Chapter 46: Chaos (2)
“Screw you, you psycho! You pushed a guy in?”
Sword Sage Seo Yerim.
She charged at Jo Pilwook with her eyes rolled back in fury.
Even when Kim Minwoo had been pacing near the gate's spawn point, she hadn't thought much of it.
Just some crazy bastard, she'd figured.
But then, this real lunatic suddenly charged in and shoved someone straight into the gate.
It was clearly a high-rank gate, B-grade or above at first glance.
And since it was the first clear, the difficulty would spike hard.
Even for a B-grade, it'd require a minimum party of fifteen or more.
What if it was A-grade?
Disaster.
Recommended assault team: thirty people.
Meanwhile, Kim Minwoo?
He was barely scraping late E-grade awakener level at best, even if he pushed himself.
There were limits to flying high.
This was way more hopeless than tackling a dungeon at level 1. He might not even reach the midzone.
“You murdering bastard!”
“N-No! What bullshit! I was just grabbing his shoulder! But something shoved me hard from behind…!”
“Bullshit! Everyone here saw you huffing and puffing as you rammed him!”
She soon turned to glare at the gate entrance.
A gate bursting with dazzling light. Gates only fully activate and split into zones after the first clear.
Which meant…
The moment that light faded, Kim Minwoo would be trapped inside forever until cleared.
She quickly scanned the surroundings. Everyone was panicking, but they shared one thing in common.
Not a single one was rushing into the gate for a rescue.
It was only natural.
The rank hadn't even been determined yet.
And they weren't equipped or prepared properly to dive in.
Even with full prep and a handpicked team, clear rates weren't 100%. Just charging in blindly?
Party wipe wouldn't be surprising.
And the bigger issue?
Entering solo or out of party counted as intrusion, splitting start zones.
In an already slim survival scenario, rescuers might just find a corpse.
“Damn it!”
Seo Yerim hesitated.
If this was before Kim Minwoo had visited Sword Sea Pavilion, she'd have abandoned him without a second thought.
Why risk her life for some pretty boy?
But things were different now.
—That kid Kim Minwoo? He's gonna be huge. A real genius, genius! Heh heh!
Grandpa had been laughing more lately. His stagnant swordsmanship had advanced endlessly.
She'd been shocked so many times—like when he cleared an S-rank gate in record time. All because of that guy.
“If he dies…”
The Sword Sage would grieve.
Deeply.
She let out a hollow smile.
Life was unpredictable, huh.
Who'd have thought she'd be the one diving in to save Kim Minwoo?
“I'm insane, totally insane!”
She bit her lip and glanced at her accompanying masters.
“If I die… put some tteokbokki on my altar!”
She spun and leaped into the gate without hesitation.
“Huh?”
“T-The Sword Sage jumped in!”
“W-What do we do?!”
Reporters frantically looked to nearby guild members.
But no one stepped forward. Sure, success meant huge rewards—but only if you came back alive. Everyone had just one life.
Plus…
First clears could still be claimed by entering after those two wiped.
In the silence, the gate's light began to fade.
* * *
New gate emergence.
Such events happened once every few months to years, so public attention was natural.
A gate's rank could drastically shift national power.
Countless people were glued to breaking news.
And Kim Minwoo's suction into the gate was broadcasting live, unfiltered.
—Breaking news! Kim Minwoo has been sucked into a new gate in Gyeonggi Province…
—WTF. What did I just see?
—Holy shit. That guy's nuts? Just charges and shoves him in?
—Paid off by foreigners to kill the rookie?
—For real? He was huffing mad from the start, something was off…
—Who's that anyway?
—Jo Pilwook from Dorim Guild? Chairman's son, infamous as a total fuckup lol.
—Oh, the guy who started NewTube and got flamed to hell?
—Yup. One of Kim Minwoo's fakes. Looks like bad blood lol.
—But who just shoves like that? Brainless? At least fake it…
—Just rage-blinded. Didn't think at all.
—Sword Sage's cursing is savage; she close with Kim Minwoo?
—Pissed he shoved someone. Straight-up murder lol.
—Can Kim Minwoo even come back? Minimum B-rank…
;; Tough… He's E-grade at best, right?
—Even D-grade… shit, this is bad. Won't reach midzone; totally different league from last challenge…
Then.
—Wait, what?! Holy shit! Sword Sage went in!
Seo Yerim's dive was broadcast live too.
—No way insane;;
—We're fucked we're fucked we're fucked
—Plz B plz B plz B plz B plz B plz B
—Can they clear if B?
—Dunno; Sword Sage is beyond A-rank, but solo diving is suicide;
—Even Isabella doesn't solo these shit lol we're dead lol
—Not solo? Kim Minwoo's there.
—Lmao no; E-grade scrub ain't helping;
—A-rank verdict = done. Both dead; no way…
—B-rank means a shot?
—Dunno; first clear ramps difficulty. Better than A tho…
—Guilds not jumping in? Just letting it end?
—Shut up; why suicide?
—Fine other guilds, but Dorim? They shit the bed and won't clean?
—Tricky; guild master's stunned, didn't see it coming…
—Who predicts that shit lol
—Either way, Dorim fucked up guild control. Boycott Dorim starting today.
—For real. Lock Jo Pilwook up for murder, make Dorim pay. Ilsung hit? Can't bribe out lol.
—Hell yeah. Sick of them buying out. Scum like Jo Pilwook belongs in jail. Chairman shielding with cash too.
—Anyway, Kim Minwoo said he'd show something big soon—delivered lol
Then.
Officials assessing the gate shouted.
“Measurement complete! It's B-rank!”
—Breaking: Gate confirmed B-rank. Our network brings in experts to debate clear chances…
Park Siwoo, watching TV, gaped.
—If you see weird news, don't freak out too much.
This was the “weird news”?
Then.
His phone rang.
“Yes, Chairman!”
—Siwoo, heard anything?
The chairman's voice was urgent.
They'd done a presser together that morning—he was grasping at straws.
Scratching his cheek, Park Siwoo said carefully.
“… Well, seems like bro planned it…”
—What? Planned?!
“He said something cryptic earlier. Weird news might drop, but don't panic…”
—Hah… He set this up to tank Dorim and snag the gate? But how'd he know it'd spawn?
“Not sure. Might not be about this. But bro's no ordinary awakener… we trust him, right?”
—… True. Got it. Thanks. Hanging up.
He set the phone down with a sigh.
“… He's got a plan.”
Kim Minwoo was way stronger than people thought.
Even B-rank—he might clear it. And Sword Sage joined.
One thing was clear.
Dorim, corporate rank two.
They were royally screwed.
* * *
[Participating in B-rank Gate, 'Murim'!]
[First to enter the gate!]
[Acquired title: 'The First to Step Forth'!]
[Difficulty changed to B+: 'War of the Stars'!]
—Kuuu.
“Good boy. Well done.”
After entering the gate, he ruffled the head of Hayangi, who had followed him inside.
‘Went just as planned.’
This gate was Dorim's target.
Jo Pilwook was on the assault list.
A-rank achievement awakener, level 300s.
Key player for the clear.
‘Knew he'd come.’
Kim Minwoo knew Jo Pilwook well.
Total fuckup.
Compared to him, Kim Minwoo was mild.
Plus bad blood.
No surprise he'd blame an innocent and charge.
As expected.
True to his hothead nature, he rushed first.
Even swinging hard like he meant to crush a shoulder.
‘Bye.’
Jo Pilwook might cry foul, but no explaining it.
Hayangi's stealth pierced Ilsung HQ defenses to the hidden gate.
Even Enlightened Sword Sage couldn't detect.
Anyone would see grudge-fueled shove.
‘Trying to smash a shoulder.’
He'd braced for his own skull to crack.
‘Can't cover from Jo Pilwook's side.’
Not just him—Dorim corp would riot. Bad parenting? Parents pay.
Dorim's downfall was obvious.
Snag the gate.
Topple a rival.
Two birds, one stone.
Then.
[Warning!]
[One outsider present inside the gate!]
‘?’
He tilted his head.
Intrusion here?
‘Assassin? Nah.’
Gate rank measurer.
High-tech device scanning mana density for rank.
Uses mana? It detects like a ghost.
Even assassin stealth—mana skills.
Not even S-rank evades it.
‘Only Hayangi-level for sure.’
Assassinate with guild and cameras watching?
During measurement?
Insane.
Would've been caught pre-entry, swarmed and arrested. No guild ignores intruders.
‘Then who came to save me?’
Possible.
But…
“Solo?”
Before rank verdict?
Who'd pull this bold suicide? He was curious.
‘Not Jo Pilwook.’
Not body-slammed in—stopped dead.
No fuckup risks life for him.
‘Who?’
No clue.
Kim Minwoo looked around.
Antique chamber interior.
‘Wuxia vibe?’
Gate name gave it away.
Murim.
‘No biggie.’
C-grade+ had themed gates sometimes.
Cyberpunk, yokai parades—Murim was tame.
‘Should find the intruder…’
First-gate bonus: difficulty shift.
Unknown stage size. Midzone distance similar, but vast stage meant far apart. Moving blind was risky.
“… Whatever, luck might cross paths.”
First, scope location and objective.
Time to start assault.
Kim Minwoo stood.