Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Clash at the Black Gate
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“No, this is our sector!”
Kim Cheon-seok, the guild master of Shield Guild, who operated out of Buyeo as their base, shouted roughly.
“No, Guild Master.”
“Are you kidding me? Damn it, they dump missions on us whenever it suits them, but when there’s real money to be made, they tell us to buzz off?”
The roughly thirty Shield Guild members looked ready to throw down in a brawl.
“…….”
Yoo Baek grimaced at the sight.
“Shield is a guild that operates around Buyeo. This is originally their sector.”
It made sense.
“As you know, Black Gates aren’t some gold mine.”
“It is a gold mine! They say legendary-grade items come out!”
Even glancing at the gear worn by Shield Guild members, their level didn’t seem all that high.
They were probably at the bottom of the top hundred guilds.
In truth, in Korea, anything below the top hundred guilds was more like a party or raid team than a proper guild.
“Didn’t you see? Those can’t even be sold.”
“Whatever! I’m going in. If you keep acting like this, I might just report you upstairs.”
“Report what?”
“You taking money from us at Shield…!”
It seemed the Association assigning the Black Gate to Yoo Baek’s Baekgang Guild, the top one in Buyeo, was the root of the issue.
Baekgang and a few allied guilds versus the outnumbered Shield.
“I’ll handle this. Sorry you had to see this mess.”
Yoo Baek spoke to Go Yohan, trembling as if his dirty secret had been exposed.
“…Some things can’t be helped.”
With those words, Go Yohan stepped toward the commotion ahead of Yoo Baek.
“You… Huh? Isn’t that the guy?”
Kim Cheon-seok from Shield seemed to recognize Go Yohan and yelled.
“That pale bastard! Holy! Holy!”
Behind him, Yoo Baek’s face twisted like a vengeful ghost.
“What brings a Holy guy all the way here?”
Convinced he was right, Kim Cheon-seok addressed Go Yohan.
It was then.
“Go Yohan Player will be entering the Black Gate with our Baekgang.”
Yoo Baek, who had hurried over, declared to the Association members.
Even the Association seemed puzzled by the sight.
“What’s Baekgang got to do with Holy?”
“Who the hell is Go Yohan anyway?”
Rumors about Go Yohan were rampant, but no one had confirmed his true nature yet, so it was natural.
The Association had no grounds to challenge Baekgang’s rights either.
“Understood.”
“Hey! We’re going in! Yoo, you really gonna do this?”
“Ha… Brother.”
Yoo Baek clutched his head in frustration.
“Please don’t do this for real.”
They all knew each other, operating in the narrow confines of Buyeo.
“This isn’t what you think it is, Brother. This is seriously bad news.”
“Who doesn’t know that? We gathered to make a big score, and Shield can’t even pay our kids’ salaries properly—that’s our big problem!”
As he spoke, Kim Cheon-seok approached Yoo Baek.
“Please. You know our situation. Gates don’t pop up often in this cramped place. If we fail this one too, we’re all starving.”
It wasn’t just greed.
“Ha…”
They had their own circumstances.
“The inside is definitely not what you imagine.”
Go Yohan approached and said.
“Anyone who lets Shield in is basically signing off on wiping them out—becoming their killer.”
“What’s it to you, butting in?”
Kim Cheon-seok scowled, but noticing Yoo Baek glancing at Go Yohan’s reaction, he continued.
“We’ve got no choice… We’re just risking our lives for pay. If we’re gonna trade lives for cash, let us.”
Kim Cheon-seok was a man who didn’t know the meaning of giving up.
“Then go in.”
“Huh?”
“Pardon?”
“Experience it yourselves. How precious those lives are.”
And.
“Let’s do it.”
In the end, Yoo Baek gave permission too.
*
*
*
Whoosh!
Upon entering the gate, an intense energy hit them, making their blood boil and skin crawl.
“…….”
Baekgang and Shield alike felt it.
Their player instincts told them this place was utterly different from anywhere they’d experienced before.
Meanwhile.
‘The connection isn’t fully stable yet.’
Go Yohan was scanning the gate the moment they entered.
Opening too many doors at once must have been a burden even for the demons—it seemed all of Korea’s gates were still in the process of linking into one.
That was why.
“N-Not a big deal.”
Even the debuff that every player who’d entered a Black Gate experienced wasn’t applying.
“Looks like we’ve got some time left, fortunately.”
“Is that so?”
Yoo Baek, beaming at Go Yohan’s words, could barely keep his trembling legs steady despite his wealth of experience.
“Yes. Let’s move.”
At Go Yohan’s command, Baekgang began advancing.
“We…”
Kim Cheon-seok of Shield.
“What do we do?”
As a guild master, he’d realized all command lay with Go Yohan.
And that was unexpected.
“I figured you’d act separately?”
They’d barged in like money was the goal, so he expected them to chase their own greed independently.
And if they did that far.
“…….”
Unlike in Travania, he wouldn’t stop them.
He knew he couldn’t save everyone.
“We’re already getting hazard pay just for stepping in. No point being greedy—gotta earn our keep. Just tell us what to do. You’ve cleared this place once, right?”
Despite many dismissing it as rumor.
“No smoke without fire. If a big shot like Holy’s involved, there’d be a way somehow. Anyway, just say the word. As Shield, we’re confident in our tanking.”
At that.
Heh.
Go Yohan let out a small chuckle.
Was it his appearance? Even though it felt like mockery, Kim Cheon-seok didn’t protest.
“You won’t even get a chance to step up later anyway.”
Go Yohan said.
“Stick with Baekgang and observe.”
“Got it.”
Soon after, they encountered monsters.
“Everyone, battle ready!”
“Ready!”
Thud! Thud!
The earth-shaking things were.
“What, no biggie.”
B-grade monsters, known as ogres and trolls.
Thus, combat began.
Baekgang truly lived up to their Sanctuary Alliance name.
‘Elixir.’
Their base stats showed a clear gap, and Greed’s support shone through.
Among them, Yoo Baek’s skill stood out head and shoulders.
Clang!
In contrast.
Boom!
“W-What’s with these guys?”
Shield fell short.
These weren’t mere ogres or trolls.
They were demonic beasts influenced by the demon realm.
Kaboom!
The difference in power and regeneration would be overwhelming.
“Brother, be careful.”
Yoo Baek helped Kim Cheon-seok when an opening appeared.
“T-Thanks.”
They fought on stubbornly, persistently.
*
*
*
Several battles ended.
Baekgang performed as expected, but Shield was the surprise.
“Haa, haa. Gonna die.”
If Baekgang were knights, these were veteran soldiers.
That seasoned know-how let them hunt monsters above their level.
Skill shining through cunning and wisdom rather than brute force.
“Yoo.”
Then Kim Cheon-seok cautiously called to Yoo Baek during the break.
“Yeah, Brother.”
“But who the hell is that guy? Holy or not, no reason for Baekgang to bow to some outsider. And he’s not even with Holy.”
“…That’s.”
“Forget it if you can’t say. We’re earning our pay, so don’t worry.”
The monsters they’d faced so far were just ogres and trolls.
Not to be underestimated, but far from the world-ending horror they’d been warned about.
It was then.
Rustle.
Go Yohan, who’d been silent, stood up.
Baekgang rose in sync, and Shield followed suit, catching the cue.
“What is it?”
“It’s starting.”
With Go Yohan’s words.
Thud!
Everyone standing felt their hearts sink.
[You have entered the Black Orc Sanctuary, the Black Land.]
System voice echoing for all.
[All stats are reduced.]
[Skill power is decreased.]
Felt like iron weights clung to their bodies.
[The Curse of the Evil God Ograk dominates the land.]
[All stats are further reduced.]
[All skill power is further decreased.]
Now it felt like sinking into deep water; their bodies wouldn’t obey.
[The Curse, Frenzy, seeps in.]
That instant.
“Grrgh!”
Players’ eyes turned bloodshot, blood tears streaming.
“Kill… Must kill…”
Players screamed as if possessed.
“Snap out of it!”
Yoo Baek shouted.
“Argh! Get a grip!”
Kim Cheon-seok bellowed.
But shaking off the curse wasn’t easy.
[The Hierarchy of Sins activates.]
[The Hierarchy of Curses activates.]
[The Great Curse, Wrath, nullifies Frenzy.]
“Gah!”
Players snapped back in an instant, gasping ragged breaths.
Tremble.
Yoo Baek fumbled in his pocket with shaking hands.
The accessory he’d received upon becoming a zealot and part of the Sanctuary Alliance.
Without it, he might’ve been swallowed by the curse in that moment too.
And its owner.
Step.
Walked forward alone.
“…Together…”
“Let’s go together.”
Baekgang and Shield tried to follow, but their feet halted involuntarily.
Kwaaaaa!
A red wave surged toward them.
No.
“…Orcs?”
The wave-like things were orcs with red skin.
C-grade monsters at best.
Groooar!
Charging like an ogre legion.
“Run…”
Kim Cheon-seok uttered the word, thinking they had to flee.
But ahead, Go Yohan strode on, seemingly unfazed by the earlier curse.
“Yoo, little bro, I’ll hold them off. Take Shield kids and run. I’ll save us somehow.”
It was then.
Tremble.
Yoo Baek, standing beside him, shuddered once and spoke.
“…No need for that.”
It was then.
Crunch!
The sound of space tearing echoed.