The Siren Gate Aftermath (3)
Park Jihun let out a long, heavy sigh as he stepped out of the Siren Gate’s harbor area. The female sirens had all been grotesquely deformed, and the boss he’d actually been looking forward to turned out to be a handsome male merman with a dick.
Ugh… let’s stop thinking about it. I’m gonna puke.
To shake off the horrifying memory, Jihun forced his mind onto something else.
Still, the haul wasn’t bad.
The monsters that had appeared were disgusting, but after properly clearing another B-rank gate, he’d managed to pick up quite a few gains. His stats had each risen by around 10 points, bringing his average up to the 190s. On top of that, his Hand-to-Hand Combat skill had leveled up to 6.
It wasn’t the explosive growth he’d seen with the succubi, but since he hadn’t tamed any new female familiars this time, both stat increases and skill level-ups were naturally more modest. Still, there was a silver lining.
All four familiars who had been C-rank before entering this gate had now grown into B-rank. Since they had already been at the very edge of C-rank after the previous gate, this result had been expected.
Still, it’s great that all four of them ranked up to B.
Briana, Serina, and Ruze now had “Lord” attached to their race names. Like Sira, they could now summon around a dozen or so lower-tier subordinates. Kar had evolved from a simple warrior into an Arts Master, allowing her to move her body at a level that could only be described as superhuman. Even though Jihun’s own Hand-to-Hand Combat skill was level 6, some of the high-difficulty movements and martial arts she performed were so advanced that even he would struggle to imitate them.
Thanks to that, the overall firepower and numbers of Park Jihun’s party had skyrocketed. At this point, they probably wouldn’t be in any real danger even if they entered an A-rank gate.
Well, I didn’t think we’d actually end up having to jump straight into an A-rank gate right after.
Jihun let out a short sigh and glanced at the association employee who was driving in a hurry. The man had come running frantically the moment Jihun’s group exited the Siren Gate. What he told them was rather shocking.
“The A-rank gate that was on the list we gave you earlier… the team that entered it was almost completely wiped out…”
The mercenary team that had gone in was from one of America’s famous guilds, the Scarlet Guild. Their A-rank raid team “Red Bull” was led by a near-S-rank hunter who was considered top-tier among A-ranks. It was a major raid party even within the Scarlet Guild.
Out of the three gates on the list given to Jihun’s group, it was the last one—an A-rank gate with unknown information. They had entered it on a first-come, first-served basis.
Well, first-come, first-served is first-come, first-served.
Jihun didn’t particularly feel like the gate had been stolen from him. The real problem was that the team had been nearly annihilated. Out of ten raid members, only one had survived. And that survivor had staggered out of the gate looking like a wreck the moment the thirty-minute exit window ended. His clothes were half torn, his body drenched in someone’s blood, and for some reason, he looked shriveled and dehydrated as if all the moisture had been sucked out of him.
“I heard that the Scarlet Guild’s Red Bull has several members who can even be deployed as support in S-rank gates. For people like that to enter and get wiped out in under thirty minutes…”
Shin Jiyeon’s expression grew equally serious. If opponents of that caliber had been defeated, it was safe to say the gate had surpassed the normal boundaries of an A-rank.
“It’s practically an A-rank Special Gate… or maybe even a quasi-S-rank gate.”
At the very least, it was clearly not something an ordinary A-rank raid team could handle.
“Right now, they’re gathering all the A-rank and higher mercenary raid teams to come up with countermeasures…”
One might ask why they didn’t just call in S-rank hunters or raid teams, but that wasn’t so simple. Hunters of S-rank or higher were usually treated as national strategic assets and couldn’t easily leave the country. Especially not for something like clearing a foreign gate.
Unless it was an S-rank or higher gate that could become a threat to all of humanity if it went into a rampage, it was generally safe to assume they wouldn’t step in to handle overseas gates. While this situation was a bit special and might allow for some flexibility, the bureaucratic process and countless complications involved in mobilizing S-rank hunters meant that if the current A-rank mercenary teams could solve it, that would be best for both Vietnam and the foreign hunters who had come as mercenaries.
That was why they were gathering hunters, and since Jihun’s group was being treated as an A-rank raid team, they were naturally being brought along as well.
“What about the gate information?”
Gate information. If there was a survivor, they could obtain it. Since it could prevent a tragedy caused by ignorance, it was currently the most important matter.
But when Shin Jiyeon asked, the employee shook his head.
“…He’s in a panic state, so we can’t ask him anything. Once he receives treatment and regains his senses…”
There was a survivor, but they would have to wait for his recovery to get any information. For now…
“…Sunbae, I think it would be best if we sit this one out.”
Shin Jiyeon’s judgment was correct. Lack of information, a gate far stronger than expected, international complications—there were many reasons to withdraw. Normally she was a pervert who drooled alongside Jihun while admiring the bodies of female monsters, but in moments like this, she truly exuded the aura of a veteran hunter and guild master.
“Hmm…”
However, Jihun’s thoughts were slightly different.
If it’s a gate that strong and that unusual… wouldn’t this be the perfect chance?
His obsession with female monsters was holding him back. Logically, he knew they should sit this one out, but his instincts were making him hesitate.
“…Let’s decide after we hear the gate information from the survivor.”
“Ugh. Yes, understood.”
In the end, they decided to make their final decision after hearing the information from the survivor. Shin Jiyeon, having realized what he was thinking, nodded in understanding.
“But if it really feels too dangerous this time, we have to run immediately. I love monster girls too, but you are the most precious thing to me, Sunbae.”
“…Y-yeah.”
At Shin Jiyeon’s serious yet slightly embarrassing confession, Jihun’s face flushed red and he quickly turned his head away.
“……”
“Hm.”
More than thirty people had gathered inside the strategy meeting room. There were nine members from Japan’s top guild “Susanoo” and their major A-rank raid team “Raijin.” Ten members from Italy’s famous guild “Nerito” and their A-rank raid team “Bianco.” Ten members from the multinational mercenary dispatch guild “Peace,” their elite 8th team. And finally, Korea’s tamer Park Jihun—who was currently raising his stock worldwide—along with his partner Shin Jiyeon.
A total of thirty-one top-tier hunters had assembled in the conference room of the Vietnam Hunter Association.
“Hey, hey~! That guy’s only B-rank and there’s only two of them? Why the hell is he even here?”
A Japanese hunter from Susanoo’s raid team “Raijin,” who looked like a total thug, pointed at Jihun with a deeply displeased expression.
“…Me?”
Since the man had spoken in Japanese, Jihun hadn’t understood the words exactly. But getting pointed at and yelled at the moment they met, Jihun tilted his head with an utterly dumbfounded look.
It was ridiculous. Even excluding his familiars, he was probably among the very top in terms of individual combat power here. Of course, real combat was unknown until they actually fought, but based on stats alone, Jihun was clearly near S-rank. In a room full of only A-rank and B-rank hunters, his combat strength would naturally be at the very top.
Fortunately, the only one acting rude toward him was that single man, so it didn’t escalate into a fight.
“Teru. That’s rude to a foreign hunter.”
Thwack!
“Ugh?!”
The man who appeared to be the leader of the “Raijin” raid team—a bespectacled man—smacked the thug-like hunter hard on the head.
“I apologize on his behalf.”
He bowed his head and apologized in fluent English.
“Ah, yes.”
So not all Japanese people are bad at English.
Jihun found that part more interesting than the apology itself.
“Hey~ So you’re Park Jihun, huh? How about it? Want to join our ‘Peace’? We’ve got a few Koreans already, so you’d get used to it in no time!”
At that moment, a black man with dreadlocks who looked like the very definition of a free spirit approached and casually threw an arm around Jihun’s shoulders.
“Ah, my name’s Tyretson. Just call me Tyr. I’m the God of War! Hahaha!”
He was the leader of the 8th team from the multinational mercenary guild “Peace,” where lower team numbers indicated stronger teams.
“Hehe, instead of hanging out with these guys who just play at being mercenaries, it would be much better to join a place with real history like our Nerito.”
Right after that, members of Italy’s Nerito Guild’s “Bianco” raid team also approached Jihun and began speaking to him.
Everyone was extremely friendly toward him. It made sense. Park Jihun was currently the hottest name in the world. Anyone with half a brain would try to recruit him or get close to him rather than pick a fight.
“Ha! Real history, my ass. A guild started by the mafia.”
“Hmph! The mafia originally started as vigilantes protecting local merchants. The real, old-school mafias would never—”
“Oh please. A bunch of criminals talking big.”
“What did you say?”
It looked like a fight was about to break out, but fortunately it didn’t.
“Ah, please take your seats, everyone. We’ve obtained the gate information from the survivor.”
At the words of Association President Chien Bao as he entered the conference room, everyone’s eyes sharpened with seriousness. They all sat down and focused their attention.