The Hunter of the Other World Who Is Being Misunderstood Chapter 315. In the Dead of Night

Sohow, the more he keeps looking at it, the more it seems to give off an eerie atmosphere.

“Hyungnim!”

But then, suddenly, a familiar sound echoed from sowhere at the scene.

“Hmm?”

“Wow, as expected of you, Hyung-nim. I only managed to co after getting word through the guild, but seriously—how wide is your information network? At this point, all I can do is admire how fast you always show up...!”

Where else would there be a skinhead Earthling calling soone “Hyung” without sharing a drop of blood? It’s the arrival of Ahn Yoonseung.

And the appearance of this A-rank defense-type hunter nearby also ant that the reinforcents Esther had called had arrived.

***

A few minutes later, Kim Gryeo turned his head and scanned the hunters around him. By now, a considerable number of dostic ability users had gathered in the city to respond to the beasts, and—as in any field—this world had only a handful of top-tier individuals with truly transcendent power.

‘Full of familiar faces.’

Most of the manpower Esther had gathered—half-threatening the new Association President—were familiar faces he had seen many tis before.

For example, there was a first-tier defensive hunter from the Neo Sisters Guild. Or his boss at work—a thirty-sothing awakened individual skilled with the crossbow. Or perhaps that well-known figure from Chuncheon, who consistently ranked among the top even within the large group of A-rankers.

‘It’s been a long ti since I’ve seen them. Well, no news is good news, so I guess they’ve been doing just fine all this ti.’

He perked up his ears and could hear the cluster of A-rankers chatting among themselves.

“Hunter Choi Jin! Are you here? Huh? What about your younger sibling?”

“How could I possibly bring my younger sibling to a place like this crowd? I left Jinhee with a guildmate and ca alone. Honestly, it’s a good thing I happened to be in Seoul for other business anyway...”

“Ah, aha.”

“Oh? Jimie noona! Over here, over here!”

Hunter Choi Jin, cousin of Yoonseung. However, despite the arrival of soone who possesses the Dragon’s Heart, Kim Gryeo didn’t linger his gaze there for long. Even with so many top-tier A-rank awakened ones gathered, he couldn’t feel safe as long as the opponent was an S-rank beast.

“Ah, finally, our national hero has arrived.”

Fortunately, even in this basket full of eggs, soone who could finally be called a solid rock was about to arrive on the scene.

Vroom.

The top-ranked hunter, fully equipped, stepped out from the back seat of a white sedan.

“Huh?”

“What?”

However, it wasn’t just the powerful pyromancer who got out of the car.

Tsk.

At the sa ti, a neatly dressed person in a suit also stepped out from the front passenger seat of the vehicle. A Korean woman in her twenties, who seed to be thanking the driver and Jung Haseong with a respectful bow, caught the attention. Most hunters on site did not recognize her, but those like Ahn Yoonseung, who frequently et associates on staff while dealing with dungeon breaks, found it hard not to recognize her.

“Huh? What is she doing here?”

“I was the one who called her, Gryeo-ssi.”

“Yes?”

She called Seonwoo Yeon because the beasts have occupied the gate? One alien looked montarily at the Head of the Magic Tower Guild as if unable to understand.

“I didn’t specifically choose Seonwoo Yeon. I just needed to include a public figure who could also serve as a witness, and there weren’t many options. It’s because of the usual ‘presence’ that S-ranks carry.”

Fortunately, the explanation wasn’t difficult.

“Witness?”

“Well, since we’re dealing with beasts here... to be honest, it’s the kind of situation where casualties could easily happen, right?”

“Of course.”

“Of course, if anyone’s going to get hurt, we’ll do our best to make sure it’s the beasts.”

Swish swash.

Esther glanced around cautiously, then rose slightly onto her tiptoes to whisper to a fellow in the industry.

“You know... if we encounter the Beasts in there, we’re supposed to inform them multiple tis that their illegitimate deal has been nullified and urge them to surrender.”

“Is it mandatory?”

“We did strip them of ownership in a hurry through the new Association President... but still, we live in a society governed by law. Apparently, if we ambushed them collectively in secret, it could damage the industry itself once the dia finds out later.”

“Hoo.”

“Maybe this is why so many hero movies these days are about people burning out from stress?”

So it’s about ensuring they’re seen as acting in self-defense, aning there are more restrictions than expected. Most of the reasons made sense.

But the one thing that raised a question was why Esther felt the need to speak about sothing so obvious in such a secretive manner.

“Ah, why are you whispering all of a sudden?”

Kim Gryeo grew curious about the matter and asked, to which the purple-haired figure responded quite readily.

“Honestly, I told the Association that I’d strictly follow the rules... but I have absolutely no intention of doing that.”

“What did you say?”

“Can’t we just intimidate or bribe a B-rank inspector later to manipulate the situation in our favor?”

“The opponent is Seonwoo Yeon, though.”

“As expected, it’ll be tough...”

Tch, still... the [Searcher] skill has so many uses—she really wants to include that staff mber in the raid team.

In any case, maintaining the moral high ground in a society ruled by law is such a hassle. While the woman nad Esther was voicing her mild dissatisfaction—

Tae, tae, tae.

Before long, an S-rank and a B-rank hunter approached closely from their direction.

“Hunter Jung Haseong!”

“On the way here from the Association, I was fully briefed on the situation.”

Haseong made eye contact with Esther and imdiately entered into a quiet conversation. anwhile, Seonwoo Yeon hesitated awkwardly between them, glancing around nervously, then took a few steps toward a certain blond S-rank who gestured her over.

“Hunter Kim Gryeo.”

“Yes...”

An alien and the only human who knew he was an alien had moved off to a corner and begun a private conversation.

“Hello.”

Although it was unclear whether this was the right situation to exchange greetings, Seonwoo Yeon cautiously opened her mouth, keeping an eye on the situation.

“I heard a rough explanation from the Association as well, but... if you don’t mind asking first—do you happen to know anything specific about this matter?”

It’s an easy detail to forget, but the alien before her had definitely introduced himself as a high-level mage.

The human woman slightly looked up at the creature taller than herself. But what she got in return was a single chilly remark—just as cold as the sandbagan gaze that t hers.

“To sum it up—we’re screwed.”

“Yes?”

“This is really sothing I’m only telling you, Yeon-ssi... Wait a minute, is it even correct to address you like that by the rules? Anyway, right now, it’s not just the beasts that are causing trouble.”

For a mont, an explanation passed between them. The alien first revealed the secret of the dungeon to the only organization staff mber he sowhat trusted.

“The interior space of the gate can be opened along perforated lines like wrapping paper?”

It was a terrifying disaster warning—that if that thing were to trigger a Break, the nearby apartnt complexes could be damaged by a magical accident.

“They’re all tall buildings to begin with...”

If so, should the state issue an order to evacuate all the residents of the apartnt complex imdiately? At first, such a worry crossed Seonwoo Yeon’s mind. But as she continued to listen to Kim Gryeo’s explanation, it beca clear that the appearance of the [Beasts] alone had already pushed the danger level high enough for the evacuation to have been carried out safely.

Therefore, if the apartnt buildings were collapse to now, the concern would lie solely in property damage. Unfortunately, this happened to be a high-value neighborhood, so even the projected financial losses were already astronomical. Of course, more irreplaceable losses—like a baby’s first clothes or ancestral heirlooms—would be far more common, and far more painful.

“I see. So the residents have already been evacuated.”

“It’s all thanks to that person, Seo Esther. Anyway, I’m in a position where I can’t share all the information I know, so a lot of things are tricky. And honestly, even if we rush in with this intel, it’s still hard to attack with the beasts inside.”

The alien puts his hand near his chin for a forr. For now, with the arrival of Seonwoo Yeon and Jung Haseong, the team was more or less complete. (On the surface, at least) this side also had three S-rank hunters, and on top of that, so many A-rank hunters had gathered that it was hard to count them all at once—maybe, just maybe, they wouldn’t be so easily overwheld in a face-off against the beasts.

But the opponents were three S-rank beings from who-knows-where. And to make matters worse, from the alien’s perspective, the sudden loss of contact with Kang Changho’s phone was a troubling sign. So what is the best way to proceed under these conditions?

“Hmm.”

While the alien was lost in thought, Esther—now acting as the de facto leader on-site—began discussions with the others. Having already entered the dungeon and confird the presence of the Beasts herself, she held more information than anyone else present.

“Alright, Hunters. First, there’s sothing we need to decide. At first, I was thinking we needed to drive out those thugs who’ve taken over a gate in soone else’s country as quickly as possible. That’s why I entered the dungeon right away.”

Esther continued.

“But now that we have more people here, I think we should avoid any rash actions as much as possible... Maybe it’s ti we try by stalling from the outside for a bit, too!”

She said to gather quickly since the beasts were confird inside the country, yet now she’s suggesting to stall and create a gap? If their enemy were mothers from another world, that plan would stand a chance and wait. With proper nutritional support on their end, they could outlast the enemy until the opposition weakened.

However, the real problem in this incident wasn’t the beasts themselves, but the foolish humans who had belatedly begun imitating them. Because of that, Esther’s argunt quickly gained traction. In short, since beasts were still just animals—vulnerable to fatigue, hunger, and the like—she proposed they fortify the passage and wait. With proper nutritional support on their end, they could outlast the enemy until the opposition weakened.

“.. Uh, uh. Wait a minute.”

But at this mont.

“Excuse , but with that approach, we wouldn’t have any opportunity to negotiate with the Awakened inside the dungeon. If we end up starving them from the outside and accidentally kill the Beasts in the process...”

A governnt official cautiously voiced their opinion. If soone bore the na “Beast,” it ant they were an extrely dangerous Awakened, regardless of their true nature. Of course, a stance like Seo Esther’s—prioritizing the safety of Korean citizens above all else, by any ans necessary—was rational in its own way. However, on the other hand, it was also true, as Esther argued, that they shouldn’t recklessly kill fellow Earthlings.

“Co to think of it, the cris that beast group committed after coming to Korea—at least on the surface—about to little more than occupying a dungeon.”

Additionally, there’s the matter of Esther getting injured, but considering that the curse sorcerer’s side also nearly shattered one person’s rib in the process, things beca legally murky.

“Hmm? I an, an ard criminal we don’t even know the face of has holed up in an A-rank gate. From the perspective of healthy civilians, isn’t this basically a serious act of terrorism?”

“T, that’s right.”

“In a situation like this, you’re saying we should prioritize the lives of those criminals? Seriously! Why should we care about the human rights of s*t-ranks like that?”

“Hunter Seo, I completely agree that we need to take a firm stance. I’m not arguing against that. It’s just that having a hunter’s license doesn’t free us from moral responsibility, so I genuinely don’t have a choice here. That’s why I’m bringing this up—how about, at the very least, setting up so loudspeakers at the entrance and...”

But at this mont when the atmosphere was heating up.

“Boom!”

Suddenly, a rough breathing similar to the barking of a dog flows.

“What?”

“Huh?”

“Monster?!”

Ummm.

Sowhere, a beastly roar rang out—causing all the hunters gathered at the scene to snap their heads in the direction of the sound in unnerving unison.

“Huh? That’s...!”

“This is a completely new species!”

And then they saw it—an abomination with a jagged, uneven outline, as if two or three feral dogs had been mashed together haphazardly. Its mouth, unsettlingly toothless, gaped wide, and smack in the center of its face sat a single vertical eye, grotesquely slit open. The modern-day hunters, upon recognizing the sheer unnaturalness of their foe, instinctively raised their weapons without a mont’s hesitation.

Bang!

Naturally, the situation was resolved in no ti. The gate the creature had erged from was, after all, no more than a standard A-rank in terms of danger level. Just a few seconds later, its body hit the ground with a thud, accompanied by a final, shrill death cry. It was a natural result, as many of the best professional hunters in South Korea gathered there.

“Grrr!”

“...But the anomaly didn’t end there. The very mont they finally defeated the rugged monster, at that exact sa ti, another identical muscular monster flowed out from beyond the gate...

“Oh my.”

Dungeon creatures—by design, they’re not supposed to stray from their nests before a spatial break occurs. However, the fact that monsters escaped so frequently was ultimately down to simple logic.

‘Could it be that the internal density is already there?’

It’s a type of cockroach. They say that creature only gets pushed out and discovered one by one when there’s no longer any shadow left to hide in. If that’s the case, how different is the current situation from finding that insect right in the middle of the living room?

“Huh? Wait a minute”

The situation worsened rapidly by the minute.

During the sa two minutes that the Korean hunters were deep in discussion, the criminal group known as Beast had likewise reached so form of consensus—and now, one Earthling among them, wearing a mask of bone, was the first to take decisive action.

“Damn it!”

“First of all, make absolutely sure they don’t get out! If all the raiders inside co out, it’ll cause a Break.”

“Shoot the skill. Skill!”

And then it happened. From deep within the passage, an approaching presence—likely an S-rank Awakened—was detected. As the mana of an S-rank hunter surged in like a wave of mass, and smack in the center of the area, their senses razor-sharp, instantly beca aware of the new beast rushing toward the entrance.

‘It’s completely different in size from Brooklyn. It’s short!’

Despite all their efforts, the fake beast that was charging managed to escape successfully.

“—Ciiiik...”

Acid, fla, or a certain amount of light—sothing like that.

The ‘small’ beast, whose entire body except the mask was damaged by the skills fired by the Korean hunters, soon appeared. The enemy’s full appearance.

‘Damn it, that’s how it is!’

At the sa ti, the fake beast that had escaped with all its might grabbed soone nearby and used so kind of item.

‘So that’s why it gritted its teeth and crawled out!’

There was no ti left for further analysis. The bone-masked figure grabbed ‘Jung Haseong,’ who was standing close to the gate, and unleashed a tool. And unfortunately, the otherworldly magic it wielded—though lacking aggression—was very similar in nature to Brooklyn Morgan’s ability.

A super high-speed teleportation item. It is [The Shroud of the Underworld].

A dark magic targeting specific coordinates spread near Jung Haseong, who was grabbed by the shoulder. The first target was Seonwoo Yeon, who happened to be standing right next to Jung Haseong.

Seonwoo Yeon had seen a teleportation item called [The Shroud of the Underworld] before during an investigation. Her reaction was slow, but she had learned about back then, she hurriedly tried to pull Jung Haseong out of the shadows. anwhile, the suddenly targeted No. 1 ranked hunter reflexively tried to pull his body back on his own to avoid being kidnapped.

But the figure wearing the bone mask seed as if he had consud a forbidden awakening drug, soon unleashing a monstrous strength beyond human limits...