Chapter 11: A Child and the Gate

“What’s your name?”

“Seon… Jaeyul….”

“How old are you?”

“Thirteen….”

“Stop using honorifics. I really feel old.”

“Th-Thirteen years old!”

Hmm… I have a feeling this kid is lying.

I’ve never raised a child, so I can’t be entirely sure, but this little one… no, Jaeyul, didn’t look thirteen.

He was small and frail, to the point I thought he might not even be ten.

If he really was thirteen, that would be even more of a problem.

But on the other hand, it makes sense.

Judging by his clothes and family, it was obvious he hadn’t grown up eating properly, so slow development would be natural.

After all, thirteen or ten… what’s the real difference?

“We’re living together temporarily, temporarily. Got it?”

“Yes… no, okay!”

I repeated the explanation several times.

We were living together only temporarily.

I wanted to prevent any future complications where he could get tied down.

“So… you’ll look for your mom or… something…”

I started to speak boldly about our temporary arrangement but hesitated at the end.

I wanted to say, “We’re only living together until you have somewhere else to stay,” but it felt almost like admitting I’d be abandoning him.

His real mom left him, his stepfather barely cared, and then his stepmother ignored him in front of everyone.

Saying I would do the same seemed… childish.

It was merely hiding my true feelings.

“And school?”

“I haven’t gone in a long time….”

“…You… went to school…?”

Ah, right. The country is a mess, but a child should go to school.

Thinking about it, this little guy earning money through the Gate instead of attending school was abuse.

Adults making him buy alcohol with that money… humans are truly terrifying.

The more lawless the world becomes, the more the dark side of humanity shows.

Human nature is truly selfish.

“Do you remember which school you went to?”

“Hmm… but I don’t want to go to school….”

“No. If you’re living with me, you have to go to school.”

“Why…? You don’t go. At seventeen, you’d be in high school, so even if it’s not mandatory education, you should go….”

…What? This kid occasionally seems far too mature.

They say some children can speak with mature phrasing even without being taught… maybe that’s it.

Jaeyul even knew the term “mandatory education,” yet he didn’t want to go to elementary school.

“I don’t have to. I’ve already learned everything and graduated early.”

“Wow… really? That’s cool, hyung….”

For the first time, I saw admiration in Jaeyul’s eyes.

Of course, it was a lie.

I didn’t properly graduate high school.

I awakened as an Esper at seventeen, joined the academy early, and learned combat more than academics.

As long as I attended once, that was enough. I had no intention of returning to school after coming back here.

A harmless lie, let’s say.

I’ll probably visit his school later.

I might need to buy extra supplies too.

I thought placing one extra spoon at meals would be enough, but he’ll require more attention than expected.

Jaeyul, knowing this, gazed at me with clear, focused eyes and a mischievous smile.

“But you… Jaeyul.”

“Hmm?”

Looking at him for a while, I felt a strange sensation.

“Do you… have an older or younger sibling?”

“No. None…?”

I see… But why does this kid keep reminding me of ‘X’…?

The more I watch him, the more I notice the resemblance.

It’s not just the scar in the same place on the forehead.

His innocent face, paired with dark, bottomless eyes… the way he looks at me… if he grows up like this, he could be ‘X.’

Seeing such an expressive and cute child, I could never link him to the ‘X’ I know, but the association kept appearing.

Looking at Jaeyul’s face, it was almost like phantom pain, reminding me of the pain I felt when I died.

Ugh… a memory I want to forget.

“Why…?”

Jaeyul asked innocently, unaware of the meaning behind my gaze.

I shook off the thought.

Of course… this kid couldn’t be ‘X.’

He’s a human, so he cannot be the same as the humanoid monster ‘X.’

“No. I’m going out for work, so take care of the house. Don’t open the door for strangers. There’s food in the fridge, so eat if you’re hungry.”

“Can I… come with you…?”

“No. You can’t. Remember our promise — no going near the Gate.”

I left the house, leaving the sulking kid behind.

He was shy and occasionally mature for his age, but he seemed kind.

There’s a cute side to him too.

What kind of fate is this, that in a previous life, I never even had a proper romantic relationship or marriage, yet now I’m raising a child?

I’ll earn money for side dishes… at the Gate.

Actually, the biggest reason I started entering Gates fifteen years ago wasn’t cheap minerals or herbs.

Gates, made by beings beyond human understanding, held countless secrets.

It was unclear whether Gates aimed to destroy humanity or advance civilization.

Monsters that killed humans seemed purely evil, but the treasures from the Gates were too tempting.

What if there were batteries usable indefinitely without charging, or miraculous medicine that could save someone on the brink of death?

Could one still call that evil?

Such things existed in the Gates.

“That’s enough. Let’s withdraw! Tomorrow it’ll be gone anyway. Let’s just put up a temporary barricade and leave!”

Another reason I entered Gates so often was related: Petra.

An undiscovered miraculous medicine, in the future it could cause wars between nations.

It couldn’t revive the dead, but could save those near death.

It could cure incurable diseases like cancer. Almost a panacea.

Future diseases from Gates could also be treated with Petra.

Special abilities amplified its effects, increasing mana levels and even changing ranks.

Of course, such a medicine was extremely expensive. In Korea, the government confiscated all of it.

“Monsters… there they are.”

Even though I didn’t know the lottery numbers of the past, I collected Petra.

Since I was part of the raid that discovered it, I had no complaints.

If possible, I’d monopolize all of it.

Many comrades died because they couldn’t receive Petra.

I wouldn’t fight like that again, but I’d collect as much as possible just in case.

This was a lottery. With a 100% chance of winning.

“Wow, how big…? A-class… no, almost S-class monster.”

Previous raiders had taken all meat and hide.

Only the skull remained.

Abroad, usually only flesh is taken, but in Korea they took bones, feet, and tails too.

I climbed onto the monster’s skull, over two meters high.

Holding onto the fur, I regretted not awakening sooner.

I hammered and chiseled the skull, reaffirming my decision.

With my weak body, awakening was the only way to manage.

“Phew….”

After a long time, I finally pierced the hard skull.

Why? Petra was inside. Deep within the monster’s brain.

Externally, it’s impossible to tell if it contains Petra, so I had to check manually.

If I had dark flame techniques, I could have split the skull instantly.

“Uh…ugh…!”

Holding my breath, I reached into the skull.

The squishy, sticky brain made me nauseous.

I even considered leaving Petra behind and living poor.

Then, my fingers touched a familiar sensation: a smooth, round object, soft yet firm.

“What… what is this…!”

It was huge.

Typical Petra is tiny, like a fingernail or chestnut.

This was the size of an apple… maybe a pear.

I couldn’t pull it out with one hand, so I used both hands and pulled with all my strength.

Holding Petra in both hands, I was stunned.

Its size aside, the color was incredible.

Normally, it’s translucent.

High-quality Petra is almost white, but this… appeared bluish-white.

It glowed faintly blue on its own.

I instantly recognized it.

This Petra was higher grade than any I had seen.

“…Amazing….”

Thunder rumbled. The sound of money raining down.