By Zephyria 
The dragonfish, flustered by the barrage of attacks, spotted a weak link among the hunters forming a human wall and began to bite relentlessly. As a hunter who couldn’t hold their ground screamed and was thrown back, the dragonfish charged forward without any preparatory motion.
At the end of its charging path, long-range dealer hunters, who were relatively vulnerable in defense, were pouring out attacks.
“Agh! I knew it was too easy!”
Pi Min-hyeong quickly blinked to intercept the beast and swung his sword. After a few clashes, he was kicked in the chest and sent flying, spitting blood, but he bought enough time for Lee Sarang to leap in.
“Kieeeaaaah! These are real fish scales!”
Tears streaming down her face, Lee Sarang transformed her body into iron and refused to let go of the dragonfish’s foreleg. Even as the dragonfish struggled with its bulging tendons and slammed its head down onto her crown repeatedly, Lee Sarang held on, and other hunters soon joined in.
“Miss Gabyeolcho! Great job!”
“It’s too gross! I hate fish!”
“Big sister will buy you snacks after the raid!”
The offensive and defensive coordination began to flow smoothly again. Kim Si-baek, who had been about to join in, gave a small smile and ran toward Pi Min-hyeong, who was sprawled in the distance. Tae-un supported him, as Pi Min-hyeong seemed unable to get up easily, likely having hit his head during the fall.
“Tsk. All that bulk and you can’t even hold your own.”
Normally, he would have snapped back, but Pi Min-hyeong was truly dizzy and couldn’t even speak, so Kim Si-baek quickly treated him.
“The defense enchantment on your uniform is sturdy, so fortunately your ribs aren’t broken, just cracked. I’ve treated them, but there will be some lingering pain.”
“Thanks, hyung-nim. I love you.”
Pi Min-hyeong spat out the blood pooling in his mouth and tapped his dizzy head. Then, he charged back toward the dragonfish. After staggering once or twice, he seemed to have recovered his condition by the time he joined the fray.
While Kim Si-baek was treating him, Tae-un, who had been slicing through the attacking magical beasts in great chunks, clutched his chest with a pale face. Kim Si-baek quickly hugged him and patted his back.
“Hyung, the smell of blood is so pungent I feel like I’m going to throw up…”
“Oh dear, what to do. Is it that hard? Let’s be brave and endure it just a little longer, our Un-i.”
[Death and Beauty shakes its head, relieved that the raid will likely end before the author’s pretense breaks.]
As Biyendwe lamented, there were a few unexpected situations, but the dragonfish raid proceeded smoothly. Thanks to Kim Si-baek’s timely support, no hunters suffered serious injuries.
Time passed quickly. The dragonfish’s movements became significantly sluggish as it bled from various large and small wounds.
‘Gu Yeong-min is quiet too.’
Kim Si-baek scanned the people visible in the distance. That was where the employees and researchers of the Supernatural Phenomenon Response Agency, including Gwak Yun-sang and Gu Yeong-min, were located.
He had activated a sacred relic to mark Gu Yeong-min before the raid began, and so far, there had been no movement. Perhaps he was waiting for the moment they let their guard down after successfully completing the dragonfish raid.
“Just die already!”
Though there were no seriously injured, the hunters were exhausted from the prolonged raid. Just as they were squeezing out their last bit of strength and magical power to deliver the final blow—it happened.
[Death and Beauty is shocked, its tail feathers standing stiffly on end.]
“…!”
Slightly slower than Biyendwe, Kim Si-baek sensed the change, and his complexion turned pale. Magical energy erupted from the dragonfish. It was a sign of evolution.
At the same time, a quest window appeared.
[Oh my! The evolution of a magical beast! This is the first time such an event has occurred on Earth, but our Returner should have no problem, right? ㅇ_<)] [Quest 14] [Defeat the S-class magical beasts of the Individuality Field (0/5)] Great Arrow was, as its name suggested, a guild proficient in hunting flying magical beasts. It was only natural that they were matched with Banmo, an S-class magical beast of the Individuality Field with a human face and a bird's body. Since they had failed the raid once last year, Great Arrow had prepared for it with gritted teeth. “Yes! One wing snapped!” One of Banmo's wings slumped downward, and it began to fall. The raid team cheered. It was at that moment that a long scream erupted from the mouth of Banmo, which had been breathing out heat and curses. “Wha- what is this?!” Even those who couldn't sense magical energy felt the air currents change around Banmo. Wind pressure surged, and the exploding magical energy stirred the surroundings like thick tar. As the hunters struggled against an inexplicable pressure, Banmo let out a loud cry. In an instant, the sky grew dark and gloomy, and the rays of light vanished. The legendary Banmo was a monster that hid during the day and flapped its wings at night. Though the evolved Banmo was merely a part of the firmament, it brought the night. This phenomenon occurred not only with the dragonfish and Banmo but simultaneously across the entire Individuality Field. All S-class magical beasts had evolved. ✽ ✽ ✽ “Sister!” There was no knowing when Edokus might manifest magical energy. He couldn't guarantee that Edokus's magical energy wouldn't be captured and then vanish in the brief moment he looked away. He had to observe without taking his eyes off for a single second, and he couldn't delegate the task to others. Mages with the necessary skill were rare, and Nasluik fundamentally did not trust others. Recovering from the heavy fatigue weighing on his shoulders through the healing of the priests of Death and Beauty, Nasluik, who had been enduring without sleep, placed his hand on the magic circle and shouted. Gloiuken, who had been on standby nearby, rushed over. “What is it?” “It's Edokus's magical energy!” His words meant that they could now connect Mak Slecht and Earth via a dimensional portal. As Gloiuken's eyes widened, Nasluik captured Edokus's magical energy and finally activated the magic circle. ✽ ✽ ✽ [Death and Beauty is appalled, saying it seems all the named magical beasts have evolved. It fumes, asking how it's even possible for magical beasts to evolve without any omen.] “...The magical beasts were forcibly evolved.” Kim Si-baek quickly scanned his surroundings. The hunters, who had been thrown far back, unable to withstand the harsh wind pressure generated by the magical energy, were panicked, and Gwak Yun-sang's wireless communication rang incessantly. And Gu Yeong-min remained silent. Tae-un, standing close beside him, whispered. “Is this Gu Yeong-min's doing?” “No. It feels like Edokus, but...” Kim Si-baek clenched his teeth. Two conditions are required for an S-class magical beast to evolve: the desire of the beast having realized the necessity of evolution, and sufficient time for that desire to ripen. The S-class magical beasts of the Individuality Field evolved simultaneously. Setting aside the former, the latter was impossible unless someone had forcibly evolved the beasts. However, the problem was the fact that not only Edokus, but every Chaos Grand Warrior who had appeared in Mak Slecht until now, lacked the ability to forcibly accelerate the evolution of magical beasts. 'First, sprouting magical beasts one by one after 21 years, and now forcing evolution, something that couldn't even be done in Mak Slecht...' His mind grew complicated by the situation on Earth, which defied common sense in many ways, but now was the time to deal with the evolved beast rather than search for the cause. “Section Chief Gwak!” Gwak Yun-sang, who had been exchanging wireless communications, hurriedly lowered the magical tool he had brought tied to the top of the vehicle at the shout. Though the evolution was sudden, they had prepared for it. Evolution of magical beasts takes three directions: evolution that develops the origin, evolution that satisfies desire, or evolution back to the prime before being eradicated by humanity. Just as the legendary Banmo was active at night, the dragonfish was a monster that lived in the water. If it had evolved in the third direction, it would surely have awakened the ability to control water. Having received information from Kim Si-baek that S-class magical beasts could evolve, the Supernatural Phenomenon Response Agency had manufactured magical tools to counter this. For the Banmo raid team, a tool that could light up the area like day; for the dragonfish raid team, a tool that could defend against torrential currents. “It really evolved?!” Only the Guild Masters had shared the relevant information. Justina and Jo Byeong-seok, who had been skeptical about the evolution of magical beasts, gathered their guild members, but the dragonfish, whose physical abilities had increased remarkably, had already put a great distance between them. As the dragonfish retreated at a speed difficult for humans to match, droplets of water began to form around it, quickly turning into a violent torrent. Justina, intuiting the beast's next attack, ordered a long-range attack, but the distance was too far. The distance to Gwak Yun-sang, who was running with the magical tool, and the raid team was also too great. “Throw it!” The magical tool, similar in size to a coffin, was practically a weapon just by its size and weight. Gwak Yun-sang hesitated for a moment at Tae-un's shout, then bit his lip and threw the magical tool with all his might. Whoosh! Even the sound of it cutting through the air was heavy. Tae-un caught the magical tool as it flew toward him like a projectile. Receiving the magical tool, which carried both accelerated speed and weight, Tae-un's feet were pushed back 20 centimeters from where he stood. A cloud of dust rose beneath his feet. Anyone else would have been thrown back and seriously injured, as if hit by a car, let alone catching the tool. “Can you handle this alone?” “Just buy me some time, hyung.” After patting his shoulder once, Kim Si-baek dashed forward. Almost simultaneously, a jet of water surged like a cannon shell from the distant dragonfish.