The Dungeon Overbreak incident caused alarm not only in Korea but in Hunter Associations all over the world.
Of course, not all dungeons were mutated, but in Korea, about 30% of existing dungeons had undergone mutations, resulting in considerable chaos.
Despite the sudden crisis, the hunters remained composed.
Originally, hunters were used to fending for themselves, hunting for their own benefit rather than in parties. Naturally, it was their principle to delay hunting dungeon bosses as long as possible in order to maximize their gains.
However, with the Dungeon Overbreak altering the structure of dungeons and causing rank increases, high-grade hunters began to collaborate to hunt down dungeon bosses.
If they felt insufficient even after cooperating, they would send distress signals and choose to hide. The Association promptly dispatched rescue hunters, and even the strong-willed S-grade hunters cooperated in the emergency.
Among the S-grade hunters participating in the rescue operation was the first S-grade hunter and a living legend of Korea, ‘Yeonseo.’
“We have completed the rescue of all hunters in the gate-type dungeon ‘Karma Lava Zone’ located in Busan. There are no casualties except for two showing mild exhaustion. Thank you for your hard work, Yeonseo.”
“Ha! Is the Association even making retired people work like this?”
“Hehe… I apologize, Yeonseo.”
The rescue team member, chuckling awkwardly, was met with a woman sporting a unique blend of blue and white hair who smiled widely at them.
Behind her, tired-looking hunters were being supported by rescue members as they returned to reality from the collapsed dungeon.
“Oh dear, if you react like that to a joke, it’ll make me feel awkward, kiddo. Just say thank you.”
“Ah… Yes! Thank you! Thanks to you, Yeonseo, everyone returned safely without a single casualty.”
“Sigh… So, there are no more dungeons that have caused breaks?”
“Yes, indeed! No further reports have come in…”
The rescue member, who knew the identity of the woman before them, lowered his head sheepishly.
It was understandable, as the woman before him was literally a living legend.
Not just once, but more than ten times, she had saved humanity, possessing achievements far greater than what the media portrayed.
Hunter name: Knight of Radiance
Real name: Yeonseo.
At the age of 86 as of 2088, she looked like she was in her twenties and was the world’s first S-grade hunter—the creator of today’s realm of hunters.
The era of hunters began in 2024 with the Great Rift, and decades later, there still had yet to emerge a hunter surpassing Yeonseo.
Her trademark was the blue hair mixed with white, and she wasn’t just a simple hero, but a symbol of humanity’s peace and strength.
Among the exaggerated praises, there were claims that as long as Yeonseo was alive, humanity would not face crises.
“It’s a relief that no young ones were hurt. Losing the sprouts that must someday lead the world would be a great loss.”
“Ah! Thank you, Yeonseo, for your hard work!”
At that moment, a man in a pitch-black suit approached from a distance, causing Yeonseo to frown.
He was the current vice-chairman of the Hunter Association, and Yeonseo had seen him a few times.
Though retired, Yeonseo held no official title, but due to her fame and achievements as a hunter, even the vice-chairman bowed his head at a 90-degree angle in her presence.
Yeonseo referred to him as Director Lee.
“Hey! Shouldn’t you be working instead of wandering around here, Director Lee? Did you run here to stress this old lady’s wrinkles or is the vice-chairman position that leisurely?”
“Ah, that’s not it. Due to the sudden break incident, the President has convened an emergency response committee. But thanks to you, Yeonseo, there’s been considerable resolution, and I came here to express my gratitude.”
“Gratitude, my foot! If you’re here, it seems like at least part of the situation has been sorted out?”
“Yes, indeed! The break that occurred around 1 AM was concluded around 5:38 AM, following the end of your twelfth rescue operation. By the morning news, it will likely be a brief article saying, ‘There was a break incident, but it has been resolved.’”
“Almost had a catastrophe. So the Association is looking competent; I guess that makes you feel good, huh, Director Lee?”
“Hehe, of course, you did a big thing, Yeonseo, but other rescue hunters saved many people as well. This is all thanks to the rescue hunter system you established before retiring, isn’t it?”
“Tch, if you can’t say anything nice…”
Feeling the battle had finally ended, Yeonseo stored away the shiny silver sword she had been holding and began tying her hair with both hands.
Despite being 86, she maintained powerful mana and strength, making her still beautiful. The sight of her tying her hair was angelic, and even the rescue team members passing by couldn’t help but steal glances at her.
“Hehe… I guess I’ve aged after all. I used to be able to keep my hair down during battles without a worry; now I can’t even remember where I put my hair tie.”
“Um, would you want to use this?”
“Thank you.”
Accepting the hair tie offered by Director Lee, Yeonseo closed her eyes and spoke.
“So, Director Lee, what brings you here?”
“Ah, did you already know?”
“I had a feeling. If you’re hurrying here, I thought something might be seriously amiss.”
“Haha, I just wanted to see you, Yeonseo…”
“Cut the nonsense and get to the point.”
At her words, Director Lee momentarily closed his mouth as if preparing himself.
“A distress signal was received.”
“When?”
“At around 1:25 AM, just after the break occurred.”
“So, did you manage to save them? Did another rescue hunter go?”
“Well, right after the distress signal was sent, the signal was canceled by a support drone.”
“Really?”
Yeonseo, having tied her hair, turned her gaze back to Director Lee.
“Don’t stall. There’s more to it, isn’t there?”
“……..”
“Speak up, quickly. If it’s urgent, we need to solve it soon.”
“…It concerns Yeonhwa.”
“Excuse me?”
“The hunter who sent the distress signal is… your granddaughter, Yeonhwa, who just recently became an A-grade hunter…”
“…….”
“And the distress signal was sent for about a minute before it was canceled.”
Koooom!
“…Ugh!”
At that moment, Director Lee inhaled deeply at the overwhelming pressure that pressed down around him.
It wasn’t Yeonseo’s killing intent aimed at him.
It was just that her emotional control was difficult to maintain for a moment, resulting in explosive mana pouring out.
The hair tie she had just tied was ripped apart by Yeonseo’s mana-laden killing intent, causing her blue and white hair to flutter like a flag.
Though it was unlikely, Director Lee felt as if Yeonseo was glaring at him, prepared to kill.
“Director Lee.”
“Yes… Oh dear!”
The weight of her voice and killing intent made it hard for Director Lee to breathe, yet he desperately answered Yeonseo.
“We’ve known each other for quite a while, haven’t we?”
“That’s… true.”
“But my only beloved granddaughter is in danger because of the break incident, and I’m just now hearing about it? Are you already disregarding this old lady who has retired to her core?”
“That… that can’t be!”
According to Director Lee, Yeonhwa was trapped in the break and signal assistance was sent out around 1 AM, yet it was nearing 6 AM now.
“The… the office staff likely thought that since the distress signal had been canceled, hunters would have cooperated and taken down the dungeon boss without it being a big deal…gulp; then around 4 AM, we received reports that only one A-grade hunter had entered the dungeon—the news about that hunter being Yeonhwa only reached us just now…”
“Are you making excuses? So, you’re just trying to explain yourself. Do you know that I despise excuses more than anything, Director Lee?”
“No, I didn’t mean to! I’m sorry! It’s all my fault!”
Shatter!
In that instant, Director Lee, bowing his head, witnessed the asphalt beneath Yeonhwa crack like a drought-stricken dirt road.
“Lead me. Right now.”
“Yeonseo, please calm down…”
“Director Lee, I am being very rational right now. However, if this drags on any longer, my rationality might fade like I’m suffering from dementia…”
Crack!
“…When I’m speaking nicely, answer quickly.”
The asphalt cracking beneath Yeonseo’s feet seemed to be breaking apart into tiny pieces.
God… why did I come here?
“…The Nafthar Great Forest is located in Chuncheon. Your support drone has sent over the information, so you can find its location promptly… and… I sincerely apologize.”
“Understood. We can discuss this later.”
“…The signal from Yeonhwa’s support drone hasn’t been cut off, so it’s likely that nothing serious has happened…”
If something truly happened to Yeonhwa, it would undoubtedly be disastrous.
Before Director Lee could finish his sentence, a brilliant silver flash erupted from Yeonseo’s body, and in an instant, she vanished before him.
The title she held, her hunter name, was Knight of Radiance.
The reason for this title was believed to stem from her being able to teleport into battle, shining with a silver flash.
Although it was commonly known that Yeonseo’s ability was teleportation, her true power was adjusting coordinates in space.
She wasn’t merely moving herself.
She could relocate herself, others, objects, living beings, and things to specified coordinates at will. While strong mana resistance could counter her coordinate adjustment, she could effortlessly slice through monsters by only moving her sword like telekinesis. Additionally, shaking the very ground or space beneath someone wasn’t hard for her at all.
During the Great Rift incident, she had even shifted the whole city’s spatial coordinates to save it from disaster.
She truly deserved the title of the world’s first S-grade hunter and a living legend.
Korea, a small piece of land, did not fall behind other nations even after the Great Rift due to Yeonseo’s existence.
The reason they could assert some rights over S-grade gates was also because of Yeonseo.
‘If the support drone canceled the distress signal, it could mean one of two things…’
One was that everything was fine and there’s no need for worry.
The other was that the support drone and the hunter who owned it were in such peril that they couldn’t even afford to send out a distress signal.
Of course, she hoped for the former, but if it truly meant Yeonhwa was in danger, and assuming she had fallen into a situation where she couldn’t do anything…
‘No!’
Yeonseo couldn’t bear to lose another granddaughter.
She had already lost her youngest, Yeona, who perished bravely fighting monsters to protect her, and even though she tried to forget, the pain was too much.
Even with her remaining granddaughter, she wished to raise her like a precious jewel. However, for some reason, Yeonhwa was adamant about not relying on her, constantly pursuing to learn to hunt and grow stronger.
Yeonseo had repeatedly warned her to take it easy; her health was precious. She implored her not to push herself too hard, but the impact of losing her sister seemed to make Yeonhwa obsessively desire power, frequently flirting with death.
Thankfully, Yeonhwa always returned alive after her hunts, and Yeonseo felt somewhat reassured by her rapid growth…
But that girl. Her granddaughter.
Trapped alone in an S-grade dungeon? In a gate-type dungeon where leaving was impossible until the dungeon boss was defeated…?
‘No! I can’t lose again…’
Instantly, Yeonseo recalibrated her coordinates to Chuncheon.
She feared how scared Yeonhwa might be.
How much pain might she be in?
If Yeonhwa was even slightly injured, Yeonseo wouldn’t let this slide at all.
Thud!
The space forcibly opened up as Yeonseo’s coordinates adjusted, crossing over into the dungeon of the Nafthar Great Forest.
And soon, she spotted Yeonhwa.
“Yeonhwa… Yeonhwa… Ah!?”
It wasn’t just Yeonhwa. Yeonseo saw a woman with silver hair standing alongside her.
But from the woman’s back emerged writhing tentacles, performing a horrifying and grotesque act of snapping their teeth together while seemingly munching on something unidentified.
The woman appeared ready to wrap Yeonhwa tightly with those dreadful tentacles, holding her hand.
And Director Lee hadn’t he said?
The only hunter who had entered the Nafthar Great Forest was Yeonhwa.
Who was that woman?
Yeonseo’s instincts screamed.
That being was not human.
She felt no unique vitality of a human in her.
Something other than the mana used by hunters emanated from her.
And after seeing those horrid and twisted tentacles, how could one possibly perceive her as a normal human?
In an exceedingly brief moment, Yeonseo processed various thoughts and came to a conclusion.
This damned tentacled creature dares to threaten my granddaughter?!
“Remove your filthy hands immediately!”
Boom!
“…Huh? Grandma?!”
“……?”
Yeonhwa stared in shock and confusion at the enormous spatial pressure rushing toward Shia, as well as the sudden appearance of Yeonseo.
Shia just tilted her head, alternating her gaze between Yeonhwa and Yeonseo.
‘Wow… Nowadays, grandmas are looking so young and pretty. Cosmetic procedures must have advanced tremendously…’
