Chapter 32

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 32

Chapter Title: Became the Last of the Giant Clan

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"What rotten luck. A Red Gate, of all things."

Kang Taesik clicked his tongue as he stared at the gate swirling with fierce winds.

Unlike ordinary gates, this one rippled with red light, inducing hallucinations that muddled the mind just by looking at it.

One of the guild members inside asked,

"Wh-what do we do? A D-rank Red Gate... isn't that basically on par with a C-rank gate?"

"It's not 'on par'—it's a full C-rank gate. It evolves into one if you don't clear it in time."

"...From C-rank gates onward, we have to enter the otherworld and complete the 'quest'—smash the stele. Can we really handle it with just us?"

Kang Taesik pondered the question.

The Harbang Guild was in charge of Seogwipo's gates and had full authority over incidents like this.

But that didn't mean they had the firepower to clear a C-rank gate on their own.

'Gates popping up in sparsely populated Seogwipo is weird enough as it is.'

Whenever this happened, they always called in a major guild or the Hunter Association for backup.

From C-rank onward, gates were managed at the national level, and failing a raid meant facing severe accountability.

In a normal situation, they'd hand this off to a top guild too.

'But if we keep outsourcing like this... what's the point?'

Gates opening in low-population Seogwipo were limited in number.

Limited gates meant limited mana stones.

Limited mana stones meant no funds to recruit top hunters.

And that sparked ambition.

Clearing this D-rank Red Gate would change everything.

Not only would the guild's reputation soar, but the mana stones, soul stones, and any artifacts that dropped would bring in massive rewards all at once.

'For hunters to grow, they have no choice but to tackle high-rank gates. So...'

If he thought about the future, even if it seemed reckless, they had to clear this D-rank Red Gate on their own.

Having thought it through, Kang Taesik spoke up.

"Contact the master."

"Pardon?"

"Call the master. Tell him we're handling this gate ourselves."

The Harbang guild member's eyes widened.

But seeing Kang Taesik's resolute expression, he nodded hastily.

"Y-yes, sir!"

Time passed.

"......"

The D-rank Red Gate that had opened in Seogwipo.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The entire Harbang Guild, who had entered to raid it, had gone missing.

At the same moment—

Boom!

The D-rank Red Gate evolved into a C-rank.

After clocking out, Kang Hyuk headed straight for blacksmith Park Je-woo.

"Here's the items you requested."

Park Je-woo, sweating profusely from the forge's heat, proudly displayed his creations.

"Due to my ability, they get random special stats, but these turned out pretty solid."

Kang Hyuk's eyes gleamed as he gazed at the twenty throwing spears laid out before him.

Each had different stats, but all were high-quality items straight from Park Je-woo's hands.

'Way better than expected. Magic grade with special stats.'

Kang Hyuk grinned and bowed to the blacksmith.

"Thank you. I never dreamed you'd produce something this good."

"Oh, no! It was just shaped from the mithril you gave me... But, Kang Hyuk."

"Yes."

"If you needed spears... wouldn't one proper one be better than twenty of these? With that much mithril, I could've made something top-tier."

Kang Hyuk shook his head.

"No, it's fine. I didn't ask for these to wield them."

"...Pardon?"

"They're for throwing. As long as they're sturdy, it's all good... and your craftsmanship is perfect."

Park Je-woo's eyes bulged in surprise.

He stared at the spears he'd made.

At Kang Hyuk's request, these twenty spears had slight variations but measured roughly 5-7 meters long.

No ordinary human could even hold one.

So he'd assumed they were for a ballista targeting big monsters.

'Th-throwing these spears?'

He swallowed dryly.

But he shook off the thought.

'No, an S-rank talent hunter could probably manage it. But... what monster needs twenty of these?'

Just as a new question formed, Kang Hyuk gathered the spears and slung them over his shoulder.

As he casually headed for the exit, a startled Park Je-woo rushed over.

"Kang Hyuk! You're just carrying them like that?"

"Yeah. Already got association approval."

His nonchalant reply left Park Je-woo dazed.

The guy treated the absurd as everyday.

"H-here, take this too!"

He hurriedly offered another artifact.

"What's this...?"

"A sub-space enchanted backpack. Plenty of room—even for those spears!"

Kang Hyuk's eyes lit up.

He admired the popup over the backpack.

"Not sure I should accept something this nice."

"...Like I said last time, it's a token of my sincerity."

Kang Hyuk nodded, stowed all the spears in the bag, and asked,

"Any reason you have to stay in Yongsan?"

"Pardon?"

"Wouldn't it be easier to set up your own workshop?"

Park Je-woo's eyes widened.

"D-do you mean... exclusive blacksmith...?"

"Think it over and let me know. I'll meet any conditions."

Kang Hyuk bowed lightly and left the forge.

Back at his Hannam-dong home.

He descended into the underground bunker.

The security was far stricter than when it was first built.

Plus, an anti-teleportation barrier.

'Dragon Emperor Xiao Lan. If his personality is what I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠remember, he won't take this lightly. He'll do anything to reclaim this urn.'

So he'd asked Association President Kang Cheol-woo to install a barrier blocking his sorcery.

Using the excuse that the bunker collapsed during his last full giantization attempt.

'It's a solid barrier—even he won't find it easily. I'll use that window to uncover every secret of this urn.'

With that thought, Kang Hyuk grabbed essentials from the backpack Park Je-woo gave him.

Camping gear, simple rations.

'Time flows differently between this world and the secondary dimension. 24 hours here is 120 hours there.'

A day here equaled five days in the urn's world.

He could return anytime, but the gate's location wouldn't change.

For a proper expedition, preparation was key.

'Got everything I need... now for the real test.'

He nodded and unwrapped the bandage on his right hand.

A week had passed; the wound was fully healed.

Mewoooo!

Black Wyvern burst from the sub-space, roaring eagerly.

"Let's go, Black."

Mewoooooo!

Kang Hyuk stepped forward.

In that instant—

Fwoosh!

A new dimension, not Earth, unfolded before him.

When C-rank gates manifested, opening new otherworlds, countless hunters met their ends.

'No proper prep or intel.'

The harsh environment demanded not just strength, but survival skills.

That's why national powerhouses—major guilds—handled C-ranks.

Underequipped raids often ended in total wipes.

And now.

Kang Hyuk entered that national-level otherworld, eyes sharp.

'First step in the otherworld: secure a safe base.'

He moved calmly.

Thanks to experience from his past life.

Memories of clearing countless C-rank gates en route to national-level hunter.

'Fresh water would be ideal, but rivers attract monsters.'

He plunged into the vast jungle.

Searching for solid flat ground or a small cave.

Finding a suitable clearing, he channeled his power.

No cries echoed nearby. Good.

He crouched, scanning for monster tracks.

'Monsters here: orcs and ogres. Ogres are easy to spot by size, but orcs...'

Orcs lived in groups, with territories.

And now, he spotted sharp claw marks gouged into a massive dead tree.

'Deep gashes—something tough claims this area.'

Decision time.

Two options: skirt around or claim it by force.

'Don't know the terrain yet—pushing deeper risks ogres. Better take this spot.'

He called Black.

"Anything up top, Black?"

Mewoooo!

"Good. Scout the area for me?"

Black roared and took flight, wings flapping.

Kang Hyuk nodded, sharpening his senses again.

'None now, but it's only a matter of time. They'll sniff me out.'

He hacked waist-high brush, set down his pack.

Prep done, he surveyed the terrain, thinking.

'Two goals here. First: confirm ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the urn's true nature.'

Most questions answered, but some lingered.

Was this the otherworld he knew?

If yes, how did Xiao Lan and crew summon monsters from here to Earth?

'Tests show monsters can't cross the gate I used. Normally they can.'

Yet Black moved freely—some restriction?

'Or they hadn't perfected the urn. Endless possibilities. Must map its structure first. That's how I get ahead of their plan. Then...'

Hunt the local monsters: orcs and ogres.

'Unlike gates you can't exit, this urn allows entry anytime. Perfect prep means endless soul stone farming.'

Huge advantage.

Gate otherworlds forced quests until cleared.

This urn? No quest.

Hunt orcs and ogres for soul stones whenever needed.

'Hundreds of these urns? No need to control gates. Hunters clear gates for soul stones. Unlimited supply via urns changes everything.'

Kang Hyuk smirked.

The five future national hunters rocketed up thanks to insane growth.

Especially Xiao Lan: B-rank shortly after S-talent.

He'd chalked it up to S-talent.

Now, understanding the urn, it clicked.

'A personal dungeon anytime? Slow growth would be weirder.'

He'd use it too.

For the same meteoric rise.

Squeee!

Presence detected.

Kang Hyuk's eyes narrowed.

Squeeeeel!

Pig-like squeal.

He grinned, reaching into his pack.

Grabbing a massive iron lump from Park Je-woo, he muttered,

"Let the hunt begin."