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<SYSTEM: Time attack succeeded. 25 minutes 30 seconds remaining time.>

<SYSTEM: The Summoning Stone has been destroyed.>

<SYSTEM: You gained 83,489,378 (+30%) experience points.>

<SYSTEM: You leveled up.>

<SYSTEM: You leveled up. Your basic abilities have increased, and your status window has been updated.>

<SYSTEM: You destroyed the Summoning Stone by yourself.>

<SYSTEM: Acquired a Skill Book as a reward. You can find it in your inventory.>

<SYSTEM: The Gate will expire after 72 hours.>

<SYSTEM: Remaining time 71 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds.>

The system window scrolled frantically.

Since it was a Summoning Stone for a Gate above S-Rank, it took time to destroy it; however, it gave me experience and my level skyrocketed. I was now level 45, higher than Woo Seol-ah.

Although not yet at the level of a top ranker, it was above the average level of hunters during this period, and my magic power was 180 (+18).

And as a reward for destroying the Summoning Stone, I got a Skill Book.

Destroying the Summoning Stone alone seemed to be the condition for the Hidden Piece in the Forest of the Dead Gate, but I hadn’t known it before this.

Before my return, the Guild Association executives cleared this Gate together, so they couldn't find the Hidden Piece.

I opened my inventory and checked the Skill Book.

[Skill Book: Lv. 3 Electric Pika (wide area)]

-Fires a million-volt electric attack on targets within range (current radius of 15m).

-The user can choose the direction of the attack at will.

[You finally got what you wanted.]

“I don’t feel that happy about it now.”

[I told you that you wouldn’t even think of attack skills.]

“It’s still better than nothing.”

[It's good you don't seem to be obsessed like before. Kukuku.]

It would still be useful against multiple enemies since it used less inner power than the Blade Breaking Technique or the three forms from the second map.

Well, anyway.

I shouldn't be doing this now. I had to get out and take a look at the situation.

When I went through the portal, I appeared in front of the Ghouls, and Wolf Chimera, now blocked from exiting the Gate by the Summoning Stone.

Although they no longer respawned, there were large crowds of them.

After wiping them out with the Demonic Dragon’s Eight-Blade Style, I hurried outside.

The sky was gloomy and dark as if it was about to rain.

***

“This feels like hell.”

[It sounds like you’re about to curse someone.]

“That’s what I would want right now.”

Pandemonium, is what can only describe the scene that confronted me.

Hunters were fighting to the death against the monsters everywhere, and there were countless torn corpses contorted into strange shapes.

Hunters from the Management Bureau and each guild struggled to prevent the monsters from entering the city, but they gradually lost.

Fortunately, there seemed to be no damage to the citizens due to the efforts of the warning system and hunters.

However, as I feared, many were hesitant to deal with the hunters turned into Ghouls.

They couldn't even defend properly and fell prey to the Undead and Wolf Chimera.

Amidst the chaos, I found Lee Seong-jin and Team Seolhwa fighting fiercely.

[Hoho, that's a good combination.]

Like the Heavenly Demon said, their skill combination was quite good, and their performance stood out.

Yoo Hye-jong and Saint's Prayer attacked the Undead with a purifying effect and Min Eun-joo's Fire Wall blocked the Wolf Chimera, who had an instinctive fear of fire, from approaching.

Meanwhile, Woo Seol-ah performed a dazzling sword dance with her flaming sword. Kim Ji-young's movements had changed so much that I could hardly recognize her. She was using 'Ttukbaegi Breaker' with Mitchell to support her team. The rest she blocked with her Iron Barrier, and she made sure to collect the dropped mana stones and items.

Lee Seong-jin's performance wasn’t bad either. He slowed down the monsters by spreading an 'Ice Field' around Team Seolhwa.

It seemed they’d focused on practicing teamwork during the Gate Hunting ban.

However, even if their performance was excellent, there was a big difference in level, and there were too many monsters.

They were being pushed back little by little, and it wasn't just our guild on the losing end.

All the hunters were retreating little by little, with their backs to Gangnam Station.

Without delay, I took to the sky with Heavenly Demon Air-Stride and arrived in the middle of the battlefield in the blink of an eye.

Baaaaaang-

The roar that came with breaking the sound barrier arrived belatedly. The sound couldn't keep up with my speed.

As soon as I arrived, I cut down the Ghouls and Wolf Chimeras with the Heavenly Demon Replication and Demonic Dragon’s Eight-Blade Style.

“Oh!”

“Wh-What?”

As the monsters collapsed in front of their eyes, rotten blood pouring out, the hunters looked on, surprised.

Most of them couldn't correctly see me perform the Heavenly Demon Replication. However, some hunters were familiar with those after images.

Yoo So-eun's team, alongside Woo Seol-ah, ran up.

“It’s Byeong-gi Oppa!”

“Mr. Byeong-gi!”

“That afterimage is Mr. Byeong-gi?”

Yoo So-eun had never seen me perform the Heavenly Demon Replication before, actually.

“Everyone, get out of the way!!”

[How come you always say the same lines every time you appear like this?]

After hearing my shout, Seol-ah said something to Seol Myeonggeun, and he said something on his radio. Shortly after, the gathered hunters started to fall back.

In the meantime, I utilized the Heavenly Demon Replication to cut down all the monsters rushing them.

But the Ghouls and Wolf Chimeras still swarmed in seemingly endless numbers.

“Electric Pika!”

It was my first time activating an attack skill. As soon as I shouted the skill's name, electricity crackled across my skin.

Pajijijijik-!

“Ghooooooooul!”

“Kweek!!”

A million volts of electricity struck the monsters, and they burned to a blackened crisp.

It consumed less inner power and higher attack power than I had expected.

However, there were a few monsters still standing despite being charred. After all, they were high-level monsters.

But I still had more than enough inner power.

I followed it up by linking the three forms of the second map.

“Go!”

The black-colored Strong Energy radiated from the fake Demonic Dragon Blade, turning into a Black Dragon.

Kwoohhhhhh-

The Black Dragon roared and fell upon the Ghouls and Undead.

Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek-

RUMBLE!!!!!!

Thunderbolts from Electric Pika struck from the other side, causing a massive explosion.

<SYSTEM: Critical Hit!>

<SYSTEM: You’ve killed a Ghoul. You gained 2048 (+30%) experience points.>

<SYSTEM: Critical Hit!>

<SYSTEM: You’ve killed a Wolf Chimera. You gained 1980 (+30%) experience points.>

The system window announcing their deaths scrolled across my field of vision, and everything fell silent.

“M-My God!”

“What kind of skill was that?”

“The first one was similar to the skill from a cartoon. Was it Pokémon?”

“I think I saw a dragon in that second skill.”

“That guy is the hunter who won the Probies Ranking Matches!”

“Is this the appearance of a new Top-Ten?”

I could hear the clamor behind me as the hunters whispered to each other.

“Seong-jin Hyung!”

"Huh? Yeah!"

It seemed Seong-jin was also surprised by my power.

“I think the Boss will appear. Please take care of the remaining monsters.”

"Okay."

The monsters in the front were wiped out, but those holding the rear began to swarm forward as a new notification appeared.

<SYSTEM: Boss monster Feral Ghoul ‘Sehun’ is summoned.>

<SYSTEM: 30 seconds left until Sehun is summoned.>

<SYSTEM: 29 seconds remaining.>

“It seems similar to before, but it is slightly different. Is this also a matter of causality?”

[I guess so.]

I thought only the time when the S-Rank Gate was created moved up, but the Boss had also changed to a Named Boss, Sehun.

The other hunters also checked the system notification window, and their faces suddenly darkened.

Normal monsters in S-Rank Gates were already strong, but how strong would a Named Boss be?

In that context, no wonder they looked like all their hopes had been dashed.

According to my memories, before my return, the Boss Feral Ghoul was the final evolution of a normal Ghoul, with memories of when it was a human.

In addition, though it was unknown what kind of mutation process it had undergone, it was over three times taller, stronger, and even faster than when it was a human.

[Certainly, it's not Na Sehun, that guy you lost at the Gangnam Station Gate, right?]

“Why not?”

It wouldn’t even be strange anymore.

<SYSTEM: 0 seconds remaining.>

<SYSTEM: The Feral Ghoul ‘Sehun’ has been summoned.>

The system timer ended, and the summoning of the Boss announced our battle.

“Gwooh!”

Behind the Ghouls and Wolf Chimeras, the Boss Monster Sehun, roughly the size of a three-story building, was summoned with a roar.

He carried a greatsword fit for his size.

[He’s changed a lot, but it is the guy from Gangnam Station!]

He was far away, but I could see his face clearly.

What the Heavenly Demon meant by his changes wasn’t his growth in size.

His face was covered in rotten flesh like a normal Ghoul, and giant maggots crawled through the holes.

“It’s not a pleasant face to look at.”

[But this time, you’re not vomiting, even though there are insects.]

“They have no hair.”

There was no need to wait for him to come here while I shot the breeze with the Heavenly Demon.

Once again, I used the Heavenly Demon Air-Stride and threw myself at him.

"Mr. Byeong-gi, wait a minute... Kyaaaaaaaa!"

Baaang-!

Yoo So-eun, who had been approaching me when she saw me speaking to Seong-jin, fell back due to the shockwaves I had created.

Bang-!

Boooom-!

“Cruweck!”

“Goowook!”

The monsters in front of the Feral Ghoul Sehun screamed as they were swept away by my explosive landing.

I performed the Demonic Dragon Era and Demonic Dragon Force in sequence while approaching the Heavenly Demon Air-Stride.

That was to ease the burden on Team Seolhwa and the other hunters whilst I dealt with the Boss.

At the same time, I activated the Insight skill.

[Feral Ghoul ‘Sehun’ Lv. 70]

[Category: Humanoid Monster, Undead, attacks first]

[Status: Alert/Anger]

[Skill: Lv. 3 Dead Poison, Lv. 3 Maggot Hatch, Lv. 3 Sword Smash]

-Dead Poison: Attacks by spraying poisonous smoke from its mouth. Poisoning reduces health by 30% for 30 seconds.

-Maggot Hatch: Throws maggots that explode. Deals chain explosion damage on hit.

-Sword Smash: Uses the sword for a powerful smash attack. Increases damage rate on critical hits by 30%.

It reached level 70.

It was at the same level as the Feral Ghoul, which all Top-Ten rankers had attacked and defeated before my regression.

But now, as a Named monster, it would be stronger than the one they had faced.

Chwiyiyiig-

Poisonous smoke spewed out of his open maw.

He used the Dead Poison skill to keep me in check as he closed the distance between us.

The miasma enveloped me, but the inner power of the Heavenly Demon’s Origin Art moved on its own to push the toxins away. But it wasn't without any damage.

I had lost some vitality.

I'd have to get rid of it quickly.

“Demonic Dragon Skywrecker!”

I performed the third form, and my black-colored Strong Energy spread out.