Chapter 90: Ant Hell (2)
It was worth waiting at the mansion. From the moment that unfamiliar face appeared, the shadows were already on the move.
They tailed him and witnessed him entering the B-rank Gate.
Incheon's Demon Gate.
Conquest difficulty: 80 points.
Even B-rank Awakeners went in groups, yet this guy was attempting to enter alone.
That meant he was that confident.
‘Kim Minwoo…’
Han Baekgil narrowed his eyes.
They had tailed him without any interference so far. If he entered like this, the raid would go smoothly. Which was why he couldn’t help tilting his head in suspicion.
It was too easy.
Way too easy.
‘One of two things.’
Either he was so carefree he hadn’t even considered a raid.
Or…
‘He planned this.’
Han Baekgil scanned the surroundings.
From Number One to Number Seven.
Everyone’s eyes gleamed.
“Boss. We’re going in, right?”
They had braced for at least half their group to die capturing Kim Minwoo.
But the situation had unfolded perfectly.
Entering the gate in disguise?
It was like advertising himself as easy prey. With no telling when such a chance would come again, their hearts raced. Even Han Baekgil, who was suspicious, felt the urgency.
So, they weren’t going in?
No.
They had to go in.
They’d already decided to catch him. Backing out now would be the worst move.
“…The moment he enters, we follow right away.”
Everyone nodded.
The assassins activated stealth skills, while the non-assassins used magic or items from the treasure vault to hide.
Those approaching the gate.
Two B-rank Awakeners and one A-rank guarded the entrance, but it meant nothing.
[Sensory Disruption (S) is activated!]
[Breath of Dreams (S) is activated!]
[Cozy Oblivion (S) is activated!]
The skills from the S-rank Awakeners disrupted senses, erased memories, and dulled eyes.
In an instant, the Awakeners turned into wooden puppets. It would take a few minutes for them to regain their senses, then they’d stand guard as if nothing happened.
The nearby soldiers were similarly rendered powerless.
[Party status!]
[Han Baekgil and 18 others enter the B-rank Gate, Demon's Castle!]
[Raid status!]
[Party members' positions are scattered!]
They could enter as a party, but the raid penalty split their positions.
It didn’t matter.
Han Baekgil pulled out the crystal orb.
[‘Eye of Darkness’ displays party members' positions!]
A special-grade item.
One of the items granted through past prayers. He wasn’t the only one with it—the other 19 party members all had one too.
It was incredibly useful inside gates for tracking party positions.
Especially in raid status like now.
Even better.
It didn’t just show positions—it could display key members in specific colors.
Han Baekgil was pitch black.
Numbers One through Seven, plus the two new S-rank supports, were red.
The rest of the trainees were blue.
Colors filled the crystal orb. The shadows had already coordinated.
They’d gather around Han Baekgil.
Soon, his companions began joining one by one.
Then.
Pop!
One blue light on the crystal orb faded.
‘…Dead?’
A faded light meant death. One trainee had suddenly met his end.
Then.
Pop!
Pop!
Pop!
Pop!
Blue lights farther away started extinguishing rapidly.
The remaining lights moved faster and faster.
The hastily gathered group stared blankly at the crystal orb.
“Damn it.”
“What kind of speed is this?”
“This guy’s a total monster?”
The Awakeners from Japan and China looked grim too. They knew about Kim Minwoo. He’d made a name overseas with bold exploits.
Even so.
They hadn’t expected this hunt to be so tough.
They’d even thought the Korean branch was overreacting.
The Korean branch alone had eight S-rank Awakeners joining the hunt—people who leveled faster than ordinary S-rankers and were far higher-level.
Kim Minwoo’s level was generously estimated at just over 200.
Levels were the backbone of combat.
It wasn’t strange to think they were overreacting to a fight they’d crush.
But…
‘Damn.’
‘This won’t be easy?’
Five trainees dead to one guy.
And these trainees had stealth-related items.
‘No, he’s a Necromancer?’
How was a Necromancer killing stealth trainees left and right?
Even decent A-rank Awakeners outside died in seconds.
Even accounting for the Demon's Castle being a small-scale gate, the speed was absurd.
Only after six trainees died did the full group assemble.
From 19 to 13.
Half gone before they even started.
“…I’ll kill him. No matter what.”
Han Baekgil said through gritted teeth.
The air grew heavy.
The now deadly serious group began moving to find Kim Minwoo.
* * *
I killed the six who were sneaking around.
Death's Land.
This skill was a natural counter to stealth users. Normal stealth breaks on damage. Even S-rank stealth just lasted longer before breaking.
But Death's Land?
It was a wide-area DoT slamming constant damage.
In this small gate stage.
Right after spawning, I scattered skeleton hordes everywhere and activated Death's Land. Each cast snagged two or three.
Of course, the resident demon monsters got hit too.
[Effect of ‘Stealer of Vulcan’s Eye’ activates!]
[Demons feel intense intimidation!]
[They dare not approach!]
Their weak DoT couldn’t overcome the intimidation—they fled instead of attacking. They’d need much stronger damage to charge.
Plus, I had more than skeletons for scouting.
Haya.
This clever one had top speed and stealth, plus high enough intelligence to signal each other. Spotting prey was instant.
Then Merhen shone.
I asked for spells to grab ankles, and she created them on the spot.
[Water Prison (S) activates!]
[Earth's Binding (S) activates!]
Fleeing foes got feet stuck in sinking ground, trapped in airborne water prisons, thrashing futilely. As B to A-rank Awakeners, they didn’t die to one spell.
They used skills to struggle and buy time.
‘Pointless.’
Once Cedric and I closed in, game over. Perfect combos severed heads before they could even clash properly. Each kill netted at least one level.
Insane EXP.
My level hit 188.
Eight levels in a short hunt. Killing monsters would’ve taken way more for that.
After hunting for a while, I entered a reception room in the castle, killed every demon inside, and shut the door.
‘This is why I love Demon's Castle.’
The map’s a castle.
Castles naturally have tons of rooms.
Unlike open plains, low risk of encirclement, hard to ambush.
Close the door in a room, no sneaky assassin entry.
Especially reception rooms—nearly perfect open spaces without even windows.
‘Only one entrance: the front door.’
To enter, smash it or turn the knob.
Assassins lacked wall-phasing teleport skills.
Mages might, but.
Teleporting alone over a door? Asking to die.
‘Normally, just open the door.’
Seven reception rooms in the castle. Smashing each as dangerous would drain mana.
Doors were sturdy.
Han Baekgil’s group would probably open and check too.
‘Four left now.’
I recalled the Hidden Piece condition: one person kills ten total. Easy if easy, hard if hard. But tough to trigger usually.
‘Stuck around years later.’
B-rank gate, after all.
High-level entrants.
Veteran Awakeners rolling in the scene. Solo limits hit, so mostly guilds or friend groups.
Skilled pros moving in sync. Even S-rank assassins found solo raids burdensome.
Two or three together, but then no 10 kills.
They share kills.
Betray inside?
‘Investigation catches it.’
10 kills means killing all but yourself. “Lucky survivor”? Awakeners aren’t that soft.
Investigations follow.
Gate hunters have every skill imaginable.
You get caught eventually.
Caught?
Life over.
Yeopo inside the gate, but society’s vast. At B-rank, few risk life for one score. That’s why the condition lingered.
‘Didn’t know it myself.’
Didn’t realize till I smashed the assassins here. Stumbled on it once by chance.
Killing all thirteen? Tough. But four?
‘Easy.’
Especially with weaklings like the last batch scattered around.
Downed a mana potion.
Looked at Merhen and Cedric.
“Get ready.”
The two legion commanders nodded.
Dolsae, skeletons, and specter unit long prepped for battle.
[Merhen begins commanding all mages!]
[One hundred mages attempt ‘Magic Circle Formation’!]
[Success!]
[Medium magic circle completed!]
[Four hundred mages begin gathering ‘Corpse Explosion’ into the magic circle!]
[Merhen begins gathering mana!]
Scattered demon corpses by the door.
First face through gets a slap to start.
Soon.
Creak.
The reception room door opened.
Just one Awakener visible through the gap. Probably drew the short straw to open it.
Useless.
I’d anticipated that.
[Death's Land (S) cast!]
[All allied undead stats rise 20%!]
[Merhen uses Cyclone (SS)!]
Taste some SS-grade magic.
Fierce winds raged outside the door.
Whoooosh!
The door sucked everything like a vacuum in seconds.
“Huh?”
“What the fuck!”
Awakeners tumbled in from the gale.
[Corpse Explosion magic activates!]
Boomboomboomboom!
Gathered demon corpses erupted at the sucked-in Awakeners.