Chapter 74. Lifetime Declaration

Chae Seunghyeon followed the two with much lighter steps thanks to their encouragement.

I hope it'll be okay...

But when they actually arrived in front of the gate, he couldn't help feeling worried deep down. It wasn't that he didn't trust these two or anything.

It was just his perception of erosion gates. Among hunters in general, erosion gates were treated like a kind of barrier—a gateway to becoming a higher-rank hunter. After all, the difficulty spiked dramatically here. Even outstanding B-grade hunters could get ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠completely wiped out if they slipped up even a little.

For him, an E-grade hunter, it felt like an impossibly tall mountain.

And while I know nothing about Yuseol-nim's skills, I don't even know the captain's level...

Especially since the Sword Empress, renowned not just in Korea but worldwide, was a known quantity and no cause for worry. The problem was not knowing exactly how strong Hayang was. He'd heard she was F-grade, lower than him. And normally, she just seemed like an ordinary girl her age.

Her strength was completely unpredictable.

"Then, we'll enter."

"Yes!"

"Understood."

With half anticipation and half anxiety, they stepped into the gate, and in an instant, their vision flipped, revealing a bizarre landscape.

"Gears...?"

A mumble slipped uncontrollably from Chae Seunghyeon's lips. The surroundings were filled with massive gears. The floor was smooth glass embedded with decorative patterns like stained glass, evoking the interior of an old Gothic or Baroque building. At a glance, it even felt like they'd entered an arcane punk world.

"Looks like a gimmick-type gate. Seunghyeon-nim, don't fall behind."

"Ah, yes!"

Unlike Chae Seunghyeon, who was dazedly looking around, Hayang scanned sharply everywhere with calm words that made his back straighten.

What? The atmosphere's completely different...

It wasn't just her tone. He could faintly sense an aura around Hayang. An untouchable pressure, like charisma.

Hayang had often flaunted her charisma before—puffing out her chest, shrugging her shoulders. He'd played along each time, but he'd never truly felt it. And for good reason: normally, Hayang was just an innocent, cute girl her age.

But what was this? Right now, she exuded the true charisma befitting the title of captain.

"Seunghyeon-ssi, please guard the Master. I'll scout ahead briefly."

"Me, guard...? Ah, understood."

He wondered if he, a mere E-grade hunter, could handle guarding when Han Yuseol stepped forward—and then Hayang's shout rang out.

"Yuseol-nim! Front! Two of them!"

"...!"

"Pardon?"

At the same moment, Han Yuseol's figure vanished. Chae Seunghyeon could only watch in stunned silence as the scene unfolded.

- Kikikik!

A grotesque doll, like a clockwork toy reassembled from springs, lunged from the front—only to be dismantled in one slash from Han Yuseol, rolling across the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠floor.

How did she know?

Chae Seunghyeon blinked blankly. From her reaction, even Han Yuseol hadn't sensed it beforehand. Did that mean Hayang's senses were sharper than hers?

Hayang, meanwhile, acted like it was no big deal, squinting around as if searching for something.

Kiririk—

Suddenly, the faint sound of winding gears echoed.

"...?!"

"Huh...!"

With a thud, Chae Seunghyeon felt a sudden strain on his body. Han Yuseol's eyes widened too. He hurriedly opened his status window.

He'd checked just in case, but it didn't seem like paralysis or any status ailment.

But these buffs are insane even amid this.

Hayang had warned him beforehand, but his stats had truly jumped by nearly 50%. What kind of crazy skill was this? By stats alone, he'd leaped from E-grade to near D- or C-grade in one go.

But the real issue is no status ailment showing up.

No abnormality listed, yet his body felt burdened. That was the key puzzle. In this state, facing a monster would be extremely dangerous—even Han Yuseol struggled, barely adjusting her stance with creaking movements.

"Raaang!"

"...?!"

Suddenly, Hayang leaped straight up with a roar. To Chae Seunghyeon, it looked like a squirrel doing tricks.

His eyes widened at the message.

Was that the skill? That cute move? Lion's Roar, seriously? Looked more like a cat's meow to me. Maybe Kitten's Roar?

Hayang, having cast the skill, rubbed her chin thoughtfully before addressing them.

"This seems like a gimmick debuff. It's on the whole space, not individuals, so even my skill can't lift it."

"Then we need to remove the gimmick's source or escape."

"Yeah. I have a suspect. Probably that."

Already?

Chae Seunghyeon was stunned inwardly as Hayang calmly pointed somewhere.

"Yuseol-nim, see that floating gear up there?"

"Yes, I see it."

"Seunghyeon-nim, see that floating gear?"

"Y-Yes... I see it. The big one, right?"

Hayang nodded and continued.

"Some gears haven't been meshing properly since earlier. And usually, these gimmicks hide the solution inside the space."

"That's true."

Han Yuseol affirmed, recalling past gates with Hayang. Like RPGs, where the answer was placed in the area, just hidden. Gates worked the same.

"I bet that's the cause. Just in case, when I count one-two-three, destroy them simultaneously?"

"Understood."

"I'll do my best."

Chae Seunghyeon nocked an arrow with explosive tip. Han Yuseol drew her sword, aiming at the targeted gears.

"...Three!"

Pewooong!

Sword energy and the bomb arrow launched in sync.

Kwaaaang!

The gears shattered with a massive boom, and—

"Ah...!"

"Huh?"

The mysterious pressure lifted from their bodies. Hayang smiled satisfied and stepped forward.

"Good. Shall we go?"

Staring blankly at her back, Chae Seunghyeon realized anew: the world was full of top hunters, but maybe she was the only one truly at the pinnacle.

＊＊＊

- Kuooooh...

After defeating even the boss monster that finally appeared, they cleared the gate safely.

I didn't do a thing.

Chae Seunghyeon eyed the two with hollow eyes. No joke—except destroying the gears, he hadn't even drawn his bowstring once. He'd just stood quietly in the back. Han Yuseol flashed around like lightning per Hayang's orders, the boss was shredded in seconds, and broken mechanisms rained down. That was it.

"-nim, Seunghyeon-nim!"

"Huh? Y-Yes? Did you call me?"

As his daze broke, he saw Hayang on tiptoes, looking up and hopping excitedly.

"Hurry to the treasure room! I wanna see your skill!"

"Treasure... room?"

Her calm demeanor gone, back to her usual innocent self—but Chae Seunghyeon was baffled.

You can just go to a treasure room if you want?

What did that even mean? As he tilted his head—

"This way. Just in case, you should open the chests in the treasure room yourself, Seunghyeon-nim."

"Y-Yes...."

Hayang, usually behind Han Yuseol, toddled ahead. Following cluelessly, they entered a dim space with a dead-end wall.

"Ah, there it is."

But then Hayang just walked straight toward the wall.

She'll hit it!

Sruruk—

"Huh?!"

She vanished through it like magic. Han Yuseol followed calmly, disappearing too.

Just walk in?

Confused but imitating, he squeezed his eyes shut and charged—

"Wh-where...?"

His body passed right through.

"Seunghyeon-nim, this is it! Open it quick!"

So much had happened in that short time; his mind couldn't keep up. Then Hayang's voice. Turning, he saw a large chest on the floor.

That's the treasure chest?

Waddling over under their intense gazes, he pried it open with all his might.

His eyes bulged at the first-ever message of his life.

"Whoa!"

"This... is incredible."

Hayang and Han Yuseol exclaimed. The chest brimmed with items—more than even these two, experienced in gates, had ever seen.

"Um... so, does my skill seem effective?"

"Yes! So much more. Thanks to you, Seunghyeon-nim!"

"Roughly 30% increase, I'd say. Thanks to you, Seunghyeon-ssi."

Relieved by their praise, he couldn't shake a sudden thought.

Am I just a treasure chest-opening machine now?

No heroics in a rare gate entry—just hid in back, opened the final chest, and got this praise. What about his past hunter struggles? His hardships? The humiliations inside ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gates?

This was just... just...

Honey pot. I'm burying my bones here for life.

The best. Perfect.