Chapter 16
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Corrupted Gate: Republic of Korea United Quest
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Telekinetic Sword
Mitu Guild Leader stepped onto the sword hovering in midair and charged forward at blinding speed.
With a tearing roar that ripped through the wind, a legion of monsters covered in viscous purple slime flooded into view.
The battlefield thrummed with corrupted magic, but not a trace of hesitation clouded his expression.
Aura Blade
A short shout.
But the result was nothing short of catastrophic.
Kwaaaaang!
With a single swing, a massive golden flash erupted in a fan shape ahead.
Corrupted hides that would have barely been scratched before now parted as smoothly as tofu.
'Light.'
There was no resistance at his fingertips.
Half the effort yielded over three times the power of his prime.
And at the severed surfaces touched by the golden aura, black smoke rose instead of filthy blood, purifying on contact.
"Kieeeek!"
The monsters oxidized into light without even a proper scream.
It wasn't mere hunting—it was a holy cleansing, wiping away the filth.
Plop, plop.
Dozens of monster heads soared into the air from one slash, then tumbled to the ground.
Overwhelming force akin to a massacre.
Rewind time to just before departure.
The very moment the guild leaders received their golden weapons and steeled their resolve.
Wuuuung!
Suddenly, the atmosphere across the world vibrated.
Every smartphone wailed in unison, and a red warning window forcibly appeared in every hunter's retina.
The system alerts visible only to Lee Do-ha were broadcast to all humanity for the first time in history.
Global Alert: Republic of Korea United Quest has been generated.
"What... is this?"
"A system broadcast? To the whole world at once?"
As murmurs spread, the details were revealed.
Cleaning for the Light
📍 Description: Where there is darkness, there is light.
📍 Objective: Slay 10,000 monsters within Corrupted Gates to lay the foundation for purification.
📍 Target: All hunters in the Republic of Korea
Reward: Grant Purification Authority to Blacksmith Lee Do-ha
Purification
- Enables crafting of equipment that nullifies all-stat reduction and attack speed debuffs upon entering Corrupted Gates.
Silence.
Then an explosive reaction.
"Insane... The system's openly siding with Lee Do-ha?"
"The reward itself grants him authority?"
This was a declaration.
The system had proclaimed to the world that Lee Do-ha was the sole key to saving it.
Following the Anti-Theft System, now even quest rewards funneled to him—an unassailable order.
The community erupted in flames.
Did anyone see that system announcement just now?
That's gotta be about that blacksmith, right? The system's basically ordering us to hunt monsters so it can give him power.
At this point, isn't he the system's son? lol
Chills... System-endorsed for real.
What kind of life does he live? Who even are you...
Apparently, he hasn't left his forge more than twice since being confined. Just hammering away lololol
Lmaoooo he's a total madman
Is Lee Do-ha your buddy? Call him Master.
No one else deserves it. Overwhelming in skill and character.
The Republic's untouchable sanctuary, Master Blacksmith.
Usually there'd be hate comments, but public opinion's spotless.
The guild leaders' gazes shifted.
Lee Do-ha was no longer just a collaborator—he was the one answer they absolutely had to revere.
His abilities unlocking was the only way they, and the nation, would survive.
"We're scrapping the plan entirely."
Mitu Guild Leader quickly summed up the situation.
"This quest is a prerequisite to unlocking Lee Do-ha's purification ability. We kill 10,000, and he can craft debuff-nullifying gear."
"One conclusion: Massacre 10,000 in record time."
"All-nighter?"
"No—24-hour full-throttle relay raids."
Mitu Guild Leader unrolled a map and issued orders.
"Start with the F-grade Corrupted Gates with the highest monster counts and wipe them out fast. Numbers drop as ranks rise. Kim O-jun, you're up first?"
Ranking 1st, Wiz Guild Leader Kim O-jun laughed heartily and raised his staff.
Mana surged wildly from its tip.
"Don't worry. My skills are about to explode! Hahaha!"
Thus began Korea's unprecedented hyper-speed extermination war.
Corrupted Gate site
Are the guild leaders okay in the head?
Seeing that counter climb?
No sleep, just grinding like maniacs
[Current Kills: 2456 / 10000]
And this is in less than a day?
Wiz Guild Leader's joining now.
Lol that carpet bomber dude
It's over. Gonna finish soon.
Indeed, after Kim O-jun joined, the pace shifted dimensions.
He cleared F-grade Corrupted Gates in an average of 10 seconds.
"Die, all of you!!! Hahaha!"
Riding a broom-shaped artifact, he swept the battlefield.
Interception skills auto-fired from his staff, carpet-bombing the ground like an airstrike. Magic hit before monsters could spawn.
The moment he felled the gate boss, he warped to pre-marked coordinates for the next.
Mad speed.
3567 → 5780 → 7890
The counter skyrocketed.
Yeah—F-grade gates were drying up.
In half a day, most Corrupted F-grade gates vanished. Only E-grade ones remained, a notch tougher.
"Let's go!"
Kim O-jun charged into an E-grade gate full of momentum.
But the air was different from F-grade.
Entry.
Shuuuuk!
Vision tinted red the instant he entered.
Accompanied by a foul sulfur stench, corrupted kobold shamans in masks awaited at the entrance, unleashing a barrage to seal them off.
"Fireball!"
"Curse!"
Dozens of fireballs and curses rained on Kim O-jun's face.
Corrupted magic doubled their power over normal kobolds. The entry debuff weighed him down like water, sluggish and heavy.
"Tch!"
Instinctively, he swung his staff.
Kwang! Kbang! Kbang!
The staff auto-deployed defenses, blocking everything. Reflected magic pulverized the kobolds to dust.
Hoo...
Wiping sweat from his brow, Kim O-jun was unscathed but his face was stiff.
'Lucky it was me. Anyone else would've been in danger.'
Stats dropped over 30% on entry, body dulled. Plus double firepower from stronger monsters.
A geometric difficulty spike per rank—abnormal structure.
An S-grade like him could push through with gear, but regular hunters?
Wiped on entry.
Without Lee Do-ha's purification gear, D-grade and up were impossible.
"Gotta hurry. Hold the line till Do-ha can craft the purification gear."
His eyes blazed anew.
This wasn't just a quest—it was humanity's survival race against time.
Domestic community buzz
You know that thing?
Other countries declaring national disasters, talking extinction, total chaos.
We're just chilling at home, peeling tangerines, watching guild leaders' massacre show on NewTube.
What’s with this temperature difference?
Is this really that weak nation, Republic of Korea? Chest swelling with pride.
We who always cowered now stand tall...
Can't believe it. Big bro blacksmith's status is insane.
Even normies know him now.
Overseas news comments flooded with "Who's Lee Do-ha?"
Says it all if civilians know.
Republic of Korea's pillar for real.
Do-ha bro, thanks. Love ya.
As the public cheered, the quest counter raced toward the end.
"Just a bit more! Almost there!"
With Kim O-jun's shout, hunters nationwide poured out every ounce of strength.
The real-time system counter climbed at breakneck speed.
9850 → 9920 → 9998
Puk!
The last remaining corrupted [Knight of Plague] fell to Mitu Guild Leader's sword.
[10,000 / 10,000]
Quest Complete!
At that instant, a massive fanfare echoed across the world's skies.
A victory cry and the signal for a new era.
Republic of Korea United Quest successfully completed.
Light has driven out darkness.
Promised reward granted to Blacksmith Lee Do-ha.
Hunter Association Forge
I stood with arms crossed, gazing at the radiant golden message floating in the air.
[Hidden Trait: Purification Acquired]
- Grants purification attribute to equipment at user's will.
- Debuff immunity option possible.
- Purification skill grant possible.
"Good work out there."
The corners of my mouth curled up.
S-grade hunters shed blood and sweat outside, but the real prize—the authority—came straight to me.
Perks of being the creator and designer.
I turned to my disciples, who'd been waiting tensely. Their eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Saw that? Hit 10,000."
"M-Master! So now...?"
Grabbing the hammer from the wall, my grip tightened instinctively.
Time to show the world.
Not just strong weapons—a revolution twisting even the system's laws.
"Light the forge."
The forge flames roared red.
Now even F-grade hunters could run like S-grades.
The era of mass production—and upheaval of the hunter system—had begun.