[Min-Jae's Perspective]
Back in the Apartment
I sat in my bedroom, controller in hand, eyes fixed on the screen as Messi dribbled past Ramos with that signature left-foot control. A quick fake, a burst of acceleration, and—goal. Top corner. The Barcelona crowd erupted in digital celebration.
'This universe is definitely behind in terms of timeline,' I thought, watching the replay. 'Fifa 17 is the latest version I could find in stores. But honestly? It's also the last good Fifa game anyway, so I'm not complaining.'
I unpaused and continued my Barcelona career mode, already up 3-1 against Real Madrid in El Clásico.
'Two days left until the Jeju Island raid,' I thought as I controlled the midfield, passing between Iniesta and Busquets. 'And still no sign of Sung Jin-Woo joining. Whatever his reason is, it must be important.'
My mind drifted to what I knew about Jeju Island. The ants there ranged from B-Rank to A-Rank individually—nothing I couldn't handle. But the problem wasn't their strength.
'It's the numbers. Hundreds of them. Maybe thousands. That's what wiped out the previous three raids. Though, it would probably take about 3, maybe 4 or max 5 Reversal Red to clear them all."
I scored another goal—Suárez this time—and was about to celebrate when my phone buzzed on the bedside table.
I paused the game and raised my hand slightly, using telekinesis to float the phone over to me. The screen showed an incoming call: *Han Semi*.
We'd exchanged numbers during the car ride when I'd given her a lift. I answered, bringing the phone to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Min-Jae. It's Han Semi. Is this a good time?"
"Yeah, I'm just playing some games. What's up?"
"I saw the official roster came out today. You're on it."
"Yeah, decided to join after all."
"Good. The more S-Ranks we have, the better our chances."
"You nervous?"
"A little. It's my first time on something this big. Usually I'm just doing regular guild raids."
"Makes sense. This one's pretty different from the usual raids. The whole country will be watching."
"Yeah. What about you? Nervous at all?"
"Not really. Should I be?"
She laughed. "Probably a little bit at least. But I guess confidence is good too."
"We'll be fine. Just another raid, right?"
"That's one way to look at it."
We talked for a few more minutes—about random things, really. She mentioned she'd been binge-watching some drama series to pass the time, asked if I watched any shows. I told her I was more into anime and games.
"Fifa 17, huh? I used to play Fifa 16 with my brother sometimes."
"You any good?"
"Terrible, actually. He always beat me."
"Well, if you ever want a rematch, I'm down."
"I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, I should let you get back to your game."
"Alright. See you in two days."
"See you then. Bye, Min-Jae."
"Bye."
I ended the call and tossed the phone onto the bed beside me, staring at the paused Fifa screen for a moment.
'Who's cuter?' The random thought popped into my head. 'Han Semi or that Japanese girl with the candy... what was her name? Akari Shimizu. Yeah. She looked really cute too.'
I rubbed my chin thoughtfully, genuinely considering it like it was some kind of important decision.
'Hard to choose between them. Whatever...' I smirked to myself. 'Let's just say whoever stays alive after Jeju Island is cuter. I'll choose her then.'
Morbid logic? Maybe. But practical.
I unpaused the game and went back to my Barcelona career mode, pushing thoughts of giant ants and deadly raids to the back of my mind.
For now, I had a match to finish.
---
[Narrative Perspective]
The Day of the Raid
A total of about 5,000 hunters had joined for the raid. Hunters from big guilds, independent operators, and even those who had awakened but never officially registered as hunters—they all showed up for this operation.
It demonstrated just how significant this raid was for the entire country.
The plan was straightforward: The Japanese S-Rank hunters would create a diversion outside the main cave on Jeju Island, drawing the ants out into the open. Using signal jammers, they'd disrupt the ants' coordination and scatter them across the island. Meanwhile, the Korean S-Rank hunters would infiltrate the main cave—the nest where the ants bred and emerged—with one objective: eliminate the Ant Queen.
The 5,000 hunters would remain stationed along the shore near the island, forming a defensive perimeter. If any ants attempted to cross toward the mainland, they would intercept and eliminate them.
On paper, the plan was solid. There was no way this raid could fail.
---
"A cameraman traveling with the raid team? Don't you think that's too risky?" Min-Jae asked.
They were currently aboard a military transport helicopter, flying over the ocean toward Jeju Island. The destination: the main cave, as planned.
"I'm a cameraman from the official Hunter Reporting Center," the man replied with a confident smile, adjusting his equipment. "As the name suggests, I specialize in filming hunters. I'm sure it won't be a problem."
"Still, I can't believe they're deploying a cameraman to such a dangerous place. What was Chairman Go Gun-Hee thinking..." Baek Yoon-Ho muttered, shaking his head.
"Well, it's our duty to protect people as hunters," Ma Dong-Wook said with a good-natured smile. "But you know, Mr. Cameraman, you need to understand that your life is in your own hands out there."
"Yeah, don't worry. I may not look like it, but I'm an A-Rank hunter."
The cameraman turned his attention to Min-Jae, looking him up and down. "By the way, Hunter Min-Jae, will it be okay for you to go into this raid wearing just those clothes?"
"Yes , and what with the blindfold? Can you even see with them on ?" Asked Ma Dong-Wook.
Min-Jae glanced down at himself. He was dressed in a black normal jacket over a dark grey shirt, paired with black cargo pants and combat boots. Simple and as Ma Dong-Wook pointed, he was wearing a blindfold now, after realizing why Gojo wear a blindfold in the hard way, after getting a migraine which lasted about 14 hours, the day before.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Min-Jae replied casually. "And I can definitely see more than a normal person can."
Baek Yoon-Ho leaned forward slightly, his expression serious. "After what happened the last three times, the people of this country are looking for vengeance from this raid. This will be the first time they'll see it play out live on broadcast." He paused, looking around at the assembled S-Rank hunters. "Let's make sure we accomplish success this time."
A murmur of agreement passed through the group.
Min-Jae glanced to his right, where Cha Hae-In sat quietly, gazing out the helicopter window at the ocean below. Her platinum blonde hair was tied back in a practical ponytail, and she wore her standard raid attire—light armor designed for mobility.
"You sleep okay last night?" Min-Jae asked.
She turned to look at him. "Not really. You?"
"Nope. Played Fifa until 2 AM."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course you did."
"What, you worried about me?"
"A little. This isn't like the B-Rank gate."
"I know. But we'll be fine."
She seemed to accept that, turning her attention back to the window. After a moment, she spoke again without looking at him. "You didn't eat breakfast this morning, did you?"
"How'd you know?"
"Because I know you. Here." She pulled an energy bar from her utility belt and tossed it to him.
Min-Jae caught it, unwrapping it with a grin. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
Min-Jae finished the energy bar and crumpled the wrapper, tucking it into his pocket.
As closer they get to the island , the air grew more tense around, though, Min-Jae was just chilling out here.
'Lets see what Jeju island holds. I hope not something boring."