B-Rank Gate
B-Rank Gate
Kang Tae-jun.
An S-class Hunter of the Warrior class.
He is the Guild Master of 'Dawn' and one of Korea's top-tier Hunters, having cleared countless gates until now.
And right now, he—
"Something feels off...."
He was feeling a sense of unease in this current gate.
Watching him, the Vice Guild Master Han Seo-yun said indifferently.
"How many times are you going to say that... This is a B-grade gate, you know?"
"That may be, but...."
As Seo-yun said, this was merely a B-grade gate.
While it had the peculiarity of being an endlessly sprawling space where not a single monster was in sight, many gates had strange structures, so it wasn't particularly odd.
Tae-jun was just puzzled as to why he felt this way.
He tried to ignore it and kept walking.
"It's this way."
They were currently walking in the direction where the magic power was stronger.
The density of magic power increased the further they went, but they were the elite of the elite in Korea.
This level of intensity was no problem at all.
Just as they continued walking, Seo-yun discovered something.
"Oh? Guild Master-nim, do you see that?"
"What?"
He shifted his gaze to the direction Seo-yun was pointing.
"A tree?"
"Yes, that looks like it would be the boss zone...."
"Looks like it...."
"...."
Those who called themselves Hunters walked into the forest, and I, watching that scene from afar, recalled the events from just a moment ago.
First, the existence of a system.
[Objective: Kill all challengers]
This transparent window that suddenly appeared was enough to fluster me.
Kill all challengers?
What even is a challenger in the first place?
That question was resolved immediately.
Because I felt something from afar.
Five moving entities. Thinking they might be the challengers the system spoke of, I hurriedly moved my body.
And I saw them.
"People!"
It was people. People of the same form as me, whom I thought I would never see for all eternity.
Unlike what I knew, they harbored magic power in their bodies, but what did that matter?
I pinched my cheek, wondering if this was a dream.
"Ouch—"
It hurt.
Thankfully, it wasn't a dream. Then, were they the challengers?
I cast a stealth spell and secretly eavesdropped on their conversation.
Whisper whisper.
Mumble mumble.
Various conversations passed between them.
"Hmm! So that's how it is!"
They were Hunters. A profession that enters the demon realm called a Gate to hunt monsters.
Looking at their attire, it seemed similar to Earth in my past life, but I was puzzled by them carrying weapons like swords, staves, and bows—though I understood quickly.
To deal with what they called monsters, that much would be necessary. Since they also had magic power, guns wouldn't be of any use. I hadn't seen one, but monsters wouldn't just be beasts.
"Hmm...."
Judging by the presence of magic power, this wasn't the Earth of my past life, or it had changed a lot since I lived there.
The question was why such people were here....
[A challenger has entered the Gate]
Thinking back to what the system said, I could estimate the situation to some extent.
They found this place, which they called a B-grade gate, to clear it—the place I was trapped in.
And they entered the forest I had created myself to find the boss.
The boss is probably....
"Me, right."
Is there any other existence here besides me?
No way.
If there were, I would have found it already.
Anyway, they came here to kill me.
The system probably told them to kill me for that reason.
The method they used to get here seemed to be using some kind of passage.
Sensing with my magic power, I could roughly feel where it was, but I didn't go find it right away.
Because according to them, it seemed to remain open until they left.
For now, digging for information from them is the priority.
Since I had grasped enough by eavesdropping, I should ask them directly now.
I dispelled the stealth spell and approached them.
"Hello!"
Tae-jun broke into a cold sweat. His head felt hot, and his eyes spun.
'Crazy—! Why is a monster like that in a B-grade gate!'
'That thing' greeted with a bright smile.
Although it had the appearance of a young child,
'There's no way it's a human....'
A terrifyingly dense magic power erupted from its entire body.
It wasn't even deliberately showing off its magic power.
The magic power naturally leaking out was at that level.
'I didn't know an existence like this existed until just now?'
Even the bosses of A-grade gates he felt weren't at this level.
Because he had never felt this creeped out before.
He couldn't move a finger.
"Guild Master-nim—!"
At Seo-yun's shout, he hurriedly came to his senses.
"Hoo... Okay, let's prepare. I'm counting on you, Seo-yun-ah."
The guild members looked at him with terrified eyes.
"We're doing that.... Everyone, get ready."
A countermeasure for such unexpected situations.
When he looked to his side, Vice Guild Master Seo-yun signaled with her eyes.
Upon confirming the signal, he put away the sword he had drawn.
And then, he said.
"Now!"
[Skill Used - Flame Storm(B)]
The skill of Seo-yun, a Mage class A-class Hunter, was cast.
A massive amount of magic power drained from her body.
As if that were the signal, the trees shook, and soon a flame rose like a storm, sweeping the surroundings.
The countermeasure was simple.
Run the fuck away.
They ran like crazy. Back the way they came, toward the entrance of the gate.
"Huff—huff"
In the distance, the entrance of the gate was visible. They would be able to leave the gate soon—
"That won't do."
Stop—
'Huh? My body won't move—'
His body wouldn't listen. It felt like his body wouldn't move, as if tightly bound by something.
Meanwhile, 'that thing', the culprit of this situation, said.
"I have something to ask you for a moment—"
Grind.
Tae-jun gritted his teeth.
As he tried to move by force, channeling his magic power, he moved little by little. The strength of an A-class, called a human weapon, and an S-class Hunter, one step above that.
A power that could turn steel into powder in an instant surged temporarily.
As his body became free, Tae-jun immediately drew his sword and lunged at the thing.
[Skill Used - Severing Strike(A)]
"Die—!"
A strike with all his might.
The sword rushed to cut and sever the existence.
This should be able to make the thing look away for a moment.
Aiming for that time, he would buy time for the guild members to evacuate.
'If I'm lucky, I might even be able to inflict a fatal wound!'
He swung his sword with that determination, but,
Pashas
'Huh?'
The sword vanished in an instant. It didn't break; it literally vanished.
Since the sword turned to dust, Tae-jun had lunged without a weapon....
'What the fuck—!'
"Ha...."
As she reached out her hand, an intangible force grabbed him.
"Did you start this first?"
She slowly clenched her hand.
Crunch—
"Arghhhhh—!"
The sound of bones throughout his body being crushed. The sound of bones tearing through flesh and blood splattering.
All those sounds rang out vividly.
In that horrific scene.
The guild members, unable to even move their bodies, could only watch with their own eyes.
"Hello!"
I definitely greeted them.
If I greeted them, shouldn't they at least greet me back with a smile?
To suddenly start spouting nonsense I didn't understand and set fire to the forest....
"Did I approach too suddenly?"
—Swish
With one wave of my hand, the storm of fire that had been growing disappeared.
I went to find them again, but why were they running toward the passage they came from?
For now, I stopped them from moving.
I did it as gently as possible, so it should be fine.
"I have something to ask you for a moment—"
He suddenly drew his sword at me.
A burly adult male lunging at me, who has the appearance of a young child, without a shred of hesitation.
Is this what happens when the common sense I know collapses?
"Ha...."
It felt like something snapped for a moment.
[Kill the challenger!]
I flicked my fingertip. The sword turned to dust and scattered.
[Kill the challenger!]
To him, who was looking at his hand with a stupid expression, I slightly raised my hand and cast a binding spell. Invisible chains constricted his body.
[Kill the challenger!]
Normally, I would have stopped here, but I didn't want to do that today.
There are five of them, so wouldn't it be fine if one died?
"You started this first, didn't you?"
As I squeezed my small hand, his body was gradually compressed.
Crunch—
His limbs were all twisted, and his body deformed. Blood poured out from his body.
"Arghhhhh—!"
How much time had passed since I used his screams as seasoning?
I slowly loosened my clenched hand. The magic I had cast on him was released, and he collapsed to the floor.
Judging by the occasional twitching of his body, it seemed he hadn't died yet.
As long as he didn't die, that's fine. Yeah, that's it.
That aside.
[Kill the challenger!]
"You've been annoying me since a while ago."
Chattering noisily.
"I already finished analyzing it while coming here, you know?"
The system or whatever it was had a more complex structure than I thought, but this was also a type of magic anyway.
—Zzzzt
[Kill the challen□er]
[□ill the □□□□□□]
The transparent window blocking my vision flickered and changed its appearance.
[Do whatever you want with the challengers!]
Hmm, now I like it.
I turned my head and examined the Hunters.
Seeing their terrified expressions, it seems I went a bit too far.
If only they had listened when I spoke....
They come at me with killing intent, and I'm supposed to just let them be?
Do they think they're dealing with some saint?
"Hoo...."
When I sighed deeply, they flinched.
Oh my, I told you I'm not doing anything. If you don't lunge at me first like that idiot, I'm cooperative.
I finally saw a clue to getting out, so I've been patient enough.
"Ahem, ahem, then I'll ask again."
Who are you guys?