The Black Egg in Inari's Gate
The mana tank had drastically reduced foot traffic at the Inari Shrine. Just in case, I started climbing the stone steps, maximizing only the stealth aspect of my Flying Sky Shadowless Technique. Even a mere wooden torii gate exuded an overwhelmingly eerie atmosphere. It felt like each torii was a gateway to the underworld, sending chills down my spine for no reason—I rubbed my arms.
Wasn't this place open 24 hours? Taking advantage of the lull in people, I checked the pamphlet I'd brought during the day. It was night, sure, but this was still tourist hours—yet the complete lack of presence around me sharpened my nerves instinctively. The unsettling vibe, like whispers tickling my ear, combined with the increasingly visible white spiderwebs beyond the torii, was driving me mad. Spiderwebs ruining the scenery at a world-famous tourist spot?
The principal and association president mentioned the seal breaking—must be something like this. The precursor to a gate's appearance felt unnaturally like reality itself was being eroded, furrowing my brow. And the Jorogumo silk I had? Wasn't that a byproduct from slaying an S-rank gate monster? If an item from an S-rank gate was the key to another, what rank would the gate I was heading into be rated?
Fuck... should I run...? No matter how you sliced it, this was too ominous. But even in that brief hesitation, tiny spiders strung lines between the torii, their webs expanding before my eyes. I squeezed my eyes shut and kept walking. Ignorance is bliss, but with the anomaly unfolding right in front of me, I couldn't just stand by and watch—it felt too off. Worst case, since Japan was right next to Korea, an A-rank or higher alert would summon the big guns anyway. Better to handle it solo while I could still manage, rather than let it balloon into an uncontrollable mess—that was the way of a real man, right?
The bald eagle must've thought I could handle it, that's why he sent me... right? A fleeting doubt about whether the principal knew or not crossed my mind, but a gate showing this eerie atmosphere and precursors meant its byproduct would be anything but ordinary. Despite the gloom, my appetite whetted. Pressing on amid the darkening, grotesque torii, I circulated mana internally and kept climbing for a while. As the torii thinned and I crossed into the shrine proper, finally reaching the mountain's peak, a gate came into view—emitting black light, flecked with twinkling red stars here and there.
Never seen one like it. Tension made my throat bob as I swallowed hard. Pausing to steady myself with deep breaths, I stepped toward it.
If shit really hits the fan, I'll bail to another world, fuck...
[You have entered the gate.]
Ughhh, bleeech!!! The moment I stepped inside the gate, a torrent of headache and dizziness flipped my stomach—I hurled. Had I ever felt like this since awakening? The freakish state snapped me alert, but mid-vomit, aside from my numb head, my mana flow was fine, body rhythm normal. I shook my head violently like shaking off water.
"Ha... ha... f-fuck, what the hell...?"
As my scattered wits returned and I straightened up, an alien sight filled my eyes. Inside a massive temple-like building: a pitch-black egg, surrounded by spreading white spiderwebs. Its size and indescribable weird vibe gave me goosebumps. What hit me after crossing wasn't as bad as I'd feared—no instant combat. All I'd done was freak out solo with that vomit and dig at my itchy ear for some reason?
Feeling like a total wuss for overreacting, my lip jutted out.
"Fuck off!"
Cursing, I kicked the massive egg dead-on. Pain unlike anything since absorbing the dragon bone shot from my toes—my jaw dropped. Clutching my foot, I silently screamed for ages. Calming my breath and rising, I finally noticed the egg's glossy shell, unscratched despite my kick.
No way... tougher than dragon keel bone...? I trusted the dragon bone's hardness a lot, but this flawless surface, the endless rotating mana flow I'd felt on impact, and the slyly extending white spiderwebs around it—it all added up. Cold sweat trickled down my back as chills hit.
Expecting a treasure trove since S-rank byproduct was the key... This is straight-up S-rank or higher, fuck...
Survival instinct surging, I whipped around—yep, even event gates sealed shut behind me. I let out a hollow laugh.
"Ha... we're fucked."
[Gate sealed. No retreat possible.]
KABOOOM!!!! The purple orb shot from my fingertips slammed the target, ripping away the enveloping spiderwebs and sucking them into the explosion's core. Peering through the whipping wind and dust, I checked its status—my molars ground, a grinding snarl escaping my lips.
I'd hammered it with bare hands, fists, even Sipdan-geum Second Form mimicking a steel orb, for ages. But the black egg remained unscratched, steadily extending more webs. I slumped, irritably pressing my temples.
Honestly, things were dire, but with my world-jumping ability, I didn't feel death knocking. Just... if it hatched, could I return? And even if I did, how long in another world grinding points to kill an S-rank-plus beast? Thoughts tangled like yarn, dizzying my head.
"Manifest Realm? Life-Death Realm? Heh. Bullshit has limits..."
I had to get stronger anyway; this ostrich-egg fucker motivating me was fine. But leaving cutie Park Jisu alone while time slipped away? Irritation bubbled again.
But seriously, what the hell is this thing?
During my tantrum, I'd learned: insane shell hardness, creepy webs, and that dizziness on entry—from this guy.
[B3 Vaccine (R.m): Defends user from malicious code.]
The moment I checked the skill window corner...
"Heh. Scream all you want, I can't hear shit. Dumb fuck."
My ear itched again. Snorting, I ruffled my hair, rising with final resolve.
One last shot—if it fails, grind levels elsewhere...
S-rank-plus or whatever, it was an immature fetus thrashing, ripening mana to hatch. A normal hunter might flail, but with my martial arts mastery over mana, I smirked and calmly pressed my palm to the trembling surface.
I can't stand seeing others thrive. Heh.
My Sipdan-geum was history's finest My Weight Hand Method, wielding cosmic One Origin Qi. No way some unhatched fetus's mana could beat generations-perfected arts. Smirking deeply, I formed the familiar Taiji pattern in my dantian.
BOOM! An unheard rumble echoed inside me. The Taiji synced with the egg's internal mana via my palm. Forcing adaptation flooded my mouth with blood, but gritting through—fuck it—its flow began riding mine, like pissing in pants.
A gap I'd found assaulting with My Weight Hand Method: mana cycled through me like Grand Circulation, slightly bloating capacity on return. Ecstasy hit; I grinned mischievously.
"Heh. Can't do shit, huh?"
Finally sensing threat, it trembled violently—webs poured from around it. Sticky, ominous strands swarmed; disgust raised goosebumps. But just webs, mana flow unchanged—I countered, spinning my own from the silk, cocooning myself like a challenge.
A human-shaped pupa formed on the ground. Laughing at its frantic pounding, I pushed the mana flow harder. Slow, but sweeter than anything—the mana stat-up alert chimed.