The Iron Core guild's emergency alert system pierced the pre-dawn quiet with the particular urgency reserved for crisis situations. Jun's consciousness surfaced from deep sleep with the trained reflexes of someone who had learned that delayed response could mean the difference between life and death. His MARK was already interfacing with the guild's communication network before he was fully awake, downloading priority briefings and tactical assessments that painted a picture of escalating catastrophe.
Multiple simultaneous incidents across Seoul. Seven teams compromised. Casualty reports pending.
The numbers scrolled across his neural interface with clinical precision, but they failed to capture the human cost of what was clearly a coordinated assault on Seoul's hunter infrastructure. Someone had moved beyond reconnaissance and testing to active warfare, and they had chosen their moment with devastating effectiveness.
Jun's fingers moved across his MARK's interface as he pulled up the detailed incident reports, his analytical mind automatically processing patterns and implications even as he dressed with practiced efficiency. The attacks had occurred simultaneously across the city—too coordinated to be coincidental, too sophisticated to be the work of simple criminals.
This is what they were preparing for, he realized with crystalline clarity. All the reconnaissance, all the testing, all the systematic mapping of our capabilities—it was building toward this moment.
The guild's briefing room was already crowded when he arrived, the atmosphere heavy with tension and the particular focus that characterized crisis response. Tae-hwan stood at the central display, his expression carrying the weight of command decisions that would affect not just their guild, but potentially the entire hunter community.
"Status report," Tae-hwan said as Jun entered, his voice carrying the controlled urgency of someone managing multiple critical situations simultaneously.
Han Mirae looked up from her workstation, where multiple data streams painted a picture of systematic assault. "Seven confirmed attacks, all occurring within a fifteen-minute window. The coordination suggests central command and control, probably using the quantum-encrypted communication protocols Daesung identified."
Seo Hana studied the tactical display with the intensity she reserved for combat analysis. "Casualty reports?"
"Fourteen hunters hospitalized with neural feedback injuries," Park Sooyoung replied, her medical training evident in the systematic way she organized the information. "Three are in critical condition. The neural damage patterns are consistent with forced MARK disconnection, but more severe than anything we've seen before."
The implications sent a chill through the assembled team. If their opponents could inflict this level of damage across multiple teams simultaneously, no hunter in Seoul was safe from attack.
Choi Daesung's voice carried from his monitoring station, where he was tracking intelligence sources throughout the city. "Black market communications have gone completely dark. Whatever organization is behind this, they've implemented total communication security."
Jun felt the pieces of a larger puzzle clicking into place with terrifying clarity. "They're not just attacking individual teams anymore. This is a systematic assault designed to cripple Seoul's gate defense capabilities."
"Which raises the immediate question," Tae-hwan said grimly, "of whether our countermeasures can protect us if they decide to target Iron Core directly."
The question hung in the briefing room's climate-controlled atmosphere like a physical presence. Jun's countermeasures had been designed to protect against the reconnaissance attacks they had encountered, but this level of coordinated assault represented a significant escalation in both scale and sophistication.
"There's only one way to find out," Jun replied, his voice carrying a confidence he didn't entirely feel. "We need to test the countermeasures under actual combat conditions."
Lee Minjae entered the briefing room with uncharacteristic urgency, his usual theatrical demeanor replaced by genuine concern. "I've been monitoring the mana-tech networks. There are reports of similar coordinated attacks in Busan, Daegu, and Gwangju. This isn't limited to Seoul—it's a nationwide operation."
The revelation sent a collective chill through the team. If the attacks were coordinated across multiple cities, they were dealing with an organization that possessed resources and planning capabilities far beyond anything they had initially suspected.
"Government response?" Tae-hwan asked.
"The Bureau is implementing emergency protocols," Minjae replied. "All non-essential gate operations have been suspended, and they're demanding immediate technical briefings from any guild that has developed countermeasures."
Jun exchanged a glance with Mirae, both of them understanding the implications. Their countermeasures would no longer be a secret advantage—they would become the foundation for Seoul's defense against whatever their opponents were planning next.
"How quickly can we implement the countermeasures across Iron Core's entire roster?" Tae-hwan asked.
"The basic protection protocols can be deployed within two hours," Mirae replied. "But the advanced countermeasures Jun developed require individual calibration for each MARK device. That's a minimum of six hours for full implementation."
"We may not have six hours," Hana observed, her tactical training evident in the way she processed threat timelines. "If they're moving to active assault, they'll want to eliminate any teams that might pose a threat to their operation."
As if summoned by her words, the guild's proximity alarms activated with the particular tone that indicated hostile approach. Jun's MARK immediately interfaced with the building's security systems, painting a tactical picture that made his blood run cold.
Multiple contacts approaching from three directions. Movement patterns consistent with coordinated assault. Electronic warfare signatures detected.
"We're under attack," he announced, his voice cutting through the sudden tension. "Multiple hostiles, electronic warfare capabilities active."
Tae-hwan's response was immediate and decisive. "Combat protocols. Everyone to defensive positions. Jun, can you maintain our MARK functionality under attack?"
Jun's fingers were already dancing across his device's interface, implementing the countermeasures he and Mirae had developed while simultaneously coordinating the guild's defensive systems. "Countermeasures active. I can maintain basic functionality, but if they're using the same level of sophistication we saw in the coordinated attacks..."
His words were cut off as the first wave of electronic assault crashed against the guild's defenses. Jun felt his MARK shudder under the impact, its quantum processors struggling to maintain coherence against interference patterns that were far more aggressive than anything they had previously encountered.
This isn't just reconnaissance or testing, he realized with growing alarm. They're trying to completely disable our capabilities before the physical assault begins.
The guild's main entrance exploded inward with the particular violence of shaped charges, and figures in black tactical gear poured through the breach with military precision. But instead of conventional weapons, they carried devices that hummed with the distinctive frequency of mana-tech weaponry.
"Electronic warfare specialists," Hana called out, her sword blazing to life as she moved to intercept the assault team. "They're trying to disable our MARKs before engaging in direct combat."
Jun's countermeasures held against the initial electronic assault, but he could feel them degrading under the sustained attack. His opponents had clearly studied his defensive protocols and developed specific countermeasures designed to overwhelm his innovations.
They know exactly how my systems work, he realized with crystalline clarity. Someone with access to our technical specifications is directing this attack.
The battle that followed was unlike anything Jun had experienced. It wasn't just physical combat—it was a war between competing technologies, with each side trying to gain advantage through superior understanding of mana-tech principles.
Minjae's fire spells flickered and sparked as his MARK struggled against electronic interference. Sooyoung's healing capabilities were reduced to basic first aid as her medical systems failed under sustained attack. Even Tae-hwan's enhanced strength was compromised as his MARK's augmentation systems degraded.
But Jun's countermeasures held, creating a bubble of functionality that allowed the team to maintain basic coordination. It wasn't perfect—their capabilities were significantly reduced—but it was enough to mount an effective defense.
"The countermeasures are working," he called out, his voice tight with concentration as he fought to maintain system integrity. "But I can't hold them indefinitely."
The assault team's leader—a figure whose tactical gear bore the distinctive markings of Black Viper—raised a device that hummed with ominous energy. Jun's analytical mind immediately recognized the signature: a focused electromagnetic pulse designed to overload MARK neural interfaces.
If that device activates, it will cause permanent neurological damage to anyone within range.
Without conscious thought, Jun triggered every defensive protocol he had developed, pushing his MARK beyond safe operational limits to create a protective field that encompassed the entire team. The device's temperature spiked dangerously, warning lights flashing red as quantum processors strained against impossible demands.
The electromagnetic pulse struck his barriers like a physical blow, but the countermeasures held. The assault team's leader staggered back in apparent shock—their ultimate weapon had been neutralized by technology they hadn't anticipated.
In that moment of confusion, Iron Core struck back with devastating effectiveness. Hana's blade carved through tactical gear with enhanced precision, Minjae's flames roared with renewed intensity, and Tae-hwan's shield became an unstoppable force that scattered the assault team like leaves in a hurricane.
The battle was over in minutes, but its implications would resonate far beyond the guild's walls. Jun had proven that effective countermeasures were possible, but he had also revealed the true sophistication of their opponents' capabilities.
As emergency services arrived to process the captured assault team members, Jun found himself studying the electromagnetic pulse device with growing unease. The technology was far more advanced than anything that should exist outside government research facilities.
We're not just fighting criminals or rogue hunters, he realized with crystalline clarity. We're fighting someone with access to military-grade technology and classified research.
The war for Seoul's hunter community had begun in earnest, and Jun was no longer certain that even his innovations would be enough to ensure their survival.