Jeju Raid (1)

Ships carried thousands of Hunters across the sea, their destination the monster-infested wasteland that had once been a thriving city. The Korean government had called upon every able-bodied Hunter to join the cause, and out of 50,000 Awakened Hunters, a staggering 5,000 had volunteered. This was more than just a battle—it was Korea's last stand against the Ants of Jeju.

Above them, helicopters roared through the sky, carrying the elite. On one such helicopter, Korea's S-Rank Hunters sat in tense silence, their expressions grim. Baek Yoonho, Cha Hae-In, Ma Dong-Wook, Choi Jong-In, and Min Byung-Gu—these were the warriors who would decide the fate of Jeju.

A cameraman broadcasted their journey to the nation, showing the determined faces of Korea's strongest as they braced themselves for battle.

On the Japanese side, Goto Ryuji led his forces with cold precision.

"Roll call!" he barked, his voice cutting through the comms.

A-Alpha Team - His personal squad, the best of the best.

B-Bravo Team - Their second-best assault group.

C-Charlie Team - Balanced between offense and defense.

D-Delta Team - The cleanup crew, making sure no ants got past them.

Goto gave a signal to open the 'Floodgates.'

Each team released their mana simultaneously. As one, four pillars of dense, white aura shot into the sky, a terrifying display of power.

From above, the Hunters could see Jeju City, now a barren ghost town. The skyline was crumbling, roads were cracked, and the land was infested with red-eyed, monstrous ants that moved in formation, like soldiers preparing for war.

Then came the attack.

A squadron of flying ants shot up from below, screeching as they lunged toward the helicopters.

Before anyone could react, Choi Jong-In stood and raised his hand. A flick of his wrist, and an explosion of flames erupted midair, incinerating the creatures instantly.

Or so he thought.

As the smoke cleared, several ants still remained, their exoskeletons slightly scorched but otherwise unscathed.

"They're stronger than last time," he muttered. "An attack like that should've been enough Firepower to contest an A-Rank Dungeon."

Gritting his teeth in a more vicious smirk, he conjured Flame Spear, a precise, focused attack that shot through the remaining insects like a hot knife through butter. This time, none survived.

"That's more like it," he murmured, before leaping from the helicopter and landing with a thud on Jeju's ruined streets.

As the rest of the Korean S-Ranks followed suit, Choi found himself reminiscing.

Last time I played with ants, I torched them with a lighter.Hearing the little snaps as they burned was satisfying.Now? Now they sound like fireworks.

For the first time in a long while, he was excited for battle.

Far away from Jeju, Po and Jinwoo had just finished their 10-kilometer run. Their training was relentless, and the results were showing.

Jinwoo glanced at his status screen.

All stats: 220 points.

Po, however, was on a completely different level. He had fused his two systems—his own Chi-based system and the Shadow Monarch's—creating a new, monstrous evolution of both.

With the fusion, Po had unlocked all class-based skills—Caster, Assassin, Tank, Combat, and even Healing. His strength had grown beyond comprehension.

Base Stats: 5000 each

Unallocated Points: 3900

Final Stats (after allocation): 6000 each

But that wasn't all.

By merging the Monarch of Destruction's powers with the Shadow Monarch's, Po had unlocked the ultimate army, joined by the obtained power of Rulers—a terrifying fusion of Shadow Beasts, Light Constructs, and Draconic Entities. Said Army had undergone evolution, now all carrying the highest Ranks and yet they weren't done growing in Power, because the fusion was done with complete and incomplete Soldiers, thus creating this infinite imbalance of sorts, which allows for permanent Growth of the Soldiers of Po's Army.

This wasn't just an army anymore.This was terror itself.

Jinwoo, though amazed, knew he could never catch up. Not unless he became the best first. But that was a problem for later.

Jeju Raid 

Back at Jeju, Team Charlie had stopped to rest after wiping out dozens of ants. Their healer, a woman with sharp eyes and a sharp tongue, joked as she finished healing her teammates.

"You guys do know healing isn't free, right? I should start charging per wound."

Laughter followed.

Then—a blur.

She blinked.Her vision tilted.Her world spun.

Her head hit the ground before she could even scream.

Kenzo turned, eyes wide. "What the—"

His voice cut off.

His head rolled off his shoulders.

The last remaining Hunter—a bespectacled swordsman—didn't even try to fight. He ran.

But before he could take another step, a clawed hand reached out from the shadows.

He felt a sharp slash across his neck.The world went dark.

The only thing Team Charlie felt before death… was an oppressive aura.