Chapter 18: The Professor as a Shield

The world beyond the rift was incredibly bright and clear.

An endless field stretched out, covered in grass reaching up to the ankles.

Low hills dotted the landscape here and there, with patches of large and small forests scattered intermittently ahead and behind.

Kim Seo-jun felt as if he had arrived in New Zealand, famous for its beautiful natural scenery.

It wasn’t hot, but not cold either; the spring weather of South Korea was exactly like this place.

“Plant position markers on the ground and set up the cloud plates. Move immediately behind me. Keep a 5-meter interval. Formation is 2-2-4.”

Following Lee Hyung-mo’s orders, two hunters buried a box with an antenna under the rift they had just exited.

Right next to it, they installed a specially made footstep plate.

On Earth, rifts formed at a height of 27 meters, but here, it was 2.7 meters—exactly one-tenth.

The footstep plate was equipment designed to assist with the jump upon return.

Long ago, there had been hunters who first set foot into the world beyond the unsealed rift.

They had conducted countless studies and explorations to uncover the mechanism behind the monster waves triggered by the rifts.

Their tentative conclusion was this:

A colossal monster existing beyond the rift caught small and medium-sized monsters by hand and threw them into the rift.

Fortunately, the rift’s size was small enough to only allow medium-sized monsters to pass through, while large or colossal monsters could not—this was their theory.

However, this theory faced much opposition.

People questioned how unintelligent monsters could know the rift beyond contained another world and why they would deliberately throw monsters into it.

Ultimately, the exact cause of monster waves originating from the rift remained undiscovered.

True to his role as the team leader, Lee Hyung-mo had already precisely figured out where to go and began leading the team.

Their goal was the tall mountain range visible in the distance.

Though it looked close, it was actually about 30 kilometers away.

Assuming an average walking speed of 4 kilometers per hour, it would take eight hours to reach.

Even if everyone here was an awakened hunter, no one could keep running for hours straight, and the monsters encountered along the way made fast movement impossible.

For that reason, the boss raid in this rift was scheduled for two nights and three days.

Lee Hyung-mo and Lee Han-soo led the formation at the front, with two hunters possessing support-type mysteries, Kim Seo-jun, and Professor Shim Jae-deok in the middle.

Four hunters were positioned at the rear, because of the monsters appearing here—the Burks.

Burks were bipedal monsters about 1.5 meters tall, shaped like sheep.

Covered in fluffy white fur and looking as docile as sheep, their combat power seemed low at first glance, but that was far from the truth.

Beneath their white fur were muscles that would rival bodybuilders, and with sturdy horse-like legs, their jumping ability and movement speed were incredible.

When entering combat, their protruding mouths would stretch wide enough to bite through an adult’s torso in one bite.

Their monster grade was E-rank.

However, they traveled in groups of at least fifteen or more, and often launched surprise attacks from behind.

Underestimating them could turn hunters into prey.

Time here flowed almost identically to Earth.

One day was about 24 hours, with only slight differences—the sun was down for about eight hours.

So, the raid team stopped moving and prepared camp after 8 PM Earth time.

Along the way, they had encountered Burk packs three times.

The first pack had 18, the second 23, and the third—just moments ago—numbered as many as 28.

Being experienced hunters, there were no casualties.

Kim Seo-jun seemed determined to only observe; even when combat broke out, he didn’t budge from the center of the formation.

The first day passed quietly without incident.

After five continuous hours of travel, the mountain range was already very close.

For easier perimeter defense, they set up camp in a place with a wide-open view in all directions but scattered rocks that prevented easy detection.

After eating and setting up two-person watches, everyone rested in comfortable positions.

The surroundings slowly darkened into deep night.

Then, shhh-shhh-shhh.

Kim Seo-jun’s senses detected a large number of monsters approaching rapidly.

It was thanks to his use of the Solar Kung Fu until just before falling asleep that he sensed this.

However, the hunters hadn’t yet noticed the incoming threat.

Seo-jun opened his eyes wide and quietly gripped Arondight.

“Tonight, I feel like doing some gymnastics under the moonlight.”

“Kim Seo-jun, if you have that much energy, how about standing watch so the other hunters can get some rest?”

Professor Shim Jae-deok grumbled with one eye half-open from inside his sleeping bag.

Since Seo-jun had dragged him here against his will, Shim’s attitude wasn’t the warmest.

“That’s a good idea. Then, professor, shall we stand watch together?”

“Ahem. I don’t have the luxury you do. I’m going back to sleep.”

Shim pouted and closed his eyes.

At that moment, Lee Hyung-mo suddenly sprang up as if sensing something was wrong.

“Monsters!”

Upon hearing that, the hunters quickly rose and took battle formation.

Though they had watches set, the monsters approached so stealthily the guards hadn’t noticed.

“Burks… They’ve brought a bunch again.”

Lee Hyung-mo stared into the darkness at the red eyes glinting in the distance, about ten meters away.

Then Lee Han-soo measured the distance, stopped at a spot, and opened his eyes wide.

His eyes had turned golden.

A translucent wave radiated from him, extending in a 15-meter radius.

He used his mystery power and immediately relayed information to Lee Hyung-mo.

“There are 27 in total. All E-rank. No special monsters. Let’s see… hmm? One of them is carrying a magic stone.”

Han-soo had excellently gathered and delivered information quickly during the previous three battles as well.

Curious about what kind of mystery this was, Kim Seo-jun learned from Shin Woo-jin that Han-soo’s mystery was ‘Clairvoyance.’

It was an amazing power that revealed the location and mana level of all living beings within a 15-meter radius, as well as whether monsters were special types.

Once again, Han-soo’s power captured valuable information.

“I’ll take down the one with the magic stone first. Han-soo, stay behind me and alert me if you spot it. The rest form a circle around the camp and focus on defense.”

Following the swift command, the hunters took their positions.

But just before leaving, Lee Hyung-mo did something unusual.

“Let’s go, Han-soo.”

Snap.

As they dashed out, he snapped his fingers loudly.

It might have meant nothing, or it could have been a habit.

But immediately afterward, the hunters’ movements changed subtly.

With Kim Seo-jun and Shim Jae-deok in the center, the six hunters normally formed a circular defensive perimeter.

However, except for Shin Woo-jin, the other five expanded the circle excessively.

This inevitably increased the gaps between hunters.

Shin Woo-jin, who had kept a tighter formation, was pushed inward, and monsters began clustering in that direction.

Before Shin Woo-jin could fully realize what was happening, the Burks launched a coordinated attack.

“Mumeeeeh!”

“Moeeeehaak!”

The Burks screamed with ear-piercing sounds.

Each hunter was attacked by three Burks.

But Woo-jin faced seven at once.

Though a CB-rank hunter, facing seven E-rank monsters overwhelmed his hands and feet quickly.

As a result, two Burks broke through the defense line and penetrated inward.

As they closed in, Kim Seo-jun, trembling with fear, grabbed Shim Jae-deok’s arm.

“Let go of my hand, you idiot! You’re holding me back too!”

Shim tried to shake Seo-jun off, but his grip was surprisingly strong and wouldn’t let go.

Meanwhile, the two Burks charged at them.

Judging from Seo-jun’s trembling, the Burks thought he was the weakest and focused their attacks on him.

Using their terrifying muscular spring, they jumped and clawed with sharp nails, and their wide-open mouths eagerly tried to bite.

Each time, Seo-jun pulled Shim Jae-deok along.

“Whoa!”

Taken by surprise at the strong pull, Shim flailed his limbs wildly, and by chance, one charging Burk’s chin slammed hard into Shim’s foot.

“Kehemek!”

The Burk cried out and fell flat on its backside.

At that moment, Seo-jun thrust Arondight through the side of Shim’s torso.

The blade pierced precisely through the Burk’s forehead.

The second Burk leapt high toward them.

Again, Seo-jun yanked on Shim’s arm.

“Let go of this arm!”

Shim shouted, but to no avail.

No matter how strong his C-rank mana was, it was no match for the grip of Seo-jun wielding Solar Kung Fu.

Just as the Burk was about to clamp down on Shim’s head, Seo-jun swung Shim’s body like a mannequin.

Before the Burk’s mouth could reach, Shim’s head smashed into its chest.

“Kkuh-wiik!”

The Burk was knocked backward.

At the same time, Seo-jun rolled powerfully on the ground with Shim.

After tumbling, Seo-jun cried out, pressing the Arondight’s hilt into the ground to stop further rolling.

The Burk that had bounced back plunged straight onto the vertically planted Arondight.

“Pook!”

Its torso was impaled like a spear.

“Let go already!”

Shim shook himself roughly and broke free from Seo-jun’s grip.

Looking at the two Burks lying dead nearby, he murmured “Huh?”

“One down!”

Shin Woo-jin shouted urgently from the front.

This time, it wasn’t the Burk Woo-jin was blocking that broke through, but from the other hunters’ side—a baffling situation that seemed almost intentional.

“I was stopping that one…”

Shim, still clinging to his pride as a professor, shouted and tried to charge forward.

But Seo-jun swung Arondight vigorously, flinging the skewered Burk corpse away and pushing Shim hard enough to knock him face-first onto the ground.

Because of this, another Burk, just landing, slipped on the corpse and wobbled.

Then Seo-jun bowed his head, closed his eyes tight, and drew Arondight vertically.

“Uwaaaah!”

Swoosh!

The blade sliced through the Burk’s head and cut through its wide-open mouth.

“I did it! I actually did it!”

Seo-jun shouted excitedly, overly thrilled at cutting down the Burk.

Soon after, the battle ended.

All 27 Burks that ambushed them were slaughtered, sprawled across the ground.

Lee Hyung-mo returned after taking down the magic stone-carrying Burk.

Seeing Seo-jun excitedly boasting about how he had defeated the Burk, he frowned.

“What the hell happened here?”

A hunter approached and explained.

Three Burks had broken through the hunters’ defense and attacked Seo-jun, but Shim Jae-deok’s brilliant efforts killed two.

The last Burk’s head was split open by Seo-jun’s blind strike.

Lee Hyung-mo looked at his younger brother Lee Han-soo.

Han-soo shrugged with an awkward expression.

Looking back at Shim, he only shook his head in confusion, still unable to comprehend how Seo-jun escaped harm.

There were no more Burk attacks until dawn.

The raid team set out immediately as the first light appeared.

They fought three more battles before reaching the deep valley where the boss awaited.

Along the way, whether by accident or mistake, the Burks repeatedly broke through the hunters’ defense and charged Seo-jun.

But each time, Seo-jun, relying on uncanny luck, dispatched them without injury.

Sometimes with Shim Jae-deok’s hands, sometimes with Seo-jun’s blind blade.

Watching this, Lee Hyung-mo finally drew one conclusion.

“That bastard is toying with us.”

One or two coincidences might be random, but after three or four times, it was no longer chance.

Kim Seo-jun, a first-year student at the Hunter Academy, a mere nineteen years old, was undoubtedly putting on an elaborate act against Lee Hyung-mo and his raid team.

Lee Hyung-mo had secretly discussed Seo-jun with his brother Han-soo and was now watching Seo-jun’s every move with much greater interest.

The only one still unable to face reality was Shim Jae-deok, who remained baffled by how Seo-jun kept escaping danger unscathed.

The raid team finally reached the boss lair.

A narrow valley only five meters wide on either side.

At the end, a cave entrance resembling a demon castle gaped open, from which eerie winds echoed like a haunting song.

“Everyone, stay alert. The boss here is C-rank, but a large medium-sized monster, so it won’t be easy to take down.

While Park Jae-hong and I tank and draw aggro, use ranged attacks to weaken its strength.

The rest of you must hit and retreat repeatedly to keep chipping away at its mana.

Understood?”

The hunters all nodded at Lee Hyung-mo’s words.

“Good. Let’s enter immediately!”

With Lee Hyung-mo leading, the raid team began following one by one.

Just as Kim Seo-jun, at the very rear, prepared to follow with a calm expression, Shin Woo-jin quietly approached and spoke softly.

“You’ve probably realized it by now, right? For whatever reason, you’re included in Chief Engineer Lee Hyung-mo’s target.

So when the raid starts, don’t come near out of curiosity. For your father’s sake.”

Shin Woo-jin knew Seo-jun wasn’t weak, but boss raids were a different matter entirely from fighting Burks.

That’s why he gave such a strong warning, even mentioning Seo-jun’s father.

Seo-jun chuckled and replied clearly.

“Is that so? But I want to decide for myself what’s right for my father.”

At Seo-jun’s straightforward words, Shin Woo-jin awkwardly scratched his head.