Zero Point

#023

Screeeech-!!!

The queen ant’s wail made the air shudder and the ground beneath their feet vibrate slightly. Despite the large hand firmly covering his ears, the monstrous cry penetrating his eardrums made Eunseok’s entire body stiffen. It was a sound that instilled extreme fear in any living being that heard it.

Although accustomed to life-and-death situations, a primal fear chilled his entire body. It was fortunate that Choi Hanseo had covered his ears in time; if he had been fully exposed to the shriek, he might have made an unsightly scene.

As the long screech ended, the hand covering his ears fell away. Eunseok managed to turn his stiff, cold neck to look behind him. Choi Hanseo, standing right behind, was observing Eunseok with slightly narrowed eyes.

“…Thank you,” Eunseok said quietly and turned his gaze back.

“Let’s go!” Han Cheolyong shouted lightly as he kicked off the ground and dashed towards the giant queen ant. He blocked the queen ant’s incoming leg with his shield, slipped past it, and quickly positioned himself behind it. The queen ant turned towards Han Cheolyong. At that moment, Moon Bora and Shin Jeongho, who had been waiting, split up and rushed towards the queen ant’s left and right rear. As the attack formation was completed, Oh Seongeun began unleashing flame attacks at will against the queen ant, which was focusing its fierce attacks on Han Cheolyong with its back turned.

Attacks as spectacular as those seen in movies rained down simultaneously on the queen ant. Its legs and antennae, thicker than tree trunks, were sliced off and flew away, while its hard shell was crushed, spraying green blood into the air.

“Are you okay?” Ji Taeuk asked, pointing at his ear. When Eunseok nodded, Ji Taeuk excitedly gestured towards the team members who were butchering the queen ant.

“They’re showing off flashy and cool attacks just for you. Usually, Bora noona alone could quickly take care of a C-rank gate boss.”

Ji Taeuk tattled on the team members’ behavior. Indeed, instead of finishing off the queen ant in one go, the team members were showcasing all sorts of flashy skills as if putting on a martial arts demonstration. Watching the team members so excited and showing off while toying with the queen ant made Eunseok feel almost embarrassed about his finger on the trigger of his automatic rifle.

“I have nothing to do,” Eunseok muttered in a dejected tone, lowering the muzzle of his automatic rifle. He spread his area guiding to its maximum towards the rampaging team members, the only thing he could do.

“Hey, that’s not true. Look how everyone’s freely unleashing their skills thanks to you, Eunseok. Usually, they’re anxious about managing their numbers, trying to achieve maximum efficiency with minimal energy, but now they’re running wild with excitement. Without your continuous area guiding, they couldn’t even dream of this.”

While Ji Taeuk was speaking, the queen ant had already lost most of its legs and antennae and was now writhing on the ground.

Screech-! Screech-!

The queen ant kept letting out shrieks as if in its last throes. Unlike the first murderous shriek when it appeared, this sounded more like a pitiful scream.

“I’m landing the final blow!” Moon Bora shouted declaratively.

“I was going to do that,” Shin Jeongho, usually a man of few words, said grumpily as if objecting.

“No. I’m doing it today,” Oh Seongeun chimed in with a cold voice. And soon, the three started bickering.

“Let the guide decide who gets the final blow!” Han Cheolyong shouted, looking at the squabbling team members. At once, the eyes of the three damage dealers fixed on Lee Eunseok.

“Me! Me! Me! I want to unleash a proper ultimate skill without worrying about my numbers for once!”

“I feel the same way.”

“Me too.”

Following Moon Bora’s shout, Shin Jeongho and Oh Seongeun quickly added, as if unwilling to yield.

The three shot fiery glances. Their eyes were filled with determination not to miss this chance to use a flashy ultimate skill that consumes a large amount of energy at once, something they hadn’t done in a long time.

After scanning the queen ant, now reduced to just a torso and still screaming, and the people standing around with blazing eyes, Eunseok slowly opened his mouth.

“Why don’t all three of you go at the same time?”

At Eunseok’s suggestion, the three’s eyes widened slightly.

“Is… is that allowed?” Moon Bora asked in an uncertain voice.

“I’m an S-rank, aren’t I? Can’t I handle three A-ranks?”

Of course, area guiding alone wouldn’t be able to calm three A-ranks with greatly increased numbers. But he calculated that contact guiding would be possible for all three.

“Agreed.”

“I agree too.”

Shin Jeongho and Oh Seongeun each expressed their agreement.

“Then can I join in too?” Han Cheolyong asked, raising his hand.

“Go ahead,” Eunseok answered lightly, and Moon Bora nodded as well.

“Then we go simultaneously,” Moon Bora said, and the four readjusted their grips on their weapons and took their stances.

“I’ll count down! Three! Two! One! Go-!” Ji Taeuk shouted loudly as if commentating on a game.

As the “Go!” signal echoed in the air, the four unleashed their ultimate skills with all their might.

Four types of fierce and enormous energies exploded and pierced into the queen ant’s body.

A deafening sound and ground-shaking tremor, like hundreds of bombs exploding simultaneously, shook the prairie. The impact of the attack swept the surroundings like a tornado. Long, tough grasses were uprooted and scattered in all directions.

“Ah-…”

The scene beyond imagination sent a thrill through Eunseok’s entire body. Transcendent sensations that could never be experienced on ordinary battlefields swept through his body and mind.

“Wow. That feels great,” Moon Bora said with a refreshed face as she emerged from the fierce whirlwind of queen ant body parts mixed with grass and dirt. Behind her, the raging whirlwind slowly subsided. Body parts, grass, and dirt that had been flying through the air floated down to the ground like volcanic ash.

Shin Jeongho, Oh Seongeun, and Han Cheolyong approached, covered in green blood, body parts, dirt, and grass. Scanning their appearance, there was no trace of red blood at all. However, they were unavoidably filthy. Ji Taeuk stepped back, grimacing at their appearance as if they had just emerged from a cesspool.

“Don’t get that on me! Absolutely don’t get that on me!” Ji Taeuk shouted, making faces as if he had experienced this many times before.

Despite their incredibly dirty appearance, the four’s faces were full of joy.

“Ah. That was thrilling. It’s been so long since I felt this exhilarated,” Moon Bora said in a voice full of ecstasy as she wiped her weapons on the hem of her clothes. The other three nodded as if in agreement.

“Show me your watches,” Eunseok requested, and the four promptly held up their wrists. The numbers that had been blue for all four had changed to orange in one go. Despite the high numbers likely causing physical pain responses like headaches, they all looked happy and refreshed.

“So now we hold hands all the way back to the guild?” Moon Bora asked, approaching with eyes full of expectation. Suddenly, a hand from behind grasped Eunseok’s shoulder and gently pulled him back.

“Are you planning to receive guiding in that filthy state?” Choi Hanseo said as he pulled Eunseok to his side. Moon Bora quickly assessed her severe condition and then shrugged as if there was nothing she could do.

When they came out of the gate, about an hour had passed.

The C-rank gate raid ended with Han Cheolyong announcing the end time.

As they exited the gate, people were gathered in two groups. One was the broadcasting team, and the other was the 5th team who had come to collect gate byproducts.

Han Cheolyong informed the 5th team leader that some worker ants that had gone in a different direction might still remain. The broadcasting camera and reporter, after scanning the 1st team who had just completed the raid, approached Eunseok.

“Guide Lee Eunseok, how do you feel after conquering your first gate?”

“It was a good experience to work in harmony with the team members,” Eunseok replied.

“It’s known that guides are physically no different from ordinary people except for their guiding energy. Did you feel any threat to your life or fear?”

“While it was an unfamiliar experience, the team members were so exceptional that there was no situation where I felt threatened. As for fear, well, the boss monster’s shriek was a bit intense.”

“Since the enactment of the Guide Protection Law, the accompaniment of guides inside gates has been prohibited. Nevertheless, you, Guide Lee Eunseok, entered the gate voluntarily. Do you support guides accompanying raids into gates?”

The reporter asked about a sensitive topic. This seemed to be an unplanned question.

“No comment,” Eunseok answered briefly. The reporter glanced at the camera director. While they exchanged looks, Eunseok packed his weapons and armor into his duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder.

“We’ll hold hands on the way back, right?” Moon Bora asked, sidling up to him. He could see the ears of the team members, who were preparing to descend, perking up.

Just as he was about to answer “Yes,” Choi Hanseo, who had approached unnoticed, said, “Mr. Lee Eunseok will be returning in my car.”