Chapter 180: The Crisis of the Zootopia Guild

Before Kei could even savor the joy of successfully repairing a breastplate on his first try, Clark offered a knowing grin and dumped a massive basket right down before him.

Clack! Clatter!

The heavy sound of metal colliding echoed heavily. The basket was practically brimming with damaged armor pieces, some dented, some split apart, and a few still smeared with dried, uncleaned streaks of blood.

Kei stared at the basket, then shifted his gaze to Clark in absolute silence.

"This is..."

"Your next task," Clark crossed his arms, his smile deepening. "You just proved you’re capable of fixing a single suit of armor. So go ahead and fix the rest of them; all of us need to pull our weight around here."

The joy swelling within Kei’s chest froze solid instantly.

He gazed down at the pile of gear rising nearly to his chest, unconsciously realizing that Clark had praised him far too prematurely just moments ago.

"Don’t worry. I’ll personally inspect each piece after you finish repairing them."

Clark spoke in an unbothered tone, though that smile didn’t carry an ounce of genuine comfort.

Kei slowly pulled his gloves back on. He looked at the mountain of armor, then glanced toward the hunters outside waiting for their gear to be patched up.

This was work that needed to be done. He knew that much all too well.

It’s just that...

Who would have thought the boundary between feeling validated and being hurled straight into hell could feel so terrifyingly close...

Kei let out a long sigh, hauling the first damaged breastplate out of the basket.

---

Across the other side of the city, Kai marched alongside Lucas toward the frontline.

The closer they drew to the defensive perimeter, the more frantic the sounds of combat grew. The air was thick with smoke, drifting earth, and the metallic tang of blood. Hunters were desperately holding the defensive line with their own bodies, parading monster onslaughts while safeguarding injured comrades positioned just behind them.

Some erected barrier shields against an oncoming beast. Others swung swords, hacking mercilessly at vulnerable weak points despite razor-sharp claws raking mere inches past their skin. Quick, makeshift bandages wrapped around bleeding wounds, yet no one possessed the luxury to pause a second longer than strictly necessary.

Kai swept his gaze across the chaotic scene, the combative grin upon his lips gradually fading, replaced by a rare, solemn gravity.

"Lucas, which target needs to be handled first?"

Lucas pointed toward a wide thoroughfare that had been blasted to ruin. There, a colossal serpent-like monster was being swarmed by a ring of hunters. Pitch-black scales coated its entire serpentine frame, gleaming like plate armor. Every time it lashed its body, the surrounding hunters were forced to scramble backward to evade its heavy tail slamming into the ground.

"That Boss is an S-rank," Lucas stated, his voice heavy. "Six S-rank hunters are pinning it down, but none of them can deliver a fatal blow because its body possesses continuous regenerative properties. If it shatters our encirclement, the defensive line in the rear is finished."

Kai let out a booming laugh.

"Then leave it to me."

Without waiting for Lucas to reply, a pair of pitch-black dragon wings snapped open behind Kai’s back. Pushing off the ground with explosive force, he rocketed straight into the air, hurtling directly toward the Boss.

"Get back!" Kai roared.

The six S-rank hunters scattered instantly to either side. The black serpent reared its head, burning crimson eyes locking onto the figure hurtling downward from above. It gaped its maw, baring rows of razor-sharp fangs like rows of daggers.

Kai didn’t slow his momentum in the slightest.

Swinging his arm, his dark claws tore through the air, slamming squarely into the monster’s thick neck. A piercing shriek of impact rang out. Hardened scales showered sparks, and the creature’s massive body was knocked violently off balance, crashing hard into a mountain of rubble.

The ground shuddered.

"Don’t just stand there gawking!" Lucas barked at the surrounding hunters. "Focus on the remaining monsters! Leave the Boss to Black Dragon Kai!"

The formation surged back into motion. With Kai stationed on the frontline, the crushing pressure bearing down upon the Zootopia Guild’s hunters eased dramatically. Those who had been straining to hold the Boss down could now pull back to reinforce other sectors, while exhausted rear-line hunters finally found breathing room to retreat for medical treatment.

Lucas gripped his tablet, rapidly marking the defense sectors Kai was currently reinforcing. Yet the relief etched across his features lasted barely a second.

On the tactical map, three separate black rifts were opening across different districts of Ji-pong City.

Beyond Ji-pong, Myung-do, the alternate SS-rank city managed by the Zootopia Guild, was likewise undergoing an active Dungeon Break.

That was precisely why Hwang Do Hyun was absent. The guild master had led half the Guild’s forces to Myung-do to secure the defensive line over there.

This marked the inaugural occasion the Zootopia Guild had ever been forced to confront the nightmare of dual SS-rank cities experiencing concurrent Dungeon Breaks. To make matters worse, Ji-pong City wasn’t just dealing with a single breached Dungeon gate, it was facing a staggering three!

Lucas tightened his grip around the tablet.

A Boss had already manifested on the frontline, two separate sectors still demanded active reinforcement while the two Bosses from the remaining breached Dungeons lurked in the shadows, and Myung-do City not far away was actively drowning in an ocean of monsters.

He stared at the three dark markers on the display, a suffocating wave of pressure crushing down upon his chest.

Kai could help them hold down a single front. Yet if the situation across the remaining zones deteriorated simultaneously, would their meager manpower truly suffice to weather the storm?

The roar of the Boss echoed from ahead, jerking Lucas back to reality.

Stowing his tablet away, he charged toward the defensive line to lend support; under the current severe shortage of hunters, even a commanding officer like Lucas was forced to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with his troops to safeguard their stronghold.