Here's an Opportunity-Chapter 238: Final Clear (2)

Three months had passed since Earth and its allies from the Yuashiel and Elemental Dimension set out to clear the Hell Gate.

She sprinted past her comrades, slipping between the Hell monsters they fought. With a light kick, she launched into the air, sword flashing. Her blade crashed down on a four-armed Hell monster that had just hauled itself onto the fortress wall. Before it could savor its climb or dream of filling its empty belly, her strike split it in two. The body toppled back over the stone wall.

"Phew."

Hunter Yoo Seh-Eun of the DG Guild caught her breath, wiping sweat from her brow as she scanned the battlefield.

Unlike in the Yuashiel Dimension, the Hunters couldn't rely on help from Hell's residents. Mapping the Gate meant traveling on foot. They didn't sketch like their ancestors who created the Daedongyeojido[1]; they used modern tech, skills, and magic. Even so, legwork was unavoidable, so they cleared the Gate by steadily expanding their territory.

Spotting an opening, Yoo Seh-Eun moved again, springing from the ground to intercept another monster leaping over the wall. Her sword met the beast's claws with a ringing clash.

"You're no dog... you're a wolf," she muttered.

It wasn't a Hell Cynanthrope after all; it was a Hell Lycan, a werewolf. For a moment, she studied it up close, its jaws dripping and its eyes gleaming with predatory hunger.

When it lunged at her, Yoo Seh-Eun met it with swift, precise strikes, shifting her tempo and channeling mana through her blade to scramble its senses. She slipped past a clawed swipe, stepped in, and drove a mana-charged punch into its chest, blasting the werewolf off the wall.

Yoo Seh-Eun clicked her radio and reported, "This is Hunter Yoo Seh-Eun on North Wall Eight. Can you send us support?"

The earpiece she wore crackled before a voice responded.

—That would be difficult at the moment. Are you in immediate danger?

Yoo Seh-Eun glanced around. Hunters battled to hold back the flood of Hell monsters trying to breach the walls and gate. Even as she surveyed the scene, her awareness never left the monsters. She slipped into position and dispatched another one with a swift stab.

Stepping back, Yoo Seh-Eun looked down from the wall. Hunters who had recovered from their wounds were climbing back up to rejoin the battle. Others carried expendable weapons, mages rushed to mend the breaches, and Elementals reinforced the defenses with their magic.

It's not looking good, she thought.

Even with wounded Hunters returning, the monsters now numbered over a thousand. At this rate, they'd be forced to retreat, abandoning the walls and critical supplies.

Suddenly, a powerful explosion erupted outside the fortress. Yoo Seh-Eun turned and saw a red-haired woman in a vivid red dress floating above the ground.

"Ah, never mind. The reconnaissance team..." She trailed off, noticing the team was nowhere in sight. "Ji-Yeon's back, probably after getting the message. Hold on, I need to check something with her."

—Understood.

"Thanks."

She cut the transmission and waited as Lee Ji-Yeon descended toward the wall, cutting down Hell monsters as she touched down.

"You held up well," Yoo Seh-Eun said, greeting her with a smile.

"You did all the work, Unni," Lee Ji-Yeon replied.

"Where's the Guildmaster?"

"He said he had a few things to check."

"How many Hunters have returned?"

"Everyone except Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok and Dong-Wook oppa."

Kim Ki-Rok had Discernment, and Nam Dong-Wook could fly. When those two were together, it usually meant something.

"Did you find it?" Yoo Seh-Eun asked.

Lee Ji-Yeon nodded. "Yes."

Relieved, Yoo Seh-Eun pressed the radio button again. "All members have returned except Kim Ki-Rok and Nam Dong-Wook. We withdraw our request for support."

—Understood. North Wall Eight, support request withdrawal confirmed. And...

"Yes, what is it?"

—Did they find it?

"Yes. They have."

***

From a vantage point on the mountain, Kim Ki-Rok peered through binoculars. "It's one of the Four Dukes."

"Oh wow," Nam Dong-Wook murmured.

"Our battlefield's become a swamp of black water. Using Discernment, I've confirmed the monster's name to be Poison Duke of the North, Aspera."

"Poison, huh? Sounds dangerous."

"Yes. It's said to use poison that only an S-Class detoxification skill can counteract."

"What does it look like?" Nam Dong-Wook asked, jotting notes as Kim Ki-Rok described it.

"Like a crocodile."

"Is it a Werecrocodile?"

"No. Just a crocodile."

Nam Dong-Wook paused, stunned. "A crocodile? As a Duke of Hell?"

"Yes. It looks like a crocodile," Kim Ki-Rok said. "But it has twelve legs and three tails, one shorter than the others. I can't tell if that's from a fight or natural. It has a single head, but six eyes."

"You call that a crocodile?"

Kim Ki-Rok handed him the binoculars. Nam Dong-Wook raised them and searched the black swamp until he spotted the Poison Duke, Aspera, snoozing in the muck.

"Ah, you're right. It really is a crocodile," he muttered. "Guildmaster... This is a first, right?"

"Yes, it is."

Three months into clearing the Gate, they had finally located their target.

"Hm? Guildmaster. Looks like Aspera has company," Nam Dong-Wook said as he pointed.

Kim Ki-Rok didn't bother to take the binoculars back, instead pulling out a second pair from his subspace pocket to observe.

"A gorilla?" Nam Dong-Wook said.

"A gorilla with four arms and a snake for a tail," Kim Ki-Rok added.

"All the monsters here look like chimeras."

It was only natural given that Hell monsters were combinations of different beasts.

"Oh! Are they about to fight?" Nam Dong-Wook asked eagerly.

The four-armed, snake-tailed gorilla beat its chest, rousing Aspera. Though the Hunters were too far to hear, they could see rotten trees trembling from the force of the display.

"It's waking up."

Kim Ki-Rok focused on the scene. The gorilla charged before Aspera had even opened all six eyes, swinging its four fists. Aspera, still sluggish, responded with its three tails, blocking the arms and using its armored forehead to intercept the fourth. As Aspera's fifth eye opened, thorny spikes erupted from the ground.

"Write this down. The Duke has a skill... no, an ability," Kim Ki-Rok said.

"Think it's magic?"

"Hard to say. This is the first Hell Gate opened on Earth. For now, just note it as an ability."

"Got it," Nam Dong-Wook said, scribbling furiously into the notebook on his thigh.

"Its sixth eye just opened."

Nam Dong-Wook stopped writing, eyes back on the battle. As Kim Ki-Rok said, all of Aspera's eyes were now open. The creature's massive jaws gaped wide. The gorilla, still swinging, thrust an arm into Aspera's mouth and quickly pivoted aside.

Fwooosh!

"It breathes fire, apparently. Given how the gorilla reacted, I'd say that wasn't just an ability, but an inherent power of Aspera, maybe even a species trait for crocodiles like it."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because the gorilla didn't run from the breath. It put its arm into Aspera's mouth. I suspect there's some kind of pouch or organ inside that focuses the attack."

"Makes sense," Nam Dong-Wook agreed. "If it were just an ability, the gorilla would have dodged."

The battle dragged on. The gorilla, already losing ground after one arm was severed, soon lost a second.

"Poison," Kim Ki-Rok said.

"Looks like it," Nam Dong-Wook replied.

The gorilla's arm had melted away completely.

***

Ninety days into clearing the Gate, the Hunters had finally found one of the Four Dukes, monsters that had to be defeated along with the Gate Boss. To discuss their findings, Kim Ki-Rok and many others assembled for a meeting.

—I'll end the appearance description here. Next, I'll explain its abilities. Please check the attached video, which includes explanations during my comments. Now, I'll take questions.

As soon as Kim Ki-Rok finished speaking, a Hunter attending the meeting raised a question.

—When will the subjugation of Poison Duke Aspera begin?

—We're preparing now. Thanks to the gorilla, we were able to identify Aspera's abilities and combat style, so selecting team members is much easier.

—Will you be taking volunteers?

—You may volunteer, but those who do will be assigned to subdue the Hell monsters guarding Aspera, not the Poison Duke itself.

Kim Ki-Rok and expert strategists from each guild had already handpicked the clear teams for the fight with Aspera. Volunteers would face the escort monsters, not Aspera directly.

—There are monsters standing guard for it?

—If you check the swamp footage after the gorilla dies, at thirteen minutes and twenty-three seconds into the video, you'll see spheres of light appear. Do you see them?

The meeting attendees jumped to the indicated timestamp, and just as Kim Ki-Rok said, dozens of sparkling spheres floated in the black water after the gorilla's death.

—With Discernment, I confirmed these are Werecrocodiles, Aspera's guards. Just like Aspera, they possessed poison, fire breath, and earth control.

Association President Kang Man-Ki sighed, switching off his microphone. "That's troublesome."

The strategists gathered in headquarters nodded grimly. Dozens of monsters, each with Aspera's abilities, stood on guard.

Kang Man-Ki activated his mic and asked, "Will you be able to continue gathering information?"

—I can. I'll remain here to gather intel. Also, one more thing.

Kang Man-Ki, about to end the call, hesitated and looked at Kim Ki-Rok.

"Go ahead."

—Discernment confirms Aspera's full title is 'Poison Duke of the North, Aspera.'

"So the Four Dukes are positioned to the east, west, south, and north?"

—That seems likely, given Aspera's title.

"Then... what about the Hell King?"

—If we assume the Four Dukes are stationed at the cardinal points, then there's only one place left for the Hell King.

"The center."

There was no proof yet, but it was a reasonable inference.

Kang Man-Ki shook off his musings and addressed the meeting. "The Hell King is crucial, but the Four Dukes who threaten Earth are our immediate priority. We'll focus first on confirming the Dukes' locations. At the earliest, four days from now, and at the latest, within a week, we'll finish selecting Hunters, complete preparations, and begin the clear."

1. Daedongyeojido is a famous map from Korea that was created in 1861. ☜