Legend of Legends

Everyone seemed rested from the two-day break, and they all gathered in the Guardians’ building. Junhyuk was on his way to the meeting room.

Once all of the representatives were there, Junhyuk asked, “Did you find more experts?”

Wilson, the English delegate, smiled, “We found one in our soil.”

“Is that expert coming here?”

“The expert will join you in Russia.”

Junhyuk nodded. He wanted to complete a team, but if not, that was still fine. Things were getting better.

“Then, let’s start now.”

“Starting today, we’ll distribute videos of the destruction of the Japanese monster area to the world.”

“That’s good.”

Junhyuk believed that such an act would bring more powered people forward. The ones hidden had seen the others risking their lives to destroy the tears, so they might not come out because it was dangerous. However, Guardians was trying to glorify the powered people with the help of the delegates from every country.

To change the social perception, they were paying the powered people in the teams a lot of money. Seeing that, the others would join.

Junhyuk smiled and said, “When another team of experts is formed and their training is finished, then we’ll attack the monster area.”

Junhyuk told him about his hopes, but he also mentioned his fears.

“The more dimensional tears we destroy, the harder they’ll become. This time, I fought four A-ranked monsters inside the tear.”

While everyone remained silent, Steve asked, “How were you able to kill so many monsters by yourself?”

Junhyuk grabbed the desk with both hands and said, “There’ll be enemies I won’t be able to handle alone inside the tear. I’ll need to go with a team of experts, and we’ll need another to give us support from the outside. The second team will stay in the middle of the monster area, and the novices will have to support that team.”

Steve gulped.

“I know how diligently the experts’ team has been working while trying to destroy the tear. The monster support team can’t enter the monster area. Even an army wouldn’t be able to support them.”

“I know. We need more powered people.”

Junhyuk continued calmly, “Every Friday, new novices will appear. More novices are showing up than ever before. Look for them and look into their powers. Then, send the reports to Guardians.”

“We will.”

“I’ll increase the number of novice teams and I’ll let you all know now that Lucky will command the them.”

Steve knew Lucy.

“I saw that Lucy was commanding the novices in the video. So, she will lead them?”

Junhyuk nodded and said, “As you saw in the video, Lucy can lead. The manual she wrote is also very helpful. I’ll make everyone read it.” He continued, “Right now, there are nine novice teams, so I will call them, all of them together, the attack team, and Lucy will be appointed captain of that team.”

Junhyuk turned to Eunseo and added, “We should create a team to analyze the monsters and another to strengthen Lucy’s manual.”

Eunseo said hesitantly, “Now, it really feels like war.”

“A little late, but yes.”

People were nervous and tense because of the monster areas. No one knew if the border around the areas would disappear or not. The battles would be fought by powered people, but everyone would need to know how to deal with monsters.

Junhyuk smiled and asked, “Are we ready to leave?”

Eunseo got up and answered, “The preparations are done. There is a plane at the U.S. Army base waiting to take you to Vladivostok.”

“Then, we’ll take our leave.”

Junhyuk went out, and Eunseo followed him. She walked with him, bringing up another subject, “I went to the battlefield.”

He turned to her.

“You came back safely.”

“I was covered in armor made from A-ranked monster hide, and this was useful as well.”

She showed him her bracelet, and he smiled.

“What are its attributes?”

“It boosts defense and health. Thanks to it, I was able to come back unhurt.”

“That’s nice.” He stared at her calmly, thinking that they should be together. He continued, “Elise is making some useful items. Get new equipment from her.”

“New equipment?”

“The world doesn’t know it yet, but she is making things that can carry buffs in the Dimensional Battlefield. She’ll help you with survival.”

“Equipment like that? Very cool!”

He nodded.

“I’ll be a big help.”

After looking around, Eunseo told him, “Be extra careful in Russia.”

“As long as I don’t overexert myself, I’ll be safe.”

One A-ranked monster didn’t pose much of a problem for him. He was a genuine hero, with enough power to show for it.

After he said goodbye, he took the elevator down. Outside, he saw the the teams were already in their cars.

He walked toward a vehicle, and Jeffrey walked up to him smiling.

“I got permission to get on a different vehicle.”

The teams were driving out of Guardians, guarded more heavily than a president. There were motorcycles ahead and behind the procession. Humvees with armed soldiers followed them.

It was a large group. Due to Doyeol’s influence, Jeffrey would be in the same car as Junhyuk.

“Let us go as well.”

He got in the car, and Jeffrey got in the driver’s seat.

“He asked why we stopped the dimensional tear.”

“Doyeol did?”

“Yes.”

Junhyuk laughed loudly and said, “I didn’t want to do it, but the border had been punctured. If that hadn’t happened, we wouldn’t have gone in.”

Shaking his head, Jeffrey replied, “I thought I was gonna die.”

“Right.”

“But maybe because I almost did, my powers evolved.”

“Really?”

He looked at Jeffrey, who smiled.

“My mana consumption has decreased, and my summoning time went from ten seconds to twelve.”

It was only a two-second increase, but if an A-ranked monster could be summoned for that long, it would help greatly. Junhyuk patted Jeffrey’s shoulder and said, “Call Doyeol. I am not sure about what will happen in Russia, but Doyeol may choose the third monster area we’ll destroy.”

“He’ll like that.”

“Right.”

Junhyuk leaned back on his seat and closed his eyes. Elise was in the process of creating a generator that ran on mana stones. If he got a share of that, he wouldn’t have to worry about money ever again.

Now, he was more interested in magitek. Junhyuk was expecting great things from Elise, but the Dimensional Battlefield was more important than Earth.

Jeffrey was still talking, but, with his eyes closed, Junhyuk tried to sleep.

—

There were more people in the military planes than during the previous time. It took them three planes to fly everyone to the Vladivostok International Airport.

Russian soldiers were waiting for their arrival. A brigadier general was in command.

The powered people had destroyed the Japanese dimensional tear, so the Russians treated them with respect.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Brigadier General Kav.”

“Call me DK.”

Kav pointed behind him and said, “These vehicles will take you to your hotel. While we move, I’d like to listen to your future plans.”

“Sure.”

Junhyuk entered a vehicle, and after Kav got in the same one, the brigadier general said, “The dimensional tear is in Vladivostok’s Central Square. It has a radius of six kilometers, so we are having a very difficult time.”

Vladivostok was a harbor city and one of Russia’s most important cities. The hundred dimensional tears that appeared worldwide were all located in important cities, usually a capital or a major city.

Everyone was in a hurry to get rid of them.

Junhyuk said, “We’ll train. We aren’t here to destroy the tear, so don’t misunderstand us.”

“I’m aware. I’m just telling you about the situation.”

“Do you know the types of monsters and their powers?”

Kav nodded.

“However, we only know about those at the border. We can’t get inside.”

“Tell me what you know. We’ll analyze everything and come up with an answer.”

“Sure.”

Junhyuk saw his new hotel at that point. It looked worse than the one in Japan, but it was only a place to sleep.

He got out of the vehicle, and Kav asked, “When will you be making your advance?”

“We’ll start tomorrow. Get the vehicles ready for us.”

“I will. I’ll leave Major Poma with you. Rest up.”

He watched as Kav left, and a man walked toward him.

“Major Poma?”

“Yes.”

“Gather the experts and the novices.”

Major Poma did so, and Junhyuk looked at the group. As he inspected them, he realized that some novices had been killed that previous Friday. There were new novices there as well, seven of them. One of the missing novices had had an ensnaring power, but he was now in a coma and he hadn’t been replaced.

“We’ll train tomorrow. Rest well today.” He turned to Lucy and added, “Disperse! Lucy, you come with me.”

“Yes, sir.”

The powered people left, and he walked up to Major Poma with Lucy. Poma gave him a file.

“This is the information we have on the monsters.”

Junhyuk took the file and gave it to Lucy.

“These are the monsters we’ll be dealing with. Come up with a strategy by tomorrow.”

Her eyes beamed as she took the file. Junhyuk had done the right thing in making her captain of the attack team.

Then, he turned to Major Poma and said, “Don’t let anyone into my room until 8:20 a.m.”

“Yes, sir.”

Junhyuk closed the door behind him and entered the training facility.