Chapter 67 — Yongduam Gate
Chapter 67 — Yongduam Gate
Translation: GodTL
That night after the incident.
After confirming Sia was fast asleep, Rokan went to his study and sank deep into thought.
'How did Min-jun withstand Yuria's Curse?'
The Curse Yuria had cast wasn't something an ordinary human could endure through willpower alone.
By Dragon standards, it might have been a mediocre Curse, but it was powerful enough to overwhelm not just a B-rank Hunter like Min-jun, but even A-rank Hunters who stood a level above him.
'Has he grown beyond A-rank in this short time?'
The thought briefly crossed his mind, but Rokan soon shook his head.
Though Min-jun's growth rate was unprecedentedly fast, in Rokan's eyes, he hadn't yet reached A-rank.
Then perhaps...
'That boy's energy.'
A unique energy that neither humans nor Dragons—no one but Min-jun possessed.
Maybe that energy had helped him overcome Yuria's Curse.
'In theory, it's entirely possible.'
This realization made Rokan feel both anticipation and a tinge of concern.
The thought that Min-jun might grow strong enough to surpass even an Ancient Dragon like himself.
And the fear that, once he became that strong, Min-jun might not be able to control the surging power.
Taking Rokan's advice that I needed time to clear my head, I immediately booked a flight to Jeju Island for the next day.
After securing the ticket, I packed a lunchbox for Sia and asked Rokan to deliver it to her.
Sia had mentioned she'd be going somewhere soon to get some fresh air—though I didn't know where—so I prepared it for her to eat then.
It might seem like a small thing, but I knew these little gestures would eventually soften Sia's heart.
And the next day.
As planned, I boarded the flight to Jeju Island.
I wasn't sure what I'd do to pass the time there.
But anyway.
After arriving in Jeju Island, I had a quick lunch and headed straight to my first destination.
When I'd skimmed through the major tourist spots yesterday, one place had stood out to me—
Yongduam Rock, where I was headed now.
The scenery was beautiful, but the biggest reason, absurdly enough, was its name.
A rock shaped like a Dragon's head.
Was I instinctively drawn to anything Dragon-related now that I was dating a Dragon?
'Even I think it's ridiculous.'
Who plans a trip like this?
Excited at the thought of enjoying the breeze, taking photos, and sending them to Sia, I made my way to Yongduam Rock with high spirits.
But when I arrived, something felt off.
It wasn't strange for a tourist spot to be crowded.
But tourists usually didn't wander around with such grave expressions, and barricades like these at a tourist site were definitely unusual.
What's going on? Did something happen?
How does trouble find me the moment my trip starts?
A foreboding sensation ran through my body as I approached a man controlling the area to find out what was happening.
"Excuse me, what's going on here?"
"I'm sorry. Only Hunters are permitted to enter."
The man blocked my path with those words.
Had a Gate suddenly appeared near the tourist site?
But even then, unless it was an unusually high-risk Gate, they wouldn't enforce such strict control.
"Well, I am a Hunter."
"May I see your Hunter registration, please?"
At the official's request, I showed my Hunter license.
"Confirmed."
"But, what exactly happened inside? Did a new Gate open?"
"It's classified information for public discussion, but if you don't mind, we can move somewhere else to talk."
Something smelled fishy.
Really fishy.
I considered lying about having companions and leaving, but my damn curiosity got the better of me.
"Sure, let's do that."
I'd check what was going on first. If it turned out to be something troublesome, I could always slip away quietly.
I followed the official past the barricades.
As soon as I entered the restricted area, I saw Hunters and what appeared to be Hunter Headquarters personnel bustling about urgently.
"Just what exactly is the reason you called me here?"
"A while ago, an unusual Gate appeared over there."
When I turned my gaze in the direction the official pointed, I saw Yongduam Rock—the very one I'd seen pictures of online—and right above it, a vividly shimmering Gate.
"...It doesn't seem like an ordinary Gate, does it?"
If it were just a normal Gate, there'd be no reason for such heavy security, nor would all these people be camped out in front of it.
"Yes. It's a Gate, but... no one can enter it."
"...Excuse me? What do you mean, no one can enter?"
"Literally what I said. Many Hunters have attempted to breach the Gate for a raid, but for some reason, they simply can't get inside."
What the hell was I hearing?
If Hunters couldn't enter a Gate, then who the hell could?
Seeing my bewildered reaction, the official nodded sympathetically and continued.
"Because of this, the Association considers it an extremely serious matter. There's no telling how badly things could go wrong here."
The higher-ups had issued strict orders not to inform civilians yet, fearing mass panic until further instructions were given.
"On top of that, the Gate is classified as EX-rank. And as if that weren't bad enough, its type is an Extra Gate, making investigation efforts even more difficult."
The moment I heard the rank, I let out an involuntary sigh.
"Talk about one problem after another."
"Exactly."
The man exhaled deeply.
"If, by any chance, a Gate Break were to occur here... there's no telling what kind of catastrophe would befall this place."
Whether it would be devastating enough to turn the entire area into a wasteland or—if we were lucky—result in nothing at all, was impossible to predict.
But right now, they had to consider every possibility and proceed with extreme caution.
Which was probably why all these Hunters were gathered here—preparing for the worst-case scenario.
"So, with that in mind... would you be willing to lend us your assistance, Hunter?"
"...Huh?"
"Given the severity of the situation, we're critically short on manpower. Since this isn't the mainland but Jeju Island, and the media blackout is still in effect, it's been difficult to gather Hunters."
Listening to him, I could understand why they'd resort to pulling in random tourists like me.
But still.
"...Could you give me a moment to think it over?"
Originally, I'd come to Jeju to clear my head—not end up with an even bigger headache.
It wasn't like I'd booked a return flight yet, and since I was traveling alone with no fixed plans, it wasn't a huge issue.
But still, I was here on vacation. Getting tangled up in something complicated wasn't exactly ideal.
Logically, the right choice would be to politely decline.
And yet... for some inexplicable reason, the thought of accepting his offer kept creeping into my mind.
I didn't know why.
It just... pulled at me.
In the end, I decided to follow my gut and accept.
But before that—
"What about the compensation?"
No harm in getting paid.
"Ah, since you're a B-rank Hunter, just a moment."
He tapped something into his phone, then showed me the screen.
"As per Association guidelines, we're authorized to pay approximately 130,000 won per hour of standby duty."
130,000 won an hour meant over 3 million won a day.
Not bad at all—probably due to hazard pay.
It wasn't an astronomical sum compared to what high-tier B-rank Hunters usually made, but hey, there was a chance nothing would even happen.
Of course, if something did go wrong, it could get dangerous—but my Subspace was packed with artifacts. As long as I could use them, I probably wouldn't die.
Assuming my Subspace doesn't suddenly lock me out again.
Ugh. PTSD.
Since staying for a day or two wouldn't hurt, I accepted the offer and signed the contract.
Afterward, the official led me to where the other Hunters were waiting.
"Hello."
As I approached, the bored-looking Hunters perked up with interest at the new arrival.
I had no idea how long they'd been stationed here, but judging by their expressions, they'd been pretty damn bored.
"Oh, fresh blood, huh? Was wondering when more people would show up. Which guild are you from?"
"Guild?"
Seeing my confusion, the man who'd greeted me first spoke up.
"Ah, you weren't contacted by a guild? Since there's still a media blackout, the Hunter Association couldn't openly mobilize Hunters, so they sent official notices to the guilds instead. 'Such-and-such situation, can you dispatch Hunters?' Everyone here came through that."
It seemed they were gathering Hunters this way since the situation couldn't be disclosed to civilians yet.
"I don't belong to a guild."
"Huh? Then how did you get here?"
A woman next to me startled, clearly assuming I'd been dispatched by a guild like the rest of them.
"I was originally just traveling to get some fresh air. But I saw the barricades and came to check what was going on—somehow, I ended up here."
"Wow."
At my answer, everyone seemed fascinated, as if they'd never considered this kind of scenario. Even I found the situation absurd—how must they feel?
"So you came out for a stroll and suddenly got roped into a part-time job, huh?"
"Isn't that just how life works? Besides, I didn't book a hotel, and my ticket was one-way, so it doesn't really matter."
"Wow, you're seriously a free spirit. When you took the MBTI test, was your P like 99% or something?"
"Not that much, but yeah, I'd say I lean pretty heavily into P."
Perhaps to quickly dispel the awkwardness, the oldest-looking Hunter took the lead in making small talk.
"But about that Gate—when exactly did it appear?"
"From what I heard, it was first spotted last night. There should still be a few days before a Gate Break occurs."
The Hunter who had greeted me first mixed in his own opinions as he relayed the information he'd gathered.
The Association was currently investigating the Gate, and if they couldn't find a way to enter it within the next day or two, the embargo would likely be lifted.
"By the way, Min-jun, what do you think that Gate really is?"
"Hmm... Hard to say. Maybe it's not just an ordinary Gate but a doorway to another world."
I'd blurted it out without much thought, but the other Hunters nodded as if it made sense.
"Or what if a Dragon comes out of that Gate?"
The moment someone mentioned Dragon, I flinched.
"D-Dragon? All of a sudden?"
"Yeah. It's a rare EX-rank Gate, and it just happened to appear right above Yongduam Rock. There's gotta be a reason."
Ah, I couldn't even laugh at this.
I couldn't exactly tell them there was already a Dragon who had settled here.
"But if it is a Dragon... what happens then?"
"Good question... Since none have been discovered yet, I'm kinda curious too."
As if starved for interesting conversation, they started debating what might happen if a Dragon emerged from that Gate.
Some worried it might wipe out every human on Earth.
Others thought nothing much would happen.
One joked that if we just offered enough gold and treasures to appease it, things would be fine.
Another stretched their imagination, suggesting it might even be surprisingly friendly toward us.
And me?
I stayed silent, just listening to their chatter.
No point risking a slip of the tongue.
Just as the discussion about Dragons was heating up—
Something felt... off.
I didn't know why, but my chest started pounding—thud, thud.
Unconsciously, my head kept turning toward the Gate.
As if it were calling me, pulling me toward it.
I stood up, drawn like a moth to flame, and walked toward the Gate until I stood right before it.
Normally, standing in front of a Gate would either make you feel nothing at all or tense you up—but for some reason, the closer I got, the more calm I felt.
What the hell is this?
No one had mentioned anything like this earlier.
Curious, I sat down right in front of the Gate, wanting to savor this strange sensation.
It's not like anything's gonna happen.
But that was an incredibly careless thought.
"Huh? Wha—?"
A sudden flash of light burst from the Gate—the same Gate that had barred all entry—and it began sucking me in.
I'd never heard of a Gate abducting someone before.
Yet here it was, happening to me.
"Min-jun!"
The Hunters shouted in alarm, rushing to pull me back—but my body was already being dragged into the Gate.