Episode 41
Although part of me felt a little uncomfortable, the raid went very smoothly. After all, there are two B-class hunters, so there is no way that attacking the D-class gate will not go smoothly.
I slowly climbed up the floor, killing monsters one by one. The members of the Black Tiger Guild, who had a reluctant expression on their faces when they first saw the tower, also lost their hardened expressions as the raid progressed. I think it was because I thought it was unnecessary to worry. There’s no way something like that could happen twice.
Unlike on the first floor, Sihyeon and Eunhye had also returned to their usual appearance.
“We’re almost there.”
Minjun said.
I saw the boss room. It was literally like a cruise, but the speed was fast because there was no need to worry about monsters.
“Let’s go right away.”
Hyeong-cheol said in a light voice. Originally, before entering the boss room, it was common to check the equipment and condition and make thorough preparations before entering.
However, Hyung-cheol’s attitude was as if he was going to hang out next door, not in the boss’ room.
“Well… let’s not worry about these idiots.”
Jinsu grumbled and entered the boss room first. Hyeong-cheol slightly lowered his head as if asking for understanding, and he followed suit.
“…That bastard should be blacklisted as a hunter with a really nasty personality.”
One of the Black Tiger guild members said with a disgusted look on his face.
◈ ◈ ◈
The boss was a giant bat.
It was a monster with sharp claws that could easily throw away a piece of human flesh and creepy teeth that could tear a neck to shreds in an instant. Moreover, although it may seem slow due to its large size, it can fly at a fairly fast speed, so if it is caught off guard, it could be attacked in an instant.
Knowing that, Sihyeon and his party also kept an eye on the front and prepared for an attack. There was a B-class hunter in front of him, but since he had wings, there was a risk of him flying past and being attacked.
“Ha, now I can finally use my skills.”
Jinsu grinned and slowly walked in front of the giant bat. Until now, all monsters had been killed with simple cuts and stabs, let alone skills. They were so insignificant trash that it was embarrassing to even call them enemies.
However, even if it was a D-class gate, it was possible to use the skill once when it was a boss monster.
A subtle blue energy began to appear on his sword.
“Sword energy.”
Someone muttered. It was a skill that a swordsman who had reached the level of a sword expert could use. By injecting magical power into the sword, it formed sword energy, enabling much sharper and more destructive attacks.
“Hmph, I have eyes to see things.”
Jinsu snorted and said. The owner of the power he awakened was a knight who had reached the intermediate level of Sword Expert. Of course, he was also a member of one of the three knightly orders under the royal family that was famous in the kingdom. The rank was different from that of a knight under the command of a small local lord.
That was the pride of B-class hunter Jinsu.
“Give me one minute.”
When Jinsu pulled out his sword energy, Hyeongcheol did not join in but crossed his arms and stepped back. What he meant was to run as fast as you want.
“30 seconds is enough, bro.”
“Kiiik!”
Seeing Jinsu’s sword, the giant bat roared loudly as if it felt threatened.
“Come and see, you bastard.”
Jinsu lifted his finger. As if that had provoked the giant bat, it flapped its wings wide and flew in quickly.
The sharp claws were pointed at the nape of his neck.
But Jinsu was no longer there. Suddenly, Jinsu flew into the air and stabbed the bat with his sword.
Sigh!
In an instant, one of the wing ridges became tattered like a torn rag.
“Keeeook!”
The giant bat screamed in pain. At the same time, he lost his balance and tilted.
Jinsu opened his eyes wide. His gaze was directed to the giant bat’s neck. The intention was to finish it once and for all. His body flew without even blinking. He kept his eyes on the point of attack until the end.
The giant bat struggled to avoid it, but it was already too late.
Whoa!
As the sword energy flashed, the giant bat’s head was cut off in an instant.
“Okay, it took less than 20 seconds.”
Hyeong-cheol said it as if he liked it.
The giant bat was finished off in just two attacks. Despite his personality, his skills were more than useful among B-class hunters.
“I can’t even warm up. Tsk, after all, it’s at the level of a low-level gate.”
Jinsu swaggered with an arrogant expression.
“Okay, now go back… huh?”
Hyeong-cheol was about to say that he should go back since the raid was completed smoothly, but his eyes brightened.
“That one?”
When the boss died, a circular swirling red gate suddenly appeared in the empty air.
“Double gate?”
Taeseong, the leader of the Black Tiger Guild, widened his eyes.
◈ ◈ ◈
Korea Hunter Association Inspection Bureau.
Just a phone call came in as usual.
However, the inspector general stood up with a surprised expression on his face.
“What?! Yes, okay. Now.”
An employee of the inspection bureau hurriedly ran to the team leader’s office. Since the director and deputy director were away on a business trip, the team leader was effectively in charge.
I knocked and then opened the door without hesitation. Normally, this would have been an act that would have resulted in a reprimand from the boss, but that was not the problem now.
Team leader Seo Yong-gil of the inspection department saw the employee’s anxious expression and guessed that the matter was urgent.
“What is it?”
A young team leader in his mid-30s, he always treated his subordinates with respect.
“Team leader, it’s double!”
“is it so?”
Team leader Seo frowned. Double means double gate. There was a very slim chance that if you conquered the boss of the gate, another gate would open.
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The lower level gate is blue and the upper level gate is gray, but when the double gate is opened, it turns red and can be seen from outside.
It was a troubling phenomenon. If a double gate occurs, the original entrance will not open and you will not be able to exit. The only way to get out was to attack the newly created gate.
But that wasn’t the only problem. The ratings of new gates tended to be higher than those of the original gates. Because of this, many hunters who fell into double gates lost their lives while trying to attack higher-level gates.
“What is the gate level?”
“It’s class D.”
“If it’s D-class, the double gate is likely to be C-class. What about Raid One?”
The double gate had the highest probability of being one level higher than the original. According to a report to the International Hunter Association, in fact, more than 95% said this.
“There are two C-class members, five D-class members, and three E-class members… but it is said that two B-class hunters from the White Dragon Guild have joined.”
“Really? That’s good news.”
Team leader Seo was pleased. I thought only the helpless hunters would be sacrificed, but if so, the chances of survival increased. Even though it was a little short of the average C-level raid team, it was enough to attack.
“Hey, by the way….”
The employee’s expression was dark, as if he had to deliver some bad news.
“Please speak.”
“The employee dispatched to the gate tried to measure the horsepower, but the machine broke down.”
“…I told you above that we need to replace all the old machines with new ones. Anyway, first, dispatch about 10 employees, bring a horsepower meter, measure it, and report it right away.”
“All right.”
“It’ll be C-rank anyway, so don’t worry too much.”
Team Leader Seo believed that statistics do not lie.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Is that a double gate?”
Jinsu asked Hyungcheol with curious eyes. I heard that the odds were very slim, but it seemed amazing to see it from the first raid.
“I guess so. It’s my first time experiencing it myself.”
“Wow, is this your first time seeing Hyungcheol? This will be fun, right?”
Jinsu looked rather excited, as if he had no worries. It seemed to be a similar emotional state to that of a child when he or she discovers a toy to play with.
“Don’t be too relaxed. It’s probably a C-class gate. It’s different from a D-class gate.”
Hyeong-cheol told me to calm down.
“What’s the big deal about level C? There’s me and Hyeong-cheol. Those idiots won’t be of much help, but it’s better than nothing.”
Jin-soo answered and lost his temper again at the end, but Si-hyeon and the others were in no mood to pay attention to that.
“I have no choice but to go in.”
Eunhye said with a hard face. Even if that wasn’t exactly what she meant, she looked down from the tower and saw that the gate’s entrance was tightly closed.
‘For some reason, I had an uneasy feeling.’
Sihyeon gave an expression that said it was not for nothing. I thought such a coincidence would never come again, but another misfortune came.
“Let’s come to our senses. You can really quit your job.”
Minjun spoke with a more serious expression than usual. Although it only went up one level, the difference in the strength of the monsters was bigger than expected.
If you are a low-level hunter of D-level or lower, even the regular monsters at the C-level gate will be a daunting opponent. The good news is that there are two B-class hunters, but when a battle breaks out, they can’t go around killing everyone like before. Now you have to protect your own body.
“…Brother, isn’t this going to be a mess?”
One member of the Black Tiger guild opened his mouth with an expression on his face that said he had been unlucky ever since he first saw the tower.
“Stop talking nonsense and keep your wits about you.”
Taeseong said that and encouraged the guild members by clapping.
“Come on, we’re not looking back here, so get rid of that face and just keep fighting.”
“yes!”
Everyone had tense faces, but their answers came out loud. I didn’t even know if I wanted to relieve some of the tension by shouting.
“Guild leader, let’s go in.”
Hyeong-cheol said.
Anyway, if I stay here and die, I won’t be able to get out for the rest of my life. So I had no choice but to enter the new gate.
“All right.”
Taeseong nodded vigorously.
◈ ◈ ◈
“jungle?”
Sihyeon’s eyes widened at the type of gate she was seeing for the first time.
They seemed to be in the middle of a rainforest. The surrounding trees were densely packed with trees that were tens of meters tall and seemed to pierce the sky. The smell of the jungle filled my nose, and the humid air felt sticky on my skin.
“…This is my first time seeing a gate like this.”
Taesung opened his mouth with an expression that said he was not in a good mood. There was a high chance that monsters you would see at the gate for the first time would appear. Without information, hunters are at a disadvantage. This is because you have to face the enemy without knowing how strong they are, what attack methods and weaknesses they have.
Taeseong turned to ask if Hyeongcheol knew about the gate, but he also shook his head.
“Still, it’s a one-way street.”
Hyeong-cheol said.
In places like the jungle, it is easy to get lost if the roads are complicated. Fortunately, there was only one road as far as I could see.
Wow!
Wow!
The sound of an unknown animal howling was heard from somewhere. It could be a bird or something else. What is certain is that it was a somewhat ominous cry.
“Let’s go, Hyungcheol. What if it’s a jungle?”
Jin Soo-man always looked calm. Actually, he was too inexperienced to know the fear of the gate.
But anyway, what you said was correct. He had no choice but to move forward.
With Jinsu and Hyeongcheol at the forefront, the group slowly began to move forward.
“Be sure to pay attention to your surroundings.”
Eunhye, who was next to me, said. You never know what might pop out suddenly.
“That’s right.”
Sihyeon nodded and walked away.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Is this really a gate?”
someone said It seemed like more than 30 minutes had passed since I started walking through the jungle. But the monster’s shadow wasn’t even visible.
If it were a normal gate, there was no way you wouldn’t encounter a monster within that time. It was natural to feel strange.
“Whoa, it’s hot.”
“It’s annoyingly hot.”
The sweltering heat and high humidity unique to the rainforest were suffocating. Everyone is sweating profusely. The clothes were already soaking wet.
Those wearing robes or light armor were better off. Hunters wearing heavy armor seemed to feel the more extreme heat, as if they were in a steam room.
“…This is the first time I’ve ever felt like my stamina was dropping just by walking while I was a hunter.”
Minjun, wearing heavy armor, spoke with a rotten expression that was completely different from his usual expression. Hunters’ physical strength cannot be compared to that of ordinary people. However, as you continue to sweat profusely, your physical strength is depleted.
However, I couldn’t take off my armor. A gate that I literally have no idea about. It is a situation where you never know when the enemy will attack.
Not being able to drink water also played a role. The item called water did not exist. So you can’t put it in your inventory. Of course, that’s why the hunter who served as the porter was responsible for preparing water for each raid.
But how much water did they prepare to just attack a D-class gate? There’s no need for that. That’s why I already ran out of water I had prepared while walking through the jungle.
“If you’re going to come out, come out quickly, bitch.”
Jinsu also seemed annoyed by the heat and thirst. Hyeong-cheol next to him also didn’t look very good.
“Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
At that time, the sound of something crying was heard nearby.
fantasy,
