Chapter 43
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: The Red Gate Evolves
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A C-grade Red Gate had appeared on Jeju Island.
To suppress it, an expedition force formed by combining Tusinjeon and Arena—the guilds called Korea's finest—with the Hunter Association had entered the gate five hours prior.
That was when one of the soldiers on standby for site control detected something unusual.
"...What the hell? Why's the color...?"
Startled, the soldier reported to his superior, who hurriedly relayed the news to the association officials at the scene.
Among them was Lee Yeon-hee from the Gangnam District Hunter Management Office, dispatched to the site. Her mouth fell open in shock.
"The color changed? Suddenly?"
She rushed toward the C-grade Red Gate alongside the association hunters.
And there, she confirmed the report was true.
"Th-the color really changed."
"Purple...? This means..."
"It's evolving from C-grade? To B-grade?"
Their faces inevitably hardened.
Unlike regular gates, Red Gates took on an evolving form.
Thus, the rank assigned by their unique mana waves meant little, and they were considered the most dangerous gates in existence.
'If not handled in time, even a D-grade gate could evolve into an A-grade disaster... And now...'
The D-grade Red Gate that had appeared on Jeju Island was preparing to evolve once more.
'Purple is the precursor to evolution. Which means...'
There was only one possibility.
'The expedition that entered to clear the C-grade Red Gate has failed.'
If the expedition inside had safely completed the quest, this change wouldn't have occurred.
Having thought that far, Lee Yeon-hee shouted urgently.
"Report to the association right now!"
Her sharp cry spread the news rapidly.
"The C-grade Red Gate on Jeju Island is preparing to evolve into a B-grade gate! Requesting reinforcements immediately!"
The first to react was Tusinjeon’s master, Korea’s guild ranking number one.
Simultaneously, Korea’s hunter ranking number one, Allmaster Baek Soo-ji.
"...They failed? The expedition?"
A black protective barrier enveloped the battlefield.
Lee Hyun-wook muttered in shock.
"...The Warlord used magic?"
Inside it, the red-patterned orcs howled.
Kwee-eeek—!!
That howl soon became a massive chorus, shaking the battlefield sealed off from the outside.
"Wh-what the hell?"
"Why is Commander Lee Hyun-wook's ability suddenly...?"
"What's that barrier? Are we trapped?"
The hunters gulped amid their murmurs.
In that ominous atmosphere, Lee Hyun-wook pondered.
In truth, orcs using magic wasn't all that surprising.
There were mutant individuals called orc shamans, specialized in black magic.
'But a Warlord wielding magic is a different story.'
Warlord.
This transcendent being surpassing its kind was, quite literally, the king of the orcs.
In other words, it represented the orcs who revered strength and combat.
Thus, its strengths were its two fists that destroyed anything and its endless superhuman strength.
'Yet this Warlord is using magic? That means...'
Not only had it become a transcendent being beyond its species, but it was a mutant even among those—a monster wielding both strength and magic.
The worst kind of mutant, possessing both.
Kwee-eeek!!!
Meanwhile, the red-patterned orcs finished their chant and crouched low.
Kwee-eek!
They prepared to charge, awaiting their king's command.
The excited Warlord bellowed at the sight.
[Go! Kill! And seize!]
With those words, the orcs charged.
Dududu-dung!
The ground shook like a seesaw beneath their movement.
At the same time, their murderous intent spread, dominating the air. That was when the association and Arena hunters began to retreat.
"Get a grip!"
Lee Hyun-wook's shout snapped them back to reality.
Pa-at!
Once more, the great angel descended, stripping away the hunters' anxiety and instilling courage and pride.
"We can win! We will overcome! We will lead this battle to victory and become heroes!"
With those words, the hunters' eyes began to gleam one by one as they raised their weapons.
"...Uwaaaah!!"
They prepared for siege against the orcs charging with roars.
And so, the two forces clashed!
Kwee-eeek!
Numerous spells erupted from the human lines.
Countless orcs in the vanguard fell to those spells.
Kwee-eek!
But the orcs charging behind trampled their dead comrades and pressed forward.
The orcs' unique fearlessness and battle lust had ignited.
The result?
Kwang!
The hunters and orcs collided head-on.
Screams and the stench of blood exploded simultaneously.
"Kill them!"
"Kill to survive!"
"I don't wanna die in this godforsaken place that's neither Korea nor Earth—kill!"
The atmosphere grew frenzied with their shouts.
Lee Hyun-wook, the total commander, watched the tenuously held frontline and muttered.
'I've put out the immediate fire. But...'
The most critical blaze was raging.
[Kuhahaha!]
The Warlord.
The king commanding that horde.
'Even if we win the war, failing to kill that thing will lead to ultimate defeat. So...'
Supporting Yoon Hee-na to take down that monster was the surest path to victory, no matter what.
Having reached that conclusion, Lee Hyun-wook drew out all the mana engraved in his heart and shouted.
"Prepare yourselves, Team Leader Yoon!"
At his cry, Yoon Hee-na's eyes widened.
[Light's Grace buff activated!]
[Physical abilities greatly enhanced!]
[Holy Shield applied!]
[Mana and magic power recovery temporarily greatly increased!]
...
Innumerable buffs stacked endlessly.
Simultaneously, her body underwent evolution, surpassing its limits.
'This is Commander Lee Hyun-wook's buff...'
Yoon Hee-na's eyes gleamed.
A euphoric high, as if she could do anything, surged through her entire body.
'This should be enough to take it on. No... I can overwhelm it.'
With that thought, she activated her ability.
The Warlord smirked at the sight.
[Good eyes.]
Then it thrust its fist forward.
A strike as ferocious as the first one they'd exchanged.
But.
Fwick!
Thanks to Lee Hyun-wook's buff, she clearly saw the fist's trajectory this time.
Thus, Yoon Hee-na easily dodged and slipped into the Warlord's guard.
She thrust her sword.
Seup!
The Warlord grimaced and blocked the strike.
A shockwave burst out simultaneously!
Kwajijijik!!
Having gauged each other's power, the Warlord and Yoon Hee-na entered full combat.
Papapak!
Sword and fist.
Ice and strength.
Each clash of the opposing forces tore the air.
Kukukwang!
But they didn't stop there, accelerating further.
When the Warlord sped up, so did Yoon Hee-na; when it powered up, her ice grew even larger.
Kwakwakwang!
Snow flurries whipped up in the aftermath.
The hunters shouted at the white crystals.
"Waaaaaaah—!!!"
"She can do it! Yoon Hee-na's overwhelming it!"
Her onslaught intensified with their cheers.
Pa-at!
As a result, she finally scarred the Warlord's body for the first time.
The Warlord furrowed its brow, attributing her surge to devouring hunters—an annoyance.
'Troublesome.'
For some reason, the human before it had grown stronger.
A human already tricky enough.
Manipulating the climate, defending with ice.
Now wielding a sword to wound its flesh.
It faced a dilemma.
'Killing it isn't impossible, but I'd take damage.'
Going all out would mean victory.
But committing full power didn't sit right.
The "wisdom" gained from devouring humans called it foolish.
'This is merely a skirmish. Beyond here lie stronger humans aplenty.'
Its goal wasn't dominating this tiny scrap of land.
Instinct had long whispered of the world beyond the gate.
To kill all humans there and build its own kingdom.
No need to overextend here.
Time to get smarter.
Like the human before it.
[Come forth!!! Warriors!]
The human had grown strong with another's aid.
"What?"
So it needed help too, just like that human.
Having thought that far, the Warlord burst into laughter.
"N-Night Orcs?"
Five Night Orcs appeared alongside Yoon Hee-na's startled voice.
The Warlord, standing with them, gleamed with murderous intent.
[I'll kill you, human.]
The situation reversed.
"Kuh!"
Five Night Orcs summoned by the Warlord.
The arrival of C-grade monsters—ranked just below the Warlord—shattered the fragile balance.
Kuhahaha!
The Warlord moved cunningly amid its mad laughter.
Kwee-eek!
A Night Orc's scream echoed as the Warlord advanced, using its body as a shield, and thrust its fist.
Yoon Hee-na's eyes widened.
'Vision blocked! This is dangerous...!'
She raised her sword horizontally.
Activating her ability to erect an ice barrier—but it was too late.
"...!"
Ice shards scattered with the explosion.
The immense force rippling through made her groan.
"Team Leader Yoon!"
Lee Hyun-wook shouted, grinding his teeth.
'Damn it! Where'd these freaks come from...!'
The orc king abandoning one-on-one for a gang-up?
Even using the insidious tactics humans might employ.
"Kuh!"
Meanwhile, Yoon Hee-na's form staggered as she was cornered.
No matter the buffs from Lee Hyun-wook, facing five Night Orcs and the Warlord simultaneously was impossible.
"Team Leader Yoon!!!"
Thus, Commander Lee Hyun-wook chanted a spell with his body at its limit.
No matter the situation, Yoon Hee-na couldn't fall.
If she did, no one here could take down the Warlord—meaning death for all 600 hunters gathered.
The moment he mustered his energy for another buff.
Kwee-eeeeek!!
A howl erupted from afar, and eerie black smoke enveloped him and Yoon Hee-na.
Lee Hyun-wook's eyes widened at the alien energy.
"Black magic?"
He turned to the orc main force's rear.
There, ten orc shamans chanted, unleashing curses.
And those curses interfered with his abilities.
[Kuhahahaha!!!]
Meanwhile, the laughing Warlord used another Night Orc as a shield to charge Yoon Hee-na again.
[Light's Grace buff partially dismantled!]
[Holy Shield dismantled!]
[Mana and magic power recovery slightly decreased!]
Lee Hyun-wook's buffs dismantled by the orc shamans' curses.
Yoon Hee-na couldn't react.
"...!"
She finally took a solid hit, spewing blood.
"Team Leader Yoon!!!!"
Lee Hyun-wook tried to rush forward.
But it was too late.
Kwee-eek!
A Night Orc stood before Yoon Hee-na.
It raised its sword.
The Warlord grinned slyly.
[Don't kill it. I want to tear, savor, and taste it myself.]
At the command, the Night Orc swung down.
Yoon Hee-na, immobilized by the aftermath of the Warlord's punch, gaped.
She felt it acutely.
'...I'm dead.'
A chill washed over her as she squeezed her eyes shut.
Kwang!!!
Sudden explosion rocked the air.
"...!"
The battlefield's heat—filled with screams and blood—cooled in an instant.
Kwang!!!
Another explosion followed.
All eyes turned, and the massive barrier from the Warlord shook.
Then, yet another blast.
Kwaaaaang!!
The sky-enveloping barrier shattered, sunlight pouring in.
Someone muttered amid it.
"Wyvern?"
Something plummeted simultaneously.
Kung!
The ground quaked, debris erupting from the impact.
While stunned Yoon Hee-na gaped, the intruder rose from the crater and began moving slowly.
Kwee-eek?
The Night Orc tilted its head at the sight.
Instinctively, it hurled its greatsword at the approaching figure shrouded in steam and smoke.
Whiiik!
The blade flew swiftly, ignoring distance, colliding with the figure.
Only a clang sounded—no halt to its advance.
Kwee-eek!
As the enraged Night Orc howled.
"...!"
The Night Orc's head flew off.
The very beast that had been howling moments ago.
"What?"
Lee Hyun-wook and Yoon Hee-na's jaws dropped, the Warlord no exception.
[...Intruder]
The figure that decapitated the Night Orc blocked Yoon Hee-na's front.
Gazing at its broad back, Yoon Hee-na thought unbidden.
Not a savior sent by God.
'A devil...'
A monster come to devour this battlefield.
And that monster muttered.
"The stench of blood is overwhelming."