Chapter 11 - The Two Types of Gates
Gates are largely divided into two categories. There's the Dungeon-type Gate, where a fixed area is created, and once you wipe out all the monsters inside, no more hostile creatures appear. Then there's the Field-type Gate, which is far more expansive but spawns endless monsters in return. The scene before me right now is that of an endlessly dark cave, devoid of any light. Field-types always start in some open clearing no matter what, so this can't be one. Which means the Gate I got swept into at the café is a Dungeon-type.
...Still.
I glanced around briefly. Darkness. Not just the absence of light, but a thick, inky blackness that stained the very air like ink in water. I blinked for a moment.
"...This place."
I slowly stood up and surveyed my surroundings. The ground beneath my feet wasn't rough cave floor—it was finely polished stone. Ancient ruins-like patterns were engraved across the entire surface, and thick stone pillars stood in rows here and there. An underground temple. That's exactly the vibe.
I took a moment to catch my breath and organize my thoughts. In a Dungeon-type Gate, if you clear all the internal monsters, no more hostiles emerge. So what happens to a Gate after all the monsters are gone? Simple. It just stays there. Of course, thanks to countless researchers, they've even invented devices to forcibly close Gates. They're called mana interferometers. You sync the interferometer's wavelength with the one emanating from the Gate, and it seals off places that no longer spawn monsters and thus lose their profitability, or ones too dangerous for humanity to handle.
Long intro aside, the bottom line is this is a Dungeon-type Gate. And when I got pulled in, the café was packed with people. Since I was sitting by the window, it's only natural to assume others got dragged in too. The counter staff. The college kid on his laptop by the window. The two women chatting away, and a few more besides.
"...So why am I alone?"
But there was no one around. None of the noisy chatter from moments ago. No screams. No footsteps. No breathing. Nothing. Drip— Just the occasional sound of water droplets falling. Pure silence. It was so quiet it felt like I was the only one here.
I took a step forward. My footsteps echoed lightly through the vast cave. Clack— clack— The echo felt strangely eerie instead. I stopped, slowly turning my head to scan the area.
The cave interior was pitch black. With not a single ray of light, my eyes hadn't adjusted at all. You need at least faint light to make out shapes in the dark, but there was none here.
...Can't move a single step like this. I don't even know where the cave leads.
Thankfully, it didn't seem like a particularly dangerous dungeon. There was none of that subtle tension I'd felt when killing Arnot or the Fire Villain in front of the department store. But zero visibility was still a huge problem...
As I racked my brain, a good idea struck me. To use my powers fully, I need to spread all my wings. But unleashing them completely here might cause the massive mana surge to collapse this huge cave. I'd be fine, but not so much for any other people who might've been swept in.
So what about using just a portion of my abilities?
Let's try it right now.
I focused my mind briefly, then summoned my third wing in a small form amid a soft glow.
Shine.
A soft light emanated from behind my back. I could feel the translucent white wing. At the same time, my vision tinged golden, and a bright but gentle light spread out from me.
The cave interior lit up in an instant. Behind the pillars. Crumbled stone walls. The darkness. But no trace of people anywhere.
A touch of impatience crept in. Who knew what was happening to the others right now? Some might even be in life-threatening danger from monsters or beasts. It'd be great if an awakener got pulled in with them to buy time, or if they even cleared it outright... but the world isn't that kind.
"Hm."
I closed my eyes briefly and extended my senses through the now-lit temple interior. Three branching tunnels led from the temple. If people had scattered evenly, casualties were inevitable in at least one. I wasn't sensing danger personally, but objectively, this dungeon's mana density was considerable. Without a high-rank awakener, expectations were low.
So I spread my energy. Golden aura flowing along the space—to guide survivors and warn monsters to stay away.
...But right now, I'm in my normal form.
As I spread it, a thought hit me: Meeting survivors like this would definitively link me to the rowdy Agent of God.
No helping it then.
Time to transform.
I'm just a regular citizen who wants a normal life. There can't be any connection between a 145cm petite beauty and the 180cm Agent of God, so transformation it is. The third wing, not directly tied to combat like the first or second, won't affect the surroundings much. Even transforming fully shouldn't collapse the cave.
...Let's do it.
I steeled my resolve and gathered my will.
Awaken, O sacred third wing!
I felt the translucent light wing sprouting from my back transform into radiant angelic wings, and sensed multiple presences approaching.
— — —
"Hah...! Hah...!"
Woohyun panted raggedly as he ran for his life. Gates don't open in urban areas. That's a truth, a given. Thanks to the countless researchers who toiled over decades to invent mana interference stabilizers, they figured out the irregular spawn principles and could control them to avoid important spots. Humanity had lived安心 for a solid ten years because of it.
Yet a Gate popped open inside a café smack in the middle of Seoul. And unluckily, he got swept into it. And that sound—clank— clank— clank— The metallic clashes echoing from behind. It mimicked human footsteps but was decisively different. Too heavy, too rhythmic. And above all... no breathing.
In the darkness, two red lights stared at them faintly. Beneath them loomed armor. Empty armor. Nothing inside, yet it moved like it was alive.
Living Armor. A monster occasionally found in A-rank or higher high-level dungeons.
The problem was...
"Why... why are there so many!!!"
It wasn't just one or two. A wave of ironclad filled the narrow cave passage behind them. Clank— clank— clank— clank— Like an army, they advanced slowly but surely.
"Ugh... I don't wanna die... save me...!!"
The woman running beside him sobbed out. Behind her was a guy who looked like café staff, ahead of them a college-kid-looking guy gasping for breath. And trailing at the rear, a middle-aged man huffing along. Started with six. Now five—no, four. The guy at the back couldn't keep up, tripped...
Clank— clank— crunch, splat—!!
"Gaaahhh!!!"
A gruesome sound and sharp scream followed. That was it. No one dared look back.
"Damn it!!!!"
The college kid up front gritted his teeth. At this rate, they'd die. None of the monsters they'd seen so far were ones they could fight properly. And that number...
Woohyun considered himself well-versed in awakeners, Gates, and dungeon monsters. It was his hobby to look up related info whenever he had time. So he knew for sure: That many Living Armors would require several A-rank awakeners. But everyone here was a regular civilian. Frail normals who couldn't handle even a low-level pull mushroom, chased by dozens of high-end monsters. Despair incarnate.
One got bisected right in front of them, another died behind. Enough to drive anyone mad, yet somehow his legs kept moving.
Huff, huff, huff...!
No clue how long they'd run. Felt like dozens of minutes. Grind, clank— Then a blocking sound from ahead.
"...Huh?"
Everyone froze. At the passage's end, where it curved right, a massive Living Armor awaited. Behind: the armored legion. Ahead: the ironclad knight blocking the way. Perfect dead end.
"...It's over."
Someone muttered. The woman collapsed to her knees. If they could just pass that giant one, maybe hope in the path beyond... but if they could, they wouldn't be fleeing like this.
"Haha..."
The college kid laughed hollowly. The café staff leaned against the wall, gasping. Despair welled in his eyes. Woohyun was much the same. Heart pounding, breaths ragged, mind blank.
Clank— clank—
As the giant Living Armor approached, Woohyun and the other two could only slump in defeat.
...At least I should've texted Mom and Dad that I love them...
That final thought crossed his mind when—shaaa—
"...Huh?"
Someone spoke. Probably the college guy.
"What's... that?"
In the thick darkness. Far off. A faint light. At first, he thought it a trick of the eye. But no. Light was definitely spreading through the dark. Subtle and soft, yet strangely soothing to behold.
And with the light came something else. An invisible energy. Like warm sunlight, slowly filling the space—a golden aura.
"...An awakener?"
The college kid muttered.
"Someone's... over there?"
The approaching Living Armors seemed to halt. Their red eyes fixed in one direction. Where the light came from. It felt like a call to every being in the dungeon: Come here.
The woman spoke in a trembling voice.
"...We have to go."
At that, the college kid and café staff nodded.
"Yeah."
He glanced back. The iron legion closing in. The blocker ahead. But in the light's direction... nothing. Just one thing: hope.
"...Run!!"
Someone yelled. With that, the four bolted. Sore legs didn't matter. The hope of survival pulsed through them alone. They sprinted solely toward the golden light's source.
Toward the place where the Agent of God awaited—a fact they didn't yet know.