Chapter 6
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: The Red Drake
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Han Ho's party entered the restricted area, sealed off and guarded by armed police.
As they neared Tokyo Tower, a putrid stench assaulted them.
'Blood.'
Lee Ru-ri racked her brain over how to proceed.
An S-rank tanker and dealer.
An A-rank dealer and B-rank healers.
And one F-rank healer.
The only things Lee Ru-ri had personally taken down were F-rank common monsters and a D-rank ogre.
She couldn't gauge the gate's rank yet, but if it was D-rank or higher, stepping up herself wouldn't make a difference.
Just as Han Gyeol had said, she was only there to make up the numbers.
S ― Red Drake: Current Favorability <0>
―Grrr... kak kak!
A monster prowling around Tokyo Tower lunged at the healer bringing up the rear.
"Kyaaak!"
Han Gyeol swiftly shoved the healer aside and swung a sword as large as his own body, cleaving the monster in two.
The near-miss healer ended up splattered in monster blood.
She collapsed in a heap amid the still-twitching remains.
Han Gyeol helped her to her feet and turned to Han Ho.
"Father, we should clear the perimeter first, right?"
"I'll shield the healers and analyze the gate pattern. You and Director Han sweep the area."
At Han Ho's command, Han Gyeol and Han Seung-woo began a thorough search.
Han Ho watched them briefly before turning to the healers with a gentle smile.
"Let's move."
Lee Ru-ri shivered at the sight of that smile, a wave of primal dread washing over her.
'What is this feeling?'
While Han Gyeol and Han Seung-woo dispatched the monsters spilling from the gate and roaming nearby, Han Ho and the healers clustered at the entrance, waiting.
"Gate break... It dragged on too long without control, and the rank mutated."
Lee Ru-ri hung on Han Ho's every word as he assessed the gate.
Even as he mulled the rank, he never faltered, slamming his massive shield down on any charging beasts to safeguard the healers.
"No more monsters emerging means it settled at S-rank."
Just as Han Ho reached his verdict, Han Gyeol and Han Seung-woo returned to the entrance.
"How's it look?"
"The break forcibly concluded. Started as A-rank, mutated to S. Director Han, check on the follow-up team's position."
"Yes, Chairman."
Han Seung-woo fired off a message to Choi Si-jin without delay.
Choi Si-jin replied that they'd touch down at Narita Airport in ten minutes.
"Ten minutes out."
"Tell Si-jin to scout a solid spot for the gate control tower. Time to head in."
"Understood, Chairman."
Han Ho observed the message exchange for a moment, then squared his stance.
"Alright. Shall we?"
Han Gyeol and Han Seung-woo stretched and shook out their limbs.
The healers checked their gear, poised for orders.
Han Seung-woo pulled something from his bag and offered it to Lee Ru-ri.
"Th-this is..."
A healer orb and cube. High-grade by the look of them.
"Borrowed from the Association. You've earned plenty—why no gear yet?"
"Well..."
"It'll serve. Buy it after the clear or hand it back. Your call."
Lee Ru-ri shrugged and channeled her mana into the equipment.
The orb and cube hummed to life with a cool glow in response.
Confirming everyone was set, Han Ho took point and strode into the gate.
"Ru-ri-ssi, I'm frontliner stock. If things go south, I'll have to bull through the mobs—can't stick by your side. Stay glued to the healers. Safety above all."
Han Seung-woo implored her with evident worry.
"D-don't worry!"
Han Gyeol, who'd been listening in, ribbed him.
"Hey, Father's here. And me. Overkill much?"
"Sorry. Just concerned."
"Hahaha, joking. Though... yeah, my hackles are up too."
A deafening crash erupted from ahead.
Boom! Thud! Bang!
Han Gyeol bolted toward Han Ho with a frantic shout.
"Father!"
The rest hurried after him. Not far off, Han Ho was locked in a brutal struggle.
A colossal beast—at least twice the size of the Ogre Chief from the F-rank gate—unleashed merciless torrents of fire at Han Ho.
Lee Ru-ri's body locked rigid in that instant.
A sensation she'd never felt in an F-rank gate. An abyss of terror born from sheer power disparity.
'Not in the guidebook. Has to be S-rank.'
For whatever reason, she couldn't access special monster tomes for anything above B-rank without promotion.
She tamped down a flicker of thrill and cautiously extended her hand toward the beast deadlocked with Han Ho.
'As expected.'
The other healers unleashed a barrage of heals on the trio in combat.
'Time to test Han Seung-woo's gear.'
Lee Ru-ri cast heals on the three holding the drake at bay.
Red Drake's favorability has increased by 20,000. Current favorability: 20,000
'Whoa, that's a huge jump.'
She wondered if she'd misread, refocused on Han Ho—whose HP dipped from 89% to 88%—and healed him. But his bar didn't budge.
'What's going on? Heals on Han Ho land the same geared or not.'
Something was off with the numbers.
Confirming everyone's focus on the fight, she tentatively healed the drake.
Red Drake's favorability has increased by 20,000. Current favorability: 40,000
'Huh?'
Lost in bewilderment, the drake's favorability surged past 800,000.
'No clue what's happening, but at least it's not fire-hosing us anymore. Small mercies.'
The drake's HP was visibly plummeting by then.
With roughly 10% left, Han Ho bellowed.
"Everyone, focus!"
He hefted his shield with all his might.
Suddenly, their bodies felt feather-light.
Han Seung-woo charged the drake's head with enhanced agility.
Han Gyeol followed, unleashing a blade aura at its gut.
From behind, Lee Ru-ri and the healers hammered heals nonstop.
The drake collapsed amid a roar that threatened to burst eardrums.
Red Drake's favorability has increased by 20,000. Current favorability: 1,020,000
Red Drake's favorability is now maxed.
Hidden skill unlock conditions met.
'Hidden skill?'
Lee Ru-ri reeled as badly as when she'd first learned goblins liked her heals.
'What even is a hidden skill?'
The post-battle chaos masked her private turmoil.
Han Gyeol poked at the drake's corpse and glanced at Han Ho.
"If the gatekeeper's this tough, the back's gonna be a nightmare, Father."
"No denying it. S-rank gatekeepers are rare birds."
"Speaking of, old timer—you're not as spry as you used to be. Can't you take it easy? Hurt anywhere?"
"Quit clowning."
Han Ho and Han Gyeol bantered, fussing over each other.
Han Seung-woo watched the father-son duo with a peculiar expression.
"Seung-woo, grab the loot. Healers—all good?"
"We survived thanks to the Chairman's blessing skill."
One healer beamed at Han Ho.
His blessing was no joke. All stats spiked dramatically in an instant, turning heavy limbs light as down.
Duration and potency put high-grade potions to shame.
Still, the knowledge of more abominations ahead left her knees watery.
"Gatekeeper, huh..."
"Oh, first S-gate for you healers? They always station one right before the boss path. That was our guy. Next up: the trick."
"Trick?"
"Bosses are cowards—gatekeeper's their muscle, but they hide behind tricks too. Neutralize the trick, sniff out the boss, and bam. Done."
Han Gyeol kept it breezy with a grin, but the healers blanched, exchanging uneasy glances.
"Chitchat's over. Let's wrap this up."
Everyone fell in behind Han Ho.
One healer piped up about the tricks.
Han Seung-woo rattled off the Association's known varieties, as concise as possible.
Han Gyeol chimed in now and then, playing know-it-all.
Then Han Ho, scouting ahead, halted dead and roared.
"Healers! Fall back—now!"
The healers recoiled in shock and retreated hastily, but curiosity held Lee Ru-ri back, moving at a crawl.
That was when it hit.
Crunch—
"Gah."
"Ru-ri-ssi!"
Han Seung-woo yelled.
But Lee Ru-ri toppled without a word.
Healers swarmed her, pouring heals.
Han Gyeol barked at Han Seung-woo lunging her way.
"Director Han! Regroup! More incoming!"
The deluge of heals stanched her bleeding somehow, but her HP plunged regardless.
"Uwaaak!"
Han Gyeol's agonized cry, followed by a heavy thud.
"W-what do we do?! We'll all die!"
A healer spamming heals on Lee Ru-ri cracked under terror, shrieking.
'What the hell's... happening. Can't... make sense...'
Her awareness dimmed.
"Gack!"
Han Seung-woo's scream.
"Sh-shouldn't we run?!"
"How?!"
"Dealers are down! Tank can't solo!"
"Keep healing! What if we all wipe?!"
"Screw this—I'm gone!"
One healer bolted, heals flying wildly.
Footsteps fading.
"Kyaaak!"
She didn't get far—a scream, then collapse.
"Ch-Chairman! Run while you can!"
A healer tending Lee Ru-ri screamed at Han Ho.
"Damn it!"
Han Ho hurled his blade at the monster with everything he had.
Clang—
It whiffed.
He scooped up Han Gyeol in a flash and bolted, hollering at the survivors.
"Run!"
The clamor died moments after his cry.
'Everyone... bailed?'
She fought the encroaching haze, blinking slow.
Blood-soaked Han Seung-woo panted into view.
"Han... Seung-woo..."
His pupils dilated. His HP gauge scraped zero.
She wrung out her last dregs of mana and healed him.
"No... Han Seung-woo..."
She eyed her own gauge. The healers' focus on her had bought some buffer over his.
A promising A-rank on the cusp of S was worth more than some no-name F-rank.
No family to mourn her anyway. Life held no deep regrets.
A feeble smile tugged her lips as she kept the heals flowing his way.
His bar wouldn't rise. But it held steady too.
Their HP synced. Petty defiance sparked.
She reached feebly into empty air and whispered.
"Extinction."
⟨ Extinction ⟩
Her fingertips shimmered coldly, unleashing a hail of fireballs across the gate interior.
Gazing at the plummeting flames, a strange warmth bloomed in her body.
Then, atop her HP gauge, fresh monster intel materialized.
'SS-grade... Guess it's true—you hallucinate on death's doorstep.'
She huffed a weak laugh and healed Han Seung-woo once more.
Keres's favorability has increased by 3. Current favorability: 3