Chapter 40: The Gate (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 40: The Gate (5)
Gates are vast.
The higher their rank, the larger they become. I’d heard that some of the highest-ranking Gates were ridiculously massive, comparable to entire continents.
It was a testament to why a superpower like the United States would keep an A-rank Gate open for years, and why, as long as Gates existed, humanity would never have to worry about resources.
[Raging Screw]
KABOOM!!
A whirlwind shot up into the sky, tearing six White Wolves apart in mid-air.
Their blood and flesh rained down.
The sight of the pure white snowfield being sullied by the stinking carcasses of magical beasts was now quite familiar.
What I couldn't get used to, however, was the stinging pain from the blisters that had formed all over my palms from gripping my sword hilt so tightly for so long.
“Good work.”
“Hmph.”
Choi Hyena casually ignored my words.
I let out a small sigh as she walked off somewhere as soon as the battle ended.
I had nothing to say, since her attitude was entirely my fault.
I’d been caught masturbating by rubbing my dick on her while she was asleep. The fact that she hadn't planted a magic spell in my skull was merciful enough.
On top of that, I’d even shot a sticky load of cum on her ass.
Thinking back on it now, it was an act that could only be described as my brain being ruled by my dick.
“Haaah...”
I couldn't stop sighing. But what good would regretting it now do? If I went back to that moment, I’d probably do the exact same thing.
Anyway, I first carved out the magic stones from the beasts' carcasses and washed my hands with snow.
A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. No matter how tired I was, I couldn't commit the atrocity of leaving behind the magic stones of C-rank beasts.
‘Of course, a single White Wolf isn't C-rank on its own, so the price will be a bit lower.’
Choi Hyena had told me.
White Wolves were classified as C-rank because they moved in packs; individually, they were only about D+-rank.
But the app treated them as C-rank and gave me the full reward. It seemed its standards for beast rankings were different from ours.
‘It’s a good thing we weren't facing a pack of White Yetis.’
Each one of those was a genuine C-rank beast. If we had fought a pack of them, it would have been impossible to finish them off with a single spell like I just did.
“Still, I feel like I'm getting the hang of fighting C-rank beasts. If it were just three White Yetis, I think I could manage somehow...”
Even as I tried to think positively, I couldn't shake the feeling of doubt, wondering what the hell I was even doing.
At first, I had planned to learn swordsmanship step-by-step at the dojo. Learn the proper grip, build up my stamina and strength, and master the basics.
But what was this? Why did I always have to start with real combat?
It reminded me of the underground dungeon.
Back then, I hadn't even been learning magic for a month, yet I was up against D+-rank beasts as a baseline, in a crazy place where elite specimens roamed around whenever they felt like it.
“Sigh.”
Yeah, this must be my fate.
I’ve never seen anyone’s life improve by complaining about their destiny.
In the end, I just have to push through it myself.
Deciding that was enough complaining, I started walking to find Choi Hyena, who was probably sulking under a tree somewhere.
It was already the second day since we’d been sucked into this isolated Gate. We had four days and roughly ten hours left until it opened.
*
Choi Hyena had always believed that things like marriage and dating would never be a part of her life.
Outside of official matters, she hated even the thought of talking to a man, let alone holding his hand.
Misandry? Yes, you could call it that.
The memories of her father from her childhood had left her with a deep and heavy trauma.
Perhaps because of that, Choi Hyena had disliked men ever since she was old enough to understand.
Of course, with her status as the sole heir to the prestigious Seongbuk Choi magic family, her stunning looks, and her overwhelming talent, men had flocked to her since she was young. It was a life far removed from the one she wanted.
Whenever they had a chance, the adults around her were only interested in setting her up with men. The blind dates she was forced into were the absolute worst. The men who showed up, calling themselves her potential partners, were all worthless trash she couldn't even be bothered to speak to.
They were typical scoundrels who did nothing but flaunt their family background and their parents' money. Her blind dates never lasted longer than thirty seconds.
But Kang Hyun-woo was different somehow.
Was it because their first meeting had been so awful?
In front of him, she found herself unabashedly revealing the true self she normally hid for the sake of social relationships.
—"What is this crazy bitch talking about?”
—"Hey, open your ears and listen up. The Seongbuk Choi family? A genius mage? You know what's more important than all that crap? Manners, you brat. You barely seem like a decent human being, and you want to be a mage? Research? What a load of bullshit.”
—"You... you...!! How dare a beggar like you say such things to me!!”
—"You'd better be prepared. From now on, there won't be a single place on this earth for you to set foot as a mage.”
Even thinking about it now, it was a truly terrible first meeting.
If they had parted ways there, she wouldn't have just forgotten about a second date; she would have used her family's power to torment him.
But now, it felt so distant, as if she were thinking, Did I really do that?
What on earth had changed?
No matter how many times he had saved her life, he had taken advantage of her while she was asleep, committing an unspeakable sexual assault and... and...
‘He came...!!!’
Even now, if she closed her eyes, she could recall that thing of his—hot, sticky, and gooey—sprayed all over her ass.
A man's semen, which she had only ever heard about, and even his penis.
No matter how hard she tried to see him in a positive light, she couldn't forgive the shameless look on his face as he smiled after committing such an act without her consent.
She shouldn't have just choked him then; she should have pulled out all his hair.
‘The face of a bald Kang Hyun-woo...’
For some reason, it was funny.
She rarely ever laughed, but just imagining his bald face brought a silly smile to her lips.
How did things end up like this?
If someone asked if she had fallen for Kang Hyun-woo, the answer was no.
She was grateful to him for saving her life twice, but she had no intention of letting him have her body as an excuse.
The more she thought about it, the deeper into a maze she seemed to fall.
‘...Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I slept that soundly.’
When she was held in Kang Hyun-woo's arms, for the first time in a long while, she didn't have a nightmare.
Nine times out of ten, the memories of that day would appear in her dreams. The blood-soaked hallway and her father, staring at her with murderous eyes.
Medicine had no effect.
Her chronic insomnia was even hindering her magic research.
What was it about him that made her forget the nightmares she should have had, and even allow him to touch the body she had sworn to never let anyone touch?
Choi Hyena suddenly felt scared.
Scared that if this continued, she might really give him her first time.
Scared that she might even give her heart to that vulgar man.
And she was scared of herself, for finding her lips curling into a smile as she imagined such a terrible future.
But if she were to ask herself if she was truly so scared and afraid that she wanted to run away from him... for once, Choi Hyena couldn't give a definite answer.
She didn't know why.
‘But...’
When did it become night?
The large tree she had been leaning against, the dreary gray sky, the cold and tedious snowfield—they were all gone.
All that surrounded her was pitch-black darkness.
The ominous darkness made it impossible to tell if what she was looking at was right in front of her or immeasurably far away.
Just as her hands and feet began to tremble...
—"...Hyena!!!”
Crack—
The darkness surrounding her shattered like glass, and a familiar light poured in from all directions.
“Hey!! Choi Hyena!!”
“...Huh?”
Although her vision returned to normal, Choi Hyena couldn't quite grasp what was happening.
And for good reason.
“Fuck, snap out of it!!”
Because right now, she was on top of Kang Hyun-woo, about to plunge a sharp piece of rock into his neck.
*
Spirits. They were a different breed from magical beasts, and they existed everywhere in the world.
In the fiercely burning flames, in the raging waves, in the wind across the fields, and in the dark caves.
Spirits were, without exception, extremely self-centered and selfish, so most people disliked them.
No, some even despised them.
In the old days, spirits and magical beasts were considered one and the same, which gave a good indication of just how malevolent they could be.
Of course, did that mean all spirits were evil? If you asked that, the answer would be no.
In fact, spirits were closer to pure humans.
Just as people weren't neatly divided into good and evil, the vast majority of spirits had a neutral disposition.
Just as there were people born with a good nature, there were exceptionally good spirits. And just as there were people born evil, there were spirits who harmed humans for no reason at all.
“Wh-what...??”
“Snap out of it!!”
Choi Hyena, who had tackled Kang Hyun-woo, was threatening him with bloodshot eyes, ready to plunge a sharp rock she'd picked up from somewhere into his neck.
With a strength unimaginable from the usual Choi Hyena, all Kang Hyun-woo could do was grab her arm and hold on for dear life.
“Why... why am I...??”
“If you've snapped out of it, then get off...!!”
Ugh. Her mind seemed to be back, but her strength had only increased.
At this rate, the sharp rock would pierce his neck at any moment.
“M-my body won't move how I want it to!!”
“What the...!!”
Kang Hyun-woo, who squeezed out his words in a voice that sounded like he was about to die, actually felt like he was about to die.
The force pressing down was so immense that even as he blocked with both arms, he felt his joints rattling.
He had been looking around to appease the clearly angry Choi Hyena when he spotted her standing blankly under a large tree and ran over.
When she didn't answer his calls, he'd wondered if she was just really pissed off, but the moment he got close, she had attacked him with a sharp rock held in her other hand.
Caught off guard by the surprise attack, he'd ended up in this stalemate, and five minutes had already passed.
His strength was starting to fade. He hadn't had much time to recover from the fight with the White Wolf pack, and he couldn't hold on much longer.
Choi Hyena was just as bewildered, but like a true mage, she quickly and rationally assessed the situation.
The monologue that had started at some point, the consciousness trapped in an unknown space, and the body that wouldn't obey her commands.
These were all classic signs of mind control.
As a mage with a mental barrier far stronger than an ordinary person's, there weren't many magical beasts capable of using such mind control on her.
Moreover, in a snowfield Gate estimated to be C+-rank or higher, there was only one beast capable of such a feat.
“A Wendigo!”
A Wendigo. A spirit of snow and ice, so malevolent it was called an evil spirit.
Its rank was a staggering B-.
It possessed no physical power, but it was known for its ability to possess a person's body and control their mind.
Someone who had narrowly escaped a Wendigo's possession said they had felt an intense murderous impulse.
Fortunately, thanks to her strong mental barrier, she didn't feel the urge to kill, but even that was reaching its limit.
She was only a 3rd Circle mage, while the Wendigo was a B-rank beast.
Her consciousness was gradually fading. At this rate, it was clear that her mind, like her body, would soon be completely dominated by the Wendigo.
If that happened, both she and Kang Hyun-woo were finished.
“What the hell is a Wendigo...!!”
“A B-rank beast that controls minds!!”
“What's its weakness?!!”
“Divine Power!!”
In the middle of a Gate with only two mages, there was no priest who could use Divine Power, nor was there any Holy Water imbued with it.
That left only one option.
“Th-the Shop!!”
Ting—
[Shop]
[Lowest Grade Antidote: Sold Out]
[Sweet Apple: 250 Coins]
[Imperial Army's Magic Sword: Sold Out]
[Book of Etiquette for the Dazzling Woman: 540 Coins]
[High-Grade Random Scroll: 600 Coins]
·
·
·
He had hoped, but as expected, the shop hadn't reset.
“Fuck...! Just reset already!!”
At this rate, he was really going to die. It seemed he had no choice but to start a new match.
This was the worst. In his current state, he didn't have the luxury of time to carefully select his opponent's information.
Just as he was forced to pray for an ordinary person to be matched...
Ting—
[Shop Reset]
[Price: 1,000 Coins]
[Would you like to reset the shop?]
[Y/N]
[Warning! This choice cannot be undone.]
A glimmer of hope appeared.
But it was a very unsettling hope.
The timing was too perfect to not be suspicious, and 1,000 coins? These bastards were running a dirty business even when someone's life was on the line.
“I'm resetting it!!”
But right now, he had no other choice.
[Y]
[The shop is resetting.]
Ten new items appeared. There was no time to read each description.
He had to guess what they did based on their names.
My eyes scanned down the scroll at lightning speed.
And I knew instinctively that this was the only item that could solve the current situation.
[Would you like to purchase the Ring of Desire Reversal?]
[Y/N]
[Y]
[You have purchased the Ring of Desire Reversal.]
[Remaining Coins: 2,000]
“Choi Hyena! Drop your mental barrier!!”
“What?! Are you crazy?! If I do that, you'll die, and I'll die!!”
“Trust me!!”
Through her blurry vision, Choi Hyena saw Kang Hyun-woo's eyes, more serious than ever before.
“Trust me.”
“...Fine!!”
[Use the Ring of Desire Reversal?]
[Target: Choi Hyena (Wendigo)]
[Y/N]
[Y]
Crack. The Ring of Desire Reversal shattered, and a wave of intangible energy washed over us.
I felt nothing, but Choi Hyena, who had been on top of me ready to kill me, collapsed to the side as if she had fainted.
“Ha, haah, haah... I almost died for real.”
It was the save of all saves.
This was definitely worthy of my funeral highlight reel.
The snow was bitterly cold, but right now, I didn't have the strength to lift a single finger.
Fortunately, a quick mana scan revealed that the only magical beast nearby was the Wendigo possessing Choi Hyena's body.
“Now, how do I deal with that thing...”
Just as my head began to throb at the thought of how to handle a B-rank beast...
“Ugh, uungh...”
Choi Hyena, who had been lying on the snow, stirred and began to sit up.
Thankfully, judging by her eyes, the possession seemed to be broken.
The Ring of Desire Reversal. I didn't know what its effect was, but it seemed the 800 coins I spent on it were worth it.
“Hey, if you're awake, can you help me up? I don't have any strength in my body... Choi Hyena...?”
Choi Hyena, who had been struggling to her feet, was now approaching me.
She staggered unsteadily, but more than that, something about her seemed off.
“Haah, haah...”
Her ragged breaths made her seem anxious.
‘Don't tell me... the possession isn't broken??’
But that couldn't be it. When she was possessed by the Wendigo and trying to kill me, I had felt a chilling killing intent from her.
In contrast, the current Choi Hyena exuded no killing intent, not even a hint of a threat.
Then was it a side effect of the possession?
“Choi Hyena? Are you okay...?”
I had just started to force myself up when Choi Hyena lunged at me again.
To be precise, she climbed on top of my stomach.
“Choi Hyena...?”
“Hh, heua... haah... haaht...”
Up close, Choi Hyena's condition was clearly not normal.
Her face was bright red, and her breathing was strangely rough.
Ting—
“Heeey... Kang Hyun-woo...”
Her voice was coquettish and sticky, a tone I could never have imagined from the usual Choi Hyena.
What's more, her pupils were shaped like hearts, something you'd only see in an R-rated doujinshi.
[Ring of Desire Reversal]
[Target: Choi Hyena (Wendigo)]
[Reversed Desire: Murderous Impulse > Sexual Desire]
“You... look so delicious...?♡”