The Traitor Who Opened the Gate
Nam Gyuil was hurrying back to the Hunter Agency's 01 Team. He walked down the corridor, biting his nails. It was hard to believe, but orcs had appeared.
Why? Why orcs...?
It was still far too early in the timeline for them. So why now? Nam Gyuil recalled the Pharaoh he had defeated before. That monster had forcibly opened a gate to come to Earth, losing most of its power in the process.
This time is different.
The orcs bursting from the gate hadn't lost their strength. If they had been weakened, guns would have worked on them. Nam Gyuil stopped walking and clenched his fist. For this absurd situation to happen, there was only one possible explanation.
A human opened the gate.
Forcing a gate open caused the opener to lose power. Up until now, monsters had opened the gates, so the strong ones crossed over weakened. But the reverse was possible too. Someone deliberately opening a gate to summon powerful monsters. In that case, the gate's creator would be the one drained of power.
One of the awakeners sacrificed their own strength to open a gate and let the orcs cross to Earth!!
Nothing else explained it. Nam Gyuil pressed his forehead. His mind had pieced it together, but his heart couldn't accept it.
Does that even make sense?
For this logic to hold, there had to be an awakener colluding with the monsters. "Damn it."
Who the hell was it? What kind of scum was helping monsters invade humanity?
The situation's turning into a total shitshow.
The large guilds hid proper training methods to monopolize profits, politicians only cared about grabbing power, and now there was a human traitor colluding with monsters...
This is a ticking time bomb that could go off any second.
The situation was the worst. Nam Gyuil entered the 01 Team office.
"You guys hear anything else about this incident? The higher-ups haven't found anything suspicious?"
Nam Gyuil asked his teammates directly. Lee Chanu shook his head.
"I don't know either. They say it's a really serious situation. Monsters that bullets don't work on are running wild."
Lee Chanu, usually so cocky, looked pale as a ghost. Han Kangsu was just as shaken.
"I asked my dad. He said the government sent support requests to the large guilds."
Han Kangsu's father was Han Ducheol, master of Kangcheol Guild and one of Korea's top five hunters. Even they were shocked by this. Hwang Ilsu grimaced.
"I knew new types of monsters kept showing up and it felt dangerous..."
Hong Shinu looked at Nam Gyuil. "Sergeant Nam."
"Yeah?"
"Can we safely discharge from service?"
Hong Shinu was trembling. As the least talented among the team, she scared easily. Nam Gyuil looked at his teammates with a serious expression. Everyone's faces were grim. Despair filled them, with no fighting spirit in sight. This wouldn't do. If they were already terrified before the fight, their survival odds would plummet. Nam Gyuil put on a strong front on purpose.
"You guys already forget? Who am I? The Hunter Agency's top ace, right?"
He pointed his thumb at himself, puffing out his chest arrogantly.
"I'll make sure you all discharge safely, so don't worry."
Nam Gyuil reassured the team. Thanks to their shared experiences, they believed him. Lee Chanu raised his voice.
"Yeah! If we don't trust hyung, who the hell can we trust!!"
Hwang Ilsu chimed in. "You heard him? No more freaking out—let's fight. Win this one too, and that's it!!"
The two rallied the mood. The heavy atmosphere over 01 Team lightened a bit. Then Han Kangsu suddenly pulled out his smartphone and called everyone over.
"They're filming the monsters with a drone right now!"
Everyone gathered around Han Kangsu. Emergency news was playing on the phone. The announcer shouted.
It wasn't good news. The announcer turned to the guest monster researcher professor.
The announcer's face stiffened. Everyone watching felt the same. Monsters building settlements was unprecedented. The professor dropped a bombshell.
Then the announcer relayed breaking news.
The screen switched. Tanks and fighter jets approached the orcs' gathering spot.
Tanks and fighters unleashed attacks on the orcs. Shells and missiles flew. BOOM. Explosions rocked the concrete ground. The destructive power shattered nearby building windows, and debris buried the orcs. Dust clouded everything, visibility zero. The earth-shaking noise made the announcer smile faintly. She figured the orcs were all dead. Viewers watching live thought the same.
But the orcs weren't dead. Thud, thud, thud. An orc wielding a massive axe burst through the dust. It was a warrior orc, an officer among them.
"ROOOAR-!!"
Roaring fiercely, it charged the tank—using Mana Sword no less. Crunch! The axe split the tank in one blow. KABOOM! The internal ammo exploded, ripping a huge hole. After neutralizing one tank, it eyed the rest.
"Damn it, retreat!!"
The commander barked orders frantically. Too late. The warrior orc leaped high with a stomp, landing on a tank. Its axe swings didn't stop. The blade sliced through armor, bisecting the driver. It moved like flowing water. It wrecked thirty tanks in under five minutes. Only ten left.
The fighter jets descended for support fire. That's when it happened. Orcs that had slipped into buildings smashed glass windows and leaped at the jets. Splat! Mana-coated axes shredded wings. The pilots plummeted without ejecting, massive explosions igniting the city in crimson flames. Orcs clinging to the wreckage were unscathed. Soldiers' screams echoed everywhere.
It was a catastrophe. The drone camera broadcast it all live to citizens.
"This is happening now..."
Lee Chanu was speechless. The 01 Team, watching on the smartphone, felt their blood run cold. They all sensed it instinctively. An unprecedented crisis had hit Korea.
The President called an emergency meeting. He ground his teeth, slamming his fist on the desk repeatedly.
"Why the hell are those monsters showing up now! Right when I'm in power!!"
The President exploded in rage. Ministers glanced nervously. He panted heavily, leaning back in his chair.
"Report the current damage."
Ministers detailed the losses. Property damage was severe. Orcs had raided nearby big marts, stealing all food and stockpiling it. They built a base—like an outpost. All supplies looted from local shops. Military casualties were dire: over a hundred soldiers and officers dead, no survivors. Corpses became orc rations. Some soldiers deserted, unwilling to fight orcs. The numbers were significant. Defense Ministry insiders worried they'd form criminal groups like the Hunter Agency deserters who became free agents.
Finance and economy were in crisis too. The orc emergence tanked the national credit rating by five notches. Bonds and treasuries lost credibility. Corporate liquidity froze, risking a second IMF crisis. The economy teetered on collapse. Chaebols were already fleeing on overseas flights. Foreign investors pulled funds.
The Minister of Land described the area: Suwon city center, near Line 1 rails crucial for wartime— a headache.
The Foreign Minister cautiously reported. "Mr. President."
"What?"
"Some neighboring countries offered help."
"Really?"
"They'll lend troops and weapons if we give them territory."
The President clenched his molars. Exploiting Korea's crisis for gain—outrageous. "Reject the offers."
"Yes, sir."
"What about America? Our ally says nothing?"
"They refused support."
"Damn it!!"
The President snorted in fury. With America out, international aid was hopeless. Only guilds remained. "What does the Hunter Association say?" he asked the Defense Minister.
The Hunter Association was a guild-formed profit group. The minister hesitated.
"Well..."
"Spit it out!"
The President's short temper flared. The minister reported carefully.
"They want big support funds to hunt orcs."
"Big money?"
"They want a negotiation table first."
"In this situation?"
The President pressed his temples, dizzy. Large guilds were the only hope, but they wouldn't move easily. Orders wouldn't work. They hold the knife, so they won't listen.
They'd ignored monster incidents before, inflating aid. Same now. The Hunter Association plans to kick the table again!! Funds would skyrocket each time. The President balled his fists. Then a name flashed in his mind.
"Nam Gyuil..."
"Pardon?"
The Prime Minister blinked. The President crossed his arms.
"National hunter Nam Gyuil hasn't discharged yet, right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
As time passed, more orcs would pour from the gate, spiraling out of control. The President took a gamble.
"Mobilize all national hunters to exterminate the orcs."
"...Yes, understood."
The Prime Minister agreed but doubted national hunters could stop orcs. The President added.
"Announce that the top contributor gets a national-owned item."
"What item do you mean?"
"R-grade item."
"Mr. President, are you serious? An R-grade item?!"
The Prime Minister's voice rose in shock. The government graded and stored items. Lesser grades were public, but not R-grade. R-grade's value was immense; only assigned for world-shaking impact, never revealed. The President offered it as prize. If it goes to Nam Gyuil... a new large guild will rise in Korea soon.