Chapter 10: Clearing a Gate? No Way

“I will familiarize myself with the safety regulations. First, follow the raid party’s instructions. Second, do not touch anything inside the Gate….”

A tense atmosphere filled the bus as it departed after lunch. The fact that they were finally entering the Gate, along with the stern tone of the raid party members who had joined them at headquarters, contributed to the students’ anxiety.

“The monsters in C-rank Gates are aggressive. Stay at the back until our tank draws their aggro.”

Ruah fiddled with the paper umbrella, glancing at the raid party members.

The leader, Kim Jaehyun, was a damage dealer, along with another mage from Raid Division 1. She didn’t need to remember the tank and healer.

‘Since they won’t be doing anything anyway.’

Ruah closed her eyes. It would take about 30 minutes to reach Jamsil, where the Gate was located. She planned to take a short nap. Surely no one would mind if a teacher got some rest.

[Some time passed. Ruah instinctively opened her eyes.]

As the bus crossed the Han River, she started seeing safety barriers lining the streets. Against the backdrop of the massive M Tower, police officers armed with shields were cordoning off an area.

[…We repeat, this area is currently under lockdown due to the appearance of a C-rank Gate. We ask for your understanding and cooperation…]

The shrill voice from the patrol car added to the ominous atmosphere.

Ruah looked towards the restricted area. In the center of the police cordon was the entrance to an underground shopping mall with a sign that read “Gukhwa Shopping Mall.”

‘Infiltrated….’

The entrance to the underground shopping mall, usually giving off a worn but comfortable vibe, was now completely enveloped in an ominous black aura. Furthermore, a red, glowing Gate entrance was visible on the stairs leading down.

She had entered and exited Gates countless times in the game without a second thought, but seeing one in real life was chilling.

“I-is that it…?”

“It looks… uninviting.”

“…Gulp.”

The smiles vanished from the students’ faces.

“……”

Ruah glanced at Himari sitting next to her. As expected, Himari showed no change in expression. She simply stroked the hilt of the sword at her waist, seemingly composing herself.

“Alright, everyone off the bus!”

Hunter Kim Jaehyun presented his license, and the police officers opened the way.

“Identity confirmed. Please be careful.”

“Thank you.”

The group, consisting of ten students, four raid party members, and one school nurse, walked towards the Gate with serious expressions.

“Is everyone ready?”

“…Yes!”

Once they entered, no one could come out until the boss was defeated.

Clear or overflow. Conquer or be conquered.

That was the nature of a Gate.

“Then, let’s go.”

Following the resolute steps of the raid party leading the way, Ruah and the students passed through the red Gate entrance.

A wave of coldness enveloped her, and her vision went dark. She could no longer sense Himari beside her, nor hear the footsteps of the Hunters ahead. She couldn’t tell if her feet were touching the ground, or even if her eyes were open or closed.

[Welcome to the Dance of the Dead.]

The words appeared before her in the darkness.  Ruah was familiar with.

[30 seconds until combat begins]

——————————

[Currently Equipable Skills]

[Healing (Lv.MAX)] [Perfect Healing (Lv.MAX)] [Diagnosis (Lv.1)]

[Currently Equipped Skills]

[None]

——————————

There were three skill slots. Even if she had learned multiple skills, she could only use three in actual combat. Once equipped, these skills would be locked in until the Gate was cleared, so careful selection was crucial.

‘Well, I only have three, so I don’t have much of a choice.’

As before, Ruah equipped [Healing (Lv.MAX)] and [Perfect Healing (Lv.MAX)].

The remaining skill was [Diagnosis (Lv.1)].

‘Can’t hurt to have it, right?’

Although she wasn’t familiar with it, she equipped it in the remaining slot.

———————————

<03 seconds until combat begins>

<02 seconds until combat begins>

Finally, the countdown ended—

<Defeat the boss!>

———————————

The messages appeared and disappeared, and her vision returned. At the same time, she felt a slight floating sensation.

“Whoa!”

Ruah landed on the ground and got up. The students around her did the same.

“—Ugh!”

The first thing that hit them was the smell. A putrid odor permeated the entire space.

‘Did they really have to replicate the smell too….’

“Wow, so this is a Gate.”

“It’s disgusting….”

The students, pinching their noses, looked around.

The underground shopping mall, once a bustling marketplace, was now in ruins.

A thick layer of dust covered the shop signs, and the stone floor was cracked and broken.

The once-filled display stands were empty and shattered, covered in moss.

Nearby, a small stream flowed from a destroyed store.

It looked as if centuries had passed since humans had last been there.

However, there were no monsters in sight.

“Alright, everyone, attention!”

Hunter Kim Jaehyun clapped his hands, drawing the students’ attention. He had already drawn his longsword. The tank, mage, and healer also equipped their gear.

“As I said before, there’s nothing to fear as long as you follow the safety regulations. Just observe how we fight.”

“Yes!”

“Then let’s begin.”

The professional Hunters led the way.

Perhaps due to game mechanics, the ceiling lights were dimly lit, but they couldn’t see what was at the end of the long, characteristic underground passage.

The Hunters moved slower than their usual walking pace, skillfully carrying out their duties.

The mage used detection skills to find traps, the tank cleared any potential hazards ahead, and the healer immediately cast healing spells whenever a party member sustained even a minor injury.

—Clatter, clatter, clatter.

“There they are!”

Several skeletons emerged from a side passage, breaking through a partition. The students recoiled in surprise, but the professionals immediately formed a defensive line and engaged.

“Haa!”

Ordinary skeletons were easy prey for Hunters ranked within the top 300. Kim Jaehyun didn’t even bother collecting the low-grade Rare Metal as he swiftly dispatched them and advanced.

“Wow… professionals are different….”

“I want to be like that someday….”

The students watching from behind were impressed, but Ruah wasn’t interested in their performance.

‘They’re too slow. Hurry up…!’

She just fiddled with the paper umbrella, biding her time.

—About 30 minutes passed.

The group reached a central plaza in the shopping mall. A dried-up fountain and stairs leading down to the second basement level were visible.

“It seems the boss is on the third floor.”

“That’s likely. They’re usually in the deepest part.”

The professionals exchanged opinions while looking at the map of the underground shopping mall they had acquired earlier.

‘They’re right.’

Ruah thought to herself and quietly slipped away. The students were busy discussing the impressive parts of the raid.

“It was so cool when you took down that one with your bare hands! Did you use the [Strength Enhancement] skill?”

“No, that much is possible with just my normal strength….”

“Wow!”

Thankfully, Juju was drawing everyone’s attention. Himari was still on the outskirts of the group but was watching Juju with a displeased expression, arms crossed.

No one was paying attention to Ruah.

‘Now’s my chance…!’

Ruah quickly approached a cosmetics store by the passage. It was closed off by a fire shutter rolling down from above.

However, as Ruah inserted the tip of the paper umbrella into the keyhole and disengaged the lock, the thick fire shutter quickly rolled up like a spring.

—Thud!

“?!”

An ominous thud echoed through the area. The professionals and students, who had been chatting, turned towards the source of the sound.

—Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter!

—Roar!

Emerging from the store and into the plaza was—a giant Skeleton Lizard, its shoulders almost touching the ceiling of the shopping mall. It was a D-rank named monster called “Pyro.”

‘Originally, the protagonist, blinded by the prospect of Rare Metal, unlocks the fire shutter, causing it to appear.’

But Ruah had intentionally summoned it. To keep the story on track.

“Kyaaa!”

Ruah screamed and ran towards the plaza, feigning surprise, so as not to arouse suspicion. In the chaos caused by the sudden appearance of the enemy, her awkward acting went unnoticed.

—Thump, thump, thump.

Pyro charged towards the students, its massive skeletal legs pounding the ground, its giant jaws wide open.

“Not so fast!”

However, a D-rank named monster was no match for an A-rank Hunter. The tank of the raid party bravely blocked Pyro’s charge with their shield.

“Evacuate the students to the stairs!”

At Kim Jaehyun’s command, the mage led the students down the stairs to the lower basement level. Ruah subtly joined them.

“Are we going to be okay?”

“That monster appeared out of nowhere…!”

“It’s alright. We won’t be defeated by a mere monster from a C-rank Gate!”

The mage’s confident words seemed to reassure the students.

‘Yeah, it’s just a D-rank named monster. It’s no match for Kim Jaehyun’s party.’

Ruah knew this as well.

—Whoosh!

“Oh, it lives up to its name.”

Pyro spewed a massive pillar of fire from its mouth. The flames looked hot enough to incinerate anything in their path, but the tank skillfully blocked them with their shield.

—Beeeep!

Suddenly, an alarm blared throughout the underground shopping mall, and the tank’s expression hardened.

—Thud!

—Thud!

—Thud!

“…Huh?”

A rhythmic sound gradually approached from afar. The students looked at each other. No one knew what the sound was.

Except for Ruah.

“Alright, stop bothering us and go away!”

Kim Jaehyun swung his sword, activating a skill. Pyro screamed in pain and collapsed.

And at that moment,

Right in front of Ruah, the students, and the mage, who were watching from the stairs below, a thick fire door slammed shut.

“Huh?”

Sudden darkness.

The students finally understood what had happened.

The flames Pyro had spewed had triggered the shopping mall’s fire alarm system. The sound they had heard was the fire doors closing.

[The first floor of the Dance of the Dead has been sealed off.]

A system message appeared.

With this, the first basement level, where the professionals were, and the second basement level, where the students were, were completely separated. Even the most skilled Hunter couldn’t break the Gate system itself.

‘Phew, it worked.’

Ruah discreetly discarded the paper umbrella. Her efforts to keep the main story on track, even with makeshift methods and in the absence of the protagonist, had finally succeeded.

‘But this is just the beginning.’

Now, just like the protagonist did, she had to clear the [Dance of the Dead].

“Kyaaa! Help me! I can’t see anything!”

“Mommy!”

“……”

Ruah sighed.

‘With these fledglings….’