#173
After that, things were resolved quickly.
About half of the monsters surrounding Dan Joo-hyuk like a pack of ghouls remained on the outskirts. This was because when the safety zone appeared, those within its range were instantly eliminated.
Fortunately, the safety zone continued to be effective. Potions also worked properly inside it, so Yoon Pa-ran quickly used all the ones he had to help Dan Joo-hyuk recover.
Then he tried to give him the skill.
‘Come here.’
‘Why, mmph.’
When Yoon Pa-ran suddenly pressed his lips against his, Dan Joo-hyuk strangely stiffened.
Dan Joo-hyuk had just mentioned that the mark had tried to penetrate his mind. If that was the case, he should obviously be charged with Sacred Energy, so this reaction was quite odd.
Are his wounds not fully healed yet?
Come to think of it, Dan Joo-hyuk had been acting strange when Yoon Pa-ran was frantically removing his clothes to apply potions. Despite the urgency of treatment, he had remained uncooperatively dazed.
Anyway, as soon as they finished regrouping, the two headed toward the center. Ridiculously, they discovered that the concealed penalty wasn’t death but “none,” but they still had to resolve this situation.
Leaving the safety zone, the stifling energy constricted their breathing again.
“I came from that direction but didn’t sense anything. Let’s try the opposite side.”
“Yes.”
Dan Joo-hyuk continued to look dazed. It was questionable whether he was properly understanding and answering.
Was there really a head injury earlier?
Yoon Pa-ran stopped abruptly and faced Dan Joo-hyuk. Unlike his usual self, Dan Joo-hyuk matched his gaze very slowly.
“Do you want more skill?”
“…No.”
That answer was resolute. Deciding that he would give it to him regardless if it became truly necessary, Yoon Pa-ran nodded for now.
At that moment, Dan Joo-hyuk’s eyes suddenly became fierce. After being dazed all this time, he finally seemed to have come to his senses.
“Someone’s approaching.”
“People?”
“Yes, it seems to be hunters.”
Yoon Pa-ran tensed at the news of unidentified people approaching.
However, there was no hostility felt in the presence from afar. Rather, it seemed like several people moving cautiously, as if searching for something.
Naturally, he thought of the additional assault team that the Gate Management Office had said they would send in soon. Indeed, after waiting briefly, familiar hunters approached.
“Hunter Yoon Pa-ran! Huh? D-Dan Joo-hyuk Hunter?”
“What? No way, it really is Dan Joo-hyuk.”
Many hunters had blood on their breastplates, perhaps having come right after treating their injuries. Those who had newly joined looked pale, having apparently struggled considerably with the strengthened monsters.
Still, the situation seemed better than before. At least there were now many hunters capable of moving.
With a welcoming expression, Yoon Pa-ran hurriedly approached them.
“How are things outside?”
“Oh… Quite a few hunters have joined. Suddenly potions started working better than before, and other hunters arrived earlier than expected.”
A hunter who had briefly spoken with Yoon Pa-ran at the temporary headquarters earlier answered with a somewhat dazed expression.
Then he immediately looked behind Yoon Pa-ran and froze.
Wondering what was happening, Yoon Pa-ran was about to look back when the hunter in front urgently asked a question.
“M-more importantly, did you see the safety zone that opened after an incredible light appeared from over there?”
“Yeah… We saw it too.”
Though Yoon Pa-ran had opened the safety zone himself, he played innocent for now.
From the detailed story, it seemed that another status window had appeared like a system notification. However, its content was slightly different from what Yoon Pa-ran had seen.
[A dimension-specific safety zone is opening.]
They said even potions had started working a bit better, though still slowly, after that status window appeared.
It seemed that this “dimension-specific” safety zone had quite significant meaning.
“Anyway, thanks to that, the number of monsters inside has decreased considerably compared to before.”
“I was in another gate, but as soon as the status window about the safety zone opening appeared, some monsters suddenly stopped moving. So I thought something unusual might be happening outside and was able to get out quickly.”
Several hunters who had suddenly become rigid earnestly informed them about the outside situation. With so many pieces of good news, Yoon Pa-ran’s expression brightened.
Then Dan Joo-hyuk, who had been silent until now, stepped forward and asked:
“On your way here, didn’t you find anything unusual?”
For some reason, tension crept over the faces of the hunters in Yoon Pa-ran’s view. Some hunters looked puzzled, as if finding it strange that he was moving together with Dan Joo-hyuk.
Planning to come up with a suitable explanation later, Yoon Pa-ran just stood there brazenly.
Anyway, the assault team had been heading toward the center from the opposite direction. Since they had covered different areas, might there be some clue?
“Yes, we searched for the suspicious stone or item that Hunter Yoon Pa-ran mentioned to headquarters, but we didn’t find anything special. Even though quite a few A-class hunters have joined, they said they couldn’t sense anything.”
But this time, there was no good news.
As the conversation lengthened, the hunters who had been silent in the back surged forward in front of Dan Joo-hyuk. The questioning gazes of the A-class hunters in particular were sharp.
“What exactly are we looking for? If you know more about this situation, please share it with us, Hunter Dan.”
“Please explain in detail. If it wasn’t found despite so many people searching, maybe it doesn’t exist?”
As the hunters approached, Dan Joo-hyuk stepped forward once more.
Yoon Pa-ran’s view was slightly blocked by his broad back.
“What we need to find is an object similar to this damned energy floating in the air. It’s likely an item. Finding it will be the key to resolving the current situation, especially since a safety zone opened during the search process.”
“Hmm…”
The hunters furrowed their brows, conscious of the energy pressing on their skin.
Among them, the A-class hunter who had first raised questions continued even more doubtfully:
“Didn’t Hunter Dan come from the opposite direction from us?”
“That’s right.”
“Then it’s even more puzzling. Though it looks large from here, the Great Gate’s range isn’t actually that wide.”
The hunters’ gazes all turned toward the Great Gate in the distant sky. Like the black maw of a giant monster, it dominated the sky, exuding an ominous energy.
Anyway, Yoon Pa-ran also thought the A-class hunter’s words made sense. Dan Joo-hyuk, whose perception range was wider than his own, had been here, and from the other side, hunters had come after searching a wide area.
At this point, they should have at least gotten a direction.
Suddenly, Yoon Pa-ran looked at Dan Joo-hyuk. This was because he had suddenly started staring fixedly at one spot while dealing with the hunter in front of him.
There was a small monster staggering around. Though not threatening in appearance, had he detected the monster’s presence?
But the hypothesis Dan Joo-hyuk put forward was different from Yoon Pa-ran’s guess.
“Or perhaps that object is moving around.”
“…A monster, or perhaps… a person…”
The A-class hunter who had raised questions trailed off as if realizing something.
Then, with a bewildered face, he turned to ask someone—the hunter who had said he came out from another gate after seeing the safety zone status window.
“Hey. Didn’t you say something happened in the other gate earlier?”
The hunter who received the A-class hunter’s question answered carefully.
“Well, one of the guys who entered the gate with us was acting strangely. He was rampaging as if trying to destroy the safety zone statue, but everyone thought he was having a seizure, so we subdued him and came out.”
Dan Joo-hyuk slowly asked in response to this:
“And then?”
“Well, apparently there was one such person in each of the other gates too. We rushed here because this was more urgent, but I heard some of them were completely lucid otherwise…”
“What? Could it be…”
The other hunters listening to the situation all grimaced.
It sounded as if someone was doing exactly the opposite of what the people gathered here were trying to do—close the Great Gate.
“Let’s move simultaneously starting now.”
Dan Joo-hyuk issued firm instructions to the murmuring hunters.
He designated directions for them to spread out in pairs. To Yoon Pa-ran’s eyes, the formation looked like setting a giant trap.
“We have flares provided by the Management Office.”
“Good. If you discover anything, send a signal with these immediately.”
There were also appropriate tools available. The hunters, having completed one round of preparation, stood facing all directions with tense expressions.
Even though the number of monsters had decreased somewhat, they would still have to navigate through them alone for a while.
“Um, Hunter Yoon Pa-ran…”
The hunter who had been talking with Yoon Pa-ran all this time looked back from his position.
Before Yoon Pa-ran could meet his eyes, Dan Joo-hyuk stepped forward again and said sharply:
“He’s coming with me. Don’t worry about it, and don’t forget your assigned positions.”
“Ah, yes…”
Though his tone was resolute, the hunter who heard Dan Joo-hyuk’s words turned almost excessively pale. Seeing only that hunter’s face as Dan Joo-hyuk had his back to him, Yoon Pa-ran wondered.
Was that hunter also seriously injured earlier?
“Let’s move out now.”
At Dan Joo-hyuk’s words, the hunters spread out at a steady pace. If something was moving with an axis item, it would be discovered soon.
Whether it was a monster or a person.
“We’ll head to the center.”
“Do you want some skill?”
“…It’s enough.”
As soon as they were alone, the tense Yoon Pa-ran asked him. Dan Joo-hyuk firmly refused, just like before.
Suddenly, Yoon Pa-ran realized that Dan Joo-hyuk had been strangely avoiding eye contact with him.
Is he angry with me for some reason?
For acting somewhat recklessly earlier?
“And just in case, don’t use that power in front of other hunters. If anyone asks, just say I did it.”
It must have been just his imagination. Dan Joo-hyuk was still looking out for him.
“Thanks.”
“…”
Yoon Pa-ran murmured softly, as if shaking off tension. Dan Joo-hyuk was strangely silent again, but Yoon Pa-ran decided not to worry about it anymore.
The two headed silently toward the center.
“Ah, there!”
Before long, a red flare shot up from one corner of the sky.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
