Before Kanghyeon Lee and Maru arrived at the scene.
Hunters belonging to the Emergency Response Team were still confronting the monsters.
A tense situation where monsters emerged from dungeons and threatened human civilization.
They were dispatched to resolve it, but the situation did not improve at all.
Rather, they realized there were two A-rank monsters.
“Tsk.”
Han Jeongcheol, the team leader of the Emergency Response Team, bit his lip in frustration.
‘I thought wrong from the start.’
He knew about the Ghoul and Incubus, and the Death Knight, but the Arch Lich was unexpected.
Who could have known there would be two A-rank monsters, each of which would be difficult to handle alone?
No one would have expected it.
Furthermore, the biggest loss was losing the deputy team leader.
The misjudgment of the opponent’s strength and rushing in became a fatal mistake.
And.
This is where the terror of the opposing monsters was revealed.
The undead transformation of those killed.
A Death Knight turns its opponent into a Ghoul.
Similarly, an Arch Lich raises Skeletons from corpses.
In theory, the opponent could churn out monsters infinitely.
Of course, they were dispatched to stop their advancement, but it was meaningless now.
The deputy team leader who charged forward also became a Skeleton.
A hunter who had been loyal to the country was now ironically creating a situation where he would destroy the country.
Han Jeongcheol slowly scanned the subordinates around him.
The morale that had been high just a while ago plummeted back to the ground.
No one could move from their spots due to the deputy team leader’s death.
Their faces were filled with despair and fear.
This was the Emergency Response Team, considered quite powerful.
But perhaps it was because they had become too accustomed to the long period of peace.
They now lacked the ability to suppress the current Monster Wave.
It was a situation so twisted that they should be praised simply for not abandoning or fleeing the scene.
At this moment, fighting against them would be suicide.
As they hesitated, considering whether to temporarily retreat and join forces with reinforcements.
*Bang-*
Suddenly, a beam of light shot towards the monsters.
“?!”
Naturally, the Death Knight raised its grotesque shield to defend.
“Light…!”
The shot light was blocked by the shield and spread outwards.
The scattered light eventually formed a decisive blow.
Some of the Ghouls in the vicinity began to melt.
Of course, the other monsters, excluding the Ghouls, were unharmed.
Still, a crack appeared in the seemingly impregnable monster formation.
‘S-strong.’
And it was beautiful.
The hunters present were thinking such thoughts.
Han Jeongcheol’s gaze followed the direction from which the light had come.
Dozens of hunters were walking towards them, armed.
They wore armor with a characteristic pure white design.
It was the Divine Guild.
A man leading them from the front was visible.
It was obvious who had just attacked.
“Kim Suho….”
Although he was a member of the Divine Guild, he was also an A-rank Hunter.
He was an A-rank Hunter like Han Jeongcheol, but their ranks were vastly different.
Kim Suho was a talent who had already visited the El Dorado Continent.
Was that all?
It was said that he was even ordained as a Paladin there.
Even though Han Jeongcheol had never been there, he knew what a great achievement that was.
Thanks to this, Kim Suho currently held the title of Paladin.
Separate from his outward image.
“Hah, you can’t even solve this little thing. Your title as the Emergency Response Team is a waste.”
It was already known that Kim Suho’s personality was rough.
Due to the nature of the Emergency Response Team, they interacted with various guilds even when not on field duty.
Han Jeongcheol knew Kim Suho well from these interactions, having met him several times.
“Mirae Lee. You left the Divine Guild to come to a place like this?”
And just as expected.
Kim Suho’s tone was arrogant and challenging.
His very gaze seemed eager to devour the opponent.
Kim Suho said harshly towards Mirae Lee, who was waiting behind him.
‘Sigh….’
Han Jeongcheol’s head started to ache from the current situation.
Kim Suho was always like this.
Those who didn’t know him well admired the name Kim Suho, but his current appearance was his true self.
However, this was a critical situation.
Even if his initial impression was not good, they needed to combine their strengths to resolve the crisis.
They had already somewhat grasped the power of the opposing monsters.
Moreover, the Divine Guild primarily utilized Holy Power, which was of the light attribute.
If they combined their knowledge with the Divine Guild’s abilities, they would be able to quickly quell the Monster Wave.
Cooperation was desperately needed.
Han Jeongcheol extended his hand without a word to Kim Suho, despite his rudeness.
It was a gesture of asking for cooperation, but the other party merely scoffed.
“No thanks. What cooperation can we have with people who can’t even solve this? We’ll handle it ourselves, so just watch from behind.”
Kim Suho, who was on a strictly official occasion, avoided using casual language.
But his words were full of sarcasm.
At the same time, he belittled the hunters of the Emergency Response Team.
“……”
Han Jeongcheol had nothing to say either.
No matter what he said now, Kim Suho wouldn’t listen.
The Divine Guild also followed Kim Suho, and it was likely they would ignore his words.
However, it was a dangerous situation.
Han Jeongcheol spoke one last word, as he didn’t want the Divine Guild’s forces to be depleted.
“Don’t be careless, and be careful of the Arch Lich.”
Despite speaking as politely as possible, Kim Suho passed by them without listening.
Han Jeongcheol didn’t try to stop them.
After all, they would soon realize.
That their opponents were different beings from what they had encountered so far.
It was the worst Monster Wave, but ironically, the overall damage was minimal.
Although they didn’t know what these monsters were aiming for, it was still hopeful.
Therefore, they decided to do their best with what they could do.
“Be careful not to let the damage spread to the surroundings!”
At the team leader’s command, the Emergency Response Team hunters began to move again.
“……”
Kim Suho was moving forward without a word.
“Death Knight and Arch Lich….”
He could see the monsters on the opposite side.
He had known about the Death Knight, but the Arch Lich was an unexpected power.
Now everyone knew, based on the report from the Emergency Response Team that had rushed out earlier.
The fact that the worst possible situation had occurred.
But he wasn’t worried.
Who were they?
Weren’t they Korea’s best guild, the Divine Guild?
The hunters he brought now were all elites.
Moreover, the opponents were mainly Undead.
This meant they had the advantage in terms of type matchups.
Most importantly, Kim Suho himself was here.
‘This is nothing.’
Kim Suho recalled the past for a moment.
Until now, he had walked an elite path.
He had never missed the top spot in Hunter Academy.
He eventually graduated as valedictorian and even went to the El Dorado Continent.
His true worth emerged on the El Dorado Continent.
He joined the Church and achieved several merits there.
Thanks to that, he received the title of Paladin from the Church, along with a supply-grade Holy Sword used by Paladins.
This was what was publicly known.
Of course, in the process, Kim Suho encountered many monsters.
Especially, the monsters on the El Dorado Continent were on a different level from the monsters on Earth.
“The monsters before my eyes are merely parasites on Earth!”
Therefore, Kim Suho felt no fear at all.
With the strength he had gained by toiling in El Dorado, this should be nothing.
Kim Suho slowly drew the sword at his waist.
“Let me show you.”
Although it wasn’t a true Holy Sword of a Holy Relic, it shone pure white on its own.
“The power of divinity!”
Kim Suho’s sword was completely out of its sheath.
“My power!”
At the same time, he swung it forward.
*Whoosh-*
The light shot from the sword headed towards the monsters with a fierce sound.
*Bang-*
The result was a hit.
But.
“!”
Again, the attack was blocked by the Death Knight’s shield.
However, Kim Suho was not flustered.
He continued to attack, shooting light.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
Each time, the Death Knight blocked Kim Suho’s attacks with its shield.
Even though the light was blocked, the Ghouls around them were slowly falling from the aftershock.
But Kim Suho was not satisfied with that.
“Grrr!”
Kim Suho’s expression contorted.
The number of Ghouls was decreasing, but the Death Knight itself remained unharmed.
Why were all his attacks being blocked!
Kim Suho closely examined the Death Knight.
“Maid Outfit?”
He had no prior information related to this.
No, on top of that, why was a Maid Outfit hanging on the shield?
It was a peculiar combination.
‘Maybe….’
Is there something in that outfit?
Otherwise, it was incomprehensible that it continued to block his attacks.
This meant that avoiding the shield might be the solution.
With that thought, Kim Suho gave his guild members an attack order.
“Attack them simultaneously!”
All the hunters belonging to the Divine Guild behind him began to attack the monsters.
And Kim Suho also gathered all the power he could muster.
‘I must end it in one blow!’
Faced with the simultaneous attacks of the hunters, the Death Knight was wildly swinging its shield, moving back and forth.
It couldn’t keep up with the attacks from multiple directions.
“Now!”
When the opponent wasn’t paying attention to them, Kim Suho swung his sword.
A brilliant light shot from his sword.
It was a brighter and larger light than before.
“Got it!”
The light that Kim Suho shot flew precisely into the Death Knight’s opening.
*Poof-*
At the same time, a tremendous roar echoed, shaking the ground.
Thick smoke spread, obscuring everyone’s vision.
The hunters belonging to the Emergency Response Team gaped at the sight, and the hunters belonging to the Divine Guild were already in a celebratory mood.
There was a big difference between having two A-rank monsters and one.
With the Death Knight presumably vanquished by the recent attack, they only needed to worry about the Arch Lich from now on.
A moment later, the thick smoke began to dissipate.
Now, the opponent should have become a pathetic sight, no longer deserving to be called a Monster Wave.
However.
“What the!”
Even they, who rarely showed surprise, were astonished at this moment.
“……”
Kim Suho was no exception.
After all, the previous blow was an attack that imbued all the power he could muster.
He believed he would eliminate a Death Knight, but a completely different scenario unfolded.
“Oh dear, you are quite aggressive, aren’t you?”
Kim Suho’s attack was so easily blocked by a being that appeared before the Death Knight.
It was blocked by the hand extended by the target.
“Who, who are you!”
This time, Kim Suho was also flustered.
The opponent was clearly extraordinary in appearance.
Although the being possessed great looks and charm, the horns extending from its head represented its identity.
He tightened his grip on his sword, but the opponent turned its back.
“Tsk.”
Kim Suho felt humiliated.
How little did she think of him to openly turn her back?
Just as he was about to swing his sword to punish the opponent who so openly disrespected him.
“Death Knight and Arch Lich, come to me after this is over.”
The voice of an unknown being was heard.
For some reason, the monsters next to her began to tremble.
The Incubus at the front even lowered its face to the ground.
Even the A-rank monsters, the Death Knight and the Arch Lich, cautiously glanced at her and began to step back slightly.
In this process, the Arch Lich was diligently writing something, but that was of no consequence.
‘What is this….’
Kim Suho was bewildered.
The monsters that had shown such powerful behavior were trembling at her mere words.
What kind of being was she that they trembled so?
“Could it be….”
A sudden possibility occurred to Kim Suho, and he shouted towards her.
“Are you the owner of the dungeon!”
However, she placed a finger near her lips as if she had heard something she shouldn’t have.
It was a signal to be quiet.
* * *
At the critical moment when the attack was heading for the Death Knight, Celia appeared.
Celia immediately extended her right hand, nullifying the opponent’s attack.
The light scattered feebly.
It was a blow that had poured all his strength into it, but it was easily blocked by Celia’s hand.
In fact, it would be more accurate to say that the damage was fully received.
“Oh dear, you are quite aggressive, aren’t you?”
Celia looked at her hand.
Her hand had turned a very subtle shade of red from the previous attack.
The difference in power was such that it was only this much, but if the Death Knight had directly taken the current attack, it would have been quite a significant blow.
Celia looked around and opened her mouth.
“Death Knight and Arch Lich, come to me after this is over.”
At the same time, she spoke to Azmo.
“Azmo… I’ll let it slide this time.”
Celia, who was given the role of disciplining the Dungeon’s Chief Administrator and Master, announced her judgment, leading to starkly different reactions.
Azmo bowed towards Celia and expressed his gratitude.
In fact, Azmo only wanted to be loyal to the Master.
As such, Celia decided to give him a chance.
But not for the Death Knight and the Arch Lich.
The Death Knight began to tremble at her words.
The Arch Lich beside her did not forget to record while trembling.
– Upon the direct appearance of Chief Administrator Ms. Celia, humans were shocked, the Incubus bowed its head, and the Death Knight trembled. Indeed, she is great.
As he recorded and slowly stepped back.
He felt a killing intent from behind.
*Clang-*
The Death Knight immediately raised its shield to respond.
The Arch Lich saw.
The opponent who attacked the Death Knight.
And the opponent realized that they possessed the same aura as themselves.
In other words, they were on the same side.
Why were they attacking their own side?
The Arch Lich asked with a question.
And he did not forget to record this as well.
But the opponent’s words were completely different.
“It is an order from the Master.”
Upon hearing this statement, the Arch Lich was surprised.
An order from the Master!
Come to think of it, the Master’s aura could be faintly felt in the distance.
The Arch Lich immediately revised the written content.
– Heard the words of the great and noble Master too well. This is grounds for praise.
Although he wrote this, he wondered why the Master had issued this order.
He couldn’t understand.
As he pondered the Master’s intentions, Betta suddenly sprang out beside him.
Betta, chosen as the subordinate in the dungeon managed by Azmo.
He was a slime and a master of transformation at the same time.
Even now, he was in human form, not in his slime form.
And he moved his mouth, speaking with precise pronunciation.
“Ah! The Master intends to use this situation!”
What did that mean?
How would they use this situation?
Everyone was puzzled.
Celia, who was in front, also listened to Betta’s words when the Master was mentioned.
“Meaning, it’s like this!”
Betta began his explanation, pausing between each point.
1. Currently, the Master intends to rule this world.
2. However, rule by force alone cannot inspire true loyalty.
3. Therefore, the Master creates an image of saving the world and receives the respect of all.
4. Swallows the world.
Betta had spent many years in a research institute.
Even though it was a research institute, it was not a place where they only conducted peaceful research.
A hierarchy was established among the researchers, and it was a place overflowing with political maneuvering.
Naturally, Betta was able to learn these things.
And it seemed certain that the current Master had a grand ambition.
Therefore, Betta explained confidently.
“Oh.”
Azmo, who was bowing, was the first to react to Betta’s explanation.
“Pursuing natural beauty!”
Azmo, who believed that forcing loyalty was not beautiful, marveled at the Master’s foresight.
Indeed, the Master knew true beauty.
Celia also nodded.
“Indeed. I, Celia, finally understand the Master’s thoughts.”
She understood why the Master had sent her here.
The Death Knight and the Arch Lich also nodded.
The Death Knight immediately looked ahead.
There was Maru, the being sent by the Master.
*Nod.*
The Death Knight nodded towards Maru.
Maru, although hearing this for the first time, thought about it and it seemed correct.
Well, then, only one thing remained.
All that was left was to act according to the Master’s will.
As Maru lightly touched his sword to the Death Knight’s shield.
The Death Knight was sent flying backward.
It was tremendous acting.
The Arch Lich, not to be outdone, rushed towards Maru.
Maru’s sword pierced the Arch Lich’s body.
Of course, the sword passed through the Arch Lich’s bones, so it didn’t matter.
But the Arch Lich reached for the sky.
Ah.
As if miserably.
More desperately.
Sadly.
The hand reaching for the sky fell to the ground.
And so, the Arch Lich became motionless.
“……”
At the same time, the hunters belonging to the Emergency Response Team and the hunters of the Divine Guild, who were watching the sight, were astonished.
In their eyes, an unidentified being, covered in clothes, suddenly appeared and was defeating the monsters.
Not only Han Jeongcheol but also Kim Suho were blinking at the current situation.
