Chương 106: THE FINAL EVALUATION (9)

The direwolves howled once in perfect harmony, a chilling sound that echoed throughout the vicinity. A brief silence followed. But then, identical distant howls returned from the surrounding streets, followed by the chaotic, thunderous footsteps of incoming beasts.

"Shit," Hyun-woo murmured, falling into battle stance. There are more. The direwolves ahead didn't wait for their reinforcements. They charged all at once, their heavy paws tearing up the pavement. Hyun-woo didn't hesitate either. He initiated his attack with 'Chain Lightning', sending out a blot of blue electricity that jumped from monster to monster, instantly dropping a bunch of them to the ground.

Before the smoke could even clear, he dashed into the cluster of beasts, using his 'Lightning Blade' to cleanly finish the job. The battle went on for a minute, the street turning into a scene of crackling lightning and slashing claws. But their numbers were simply too high for Hyun-woo to handle entirely by himself. As more wolves flooded the street, they slowly closed the gaps, surrounding him from all sides before pouncing at him in unison.

He quickly raised his 'Lightning Barrier', blocking the feral direwolves mid-air. Shit. I can't handle this alone. He began scanning the narrow gaps between their formation, desperately looking for a way out of the encirclement. I've got to break out of this right now. FSSHHK! Suddenly, three of the direwolves directly behind him were cleanly cut in half in a single instant. A massive flaming slash tore through their flesh, splashing hot monster blood right against Hyun-woo's barrier.

The surrounding monsters jumped back instantly, letting out startled whines. Every head, including Hyun-woo's, turned to look at the sudden attacker. Standing in the middle of the street was a familiar figure. It was a man with white hair and beard, dressed in mostly black, holding a jet-black sword in his hand. It was none other than Ryu Seong-ho. Hyun-woo's brows furrowed in disbelief that quickly turned into a confident grin.

"Instructor Ryu!" he muttered in pure excitement.

"Good job," Seong-ho muttered with a small nod, making eye contact for a brief fraction of a second. His stoic expression didn't change as he shifted his entire focus onto the monster pack. He dashed forward. With a single, sweeping swing of his black sword, a blazing red wave of energy launched ahead in a sharp arc. The flame effortlessly split the D-Rank direwolves apart.

It wasn't just a simple attack; it was an absolute statement that these low-level monsters were absolutely nothing in the face of an A-Rank Rifter's power, even if he was currently retired. Watching the path blow wide open, Hyun-woo also found his opening. He was no longer the prey cornered in an alley. Matching Seong-ho's momentum, he joined the charge alongside Seong-ho. The two of them cut through the remaining pack with ruthless, coordinated offense.

Red blazing slashes and crackling blue lightning bolts tore through the pack, filling the street with a spectacular display of elemental violence. The heavy scent of burning fur mixed with splashing monster blood, accompanied only by the desperate, dying howls and groans of the pack. It was a one-sided massacre. The chaotic struggle ended just a minute later as the severed, smoking head of the pack's leader rolled heavily across the ruined road, coming to a dead stop against a tire.

Hyun-woo stood in the center of the debris, his shoulders heaving as he breathed fast. Beside him, Seong-ho slowly lowered his black blade, his posture remained almost straight. He had barely broken a sweat. Suddenly, quick heavy footsteps could be heard from ahead. A dozen people in various Rifter gear soon became visible, rushing toward Seong-ho and Hyun-woo. They stopped just near them, looking around frantically at the corpses and wrecked mess. A man with a big shield came forward, his knuckles trembling.

"Was there an outbreak here?" he asked nervously.

"Yes," Seong-ho replied.

"We were on our way to a raid, when we saw the heavy traffic and wrecked-" the man spoke frantically, his words tumbling out before Seong-ho cut him off with a sharp look.

"Don't sweat the petty details," Seong-ho said, his tone razor-sharp.

"It has been taken care of. So, go help the survivors." The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The man gulped. From the party's perspective, the two individuals in front of them were standing completely unfazed in the middle of a brutal, bloody mess, their clothes stained with monster blood. Besides, Seong-ho exuded an undeniable, crushing authority. He was clearly an elite senior Rifter. Nobody dared questioning him further.

"Yes, Sir," the whole party said in unison. They quickly ran past them, scattering to search the abandoned vehicles and laying bodies for survivors. Hyun-woo straightened up, taking a deep breath. Now's the chance to ask. But Seong-ho simply walked forward, as he pulled out his phone. He immediately began making a series of rapid calls. His voice fluctuated wildly, sometimes flat and calm, other times heavily agitated as he barked questions into the receiver.

Hyun-woo just stood there, his eyes tracking Seong-ho the entire time.

The commotion had finally died down. Medical support vehicles and Association emergency trucks had just arrived on the spot. Seong-ho had just got off the phone, standing completely still on the road. His arms were folded, expression tense. Seeing this, Hyun-woo approached him with furrowed brows.

"Sir, why are you looking so worried?"

"Hmm…" Seong-ho's eyes drifted toward him for a brief second.

"The Association said that there are multiple outbreaks occurring all over Seoul."

"What?!" Hyun-woo gasped, his jaw dropping.

"Multiple Outbreaks? Just in Seoul? What's happening to this country? First, the monster wave at the border and now this…" Hyun-woo began to pace around the asphalt, his mind racing as he tried to process the sheer absurdity of the situation. But Seong-ho was in a much more difficult position. The wave and the outbreaks were not the only catastrophic events occurring today. There was also the Rift Corruption. Where Jimin, his most promising student and Hyun-woo's best friend was currently trapped inside.

And Hyun-woo was completely in the dark, entirely unaware that his friend's life was hanging by a thread. A heavy, suffocating dilemma pressed down on Seong-ho's chest. He deserves to know the truth. Hiding it was no longer an option. Seong-ho had to be the one to disclose the devastating information.

"By the way…" Hyun-woo suddenly said, pausing his pacing, as if a thought had struck him. He looked down at his watch, checking the time.

"Jimin's evaluation should be over by now, right? Were you heading over to see his party?" Seong-ho's face lost all color, his hand tightening around his sword. It's time. He stared into Hyun-woo's expectant blue eyes. I have to tell him now.

"No," He said in a slow tone. Hyun-woo noticed the sudden drop in Seong-ho's energy, his eyes narrowing in immediate suspicion.

"The thing is…" Seong-ho continued. He didn't sugarcoat the reality. He laid out the entire catastrophe. The sudden Rift Corruption and the terrifying fact that Jimin and his party were entirely isolated inside it. By the time he was done, the vibrant energy that usually radiated from Hyun-woo had vanished. His expression darkened into a cold hollowness and he just stood there on the ruined asphalt, completely silent. Suddenly-"Let's go then," Hyun-woo said, his voice flat.

"Huh," Seong-ho muttered, caught off guard.

"You're heading straight to that Rift right now, aren't you? I'm joining you," Hyun-woo said, his boots crunching against the glass as he started walking.

"No," Seong-ho said, his heavy hand clamping down on his shoulder.

"You're not coming."

"What do you mean I'm not coming?" Hyun-woo spun around aggressively, tearing his shoulder out of the instructor's grip. His eyes flared with absolute fury.

"He's my best friend! I have to go there and break that damn gate down myself if I have to!"

"No! Come to your senses, son!" Seong-ho grabbed both of his shoulders and shook him. The raw authority in his voice cut straight through to Hyun-woo's rising hysteria, forcing him to freeze.

"Think for one damn second," Seong-ho growled, his grip tightening.

"The gateway is completely sealed. A rescue squad is already going with me and even we have no option but to wait and watch. If you tag along, what changes? Nothing. You can't break it down and you'll only waste energy pacing outside a locked wall." Hyun-woo's teeth grinded, his muscles twitching as he tried to pull away.

"I can't just sit here and do nothing while he dies!"

"Jimin and his party are my students," Seong-ho countered fiercely, his own eyes burning with a deeply buried trace of guilt.

"It is my responsibility to be at that gate, not yours." Seong-ho slowly loosened his grip, his voice dropping into a quieter tone as he forced Hyun-woo to face the situation.

"Look around you, kid. Your responsibility is right here." Hyun-woo looked down the street. The wreckage of crushed vehicles, the lingering smoke of burning sulfur, and the faint, agonizing cries of wounded civilians filled the vicinity.

"These people also need saving," Seong-ho said softly.

"The medical teams are overwhelmed. They need all the help they can get... Don't abandon a battlefield you can actually save for one you can't even enter." Hyun-woo's chest heaved as he stared at the blood-stained asphalt. Every fiber of his being rebelled against the logic, wanting to sprint toward the Rift. Yet, looking at the chaos around him, the cold weight of reality finally settled in. His shoulders slumped. He slowly nodded, as he forced his fury back into a tight knot.

"Thank you," Seong-ho muttered, offering a brief nod of appreciation. He knew this was the best choice. Keeping the boy grounded here would keep his mind distracted from the agonizing wait outside the locked Rift. Without another word, Seong-ho turned on his heel and rushed back toward his waiting taskforce van. Left alone, Hyun-woo let out a sharp breath. He turned around, and immediately began assisting the medical support teams with the surviving casualties.

The paramedics were loading two heavily bandaged individuals into the back of an emergency vehicle. Min Kang-eun and the little girl were both completely unconscious, their breathing shallow but steady. Hyun-woo stood by the ambulance door, watching intently as the stretchers were lifted inside. He stared down at Kang-eun's pale, blood-stained face.

A strange, fleeting sense of familiarity washed over him, but with the chaotic ringing of sirens in his ears, he couldn't quite put his finger on where he had seen the man before. The ambulance doors slammed shut, and the vehicle sped away with a loud wail. Hyun-woo's fists clenched tightly, as the sudden realization of how fragile life was dragged his thoughts back to his friend. Jimin… He looked up at the smoke-filled sky, his heart heavy with an unspoken prayer. Just don't die.