi Eun-chae, shook her head and immediately walked to the table that was placed at one corner of the office. Then, she climbed on top of it and took the ether core that was shining white and passed it to Il-hyun. ¡°This is Clarke¡¯s B-rank core that came in from Australia last week. I know it¡¯s stupid, but please just listen for a second.¡± ¡°B rank?¡± His ears perked up with curiosity on hearing the word ¡®B rank.¡¯ Suddenly, a grateful heart began to spring up in Ghost¡¯s chest. ¡°You have to try!¡± * * * Crack! The ether shattered, and the debris fell on the floor. It had a different dimension from the E-rank cores that he had previously absorbed. It felt like his stomach was getting pierced somewhere and absorbed it slowly. Last time, he couldn¡¯t take it into his body because he was in a hurry, but this time, he completely absorbed it. Choi Eun-chae, who was confident in herself, didn¡¯t move from her spot. Her face hardened. It seemed like she was having a hard time accepting the unfolding reality in front of her. Il-hyun, saw the look on her face and got worried. He was concerned about post-processing. Aside from his first encounter with Aegis, he had already broken two B-rank cores. Even though she was the Head of the Research Team, she thought the situation might be difficult since one of them was broken. ¡°Haha! Had you eaten one before? I had never seen you like that before!¡± Ghost laughed happily and smiled. ¡°No! What happened? This is one of your abilities right?¡± Choi Eun-chae asked. She approached him with weak steps and held onto him. She was shocked just like the collapse of an absolute formula no one would have suspected. ¡°Uh! Yes, this is correct.¡± ¡°Okay. You can¡¯t break it with pure strength. So where did the ether in this go? What amount of energy does it have?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but maybe it will be in my stomach.¡± Il-hyun smiled awkwardly. Choi Eun Chae nodded when he understood what she meant. ¡°I stayed here and saw all the stellar intellect¡­ It¡¯s definitely a unique feature among them.¡± She bent down on one knee and picked up one of the debris that had fallen on the floor. Fragments that looked like ordinary pieces of glass were slowly losing light. ¡°Is transformation possible?¡± While holding the piece with her finger, Choi Eun-chae, applied pressure on it, it was easily bent with her strength.She murmured. ¡°Maybe it could be used as new material. There¡¯s a long way to go, but it¡¯s completely amazing.¡± Choi Eun-chae, spoke spontaneously, and then after calming herself down for a moment, continued her speech, while the gaze towards the core piece still remained. ¡°It¡¯s a new way.¡± Her face held a mixture of excitement and curiosity. Her gaze turned to Il-hyun, with an intense desire. ¡°Can I get more samples? The research cores that are out there are already set up for use, so I can¡¯t give them more.¡± ¡°It¡¯s piled up inside the house, but isn¡¯t it a little old but useful?¡± Choi Eun-chae grabbed Il-hyun¡¯s hand. ¡°Please!¡± * * * ¡°Wow, starting from the first day, is it really comfortable?¡± After leaving the ruined defense coat to the Research Team, Ghost walked out of the area. It was obviously not a good thing to behave this way with a Research Team Leader. This last asked him to call them in case he needed additional debris while preparing the core there. ¡°Isn¡¯t this too rough?¡± It felt like something was going on already. Besides, Ghost was satisfied because he had won the bet and got new equipment. While walking, a friend discussion ensued, and Lee Soo-yeon, who was in the gap between the staff, found them and approached the hallway across the street. ¡°Oh, I was just about to go and look for it. It is good that after the on-site processing, the extracted cores arrived.¡± ¡°What does the analysis team say?¡± ¡°There is no way it can be used right now. I hear that he said it was not only happening here but around the world. Since it is completely different from the case where the pattern has changed little by little, it will take time, so I have to be careful for the time being.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m anxious that strange things continue to happen before the cycle,¡± Ghost said. It was familiar to see signs little by little as the original cycle approached, but this cycle was quite different from usual cycles. Surprisingly, the frequency of gates that did not appear increased significantly, and the results of occasionally missed analysis and high-rank gates also increased slightly compared to the previous period. ¡°There are rumors that the third cycle will be harder.¡± In only 20 years humanity had only experienced four cycles, and yet it was impossible to predict exactly what would happen next. ¡°Anyway, please follow the settlement.¡± ¡°Settlement? Wasn¡¯t I just supposed to put it in your account?¡± ¡°No, not you.¡± Soo-yeon Lee was looking on the other side. ¡°Aha, then I will go up first.¡± Ghost, who had heard of the distribution method in advance, left without a word. But Il-hyun followed him. A few paces ahead, they came into the Treatment Group area. There were several corpses of different monsters with white powder on them, many people around, moving large extractions from one point to the other. An employee approached and guided him to one side. ¡°It¡¯s all yours,¡± Soo-yeon Lee said. There were dozens of cores in a large bag on the desk. All of them were ether cores of D-rank monsters that appeared in Ulsan today. ¡°How much is my share?¡± a surprised Il-hyun asked. He was still a C-ranked bib and had no experience whatsoever so he didn¡¯t expect much. However, the ether in front of his eyes exceeded his expectations. ¡°This time, there was a mistake on the part of the company, and all D-rank monsters from the 17th floor were turned to your share. Half of the company is missing. Did you decide to set the cash rate at 10 percent? The money will be deposited the day after tomorrow.¡± As a global conglomerate, the work was fast. Il-hyun took the bag with pleasure and looked around. There were too many people. ¡°Well, it will be kind if you didn¡¯t absorb it here¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± The two moved out of the area. He entered the empty conference room, Il-hyun opened the bag on a long desk and sprinkled the ether core. With a pleasant sound and a stretched core, he smiled. He began absorbing the ether, one by one. With the B-ranked core that he had absorbed earlier and now, he considered it to generally have a strong impact. Sitting on the chair, Lee Soo-yeon was staring at Il-hyun absorbing the core, then asked : ¡°How was your first impression of this place?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very good except for a few other people. I thought it would be full of famous awakens,¡± Il-hyun responded. To be honest, he had been excited about meeting the Awakens from Aegis during the coming year. He thought celebrities such as Ryu Jin-tae, Han Sang-jin, and Cho Yun would all be there but he never saw anyone he expected. ¡°It is because almost all of them have gone abroad, so we are waiting. Of course, it¡¯s hard to see them here. It would be better to explain in the words that came out.¡± Lee Soo-yeon laughed and talked about how to work in the future. As the world took over and blocked the gate, Aegis worked in two different ways. First was the Dispatch Team. It was a team that was dispatched to each continent or country, in advance; to prepare for emergencies as it was a bit too late for Korea. It was mainly handled by a high-rank gate with a short activation time. The second was the Waiting Team. It was a team that did not go out in advance like the dispatch team and stayed in Korea taking charge of high-ranking gates in other countries. Although the time was spared, the country was unable to handle it and took over the gates that needed help. Currently, Team A had only been in Korea for a while and has been resting halfway, but from next week, it will be put on standby again. ¡°The waiting team doesn¡¯t have to gather and wait anywhere; they just need to start when they are called. The dispatch team is out to take care of the very tight time.¡± ¡°The dispatch team will be a little difficult.¡± ¡°Well, it is. It¡¯s okay to go abroad, but I don¡¯t know when I¡¯m going to be in operation 24 hours a day.¡± Of course, the gates of the high grades that Aegis had to go out were not frequent. Even so, they couldn¡¯t get away from each other because they didn¡¯t know when the gates would appear. It was indeed harder for them than for the waiting team who gathered together only when there were several tasks. ¡°Oh yeah, have you seen the article? The picture came out well. haha.¡± ¡°Yeah? Knight?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t seen it? Please go on the internet at once.¡± In the end, with Lee Soo-yeon, Il-hyun picked up the cell phone that he puts in his pocket. ¡°What is this?¡± Il-hyun frowned when he looked at the screen of his cell phone. There were ten missed calls and received texts. When he entered the portal site, his face appeared on the front page of the news. ¡°Right. Meat restaurant.¡± Il-hyun realized how zealously he had gone to work. The internet was already in a turbulent state about a new member of the Aegis A team. There were all sorts of speculative articles about his unknown identity and how the first awakened man entered Aegis. From Aegis, to the story of a prospective leader, the article was placed at one corner of the site. ¡°It¡¯s already been celebrated. Congratulations.¡± Lee Soo-yeon laughed at Il-hyun, who looked stern. Chapter 20 The Hidden Truth (1) ¡°Uh, huh. Okay, I¡¯ll call you back later!¡± Il-hyun hung up the phone he was holding. His face was plastered all over the place, and for the past three days, he had endured so many calls from people from different places. He got calls from parents, relatives, friends, colleagues, and even two ex-girlfriends who broke up with him two years ago! In particular, Kim Byung-cheol and Kwon Se-hyeong, who had watched him at the go-git. They had known him since middle school and were aware of his betrayal then, but they chose not to be angry with him anymore. Lee Byung-cheol, who was very interested in the Awakening world, was eager to learn more and hang out with the team members¡¯ and get their stories one by one, apart from that, every time he went outside, he had to change his face with instinct power. He walked to the convenience store in front of his house, dragging his slippers while being almost swept away by those who noticed him. When an unknown man entered the Aegis, it was a vast topic. His neighbors also said that they thought that he was an ordinary office worker and never knew that he was an Awakener. The public interest in his story stayed on three days later, to the extent that it was said that he was a secret government agent. He hadn¡¯t shown what he could do yet, and being in Aegis, he was worried about how much he might suffer in the future. Because of the reporters who fiercely looked for him near his house, he planned to go a little earlier. He remembered the tremendous amount of money that came into his account the previous day. Of course it was expected, but he had to pinch himself in the balls for reality to sink in. ¡°I thought I would wear a mask like Ghost¡±, Il-hyun, standing at the helipad of a vacant lot near his house, said, swiping his face. A class B2 gate appeared in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Team A, which was waiting in Korea, took over. Within an hour, he sent a helicopter from Aegis to a place near the house and moved to Seoul. He felt like a Hollywood superstar. A black copter with the Aegis logo drew closer with a loud noise and landed on the vacant land. Il-hyun approached reflexively. ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t ride here!¡± The pilot warned the stranger who was trying to get on the helicopter. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s me,¡± Il-hyun said. He had forgotten to change back his face. When Il-hyun¡¯s face returned to its original state, they greeted each other and sat down in the seat. The helicopter¡¯s door was closed, and it soared gently into the lush city sky. * * * Il-hyun got off the helicopter as they arrived at their destination. At one corner of the Aegis headquarters, a plane was waiting, away from the busy crowds¡¯ nad vehicles. He had arrived early, and Ghost or Lee Soo-yeon hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Instead, a familiar person standing there. It was Jeong Jin-sung, the co-team leader of the Aegis A team. He was a very handsome, young man. Lee Soo-yeon and Jeong Jin-sung, were the heads of Aegis¡¯ face-to-face roles, and they had excellent looks. There was another person present. He had a crushed face on his slightly turned head. ¡°Please forgive me. This is Kang Il-hyun,¡± he introduced them. ¡°Oh, nice to meet you. I told Soo-yeon about your abilities.¡± Jeong Jin-sung smiled and shook hands. The weather got colder, and they could see the breath coming out of each other¡¯s mouths. The two of them folded their arms around their bodies and chatted while waiting for other team members. ¡°Is this officially the second operation? Ulsan did better than expected,¡± Jeong Jin-sung offered. ¡°I don¡¯t know your definition of ¡®doing well¡¯ but I almost died and survived,¡± Il-hyun said. ¡°That was an unexpected situation, so I can¡¯t help it. This time the analysis error was quite long. If a dangerous situation arises during the operation, do not overdo it. Just step back. There are plenty of people right now, and there is no reason to be overwhelmed by pride or doubt. The safety of the Team is a priority.¡± ¡°I will keep that in mind,¡± Il-hyun muttered. The two exchanged conversations without difficulty. Later on, another team member arrived. Seok Pil-jun was the first to arrive. The expression on his face wasn¡¯t a happy one and for some reason, as he approached, he didn¡¯t look at Il-hyun. Seok Pil-jun greeted Il-hyun made awkwardly and stood there in silence. To Il-hyun, that wasn¡¯t a big deal at all because it wasn¡¯t going to be the first time that he worked with someone he disliked and as uncomfortable as it was, not talking to him was the best solution. Soon Ghost and Lee Soo-yeon disembarked from the helicopter. Ghost wore equipment that was issued under the tent, such as the transceiver and a defense coat. ¡°You must be pretty busy these days?¡± ¡°When my turn came, things broke out one after another. You would have played comfortably in Korea.¡± ¡°Haha, yes¡­¡± Lee Soo-yeon, who spoke with Jeong Jin-sung laughed, but when she saw Ghost and Il-hyun¡¯s coats, she paused. ¡°Well? Wait a minute. Why are you wearing those? I haven¡¯t received them yet.¡± Originally, the core was used as a material made for the Defense Coat that had a maximum B rank rank. If more ether output were pushed in to obtain stronger protection, the risk of malfunction would be high due to overload. However, with the Aegis Research Team¡¯s groundbreaking discovery, they succeeded in making the latest Defense Coat that was A rank core. Il-hyun and Ghost wore the coats. They had earned them. Ghost won a bet, and Il-hyun handed over the core fragments and received it in exchange for cooperating with the Research Team. Il-hyun suddenly jumped for no reason and fortunately, an arrow evaded him. ¡°And you ask why? Huh?¡± ¡°Ugh, Ugh!¡± Lee Soo-yeon exclaimed as she approached Ghost and placed her finger on the coat. Ghost could not move. He looked back and hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of roasting the Research Team did, but I give it to your heart¡¯s content.¡± ¡°Ah It¡¯s not possible! I won it be fair and square!¡± ¡°What? Did you ever bet again?¡± Team A was paid for the equipment pretty quickly, but Lee Soo-yeon was still using the original material, saying that she could not give it to the two teams right away. Even as the Defensive Coat was an important piece of equipment, it was only an insurance level, and many Awakened people like her often did not care. Meanwhile, Jeong Jin-sung stared at his watch. ¡°Now there¡¯s not much time left. Let¡¯s stop playing and leave,¡± he informed them. ¡°What, are you not on my side?¡± ¡°Well, I already have one.¡± Jeong Jin-sung answered as he shook his shoulders. Then Lee Soo-yeon burst into laughter and everyone got on the plane. * * * The one-carrier transporter flew at high speed, and several large-sized kinds of transport followed. They were the carriers of the Aegis Backup Team stationed at another base. Since not all countries and regions responded like Korea¡¯s special forces, Aegis even had a backup team to control and rescue a separate site. ¡°Wait!¡± The two heads of the team suddenly grabbed the transceiver earpiece into their ears and concentrated. Then Soo-yeon Lee, who became serious, said to the pilot quickly, ¡°turn towards Irkutsk. Emergency turn.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Okay,¡± the Pilot responded. All of the planes were carrying them, as well as the aircraft from the backup team that followed, headed north. ¡°What happened?¡± Seok Pil-jun asked when he noticed the urgency and her change of mood. ¡°In the middle of a Russian city, a sudden gate with an activation time of 4 minutes exploded. It is also B1. The closest aid is us.¡± ¡°Damn, it¡¯s starting again,¡± Ghost grumbled. ¡°Then how do you get to the original destination?¡± ¡°The Uzbek side still has room. You can leave it to another team, or you can finish it after. You look bad from the first day you got abroad.¡± Lee Soo-yeon looked at Il-hyun and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it good?¡± ¡°I will know when you do. Maybe you¡¯re glad you were born in Korea.¡± Il-hyun¡¯s confusion heightened as the planes carrying them quickly veered into the target city. Jeong Jin-sung opened the door of the aircraft; it had reduced its speed. They were now overlooking the city below. Il-hyun¡¯s eyes also turned to him. They were all astonished! Below them, it was hell! There were scenes of burning cities, screams, countless collapsed buildings, and peoples¡¯ bodies scattered everywhere! The four Awakeners, except Il-hyun, were looking down at the scene with terrified expressions. It¡¯s nothing like anyone had ever seen. It¡¯s like it¡¯s not something you¡¯re going through once or twice. Chapter 21 - The Hidden Truth (2) The Hidden Truth (2) ¡®Nonsense!¡¯ I1hyun murmured as he glimpsed down at the havoc that had taken place. It wasn¡¯t the 20-year evangelism when the gate first appeared. In an instant, the city was obliterated, and the death toll was estimated to be in the four-digits now. ¡°It¡¯s a fungus, and it will proliferate endlessly. Perhaps you¡¯ve likely got to the subway Team leader Jeong, and I¡¯ll go straight to the center and take care of the multiplying area.¡± Said Lee Soo-yeon, trying to catch her nerves. The monstrous fungus had made its presence often, always bringing with it the disasters that were hard to eliminate due to its rapid rate of multiplication. What was worse was its quick human transmission, which draws psychological pressure as well. I1hyun was not aware of the impending wreck yet. ¡°No¡­ Does this happen frequently?¡± Panicking, he asked. All of them had their equipment ready and were just waiting for the right moment to take action. ¡°Even in Korea, where high-ranking awakened people are filled, there are several deaths at sudden gates. But did you think you could stop all of this from happening all over the world? On this extensive ground?¡± It has been said that overseas was more dangerous than the domestic gates. But this was never the case. It was covered in the news that hundreds of thousands of people died or were injured at times, so it was really in their hands. ¡°I have never heard of this damage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, of course, because the whole world is out and controlling the media. Government and international organizations.¡± Replied Lee Soo-yeon curtly. Ilhyun felt incredibly spinning when he heard unbelievable words. It was a completely different world from what he had known so far and he was partially prepared for it. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll explain in detail later, but first, put out the fire. Help rescue the citizens by reducing the number of outside populations as much as possible.¡± All the other team members checked the equipment and were ready. They landed on the rooftop of a five-story building in the heart of the city. The deathly fungi were shattered by a sword at once as they approached them. Three awakeners landed on the rooftops. Two of them advanced to impede the breeding as much as possible. Meanwhile, the awakeners in the city were blocking the external damage. All the monsters were out now, and the gates closed. Ilhyun slowly pulled his sword. The rooftop pictured a scene of a blockbuster movie. Ilhyun had to take action now. First off, the monsters in front of him were the first thing to do. The fungi flocked when they saw the plane landing. ¡°Leave it and go first.¡± Seok Pil-jun said in a confident tone without looking back. Ghost nodded and grabbed Ilhyun¡¯s sleeve. Whoo-hoo! Their translucent body suddenly disappeared into the building. This was only his third experience in that state, so he barely looked ahead while holding his mental stability. They made their way through the building into the ground and rose over the road. Ilhyun muttered in vain. ¡°Uh¡­ When does anyone adapt to this?¡± He said annoyingly. ¡°I do not know. I haven¡¯t seen anyone who has yet.¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± ¡°Contact me if you need me!¡± Without waiting for a response, Ghost disappeared heading towards the north. Ilhyun looked around and found D-rank monsters, green in color, staring at him. Perhaps among them, citizens who just laughed and enjoyed their daily lives were mixed, he mused. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Initially, this level could have been quite dangerous. Ilhyun was now slowly realizing the rising strength in him after absorbing the new ether. The result came out that he had no problem at all. Hundreds of mice appeared as he deformed the floor. In an instant, they scattered all over the road, and the survivors were found. ¡°Wow. Isn¡¯t this convenient?¡± Thick, smoky flames were rising from the building, the next door. While he watched the flames, the monsters began to rush towards him. Ilhyun lifted up his arms, his fingers tightly interlocking his hands. The flames that were engulfing the building suddenly poured out into the streets, the air becoming hazy from the heat. The flames, now white-hot, became stronger and stronger as Ilhyun focused his mind ¡ª now the furious inferno was devouring the surrounding monsters, the blaze¡¯s tremendous momentum purging the dirty streets of organic life. The fungi that had once lined the streets were burnt to cinders and the sidewalks covered in ash. * * * Ilhyun broke open the door and entered the basement under the building. A family of four were cowering in the corner. There were two parents, and a young brother and a young sister. ¡°I¡¯m here to save you!¡± cried IIhyun, simultaneously placing a hand on his right ear and with his other hand tweaking his communicator. The communicator¡¯s built-in interpreter function translated his speech. The family stood, tears in their eyes, and looked at him as if he was their savior. Ilhyun motioned for them to come out of the basement, and once he¡¯d signaled to them, he summoned a pack of wolves. The family was amazed and somewhat frightened by the wolves who were suddenly appearing before them on the ground, but now IIhyun was imploring each of them to get on the backs of the wolves. ¡°We¡¯ll use the wolves to get the monsters out of here, and then get out ourselves!¡± shouted IIhyun, and as he spoke he demonstrated how to get beasts moving by slamming the rear of his wolf. The wolf ran at the monsters, chasing them away. The family sighed with relief. But before anybody could feel any sense of calm, a cloud of green smoke started rising from the side street. ¡°Look out!¡±, Ilhyun screamed too late, and before the family could even react, the smoke hit them. Even on sinewy wolf-back, the family couldn¡¯t avoid getting caught in the smoke, and they found themselves unable to move, and unable to scream out loud in the agony they now felt. Their bodies melted and flowed to the floor. ¡°No!¡± Ilhyun shouted. Four innocent people died. **** Thud! A giant fungus appeared. No, not quite a fungus; this was different from a fungus. This was moving around. It was an Ace Monster, a Smoker. Its large gray body was a looming 4m high, its face devilish with green smoke spewing out of its mouth as it exhaled. This monster was top of its class, the best of the C-rank: a very dangerous challenge for just Ilhyun to take on. The monster unleashed a furious attack that would have broken IIhyun bones had he not been wearing a defensive coat. Ilhyun lifted his hands and conjured a fox enveloped in flames and cast it toward the Smoker, but the monster simply caught it and threw it back. ¡°Let¡¯s go. One more time¡±, said Illyun. He cast the fox once again and its flames grew redder. The fox now flew faster than before. This time the smoker did not intend to avoid the fox itself, but he extinguished its flames with his hands. Ilhyun, who had flanked the monster, and now behind it, put his hand out in an attempt to transform the body of the guy. A strong ether core in the Smoker¡¯s body put a quick stop to this idea as it reacted with IIhyun¡¯s power, halting it completely. This wasn¡¯t an E-rank monster. Illhyun had to be smarter. He came up with a plan: he¡¯d attack the monster¡¯s outer layer. It worked. No sooner had he put this plan into action than the skin around the monster¡¯s neck turned black and collapsed inwards. A gap appeared, and Ilhyun threw his sword deep into the monster¡¯s neck. ¡°Kieek!¡± Thud! The gigantic monster staggered and fell to the floor. Ilhyun jumped down off the monster and landed gracefully sheathing his sword. But what should have been a cause for celebration left Illhyun no sense of accomplishment. He felt neither elated nor remorseful. ¡°Damn¡­ I just feel dirty.¡± Chapter 22 - The Hidden Truth (3) The Hidden Truth (3) Thud! The long sword pierced the Smoke-monster¡¯s head, and it fell to the ground, making a deafening noise. Jung Jin-sung, who was on the Smoke-monster¡¯s body, slowly came down to the floor. A wave of confidence and relief passed through his spine as he saw the number of monsters laying their weapons down. He knew that this base would be a breeding ground for fungi. The way to the underground station was in the nexus of the city. The atmosphere was gutted with the poisonous fog that was rising off of the monster¡¯s dead body. ¡°Hitch! Ah¡­ My nose keeps tickling because of them.¡± Lee Soo-yeon grumbled. ¡°Is it? I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Then die, really.¡± Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s coat had not yet been replaced with the new equipment. She was fully exposed to the terrible poison. When Jeong Jin-sung pointed to the fresh defense coat that he had obtained after three close encounters with rock-paper-scissors, Lee Soo-yeon pounded his chest with her elbows. But to everyone¡¯s relief, it was not as damaging as the monster itself. The two went down, slicing the monsters and making their way out of it. A-irh! The fungus continued to rush, and it was grievous. Their broken stairs and floors showed their eyes all inside the green-colored subway. The ceiling, floor, and walls collapsed to create an underground space according to their taste. A rotting smell was arising from the spore pillars that had collapsed. There was a mass of spores multiplying and terribly decayed bodies. ¡°Hugh¡­ We found a breeding ground.¡± He confirmed. What was the most threatening was the significant number of ace-monsters and smoke-monsters. They were multitudinous and could not be counted in a glance. They presented a tough task to knock them down even by the strongest A-rank awakeners. Had not the monsters fallen to the ground, this place would have been a wreck. The intruders were seen to make their way. The vast number of massive monsters turned around, making high-pitched sound and quacked the earth. That outcry was having a factor of hostility toward them. Lee Soo-yeon and Jeong Jin-sung, the two team leaders, geared up against them and raised their swords. ¡°Yeah, I feel like I¡¯m working properly. Motherfuckers.¡± They yelled. Soo-yeon Lee¡¯s body had black energy. * * * ¡°Ugh pole!¡± The building had terribly collapsed. It had turned to rubble. With all his might, Ilhyun lifted it to one side. The thought of all the dead bodies inside the building was grievous. He tried to keep up his optimism and silently wished to see survivors as he made his way to the inside. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± There were not any. It indeed was a terrible sight for him to see, but he had seen dozens of it, so now he was partly immune to it. He moved on to start his operation. Biting his lips with both grief and strength, he left the building. The mission for them was over. The breeding grounds were crushed and monsters, sliced. Leaving the rest to the Russians, Ilhyun made his way out as per the call of Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s voice on the transceiver. He flew to the road and sat on the wreckage of the building. ¡°Seed¡­¡± Ilhyun was now mentally burnt out. He supported his body by a stump and cupped his face with both hands. A creamy and sticky mixture of blood and green smoke had been layered on his face. The damage had now halted. People had been rescued. The city was by no longer a city now. It had turned to a huge mass of rubble and smoke. No matter how much he tried, the havoc that had taken place disheartened him. It vexed him. Someone patted his shoulder, breaking the series of thoughts in his mind. He looked back to find Lee Soo-yeon. ¡° What are you up to?¡± She inquired inquisitively. Ilhyun noticed blood spots on her face too. All of her body was covered in dirt. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know the conditions abroad. Not at all! This is way more devastating than what I had imagined.¡± His tone was grievous. ¡°Of course it is. The people of this country, the parties, would not know. I don¡¯t have to mention it in Korea.¡± Lee Soo-yeon replied to Ilhyun¡¯s expression. He seemed exhausted. ¡°Is this happening every time?¡± He inquired. ¡°The damage might not be of this range. But it¡¯s just a matter of scale, and these things always happen everywhere. As of now, we can¡¯t stop them all. We can only try our best.¡± There was a moment of silence. Lee Soo-yeon looked around at the devasted landscape and sighed. Even if they wanted to block all the gates without damage, shortage of time and bleak manpower was a problem. Aside from Korea, the United States could adequately defend its mainland with its awakening power. Affected Russia had a relatively stable awakening power, but its territories were so vast that it began to defend itself without help. There was an absolute shortage of high-ranking awakenings in China, although the number of it to fit the population was large. Since there was no A-rank awakened in the population, he could see how grave the situation was. Other countries also do not have the power to cope with all of the high-ranking gates appearing without notice. Except for North America, which the United States has to some extent. It was just like the Awakenings of the government response teams who were helping to deal with high-ranking gates around the world. Breaking the aura of silence, Lee Soo-yeon said, ¡°That¡¯s why I brought you here.¡± ¡°Why did you bring me? He asked irritatingly. ¡°If the situation was relaxed, why would I need to take the scavenger I saw for the first time and try to recruit him to the team? Even before knowing his specific personality or identity.¡± Lee Soo-yeon continued with her arms crossed. ¡°I¡¯m unsure, but it seemed like there was a possibility that I could push the limits a bit. Do you know my reason?¡± ¡°Of course, I know.¡± Ilhyun replied to what she was asking. The level of abilities does not necessarily reflect the talent of an awakened, but it was a representative of their potential. Moreover, even if it wasn¡¯t on the low side, the C-rank ability was a weakness that was lacking for A-class awakened people. Her abilities, Ma (ħ), also strengthened the body for a while, and the range of utilization was not wide enough, so it was not evaluated well. However, Lee Soo-yeon exceeded that limit. Within a few years of awakening, her awakening class was raised to the A level simultaneously; the power of intellect heightened. The black energy that appeared every time she used up her power has become a symbol. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how disappointing C-rank was when I was first tested. My goal wasn¡¯t that much.¡± Lee Soo-yeon let out a laugh. ¡°But it was over. Like me, there are many examples of awakened exceeding beyond this level. Probably with your abilities¡­ Maybe SS rank is also possible?¡± Her voice revealed a little excitement, maybe to cheer him up. In the past 20 years, SS awakening has been seen only once in the world. Min Ji-hoon, although, currently inactive was a legend. ¡°When he made his first appearance¡­ The world was upside down. Thanks to the ability to twist space, that damage was reduced. SS-class awakened people can change the world on their own.¡± Ilhyun swallowed saliva. He vaguely thought that one day he would go beyond the SS rating, which included three ranks. But when he thought about what Min Ji-hoon said, he realized how high it was. Ilhyun was also well acquainted with the story. ¡°Now, the cycle is coming. There¡¯s no clear data on what¡¯s going to happen in the future, and at least a ship of people will die.¡± Lee Soo-yeon told him lightly, trying to cover the gravity of the story. In the meantime, other team members have picked up their signal, and their transportation-aircraft came hovering over their heads. ¡°So be strong. Now wake up, our work isn¡¯t over yet.¡± Chapter 23 - The Front (1) The Front (1) The mission in Tashkent was comparatively easy. They took over the monsters coming out of the gate, and except for a few buildings, the destruction was mild. Ilhyun got off the plane as they arrived at the headquarters. He was physically drained after the encounter with hundreds of monsters. Team A headed to wash away the grease and dirt that had layered upon them. They had to cleanse their bodies because the Smoke-monster¡¯s poison was so strong that even a small amount could be a threat to the public. Team members entered the right end of the building. Outside the person concerned, the door with the entrance ticket was opened with a fingerprint recognition device and lifted to the 5th floor. In the hallway, each private room was lined up. ¡°Ugh! Whoa, smell. Let¡¯s go in first.¡± Ghost stretched out his hand and opened the door, and went inside. ¡°Everybody wash in 30 minutes. I have the next schedule.¡± ¡°The next schedule? Are you going to another gate?¡± Ilhyun asked at the end of Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s utterance. He then asked her if she would like to go to work and wash her body, she replied: ¡°Not that. We¡¯re not just catching monsters. Oh, for reference, your room is right there.¡± Lee Soo-yeon smiled and went into the room. Only the confused Ilhyun was left in the hallway and went to the door; she¡¯d shown him. Then, like other team members, he put his thumb on the fingerprint reader. His fingerprint was recognized, and to his surprise, the door opened automatically. He thought he¡¯d stay in the shower room because he wanted to go into each one separately. Instead, it was the space that greeted him. It was a well-furnished, luxurious room with a sauna and a bath on one side. Also, there was a cooling machine to help him recover his condition, a temporary AT sword, and a business card in his name placed on the desk. He didn¡¯t know if there was anything to write. ¡°Huh¡­¡± He thought it would be better to live here than to go back home, soon coming back to reality. ¡°Still, It looks good to practice?¡± He observed the ting details of the room before heading towards the bathroom. The transformation of water that he practiced in a bowl and in the toilets could be enjoyed here. The water was agglomerated and scattered, creating a shape, and floating up. He was amusing himself with this when a voice came in. ¡°Sorry. Do a little more. It¡¯s amazing to see. Something with high compatibility with salt power¡­¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± Ilhyun was surprised and jumped and the water splashed everywhere. Someone¡¯s head broke into Ilhyun¡¯s chest and pulled his head out. It was Ghost. ¡°Oh, well, it¡¯s hard to see how men look at each other.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem!¡± Ilhyun managed to calm his chest down. He got hit when he was utterly vigilant. Ghost, who was wearing his clothes, floated to the ceiling. ¡°Are you kidding? ¡°I have this ability, why would I let it rot? Of course, I have to gain from it. When I was a newbie in the team, I had no clue how to do it, and I tried it with the leader Lee Soo-yeon. At that time, I was caught, and I wasn¡¯t even able to give up after being almost killed.¡± Ilhyun let out a genuine laugh at Ghost¡¯s words. He was undoubtedly a crazy man. At that time, 19-year-old Ghost, who had been called a genius from when he awoke, succeeded in joining Aegis. It was Lee Soo-yeon, who brought the first society¡¯s pain to him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I washed myself, but there was nothing to do, so I came. Are you curious? Ask way. Time limit 5 minutes.¡± Now Ghost was sitting upside down on the ceiling like a bat, and he sat with his legs. Ilhyun, who wants to do well, asked him. ¡°What are you doing here? Do you have any work in the company?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ It¡¯s like the awakening waiting room.¡± ¡°Waiting room?¡± ¡°I usually use it when the time between gates is vaguely empty or when there is an empty schedule after running the field. And most of the time, team leaders often come to headquarters, so I end up using it.¡± For his common sense, it was too large for a waiting room. When he first saw this place, he wanted to know how to use all these huge buildings, but the scale was different. ¡°Last time, the team leader came out and lived here after a couple of fights. I didn¡¯t understand if I was caught up for that ability.¡± Ghost chuckled. Besides, he recommended the type of alcohol for the awakened people in the private room and talked about what other teams were doing right now. Ilhyun glanced at the clock and saw that there was not much time left. ¡°Okay, I need to go out first.¡± Ghost grumbled through the wall, and Il-hyun washed his body and then put on a bathrobe. ¡°Maybe¡­ Would it be right to wear it?¡± Ilhyun came out and looked at the many clothes in the closet. He took out his favorite ones and put them on. They fit as if they were designed for him. He picked some snacks from the refrigerator, and both of them headed to the hallway. There was also a man in the hallway wearing a black coat. ¡°What, why are you two coming out of one room? surely¡­¡± Jung Jin-sung, who was outside first, had a disgusting expression. ¡°Ah! Don¡¯t say that because you¡¯re chicken. Next time, will you enter the team leader¡¯s room?¡± ¡°I was wrong.¡± ¡°The two went first. You can go to the conference, room 3,¡± said an employee. After hearing that, Ilhyun could guess what the remaining schedule was. ¡°Interview room? ¡°Right. This time, the damage was a bit large, and the media was also interested. Of course, there is something I want to ask.¡± * * * ¡°Oh, are you here?¡± From the back of the conference room, Lee Soo-yeon and Seok Pil-joon, looked at them as they approached. Ilhuyn noticed that their clothes were changed too. ¡°When is it starting?¡± He sounded a tad confused. ¡°As soon as we go in.¡± Lee Soo-yeon, moved her attention to Il-hyun. ¡°How many times have you seen a press conference? It¡¯s not difficult.¡± ¡°Of course, I have seen it. The problem is¡­¡± Lee Soo-yeon interrupted, sensing the confusion in Ilhuyn¡¯s voice, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You will get used to it.¡± Lee Soo-yeon opened the door and entered the press conference. The conference room was a big, spacious, and illuminated one. It was crowded with camera-men and reporters. Some of them seemed unfamiliar, and some were Korean. Jeong Jin-sung and Lee Soo-yeon were right next to each other, but the reporters¡¯ interests and gazes were all toward one side. Five sat on the long table in front of the conference hall, and a press conference began. The situation in Irkutsk, Russia, where there was quite a lot of damage, was explained, and the rough damage was reported. Of course, several times smaller than the actual loss. Soon, reporters started asking a lot of questions, and Jeong Jin-sung answered each one calmly. ¡°A high-ranked monster that had appeared nine times has appeared again this time. Has anything changed?¡± ¡°There has not been much damage. However, the monsters have increased, and havoc is inevitable.¡± ¡°The activation time was only 4 minutes, and even though it was a B1 level surprise gate, it responded quickly. Is there a secret?¡± ¡°I was able to respond because I was passing by for another operation.¡± Jeong Jin-seong replied concisely, and the reporter who asked the question came back. ¡°Nevertheless, more than 200 casualties would be noticeable damage.¡± ¡°Yes. Many people got injured despite the luck that followed us. I know that the cycle is very near and that I need to be careful.¡± Monthly events had always been here. The reporter¡¯s attention diverted to Ilhyun. Chapter 24 - The Front (2) The Front (2) ¡°When did you awaken, specifically?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly¡­ about three months ago? ¡° ¡°If you¡¯ve been awakened for three months, why did you hide your ability from the people around you and didn¡¯t start working in the field immediately?¡± ¡°Then, I had no intention of being an Awakener. I awakened at a late age and simply thought it was a great ability to have.¡± The reporter nodded to Il-hyun¡¯s response. Many people were awakened but inactive. In some cases, people were satisfied with their normal lives and did not want to get involved in dangerous things. Others have awakened at a late age when their old bodies are incapable of handling the physical demands of an Awakener¡¯s job. The reporters continued the onslaught of questions. ¡°If so¡­¡± ¡°Have you been sent right away to Russia?¡± ¡°How did you connect to Aegis?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Please ask the questions one after the other.¡± Il-hyun felt overwhelmed by the avalanche of questions. Immediately after he answered one question, other reporters raised their hands to ask more. He had not expected that this would happen right away for him. It was natural for reporters to focus on an Aegis newcomer, but Il-hyun did not expect that the interest would be this much. The reporters¡¯ looked stressed and seemed like they were about to blow up. They had a good reason. It¡¯s a very hot topic, and it means that they are pressed for time. Unlike those who often face the media, such as entertainers, athletes, and politicians, the Awakeners were not precisely the sort of people that required public attention. Their income comes from the ether core. It was enough for them to hunt monsters and earn profits, and the public opinion and popularity were just an additional issue to handle. A low-level company would need recognition to get more jobs, but if in a company like Aegis, even the hiring of an unknown name becomes big news, as was in the case of Il-hyun. Il-hyun looked around and saw other teams being interviewed like him. Reporters spend time with each team, but they favor Team A because they are the most frequently exposed. Il-hyun organized his thoughts and replied calmly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect much, but I got myself tested with Aegis. I was considered good enough and was able to blend in with the team¡¯s talented members.¡± ¡°Who exactly considered you good enough?¡± ¡°Oh, it was Lee Soo-yeon, the team leader.¡± As he gave out this answer, the reporters who were in front of him blushed. ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Il-hyun turned his head involuntarily. He saw Lee Soo-yeon sitting cross-legged casually behind him. The reporters knew that Il-hyun¡¯s ability would not have been normal if it caught Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s eyes, and if he was recruited even as a late-age beginner with no experience. ¡°What kind of abilities did you have to get signed up at Aegis?¡± ¡°Please tell me about your level of performance.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± When a question about his ability came out, Il-hyun tried to avoid the question. However, the reporters did not give up easily; they were persistent. ¡°Why? Do you have any reason to hide it?¡± ¡°The public wants a more convincing answer.¡± As the reporters pressed him to answer, Il-hyun panicked and hesitated. Lee Soo-yeon grabbed the microphone and interrupted. ¡°Of course, we can¡¯t tell you about his ability. We don¡¯t need to expose his power to criminal organizations out there.¡± Overseas crime organizations were increasingly becoming a big problem along with the Gates¡¯ monsters. When the demand for ether core exploded on the black market, it became the criminal organizations¡¯ main objective. It was not uncommon for criminals to try going through control sites to get ether cores, and as a result, there were frequent conflicts with companies and the government. Of course, criminals avoided clashing with a company like Aegis, but there was often friction. There were even teams in Aegis assigned to deal with criminals separately. Reporters nodded in understanding after Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s answer. Il-hyun was a little sorry for not knowing the reason. Thanks to Lee Soo-yeon, Il-hyun, he sighed. The questions being asked are now directed to Lee Soo-yeon. ¡°Since he¡¯s already a member of Aegis, can he be considered a great talent?¡± ¡°I saw his potential and let him join the team. I think his ability is still lacking, but his potential is great.¡± ¡°Kang Il-hyun awakened at a fairly late age. Do you think that he could still reach his potential?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a common case, but sometimes a person who woke up late has explosive growth. I am hoping it would be the case for him.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Now, can we move on to another question?¡± Lee Soo-yeon said after briefly glancing over at her wristwatch. ¡°Yeah? I still have a lot to ask.¡± ¡°The public¡¯s interest is all¡­¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to talk anymore. Let¡¯s end this interview.¡± The reporters shut up. * * * The press conference was over. Lee Soo-yeon was talking to the staff, while the other team members left the building. ¡°Team, do you think there will be more work coming in today?¡± ¡°No. If you look at the status of other teams, there seemed to be no assignments today.¡± Jeong Jin-sung replied to Seok Pil-jun, who had asked. Ghost intervened at that point. ¡°I¡¯m busy tonight. Don¡¯t call me at dawn.¡± Ghost and Seok Pil-jun immediately got on the waiting helicopter. As the helicopter soared up and disappeared, Jeong Jin-sung quickly spoke to Il-hyun. ¡°How was your first press conference?¡± ¡°Huh, it¡¯s crazy. Did I make any mistakes?¡± ¡°You did a good job. Oh, and you don¡¯t have to answer every reporter¡¯s question. Nothing is good about answering them.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Il-hyun nodded at his words. After a few more minutes of talking, Jin-sung soon went underground. While Il-hyun was waiting for another helicopter, Lee Soo-yeon approached him. ¡°You haven¡¯t gone yet?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t going in, ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°Leader Jeong must have gone down right away.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You did good for a first-timer, but you don¡¯t have to answer everything reporters ask.¡± ¡°I heard it from Chief Jeong.¡± ¡°Okay? Anyway, it¡¯s not like always that, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll encounter more of them in the future. You just have to keep them in line.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Soo-yeon continued, ¡°anyway, you¡¯re going to look good with that article. You might be able to get high-paying job offers for personal security.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Will I like it?¡± ¡°No, it would be very annoying.¡± Lee Soo-yeon said with a smile. * * * Jiing! The cell phone rang in his pocket. An overseas professional newspaper called him, asking for a solo interview. Il-hyun politely declined the offer and ended the call. How did they get my cell phone number? He wondered. He was doubtful about the protection of his personal information. Il-hyun went through the elevator of the apartment with a cake in one hand. After getting off, he stood in front of 804. He pressed the doorbell once and went inside without waiting for someone to open the door for him. His mother met him with a look of surprise. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± Il-hyun laughed. It was a face he had seen in almost a month. She hugged him from the front door. It was a warm sight, but then the punishment for his disobedience caught up quickly. ¡°Why can¡¯t I contact you!¡± His mother hit him on his back. ¡°Ouch!¡± It does not really hurt since he¡¯d become an Awakener, but the part his mother hit felt a bit ticklish. ¡°Imagine turning on the TV and seeing your face like that. I was so worried about you doing something dangerous!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have been crazy these days.¡± ¡°Are you okay? How is your body taking it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± It was not just ¡®fine¡¯. He has fought and beaten the monsters with his bare hands. Il-hyun and her mother, who were at the front door, walked in with an awkward attitude. Nothing changed at all in the house, he noticed. ¡°Where¡¯s dad?¡± ¡°He went out to work. Will you be staying here tonight?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I lost the concept of the days of the week these days.¡± ¡°Yes, how about the new job? Your teammates are all famous people. Tell me in detail about what happened.¡± He started narrating what his mother was curious about but did not give out much detail. ¡°It¡¯s too long to tell the whole story. First, slowly¡­¡± He took out a thin envelope from his pocket. With the cake on the one hand and the envelope on the other, he stretched both hands out towards his mother. ¡°Oh really¡­ Did you buy it for my birthday?¡± His mother laughed as she looked at the large cake box. She took it and placed it down on the table. Il-hyun nodded and forced the envelope in her hands. ¡°This is pocket money. I got a little money from my new job.¡± ¡°Thank you, son.¡± She then held the thin envelope without opening it. Il-hyun took out some promotional brochures and laid it on the table. They caught his mother¡¯s eyes, and she asked about them. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your birthday today. Just pick some houses or something.¡± Chapter 25 - The Front (3) The Front (3) Il-hyun sat on the floor and continued to practice his transformation ability ¨C a scene that was not too different from before. The background he has, and the floor he sits on, however, was entirely different. He is sitting on a marble floor, with the Han River flowing outside the panoramic windows of his apartment on the 72nd floor. This was his new home. It was spacious, comfortable, and luxurious. There was one unfortunate thing ¨C the room seemed empty. He disposed of the few furniture he had from his small apartment. ¡°Shall I make a cabinet here?¡± Il-hyun browsed through his cell phone. He was looking at photos of furniture. He thought it would be good training for his transforming ability to create furniture. He started doing it out of curiosity and found it really fun as a hobby. He did not use any raw materials, yet the furniture he made are of top-quality that he could decide to sell them on the market. His transforming ability developed remarkably. He made a cabinet about his size and effortlessly carried it off to a corner with one hand. ¡°Hmm.¡± He stared at the product of his ability, satisfied. Dingdong! The doorbell rang, and Il-hyun approached the door. He had a rough guess who his visitors were. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s cold outside.¡± ¡°Hey, I like the house!¡± Each of them chuckled and went in. It was Kwon Se-hyeong and Kim Byeong-cheol, his old friends. The guys rushed to Il-hyun to see if he was okay. They were happy to see that the Kang Il-hyun they knew was still the same. They thought that being an Awakener, his body would change, but it seemed that this was not the case. ¡°Hey, I could not believe how many times you¡¯ve been talked about these days. I¡¯m so thrilled.¡± ¡°People could not believe it when I say you¡¯re my friend.¡± They laughed happily. They placed the bag they had brought on the table and began wandering around the house in excitement. His friends gathered in front of the table once more and took out a bunch of shochu and beer from the bag they brought. ¡°Let¡¯s take it out first.¡± Il-hyun, who saw the beer, got up and pulled a bottle of liquor from the refrigerator. The red bottle had a luxurious label. ¡°What, are you the only one allowed to drink good things?¡± Il-hyun smiled and replied. ¡°If you drink this, you die.¡± It was a drink made with ether that was specially made for the awakened people. It was so strong that if an average person drank it, it would not be strange if he died immediately. ¡°Wow, is it the drink that the awakened people only took? It¡¯s amazing that my friend is an Awakener and has entered Aegis.¡± ¡°Yeah, it was difficult for me.¡± ¡°When are you going to tell us stories about monsters?¡± Il-hyun began to share stories about him and his teammates¡¯ missions. Whenever there was a story about Lee Soo-yeon, Kim Byung-cheol was cheering, and the flow was often interrupted. ¡°Isn¡¯t the field dangerous? I saw so many awakened people who were hurt and carried away when I was working.¡± Kwon Se-hyeong said. He knew a lot about how the site worked. ¡°It wasn¡¯t as dangerous as I thought,¡± said Il-hyun. Aegis had the most valuable collection of awakened powers. Whenever something important, such as a high-grade gate, comes up, it was Aegis that the government authorizes to action. The best team was dispatched to reduce the risk of being injured, rather than having several small companies try recklessly. While he did not find his past mission too dangerous, Il-hyun had heard that the next cycle would be more difficult. ¡°You guys, however, should be careful around the gates. I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s a big deal. Abroad, without the response of companies like Aegis, people die everywhere they go.¡± Il-hyun said to them with a serious expression. However, for Kim Byung-cheol and Kwon Se-hyeong, it was a story that didn¡¯t settle much, and it brought a loud reaction. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s it. You must have felt that way because you¡¯ve been through a lot of hard places, being with Aegis.¡± ¡°Yes, you said that you also went to Russia last week? It was a really unusual case.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Just be careful, anyway.¡± Il-hyun said, seeing that his friends did not take his warning seriously. His friends had heard about gates only through media, and could not understand the dangers. For them, dying due to a gate incident seemed to be out of this world. But even if they haven¡¯t been in a car accident, they must know it¡¯s dangerous to drive a car recklessly, Il-hyun thought. ¡°Ah! I also want to work with Suyeon! Damn, I envy you to death!¡± One of Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s fanatics, Kim Byeong-cheol, grumbled violently. Il-hyun thought about her, then walked into his room, and went through the drawers. Then he came back and pushed an object in front of Kim Byung-cheol¡¯s face. Kim Byung-cheol¡¯s expression slowly changed, with his face frowning reflexively. ¡°Uh¡­? Wow!¡± Excited, he jumped up and trembled. Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s autograph was right in front of his eyes. Byung-cheol started to hit his own cheeks to check if he is dreaming. ¡°Oh, is that real?¡± Kwon Se-hyung¡¯s eyes were also wide-open. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s real.¡± Il-hyun smiled and nodded. His friends asked for the autographs of Lee Soo-yeon and Jeong Jin-sung. Il-hyun promised to get them autographs with kind comments and their names. Kim Byung-cheol was almost crying. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± The evening quickly passed by. * * * When Il-hyun received an emergency call, asking him to return for a mission, he knew it would not be an easy. He sat on the plane, looking down at the brightly lit city below. It was late at night, and the sky was dark. He began to see debris from buildings and collapsed people in the streets. ¡°There are many people isolated inside.¡± Lee Soo-yeon said. Ghost took one last puff out of his cigarette before throwing it down the plane. Il-hyun¡¯s gaze followed the slowly falling cigarette butt. Quaang! Even before the butt hit the ground, there was a big explosion beneath them, and people¡¯s screams rang out. Chapter 26 - B Rank (1) B Rank (1) The plane lowered its altitude quickly, letting them see the mess below more clearly. Seok Pil-jun opened his mouth. ¡°The gate came by surprise, but how could this happen in just four hours?¡± The gate opened there in the Philippines only four hours ago. Still, four hours was enough time to prepare properly or to ask for help elsewhere. But now the city has become a wormwood field. ¡°The local Awakening team took over and was wiped out. They were a decent company that had a few achievements against high-ranking monsters. Perhaps they were banking on that experience and jumped to a scene that they couldn¡¯t handle.¡± Jung Jin-sung said with his arms folded. In the career of an Awakener, experience was deemed important. Sure, there were tests that could measure an Awakened¡¯s ability, but tests alone could not know the true power of an Awakener. They have to be in the real world. To accurately measure their skills and reliability, the performance of an Awakened person was measured during battles. The more powerful and high-level the monsters they faced were, the more respect the Awakened teams get. That¡¯s why the Philippine Awakening Team, which was wiped out earlier, was trying to get this site ¨C to earn money from the core price and launch their career at the same time. It would have made great news for reporters covering the Gates. Information about battle experience was also used by fans to compare famous Awakeners. Lee Soo-yeon and Jung Jin-sung have defeated the A-ranked monsters in the hundreds. Their careers rank in the Top 20 Worldwide power rankings. ¡°No matter how. They were insane about jumping into the B-rank gate without experience.¡± Lee Soo-yeon shook her head with a pathetic expression. They gambled with their lives and lost. The team members, who were close to thirty C-class Awakeners, died fighting the monsters. Also, the government-level evacuation and safe distance security were not properly conducted, so civilian damage increased. ¡°The information came in too late. Monsters are the first thing I see below. Be careful, everyone¡±, said Jeong Jin-sung. There were fewer than 80 monsters in total, and 10 of them were B-ranked ace monsters. That was all the information he heard from the analysis team. As it is a new type of monster that has never appeared before, there was no particular information or precautions. The plane landed, and the team members immediately scattered and took their positions. There was no time to relax and talk. The gate was already closed. Monsters scattered throughout the city had to be found. As in other cases, the number of monsters was not high, and it would be much quicker to remove monsters than to find and rescue citizens. Il-hyun transformed the ground to create a giant hawk. He climbed on its back and headed west. He found three monsters while flying low. A humanoid monster with an inverted triangular head, wielding a large sword with both hands. Il-hyun jumped on the spot and put a sword behind the neck of a monster. Meanwhile, at a fast speed, the hawk hit another monster. The enormous hawk grasped the monster¡¯s head with one foot, smashed it to the ground, and dragged it to a distance. The monster¡¯s head was roughly halved against the ground and thrown into the building, tattered. Bang! The two D-rank monsters died in an instant, and a huge thorn surprisingly came out of the ground, stabbing the remaining one all over. Its ugly body without limbs was drilled full of holes, and it died without being able to make a move. Wick! When Il-hyun whistled, the hawk flew back to him again. He jumped on its back, and then it flew across the city. ¡°- One Ace Monster down.¡± ¡°- East base, five down.¡± Team members¡¯ radios were heard in the short gap. It was now Il-hyun speaking. ¡°We also handled three monsters in the west.¡± ¡°- Ok, check.¡± Lee Soo-yeon, who dealt with the first ace monster she found on the scene, said. ¡°- Be careful. Your abilities may not work against this Ace mob. Don¡¯t go near it.¡± ¡°- I¡¯m annoyed. I understand why the first team got wiped out -¡± Ghost grumbled. High-ranking monsters often have special abilities. In particular, the higher the level of monsters, the higher the probability that they possess a strong ability. Therefore, no matter how skillful and strong an Awakened was, one had to approach carefully when dealing with rank A or rank B monsters. ¡°- because this bunch is too dangerous.¡± Ghost was joined by Il-hyun. ¡°- Checked the location. Going.¡± ¡°- Confirmed.¡± Ghost and Il-hyun replied to Jeong Jin-sung¡¯s words. ¡°We will be careful.¡± Il-hyun carefully looked around. He had to be careful if his abilities could not counter a dangerous B-ranked monster. But at that moment, something they were concerned about happened. Suddenly, a sharp black thing flew from the right and went through the hawk¡¯s belly. It was a giant spear. The balance quickly shifted, and he fell down. ¡°- Damn, I think I came across one!¡± ¡°- What? Where are you now!¡± Lee Soo-yeon urgently asked, but he could not afford to answer. The monster who threw the spear leaped in front of him. It¡¯s really happening. It didn¡¯t take long for the huge black monster to pull the spear from the hawk and swing it to his direction. The weapon came at a speed that an ordinary awakener could not have reacted to. However, Il-hyun is on a different level from the past and was way far from ordinary. He was able to dodge and react even at that speed and extended his arms. He tried to attack the monster by transforming the building next door. But at that moment, he realized that he had made a mistake. ¡°- Oh, you said they could block abilities?!¡± Il-hyun recognized the possibility of failing and frowned. The power to block abilities was one of the reasons Awakened people who faced these monsters were wiped out. At that moment, he really wanted to use his abilities. It was his only chance to stay alive. ¡°Well?¡± Il-hyun¡¯s expression changed once again. Suddenly, his ability worked! He transformed the building into a giant fist and gave the black monster a massive punch! The monster trying to swing the spear was smashed to the ground. Il-hyun did not know how he managed it, but he was able to attack right in front of the monster who can suppress abilities. ¡°- Kang Il-hyun, answer me! Are you ok?¡± ¡°- Yes, I¡¯m ok. By the way, I just used my ability.¡± ¡°- What? No, then just hold on! I¡¯m coming over there.¡± Lee Soo-yeon said with relief. It was weird, but he thought it would be possible to survive against this monster if he could use his ability anyway. He went a step further, walking towards the monster. ¡°- I think I can deal with it myself.¡± He grabbed his sword and faced the monster. The monster¡¯s predatory instinct smelled him as prey. * * * B-rank monster. He shouldn¡¯t try to deal with it alone. In the test he did with Aegis, he got a result that was barely in the rank of C In the overhaul he received from Aegis, he was able to get a result that was barely in the rank of C, and he knew how big the difference between the ranks was. But why? He thought he could win somehow. It¡¯s been just a week since he¡¯s been to Russia, and he¡¯s been on quite a few sites. He has been able to absorb many ethers over the past week. It was a number that would have been impossible elsewhere, but thanks to Aegis, he was able to get that ether smoothly. In the meantime, having absorbed ethers, his physical abilities have improved remarkably, and his relatively insufficient battle experience has rapidly toppled. He could see for himself that he was quite different from when he first joined. Besides, the most challenging factor, which was the ability to block instincts, didn¡¯t work at all for him. Instead, it was the same as if the monster¡¯s abilities were lost. Of course, even so, it didn¡¯t change the fact that the monster is a B-rank. Moreover, in this situation, he did not know the apparent power of the opponent. If he thought rationally, it was silly to deal with an Ace Monster alone in this situation. But his instincts were telling him: He¡¯s food. Kring! The monster¡¯s black spear and Il-hyun¡¯s sword collided. Il-hyun raised his arms and blocked the sharp spear. Kagagak! Their weapons continued to collide with heavy force. He could see the furious eyes of the black monster. Monster eyes. What is it thinking inside, why is it attacking people, where is the monster from? After becoming an Awakener, he was always curious as he faced the monsters. However, even a large number of researchers did not find any answers to those same questions. But what he can tell for sure now was that the monster in front of him was staring straight at his face, and he could feel a real murderous drive in it. The tendency to kill people. Getting angry against how the monster looked at him, Il-hyun¡¯s hostility broke out. He stepped back, and in that instant, dozens of sharp thorns rose from the ground aimed at the monster. However, B-rank ace monsters could not be brought down by such techniques, and it simply jumped high to avoid the attack. Seeing that the attack missed, Il-hyun immediately reached out and changed their direction to follow the monster. The sharp thorns turned in an instant, quickly followed the monster. The monster swung its spear, smashing all the thorns that came near it. Il-hyun took the lighter out of his arms and flicked out a fire; then, he threw it up. The lighter thrown into the sky burst, and a huge, powerful flame appeared and engulfed the monster as it floated in the air. Wow! It was as if he used a flamethrower. Fire soared above him and lit up the surroundings. At that time, a spear flew in between the fireworks. Il-hyun was almost pierced in the head by the spear, but he was able to dodge it at the last second. It stuck to the ground behind him. The monster, slightly tanned and breathing heavily, landed on the ground and stared at him. Il-hyun did not hesitate. He rushed at the monster, who had no weapon anymore. But the monster did not run away. It, too, approached him. Yum! The spear that was stuck in the ground behind him suddenly flew back, brushing his sleeves, into the hands of the monster. The monster rushed at Il-hyun, holding the black spear once more. Whaack! Il-hyun was caught when the monster swung the spear! He flew through a building and got stuck against the wall. The defensive coat he was wearing was torn. ¡°Shhh!¡± Il-hyun spat as he felt something loose was in his mouth. His spit had his tooth with it, and was full of blood. The weapon flew again. This time, the spear that flew to Il-hyun¡¯s side smashed the pillars and walls of the building. Kugu-gu! The building began to collapse with a loud noise. Il-hyun tried to escape quickly but noticed that there were startled children right next to him, so he used the ground to create a large golem. The golem appeared as the floor slumped. It used both arms and body to block the collapsing building from falling atop the children. Il-hyun then summoned the wolf to evacuate the children. It was like fighting an Awakened and not a monster. It was different from the monsters he dealt with in the past. Wielding weapons with this level of expertise, it seems that this monster has high combat intelligence. Perhaps it even saw the children and intentionally targeted the building instead of aiming at Il-hyun. ¡°I don¡¯t like it anymore.¡± Il-hyun raised his sword. Chapter 27 - B Rank (2) B Rank (2) The monster leaped high, almost flying, and the huge Golem¡¯s fist turned to the monster. Wow! A single blow has crushed one arm of the Golem. Then the monster threw the spear again. This time, it was aimed at Il-hyun, at great speed. Bang! Il-hyun raised his sword at the right moment and blocked it. The spear crashed next to him. He stretched his hand to the spear on the ground and grabbed it firmly. He tried to steal the weapon, but it was no use. With its hand stretched out, the monster called back the spear. Il-hyun couldn¡¯t hold on it with his power. Boom! The spear flew and went back to the monster¡¯s waiting hand. The skin of Il-hyun¡¯s right hand was peeled off, and blood dripped down. It was painful. The monster that recovered the weapon jumped and smashed the Golem¡¯s head. The Golem lost its balance and tilted, and then the monster speared it down from the top. The spear broke through the Golem¡¯s side, and it collapsed to rubble. The sharp spear is now pointed at him again. Caen! Il-hyun wielded his sword, and when it crashed against the spear, the spear broke in half! The monster was astonished and froze on the spot. The monster was shocked. It was impossible for the spear to break with just that little power. However, Il-hyun laughed knowingly and, at that same moment, swung his sword against the monster¡¯s neck. When Il-hyun held the monster¡¯s spear earlier, he used his transformation ability to weaken the weapon¡¯s hardness. Quork! The monster caught the sword with its bare hands. The blade dug into the the monster¡¯s palms. Dark blood flowed from it. Il-hyun¡¯s put more strength to his sword. The monster knelt on the ground as it tried to endure the attack. Once again, Il-hyun¡¯s gazeandthe monster¡¯s met. In the heat of that stare, he felt his hatred intensify. ¡°Be quiet¡­ die!¡± Il-hyun exclaimed, and at the same time, a giant snake appeared behind the monster and swallowed it up! Qaw aah! A three-story building had been transformed into the huge snake, and as the snake writhed around, it struck other buildings, throwing vast amounts of dirt and debris. Il-hyun stepped back, and only after the dust subsided was he able to identify the torn monster¡¯s body. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Il-hyun exhaled loudly, filled with a sense of accomplishment. Meanwhile, Lee Soo-yeon jumped over the debris and approached. She looked down at the fallen monster and looked amazed. ¡°You caught it yourself¡­?¡± ¡°I got lucky.¡± Said Il-hyun. His words were full of pride. Monsters of rank B were stronger than he thought, and it was only possible to defeat it because his ability was not blocked. ¡°Anyway, I broke my tooth, can this be fixed?¡± Il-hyun said while touching the missing part of the molar with his index finger. He felt his nerves, and it was a bad feeling that stung. His beaten face was swollen slightly. ¡°What¡­ right. I¡¯ve broken mine a few times, and it grew up again in a day.¡± Nowadays, even if a few teeth went out, a few pills can make them grow again. It was not a big problem. The problem was that the drug price was a little high. Lee Soo-yeon still found it difficult to believe the situation. She walked around the monster¡¯s body and asked Il-hyun. ¡°How long has it been since the last time you were tested as an Awakener?¡± ¡°Well¡­ It would have been two weeks ago. Why are you asking now?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ Maybe you should try it again.¡± Lee Soo-yeon laughed as if the thought was absurd. * * * Aegis inspection laboratory was in the basement. A day has passed since the end of the operation in the Philippines. Beyond the glass window, Il-hyun looked at the machine that measured his body. It was the second Awakened testing procedure for Il-hyun, and he went through several items without awkwardness. Strength, wits, judgment, etc. From simple measurement to simulation using virtual reality, results were combined. Aegis produced more accurate results with fewer errors than other professional inspection stations and government inspections using its own developed equipment. Of course, it took a lot of time. After a few tests, he was given a break for a while, and Il-hyun lay down on a bench. The employee who was in charge of the inspection went out of the laborartory. Meanwhile, Lee Soo-yeon and Jung Jin-sung were waiting for a brief internal meeting. ¡°How is it going?¡± ¡°It¡¯s exhausting, but looking at these numbers, he seems to be in B rank. All aspects have improved dramatically since the first test. The exact thing will be known after the inspection is over.¡± The employee said, sticking his tongue out. In his words, Lee Soo-yeon smiled with satisfaction, and Jung Jin-sung burst into laughter. ¡°However, that fast? Doesn¡¯t he need more time to increase his rank?¡± It has been a short period, less than two weeks after joining the Aegis team. There were a lot of cases of Awakeners in other companies that couldn¡¯t match the level of monsters they faced during their first two weeks in their companies. It was hard to believe that Il-hyun grew up to surpass his class in just that period. ¡°I think it¡¯s because of his ability.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the predation ability you mentioned last time?¡± Lee Soo-yeon nodded at his question. ¡°I thought it was nothing. He¡¯s not the first one to have that kind of ability.¡± Jung Jin-sung shook his head and questioned her. Predation ability could be found in a lot of Awakeners. The bizarre ability to eat the flesh and intestines of the monsters was well known to the public. However, even if it¡¯s a famous ability, it was an ability in the D-rank, and the growth gained by eating monsters was not very large. There was also a side effect that gradually changed the Awakener¡¯s skin and appearance. From the standpoint of Jung Jin-sung, he found it inconvenient, and he would not want to have it even it could be given freely to him. He was more interested in summoning or transforming than predating. It was more powerful and effective to use both functions. In particular, the Summoning ability was rare enough to be seen. However, Lee Soo-yeon, who knew more about Il-hyun¡¯s ability, felt different. ¡°It¡¯s fundamentally different. It absorbs the core of the monster¡¯s ether. It affects the mental and psychological function of the Awakener.¡± ¡°Mental?¡± When he asked, Lee Soo-yeon explained to him what had happened in Ulsan. About Il-hyun¡¯s first mission in Aegis and the days when he showed her another aspect of predation. Then, Jung Jin-sung, who was listening to the story, got convinced. He nodded and began to go. ¡°Is it just that?¡± No matter if one entered the B-level, it shouldn¡¯t mean that one could defeat B-rank monsters anytime soon. Different monsters¡¯ abilities, patterns, and unexpected situations. Unlike in simulations, there were more variables that could affect the outcome of real-life battles with high-ranked monsters. An Awakener¡¯s experience will allow them to cope with multiple variables, and the difference in experience would determine winning or losing. But what if the predatory ability mentally bridged the difference in the experience? Even the monster¡¯s special ability of blocking was completely ignored, so it¡¯s possible. ¡°Then how could he have known how to use this ability?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the answer to that. He was just lucky, perhaps.¡± Lee Soo-yeon shook her shoulders and her head. It was the same with Jung Jin-sung, who has an A-rank ability. Only a higher level of ability could stop the monster¡¯s blocking ability. There must be an overwhelming difference between Il-hyun¡¯s ability and the B-ranked monster. ¡°Anyway, he¡¯s really growing at a fast pace.¡± ¡°I thought we had to wait a few months before he could contribute to the team. Wait, don¡¯t you think he can be ranked A soon?¡± Jung Jin-sung fluttered. In Aegis, when the rank of an Awakened person climbed to A rank, it was Jin-sung who took over the team member directly. ¡°Maybe¡­ I never thought he could catch a B rank mob alone.¡± Defeat the B-rank monster alone. It was something that Il-hyun did yesterday. There were dozens of confirmation calls to Aegis asking whether this record on the site was a typo. Not only outside, but also inside Aegis, the rookie has become quite a topic. However, it seemed Il-hyun himself could not feel the impact of what he¡¯d done. ¡°I wonder where the limits are.¡± Jung Jin-seong murmured. * * * ¡°B rank!¡± Il-hyun, who came out of the lab, clenched his fist while holding the test results. He actually achieved a grade that seemed impossible for him in the past. He expected to be around between B and C, but this was completely beyond his expectations. There was nothing more pleasant to the Awakener than getting promoted in rank, and Il-hyun walked vigorously. ¡°Oh, brother. What was the result?¡± When Il-hyun entered the basement gym room, Ghost was wiping off his sweat with a towel. The mask that was covering his face was thrown to the side. ¡°B rank!¡± Il-hyun smiled and opened the test paper, and Ghost¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s amazing! Would you like to drink?¡± ¡°I thought you were busy?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be dispatched in a few days anyway, well. I¡¯m probably going to stick around all day, so I¡¯ll spend my time with alcohol. It¡¯s perfect.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡± Due to the nature of Aegis¡¯s fast rotation, Team A was soon to be dispatched. It was difficult for team members to be far from each other because they immediately have to go out together whenever there was a surprise gate. Ghost suddenly stood up and made a suggestion. ¡°I must see how much your power has increased.¡± Chapter 28 Joint Operation (1) ¡°Sparring? Okay.¡± Il-hyun nodded without a thought at Ghost¡¯s proposal. This was not the first time he had sparred against him. In addition to practicing alone, he wanted to have hands-on experience, so whenever they had time, Ghost sparred with him. He flipped over the mask hanging on the chair and stepped out. The sparring room was not far from the training room. The inside of the sparring room was quite large and high, and it was made of reinforced material all over the place so that it would not break easily in the fight between the Awakened. Each of them wore a defensive coat hanging in the room. It was not the usual coat used in missions, but a special defensive coat made specifically for sparring. The coat has a feature of sending a signal when it reaches a certain amount of damage taken. ¡°Let¡¯s go according to the original rules. No magic, don¡¯t crush the wall, and blow the coat first to win,¡± Ghost said as he readied himself. ¡°Okay.¡± Il-hyun replied, and both sides pulled the sword at the same time. But before they started, the door suddenly opened. It was Seok Pil-jun. ¡°Is your inspection over?¡± he said. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s over¡±, Il-hyun replied comfortably. They have not spoken much to each other since Il-hyun joined, even during operations. Although they were not close, they were the same age, so Il-hyun decided to speak comfortably. Seok Pil-jun took the sword that Ghost had. ¡°Fight with me instead.¡± ¡°Well? What¡¯s going to happen here?¡± Ghost said as he handed over the sword. It was also true that he knew the relationship between them was not that good. ¡°Whether we like it or not, we have to work with him on the team. I need to know if I can trust him¡±, Seok Pil-jun answered bluntly. Ghost¡¯s eyes alternated between Il-hyun and Seok Pil-jun and stepped back. This fight will be interesting, he thought. As Seok Pil-jun put on the defensive coat, he asked Il-hyun: ¡°Is it okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good for me,¡± Ilhyun nodded. Upon hearing his answer, Seok Pil-jun pulled out the sword and readied himself. ¡°I heard it was a B-rank this time?¡± Il-hyun slowly stepped back and thought. Seok Pil-jun did not come here to the sparring room by accident. It was probably related to him getting a B-rank, a huge improvement from his last rank. He may really want to test Il-hyun¡¯s ability to make sure that he won¡¯t be a burden to the team. Or maybe, he didn¡¯t believe the rating and came in here to test him. Il-hyun was deep in thought as he raised the sword. But soon, all thoughts flew away. Caen! Two swords struck each other, and the intense sound reverberated in the large chamber. Il-hyun was surprised at the impact, and Ghost, who was watching from the side, reacted. ¡°Oh, shouldn¡¯t it be playful in the beginning?¡± The sparring teammates are not saying anything. They simply moved their bodies and extended the swords. Numerous attacks and defenses came and went. And once again, two swords collided strongly. Hard! The two faced each other tightly, with their heavy swords between them. ¡°Shhh!¡± When Il-hyun faced Ghost, he did not have to use this much power, but that effort would not work against Seok Pil-jun¡¯s sword. Seok Pil-jun¡¯s attack came down, and it was as if he¡¯s hitting a real enemy, not a teammate. Il-hyun put on strength and blocked the attack. However, Seok Pil-jun immediately narrowed the gap and continued to inflict bitter attacks upon him. Il-hyun retaliated after blocking each stroke, pushing himself hard. The predator¡¯s ability was gradually heating up his body, and concentration and reflexes appeared in a different dimension than usual. However, he was being pushed to the limit little by little by Seok Pil-jun¡¯s attacks. ¡®Oh, they¡¯re really going at it¡­¡¯ Ghost was amazed at the battle before him. Among the B-ranked Awakeners, Seok Pil-jun had the best swordsmanship. Il-hyun was blocking off his attacks and was even able to fight back. But what surprised Ghost the most was that Seok Pil-jun was really serious in this battle¡­ Seok Pil-jun noticed the difference in Il-hyun¡¯s strength and surprised that the progress took less than a month. He¡¯s going to be stronger than me, he thought. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Il-hyun said in frustration. He was driven to the end of the wall sometime during the fight. He couldn¡¯t use his abilities, and his opponent is going full-force on him, without cutting some slack. Il-hyun slightly lowered the sword, digging low. Seok Pil-jun immediately responded by rushing in. The door suddenly opened wide. ¡°Stop!¡± Both movements stopped at the same time. Lee Soo-yeon was looking at them with her arms crossed. ¡°We have to leave now; what are you doing? Come out quickly. Team B is already here.¡± Lee Soo-yeon closed the door immediately after speaking. A momentary silence filled the room, then both of them lowered their swords and took off their coats. The battle is over for now. Ghost swore at the interruption. Il-hyun reached out a handshake to Seok Pil-jun. However, Seok Pil-jun simply looked at his hand and turned silently to the door without taking it. Il-hyun stared at his hand hanging, ignored, and felt his anger rising. However, Seok Pil-jun said something just before he went out the door. ¡°Not bad.¡± * * * Lee Soo-yeon and Il-hyun were on opposite sides of an elevator as she briefed the team. There were five of them, fully dressed and equipped. The gate¡¯s rating is B0. Generally, the number after the gate rating starts at 5 at the lowest, going up to 1. Rarely was there a zero stage. The risk was not enough for the gate to be graded the next alphabet letter, but the risk is measured to be more than a 1-rating. According to analytics, the B0-rated gate is a wide-area gate, meaning they do not know where the monsters can come from as it covers a large area. It was not an urgent problem because the gate was not expected to activate soon, but once it opens, they expect a large number of monsters coming out, in an area that was almost enough to swallow half of the city. As a result, the entire small city remained in full control, and two Aegis teams were assigned. Team B¡­ Who were they? Il-hyun thought. The lift stopped. Upon arriving, they exited the building, and found Team B outside, waiting with two transport vehicles. Four Awakeners in black coats stood. ¡®Oh, right!¡¯ Il-hyun recognized them immediately upon seeing them. Aegis B Team Leader Cho Yun. He was an A-class Awakener and a regular option in the fan debates about who the strongest team leaders were. He gave a brief glance at Il-hyun. Il-hyun felt his cold look, with his unique, submerged eyes, and found it a little scary. The team leaders started talking. ¡°Where did the other two go?¡± ¡°I¡¯m out there because of something else. I will join you at the destination.¡± ¡°A British Gate this morning?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± They talked familiarly. Meanwhile, Il-hyun looked around at the other team members. Two men and one woman. They were all familiar faces, especially the woman standing in the middle. White skin, blonde short hair, exotic beauty. She is an Awakened American citizen, Sarah. Recognizing that he¡¯s looking at her, she approached Il-hyun. ¡°Nice to meet you. Kang Il-hyun, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that is correct. You are good at Korean.¡± ¡°Ahaha, of course. I have worked here for many years.¡± Sarah burst into laughter. Korea was not only an option but a must for her, as well as for talented foreign Awakeners. Most of the famous Awakening companies were in Korea. While he was talking to Sarah, an employee rushed out of the building and ran towards the team leaders. It was an employee of the Aegis Analysis Team, and he was breathing hard as he spoke. ¡°You have to go fast! On the field now!¡± ¡°We still have more than one hour of activation time, right?¡± Lee Soo-yeon was confused and glanced at her watch. ¡°Oh, unexpectedly, the gate is now activated!¡± The Awakeners sighed and started to move. Chapter 29 Joint Operation (2) In the Aegis A Team¡¯s exclusive transport, Il-hyun, Ghost, and Jeong Jin-Seong sat in their seats. Lee Soo-yeon was standing and reading information about the mission. The difference from the usual was that Team B¡¯s Sarah was sitting where Seok Pil-jun should be. ¡°The monsters that appeared in the B0 level are Creeps. There¡¯s a lot of them. Pay attention to their long arms,¡± Lee Soo-yeon said. Creeps are giant biped monsters. They have appeared hundreds of times in the B rank gates in the past 20 years. ¡°The Ace Monsters here are Craigs. It¡¯s a black, creepy-looking monster. If you get his by the toxic gas coming out of its back, your coats¡¯ purification function may find it difficult to endure. Don¡¯t be too confident about the new defense coat¡±, she continued. ¡°Haha, I will keep that in mind.¡± Ghost replied with a smile. Il-hyun looked awkwardly at her mischievous gaze. ¡°Monsters are appearing all over the city, but the evacuation has ended properly, and there have been no casualties. The buildings have to be completely replaced, though.¡± Unlike last time, there was time enough to evacuate the citizens, but of course, there was always room for unexpected situations. The location on the monitor reached the destination, and Lee Soo-yeon pressed the button. The door of the transport plane opened. Il-hyun stood up. He was surprised at what he saw when he looked out. ¡°That¡­ Is that how wide the gate is?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Il-hyun opened his mouth with his finger pointing down, and Lee Soo-yeon nodded. More than half of the city was entirely purple. Usually, gates had a shape, and monsters came out of them, but this time, the gate appeared as a purple mist covering the city, hiding a massive number of monsters within it. ¡°It¡¯s hard to land directly at from this high altitude, and the planes can¡¯t even land at all. Each one can jump to the designated descent point according to the monsters¡¯ location,¡± Lee Soo- yeon said. She gestured slightly, and a hologram of a three-dimensional map appeared in front of the team. Each descent¡¯s location was specified in the three-dimensional map. ¡°Aha, so I¡¯ll go here,¡± Sarah said as she looked at the map. However, she did not have the ability to fall from a distance as high as this. To get down from the transport plane, she needs help from a team member. Conversely, Seok Pil-jun, who has the ability to leap in the air at any time, was riding on the next plane to drop with a teammate from Team B. ¡°Yes, you and Il-hyun will go down first and go straight to the second point. Have you checked the location? Now, get ready to go.¡± At Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s words, Sarah stood and headed for the entrance. The transport was almost at the jump point for Il-hyun and Sarah. However, Il-hyun, who was already standing at the door, had not yet fully grasped the situation. He understood that they had to get off at the same spot, but he was not sure how Sarah would go down. Of course, there was no time to be asking for it now. Now, they had to jump. ¡°Wait, where¡¯s your parachute?¡± Il-hyun asked her. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°It¡¯s our jump-off! Go fast!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± While he hesitated, the plane was passing over their falling point on the GPS. To Il-hyun¡¯s surprise, Sarah hugged him, and together, they jumped out of the transport. ¡°Aw!¡± The wind struck his face, and they were falling in a free fall. In the midst of such an insane situation, he focused his mind. The air passing by at an enormous speed was captured and transformed into a hawk beneath them. Il-hyun, shook his surprise off as he rode the back of the hawk with Sarah. ¡°You should have told me before we jumped!¡± ¡°But we almost passed the descent point.¡± The hawk flew at an angle and reduced its altitude. Il-hyun sighed. He was not planning on jumping unprepared. It seemed like suicide when they jumped without a parachute. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s amazing.¡± Sarah was stroking the back of the hawk. The hawk¡¯s translucent body was shining as it went down at a fast speed. ¡°I know the Ghost, but how will the team leaders come down? They don¡¯t have abilities for jumping off a plane,¡± Il-hyun said. Sarah laughed at his words. ¡°Yeah? Haha, they don¡¯t care if they don¡¯t have abilities like yours. It doesn¡¯t matter to them.¡± While Il-hyun was confused, he saw two more people jumping out of the transport. It was Lee Soo-yeon Lee and Jeong Jin-sung. Il-hyun was surprised and looked at them with his eyes wide open. Even if the plane was lowered to the maximum altitude where it could not be attacked by the monsters below, it was not high enough to allow humans to land without abilities or parachutes. Suddenly, Quaang! The two landed with an explosion. The road cracked deeply with a loud noise, and debris bounced everywhere. Seemingly oblivious to the cracked road they left behind, Lee Soo-yeon and Jeong Jin-sung casually stood up and pulled their swords immediately. ¡°Monsters¡­¡± Il-hyun muttered with a laugh. By this time, though, it was hard to tell if he was talking about the team leaders, or the monsters approaching them. While Il-hyun looked down and admired, the poison flowed from their right. It was Craig¡¯s thick poison that shot up to the sky in a straight line. ¡°Stop!¡± The hawk quickly turned, but one wing was covered in poison and melted completely. Il-hyun canceled the broken form and summoned another hawk. This time, the hawk summoned skillfully reached the ground safely. Il-hyun and Sarah landed gently on the road between the buildings. Near the marked descent, there was a group of dozens of monsters, their first target. The surrounding buildings were completely smashed. Creeps surrounded them, monsters with unusually long arms and holes all over their bodies. Il-hyun and Sarah turned their backs against each other and calmly pulled out their swords. ¡°You took care of our landing, so I¡¯ll take care of this,¡± Sarah turned to him and said. Then, she pulled out a pistol with her left hand. ¡®Pistol?¡¯ Il-hyun stared at it strangely. He has not seen an Awakener use a firearm. Sarah, unfazed, aimed her pistol at the monsters and drew the trigger. Taang! Bullets were stuck in the monsters¡¯ bodies. It was successful in breaking through the Creeps¡¯ hard skin, but they continued to approach, seemingly undamaged. Creeps continued to narrow the distance at an even pace. Il-hyun was not sure if they are wounded by the bullets. Tangtang! She did not care about it and continued to shoot. Then, ¡®That¡¯s it!¡¯ Sarah flicked her finger. Suddenly, there was a massive roar of explosions, and the monsters were blown up on all sides. KEEK! The screams of the monsters and the terrible smoke filled the streets. ¡®Crazy, what is it?¡¯ Sarah¡¯s B-rank ability: [Explosion]. Il-hyun, who just knew her, was surprised. Smoke from the explosion diminished, and the bodies of creeping creeps piled up on the street. They thought the monsters were all dead in the powerful explosion, but one was left standing. A Craig that¡¯s mixed in between the monsters. Its black body was larger than that of the Creeps. Sarah threw her sword at it. It struck the Craig deep into its chest as it flew at a speed that was hard to react to. The Craig stopped momentarily at the pain, but it was a small wound compared to its size. It only rushed in more angrily. Quaang! Sarah flicked her hand again, and an explosion emerged from the exact area where the sword was stuck in. There was a huge hole in the area around the Craig¡¯s chest, and it stumbled and lost power while running. At the same time, Sarah quickly ran forward and raised her right hand. Kiing! Her sword flew back to her hands. The sword was still intact even after the explosion. Then, she jumped at the monster, swinging her sword at its neck. Kyap! The Craig¡¯s head flew off as its body fell, lifeless. Chapter 30 - Joint Operation (3) Joint Operation (3) ¨C Monster horde building up in the H3 sector. Jeong Jin-sung informed Lee Soo-yeon through the communication device. She glanced at the GPS device on her wrist to check the location. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take it,¡± she responded. The GPS shows the location of all the Aegis team members on the site, as well as real-time information from the analysis team about monsters. The map showed the precise location of monsters captured via satellites, with the expected paths indicated by arrows. Lee Soo-yeon changed the channel of the communication device and spoke with the members of Team A. The two teams are communicating through three different channels, in order to lessen confusion. ¡°Jin-sung¡¯s group is heading in the opposite direction. Ghost, go down to the R2 area,¡± she instructed. ¨C Yes, I¡¯m going right away She looked at the red dot on the map, which represented Ghost¡¯s location. The dot quickly moved down. It was a situation where they could not predict where the monsters will appear. The size of some of the groups forming was also too large, at over a thousand units. In this case, they have to be patient. The paths and locations of the monsters are continuously generated, and the routes and battle areas have to be carefully calculated. The priority is that the monsters are kept within the city. They have to attack at optimum areas, and skillfully defeat the monsters. Lee Soo-yeon leaped and alighted upon the top of a 4-meter-high brick fence. Suddenly, hundreds of monsters turned to look at her. They were all over the buildings and roads. It was like a scene from hell, with no hope for the future. She quickly glanced around. I can see ten Craigs from here. The gate occurrence is not over yet, but there have faced over 70 ace monsters already. It was a gate with a B0 rank. Threung! Lee Soo-yeon pulled out her sword, and black energy infused her right arm. Soon, the energy covered even the sword, and she came flying towards the monsters. Against such a powerful attack, the monsters¡¯ ratings and their numbers didn¡¯t matter. Every monster that was within her sword¡¯s range dissolved the instant they came in contact with her. In one attack, more than thirty monsters, including both Creeps and Craigs fell to the ground, most with the upper half of their bodies gone. Upon seeing her power, the Creeps started to run away. Her whole body is covered with rising black energy. She started to chase the fleeing monsters, then stopped abruptly. Someone is here, she thought. A man is on the roof of the building across from her. He jumped down at the monsters running away from Lee Soo-yeon, and the moment he hit the ground ¨C Saaaaak! Shadows popped out from the ground and swallowed up the monsters. Hundreds of forked shadows extending like thorns penetrated every Creep¡¯s body and engulfed it. The Creeps¡¯ bodies shook violently as if it were being smashed in all directions before they fell to the ground lifelessly. The man walked casually towards Lee Soo-yeon as bodies of monsters piled up behind him. Lee Su-yeon folded her arms as he approached. ¡°I could have taken care of it. Why did you come?¡± she asked. The man turned to look at the dead bodies before returning her gaze. ¡°It borders my sector,¡± the man shrugged. The man is Cho Yoon, Aegis Team B leader. He overwhelmed the monsters with his abilities: A-Sharp [Shadow] and D-Sharp [Sharp]. Cho Yoon slowly pushed his sword into a nearby corpse¡¯s head. It writhed upon being penetrated. The more Cho Yoon pushed the sword, the less the body writhed until it finally stopped. ¡°I have been wondering about you,¡± he asked, still looking at the corpse. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Kang Il-hyun, whom you brought in a while ago¡­¡± ¡°Aha, what about him?¡± Lee Soo-yeon laughed a little. Cho Yoon looked at her eyes directly before speaking. ¡°Weren¡¯t you opposed to bringing rookies to the company before?¡± he asked. Which is better, patiently training a prospect, or getting a powerful but inexperienced rookie to immediately join the team? It wasn¡¯t a controversial issue elsewhere, but within Aegis, opinions were divided, and the majority are bent towards training prospects. All of Aegis¡¯s jobs were linked to enormous wealth and the lives of thousands of people. If they fail an operation, or if someone died on the job, they are irreplaceable. There are no other companies with as much power as them. So, for an Aegis member, failure is unacceptable, and they always had to be the best in the world. So, instead of scouting and cultivating prospects, why would anyone bring an inexperienced rookie who could bring the team to its downfall? The recruitment of team members was entirely at the hands of the team leader. In the past, there was a case of a Team C leader who brought in two rookies, and it was a huge controversy within Aegis. However, the team leader was successful as he led them to be as strong as any Aegis member. This resulted into further division of opinion among team leaders as to how they would recruit. Among the opposition was Lee Soo-yeon¡­ until she saw Kang Il-hyun, with unknown potential. ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s right. But I changed my mind,¡± Lee Soo-yeon replied as if it was not that important. ¡°Is that all you¡¯re going to say?¡± Cho Yoon asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Cho Yun looked at her with a strange expression, then started to walk away while checking his GPS. ¡°Anyway,¡± he added as he left. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take care of weaklings, so make sure you handle it.¡± ¡°Ha, you don¡¯t have to worry about it,¡± she replied. * * * Keeeeeek! BANG! An explosion flared up with red flames, and the Craig fell. Its body was burnt black all over, and there were also several sword wounds on it. ¡°Huh!¡± Il-hyun signed with relief and exhaustion. The B-ranked monster was also strong and quite tough. ¡°What ¨C did I just catch my sixth B-ranked monster today?¡± The monsters kept appearing. It was hard to keep his stamina even if Il-hyun followed the route of monsters with only moderate size and ability. Still, aside from getting his defense coat damaged from the monsters¡¯ poison attacks, he was able to get through six B-ranked monsters without injury. A bird covered in burning flames flew to Il-hyun as he stood proudly. It was a Phoenix. He wanted to summon it ever since, but he only succeeded in calling it out recently. At first, I thought I would name it Jujak, but it was redundant. ¡°Well done!¡± he told it as it perched on his left arm. Its wings, when spread out, is almost the same length as an average person¡¯s height. Each of its feathers was sparkling as if it had been carved out of jewelry. Il-hyun spoke to his communicator. ¡°G4 area, done.¡± -OK, I¡¯ll give you the next coordinates right away. He heard Jeong Jin-sung¡¯s voice; then, he quickly received the next location. Il-hyun was surprised. ¡°What? So soon?¡± This seems endless. He paused for a moment to catch his breath. Suddenly, he saw a man. The man moved awkwardly as he got out of a half-smashed building. I thought all civilians had been evacuated¡­ wait, he isn¡¯t an ordinary citizen if he¡¯s wearing a defense coat It looks like the man wasn¡¯t even Korean. Il-hyun shouted at the man who seems suspicious. ¡°Who are you?¡± The man¡¯s looked shocked upon hearing Il-hyun and swore with a strange pronunciation. Then, his whole body became transparent in an instant. Reacting quickly, Il-hyun used his Transformation ability to wind a vine around the man. The vine only caught air. ¡®Crazy, he¡¯s gone?!¡¯ Il-hyun looked around, panicking. It was hard enough to fight an invisible opponent, and harder still because Il-hyun was exhausted. In a physical battle, the stronger one always wins. However, in a battle between Awakeners, their kind of abilities is the main variable. Even a lower-ranked Awakener can defeat a higher-ranked one if his ability can neutralize the other¡¯s. ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t know if anyone would be willing to attack an Aegis team member fearlessly, but if the opponent intends to hurt him in his current state, he is in danger. Il-hyun hurriedly used his Summoning ability. The ground and rocks around him were transformed, and the golems and wolves appeared. The summons alertly looked around and protected him. Il-hyun noticed something strange. The summons were all staring at one place. Their heads turned in synch as if following a moving object. ¡°What¡­ can you see him?¡± he asked. The summons nodded all at once. At the question of Ilhyun, the summoners nodded all at once. Il-hyun quickly reached out in the direction, and the Phoenix on his arms flew straight into it at a terrifying speed. It swung both claws mightily and ¨C Paak! There was a loud noise, and the invisible man reappeared and crashed to the ground. ¡°Well, that¡¯s embarrassing,¡± Il-hyun laughed with relief, as he looked at the man, who is now unconscious. Chapter 31 - Joint Operation (4) Joint Operation (4) ¡°Is he a Scavenger?¡± Il-hyun murmured and looked down at the fallen man. The man had a long beard and messy long hair. He had a black tattoo around his neck. When Il-hyun took off the man¡¯s defense coat, his eyes caught tattoos covering both of the man¡¯s arms. ¡°I heard that there are a lot of thieves overseas¡­ Awakeners scavenging, huh.¡± Even if the man could go invisible, it is always difficult to go to a site unnoticed. ¡°But, I did it, too¡­¡± Ilhyun recalled and laughed. He was also a Scavenger not too long ago, so he is not one to judge. Perhaps, this man also had a good reason to do this. Everyone had their own circumstances. A single B-ranked core sold on the black market can earn someone enough money for a lifetime, and there are a lot of B-ranked monsters here. Anyway, the man collapsed in just a single attack by the Phoenix. He¡¯s not that strong. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to tie you up. I need to take care of urgent things first,¡± Il-hyun told the unconscious man. Monsters are still coming out in hordes, and there was no time to evacuate the man. The location Jeong Jin-sung sent him for his next assignment is blinking significantly on his GPS. Il-hyun pulled metal bars from the wreckage of the building nearby and transformed them into a sturdy rope. The man is an Awakener, and he could not take any chances. He tied him up tightly and pinned him to a wall. Meanwhile, the man still showed no signs of waking up. Il-hyun then made a wall to completely cover the man, in case monsters, came here. The unconscious and tied up man wouldn¡¯t be able to defend himself. Once he was done, he climbed onto the wolf¡¯s back and quickly leaped over the ruined buildings and roads, with the Phoenix flying above his head. ¡°Found you!¡± Il-hyun only took moments to arrive at the location. There are about twenty Creeps and a Craig. Il-hyun jumped off as the wolf immediately took on the Craig, while the Phoenix flew to the direction of the Creeps. Bang! The Creeps didn¡¯t even have time to react as the Phoenix struck them. Behind them, there was a huge battle between the large wolf and the Craig. While the wolf has the Craig¡¯s attention, it was time for Il-hyun to take care of the rest. ¡°From above and below!¡± he yelled as he slammed his hand on the ground, and suddenly, over twenty giant worms popped out. The worms appeared to have heavy armor throughout the body and started to entangle the Creeps, while the Phoenix was diving in and out, hitting them. The worms had huge mouths filled with spikes and started biting the Creeps with it. Il-hyun jumped in to finish the Creeps off with his AT sword easily. There was blood all around him, in the middle of the city. Il-hyun gasped and wiped the sweat flowing over his forehead. It took more power to use that ability. I think I¡¯ve used up too much energy. Aside from facing and defeating six other B-ranked monsters one-by-one, he also had to use his ability against the unidentified man. Suddenly, he heard a crash. Kwajik! He quickly turned to look and saw that the wolf had been thrown against the building. Soon, the wolf¡¯s figure collapsed, and the connection with Il-hyun was lost. Still, it was successful in buying him time against a B-rank monster while he cleared out the Creeps. The Craig turned its back on him, ready to attack with its black poison. It sprayed over his direction, dissolving some of the worms. Just before it hit him, the Phoenix flew in and spread its wings to protect him. Wow! As the red flames and black poison collided, thick black smoke rose. Soon, the Craig ran out of poison, and Il-hyun was still standing safely behind the Phoenix. However, the Phoenix has lost its brilliance. It turned to an ashen color and slowly fell to the ground, its burning body fading to embers. But ¨C Shhh! From the embers, the Phoenix burst out again, and with more intense flame this time! It showed off its gem-like feathers as it spread its wings even wider than before. Each of Il-hyun¡¯s summons had the qualities of the original, not only in appearance but also in abilities. It was based on how Il-hyun imagined them. Of course, the Phoenix¡¯s ability was a powerful one ¨C immortality. It will not die. It will keep being reborn from its ashes, even stronger than before. The only way to defeat it is to incapacitate its summoner, Il-hyun. The Phoenix spun once in the air and charged at the Craig. Kuung! The Craig¡¯s body exploded in flames! The Phoenix escaped the explosion and soared to the sky. Meanwhile, Il-hyun used his Transformation ability. Dozens of thorns formed and stabbed Craig from all directions, even from the bottom of his feet. The Craig lost its balance as one of its feet was wounded severely, then the Phoenix dived in on its head as it fell. Quaang! Once again, there was a violent explosion and flame, and the shock brought the Craig to its knees. Wow! The Craig spat while it knelt. It took a lot of damage, but it was still not enough to knock it down. The remaining worms crawled over it and clung all over its body, biting it with their huge mouths. The Craig¡¯s blood was spurting from its wounds, but it was still able to catch a worm and crush it powerfully. Even if Il-hyun has already used a great deal of ability, the B-rank ace monster wasn¡¯t easy to shut down. Il-hyun had to make his finishing move now. The soaring Phoenix dived in once more, and the Craig¡¯s arms rose to defend itself, while worms still hung from its bleeding body. Quaang! The Phoenix¡¯s flame bounced off the monster¡¯s huge arms. However, the Craig didn¡¯t see what was coming. Il-hyun was wielding his sword at the back of the translucent hawk. He summoned the hawk quickly and jumped on its back in one swift motion. ¡°Now!¡± He managed to give a mighty swing while keeping his balance on the hawk¡¯s back With a cracking sound, two-thirds of the Craig¡¯s neck was chopped off. Keeeek! The head slowly rolled off to the side, and the huge, headless Craig remained kneeling for a few moments, before crashing to the ground with a thud. ¡°Hoo!¡± Il-hyun quickly turned off the worms. The worms disintegrated into asphalt and cement from which their bodies are formed. They have been using up a lot of mana because of their size and numbers. Il-hyun exhaled heavily as he looked down at his blood-stained AT sword. It was made of ether core and dealt devastating damage. Suddenly, Il-hyun felt something approaching, and he turned around quickly. -Be careful; there are¡­ Even before Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s voice speaking over the communicator finished, there was a large explosion. Wajangchan! The mall building next to Il-hyun came crashing, and from the dust and smoke, Il-hyun saw figures emerging. Il-hyun stepped back. ¡°What ¨C three of them?¡± he said, surprised. He had grown rapidly over the past and is now able to defeat B-ranked monsters, but three at the same time¡­ In his current fatigued condition¡­ It does not look good for him. The three Craigs screamed ferociously as they saw Il-hyun. Il-hyun quickly tried to summon the hawk to escape; however, he heard Ghost over the communicator. ¨C Hyung, the spears are flying over there. Don¡¯t get hit. ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡±, he responded, confused. Qawah! Suddenly, a huge spear loudly came flying in and penetrated a Craig¡¯s head. The Craig¡¯s head was cracked open, and it crashed to the ground. The two other Craigs looked dumbfounded and struggled to look around, trying to find out where the spear came from. Not even Il-hyun knew. Kwah! Bang! Spears continued flying in with tremendous power, and the two other Craigs were sorted out in an instant. One had been hit in the head twice. Il-hyun approached the corpses curiously and picked up one of the spears. These spears are so huge that they could almost be siege weapons. Moreover, they are treated with high-ranked ether core. These are definitely too costly. If anyone had enough money to purchase these, it was surely Aegis. Chapter 32 - Joint Operation (5) Joint Operation (5) From a long distance, hidden behind several buildings beyond Il-hyun¡¯s view, a man and two women stood at a rooftop in the middle of the city. One of the men, about 197 cm tall with a muscular body, spoke. ¡°I¡¯m at the designated backup area, the targets were brought down safely He was Lee Jeong-hyeop. With his size, he looked like a monster compared to the slim women standing by his side. They were surrounded by huge spears. -We¡¯re almost done here, more than half the monsters are gone. One of the women, Sarah, grumbled. ¡°If not for the team leader, I wouldn¡¯t have put the spear in your hand.¡± Lee Jeong-hyeop and Sarah struggled as usual. They were both members of Team B, but Lee Jeong-hyeop was quite rough in appearance and attitude. Sarah¡¯s personality was as strong as his, and they usually end up clashing. Cho Yoon heard them over the communicator. -Don¡¯t make useless sounds on the communicator during the operation. -Yep. Lee Jeong-hyeop turned his head and looked at the other woman standing next to him. She had long, straight hair and was also clad in a black coat. She quietly closed her eyes, held it for a few moments, then opened them carefully. ¡°What do you think?¡± Lee Jeong-hyeop asked her. ¡°I got them. We have two more Craigs at 34 degrees,¡± she responded. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right near where I threw it? ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Let me have the details,¡± he said. The woman nodded and closed her eyes as he grabbed her hand. The moments their hands touched, the exact coordinates flowed into his head. ¡°Good,¡± Lee Jeong-hyeop remarked as he pulled out one of the numerous spears. He extended one leg, like throwing a baseball, and swung his arm mightily. Bang! The spear flew exactly in the direction the woman showed him. It flew quickly through two buildings blocking the target. Then, it pierced the head of a running monster. Kyap! The B-ranked ace monster fell with one powerful attack. Another spear was flying in. The other Craig has barely recovered from witnessing his colleague¡¯s death, and couldn¡¯t react in time to avoid it. Instead, it raised its arms to block it. It was the wrong choice. Bang! The spears went through the Craig¡¯s arms and pierced through its skull easily. ¡°Targets down,¡± the woman spoke, opening her eyes. Her name is Joo Hye-Jin. She had [Detection], the ability to locate the existence of enemies even without seeing them directly. It was a skill that sounded useful in many ways, but in reality, it was not looked high upon by other Awakeners. In fact, she was only given an E rank by the performance tester. The reason was simple. The ability was useless on its own. An Awakener with this ability alone requires a partner. Compared to other abilities, Detection ability holders were pretty high in number, but among them, only a few can be useful. Only a handful of people appeared to be awakened enough to grasp locations within a ten-meter radius, and even that range is considered high-level. There were many uses for Detection abilities, such as anti-terrorism and tracking missing monsters. Because of that, governments around the world try hard to recruit people with high-level Detection. But Joo Hye-jin from Aegis stands out. Her range can cover an entire city. The speed and accuracy of her Detection were also unmatched. Aegis¡¯ Joo Hye-jin is a rare Awakener. Companies and governments around the world tried to recruit her, but the fact that she¡¯s still with Aegis says a lot about how much other groups can offer. No one could match Aegis. ¡°There are more monsters¡­¡± she murmured. ¡°Are they Creeps? Probably not worth it. I don¡¯t know if we have enough spears,¡± Lee Jeong-hyeop muttered as he glanced over their weapons. Normally, they only carry a few, but it was different this time because it was a B0-ranked gate. ¡°By the way,¡± he continued. ¡°There was an Awakener near the targets earlier? If it was a team leader, the monsters would have already been gone before we threw the spears. Is it Team A¡¯s Ghost?¡± ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s a different energy. Maybe it is the new Team A member. Kang Il-hyun, if I remember correctly?¡± ¡°Ah, the rookie everyone was talking about,¡± Lee Jeong-hyeop said quietly as he picked up a spear. ¡°What¡¯s your impression?¡± he continued, curious. ¡°Do you feel anything special?¡± The news about team leader Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s decision caused a lot of interest to him. ¡°Well¡­¡± she said in her quiet voice. ¡°He only awakened three months ago, but he¡¯s already on Team A, so he must be fairly strong. I don¡¯t know otherwise. I can¡¯t feel anything special.¡± Lee Jeong-hyeop looked at her eyes. If the rookie had something extraordinary, it should have been caught by Joo Hye-jin. Because she didn¡¯t catch anything, he must not be something worth the attention. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± he sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s get to work.¡± * * * Thud! The black Craig crashed helplessly after being slashed by the AT sword. ¡°Finally! That was hard,¡± Il-hyun, who killed the Craig, breathlessly sat down on the ground. How many have I faced today? He was covered in sweat. Ghost fell beside him, also panting with exhaustion. ¡°It was really hard today, arghh,¡± Ghost complained as he stretched his legs. ¡°But at least, it¡¯s all over now,¡± Il-hyun said with a smile. The monster that lies before them was the last. The other corpses on the site are being sorted and processed. Ghost placed a cigarette on his mouth. However, the moment he lifted his lighter, a pebble flew exactly at his cigarette, then there was a little explosion. The cigarette end was lighted. ¡°Ai, you shocked me!¡± he cried out. ¡°Is it all over?¡± Sarah smiled as she approached them. She was walking leisurely. ¡°You almost killed me!¡± Ghost yelled at her. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re overreacting!¡± she yelled back. Suddenly, a voice came through their communicators. -The situation is over. Everyone, gather at my location right now. It was Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s voice. It seemed that she contacted the entire channel as it came through Sarah¡¯s communicator as well. The three looked at each other for a moment and hurriedly moved. They arrived at Lee Soo-yeon, a short distance away. It seemed they were the first to arrive, and no other team members were visible. Lee Soo-yeon, who noticed Il-hyun, pointed at the man he caught. ¡°This is him, right?¡± ¡°Ah yes. Yes,¡± Il-hyun replied as he recognized the man. The scavenger was still held and bound tightly. He reported the incident to Lee Soo-yeon before he went to his designated location. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, as Lee Soo-yeon looked serious. ¡°When I heard your report, I thought it was a simple scavenger¡­ the situation is worse than I thought.¡± As Lee Soo-yeon replied, she held out her palm. There was an unidentifiable object that could barely fill her small hand. She explained to the group in a grave voice. ¡°This guy brought this disturbance device.¡± Chapter 33 The Question (1) ¡°So¡­ Is it because of this?¡± Jeong Jin-seong¡¯s voice quivered as he looked at the object. The disturbance device is a black, square-shaped device, with a red light flickering at its center. It¡¯s an instrument that could deliberately interfere or distort satellite or telemetry signals if placed near the gate. Lee Jeong-hyeop approached. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I saw anything like that¡±, he murmured after looking closely. More than half of the people gathered around didn¡¯t even know that Analytical Disturbance devices exist. Gate operation disruptors such as these are strictly prohibited worldwide. Deliberately distorting the signals is considered a terror attack, as it brings danger not only to the Awakeners but also to the citizens around the area. Even unauthorized access to gates is already considered a serious crime; bringing a device such as this guarantees a long prison sentence. The man Il-hyun caught looked around with anxious eyes. High-ranking Awakeners surrounded him. Just by looking at their faces, their strength and power were obvious, even if he didn¡¯t know all of them. Even if he had ten lives, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. Lee Soo-yeon looked down at him. ¡°Everyone is here now; you need to tell us who you are,¡± she commanded. The man naturally did not understand Korean. A simultaneous interpreter was placed on the man¡¯s ear. ¡°Tell me what group you¡¯re with and what your purpose is here. Do you realize what you were caught doing? You cannot escape.¡± His crime was not simply scavenging or trespassing. It was probably the cause of all the analytical errors that occurred in the B0 gate incident. This was serious terrorism. The man replied with hesitation. ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t talk. Just hand me over to the police.¡± Lee Soo-yeon grabbed the man¡¯s ear and pulled it. ¡°Oh, can¡¯t you understand what I said? We were in danger because of you, do you think we¡¯ll just hand you over to the police?¡± The man trembled with fear because of her threatening attitude. ¡°All the people have gathered, and now I need to tell him who I am.¡± Lee Soo-yeon said, looking down at the man. The man naturally did not understand Korean, and she put a simultaneous interpreter in one ear of the man. ¡°Tell me where you belong and what your purpose is here. Do you know what you were caught doing? You shouldn¡¯t be thinking about moving on. This work was different from Scavenger or trespassing. It was also highly likely that it was related to all the analytical errors that had occurred so far in the event of serious terrorism. It wasn¡¯t hard to get over with a smile. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t speak. Just hand it over to the police.¡± The man replied with hesitation. ¡°Oh, can¡¯t you understand the words? We weren¡¯t the only ones who got hit by you, but you think you¡¯re going over there if you hand it over to the police?¡± Lee Soo-yeon grabbed the man¡¯s ear and pulled it. The man trembled with a frightened face because of her threatening attitude. However, he can never tell them what he knew. He shook his head, vigorously. ¡°No! I really can¡¯t say¡­¡± Cho Yoon stepped forward. As he did, shadows began to rise from behind the man. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is going to work. Let go¡­¡± The shadows suddenly started to strangle the man. The man was also an Awakener and was stronger than the general public, but he was feeling faint at the strength of the shadows¡¯ grip. Choking sounds and pained moans filled the air. ¡°What are you doing? We cleaned up your mess last time. Stop it!¡± Lee Soo-yeon turned angrily at Cho Yoon. Cho Yoon showed no sign of retreating at all. ¡°Again, that was an accident. It shouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± Less than a year ago, Cho Yoon interrogated two felony criminals he had captured in the field of operations. He got the information he wanted, but one of the criminals died, and the other was in critical condition by the time the interrogation was done. No matter how huge the crime is, murdering a captured criminal is a serious crime in itself. However, in this world where gates endlessly opened, the government knew that Cho Yoon was irreplaceable. The incident was covered up; the media was silenced, and Cho Yoon got away with a warning and a fine for the ¡°accident¡±. ¡°Stop it!¡± Lee Soo-yeon was losing patience. She stepped in front of Cho Yoon. Nevertheless, he stood still and stared back at her eyes directly. What an intense situation! Jeong Jin-seong suddenly stepped in and cut the shadows with his sword. The shadows were cut cleanly and fell off the man. The man was barely breathing; he rolled on the ground while coughing terribly. ¡°You can¡¯t solve it by fighting,¡± Jeong Jin-seong told the two team leaders as he put his sword back. Cho Yoon smirked. ¡°So¡­ what are you going to do now, then?¡± he said bluntly. Ghost butted in. ¡°Isn¡¯t it all solved if we have Team Leader Yun? Team D is in Seoul right now.¡± Jeong Jin-seong nodded. ¡°Yes, that will fix this.¡± It was no use to keep quiet if they have Team D¡¯s team leader with them. The man who has recovered started to struggle violently. ¡°No! I¡¯ll never speak! If I say a word-¡° Suddenly, the man¡¯s face distorted as if it was being crushed! Quaaang! His skull exploded! The moment that the red energy of the bomb was about to burst out and injure the group, the world turned gray. Rather, a wide bubble covered the group, and everything inside was turned to gray. Everything within that bubble stopped moving. The man¡¯s head shattering and the skull fragments flying ¨C it was stopped where it was, floating in the air. ¡°Ah, to think that I would have to resort to this¡­¡± Jeong Jin-seong murmured, as his arms remained outstretched. He was the only one who could speak. Everyone else was frozen in spot. It was because of Jeong Jin-seong¡¯s rank A ability, [Stop]. It is a monster-like ability to stop anything ¨C monsters, people, even space. No matter how strong a monster or an Awakener was, they would not be able to move within the ability¡¯s range. Of course, there were weaknesses to this ability. He can¡¯t move while using this ability. This is why Team A had two team leaders. His [Stop] ability, partnered with Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s attack ¨C nothing could withstand them. Also, he can¡¯t select a singular target while he used this. Everything within that area would stop. It also uses a lot of power. This is why he rarely used this ability in battle. ¡°I¡¯m getting tired¡­ I have to limit the range,¡± he said. He used his ability in a quick reaction and didn¡¯t have a chance to control the range. He was planning to limit the area to just contain the explosion, and let the other team members move freely. However, he was surprised at what he saw. His eyes widened. Two mice jumped to Il-hyun. Il-hyun usually made mice search for citizens hiding within site. Jeong Jin-seong wasn¡¯t surprised because he was afraid of mice. It was because the mice were moving inside the bubble. Squeak! Chapter 34 - The Question (2) The Question (2) The gray space within the bubble regained color little-by-little. Its space went smaller, only stopping at where the man¡¯s head was almost blown off. The explosion is still contained. The Aegis team members jumped back as soon as they were able to move, astounded by the frozen explosion. ¡°Crazy!¡± Jeong Jin-seong had stopped the explosion before any of them could react. He was holding it up with one arm outstretched. ¡°I got it,¡± Jeong Jin-seong said, as he held out one arm outstretched. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lee Soo-yeon anxiously asked him. It was difficult to gauge the power of the red energy that was about to explode. ¡°Am I okay? What do you think?¡± he replied with a smile. The explosion was stopped in time ¨C it couldn¡¯t even scratch his body. His defense coat would also be able to take the impact. ¡°Well? When did you guys arrive?¡± Il-hyun wondered aloud, as he saw the summoned mice squeaking. The mice quickly climbed up his shoulders. He felt a bit embarrassed that he didn¡¯t even feel them approaching despite them being his summons. They were like ghosts. ¡°Okay, everyone, pull out!¡± Jeong Jin-seong announced. ¡°Get away!¡± The team members began to run and escape the explosion¡¯s range. ¡°How disgusting,¡± Lee Soo-yeon shook her head as she ran. She was thinking about the half-blown off head. ¡°Did they plant bombs in their member¡¯s heads?¡± Seok Pil-jun, running beside her, asked. ¡°No. We would have felt it if they had an ether bomb, even if it¡¯s a small one. The explosion was probably from that man¡¯s ability. It is at least B-rank.¡± She stopped running. By her approximation, they were already beyond the explosion¡¯s range. ¡°If they had enough B-ranked people to send,¡± Seok Pil-jun continued as he stopped beside her, ¡°it could be a very large organization.¡± ¡°Right,¡± she nodded. To have a high-ranked awakener to join illegal acts, it¡¯s highly likely that this is the work of an international crime organization. The problem is that she had no idea who had a good motive to do this. Even IRC, the largest international crime organization, has steered clear from Aegis and the Korean government. IRC had nothing to gain from going against the most powerful company and the most powerful government with regard to the number of Awakeners. Who could have the motive to disrupt a gate¡¯s signal knowing that Aegis is handling the situation? It was ridiculous. Waging war against the most powerful was like wasting away their manpower and the money they have invested over the years. Ghost, who was listening to their conversation, joined in. ¡°Is it a terrorist group then?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± she trailed off, thinking. Terrorist groups have long been eradicated around the world. During the time of the Great Awakening, the international community took a united front against terrorists and removed their roots completely. After that, if any budding groups were seen, they were thoroughly removed. There was also no terrorist group that had such a force to do this. ¡°Well,¡± she continued, ¡°it would be impossible for them to reappear¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, they decided to touch us, so we need to look into this matter seriously. We can¡¯t just stand still.¡± Ghost grumbled. It wasn¡¯t the first time that Aegis had encountered errors with analysis. Some teams even had long-term injuries because of this. ¡°Of course, we should,¡± Lee Soo-yeon answered. ¡°We got the disturbance device, so ¨C¡° Quaaang! A violent explosion erupted! The team members were shocked; some even had to roll down. Debris flew all over, and the ground shook. The scale of the explosion was beyond what they have expected. ¡°Oh, shit!¡± Lee Soo-yeon jumped up and ran towards the source of the explosion. Jeong Jin-seong, she thought. ¡°This is not a B-rank level at all!¡± She yelled as they ran. From afar, they saw Jeong Jin-seong stumbling around a building. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± he yelled back. He wasn¡¯t. He flew from the explosion and crashed against a building; blood flowed freely from his head. His defensive coat was completely destroyed, and his right arm suffered a noticeable burn. Jeong Jin-seong looked down at his arm. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really¡­ it¡¯s just a little stingy¡­¡± Lee Soo-yeon frowned as she reached him, then turned back to the team members behind her. ¡°Everyone, get on the plane now!¡± * * * The staff was busy. ¡°When the results come out, send them to the analysis team immediately. Let¡¯s go straight to internal crackdown to avoid useless rumors.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Everyone at the Aegis headquarters worked with a sense of urgency. Analysis errors caused by a disturbance device; one of Aegis¡¯ top team leaders was injured ¨C it was a difficult story to accept. Internal personnel was being mobilized to find out who did this and why. Lee Soo-yeon was in a furious mood as she walked around. Stories broke out about the new and unknown hostile force. Other Aegis teams were also on high alert after hearing the news. In the hospital room of Aegis headquarters, Jeong Jin-seong was lying in bed. He opened his drowsy eyes when he heard a knock. After a few seconds, someone came into his room. It was Ryu Jin-tae, the head of Aegis, one of the four S-class Awakeners in the world. ¡°How are you,¡± he asked. In the past, when gates first opened, he was one of the legendary figures who saved the world. Now, he¡¯s in his late thirties and had shallow wrinkles. ¡°What¡­ I think I¡¯m okay,¡± Jeong Jin-seong yawned as he said it. He didn¡¯t think seriously about his injury. Injuries during operations are not unusual for Awakeners. It was his first injury as an A-class Awakener, though, but he didn¡¯t want to worry too much about a little burn. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look that way at all,¡± Ryu Jin-tae remarked. ¡°Haha, did all the test results come out?¡± ¡°Your right arm needs at least six months to recover properly,¡± Ryu Jin-tae said, looking down at his arm. ¡°Six months? I¡¯m thinking two weeks,¡± Jeong Jin-seong said with a smile. ¡°I wish so. For the time being, you need to rest. I¡¯ll handle things in the meantime.¡± ¡°Okay. It¡¯s a short vacation, then,¡± he quietly looked out the window. ¡°Do you have any suspects?¡± Ryu Jin-tae hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡°Hmm, I didn¡¯t even anticipate that power¡­ By the way¡­¡± Jeong Jin-seong turned to look back at Ryu Jin-tae, before continuing. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± Chapter 35 - The Question (3) The Question (3) Beep beep! Numerous patterns and information appeared continuously on the monitor. Illegal organizations¡¯ names, scale, area of ??activity, disposition, and all other data flashed constantly. Suddenly, the screen focused on a photo and zoomed in. It was a photo of the man Il-hyun caught. The neck tattoo identified on the screen matched perfectly. Shin Jae-ha, the vice-captain of the analysis team, pointed to the screen and discussed it. He was wearing neat eyeglasses and had a prominently ugly face. ¡°Del Lohas, a cartel located in northern Mexico. About 350 members. They are mainly devoted to drug distribution, but after a while, they expanded to doing business with gates to increase their income. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lee Soo-yeon, sitting across from him, knocked on the desk in front of her. They were alone in a small conference room. ¡°Ah, they are still there?¡± she remarked. The cartels in Central and South America remained notorious even after the changes around the world due to the occurrence of gates. These cartels are deeply involved in the politics and economy of countries with corrupt policies and poor security. ¡°How high is their level of Awakeners?¡± Lee Soo-yeon asked. ¡°It¡¯s not very high. The guy you caught had a decent ability, but his fighting ability was amateur.¡± This caused Lee Soo-yeon to slap her chair loudly. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying it¡¯s a small group, and with low-level Awakeners. How then did they have a disturbance device of that scale?¡± The disturbance device was not something that could be easily produced. It required a fairly high level of technical skills, and it was difficult to obtain the raw materials required to make it because they are strictly watched in every country. Even for large organizations, it was impossible to procure a single device. What more for a group with only 350 people? ¡°Any other information?¡± Shin Jae-ha shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s all we have so far. You¡¯ll have to figure out more by yourself. With what happened, and your personality, I know you¡¯ll be going directly to their headquarters.¡± He knew that Jeong Jin-seong was seriously injured. Lee Soo-yeon nodded. As long as they knew the identity of the guys and their home base, it would be easy to disable them entirely. She was already sending a signal to the other team members. They will fly to South America and destroy the Del Lohas. ¡°What about the other clues, has the disturbance device been analyzed yet?¡± ¡°What? Of course, it¡¯s still being analyzed. I had to find out the identity of the culprit all night, I dropped everything and focused on it, and now¡­¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Thank you.¡± Lee Soo-yeon suddenly grabbed his hand and shook as she noticed he began to nag. ¡°Please inform us as soon as possible.¡± Shin Jae-ha stared at her and continued muttering. ¡°Of course, we have to be fast. This device has caused us big trouble.¡± Suddenly, the door opened, and someone came in. The two stood up, reflexively upon seeing who it was. ¡°CEO?¡± President Ryu Jin-tae stood at the doorway. ¡°Can you leave us alone?¡± He asked Shin Jae-ha. ¡°Ah yes. Okay.¡± With a little bow, Shin Jae-ha left the room quickly. Then, Ryu Jin-tae turned to Lee Soo-yeon. ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Sorry? I don¡¯t have to what?¡± ¡°Another team will handle the Mexican mission.¡± Lee Soo-yeon did not expect this. It was Jeong Jin-seong who was injured ¨C of course, it should be their team who would go out there. Ryu Jin-tae simply smiled nicely as he pulled out the chair opposite her. ¡°Can you tell me why?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯re a powerful team, but a battle against Awakeners is full of variables. We have a combat team to handle it. I don¡¯t need to top monster team to go.¡± Aegis had a special team with abilities to subdue other Awakeners, not monsters. It was the team that was usually sent to deal with international crime organizations. But Lee Soo-yeon doubted his words. ¡°Please tell me the real reason, not just those reasons.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the real reason. We¡¯re facing an enemy that is different from all others.¡± She remembered the explosion that popped out of the man¡¯s head. It was an absolutely dangerous ability. With that trap, it would not be strange if someone died or gets seriously injured facing them. Lee Soo-yeon is still not convinced. ¡°Me and Ghost can deal with it. It¡¯s impossible for that explosion to be planted on several people. Unless the one who did it is an S-rank Awakener.¡± She was strong enough to endure the explosion, while Ghost could ignore the explosion altogether. Ryu Jin-tae continued smiling. ¡°I believe you¡­ but I don¡¯t want to take risks right now with your team, especially with Kang Il-hyun, who¡­¡± Lee Soo-yeon was shocked to hear Il-hyun¡¯s name out of Ryu Jin-tae¡¯s mouth. ¡°¡­?¡± As Ryu Jin-tae continued to tell her the story about Kang Il-hyun, she could not hide her surprise. * * * The team members of Team A, without their team leaders, were gathered around three helicopters. Il-hyun wanted to check up on Jeong Jin-seong, but he heard that the team leader had been moved somewhere. He thought about the way Jin-seong stared at him all the way back to the headquarters earlier. It was a look of extreme curiosity. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because he¡¯s injured, or if he had gotten insane, he thought. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked aloud. ¡°The schedule was suddenly cancelled?¡± He heard they were going to smash a cartel, but suddenly, they received a message that it was cancelled when they arrived at the helicopters. The mission was assigned to another team, and now they are on hold. Seok Pil-jun rebelled at the news. ¡°How did it get cancelled? The captain won¡¯t turn the mission over to anyone else.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Ghost muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Il-hyun motioned to Ghost. He was planning to look for Lee Soo-yeon to find out why it was passed to a different team. As the two went walking in the hallway, however, they heard an employee call them. ¡°Mr. Kang Il-hyun, Mr. Ghost! You¡¯re needed by the research team!¡± Ghost sighed, then looked at Il-hyun. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not going. Go first.¡± ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Chapter 36 - Choice and Investment Choice and Investment ¡°Why are they looking for us?¡± ¡°If I go there, they¡¯ll make me do something strange again,¡± Ghost replied. ¡°Just tell them you haven¡¯t seen me today.¡± Ghost gave him a high-five and disappeared, leaving Il-hyun scratching his head. Il-hyun took the elevator on the left building and went down to the basement where the research facilities were located. Inside the spacious facility, hundreds of researchers were busy working, and all kinds of high-tech equipment and computers were lined up. It was too wide and complex that he had to stop a passing employee and ask for directions. ¡°Sorry, I heard you were looking for me?¡± he said. The employee recognized him immediately. ¡°Oh, yeah. The boss is over there,¡± the employee pointed. Il-hyun followed the direction the employee pointed him to and found a familiar face. It was Choi Eun-chae, head of research at Aegis. She wore a white gown and was accompanied by four other researchers. ¡°Oh!¡± Choi Eun-chae greeted the approaching Il-hyun. ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± The other researchers who were reporting to her left the room. Choi Eun-chae and Il-hyun greeted each other in a friendly manner. They have met a few times at Aegis after their first impressive meeting. When Il-hyun asked why she called for him, she smiled confidently. ¡°I have some good news.¡± ¡°Good news¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah! Well¡­ But where is the Ghost?¡± ¡°He can¡¯t come¡­ he¡¯s sick.¡± Il-hyun quickly made a rough excuse. However, Cho Eun-chae saw through it at once. What is this fool thinking he could deceive her? ¡°Hyung, tell him that if he doesn¡¯t come until tomorrow, I¡¯ll blow an EMP shot in his face.¡± Il-hyun burst into laughter. ¡°Anyway,¡± Choi Eun-chae continued as she walked ahead, Il-hyun following close behind. ¡°Let¡¯s get to it.¡± The two walked a little distance, into a large, curtained area. Among the many complex installations and items in the research lab, he found a dazzling object that looked very familiar to him. At first glance, it looked like a tall, thin glass rod emitting white light and shining brightly. Il-hyun immediately recognized what it is. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Core fragments.¡± A fragment of ether core that Il-hyun handed over every once in a while when the research time asked him. The elongated rod was made of core debris, and the core inside it was shining brightly. ¡°In the past, it was a fact that the core was an object that could not be physically broken. That changed when you appeared. Seriously, I don¡¯t know how you made it possible, but anyway, these broken core fragments lose a lot of their internal holding power and become easily deformed¡­ but the external power¡­ would you like to try it with your sword?¡± Il-hyun nodded at Cho Eun-chae¡¯s words, but he hesitated a little bit. ¡°Would it break?¡± ¡°Try it.¡± Il-hyun pulled his sword and raised it high before bringing it down heavily. Caen! ¡°What?!¡± The mighty swing didn¡¯t even scratch the slender rod. His sword, which could easily slice through tough monster skin, did not work. Rather, it was Il-hyun¡¯s hand that shook from the impact. Cho Eun-chae looked proud. ¡°Amazing, isn¡¯t it? The more ether it contained, the harder the reaction is. It has excellent shock absorption, and its strength is superior than any other material ever found.¡± ¡°This¡­ that¡¯s great!¡± Il-hyun admired it sincerely. It was a huge discovery. Honestly, when he took it to the research team for the first time, he thought it had no practical value. They were just fragments, after all. However, the team found a practical use for it. In such a short time, too. After all, he couldn¡¯t expect less from the best research team in the industry. Choi Eun-chae continued speaking. ¡°But there is still a long way to go. The fragments are unstable; they cannot hold ether as before. If you store core in it for a while, the rod will soon explode. It¡¯s like pouring water into a broken jar,¡± she explained calmly. It was a great looking discovery, but there were still many problems. The full-form core can contain a large amount of ether, but a container made of broken pieces could not. ¡°Even if we just keep the ether in this, the ether soon becomes unstable and creates a reaction that breaks the rod from the inside. We need to solve this problem.¡± While she was talking, the rod suddenly shattered and ether poured on the floor. Sharp fragments splattered everywhere as the rod exploded for seemingly no reason. ¡°Ugh! It broke again!¡± Choi Eun-chae frowned as she pulled small pieces of glass out of her clothes. ¡°As you¡¯ve seen, we¡¯re still far from our desired result. But if we can stabilize the container and the ether¡­ I¡¯ll get another Nobel Prize next year.¡± Il-hyun laughed. ¡°You deserve it!¡± ¡°If you think so,¡± she replied casually. Il-hyun found her confidence amazing. ¡°Anyway,¡± she continued, ¡°because it¡¯s still unstable, I need a lot of core fragments to continue my research.¡± Il-hyun now understood why she called for him. He liked the sound of where the conversation was going. It sounded like a win-win situation for both of them. Choi Eun-chae took a big box from one corner. Despite the box¡¯s size and appearance, it seemed not too heavy. The metal box was placed on the table and was immediately opened. ¡°Oh my gosh¡­¡± Il-hyun remarked at the beautiful sight in front of him. The box was full of square objects that shined brightly with white light. A huge amount of ether core was before his eyes. ¡°President Ryu Jin-tae increased the budget for this project. I did try hard to persuade him, but even I didn¡¯t expect that it would be this much.¡± Choi Eun-chae said, staring at Il-hyun with a smile on her face. ¡°The core rating is not high ¨C all rank E,¡± she continued. ¡°The goal is to achieve stabilization, so it does not make sense to use high-ranked cores immediately.¡± ¡°You want me to eat all this¡­ no, you need me to break the containers, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t want to do it?¡± she teased. ¡°No! No!¡± Il-hyun immediately shook his head. His mouth was watering. Choi Eun-chae turned around to find another object as Il-hyun stared at the core inside the box. Suddenly ¨C She placed another box on the table! ¡°Here¡¯s one more!¡± she announced happily. ¡°No way!¡± Il-hyun was astonished. Jiiing! To make matters worse, Il-hyun received a text message on his phone right at that instant. The core settlement of the last B0 gate was over, and he is being asked to take his share of the core. ¡°Uh¡­ Why are you not eating yet?¡± Choi Eun-chae asked him. For the first time, Il-hyun worried about overeating. * * * Ryu Jin-tae and Lee Soo-yeon faced each other in the conference room. He placed papers on the desk between them. She picked it up and started reading, her eyes widening at each word. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I had him investigated. I know you and Jin-seong are his team leaders, but in a situation like his, I had to get involved¡­¡± The papers were filled with information about incidents involving Kang Il-hyun. He stared at Lee Soo-yeon. ¡°It¡¯s completely accurate. We spoke with witnesses, and such, there are no signs of fabrication.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ this is great¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy, but we have a problem,¡± Ryu Jin-tae scratched his head. ¡°He can invalidate an Ace Monster¡¯s ability¡¯ his summons completely ignored Jin-seong¡¯s [Stop] ability; he single-handedly caught the foreign man in the site, one whose rating is still unknown¡­ Maybe Il-hyun¡¯s abilities are far beyond what we thought possible.¡± There was silence in the conference room after Ryu Jin-tae¡¯s words. Then, he asked her. ¡°Do you think we can trust him?¡± Lee Soo-yeon thought deeply for a moment. Really, Il-hyun¡¯s tremendous abilities are beginning to surpass common sense. Is it appropriate to keep a monster growing? Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°I believe him.¡± Ryu Jin-tae leaned back in his chair and spoke calmly. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s not worry about it anymore.¡± ¡°First of all,¡± he continued, ¡°please change the terms of his contract and increase his percentage of core settlement. Since he had a predatory instinct, it¡¯s proper to give him more. At the company level, we¡¯ll begin setting aside core for research purposes. Team A will be driven hard. You will have to get more cores. Understood?¡± ¡°I do not know. The other team members will complain.¡± ¡°Haha, that can¡¯t be helped.¡± Ryu Jin-tae laughed as he stood. Lee Soo-yeon stood up with him. ¡°We will make him stronger. I hope your eyes are right.¡± Chapter 37 - Before the Storm (1) Before the Storm (1) Individual practice gym, Aegis base. There is a state-of-the-art virtual training machine capable of assuming a preferred location and conduct a mock light battle. It stood in the middle of the spacious interior of the gym. It was a facility that most companies would only dream of. It¡¯s hard to believe that it¡¯s only for a single Aegis awakener¡¯s use. Il-hyun was inside the facility doing a simple exercise. He was standing up and down continuously, trying to calm his stomach. Ether was flowing inside his body. It was from the numerous cores he consumed inside the research area. Even they are relatively low-power E-rank cores; he had consumed numerous amounts. It did not end there. He had to get and also consume the ether from the last Gate B0 operation. The core that was paid to him from the operation was a lot more than what he usually gets. Hundreds of E-rank cores and several B-ranked ones filled his body, and he felt bloated. ¡°Oh, it would be a big deal if you overeat with ether,¡± he murmured. He didn¡¯t feel any abnormality in his body, but the feeling of being bloated while he exercised was not good. There seems to be a limit to what his body could accept. ¡®There¡¯s a huge chunk of energy in my body¡­¡¯ It was the highest amount of ether he had consumed so far, so he expected this. Shortly thereafter, all the ethers circulating in the body were absorbed and digested. ¡°Hmm.¡± Il-hyun looked down and opened his right palm. He felt stronger than before. After reaching the B-rank at a rapid pace, his growth somewhat felt slower and duller. It was difficult to get the same feeling that he had when he first absorbed ether, but this time, he felt it again. He felt the intense feeling of growth again. Now is the time to test his abilities. Quaddeuk! When Il-hyun gestured lightly, the floor rose. The concrete floor transformed into tree roots and danced around. Il-hyun felt satisfied as he looked at it. He did it with less power than before, but the result looked more refined and stronger. He then proceeded to summon continuously. He summoned on a whim. He made bears with ferocious roars, huge carnivorous plants, small animals like rabbits. There was one thing in common ¨C all the features of his summons are now more delicate that they cannot be distinguished from the real thing. It was a far cry from the time he made crooked mice. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can start making humans¡­¡± he thought out loud. Then he reached out into the air. The empty air in front of him twisted, then a green light burst out. A little fairy appeared! It was so small in size that it couldn¡¯t fill his palm, and it floated gracefully with two delicate wings on its back. ¡°What?!¡± Il-hyun exclaimed, surprised. He had never summoned humanoid forms in the past. He had been trying, but it was the first time he was actually successful. He simply stretched his arm without any expectation at all that he surprised himself when it worked. Kiying Kiying. The fairy whirled around one side with a strange sound. Il-hyun was speechless, then he looked at the fairy closer and muttered to himself. ¡°I don¡¯t think it has special abilities¡­¡± He was happy he succeeded in summoning a humanoid, but it didn¡¯t seem to have any special power or strong physical strength. It was hard to expect a lot from such a small size. ¡°But it¡¯s just my first time¡­¡± He had summoned a humanoid for the first time, and it was not yet in perfect form. The fairy was shimmering in front of his eyes, but it just had a vague shape of a fairy, with no clear details, unlike his other summons. ¡°I should practice this for a while.¡± Il-hyun thought about the possibilities. Humanoid summons would be most effective in fighting against monsters. He could send them out in a longer range than other summons if he can make communication possible. In addition, he could make them carry AT swords. Il-hyun checked the time. He wasn¡¯t at the Aegis base to train. He can¡¯t keep doing this for now. Il-hyun dismissed the summons, cleaned up the room, and brought the core fragments to the lab. Choi Eun-chae received the fragments with a smile. ¡°Thank you. If you need anything, just ask right away.¡± The researchers felt good, having secured a large number of fragments that could not be obtained anywhere else. After coming out of the research area, Il-hyun encountered Ghost in the hallway. ¡°Where were you doing?¡± he asked him. ¡°Oh, I was just killing time because our schedule was canceled anyway.¡± The two climbed together and headed upstairs. ¡°What does the research team say?¡± Ghost asked. ¡°I won¡¯t say. You have to come to yourself.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Il-hyun laughed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing special. They just asked for help with some strange experiments.¡± At that time, they suddenly came across Seok Pil-jun, who was quickly walking out with a feverish look. Il-hyun turned to Ghost. ¡°What was he wearing?¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s wearing the Raven coat.¡± ¡°Raven?¡± Il-hyun didn¡¯t know the meaning of the English word. Ghost explained to him slowly. Team Raven. It was Aegis¡¯ only interpersonal team. Team Raven faces criminals and international organizations rather than hunt monsters and get cores. When Seok Pil-jun entered Aegis, he belonged to Team Raven and worked with them for the first three years. It was a team with a strong independent character, but it had little activity. He was brought in by Jeong Jin-seong to Team A. Il-hyun still felt upset. ¡°Our team leader got hurt and needs to be confined. I thought we were going to get revenge, but it was quickly assigned to a different team¡­¡± Ghost felt the same. ¡°I was thinking of removing those criminals from the face of the earth.¡± Suddenly, Lee Soo-yeon appeared and put her hands on their shoulders. Ghost and Il-hyun jumped with surprise and turned around. Lee Soo-yeon smiled. ¡°If that¡¯s your decision, what can I do? We¡¯re going to dispatch as planned. We¡¯re going to Mexico at 1:00 tomorrow. Go home and pack your luggage.¡± * * * The base of Cartel Del Lohas was located in the middle of a city in northern Mexico. It was disguised as a different business, but it was not enough to prevent Aegis from pursuing it. ¡°Ueup!¡± A member of the organization, who was a lookout at the rooftop of the building, choked. He collapsed, his neck was broken. The intruder, who appeared silently, caught the man¡¯s powerless body and lay it on his back gently. Then, one by one, the other guards fell without a sound. Two men and a woman stood in front of a locked door. It was the entrance of the basement. All were wearing a protective coat. ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re all here together?¡± the woman spoke through the communicator on her left ear. -Yes, I¡¯m sure. Just a few hours ago, they heard that the boss of Del Lohas brought together the whole organization inside the base, possibly planning an attack. It was the best opportunity to get them all at once rather than running around catching scattered members of the organization. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The woman wearing a black baseball cap pulled the entire door out of its hinges with one hand! The team quickly entered. After a short stair leading downstairs, they faced another locked door, which was instantly smashed to pieces with a powerful kick. Bang! ¡°What the¡­¡± The Awakeners stopped and lost their words at the sight before them. The information was definitely right. More than one hundred and fifty members were gathered here. But all that remained were their dead bodies. No one was alive. Chapter 38 - Before the Storm (2) Before the Storm (2) ¡°What happened?¡± One of the team members scratched his head at the scene, the smell of blood overwhelming him. The underground had traces of violent gunfights and lifeless bodies. Blood splattered all over the floor and walls. It made the place look like hell. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this to happen¡­¡± muttered the man with a thick voice as he stood in front of a bloody desk. The dead boss sitting there had a dagger stuck deep into his neck. All but the terminals are dead, he thought inwardly. Most of the members who got killed in the scene had a position in the organization. The executives and their aides, as well as the middle managers, knew something is now dead. When the remaining suspects were caught and questioned, they didn¡¯t give away any valuable information. ¡°For them to do it in a place like this¡ª¡± he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. He tried to roll his head around it, but nothing came to mind. No matter how big the criminals were, it was crazy to have quietly done this act against a cooperative organization. There were too many strange things that happened. This kind of gunfight took place while the people outside didn¡¯t know of internal strife happening inside. ¡°I should use my ability once,¡± said the woman who¡¯s wearing the hat. She kneeled and touched the floor with one hand. Then, as she closed her eyes and concentrated her mind, the surrounding scenery they¡¯re at shimmered. She returned to the scene. Shushu-! As if rewinding a tape, she saw numerous scenes passing by at high speed. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± She opened her eyes. The dead bodies disappeared, and the members of the fallen group were still alive. They talked to each other in foreign languages. She couldn¡¯t understand what they¡¯re saying, but it was in an intense tone as if they¡¯re arguing. The woman shakes her hand to translate their language into Korean. ¡°So, you told me not to touch it? It wasn¡¯t anything I couldn¡¯t handle.¡± ¡°There is no time to argue! The Aegis has been tracking us!¡± They were obviously in a confusing situation. She started laughing as she watched them. She thought that you had to play with your opponent in the beginning, and you couldn¡¯t understand what you were doing. While they¡¯re arguing, the boss remained silent on his seat. But the moment he tried to open his mouth, a person in front of him pulled a knife. Fook! The man stabbed his dagger into the boss¡¯s neck. His eyes were out of focus¡ªlike someone was manipulating him. The entire scene was horrible to watch. Del Lohas¡¯ boss died on the spot. Blood gushed out of his neck, and it poured all over the floor. ¡°What did you do?!¡± ¡°Get that bastard!¡± Everyone rushed toward the assassin, who appeared out of nowhere. But their eyes began losing focus like the assassin¡¯s when he killed their boss. It didn¡¯t take too long for the entire place to become hell. Everyone in the basement unexpectedly began fighting each other. Goseong turned into the City of Madness. Terrible screams and loud gunshots filled the room, and it violently hurt her ears. The woman frowned as she watched the people slaughter each other. When everyone died, the last person alive pointed the gun at his chin. Then, he pulled the trigger. Bang! The first sight of the scene they saw returned. The woman looked further into the past to look for more clues, but she didn¡¯t find relevant information anymore. There was a time limit for her to go back to the past. Every time she used this ability, she consumes a lot of power. ¡°It has something to do with their minds, and it¡¯s powerful. I didn¡¯t even find the caste,¡± she told the teammate standing next to her when she returned to the present. ¡°That¡¯s better. If you use that ability of yours, you can trace the caster.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not possible. All traces of the caster have been erased.¡± Another team member shook his head. Before, she can easily track the traces of the Awakeners when she used this ability. This time, it didn¡¯t work at all. Every track got cleared. Not even small traces were left. ¡°Are we completely done here?¡± The woman who took off the hat whipped her head, and laughed. * * * ¡°Haaaam.¡± Lee Suyeon yawned beside Ghost. The outline of her mouth¡¯s still wide open. ¡°What did you do last night? ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a difficult question. Can I tell you later?¡± ¡°No¡­ were done.¡± Lee Suyeon turned her head away from Ghost. Shortly after departure, the city began to appear overhead. They were now on their way to Spain to dispatch the European region. Awakens belonging to Aegis were free to enter and exit any country¡¯s airspace at any time. Entry and exit permit them from passing without any particular process. They don¡¯t need a runway, and they don¡¯t need to enter the airport. However, they have entered Barajas International Airport. There¡¯s also a schedule for the team when coming through the airport. When the plane came down and landed smoothly, Ilhyun already carried his bag. But there were a few other burdens. I have heard that there is no need to bring any of your items, and in fact, the other team members looked almost as if they hadn¡¯t bought their clothes, he thought. The team members got off the plane after him. Ten people waited for them. ¡°I am honored to meet you. You can come this way.¡± A man in a suit that spoke in formal Korean lead them away. Upon entering the airport, they quickly passed through the relevant passage without going through any entry procedures. It was Ilhyun¡¯s first time at a foreign airport. He roamed his gaze around, a curious look on his face. There wasn¡¯t enough time to look at the whole place. Illhyun had never been to a foreign country due to the problematic international travel procedures after the gate. They headed over the automatic door, and they heard a mumbling sound. Wow! Ilhyun frowned at the sudden introduction of the flash. At the same time, guards from the Spanish government lined up, and beyond that, a huge crowd came to see them. Some were holding large, welcome banners, while others were cheering and taking pictures of them. He only recently had adapted to the ways in Korea, but he¡¯s not yet used to foreign people coming at them and doing such things. After leaving the crowd, he had a brief press conference and interview in front of numerous cameras and reporters. Ilhyun, who hadn¡¯t thought much about it because it was a one-week light dispatch, had a hard time keeping up. He said that teams of Aegis dispatches them to different continents, and he¡¯s always interested in which country to go to next. Due to the rapid development of aviation technology, even within a continent, the difference was usually a few minutes. Still, in an urgent situation, many minutes would be spent on traveling. Thanks to public demand, the government had the dispatch team bring Aegis in perfect condition. Reporters bombarded them with questions they only have limited time. They¡¯re quite interested why Sung-Jin Jeong didn¡¯t appear. It was an expected question since he¡¯s one of the two highly-recognized team leaders within Aegis. They responded smoothly by saying that Sung-Jin Jeong couldn¡¯t come because of his other duties. However, there was another person in whom the reporters were interested. It was Kang Ilhyun. Killing several B-ranked monsters alone, Ilhyun¡¯s introduced these days to the world as the hottest rookie. Many reporters bombarded him with questions that he had to stay longer than his two other team members, except for Lee Suyeon. ¡°Are you that popular?¡± Ghost jogged toward Ilhyun, who barely escaped some of the offensive questions of the reporters. ¡°Are they always like this?¡± ¡°Well, yes. It¡¯s a weekend, so I think it¡¯s more than usual¡­¡± ¡°Hello?¡± Suddenly, the woman who came across the street greeted them. She wore a coat, had short brown hair, and slightly sagging eyes. Ilhyun stared at her face. He had seen her face before, but he couldn¡¯t remember where. The woman looked directly at him. ¡°Have you forgotten about me?¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Ilhyun had his mouth opened when he realized who she was. It wasn¡¯t long before he broke from his trance. It was Soyeon Yeon, a reporter he encountered before by chance. Chapter 39 - Before the Storm (3) Before the Storm (3) ¡°Yes. I remember you.¡± Ilhyun smiled and greeted her, not sure if he would see her again. They met at a time when he was struggling to get the core without proper equipment. It was nice to see someone he met at that time. ¡°Right? You said we would definitely see each other¡­In less than a month, I heard about the Aegis. I¡¯m really surprised to see you here.¡± ¡°Oh. A reporter is here. Do you know her?¡± Ghost, who¡¯s already had a close relationship with Park So-Yeon, looked at them with interest. ¡°I saw it once when I awakened. When the monster was released from downtown Seoul, it was one hell of a surprise.¡± ¡°You know each other?¡± Ilhyun suddenly asked this time. Ghost and Park So-Yeon nodded at the same time. Il-hyun¡¯s head was filling in with question marks. There was no reason why an Aegis¡¯s awakener had a very close relationship with the reporter, but Ghost knew her. Also, other awakeners recognized her the day before. A famous reporter with a well-known name could convince him, but he wasn¡¯t familiar with her¡¯s. Ilhyun had searched for her name after his strange encounter with Park Se-Yeon at that time. If you¡¯re a famous journalist, someone will know right away if they went through the Internet. But there was no information about her. It was just about the releases of the articles or videos she wrote. Besides, there were many blind treatments. ¡°Sometimes I go to the scene. Are you here again for it?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not, and I came to Spain for personal reasons. But since the Aegis A team is coming to Madrid, I¡¯ve come to see if what I saw was really right. I couldn¡¯t believe you had already caught a Class B monster.¡± ¡°He caught it a little faster than everyone else.¡± He was amazed at the beginning of the conversation. He was amazed at the beginning of the conversation. ¡°Wait, did you go to work together? With the reporter?¡± Il-hyun shook his head like he had heard something wrong. No matter how hard a reporter wants to die, it doesn¡¯t make sense for the Aegis to get inside a B-ranked field. Whatever the preparation, it was still suicide. And besides, an Aegis couldn¡¯t bring just anyone to the scene. ¡°She¡¯s not an ordinary journalist.¡± ¡°Well, it sounds a little weird to say that?¡± Ghost began to explain to Il-hyun about his identity. Park So-yeon is an awakener once. She was also a talented player who topped first in the C rankings. Aegis¡¯s workforce is just a monster, but she¡¯s a high-level veteran who¡¯s recognized worldwide. In general, there was no reason to be a reporter. May it be for money or fame. Nevertheless, the reason she worked as a journalist was simple. Some tragedies broke both the dying and public victims around the world. She saw all of it¡ªshe saw it underneath her nose. But such a fact was not known to the world. She had an intense hostility toward the media, especially the press that distorted the facts and the country that dominated her. One day, she found her wake-up call. She quit being an awakener to get to the scene and start reporting. She was able to get into the scene without any problems. Other ordinary journalists would have come close and died a dozen times. She tried to capture the world¡¯s terrible realities on camera and make the world see the impossible. Because of this, the government almost got blacklisted, but it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°You can look around and see. No one warns about the door. People die on the other side while joking. Victims only realize that something is wrong when they see the monster in front of their eyes. In addition, the death of awakening is covered, focused only on high profits and popularity. It¡¯s really ridiculous,¡± Park So-yeon said. In a situation where the media is controlled, and the public knows little, she was very popular among awakenings. The number of awakened people who sympathized with her will was also vast. Even today, even in the peril of people risking their lives and rescuing them, doors tend to be considered a means of making money for those who are awake. In foreign countries, there was an exclusive and hostile view of awakening. Where public security is weak, people who are awake often fall into criminal organizations. The good news about the people who are awake is blocked, and the news is getting worse. Naturally, discrimination and conflict have increased. Of course, those who have awoken from the top up didn¡¯t dare touch, but most of the other awakened people had a different story. They were also within the scope of the law, and the majority were non-awakeners. ¡°Many people are hurt by the government¡¯s misguided policies. It will change this reality. We need to tell people a little bit of the hidden truth and raise awareness.¡± Ilhyun admired her when he heard what she had said. People initially knew they lived differently, but he already thought this would happen. Sometimes I can live comfortably on the field without being short of necessities, but I will give up my wealth and stability and take a completely different path, he thought. ¡°You¡¯re great.¡± ¡°It is great. But what¡¯s greater is Il-hyun. I entered the C rank after 3 years of awakening, but it¡¯s a shame to compare it to yours.¡± Ilhyun reached B rank within a month of awakening. For the past 20 years, this has been a first-time record for the awakened. He got mindful of what she said. He told her that three months ago, during his first interview, the media had been the one to have excited about his awakening. ¡°I heard you went to the station last time. I heard it didn¡¯t go well,¡± Ghost asked. Park So-yeon replied with a bitter smile. ¡°Haha, it didn¡¯t. I became a freelancer again. They had put the show I covered on air¡­when they saw the edited the video and photo I took, I had used some parts that irritated them. They told me I¡¯m wasn¡¯t as good as they expected me to be,¡± she said. Many stations aimed Park¡¯s network and abilities. One broadcaster dismissed her while still in good condition, saying it would help her tell the truth. But Il-hyun thought that broadcaster didn¡¯t do the right thing. I felt terrible, but this was not the first time, Il-hyun thought grimly. ¡°What do you think of Il-hyun?¡± Park So-yeon suddenly asked him. ¡°Uhm¡­Well, what do you mean?¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s inevitable to hide the facts about the door to reduce damage and avoid confusion?¡± Park So-yeon asked a question and looked at Il-hyun¡¯s face. A mixture of calm, curios, expectations, and strange expressions turned to Ilhyun. In the meantime, Ilhyun, who had never thought about the issue when asked a sudden question, pondered about it. An Aegis staff approached and said, ¡°We have to go now.¡± Suddenly, the interview was over, and it was time to go. Ghost looked at the clock and said, ¡°I think I have to go. Would you like to see the team while you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Everyone¡¯s going to be busy, apparently. I can see you guys again some other time. I¡¯ll see you both next time!¡± Park So-yeon, who didn¡¯t even receive Il-hyun¡¯s answer, waved at him with a sorry expression. She entered the crowd and quickly disappeared. * * * The current president rode in a long bulletproof vehicle. Lee and The Two were on board separately because they had nothing to say about the terms of the agreement.s Ilhyun got informed that he was signing a new contract because he could be a B-rank member, not just a prospect to take care. Eyes wide, Ilhyun noticed how his condition improved. He was in better shape than the rest of the team, but Ilhyun believed what he was saying, but he couldn¡¯t figure what the meaning behind his words. Then came the story of Park So-yeon, whom he met some time ago. He remembered her question. ¡°Well¡­that¡¯s why there were disagreements among us,¡± Lee So-Yeon said. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Obviously, it¡¯s wrong to deceive people, but that¡¯s the opposite of completely telling me the truth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± Of course, Ilhyun knew that he was against hiding the truth. However, Lee¡¯s thoughts were different. ¡°Surely, the government is hiding too many facts. I agree to inform people to some extent, and I work with reporters. Now, how much confusion will arise in society after all the events are announced? It will be more than we can imagine. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Chapter 40 - Before the Storm (4) Before the Storm (4) The day after Team A got dispatched to Spain, Il-hyun enjoyed the routine he thought he wouldn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t do anything during the day. In Europe, it was never the door¡¯s feature to appear peacefully. The emergency gate in Europe was in charge of Team E, and they were dispatched to London two weeks ago. The contingent was not yet changed, and team A, who had to wait in Seoul, originally came to Europe. Lee So-yeon told the representative separately that there was a one-day break. That¡¯s why the team was comfortable today. Il-hyun enjoyed traveling abroad. ¡°Wow!¡± his loud cry erupted in the stadium. Unaware of how to remove the expression on his face, Il-hyun ran with the crowd. He couldn¡¯t hear the sound of screaming. Spain is all about football. It was all about football everywhere he goes. And when he finally went to Spain, he wanted to try it. He felt as if he had a football game intuition. Il-hyun was watching the El Classic co-match between two of the world¡¯s strongest teams. Both teams are strong, and they¡¯re currently on a 3-on-3 tie. Each player showed off their tremendous skills to the point where different players could likely pass off as awakeners. The awakeners sadly weren¡¯t able to participate in most athletics. At that moment, they realized that the end time was near. The players gave their best attack for the last seconds. A player kicked the ball, and it moved forward¡ªprecisely and smoothly. ¡°It would definitely go inside¡­For sure¡­¡± Il-hyun and the others watched as they held their breath. A fantastic inverted shot happened, then the ball went inside the net. The crowd shouted and screamed. Wow! People hugged each other and ran through the entire stadium. Il-hyun was happy to hug the audience for the first time. The excited uncle seated at the back also shouted at Il-hyun. Then, he held Il-hyun¡¯s face with both hands. Il-hyun¡¯s vision instantaneously got obscured as he saw his lips coming. Il-hyun felt terrified, but he didn¡¯t notice the heat of the stadium. ¡°Wait a minute! Oh my God¡­¡± * * * ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Although he managed to watch a fantastic reversal shot, Il-hyun left the stadium with a hard look. It was a great experience, yet again, it isn¡¯t. Il-hyun entered the restaurant and had his early dinner. Thanks to knowing the language of English, it was not difficult to go and dine alone. On his way back to the hostel, he walked down the street. Even in the 2030s, tradition and contemporary architecture were still in harmony. He looked at the people passing by while observing the unusual scenery that¡¯s different from Korea. He walked for about 40 minutes. Strolling around the remote areas, Il-hyun found a bungalow in an elevated land. It was the place they would stay for the night. The image in Il-hyun¡¯s head is more like a mansion than a cottage. Security guards provided by the Spanish government watched its surroundings in case an unexpected situation arises. After confirming his identity, Il-hyun changed his face again and was able to go inside. When he entered the house, the first thing he noticed was Ghost. Inhaling the cup noodles, Ghost sat in front of his laptop. He got immersed in the game he¡¯s playing. ¡°Where did you go? What did you eat?¡± Il-hyun asked. ¡°I went to take pictures along the way. Even if I don¡¯t want to go, I always go abroad and eat alone.¡± Ghost answered, still looking at the laptop. While working at Aegis, Il-hyun had no problem with it since he just went abroad once or twice. ¡°No VR games these days?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t play one. I¡¯m a little dizzy. This one¡¯s better.¡± First, the 20-year-old Ghost was playing classic FPS games on his laptop. Second, it was a second-hand PC game that got released in 2010. There seemed to be chunks of clay all over the screen. Il-hyun thought silently that his taste in games was hard to understand. Lee So-yeon was reading in a chair on the second floor, and Seok Pil-jun was outside to meet an acquaintance. Il-hyun took a drink from the refrigerator. ¡°It¡¯s our turn tomorrow. Will the whole continent be our team?¡± ¡°As usual, we¡¯re not so busy because we don¡¯t give in to sins. We are the awakeners to everyone in our country. The problem is that the cycle is now back.¡± ¡°Cycle¡­¡± The fifth cycle was for humanity. The fourth cycle of the peaceful period was over, and as expected, the monster was soon to be out again. The cycle starts tomorrow at 4 in the morning. At the same time, it¡¯s time for Team A to take over Europe. Il-hyun was the first one to go into the cycle, and he was very nervous about it. When he knew nothing about it, he would¡¯ve passed without thinking. But now, after he learned the truth, he was more scared of how many people would die and get hurt if he rejected going into the cycle. Upstairs, Lee So-yeon came down when he heard Il-hyun and Ghost¡¯s voice. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back? Tomorrow, put your eyes on it in advance. You may need to leave at dawn.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When Il-hyun answered, Ghost stretched his hands in the air and covered his laptop. * * * ¡°Well¡­¡± Il-hyun woke-up. He covered his body with a blanket to keep himself from shivering. After checking the clock, it was past 3 in the morning, and it was close to 4 . He looked at his small receiver that should always function when dispatched. He didn¡¯t have to wait in advance because he could contact the others every time an incident occurred. He couldn¡¯t sleep and decided just to wake up ahead of them. After leaving the room, he felt that someone had already awoken ahead of him. He wants to joke around and pretend he was an intruder. He noticed the person was in the balcony attached to the building, and not outside of his room. When Il-hyun went to the balcony, he encountered Lee So-yeon sitting on a chair in the chilly night air. ¡°Are you up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling the wind.¡± A small watch and a bottle of wine were placed on the table, a glass in her hand. Her sword leaned at an angle on the wall. ¡°Would you like to drink together? It¡¯s difficult to get drunk, but it¡¯s okay to drink in moderation.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Il-hyun picked up the cup and went to sit beside her chair. Lee So-yeon drank in her cup. She then poured the wine into the glass. Vivid red color flowed down to fill the cup. Il-hyun liked its sweet taste. He now felt a little warmer. ¡°It¡¯s going to be difficult now. The cycle is back. Each gate will be dangerous because it¡¯s not like the other gates you¡¯ve encountered before.¡± It looked as if nothing¡¯s happening to the world, but behind the feigned oblivion, were the calamities that are yet to come. In this cycle of uncertainty, members of governments around the world have begun emergency work. The Awakeners who were on vacation in Aegis, also returned home to form a new team. Citizens slept peacefully without knowing anything about what¡¯s to come. The clock overlooked the movement of the table. It¡¯s now 4 in the morning, and time was running toward the next cycle. There was a minute left. Il-hyun swallowed his saliva. And finally, the fifth cycle came. The time¡¯s hand points to 4 o¡¯clock. Click. Il-hyun heard a small clock sound. Small receivers outside his body were still quiet. Lee So-yeon toasted the wine with him. Looking down on the city, Il-hyun could see the light and people. He thought this place is still peaceful. There was an emergency on the other side of the globe. This cycle, this time may differ from the expected pattern. That thought of his lasted for a while. Kaua! The ground shook like there¡¯s an earthquake. A breathtaking emergency communication came from the receiver in Il-hyun¡¯s pocket. ¨C Activated in the Northern City, at the center of Madrid, is a surprise gate! The rating is A5! Head toward it! ¡°It has started.¡± Lee So-yeon picked up her sword. Chapter 41 - No Time (1) No Time (1) There was a huge gate in the middle of the city. It was a dozen and a hundred times bigger than the size of a typical gate. Red cracks hovered the the air above it. The citizen got frightened by its huge stature, causing them to flee the area. Thanks to commotion below, even if it¡¯s already late in the evening, people noticed the fuss and began evacuating. With this, most casualties could be reduced significantly. However, this is not an ordinary gate. The wavelength analysis wasn¡¯t completed, as the activation began only two minutes after the gate was created. Two ectopic organisms appeared through the cracks. The gate disappeared immediately after spawning two monsters. When the giant monsters stepped their feet forward, the buildings sank and collapsed, injuring the people nearby. Wow! Il-hyun thought. It was a Togg¡ªa tortoise monster whose body is entirely made of a huge mass of rocks that might appear in a monster movie. It was an ace monster of rank A, which had already appeared several times. Its upper part has excellent defense and vitality, and it had an annoying ability to constantly create and discharge monsters from its body. Thud! Thud! The monster discharged two dogs from its body, and it flew across the city. It was a mess! The woman wanted to run away from it. ¡°Shhh!¡± The woman in pajamas began running away from it, her breathing rough. Her long, blonde hair swayed as she looked back and forth toward the abandoned cars on the busy road. Togg was almost transforming, it was approaching the buildings fast! It was hard for an ordinary person to avoid such a monster. ¡°No!¡± the horrified woman shouted as she ran away, showing her sorrow. There was a solid, elevated bridge on the path of the toggle, but it collapsed helplessly. Remnants flew in the aftermath of the collapse. The woman who escaped from the bottom couldn¡¯t even think about moving inside the rubble. ¡°That¡¯s bad!¡± Bang! A huge pile of broken rubble hit her, but gladly, the woman was fine. ¡°Uh¡­¡­?¡± ¡°That was close!¡± Il-hyun caught the woman and took her away before going through defecation. The woman hangs her arm around his neck. Il-hyun reassured the crying woman that he would drop her off to safety. He told her that many other citizens had evacuated to the place he¡¯d take her. Il-hyun tried to stop the monster straight away as he attempted to fulfill her request. ¡°It¡¯s too early to feel relieved here¡­ Ueup!¡± The woman grabbed Il-hyun¡¯s cheeks with both hands. Their lips overlapped as it turned into a deep kiss. Il-hyun didn¡¯t felt embarrassed when his hand stayed on her waist. The woman wandered her arms around his neck as he carried her tightly. And after a while, both their lips fell. ¡°Fooha! Thank you¡­¡­¡± The woman blushed. He felt the eyes of other citizens all over them. Some men who watched the scene whistled. While Il-hyun stared blankly at the situation he was experiencing for the first time, he heard someone call from the other side. ¡°Elena!¡± ¡°Dad?¡± A middle-aged man ran out of the burinake. The woman looked back and ran in her father¡¯s arms. Their reunion was touching as the woman arrived safely. However, Il-hyun¡¯s expression turned weird. Wait¡­Isn¡¯t that the uncle from yesterday? He thought inwardly. Il-hyun glanced at the middle-aged man before him, doubt clouding his eyes. But his eyes aren¡¯t wrong. Obviously, it was the uncle he saw on the soccer field the day before. ¡°Huh¡­¡­?¡± * * * Awkward! Six monsters fell simultaneously on Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s sword. It was a rock monster that was continuously discharging dogs from its body. Seok Pil-jun, Ghost, and the people who just joined the rescue continued to reduce monsters. ¡°Damn, this guy appeared in the middle of the city,¡± Ghost grumbled while wielding his sword. The giant monster dog wasn¡¯t easily defeated because of its rock-solid, upper body. Even if you destroyed most of its body parts, you had to remove the monster¡¯s heart or core to completely end its movements. With such a huge mass, the problem was that it contained an Ether core with only the size of a human fist. To make matters worse, the core position in the body also changes each time, making it difficult to know which part to target. From the standpoint of a direct awakening, it was a dull moment. Less attacking of its main body, and less threatening than other A-ranked monsters. The monsters that spit out endlessly and the facilities around them got destroyed just by walking. The damage was only within the city, not in a remote place. ¡°Monsters have prevented them from getting out of the way, so we will start attacking the main body now.¡± ¡°Would it still take long to know the core¡¯s position?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time to relax and wait for core analysis,¡± said Lee Soo-yeon. They can¡¯t afford to wait for the analysis team to give them the location of the core. The city would be smashed into pieces by then. Bang! One of the buildings collapsed terribly after Soo-yeon finished talking. As a result of this, the body had to be stopped even if it was corrosion-resistant. However, at that time, Il-hyun stared at the two dogs silently. ¡°The left dog¡¯s core is on the back of the neck, and the other one is near its upper chest.¡± ¡°What? You can see the core¡¯s location?¡± ¡°Yes, the core of the monster¡¯s body loomed a while ago thanks to its predation ability.¡± ¡°Haha¡­Well done,¡± Lee Soo-yeon laughed ridiculously at the end. The power continued digging and digging to no end. ¡°That would make things a lot easier, right?¡± Seok Pil-jun shouted that the two monsters are rushing toward them. ¡°Okay. I will take care of the guy on the left, so, Il-hyun takes the right. The remaining two, keep the monsters from coming out.¡± ¡°It must be impossible to do it alone.¡± Although relatively less intimidating, A-rank monsters were A-rank monsters. Rather than destroying the core as quickly as possible with the power of Hyun-Hyun, it would take a year to penetrate the outer layer of the upper body part. Then, Lee Soo-yeon added briefly, ¡°Ghost has to help.¡± Ghost and Lee Soo-yeon. These two had always been working together. But several years passed already, and Ghost, who immediately understood what she was saying, answered, ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Everyone moved right away. Lee Soo-yeon climbed on the Togg¡¯s leg, shifting over to the back as she poured an attack on her neck. When the blade with the black energy and the monster¡¯s rock-solid upper body collided, the rock broke apart with a loud sound. It seems like she couldn¡¯t hold onto her monster-like powers. Of course, Togg couldn¡¯t help but to standstill. Its body violently twisted and ra while the monsters made with its body poured out from the back and rushed to Lee Soo-yeon is. In the midst of this, Lee Soo-yeon continued to attack the monsters. ¡°Wait, I still don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about¡­!¡± Ghost grabbed his arm and hoisted it onto the ground. Il-hyun became dizzy at the scene, passing in front of his eyes. In the meanwhile, Ghost has given a brief explanation. ¡°I¡¯m going to go inside his stomach. You can destroy the core inside. Simple, right? For reference, the depth cannot be reached due to the repulsion action.¡± ¡°What?¡± Despite Ghost¡¯s insane fighting spirit, Il-hyun hadn¡¯t thought of him more out of his mind. He and Ghost rose up from the ground and passed through the belly of Togg. After dropping Il-hyun into a suitable place, Ghost bounced out and disappeared. The dark space doesn¡¯t even have one light. Il-hyun took out the lighter in his arms, and the flame that had risen took the form of a bird. The summoned Phoenix climbed onto Il-hyun¡¯s arm. The bright light of the bird lit Il-hyun¡¯s surroundings. Il-hyun saw that the wide space was made of rocks everywhere he looks inside the dog¡¯s body. Inside, Togg¡¯s body was made of rocks. If it splits, it also gets united. And the monsters were still being created. Besides, even if it detects intruders, the monsters being made were already looking at him. Il-hyun sighed for a moment as he raised his sword. ¡°The core¡¯s output of these large monsters¡¯s so salty¡­Do you want to try it?¡± Chapter 42 - No Time (2) No Time (2) Kwajik! Il-hyun strongly knocked down the head of the monster with a sword. Like a rock golem, Togg¡¯s body collapsed. At Il-hyun¡¯s extraction of the core, there were many other monster debris apart from Togg. But the fight is still far from over. More rock golems were blocking him. Unlike its rock-solid appearance, the first one stretched out quickly. Bang! It smashed the thin pillar behind Il-hyun, but he managed to escape it. It had outstanding speed, power, and cleverness. It was so strong that it was impossible to ignore the group of monsters it was mass-producing. The general level of Il-hyun¡¯s awakening wasn¡¯t even relevant anymore. He¡¯s at the general level now. Quaddeuk! Once again, the monster¡¯s arm flew back, as Il-hyun blocked it with his sword, lowering his body immediately to dig the blade inside it. He had the golem¡¯s waist at both ends, and at the same time, he formed a square on its extending arms and legs¡ªthen, it split. Even if they were invisible, and also if he became unconscious, his senses tell what he needs to know. Compared to a day ago, his senses felt much sharper. Whenever Il-hyun took one step a time, the rock masses would collapse, making a loud noise. The monsters inside the room collapsed, the sword behind Il-hyun thrown to the head of the monster behind him. He grabbed the last monster¡¯s fist with his bare hand. Il-hyun gave out a strong punch to the guy who struggled to pull his arm out. Quang! He smashed the body of the rocky man like it was a piece of tofu. Il-hyun looked at his clenched fists. ¡°Hmm¡­not bad.¡± All the monsters in the room, which were more than a dozen, were arranged. He used his brain to sort things out quickly without summoning or transforming something. Il-hyun slowly looked around. Phoenix, who was not involved in the battle, was illuminating their surroundings as he turned around. It¡¯s the second biggest room I¡¯ve ever seen¡­like I¡¯m not inside a creature¡¯s body, Il-hyun thought closely. The large room in Togg¡¯s stomach didn¡¯t appear to be inside the creature¡¯s body. Thoroughly Ether-driven Toggs don¡¯t need to be eaten and absorbed, and the digestive system is useless. Likewise, there was no need for breathing or excretory organs. As a result, his body didn¡¯t have any similar organs, but only rocks and passageways. The interior was modeled after a creature. There is almost no function. There was a repulsive action from the core and intellect of the monster¡¯s body. With this, its ability was not easily used. In particular, trying to transform floors or walls, as usual, was of no use. It wasn¡¯t as easy as directly trying to transform the body of an A-rank monster. ¡°Are you absorbing again?¡± Monster bodies scattered on the floor suddenly shattered and got slowly sucked underneath. The monsters who died in the body seemed to have absorbed it again. Il-hyun looked up. He felt the Ether core above him, but he was a few distances away from it. ¡°I have to move fast,¡± he muttered. Il-hyun moved quickly. Even while doing this, Togg was raving and smashing the city. Besides, the monsters being created in the room were swaying as if they were moving right now. He picked one of several open passages and went inside it. In the middle of walking, he encountered a passing monster. Unlike some of the previous golems, bugs of various appearances approached the walls and ceiling as if they were ignoring gravity. In a small passage, Phoenix broke through it no time. Creating a flame, the Phoenix quickly flew forward and smashed the monsters, accompanied by an explosion. The passage leads to another room where other monsters are being made. Well? The monsters made in the room had familiar eyes¡­ Humanoid frog monsters¡ªForn. They were the first monsters that Il-hyun face before he awakened. The monsters Togg¡¯s belly had numerous kinds. Maybe the monsters beyond the gate¡­? He trailed off, but continued, where do these damn monsters come from? He cursed inwardly. None of the numerous studies that have been carried out were clear. However, if there was a world beyond the gate, what the world would unfold from the other side made everyone curious. There will be no end to it if you deal with each one of the studies. Il-hyun clicked his tongue and moved forward. He had no time to deal with all of the monsters. He went along the direction of where he felt the strongest of the core. He started climbing the rock wall that led to an upper passageway. The rock Forns swiftly threw the spear they¡¯re holding at him, but Phoenix intervened. It spread out its large wings and blocked all of their attacks. Il-hyun looked down and raised his thumb at Phoenix, ¡°Okay, good job.¡± Then, the moody Phoenix flew to him. As usual, he climbed on top of Il-hyun¡¯s head and dropped the blarney. ¡°No¡­I can¡¯t see what¡¯s in front of me.¡± Il-hyun stretched out his arms. Even if he didn¡¯t say anything, he knew he was a smart guy who planned ahead of what he would do, but it turned out to be a problem because he felt like he was the big guy getting stuck inside this monster. There¡¯s also one ability that he hardly ever done, and it was a little different from what the other summoners usually do¡ªyou need to do it with more care. ¡ªHey! Are you alive? Ghost¡¯s asked his voice came through the communicator. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m alive.¡± ¡ªYou¡¯re lucky. It¡¯s almost over. This time, the voice he heard was from Lee Soo-yeon, who was dealt with all the dogs that came out from the monster, and monsters alone. Their voices were so calm he didn¡¯t even notice that they¡¯re still fighting. ¡ªBy chance, be careful not to get caught inside its body. It can be annoying. ¡°Were you caught a long time ago?¡± Il-hyun smiled at what Lee Soo-yeon said. There were hundreds of monsters that came into Togg¡¯s stomach. They made eye contact with Il-hyun. ¡ªNo. I haven¡¯t been able to speak to you earlier because of all the fighting. But you might not notice that you have been walking around that monster¡¯s stomach for a while now. Ill-hyun felt chilly as he worked his way inside Togg¡¯s dimming body. Just as people don¡¯t know if their red blood cells are working, Togg¡¯s body¡¯s monsters were the same. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I understand.¡± Il-hyun jumped over the rock. Another spacious room appeared, and monsters in the form of people with pointed ears were being made. If it wasn¡¯t a rock, Il-hyun would¡¯ve mistaken it for humans instead of monsters. Il-hyun gracefully, once more, lifted his sword from his waist. ¡°I¡¯m almost there,¡± When he stood there, he felt the strong swell of the Ether¡¯sEther¡¯s energy. It was clear that the core existed between two or three front walls. Il-hyun smashed the monsters rushed toward him. He then ran forward. He fought various monsters in each room before he reached the front of his destination. However, no further passages were visible. Because the core is like the monster¡¯s own life¡ªit was protected and blocked by a thick wall. Bang! Il-hyun slashed his sword on the wall as hard as possible, but the wall didn¡¯t acquire much damage. ¡°This is going to take some time¡­¡­¡± Il-hyun murmured which reaching his sword to an incoming monster. He used the function of transformation, but the core was in front of his nose, so it didn¡¯t work. Il-hyun, who was expecting that much, sought another way. If you can¡¯t change the look, it weakens the intensity. Awesome! He thought. The slashed that Il-hyun made on the wall were starting to crack. He used it the way he did with a B-ranked monster in Russia. It took a lot more power than before, but it had no problem with weakening it. Kugu Goong! Suddenly, Togg¡¯s body was shaking. Il-hyun¡¯s body was trembling, too! ¡ªTogg stopped spitting monsters. Come out quickly! Seok Pil-jun urgently said as he was dealing with monsters outside. Even though the monster was numb toward the rest of the world¡ªwhen Il-hyun touched the heart, Togg noticed immediately. Thump! Il-hyun heard the sound of all kinds of monsters¡ªthey¡¯re coming together in one place. The monsters Togg created formed a defense inside his body. When Il-hyun feels the threat of life, he makes himself a monster to defend himself. And the more he feels threatened, the more he¡¯d want to end a life. Like a tsunami, a huge number of monsters were making their way toward where he was. ¡°Damn it!¡± Il-hyun lashed his blade on the wall. If he isn¡¯t able to breach it, then he can¡¯t move from where he is¡ªhe¡¯d surely die. The cracks gradually grew on the thick layer. Monsters swarmed and flocked like zombies from across the passage. ¡°Erai!¡± Il-hyun held his power as he swung the sword forward. Quang! The wall shattered, and a bright, white ray burst out from the inside. A core full of strong EtherEther floated at the center. Il-hyun thinks it¡¯s so beautiful to look at. But he couldn¡¯t afford to appreciate it right now, and he quickly reached out toward the core. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­!¡± The core cracked, and a huge amount of EtherEther flowed into his body. It was the first A-rank monster he absorbed, and to think that it was also a giant monster. It contained a huge amount of Ether output. Il-hyun felt overwhelmed in eating it all on his own. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous¡­¡­¡± Il-hyun muttered while frowning. He felt anxious about it. There was no spirit to look back, but he felt the monsters approaching at a fast speed, even without it. It¡¯s like being beaten by men, but it¡¯s a huge number compared to his feeling. The EtherEther in the core was still more than it. Phoenix interrupted him and pushed on the side. While being pushed to the side, Il-hyun suddenly looked at the Phoenix as if he didn¡¯t know what was happening, but soon, his eyes widened in surprise. The EtherEther that remained in the core after Il-hyun absorbed it flowed into Phoenix¡¯s body. The white ray of light was absorbed in an instant. Clink! The core is completely broken. Wow! With the Togg¡¯s low screams, all the monsters approaching halted in action, their lifeless bodies rolling on the floor. Whether he ate something delicious or resembled his owner¡¯s face, the Phoenix looked shocked, its mouth slightly pushed back. Chapter 43 - No Time (4) No Time (4) ¡°Are you¡­really okay?¡± Il-hyun looked down at his palm with a grim look. On top of it, the mouse absorbed the ether and sadly claps a broken core piece. Similarly, Il-hyun tried to cancel the summoning, but no reaction was seen in the mice. ¡°What happened? Do you see any changes?¡± Lee Soo-yeon, who witnessed the sight, looked over at the mouse to ask if there was any change. On the surface, nothing changed. ¡°It completely absorbed the ether in the core. I don¡¯t know the details, but it¡¯s hard to maintain, and the summons aren¡¯t resolved.¡± ¡°¡­just so you know, if you have a core, you can endlessly generate summons,¡± Lee Soo-yeon said as she looked down on the Phoenix in her arms. If there was no limit to the time and population of holding summoners, that was a really ridiculous ability. It¡¯s enough to reverse common sense and change the defense system itself. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. Besides, the problem is¡­¡­¡± Il-hyun¡¯s vision blurred. It wasn¡¯t just the summoners who needed the core. Il-hyun also needed a core¡ªas much as possible. He was able to grow so fast that he had eaten a significant amount of cores. If he hadn¡¯t come to Aegis, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten this much core. The summoner¡¯s independence from Il-hyun was clearly an unexpected breakthrough. During the battle, there was no need to subtract the power needed for this ability, and it was also possible to send it to other gate sites located on the other side of the globe. However, if it needed too much core investment to hinder one¡¯s growth, it was difficult. ¡°It was the same for you who needed a core. Besides, I may need food now.¡± Lee Soo-yeon nodded and muttered. As they were summoners who were made and moved by the power of Il-hyun, they might have to continuously consume ether for energy supply. At that time, Phoenix, who was in Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s arms, shook out. Then, he jumped over on Il-hyun¡¯s arm. He handed over the guy who was rubbing at his sides. ¡°Yes, anyway,¡± Il-hyun said as he stroked Phoenix¡¯s head. There were many things to think about in many ways, but he once thought it had something to do with congratulating on the summoner. Meanwhile, the mouse climbed on the shoulder of Il-hyun. I think I have become a zookeeper. ¡°Huh? Another one?¡± Ghost is approaching. Il-hyun and Lee Soo-yeon handed the crushed canned drinks one by one. ¡°The convenience store in front of me was smashed, so I brought it on a whim.¡± ¡°Yes, thanks for this,¡± Lee Soo-yeon said and laughed as Ghost colorized. ¡°What¡¯s the situation like?¡± she asked while opening the can and taking a sip. ¡°There¡¯s still a long way to go, but we will withdraw first. I¡¯m sure that there are no monsters left.¡± When the two monsters came out of the gate, they destroyed the Togg¡¯s core at the same time. The other monsters also stopped moving, so there they¡¯re sure they couldn¡¯t have missed anything. ¡°We should have a relaxing breakfast. Where should we eat?¡± ¡°Anyway, the surroundings are all broken, so why don¡¯t we just go to the hostel and eat?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious that there¡¯s breakfast prepared there, but it¡¯s boring now.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± Two wandering eyes turned to where Il-hyun is. In this case, there was no majority vote. As there are three people in the seat, Il-hyun made a decision without any idea on what to do. While staying here, the local government supported it in many ways, and that included meals. Honestly, even if he went to a very fine restaurant, it was hard to find a better place to eat. ¡°Maybe the hostel¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Ah! Is that so? It¡¯s like a power-oriented human being.¡± ¡°Okay, that seems wise. And I can¡¯t believe that this is a cheap appetite. I¡¯m going to go somewhere and go get some burgers.¡± ¡°Okay, that seems wise. I can¡¯t believe that you guys have a cheap appetite. I¡¯m going to go somewhere and go get some burgers,¡± Lee Soo-yeon clasped her hands together, looking satisfied. It tastes good, but it seems like it has become a habit to follow the opinion of the boss at work. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Pil-jun still has his brother,¡± Ghost, who hasn¡¯t gotten to the results yet, said. However, as soon as Seok Pil-jun saw the work and joined him, he was forced to abandon his last hope. Seok Pil-jun easily decided to stay. He dismissed them lightly, saying he was not interested to go anywhere. ¡°But this cycle is longer than I thought? There was no noticeable news from anywhere else,¡± Seok Pil-jun said from behind the desperate Ghost. The sun has been bright since time passed from a dark dawn. In the meantime, there haven¡¯t been big events in Europe and elsewhere. Normally, when the danger cycle began, a high-ranking gate would burst out one after another, but not this time. Of course, the number of gates increased, but the world wasn¡¯t as nervous and alert as it¡¯s supposed to be. ¡°Because it¡¯s not been hours yet. Well, honestly, I thought it would be unreasonable for four, but I can afford it. It¡¯s a good thing.¡± Lee Soo-yeon thought it was a dangerous cycle, so he thought it was rather unreasonable to occupy one continent with four team members who lacked Jeong Jin-sung. But if you look at the situation so far, four was enough. Then, the receiver on their arms began to ring loudly at the same time. ¡ªGreece A3, Finland A5, Belgium B1. The surprise gate appeared simultaneously! We will send you the information immediately. ¡°¡­I think morning has passed.¡± * * * They wanted the fifth cycle to quietly pass for a moment. Unfortunately, the laws of the odd-numbered cycles are correct. More than thirty high-ranking gates were opened all over the world at the same time. Half of them were surprise gates, and overturned without a hitch in the event of a simultaneous burst. ¡°Damn, what gate is Won Ki-ok? It¡¯s crazy that they all opened at once,¡± Ghost grumbled on the plane. In the meantime, he¡¯d worked all over the world and experienced prenatal work, but this was a first for him. Even the level of each gate was high. ¡°It¡¯s A3 rank¡­ would you be okay alone?¡± Seok Pil-jun looked at Lee Soo-yeon with anxious eyes. Even the A-class awakened powers dealing with average A-rank monsters was not always victorious. No matter how strong Lee Soo-yeon was, it was dangerous to block a gate by himself. ¡°I have to try. The A5 class gate is more dangerous. Be careful,¡± said Lee Soo-yeon. The level of the gates that popped here and there was hardly enough to withstand the local government¡¯s awakening. As it was an emergency, the personnel had to be split; the highest A3 level gate was for Lee Soo-yeon, the A5 gate was for the experienced Ghost and Seok Pil-jun, and the remaining B1 gate was assigned to Il-hyun. Lee Soo-yeon looked at Il-hyun. ¡°Even if you¡¯ve played a B-ranked monster a few times, it will be different from the B1 level. I think it only gives citizens as much time as possible.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°The same goes for the other side. Everyone should just cooperate with the local awakenings to buy time. Never overdo it.¡± The atmosphere in the cabin was already serious. Il-hyun swallowed his saliva. His first solo mission to Aegis will be like this. However, even in a situation like this, the two summoners who sat next to Il-hyun¡¯s side were undisputed. Phoenix, who was much larger than him now, fearlessly struck down the mouse with his wings. The mouse fell on the floor. Can I trust them¡­¡­? Chapter 43 - No Time (3) No Time (3) ¡°What did you do?¡± Il-hyun looked down at Phoenix. All the etheric energy he couldn¡¯t absorb was sucked into the bird¡¯s body. Thanks to him, he was able to live, but he never thought he could eat the ether. Il-hyun grabbed Phoenix with both hands towards the front of his face and looked back and forth. Whether it was a burden, Phoenix fluttered and shook his body, but it was not enough to continuously shake him. ¡°Nothing has changed¡­ Are you okay?¡± Phoenix nodded with his mouth wide open. It didn¡¯t look like his aura or appearance felt changed. I was worried about what could happen after he ate the ether, but suddenly I didn¡¯t feel the need to be in a hurry. Kugugung! At that time, Togg¡¯s body shook violently. When the core broke, the guy¡¯s body lost its balance, and it collapsed to one side. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got to go out.¡± If it were to simply fall, the body of the awakened Il-hyun would not be seriously injured, but the problem was that the body of the Togg itself was completely collapsing. There was a large crack on the floor, and the rocks from the ceiling fell. If this place collapses completely, it is impossible to expect your body to be strong. ¡°Ugh!¡± Suddenly, something was pulling him from underneath as he tried to find a way out. Il-hyun, who was sucked under the floor, was embarrassed for a moment, but he comforted himself. What he¡¯d experienced many times has been Ghost¡¯s ability. The two translucent figures descended on Togg¡¯s legs as they rolled on the floor. Kuung! The body of Togg who was in the other monster¡¯s body, completely collapsed. Even at the moment of his death, he swallowed streets and buildings, shook the ground, and blasted tremendous dirt. Il-hyun lowered his arms to the dirt and turned his head. The other Togg was also after Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s life, and the monsters pouring out from both sides were losing power as they scattered on the floor. The gate has already disappeared. ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Il-hyun sighed. Ghost who brought him out placed his sword in his scabbard, his hand on his waist. ¡°It¡¯s been very loud from the start of the cycle.¡± An A-rank gate appeared as soon as the fifth cycle begins. Given that Aegis was right next door, considering that it was a surprise gate that appeared in a large city, the casualties were minimal, but the city was completely messed up. ¡°But this is not within the expected range.¡± Lee Soo-yeon and Seok Pil-jun came to both of them. All four of them were messing up their faces by turning the dust all over during the operation. ¡°Good work. Congratulations for beating your first opponent of A rank monster. You did better than I thought. It¡¯s probably the shortest record I¡¯ve heard of? It¡¯s been less than a month since I joined the team, so I get to catch all of those guys,¡± Lee Soo-yeon glanced at the collapsed, dog-like Il-hyun. Of course, one star who could immediately locate the core had good reciprocity, and it was possible because it was a defensive monster. Nonetheless, no one was able to dominate Togg by growing so fast like Il-hyun. ¡°Haha, I was lucky.¡± ¡°But the bird¡­¡­¡± Lee Soo-yeon pointed behind her head. In addition to her, Seok Pil-jun and Ghost were kept their eyes toward them. Il-hyun was confused and looked up¡ªred wings caught his eye. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m surprised! What are you?¡± Surprised Il-hyun jumped and cried. There was a red phoenix sitting on his head. Of course, it was Phoenix who thought that the summon would have been lifted as Togg¡¯s collapsed body. Because of Ghost¡¯s instinct, he didn¡¯t even know that he was out of his mind. ¡°Fuhaha, are you also doing a gag?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± His teammates laughed at his actions. Even Seok Pil-jun couldn¡¯t stop the blush that accompanied his smile, but Il-hyun knocked the man in his head down with his arm. ¡°Strange¡­¡­¡± No matter how insane it was, he was feeling connected with the Summoner like he¡¯s still holding the summon. However, it was hardly felt now, and above all, it didn¡¯t take any force to maintain the Summon. ¡°Just go in. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± Il-hyun tried to lift Phoenix¡¯s summons. As usual, the connection with the summoner is disrupted and the form is disturbed. Well? Il-hyun¡¯s eyebrows got shaken by a strange feeling. Phoenix¡¯s shape was not disturbed at all. Tak Tak! He bounced his finger, but he was just staring at him. Surely¡­¡­? * * * The gate was opened in the capital city, and it was so large that the Aegis squad, as well as the Spanish government, were working on the site of the scene where the monsters were overpowered. Thousands of people have been busy in the controlled field, and team members have not left. ¡°Hmm, so this guy ate the ether in the core?¡± Lee Soo-yeon, standing opposite Il-hyun, looking interestingly at the bird. In the arms of Lee Soo-yeon, Phoenix embraced her hand gently. The flame surrounding the body disappeared, leaving only the shiny red feathers. ¡°Not all.¡± Phoenix ate the core after Il-hyun absorbed a significant amount of ether. Because of the rank A core, a lot of ether still remained. ¡°I would honestly like to ask if you¡¯ve seen something wrong¡­ I can¡¯t guess because this is the first time I¡¯ve encountered something like that¡­ Well, in fact, the summoned owner lacks common sense.¡± Lee Soo-yeon shrugged. When the ability to put ether and absorb it like string was first discovered, the ability to summon something almost became useful. However, the Summoners summoned by this ability absorbs the ether in the core. He couldn¡¯t even guess what the situation was. ¡°Here. I brought the item you asked for.¡± ¡°Ah! Thank you for busying yourself.¡± Il-hyun was handed a core to an approaching man. The man with a bulletproof vest was one of the members of the Aegis backup team dispatched with Team A. Of course, he couldn¡¯t fight the monsters directly from the body of the general public, but he was helping a lot from the invisible backside, such as controlling the surrounding scene and rescuing many people. ¡°Core? Where are you going to use it?¡± ¡°I have something I want to experiment it with.¡± It was only an E rank because it was the core of the backup team of a backup team with heavy equipment using ether. He didn¡¯t have a place to find a core right now, and it was perfect for a small experiment. He picked up a piece of cement rolling on the floor to see if it came off the building. He sized it to fit snugly in one hand. One mouse was quickly transformed into his other hand. Squeak! The mouse stood around at about two feet. Lee Soo-yeon and Phoenix watched him from the side. That was his reason he had seen so far. Il-hyun brought the core to a rattling mouse. The mouse sniffed and almost only took one core of its own body, before noticing Il-hyun. Il-hyun saw himself in the eyes of the little guy as he nodded silently. Then, the mouse bites the core. So awesome! There were small teeth marks on the fragile core. At the same time, it cracked gradually, making a crackling noise, before completely breaking. The white light stem of the ether inside the core began to penetrate into the mouse¡¯s body. ¡°Oh my gosh,¡± Lee Soo-yeon murmured, the doubt crossing her eyes. Chapter 44 No Time (4) ¡°Are you¡­really okay?¡± Il-hyun looked down at his palm with a grim look. On top of it, the mouse absorbed the ether and sadly claps a broken core piece. Similarly, Il-hyun tried to cancel the summoning, but no reaction was seen in the mice. ¡°What happened? Do you see any changes?¡± Lee Soo-yeon, who witnessed the sight, looked over at the mouse to ask if there was any change. On the surface, nothing changed. ¡°It completely absorbed the ether in the core. I don¡¯t know the details, but it¡¯s hard to maintain, and the summons aren¡¯t resolved.¡± ¡°¡­just so you know, if you have a core, you can endlessly generate summons,¡± Lee Soo-yeon said as she looked down on the Phoenix in her arms. If there was no limit to the time and population of holding summoners, that was a really ridiculous ability. It¡¯s enough to reverse common sense and change the defense system itself. ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. Besides, the problem is¡­¡­¡± Il-hyun¡¯s vision blurred. It wasn¡¯t just the summoners who needed the core. Il-hyun also needed a core¡ªas much as possible. He was able to grow so fast that he had eaten a significant amount of cores. If he hadn¡¯t come to Aegis, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten this much core. The summoner¡¯s independence from Il-hyun was clearly an unexpected breakthrough. During the battle, there was no need to subtract the power needed for this ability, and it was also possible to send it to other gate sites located on the other side of the globe. However, if it needed too much core investment to hinder one¡¯s growth, it was difficult. ¡°It was the same for you who needed a core. Besides, I may need food now.¡± Lee Soo-yeon nodded and muttered. As they were summoners who were made and moved by the power of Il-hyun, they might have to continuously consume ether for energy supply. At that time, Phoenix, who was in Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s arms, shook out. Then, he jumped over on Il-hyun¡¯s arm. He handed over the guy who was rubbing at his sides. ¡°Yes, anyway,¡± Il-hyun said as he stroked Phoenix¡¯s head. There were many things to think about in many ways, but he once thought it had something to do with congratulating on the summoner. Meanwhile, the mouse climbed on the shoulder of Il-hyun. I think I have become a zookeeper. ¡°Huh? Another one?¡± Ghost is approaching. Il-hyun and Lee Soo-yeon handed the crushed canned drinks one by one. ¡°The convenience store in front of me was smashed, so I brought it on a whim.¡± ¡°Yes, thanks for this,¡± Lee Soo-yeon said and laughed as Ghost colorized. ¡°What¡¯s the situation like?¡± she asked while opening the can and taking a sip. ¡°There¡¯s still a long way to go, but we will withdraw first. I¡¯m sure that there are no monsters left.¡± When the two monsters came out of the gate, they destroyed the Togg¡¯s core at the same time. The other monsters also stopped moving, so there they¡¯re sure they couldn¡¯t have missed anything. ¡°We should have a relaxing breakfast. Where should we eat?¡± ¡°Anyway, the surroundings are all broken, so why don¡¯t we just go to the hostel and eat?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious that there¡¯s breakfast prepared there, but it¡¯s boring now.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­¡± Two wandering eyes turned to where Il-hyun is. In this case, there was no majority vote. As there are three people in the seat, Il-hyun made a decision without any idea on what to do. While staying here, the local government supported it in many ways, and that included meals. Honestly, even if he went to a very fine restaurant, it was hard to find a better place to eat. ¡°Maybe the hostel¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Ah! Is that so? It¡¯s like a power-oriented human being.¡± ¡°Okay, that seems wise. And I can¡¯t believe that this is a cheap appetite. I¡¯m going to go somewhere and go get some burgers.¡± ¡°Okay, that seems wise. I can¡¯t believe that you guys have a cheap appetite. I¡¯m going to go somewhere and go get some burgers,¡± Lee Soo-yeon clasped her hands together, looking satisfied. It tastes good, but it seems like it has become a habit to follow the opinion of the boss at work. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Pil-jun still has his brother,¡± Ghost, who hasn¡¯t gotten to the results yet, said. However, as soon as Seok Pil-jun saw the work and joined him, he was forced to abandon his last hope. Seok Pil-jun easily decided to stay. He dismissed them lightly, saying he was not interested to go anywhere. ¡°But this cycle is longer than I thought? There was no noticeable news from anywhere else,¡± Seok Pil-jun said from behind the desperate Ghost. The sun has been bright since time passed from a dark dawn. In the meantime, there haven¡¯t been big events in Europe and elsewhere. Normally, when the danger cycle began, a high-ranking gate would burst out one after another, but not this time. Of course, the number of gates increased, but the world wasn¡¯t as nervous and alert as it¡¯s supposed to be. ¡°Because it¡¯s not been hours yet. Well, honestly, I thought it would be unreasonable for four, but I can afford it. It¡¯s a good thing.¡± Lee Soo-yeon thought it was a dangerous cycle, so he thought it was rather unreasonable to occupy one continent with four team members who lacked Jeong Jin-sung. But if you look at the situation so far, four was enough. Then, the receiver on their arms began to ring loudly at the same time. ¡ªGreece A3, Finland A5, Belgium B1. The surprise gate appeared simultaneously! We will send you the information immediately. ¡°¡­I think morning has passed.¡± * * * They wanted the fifth cycle to quietly pass for a moment. Unfortunately, the laws of the odd-numbered cycles are correct. More than thirty high-ranking gates were opened all over the world at the same time. Half of them were surprise gates, and overturned without a hitch in the event of a simultaneous burst. ¡°Damn, what gate is Won Ki-ok? It¡¯s crazy that they all opened at once,¡± Ghost grumbled on the plane. In the meantime, he¡¯d worked all over the world and experienced prenatal work, but this was a first for him. Even the level of each gate was high. ¡°It¡¯s A3 rank¡­ would you be okay alone?¡± Seok Pil-jun looked at Lee Soo-yeon with anxious eyes. Even the A-class awakened powers dealing with average A-rank monsters was not always victorious. No matter how strong Lee Soo-yeon was, it was dangerous to block a gate by himself. ¡°I have to try. The A5 class gate is more dangerous. Be careful,¡± said Lee Soo-yeon. The level of the gates that popped here and there was hardly enough to withstand the local government¡¯s awakening. As it was an emergency, the personnel had to be split; the highest A3 level gate was for Lee Soo-yeon, the A5 gate was for the experienced Ghost and Seok Pil-jun, and the remaining B1 gate was assigned to Il-hyun. Lee Soo-yeon looked at Il-hyun. ¡°Even if you¡¯ve played a B-ranked monster a few times, it will be different from the B1 level. I think it only gives citizens as much time as possible.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°The same goes for the other side. Everyone should just cooperate with the local awakenings to buy time. Never overdo it.¡± The atmosphere in the cabin was already serious. Il-hyun swallowed his saliva. His first solo mission to Aegis will be like this. However, even in a situation like this, the two summoners who sat next to Il-hyun¡¯s side were undisputed. Phoenix, who was much larger than him now, fearlessly struck down the mouse with his wings. The mouse fell on the floor. Can I trust them¡­¡­? Chapter 45 - No Time (5) No Time (5) More than thirty Awakeners stood in front of the gate¡¯s 5-meter-wide cracks. All were members of the local government. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve had such a high rating¡­ Isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡± ¡°If you have enough people, you have to make time. You just have to hold on until the Aegis comes,¡± the man replied to not make his anxious colleague worry about their situation. The government immediately asked Aegis for help when the B1 class surprise gate appeared in Belgium. Then, the government scraped all the available power right away and dispatched all of them. ¡°More over there,¡± the man pointed toward the sky. Two helicopters, which had departed in a hurry from the city next door, were flying side by side. Not only those two helicopters, but the Awakeners were coming from other places as well. ¡°Oh, he said Mertens is on one of the helicopters?¡± said the other Awakener who was sending and receiving text messages. Then, there was a stretch of admiration. As one of Belgium¡¯s leading stars, no one probably in the entire country doesn¡¯t know about the B Rank Awakener. ¡°Really? I thought he was abroad working in Haman. So, are you fighting together?¡± ¡°What are you going to do about it? If Mertens isn¡¯t the problem, then the Aegis will come soon. Do you want to have a heart attack by then?¡± ¡°Oh my god. I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Laughter arose from the other Awakened as well, the man actions covering his face with both of his hands. Perhaps as long as he worked in this industry directly, the admiration for high-ranking Awakeners including Aegis would always be more prominent rather than smaller. After all, their funny conversations made them less tense and created a little bit of a light atmosphere. ¡°For a while¡­¡­¡± The Awaken¡¯s strange sensation stopped. At the same time, blood cracks shook the entire place. The gate fluttered as if it were a beating heart that had instinctively aroused emotions, but rather, the silent sound of death was more repulsive compared to its violent movement. All of the Awakeners around them pulled out weapons and stepped back to prepare for the fight. The tension that came back crushed everyone. It¡¯s always been done, but this time the grade letters were different. The simple alphabet used to teach them a lot of things. And finally, the monster appeared in the crack. A giant fire scorched its entire body. Its body was 4 meters tall, and there was a colossal hammer burning in one of its hands. From its eyes like a skeleton, there was a light emanating from it, creating a sensation that made it hard for them to see. ¡°An Ace Monster¡­¡­?¡± the man muttered while looking blankly at it. The giant also looked down at him. Then, he held the hammer over his head. The man yelled, and the Awakeners started running everywhere. ¡°Damn it! Ace is out! He was the first bounce!¡± They were initially intended to take as much time as possible. As expected, as soon as the gate opened and the B-rank monsters came out, attacking it was pointless. Kuuung! A hammer of fire struck the ground. At the same time, a massive shock wave emerged and swallowed up the city and stretched out in all directions. The city lights disappeared, and the helicopter approaching in the air staggered. ¡°Ugh-oh-oh!¡± Helicopters lost sight of the man who fell under the shock. Two helicopters circled round and round until both aircraft lost its balance and entangled with one another and eventually exploding. That was the last sight he was able to see. Thud! The floor is crushed. * * * ¡°Oh, awha!¡± the man in the flames screamed. He rolled on the floor to extinguish the fire on his body, but the not so ordinary flames couldn¡¯t be destroyed, and it swallowed him in a defenseless state. In front of him was a vast, hunting, laughing dog that stared at him as he struggled in pain. The base monster of this gate, like the giant, was all over its body. ¡°Such assholes!¡± When he had no choice but to see someone die on the other side, the man spurred. He leaned behind the wall and tackled it, stabbing it on its head. Leaning back behind the wall, he blackened his head and killed himself. ¡°Toby! What do we do?¡± ¡°What are you doing? I couldn¡¯t stand it. When is the Aegis coming?¡± The man hurriedly opened the fertile coat. Due to the monster¡¯s unique ability, all the electronic equipment in the city got shredded. The communication coming from the outside was cut off and isolated, and the defense coat and AT-class weapons ceased functioning. If not, strong monsters have these nasty abilities they didn¡¯t have an answer to. People also had to deal with monsters with their bare hands in situations where they couldn¡¯t evacuate properly. It was a desperate state that they can¡¯t even fight a base monster properly. It was difficult to expect reinforcement to come quickly because the helicopter didn¡¯t work when they approached the vehicle. ¡°Wow!¡± Then, a sharp scream came from the streets next to them. It was a scream with not just one, but several voices. Then, the sound of the alarm rang. The citizens who hadn¡¯t yet evacuated were chased by the monsters all over the place. ¡°Ha¡­ Shit.¡± The man and his colleague looked at each other. Taking the lead here was suicide. But even before he thought with his head, his body moved reflexively. ¡°Erai!¡± The two ran with their swords at the same time. As expected, a group of citizens were chased, and soon after, they got caught up and was surrounded by monsters in no time. Nine people gathered in response to the sound that wrapped around them. It loved playing with people. Instead of killing them right away, it watched them panic. Fook! Pooh! Two Awakened vigilantly intruded from behind. The hunting dog with two swords on his back twisted his body. It was the usual fatal blow that should have made him fall, but this time, the AT-sword in their hands was not working. Even with the power of the Awakened, it was difficult to easily penetrate the thick leather of the guy with a sword that lost its function. ¡°Oh!¡± However, the two of them scrambled with all their might, and one hound soon lost power and fell. Only one was killed, but eight other hounds surrounded them. Meanwhile, the citizens fled Burinake in the other direction, and the two that held the AT sword¡ªand it was nothing more than an ordinary sword. This was their satisfaction. ¡°Let¡¯s take one more.¡± ¡°I hate to die like this.¡± The two of them laughed, facing each other. They thought this was their last moment, so they did something in vain. Yum! The guys screamed fiercely and rushed to hold their breath. No, they tried to rush. Suddenly, an unidentified vine was wrapped around the ankles of the hounds, and the guys were turned over or fell in place. It was a thin gray vine, but it was so hard and tough that they could not cut it off. They tried to get their bodies out, but then they had a seizure¡ªthe results were the same whenever they try to get out. ¡°What happened¡­¡­?¡± While both were embarrassed, a man fell from the sky out of nowhere. He was an Awakened or wore a black coat and was a young Asian man. When he stretched out his arm, a large, colorful bird, suddenly seen for the first time, sat in his left arm. ¡°It was almost your big day. Are you guys okay?¡± Il-hyun said. But the two men couldn¡¯t understand his words and couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°Oh, right. The communication device¡¯s also broken.¡± Il-hyun muttered as he scratched at his head. Due to the monster¡¯s ability, GPS, communicator, and interpreter functions built into the communicator became unavailable. However, the high-grade core and the black defense coat didn¡¯t get affected by the monster¡¯s ability. ¡°Then¡­¡­¡± Il-hyun shook his hand, and thorns rose from the floor. The heads of the eight monsters whose feet were tied were pierced at the same time and simply died without a chance to rebel. Il-hyun approached one of them and pulled out the core at once. The exact location of the core in the monster¡¯s body is clearly visible, and unlike previous ones, one pull was enough. ¡°How should I use this?¡± Chapter 46 - The Raw Meal (1) The Raw Meal (1) A world map was unfolded like a hologram on a table. Numerous marked numbers soared simultaneously. At the same time, the color of the map rose red, regardless of where in Asia, Europe or Africa. Not only high-ranked gates, but gates of all series and ranks have increased rapidly. ¡°This is¡­¡­¡± Lee Seok-jin looked down on the hologram, appeared sullen. Gates have more than doubled over a stable period, increasing to the ranks everyone has been through for years. It was scheduled to some extent as the risk cycle came. But this cycle was more than that. The surprise gate rate has also increased, and the overall time it takes to activate it has been reduced. The number of strange objects with abilities increased, and above all, the number of gates¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll return. I was preparing for retirement,¡± said Lee Seok-jin as he shrugged his head and sighed. He was planning to retire soon as a team leader for Team R, which was packed two days ago, to respond to the risk cycle. As he was struggling with his life, the life of the Awakener was just a small job. Of course, some wanted to stay as long as possible. They wanted to enjoy the reputation and the life that followed as a high-ranking Awakener. Anyway, after a few years of work, it¡¯s money. If you don¡¯t spend a lot of time, money comes to them, but it can¡¯t be used forever. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, let¡¯s finish this for five more years.¡± ¡°There¡­ Five years later, I will the same age as the representative,¡± Lee Seok-jin laughed at the words of Ryu Jin-tae, the representative of Aegis that stood in front of him. Ryu Jin-tae, who has never held it against anyone before, smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But what can I do about this?¡± ¡°But I think it¡¯s been five years. At the beginning of the risk cycle, how much does it sink in a week even if it soars all at the same time? Usually this has never been a problem, but¡­¡± Although it¡¯s beyond common sense, it had always been the same as the highest gate generation for 1-2 weeks as the time of the cycle change. ¡°Well, will it really shrink?¡± Ryu Jin-tae responded with a hurry. Four cycles in the past 20 years, only two of which are risky. His story had been a hypothesis then until much more data was accumulated, and he experienced it himself. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps¡­ I should go back to the scene again.¡± * * * Summoner Independence. This incident, which happened by accidentally absorbing the core, kept the person summoned even if you weren¡¯t using it directly. It was thought the connection between the core and the summoner was loosened as much as the moving core. However, the opposite was exact. The two spirits continued, rather than being disconnected, but more reliable, more flexible, and freer. ¡°A little further down,¡± Il-hyun murmured. A completely different landscape was shining on one side of his view as he was gazing at the broken road. The overlooking city Phoenix saw while he was flying in the sky. The view was shared with Il-hyun, and it was vivid and bright. ¡°See¡­¡± Flame-based monsters that are burning all over their bodies quickly stood out even from the vantage view in the sky. There was nothing to say about the huge giant. A total of three Ace Monsters along with their locations were all captured by Il-hyun. They were the most dangerous monsters, so he had to be concerned for them the most. Fortunately, it is not dangerous here yet. Il-hyun thought to check the location of the monsters in the center. The river crossing the city was around this area, and the mob was quite extensive with several bridges. Furthermore, the rivers and bridges served as GPS and communicators. They were flame-based monsters, and even you use your common sense, it was thought that their group would cross the river without any problems. Ideally, it would be best to stop each leg from going further. If the monsters got scattered more than that, the probation could be severe at a reasonably high level. The isolated Awakenings inside were also gathering by groups to see if some thought the same. Local awakened people who have been dispatched have already been destroyed. The monster¡¯s unexpected ability that neutralized the Ether sword and the defense coat was now forced to be helpless. It was impossible to block the front of the gate with only Il-hyun and the survivors. It wasn¡¯t long before the incident happened, but fortunately, no monsters were trying to cross the bridge since their arrival. It¡¯s probably because they¡¯re destroying and hurting the people in the city. Anyway, Il-hyun¡¯s currently sorting out the monsters trying to spread out from the west side of the city without the use of the river. ¡°Where¡¯s the blue guy¡­¡­¡± Il-hyun muttered as he changed his view. The field of view of the Phoenix in his head receded on his other hand, and this time, it was toward where the mouse¡¯s eyes were facing. The small park where people would typically rest caught its view that¡¯s almost attached to the ground. There was a giant swallowing up the trees standing there. On the rough side, it was almost the same as the previous Ace Monster, but it was quite different on second glance. It had blue flames all over its body. Everything that touched his body was quickly frozen and destroyed. Il-hyun was the person to have seen it for the first time, but even at a glance, he could see that he wasn¡¯t at a level he couldn¡¯t handle. As for the guys who felt danger, they have a separate tail. There¡¯s no one I need to see¡­ I¡¯ve already met you. Mutant monsters appear very rarely. Before the mutation, it was more durable than the existing monsters, and it was not even detected by the analyzer. Because of this gate, the analysis wasn¡¯t entirely correct, and if he included him, he would have received at least an A5 rank. The location is slightly above, but it¡¯s still okay. It¡¯s not a mess. Il-hyun shook his head. In Europe, three A-rank gates were opened simultaneously. They probably couldn¡¯t figure out that they had lost contact with the outside, but other regions already did. That meant that the support at the scene where Il-hyun was going could be much slower. I have no choice but to come as soon as possible. Il-hyun clutched his sword again. All he could do right now was to stop the damage as much as possible. At that time, while Il-hyun was looking elsewhere, flame hounds suddenly approached him. He stood silently, silently, silently and silently with no blockage looking for him. Wicked! Il-hyun turned to the side and lightly hounded two hounds. Moreover, Il-hyun was predicting the path in advance and standing there knowing that the monster heading west would come here. Some kind of surprise can¡¯t be eaten. Yum! More than twenty hounds barked and ran fiercely. However, Il-hyun didn¡¯t use his ability. He quickly processed one by one, and only the bodies of monsters increased. Dump! The separated head and body of the hunting dog passed through his blade and rolled down the floor as the burning flame extinguished. In an instant, there were only three monsters left. The rest of them were positioned to sneak away, but Il-hyun wasn¡¯t moving even one step from the spot. Bang! The wall fell off like an explosion happened, and a wolf jumped out of the gap. The big wolf stepped and crushed both heads of the monsters with its feet. He then devoured the remaining hounds. They didn¡¯t even resist as the wolf chewed their entire body as well as the core inside. The black blood dripped their fierce cry low. Purr! A guy with a gray hair blowing and looking fabulous looked down at Il-hyun proudly. However, Il-hyun was tumultuous. He bit his lips and raised his hand on his waist. ¡°Hey, I told you not to eat the core. You didn¡¯t listen, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Kiying¡­¡­¡± Chapter 47 - The Raw Meal (2) The Raw Meal (2) The wolf was bowing its head with its tail rolled down. It had to listen to Il-hyun¡¯s nagging because it ate the core inside the monster they caught. It can do it one or two times, but it had already eaten several cores in one day. This is a massive accident that¡¯s difficult to handle, especially if you eat an essential core of rank A monster or higher. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that in the future, got it?¡± Il-hyun said with his arms folded. The wolf nodded hard. It nodded very well, but Il-hyun didn¡¯t believe it. It was only the fourth time that it had received reflection. ¡°Right now, I¡¯m running out of time. And I have to train myself later on.¡± It wasn¡¯t just a wolf¡¯s problem. Others usually listen well, but they have little control over the poisonous core. They almost turned away from how much they like the Ether. While Il-hyun was speaking, the wolf was drooling at the core in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s like the owner¡­ Hey, wipe your saliva.¡± After reaching out and wiping it with its hand, Il-hyun rubbed its hair on the bristle. ¡°Feeling stronger?¡± The wolf nodded again. There was a reason why Il-hyun absorbed an Ether after summoning a wolf during a busy scene. A summoner that absorbed the Ether will acquire new abilities he most likely didn¡¯t know about. After absorbing this opportunity, he needed to figure out what had changed. Going back like this, it¡¯s clear that a summoner like Il-hyun becomes more physically conscious as they eat an Ether. As if he had inherited the predatory instinct of Il-hyun, the stronger the Ether it absorbs, the stronger it becomes. It was a pretty exciting part of Il-hyun. What if all three instincts are organically combined and affecting each other? It¡¯s still a guess, but it was a convincing idea. Just like the ability to transform are used together with the ability to summon, the summoner acquires a predatory ability. With that, you can predicate Ether on a modified object¡­ No, it¡¯s too out. Il-hyun scratched his head. He didn¡¯t have any willingness or mouth, and he didn¡¯t have the faintest idea of how to feed the core. Il-hyun, who lacks imagination, didn¡¯t think deeply about feeding the core to things. At that time, Il-hyun stopped. Phoenix, who was still watching the situation in the sky, discovered something. The two giants spewing flames suddenly stir up. Instead of devastating the surroundings, they were speeding through the buildings and running vigorously towards the bridge. And that image was also passed on to Il-hyun. ¡°I¡¯m here. Let¡¯s move.¡± * * * Yum! ¡°Unconditionally!¡± In the middle of the bridge in the city, there was a fierce battle between the Awakened and monsters. In fact, it was more like a fierce battle. Awakens was dealing with the monsters with their bare hands without a defense coat. Others tear the head by grabbing the monster¡¯s chin with their bare hands, while others had their bodies pierced by the monster¡¯s fangs and half-collapsed. The blood poured from the torn body like a fountain, and the smell of dead bodies spread over the place. It was a mess on the bridge. Some citizens were trying to get out of the city plagued by a gate or chased by monsters. ¡°Oh, awha!¡± ¡°Another bite!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give up! It¡¯s a damn fire that doesn¡¯t go out when I enter the water.¡± With no protective coat and no instincts, they just had to watch the other Awakened cut one leg off. The flames rose slowly from the bite, and the terrible screams were getting worse. ¡°Wait, what does this mean¡­¡­¡± Quaang! Thud! A loud noise came from their ears. The sound came at an incredibly fast pace, revealing itself quickly. Oooh! A giant with flames appeared to devour a small building with its flame. It¡¯s not one, but two. ¡°This dog¡­¡­¡± The Awakened man who was hit by the monster along with a citizen who had fallen down, faltered and staggered on the spot. Due to the absence of equipment, it was challenging to deal with the base monsters, but there was no way to do it when there were two of them. ¡°It¡¯s a monster!¡± Then, a new monster flew in the sky. A giant bird with a flame approaching at a bitter pace was staring at where they were. Even the runaway seemed overwhelming in size and speed, and it put its arms up because it wanted to finish it. However, it was a completely different situation. One man fell from the monster¡¯s back, and the giant bird struck the remaining monsters and threw them under the river. The man who appeared in the sky slowly approached the burning and dying Awakeners. When he turned his hand to the place where the fire was happening, the people around him began filling, but the man said that he¡¯s willing to lend a hand without hesitation. The people around thought that a terrible fire would spread, and the body would stretch, but unlike what they initially thought, the person¡¯s stroking flames slowly disappeared. Soon the flame that swallowed the injury disappeared completely and healed the wound to some extent. When the man woke up, he was among those who stared in surprise, as if he had seen a miracle. ¡°First, don¡¯t worry. We did it as a temporary measure. Are you okay?¡± Il-hyun, who spoke roughly to in Koreans and handed over the injured, immediately looked back. Suddenly, two giants ran to where they are. Il-hyun quickly walked forward. ¡°Honestly, I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to cross the bridge once.¡± The burning mutts killed as many as they could, but the giants had no choice but to do everything in the middle of the city. The monster who would have killed at least one hundred people, miserably was the only ace monster on the gate, measured by B1, and Il-hyun was in danger of dealing it alone. He felt like he wanted to take risks and kill them one by one, but he knew there were too many people who wouldn¡¯t survive if he died unfairly in this situation. But now, Il-hyun didn¡¯t feel so tense about the two monsters ahead. Instead, he seemed confident. The distance between the giant gradually dragging the hammer and Il-Hyun approaching them gradually narrowed. As soon as the distance was narrowed to some extent, the giant struck high, swinging the hammer, but Il-hyun reached out to the floor. Awesome! Beneath Il-hyun¡¯s palm, the cracks began to split the floor, and the connected pillars started to divide. Kugugung! Exactly the front of their legs was smashed and collapsed. The two giants and Il-hyun fell along with the wreckage, but Phoenix quickly grabbed Il-hyun and placed him on its back. Phoenix, who was large enough to carry a single line, freely resized itself as before. And so did the other Summoners. Profit! The two giants lost their balance and fell into the water. Intense fire and deep water met, and it sounded like it would go out, but the flames of the monsters burned without thinking of going out even when in the river. But it certainly wasn¡¯t the same. In the cold water of winter, many flames died and became much weaker. And soon, a strong wave began to weave over the calm river. The giant waves continued to hit the two monsters trying to escape the river. When they lost their balance and staggered, Il-hyun collected the waves and completely covered it. Then, he made a huge water hole to trap both of them. Water spheres continually compress up everywhere. The two giants trapped in it tried to escape, but it was impossible to use their power in completely weakened water. After taking a relaxing break from Phoenix¡¯s back, Il-hyun began to make thin streams one by one. Whenever a long spear-like water stream penetrated and pierced their skin, the monsters wriggled in pain. The streams of water increased one by one, and as more than a hundred dogs passed, the monsters dropped their heads and became a hedgehog without any eternal shape. The monsters¡¯ bodies came to mind as Il-hyun slowly released his power, the sphere disappearing. ¡°After that, it¡¯s simple.¡± Chapter 48 - The Raw Meal (3) The Raw Meal (3) ¡°Wow¡­¡­¡± People standing on the collapsed bridge stared blankly at the swaying river and the bodies that floated on it. Their gazes soon turned away from the B-rank monster whom Il-Hyun had killed at once. ¡°Is it that easy¡­¡­?¡± One of the Awakened murmured while frowning. They thought he was an Awakened member of the Aegis A team who was in Europe. ¡°Right! He spoke Korean. But did you see him for the first time?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know those great people.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not a member of the new team A! What was his name¡­¡­¡± A little while ago, the awakened people who were fighting bloodily were talking to each other. Although it was a distant country story for them, the Aegis was always interesting to awaken as it was one of the dream stages and jobs for Awakened people. Il-Hyun used Lee¡¯s ability to roughly lift the two giants from the river that had just fallen over the bridge. He sent Phoenix back for reconnaissance to have a look around. There are people who haven¡¯t crossed the bridge yet and are frightened and hidden. Breaking a bridge in this way reduces the likelihood that a monster will come out this way. But it was like abandoning people who fled here to escape. He reached out without hesitation, and the middle part of his damaged leg began to squirm and dangle. There were no pillars, and it was thinner, but it¡¯s also stronger than before, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about it collapsing. ¡°For now¡­¡­¡± Il-Hyun¡¯s expression suddenly solidified as he watched people hurrying through the bridge. The rats walked along the roof. He sent a trail and saw a blue mutant monster that was rapidly approaching their way. Either way, he was anxious that he was approaching little by little towards them, but the situation he was most worried about occurred in the end. ¡°What should I do¡­¡­?¡± Il-Hyun got conflicted between changing the direction to the bridge or the monster on the river. People were still evacuating, and it wasn¡¯t going to help them against A-ranked monsters whether they ran or not. Is it right to give up and send the monster over there, or should I try to stop it? Perhaps far beyond they could see, there were still more people who couldn¡¯t be evacuated, and it was clear that they would die without help. However, if he died while blocking here, no one could adequately stop other monsters and mutants. Perhaps it¡¯s better to overtake the monster and avoid further confusion. ¡°Stupid,¡± Il-Hyun muttered and laughed. Pride didn¡¯t allow him to withdraw from here. ¡°I just have to make it in time,¡± Il-Hyun said, making it easy to convince himself. He climbed over the bridge to warn people that a monster was coming, and helped the evacuees escape. In the midst of this, the gaps confirmed the mutants¡¯ location. Phoenix, who had been floating in the sky, was brought back to fight. The wolf was currently blocking the hunting dog monsters trying to escape from the west, so he couldn¡¯t help him. Wrap it up! Awesome! Shortly after, cold air blew over, and a giant blue flame appeared. The place where it had passed by was frozen and cracked all around. Even other monsters fled in all directions due to the appearance of the blue giant. Fighting near the bridge could be dangerous for everyone. And then the two met. Il-Hyun quickly came to the bridge and was looking forward to meeting it. The blue giant looked down at Il-Hyun¡¯s sword before it hit the ground with a hammer. Thud! Blue shock waves spread all over the place. It was the same power as the other giants who died within his hands. But the effect was completely different. Grrrr! ¡°Yawp!¡± Suddenly, an intense spark struck from his body. Unlike before, Il-Hyun¡¯s sword and defense coat used with high-ranked cores also lost their function. It was impossible to ignore that the core used was high because it was a unique ability of the same rank, A monster. ¡°This is expensive!¡± Il-Hyun threw the coat off quickly. Then, he took out the sword. Is this even a word anymore? Il-Hyun looked down at the sword. It was almost impossible to overcome a higher-level monster with a simple ability without an Ether sword. Meanwhile, the giant¡¯s hammer shook again. Thud! As the road shattered, sharp ice popped all around. Il-Hyun, who quickly escaped, reached the other side of the street. Then, the tree began to grow at a high rate. An enormous grown tree trunk crept on the giant¡¯s body. As it tried to run away, the outstretched branches tied his entire body, and Il-Hyun immediately took his next action. Patter! A group of insects stood up one by one on the floor. Dozens of white worms appeared and clung to the giant. He used this ability to match the opponent quickly, but Il-Hyun didn¡¯t stop there. The building that the giant passed by was frozen and twisted. The rubble, after completely covering the mutant monster, turned into a sufficiently large Golem. Oh! The summoned golem raised his heavy arms, intending to hit the monster. However, the attack was blocked and caught in the middle by the monster¡¯s hand. The tree trunks and insects that were used to prevent movement were frozen after contact with the blue flames. Il-Hyun quickly thought and summoned the worms¡ªhe was able to resist the cold right away in a short moment, but he still couldn¡¯t stand it for long. The summoned worms barely survived after making a few small wounds on the giant¡¯s body. Bang! The blue giant wielded its hammer, and half the face of the golem was broken at once. The broken area freezes rapidly, and the cold ice slowly swallows the golem. ¡°Damn it!¡± Il-Hyun stretched his arms out and pulled them out as hard as he could. Creak Creak! Then, a towering high-rise building was lifted, and the giant and the golem were hit at the same time. Quang! Along with the roar, thick dirt and dust spread out. Regardless of the monster¡¯s A rating, it was difficult to be safe if this attack hit right. But is it over? He didn¡¯t think so. He didn¡¯t think it would end like this. Paak! A fist flew through the thick smoke. Il-Hyun, who saw the fists flying, tried to hurriedly avoid it, but it was impossible. His feet were tightly frozen. Instantly bound, Il-Hyun gave strength and released the ice, but could not escape the attack. Bang! Phoenix quickly intervened, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the fist, and it bounced away. ¡°Ah¡­I didn¡¯t expect this.¡± Il-Hyun groaned, turned over, and raised his trembling arm. The right side of his arm was totally frozen. He felt stupider because he was equally affected by the technique he used to enjoy with his transformation ability. Likewise, the collapsed Phoenix flared again from the side, regaining its strength and reviving. In the meantime, if Phoenix hadn¡¯t blocked it, it would have been dead without the protective coat. Il-Hyun stretched out his left arm while on the verge of collapsing. His last remaining energy was poured into the river. The vast waters that covered the sky turned into water dragons and soon flew away to swallow up the giant. However, the giant wielded the hammer again, and Il-Hyun¡¯s attack froze on the spot, creating a giant statue. When the ice dragon smashed and fell, Il-Hyun mumbled. ¡°Ha, Not helpful, but still¡­¡­¡± The giant slowly approached Il-Hyun. The monster dragging the hammer opened its mouth wide, tearing its cheeks, and dropping frozen skin fragments. ¡°3 minutes¡­No, one more minute,¡± Il-Hyun said while looking at Phoenix. Then, the growing ice was removed from his arms and sides. Il-Hyun moaned for a while in pain. However, even though he already removed the ice and was able to move about, the fight was far from over. If he didn¡¯t win, he would stop and hold it here. Now! Il-Hyun grabbed Phoenix¡¯s body. Phoenix soared quickly, and the place where Il-Hyun was a little while ago was shattered in an instant. Ice stretched, and an unexpected hammer was thrown their way. Il-Hyun and Phoenix flew in circles between them. As nearby buildings ruptured, Il-Hyun used his medium-sized ability to fend off the rocks one by one while putting medicine to his wounds. But there was still a long way to go. One wing of the Phoenix, which was hit by a hammer, froze, losing its balance and fell on the floor with Il-Hyun. ¡°Ugh, I can¡¯t attack back anymore,¡± Il-Hyun, who quickly woke up, extended his arm, but he couldn¡¯t use his ability. It was completely discharged and empty. Fortunately, Phoenix had ridiculous regeneration, but both of his equipment and instincts were blocked. It was a difficult situation to stop even now. As the blue fireballs approached them, Il-Hyun and Phoenix suddenly floated in the air. No, all the objects around floated in the air. ¡°What¡­¡­?¡± Il-Hyun was surprised, and his eyes widened, and now a massive monster body floated into the air. He was terrified of this opponent, but now he hadn¡¯t even been able to balance himself, and he even seemed funny struggling in the air. Another thing is while Il-Hyun and many other objects are slightly lifted off the ground, the giant in front of him stopped after a long rise. Quaddeuk! There was no attack, but suddenly the giant¡¯s body was bent and broken. The big attraction was starting to compress the giant, even going through into bones, flesh, and blue flames without mercy. He struggled like crazy to get out but to no avail. Even a small, invisible black hole was formed as if it had been created inside it, and its body couldn¡¯t be immediately recognized as it gathered in the air. It was compressed tightly to a few tenths of its original size. ¡°You¡¯re safe now. Please go to the north first.¡± Following the voice from somewhere, Il-Hyun¡¯s head turned up. A woman was coming down from the sky. She wasn¡¯t falling or flying, it just sat down on the floor. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting this. How are you still alive?¡± She said while looking at Il-Hyun. The woman asked with hesitation. Il-Hyun thought it was a little embarrassing to be treated like this by the first person he saw. Then, Il-Hyun¡¯s stood up as he came back to his senses. If only I had slowed it down a little, it¡¯s dead now? ¡°Ugh, thank you for your help.¡± Il-Hyun said when he woke up. Then, he glanced up at the face of the woman he didn¡¯t properly have a look at before. It was likely the same face he expected it would be. Il-Hyun knows there¡¯s only one person who can use this ability. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re Seol-young. Nice to meet you.¡± Seol-young smiled brightly. It seemed more than a smile, it was a smile that only someone with a pretty face could have. Il-Hyun, who had recently become somewhat knowledgeable by seeing many beautiful people on TV, could not prevent himself from staring. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the government response team to support me,¡± said Il-Hyun. Standing in front of him was Seol-young, and she¡¯s part of a government response team. In fact, she was a talent in her early 20s and is probably the youngest to serve as the head of the government¡¯s top response team. She was a holder of an S rank ability, and it¡¯s one of the best in the world. She¡¯s also an A-class Awakener who ranks among the top 10 in the world with just her average record. If there is Lee Tae-hee who¡¯s just emerging in Aegis and was among the hopeful candidates of becoming the fifth S-ranked Awakener in the world, then Ah Seol-young was already in the response team. She had a lot of experience, and the word ¡°genius¡± was not suitable because she was already among the top ten of high-ranking Awakeners. ¡°There was a low priority on the site, and I thought electronic equipment would go out and delay support.¡± ¡°Oh, originally, I was going to respond to the A3 gate. It¡¯s the most urgent place, but the manager of the team told me to proceed here after losing contact. It was a good choice, and I didn¡¯t know if anyone was still alive.¡± Seeing that innocent smile, he spoke out a different line in his head, and suddenly, his face fell. Il-Hyun¡¯s expression hardened¡ªother team members could be in danger. ¡°No! I have to quickly go and support other people!¡± ¡°So, what will you do here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s one Ace Monster here, so I¡¯ll go there¡­¡­!¡± But Seol-young laughed when he rushed. ¡°Several teams have already gone there. They¡¯re a little slower than us, but still, if you go there now, it would probably have ended before you¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡­¡± Il-Hyun hid his face from the gloomy words. ¡°One left¡­ Wait a minute, the monsters haven¡¯t left yet. That means the planes cannot fly,¡± she said. Indeed, there¡¯s still an Ace monster with such abilities that won¡¯t let the aircraft float. Seol Seol-young closer her fists, and something shook in the air between the masses of corpses. Widely! The while light core of the monster shining brightly came into her hands. Indeed, as a rare mutant, it was very different from a common core. It was slightly larger than the standard size, and its light had a bluish aura to it. Perhaps it¡¯s a valuable core for research because of its rare mutation. ¡°A lot of them are dead,¡± Ah Seol-young said as she looked at the bodies of people lying around them. Il-Hyun was able to defend in front of the bridge, so more citizens and monsters gathered there, causing that many corpses. ¡°Isn¡¯t your conscience wounded?¡± ¡°What?¡± One thing she didn¡¯t really say was something else on her mind. ¡°You are talented. We must fight for these victims. Why not join our team instead? If you want to absorb a core, we can give you some. It¡¯s more than what the Aegis can give you.¡± ¡°What are you talking about¡­ No, how did you know this?¡± There has never been a public disclosure of his ability. However, Seol-young said it as if she already knew about Il-Hyun¡¯s predatory ability. ¡°Ha! Have you ever wondered if we did not even do a background investigation? You¡¯re naive.¡± Il-Hyun stared at her innocent eyes. He¡¯s not proud of what he¡¯s secretly done behind the scenes. But how does he say that in front of a crowd? ¡°In the past¡­ The Scouts were already fed up by the government. Of course, they refused every offer they were given.¡± ¡°It was very different from what I¡¯ve been offered a few times before.¡± Il-Hyun stared in embarrassment, but she continued to chat with him. ¡°Think carefully. When I meant is Aegis is a bit big, it¡¯s because it¡¯s a company. Would you like to solve this problem? Not long ago, a team leader was also removed, so¡­¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Il-Hyun¡¯s expression seemed annoyed. By his tone, Seol-young looked terribly baffled, was he even surprised or not. Her expression soon turned into pity. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I haven¡¯t seen them that much, but I feel like I fully belong with Aegis in just a month.¡± l-Hyun endured and said, ¡°You belong to Nabal, and you are not supposed to say these things.¡± Seol-young continued to speak with her arms crossed, and she was sneering at him. ¡°I am trying to get along¡­ What good would it do to come here and pretend? Are you saying it¡¯s honorable to be useless?¡± He was yelled at by the bitch. It was honestly a shock to Il-Hyun. In the news articles and broadcasts, he was known to the public as the perfect person who had a tremendous ability with a good and pure image and a handsome face. ¡°The delusional one is me¡­huh?¡± As Il-Hyun spoke, he stared blankly next to her. After the fight, Phoenix hanged around Il-Hyun¡¯s shoulder. Then It stood next to Seol-young. Its gaze continued to focus on her hand that holds the core, and now, it was sneaking close. Odo-tik! Bang! Chapter 49 - The Power of Reason The Power of Reason ¡°Ah¡­¡­what?¡± Seol-young stared at the falling pieces of the core. The core she held in her hand was shattered. Il-Hyun felt frozen and embarrassed in place, and several thoughts passed by in a short moment. Phoenix, the criminal who broke the core, trembled happily. And then, when what it had done had finally registered into its head, its happy face gradually started crumbling. Phoenix and Il-Hyun both looked at their empty palms. An awkward silence filled the area around the three of them. ¡°I heard that you could break a core, but this is really¡­what do you want to do now?¡± Ah Seol-young, who fixed her crumbling expression, asked Il-Hyun with a light voice. He thought she was going to turn them both upside down while she¡¯s enraged, but she came out surprisingly calm. ¡°Why not think of it again? Won¡¯t you consider the offer ?¡± There she goes again. ¡°No. It¡¯s better to just repay,¡± Il-Hyun quickly replied. Obviously, the broken core now has a different appearance and scarcity. However, even if it was a core derived from a mutant, the difference from the common core was not as great as to affect its price that much because it had never been revealed by any studies. Anyway, even if he paid back, it wasn¡¯t too hard to pay some extra bit of Money. Anyway, for some time, he kept struggling like that, and what else was he supposed to do about it? ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re wishing to do because it¡¯s been a long time since¡­¡­that accident happened.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to work for the government, and I don¡¯t really care about money.¡± ¡°Money? Ha! Does it look like we¡¯re here for Money? Of course, our operation costs much more than Aegis. What¡¯s so important about Money when it comes to us? We¡¯re working with a sense of mission.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Il-Hyun laughed a bit. The conditions for recruitment were unparalleled as she and other top-class Awakeners were competing to take over countries around the world. And then there were salaries, but at the same time, there are also conditions that need to be met. Perhaps power is the first condition that she¡¯d have. As a key government official, she comes with considerable power that no other ordinary Awakener could ever get. It was an open secret that even the gate-related departments and private companies that lined up underneath them posed no restrictions to her. In a world like this, having some high-ranking Awakeners are the priority to governments. ¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± Il-Hyun said. Ah, Seol-young looked at Il-Hyun as if she was unconvinced and shook her head. ¡°Where can I send the money?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t need any money. It¡¯s like you owe me or something.¡± ¡°No, a person cant just manipulate their debt at will. Can¡¯t I just give it to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not taking it,¡± Ah Seol-young responded resolutely to the simple words of Il-Hyun. This won¡¯t work, Il-Hyun thought. While wandering, Seol-young listened and put her finger on the communicator for a moment. Then, while she was talking, the Summons of Il-Hyun came. The wolf ran over from the West, and a mouse probably hiding somewhere suddenly appeared on his shoulders. Their family had already increased to give off the feeling of being a bit too big. ¡°Okay. First, send one down to this location. The last one we sent there was caught. Then, call for transportation, so that if you are worried, you can easily escape. These are¡­are they all your Summons?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch them. If someone else touches them, they will bite them.¡± Ah Seol-young, who was already reaching out to the wolf, jumped at his words. Of course, it was a lie, but Seol-young unexpectedly took a step back. A plane waiting outside the range of view flew in and lowered its altitude above them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for breaking the core. Let¡¯s go! Good work.¡± ¡°Hey! What¡¯s going on with this strange bird? It looks like it¡¯s a mess.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Il-Hyun pretends to have heard what she said as he boards a blue plane. Unlike the Aegis transport, the structure was opened on the back. After sending away the Summons first, he sighed and sat down on a chair. It¡¯s the first time he felt exhausted after just a conversation. ¡°When we meet next time, I wish I am more stringer than now.¡± Seol-young smiled and waved her hand. * * * ¡°You¡¯re dead!¡± curses poured out from Lee Soo-Yeon¡¯s mouth. She was sitting in a small chair, and the attending physician was bandaging her head from behind. The color red was all over the loose bandages, but Lee Soo-yeon¡¯s head looked clean. ¡°I think the speed of recovery is getting faster.¡± Just 10 minutes after the blood spilling out was stopped and bandaged, the doctor clicked his tongue. She looked at her hair that had been cleaned of all the blood of the wound. As an Awakening specialist bounded to Aegis, it was surprising that they didn¡¯t already have knowledge of their speed of recovery. ¡°What, no? I don¡¯t need that bandage in the first place.¡± She even took off the remaining bandage and threw it into the trash. Lee Soo-Yeon went alone to block the A3 rank gate. Their goal was to draw common ground, but unlike the rest of the team, they fought away a horde of monsters from in front of the door. Support from other Local Awakeners came in late, but the doors were already closed¡ªthe Awakeners had gone back in surprise. Of course, no matter how many times she had asked, there was no information about the monsters, but there was definitely a lot of them. The defensive coat was smashed in half, and her head was hurt. However, it luckily didn¡¯t cause any damage to the people in the area. When the attending physician went out, and it was confirmed he had closed the door, Lee Soo-Yeon opened her mouth again. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even think about being cautious, though I didn¡¯t expect it in the first place.¡± ¡°It was a shock because he was completely different from the person I thought him to be. He looks good for the part, but how can he be so different?¡± ¡°Did you believe in this footage? Ghost is completely different in front of the camera.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­?¡± Il-Hyun¡¯s gaze turned to the side for a moment. However, Ghost maintained her appearance in front of the camera completely differently. ¡°Please stop already. This is an inevitable situation¡­¡­ Ugh.¡± ¡°It¡¯s another one,¡± Ghost sat at the desk while eating bread, and suddenly, she pointed out. Ghost sat down on the desk and was eating bread and suddenly pointed out again. ¡°Hmm, you got it right. She isn¡¯t without rumors.¡± ¡°¡­is that enough?¡± Ah, Seol-young was famous for her personality as well as her excellent ability. Of course, that was not enough. ¡°Cant you tell. she has been rated S rank since she was 15, and everyone supported her like a queen here and there, do you understand what it looks like.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± Il-Hyun¡¯s face crumpled in silence. Obviously, this was never their last meeting. Of course, even if they ever meet again, she had no intention of collecting her debt, but his head felt like it was already burdened. Both Aegis and the government response team are two of the best Awakening groups in the world, so they often work together in the field. In the eyes of the media, the two of them were rivals, and in fact, everyone thought so too, but saying they have a partnership is more accurate than them hating each other. All Aegis guys that had been kicked out of Aegis went there, and even if they did have the skills, their personality¡¯s are shit. It was the only news that could come from Central America by searching for Ghost. It was said that there was an absurd incident that occurred just a year ago when a spy was installed inside Aegis. ¡°But, by the way, it seems difficult to cover Europe with only the four of us.¡± Seok Pil-jun said while leaning against the wall. While he says this, all four of his teammates who sat in the room were exhausted and droopy. While one of the team leaders was injured, everyone was upset because the gates had appeared more than they expected them to. At the same time, there is no high-ranking and urgent gate, so they¡¯re still waiting, and even now, the smaller gates had been left open. ¡°I was asked for back-up, and I will be going out for the other team as soon as possible. Don¡¯t expect much. The situation isn¡¯t that serious.¡± Three gates appeared simultaneously on the European side. In addition to the monsters that Il-Hyun faced, the monsters that appeared there all had their own abilities. It was not uncommon for three of them to be activated at the same time, and all of them had unique abilities. ¡°It would have taken time to find the killer who attacked us already. Then this happened¡­¡­¡± The Aegis, as well as governments around the world, have worked together to find clues about the culprit, but all of them are still out of shape. No matter how well you hide, there are still limitations. But in this case, it was completely different. After its tail was caught, problems with gate analysis disappeared. They the culprits stopped the activity and hid again. Il-Hyun didn¡¯t know for what purpose they did those things, but it wasn¡¯t common sense that should be used in understanding the activities that had happened. ¡°Well?¡± Then something opened and came in. It was a small gray puppy and a mouse on its head. The team members, except Il-Hyun, suddenly looked at the guys who had intruded with an unfamiliar expression¡ªhe laughed at them. ¡°It¡¯s my new family.¡± ¡°Oh, Summoners¡­It must have been a long way after the fight.¡± ¡°Lonely these days? Do you have a better job to do?¡± The team members Il-Hyun haven¡¯t seen for a while were the first people his dog have met. Even the Phoenix pulled his head out of the inside Il-Hyun¡¯s pocket. It was like he had a collection of pets. However, this was simply a brief reduction in the size of the Summoners. Tak! Il-Hyun bounced his finger, a spark of fire blazed from the little bird that had taken off, and the appearance of Phoenix was seen. The guy with big wings flew around the room. ¡°The pilot wanted to stun the wolf¡­but I said otherwise, and I had to change its appearance for a while.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Ghost muttered as he looked at the gray puppy, who was running wild and shaking its tail. Curious, the puppy tried to take the bread Ghost was eating, but he fell and rolled with the piece of bread onto the floor. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you make a summoner unit with cores?¡± ¡°Yeah, do you know how to do it?¡± One of the team members, who had a lot of questions about Il-Hyun¡¯s new ability, looked at him, and asked. ¡°These guys are so greedy about the cores that I think it will be a big deal if I level up at all for the time being,¡± said Il-Hyun. If the Summoner ate too many cores, he couldn¡¯t grow himself. Even so, it¡¯s still not enough to leave every dangerous gate to Aegis and the Summoner. And if the Summoner ate away all the cores there, there would be nothing left for the company. At the same time, it was also a matter of efficiency. The summoners became more potent as they consumed the Ether, but basically, the first one to be summoned would also be the first one to become stronger. ¡°I can¡¯t make anything like a dragon.¡± ¡°Well, it would be nice, but it should not be easy¡­ don¡¯t be stalled.¡± There is a limit to summoning something because it is made with one force. It can¡¯t be summoned indefinitely, and if you make the defense strong to prevent an attack, you will have no choice but to drop speed or other aspects. Just giving Phoenix one immortal property was already quite a lot to give up. Now, after absorbing multiple cores, it¡¯s gotten pretty strong overall. Then I ate one whole, A-rank core. I¡¯m not sure what changed, though. Il-Hyun, who thought he was crazy about Phoenix, thought hard. While I was here, I called out to Phoenix, who was having trouble eating his core, but I haven¡¯t confirmed its effectiveness yet. ¡°Uh¡­ the color has changed? Is that an ability?¡± Seok Pil-jun pointed his finger to a flying Phoenix. It was totally true. The reddish Phoenix was reversed entirely in color and had a blue flame. Everyone was staring blankly at the beautiful figure of the bird blowing ice crystals here and there. At that time, Phoenix flaked its wings and released energy. Thud! The shockwaves spread out inside the room¡ªit was so intense that, that Ghost who was sitting on the desk ducked and covered his head. ¡°This is another monster¡­¡­!¡± Ghost who rolled and fell on the ground looked around. Objects in the room were turned over, and the windows were all broken, some even hanging on the floor. A fluorescent lamp exploded, electric power was splashed, and the electronic clock hanging on the wall stopped working as it was tilted. Above all, however, the defense coats they were wearing and the swords they were holding stopped working. ¡°It completely looks good,¡± Seok Pil-jun said as he checked his coat back and forth. Even the circuit burned out, making re-usage impossible. ¡°I should contact the head office again and ask for our resupply,¡± Lee Soo-Yeon muttered with laughter in the ridiculous situation they were in. Chapter 50 - Squeak! Squeak! ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to come here. What¡¯s wrong?¡± the woman muttered in a desperate voice. She was half-crying, and her legs were broken entirely as she leaned her back against a gray wall. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I have come to rescue you,¡± the man who appeared said. He kept messing with the defensive coat he was still wearing, but he didn¡¯t think the coat had already stopped working, and it wouldn¡¯t work again. ¡°Why are you going through this hell!¡± The woman screamed. Because of the desperate situation, she shouted even when she cried. She might have heard the sound of a monster, and she looked out into the small gap in the window. Beyond that, the stems of monstrous plants were devouring every building they found. When she didn¡¯t seem to have noticed any coming here, she sighed with relief and grinned at the guy still here. This wasn¡¯t something that could be solved simply by a few high-ranking Awakeners. The monsters appearing from the gate were going out of control. When it appeared, there were only a few monsters, but at this moment, the entire city was filled, and the number was increasing at a tremendous speed. Killing one brings in three, and killing two brings in a group of them. ¡°I was completely deceived. They only asked for more time. How are we going to give them time against these creatures?¡± It was useless to wield a sword against them. She closed the doors and windows, and she hurriedly hid inside the building¡ªshe didn¡¯t know when they would rush inside. It was silent, and there was a dark shadow in front of the room. But, of course, it was only for a while, and a loud quarrel was heard outside. Perhaps it¡¯s the sound of her other co-workers dying. Squeak! A mouse jumped on top of her while her head was bowed, her hand covering it. It was a pet rat, as it did not have an unpleasant smell. It seemed to have come with its companions to avoid monsters. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous here. You come on too,¡± she laughed at herself while talking to the animal. The mouse stared at the woman¡¯s face and shook its head as if to show that it was even able to understand her. While the two Awakeners were curiously looking at the window, one wall broke, and something came in. Quang! As C-ranked veteran Awakeners, they quickly reacted and picked up the sword. But its speed was much faster. The intruding monsters caught both of them in an instant. However, their bodies were not torn or crushed. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡­?¡± Two confused men and women looked around. A big bird was carrying them, and it was flying in the sky. There were even dozens of birds carrying people as they flew in the city¡¯s sky. After confirming that the two Awakeners had been removed from the scene, Il-Hyun talked in the communicator. ¡°I¡¯ve removed all living people here.¡± ¡ªThat¡¯s good, but the plants have already eaten half of the city! You might be late for handwriting. ¡°There is not much time left,¡± Il-Hyun said as he checked his watch¡¯s GPS. There were monsters to deal with on time. It was impossible to respond immediately in the initial stage, so it was unreasonable for the 5th team leader alone to deal with all of the monsters that were coming in the current situation. Four positioned coordinates were shown. After Il-Hyun confirmed, one of them disappeared. Only two people were dispatched to the scene because they were busy, and Il-Hyun tried to head to another location. Goo Goo! Without a sign, suddenly, the floor shook. As he stepped close to the center where the gate appeared, the places he stepped on became large stems. And in all kinds of places, a myriad of different creatures stood up. Kiek! Sharp cries, and thorny stems poured all over him. However, Il-Hyun struck the stems flying without any effort with his sword. From the sharply cut skin of the monsters, green body fluids spouted everywhere. However, Il-Hyun summoned the Phoenix right away without any thought of continuing the fight and soared into the sky. When he saw any, he had no intention of dealing with monsters who are increasing several times faster at the same time. He looks downward, and as the altitude increased, the city was covered with a green light. Plants multiplied at the edges quickly, expanding their range. Il-Hyun, who quickly descended to the ground, landed on the floor and canceled the summon. He looked around. Here too, the stems had covered everything, but they weren¡¯t rushing and were less toxic and quieter compared to other places. However, Il-Hyun glanced and saw the Ether flowing underneath them¡ªhe raised his sword and smashed down. Swish-Bang! His feet fluctuated as if the entire terrain he was on was moving. The stalks got smashed away until several buildings that were covered by the plants. The mass of vines that revealed itself shook like a living heart. In addition, other monsters appeared and encircled the heart that was violently beating in the restless body. The monsters were crowding from all sides to protect it. However, no matter how many vines there is, one attack was enough for Il-Hyun to kill it. A little wolf shook its head in his arms. * * * Kung! An explosion occurred, it was glaring even from a distance. ¡°There is only one left,¡± Lee Tae-hee said. She confirmed that one goal was erased through the hologram of the watch on her right wrist. Her sleek hair and 19-year-old fresh appearance didn¡¯t go well with the scene of the bloody ruins. Of course, unlike others, she was in the spotlight as the world¡¯s best prospect and was a member of Team C, and she even temporarily sent support to Team A, which lacked manpower in many ways. She didn¡¯t expect that the time they had gone to be the third week already. As evidence of her promising skills, the bodies of the monsters were severely cut up, it had become hard to recognize their original shape. Then, in a pile of corpses, the stem of a monster plant stretched out, aiming behind her. They were all dying with the wounds on their bodies, but they wanted to see human blood until the last minute. However, a glowing lump of flame appeared and intervened in the middle, and both stretched stems and a few remaining bodies were burnt. ¡°Thanks,¡± Lee Tae-hee smiled and looked up. Above her was a brightly burning phoenix. Since the site was plant-filled all over the place, the flame-based attack worked effectively. Il-Hyun was her savior. When Lee Tae-hee ran, Phoenix also followed her. The last goal remained a short distance away. On the way, the floor wobbled, and monsters appeared and blocked the road, but they jumped over them lightly and cut them down to maintain speed. ¡°I found a way¡­¡­!¡± Lee Tae-hee paused and stared blankly in front of her. The stalks of snarling monsters gathered to form a giant dome. This wasn¡¯t an A level threat. To protect the last remaining target, the monsters have gathered in large amounts. Her feet shook as she stared at the view in front of her¡ªthe monsters were rushing at her. It would not matter if that¡¯s was all, but at the same time, numerous stems that can not be counted have stretched out in a massive mass that is clustered into a dome. ¡°Haaa!¡± Lee Tae-hee pulled the sword inside her arms and concentrated her mind. Ji-ing! A small wave spread around her, and the world quickly turned gray. Everything slowed down. From flying vines to falling flower pots and cracking walls. Amid a world where everything flowed slowly, Lee Tae-hee remained the same and swung her sword vigorously. Time acceleration¡ªit was one of her two powers. It was the ability to be classified as the best among the rank A talents. It was her own power! All the stalks were cut off without a hitch, and the monsters that had stood up fell down again and split into several pieces that covered the floor. But she stopped there. It was difficult to kill the enormous mass of the monster that filled everything as far as the eyes could see. ¡°What should I do¡­¡­?¡± She has to deal with it as soon as possible, but it would have taken too long to process it in the usual way. There was no end to removing the lumped monsters one by one without knowing where the target was located. ¡°Tae-hee!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lee Tae-hee looked up toward the voice. A familiar transport plane was approaching her way. And there was someone inside¡ªhe was reaching his hand out the door. ¡°Brother? How did you get there?¡± Embarrassed, Lee Tae-hee pointed to the lump of plants. She was glad that he showed up in a situation where she needed help, but he was on the plane to see if she was going to leave her work fast. ¡°Once you get on¡­¡­! I¡¯ll tell you!¡± As the plane descended and approached her, Il-Hyun reached out. Lee Tae-hee, who didn¡¯t know English before the scene can be prevented, climbed up with his hand¡¯s support. Initially, when this type of monster was present, it was a suicidal attempt to fly low in an aircraft, but Phoenix protected from all the creeping vines. The plane flew up with Phoenix whirling around. ¡°What are you going to do about the mission?¡± ¡°Wait a minute¡­. The goal is done. Start bombing.¡± -Yes, confirmed. Il-Hyun contacted the backup team that was on standby, and immediate response was heard. ¡°You still have one left? Then, the bomb won¡¯t work because of the shield¡­¡­¡± Lee Tae-hee was surprised at his words. But soon she could see something strange happening through the open door. Plants that had been tightly slumped fell apart. When they all fell out, for some reason, there was a dead target among a pile of vines. And dozens of bombers, as if waiting, appeared in the sky. Survivors were evacuated, and the plane was sufficiently raised high. Bombs fell. Quang! The diffusion bombs using Ether spat out lots of smoke before they hit the ground, and explosions and sparks devoured everything on the ground. The remaining D-rank base monsters didn¡¯t survive the violent explosion. The colorful fireworks that swallowed the little town filled her eyes. No matter where you go, even if they give you tens of billions of dollars, you will never see this sight all your life. And then¡ª In the explosion, the mouse flew over the sparrow. Lee Tae-hee figured out the identity of the hero who knocked down the target all alone. ¡°Ahaha, that is cool!¡± ¡°Well done.¡± Squeak! Chapter 51 Relief Il-Hyun and Lee Tae-hee completed the last one of the sites. They got off the transport plane and returned to the hostel. The mouse was on Il-Hyun¡¯s shoulder, and the small-sized Phoenix was held in Lee Tae-hee¡¯s arms. They were told that they¡¯re only going to be dispatched for a whole week, but the situation wasn¡¯t as good as they expected it to be, so the period of dispatch was prolonged. When they opened the door and went inside, they saw Ghost lying down on a spacious sofa, sleeping. The clothes he wore before they were dispatched were the same as those he¡¯d been wearing when he returned from the field. ¡°Oh, no! My mask!¡± Ghost shook his arm and drooled. Even if it was a nightmare, he started to cry. Il-Hyun woke him up by shaking his hand up and down. Ghost woke up and slapped his own cheeks. ¡°Oh, I was dozing off again.¡± ¡°What were you dreaming about?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sleepy, just sleep inside your room. Don¡¯t do it here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not sleepy anymore,¡± Ghost raised his arms out as if he¡¯s stretching. Then, he picked up the white bottle on the table. Two or three small pills popped out and went on his hand¡¯s palm before he swallowed them into his mouth. ¡°Oh, please give me one, too.¡± ¡°Oh, here.¡± When Ghost bounced a pill, Lee Tae-hee caught it with her mouth and smiled. The drug¡¯s identity is a stimulant that can make you sleep. It was an item that team members recently got used to. He thought it would be necessary to be wide awake through the use of medicine because of working overtime, but instead, Il-Hyun didn¡¯t know he would come here and see this drug himself. Of course, the effect was strong enough to be incomparable to those sold on the market. It was even thoroughly tested for safety without side effects on the human body. ¡°If you saw to it already, then it must¡¯ve been taken care of. A gate like that would¡¯ve been tricky. After all, it seemed like the two best talents in the world went there. At least write to me if you become the team leader soon,¡± said Ghost as he sneakily checked the clock on the wall, smirking. Then, Lee Tae-hee smiled awkwardly, her cheeks reddening. Meanwhile, Il-Hyun, who was dispatched to Europe by Team A and made a remarkable achievement, became a promising prospect to be tied with Lee Tae-hee. In addition to his skill level¡¯s steep growth, the monsters he killed were posted on related websites and became known to the public. Of course, he didn¡¯t feel like he was bored enough that would go outside these days. Unlike Lee Tae-hee reacting with a shy face, Il-Hyun¡¯s already accustomed to Ghost¡¯s remarks. He took off his defensive coat and hung it on a hanger. It was as dusty when he went to the scene, and others seemed to prefer washing clothes right away. But he didn¡¯t have to. It will be dirty again in an hour or two. Tuk! A red fox inside his coat fell off the pocket¡¯s gap. The general appearance was distinctly different from that of the fox, but the nine small tails on its back fluttered. The Fourth one, it was Il-Hyun¡¯s new Summoner that had absorbed an Ether. ¡°Shuncha,¡± Il-Hyun called. After taking a bath and leaving the Summoners wandering in the house, he laid down on the sofa. He didn¡¯t sleep because of that one stimulant he swallowed in the morning, but he was exhausted a lot. It was rather a familiar feeling that he couldn¡¯t sleep properly because the gates opened several times even at dawn. If it weren¡¯t for the Awakener body who had a quick recovery in all directions, it would¡¯ve been an abnormal schedule. ¡°Is the world going to perish? It¡¯s already the 3rd week, and I wish it would be a little quiet after this week,¡± said Il-Hyun as he blankly looked at the ceiling. ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ It¡¯s really long this time. You¡¯re still going to Korea tomorrow. We¡¯ll be just a little bit behind you,¡± Ghost added at the end. Il-Hyun nodded. He had already heard that it¡¯s difficult in many ways when you go abroad. They would be busy compared to the teams already waiting in Seoul, mainly because they would take on the hard gates, which leads to a harsh situation. ¡°There are five people in one continent, and even though we have the least number of people, the situation had always been like this. I¡¯ve never looked for your team¡¯s help.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Isn¡¯t it that you¡¯ve always believed in us?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± laughter leaked from Il-Hyun while lying with his eyes closed. Il-Hyun also agreed to some extent with Ghost¡¯s words, as he had already heard that the other teams were returning. The currently dispatched teams are at 8 or 7 in number. It¡¯s true that even though the continent is small, they¡¯re busier compared to other teams. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not surprising that Tae-hee isn¡¯t with another person. The chief of Team C pampers his members a lot, and if I happen to join them, I¡¯m going to be here for the next three weeks. What, aren¡¯t you trying to intentionally do extreme training?¡± After his words, he looked at Il-Hyun and Tae-hee, who were seated in a squatting position. A mouse was biting his fingers while it played together with the other mice. Hmm, thanks to me, It absorbed a lot of cores. When he thinks about it, even though he has been working alone with no one helping him but the number of cores gained proportionally has also increased. If there were a lot of people, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to absorb these many cores. Unlike before, this time, even monsters that came out of the B1 level gate were enough to make do. ¡°Come, everyone,¡± Lee Tae-hee called the Summoners wandering around. Then, three small Summoners gathered in front of her. ¡°Voila!¡± Lee Tae-hee took the core out of her arms. Summoners jumped to the square core, where white light flowed from within it. ¡°Give me your hands,¡± Lee Tae-hee said after putting the cores in front of the guys. Then, every three hands were quickly placed on her palm. If it was anyone else, they would¡¯ve not cared at all even if the summoners snapped at the object right in front of their eyes. ¡°Well done,¡± Lee Tae-hee handed out the cores one by one and looked at the Summoners excitedly eating them. Il-Hyun had been bitten by an animal once when he was a child, so he was reluctant to summon Summoners even when he first saw them. But now, he¡¯d feel regret if ever he parted with them. ¡°Well, I gave these guys the core,¡± Il-Hyun, who saw it, said sorry. When the Summoners needed a core, they took it from their prey. And when they realized that they needed more than one core, the other team members soon fed the cores to them. ¡°I work along with you, so I can take care of this,¡± Lee Tae-hee replied uncaringly. The Summoners of Il-Hyun were no longer just a small part of his life, time, or just his assistants on the battlefield. Il-Hyun¡¯s Summoners, which had been getting stronger over the past three weeks, were now able to tackle and solve problems to some extent, making it easier for Il-Hyun to handle the increased work. Then, they heard the door open. At the same time, Lee Soo-Yeon and Seok Pil-jun, who had gone on different missions, came back. But the first thing that ran into the living room was a gray puppy. The wolf, who went on a mission with the two of them, looked magnificent. It looked at the broken piece of core on the floor while looking around the entire room. ¡°Oh, I only got three cores in the field¡­¡­¡± Lee Tae-hee had an apologetic expression on her face. ¡°No problem, I got it,¡± Seok Pil-Joon came in and threw a core. Then, the little wolf jumped and swiftly caught it with its mouth. Soon, Il-Hyun woke-up, and Ghost told Lee Soo-Yeon about it. ¡°Fortunately, it must be over now. The dangerous Seyferon had appeared again.¡± ¡°Yeah, it was breathtaking, and it ended well.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t just a gate or two, but I don¡¯t know if anyone is seriously hurt.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I can¡¯t just work as safely as before.¡± There wasn¡¯t enough workforce and equipment anymore, and the situation was always complicated. This was the same for Awakeners all over the world. It wasn¡¯t the right time to enter the scene before planning everything securely, as they always did before. When Lee Soo-Yeon sat beside Il-Hyun and tried to lean her body back, the receiver rang at bad timing. ¡ª B1 level gate generation in eastern Sicily! 15 minutes until activation! ¡°¡­What?¡± Lee Soo-Yeon, who was in an uncomfortable position on the sofa, woke-up. After her, it was Ghost¡¯s turn to wake-up. ¡°Something just came up, and I¡¯m going with Ghost.¡± ¡°Done. You just came in a while ago. I was just taking a break.¡± ¡°Have something to eat first,¡± Ghost said as he picked up his sword. Lee Soo-Yeon shook her hand at the end of his sentence. The moment the two left the hotel for the mission, the receiver rang again. ¡ª Another B2 level gate has been created in Nice! I think you need to go immediately because it only has 9 minutes left before it activates! ¡°Um¡­ you guys have to delay the dinner this time.¡± * * * Sparkle! A sign of a broken shop burned down halfway. A spark that was unintentionally created around the darkened street at night revealed the surroundings. Broken trees, half-destroyed buildings, overturned roads, and bent streetlights were everywhere. In the middle of such ruins, Il-Hyun and Lee Tae-hee sat down. ¡°This time, the city even had some kids.¡± A section of the city was completely messed up, but Il-Hyun¡¯s was indifferent. If it was a virtue that could be done without any personal injury, he was more than happy to perform it. ¡°Uh? It¡¯s snow.¡± ¡°It really is,¡± Lee Tae-hee said as she looked up at the sky. As she said that, it began to snow from the sky. ¡°So, it¡¯s Christmas now.¡± It was a decorated street that was broken all the way. He had almost managed to forget the concept of dates, but there was an exciting Christmas atmosphere in every corner of the street. ¡°What do you want to do when you go back tomorrow? It¡¯s Christmas, after all. Would you meet your girlfriend?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, there¡¯s nothing like that,¡± Il-Hyun looked at the distant mountain. Lee Tae-hee chuckled. ¡°I want to go home and take a rest as if I¡¯m on a day off. I¡¯m not going anywhere, I¡¯m just sleeping in bed. I also want to see my parents¡¯ faces.¡± ¡°That¡¯s like any high school student¡¯s vacation, is it not?¡± ¡°So, what about your brother?¡± ¡°What am I to tell you? He¡¯s the same as always.¡± Lee Tae-hee¡¯s laughter burst out. Following a light laugh, Il-Hyun pushed Phoenix at its side, trying to rise slowly above the city. I¡¯m glad Korea is safe. His family, friends, and other ties¡ªeverything was in Korea. After Il-Hyun took the role of an Awakener, the numerous scenes he had seen outside had been terrible, and he didn¡¯t want to imagine that his family would get caught up in it. Thanks to its well-equipped system, which is interlocked with several high-ranking Awakeners and narrow lands, it can be said that Korea is as safe as it can be. It was his job to help make it safe everywhere in the world, but unfortunately, he didn¡¯t know how he¡¯d survive it if his home was attacked. There will be no danger¡ªIl-Hyun thought quietly. Hopefully. Chapter 52 - Staggered (1) Staggered (1) The scene had monster bodies scattered everywhere. Due to the quick action, there was almost no property damage, and on top of that, they succeeded in destroying all the monsters at the gate¡¯s entrance. There were five members of Team A, and it was only natural that they arrived on time. Then, the Aegis¡¯ plane landed, and an Awakened man in a black coat descended. The man who was alone approached Lee Soo-Yeon, who was currently sitting on a wreck while checking the documents in her hand. ¡°Thank you,¡± the man said as he took off his hat. ¡°You can easily take control over this particular spot,¡± Lee Soo-Yeon said from that man¡¯s accustomed voice and looked up at him. Then, a familiar face that she¡¯d seen a lot of times came into view. ¡°Their numbers were actually a lot, even for the team leader.¡± Lee Soo-Yeon laughed faintly. The man¡¯s name was Choi Hyun-Tae, one of her team members until the previous year. Then, he finally got promoted and even had a team assigned to him. It was one of the newly formed teams for this cycle. ¡°So, it¡¯s temporary. Honestly, there¡¯s Kang-Joon and Hyun-Seo, but I don¡¯t know why I was selected, not even an A rank.¡± ¡°They¡¯re still new kids, and you¡¯re a team leader already.¡± ¡°Is that a compliment? It sounds very bitter.¡± ¡°I like to say it that way.¡± The two laughed shallowly. Then, Lee Soo-Yeon smiled and looked at him with a very serious expression. ¡°You deserve it, so I entrusted it to you. It¡¯s not the other way around. It¡¯s the responsibility of an entire team, but I know you¡¯re not the type of person who¡¯s going to waste it. Take pride.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s an honor.¡± When they gathered the Awakeners, a few people at hand could be the leader of Aegis. As the world¡¯s best gathered Awakeners, the leader had to have the ability to be recognized and to lead the people. When team members looked up to the team leader, teamwork tends to be better. Choi Hyun-Tae, although he couldn¡¯t go beyond A rank, has good skills, and has enough qualities in most aspects of his judgment and career. At least Lee Soo-Yeon in this position thought so. ¡°Where is he¡­¡­¡± Choi Hyun-Tae looked around repeatedly. From the Aegis staff to local officials at the site where the gate was finished, many people were running around. ¡°Oh, Il-Hyun is there!¡± Lee Soo-Yeon faced her head and pointed to one side. Then, Choi Hyun-Tae¡¯s eyes moved along its path. Il-Hyun, who was having a serious conversation with Ghost and Lee Tae-hee, arrived. ¡°What do you want to eat for lunch?¡± he said even though their conversation was casual. ¡°Two of the most anticipated Awakeners are here. Where did that guy come from? Usually, I don¡¯t care about something like this,¡± he asked as he slightly lowered his voice. Amazingly, Lee Soo-Yeon brought a person for the first time. However, his skill soon became too promising for Aegis, and it¡¯s now comparable to Lee Tae-hee¡¯s. He has already reached the three-digit number of the B-ranked monster kills, but Togra actually has a history of capturing A-ranked ace monsters. Of course, after removing his solid body, he was equal to some of the weaker A-class monsters, but recruiting someone who Awakened just a while ago was a big deal. It was natural that curiosity and questions were flying around, about where the surprisingly unknown Awakener rookie came from. But Lee So-Yeon wasn¡¯t saying anything. She was just staring at him. ¡°Right, you won¡¯t say anything. I already expected it.¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re in different situations. Anyway, I have high expectations this time,¡± Lee Soo-Yeon stood up, putting documents in an envelope. ¡°I¡¯m turning thirty soon, and I want to stop. I can¡¯t get married and die old if I go on this way.¡± ¡°But as I watch what¡¯s happening right now, I think this cycle is going to be the busiest, don¡¯t you think?¡± Choi Hyun-Tae carefully asked. He watched her personality change over the past few years; she seemed to leave the scene by saying. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Although the Aegis team leader was usually busy, Lee Soo-Yeon was famous for working around the clock, and it wasn¡¯t because she was obsessed with money or fame that she was so buried in her work. ¡°Ah, man!¡­ I can¡¯t see you die.¡± Choi Hyun-Tae said as he looked at her. Lee Soo-Yeon, who bitterly glanced at him, brushed off her dusty clothes. ¡°So, you¡¯re actually looking forward to it.¡± From where she was standing, she looked at Lee Tae-hee and Il-Hyun and thought that they would be responsible for the next generations to come. Lee Tae-hee had two instincts with very high potential among A ranks, which happened to be the highest level, and was in full bloom recently. Above all, the other guy¡­ He was a bit old for the next generation, but he clearly showed strong potential and an amazing growth rate. Lee Soo-Yeon thought that maybe both of them can change the world. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Don¡¯t tire yourself,¡± Lee Soo-Yeon hit Choi Hyun-Tae¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s go pack up, everyone! We have to go back.¡± * * * 25th. Korea¡¯s bustling streets were filled with excitement. Carols flowed from place to place, and the large trees glowed. It was snowing in moderation, and lovers and harmonious families were enjoying Christmas day. ¡°Nice,¡± Il-Hyun looked around and smiled. The streets were incredibly crowded, but for the past few weeks, he was only looking at the broken ruins, his heart warming up just by beholding the peaceful scenery before him without a worry. Except he doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend to fold his arms around with. ¡°OK. I don¡¯t have a date¡­ It¡¯s just that I¡¯m too busy with¡­work,¡± Il-Hyun walked by and justified himself to the couples passing by. At that time, the shopping bag he was holding shook. The Summoners were lazing among the items they bought as gifts for his parents. ¡°We¡¯re going soon, so stay calm,¡± Il-Hyun touched the shopping bag. He didn¡¯t want to attract the people¡¯s attention, and randomly changing his face also changed his standard impression. Although many people didn¡¯t notice as they barely only slightly strained their eyes. Even if the Summoner¡¯s sizes were reduced, they ran on fours, had unusual traits like visible nine tails. I¡¯m going to go to bed and sleep quickly. Il-Hyun yawned loudly and checked his cell phone¡¯s time. Even with the help of medicine, his fatigue had continued to accumulate, as he hasn¡¯t been able to sleep properly. It wasn¡¯t as if he hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep, but most of the time, it felt like he could sleep for half a day or so. Still, the trip was longer than he thought, and he was so busy that he couldn¡¯t get in touch with his parents that much, so he visited them once and fell asleep afterward. Crossing the street, Il-Hyun traversed the station¡¯s news column. It had become a habit of his before going to work, and he unintentionally encountered something. ¡°My face looks crazy¡­¡­¡± Il-Hyun had already covered his face. It was a feature article that sat in the middle of the main page. There was a big picture of Il-Hyun posted in there. To be precise, it was a picture of four people combined into one image, but one side of Il-Hyun¡¯s face showed only his eyes, which looked weird. I really can¡¯t get used to this. Il-Hyun shook his head and clicked on the article. An enlarged photo and text appeared. Regarding the power ranking predictions at the end of the year, it was an article ranking and was comparing who was the best Awakener. The answer was obvious, but it was the subject that the public talked about the most. On top of that was a familiar picture. The first one was Min Ji-hoon. He seemed to be in his young days, along with additional explanations. Awakeners who have already retired will not be placed in the rankings, but the Awakened people, in reality, had different stories. Most of the retired Awakened people were forced to return when a really dangerous situation approaches. Of course, when their activity was lowered, their evaluation declined as much as their ability became dull, but Min Ji-hoon, was like a living legend, he was an exception. Also, Ryu Jin-Tae, the representative of Aegis, who was also retired, was in a high position. There were also photographs of the faces of the heads of the teams, including Lee Soo-Yeon of Aegis, and Ah Seol-young of the government team that they met a while ago. He was trying to see where Il-Hyun would be in it, but he had high expectations this year. When he was Awakened, a long description of himself was written on the column along with a photo of a scene wherein he had a lot of dust on his face. However, it was a little different from other Awakeners. Each article ranks with opinions of self-proclaimed experts, Awakeners that possessed the desired ability, physical and mental, career and performance, etc. Various indicators were roughly evaluated. However, most of them were written with question marks at the end of their sentences. Shortly after Il-Hyun¡¯s debut, there was no information and guesses made, and that meant there was nothing to write down except for his brilliant performance in a short amount of time. It seems he had been chosen because it alone shows his ridiculously steep growth. ¡°Hmmm, I really look good here.¡± Il-Hyun was coughing while caressing his face. However, most of the comments that responded to him said that he was a bubble. Nothing has been released properly, but on what criteria was he selected for, and fans of Lee Tae-hee and other promising Awakeners were complaining about the unfair play. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t understand why they were posting such comments from a perspective they didn¡¯t know. They¡¯re the ones who chose me, so why are they cursing me now? It¡¯s just a little absurd. However, Il-Hyun brushed it off lightly because he was familiar with these kinds of news comments. It will sound natural when he actually turned out like this. ¡°By the way¡­ What¡¯s this¡­?¡± After leaving the screen, Il-Hyun read the other articles frowning and muttering slightly. These were articles on the new cycle that hopes for an economic boom thanks to more Ether being released on the market. The economy is fueled by higher tax revenues and lower Ether prices, thanks to the gate. Thanks to the new cycle, economic growth is expected to exceed 5 percent next year, so how much the electricity bill will fall. Besides, some articles dealt with the expected earnings that would rise beyond the imagination of star Awakeners. ¡°But yes. You all can say this.¡± Gates with increased risk cycles and frequencies were considered a gift bag that gave them a bunch of candies. It was a disaster where it happened, but people treated it like no more than a traffic accident, yet people continued to die on the other side. When Il-Hyun was an ordinary citizen, these articles won¡¯t ignite anger in him, but when he became an Awakener, he had nothing to say about the topic at hand. Looking at these articles, it was understandable that many Awakened people were dissatisfied with the media and the government that hid the truth. Friends who contacted him also know that he will be busy these days, but they didn¡¯t know anything about the gate¡¯s details. About the realities of the Awakenings of big and small outbreaks and lives being taken in them ¡°Uh? Look at that!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± People mumbled and looked at the sky. Confused by the sudden situation, Il-Hyun looked at the sky. Il-Hyun thought that something was amazing going on up there. ¡°What is that¡­?¡± Il-Hyun muttered as he looked up. There was a shudder, and the translucent film, which was unidentifiable, covered the sky. No, it was covering more and more. It wasn¡¯t easy to see from a distance, but it spread at an enormous speed and simultaneously descended. Shortly after that, a large, rounded membrane formed around it, and the city seemed to be trapped entirely. People were curious and touched and pushed, but nothing happened. ¡°Huh¡­¡­¡± The problem is that Il-Hyun didn¡¯t break it even though he pushed it with both hands. It was not normal for this weak-looking film to overcome his powers. Il-Hyun, who stepped back for a moment, hit it with his fist as hard as he could. Bang! The shock made a loud noise, and the people around him stared at him with wide-open eyes. However, the semi-transparent power barrier was not scratched. Il-Hyun looked down at his hurting fist. ¡°It didn¡¯t budge¡­?¡± Chapter 53 - Staggered (2) Staggered (2) It was a transparent force-field that formed in Korea. The high-grade gate reaction that coincided with it was displayed in the Aegis¡¯ analysis room. ¡°What happened?¡± Asked Lee Soo-Yeon, who came in a hurry to open the door. Shin Jae-ha, the vice-chairman of the analysis team who reported and received data on the table, embarrassingly looked at her. ¡°It¡¯s unusual for an A4-class gate to appear in the station without prior knowledge. The film was exactly formed right after the gate was created. Anyway, the citizens inside are imprisoned.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s forcibly enter¡ª¡± ¡°No. First of all, there shouldn¡¯t be any forced entry. I¡¯m analyzing it, but I¡¯m wondering what will happen if we enter forcefully. The government¡¯s people are on their way¡­ but to be honest, I don¡¯t like relying on them.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡­¡±, Lee Soo-Yeon sighed as she scratched at her greasy head. In the past 20 years, this has never been the case. When a gate was created, there was enough time to run as fast as possible, but when space was blocked like this, no help would come. ¡°Do you want to do something from the inside? What¡¯s the power of the Awakeners inside?¡± ¡°Only four B-ranked Awakened people can respond. It¡¯s not Seoul, it¡¯s Gyeonggi-do, so there are very few Awakened people, and most of them are already preoccupied.¡± Shin Jae-ha gave her four documents. It was a list of high-ranking Awakeners above B rank who¡¯re currently inside the border. Two Awakened government response teams are already on their way. The leader was an experienced Awakener who had worked with Lee Soo-Yeon several times in the field. However, she frowned when she turned the previous two pages. ¡°This¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, the two are trapped inside.¡± Kang Il-Hyun and Lee Tae-hee. Fortunately or unfortunately, the two of them are the most promising in Aegis. Both of them stopped by their parents¡¯ house first and then seemed to be in the same location. ¡°Damn, what kind of guy is the Ace monster that appeared?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Chaser. Remember that white guy?¡± ¡°Of course, I remember. I didn¡¯t know that well back then. It died once, and then it died again halfway. Is it that type of guy?¡± When he hit the keyboard, a picture of the monster inside the station appeared on the screen. Lee Soo-Yeon saw the face of a humanoid monster with a white, slender body with three shiny red eyes. The place where the guy appeared was ruined all over, and it was filled with dead people¡¯s bodies. Chaser. It didn¡¯t appear that often, but Chaser was a monster that showed itself several times over the past 20 years and left a strong impression. It was an infamous guy and also Lee Soo-Yeon¡¯s first A-ranked monster debut opponent. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s definitely that guy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, this will be tough¡­¡± Lee Soo-Yeon muttered as if she was anxious. She knew the level of the guy because she had faced the monster herself. However, there was one strange thing about the Chaser that appeared at this gate. ¡°But it shouldn¡¯t have the ability to make a shield like that?¡± ¡°We also are confused by that¡­¡­ There¡¯s no way to know right now.¡± Lee Soo-Yeon bit her lips impatiently as she stepped out of the room without delay. ¡°Wait, where are you going?¡± ¡°To the scene.¡± * * * ¡°This is a first-class gate disaster. Please move calmly according to the instructions.¡± The announcements rang out in every corner of the city, and people were confused and trapped inside a translucent membrane. When they heard that the gate had opened in the center of the city, the citizens were already running towards the edge. Il-Hyun went through a large distance as he turned towards the center. At the same time, he had a portable communicator in his ear, and he was listening to the general situation description from the headquarters. Suddenly the voice he heard was changed to Lee Soo-Yeon. ¡ª Il-Hyun, can you hear me? ¡°Manager?¡± The communication status was poor, so even though it was interrupted in the middle, it was noticeable at once. ¡ª Yes, I¡¯m coming there too. Have you figured out the rough situation?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard about it.¡± ¡ª As you already know, it¡¯s probably a different dimension from the one you dealt with. With her words, Il-Hyun swallowed his saliva silently. As he continued his life as an Awakener, he knew the meaning of an A rank monster. It was the main enemy of human survival¡ªit was the object to fear. There have been many Awakeners, but still, several defenses have been breached that caused tremendous damage. Therefore, the importance of a class A high-ranking Awakeneer who could deal with these was inevitably increased, and all governments were forced. This was Il-Hyun¡¯s first time facing an A-ranked monster without a team leader, and it would be a lie if he said he wasn¡¯t nervous. But it wasn¡¯t just for that reason that he felt intense anxiety at the moment. Damn it¡­ Please. Il-Hyun looked around impatiently. His parents¡¯ house was in a confined part of the city. In this situation, Il-Hyun used his communicator, but all internal communication had been made impossible. After absorbing the cores of other mutants obtained in the UK last week, the mouse had greatly increased its detection ability, but he was still anxious. ¡ª Are you going to the center? First, go through here before you head there. With Lee Soo-Yeon¡¯s words, Il-Hyun¡¯s watch responded. With the hologram¡¯s GPS, detailed coordinates of the location were generated, including other Awakeners, gates, and monsters that appeared. However, one puzzling point was that the top priority was attached in the wrong place, and it was far from the location of the other Awakeners. ¡°Isn¡¯t it necessary to start joining right away?¡± ¡ª Are you going, empty-handed? Fortunately, there are several research institutes affiliated with us. You can get the Ether sword there. It¡¯s temporary, but there¡¯s also a dull defense coat. ¡°Alas.¡± Il-Hyun looked down at himself. In an inconspicuous outfit, the handheld a shopping bag with gifts and Summoners instead of a sword. Even though he was able to generate some power without equipment thanks to his superior combat ability, he had to prepare fully because he was dealing with an Ace monster. ¡ª You¡¯ll find a way to open and enter from the outside, but in the worst case, you might have to grab it with your own strength. ¡°Okay. I manage to do it somehow.¡± ¡ª Don¡¯t dare to die. There are tens of thousands of lives you need to save. He clenched his fists firmly while thinking about the people. Il-Hyun also knew that much. * * * ¡°It¡¯s useless to go to the blocked edge! You must go to the shelter! Please follow the instructions!¡± Soldiers screamed at the street where people were running away. Individual police officers in the city, as well as military units, were evacuating citizens. ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± Monsters filled the streets as they flocked between cars that had been abandoned without owners. White monsters of the same size, like a blade, raised their sharp arms and approached them. ¡°Prevent them from coming!¡± Along with the cry, fire came out of the muzzle of a tank. One-shot from the main gun resulted in one monster being blown backward with one arm being destroyed, but the other three narrowed the distance without regard to the rifles. The C-rank monsters were not even scratched. Quang! They smashed the tank and simply blew away the heads of two or three soldiers. Huge amounts of blood scattered everywhere, and they began to retreat in fear. Then, among the soldiers, people in black coats appeared. The three Awakeners walked out and slowly pulled their swords, slashing towards the monstrous monsters. Wicked! Each of the monsters¡¯ bodies fell into pieces on the floors. It was really easy for the Awakeners who looked down at their opponents. The soldiers who almost gave up hope sighed with relief. Those who appeared were veteran Awakeners belonging to Altena, and they¡¯re one of the most well-known companies. ¡°I was on my way to handle another gate¡­What is this mess now?¡± the man sounded troubled. The woman took her bloody sword and identified the dead monster. ¡°The monster is C rank¡­ You have to be careful. It isn¡¯t the rank we expected it to be.¡± ¡°What about the Aegis and the response team?¡± ¡°I said they¡¯re already coming with their equipment. You have to believe in them.¡± ¡°If they fail, will we all die? We still need to destroy the target, though.¡± ¡°Be careful! One more unusual monster is coming!¡± the other man shouted. It was three or four times larger than the monsters they were dealing with. The huge-looking figure was approaching from their side. They frowned as they checked its appearance. It wasn¡¯t the notorious ace monster. ¡°It¡¯s not a Chaser.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s stop here. There¡¯s no going back once you¡¯ve taken a step forward.¡± Three Awakeners firmly held their swords. Many citizens were still evacuating behind their backs. They couldn¡¯t take a step back, and they collided with the monster that narrowed the distance between them. Quang! One was attacking from the front, and the other two turned to the side to find a weakness. But the man didn¡¯t even survive that one attack. He missed the sword strike and was exposed to the monster¡¯s attack. ¡°Aw!¡± Then it happened. After two or three attacks, the defense coat¡¯s defense was broken, and the man¡¯s right arm was cut off. Blood spilled, and he screamed and fell to the floor. Bang! ¡°Gurgle!¡± His colleagues rushed over, but their defensive coat was also broken, and they were thrown back when the creature swung its arm again. The two both hung on a wall along with a vehicle that had been thrown into the air. The white monster that had just dealt with the nuisances turned its head, eyes radiating a black glow. The people who watched at the unbelievable sight were scared even at the thought of running away and stayed in place. Unless they were Awakened now, their resistance was meaningless in front of the monster. It was a helpless and desperate situation. But then suddenly, a helicopter sound was heard, and the monster looked up. There, a woman with a sword, Lee Tae-hee, jumped toward the man with the black coat. The white monster reflexively reached out to her with its sharp arm. It was going to attack the stupid opponent in its falling trajectory and kill it. At that moment, however, the flow of time changed, and Lee Tae-hee¡¯s body twisted. Slash! At that moment, before it could even make any sense of the situation it was in, the diced up monster fell down to the ground. Lee Tae-hee, who landed on a circle, quickly approached the fallen man. ¡°Please help me stop the bleeding here!¡± The soldiers ran to her at her shout. She treated him with urgent first aid and raised not only the man but also the other fallen Awakeners. ¡°Can you move?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m okay¡­Thank you so much.¡± The survivors, who were barely alive, greeted Lee Tae-hee. He limped a little bit, but thanks to the defensive coat, there seemed to be only a little trouble moving. By the time the situation was cleared up, the two men in the helicopter also followed Lee Tae-hee. Park Sang-ho and Park Sang-min from the government response team appeared before her. They¡¯re two awakened twins known for their excellent cooperation. ¡°Please help out here a little more. We¡¯ll go first.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll go first? I have to wait for one more person, and then we can go against the opponent.¡± With what Park Sang-ho had said, Tae-hee Lee looked confused and asked a question. Sang Park-min shook his head and opened his mouth, ¡°The two of us can handle it. In the meantime, you help citizens evacuate and kill other monsters.¡± ¡°No! The Chaser is famous for being an A-ranked monster. And it¡¯s dangerous¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe us? Don¡¯t worry. Even with an A rank, I have had a lot of experience dealing with it while assisting others,¡± Park Sang-min said soothingly, but Lee Tae-hee still couldn¡¯t let them do it. ¡°In case you forgot, we cant take risks¡­ because our people should go out of this place safely.¡± ¡°Hey, stop. There are only five remaining B-ranked monsters, but who will face them? Are you going to let people die? Don¡¯t you have to save the citizens,¡± said Park Sang-ho in an angry tone. Lee Tae-hee shrank slightly. Park Sang-ho looked calm as he glanced at her. ¡°Either way, the Aegis guys are just trying to kill the monsters one by one.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re done. You stay, and we¡¯ll go,¡± Park Sang-min said as he walked away after turning his back. Lee Tae-hee stood still with an uncertain expression while looking back at them. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if this is a good idea¡­¡­?¡± Chapter 54 - Staggered (3) Staggered (3) The shelter was located in the basement of the city center. The entrance to it was closed, and it was blocked by thick iron gates. Citizens let out sighs of relief, but the uneasiness of the enclosed space lingered over at the same time. ¡°What can we do?¡± cried a child. Then, people began crying, too. They were in a bigger panic because they never could¡¯ve imagined that this would happen to themselves. And mixed among them were Il-Hyun¡¯s parents. ¡°I am telling you we are safe here, Il-Hyun is coming to save us too you know?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± Anxious gazes were exchanged between the two people who were muttering. ¡°Damn! Aren¡¯t we gathered together to be killed? What¡¯s the use of this shelter?¡± A nervous man complained. Obviously, this was just a shelter built for low-ranking monsters. No matter how thick and sturdy the door was, it was useful against monsters that were only at a certain level. Houses were evacuated. In this situation, there was nothing to do other than to hide. It¡¯s only a little better than putting your neck before a monster. Tadada! At that time, loud gunfire was heard over the wall, as if it was a horse stampede. People shook with pale faces, their expressions were of horror, and when the gunshots stopped, silence followed. Everyone looked at the door quietly, and nobody could even think of opening it right now. Bang! The thick door was crushed at once. Suddenly, the arm of a monster stuck in that was like a blade. Ahhh! The screams rang out, while the door fell with a bang. People headed in the opposite direction to try to go out another way, but there was no other entrance. The pale white monster, revealing its body at the broken entrance, looked at the numerous people in it. The monster looked as if It had found a hidden gift. People were stuck together and gathered to one side like a bunch of fish, the monster slowly approached them. Quaduk! But something big came from behind and bit the monster¡¯s neck. The hawk summoned by Il-Hyun grabbed the monster¡¯s neck and hit it with its big wings. Then, the rat that rode behind it jumped and clung to its back. Snick! Sharp teeth stuck on it, and blood spewed out. It dug into the monster¡¯s body with the power of his jaw, which the monster could not escape from. The monster struggled to get the mouse off, but the hawk was already hitting it, and it was trying to interrupt the monster¡¯s movement as much as possible. Swallow! The mouse ate the core located near its chest, and the monster lost power and fell to the floor. ¡°Thank God¡­ You¡¯re safe,¡± Il-Hyun released a sigh of relief as he confirmed his parents¡¯ location with the eyes of the mice. He was worried as his parents¡¯ house was already broken, but fortunately, it was not as terrible as he could¡¯ve imagined. Il-Hyun had the two sent to protect the people in the shelter, and then he looked back. Bang! The last monster on the street tumbled on the floor. Wolf was pulverizing the monsters that rushed at it. Among the bodies of monsters scattered around, there was one big B-rank monster. ¡°Three monsters are finished. How about that?¡± ¡ª This is almost over. Lee Tae-hee¡¯s voice came from the communicator. As they have accumulated experience and know-how, they have succeeded in organizing all B-ranked monsters quickly after the situation began. Chaser and the other guys still remained. ¡°I still can¡¯t get in touch with the outside.¡± ¡ª I think we should solve it ourselves. Unlike the first time, the force field¡¯s interference effect intensified after a particular amount of time, so he couldn¡¯t communicate with the outside. Besides, it was difficult to get in contact with Lee Tae-hee from the inside, and it seemed unreasonable to look for help from the outside, as he still couldn¡¯t see any way of breaking through the barrier. ¡ª You may encounter the Ace monster anytime, but what can you do? Lee Tae-hee said the two who had gone first were going to deal with the Chaser. They went to fight an A rank monster alone, so Tae-hee had no choice but to worry about them. Even more so if the lives of the people of this place were at risk. ¡°Hoo¡­¡­¡± Il-Hyun was also worried. It was difficult to sympathize with the two of them who tried to take risks despite so many people¡¯s lives being dependent on them. Of course, even then, it was true that the danger toward the citizens was reduced because at least Il-Hyun and Lee Tae-hee remained and killed other monsters. It was the best scenario possible if only two of them could succeed in subduing the Chaser. Of course, the moment they failed, it will become the worst. ¡°I hope they do well.¡± * * * A rank monster, Chaser. With its long arms and three red eyes, the white monster was staring at the dying man in its arms that were like blades. ¡°Let him go, you little bitch.¡± Chaser turned towards Park¡¯s cry. Two Awakened men stood proudly in front of him. Then, the guy threw the body to the side and tilted its head slightly, and its red eyes flashed. Park Sang-min touched the handle of his sword, holding the eyes of a man who had been living an intense life. ¡°We¡¯re alive.¡± ¡°We¡¯re alive every day.¡± As Park Sang-ho laughed, he smiled and drew his sword and stepped forward. Caen! Two blades met in an instant with the sound of the blowing wind. Park Sang-ho¡¯s black sword retracted half-way, and the monster¡¯s left arm also got hit. Park Sang-min, who was slightly behind, rushed in. He quickly approached and stabbed his sword, aiming at the empty flank on the monster¡¯s left side. But the Chaser that rose up at once twisted its body and shook its long arm again. In a quick and threatening attack, the two brothers hit the blade of the monster together. Kagagak! Along with a sharp sound, friction was produced. Soon, after the attack that was difficult to prevent from the right came, the two escaped by taking their blades. Instead of falling behind Park Sang-min, Park Sang-ho rushed forward, stabbing the sword in the middle of the monster¡¯s chest where its core would have been located. However, the attack was blocked midway, and several clashes happened after that. The two wielded the swords with all their might, but most of the attacks were blocked by the monster¡¯s arm. ¡°You should avoid the arm part as much as possible!¡± ¡°Damn, I know!¡± It was the Chaser¡¯s arms. It was a sharp primary weapon of the monster, a particular part that absorbed all the shocks and never broke. Of course, even if you hit it with the sword forcefully, it¡¯s only natural that you can¡¯t do any damage. But it was also too fast. They were always pushed to the limit while defending from the attack that was always coming at an enormous speed. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it!¡± Gripping! With static electricity, Park Sang-ho¡¯s eyes lit up. Powerful electricity splattered with dazzling flashes. Park Sang-min, who had exchanged a knowing gaze in advance, fell without any damage, but the Chaser was exposed as it was, and it was forced to take a step back with a slight shudder. As if they were waiting, the two stuck together and pressed on him again. At that moment, the monster¡¯s movement slowed due to the paralysis effect, while the speed of the hitting sword increased gradually. Both Park Sang-ho and Park Sang-min were holders of two exceptional skills. The twin brothers were famous for a rare case with their collective ability. The name of the collective ability is acceleration. As the name suggests, the more they fight, the faster they move. Awakeners who can face the two with the accelerated movement reaching their maximum level haven¡¯t been found among the same B ranks. Caen! Chaser stepped back in response to the frightening movement of the two. The momentum continued to be pressuring, and the two¡¯s excellent breath didn¡¯t give it the chance to counter-attack. Like this, the two brothers had the upper hand against the A-rank monster, but it couldn¡¯t be easily hurt. And it stayed the same as time passed. Why? Thought Park Sang-min. It seemed to be getting hurt, but it wasn¡¯t. He thought he could kill it after some time, but in the end, the situation just continued. They weren¡¯t sure of their thoughts for the moment, but the longer the fight, the more they could guess. Smart Monster! Park Sang-min was astonished. On the surface, they seemed to prevail, but in reality, it was the opposite. The monster in front of them was gradually speeding around them as if it were playing with them. As if to proved it, the brothers¡¯ speed no longer accelerated, and the situation began to turn over in a bad way. ¡°No, brother! Let¡¯s step back. This is dangerous.¡± ¡°Just a little bit more!¡± Park Sang-ho gnashed his teeth and rushed like mad. Again, the sword was stopped by its arm and made a sharp sound. Park Sang-min inevitably followed him and supported him as much as possible. However, Park Sang-ho¡¯s defense was broken entirely when Park Sang-min¡¯s two blades were thrown out from both of his arms, which had reached an unbearable speed. He got up right away and attacked again, but he felt frustrated and didn¡¯t make the right counter-attack. Thud! Park Sang-ho, who was hit by the monster, rolled on the floor, and even his defense coat was utterly broken. Park Sang-min shouted hurriedly to stop Chaser from trying to end him. ¡°Brother!¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s run away.¡± In response to Park Sang-ho¡¯s answer, Sang-min Park nodded. He ran and grabbed his twin brother¡¯s arms. It was just their poor pride that made them curious about gambling even though they knew that it was dangerous. There was no assurance in their pride. Shuwook! The brothers¡¯ figure disappeared from the streets where the intense fighting was happening. The scene before their eyes shifted completely. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lee Tae-hee was frightened by the appearance of the two who were wounded. She was protecting the citizens evacuating from the remaining monsters. Many citizens, including soldiers, were watching with amazement behind her. ¡°Damn it! We almost got it!¡± ¡°Call your teammate, too. If we take a break, we can fight again without a problem,¡± the two said with rough breathing. Even though they ran away in the middle, it was enough that they had time to save the citizens. But the guy¡¯s name wasn¡¯t Chaser for nothing¡ªthat meant they were chasers themselves. White monsters appeared through the gaps in the streets. ¡°Careful¡­!¡± Lee Tae-hee shouted from their sudden appearance, but it was too late. Pooh! The monster¡¯s arms pierced the body of the twins. ¡°Impossible¡­This was far away¡­¡± Park Sang-min stared at his chest¡ªthat was pierced while in the air and blood spilled from his mouth. There was information received in advance about the monster, and he analyzed it in his own stupid way. The tricky tracking ability was already known, and it was impossible for the monster to chase from this distance. But the guy had been chasing them longer than they had thought. ¡°Damn¡­¡­¡± His body was slashed and thrown away by the Chaser. The eyes of this monster that had just killed two high-ranking Awakeners quickly reached Lee Tae-hee. The Chasers¡¯s three eyes pierced at her. Lee Tae-hee took a deep breath and firmly held her sword. She tried to erase the thoughts about what she had just seen, but she couldn¡¯t do it. It might be really dangerous this time. Chapter 55 - Staggered (4) Staggered (4) ¡°Uh¡­How did you do it?¡± Another Awakener stuttered and asked as they stood behind Lee Tae-hee. The man who helped her protect the citizens and dealt with the monsters froze to the shape of a white monster. She had run through many missions in a company that she knows by name, but it was the first for such a monster. ¡°Get people and run as far as you can.¡± ¡°But that guy blocked the road¡­!¡± With the Awakener¡¯s words, Lee Tae-hee looked around. The small alleys on either side were collapsed and blocked, and the monster was wholly hindered in front, so she couldn¡¯t go through. However, the gate was opened, and there were still many monsters going to the other side. For a C-ranked Awakener, it was hard to lead the people alone and escape monsters¡¯ horde. ¡°¡­there¡¯s nothing we can do. Can you assist me?¡± He nodded. ¡°Y-yes! Even I can do that much.¡± In fact, it was a life-threatening problem. ¡°Look at the angles you¡¯d like to catch with your back from behind. Keep a conditioned distance,¡± Lee Tae-hee told him, but he still didn¡¯t take off his eyes on the monster. Chaser was just looking at the two Awakeners who watched loomed over them. It was a hard-to-understand guy on the subject of monsters. ¡°I¡¯m not going to just pass by quietly,¡± Lee Tae-hee carefully stepped forward. As soon as the guy showed up, he quickly signaled him, and Il-hyun might be coming in to join her, but when he saw his lively eyes, it seemed as if nothing was going on. Besides, the two brothers who were defeated by Chaser might not be able to survive as high-ranking Awakeners if they act quickly. In the meantime, the arm of the guy whose blood was dripping suddenly flashed. Caen! The Chaser¡¯s arms crossed with Lee Tae-hee¡¯s sword¡ªthey collided. The sound was so loud that it rang like a big shock, and Lee Tae-hee clenched it and attacked against the guy trying to press it with force. And with her expressed instinct¡ª Jiing! The gray space made everything slow except Lee Tae-hee. Suddenly, the Chaser tried to resist between the twisting time axes, but to no avail. No matter how high-ranked the monsters are, other Awakened people with high ability resistance were impossible to be defeated. It was not only A ranked assigned instincts but also with a higher level. In the slow passage of time, Lee Tae-hee twisted the sword and pulled it out. Then, she slid inward and wielded the sword again. Wicked! The Chaser didn¡¯t respond to Lee Tae-hee¡¯s sudden instincts, and he had a long wound on his stomach. Red blood flowed like a human. Shit¡­ However, Lee Tae-hee frowned. The attack was too thin. It was a sword that was stretched out to leave the waist intact, but it was all about cutting the outside a little because he quickly escaped. When she first showed her instincts to him, she should¡¯ve had a significant hit, but it was less than she¡¯d expected. However, she had to bump back again without even having to chew. A spark struck whenever the sharp blade and sword collided. ¡°How¡­?¡± The man stared blankly at sight. Unlike the Chaser, a man who couldn¡¯t even recognize the distorted time flow due to his instincts couldn¡¯t even think about getting into this enormous course. It was far beyond what she had heard and seen. However, she couldn¡¯t afford the situation as much as watching. The Chaser wasn¡¯t sure enough that it would be able to beat his two brothers in a slower time, but that didn¡¯t mean Lee Tae-hee had an edge. ¡°Okay!¡± As the course continued several times, Lee Tae-hee staggered and was the first one to step back. The speed was also swift, but each attack had enough power to strike the monster¡¯s arm. However, they are struggling and fighting each other. It shouldn¡¯t go this way. Lee Tae-hee, who thought that way, reaped her instincts, and the gray world came back. ¡°Tie!¡± Lee Tae-hee shouted quickly. The Awakener was awakened by her cry as she extended her hands forward and held something tight in the air. The blue light came up from Lee Tae-hee¡¯s eyes. She pulled the sword tightly and shook it, sending off a translucent attack. The Chaser attempted to avoid the incoming attack, but something was holding onto the Chaser¡¯s body. Of course, he was weak enough to hold him, so he quickly released it, but instead, he was already too late to avoid the tragedy. The Chaser noticed that the Awakening of the Awakener on the backside was a bit of a lanyard, and raised his arms reflexively without worry. As any shock was absorbed by any attack on the arm, the attack from the front was irrelevant. But this time, it wasn¡¯t. As the attack approached the nose, Chaser, who tried to stop his arm, instinctively perceived the danger. The guy tried to avoid the tragedy that shook his body as late as possible. However, one of the guy¡¯s arms was already caught in the tragedy. Blood spouted from its shoulder, and the Chaser looked down at his arm as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. One of his arms, which he could never break, fell off and was rolling on the floor. The reason it became possible was simple¡ª What Lee Tae-hee cut wasn¡¯t the arm of the guy, but the space itself. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Lee Tae-hee exhaled, and the blue energy that filled the air subsided. Her second reason was to cut the space. Not much energy was consumed as much as its mighty power, but the effect was particular. The Chaser staggered for a moment and then halted. After stopping the blood pouring out of his shoulder, the Chaser stared at Lee Tae-hee. The mixture¡¯s life is diverse, but the eyes of the guy who could afford it have changed completely. Then he scattered his blacks like crazy everywhere. Bang! Quaang! ¡°Get down!¡± The Awakener shouted, and the citizens at the back were frightened and lowered their bodies. Buildings from all sides exploded, and everything on the street was plowed without floors and cars. Lee Tae-hee again twisted in time and escaped the attacks without difficulty, but the problem was behind it. ¡°Aw!¡± A citizen screamed as he was swept by a blind sword. With one leg cut and tattered, he leaned halfway up the floor. ¡°Stop!¡± Cried Lee Tae-hee. Then, he rushed to stop the guy. A big sword flew straight to her, but she didn¡¯t escape it. At this level of power, dozens of citizens behind the scene were instantly killed. Kagagak! Along with the harsh sound, the monster¡¯s blade touched Lee Tae-hee¡¯s sword. In the process of the overwhelming force, the sword was forced out, blood spewed out, and the angle was twisted. Wicked! Lee Tae-hee, who lost balance, rolled on the floor. Realizing that it was impossible to take it altogether, she shed the sword and avoided the fatal wound, but the three fingers in her right hand were cut off. The middle finger, ring finger, and even the little finger were cut in half, and blood leaked from the cross-section. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Lee Tae-hee groaned, holding her trembling hands that she couldn¡¯t control the shaking. Even if she was already a high-ranking Awakener, she was still a bitter wound for her. ¡°Are you okay?!¡± A surprised man tried to approach her, but Lee Tae-hee raised her other hand to stop him. The left hand is delicate. It can still catch Black. Lee Tae-hee stood up, holding her heart. Fortunately, it was comforting that Manshinchang became the right hand without the sword. She couldn¡¯t give up and fall like this. She didn¡¯t even have time to hesitate with the pain. If she couldn¡¯t overcome it, everyone in this area would feel many or even tens of times the pain she felt. ¡°Ugh¡­black.¡± ¡°Please¡­¡­¡± Behind her were countless people that stared on her back. They were innocent people who were living their lives without knowing anything. Lee Tae-hee again delayed time. Even in the slow, gray-scale scenery, she saw how the Chaser was quickly rushing to kill her as it aimed and swayed on her wound. Lee Tae-hee held the sword firmly with the rest of her hand. I can¡¯t just cut space¡­ The ability to cut space was a powerful force, but it was also challenging to use. As Lee Tae-hee, who has not yet fully elicited the potential, the preparations required to use this ability were long, and it was challenging to match with the top monsters as powerful as the Chaser in front of her. That¡¯s why she had to use both of them at the same time. It tears up space in accelerated time. A task that has never been successful in numerous attempts. But this time, it had to be successful. The blade of the monster that approaches the heart. The strength of the opponent should not be encountered, but she didn¡¯t care. She just needs to pull the sword all the power she got. Once again, bluish energy filled her eyes. It extended the sword with all her might. Just like she did hundreds or thousands of times already. Wow! When she came in contact with the blade and the sword, the Chaser¡¯s arm split apart, and the Black didn¡¯t stop even though his head got cut in half. Pak! Blood burst like a fountain from the torn guy with space. The Chaser, who fell, lost his power and stopped moving. ¡°I did it¡­?¡± Lee Tae-hee, murmured as she exhales with a sharp breath. She had succeeded in defeating an A-ranked monster alone, and she thought it was impossible even for herself. The citizens¡¯ cheers came from behind, and Lee Tae-hee looked at the sky with a smile. However, Lee Tae-hee¡¯s expression changed soon. There was something strange about the sky. There was still a force station surrounding the city, and it must¡¯ve have disappeared by now. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Chaser¡¯s special ability¡­¡­?¡± In disarray, Lee Tae-hee murmured around. The Chaser could use this ability to cut down even the station leader, but she couldn¡¯t get out of this place by her own strength even if she recovered quickly. The gate had already closed, and it spits out all the monsters, and it was unknown that English was ost even though only one ace monster was removed. Pooh! ¡°Ah¡­?¡± Lee Tae-hee blankly looked down at her hips. Suddenly, a pointed tail appeared under the ground, piercing her. The whitetail moved and lifted her up. The body was stretched as it was like a fluttering bird. She tried to squeeze out of her strength with desperate feelings, but no power entered her body. ¡°Sorry¡­Ugh¡­¡± People who look had once looked at her incredibly now looked desperate. Tears leaked through her forehead. Bang! Lee Tae-hee¡¯s body was thrown roughly on the floor. Like a ruined doll, her blood poured out of her pierced hole, which was broken beyond repair, and it formed a puddle on the ground. And under the wriggling tail from beneath the ground, a monster appeared with arms. The guy with a big tail with a shape resembling the Chaser looked like a white devil. The man who saw him slowly dropped the sword he was barely holding. No more resistance was useless. The last hope was broken. * * * In the middle of the ruins, streets and collapsed buildings were all over the place with blood spots. Bodies of people who are torn and fattened lay in lines. Il-hyun ran to discover Lee Tae-hee buried in the gap. He knelt on my side and looked at the condition, but it was already too late. As the boat was pierced and messed up, the blood flowed on the floor and formed a river. A drop of tears fell on her face with her pupils lose. She had to get up early, but it didn¡¯t happen quickly. ¡°Ugh!¡± Sounds have been heard of the presence of a living person. Instinctively, Il-hyun pulled a man out of the rubble from a collapsed building. Il-hyun saw the expression of the survivor¡¯s face¡ªand it was distorted. ¡°You motherfucker said you could fight it!¡± Il-hyun grabbed the fat man who fell down. It was Park Sang-min from the government team. With anger, Il-hyun, who was trying to pick him up, stopped. Park Sang-min was also facing death due to his open chest. Il-hyun quickly used the transformation ability to heal the big wound. The wound was quickly blocked by his instinct. ¡°It¡¯s no use. Hide until rescue comes.¡± ¡°Shut up and don¡¯t open your mouth,¡± Il-hyun roared to Park Sang-min, who was already vomiting blood. However, as he said, there was no prospect. Shedding too much blood already looked like a living miracle, and even the internal organs he could see were messed up. Park Sang-min was already resigned. Il-hyun released him slowly. No further treatment was meaningful. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Park Sang-min, who spoke without asking for help, closed his eyes. Il-hyun slowly awakened. All that¡¯s left are the dead bodies of people around him. ¡°¡­there¡¯s no place to hide. I have to see the end.¡± Chapter 56 - Staggered (5) Staggered (5) As usual, at the entrance of the road to the center of the city, there were many reporters in a protected location, and they were making a news report. ¡°I¡¯m directly at the scene where the great event occurred. With all the means of communication lost, more than 100,000 citizens are believed to have been trapped, but the government has yet to reveal the details.¡± The reason why they gathered is because of the enormous force field and an open gate. If it were the usual, they would¡¯ve turned off the media reports and sent out a few short articles later, but this time, the situation has become too big to simply hide. The scope was also broad, and the number of people trapped was enormous, so the government couldn¡¯t easily handle it. There was a temporary operation room for specialized people belonging to the government. It was dispatched outside the gate, and the team leader of Awakeners was controlling the situation. ¡°Park Sang-ho, Park Sang-min, and Lee Tae-hee¡ªall three were killed,¡± an employee monitoring in front of numerous complex screens said gloomily. It was usually not that serious, but there was a heavy silence in the operation room for a while. In the middle of the city, more than 100,000 people were in danger of being isolated and killed. No, that was as long as they were not already dead. Then, someone broke the mood and continued arguing. ¡°That¡¯s why I asked you to dig a tunnel!¡± ¡°The connected subways were all blocked as well. How are you going to break through the force field?¡± There were two little boys in the middle of the operation room, which only looked like junior high school students. It seemed like an unexpected visit, but they were an exclusive help sent by the government. Their bodies stopped aging when they were 15 as a side effect of their Awakened instinct. They were always sent to any of the government-affiliated situations related to the barriers. ¡°Even if it¡¯s useless, you have to do everything you can. What are you doing here? You are not helping.¡± ¡°What are you saying, are you in the Absolute Class?¡± The boy screamed at the words that touched his nerves. It was a classification of exceptional instincts that acted in any way other than interfering with the users ability to resist other physical forces. As described, it was treated as a rare and valuable ability, and Lee Tae-hee¡¯s two instincts also belonged to this. Although now, it¡¯s a feature that can¡¯t be found on anyone other than her. ¡°Soo-Yeon, I want to stay¡­!¡± ¡°Get out,¡± Lee Soo-Yeon said with her head up, standing up with her hands on the desk. ¡°What? Get out¡­?¡± The two who talked all the way stopped at the same time while looking at Lee Soo-Yeon¡¯s eyes. In recent years, they heard that she tends to be very forceful, but now they saw her appearance as the one they saw in situations 5 or 6 years ago. They stepped out of the place without being able to make a sound. ¡°What happened?¡± Lee Soo-Yeon asked while looking back. ¡°There¡­seems to be a mix of mutant species that aren¡¯t caught in the gate analysis,¡± the government staff grumbled and replied as he displayed a video in the middle of the main screen. The appearance of the guy was definitely a monster of the first type. Two large blades with long tails that were out of balance made it look like a Chaser that had been roughly modified. ¡°It seems to be a mutant, and the guy who created the force field by looking at the wavelength seems to be it too.¡± ¡°How many are they?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not exactly known, but the estimate is more than just the Chaser that appeared. It also exceeded a level that can be ignored. This is¡­?¡± Although blurry at that time, the monster¡¯s image splitting the building in half was caught on the screen. Kugugung! The building that collapsed was shown. The staff gasped at its frightening appearance. ¡°Now, what do we do¡­¡­?¡± Il-Hyun was visible on the screen. He was among the wrecks created by the monster. ¡°It seems unlikely. His opponent is too strong¡ª¡± ¡°We have no choice but to hope for a miracle,¡± said the staff. Some people closed their eyes and prayed, or they couldn¡¯t stand to watch as he failed to take down the monster. Meanwhile, Lee Soo-Yeon watched the screen silently. * * * Bang! The building was cut out in the dark. The nightmare monster was cutting out all the ugly things in front of it. Beyond the destroyed buildings, the other Awakeners in the city were forced to be helpless. ¡°Danger!¡± A man exclaimed. The sword was approaching fiercely as if the three Awakeners were about to be swallowed up. Something flew in and stopped in front of them, when it was too late to avoid it. Bang! A massive fireball burned after being hit by the sword. No, it seemed right that it swallowed the sword rather than being beaten. The fireball slowly shook and took shape, forming the body of a phoenix. The startled Awakeners looked around and found an incoming man. Like them, the Awakened that wore a black coat was coming at them. Il-Hyun walked with an expressionless face, and he headed straight in the direction of the monster. ¡°Wait! If you go that way¡ª¡± the woman trying to stop him glanced at the passing Il-Hyun¡¯s face and stopped talking. Obviously, it was a familiar face that they¡¯d seen a few times somewhere. Then, she ultimately saw the English phrase on his coat¡¯s arm. Awakener of Aegis. He was the last hope of those trapped in this terrible place. ¡°Are you going to fight?¡± Asked the man who was shedding bright blood from his head. He was frowning from one of his torn eyes, and both big and small wounds were all over his body. Il-Hyun nodded without answering his question. ¡°Good luck,¡± the woman with scattered long hair said while crying. Losing her younger brother here, the tears under her eyes were fresh even when she was full of the dust. ¡°Please kill me.¡± The man sitting on the floor raised his head. He had lost one leg while dealing with a monster trying to hit citizens. The blood that was pouring right now had stopped, but he had already shed too much, and his face was pale as was the color of his body. Colleagues couldn¡¯t leave him too, so they were caught up in this dangerous situation. Il-Hyun just walked silently past them. It wasn¡¯t the first time. He had encountered tragic situations several times as he approached just a few blocks. Every time he stepped another foot on the ground, it felt as if he hit rock-bottom. And now, these tragedies had to be witnessed by hin. His heart was both throbbing and shaking. However, as he did so, his head became colder and colder. Thunder! Il-Hyun pulled out a sword. He pointed it at the white monster with a tail that seemed mutated. It made a mysterious sound, its eyes flashed, and its arms clasped. However, if Chaser is a human-shaped monster, this one was totally inhuman looking. The sword was drawn, and Il-Hyun immediately disappeared at that moment. Caen! He jumped instantly, and the monster and his sword collided¡ªthe heavy weight crushed Il-Hyun¡¯s arm. He twisted the sword¡¯s angle and blocked the monster¡¯s arms, but the danger didn¡¯t disappear. The long, hanging tail was aimed at Il-Hyun¡¯s back. The guy¡¯s tail moved swiftly without any sound like when Lee Tae-hee was hit. However, it wouldn¡¯t be easy as long as he was not totally aware of Il-Hyun¡¯s whereabouts. While Il-Hyun and the monster were fighting, a gray puppy, sticking out its face in the right pocket, came out in a snap. It turned into a big wolf and bit the monster¡¯s tail. Quaduk! The wolf¡¯s teeth bit into its sharp tail, but both didn¡¯t break easily. The tail, which was considered to be the most threatening variable, was blocked by the wolf. Now, it was Phoenix¡¯s turn in the sky. Il-Hyun wielded his sword gently, took his arm away for a while, then jumped back and retreated. Qaw ah! Phoenix descended to the ground, and even the monsters got swept away, causing an explosion. Crackle! The place where the powerful flames were supposed to burn was rather cold, and the surroundings froze. Phoenix slipped through the ice. The red flame that was wrapped around its body suddenly turned blue and was overflowing with beautiful ice crystals. It froze the white monster. But it¡¯s far from over to see the end. Crack! The ice cracked slowly, and the first of them reached out through the ice. Il-Hyun looked at his shoulder and turned his head as if it were natural, without any surprise. A fox with nine tails and red flames suddenly climbed over his shoulder. Gumiho, who received Il-Hyun¡¯s eyes, immediately used its abilities. Gumiho¡¯s torso glowed, and sparks rose from around Il-Hyun. Rather than drawing from a fire that already exists, such as the transformation ability of Il-Hyun, sparks sprang up from the empty space and quickly spread out. The spark created in the blink of an eye was divided into several strands and wrapped around the monster like a moving snake. By absorbing the core of the mutant monster killed in Portugal, it has the torsion ability that the guy had. Still, Gumiho handled the torsion and flame completely freely by combining his original ability to manage his own flames and this newly acquired torsion. The flames circling around Il-Hyun rushed toward the monster. The guy, who was tightly tied to the ice, quickly broke down and avoided the attack, but sparks sprang up wherever Gumiho¡¯s eyes touched, and continued to chase the white target. With a rank A, it¡¯s also a mutated monster, and it has a flying ability. However, it wasn¡¯t fast enough to get out of sight. Eventually, it was caught up in flames, and it came out half-scorched. With enormous momentum, it rushed to Il-Hyun, roaring as if it wanted to kill him. Il-Hyun used the transformation ability to prevent the guy from coming. As the road turned upside down, numerous thorns soared, and the building with the outer wall still broken was thrown down and hit the monster. Not only that, but the ground also soared from below, and the cars bounced and flew toward the monster. But it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the monster in front of him. The monster, that lowered its posture to the fullest, smashed all the upcoming things and swung its arm toward Il-Hyun. Meng! A tremendous shock was applied to Il-Hyun¡¯s side, and the protective function of the coat broke down and he flew a long distance away. Il-Hyun frowned intensly and immediately stood on his knees. A significant impact was felt due to the lack of protection of the protective coat. He spat the blood out of his mouth and put his hand in the coat¡¯s inner pocket. ¡°I could have done this before the search.¡± The object in his hand is a cube that shined brightly. It was Chaser¡¯s A-rank core that Lee Tae-hee killed. Il-Hyun empowered himself with the grip of the core. Then, the core cracked and began to split. Clink! The core that was the same one she passed over to Il-Hyun was finally shattered. A tremendous amount of radiant light emanated from all sides, and several branches of light wrapped around one side of his body. It was the usual process of accepting Ether into one¡¯s body. However, it wasn¡¯t completely absorbed. The Ether¡¯s explosive energy came out. ¡°Hoo-woo¡­¡± Il-Hyun, who was overpowered and filled with excess Ether, tried calming his body through exhaling deeply. Then, he slowly looked at the white monster staring his way. Il-Hyun closed his eyes for a moment and reached out to the floor. Then, something unusual began to happen. Kugugugu! Precisely the moment he touched the floor, the ground began to crack and shake wildly. The buildings danced, and roads broke up and down within Il-Hyun¡¯s vicinity. Qaw aah! A staggering large body appeared and swallowed everything on the ground. Skyscrapers, bridges, and pillars all sucked into the guy¡¯s huge mouth and long body. As if it were a ferocious beast, it rose up from the ground, and something huge appeared overlooking the white monster. Worm revealed itself. Chapter 57 - Staggered (6) Staggered (6) A colossal torso rose out from the ground. Inside its large round mouth, hundreds of sharp teeth were layered endlessly. A loud cry rang, and a worm of substantial body tilted over the length of several tens of meters. The monsters hurriedly pulled themselves out of the incoming worm that devoured all the destroyed debris. The swift movement of the monster avoided the worm¡¯s mouth, and the worm swallowed the surroundings it would reach, and then dug into the ground. The ground shook as the worm moved underneath. Il-Hyun rushed to the monster that escaped. Caen! The sword hit it. This time, Il-Hyun put all his weight on the monster and pressed it¡ªthe monster¡¯s feet dipped down. Both of their arms trembled. Although he couldn¡¯t overwhelm it, this was a completely different aspect. Il-Hyun changed his posture, twisting his ankle as he stabbed the sword. The monster jumped out of its place using its tail to avoid the sword and attack at the same time. However, it quickly became a target of numerous thorns rising from the floor. It was the exact same shape as the thorn that the monster was cutting down a while ago, but it wasn¡¯t the same. Even if one rope is made by transforming the same object, the intensity differs greatly depending on the ability of the user. And this time, it was the transformation ability used by Il-Hyun, who absorbed the core of the A-rank ace monster, Chaser, and temporarily had a flow of a massive amount of Ether in his body. The white monster, that instinctively thought that it wouldn¡¯t be able to beat him easily, pulled itself out by putting a tail in the wall of the next building. In the air that was unprotected, it quickly changed positions. After sticking like that, the guy stuck to the wall with its four feet and quickly moved around. The tail pulled out of the wall had been poked toward Il-Hyun again. Il-Hyun lifted the sword¡ªhe lightly slashed a powerful attack, and then grabbed the tail. His hand got cut from the tail like a blade, but he grabbed it more strongly. Kwajik! The guy¡¯s tail was squished without a hitch. The tail is much harder than Chaser¡¯s notorious arms, and its tail still got broken. Obviously, the white monster had never absorbed that kind of impact, thought it would not break¡ªit was frightened and tried to take off. However, Il-Hyun¡¯s actions were faster. In an instant, Il-Hyun hit the tail with a sword. Caen! The tail of the guy weakened as the transformation ability was cut off. Blood spilled, and most of the length of it fell off. The tail of the guy became noticeably shorter. The blade was still a dazzling threat, but not as threatening as it was before it was cut. The monster looked unbelievingly at its tail. However, the speed of the battle is very fast, which is different from normal Awakeners and monsters. Even as a monster, there was no time to be surprised by the world. Bang! The floor moved when Il-Hyun rolled his feet and leapt vigorously. He stepped in the air from a wall protruding from the building and wielded the sword while turning it like a wheel. Again, he made a shallow wound and blood splattered on the concrete wall. Instead of being injured, the monster shook its arm and fired a mighty sword, approaching Il-Hyun in a difficult moment. But a wolf jumping high enough between them intervened¡ªit stopped the monster at once. Instead of being safe, Il-Hyun was struck by an arm sword, and the powerful attack caused a large wound to his body. The fragments of the wolf¡¯s body splattered as if a piece of rock broke. It wasn¡¯t just simply cut, as if it were an ordinary creature, it was a level of wound that wouldn¡¯t be strange if it died immediately. However, the wolf didn¡¯t show any signs of dying and was strong, and even the wound disappeared quickly. A fragment of the gray wolf¡¯s torn body had been immediately broken off. It then grew and regained its original shape. If the damage is over a certain amount, the Summoners get canceled and disappears¡ªbut the wolf was fine. Like other Summoners, the wolf has acquired and absorbed a core of a mutated monster over the past three weeks. And as a result, it now has two special abilities. It was an awe-inspiring regeneration and defense. It was because of the fact that the body that was cut off by the sword was splintered, it was not flesh that spattered. The surface of the wolf hardened as if it were an armor, and had strong defenses. It was indeed the Summoners who absorbed the monster¡¯s core. The wolf that prevented the attack burned a string in the air and made the streets open¡ªa chain of wolves reached out to the monster. Quaddeuk! The roadside trees that had fallen on the road started to rise up one by one, and they grew at a tremendous speed. They ended being overgrown. Plants that grew in an instant stretched out the stems that are still increasing one by one to catch the white monster, and they were facing the bloated body to cover it up. It struggled to avoid them, but it couldn¡¯t get out of the plants that clung with significant momentum. Then, the worm appeared again. Quaang! As if an explosion had occurred, a worm spattered from all sides and popped off the floor, swallowing one of its legs and digging into the ground again. Even if it was a little too late, it would¡¯ve been swallowed. The guy on the ground stared at Il-Hyun. Even with only one leg left, it stood without any problems in balancing, and it used the tail to do other movements naturally. Eeeek! The white monster with the severed leg emitted a weird sound. Then, Il-Hyun sent a considerable number of thorns from all directions. The plants were cut off, and on one side, the Summoners passed by. It was similar to Chaser¡¯s behavioral pattern because it wasn¡¯t a mutant monster based on that. Il-Hyun barely avoided the buildings with the outer walls popping out. Then, he watched the raging monster. It jumped out with more power than before, and it seemed unusual. To stop the damage caused by the indiscriminate sword, it was necessary to quickly suppress it. The flames that Gumiho made around Il-Hyun sent a shot to the guy. At the same time, Il-Hyun touched the ground, and under the feet of the monster, many sturgeons appeared through and rushed at once. But it was all useless. The white monster with red eyes swung its blade and cut off the flame as it jumped off from the worm. The monster moved violently as it used its tails to smash the buildings. At that time, Phoenix, that absorbed the surrounding fire, descended and hit the guy. This time, Phoenix¡¯s body together with the monster got engulfed with flames¡ªthey became entangled and rolled down on the floor. Even in those short moments, numerous they attacked each other. Nearly killing it, Phoenix was cut by the blade, and the monster stood up. Also, a steady flame once again rushed behind the monster¡¯s back trying to rush to Il-Hyun. Phoenix immediately revived and hit the monster. The summoned Summoners taunted the monsters to a battle as the giant worm scared the beast, but even then, it continued to fight and barely escaped. Probably, if the monster of the same structure as the Chaser felt that it was a moment of crisis, the energy in the body would have acted to strengthen it. Because of that, the picture that Il-Hyun was originally beginning to see deviated little by little. An A rank monster which is also a variant monster, couldn¡¯t be judged easily. So, Il-Hyun decided to take a more active step. He put his hand on the floor, and cracks began spreading all over the road around him. Soon, the crack grew, and the floor collapsed. Il-Hyun and the monster fell at the same time. There was more space underneath than he thought. The ceiling collapsed inside the broken subway. Il-Hyun and the monster struck as soon as they balanced themselves. Chaeng! Swords and blades smashed dozens of times violently, and Il-Hyun¡¯s instincts ripped the wall, pulled out the pillars, and flew to the monster. The space that can be avoided is narrower than the outside, so the transformation ability of his became more powerful. Because of that, the monster also struggled to get out of the space. It tried to escape through the collapsing ceiling, but Il-Hyun and the Summoners who were standing on it wobbled. They tried biting and stretching at it so as not to let it escape. Grasp! After one arm of the monster soars high, it falls to the floor. Like its tail, Il-Hyun weakened its arm and succeeded in cutting it with a sword. However, it was not only Il-Hyun who was successful. Without any expectation, blood squirted out of Il-Hyun¡¯s face as the tail of the monster raised from below. Under his face, the tail rubbed his neck, and it penetrated, cutting most part of his skin. ¡°Argh¡ª!¡± Il-Hyun staggered. Luckily, the deep jaw was avoided, but the left jawbone was cut off. He couldn¡¯t stand the moan that leaked through an intense pain he didn¡¯t experience before. But the pain didn¡¯t last long, and soon, it subsided. The Awakening effect of the predatory instinct reached the end, and Il-Hyun¡¯s head shook. Il-Hyun, who was able to quickly wake up, used his hand first. Pug! He kicked it hard with his feet and the monster who reflexively lifted its arm got pushed back. The guy at the bottom of the floor fell down the slope. The railroad tracks were bent, holding the monster¡¯s arms and legs tightly, like a tied whip so that they couldn¡¯t be moved. It was transformed into harder material, so even a monster in front of it couldn¡¯t easily escape. And that was its last breath. Quaang! A worm appeared through the bottom of the track. The giant worm that occupied the field of view on one side of the station ate like a glutton without leaving behind any body of the monster. The worm that filtered out the core from the body of the now-dead monster and spat it out in front of Il-Hyun dragged it down into its stomach. The innocently pure core of the monster that took thousands of lives shined brightly in the dark and dirty basement. Il-Hyun paused and stared blankly at the sky. Bright sunlight poured through the collapsed ceiling in the basement. The unpleasant force field that was blocking the gap between the sky and the city was gone. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± The battle is over. In Il-Hyun¡¯s head that seemed to have cooled down, complicated emotions rose again. Il-Hyun, who was taking a deep breath, gradually felt breathless¡ªand it was getting worse. Soon, he lost consciousness and fell to the floor. There were no colleagues that ran to his side as they performed the operation together, and only the Summoners of Il-Hyun gathered with an anxious gaze. * * * ¡°The barrier is gone!¡± a government employee jumped in and said. But before that, people in the temporary operation room were already amazed at the screen. It had been a long time since the video was cut because the level of disturbance of the station masters surrounding the city became more severe. The team leader disappeared, and the people who were isolated began to rush out one by one. ¡°Indeed¡­¡± Lee Soo-Yeon muttered while looking at the screen. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± People who just knew about the Rookie didn¡¯t understand the situation at the moment. But the questions that came out here and there soon turned to cheers. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°I¡¯m alive!¡± The sound of cheering survivors had been heard from outside toward the inside of the vehicle. Soon, claps began to spread in the operation room, and a loud laugh sounded. The tens of thousands of people who almost died were the same. At that time, on the screen holding the city, they could see the figure of Il-Hyun flying on the back of Phoenix. Phoenix came out on the outskirts of the most crowded city overlooking a lost state. People noticed at once that they were wearing Awakener clothes. More than a dozen medical staff flocked to him urgently, and the fox hiding its tail licked Il-Hyun¡¯s back from the side as if worried. The bleeding was severe, even considering that he was an Awakener, but fortunately, there was no injury to threaten his life. As soon as they saw the appearance of Il-Hyun on the screen, Lee Soo-Yeon rushed over to him. Then, among the many people gathered, the Summoners who knew only Lee Soo-Yeon¡¯s face welcomed her. Lee Soo-Yeon looked down at Il-Hyun¡¯s face. ¡°You did it¡­¡± Chapter 58 - Summon (1) Summon (1) Il-Hyun opened his eyes. He stayed asleep for a long time, but he looked around and saw a different atmosphere than usual. The place where he was lying was inside a hospital room that looked neat, and outside the window, he was able to see the busy Aegis headquarters. It was the same scenery he saw when he was admitted for the first time here, and Il-Hyun remembered what he had experienced. If he¡¯d think about it now, it was his chance to get into Aegis, and he believes it was a good thing, but at that time, he was honestly afraid of what would happen. While looking outside and staying awake for some time, Il-Hyun turned his gaze and looked at the door, muttering, ¡°The doors will open now.¡± At that time, Lee Soo-Yeon came in shortly after she got up. Snick! And the door opened as if it were a perfect fit. As if she had just been fighting, Lee Soo-Yeon appeared wearing a frozen-blooded coat. Despite the mess on her face by filled with the dust, her beauty still remained, but her eyes seemed to have accumulated fatigue. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Lee Soo-Yeon said in a slightly hoarse voice. After returning from a single mission, she heard that Il-Hyun was awake and immediately went up to the medical room. The medical staff was checking his physical condition 24 hours a day, so she could know immediately when he woke up even if no one was in the room. ¡°Ah¡­ I think I slept a little longer¡­ How long has it been?¡± Il-Hyun, who still has no sense of the situation, said slowly. ¡°One week.¡± His mind flashed. ¡°Did I hear something wrong?¡± Asked Il-Hyun, whose eyes were round with her words. ¡°No. Your ears seem fine.¡± Il-Hyun only touched his body here and there to see if there were any abnormalities. The limbs remained intact, and moving on everywhere else was also excellent. He inspected the injured part of the previous battle and stroked the bottom of his face. A thin scar that started from one side of his left jaw was drawn down to the bottom of the bone. ¡°I cured it right away, but it didn¡¯t heal everything. I think the monster you dealt with has the ability to hinder healing. It was a Nightmare.¡± Nightmare. It was the codename of the guy who got attached after the killing of Chaser¡¯s mutated monster. Whether there was any ability to prevent the wound from being healed, all the injuries suffered from the monster were healed. It was that the body itself had a tremendous amount of self-healing power and that only one faint little scar remained because the world¡¯s best medical staff took all the measures they could do. Il-Hyun, who touched his cheeks, turned his legs and tried to descend from the bed. But Lee Soo-Yeon pushed his forehead with one finger, and his head got wrapped in a fluffy pillow. ¡°You absorbed too much Ether, and it was a big strain on your body. It was inevitable, but you should be careful,¡± said Lee Soo-Yeon. Il-Hyun¡¯s body, which ate a considerable output of the A-rank core in an indirect absorption method, had an intense overload, and eventually passed out. Even after a week or so, it felt like he had a large stone on his body. ¡°Is the situation over?¡± ¡°Thanks to the Nightmare, we finished without any damage after that. Your parents are safe,¡± Lee Soo-Yeon said slowly, and Il-Hyun sighed with relief and closed his eyes for a moment. But soon, his face became dark again. ¡°Tae-hee is¡­¡± Lee Soo-Yeon couldn¡¯t find anything to say with what Il-Hyun had said. There was silence in the room for a moment. The sound of the clock¡¯s second hand on the wall clicked, and Il-Hyun looked blankly at the ceiling. ¡°Would you like to see¡­?¡± Lee Soo-Yeon broke the silence and opened her mouth. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Taehee.¡± * * * Last week, Il-Hyun solved the scene and collapsed. A blood-stained Christmas day brought many things. A huge station that can be seen several kilometers away, the A-ranked gate that appears in it, and over 100,000 people trapped together. The deaths of famous awakened people and the massive damage. As such, the scale of the incident was so grand that the government was limited in hiding it. The best thing the government could do right now was to bring out other topics while reducing the amount of disaster known to people as much as possible. Even so, people¡¯s attention was all over the gate. Also, as this happened in Korea, which was considered the safest gate safe zone so far, it has been widely reported to foreign countries. One of the reasons for this is the mutant monster Nightmare, nicknamed the White Nightmare that appeared alongside the gate. It overturned common sense. The considerable force field surrounding it prevents outside intervention. This kind of ability was the first to appear ultimately. This time, a lot of damage had been reduced because of the miraculous performance of Il-Hyun, who was there by chance, but the chances of knowing where it would appear again are slim. No matter how strong the Awakeners power, it was useless if you couldn¡¯t approach and remove the monster. If you don¡¯t have a level of Awakener in the station to solve the gate, then you¡¯re done. It was a Korean city with a high percentage of Awakeners, but the problem was even worse if it appeared in another country. From the citizens¡¯ point of view, if they were caught without luck, they couldn¡¯t even run away, and it was just that they had to die. Besides, another reason for the topic was the death of Lee Tae-hee, the world¡¯s best prospect, and the emergence of Il-Hyun. Lee Tae-hee¡¯s death, which was more popular than the Aegis¡¯ team leader and prominent government people with promising and outstanding ability, was a huge shock among the public. She was expected to take charge of Aegis¡¯ future and was unexpectedly killed. Moreover, at the moment of crisis, Lee Tae-hee killed Chaser, an A-ranked monster, by herself. It would have been more regrettable that she would have been an A-class awakener if she returned safely this time. Of course, that part was thoroughly disclosed only to the person concerned. On the other hand, in the case of Il-Hyun who came back from the gate, it was the complete opposite. No one didn¡¯t know that Il-Hyun caught an A rank mutant monster. Even at this moment, what truly happened to him was full of stories here and there. Il-Hyun is almost approaching the ability of a team leader, speculation about his ability to summon, and his stories continued to pass even among those who weren¡¯t interested in them. He was a miracle hero who saved millions in desperate situations. While he fell, there were all kinds of public comments from the broadcaster, and articles continued to appear. As such, the media focused on surfacing one side. Focus on new hopes or gossip rather than the fear of gates. So Tae-hee Lee¡¯s death flowed little by little. It was as quiet as possible so that it¡¯s gradually forgotten. It¡¯s only been a week, but there has already been a lot of reaction from the public. The governments weren¡¯t doing the right thing, but they were really desperate in this way. The car stopped when they arrived at the destination. Il-Hyun and Lee Soo-Yeon were riding in the back seat. Both of them were casual¡ªnot too casual for they were Awakeners of the awakeners who have lived hidden in the past few weeks. Il-Hyun shook his arm. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lee Soo-Yeon asked. ¡°I had a wound¡­ I¡¯m a little stiff, but I¡¯m okay,¡± he replied. Lee Soo-Yeon, who was trying to go ahead, looked at Il-Hyun as if she had thought of something. ¡°Oh, right. The president invited you once to come to the event. How about that?¡± ¡°No, thanks. What would I do there?¡± Il-Hyun shook his head violently. When she went out for his absence, she had to take a commemorative photo while shaking hands and smiling at the president. It was useless because it was a vain political show. Even more so in this situation. ¡°Yeah, I knew it and I refused it three days ago.¡± Lee Soo-Yeon took the lead, and Il-Hyun walked along. When they reached the entrance, they removed the hats they were wearing in the crowds and then stepped in. They arrived at the National Cemetery in Seoul. This was where the body of Lee Tae-hee was buried. Even if the awakened people who saved many lives were buried in a national cemetery, it was almost impossible because the government won¡¯t easily acknowledge it. In the past, the government wanted to keep the awakened as a famous star rather than making a life-saving hero. However, this time, due to the buzz of the enormous incident, they had no choice but to act quickly. ¡°Is it here?¡± Il-Hyun asked in front of the small tombstone, and Lee Soo-Yeon nodded. They were in a small cemetery less than 1 pYeong. It was quite different from the 8-pYeong grand cemetery where general-level officers he didn¡¯t even know the name of were buried. He didn¡¯t know if it¡¯s cleaned up often or not, but several flowers were placed in front of her tombstone. Il-Hyun, who watched for a moment, put a white chrysanthemum flower in front of the tombstone. Although she was a temporary colleague, considering the length of his entry into Aegis, he spent a long time together with her¡ªthey were together on the scenes of life and death. As a promising senior Awakener, she was humble, and she seemed to be an immature student of her age at times, sometimes doing adult behaviors. This is the second time an acquaintance of mine has gone to the cemetery because of a monster. The first was his sibling. As a child, Il-Hyun lost his younger sister in the gates and barely survived. And since that time, his dream was to become an awakened man who can save the weak and face the gates. In fact, it seemed like he was going to fly with joy when he knew he had the ability to move small objects. At that time, all of the past, such as the flimsy training he followed, came from his desire to become awakened and defend innocent people. The small ability was no longer able to progress but he was not throwing away expectations. Then, at the age of 20, he was able to resign altogether only after undergoing probation tests that had been failed. When he lived like that for a few years and then forgot all about it, he accidentally awakened the predatory instinct and became an Awakener. In the end, however, he couldn¡¯t defend his colleague. The figure of Lee Tae-hee, who had collapsed without power, overlapped with his younger sister¡ªand after all this time, she still passed away. He was an SSS¡ªa Nabal and was still a weak Awakener. At that time, the receiver in Lee Soo-Yeon¡¯s arms rang. A gate was created with 30 minutes of activation time left, and it was left to her. ¡°I have to go first. I told the CEO it will be hard, but I¡¯m taking a break for a while.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯ll be easy enough,¡± Il-Hyun said as he looked straight at her. While he was coming here, he heard all the details. It has been more than a month since the cycle changed and the gates were pouring, but there was no sign of improvement, unlike the expectation that it would stabilize soon. Instead, the number of mutant monsters surged, and the frequency of threatening gates increased. Among the officials, there was even a ridiculous joke about worries that the world was ruined. There is no time to play comfortably. Even at this moment, many monsters were creeping into the world. ¡°I will go right away.¡±