Jeju Island

Jeju Island, located off the southern coast of Korea, became the site of an unprecedented monster outbreak after an S-Rank Gate opened on the island. The gate spawned a massive colony of highly aggressive ant-type monsters that quickly overran the area, forcing a complete evacuation of the civilian population and leading to multiple failed attempts to reclaim the island.

The ants, initially confined to the island, underwent a terrifying evolution. They developed wings, enabling them to fly across the ocean to neighboring islands and the mainland. This new mobility turned the Jeju Island crisis into a national emergency, prompting the Korean Hunters Association to organize a fourth large-scale raid. The operation was supported by 10 S-Rank Hunters from Japan's Draw Sword Guild, alongside several of Korea's own S-Rank hunters.

The raid initially proceeded as planned, with the combined force pushing deep into the ant nest and successfully killing the Ant Queen. However, just as the hunters believed victory was near, the Ant King—the Queen's strongest offspring—emerged from hiding. In a matter of minutes, the Ant King demonstrated overwhelming speed and power, slaughtering half of the participating S-Rank Hunters and throwing the entire operation into chaos.

With the assault force on the brink of annihilation, Sung Jin-Woo arrived on Jeju Island. Using his shadow monarch abilities, he swiftly engaged and killed the Ant King in single combat. He then extracted the creature's shadow, naming it Beru, who would later become one of his most powerful and loyal shadow soldiers. The remaining ants, now leaderless and disoriented, were systematically exterminated over the following two days by the surviving hunters stationed around the island.

The successful clearance of Jeju Island cemented Sung Jin-Woo's reputation as the most formidable hunter in existence and secured a powerful new asset for his shadow army. The event also marked the closing of the S-Rank Gate and the end of a long-standing national nightmare, transforming Jeju Island from a symbol of despair into a testament to humanity's resilience against the dangers of the gates.