After the intense match between Lucas and Zhao Li ended with the cheers of the crowd, the atmosphere in the arena finally calmed down. I took a deep breath as I stood up from my seat in the audience, trying to stretch my stiff back. I decided to head back to the rest area, hoping to enjoy a bit of peace before the next event.
But just as I started walking down the corridor, an Association staff member hurriedly approached me.
"Kim Do-yun-ssi! Please come with me. There's an emergency meeting you must attend right now," said the man, panting heavily. His sweat-drenched forehead suggested he had been running as fast as he could to find me.
"Eh? An emergency meeting? I'm just a spectator... Err, I mean, don't I have no business being in a meeting?" I asked, furrowing my brow.
"No, you are absolutely needed right now! The Association President and the other executives are already waiting for you," he urged, grabbing my arm.
Damn it, why is it always me getting dragged into crap like this? I thought as I forced a smile. I had no choice but to follow the staff member.
When I arrived in the meeting room, the tension inside was palpable. Rank S Hunters, including those from abroad, were seated around a large table. In the center of the room, a massive screen displayed an image of a terrifying S-Class Gate. The ominous red glow emanating from within the Gate made my skin crawl.
Association President Choi Jin-ho stood at the end of the table, his face serious and strained. The moment he saw me enter, all eyes turned toward me. Some of the Hunters even started whispering among themselves, looking at me with admiration and respect.
"Ah, Kim Do-yun, you've finally arrived," Jin-ho said with a relieved tone. "We were just discussing the plan for the next mission. An S-Class Gate has appeared at the Incheon border, and we want you to lead the team of Hunters entering it."
I froze in place, feeling the blood in my veins turn ice cold. What?! Lead a mission into an S-Class Gate?! I don't even know how to fight!
I raised my hand and tried to speak.
"Uh... President Choi, isn't this a bit sudden? I mean, there are so many more experienced Rank S Hunters here. Maybe it would be better if they...."
Before I could finish my sentence, Kenji Takahashi, a Rank S Hunter from Japan with messy white hair and a cold demeanor, interrupted me.
"Don't sell yourself short, Kim Do-yun. Everyone here knows how powerful you are. We would feel much more reassured with you leading us," he said firmly.
Oh no... Why does everyone keep misunderstanding like this? I thought while trying not to let out a loud sigh. I could only force a thin smile and nod slightly.
"Alright... I'll do my best," I finally said, though deep down, I wanted to scream and run out of the room.
"Goddamn it, what the fuck is this bullshit?" I thought to myself.
The meeting concluded after about an hour of intense discussion. I sat there, stunned, trying to process what had just happened. How did it come to this? Me, someone with zero skills or abilities, now being tasked with leading a team into an S-Class Gate? This is a freaking suicide mission!
As everyone began to leave, Park Min-ji appeared beside me, her face full of enthusiasm.
"Do-yun-nim, I've prepared the equipment for this mission. The team has also been selected, and they are the best Hunters we have," she said with a bright smile.
"Uh... yeah, thanks, Min-ji," I replied, forcing a smile. "But... are they really sure about this decision?"
Min-ji looked at me with unwavering confidence.
"Of course! Who wouldn't want to follow such a strong leader as you? You're truly an inspiration to all of us."
Inspiration? Oh man, if they knew I was just a fraud, they'd probably kill me on the spot or worse, chop me to pieces.
The day of the mission finally arrived. I stood in front of the Association headquarters, surrounded by Hunters fully geared for battle with their armors and weapons. Among them, I spotted a few familiar faces like Seo Joon-seok and Anna Volkova, along with some foreign Hunters who looked ridiculously strong.
My heart pounded as I took in all the preparations being made. A helicopter was already waiting on the helipad, ready to take us to the Gate's location. What made me even more nervous were the hopeful gazes from the gathered Hunters.
"Do-yun-ssi, we're ready to depart anytime," reported Kim Min-seok, a young Hunter who looked extremely eager. He held a massive spear in his hands, his eyes shining with determination as if he would follow my orders to the end.
I could only nod slightly.
"Alright... Let's move out."
As we boarded the helicopter, I immediately looked for a comfortable seat and tried to calm myself down.
God, why does this feel like riding the most terrifying roller coaster ever?
When we arrived at the location, the scene before us was utterly horrifying. The S-Class Gate looked even more menacing up close. Bright red light and streaks of lightning surged from its cracks, as if ready to devour anyone who dared approach.
"Team, prepare your formation. Stay vigilant," I ordered, though I was practically trembling inside.
The Hunters quickly formed a defensive line with precision. Anna Volkova stood at the front, ready to unleash her ice magic at any moment. Meanwhile, at the rear, Kenji Takahashi and Lucas Richter prepared their powers.
We began stepping into the Gate. As we crossed the dimensional threshold, a chilling air engulfed us, and an ominous rumbling echoed around. Ahead, shadows of high-class monsters emerged, ready to prey on anyone foolish enough to enter their territory.
Seo Joon-seok leapt forward, his sword gleaming as he slashed through the first monster that charged at us. Green blood splattered into the air, eliciting cheers from the other Hunters. Meanwhile, I stood in the middle, pretending to observe the situation calmly.
Alright, Do-yun, don't panic. Let them do the fighting and make sure you don't look like a coward. Maybe... if I stand a bit taller, they'll keep thinking I'm a great leader.
"Do-yun-nim, to your left!" Anna shouted.
I turned my head in shock, and somehow, a massive boulder that had fallen from above barely missed hitting me. Luckily, I had accidentally stepped back to dodge it, leaving the Hunters around me awestruck.
"Incredible! Do-yun-nim can sense approaching danger without even looking!" Min-seok exclaimed in awe.
Oh great, here we go again. I just got lucky, but now they think I have a sixth sense or something!
I could only let out a nervous laugh and wave it off.
"Hehe... just stay focused on the fight. I'll keep an eye on things from here."
The freezing air grew even more biting as we ventured deeper into the Gate. The dim light from crystals scattered along the walls illuminated a path filled with ancient ruins. The Hunters around me became increasingly alert, the sound of our footsteps echoing in the oppressive silence.
Anna Volkova and Seo Joon-seok kept leading the charge at the front, while Kenji Takahashi held the middle line alongside Lucas Richter, ready to provide support if needed.
As for me… well, I was just trying to keep a safe distance and pretend to lead the team with confidence. Alright, Do-yun, keep your act together. Don't let them see that your knees are already shaking.
A guttural roar echoed in the distance, shattering the eerie silence. Some Hunters tensed up, gripping their weapons more tightly. Without warning, a massive monster emerged from the shadows. It was a Behemoth a creature with a colossal body, razor-sharp fangs, and glistening black scales that looked like steel.
"Attack! Don't let it get close!" Seo Joon-seok yelled, leaping forward as he swung his massive sword that gleamed with light.
The Behemoth roared furiously when Joon-seok's attack left only a shallow scratch on its thick scales. The monster retaliated with a swift claw swipe, sending Joon-seok flying several meters away. Fresh blood spurted from his shoulder.
"Joon-seok-ssi!" Min-ji screamed in panic, running toward him to heal his wounds with her magic. But before she could reach Joon-seok, the Behemoth had already aimed its other claw at her.
"Min-ji, watch out!" Anna shouted.
I could only hold my breath as I watched the scene unfold. Suddenly, I felt a strong urge within me to do something even though I had no idea what that something was.
In a panic, I stepped forward, but my foot caught on something, and I tripped. As I fell, a small rock flew off my shoe and hit the Behemoth squarely in the eye.
The massive creature let out a deafening screech of pain, as though that tiny rock I accidentally kicked was some kind of deadly attack.
"Do-yun-nim, your attack was incredible!" Kenji Takahashi exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with admiration. "To hit a monster's vital point with just a small rock what precision!"
What? What the hell just happened? I thought as I scrambled to get back on my feet.
"Uh, yeah… Now, everyone, attack! I was just distracting it!"
The other Hunters seized the opportunity. Anna chanted an ice spell, freezing the Behemoth's legs, while Lucas leapt into the air, swinging his axe at the creature's head. The sound of metal clashing against metal echoed as Lucas's axe finally broke through the Behemoth's thick defense.
"Let's attack together!" Joon-seok shouted, already back on his feet thanks to Min-ji's healing magic.
The monster roared one last time, but the relentless, coordinated attacks from the Hunters left it with no chance to fight back. Finally, the Behemoth collapsed, its gigantic body hitting the ground with a thunderous crash that shook the entire chamber.
"We did it!" Min-seok shouted triumphantly.
But the celebration didn't last long. Another rumble came from behind us. It turned out the Behemoth was only a gatekeeper. Emerging from the darkness were more monsters this time in far greater numbers, and they all looked like high-tier beasts ready to annihilate us.
"Watch out! More incoming!" Anna yelled. She quickly prepared another spell, but these monsters were much faster. They attacked from all sides, throwing our defensive line into disarray.
I saw one of the Hunters at the rear Park Ji-hoon, an A-rank Hunter who had recently joined the team get ambushed by a sharp-fanged monster. Blood gushed from the deep wound in his abdomen.
"Ji-hoon!" Lucas yelled, but it was too late.
The monster had already ripped Ji-hoon's body in two. Blood soaked the ground as the gruesome sight left the other Hunters stunned. Panic began spreading among the team as they saw their comrade die so horrifically.
"Don't falter! Stay focused!" Kenji shouted, trying to rally everyone.
But the situation was spiraling out of control. Some of the weaker Hunters started losing their nerve. Seeing how things were going from bad to worse, I racked my brain to come up with a solution.
Damn it, this is getting out of hand! If they all die here, I'm going down with them!
Forcing myself to calm down, I shouted in desperation.
"Hold the line! Attack together, and don't let them split us up!"
Strangely, even though my words were completely improvised, the Hunters seemed to regain their composure. They began reorganizing their formation and launched a counterattack. Min-ji worked tirelessly to heal the injured, while Joon-seok and Anna led the charge against the advancing monsters.
Meanwhile, I pretended to be busy giving orders, glancing around nervously. Okay, they're actually starting to believe I'm some kind of brilliant leader. But if this keeps up, I'm seriously going to die here!
Before I could sneak off to somewhere safer, an even larger monster this time, a giant snake with shimmering red scales slithered out of the darkness. With a single lunge, it swallowed one of the foreign Hunters, Marcus, whole. His panicked screams were cut short as he disappeared down the snake's throat.
The Hunters froze momentarily at the horrifying sight. The tension in the air grew even thicker as fear began to creep back into the team. But in the midst of the suffocating atmosphere, a cracking sound suddenly came from the chamber's ceiling.
"Everyone, get out of this room now!" I shouted without thinking.
Just as I finished yelling, the ceiling above us collapsed, raining down massive boulders. The Hunters scattered, running for their lives. Some were crushed and severely injured, but most managed to escape thanks to my apparently "timely" warning.
"Do-yun-nim, how did you know the ceiling was going to collapse?!" Min-seok asked, his eyes wide with astonishment.
I could only scratch my head and laugh awkwardly.
"Uh… instincts, maybe?"
Holy shit, how do they keep misunderstanding everything I do? But… at least we're still alive. For now, that's good enough.