Chapter 216

The moment I saw the Wyvern circling through the air, only one thought came to mind.

It’s small.

From head to tail, it was more than twenty meters long, with a massive body and wings, but it didn’t intimidate me in the slightest.

Maybe it was because of that thing three years ago.

Did I get stronger? No. That thing was much bigger and stronger.

That one had been pitch-black all over. By contrast, the Wyvern circling overhead now had a bright green body.

Won Myunghoon, leading the group, announced its identity in a powerful voice.

“It’s a Green Wyvern! It’s a relatively weak specimen, so everyone stay calm!”

A man in his early thirties drove a tower shield into the ground and shouted,

“Formation!”

At the command of Star Guild’s second A-Rank Hunter and Team Leader 1, the tanks rushed forward and formed a wall of shields.

“Taekyung, watch yourself!”

After hurriedly throwing out a word of warning, Im Kkeokjeong joined the tanks’ wall with a spirited yell.

Boom! Boom-boom-boom!

The first row, then the second. Large, beautiful tower shields overlapped layer by layer, forming a curved defensive barrier.

The waiting mages and healers began chanting their spells.

“Wind imbues you. Haste!”

“Power that shatters stone. Strength!”

“Restore life to the weary body. Healing!”

Bright motes of light spread outward like dandelion seeds.

At the same time, a System notification rang out.

Ding.

System

• Your physical abilities have temporarily increased due to the effects of magic.
• Agility has increased by 10!
• Strength has increased by 10!
• Fatigue has been recovered!

There was a reason people called mages and healers “iron rice bowls.”¹

The so-called three-drug combo of buff spells was far more effective than I had expected.

Is it because they’re all B-Rank?

The Hunters gathered here were all assets who would be welcomed wherever they went.

But the Green Wyvern flying overhead and watching for an opening was no easy opponent either.

It was an A-Rank monster, after all.

“Kyaaaaaaak!”

With a shriek that tore through the air, it opened its enormous jaws.

The next moment, green slime that stood out even from a distance came pouring down like a torrential rain.

“It’s poison!”

“Scatter!”

Some people took cover behind the tanks’ shield wall, while others threw themselves toward nearby cover.

I was one of the latter. The moment I hid behind a boulder as large as a house, green rain blanketed a radius of more than thirty meters.

Thut-thut-thut. Ssssss!

Poison. Acidic poison, at that.

The moment it touched the surface of the rock, holes began appearing everywhere, and an indescribably foul stench stabbed at my nose.

So this is what a Wyvern is like.

Even a tiger cub is still a tiger.

The Green Wyvern was supposedly a relatively weak specimen among its kind, but the speed at which it spewed its poison was frightening, and its acidity was tremendous. If they had been mediocre mid- or low-level Hunters, they would have melted along with their Equipment.

“Team Leader 1. Casualty report.”

“None.”

Most of the people gathered here were B-Rank Hunters.

Even Im Kkeokjeong, the only weak link, was a veteran with twenty years of experience.

His deficient physical abilities were made up for by Team Leader Choi’s top-tier Equipment, so no one had suffered any damage.

“As expected.”

Won Myunghoon nodded with satisfaction, but the Green Wyvern was furious.

“Kyaaak! Kyaaaaaaak!”

The Green Wyvern glared at us through vertically slit pupils before suddenly folding its wings.

Its massive body, which had been leisurely ruling the sky, tilted toward the ground and began a steep dive.

Whoosh!

The sight of the Wyvern plunging down from several hundred meters in the air brought a plane crash to mind.

We could at least block the acidic poison with shields, but if that thing collided with us, we would be done for.

Terrified by a situation he had never encountered before, Im Kkeokjeong screamed,

“Honey! Jinwoo! Sowon!”

At this rate, he would start calling out his father’s cousin next.

Unlike Kkeokjeong, however, the Star Guild members remained calm.

Won Myunghoon even flashed me a broad grin.

“Taekyung, want hyung to show you something cool?”

“…Now?”

“Yeah.”

Wouldn’t it be better to order everyone to scatter?

There were still several dozen seconds before impact, but how could he be this relaxed?

“Watch carefully. It’ll help you.”

After tossing out that remark, Won Myunghoon adjusted his grip on his spear, holding it in reverse.

“Hup.”

Veins bulged over his dense muscles, and an immense amount of mana surged into his spear like a rising tide.

At the same time, a faint line of light appeared along the spearhead.

Ssssss.

It was Spear Energy—a powerful concentration of mana known as Aura in the modern world.

“Kyaaaaaau!”

Perhaps sensing that power, the Green Wyvern twisted its body with a roar.

It turned precisely toward the direction where Won Myunghoon and I were standing.

And then—

Thud! Boom!

Won Myunghoon kicked off the ground and charged forward. One step, two steps, and finally, three.

The Green Wyvern, which had been no more than a black speck moments ago, was now only a few meters above us. Its enormous green eyes, each as large as a basketball, flashed, and its jaws opened wide beneath its rough scales.

Just as its sharp teeth were about to descend upon its small prey—

“Hah!”

With a powerful shout, light shot from Won Myunghoon’s grasp.

Whoosh! Crash!

A spear wreathed in Aura pierced through the Green Wyvern’s neck. Red blood and green acidic poison burst out like a fountain.

Sssss!

As the sound of flesh burning filled the air, its pupils contracted and its body, stretching dozens of meters, writhed.

“Kiiiik! Kiiiiiik!”

Boom! Crash-crash!

Rocks and trees alike shattered and went flying.

The Green Wyvern’s wings trembled as it writhed in pain.

Only a few seconds later, its tail, which had been held rigidly upright, dropped limply to the ground.

“Kiiiuuu…”

With its dying cry, the light vanished from its savage eyes.

Then, as if to prove its death, a System notification rang out.

Ding.

System

• You have defeated Lv. 97 Green Wyvern!
• No EXP has been awarded because you made no contribution!

Of course. This was the achievement of one person alone.

I dismissed the holographic window in front of me and saw Won Myunghoon pulling his spear from the Green Wyvern’s corpse.

“As expected of our Guild Master!”

“A ranker really is on another level. That Aura was something else!”

“What ranker? That was a long time ago.”

Won Myunghoon grinned at the cheers ringing out from every direction and approached me.

“Did you watch carefully?”

“Yes.”

“Was that your first time seeing Aura in person?”

“Um… yes.”

“Haha. You must’ve been surprised, if you’re even stammering.”

A gravelly voice suddenly cut in.

“Who wouldn’t be?”

It was Team Leader 1, Star Guild’s second-in-command and the main tank of today’s raid team.

He looked like a weasel. Tapping me lightly on the arm, he continued with a shameless grin.

“When I first saw it, I thought, ‘What the hell is that?’ There’s a reason people say you have to know how to use Aura to be a true A-Rank Hunter.”

Won Myunghoon deliberately furrowed his brow.

“Quit buttering me up, punk. You’re embarrassing me.”

“Aw, what flattery? It’s the truth. Am I exaggerating just because you’re skilled? Hunter Jin Taekyung, don’t you agree?”

“Uh… yes.”

“There you have it. I’m not the only one who thinks so.”

I licked my dry lips, not knowing what to say. Fortunately, before the atmosphere could become awkward, Won Myunghoon spoke.

“You’d be perfect if you weren’t such a flatterer. Once you’re done buttering me up, have the guys handle the cleanup. Check the Equipment again, too.”

“Understood, Guild Master. Loyalty!”

After giving an exaggerated salute, Team Leader 1 turned away.

“That guy’s always like that. He’s flighty and careless enough to even send the wrong contract…”

Won Myunghoon’s voice trailed off as he watched Team Leader 1 walk away.

“But, Taekyung.”

“Yes?”

“Are you all right? Why have you looked like that this whole time?”

“…It’s nothing. I was just a little surprised.”

“Is it because of the Wyvern? Well, this is your first A-Rank Gate, so it’s understandable. You’ll get used to it.”

“…”

I swallowed the words that had risen to my throat. I finally understood how the barber who saw the king’s donkey ears must have felt.

That wasn’t what surprised me.

Trying not to reveal how confused and frustrated I felt, I looked at Won Myunghoon.

He was tall and lanky, with a youthful face that made it hard to believe he was nearly forty.

But the real reason I had admired him wasn’t his handsome appearance or his catchy hit songs.

An A-Rank Hunter, master of the spear. And a ranker.

For a very long time, the idol in my heart hadn’t been Star Won Myunghoon, but Hunter Won Myunghoon.

That was why I had chosen a spear when I began working as a Hunter, and I had read and reread the spear manual Won Myunghoon had written during his ranker days until it was worn to pieces.

But…

Why is he so weak?

The reason I had remained still from beginning to end was simple.

I wanted to see Won Myunghoon’s combat with my own eyes.

But it was beyond anything I could have imagined—in an entirely different way.

His movements are slow as hell, he’s all swagger and no substance, and it’s not like he even knows how to use Aura properly.

Watching him had nearly given me a stroke.

Had Won Myunghoon always been this weak? Or had he regressed?

There were questions everywhere, but if I had to summarize my thoughts in one line, it was this:

What the fuck is this?

It was unfair. There was no particular reason for me to feel wronged, but somehow I felt spectacularly cheated!

It was like reserving a seven-star hotel course meal and being served braised boneless pollock and beef bibim sauce.

This isn’t what I had in mind. It really isn’t.

Won Myunghoon, unaware of my feelings, still wore a relaxed, confident smile.

“By the way, where’s the necklace? I don’t see it.”

Was the necklace really the issue right now?

Overcome by an inexplicable sense of emptiness, I answered carelessly.

“…I put it in my pants pocket.”

“Why?”

“Just because. It was getting in the way. Why?”

“No, it doesn’t matter. Just make sure you keep it safe.”

Won Myunghoon’s gaze flicked toward my lower body. After confirming that the pocket of my tight leather pants was bulging, he added,

“Don’t lose it. Got it?”

“Yes.”

There was no way I could lose it. No—if I did lose it, there would be no reason for me to keep living.

My stuff is precious.

It was a good thing my body in the Murim and my body in reality were the same.

When I thought of the black anaconda coiled inside my pants, my gloomy mood improved a little.

While the Hunters dismantled the Green Wyvern and cleaned up the area, Won Myunghoon and Team Leader 1 moved to a secluded spot.

“That necklace works well.”

Team Leader 1 grinned.

“It was difficult to get. Even magical scans don’t detect it.”

“Yes, you did well, but…”

Won Myunghoon suddenly furrowed his brow and continued.

“It’s more effective than I expected. We haven’t even left the jungle yet, and a Wyvern has already appeared.”

“Couldn’t it just be a coincidence? It’s not that rare.”

“It was a coincidence eight years ago, too.”

“…What choice do we have? A Gate is a place where you can’t predict even an inch ahead.”

“That’s why I hate Gates. With people, you can more or less figure out what the bastard is thinking. But you can’t do that with this fucked-up space.”

Won Myunghoon answered in a low voice and looked around.

Everywhere he looked was filled with grass, trees, and strange insects. He wanted to return to the forest of buildings as soon as possible.

“Let’s get started soon. Something bigger and stronger than a Green Wyvern needs to show up.”

“So the surviving witnesses can testify?”

“You’re a smart bastard. Tell you one thing, and you know ten.”

A smile formed at the corners of Won Myunghoon’s mouth.