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Join the Server“You’re talking about re-conquering it, aren’t you?”
“Precisely. In a few days, Hunter Han Yuseong will be traveling abroad for gate management. It’s a high-priority gate, I suppose, where Sahyeon Guild extracts the most resources.”
Taeseongyeon rolled the words around in his mouth, as if searching for the perfect phrase.
“It’s a gate the guild manages regularly, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to dispatch some newly recruited hunters for training. It’s not mandatory, of course, but I believe it would greatly benefit Mr. Han Dokyeom, which is why I’m proposing it.”
‘Taeseongyeon is likely referring to the ‘Ore Extraction’ Gate located in Shanghai, China,’ Dokyeom thought.
This A-rank gate, purchased by the Sahyeon Guild months ago, was a source of vital ore for weapon manufacturing. It had once been notorious for its troubles and disputes, considered a white elephant by the Shanghai authorities due to its difficulty.
However, Taeseongyeon had acquired and managed it with the goal of increasing profits, turning it into a lucrative venture.
It was hardly surprising, given that half of the A-rank hunters were deployed there for every conquest.
The Chinese authorities, realizing its profitability too late, were now desperate to reclaim it, but their efforts were futile. One of the reasons it had been abandoned as unmanageable was the specific ‘conditions’ required for its conquest.
China had failed to conquer that gate, leading to a Gate Break that unleashed monsters and necessitated the complete lockdown of the surrounding area.
Taeseongyeon had resolved the crisis by deploying a large number of A-rank hunters and personally intervening. Yet, he still remained tight-lipped about the gate’s conquest conditions. It wasn’t merely about killing the boss; there was a distinct ‘condition’ for clearing that gate.
Few within the Sahyeon Guild knew about these conditions. Even among the long-serving instructors, only a handful were privy to the secret. Han Yuseong was one of them.
Now, Taeseongyeon was proposing to send Dokyeom to such a place.
“If I’m allowed to go, I’ll go. As long as my safety is guaranteed, I’ll diligently enjoy… I’ll diligently return. The guild will cover all expenses, right? Including my familiars’ flight tickets.”
The journey would last no more than a week. The Red Gate incident remained submerged beneath the surface, and even if it erupted while he was away, it would take some time for chaos to truly descend.
In many ways, an overseas trip for experience wasn’t a bad idea. Moreover, that Shanghai gate would later become a crucial landmark. Visiting to accurately pinpoint its location seemed prudent.
He had readily agreed to go, but it seemed that was Dokyeom’s thought alone.
The spark of disaster, once again, struck without warning or announcement.
Just as Taeseongyeon was about to speak,
BEEEEEEEEEEP—!
A cacophony of piercing high-pitched alarms simultaneously blared from everyone’s cell phones in the CEO’s office. The office turned chillingly silent, as if doused with cold water, at the sound emanating from pockets and clutches. A strange, sharp tension permeated the air among the hunters.
Within that suffocating space, the desk subtly trembled. Vibrations from footsteps echoed from outside the CEO’s office. Someone was running. The sound rapidly drew closer until the door burst open without a knock.
“CEO, an urgent message from the Association! An abnormal gate energy reading has been confirmed in downtown Seoul! The reading is a staggering—!”
‘It’s probably eight times higher than the Red Gate at Busan Station, based on decibel levels,’ Dokyeom mused. ‘Of course, I wrote it, so how could I not know?’
Among the frozen hunters, Dokyeom pulled out his phone and checked the message.
[Emergency Disaster Text]
[Ministry of Interior and Safety]
[June]
As expected, the alarm was indeed an emergency disaster notification.
A heavy, oppressive air settled over the CEO’s office. Dokyeom glanced up at Taeseongyeon. With his smile gone, Taeseongyeon’s face was colder than anyone’s. As those unfathomable silver eyes met Dokyeom’s, phone bells began to barrage the secretary’s office, as if caught in a storm.
Government offices, the Association, other guilds, reporters—they would all be calling. It wasn’t just the Sahyeon Guild. The Uhwa Guild, where Geon Ita was, and the Media Guild, home to other S-rank hunters, were undoubtedly overwhelmed by the flood of calls.
Dokyeom didn’t avert his gaze from Taeseongyeon, even as the secretary rushed out again to handle the office. Perhaps knowing the immense damage this would cause, he found himself thinking for the first time:
‘Why the city center, of all places?’ Of course, there was no point dwelling on it now. The incident had already begun, and time was ticking.
It had finally started. The ‘Red Gate’ incident, imbued with the second authority.
****
Essentially, two primary types of gates existed. There were gates that, once formed, never vanished but merely reset repeatedly. Then, there were gates that, upon successful conquest, completely disintegrated.
The former typically comprised lower-grade gates, while the latter included gates whose grade fluctuated or those that were high-grade from their inception.
All Red Gates that had appeared in Korea had a history of vanishing immediately after being conquered. The Eulwangri Gate, which Dokyeom had entered, was no exception, and all future gates were expected to follow suit.
“Hunter Han Dokyeom.”
As Dokyeom exited the CEO’s office and waited for the elevator, someone called his name from behind. It was Han Yuseong. Dokyeom turned to face him.
“Finished already? You looked like you had a lot more to discuss.”
“I just came out to say goodbye since I won’t see you for a while due to my overseas business trip. I’m scheduled to leave for the airport early tomorrow morning, so this will be my final farewell to Mr. Han Dokyeom.”
“Goodness, what’s all this fuss about just two weeks?”
Dokyeom chuckled, lightly patting Han Yuseong’s arm. They wouldn’t be working together. With the Red Gate alert, Taeseongyeon had decided to deploy the available hunters to the Seolleung Station area.
Dokyeom, of course, was also scheduled for deployment there.
“Enough of that. I know you’ll be fine, so just bring me back a souvenir. And there will be plenty of other opportunities. We can go to China together next time. Even if I went, I’d probably just be lounging around and watching anyway.”
“I’m saying this because going to China seems safer. If anything happens, contact Hunter Yisaein. Despite appearances, she’s a very kind person and will be a great source of strength for Hunter Han Dokyeom.”
“Alright, alright. You worry too much. Agon is waiting for me with bated breath, so I should get going. You be careful on your trip too, Han Yuseong. If you bring back some charm as a souvenir because you’re worried, I’ll tear it up. Bring something practical, something useful.”
“Yes, I understand.”
A faint smile touched Han Yuseong’s lips. It vanished quickly, but Dokyeom felt as if the usually stoic Han Yuseong had softened. He wished he could turn back time just to see that moment again.
Perhaps that was why Han Yuseong seemed to linger in his mind today. Whether it was his unusually gentle demeanor or the farewell for their two-week separation, Dokyeom found himself unable to move.
“I’m going now.”
Shaking off his reluctance, Dokyeom stepped into the elevator that had just arrived. Until the doors closed, Han Yuseong remained rooted to the spot. The moment he disappeared through the closing elevator doors, Dokyeom began to mentally review his upcoming tasks.
With the gate readings confirmed, a ‘Gate Break’ would likely erupt near Seolleung Station within approximately ten days from today, unleashing monsters. This particular incident stemmed from an uncontrollable factor, even with prior knowledge.
The gate had manifested at an excessive depth, and the mechanical means to pinpoint its exact location were insufficient. Therefore, unless they excavated the entire area, locating the Red Gate’s precise whereabouts was virtually impossible.
However, excavating the land without careful consideration would incur colossal losses. Thus, the Association and the Guild had put their heads together and reached a suboptimal conclusion: to suppress the Gate Break *after* it occurred. This, of course, would entail immense sacrifices.
‘He had to prevent that.’
First, he needed to find a suitable location to lure the boss as quickly as possible. Preferably, a place far from the city center, and a method of luring that would minimize casualties and urban damage.
And second—
‘…I have to, uh, persuade Agon….’
[6th Floor.]
As the numbers stopped and the doors opened, the scent of the sea wafted in. It was a fishy smell. Dokyeom sighed and stepped out.
” ‘Orias.’ ”
He deliberately called out to Orias, but no reply echoed from the empty air. Since that day, Orias still hadn’t returned, like a runaway pet.
‘Doesn’t it fear the consequences at all?’
He considered asking something, but with Orias constantly leaving home, he wondered if it was doing this on purpose, knowing something. Dokyeom eventually pushed aside his troubled thoughts and trudged onward.
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