Everyone seemed rested from the two-day break, and they all gathered in the Guardiansâ building. Junhyuk was on his way to the meeting room.
Once all of the representatives were there, Junhyuk asked, âDid you find more experts?â
Wilson, the English delegate, smiled, âWe found one in our soil.â
âIs that expert coming here?â
âThe expert will join you in Russia.â
Junhyuk nodded. He wanted to complete a team, but if not, that was still fine. Things were getting better.
âThen, letâs start now.â
âStarting today, weâll distribute videos of the destruction of the Japanese monster area to the world.â
âThatâs good.â
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, âWhen another team of experts is formed and their training is finished, then weâll attack the monster area.â
Junhyuk told him about his hopes, but he also mentioned his fears.
âThe more dimensional tears we destroy, the harder theyâll become. This time, I fought four A-ranked monsters inside the tear.â
While everyone remained silent, Steve asked, âHow were you able to kill so many monsters by yourself?â
Junhyuk grabbed the desk with both hands and said, âThereâll be enemies I wonât be able to handle alone inside the tear. Iâll need to go with a team of experts, and weâll 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.â
Steve gulped.
âI know how diligently the expertsâ team has been working while trying to destroy the tear. The monster support team canât enter the monster area. Even an army wouldnât be able to support them.â
âI know. We need more powered people.â
Junhyuk continued calmly, âEvery 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.â
âWe will.â
âIâll increase the number of novice teams and Iâll let you all know now that Lucky will command the them.â
Steve knew Lucy.
âI saw that Lucy was commanding the novices in the video. So, she will lead them?â
Junhyuk nodded and said, âAs you saw in the video, Lucy can lead. The manual she wrote is also very helpful. Iâll make everyone read it.â He continued, âRight 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.â
Junhyuk turned to Eunseo and added, âWe should create a team to analyze the monsters and another to strengthen Lucyâs manual.â
Eunseo said hesitantly, âNow, it really feels like war.â
âA little late, but yes.â
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, âAre we ready to leave?â
Eunseo got up and answered, âThe preparations are done. There is a plane at the U.S. Army base waiting to take you to Vladivostok.â
âThen, weâll take our leave.â
Junhyuk went out, and Eunseo followed him. She walked with him, bringing up another subject, âI went to the battlefield.â
He turned to her.
âYou came back safely.â
âI was covered in armor made from A-ranked monster hide, and this was useful as well.â
She showed him her bracelet, and he smiled.
âWhat are its attributes?â
âIt boosts defense and health. Thanks to it, I was able to come back unhurt.â
âThatâs nice.â He stared at her calmly, thinking that they should be together. He continued, âElise is making some useful items. Get new equipment from her.â
âNew equipment?â
âThe world doesnât know it yet, but she is making things that can carry buffs in the Dimensional Battlefield. Sheâll help you with survival.â
âEquipment like that? Very cool!â
He nodded.
âIâll be a big help.â
After looking around, Eunseo told him, âBe extra careful in Russia.â
âAs long as I donât overexert myself, Iâll be safe.â
One A-ranked monster didnât 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.
âI got permission to get on a different vehicle.â
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 Doyeolâs influence, Jeffrey would be in the same car as Junhyuk.
âLet us go as well.â
He got in the car, and Jeffrey got in the driverâs seat.
âHe asked why we stopped the dimensional tear.â
âDoyeol did?â
âYes.â
Junhyuk laughed loudly and said, âI didnât want to do it, but the border had been punctured. If that hadnât happened, we wouldnât have gone in.â
Shaking his head, Jeffrey replied, âI thought I was gonna die.â
âRight.â
âBut maybe because I almost did, my powers evolved.â
âReally?â
He looked at Jeffrey, who smiled.
âMy mana consumption has decreased, and my summoning time went from ten seconds to twelve.â
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 Jeffreyâs shoulder and said, âCall Doyeol. I am not sure about what will happen in Russia, but Doyeol may choose the third monster area weâll destroy.â
âHeâll like that.â
âRight.â
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 wouldnât 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.
â
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.
âNice to meet you. Iâm Brigadier General Kav.â
âCall me DK.â
Kav pointed behind him and said, âThese vehicles will take you to your hotel. While we move, Iâd like to listen to your future plans.â
âSure.â
Junhyuk entered a vehicle, and after Kav got in the same one, the brigadier general said, âThe dimensional tear is in Vladivostokâs Central Square. It has a radius of six kilometers, so we are having a very difficult time.â
Vladivostok was a harbor city and one of Russiaâs 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, âWeâll train. We arenât here to destroy the tear, so donât misunderstand us.â
âIâm aware. Iâm just telling you about the situation.â
âDo you know the types of monsters and their powers?â
Kav nodded.
âHowever, we only know about those at the border. We canât get inside.â
âTell me what you know. Weâll analyze everything and come up with an answer.â
âSure.â
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, âWhen will you be making your advance?â
âWeâll start tomorrow. Get the vehicles ready for us.â
âI will. Iâll leave Major Poma with you. Rest up.â
He watched as Kav left, and a man walked toward him.
âMajor Poma?â
âYes.â
âGather the experts and the novices.â
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 hadnât been replaced.
âWeâll train tomorrow. Rest well today.â He turned to Lucy and added, âDisperse! Lucy, you come with me.â
âYes, sir.â
The powered people left, and he walked up to Major Poma with Lucy. Poma gave him a file.
âThis is the information we have on the monsters.â
Junhyuk took the file and gave it to Lucy.
âThese are the monsters weâll be dealing with. Come up with a strategy by tomorrow.â
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, âDonât let anyone into my room until 8:20 a.m.â
âYes, sir.â
Junhyuk closed the door behind him and entered the training facility.