Chapter 190

〈Chapter 190〉Part 1, Chapter 9, 24

<June 15th, Midnight 0:07, By the Cheongha Lake Shore.>

The radar was filled with nothing but red dots. No matter how vast the lake was, with countless Special Ability users gathered and thousands of Heuk Jeon-jal (Black Scorpions) swarming in, the Monster radar was essentially rendered useless.

“Damn it! I can’t see a thing like this?!”

It was too dark. The infrastructure that should have lit up the lake area, such as streetlights, had already been destroyed by the Monsters, and most of the light sources that could help the Heroes were positioned far ahead. In the end, they had to rely on the faint glow of Magic Power.

“What the hell?! Why are these bastards crossing the lake?!”

“Who said water was their weakness?! They swim just fine!!”

The Heuk Jeon-jal didn’t split left or right but charged straight ahead. The front legs submerged underwater moved rapidly, paddling like oars, with speeds so fast that the Heroes questioned if they were looking at scorpions or jet skis.

“Does anyone have any light?!”

“I can’t see anything!”

As the Heuk Jeon-jal passed the center of the lake, one Hero tried to track their movements using a telescope, but it was futile. Attempts to urgently transport temporary streetlights and lighting to the lakeside proved ineffective, as the light didn’t reach very far.

“This is maddening, damn it!”

“Central Notification! We’re trying to intercept the Heuk Jeon-jal landing on the opposite side of the lake. Heroes, respond from your positions!”

“What?! Then we’re screwed!”

The front-line Heroes screamed. The swarm of Heuk Jeon-jal was already more than halfway across the water. If they stayed put, it would be obvious they’d end up watching helplessly as spectators.

“…! Additional notification to front-line Heroes! Intercept them from both sides before they land!”

“Yeah, that’s the way!”

“If only we could manage this much!”

Heroes attacked the Heuk Jeon-jal who hadn’t yet entered the river. Heroes attacking from both sides caused the side Heuk Jeon-jal to spread out and begin responding.

Kyaah!

The Heuk Jeon-jal, wielding their pincers wide open and swinging tails that could inflict fatal wounds with a single swipe, came in all sizes from hatchlings to adults. But to the Heroes, the size of the Heuk Jeon-jal translated into something else entirely.

Core.

The size of the Heuk Jeon-jal’s body and Core rank were proportional, and naturally, the Heroes prioritized those A-Rank or S-Rank sized ones.

“Hahaha, you collect what you catch!”

“These monsters must’ve burst through more than ten Dimensional Gates to appear!”

“Core! Show me the Core!!”

Are these truly Heroes, or are they starving wraiths obsessed with Cores? Either way, they ran forward, weapons aimed at the Monsters threatening humanity.

The Heroes blinded by Cores failed to notice.

That the Heuk Jeon-jal not touched by their lights were blending into the darkness.

* * *

At the moment when the Heroes intercepted the waist of the Heuk Jeon-jal swarm at the forefront.

Korean Heroes suddenly facing the Heuk Jeon-jal horde pulled out their weapons, tongues hanging out in shock.

“Is this Heaven smiling down on us?”

“Hey! Don’t get cocky! These guys are charging at the front line! Their ranks will likely be high!”

What seemed like the worst position turned into the best spot in an instant. Those who were quite dissatisfied with their assignment expressed gratitude for the Executioner’s calmness. If the Executioner hadn’t obediently followed the Guild’s assignment, they might’ve been pushed out of this spot and relocated elsewhere.

“This is really lucky.”

“Yes. Oddly enough. Very.”

The Executioner shivered. Mo Taegyeong’s meaningful gaze indicating their position still lingered in his mind. The sound of ‘hohoho’ laughter still rang in his ears, and the Executioner shook his head vigorously to focus on the front lines.

“Can you see clearly?”

A thick fog hung over the battlefield. With no light available due to the late hour, the fog made visibility even worse. Even Tempest Lady stirring up the wind couldn’t keep the fog away for long.

“This seems wasteful of Magic Power. Executioner, regrettably, relying on our individual sight might be the best option.”

“Yes. If so, there’s nothing we can do. Everyone, enhance your vision with Magic Power. Long-range attackers, please stay vigilant. It’s hard to judge when they’ll arrive based on the radar alone.”

After issuing orders, the Executioner spread out the Heroes widely and took a deep breath. The vibrations from the approaching Heuk Jeon-jal grew stronger with each passing moment.

“Executioner, we’ve received a message from the Guild. Other Heroes want to share our assigned areas.”

“…Everyone sure loves embarrassing us.”

The Executioner gritted his teeth at their shameless behavior. Those who had used every excuse to push themselves to the rear now suggested sharing positions via the Guild.

“Fine. Let them.”

“Executioner?”

“It seems better to build a strong wall rather than stretch a wide net and leave holes. Usa, please relay this to the Guild. We’ll guard this point; handle the rest yourselves.”

The Executioner adjusted the Heroes’ deployment in the originally assigned area, making it more compact. Though the 500m section assigned to them was reduced to about 200m, the Executioner wasn’t concerned.

“Greed is dangerous. We must return safely without anyone getting hurt. Frontline, close range; Rearline, long range. We’ll form a solid formation to deal with the landing Heuk Jeon-jal.”

“What about the original zone?”

“The greedy ones will fill it in themselves. They won’t complain later. So let’s focus on the Heuk Jeon-jal now.”

Gugugug.

The ground began to rumble heavily. The river rippled and splashed as the leading Heuk Jeon-jal approached the shore, impossible to discern on the radar due to their overwhelming numbers.

“Damn it, I can’t see a thing!”

Pungbaek squinted his eyes, but he couldn’t see any movement from the Heuk Jeon-jal. Even an A-Rank like him struggled to pinpoint exact locations, meaning other Heroes were equally blind.

Reacting to a car speeding toward you from 300 meters away is somehow possible, but reacting within 30 meters is difficult. They needed light.

Tch-

Someone near the Executioner leaped into the sky, soaring past the front-line Heroes and delivering a powerful punch downward.

Kwaang!

An explosion echoed as white flames erupted. The unique White Flame of Hwakwon illuminated the surroundings.

Kiieeek?!

The Heuk Jeon-jal screamed and retreated. The Heroes were startled by the sudden appearance of the Heuk Jeon-jal, which had emerged unnoticed from the water.

“W-what is that?!”

“When did they get here?!”

“Snap out of it!”

The Executioner shouted desperately to rally the Heroes, but it was futile. Among the thousands of Heuk Jeon-jal emerging from the water, the leaders were all massive with tough exoskeletons.

Kiieek!!

The monster struck by Hwakwon thrashed its tail. In its death throes, it sprayed venom wildly, forcing the Heroes to retreat. Deadly poison dispersed through the fog. One drop curved through the air toward the Executioner’s face.

“Shit-”

The Executioner froze. Before he could move, the venom seemed destined to hit his face. There was no time to dodge.

At that moment, white flames engulfed the world.

“Ahhh.”

The pale blue-tinged flames incinerated all the venom scattered in the air. The towering pillar of fire acted like a lighthouse, dispelling the darkness. The Heuk Jeon-jal attempting to climb from the lake to the riverside shrieked and retreated from the fiery sparks.

“Huff, huff.”

Hwakwon, having unleashed a massive amount of flames, stomped on the head of the Heuk Jeon-jal that had sprayed the venom. The Heuk Jeon-jal’s body began burning from the inside.

“Is everyone alright?!”

In Hwakwon’s eyes, the white flames slowly turned blue. Though no one noticed the change in his eye color, his power was evident.

Ki-gi-gik.

The Heuk Jeon-jal cautiously distanced themselves. The death of the leading giant Heuk Jeon-jal instilled fear. Hwakwon clenched his fists after stepping off the burning Heuk Jeon-jal’s body.

“Huff.”

At the Heroes’ frontline, Hwakwon saw dozens of pairs of eyes glaring at him from the darkness. Intercepting Monsters in a foggy lake during the night was the worst choice imaginable.

But there was no choice. If the defensive line here collapsed, the Heuk Jeon-jal would invade and destroy a city inhabited by hundreds of thousands of people. Therefore, they had to stop them here.

“…”

Yuha whispered softly, unheard by anyone.

“Blazing Phoenix Revival…!”

His heart began pounding violently. Was he embarrassed? No. His heart pumped overflowing Magic Power throughout his body, and Hwakwon’s Magic Power surged infinitely.

“Executioner!”

Hwakwon’s voice shook the air. He stood poised to charge, and the Executioner, snapping out of his stupor, bit his lip and prepared his Magic Power.

“Everyone!”

The Executioner raised his hand high.

“Begin interception!”

The rear Heroes started firing from afar. The front Heroes charged toward the Heuk Jeon-jal, weapons swinging. Leading them was Hwakwon.

Gi-gi-gik!

The Heuk Jeon-jal also responded by running toward them. They absorbed magical bullets with their bodies while jabbing their sharp, venom-dripping tails. They were undoubtedly enraged.

“Our anger should be directed at them!”

“Beware of the venom!”

Usa fired water bullets to deflect the venom. Unsah’s devouring cloud cut off the Heuk Jeon-jal’s tail, preventing the venom from dispersing. The concealed cloud chewed through the sturdy outer shell and venomous tail, swallowing it whole.

Ki-e-eek!

Hwakwon didn’t evade the Heuk Jeon-jal’s pincer attack. Facing a pincer larger than his own body, he swung his fist, resulting in a thunderous crash that shattered the pincer.

“Haaah!!”

Hwakwon roared as he stomped on the Heuk Jeon-jal’s head. The Heuk Jeon-jal, unable to move with its jaw smashed into the ground, quickly flicked its only moving tail.

Whiiish!

Hwakwon twisted his body. The Heuk Jeon-jal’s all-out desperate strike was thwarted, and focusing the overflowing Magic Power into his hand, Hwakwon thrust his fist between the Heuk Jeon-jal’s shell.

Hooorrrr.

White flames erupted inside the Heuk Jeon-jal’s body. As it convulsed, it sprayed venom toward Hwakwon, but the venom evaporated before reaching him due to the intense heat.

“Huff.”

Hwakwon took a deep breath, gathering his Magic Power. While he dealt with one Heuk Jeon-jal, other fellow Heroes intercepted the Heuk Jeon-jal they could handle.

“There’s no way this ends here…right?”

“Of course not. Does a wave hit only once? Tsk tsk.”

“……So this is the first wave, huh.”

The Heroes lined up the Heuk Jeon-jal they hunted. Before the next wave arrived, they hastily extracted and collected the Cores from the corpses. Hwakwon also extracted the Cores from one S-Rank and one A-Rank Heuk Jeon-jal he captured, handing them over to the Executioner.

“Executioner! Here are the Cores… Executioner?”

“…….”

The Executioner was frozen stiff.

“Fire.”

“Pardon?”

“The Heuk Jeon-jal corpses…they’re catching fire?”

The Executioner pointed at the two Heuk Jeon-jal Hwakwon had defeated. Scratching his head, Hwakwon corrected the Executioner’s misunderstanding.

“My flames never extinguish.”

“Pardon?”

“An eternal Blue Flame. That’s the source of my Special Ability.”

Hwakwon tapped his chest and smiled brightly. Unbothered, the Executioner pointed at the light cast by the flames.

“In that case, you could probably illuminate the entire battlefield…?”

“They’re coming! The second wave!”

A group of Heuk Jeon-jal ascended the riverbank in a long line. Unlike the previous surprise attack, their silhouettes were visible from afar, allowing them to be detected immediately.

“…….”

The Executioner alternated his gaze between the Heuk Jeon-jal and Lee Seunghyung, lost in thought.

Crackle.

The faintly bluish white flames, true to Hwakwon’s words, never dimmed, serving as an ever-burning beacon illuminating the darkness.