Chapter 36
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: The Jeju Red Gate Expedition
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Inside the airplane.
Gazing at the sea off the coast of Jeju Island, Kang Hyuk murmured to himself.
'This expedition carries multiple meanings. The greatest one is that it could grasp the possibilities of the future.'
He was currently achieving astonishing growth.
The coffin that was originally meant for Dragon God Xiao Ran.
Because he had obtained that coffin, he could now freely enter other worlds.
The value of the soul stones obtained from within was incalculable in terms of money.
But he couldn't afford to rest on his laurels.
If he didn't prepare, this growth would eventually stall someday.
'Up until now, I've been growing quickly through this coffin. But in the end, if I can't hunt higher-grade monsters, my growth potential will naturally diminish.'
That was why this expedition was crucial.
If his growth slowed down at some point, this expedition would serve as the foundation to advance to the next stage.
'To clear a higher-grade gate, you need both hunter rank and achievements.'
And this Jeju Island C-rank Red Gate was the perfect opportunity to secure both rank and achievements.
'From C-rank gates that allow entry into other worlds, contributions are heavily reflected in achievements and rank. In other words, it makes entering higher-grade gates much easier going forward.'
That was the reason Kang Hyuk had joined this expedition.
To use it as a springboard for leaping into the future.
However, he had no intention of limiting that springboard to himself alone.
'Lee Hwan-seung, Park Seo-jun, Kang Na-eun.'
With that murmur, he looked at his team members, who would be called the pillars of future Korea.
'I need to grow them too. Even if left alone, they'll grow excellently on their own... But thinking about the possibility that I might fail to stop those five, they need to serve as solid insurance. So I have to make sure they grow properly from now on.'
He had already assessed their potential, so there was no worry.
Kang Na-eun was already achieving rapid growth from his small advice.
The other team members, possessing genius talent and potential no less than hers, could undoubtedly achieve the same.
'If things go well, we might gain a lot from this expedition. So let's give it our all.'
Afterward, Kang Hyuk stood from his seat and followed behind the total commander, Bureau Chief Lee Hyun-wook, as they disembarked the plane.
The moment they passed through the tollgate, they were met with a massive crowd.
People who had gathered to see famous hunters.
"G-Giant Kang Hyuk?"
Someone in the crowd spotted him and muttered.
And that murmur spread rapidly.
"Giant Kang Hyuk?"
"That S-rank talent?"
"...Come to think of it, they said the Association was participating in this expedition."
"Th-then it's really!!"
Because of that, the crowd's weight shifted forward more and more.
In response, Bureau Chief Lee Hyun-wook patted Kang Hyuk's shoulder.
"Ahem... It seems like there are a lot of people welcoming you. How about waving to them?"
Kang Hyuk let out a smirk at the teasing suggestion.
'At times like this, you can see Bureau Chief Lee Hyun-wook is quite mischievous.'
Instead of waving,
he approached a little kid staring at him blankly.
At that sight, the corner of Lee Hyun-wook's eye lifted, and the team members behind widened their eyes.
"Uh, uh?"
Meanwhile, the kid face-to-face with Kang Hyuk fidgeted uncertainly.
Then, cautiously opening his mouth, he said,
"G-Giant... Kang Hyuk... right?"
"Not a giant, but Kang Hyuk? Yeah, that's me."
The kid's mouth fell open in shock at the response.
He hurriedly thrust out the autograph book in his hand.
"F-Fan...! Uh, uh?"
At that moment, Kang Hyuk scooped up the kid with a mischievous smile.
"How about a photo instead of an autograph?"
The kid's face froze in surprise.
"Photos are better than autographs for making memories."
At the same time, the onlookers realized.
"......"
Who the center of this expedition was.
The moment they realized it.
"Waaaaahhh-!!!"
An enormous cheer erupted.
The frenzied crowd.
Watching Kang Hyuk deftly accepting the cheers, Bureau Chief Lee Hyun-wook burst into hearty laughter.
"Haha... Who knew he had this side to him."
Then he recalled the report sent to him.
It was a log of Kang Hyuk's actions.
The log detailed Kang Hyuk's minor habits and behaviors, noting that he had little greed for money, fame, or power.
That had left Lee Hyun-wook quite regretful.
'Hunters in this era are heroes. So they need to meet the expectations of many with some fan service... to a certain extent.'
If asked if star power was absolutely necessary, no.
But having it wasn't a bad thing.
'The greater the hunter, the more important their star power.'
In a world where global security had plummeted due to unpredictable gates popping up anywhere,
hunters who could stop those gates were the citizens' only reliable sanctuary and sturdy shield.
Thus, greater hunters needed star power even more.
Because it could bolster the citizens' anxious hearts.
In that sense, Kang Hyuk's fan service right now was quite surprising.
"A-autograph, please!"
"Just a handshake, please..."
"I'll do them all, so please maintain order. There are kids here, and it's getting dangerous."
Skilled at controlling the surging crowd while fulfilling the citizens' expectations.
That demeanor was far from complacent arrogance, and it was exactly the ideal hunter star power Lee Hyun-wook had envisioned.
'...If I'd known he had this side, I should've advertised him big time. I deliberately blocked external attention thinking it wasn't his style.'
As Lee Hyun-wook gazed contentedly at this newly discovered aspect, Kang Hyuk was appropriately managing the pressing crowd while thinking,
'It's not really my style, but this is necessary too.'
The exact same thought as Lee Hyun-wook.
'Wherever I go now, I'm bound to draw eyes. In that case, using that publicity isn't a bad idea.'
Unlike hunters, citizens couldn't escape the dangers of gates.
They were always in the weak position, and Kang Hyuk understood that anxiety better than anyone.
That was why such fan service mattered.
If a single gesture or smile from him could dispel their unease, he was more than willing to do these little things.
"...Fuck. There was no word about this."
Amid the crowd, Jeong Jae-hong ground his teeth.
"Why the hell did that almighty S-rank talent come here?"
"Th-that's..."
His secretary beside him floundered at the question.
"S-sorry... It seems the Association hid the info, so we didn't catch it..."
"Figuring out that hidden info is your damn job!!!"
"...I'm sorry."
At the apology, Jeong Jae-hong irritably flipped down his sunglasses.
After a moment's thought, he muttered,
"Whatever. It's actually good."
"...?"
"I was curious how great that world-class S-rank is anyway. Now I get to see for myself. And..."
Jeong Jae-hong curled his lip.
"If it turns out his crew is nothing special, it actually benefits me."
Then he turned and left the airport.
Three days later.
"Jeju Island C-rank Gate expedition, departing!!!"
The expedition, drawing all eyes, finally moved toward the gate.
Entering the gate.
Clearing other worlds is harsh.
The reason is that once you enter the gate and step into the other world, if you fail the quest, you can't return to the present world.
"Grab the supplies!"
"Don't miss a single one!"
"If you forget now, you're fucked! Pack every single thing!"
That's why from C-rank gates onward, astronomical amounts of money are poured in.
Not just the hunters' fees, but because you don't know how many days you'll spend clearing the quest inside, you must bring all supplies.
And following the changing trends, even unexpected survival items were included in the expedition.
"Hello~ everyone! This is Lee Ji-hye, everything for hunters, the flower of hunters! Today, we'll meet Jeong Jae-hong of the Blazing Heat, heading to clear the Jeju Red Gate~"
One prime example was NutTubers.
The vivid scenes of other worlds only hunters could enter.
Capturing them on camera to gain money, fame, and popularity was becoming a trend.
"This is woefully insufficient to set up a field blacksmith."
"Do we really need to go that far? The gate expedition has to end first anyway."
Beyond that, even professional blacksmiths were hired on-site to refine weapons.
Thus, vast supplies and manpower were mobilized, and success was mandatory.
'No, we must succeed.'
If they failed, monsters would pour out from the Red Gate evolved to B-rank.
In the worst case, they might have to abandon Seogwipo City.
While most participating hunters felt a light tension,
Kang Hyuk and his team did final preparations.
"Anything missing?"
"Na-eun, toilet paper."
"Oh right. Gotta pack toilet paper."
Team members stuffing items maximally into their assigned sub-space backpacks.
Watching them, Kang Hyuk methodically packed necessities into the special backpack made by blacksmith Park Je-woo at his request.
"One hour from now! We'll have the departure ceremony and enter the gate!"
At the announcement echoing, hunters buzzed again when
Lee Ye-sol beside Kang Na-eun suddenly muttered in surprise.
"Huh...? It's gone?"
"What's gone?"
"Chocolate... This one's missing?"
Kang Na-eun frowned and asked.
"That 92% cacao chocolate?"
"Yeah..."
"Didn't you pack it this morning?"
"But... it's gone."
Meanwhile, Lee Ye-sol stood and frantically looked around.
But no chocolate tin anywhere.
"Wh-where did it... Where is it..."
Watching her sneakily, Kang Hyuk murmured.
'Lee Ye-sol, the great mage who would terrorize the world as Nightmare in the future.'
Ironically, she had joined the Association.
As a mage on his own team, no less.
That was why he paid her far more attention than the other team members.
The others would grow into hunters called Korea's pillars in the future.
Whereas Lee Ye-sol would become a villain turning Korea and the world against her. It was only natural.
'I don't know what process led to that... but I can't let my guard down.'
So one day, he made time for a background check, but current Lee Ye-sol was just a promising hunter the Association was nurturing.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Still, unable to relax, he pondered her disposition.
The best was to eliminate her before she turned villain.
'But... killing over something that hasn't happened yet feels wrong.'
So Kang Hyuk decided to watch her a bit longer.
'If I sense anything off, it won't be too late to deal with her then.'
Then, gazing at Lee Ye-sol still searching for her chocolate, he awakened his senses.
Power of the Last Giant Clan activates.
You obtain Giant's Senses.
Power of the Last Giant Clan: 7%
His senses of hearing, sight, touch, and smell spread out simultaneously.
His superhuman five senses captured and relayed all surrounding information to Kang Hyuk.
Among them, catching the scent of 92% cacao chocolate, Kang Hyuk stood.
And picked up a tin from nearby bushes.
"Isn't this yours, Lee Ye-sol?"
At the question, the anxious Lee Ye-sol jumped in surprise.
She turned her head and glared.
"It was lying over there. Lucky you lost it nearby."
Lee Ye-sol blinked, then bowed her head.
"...Thank you, Team Leader."
"No big deal."
Then, fiddling with the chocolate tin Kang Hyuk handed her, she cautiously asked,
"Um... Would you like one?"
Kang Hyuk tilted his head at the question.
"This chocolate?"
Lee Ye-sol nodded.
Kang Hyuk pondered briefly, then extended his hand.
"Sure, thanks."
Lee Ye-sol handed him a 92% piece.
Watching tensely.
Kang Hyuk murmured,
"It's good."
"...Pardon?"
"Give me one next time too. Suits my taste."
Lee Ye-sol blinked.
Then smiled faintly.
"Then prepare well. I need to see Bureau Chief Lee Hyun-wook for a meeting."
Afterward, as she stared piercingly at 1st Team Leader,
Kang Na-eun approached.
"It's nowhere... What now?"
"Found it. The chocolate."
"...Huh? Really? Where was it?"
"Over there."
"Jeez, Ye-sol, get it together! We're entering the other world soon, how could you..."
At Kang Na-eun's nagging, Lee Ye-sol offered the chocolate.
Kang Na-eun's mouth snapped shut.
She glared.
"Are you threatening me? Trying to paralyze my tongue with this?"
Lee Ye-sol shrugged and took it back.
Then, gazing at Kang Hyuk still in view, she murmured,
"He's unique."
"Hunters, we sincerely support your great expedition!"
With the Jeju Governor's cheer, they finally faced the C-rank Red Gate.
"Move out!"
"Brace for the mana field!"
About a thousand hunters faced the gate.
Such a large-scale dispatch in nearly six months drew not just national broadcasters but global giants too.
Among them, alongside Yoon Hee-na and total commander Lee Hyun-wook, they first crossed the D-rank Red Gate in Seogwipo City.
Flash!
The alien sensation unique to gates washed over them, their bodies disintegrating.
But having crossed gates multiple times, they endured it skillfully.
Amid it.
Rooooaaarrr!
Total Commander Lee Hyun-wook opened his eyes at the massive beast roar from afar.
His expression hardened.
"Ogre?"
Monster of monsters.
The roar of an ogre, king of greenskins.
'We expected it evolving to C-rank, but ogres roaming freely?'
He quickly scanned the terrain.
'Still, the environment won't affect us much. No magma zones or frozen areas.'
Visible forests and trees.
Other terrain features suggested this other world was habitable.
But no time to relax.
"Wh-what, ogre?"
"Over there! Red-patterned orcs too?"
"The strongest orc variant, right?"
"...This is beyond expectations. These strong guys wandering around, not even boss monsters?"
Hunters entering one after another.
The roars they heard and monsters visible were far from ordinary, just as the hunters murmured.
'Guys that should be F or E-rank gate bosses roaming like this.'
They could only intuit.
This C-rank Red Gate's level was far higher than predicted.
'...Even if we clear it, casualties are inevitable.'
In that other world he'd only heard of, Kang Na-eun swallowed dryly.
'...This is the other world. Red-patterned orcs I can barely handle. And... ogres.'
The terrain and the mighty auras of breathing monsters crushed her body.
Unable to speak, rolling her eyes, that's when
Team Leader Kang, leading at the front.
"...So this is how it turns out?"
He muttered something random and suddenly curled his lip.
"Team Leader...?"
As Kang Na-eun called him, forgetting the situation, Kang Hyuk gazed at the all-too-familiar scene and murmured,
"...We're lucky."