Chapter 389
It was a day when the cold snap had slightly eased.
Students, finally liberated from the college entrance exams, were busy either preparing for retakes or indulging in leisure, while office workers, with dark circles under their eyes, crammed into public transportation.
In the midst of this typical, peaceful day, an unexpected bombshell dropped.
**[Breaking News – Major Announcement from the UN Security Council]**
A 30-minute video began with a single, weighty statement from Chairman Xiao Yang, who stared solemnly into the camera.
“As the 9th Chairman of the People’s Republic of China and a member of the United Nations Security Council, I am here to address the massive monster wave that has occurred in Sichuan Province.”
This was a bombshell that captured the world’s attention and shook all of Asia.
* * *
One day, two days, three days, four days passed, yet the situation did not calm down.
Since the Great Upheaval, many incidents and accidents had occurred, but the monster wave that erupted in Sichuan Province this time was unprecedented in scale.
Chairman Xiao Yang declared martial law, and with the approval of the UN Security Council, peacekeeping forces were deployed to the frontlines.
The world’s attention was now fully focused.
Among them, the nations bordering China were especially on edge.
South Korea was no exception. Today, the Hunter Issue section of the country’s largest forum site was boiling over like a cauldron on a charcoal stove.
**[Summary of the Current Situation]**
No one here hasn’t watched the major announcement from the Security Council, right? If you haven’t, go die. This is a serious emergency. Even that northern leader is probably watching on iTube and lurking on this board.
Anyway, there were so many bugs asking me to summarize a matter that concerns their lives, so here it is:
1. A massive, unexplained wave erupted in Sichuan Province. The estimated number of casualties is at least 300,000—though this was from a week ago, so it’s likely far worse now. In fact, it’s believed that accurate statistics are no longer possible.
2. The Chinese government intervened, but the scale was far beyond what they expected. A monster army numbering in the tens of thousands gathered around an Arch Lich. The People’s Liberation Army, Air Force, and more than 2,000 Hunters from the Public Security Bureau have gone missing (communications disrupted due to magic interference, satellite surveillance disabled, and it’s impossible to confirm if they’re alive).
3. The Chinese government secretly contacted several countries and hired some S-rank Hunters to suppress the situation as soon as possible. Two days ago, UN peacekeeping forces were also deployed to the frontlines and are currently fighting.
The battle status is being updated by the Security Council, so if you’re interested, check it out here. (Link provided.)
The following are my personal thoughts, so feel free not to read them.
4. Anyone with a brain knows this situation is not normal. Mainland China is a living hell right now. With all the capable Hunters being pulled to the frontlines, other Gates are being poorly managed, and mana levels are unstable, causing hyperinflation across the board.
What’s really terrifying is, if the frontlines collapse and the monster army advances beyond Sichuan… Well, I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.
5. So, before things get worse, go to the supermarket and stock up on emergency food supplies. Not saying to hoard for unfair profit.
6. To end on a high note, let’s add some national pride. Our legendary Hunter and Ares Guild’s Jung Dragon is active on the frontlines. Keep praising him as you always do.
That’s it.
Within hours of being posted, this message surpassed 100,000 views and ignited a fiery debate among netizens who were closely watching the situation.
**(Top Comment)**
The post is accurate about how serious the situation is, but the author is also hyping it up a bit too much. Over 100,000 Hunters, including several S-rank ones, have joined the fight. What’s there to worry about? Isn’t the military also on standby?
“They’re just hanging around in maintenance units right now.”
“Didn’t you watch the news? All of China’s military equipment broke down, revealing the biggest military procurement scandal ever—estimated to be in the tens of trillions of won. Several divisions are stuck.”
“This sounds familiar…”
“Please, for the love of God, change our canteens. I was discharged last year, and the water still tastes like Normandy. I take a sip and can’t tell if my name is Kim Cheol-soo or James.”
“Private Kim, tonight’s dinner is braised pollock fillet.”
“I’m not eating.”
“But really, the fact that the military is stuck due to equipment malfunctions is a problem, but they have plenty of troops anyway. The only ones who can deal real damage to the monsters are the Hunters. Actually, there’s a bigger issue.”
“What is it?”
“Over 100,000 monsters have breached the line.”
“…?”
“What do you mean 100,000? Don’t talk nonsense.”
“It’s not nonsense; it’s official from the UN Security Council. Check the link in the post. It was updated five minutes ago.”
“Wow… Damn.”
“Judging by the comments, it seems to be true.”
“No, it’s just that it’s all in English, so I couldn’t understand a word. I’m running it through the translation tool now.”
“Is this guy crazy?”
“But seriously, if 100,000 monsters breached, isn’t this a huge problem? The largest monster wave before this was barely over a thousand, wasn’t it?”
“Of course, this wave wasn’t this big initially. But the problem is the Arch Lich over there. Just a regular Lich appearing is a huge deal, but this one is an unknown top-tier Named Monster even in academic circles. Most of the monsters we’re fighting now are undead revived by the Arch Lich.”
“Arch Lich: ‘It’s like King’s Fist, but 100 times stronger.’”
“Then shouldn’t we just kill the Arch Lich? If most of the monsters are undead, won’t it end if we kill the controller?”
“???”
“Who the hell is going to kill the Arch Lich, you idiot? Just because you can type out an Aura Blade on your keyboard doesn’t mean anything.”
A heated debate ensued.
Some were treating the situation like a distant spectacle, while others took it seriously.
In the midst of this, with doomsday predictions and optimism running rampant, new updates continued to pour in.
**(Top Comment)**
UNSC official report: The western and eastern fronts broke through an hour ago. Fortunately, Pai Chen arrived as reinforcements and prevented further damage.
“It’s true.”
“Wasn’t Wu Haixing stationed on the eastern front?”
“Yeah, that Chinese junkie.”
“Then why did it break through? He’s an S-rank Hunter, right?”
“Well, he’s a China-made S-rank Hunter.”
“Oh…”
“If it weren’t for Pai Chen, things could have gone really bad. Guess it’s because Pai Chen is a well-made Hunter from the Great Upheaval.”
“Pai Chen’s parents are from Hong Kong, so she’s a Hong Kong product.”
“Does the comment quality control committee work here? Sharp observation.”
“So, any news on the Korean Hunters?”
“Jung Dragon is holding the northern front and maintaining an advantage. I heard that Jin Tae-kyung won two or three times on the western front, but there hasn’t been any news since, so it seems like they’re holding their ground… As for Lee Jung-ryong, everyone knows how strong he is, so there’s no need to worry, but Jin Tae-kyung… He’s still just an A-rank Hunter.”
“Huh? A? That’s…”
“Who still thinks Jin Tae-kyung is just an A-rank? Seriously, Jin Tae-kyung is a monster.”
“Hey, hey! Guys, the Security Council just released an update on the western front!”
“Oh, it’s been a while since we heard from Jin Tae-kyung.”
“Seems urgent. The western front? What are they saying?”
“They say it broke through?”
“What?”
“What?”
“What are you talking about? Did Jin Tae-kyung die…?”
“Hold on, this is the original content. Guys, I’m going to check again. It’s on the main page, so go see for yourselves.”
“Ugh. Suddenly feeling anxious. I’m checking right now.”
The netizens, who had been eagerly posting comments, hurriedly accessed the UN Security Council website.
Due to the sudden influx of visitors, they had to wait a while for the traffic to subside. When they finally saw the announcement on the main page, they couldn’t believe their eyes or ears.
“…What is that?”
A map depicting the standoff against the monster army. The western front, shaped like an oval, showed a deep indentation as if a spike had pierced through it.
“I just checked, and it’s true. The line was breached.”
“Jin Tae-kyung is dead? How much damage is there?”
“No, the monster line is what broke through.”
“…??”
“???”
“The breakthrough speed was so fast that the update couldn’t keep up.”
“…Does that even make sense?”
“Shut your mouth and close the shutters. Today is a day to celebrate…”
* * *
The battlefield, soon to be the site of fierce combat, was chaotic. The wasteland stretched endlessly, filled with countless monsters.
The wind carried the thick killing intent and foul stench emanating from them.
“Shit, there are so many of them.”
Chief Choi, standing beside me, replied to my muttering.
“No matter how many we kill, they never end.”
It’s the fourth day since we were deployed to the western front, and the real battle began. The usually pristine appearance of Chief Choi was nowhere to be seen.
Covered in blood and dust, he looked at me calmly but with deeply sunken eyes.
“When do we start?”
“Well, that’s up to our little commander here. What do you think?”
The last question wasn’t directed at Chief Choi.
The 21-year-old “Little Commander” who hadn’t left my side, Xiao Shen, answered.
“I will follow your command, Sir Jin!”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the gleam in his eyes.
“Still calling me ‘Sir.’ You told me to speak casually with you first. You should call me hyung (older brother) instead.”
“Re-really? Can I do that?”
“As long as you’re okay with it. But is this alright in front of your subordinates? Aren’t you getting promoted to major soon?”
Xiao Shen shook his head rapidly.
“No problem at all! H-hyung!”
He’s so calm in battle, yet why does he stutter so much otherwise?
I glanced at the Hunters from the Public Security Bureau lined up behind us. There were nearly a thousand of them.
Their eyes burned with a fiery intensity, filled with admiration and awe for the strong.
Of course, Xiao Shen was the most prominent among them.
“Please, give the order, h-hyung.”
“An order, huh…”
I looked up at the sky.
An eagle with enormous wings was circling above us. It felt like a good day today.
“Follow me. Just like we’ve always done.”
“…!”
“Right now.”
With my command, I took a step forward.
*Crack.*
The ground split like a spider’s web under the immense force at my feet, sinking inwards.
And in the next moment—
*Boom!*
With a deafening roar, I shot forward like a beam of light.
‘Fiery Path.’
The cold-laden wind turned into a scorching gust.
The ground, wind, and scenery rushed past as a massive cheer erupted behind me.
“Charge! Charge forward!”
“Descendants of China! People! Sweep them all away!”
“Waaah!”
The roars of humans and the screams of monsters echoed across the heavens and earth. The great tremors shook the very ground.
Amidst this chaotic entrance, I swung the White Flame in my hand with all my might.
*Slash!*
The extreme yang energy from the spear sliced through everything in its path.
