Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Into the Gate Once More
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As a child, I suffered from a mysterious fever whose cause no one could pinpoint, and I dealt with the aftereffects for a while.
The local thugs from the rundown neighborhood used to bully me, but they all scattered the moment Nayeong showed up.
They were scared of her dad, who ran the gym.
That was how Nayeong became both my childhood friend and my reliable protector.
Because of our relationship, she knew I never lied.
Yet she was still angry because the story I'd told her was just too unbelievable.
"How could a guy go into a gate? You must've gotten drunk, passed out somewhere, and dreamed it all up."
"You can just check it out yourself."
"What?"
"If you come to the gate with me, you'll know right away if it's true or not. Why keep getting mad instead?"
"Easy for you to say. Do you have a hunter license? You think the guards will just let us waltz in holding hands?"
After awakening and getting your rank measured, followed by basic training, the Hunter Agency issues you a hunter license.
You need that to enter any gate.
"I'll handle that."
I hadn't come to Nayeong without a plan.
Before heading out—
'Even if she helps, we can't enter a gate right away. We need hunter licenses.'
[I'll make a gate for you, so don't worry.]
'Another tutorial?'
[No. A real gate.]
'You can make gates too?'
Gates 'appear'; no one 'makes' them.
Countless studies have delved into the origins of gates, but nothing's been conclusively figured out.
These days, they've more or less given up and settled on a bizarre conclusion.
They're from some unknown entity in another dimension.
Basically, it's in the realm of gods, so just accept it and reap the benefits without questioning.
In this era where that's practically common sense, a being that can create gates has taken up residence in my body.
Am I about to become a god of the new world or something?
[I'm making it specially because the situation calls for it. Gates have an occurrence order per dimension, and causality must be considered, so I can't just whip them up whenever. Don't ask for another one later.]
Fine, whatever.
[Find a hunter to go with, and I'll make one. It'll be a real gate with a boss and rewards.]
Back to the present—
"How exactly are you gonna solve it?"
Nayeong asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
"If you say okay, I'll show you right now. You in or not?"
I spoke with a serious expression, and she crossed her arms, pondering.
After a long moment, she scratched her head and spoke.
"Fine, got it. If there's a gate we can enter without licenses, I'll go with you."
"So now you believe I can enter a gate."
"I'll confirm that first. I know you don't lie, but I still can't believe it."
Breaking 'common sense' is this tough, huh.
I wondered what face she'd make when she saw it for herself.
Gates appear and vanish anywhere, anytime.
I say they 'vanish' because some disappear without reason.
If a gate vanished while a hunter was inside, that'd be a problem, so even when one appears, entry isn't allowed immediately.
In other words, some gates are left alone for a set period.
[If you clear up to the boss, I'll make it vanish without turning it into a white gate. The Hunter Agency won't notice.]
We climbed to the rooftop of my studio apartment building.
"No one comes up here, so we can make it right here."
"There are cigarette butts in the corner."
"Some punks from around here tried smoking up here and got wrecked by me. They don't come anymore."
Still enforcing justice, I see.
"Now make it."
She stood there all pumped up, like let's see you try.
'Can't you surprise Nayeong? Make it look epic if you can.'
[Sounds fun. Hold out your hand into the air and strike a pose. Shout if you want.]
We clicked on this stuff.
I thrust my palm into the empty air, traced something with it, and yelled, "Haat!"
Behind me, Nayeong watched with a look like what a clown.
Flash! An immense light burst from thin air.
Hundreds of luminous bands danced intricately, forming an elaborate pattern.
With a clunk, a door of light swung open and took on color.
A vivid blue.
"Th-th-this... B-Blue Gate—!!"
She was so shocked her jaw trembled.
Another Blue Gate summon.
"Y-you're insane? A Blue Gate for just the two of us?"
I hadn't expected blue either.
[Take her in. Show her for sure that you're the 'King of Yin Energy.']
'Why does that title sound so lewd?'
[Because you can do lewd stuff with it.]
'What?'
I wanted to ask what that meant, but Nayeong cut me off.
"What now? This place is gonna get contaminated!"
"We go in, take down the boss. What's there to worry about?"
I pushed back hard on purpose.
If it's like the tutorial, the field mobs aren't tough.
I handled them solo back then, and now I've got a hunter with me.
With unlimited Yin Energy, as long as Nayeong holds out, I can keep recharging her.
The boss worries me, but we'll see when we get there.
Emboldened by my confidence, her attitude softened a bit.
"You got some secret weapon or something? A Blue Gate's impossible for just us two. Even S-Ranks avoid them without intel."
"Don't worry. I'll handle the fighting and the Yin Energy refills."
"What? You can provide Yin Energy too?"
Nayeong didn't know the extent of my abilities.
Fighting and Yin Energy support meant I'd be covering both hunter and manager roles.
By all common sense so far, this reaction was natural.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. I'll just show you, so let's go in already."
With that, I stepped through first.
"Hey, wait! Wait up!"
Nayeong hurried after me.
*
It was the exact same grassland as the tutorial.
The difference was the spire-like structure visible in the distance.
Probably where the boss waited.
"N-no way... We actually entered a real gate!"
"Told you. Not a lie."
Nayeong grimaced.
Her Yin Energy was draining fast.
I felt nothing.
[A never-drying spring, indeed. Even as it's constantly drained, your body shows no issues. Like scooping seawater at the beach.]
Nice metaphor.
No matter how much seawater you scoop, the ocean doesn't care.
"Grrrrr..."
A Cerberork approached from over there.
Nayeong's eyes went wide at the sight.
"Th-that's... a Blue Gate monster..."
"First time seeing one?"
"Obviously. First Blue Gate for me. Nothing like that in the gates I've done."
Come to think of it, I didn't even know what her attack weapon was.
Even after all those hunter classes in school, I had no idea how my childhood friend fought.
Feeling a pang of regret, I asked her.
"What's your weapon?"
"Me? A bow."
An archer, huh.
"Try shooting it once."
Her left arm glowed, and a tattoo etched up to her shoulder.
The intricate tattoo detached from her arm and floated in the air.
The pattern twisted and coiled, forming a sturdy-looking bow.
Nayeong's weapon was a parasitic type—no need to carry it around.
"It's a recurve bow, similar to Olympic ones. Can pierce Navy orcs, but not sure about that thing."
She drew the string, aimed, and loosed an arrow at it.
Pfook!
"Kyuung?"
It stuck, but no real damage.
The beast yanked out the arrow and tossed it aside.
"Blue Gate confirmed. My attacks don't work."
[Looks like you need to help, Master.]
'Like in the tutorial, I just take it down?'
[Can't do that. She attacked first—steal her finisher?]
'What do you want me to do? Her attacks aren't working.'
[Help make them work. Don't underestimate the King of Yin Energy. Everything Yin Energy-related is yours.]
Keeps saying cryptic stuff.
What am I supposed to do with the title?
"Haugh!"
Suddenly, my head throbbed like it was splitting open.
I clutched it instinctively and bowed my head.
"You okay? What's wrong?"
Not okay.
Felt like someone was cracking my skull and pouring something in by force.
A 'sensation' I'd never felt before swept through my entire body.
When that wave of sensation broke like foam and the skull-crushing pain vanished, that's when I started seeing things differently.
'That bow— if I add my power to it, it'll wipe that thing out.'
"Draw the string again. Don't shoot until I say."
"Uh, o-okay."
She noticed the shift in my vibe and followed my lead.
I stared at the nocked arrow on the string and drew Yin Energy from my hand.
In the tutorial, it was a sphere; now, an arrow.
Even though the arrow emerged from my palm, Nayeong paid it no mind.
Because she couldn't see the Yin Energy arrow.
That was new knowledge that had flooded straight into my head.
Materialized Yin Energy is invisible to others.
"What're you doing? How long do I hold?"
"Just a sec."
I sent the Yin Energy arrow to her.
It overlapped perfectly with the one on her string.
"Now. Shoot."
"Why make me wait if you're not doing anything?"
Grumbling, she released the taut string.
The arrow flew like lightning and buried deep in the Cerberork's gut.
"Kraaaagh—!!"
Sensing something wrong, the beast roared— but the explosion was faster.
Kaboom!!
Its mid-sized-car bulk vanished in an instant.
Nayeong gawked at me, dumbfounded.
[Acquired 5 points.]
Points, just like in the tutorial.
Nayeong rushed over and grabbed my hand.
"W-Woojin! I took down a Blue Gate monster... Kyaa!"
She yanked her hand back.
A yellow aura rippled where she'd touched me.
"Why's your body like this?"