The Way to the New House (2)
The surface of the gate spread like a shattered window, and then multiple heavy footsteps echoed from within.
Thud… Thud… Thud…
Dark-scaled bodies, a glossy night-hued carapace, war emblems painted in red dye.
Among the group that had taken the first step on Earth, the largest herd roared with a voice that split the air.
- Kuuuuaaaaaaaa——!
"Whoa, noisy, no, what the heck is that? Black Oak? You said Barzena and different species, why are the same species popping out?"
I propped my chin on my hand and tilted my head.
"Hmm, strange~ It's strange."
Once the gate fully opened, 20 large entities, 100 medium, and behind them, a line of Black Oak warriors wielding spears, bucklers, and throwing spears poured out.
Among the leading Black Oaks, the largest leader-level orc fiddled with a black-red bronze necklace and sniffed the surrounding air.
- Here… unfamiliar dust and air. The land we will settle and live on. A world waiting for blood and slaughter.
His pupils stopped at my side.
- That is a ghost demon…? Little throne, are you the lord of this land?
"Ghost demon? Bullshit, first impression is quite rude…?"
I raised my hand slightly and gestured vaguely to the place where the presidential office might be.
"The lord of this land is somewhere else, living well, President-nim separately. I am… like a black幕? feeling."
-……
The commander bared his teeth.
- Arrogant human. However, since conversation is possible, I won't kill you. Then I'll ask. Young human who claims to be a black幕, where is the lord of this place called President?
"I don't know, idiot."
I shrugged my shoulders.
"More than that, I have a proposal too. Turn around and enter the gate right now!
If you return to your land, I'll let you live. But if you ignore the opportunity and act tough, you'll die to me."
- Kiiik!! What is this human saying right now, something that wouldn't even be a mouthful!
- Kark!! Crush this arrogant human woman right now!!
- Kiiik! It's time for slaughter!!
From behind, several medium Black Oaks laughed at my words, then slammed their spear shafts on the ground.
The orc leader also thought for a moment and shook his head left and right.
- Law of the weak land. It's just laughable. There's no reason for us to follow.
"Okay, conversation over. Since you ignored the opportunity to kill, you have to die."
I didn't plan to let them live in the first place, but if they really listened, I might have thought about it...
As expected, the intelligence of monsters seems similar everywhere, whether here or there or in Barzena.
I touched my ear with my finger.
"Everyone, conversation is over. It was surprisingly not fun. Kill them all."
Mark One, holding the greatsword on his back, looked at me.
«Master, shall I finish them all? »
"Yeah. But give minimal noise, don't damage surrounding buildings. Everyone has to live, if buildings collapse, it'll be tough."
«Understood. »
Mark Two also stood the greatsword upright beside him.
«Side is completely sealed! It's like mice in a bag!! »
Even without me commanding, Mordane had already spread wide-area soundproofing and protective magic around the area.
After briefly feeling a sense of grandeur at the sight of these undead, I immediately issued orders.
"Okay, everyone, very pleasing. Then… action!"
With a short signal, the world became quiet in an instant.
Mark One drew a line in the air with his greatsword, and the bodies of 20 large individual orc entities in front instantly split in two.
When the big ones sat down with a thud, the second beat.
Mark Two's greatsword swept the ground and precisely cut only the waists of the orc formation.
Intestines? Blood? Those things were all swallowed whole by Mordane's extermination barrier.
Even the sound of wind wouldn't be heard outside.
「Where!!」
The bodies of 100 medium orcs trying to throw spears at Mark One's greatsword strike exploded like fireworks.
The flying spears shook as if stopped in the air, then sucked back into the gate as if returning on their own.
In that time, Mark One approached the Black Oak leader who was stunned by the sudden disaster and didn't take any action.
And precisely cut him vertically in half.
「Clean-up complete.」
So, about 300 Black Oaks didn't even scream, and no one escaped.
I yawned long and checked the time on my phone.
"Hmm. 6.8 seconds… I'll add bonus and make it 7 seconds."
Mark One slightly bowed his head.
«Thank you for adding 0.2 seconds. »
«If time is added, it's not good… Kuek!! »
Alkerniman, who had been quietly watching the situation from the side, tried to cheat by using my point system, but thanks to Ibella's quick response next to him, the disaster didn't happen.
'Tsk… Too bad, I wanted to spank his snout with the Dokkaebi Club.'
Only the fiercely flickering gate remained in this place.
Some remaining corpses would be burned by Mordane, so it was enough to roughly handle the gate.
I raised my palm towards the gate and slightly twisted the trajectory.
"Return to the original place~ Don't come again."
The gate bent and faded like wind being sucked in.
After confirming that the gate disappeared cleanly, I looked at the subordinates waiting quietly beside me and shouted.
"Let's go!! People will gather soon!"
***
"—Arrival at scene! All on alert! Securing C-line!"
The South Korean hunters who arrived late at the gate break scene filled the entrance of the alley.
General national agent hunters wore their unique gray tactical uniforms with 'GATE OPS' patches on their shoulders.
Behind them, the guild masters of two of the 7 major guilds descended from a black exclusive van.
"…… What is this."
The first to speak was the tall guild master of Baekho Guild, Choi Soohyuk of the 7 major guilds.
He had clearly received an urgent support request because an A-rank gate break alarm had gone off.
But at the scene where the gate break occurred, there was no trace.
Seon Yewon, guild master of Jeokhwa, another 7 major guild, also tilted her head and continued.
"… Didn't it say that the A-rank gate broke without any precursors? Then why is there no trace?"
"Indeed, it's too clean."
Choi Soohyuk went inside the alley and scanned the surroundings.
"Leaving aside whether the gate break happened or not, it looks as if someone came and cleaned up just now."
"… Did someone come before us and handle it?"
"Unbelievable."
He firmly cut off Seon Yewon's intention and said.
"You know better? We received the support request and came here, it only took 3 minutes. But in 3 minutes, an unidentified hunter solved the A-rank gate break? That's not possible."
"But there's no explanation other than that?"
"Instead, it would be more convincing if citizens collectively hallucinated."
Choi Soohyuk shouted with a mix of irritation and looked at the Baekho Guild members waiting behind.
"Return! Return as fast as possible so we can finish preparing for the raid!"
"Understood!!!"
"We are withdrawing!!"
Han Jihoon, head of the Hunter Association, who was also looking at the situation from the side, prepared to quickly return to headquarters with the agents who came with him.
But Seon Yewon, who still had a feeling of unease, continued to stay at the spot and look around the alley again after everyone from Choi Soohyuk, Baekho Guild, and Hunter Association left.
Of course, since Mordane had perfectly erased all traces, she couldn't find anything in the end.
***
[Title: Everyone!! How Much Can You Earn If You Clear an A-Rank Gate?]
[Author: Commander Queen]
Newbies, I'm curious. Tell me.
- Ghosty, gross. Die.
Why is it a bit cute?
- Your gate?
- Commander Queen: Am I really cute? You'll fall for me if you see?
- Yeah yeah
- Commander Queen: Such a dog color.
- S-rank hunter aspirant: It depends on the gate type, but on average, over 1 billion won per person?
- Commander Queen: Damn 1 billion? Really? How is that possible?
- What, how is it possible? If it's an A-rank gate, you can get at least upper-grade gemstones, right? Didn't you awaken and check the gemstone price?
- Commander Queen: Where do I check the price?
- Just die.
- S-rank hunter aspirant: You can check the gemstone price on the system auction or store, or in the news.
- Commander Queen: You're kind? Trying to win my heart? Where do you live?
- Just kind idiot lol. F-rank awakened, what makes you use such high-level things?
"Why are these kids so rude… No, ugh… Calm down."
I got curious on the way home and just wanted to get info, but it only doubled my irritation.
If clearing an A-rank gate gives nearly 1 billion per person… Then we could have eaten at least 60 billion just now.
Kk… My stomach is twisted.
If I had 60 billion, I wouldn't need to go to S-rank slime's office building, right?
Kruuuk!! Thinking about it, my stomach twists more.
"Yeah… In a week, everything will be resolved, right? Just hold on until then."
After barely regaining composure, I looked back at the community screen.
Fixed nickname: S-rank hunter aspirant
'This guy, I will never forget the benefactor who helped me. When all my problems are solved, I'll help you too.'