Chapter 378
*Ding.*
– [Logout] was successfully completed.
With the cheerful system notification, my temporarily detached senses started to return.
The softness of the bed beneath me, the warm air inside the private jet, and the hands shaking my shoulders, along with a voice shouting my name.
“Jin Tae-Kyung! Wake up! Jin Tae-Kyung!”
– Wake up, you vile human!
I blinked at the urgent voices—one human and one monster—echoing in my ears.
As my vision cleared, a familiar face came into view.
“Oh, Chief Choi…”
*Slap!*
“Wake up!”
– Well done! You’re slightly less vile, human!
What the hell?
Caught off guard by the unexpected slap, I answered in a dazed voice.
“I’m awake though…”
“What kind of person are you?! I’ve been trying to wake you up, and you’re just now getting up!”
– Just die! Just die already!
“S-Sorry…”
Wow. This is the first time I’ve seen Chief Choi this furious. Usually calm and composed, even when boasting about her designer items, Chief Choi’s eyes were now practically shooting lightning.
‘But why is she like this? We’re still on the plane, right?’
Even though I apologized reflexively, I was confused as to why this situation warranted a slap.
“There’s no time for this! Hurry up…!”
“Kyaaa!”
Chief Choi’s voice was drowned out by the screams of the flight attendants, followed by the shouts of what I presumed were the pilots.
“Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!”
“Control tower! Control toooower!”
“…What the hell is going on?”
What in the world is happening right now?
As I frantically looked around, Chief Choi uttered something unbelievable.
“We’re under a monster attack!”
“A monster? Attack?”
What kind of nonsense is this? We’re flying at 25,000 feet in a private jet provided by the Chinese Central Committee.
By now, we should be close to Chengdu International Airport in Sichuan Province…
“What?”
Casually turning to look out the window, I found myself gaping in shock.
Down below, a massive airport came into view, but it was engulfed in flames, with small and large figures moving about.
A battle. A deadly battle between humans and monsters was raging.
And that wasn’t all.
– Kyaaa!
A massive creature was rapidly closing in on our private jet.
“That’s…”
No doubt about it. Even after rubbing my eyes, it was still a Wyvern.
A-grade monsters, classified as dragonkin along with Drakes.
They’re a pain to deal with on the ground, but encountering them at 25,000 feet in the air? That’s a nightmare.
And there were about a dozen of them!
‘…What the hell kind of situation is this?’
Down below, a fierce battle surrounded Chengdu International Airport, while up in the air, a swarm of Wyverns was chasing our private jet.
It didn’t take long for my brain to draw a conclusion.
“A Lich!”
The words burst out of me like a bolt of lightning.
The Lich, the highest-ranking undead monster, had appeared along with an unprecedented monster wave about a week ago. It must have extended its reach all the way here.
“The control tower isn’t responding!”
“The Wyverns, the Wyverns…!”
“Kyaaaa!”
– I knew it! We’re all going to die!
Even amidst the chaos, I found myself correcting the Skeleton Warlord.
“Well, that’s true, but weren’t you already dead?”
– Silence, you vile human! It’s all your fault! Oh, Legion, forgive your commander!
Panic-stricken screams and shouts were coming from everyone, both monsters and humans alike.
And in the midst of it all, there was only one person who maintained their composure.
“Everyone, calm down! What you’re worried about won’t happen!”
As expected of Chief Choi, he’s reliable. He must have thought of a way to overcome this crisis.
With a calm tone, he quieted the chaos and pointed at me.
“Jin Tae-Kyung here will take care of it!”
“Jin Tae-Kyung, what should we do?”
“Wait, why are you asking me…?”
“I believe in you, Jin Tae-Kyung!”
But why? In a situation like this, wouldn’t it be better to believe in God, Buddha, or Allah?
While I was momentarily at a loss for words, everyone’s eyes turned toward me expectantly.
“Now that I think about it, I’ve heard about this Hunter before. Chairman Xiao Yang personally requested him, saying he’s incredibly skilled.”
“I’ve heard the rumors too. Some say he might be the next S-rank Hunter. They say he took down two named monsters by himself.”
“Ooh, oooooh!”
“We’re saved! We’re saved!”
– You, vile human! I knew you were strong, but this is beyond my imagination! Rejoice, Legion. Your commander lives!
“…I keep telling you, you’re already dead.”
This is insane. Everyone’s lost their minds. I looked at Chief Choi in disbelief.
“What on earth makes you so confident?”
Chief Choi answered without hesitation.
“I told you, I believe in you, Jin Tae-Kyung.”
“But what’s the basis for that belief…?”
“It’s a belief based on evidence.”
“…What?”
“In a situation like this, your demeanor, your tone, your expression—everything confirms my belief.”
“…?”
Only then did I realize. I was only surprised by the unexpected situation, but I wasn’t feeling any fear or terror at all.
The answer was closer than I thought.
‘I’m strong.’
I am strong. I’ve become much stronger. Strong enough to overcome any danger.
That’s why I wasn’t afraid of the monsters swarming the ground or the Wyverns chasing us.
“So that’s what it is…”
I muttered to myself and then spoke up.
“Who’s the pilot?”
A hand shot up from the cockpit.
A trembling hand, while the other must have been gripping the controls desperately, trying to avoid the approaching Wyverns.
“I-It’s me.”
“Is it okay if I open the door for a moment?”
“…What?”
“I’m asking if I can open the airplane door.”
The pilot, shocked, stuck his head out to look at me as if I were crazy.
“Of course not! The pressure seal would fail, and the aircraft would break apart under the pressure! We wouldn’t be able to breathe properly!”
Chief Choi fiddled with the ring on her finger and interrupted.
“I think I can manage the pressure. I don’t know what you’re planning, but give it a try.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t! Are you insane? You’ll get us all killed!”
“…What did you call me?”
Did this guy just insult a proud Korean right to my face?
Realizing his slip of the tongue, the pilot’s face turned pale.
“N-No, that’s not what I meant.”
“You damn Chinese…”
“Hey, pilot.”
“Y-Yes?”
“Open the door.”
“Ack! Aaack!”
Before the pilot could stop me, I opened the door. No, I sliced it open.
*Swish!*
*Ganggi* (Sword Aura)—known as Aura Blade in modern terms—cut through the sturdy metal, creating a small opening.
Just like how a Murim master would, here in this world, only an S-rank Hunter could demonstrate such overwhelming power.
Chief Choi’s eyes widened in shock.
“Jin Tae-Kyung, that’s…!”
“Chief!”
*Whoooosh!*
There was no time to be surprised. The enormous wind pressure and change in pressure caused the plane to shake violently, turning the cabin into chaos.
As people screamed and I shouted, Chief Choi snapped back to reality and rubbed her ring.
“A barrier surrounds us, airtight and unbreakable. *Barrier*!”
With a chant, a transparent barrier of energy sealed the new entrance completely.
That’s an impressive method. With a brief moment of admiration, I stuck my upper body out of the cabin.
Chief Choi’s barrier magic, recognizing me as an ally, let me pass through without any resistance.
*Rumble!*
The wind pressure hit my upper body with the force of a sledgehammer, but I grinned.
‘This is no joke.’
But it wasn’t unbearable.
Actually, it would have been strange if I couldn’t withstand it. Compared to the energy waves that *Seocheonmagun* (Western Heavenly Lord) unleashed, this was nothing more than a gentle spring breeze.
– Kyaaaa!
The shriek of the monsters mixed with that spring breeze.
I gauged the distance as I watched the Wyverns rapidly approach.
‘About 100 meters. I’ve never done this before, but… at this distance, it should be enough.’
Inventory open, equip.
*Fwoosh.*
The spear I bought at a discount from the Hunter Market appeared in my hand.
I drew my arm back like a javelin thrower, my muscles and tendons from waist to wrist pulling taut like a bowstring.
– Kyauuu!
The lead Wyvern, sensing something was wrong, roared and pulled its head back.
I saw the white air currents being sucked into the monster’s maw.
‘That’s…’
– A Breath attack! It’s going to use Breath! Dodge, you vile human!
The Skeleton Warlord’s shout was correct.
Among the countless monsters, only the dragonkin were granted the power of Breath. I watched intently as it formed inside the gaping maw.
*Gooooong.*
A massive sphere of wind. The Air Breath, capable of shredding metal like paper, was fully formed when…
“Hey, Wyvern!”
– Kyau?
“Catch!”
With a thunderous shout, I hurled the spear forward with all my might.
*Fwoosh, shoooom!*
The flame-coated spear tore through the air, burning it as it flew.
The blue-white streak of light shot straight ahead, and the Wyvern’s yellow eyes widened in shock.
– Kiiiii!
*Thud! Boom!*
A massive body plummeted toward the ground like a kite with its string cut.
– Kyau?
– Kiiik?
Ten pairs of yellow eyes glanced at each other.
Wyverns are fierce and aggressive by nature, but at this moment, they were paralyzed by confusion.
– Kikiit?
– Kiik…
‘What the hell, did the leader die?’
‘Seems like it…’
Exchanging their own form of communication, the Wyverns were stunned.
Their leader, known as the ‘Black Star’ among their kin for its strength, was now nothing more than a black speck falling toward the distant ground.
– Kirik?
– Grrr…
And none of them had seen exactly how it happened.
They could only guess that it had something to do with that tiny human who had thrown a spear at it.
But that was absurd.
How could a mere human dare to strike down a descendant of the great dragons…
“Hey, you there, Green Wyvern!”
– Kirik?
“Catch!”
*Thud!*
This time, they saw it clearly. The light shot through another Wyvern’s head.
– Kiiik!
– Kyauuu!
First the leader, and now another of their kin dead!
The enraged Wyverns swore vengeance on this damned human.
– Kiiit!
Of course, not today. They’d seek revenge later, much later.
“Hey, you there, Blue Wyvern!”
*Thwack!*
…Will they even get the chance?
Ten pairs of wings frantically flapped for dear life.
