[The Next Day, Early Morning — At the Raid Location]
Min-Jae arrived at the raid site in his car.
As soon as he stepped out, he spotted one familiar face among many strangers. And there it was—the blue Gate, standing at a moderate size. It was large enough to match what you'd expect from a B-Rank Gate.
As planned, the B-Squad would only be assigned B-Rank or lower raids until Min-Jae fully settled into the team. This was because of the recent A-Rank Gate incident, when the B-Squad had fallen into danger and Sung Jin-Woo had to step in and save them. But once Min-Jae was ready, he'd take over as the squad leader and the team would handle Gates up to A-Rank.
At the scene, as Min-Jae stepped out of his car, a group of reporters was waiting at the entrance. His first raid had already been announced by the Guild, so the media had gathered to cover it.
Guild security quickly moved in and blocked the reporters, allowing Min-Jae to walk toward the raid site without being stopped. That's when he was approached by a familiar face—the man he'd met a few days ago at the Guild headquarters, during his meeting with Choi Jong-In.
"We meet again, though this time it's not by chance," Son Ki-Hoon said as he walked up to Min-Jae with a friendly smile. He was dressed in heavy, bulky grey armor that covered him from his whole body to toe. "It's good to see you again."
Min-Jae smiled back and gave a small nod. "Good to see you too."
Son looked him over from head to toe, then asked, sounding curious, "Are you really going into the dungeon wearing just regular clothes? No armor or anything like that?"
Min-Jae nodded without hesitation. "Yeah. I think it'll be fine."
He was dressed in a black hoodie, dark indigo jeans, and black sneakers — far too casual for a raid. That was why Son had been a little surprised.
But again , not everyone needs armor, he realized this in his last raid.
Before they could continue talking, the other Hunters noticed Min-Jae and started to come over to greet him.
"Hello, Hunter Min-Jae," they said, gathering around him. Min-Jae nodded to each of them in return.
Son Ki-Hoon began introducing the squad members one by one. Min-Jae greeted each person politely. Most of the team members were A-Rank Hunters, with a few B-Ranks mixed in. Everyone was wearing their special raid gear, armor designed to match their fighting style or powers. Even the healers had their own battle outfits.
Min-Jae recognized many of them, but he was especially excited to meet the A-Rank healer Han Semi. He'd secretly admired her ever since watching the anime arc about her.
"We didn't even notice your presence standing there until we actually saw you," said Lee Bora, the A-Rank mage with four eyes.
Min-Jae didn't respond to her comment. Before the silence grew awkward, Son spoke up, giving instructions to the squad.
"Alright, everyone. Get ready. The raid starts in a few minutes." The team nodded and went to finish their final preparations.
As the others walked off, Son spoke quietly to Min-Jae.
"By the way, she's right. I didn't notice you either. Not today, not the other day."
Min-Jae didn't answer right away. His eyes were focused on the crowd of reporters nearby.
Son hesitated, then added, "If you don't want to explain, that's fine, but—"
Before he could finish, Min-Jae cut him off.
"It's just a trick. Nothing special."
Son smiled slightly. "Alright, if you say so."
---
"So, as our squad is instructed," Son, the leader of the squad for this raid, and Squad B, spoke in front of the team, "This is the first raid for Hunter Min-Jae, and we will assist him in this raid. It won't be like our usual raid." He explained further to his squad and they understood.
Min-Jae on the other hand was taking a tour of the whole place outside the raid gate, as other than the raid team, the mining team were getting ready outside too, to get in for mining after the raid team has cleared the dungeon, leaving only the dungeon boss behind.
After their mining work is done, only then , the raid team will enter again and take down the dungeon boss to close the gate.
---
"Are you ready, Hunter Min-Jae ?"
"Yes." Responded Min-Jae, as the raid team proceeded to enter the dungeon, as other members got into their respective gear already. A total 10 member raid team , including Min-Jae. 3 A Ranks, 6 B-Rank and , and the last member being Min-Jae , An S-Rank.
"Standard cave dungeon," Son Ki-Hoon muttered, his voice echoing slightly as they entered inside the dungeon, "He glanced back at the team. "Formation delta. Tanks front, mages center, healer rear."
The squad moved into position with practiced efficiency. Min-Jae walked alongside Son near the middle of the formation, his hands casually tucked into his hoodie pockets. The sound of armored footsteps and the occasional clink of weapons filled the cavern as they advanced deeper.
Min-Jae felt it too—a ripple of hostile intent washing over them like a cold wave. Multiple presences, closing in fast from the darkness ahead.
"Contact," Lee Bora called out sharply, her four eyes glowing faintly as she tracked the movement. "Multiple signatures. Fast-moving. Coming from—"
A howl split the air, primal and hungry, echoing off the cave walls. Then another. And another.
From the shadows ahead, dozens of pairs of eyes ignited like crimson torches.
"Werewolves!" someone shouted.
The pack emerged from the darkness—massive, hulking forms covered in matted. Claws scraped against stone as they loped forward on all fours, lips pulled back to reveal fangs as long as daggers. Their magical energy crackled around them, distorting the air.
"Defensive formation!" Son barked. "Tanks, hold the line! Mages, prepare—"
"I'll handle this."
Min-Jae's voice cut through the chaos, calm and unhurried. He took a single step forward, moving past the front line.
Son's head whipped toward him. "Wait, Hunter Min-Jae—"
"Are you sure?" one of the tanks called out, uncertainty clear in his voice.
Min-Jae didn't look back. His eyes were fixed on the charging pack of werewolves, now less than thirty meters away and closing fast. The ground trembled with their approach.
"I'll be more than fine."
The werewolves' crimson eyes locked onto him. Perhaps it was instinct, or perhaps they could sense the vast reservoir of magical energy radiating from this lone figure standing ahead of the group—either way, their target was clear.
The pack surged forward as one, a tsunami of fur and fangs and killing intent, all converging on Min-Jae.
Behind him, Son raised his weapon, ready to intervene—
Min-Jae vanished.
Not gradually. Not in a blur of speed. One instant he was there, the next he simply wasn't.
He reappeared twenty meters ahead, standing calmly in the center of the charging pack's trajectory.
The distance between him and his team had widened dramatically. He was alone now, surrounded.
"He's a mage-type!" one of the hunters shouted from behind. "Why is he engaging them in close quarters?!"
"Those beasts are not that high rank, but still, mages are better fighting long range," Said Lee Bora, as she was mage type herself.
The first werewolf reached him, claws extended, jaws wide. It was a massive specimen, easily three meters tall when reared back. Its claws came down in a vicious overhead swipe, aimed to split Min-Jae from shoulder to hip.
The entire squad held their breath.
As Han Semi looked intriguingly at the scene playing in front of her, she was curious what he would do.
The claws connected.
Or should have.
Instead, they stopped. Mid-strike. Frozen in the air mere centimeters from Min-Jae's shoulder, as if they'd hit an invisible wall. The werewolf's momentum died instantly, its entire body jolting to a halt with a sound like a dull thud against stone.
Two more beasts lunged simultaneously from his left and right, attacking from different angles. Their fangs and claws came from opposite directions, timing perfect, coordination instinctive—a pincer attack that should have been impossible to block.
Both attacks stopped.
Just... stopped.
Suspended in the air around Min-Jae like frozen frames in a video. The werewolves snarled and pushed harder, their muscles straining, magical energy flaring—but they couldn't advance another millimeter.
"What the..." Lee Bora breathed, her four eyes wide with shock.
"He's not even moving," someone else whispered.
Min-Jae stood perfectly still in the center of the chaos, his expression serene, almost contemplative. Around him, more werewolves piled on—claws, fangs, magical attacks—all of them coming to a sudden, violent stop in the invisible sphere surrounding him.
It was like watching waves crash against an immovable cliff.
'Now I understand,' Min-Jae thought, watching another set of claws screech to a halt centimeters from his face. 'This is how Gojo actually felt and Why he was so confident all the time.'
The werewolves' attacks continued, growing more frantic, more desperate. But nothing touched him. Nothing even came close.
'This Infinity is broken.'
He raised his right hand slowly, almost lazily, curling it into a fist.
Then he moved.
His fist shot forward in a blur, the first real movement he'd made since the attacks began. The punch connected with the nearest werewolf's skull with a sound like thunder rolling through the cavern.
*CRACK.*
Black and red lightning erupted from the point of impact, crackling across the beast's body. The werewolf's head snapped back with impossible force, its entire body lifted off the ground and hurled backward. It crashed into the cave wall twenty meters away with enough force to crack the stone, then slid to the ground in a crumpled heap, completely unconscious.
*Black Flash. 2× multiplier.*
Min-Jae's body was already moving to the next target before the first beast hit the ground. He twisted, his left fist coming around in a tight arc. Time seemed to slow as his knuckles connected with another werewolf's chest.
*BOOM.*
This time the impact was exponentially stronger. The black lightning intensified, becoming almost blinding. The werewolf's ribcage audibly shattered, its entire body compressing inward for a split second before it was blasted backward like a missile, leaving a trail of disturbed air in its wake.
4× multiplier.
The squad behind him stood frozen, watching in stunned silence.
"Is that..." Han Semi started, her voice barely above a whisper.
Min-Jae didn't pause. Two werewolves lunged at him simultaneously from opposite sides. His hands shot out in perfect synchronization—right fist to the left beast, left fist to the right.
*BOOM. BOOM.*
Twin detonations of magical energy. The black lightning now formed intricate patterns across his arms, visible even to those standing thirty meters away. Both werewolves were launched in opposite directions with devastating force, their bodies ragdolling through the air before slamming into the cave walls hard enough to leave impact craters.
*8× multiplier. Two consecutive hits.*
"He's... he's chaining them," Lee Bora breathed
The remaining werewolves—six of them— backed away, circling, preparing to attack all at once from different angles.
Min-Jae pulled his right arm back slowly, deliberately. His fist was pointed not at any of the beasts, but at the empty air between them.
Magical energy condensed around his hand, visible now even to the non-mages in the group. The black lightning intensified, spreading across his entire arm, then his shoulder, crackling with barely contained power.
The werewolves charged as one, their last desperate gambit.
Min-Jae punched the air.
*KRAAAAAAACK—BOOOOOOOM!*
The sound was apocalyptic. Not just a boom, but a continuous roar that seemed to shake the very foundations of the cave. A massive shockwave of pure force exploded outward from his fist,at a very distinguished area towards the Beasts.
All six werewolves were caught in the shockwave. Their bodies were hurled backward and crashed into the cave walls, the floor, each other—the impacts echoing like drumbeats. Dust and debris exploded from the walls where they hit, chunks of rock crumbling free.
*16× multiplier. Final strike.*
The shockwave continued past the beasts, slamming into the far wall of the cavern with enough force to crack the stone.
Then... silence.
The dust slowly began to settle. The black lightning faded from Min-Jae's arm, dissipating into nothingness. He lowered his fist, rolling his shoulder once as if he'd just finished a light warm-up exercise.
Behind him, the entire squad stood in absolute silence, their mouths hanging open.
"Let's go," he said simply, as if they'd just finished a brief rest stop rather than witnessing a one-sided massacre.
Son stared at him for a long moment, then slowly nodded, a small smile forming on his lips despite his shock.
"Yeah," he managed. "Let's go."
'This is fun.' Min-Jae Thought to himself, before continuing to walk ahead through the dungeon.