Chapter 191
Chapter 191. To the Ends of the Earth (4)
“Stop babbling and get ready.”
“Babbling? How dare you say that to me…!”
Kim Hyun-tae got angry when his argument was dismissed as nonsense.
However, realizing it wasn’t the time for a verbal brawl, he drew his sword.
Yoo Ji-han kept a watchful eye on Jerry, who was fixated on him.
He remained alert for the monsters that kept encroaching.
“Keck!”
“Fururur!”
“Ehiihiiing!!”
Flying monsters filled the skies, accompanied by the bat Jerry was riding.
On the ground, hairy, four-legged monsters surrounded Yoo Ji-han’s party.
There was no space to escape as the monsters formed a dense wall.
Jerry’s determination to not let them go easily was evident.
‘When did they get so close?’
If this many monsters had gathered, he should have noticed before they closed the distance.
But it seemed these beasts were quieter than ordinary monsters when it came to their footsteps and wing beats.
They probably hadn’t all been born with such traits.
They must have undergone some separate training to become like this.
‘The momentum of these monsters is extraordinary.’
There were even more monsters than when he first saw Jerry at Yeosu Airport.
While it was difficult to compare with the 4,000 IUPC members in sheer numbers,
the eyes and fierce demeanor of each monster were of a much higher level than those he usually encountered on the street.
“Is that the man you mentioned, Jerry?”
“That’s right!”
Flap! Flap!
A man riding a Giant Eagle appeared behind Jerry.
Yoo Ji-han recognized his face from a distance.
‘That person…’
He was a human from Earth who frequently appeared in the memories of the people from another world.
It was Im Min-soo, a high-ranking official of the IUPC.
Despite being born in Korea, not having crossed over from Ajesia,
he had actively cooperated with those trying to engulf Korea for a long time.
In some ways, he could be seen as the person who contributed most to the current situation in Korea.
“One, two, three, four… If we count that giant hamster, it makes ten.”
“Chirp?”
“That’s not a bad number for relieving stress. I see some familiar faces.”
Im Min-soo scanned Yoo Ji-han’s and Kim Hyun-tae’s parties, a nasty smile creeping on his lips.
Some of the surrounding monsters mirrored his smile.
‘They’re mimicking his actions.’
It wasn’t just Jerry controlling the monsters.
This Im Min-soo was no ordinary human either.
“Heroes!”
Swish!
Im Min-soo extended his right arm forward and shouted.
“You have always stomped and disregarded our lovely creatures. I, as an executive of the Creature Protection Association, cannot help but condemn your violent actions!”
“…?”
“Today, you have ruthlessly killed even our precious members! Ah, for 24 hours, my eyes have not dried from watching you from afar!”
“Seems like they’ve already dried…”
At Kim Si-hu’s muttering, Im Min-soo narrowed his eyes and shot him a glare.
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Im Min-soo raised his voice again.
“The police have never truly been on our side. The government, the same. The world has always placed harsh trials on the association. But that no longer matters. Because…”
Snap!
With a finger snap, the monsters he controlled hurled something at the heroes.
Seeing the objects rolling on the ground, Yoo Ji-han grimaced.
“I will judge you!”
The objects thrown by the monsters were human heads.
A chilling sight as more than eight heads rolled like soccer balls.
Fresh, red blood dripped from the torn necks that had yet to dry.
“That lunatic…!”
A child’s head that looked no older than ten years.
Seeing the child with open eyes, who had died, Min Yu-ri exploded with fury, aiming her bow at Im Min-soo.
‘These people are no heroes.’
Unlike Im Min-soo’s ambition to judge heroes,
there was no trace of magic felt from the heads of those he killed.
They were likely citizens who had been unable to escape and were hiding somewhere in Haenam.
“That was just a warm-up. An appetizer to whet the appetite before the main meal.”
“Shut your mouth.”
“Don’t worry! You’ll soon be like that too…”
“Lim Si-yeon!”
“Si-hu!”
Kim Hyun-tae and Yoo Ji-han each called upon the mages from their respective parties.
The two summoned individuals aimed their staffs at the surrounding monsters.
[Volcanic Eruption]
Kuguguung!
A mound of concrete rose before Lim Si-yeon’s body.
Intense magic gathered at the top, shaped like a crater.
With a huge explosion, the magic burst forth.
Puhhwooo——!
Flames of hot magic shot out in a 360-degree radius.
The flames flew at a speed resembling artillery shelling, engulfing monsters both in the sky and on the ground.
“Wheeek?!”
“Fururur—!”
Monsters hit straight on screamed in agony.
Those engulfed completely burned and turned to ash.
The heat was so intense, it could be felt even from a distance.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Taking heed of the magic bursting from the ground, Yoo Ji-han remained vigilant.
Although Lim Si-yeon’s genuine magic was powerful, it sometimes couldn’t distinguish between friend and foe.
Even if she denied it, he had a few memories of almost being caught up in it himself.
[Flame Storm]
Next was Kim Si-hu’s magic.
Utilizing a staff amplified with spirits, he unleashed a synthesis spell combining fire and wind.
The fierce storm, infused with scorching flames, swept through the region where the monsters stood.
Fuuuuun—!
The temperature around, already feeling hot, surged even more because of it.
At this moment, Kim Si-hu’s magic inevitably affected Lim Si-yeon’s [Volcanic Eruption].
Magics that spread over a wide area could collide and diminish their effects.
‘Wasting magic like that is such a loss.’
Kim Si-hu carefully waved his staff, looking this way and that.
Accordingly, the winds created by [Flame Storm] twisted Lim Si-yeon’s magic path, causing it to drop in an unexpected place.
‘If you’re going to use magic, you should use it like this.’
Following his intention, the redirected magic hit all the monsters, inflicting considerable damage.
It was a meaningful use of magic that was initially going to be wasted.
‘Look at that guy?’
Lim Si-yeon raised an eyebrow.
Even outsiders would marvel at his magical control.
The overlapping use of two spells not only didn’t diminish their effects,
but synergized to produce even better results.
‘It’s not luck.’
This technology was definitely not one born of good fortune.
Having underestimated the mages of Yoo Ji-han’s party, he was realizing their skills were quite formidable.
“You’re pretty good.”
“Hehe! This is fun, fun!”
Even as the monsters got caught up in the attacks, Im Min-soo and Jerry remained calm.
The two manipulated their birds to deftly dodge the incoming fireballs.
They folded and spread their wings, rotating freely in the air.
Their movements were smooth, as if handling their own bodies, not monsters.
[Shape Change – Rope]
Min Yu-ri’s surprise attack aimed to stop Im Min-soo.
The sharp arrow morphed into a rope-like magic that ensnared the Giant Eagle.
Whirr!
The sticky rope, with the effect of a spider web, bound the Giant Eagle’s wings, body, and legs tightly.
Struggling to break free, it fell to the ground.
Thud!
Before completely crashing down, Im Min-soo jumped high and leapt onto another Giant Eagle’s back.
Then he glared at Min Yu-ri with an annoyed expression.
He hadn’t expected to be unable to sever such a simple rope.
“You’re quite annoying.”
Swish!
From the nearby earth, a long object shot up to the surface.
Completely green, it was the stem of an unidentifiable plant.
When Im Min-soo had declared his grand ambitions, he had secretly buried weapons underground.
“Ugh!”
The numerous stems that shot up from the ground had their sights set primarily on Min Yu-ri.
Rather than the mages who could burn the monsters whole,
they were targeting only her, who employed unique skills.
“Chilla!”
“Chirp!”
Yoo Ji-han protected Min Yu-ri alongside Chilla.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The stems bounced off the shield, hitting the ground.
Crack!
Yoo Ji-han’s sword, infused with aura, easily sliced through the stems.
Plus, with the heating skill embedded in his artifact, fire spread along the cut surface.
Szzzz—!
The fire ignited at the tips of the stems, quickly producing white smoke as it spread.
The speed at which the flames spread, combined with the wind’s aura, far exceeded Yoo Ji-han’s expectations.
The unnamed monster that had attempted to attack quickly severed its own stem to prevent the fire from spreading further.
It was an action revealing an uncommon level of intelligence.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Lee Mi-a, smashing through monsters with her fists, leaped high into the air.
With a jump that would leave a professional basketball player’s jaw dropped, she aimed for Im Min-soo on the Giant Eagle.
“Wheeeooo!”
But as the bird soared higher, sadly, Mi-a’s hand missed him.
She landed on the ground, stepping on the large giraffe’s head, looking disappointed.
‘The situation isn’t bad.’
Yoo Ji-han focused on protecting his party, glancing at Im Min-soo and Jerry.
The monsters they controlled displayed a more systematic movement than those he faced before.
One could suppose they were a well-trained army.
However, together with Kim Hyun-tae’s party, they weren’t sufficient to block the ever-growing strength of Yoo Ji-han’s party.
‘Why are they still so relaxed?’
Meanwhile, Im Min-soo and Jerry exhibited overflowing confidence on their faces.
Where was that confidence coming from, he wondered, when he suddenly heard Kim Hyun-tae’s shout.
“How laughable!”
Boom! Wooom!
His massive sword ripped through the enemies, drawing a wide arc to match its size.
Kim Hyun-tae danced beautifully among the monsters, providing a refreshing sight for anyone watching.
It became clear why so many people were drawn to Kim Hyun-tae.
“You’re so cool, hyung!”
New party member Kim Kang-woo kept trailing beside Kim Hyun-tae.
Yet, to Yoo Ji-han’s eyes, that seemed extremely clumsy.
“…What’s he doing?”
A decent warrior with good equipment and a sword participating in battle…
Yet aside from the fuss he was making beside him, he was not actively helping Kim Hyun-tae.
He certainly was not standing out with any impressive performances either.
It was far more serious than when the poison bombs were flying previously.
‘Isn’t he supposed to take my place?’
Yoo Ji-han couldn’t hide his doubts as he calculated Kim Kang-woo’s level internally.
He couldn’t comprehend his role as if he had joined the party to take his place.
What was more puzzling was that Kim Hyun-tae showed no dissatisfaction even after witnessing it.
“Kang-woo! Watch my back!”
He even entrusted his rear defense to him.
It was something Yoo Ji-han had never shown even once in the past.
‘…I’m quite relieved I got banished early.’
Yoo Ji-han felt at ease that he was not a member of Kim Hyun-tae’s party.
If he had still been with that party, he would have had to diligently clean up their mess.
“Chilla. Let’s show them.”
“Chirp!”
It was time to show the lacking Kim Hyun-tae what teamwork truly means.
