Anas hovered in the sky at a height of one thousand meters, his eyes fixed on the Hongdae area. From this height, the city looked like a small toy town, its winding streets, low buildings, walls adorned with graffiti.
But beneath this beautiful view, chaos was escalating.
KRA-KOOOOOOM!
The ground shook. A massive crimson gate opened in the middle of one of the main squares. The crimson light rose like a pillar of fire, piercing the sky, casting red shadows over everything.
College Student: (Shouting) "What is this?!"
Girl Painting on a Wall: (Dropping her brush) "A gate! A gate in the middle of Hongdae!"
Street Vendor: (Quickly closing his stall) "Run! Run!"
People began running in all directions. Young men and women pushed each other, their bags flying, their phones falling to the ground. A young mother held her little daughter's hand, running and screaming. An old man tripped in the crowd, fell, and struggled to get up.
Female Voice: (Screaming) "Don't push me! Please!"
Another Voice: (Shouting) "The gate! It's moving! It's swallowing the street!"
The crimson light spread like wildfire. As the gate widened, the panic intensified. Cars crashed into each other; some drivers abandoned their vehicles and fled, others tried to reverse on blocked roads.
Child: (Crying) "Mommy! Mommy!"
His Mother: (Running toward him) "I'm here! I'm here!"
She picked him up and held him tightly, running through the crowd. Her face was pale, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Young Man: (Frozen in place) "Dad... Dad was in that café..."
His friend grabbed his arm.
His Friend: "Run! You can't help him now!"
Young Man: (Shouting) "But Dad!"
His Friend: "The guards will come! Run!"
The crowd grew denser. The narrow alleys between buildings became traps. People pushed each other; some fell, others tried to help.
Girl: (Shouting from a balcony) "I'm stuck! I can't get down!"
Neighbor: (Shouting from a nearby balcony) "Jump! I'll catch you!"
Girl: (Crying) "I can't! I'm scared!"
Below them, the gate was widening further. The first monsters began to emerge.
Small Monster: Small stone balls the size of fists, rolling quickly, hitting feet, knocking people down.
Others: Stone creatures resembling monkeys, throwing rocks from the rooftops.
Ah! A scream from here. Please! A scream from there.
Panic reached its peak.
---
In the sky, Anas watched. He didn't move. He didn't intervene. He watched with intense interest.
Anas: (To himself) "What a scene... beautiful."
---
Five Minutes Earlier - The Control Room at the Association
The screens were flashing red everywhere. Director Kang stood before the large map, his fist clenched, his face frozen with anger.
Director Kang: (Shouting) "These are not requests! These are orders in the name of the Global Awakening and Hunters Association!"
Employee: (Trembling) "Sir, the Golden Eagle Guild refuses to send its forces. They say their area also needs protection."
Director Kang: (Slamming the table) "They claim to protect their own while Hongdae, Myeong-dong, and Gangnam burn?! Call them again!"
Another Employee: (Loudly) "Sir! The Blue Dragon Guild has agreed! They will send 5,000 hunters!"
Another: "The Storm Guild is sending 4,000!"
Third: "The Shadow Guild is sending 3,500!"
Fourth: "The Iron Fist Guild is sending 3,000!"
Director Kang: (His eyes blazing) "That's not enough! I want everyone! Call the Lion Guild! Call the Golden Eagle Guild! Tell them: if they don't send their forces within five minutes, I will consider them traitors to humanity!"
Silence reigned for a moment. Then phones began ringing.
Employee: (Loudly) "The Lion Guild has agreed! They are sending their deputy commander personally! SS rank! And they will send 7,000 hunters!"
Another: "The Golden Eagle Guild has agreed! They are sending their deputy commander! SS- rank! And they will send 5,000 hunters!"
Director Kang: (Breathing deeply) "Now... this is what I want. Total?"
Employee: (Calculating quickly) "25,000 hunters, sir. Distributed among the seven major guilds. With them, 50 S, S-, and S+ rank hunters, led by the deputy commander of the Golden Eagle Guild and the deputy commander of the Lion Guild."
Director Kang: "Send them to Hongdae first. Then to Myeong-dong. Gangnam... I will handle personally."
He looked at the screen showing Gangnam. The crimson point there was also expanding.
Director Kang: (To himself) "My God... Nayun is there. Ji-won is there. I hope they are safe."
---
Present - Hongdae
Military transport planes appeared on the horizon. Dozens of planes, carrying thousands of hunters. They landed in empty fields, on rooftops, even on wide streets.
The hunters disembarked in massive numbers. They looked like an organized army, wearing the uniforms of their various guilds, but their eyes shared one thing: fear.
One Hunter: (Looking at the gate) "My God... how many are there?"
Another: (His hands trembling) "This is a crimson gate... I've never seen anything like it."
First Squad Commander: (Shouting) "Organize! Organize! C-rank and below hunters to the rear! B and A rank to the front! S-rank with me!"
They began to take positions. There were 25,000 hunters. The majority were C, C+, B-, B, B+, A-, A, A+ ranks. At the front stood 50 S, S-, and S+ rank hunters.
A woman in her late twenties stepped forward, wearing a gleaming white uniform with a golden eagle emblem. Her short blond hair shone in the light, her blue eyes sparkling with confidence.
The Woman: (In a sharp voice) "I am Han Ji-yeon, deputy commander of the Golden Eagle Guild. My rank is SS-. Who will join me on the front line?"
A man in his mid-thirties stepped forward, wearing heavy black armor, his face covered in old scars. His beard was thick, and his eyes pierced the darkness.
The Man: (In a gruff voice) "I am Park Chul-soo, deputy commander of the Lion Guild. My rank is SS. I will take field command."
Han Ji-yeon: (Looking at him) "Finally... a familiar face."
Park Chul-soo: (Looking at the gate) "This is no ordinary battle. Prepare yourself."
---
The Gate Erupts
KRA-KOOOOOOM!
The crimson gate exploded. It no longer released monsters in small numbers. It opened fully, unleashing an entire army.
First came the Little Pebbles. Thousands of them, rolling quickly, hitting the hunters' legs, knocking them down. Then came the Stone Breakers, attacking with sharp arms, breaking armor and weapons.
Hunter: (Falling) "Ah! My foot! Crushed my foot!"
Another: (Shouting) "My armor! They broke my armor!"
The Stone Throwers emerged, throwing rocks from behind the front lines. Rocks rained down like hail on the rear ranks.
Hunter: (Running) "Retreat! Retreat!"
Commander: (Shouting) "Hold your ground! Don't abandon your positions!"
The Stone Walkers emerged, slow but powerful stone creatures. They crashed into the front lines, crushing armor, breaking bones.
Hunter: (Flying through the air) "Aaaah!"
Another: (Falling to the ground) "I can't hold! There are too many!"
---
The Battle Ignites
Park Chul-soo: (Shouting) "A-rank and above hunters! Forward! Stop them!"
Thousands of hunters surged forward. Swords struck, arrows flew, magic blazed. But the monsters were far more numerous.
The elite emerged: Stone Guards, slow but devastating. Wall Climbers scaling buildings and dropping debris. Stone Rockets shooting at incredible speed and crashing into the ranks.
Hunter: (Falling) "I can't! They broke my armor!"
Another: (Running) "Retreat! Retreat!"
Han Ji-yeon: (Shouting) "No retreat! Hold! Help is coming!"
The Earth Mages emerged, twelve stone creatures in earthen robes. They raised their hands, the ground shook, and cracks opened beneath the hunters' feet.
Hunter: (Falling into a crack) "Aaaah! Save me!"
Another: (Trying to help) "Grab my hand!"
The Mountain Hearts emerged, three massive stone creatures (10 meters tall). Each step caused an earthquake, each strike destroyed a building.
Hunter: (Shouting) "My God! What is that?!"
Another: (Running) "We can't face this!"
Park Chul-soo: (Looking at Han Ji-yeon) "It's our time."
---
The Elite Battle
Fifty S-rank hunters charged toward the high-level monsters. The battle was fierce. Swords struck stone, magic clashed with magic, blood mixed with dust.
S-rank Hunter: (Striking a Stone Guard) "Die!"
Stone Guard: (Falling slowly) "Kaaa..."
Another S-rank Hunter: (Casting magic at a Mountain Heart) "Arrow of Fire!"
Mountain Heart: (Staggering but not falling) "Raaaaa!"
S-rank Hunter: (Running) "It didn't fall! It absorbed the hit!"
Another: (Shouting) "Attack from the back! Its weak points are in the joints!"
Ten hunters attacked together, striking joints, striking foundations. The first Mountain Heart fell.
Hunter: (Panting) "One... just one fell. There are two more!"
But the monsters were not alone. The Earth Mages supported them, creating earthquakes, opening cracks, isolating hunters from each other.
S-rank Hunter: (Falling into a crack) "No!"
Another: (Reaching out) "Grab on!"
S-rank Hunter: (Shouting) "I can't! They're pulling me down!"
The earth swallowed him.
---
The Deputy Commanders Advance
Park Chul-soo: (Advancing toward the second Mountain Heart) "Han Ji-yeon! Take the third! I'll handle this one!"
Han Ji-yeon: (Darting toward the third) "Agreed!"
Park Chul-soo charged toward the second Mountain Heart with his hardened fists. His first blow cracked the stone body. The second shook it. The third brought it down.
Hunter: (Shouting) "It fell! It fell!"
But from behind it, a fourth Mountain Heart emerged.
Hunter: (Face pale) "The fourth?! They said there were only three!"
Park Chul-soo: (Looking at the gate) "We miscalculated... there are more than we thought."
A fifth Mountain Heart emerged. A sixth. Until they numbered ten.
Han Ji-yeon: (Stepping back) "Ten?! That's impossible!"
Park Chul-soo: (His fist clenched) "Not impossible. It's a crimson gate... anything is possible."
Ten Mountain Hearts, each ten meters tall, stood in a line, staring at the hunters with cold, stone eyes.
Hunter: (Whispering) "We're finished..."
Another: (Crying) "I don't want to die here..."
Park Chul-soo: (Shouting) "Hold your ground! Don't give up! We are hunters! We are humanity's defenders!"
He charged toward the first Mountain Heart. Struck. Struck. Struck. The first fell. Then the second. Then the third.
But the fourth hit him on the shoulder, sending him flying through the air.
Hunter: (Shouting) "Deputy Commander!"
Park Chul-soo: (Falling to the ground, rising) "I'm fine! Don't stop!"
Han Ji-yeon fought as well. Her white sword cut through stone like butter. Two Mountain Hearts fell under her blade. But the third struck her chest, pushing her back.
Han Ji-yeon: (Panting) "They're... stronger than I expected."
Park Chul-soo: (Moving to her side) "Don't give up. We're together."
They stood together, back to back, facing the ten Mountain Hearts.
Park Chul-soo: (Muttering) "I'm sorry I was late."
Han Ji-yeon: (Laughing bitterly) "We're here now. That's what matters."
Park Chul-soo: (Shouting) "Let's go!"
They charged together. Park's blows shook the earth, Han's blade cut the air. The fourth, fifth, and sixth Mountain Hearts fell. But exhaustion began to show.
Park Chul-soo: (Panting) "How many left?"
Han Ji-yeon: (Breathing hard) "Four... just four."
Park Chul-soo: (Smiling) "Just four... that's easy."
But behind them, they heard screams.
Hunter: (Shouting) "Deputy Commander! Look at the gate!"
They turned. From the gate, a creature far larger than the Mountain Hearts was emerging, ten times their size. Its body was a moving mountain, thirty meters tall. Each step caused an earthquake, each movement destroyed a building.
Hunter: (Whispering) "My God..."
Another: (Trembling) "That's... not stone... that's the Earth Incarnate itself."
Park Chul-soo: (His face frozen) "We're finished..."
Han Ji-yeon: (Her hand trembling on her sword) "This is beyond us... this requires SS-rank hunters."
Park Chul-soo: (Closing his eyes) "We are SS-rank hunters... I'm SS, you're SS-. But this..."
Han Ji-yeon: (Opening her eyes) "No. I will not give up. We are here to protect people. Even if I die, I will die standing."
She raised her sword and prepared to attack.
---
In the sky, Anas watched.
The battle was fierce. The hunters fought with everything they had, but the monsters were more numerous, more powerful, more organized. Every time a monster fell, two more emerged in its place.
Park Chul-soo and Han Ji-yeon fought valiantly. But exhaustion began to show. Wounds covered their bodies, blood flowed, but they did not surrender.
Anas: (To himself) "What a scene... they fight even knowing they will lose. They sacrifice themselves for those they do not know."
He smiled.
Anas: "This... is beautiful."
He looked at the sky, then back at the battle. The hunters were retreating, the monsters advancing. The ten Mountain Hearts had fallen, but the Earth Incarnate still stood, advancing slowly toward the defensive lines.
Anas: (To himself) "I will not intervene yet. Not now. Let them fight. Let them see their true nature. Let them... enjoy themselves too."
He smiled a cold smile.
Anas: "True fun... has not yet begun."
```
╔══════════════════════════════════════╗
║ [SYSTEM ALERT: Battle of Hongdae] ║
╠══════════════════════════════════════╣
║ [Hunters: 25,000] ║
║ [Monsters: 40,000] ║
║ [Casualties: Heavy on both sides] ║
║ [Status: Critical] ║
║ ║
║ [The fun... has not yet begun] ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════╝
```