###
World Quest Emergency Response Team Meeting
In the middle of the meeting, the president slammed the table.
“Damn it! There’s no doubt they intentionally released the boss as close to the capital as possible!”
Who would have thought that an A-Rank boss would be summoned in Gyeonggi Province, squeezing through that narrow gap in the defensive coverage?
“Your Excellency, you must make a decision.”
“Seoul is facing destruction.”
The summoned boss monster in Yongin.
Its direction of movement—Seoul.
At this rate, the city would be reduced to rubble. It was an inevitable conclusion.
“Deploy the S-ranks immediately…”
“There is only one officially recognized S-rank left in Korea.”
“Right, that’s true.”
“There’s no way to contact Ghost or the Word Mage at this moment.”
“Besides, it hasn’t even been proven that the Word Mage is actually S-rank.”
Park Cheol-woong’s absence was painfully felt.
How long had it been since he died?
“She’s not capable of soloing. And an A-rank team alone isn’t enough to provide support.”
The only relief was that it wasn’t an S-rank boss.
With a high-ranking team assembled, an A-rank raid boss was still within the realm of possibility.
“Hurry and summon the best possible forces…”
“Even if we gather the most ideal combat power, protecting Seoul is impossible.”
“Why?”
“We just received intelligence on the boss.”
A display screen flickered on.
Standing atop the cityscape was a massive, turtle-shaped monster.
Its sheer size was overwhelming.
The city’s buildings looked like mere playthings in comparison.
On its shell, an entire forest had formed, resembling a floating continent.
“A-rank Raid Boss, Vitatitudo. As you can guess from its appearance, it boasts tremendous durability and endurance.”
“If it’s a durability type, does that mean its offensive power and attack range are low?”
“That’s correct. For now, the damage caused by the boss will be negligible.”
The GSA was rapidly sharing intelligence across all nations.
Other countries were already experiencing mass slaughter at the hands of A-rank raid bosses.
In contrast, Korea had yet to suffer any casualties.
“…Until it reaches Seoul.”
The ominous conclusion hung in the air.
The president swallowed dryly.
“The creature is incredibly docile. Compared to the chaos unfolding elsewhere, we’re lucky.”
“And yet?”
“The ending will be catastrophic.”
The name Vitatitudo meant ‘Colossal Life’.
Once it selected a habitat, it would establish its own ecosystem there.
“Experts have analyzed its movement patterns and confirmed that Seoul has been designated as its nesting ground.”
“What exactly does ‘establishing its own ecosystem’ entail?”
“Upon arrival, it will begin ‘terrain leveling.’”
The footage played.
A real Vitatitudo residing in Thea.
Just like the one in Yongin, it walked with heavy steps before suddenly halting and sinking to the ground.
Then, the camera view zoomed out.
When Vitatitudo became a mere speck in the distance—
A massive shockwave erupted.
Kwaaang—!
Everyone in the conference room gasped.
A crater larger than Seoul itself had formed around Vitatitudo.
At its center, vegetation sprouted at an alarming rate.
It was as if the ecosystem on its shell had expanded to cover the entire landscape.
“That… that can’t be…!”
“Yes. A monster-created ecosystem. A ‘Demonic Realm.’”
Seoul would become like the northern territories—transformed into a Demonic Realm.
And that colossal explosion would obliterate all life in the city.
“Y-Your Excellency! We absolutely cannot let this happen! We must stop it!”
“We must act immediately! Gather every high-rank Awakened across the nation…”
“I already told you—it’s impossible.”
The briefing was not yet over.
“Vitatitudo is a high-durability type. Based on Korea’s combat power, it would take a minimum of three days to subjugate it.”
“…And how long until it reaches Seoul?”
“At its current speed, approximately four hours.”
The president felt his vision go dark.
“What… what are our options?”
“One is requesting the U.S. to launch a nuclear strike. The other is a joint operation between the S-rank and Ghost.”
There was still a sliver of hope.
“If Ghost assists, do you think it’s possible?”
“Uncertain. He did possess the power to kill Park Cheol-woong, but whether his attack method would work on such a massive creature is unknown.”
Awakened abilities came in countless forms.
If Ghost’s ability manifested as a sword that cuts anything—
It could certainly sever Park Cheol-woong’s neck.
But if that sword was only the size of a human weapon, it would barely scratch Vitatitudo.
“More importantly, we don’t have enough time.”
“We can’t afford to waste time trying to contact him, and there’s no guarantee we’ll even reach him.”
“The success rate is less than 20%. A nuclear strike remains the most reliable option.”
“…”
Even the president hesitated to make such a decision.
This was a true no-win scenario.
“Your Excellency, I urge you to request a nuclear strike from the U.S….”
“…Are you insane? You’re suggesting we detonate a nuke in Gyeonggi Province? If we hit Yongin, the fallout will reach Seoul!”
Not to mention—what kind of leader orders a nuclear strike on his own people?
It would be an unprecedented and catastrophic stain on history.
The president couldn’t even voice his despair aloud. He could only scream internally.
‘Dear God… What in the world is happening…?’
Four hours until Seoul’s destruction.
Would he melt his own citizens with nuclear fire?
Or bet everything on a gamble with a success rate under 20%?
Both options were horrifying.
“…We could attempt to subjugate it first, and if that fails, then…”
“Impossible. Vitatitudo will enter the no-strike zone within an hour.”
Once it got too close to Seoul, even a nuclear strike would be off the table.
“Your Excellency, you must decide now.”
“Your Excellency.”
“Your Excellency!”
The president shut his trembling eyes tightly.
###
Even though Kang Hyun could take down a B-rank boss in a single strike,
it wasn’t something to be taken lightly.
Kuuung. Kuuung.
‘Wow, just listen to those footsteps.’
Even from a distance, standing still was difficult.
He was moving against the evacuation route, lost in thought.
‘So Vitatitudo is A-rank. Well, even if it’s docile, it’s absurdly tough.’
And its nesting habit—
From a human perspective, it was nothing short of horrifying.
An E-rank boss required a party of roughly six E-rank Awakened.
But B-rank bosses? The entire raid composition changed from that tier onward.
At minimum, a B-rank boss required a team of ten, sometimes far more depending on its type.
In other words, a monster that took dozens of B-rank Awakened several hours to defeat.
That was the kind of B-rank boss Kang Hyun had taken down.
‘And now, a raid boss on top of that.’
Dungeons came in various types.
That’s why most raid parties picked dungeons that suited their strengths.
Kang Hyun was no different.
He had only ventured into dungeons vulnerable to his Words of Power.
Among those, there existed single-boss dungeons.
Just like Providence.
Unlike standard dungeons, which featured mobs, gimmicks, and a boss at the end, single-boss dungeons contained nothing but a single, powerful entity.
These bosses were known as Raid Bosses.
Naturally, all of the dungeon’s difficulty was concentrated on a single entity, making them far tougher and more powerful.
Kuuung. Kuuung—
“Hey, you! The one in the black hood!”
A police officer blocked Kang Hyun’s path.
“You can’t go that way! Forget your belongings and evacuate immediately—”
“【Sleep】.”
The officer’s eyes glazed over.
A small portal opened beneath his feet, safely relocating him.
If he stayed here, he’d just get trampled by the fleeing crowd.
【Sleep】.
One of the two new Words of Power Kang Hyun had recently acquired.
Kuuung. Kuuuuung—
The vibrations grew stronger.
As he approached Vitatitudo, the area became eerily empty.
No refugees. No police.
Only the occasional unconscious body—
People who had collapsed and been trampled in the panicked crowd.
He opened portals to send them to safety.
Finally, he reached the space directly beneath the monster.
Kuuuuuuung—!
“【Gara】.”
With a quiet murmur, he kicked off the ground, his body soaring upward.
Then, 【Stop】—he fixed his feet in midair.
Now hovering right in front of Vitatitudo’s face, he met its gaze.
No reaction.
‘How incredibly docile.’
If not for its disastrous method of selecting a nesting ground, they could’ve just left it alone.
With two fingers, he pressed a specific point on his throat.
A fundamental technique of Word Mages—adjusting vocal resonance.
Since Vitatitudo had poor hearing,
he narrowed the range of his voice, extending it precisely and clearly.
There was no other choice.
This ability had to be heard, loud and clear, by the target.
“Ahem, can you hear me?”
The monster’s eyes locked onto him.
Guess it could hear.
“Spirit.”
The Covenant had begun.
“Soul. Essence.”
He glanced downward.
Wouldn’t matter if this thing suddenly collapsed.
Everyone should’ve evacuated by now.
“Ritual. Command.”
Recognizing him, Vitatitudo slowly opened its mouth.
This was how it consumed prey.
Like a blue whale, it swam forward with its mouth agape, letting food drift in.
Did he look appetizing?
As its mouth widened, the grinding of massive stone echoed.
Gaaagaagaaak—
“End. Termination.”
The whir of helicopter blades filled the air.
Thududududu—
Looking up, he saw multiple helicopters approaching at once.
Military. News stations. Medical teams.
Seemed like the authorities were scrambling to respond.
“Declaration.”
His eyes met the news cameras.
Oh, the lens was zooming in.
Probably trying to get a close-up.
“Fade.”
The Covenant was complete.
Pulling his hood lower, he adjusted his mask.
His face was already covered, but better safe than sorry.
Getting involved with the media would be a pain.
And it wasn’t like he could just shoot them down.
As the shadow of Vitatitudo’s gaping maw loomed over him—
“【Die】.”
Saaah—
The light faded from Vitatitudo’s small eyes.
Kuuung.
The earth-shaking steps ceased.
Then, slowly, its massive body collapsed.
Its belly crashed into the ground.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaang—!
###
(TLN: The novel finishes at ch. 67… So we decided to finish the translation.)
