“Ka-Kang Hyunsoo Hunter...?!”
“Hyunsoo oppa!!”
“What in the world is...?!”
A sudden pillar of fire erupted in the middle of the tranquil fountain square.
The eyes of the team members, including Jin Seoyun, Yoo Hana, and Han Sungbin, widened in shock. There had been no warning at all—just an explosion of flames from where Kang Hyunsoo had been standing moments before. The fountain was obliterated, the surrounding ground caved in from the force of the blast.
The team instinctively rushed to check on Hyunsoo's condition but couldn’t get close.
The moment they tried to move:
Bang! Bang! BOOOM!
Pillars of fire shot up from beneath their feet, forcing them to retreat.
The unexpected attack left them scrambling for answers. Was it a monster? That thought was quickly dismissed.
Moments after the explosion, the figure responsible appeared atop the fortress wall.
The attacker was none other than Ji Wonhoon, the president of Jaewon University.
“You’ve been hiding like a rat, sucking honey in this place, Kang Hyunsoo...!”
Ji Wonhoon stood there in a dark robe, gripping an ominous black staff, his eyes blazing with malice. Despite the thick black smoke enveloping the fountain area, he conjured another fireball in front of his staff, ready to unleash a relentless barrage of attacks.
His long-simmering grudge from the mansion had consumed him, prompting him to strike without even confirming his target’s exact position. He was determined to obliterate Hyunsoo at any cost.
But before he could launch the fireball, a sudden gale erupted from the black smoke.
Whooosh-!!
“Tsk, not enough firepower...!”
Ji Wonhoon dissipated the fireball and swiftly teleported into the air. The sudden timing and the sheer force of the whirlwind made it impossible to block with his shield.
The moment he vanished, the fortress wall beneath him crumbled under the destructive gale.
The force wasn’t just a simple gust—it was powerful enough to tear down the sturdy stone structure completely.
And it didn’t end there.
Even after teleporting to safety, Ji Wonhoon was pursued.
“Did you think you could escape?!”
A towering figure emerged from the smoke, wielding a massive axe. It was Jin Gijun, deputy guild leader of the Samcheon Guild, who charged through the black haze with ferocity.
Ji Wonhoon conjured a violet barrier just in time to block the incoming axe. As he identified his attacker, he bit his lip in frustration.
‘Jin Gijun... a formidable foe.’
Earlier, Ji Wonhoon had been lurking in the shadows of Paju Stadium, watching the hunters gather in the square. His plan had been progressing smoothly. He had successfully # Nоvеlight # handed the open dungeon to Han Sungbin, and as expected, Kang Hyunsoo had appeared.
However, the presence of Jin Gijun, leading the raid for the Samcheon Guild, complicated matters.
Jin Gijun, a top-tier hunter specializing in axe combat, was a force to be reckoned with. While Ji Wonhoon’s level of 570 was impressive, it wouldn’t be enough to win in a direct confrontation.
But Ji Wonhoon had made his move regardless.
“Ji Wonhoon... I’ve heard whispers of Babylon from the Hunter Bureau, but to think they were true! I’ll destroy you!”
“Not if I can help it!”
Shing! CLANG!
Jin Gijun’s axe was intercepted mid-swing by a sword thrown by Andy, one of Babylon’s operatives.
Seizing the moment, Ji Wonhoon swiftly conjured a fireball.
“Jin Gijun... drop that ugly face of yours!”
Whoosh! BOOM!
“Gah!!”
The explosion engulfed Jin Gijun, sending him hurtling to the ground.
However, before impact, Jin Gijun activated a skill.
【Activate: Winged Gale (C)】
The skill momentarily lifted him, allowing him to land safely. Once grounded, Jin Gijun surveyed the scene: Ji Wonhoon floating in the air, masked hunters encircling the fountain—there were at least 30 of them.
“Tch. They’ve brought quite the crowd,” he muttered.
“Did they break in through the front?”
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“Seems like it. The damage outside must be severe. What about the others?”
“Jin Seoyun and Han Sungbin are safe! Yoo Hana is unharmed, too! But Kang Hyunsoo... he seems to have fallen into the crater caused by the explosion. There’s been no response from him yet!”
At Jin Gijun’s question, Bang Ilhyung and Na Youngjin gritted their teeth as they reported the situation.
At the center of the fountain, flames still blazed fiercely, with smoke billowing into the air.
“Hyunsoo oppa!!”
“Wait! It’s too dangerous! The flames haven’t died down yet! You can’t go in!”
“Those bastards...!”
Yoo Hana, Han Sungbin, and Jin Seoyun hovered anxiously around the fountain, desperate to save Kang Hyunsoo.
But he still hadn’t emerged from the flames.
From above, Ji Wonhoon sneered, his lips curling into a smirk.
‘Heh. No matter how strong you are, Kang Hyunsoo, you couldn’t have survived my flame mines.’
While Jin Gijun had been busy clearing monsters at the fortress gates, Ji Wonhoon had used teleportation to sneak inside and plant S-rank traps—Flame Mines—on the only path leading to the boss room.
Hyunsoo had triggered one of the mines and hadn’t emerged since. To Ji Wonhoon, it seemed certain that Hyunsoo was already reduced to ashes.
“Forget about the loot for now. Let’s send the rest of them to the afterlife!” Ji Wonhoon barked.
“Yes, President!”
At his command, the masked Babylon operatives launched an attack on the remaining Samcheon Guild hunters.
Dozens of Babylon agents descended on Jin Gijun and his team.
“Leave those bastards to me! Focus on rescuing Kang Hyunsoo!”
“Understood, Gijun oppa!”
Thud! Crash! BOOOM!
Jin Gijun retaliated, swinging his massive axe with deadly precision.
“Urgh!”
“What... what kind of power is this?! Gaaah!”
A whirlwind of aura-infused gusts tore through the masked hunters, sending them scattering like leaves in a storm. Jin Gijun’s main skill, Raging Gale, amplified its destructive power the larger his weapon’s surface area. His wide-bladed axe unleashed its maximum potential, shredding or hurling away any enemies that dared to approach.
As Jin Gijun held the line, buying time, Jin Seoyun, Han Sungbin, and Yoo Hana rushed toward the pillar of fire, where Kang Hyunsoo was presumed trapped.
But just as they approached the inferno—
Boom!
A sudden, crushing pressure engulfed their bodies.
“Tsk, such a delicacy is cooking nicely—don’t ruin it now,” sneered Ji Wonhoon from above.
Han Sungbin gritted his teeth. “We need to get to him... but I can’t move...!”
“I-I can’t either!” Yoo Hana gasped, her gaze shifting upward. Ji Wonhoon floated in the air, his staff radiating a violet field, unleashing a suffocating aura that pinned them to the ground.
As if the situation couldn’t get worse, the masked hunters charged at the Samcheon Guild members with alarming agility, seemingly unaffected by the violet field.
Just as the situation became dire—
Clang! Swoosh!
“Gaaah!”
Bang Ilhyung and Na Youngjin intervened. Bang Ilhyung hurled a blade of energy, disrupting Ji Wonhoon’s field, while Na Youngjin blocked the masked hunters, countering with swift, precise attacks.
“Go! Leave this to us,” Na Youngjin shouted.
“Th-thank you!” Han Sungbin stood up, rallying Jin Seoyun and Yoo Hana. Together, they raced back toward the fiery pillar.
However, another obstacle awaited them.
Standing before the towering flames was Andy, his blade raised as he blocked their path.
“I’ll handle him!” Han Sungbin roared, charging forward with his greatsword.
But—
“Pathetic,” Andy sneered, sidestepping Sungbin’s strike with ease. With a swift kick to the gut, he sent Sungbin flying backward.
“Sungbin!” Jin Seoyun cried.
“I’ll buff you!” Yoo Hana exclaimed, casting a support skill that enhanced Sungbin’s attack power and speed.
Jin Seoyun followed up with a B-rank skill, Rapid Thrust, stabbing her saber with blinding speed, leaving afterimages in her wake.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
“Fools,” Andy scoffed, deflecting every strike effortlessly. He retaliated with a close-range shockwave, sending Seoyun hurtling backward. She crashed into Yoo Hana, who barely managed to catch her balance.
Andy didn’t stop there. With a gleam of violet aura, he unleashed a barrage of explosive slashes.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
The detonations sent Seoyun, Hana, and Sungbin sprawling to the ground, their bodies covered in soot and scratches. They knelt, barely able to stay upright, their injuries severe.
Andy smirked, raising his blade as he surveyed the battered trio. “You’re not half-bad-looking. You might make excellent materials,” he taunted, licking his lips with the hunger of a predator preparing for a feast.
Jin Seoyun gritted her teeth, gripping her saber tightly. She knew she couldn’t hold out much longer, but there was no one else left to stand against Andy.
Meanwhile, above the battlefield:
“Ji Wonhoon, you bastard!” Jin Gijun roared.
“Heh, do you think you can catch me?” Ji Wonhoon taunted, evading with teleportation.
Jin Gijun’s axe stirred powerful whirlwinds as he clashed with Ji Wonhoon midair. Below them, Bang Ilhyung and Na Youngjin battled the masked hunters, while Han Sungbin, Yoo Hana, and Jin Seoyun struggled to recover.
Jin Seoyun clenched her fists, glancing at the blazing inferno. “Kang Hyunsoo... I hope you’re okay.”
She forced herself to her feet, raising her saber. She had to defeat Andy if they were going to save Hyunsoo.
But just as she prepared to engage, an unexpected turn of events unfolded.
Fwoosh! Sizzle!
A fiery projectile shot out from the pillar of flames, slamming into Andy’s back.
BOOOM!
“What...?!” Andy gasped as the explosion knocked him off balance.
When the smoke cleared, the truth was revealed.
“You bastards... you dare mess up my quest?”
Through the blazing inferno, Kang Hyunsoo emerged, his expression twisted in fury. Flames flickered around him as he strode forward, his figure illuminated by the raging fire behind him.
“Today, you’re all dead. Say it with me—‘I’m screwed.’”