The weight in those three words was too heavy for a single person to bear.
11 operational teams gathered to subdue the S-class Great Rift.
Elite groups composed of the best Hunters in Korea.
The immense pressure in leading them slowly started to dawn on Kang Min-hyuk.
‘How was the Sword Emperor able to stay calm all this time?’
The Hunters looked at the Rift anxiously.
He started thinking about giving out orders since he became the commander-in-chief.
He wondered if they would follow him.
All sorts of negative thoughts came to his mind.
‘Why did such a Rift break out at a time like this…’
Kang Min-hyuk confirmed that Han Min-ji was talking on the phone from a distance.
Who could she be calling?
Anyhow, he had to inform the Hunters of their assignment now.
But he couldn’t open his mouth easily.
<b>“Senior Kang Min-hyuk.”</b>
After finishing her phone call, Han Min-ji approached him.
<b>“You were given the position of Commander-in-Chief, right?”</b>
<b>“…I guess you heard about it.”</b>
<b>“With your permission, there’s someone else I’d like to entrust as the commander-in-chief, apart from the director’s instructions.”</b>
<b>“What?”</b>
At Han Min-ji’s words, Kang Min-hyuk examined the operation team leaders.
Aside from them, the team leaders from teams 3 to 7 were S-class Hunters.
‘Who does she want to entrust this to?’ He wondered.
‘If anyone else were to do it… then would it be Kwak Young-ho?’
Operation Team 5 Leader, Kwak Young-ho.
An S-class Tanker, and a man highly-trusted among the Hunters here.
Kang Min-hyuk thought that if Kwak Young-ho took over as commander-in-chief on his behalf, he could lead them well, and so he thought about accepting Han Min-ji’s proposal.
<b>“Officer Lee Do-jun.”</b>
<b>“…Wait a minute. Lee Do-jun?”</b>
A civil servant from the Rift Management Department of Seoul City Hall.
Why the hell did his name come up here?
Kang Min-hyuk looked at Han Min-ji with a perplexed expression.
<b>“Are you messing with me right now?”</b>
<b>“I’m serious.”</b>
<b>“Do you think those people would understand?”</b>
<b>“No, they won’t. So you’ll have to back him up. Tell them that it was Director Jung Yeong-cheol’s instructions.”</b>
<b>“…Why would you even want to appoint Lee Do-jun as the commander-in-chief? And do you think he’s actually going to do it? Does that even make sense?”</b>
Kang Min-hyuk growled.
His reaction was only natural.
However, Han Min-ji did not back down.
<b>“He’ll be here soon.”</b>
<b>“No, really, what the hell is wrong with you today? My head’s already messed up and now…”</b>
Kang Min-hyuk couldn’t finish his sentence.
Because he already saw Do-jun walking towards them from afar.
After a while, Do-jun walked slowly among the Hunters and stopped in front of Han Min-ji.
Kang Min-hyuk, who looked through Do-jun’s outfit, frowned.
Wearing a suit just like any other civil servant dressed for work.
With a civil servant’s ID around his neck and formal shoes.
And a briefcase held in one hand.
Kang Min-hyuk laughed out loud.
However, Han Min-ji did not mind him, approached Do-jun smiling, and asked for a handshake.
<b>“Thank you for taking the time, officer.”</b>
<b>“No problem.”</b>
Do-jun spoke briefly.
Kang Min-hyuk looked at him disapprovingly and reluctantly asked for a handshake.
<b>“It’s been a while, Hunter Kang Min-hyuk.”</b>
<b>“…I just have one question.”</b>
<b>“Yes. What is it?”</b>
<b>“Are you really here to assume the post as Commander-in-Chief?”</b>
His eyes were still fearless despite the situation.
If it were a normal person, it would be enough to make them drop and pee in their pants.
Do-jun smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
<b>“If you guys don’t want to, then I’ll just return to City Hall.”</b>
<b>“Senior Kang!”</b>
Han Min-ji grabbed Kang Min-hyuk’s arm.
If Do-jun really returned to the City Hall like this.
The Umyeon Mountain S-class Great Rift Subjugation Operation would definitely fail for sure.
She had such a strong feeling.
<b>“When will you guys enter the Rift?”</b>
<b>“We’ll move in as soon as the director gives me an entry order. We have to go inside the Rift before the Breakout happens, so I think we’ll be in within an hour and a half.”</b>
Whilst listening to Han Min-ji’s explanation.
The Rift had already torn more than 60m into the sky.
＊ ＊ ＊
After a while,
All 11 operation team leaders gathered, including Kang Min-hyuk and Han Min-ji.
The operation team leaders looked at the civil servant ID around Do-jun’s neck,
And all of them wondered why a civil servant was involved.
But they did not question it for long.
<b>“This is Lee Do-jun, member of the Rift Management Department of Seoul City Hall, and he will lead today’s operation.”</b>
Han Min-ji introduced Do-jun to the operation team leaders.
Everyone’s faces had crumpled in anger and bewilderment.
The absence of the Sword Emperor, Lee Kang-hyun would be filled in by a civil servant?
In addition, the Rift in front of their eyes was an S-class with the highest wave count than the Masalys incident.
<b>“Are you kidding with us right now?!”</b>
Kwak Young-ho, the leader of Operation Team 5, shouted.
It was the expected reaction.
However, Han Min-ji retorted back.
<b>“It’s Director Jung Yeong-cheol’s instructions.”</b>
<b>“…W-What? The director’s?”</b>
Kang Min-hyuk couldn’t understand why Han Min-ji wanted Do-jun to play the role of commander to the point of lying to them. He’d been working with Han Min-ji for years, but it felt like his impression of her as someone who was always rational and calculating, was now crumbling.
‘It is what it is – now get going!’
Kang Min-hyuk said after swallowing his saliva.
<b>“It’s true.”</b>
Following Han Min-ji was Kang Min-hyuk’s testimony.
Kwak Young-ho shouted loudly.
<b>“Why on earth would they do something crazy like this?”</b>
<b>“I want to know too. Why…”</b>
Kang Min-hyuk turned his head to look at Han Min-ji.
<b>“The director made such an order.”</b>
＊ ＊ ＊
<b>“Excuse me, Commander.”</b>
Han Min-ji handed over the walkie-talkie she was holding to Do-jun.
Do-jun put it in his briefcase.
Once inside the Rift, communication outside is cut off.
The only thing one could do was send a video to the situation room of the Hunter Management Agency through the Emergency Cam.
Communication between operation teams within the Rift can only be made possible by means of a specially crafted walkie-talkie.
‘Let’s go check the inside first.’
Do-jun turned his head to face the Rift.
＊ ＊ ＊
An S-class Great Rift in Umyeon Mountain.
Inside was utterly desolate.
Without a single weed, the land spread endlessly.
‘So this is an S-class…’
Monsters were all over the place, starting from a kilometer away from the Rift’s exit.
However, even if it’s an S-class rift, it didn’t seem to only have S-class monsters.
Aside from B-class to A-class monsters like Trolls and Ogres, there were also other strange monsters that Do-jun had never seen before.