Leaving the defensive line at Gongdeok, Seong-jun’s group entered the danger zone and moved quickly toward OO Elementary School, a temporary shelter.
Just as Choi Min-seong had warned that the safety of the retreat route had not yet been secured, they engaged in several battles with Giant Mantises along the way.
“Is it just me, or are the monsters appearing more often as we get closer to the shelter?”
At Gwang-taek’s words, Seong-jun nodded in agreement.
“I think so too. Since people are flocking to the temporary shelter, the monsters are likely following suit. OO Elementary School is just a little further ahead, so let’s hurry.”
If things were this bad, a fierce battle might already be underway at the shelter.
Seong-jun urged his companions to pick up the pace.
The party members understood Seong-jun’s anxiety and moved faster.
After pushing through the monsters in their path, OO Elementary School finally came into view.
As expected, a desperate struggle between Hunters and monsters was taking place at the entrance.
*Boom! Bang! Clash!*
“Kieeeeeeh!”
“Damn it! The wall over there collapsed! Block it, hurry!”
“Are these things crazy?! Why are they suddenly swarming like this?!”
The Path of Glory guild had joined the fray, providing a brief moment of relief, but suddenly, an even larger swarm of monsters began to descend upon them.
Although the situation had stabilized somewhat with Path of Glory at the front, the fierce onslaught caused several sections of the school fence to crumble.
The chaos peaked as monsters tried to pour through the gaps.
Seeing this, the expressions of Seong-jun’s party hardened instantly.
“Seong-jun, this situation doesn’t look good.”
“Brother Seong-jun! If we don’t hurry, they might break through the walls and enter the school building!”
Seong-jun knew the situation was dire.
He immediately began casting his buffs.
‘All-in-One! Healing Light! War Cry! Energy Amplification! Wide Area Mode!’
He cast **[All-in-One]**, **[Healing Light]**, **[War Cry]**, and **[Energy Amplification]** using **[Wide Area Mode]**, showering the Hunters defending the shelter with buffs.
“Wh-what?! This is All-in-One? It’s Kim Seong-jun! Healer Kim Seong-jun is here!”
“Whoaaa! Look at these insane buffs! This is what I’m talking about!”
After cycling through the buffs, Seong-jun immediately cast **[Sanctuary]**.
‘Sanctuary!’
*Vwoooooom!*
**[Sanctuary]** was a skill he rarely used because it had a 20-hour cooldown for a one-hour duration.
Even in Dungeons, he tended to save it for boss encounters.
Thanks to his frugality, he was able to deploy it now.
Having established the Sanctuary, Seong-jun turned to Yuseon and asked, “Unfortunately, I already used my area-of-effect skill back in the underground prison, so the cooldown isn’t over yet. We need to use your area skill, Wind Spirit’s Bombardment. Is yours still on cooldown?”
Yuseon shook her head.
“No, my cooldown is 40 minutes, so it just finished.”
Seong-jun nodded and continued.
“It’ll be difficult to cast Dark Attribute Infusion right now. If we were only looking at this spot, I could cast Enchant in Wide Area Mode, but we have to consider the surroundings. This might be fine for the 1st Defense Line where everyone is packed together, but with monsters scattered everywhere and the top ten guilds fighting sporadic skirmishes to buy time, it might actually backfire.”
As Seong-jun said, the monsters were scattered, and battles were breaking out all over the place.
In such a situation, casting **[Enchant]** and **[Dark Attribute Infusion]** in **[Wide Area Mode]** risked a worst-case scenario: Hunters outside the range wouldn’t receive the **[Enchant]** buff, while monsters just barely inside the range might receive the **[Dark Attribute Infusion]**.
“Ah! I see. Then we’ll have to fight without Dark Attribute Infusion.”
“Your Wind Spirit’s Bombardment deals significant damage. If we cast it simultaneously, most of them will be cleared even without the attribute advantage. We can clean up any survivors afterward.”
Even though the monsters wouldn’t suffer guaranteed critical hits since they weren’t dark-attribute, holy-attribute damage would still be effective.
Furthermore, Yuseon’s area skill boasted impressive power.
By combining their efforts, they could wipe out a large number of enemies.
Of course, the remaining monsters would require individual attention.
“Got it. Should we start now?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
Seong-jun used **[Form Transformation]** to turn his weapon into a bow.
‘Form Transformation!’
While his weapon shifted, Yuseon initiated her skill first.
*Whish! Whoosh!*
*Boom! Crash! Rumble!*
Over 100 spirits rained arrows down upon the ground, turning the area into a wasteland as if it had been carpet-bombed.
Seong-jun then raised his bow and activated his skill.
‘Wind Spirit’s Bombardment!’
*Twang!*
*Whish!*
The arrows of wind soaring into the sky seemed to shatter for a moment.
*Shiver.*
Dozens of Sylphs, taking the form of tiny fairies, began to manifest.
*Whish! Swish!*
Following Yuseon’s attack, the **[Wind Spirit’s Bombardment]** unleashed from Seong-jun’s hand swept through the Giant Mantises.
*Boom! Ka-boom! Rumble!*
“Kieeeeeeh!”
“Kiahk! Kiaaaaah!”
Under the relentless bombardment, the Giant Mantises began to fall one by one.
However, due to the nature of the skill, some monsters were hit by a dozen projectiles while others only took two or three, leaving them relatively intact.
Still, only twenty to thirty monsters remained.
The swarm of hundreds had been reduced to a mere few dozen by the combined area skills of Seong-jun and Yuseon.
“Let’s clean up the rest! Brother Gwang-taek! Pull the ones near the wall first!”
Seong-jun moved to eliminate the remnants immediately.
He told Gwang-taek to focus on the ones by the fence.
Although the entrance was securely blocked by Path of Glory, if even a single monster managed to break through a collapsed wall and enter the shelter, it could lead to civilian casualties.
“On it! Chain of Light!”
*Clink!*
Since he could pull up to thirteen targets at once, Gwang-taek quickly dragged in seven monsters that were near the wall.
“Kieeeeh!”
“Kiaaaaah!”
The Giant Mantises were yanked in front of Gwang-taek and instantly stunned.
“Hey! Even for me, seven B-grade monsters is a lot! I’ll hold out as long as I can, so thin out the numbers!”
Even with Seong-jun’s cheat-like buffs, tanking seven B-grade monsters simultaneously was a heavy burden.
“Yuseon! Chang-su! Take them down one by one as fast as you can!”
As he spoke, Seong-jun unleashed his next attack.
‘Surge of Holy Arrows!’
*Whish! Zip! Bang!*
Following Seong-jun, Yuseon began firing arrows of wind, and Chang-su moved to the rear of the monsters, swinging his two daggers with blinding speed.
*Slash! Thud!*
Powerful skills and basic attacks rained down, and the monsters fell one by one.
The cleanup was finished in an instant.
As Seong-jun’s party began clearing from the outside, the Path of Glory guild switched from defense to offense, quickly finishing off the rest.
“Haha! Seong-jun! You arrived at the perfect moment.”
Yu Se-hyeon approached Seong-jun with a bright smile.
Seong-jun greeted him with a smile of his own.
“Guild Master Yu Se-hyeon. It’s good to see you again. I heard from my uncle that you helped him and my aunt when they were in danger. Thank you so much.”
“Oh, it was nothing. It’s only natural. I was getting a bit worried because the monsters swarmed so suddenly, but thanks to you, I can breathe again. Ah! By the way, shouldn’t you see your uncle and aunt? They’re inside, so go ahead and check on them.”
Seong-jun had been worried about them, so he excused himself and hurried inside.
“Yes, I’ll see you in a bit.”
Walking across the playground and into the school building, he saw Lee Seon-jae and Yu Mi-ran waiting for him.
“Uncle! Aunt!”
Lee Seon-jae and Yu Mi-ran rushed toward Seong-jun.
“Seong-jun! Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Why did you come to such a dangerous place? You should have waited safely outside.”
Seong-jun couldn’t help but smile at the fact that they were worrying about him.
“I’m an A-rank Hunter, you know. I’m not as weak as you think, so don’t worry. More importantly, how are you two? Are you hurt?”
At Seong-jun’s question, Lee Seon-jae spoke up to reassure him.
“Don’t worry, I don’t have a single scratch. Like I said before, we were really in trouble, but Hunter Yu Se-hyeon saved us.”
“I ran into him at the entrance. I already thanked him, and I plan to show my gratitude properly later.”
Yu Se-hyeon had saved the couple who were like parents to Seong-jun.
He didn’t intend to let it go with just a simple thank you.
“Haha, I see. By the way, what happens now? How long do we have to stay here?”
Seong-jun answered his uncle with a reassuring smile.
“For now, it’s safer here. The retreat route hasn’t been secured yet, so if hundreds of people try to move at once, they might get attacked. I’ll make sure you’re safe, so please just wait a little longer.”
While nowhere was perfectly safe, they could at least use the geographical advantage to defend effectively here.
Furthermore, he had his **[Sanctuary]** active.
The moment they left, the story would change.
If monsters attacked sporadically, it would be nearly impossible for a few Hunters to protect hundreds of civilians without casualties.
Until safety was guaranteed, staying put was the better option.
“Is that so? If you say so, then it must be right.”
Lee Seon-jae trusted Seong-jun’s judgment completely.
Although he was anxious and wanted to leave the danger zone as soon as possible, he knew that if it were truly dangerous here, Seong-jun would have been the first to tell them to leave.
If he said staying was safer, there was a good reason for it.
Just then, Yu Se-hyeon approached Seong-jun.
“Seong-jun.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Now that you’re here, we’re going to head out and start clearing the monsters. We need to rescue any remaining civilians as well. What are you planning to do?”
The reason Path of Glory had stayed at the shelter was partly because of the monster swarm, but their primary goal had been to protect Lee Seon-jae and Yu Mi-ran until Seong-jun arrived.
Now that Seong-jun’s party was here, it was time for them to return to their original mission.
“I think it’ll be difficult to leave right away. We came from the Gongdeok direction, which is the closest, but we encountered many monsters on the way. If we move hundreds of people in this state, there will definitely be casualties. I think it’s better to stay here until the situation settles down a bit.”
Yu Se-hyeon nodded at Seong-jun’s decision to stay.
“If your party stays here, I can leave with peace of mind. Anyway, thanks to your buffs, it looks like we’ll be able to handle those things much more easily. Let’s talk again once the situation is over.”
Seong-jun replied with a smile.
“Yes. And thank you again for saving my uncle and aunt. I’ll be sure to repay this debt somehow.”
“Haha, a debt? I was just passing by.”
Yu Se-hyeon waved it off with a smile, but Seong-jun had no intention of forgetting it.
“Even if it was a coincidence, the fact remains that you saved them. Once this incident is over, I’ll find some time to visit Path of Glory.”
When Seong-jun mentioned visiting the guild, Yu Se-hyeon’s expression brightened instantly.
“Would you really? Hahaha! You’re welcome anytime. The doors of Path of Glory will always be wide open for you. Well then, I’ll see you later.”
“Yes, take care.”
After saying their goodbyes, Yu Se-hyeon and his guild members left the shelter.
With Path of Glory gone, the defensive power of the shelter dropped significantly.
However, Seong-jun believed that with his buffs and the **[Sanctuary]**, they could manage the defense with their current strength.
“You’re a Hunter, right? Nice to meet you. I’m Gang Tae-ho of the Jangbaek Guild. I’m in charge of the shelter’s defense. Thanks to the buffs and the Sanctuary you provided, we should be able to hold out even without Path of Glory. Are you and your group planning to leave as well?”
The Jangbaek Guild was ranked twenty-first in the country.
The Guild Master, Gang Tae-ho, was an A-rank Hunter, and his first and second teams were comprised entirely of B-grade Hunters.
Since everyone else was C-grade or lower, only the Guild Master and the first two teams had been deployed here.
Several other guilds were involved, but they were mostly small to medium-sized guilds with only about one team each.
Naturally, Gang Tae-ho was in command.
When asked if they were leaving, Seong-jun shook his head.
“No, we’re staying here.”
Gang Tae-ho’s expression brightened.
“Oh! Really? Haha, that’s a relief. I was worried about what to do if the monsters swarmed again like before. Your group is famous for performing beyond your ranks, so I feel much more at ease.”
While they weren’t as famous as Seong-jun, Gwang-taek and Yuseon were also quite well-known.
They were particularly famous for being B-grade Hunters who achieved A-rank results, so their decision to stay was a massive weight off his shoulders.
“The entrance is one thing, but is the rest of the school safe? I saw those Giant Mantises breaking down the wall earlier. Is there any chance they might try to enter from the sides?”
Having seen the monsters try to break the wall, Seong-jun was concerned about the perimeter.
Gang Tae-ho looked toward the school roof.
“We’ve placed scouts on the roof for now. If they see monsters gathering on the sides, they’ll notify us immediately, and we’ll deploy defensive personnel to that area. So far, none have tried to flank us, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful.”
The walls were just made of concrete.
They were far too flimsy to withstand the attacks of B-grade monsters like Giant Mantises.
While the monsters hadn’t targeted the walls deliberately yet—mostly just damaging them while trying to get to the front gate—there was no guarantee they wouldn’t in the future.
“I see. We’ll do our best to help defend the shelter, so please let us know if you need anything.”
Since Gang Tae-ho was currently in charge of the defense, Seong-jun intended to follow his lead.
“I appreciate that. I’ll let you know if we need help.”
As they were talking, a civilian approached them hesitantly, looking nervous.
“Excuse me… are you perhaps the healer, Kim Seong-jun?”
Seong-jun looked at him with a curious expression.
“Yes, I’m Kim Seong-jun. How can I help you?”
At those words, the man suddenly fell to his knees.
“Healer! I heard you’re a Saint who can regrow severed limbs and save anyone as long as they aren’t dead! Please, save my wife! While we were fleeing here, a building collapsed and she was buried under the debris. We managed to get her here with the help of some Hunters, but her condition is terrible!”
Seong-jun had cast **[Healing Light]** in **[Wide Area Mode]**, but that skill was focused on restoring vitality and lacked the power to heal deep physical wounds.
While **[Divine Healing]** could mend wounds, it was specialized for external injuries and could be less effective for severe internal organ damage.
If the man’s wife had severe internal injuries, **[Divine Healing]** alone might not be enough to save her.
‘Wow… I mean, it’s true I can regrow limbs, but “save anyone as long as they aren’t dead”? Where do these rumors even come from?’
It wasn’t entirely wrong.
Depending on the situation, he could perform miracles for those on the brink of death.
But regardless, some things were simply impossible.
He wasn’t a god who could save everyone without exception.
“I see. I’ll take a look. Are there many people with serious injuries inside?”
The man answered quickly.
“There are many with minor scratches, but quite a few have broken bones or severe external wounds.”
It made sense.
Coming all the way here through a monster-infested area would naturally result in many injuries.
“I see. Give me a moment. Gwang-taek! Yuseon! Chang-su!”
Before following the man, Seong-jun called out to his companions.
“Yeah, what is it?”
“I think I need to check on the patients. I’ll have to be away for a bit. Since Guild Master Gang Tae-ho is in charge here, please help him fend off any monsters.”
Gwang-taek gave him a bright smile.
“Of course. This is what you do. Leave things here to us. Not a single one of them will get past us.”
“Thanks. I’ll leave it to you then.”
Responding with a smile, Seong-jun turned around and followed the man.