Chapter 19
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Future City
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Two weeks later. A park in Songdo.
“Huh?”
“A gate.”
“Hey, a gate popped up here. Report it—”
Rumble. The ground around the newly formed gate cracked like there was an earthquake. Black mist billowed up from the fissures, then...
Whoosh.
“Damn it! Someone report it quick...!”
“What the hell is that! Argh!”
The black mist poured out wildly before morphing into humanoid shapes and lunging at the people.
As the black figures multiplied one by one and attacked, the hunters present sprang into action, evacuating the civilians.
“Everyone, evacuate!”
“What’s going on...?”
The black figures reformed even after the hunters’ attacks, refusing to vanish. In other words, indestructible monsters. And with the cracks widening and more figures emerging in greater numbers, it was nothing short of a catastrophe for the hunters.
“Someone report it now!”
It was a sudden incident late at night.
♧♣♧
Five a.m. The phone rang off the hook.
“Hello?”
―Thank goodness you picked up right away. We’ve got an emergency. Can you come out?
“An emergency...?”
―You’ll see on the news. No time to explain—just come, and I’ll brief you.
Click. The line went dead. I glanced out the window to see a familiar car idling below. For the record, I was already dressed to head out.
‘Count to five hundred and go.’
I’d seen this coming. No, I’d been waiting for it.
‘...300.’
The moment I stepped out of my room into the living room, someone spoke up.
“Where you headed?”
“...Something urgent came up.”
“That?”
Dad was pointing at the TV screen, which was broadcasting the Songdo situation live.
“S-Rank or higher.”
“Yeah... looks like it.”
“Alright. Stay safe, and look after Ji-un too.”
“...He’s stronger than me.”
“Still. Watch each other’s backs.”
I left Dad, who said nothing more, and headed to the front door. Just before the door lock clicked open and I stepped out, I turned.
“I’ll be back.”
The surest promise I could make, that I wouldn’t die.
♧♣♧
“Han Ji-eon.”
“Oh, Ji Hwa-yeon. What’s up—”
“Let’s move first? We’re probably the last ones. I’ll explain on the way.”
I got into the car, tense as hell.
The car took off the second I buckled in. Before I could even open my mouth, Ji Hwa-yeon handed me a tablet.
“Here... take a look.”
It was footage from the same spot Dad had been watching on TV before I left home.
“Makes things quicker then.”
“Um... what is this...?”
“A Spread Gate. Know what that is?”
“Uh... yeah. A gate where the dungeon’s conditions spill out into the surroundings, even without a break, right?”
“Yes. And from what we know so far, Spread Gates are always S-Rank or higher.”
“......”
“See the other S-Ranks there?”
“Yeah... I do.”
It was live footage, so not fully stabilized, but they were unmistakable: Yoo A-han, Seung-hyeon, my brother, and finally, the On-yeon Guild Master—the last S-Rank.
“We checked, and as expected, the rank’s unmeasurable. That’s why everyone’s gathered.”
“...Unmeasurable?”
“Second time in Korea. First time was chaos since it was a first. Hwa-yeon and I hadn’t awakened our patterns yet, so the other three led the clear. We barely scraped by, all battered. Things are much better now.”
Korea’s first S-Rank-plus gate. Impossible to forget. That day was when our parents’ fears about hunters fully bloomed.
The association was unstable back then. My brother, On-yeon Guild Master, and Seung-hyeon, who’d just awakened his pattern weeks prior and was still in training. When the S-Rank-plus Spread Gate hit, they and some volunteered A-Rank hunters went in. They cleared it, but the cost was brutal.
Over half the A-Rank hunters dead. The three S-Ranks barely recovered with foreign healers. When the news aired my brother’s mangled state...
“It was horrific.”
“Yeah... With Han Ji-un there, you’d know best. Impossible to forget.”
A brief silence. Ji Hwa-yeon spoke up again.
“This time, no A-Ranks are joining.”
“R-Really...?”
“A-Ranks are valuable too. They’re Plan B if we S-Ranks can’t fight.”
“R-Right.”
Screech. The car stopped—we’d arrived. Stepping out, I saw Hwajin Guild, not Songdo. Puzzled, I asked.
“Uh, why here?”
“Too far by car.”
She strode into the guild, and I followed. We took the elevator to the roof—helipad. Before I could speak, she boarded the chopper, and I clumsily followed.
“Talk later. Let’s get there first.”
I nodded.
The chopper lifted off and soon reached the destination. We disembarked and headed to the site, where familiar faces were under a simple tent.
“How’s the situation?”
Ji Hwa-yeon asked the moment we entered. On-yeon Guild Master replied smoothly.
“Same as before. No changes, unfortunately. Tried neutralizing them, but they dodged and scattered. And they’re multiplying fast.”
“Intelligent ones?”
“High chance.”
Standing beside Ji Hwa-yeon as she chatted, On-yeon Guild Master met my eyes mid-sentence and addressed me.
“Han Ji-eon, the hunter?”
“Yes.”
“Sorry to meet in such urgent times. Ryu Cheon-hwa, On-yeon Guild Master.”
“Yes. Han Ji-eon.”
“Looks like I’m the last S-Rank you’ve met. Regret not visiting you sooner.”
Watching Ryu Cheon-hwa’s subtle smile felt off. Especially with my memories.
After a brief chat with me, he hardened his expression and turned to the gate.
“Now that we’re all here, let’s conference quick. Situation’s dire—speed is key. First, for contingencies, one S-Rank outside—”
Before he finished, Ji Hwa-yeon raised her hand slightly.
“Then Hwajin Guild Master stays. That work for everyone?”
No objections. Silence meant yes.
“Hwajin Guild Master stays, then next—”
“Before that.”
Yoo A-han spoke up, pulling items from the hip pouch at her waist. Far more than the pouch’s size suggested—an inventory, obviously.
“Rushed these, but recovery potions. Grab some before heading in. Hwa-yeon, you too.”
Small vials sloshed with blue liquid.
She’d made three per person. As Ryu Cheon-hwa shook one and paused, he asked Yoo A-han.
“Making this many—your stamina okay?”
“You know I recover slowest drain, fastest regen. Putting on airs in front of Han Ji-eon?”
Ryu Cheon-hwa gave a wry smile and continued.
“Enough chit-chat. Teams pre-assigned: five of us, so pairs and a trio.”
“I’ll...”
My brother, who’d barely glanced at me when I entered and stood quietly alone, finally spoke.
“Go solo.”
“Bro?”
“Hm?”
“Go in a group. It’s dangerous.”
“I’m fine alone. You be careful, Ji-eon.”
“This that ‘rules for thee but not for me’ thing?”
Step. I closed in on him.
“You know how worried Mom and Dad were last Spread Gate?”
“That was... a mistake.”
The mood sobered. Seung-hyeon broke the silence quickly.
“...We’re wasting time. Check the dungeon first, then teams.”
“Not a bad idea.”
Yoo A-han agreed.
“Let’s head in then.”
Ryu Cheon-hwa glanced at the wall clock and nodded.
As we moved to exit for the gate, rumble! The ground shook, urgent shouts from outside.
“The ground’s cracking again! And... the black humanoid figures are multiplying exponentially!”
“I’ll handle here. Rest of you, hurry and raid the dungeon.”
Flash. Ji Hwa-yeon activated her pattern as she finished, her form changing. A hood cloak draped her—short front tied at the waist like clothing, long sleeves and back trailing, white outside, red inside.
She gestured for us to go. Ryu Cheon-hwa spoke.
“Let’s move.”
We exited the tent, ignoring shutter clicks amid the chaos, and rushed into the gate. A flash blinded me briefly, then vision cleared.
Whoosh— A fierce wind forced my eyes shut instinctively. Hair and open clothes whipped wildly. No end to the gale, so I forced my eyes open.
“...Gasp.”
I stood on a rooftop.
Head swiveling in panic, all around were towering buildings twinkling beautifully in their own lights.
Dungeons I’d cleared before had walls, ceilings, or trees—nothing vast. This one shattered that. And scale wasn’t the only oddity.
Yoo A-han circled the roof, muttering loud enough for all.
“Future city concept?”
I agreed completely.
Sky dark, buildings dazzling. Steps forward revealed roads, cars, residents below. After only detached-from-reality dungeons, this was jarring.
This dungeon mirrored our world almost perfectly.