Gathering at the Summit
After receiving the briefing from my subordinates, I started preparing my gear without delay.
“Have you gathered enough mithril?”
『There won’t be any trouble from mithril for a while.』
The tone carried a clear note of satisfaction.
Even though I was wearing the Gigant Armor, which hid my face, I could imagine what expression was playing across it.
Back at Hyunmoo Base.
Han Yohan the blacksmith thrust his right hand forward.
“Thank you, Hunter Park Minho.”
His skin was tight with calluses.
Without hesitation I clasped his hand in return.
“Not at all.”
“Go back. There are plenty of things to do there.”
“Will you be staying longer, Hunter-nim?”
At Chief Apprentice Nam Jinwoo’s question I nodded.
“The Cross Gate isn’t a place we can visit often.”
“Yes. Then I wish you good fortune.”
“Thank you.”
I saw the blacksmiths off as they returned to the outside world and then met Lieutenant Colonel Cho Seung-cheol in charge of the Hyunmoo Base.
“Are there any bases developed by the Chinese around here?”
“As far as we know, no.”
“When a base is established, do they usually report it to other countries?”
“There’s no obligation to report, but it’s an unspoken rule that each country’s spheres of activity are respected.”
An unspoken rule.
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
“Did you have any friction with Chinese hunters?”
“Ah, I’ve been tense since the last incident.”
“You mentioned you were attacked by Turang hunters before.”
Lieutenant Colonel Cho Seung-cheol let out a short sigh.
“The Cross Gate is a place where laws don’t apply. So be careful.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
It actually made me feel better.
Look at it the other way around.
The guys from the Superhuman Bureau who don’t get the protection of the law…
I could go wild without worrying.
“Master, are you keeping this secret from those kids?”
“No. We should share the situation.”
They were the ones who strained themselves to help me.
Rather than making excuses and slipping away, it was only right to tell them the truth.
“Honesty is a virtue of chivalry. As expected, my lord is splendid!”
Isra the knight let out a bright laugh.
After I told the support team everything I’d heard from my subordinates,
“Are there any parts where we can help?”
“They were the ones who attacked your brother.”
“We can’t just stand by.”
The support team members ground their teeth in fury.
I had expected them to be weighed down by the weight of the Superhuman Bureau, but I felt gratitude all the same. I shook my head left and right.
“You’re all training at the base.”
“We came to the Cross Gate to serve as a shield for you, brother.”
“We haven’t killed anyone before.”
“….”
“It’s not a beating.”
Honestly, I didn’t want to do it either.
When the Turang hunters stormed the gate,
I’d cut off a mage’s head just to survive.
During my five years as a hunter I’d personally slain monsters.
But.
Killing humans was something else.
The support team didn’t need to know that feeling.
“There aren’t many places rich in mana. Wait and hone your skills.”
At Isra’s added remark the support team nodded reluctantly.
“Brother, don’t overdo it.”
The support team had understood somehow.
Then let’s go teach them a lesson.
“Great Lord, what if something goes wrong?”
“The high ground belongs to those who are already there.”
It happened at the Cross Gate.
How the hell would those bastards figure out the truth?
“Don’t think about the aftermath. Just make sure they’re all taken care of.”
“Splendid!”
“As expected of the lord of this maiden!”
“Your humble servant discovered it, so you must remember the credit.”
Yeah, that made sense.
Since the moment my subordinates asked to be involved.
Somehow.
Every time I summoned my subordinates.
“Go! Even though we haven’t started work yet, you’re already bragging about your achievements!”
“That’s why thieves shouldn’t be allowed.”
The moment Zaug started bragging, the two subordinates immediately took charge of the front line.
Wasn’t everyone too relaxed?
Even I didn’t think I’d lose.
“Lead the way.”
“Hum, hum, hum.”
Isra the knight kept letting out unnatural coughs and waved her hand downward.
There it is again.
She’s being carried, isn’t she?
“There is no need for a palanquin. This is the best way to move stealthily.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
Where would it be private enough to take seriously?
Without thinking twice I hopped onto Isra’s back and grabbed her shoulders.
The body beneath me trembled.
Was it a trick of the eye?
A feeling of reluctance emanated from Isra.
“Your humble servant will take the lead.”
How far we ran after that.
A massive magic array that encircled the mountain slope was caught in my Spirit Eye.
“Is that it?”
“Yes.”
“You noticed it just by glancing. As expected of the great lord.”
What am I, extraordinary?
Thanks to the briefing from my subordinates.
If I hadn’t been ready I wouldn’t have felt anything odd?
“Humble as it may be, it is still a virtue of chivalry.”
Damn it.
Every time he speaks he gets all modest and extraordinary. It really makes me feel like I’m the great one.
“You said the opponent’s strength is…?”
“From the information I gathered with the thief, there are thirty A-class hunters.”
Is that worth fighting?
Whoa.
I’ve grown so much.
A year ago I couldn’t even step in a shadow.
Even though thirty of them were stationed here.
I thought I could fight them.
“Lord.”
“Master.”
“Great Lord.”
【Master. Be careful.】
【Master. Don’t go out in front.】
Ah.
Why.
I hadn’t said anything and they were all glaring at me like that!
“Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely do not go out!”
“I’m not going! I’m not going!”
“Don’t even think about using Focus Strike in real combat.”
Why does he have to say the word absolute so many times.
“If it weren’t for me, even an S-class hunter would be worth it.”
“Correct.”
“I’ll stay quiet like a dead mouse and just apply buffs. Okay?”
“I believe you.”
Hmph.
Even so, I felt a little disappointed.
“Just one…”
“Lord.”
I know. I know.
“Give the order.”
“Go and wipe them all out.”
He’d probably placed a cushion on the high ground.
Descendant of the mountain-climbing king Masok.
But.
I don’t know what happened to Masok who seized the high ground out of pure stubbornness.
* * *
At the summit of a thousand-meter mountain there was a wide basin.
Not far from the Korean-side Cross Gate entrance.
The Superhuman Bureau had built a base called Dragon’s Beacon in that basin.
“Whoa. Finally the dimensional barrier is working properly.”
Chief Designer Xiao Zai grinned with satisfaction.
Creating a safe zone in the Cross Gate wasn’t easy.
The dimensional barrier that prevented monsters from regenerating.
To cover the entire basin it would need more than a trillion won.
Because the unit price of the Gaia Former, the machine that generates the barrier, was insanely high.
Just moving the Gaia Former wasn’t enough.
To activate the dimensional barrier you had to input local data like coordinates and mana distribution.
It took six months.
A massive engineering project that consumed enormous funds and manpower.
‘At the end the support finally ramped up.’
Xiao Zai, who had been dispatched to the Cross Gate for a long time.
Because of that he hadn’t fully realized the situation back home.
He hadn’t known that a hundred strong Turang contingent had been wiped out by a single B-class hunter.
He hadn’t known that the Superhuman Bureau, which suffered enormous damage, was desperately trying to build a new base to make up for it.
Fortunately, nothing bad happened to him.
No.
It was actually the perfect opportunity to expand his position.
‘Dragon’s Beacon will be used as a major base to check South Korea.’
Everyone who had climbed the slope step by step to set up the base had a reason.
The base installed at the Korean Cross Gate.
It was in the perfect location to monitor Hyunmoo Base.
‘How much suffering installing the disruption magic circles must have caused.’
[Presence Out]
[Vail of Nature]
[Evergreen Odor]
Even if Korean hunters approached the base,
The magic circles were set up so they would feel nothing and naturally leave.
The effect was outstanding.
Korean hunters who came near the base would simply go back down without a second thought.
‘Now that’s when the real game begins.’
All hunters who entered the Cross Gate belonged to Korea’s top five guilds.
Talent-verified elites!
They observed Hyunmoo Base’s movements twenty-four hours a day.
When a promising hunter appeared, they planned to use heavy-handed methods to persuade them to switch guilds.
‘They probably can’t do it often.’
Still, it was worth a shot.
This land was an otherworld where order and laws didn’t apply.
Disappearing one or two people was common.
Because it was far more dangerous than normal gates, the casualty rate was much higher.
‘All that’s left is to seize the opportunity.’
South Korea.
A dangerous country that had produced many hunters with shining talent despite being a small nation.
When the Superhuman Bureau managed to recruit Jeongsinho, they became even more sensitive to talent leakage.
Now that another talent-sourcing window called Dragon’s Beacon existed.
Chief Designer Xiao Zai’s future looked bright as a flower-lined path.
“Director Wangdai. Any news from the home country?”
“About a week ago several crossed over to the Korean Cross Gate side.”
The information conveyed through communication magic.
Because the Cross Gate was top secret, the entrance list was classified as grade one intelligence.
But.
The Superhuman Bureau had the neighboring country’s information at their fingertips.
Xiao Zai’s eyes moved quickly after receiving the list.
“Han Yohan is a blacksmith. Kidnapping here would be difficult. But the escort is Park Minho?”
“Yes. Park Minho is dangerous.”
“He’s just a B-class hunter. How can he be dangerous?”
“He was the one who wiped out a full Turang company recently.”
“Didn’t he fall into the bread trap?”
“Yes. The Bureau believes that, but isn’t it better to be careful?”
“It’s fine. Let’s think of a way to recruit or, wait, no. Recruit him.”
A newly promoted B-class hunter single-handedly slaughtered an entire Turang company?
Ehh.
I need to start making common-sense statements.
I understood why Operation Commander Juyongsuin’s face was paling.
‘The opponent walked right into our trap.’
Xiao Zai was different.
He had successfully secured an additional base in the Cross Gate.
And by seizing the high ground, monitoring Hyunmoo Base became easy.
If luck was on their side, they could even capture Minho.
‘No. Greed is forbidden.’
I didn’t need to be greedy. Opportunities were plenty.
Just as Xiao Zai was smiling happily,
Crack!
A blue light flickered from a special device made with arcane engineering.
“Chief Designer Xiao Zai.”
“What is it?”
“The communication equipment has overloaded.”
“Tsk. Repair it quickly.”
“I’ll….”
Before Wangdai could finish speaking,
Beep-beep-beep!
The siren that signaled intrusion shook the entire base.