Chapter 256 – Korea in Crisis

Swoosh-

The first thing Min Do-jun did after teleporting with James was to look around his surroundings.

‘This is definitely Korea.’

Seeing Gwanghwamun in front of him confirmed it was Korea.

It was just as Adam had said.

‘He said he had David on standby to teleport to Korea, so it wasn’t a lie after all.’

He could see David looking confused in front of him.

“Hyung? Wh-who is this person?”

It wasn’t because he was surprised that the person who appeared wasn’t Adam.

He was just startled because James had suddenly brought someone with him.

‘As expected, seeing that he doesn’t remember me, it seems memories after mind control are erased.’

Min Do-jun looked at David with purple eyes.

[Target’s Karma: 441]

His Karma was high, making mind control easily possible.

“James, David.”

“Yes, Min Do-jun-nim.”

“Please speak.”

“You two will immediately go stop the monsters scattered throughout the city. Save the citizens.”

“Understood.”

“We will do as commanded.”

The twin brothers who were about to leave suddenly turned their heads.

“But what will you do, Min Do-jun-nim?”

“Aren’t you coming with us?”

He was momentarily flustered that the puppets would ask questions, but only briefly.

“I have somewhere urgent to go. Hurry and leave.”

He quickly sent the twin brothers away.

That’s when it happened.

[The cooldown for the ‘Riding’ skill has reset.]

Min Do-jun smiled as the message he’d been waiting for appeared.

‘Awoo, let’s go.’

[Woof!]

Min Do-jun mounted the Ghost Wolf and quickly disappeared.

---

With the sudden appearance of monsters, Korea was in a state of emergency.

[Various types of monsters dropped at Sindorim Station have scattered throughout Seoul! Citizens are advised to refrain from going outside for safety…]

[The monsters dropped in Seoul are all A-rank, estimated to be at least 100 in number. This is equivalent to an A-rank dungeon break…]

[Currently, dozens of government hunters have been deployed to catch the monsters. However, there aren’t many A-rank hunters capable of catching the monsters, so extermination is expected to take time…]

[Those watching the news are advised to follow government guidelines to evacuate into buildings rather than coming out onto the streets…]

Despite it being class time, students couldn’t take their eyes off their phones.

Even the professor was watching the breaking news with a dazed expression.

“T-today’s class ends here. Everyone hurry home. Quickly.”

The professor left the lecture hall with just those words.

He seemed worried about his family’s safety.

After the professor left, students also gathered their bags and stood up.

“What about class?”

“Is class the problem right now? Seoul is about to disappear.”

“Why would Seoul disappear? Government hunters are stopping them right now.”

“Right. The number of monsters isn’t that many either.”

“I think it would be safer to just stay here quietly and wait for the situation to end rather than going outside.”

Several students said it would be best to follow government guidelines and not move, but there were other opinions too.

“These guys are talking so carelessly right now. Even if 100 D-rank Worwolves spread out, it would be hard to stop them without damage, and now over 100 A-rank monsters have spread. If you just sit still, it’s only a matter of time before you die.”

“But wouldn’t it be safe if we hide in the building?”

“I heard A-rank monsters can pierce through concrete walls. Hiding in buildings would be useless.”

“Right. And the real problem isn’t the A-rank monsters. The dragon flying in the sky is the problem.”

“Ah…”

Students who belatedly remembered the Drake King let out sighs.

“Drake King is one of the highest difficulty monsters among existing S-rank bosses.”

“If that thing seriously causes havoc in the middle of Seoul…”

“Seoul becoming a sea of fire is just a matter of time…”

“It might be better to quickly leave Seoul now…”

Shadows fell across the students’ faces.

But there wasn’t no hope.

“About that Drake King… couldn’t Hye-ri’s oppa stop it?”

“Hunter Shin Kyung-min?”

The students’ gazes naturally focused on Shin Hye-ri.

The fact that Shin Hye-ri’s brother was Shin Kyung-min was something all Korea University students knew.

“Hye-ri. What do you think?”

Shin Hye-ri was flustered by the sudden question.

“Wh-what?”

“Couldn’t your brother stop the Drake King?”

“Well…?”

It was certain that her brother was among the strong ones, but she wasn’t sure if he could catch an S-rank boss.

Moreover, the strongest person she knew wasn’t Shin Kyung-min.

“Wouldn’t it take someone like Hunter Min Do-jun to stop it?”

“Ah, Hunter Min Do-jun?”

“If it’s the Hero of Hongdae…”

“Totally agree.”

If he, who had stopped the A-rank dungeon break that occurred in Hongdae with minimal damage, stepped forward, the students could feel at ease.

But they couldn’t just sit still and hope for someone to deal with the monsters.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“I’m leaving. I can’t die like this.”

“It’s dangerous to go outside!”

“It’s more dangerous to stay in Seoul.”

“Right. If we just get out of Seoul, we won’t have to worry about dying at least.”

Several students who thought they needed to move to survive left the lecture hall.

A classmate close to Shin Hye-ri also stood up.

“Hye-ri, let’s go. We can’t stay here.”

“No. I’m staying here.”

“Why?”

“Oppa told me to stay put at school.”

“Hunter Shin Kyung-min did?”

Several students who were about to leave stopped at those words.

“Did Hunter Shin Kyung-min also judge that staying in the building is safer?”

“But it would be dangerous if A-rank monsters appear.”

“Hmm, but I’ll wait.”

“Me too.”

“I’ll trust Hunter Shin Kyung-min’s judgment.”

Students who had turned back remained in the lecture hall, watching the live news broadcast and monitoring the situation.

How much time had passed?

When they were getting tired of waiting, a sound that broke the silence came from outside the window.

It was a scream.

“Wh-what?”

“What’s that sound?”

Students who looked out the window all opened their mouths.

An A-rank monster, a Rock Lizard, was eating a student who had just been passing by.

Crunch crunch-

At the sight of the writhing corpse, students screamed and turned away.

At the same time, they shouted with voices full of complaints.

“Damn it! This is why I said we should run away quickly!”

“Ah! We shouldn’t have stayed at school!”

Students who regretted their change of mind hurriedly grabbed their bags.

“Let’s run away even now.”

“Right, if we take a car, we should be able to outrun one of them.”

While students went outside the lecture hall, Shin Hye-ri didn’t move.

It was because of her brother’s request to stay put.

“Hye-ri! Aren’t you coming? Everyone left.”

“Yeah. I’ll stay here.”

“You’ll die if you stay here!”

But ultimately, her judgment was correct.

Swish swish swish!

Stab- Stab-

“Kyaaah!”

“Aaaaah!”

The screams of students who had run away echoed through the corridor.

“Th-there wasn’t just one?”

There must have been several more inside the building, as all the students who went outside the lecture hall couldn’t escape death.

“W-we need to hide.”

At her classmate’s words, Shin Hye-ri nodded and hid in a cabinet in the lecture hall with her.

Hoping the monster wouldn’t discover them and would pass by.

A moment later.

Bang-!

With the sound of the lecture hall door opening, a monster’s voice was heard.

Hiss- Hiss-

A Rock Lizard flicking its tongue and following the scent of humans finally entered the lecture hall.

The two women who sensed this through sound clasped their hands and prayed.

‘Please, go away. Go away…!’

But contrary to their wishes, the footsteps grew closer and closer, and finally they could hear breathing as if it was right in front of them.

Hiss- Hiss-

‘N-no…’

Just when despair loomed before them.

Crack!

Thud- Crash-!

With a bizarre sound, the monster collapsed with a crash.

At that moment, the cabinet burst open.

“Hye-ri!”

“O-oppa…”

Shin Kyung-min, who had dealt with the Rock Lizard, looked at his sister with worried eyes.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Is your friend next to you okay too?”

“Yes. I survived thanks to you.”

The two women sighed in relief at the appearance of the domestic rank 2.

Shin Kyung-min was also relieved.

“I’m so glad you’re alive. I was so worried when I saw dead students on the way here.”

“I didn’t think oppa would come. I thought you went to catch monsters.”

“What are you talking about? Where else would I go if not for you? That’s why I told you to stay put and not move.”

Shin Kyung-min had rushed here to protect his sister.

He didn’t have time to go catch monsters for others.

“Then what about the other monsters? The Drake King?”

“Other hunters will catch them. I just need to protect you. Other people aren’t my concern.”

“Who’s going to catch them if not oppa?”

“There is someone. One person.”

Shin Kyung-min pointed upward with his finger.

“The person above me.”

Shin Kyung-min was talking about the overwhelming rank 1, Hunter Min Do-jun.

Only he could catch the Drake King.

---

With the sudden appearance of monsters, the city turned into chaos.

Especially the department store near Sindorim Station, where the most monsters were dropped, was nothing short of hell.

“S-save me!”

Crunch-! Crunch-!

A Glowing-Eyed Tiger chewed on the head of a fleeing department store employee.

This made three humans it had eaten, but the tiger was still hungry.

Grrrrrowl!

The tiger searching for prey spotted people crowded near the emergency stairs.

Dash-!

People who saw the tiger running screamed in panic.

“Eek! I-it’s coming!”

“Damn bastards! Hurry up and get inside!”

People at the back who couldn’t get into the emergency exit tried their best to squeeze in, but.

Crunch-! Crack!

In the end, they became the tiger’s meal.

“N-now’s the time. We need to run quickly.”

Cha Seung-hoon, who was in the front row, grabbed Cha Ye-rin’s hand and went down the emergency stairs.

He felt sorry for the people who got eaten at the back, but if not now, there would be no time to escape.

Thud thud thud-

While the people at the back bought time, the siblings going down the stairs heard terrible screams.

“Kyaaaah!”

“Th-there are some below too, oppa.”

“Damn.”

Judging by how loud the screams were, monsters must have invaded the emergency exit too.

Going down further was dangerous.

“This way!”

Cha Seung-hoon opened the emergency door to exit to the middle floor.

But then.

Munch munch-

He made eye contact with a Glowing-Eyed Tiger that was in the middle of eating.

“Ah…”

Grrrrrowl-

The tiger frowned as if displeased that its meal had been interrupted.

“Ye-rin…”

“Y-yeah?”

“Thank you for everything.”

“Wh-what are you suddenly saying?”

Tssss-

A worn-out sword appeared in Cha Seung-hoon’s hand.

It was a level 5 one-handed sword.

“I’ll buy time, so run away quickly.”

Cha Seung-hoon instinctively knew.

There was no way to survive here.

So he intended to at least save his sister.

“R-run away… Where am I supposed to go alone!”

“Anywhere is fine, just run! Survive!”

“I won’t go anywhere without oppa!”

“There’s no time for this. Hurry!”

Cha Seung-hoon approached the tiger to draw its attention.

‘I need to buy time until my sister escapes.’

Cha Seung-hoon had no thought of beating the Glowing-Eyed Tiger.

There was no way an F-rank hunter who had just reached level 5 could win against an A-rank monster.

‘But if I do well, I might be able to buy time…’

That’s what he thought, but.

Whack-!

It was clearly a miscalculation.

Thud-

He collapsed to the floor without even being able to respond to the Glowing-Eyed Tiger’s front paw strike.

“O-oppa!”

Cha Seung-hoon, who fell to the floor, didn’t respond.

He had already lost consciousness from a concussion after being hit in the head.

No matter how much of a hunter he was, at level 5, he wasn’t physically much different from an ordinary person.

Grrrrrowl-

The Glowing-Eyed Tiger’s gaze turned to Cha Ye-rin, who was trembling.

“Aah…”

Thud-

Cha Ye-rin, whose legs gave out, sat down on the spot.

“Oppa…”

Like Cha Seung-hoon, she too sensed death.

As an ordinary person, she had no means to resist the monster.

She could only wait for death.

However, perhaps there’s no law that says people must die, as a miraculous thing happened.

Slash-!

The Glowing-Eyed Tiger suddenly split in half.

“Are you okay?”

The person who appeared at the same time was none other than Min Do-jun.

“Fortunately, I’m not too late.”

“Ah…”

At Min Do-jun’s sudden appearance, Cha Ye-rin was simply dumbfounded.

That’s when it happened.

Roooooar!

Another tiger that witnessed the death of its kind pounced toward Min Do-jun.

“B-be careful!”

Despite Cha Ye-rin’s warning, Min Do-jun didn’t take any particular action.

He just waved his hand once as if shooing away a fly.

“Hellfire.”

Whoosh-!

The tiger that was about to pounce on Min Do-jun was swept away by suddenly generated flames and disappeared without leaving even bones.

“…”

Cha Ye-rin looked at that scene with a blank expression once again.

Then, as if coming to her senses, she ran to Cha Seung-hoon.

“Oppa, wake up! Oppa!”

She shook his shoulders, but Cha Seung-hoon didn’t move at all.

Suddenly having an ominous feeling, Cha Ye-rin put her finger under her brother’s nose.

“O…ppa?”

Cha Ye-rin said in a trembling voice.

“O-oppa isn’t breathing.”

“…”

At her words, Min Do-jun calmly searched the ranking system.

“…Cha Seung-hoon’s name isn’t in the rankings.”

“Ah…”

The meaning of those words was clear.

He was dead.

“O-oppa… sob sob.”

“Don’t cry. It’s too early to cry yet.”

Min Do-jun smiled slightly at Cha Ye-rin, who looked at him as if asking what he meant.

“I can revive Cha Seung-hoon.”