Chapter 253: The Unpredictable S-Rank

Chapter 253: Chapter 253: The Unpredictable S-Rank

Once the scorpions had gathered at a sufficient height, Kang Ji-hoon closed his raised hand.

The gravitational fields converged.

The monsters were forced together, their enormous bodies colliding as the space between them rapidly contracted. Before they could recover, Kang Ji-hoon reversed the gravitational force once more, sending the entire mass crashing toward the ground with terrifying acceleration.

The resulting impact shook the battlefield.

A tremendous shock wave spread across the sand, throwing dust into the air and leaving a deep crater where the scorpions had fallen. Their armored bodies were crushed beneath the combined force of the impact, and the remaining movement quickly ceased.

The Awakeners around Kang Ji-hoon stared at the devastation for a brief moment before resuming their advance.

Ares watched the scene with mild interest.

’His control over gravitational magic is fairly impressive. Compressing multiple targets into a single area before forcing them into a high-speed descent allows him to maximize the destructive effect of the impact while minimizing the amount of mana required to eliminate each individual monster.’

His gaze lingered on Kang Ji-hoon for a moment longer before drifting toward the surrounding dunes.

’Still, am I really necessary here? Between the three guild masters and the forty Awakeners accompanying them, they should have more than enough strength to clear this place, provided that the situation does not become significantly more complicated.’

Ares had already used his True Sight to examine the deeper regions of the Gate, extending his perception beyond the visible horizon and through the layers of sand that concealed much of the terrain.

He had found the boss.

The creature was humanoid in its general structure, but its head and upper body resembled those of a lion, with a thick mane surrounding its face and a muscular frame that stood approximately four meters tall. Its lower body was equally imposing, covered in dark, rugged armor that resembled natural stone, while the mana circulating within its body carried two distinct elemental signatures.

Terra energy and hellfire.

The former allowed it to manipulate the earth and reinforce its physical attacks, while the latter manifested as destructive flames capable of burning through both flesh and magical defenses. The two powers intertwined within its body, creating an aura that was considerably more threatening than that of the scorpions currently attacking the expedition.

’What is it supposed to be? A Lion King?’

Ares examined the creature’s energy more carefully, confirming that its overall power had reached the Transcendent Rank.

’Its strength is certainly above that of the monsters we’ve encountered so far, but it should still be manageable for the three guild masters if they work together. The Transcendent Rank is nothing to dismiss lightly, yet it is not beyond their capabilities.’

His lips curved into a faint smile as he continued observing the battle.

’I could eliminate the boss immediately by sending out a body double, but where would the fun be in that? They came here to clear the Gate, after all, and it would be rather disappointing if I solved everything before they had the chance to demonstrate what they could do.’

With that thought, Ares settled back into his role as an observer.

For the moment, at least.

---

The battle continued across the three flanks, and although the Awakeners were gradually gaining the upper hand, the number of scorpions emerging from the sand remained troublesome.

On the left, Ha-eun’s summons continued supporting the frontline while she coordinated the movements of her team. The Stormcrest Griffin swept across the sky, striking at exposed joints, while the Earth Bear held its position against the monsters attempting to force their way through the formation. The Tidefang Serpent restricted the movements of several scorpions at once, creating openings that the Awakeners exploited with increasingly confident attacks.

Despite their progress, however, the pressure on the left flank had begun to increase.

Several scorpions emerged from beneath a nearby dune, forcing the frontline to shift its position. The Earth Bear turned to intercept the nearest creature, while the griffin descended to distract another, leaving a narrow opening between two groups of Awakeners.

One of the scorpions seized the opportunity.

It rushed through the gap with surprising speed, its pincers snapping as it charged toward a B-Rank Awakener who had just finished casting a spell. The man barely had time to turn before the creature swung its enormous body toward him.

"Watch out!"

A nearby Awakener shouted a warning, but the distance was too great for him to intervene.

The man threw himself backward, narrowly avoiding the scorpion’s first attack, only to find another creature approaching from his right. He tried to raise his weapon, but the second scorpion struck before he could properly establish his footing, its massive pincer crashing against his defensive stance.

The impact sent him staggering several steps backward.

His boots dug into the sand as he struggled to maintain his balance, and a sharp pain shot through his arms when the force of the collision traveled through his weapon. Before he could recover, the first scorpion lunged again, forcing him to brace himself against another heavy strike.

He managed to block it.

Unfortunately, he could not withstand the force.

His weapon was knocked aside, and his body was sent tumbling across the sand before he finally came to a stop several meters away. Pain flared through his shoulder and back, leaving him momentarily disoriented as he struggled to push himself upright.

The scorpion advanced.

Its enormous body cast a shadow over him, and the curved stinger rising above its head glistened with poisonous fluid. The man attempted to move, but the impact had left his limbs trembling, and his weapon lay too far away for him to retrieve it before the creature reached him.

He looked toward the other Awakeners in desperation.

Several of them were already engaged in their own battles, desperately trying to prevent the remaining scorpions from breaking through the formation. Those who noticed his predicament attempted to move toward him, but their paths were blocked by the monsters surrounding them, leaving no clear opening through which they could reach him in time.

The man swallowed hard.

’No... not like this.’

The scorpion raised its stinger.

He could see the poisonous liquid dripping from its tip, and the realization that he had no way to escape finally settled over him. His hands tightened instinctively as he braced himself for the attack, but there was nothing he could do to prevent what was coming.

He closed his eyes.

A moment later, a violent explosion tore through the air.

The impact never came.

Instead, a tremendous force struck the scorpion from the side, lifting its enormous body off the ground and sending it hurtling through the air. A spear of crimson fire had pierced its armored torso, leaving a burning trail across the desert as the creature flew several meters before exploding in a brilliant burst of flames.

The heat washed over the fallen Awakener’s face.

He remained frozen for a moment, unable to understand what had happened, before slowly opening his eyes and staring at the place where the scorpion had been standing only an instant earlier.

Nothing remained of the monster except a fading cloud of smoke and several fragments of scorched armor.

His gaze followed the trajectory of the attack until it settled on a young man standing near the center of the battlefield, his dark clothing barely disturbed by the wind and his expression as calm as it had been before the battle began.

The man stared at him in disbelief.

’D-Did he save me? He killed that thing with a single attack... and he didn’t even move from where he was standing.’

Before he could gather his thoughts, the young man began walking toward him.

Ares stopped beside the fallen Awakener and extended a hand, his expression carrying a trace of concern that seemed almost out of place amid the surrounding chaos.

"Are you injured badly enough that you cannot stand, or can you manage if I help you up?" he asked, his voice calm despite the noise of the battle. "You should be more careful about your positioning. Even a monster that appears predictable can become dangerous when you lose sight of the creatures around you."

The Awakener stared at the offered hand for a moment before hurriedly reaching for it.

"Y-Yes, I think I can stand. Thank you very much for saving me. If you hadn’t intervened just now, I don’t think I would have survived that attack."

Ares pulled him to his feet with little effort.

"There’s no need to thank me excessively. Just make sure you return to your group and have someone check your injuries before you rejoin the battle."

"Understood. I will."

Two other Awakeners soon approached, their expressions filled with concern as they examined their companion.

"Are you all right? We saw you get knocked away, but those scorpions kept us from reaching you."

"Did it hit you anywhere? If the stinger pierced your armor, we need to check for venom immediately."

The man shook his head, still somewhat shaken by what had happened.

"I’m fine, although my shoulder hurts. This man saved me just before the scorpion could attack again. He destroyed it with a single strike, and he didn’t even have to move from his position."

The two Awakeners turned toward Ares, their expressions changing from concern to astonishment.

"One strike? You eliminated that thing with a single attack?"

Ares offered them a faint smile.

"It was only one of the smaller problems you need to worry about in a place like this. Take care of your companion and remain aware of your surroundings. There is no point in rushing forward if doing so leaves someone vulnerable to an attack."

The two men immediately nodded, understanding that he was not exaggerating.

"Of course. Thank you for helping him."

The rescued Awakener bowed his head once more before allowing his companions to guide him away from the immediate fighting.

However, the brief reprieve did not last long.

A low rumbling sound rolled across the desert, followed by a series of tremors that caused the sand beneath their feet to shift. Several Awakeners turned toward the distant dunes, their expressions darkening when they saw more enormous silhouettes emerging from the wasteland.

Another swarm of giant scorpions was approaching.

Unlike the first wave, which had emerged relatively close to the expedition’s formation, these creatures were advancing from several hundred meters away, their dark bodies partially obscured by the clouds of sand trailing behind them.

The man who had just been rescued stared at the approaching swarm in disbelief.

"You’re kidding me. How many of these things are there? We have already killed so many, yet another group has appeared before we could even catch our breath."

One of his companions tightened his grip on his weapon.

"If they keep coming at this rate, we’ll eventually be forced to retreat, especially if the next wave is larger than the previous one."

Ares glanced toward the approaching monsters before returning his attention to the two Awakeners.

"Leave this group to me."

The two men stared at him.

"Y-You mean you’re going to fight all of them yourself?"

Ares did not answer immediately. Instead, he raised one hand toward the distant swarm, his fingers coming together in a relaxed gesture before he snapped them.

The sound was quiet.

Yet the moment it echoed across the battlefield, the ground beneath the approaching scorpions began to tremble violently.

"Gravity Hole."

The space above the desert distorted.

A vast black sphere appeared in the air ahead of the swarm, its surface swirling with dense, shadowy energy that seemed to devour the light around it. The phenomenon expanded rapidly, growing into an enormous gravitational vortex that hovered above the battlefield, its dark center surrounded by rippling waves of black mana.

The sand beneath it rose in spiraling currents.