REINCARNATION OF THE STRONGEST WAR HERO

What was unfolding ahead was unbearable. Logan's instincts screamed at him to rush in, to fight alongside them and protect those in danger. His body leaned forward, ready to dash.

But before he could even take a step, a firm hand clamped down on his shoulder, halting him in place.

"Don't charge recklessly. Listen to me first." Ali's voice was calm yet heavy with authority. "If we fight the boss here, too many lives will be lost. We have to lure it away. For now, let the other hunters handle the remaining monsters. You and Noah will focus only on defending its attacks. I'll try to force it away. Do you understand?"

Logan forced himself to breathe, testing his emotions before nodding. For a moment, the surge of heat in his chest had clouded his judgment. But he knew... losing the ability to think clearly in such a dire situation would only make things worse.

Beside him, Noah also nodded. Unlike most, his calm was born from years of being a hunter. He was already seasoned in facing chaos like this.

Once Ali saw that they were ready to move, he charged forward without hesitation, taking the lead. Logan and Noah fell in behind him.

In the middle of the chaos, the boss prepared its next strike. Its massive head tilted back, eyes fixed on the sky as fire gathered within its throat. The glow burned brighter with each passing second, as if it were about to unleash a single breath capable of reducing everything to ash.

On the ground, the hunters' condition was dire. They could feel it—the crushing weight in the air, the wild rhythm of their own hearts pounding in their chests, the beads of sweat forming on their brows and sliding down their faces one by one.

Any moment now, death would descend. They just didn't know whose turn it would be.

Who would die, and who would be left behind to witness this tragic scene while imagining their own inevitable end?

And soon, their wait came to an end.

With a deafening roar, the creature thrust its head forward. Flames burst from its mouth, wild and untamed—like molten lava erupting from the heart of an enraged volcano.

Despair washed over everyone. Wherever the boss aimed its fire, the hunters in that direction felt as if time itself had slowed. They could see death rushing toward them, inevitable and merciless.

Leonard's party was on that path. He was an A-class hunter, yet even he couldn't escape the grip of fear. For the first time, death itself loomed so close, and it swallowed his courage whole.

Just as the group thought it was over—that in the next instant their souls would be ripped from their bodies—something happened.

Out of thin air, a massive sphere of water formed, hanging in the sky. The moment the raging fire slammed into it, a deafening hiss erupted. Steam exploded outward as the flames were devoured, neutralized bit by bit, as if the water itself was eating away the fire.

Everyone was frozen in place. Shocked.

"We're… still alive? How can that be?"

Disbelief cracked through their voices, trembling as their eyes darted around. Heads turned, searching desperately for an answer.

"Was it the Guildmaster? But… he doesn't even have water affinity."

"Then… Mr. Noah? No… not him either."

None of them knew. Moments ago, death itself had been rushing toward them, they were almost at their end, but now, somehow, they were still breathing. The same question lingered on every pale face, heavy and unshakable.

"Who? Who saved us?"

The weight of that mystery hung thick in the air, pressing down on every chest. It was gratitude they felt, but mixed with confusion, terror as well. Because what if the same person isn't present during the next attack or maybe a bit late. They were desperate to find out.

Just when perplexity was at its peak, Logan landed quietly beside them.

But no one even looked his way. Not because he was weak, but because right now, in a battlefield where death had already reached out its hand, no one could possibly be in awe of a young talent who someday would turn into something great..

Because was Logan strong? Of course. But strong enough to stop that apocalyptic fire? In their minds, impossible.

Only if they knew. Only if they realized who had truly pulled them back from the edge.

But a few had seen something. And that left them speechless.

Among them was Lilith. And Gideon.

Both stood frozen, their eyes wide as the truth settled in, disbelief written across their faces. Some others were also included in that group of dumbfounded people. Leo, a female party captain named Venessa.

While some were still frozen in shock and others caught in hesitation, Ali's voice cut through the chaos like steel.

"Everyone! Noah, Aiden, and I will deal with the boss. Meanwhile, keep doing what you were already doing—hold off the other monsters. Don't fight recklessly. Make sure you all come back alive!"

His words had barely left his lips when the wyvern, enraged that its last attack had missed, began preparing for another strike. Its throat swelled, flames building again.

But then, with a low hum, the atmosphere shifted.

The air grew impossibly heavy. And in the next instant, the wyvern's massive head was slammed into the ground, crushed under an overwhelming gravitational force.

This time, it was Noah who had stepped in.

A roar of relief and cheers erupted from the hunters. Hope flickered back into their eyes.

But that hope didn't last long.

Still seething in rage, the creature suddenly hurled its massive tail toward Noah. Its sheer size made the gravitational pull uneven, unable to restrain it fully from every side.

Forced by the incoming strike, Noah released his gravitational hold and leapt back.

Without giving Noah any chance to counter, the wyvern lunged forward, thrusting its head straight at him. A torrent of fire burst out, blazing like molten lava erupting once more.