SMH 150

Chapter 48 – Raid Hell (2)

TL: Boko

Editor: StellarRain

Sung Joon looked towards the direction he felt the mana. His enemies still weren’t close enough for him to see them with the naked eye.

“It seems a bit too fast for it to be the second wave…”

Monsters wouldn’t be summoned from the same warp gate once the wave ended. This was done so that the warp gate’s power source, the crystal, wouldn’t be drained of energy too quickly.

“It’s not the second wave. They were already advancing while you were fighting, my lord. It seems like the defense line in a different area has already collapsed.”

While Sung Joon was fighting, Rishbult had kept a close eye on the movement of the surrounding mana reactions.

“Hunter Kang Sung Joon! Our eastern defense line has been completely destroyed!”

During the lull in the battle, the Dungeon Bureau Investigator rushed over and reported.

“Then are you saying that we have to take on two waves?” Sung Joon asked, speechless. It wouldn’t be easy to block two waves from two different warp gates during an SS-rank raid.

“Right now, the battlefield has spread all across the eastern side, or Gangdong District, so it’s impossible for the Hunters there to stop it.”

“Are there no reinforcements available? It’ll be a bit difficult then…”

Sung Joon lightly bit on his lip. He wasn’t feeling anxious, but the situation wasn’t good.

“Hunter Na Joon Yeol’s and Baek Ha Yeon’s forces have departed from the Gwangjin District. Once they come down, we plan on striking the warp gate north of our current location.”

“So all we have to do is last until they get here.”

“Forces quickly assembled from both Anyang and Gwacheon are on military helicopters on their way over here right now. Hunter Kang Sung Joon! Please, I’m counting on you! If we lose here, then the battlefield will spread too much! You’re our only hope!”

The Investigator spoke as though he were begging him. He wasn’t exaggerating. The situation was grave.

“You have nothing to worry about.”

It was a hopeless situation. They needed to block the monsters that poured out of two warp gates until Na Joon Yeol and Baek Ha Yeon arrived. However, Sung Joon calmly set the Investigator at ease.

It wasn’t unfounded confidence. He was South Korea’s first and only SS-rank Hunter.

“We’ve called all the Hunters nearby. I don’t think you’ll receive any reinforcements until Hunters Na Joon Yeol and Baek Ha Yeon arrive.”

The Investigator continuously relayed bad news, but Sung Joon remained relaxed.

“Did you forget?”

“I’m sorry?”

The Investigator tried and failed to figure out what Sung Joon was talking about. Seeing that, Sung Joon smiled and spoke.

“I’m a Healer Hunter. We can last for a long time, even if we don’t get any reinforcements.”

In a long fight, one needed to be most concerned about their comrades’ deaths, and the resulting loss of personnel. However, Sung Joon was an SS-rank Hunter.

As long as his allies avoided ‘instantaneous death’, he could save them.

“My lord. The wave has gotten close,” Rishubalt reported. Sung Joon turned his gaze. The wave was close enough now that he could see them. He could see a flying ship in the sky carrying a ton of Orcs.

‘So it’s the Species Alliance.’

Normal monsters couldn’t manufacture flying ships. But they could use the Orc Tribes, which were part of the Species Alliance, to  create flying ships.

“It’s definitely the Red Axe Tribe. It’s an SS-rank raid, so it’s possible that the tribal chief, Lash, came personally.”

“I’ll be able to pay them back a bit for the Ridonia Great Plains.”

Sung Joon distanced himself from the Investigator and replied in an extremely soft voice.

Rash was one of the Orcs that Sung Joon, or Roukel, had fought against in the Ridonia Great Plains. Rash had lost against Roukel, and the elites of the Red Axe Tribe had sustained severe damage and retreated. But ultimately, Roukel was killed and Sung Joon believed that Rash had played a part in his death.

“I look forward to it,” Roukel said, and Sung Joon nodded his head.

“What should we do about that thing flying in the sky? It’s getting closer and closer…” the A-rank Mage Hunter asked. He was talking about the flying ship. Sung Joon cool-headedly organized his thoughts and made a decision.

“Mage Hunters, could you please attack the flying ship? We’ll take care of the monsters on the ground.”

“Is that really ok?”

“You have to shoot them down no matter what.”

Because Sung Joon possessed his past memories as Roukel, he knew all about The Species Alliances’ descent tactics. These soldiers would be trained to, regardless of their species, descend to the ground at a low altitude, and attack. They would coordinate with their ground forces to establish a landing ground.

The group of monsters on the ground had caused chaos, but if their air forces were to descend upon them, then it would become even worse. They had to stop that at all costs.

“I understand. I’ll do my best,” the A-rank Mage Hunter replied. He didn’t look very confident, but at the very least, he would do his very best.

Kwang! Kwang!

The flying ship struck by the offensive spell began to catch aflame. During this time, the group of monsters had come so close that they could attack and be attacked with long-range attacks.

“Attack!”

The Orc Blademaster ordered fluently in their language. The Orcs aimed their bows at the Hunters and  simultaneously let loose. Dozens of arrows flew through the air towards the Hunters.

“I-I need to cast a defensive spell…”

“Focus on the flying ship!”

Sung Joon stopped the Mage Hunter from using a defensive spell. Instead, he used his high-speed movement and got to the very front of their formation.

“Gale Sword.”

He advanced slightly and the sword winds were unleashed in front of him. Then, the arrows were cut into pieces and fell to the floor.

“Bombard them with spells! Combat squad, back them up!”

The Orc Blademaster continued to order his troops and the Orc Mages cast their offensive spells. The ground split and shook while flames poured down from the sky.

Sung Joon attempted to protect them with his Spell-Breaking Sword, but it was impossible for him to cut through all of the spells.

“Ugh!”

“AH!”

A few of the unskilled Hunters were unable to avoid the spells and fell to the floor. Two of them were grievously injured, as they had lost their arms. Sung Joon stretched his hand towards the cries of pain and spoke.

“Healing Spray.”

The snowy white spheres healed the injured. Once Sung Joon confirmed that the two seriously injured were healed, he withdrew his left hand.

However, as soon as he stopped his Healing Spray, he heard cries in all directions.

“Ugh!”

“AH!”

As the battle continued, one or two more Hunters fell. Sung Joon’s eyes moved busily.

“Heal! Healing Spray!”

Sung Joon cast ‘Heal’ and ‘Healing Spray’ restlessly. An SS-rank Healer Hunter’s ‘Heal’ was so effective that it could enable someone who was severely injured to immediately get up. As soon as they were healed, they fought against the monsters once more.

“They have a Priest.”

“We have to kill the Priest first.”

As the commanders of the group, the Blademasters realized that Sung Joon was a threat. Not only did he heal the injured with his ‘Heal’, but he had also killed the Blade Warlords that had approached him.

“We have to take him down first!”

“We all attack together!”

The Orc Blademaster exchanged opinions through the otherworld language. Eventually, they surrounded Sung Joon.

They thought he hadn’t noticed them, as he was so busy using his Heal and overseeing the battlefield, but in actuality, Sung Joon had seen everything the Orc Blademasters were doing. It wasn’t very difficult, as he had his trustworthy aide, Rishubalt by his side.

“There are four Orc Blademasters. There are two Orc Warlords as well.”

Rishubalt had hidden amongst the Orcs and figured out what they were planning to do. Sung Joon nodded his head and pushed deep into enemy lines.

“Now!” one of the Orc Blademasters ordered. They saw Sung Joon advancing into their ranks as an opportunity. However, that was Sung Joon’s plan all along.

“Tempest Sword.”

It was most apt to say that his enemies were swept away. The Orcs were unable to deal with the tempest-like sword winds and were covered in blood.

The two Orc Warlords were killed and two of the Orc Blademasters were grievously wounded.

“Human! You dare!?”

One of the Orc Blademasters charged at him with a sword clad in aura. Sung Joon glared at him, and the moment that his eyes gleamed sharply…

Crunch.

“Ugh!”

The Orc Blademaster’s right arm was severed. The other Orc Blademaster, who had belatedly used his high-speed movement, had a dagger stuck in its neck.

“As expected of you, my lord. It was perfect.”

Rishubalt was in awe. The battle would be over soon. It hadn’t even been five minutes before they had blocked the eastern wave.

“Absorb.”

Sung Joon used his ‘Absorption’ to replenish his mana and stamina. If he didn’t have this technique, which he’d created in his past life, then he would not have been able to fight such a long battle. All of the techniques from his past life had a high level of mana consumption.

Kwang!

He could hear explosions in the air as well. The Mage Hunters had succeeded in destroying the Red Axe Tribe’s flying ship.

Once the battle was finished, the monsters’ corpses disappeared, leaving behind magic stones. They weren’t allowed to loot during a raid. The Bureau workers would collect them later.

“They’re coming again,” Rishubalt said.

While the Hunters were regaining their breath… Rishubalt reported that the group of monsters were approaching. They had blocked the eastern wave, but the second wave was pouring out of the northern warp gate.

The second wave.

The third wave.

They even defended against the fourth wave as well. Considering the fact that they were blocking off the waves of two warp gates, they had actually succeeded in blocking eight waves total. However, that wasn’t the end.

There was another wave coming.

“Damn it… Shit!”

The Hunters seemed to have sensed the mana reaction as well, as they cursed. Because of Sung Joon’s ‘Heal’, their wounds were healed, but he couldn’t heal their stamina.

They were already approaching their limit. Sung Joon had continuously used his ‘Absorption’, but he had a lot less mana and stamina when compared to the beginning of the fight.

But they were somehow able to stop the fifth wave.

“Casualties?” Sung Joon saw the Investigator and asked. During the short period of time between waves where they could rest, Sung Joon asked the Investigator for a report on any casualties, and the Investigator raised his head.

“Not one Hunter has died thus far. You’re truly amazing!”

The Investigator was truly awed by Sung Joon, but Sung Joon wasn’t happy at all. Sung Joon was really pissed that he could do nothing but defend.

If he could, he would have attacked the warp gate by himself, but if he did the Hunters remaining at the defense line would likely die.

They were exhausted. If he didn’t get any reinforcements, then the Hunters would be killed in an instant.

“Investigator!”

“Y-Yes, did you call for me?”

“When are Na Joon Yeol’s forces going to arrive at the warp gate? Why hasn’t there been any news?”

Sung Joon’s voice was tinged with frustration. He didn’t have any time due to the waves, so he asked all the questions he had been thinking about. The Investigator sweated profusely and spoke.

“To be honest, we received a report that they discovered another warp gate thirty minutes ago… But ever since, we haven’t gotten any word.”

“Shit!” Sung Joon cursed. However, he soon calmed himself down.

“When are the reinforcements coming?”

He had only asked because the forces from Gwacheon should be arriving about now. The Investigator raised his radio, and after communicating with someone, he looked at Sung Joon and spoke.

“It seems like they’ll be here soon.”

Sung Joon turned his gaze towards Rishubalt. He didn’t say anything, but Rishubalt knew what his lord wanted to ask him.

“The next wave hasn’t started yet. But considering the distance, it seems like it will come within twenty minutes,” Rishubalt responded. Sung Joon looked at the Investigator and spoke.

“What’s the exact time they’ll arrive?”

“They’ll arrive within ten minutes.”

As soon as the Investigator was finished, Sung Joon turned north.

“Hunter Kang Sung Joon?”

The Investigator urgently called Sung Joon. Sung Joon suddenly stopped walking, turned his head towards the Investigator, and stared at him.

“The north warp gate… I’ll come back after I destroy it.”