Chapter 39: Turtle Monsters

“No, seriously……”

Taehyun was at a loss for words, utterly stunned.

Though the number had been increasing every day, the total number of small Giant Turtle Monster that had invaded so far barely reached around fifty.

Taehyun had been pushing himself to the limit, single-handedly defeating almost all of them, but the Vigilantes weren’t new to battle either—they had grown skilled at handling the enemies and could now repel them without a single casualty.

Moreover, the Giant Turtle Monsters only attacked about once a day, and maybe because one enormous Giant Turtle claimed this territory as its domain, no other Monsters had attempted an invasion.

That made guarding the apartment rather manageable.

Still, Taehyun didn’t expect this daily routine of one attack to continue forever.

He guessed that one day, one attack would become two, and two would turn into many more.

But not even in his wildest dreams did he imagine that less than an hour after the last fight, twice—no, three times—the number of enemies would surge to nearly two hundred.

The Vigilantes shared the same shock. They hastily erected barricades, barely holding the line, and it was obvious they had already fallen back a good distance.

And that wasn’t all.

The Monsters, who had always charged only through the front gate, seemed to be using their heads this time. After struggling at the front, they split their forces and began pushing in from the back gate as well.

“Damn it.”

Taehyun moved frantically, mentally tallying his remaining spells.

“All my 4th Circle spells are on cooldown. I only have two 5th Circle spells left.”

The only spells he could freely cast were 3rd Circle or below, but those barely affected the Monsters because of their thick shells.

Taehyun’s face darkened.

Though 5th and 6th Circle spells were undeniably powerful, the sheer number of enemies posed a problem.

The spells wiped out foes at their impact points, but the clever Monsters on the edges would immediately turn away, minimizing damage by protecting their backs with their shells.

Even if their own shells were broken and they became vulnerable, they showed a self-sacrificing spirit to ensure others survived.

There was no way Taehyun could fight nearly two hundred Monsters with his remaining spells without worry.

“But I have to try.”

If they broke through here, everyone would die.

Thinking about people like Kim Sunja made him want to abandon everything and run, but the Vigilantes and their families were with them, so he couldn’t do that.

And his wife too.

With a heavy heart weighed down by all he had to protect, Taehyun raised the Great Mage’s Staff high.

He first unleashed a 5th Circle spell toward the front gate, where the largest group was massed.

Fire and lightning magic roared through the air, alerting the Giant Turtle Monsters, who immediately curled up and turned their backs, pressing tightly against one another.

Boom!

The fire spell struck first, burning about twenty of the Monsters to ash in an instant.

If these had been Orcs or Monsters with weaker defenses, a powerful spell like that would’ve easily wiped out fifty or more. But the damned shells cut the effectiveness in half.

“Damn……”

Taehyun let out a frustrated breath after expending two precious 5th Circle spells just to eliminate half of the front gate’s Monsters and relieve the situation somewhat.

He then dashed toward the back gate, checking the cooldowns.

The 4th Circle spells still needed more time to recover.

‘Will the Vigilantes be able to hold on?’

“Ah……”

Looking at the scene, it was a miracle no one was injured or killed.

The back gate was narrow, and if they hadn’t held it, the Monsters would’ve crushed through long ago, slaughtering the Vigilantes without mercy.

Without hesitation, Taehyun prepared a 6th Circle spell.

Though only one more enemy had appeared, the difference in power was like night and day.

“Let’s see if those damn shells can withstand this!”

Raising the staff, Taehyun shouted the spell’s name, and red mana began to gather over the Monster horde.

The Giant Turtles, sensing the warm mana, looked puzzled for a moment.

“Explosion!”

With Taehyun’s cry, the mana flared and detonated fiercely.

The massive explosion shredded dozens of Monsters who had let down their guard.

Half of the back gate’s invading force was wiped out. The Vigilantes cheered, pressing forward against the remaining Monsters.

But Taehyun’s expression remained grim.

Who knew when the next wave would come? He had just used up every 5th and 6th Circle spell except one.

At least the 4th Circle spells’ cooldown had just ended…

‘I’ve almost completely drained my mana with these high-level spells.’

Mana was running dangerously low.

At this rate, even if he cast one more 6th Circle spell, he’d only have one or two 4th Circle spells left. If he avoided 6th Circle spells, he might manage four or five spells total.

‘I should’ve…

I should’ve formed a strong group and empowered the Vigilantes earlier. No, I should’ve become stronger myself.’

Putting the regrets of wasted time behind him, Taehyun gripped the staff once again.

He wasn’t the only one exhausted—though the number of Monsters had decreased, the Vigilantes guarding the front and back gates were worn down and struggling against the remaining horde.

Taehyun finally spoke, his voice strained.

“Everyone, fall back! Gather at the school!”

“Huh?”

“What do you mean, Taehyun?”

“If we keep going like this, the Vigilantes will all die. It’s more efficient to hold the line in front of the gym!”

“But what if the residents get hurt if we do that?”

“If the Vigilantes all die, the residents are doomed anyway! It’s better to defend one spot strategically.”

While the Vigilantes hesitated, Taehyun unleashed his recharged 4th Circle spell to stall the Monsters pushing in through the back gate.

“Fine! We’ll go ahead then!”

“I’ll hold the back gate for now, so please tell the Vigilantes at the front to join us! We need to stand together!”

“What about you, Taehyun?”

Taehyun swung his staff to block the Monster advance and shouted with effort.

“I’m coming right behind you!”

Seeing their hesitation, Taehyun snapped angrily,

“Move quickly!”

“Please, come back alive!”

‘Who’d stay here thinking they’d die?’

Taehyun let out a bitter laugh and gripped the staff tightly.

But it wasn’t easy. His hands trembled with exhaustion from the mana drain.

His mental focus faltered; his vision blurred, and his mind fogged.

“Fireball!”

At least it was somewhat effective.

As expected from Giant Turtle Monsters, they had a strong aversion to fire and lightning magic.

Even the weak Fireball made them flinch and retreat.

Buying some distance, Taehyun spun around and ran.

From afar, he saw the Vigilantes joining up and heading toward the gym.

Taehyun fired three Fireballs at the Giant Turtles chasing him from the front gate, keeping them at bay as he sprinted.

And then it happened—an enemy charged right at him.

“Damn it!”

The curse slipped out involuntarily.

This wasn’t a follower from behind. Where had this one come from?

Thud thud thud thud.

At the same time, Taehyun heard a sound beside him and glanced over.

“Oh my god.”

Reinforcements had broken through the wall in the middle—not the front or back gates.

They had connected a car battery to the metal wall to electrify it, knowing the Monsters feared electricity, but some vanguard sacrificed themselves to bring the wall down.

“Damn it……”

The Monsters surrounding him didn’t charge into the elementary school. Instead, they encircled Taehyun.

They’d identified him as the most dangerous target.

Taehyun bit his lip.

If only he had saved mana and tried a 7th Circle spell…

With his mana almost depleted, there was no way he could face this advancing horde.

As if sensing this, the Monsters brandished their sharp claws and advanced leisurely, tightening their grip around Taehyun.

“Hah……”

‘To think I’d be toyed with and die at the hands of these pathetic Monsters……’

What would happen to my wife?

‘No, I can’t die here.’

Taehyun gathered his remaining mana and desperately began casting spells.

As 1st Circle fire and lightning magic scattered, the Monsters hesitated but steadily closed in.

Then, as the closest one stretched its claw toward him—

“Yaaaaah!”

Taehyun, who had never swung a club in his life, wielded the staff like a lifeline and fought back with all his might.

Clang!

But his resistance was futile against a single swipe from the Monster’s claw.

Watching his staff fly out of his grasp and roll across the ground, Taehyun grit his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut.

‘This is really the end.’

His legs trembled uncontrollably and his heart pounded wildly.

Then, suddenly, his eyes shot open.

He could feel an immense mana presence right before him.

And in that moment, a stunning sight unfolded.

Before him stood a man wrapped in blazing crimson energy from head to toe.

With a single gesture, the man unleashed a powerful force that shattered the Giant Turtles.

Every swing of his spear sliced cleanly through their sturdy shells, splitting the Monsters in two.

“Hey, are you alright?”

The man, having instantly torn through the surrounding Monsters, looked at Taehyun and asked.

‘Where had I seen him before…?’

Taehyun tilted his head, struck by how familiar the man looked.

“You damn kids have no fear, coming at me like that!”

The man turned his gaze from Taehyun to the Giant Turtle clawing at him and extended his hand.

Crack!

The sharp claw shattered at the light touch of his hand.

Kraaaang!

Then, a burst of red energy erupted from his palm, engulfing and exploding the Monster.

At that moment, Taehyun finally remembered.

The man from the military base—the one they had watched seriously on the CCTV footage—the man who had displayed overwhelming power.

That man was now standing right in front of Taehyun.