Jeju Island Raid

Deep into the night of the next day, Jinwoo and I were heading out with Jinho to go and look at an office he spotted which can be used as out Guild Headquarters.

Regarding the serious conversation that I had with Jinwoo, I apparently met all his standards, and I was still allowed to live with them. Though, on the car ride to the office, Jinwoo was grumpy and refused to talk with me.

I could see that Jinho wanted to ask about it, but the expression on Jinwoo's face was so complicated that he lay his curiosity to rest.

Entering the space of the office, Jinwoo and I were immediately taken aback by the size of the place.

"If you're going to create a guild, then the first thing you need is an office! So, what do you think? Not only is this one of the best places, but it's not located too far from your house!"

"It's us three for now… don't you think this place is too big?" Jinwoo asks.

"What do you mean, Hyung-nim. The Guild Master, Vice-Guild Master, and Members need space." Jinho explains, "And luckily for us, we already have three members, so we can start a Guild. All that's left for us to do is determine a name for our new guild."

Jinho then began to think, but suddenly exclaims, "Oh, that's right! There is someone looking for the two of you. A foreigner who was speaking English. They said they would be residing in Korea until July 17th and hopes that you will contact them."

Handing me the slip of paper, my head suddenly shoots up when I feel one of my Soldiers of Light communicate to me that something bad was about to occur.

Going to use, 'Transferable Light', I halt in my tracks and watch as Jinwoo is enshrouded with shadow, soon dipping into the ground, and causing one of his Shadow Soldiers to emerge.

"What happened?" Jinwoo recoils at the sight of the Shadow Soldier.

"A minor problem was prowling on the streets late at night, and Jinwoo went to go deal with it."

Promptly looking back at the card, I find the name Norma Selner and an exact picture of her right next to it.

Blowing out, I stuff the card into my pocket and remember that tomorrow is the day when we begin the next raid. Being then sat down by Jinho, he begins to list off his ideas of Guild Names, and I nod my head relentlessly while judging each one he comes up with.

By the next time tomorrow, I found myself sitting in a Boeing CH-47 Chinook, being hauled off to Jeju Island. Sitting with me, there was Baek Yoonho, Lim Tae-Gyu, Ma Dongwook, Cha Hae-In, Choi Jong-In, the surprise addition of Min Byung-Gyu, and a cameraman who specializes in filming Hunters.

"This raid will be broadcast live on TV. You also won't have to worry too much about mistakes. Since the broadcast will have a 10 second delay, the editing team can cut those pats out for you." He explains to us, receiving the worried comment from Baek Yoonho and the warning from Ma Dongwook.

Easing there worries by telling them he understood the risks, he too was reassured by the two of them.

"Mr. Urokodaki."

Instantly stopping Cha Hae-In from continuing, I tell her, "Please, just call me Shiro."

"Alright… Shiro. Then you can call me Hae-In." Hae-In slightly blushes, "I wanted to ask you Shiro, but where is Hunter Sung Jinwoo? Is he not coming on this raid with you?"

Shaking my head, I tell her, "His mother just recently awoke from an Eternal Slumber, and he's kept the fact that he's a Hunter a secret from her. So, to ease any of her worries, Jinwoo has chosen to abstain from this raid. He'd rather not risk the chance of never being able to return home… much like his father had done."

Falling silent upon hearing this, the mood shifts when we hear Ma Dongwook's weird laugh.

"Huhu, it's finally going to start."

Like a trigger, a huge amount of magic exploded from four points on Jeju Island. Following the flare of energy, ants started to flow from the Jeju Island Mountain at an implacably fast rate. Even with the magic flares from the Japanese, ants were still chasing after our helicopter.

Opening the back, Choi starts to shoot his fire at the oncoming ants. Upon realizing that simple, low-powered attacks won't work, Choi increases the strength of his power, jumps out of the helicopter, and clears a landing zone for us.

"We must remember," Ma Dongwook speaks up, "The Japanese Hunters can only pull the ants aggro for about one hour. Within that time frame, we must go and kill the Queen. To keep it short, just be prepared for anything."

Saying that, all of us jump from the helicopter.

Entering through the huge opening at the top of the mountain, Choi covers it with a Flame Prison, which should prevent B-Rank Ants from entering. After that, Choi summons a legion of fireballs and shoots them into the ant-dug holes, determining which one led deeper into the hive.

Finding the one, all of us progress through it, encountering a legion of ants along the way. Though, the ants we did kill had their eyes atrophied, meaning they had been evolved to specifically guard the insides of the Ant Tunnel.

"When are you going to do something?"

Looking at Lim Tae-Gyu, I answer, "When I'm needed."

Progressing even deeper into the tunnel, we enter a wide, open area where hundreds of ant eggs sit.

As Choi goes to burn all the eggs to the ground, Hae-In points out the giant egg in the middle of the room.

"What sort of monster could have spawned from that?"

With nothing to definitively answer Min Byung-Gyu, we pass the breeding grounds and finally start to encounter the Queen's Royal Guards. Every one of them had the strength to give even an S-Rank Hunter problems, but with the power of teamwork, the ants amount to nothing more than beasts.

Still not needed to do a single thing, I comfortably rest in the back next to the cameraman.

Once all the Royal Guards are dead, it's revealed that we dealt with nothing more than First-Generation Ants, and from here on out we'd be fighting the ants Second-Generation and above. Min Byung-Gyu then opened his grimoire and gave everyone a buff.

Getting an intelligence boost from Min Byung-Gyu, I finally step away from the cameraman and join the front lines, looking at the hundreds of red glowing eyes staring back at me.

Continuing to walk forward, Ma Dongwook and Baek Yoonho grab my shoulders and pull me back. But instead, they find themselves being dragged right alongside me.

"Ascend."

With nothing more than a simple word, my Soldiers of Light fly above me. Pointing forward, my Soldiers of Light follow command, engaging in a rather one-sided battle against the ants.

"Wh-What is this?!?"

Clearing a path for us, I walk forward towards the Queen Ant, Hae-In, Baek, and Choi following close behind. Turning my head, I look at the other S-Rank Hunters who were stuck in place.

"Come along now," I hike my finger at the Queen Ant, "We've still got a job to finish."

"....What are those?" Min trembles.

"The reason why I'm considered a Mage-Type Hunter and not a damage dealing one."

Saying that, one of the actual Royal Guards manages to get past my line of soldiers.

Materializing my katana, I simply swing my katana at its neck. Feeling as its cleanly cut through, my lips thin as its blood splatters onto me.

"That… was a mistake."

Almost like the Queen Ant had been taunted by watching one of its children get beheaded by an actual human, it rushes towards me, pincers extended. Though, it soon finds its face bombarded by fire and then the moment that the fire clears, a sword slashing through its eyes.

Recoiling in pain, the Queen raises its head and then spews out a mouthful of purple acid.

"Mist Breathing Third Form: Scattering Mist Slash."

Twirling my sword around in a circle, the acid is knocked away from three of us and onto her own Royal Guards who I had commanded my Soldiers of Light to push.

Enraged, the Queen tries to destroy the surrounding areas by behaving in a mad way but is stopped by a shield being suddenly placed between her pincers by Ma Dongwook. Just then, a wolf man dropped in from above and clawed at the armor atop her head.

"Everyone, back up."

Following Choi's command, they release aggression and let the Queen be consumed by a fearsome fire.

Breaking its head through the shell of fire, the Queen Ant makes a loud "Keuk!" sound before once more raising her head.

Sighing ever so slightly, I use 'Mist Breathing Fifth Form: Sea of Clouds and Haze' paired with 'Execution'.

Covering the entire body of the Queen Ant in slashes, each cut seems to exude a faint vapor.

Putting my katana back at my side, the Queen falls completely silent before separating into large chunks, the largest of which is her head, which had been cleanly sliced from her neck. Dematerializing my katana, I turn around and stare my S-Rank companions.

"Is it… over?"

"Did we just become the seventh team to clear an S Ranked Gate?"

"Mabey… but something still feels off."

Giving a faint smile, I shake my head when I hear their comments.

"Of course not."

All eyes turn to me.

"Care to explain."

"Simple… when there's a Queen, there's always a King."

I can see all of them shiver and Min Byung-Gyu asks, "Can we fight it?"

Looking at Min like he's dumb I reply, "How would I know? I've never seen it before."

"So then, what do we do?" Hae-In stares.

"Wait, I guess. It'll eventually come and check back on its Queen, right?" I answer while sitting on the Queen's head.

And wait we did.

With each passing minute I grew increasingly worried, wondering why the King hadn't come back yet. I was even given the chance to desummon my Soldiers and then answer all the question that the other S-Ranks had about my powers.

Yet it all came to a screeching halt when Choi told us, "The flame net I have placed around the nest entrance… has been breached?"

Seconds later, a pressure fell onto us.

Walking from out of the shadows of the cave came a huge humanoid ant with a black armored exoskeleton, glowing red eyes, sharp claws, two small pincers extending from his abdomen, and two transparent ant wings. Releasing a scream, the ant starts to walk forward.

In response, Hae-In falls to the ground, covering her nose, and Ma Dongwook and Baek Yoonho stand frozen, acting like if they moved, they'd die.

Halting in front of the Queen Ant's head that I sat upon, the Ant looks up at me and asks in a voice resembling that of Goto Ryuji, "While I was dealing with weaklings on the outside, you guys killed the Guards and the Queen. So, tell me, are you the King?"

Giving it a cocky smile, I answer, "Sorry hun, but I'm someone above King."

I then watched as the ant went to let out a scream and start fighting me but silenced itself when I put my hand in front of my face.

"Though, I can bring the King here."

"Then bring the one who can be a King here." The Ant King screeches.

"Sure, sure." I then hop from the Ant Queen's head and kick the Ant King in the chest, sending him hurling away, shaking the entire mountain when he crashes into the mountain. "Though, you're going to have to give me some space."

Looking down at my shadow, or more specifically the blue eyes that store back at me, I beckon it forth.

Crawling out, I tell it, "Have Jinwoo come here. If he decides not to, he'll lose out on getting a powerful Shadow Soldier."

Standing there blankly for a few seconds, the Shadow then soon disperses and reveals Jinwoo's figure.

"This better actually be worth it." Jinwoo glares.

"It will be for you."

Peering at the area where I'd kicked the Ant King, it comes crawling out, a huge divot in the middle of its exoskeleton.

"Is that the one."

Nodding my head, Jinwoo walks forward, only to be blatantly ignored by the Ant King, who's eyes were solely locked on me. Getting right up in front of it, Jinwoo releases his aura, instantly attracting the attention of the Ant King.

"Human… you have a dangerous aura. So, are you the King of the Humans?"

Looking back at me, Jinwoo asks, "Why is the bug talking to me?"

Instead of answering, Jinwoo's attention is brought back to the Ant King who grows and then lets out an ear shattering scream.

"Quiet, I'm asking Shiro a question."

Slamming his foot into the ground, Jinwoo throws a punch at the Ant King, only to be met on a matched. Decimating the surrounding area with that single punch, the Ant King thinks that it won, but is surprised when Jinwoo is completely uninjured and bringing it to its knees, just to be slammed in the same place where I'd kicked it.

As the two start to fight relentlessly with one another, I make my way over to the wavering Hae-In and start to rub her back.

"What are you doing?" Hae-In jumps at my touch.

"The aura of the ant is still problematic for you, right? So, I'm simply just making better."

"But shouldn't you be helping with that." She points to the Ant King while leaning into my touch even more.

In response, I point at Jinwoo who just got punched in the face and shrugged it off like it was nothing, "Do you really think that I need to help someone who can do that."

"I-I guess not…"

Continuing to watch the fight between the Ant King and Jinwoo, I watch as the form of the Ant King reverts to its smaller size. Now, instead of brawling it out, the two of them were finally using their weapons.

But, even with 'improvements' the Ant King was still losing by a great margin.

Letting out another scream, a wall of ants formed behind the King Ant and rushed towards Jinwoo. In response, both Jinwoo and I summoned our soldiers, and the army of Ants is almost instantly wiped out.

Seeing that the outcome of the battle would be its death, the Ant King tried to flee, only to be grabbed by Jinwoo's skill, and then slashed to pieces.

"Now it's over." I break the silence, "So let's head home."