Chapter 94: Ominous Waves from Mount Hiei
"…Hm."
Three men in hazmat suits stepped out of a vehicle from Japan's Gate Management Bureau. Among them, the burliest one, Sasaki Kento, stared at the mountain right in front of him and let out a low groan.
One of the bureau staffers beside him asked worriedly, "Did you sense something ominous, Mr. Sasaki?"
"…Yes."
He gazed up at the peak shrouded in eerie mist and spoke. "…I can feel the waves."
"No way…!"
The shocked bureau staffer followed Sasaki's gaze up the mountain. The bureau's radar had detected mana waves emanating from the summit of Mount Hiei.
But "We're not even at the base yet, let alone the top. And you're already sensing the waves?"
"I'm not some player with exceptional intuition…"
Sweat trickled down the bridge of Sasaki's nose as he trailed off. "But even through this hazmat suit, I can feel it clearly. The mana surging from that peak is reaching all the way down here to the foot of the mountain."
"We… we can't sense anything…."
"If you were even C-rank players—no, A-rank like me—you'd definitely feel it."
It was only natural that an A-rank player like him had a more developed sense for mana than the two ordinary staffers. And that heightened sense was now screaming at him about the peak of Mount Hiei.
It's dangerous.
"I wondered at first why they brought a Player Association member like me along for a simple wave measurement… but it was the right call."
"……."
"Let's head up."
Thud. Sasaki took the first step, and the bureau staffers followed behind.
Three hours earlier.
A massive mana wave had been detected around Mount Hiei in Kyoto. It was a precursor sign that a gate would appear in a few days.
But this precursor felt different from the usual ones. The radar showed the waves covering the entire mountain.
"Climbing a mountain in hazmat suits is hell, senior."
"Quit complaining and follow quietly. Be careful not to damage the equipment."
To measure the detailed wave values, two bureau staffers had been dispatched to the site—accompanied by an A-rank player as a precaution.
The tense mountain hike continued for about 20 minutes.
"Ugh!"
"W-what is this…!"
They had reached somewhere around the midpoint. Suddenly, the two bureau staffers jolted as if struck by electricity.
A chill. A bone-chilling cold, like being surrounded by hundreds or thousands of blades, pierced their souls.
"…Is this even possible?"
And that same chill was hitting Sasaki Kento just as hard. The leader of the group froze in place, as if caught in a trap.
No gate has even appeared yet, and the waves are already this strong…
No. Even if a gate had activated, it wouldn't emit waves this immense.
"E-everyone okay?"
"U-ugh…."
Sasaki turned to check on them, but the staffers could only stagger and groan.
After assessing their condition, Sasaki bit his lower lip. "For now… let's stop here."
If the midpoint was this bad, the summit—where the waves originated—didn't bear thinking about.
Truth be told, he didn't even want to imagine going further.
Supporting the struggling staffers, he said, "…Sorry, but could you check the current wave readings?"
"Y-yes, sir. Just a moment…."
One of the staffers checked the device. The number that appeared in their sights was exactly 13,429.
13,429
"Wh-what…?!"
"Ah…."
The blue gate conquered in Japan two weeks ago had wave values around 6,000. This was easily double that.
As everyone's faces drained of color upon seeing the reading—
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The device emitted mechanical beeps. Signaling that the measurement was still ongoing.
13,429… 13,781… 14,267….
13,781 → 14,267
"……."
The numbers kept climbing without end. For a moment, they wondered if the bureau had given them a broken device. It was that dizzying.
Finally.
15,078.
As the wave value surpassed 15,000—
"N-no…."
The words slipped from Sasaki's gaping mouth.
15,078
***
Five days later. San Francisco.
Murmurs filled the air as over a hundred people gathered, forming a crowd. The massive hall of the Grand Hyatt Hotel felt cramped.
"Sheesh. Can't enjoy my wine in peace like this."
"Worried about Japan's future?"
"What nonsense. Look around, Sawajiri."
"No need to get serious. I get it. Everyone's smiling on the outside but subtly flexing their auras to avoid looking weak."
A man and woman in suits sat at a round table, chatting.
"Players are all so childish. This isn't a dungeon—do we really need this pissing contest?"
The woman was Sawajiri Yuki, world rank 29 S-rank player.
"You're the optimistic one. Don't forget we rankers represent our nation's image."
The man was Miura Kei, world rank 14 S-rank player.
Considering their rankings, calling them "two-legged national powerhouses" wasn't an exaggeration.
"No lions here, huh."
But in this hall, their presence wasn't overwhelming, though far from insignificant.
Of course. The hall was packed with leaders of major guilds dominating their countries—top-tier S-rankers.
"Miura, look over there. That guy…."
"All the talk about whether he'd show, and he actually came."
Even high rankers like Sawajiri or mega rankers like Miura didn't pale in comparison. They even stood out.
But not overwhelmingly. Someone else deserved that descriptor.
"…Jayden Goliath."
One of the Ender 7—the seven at the pinnacle, meaning "those at the endpoint." Miura and Sawajiri watched the fourth-ranked man from afar.
"Guess the other four aren't coming."
"All my-way types."
"Even so, isn't it too much for the Great Emperor not to show? It's about his own country's problem…."
"From that old regime's view, a purple gate's no big deal."
Indeed. This "International Player Conference" was convened to address the purple gate precursor observed five days ago in Kyoto, Japan.
That was why these rare powerhouses had gathered in a San Francisco hotel.
Miura took a sip of wine and grumbled, "I don't care if that old regime shows or not. I'll take point and close this purple gate myself anyway. But…."
"But?"
"I wish that guy would show his face soon."
"Who?"
"You know. That Korean who just became a mega ranker."
"Ah."
Crunch. Sawajiri munched on a biscuit and replied, "Hwang Jae-min?"
"Yeah."
"You wanted to see his face, but why the sour expression?"
"'Cause I don't like him."
He clicked his tongue. "Gotta make sense of it. A guy who's been active less than half a year—hell, not even a year—becomes a mega ranker."
"Shady background?"
"Shadier than that. And the shadiest part? He's in the vanguard for Japan's gate raid."
"You're so twisted."
Sawajiri shrugged with a sigh, as if dealing with an incurable case. "Well… I kinda get your gripe."
Some clawed for over five years to escape the top 30. Others hit 20 and mega ranker status in under half a year.
Even she, with her good nature, couldn't help but resent that.
That was when it happened.
"…Hm?"
For a brief moment, the murmurs in the hall died down. The atmosphere shifted in some indescribable way.
Noticing the subtle change, their eyes turned to the entrance.
They weren't the only ones. Most in the hall were staring that way.
"Speak of the devil, and he appears."
Amid Miura's grumbling and the focused gazes, thud, thud.
The rookie sensation who reached mega ranker in just four months of awakening—me, Jae-min—was crossing the entrance into the hall.
'What, did you use some taunt skill?' 'Sung Hyun-sook' is flustered!
"…The Namdaemun's not wide open, is it?"
Nope. But why's everyone staring at me like this?
"U-uwah… E-everyone's looking this way…."
"More like… they're looking at you, Mr. Jae-min?"
President Heo and Yoo Seong-su were attending the conference with me. Black Lion was now a proper major guild, a pillar among giants. We had every right to join this gathering of top guilds from around the world.
Anyway.
"It's my first official appearance since becoming a mega ranker. I've been dodging even minor press conferences."
I'd panicked at first and joked about Namdaemun, but scanning their eyes, I got the vibe.
"Guess they're all curious what kind of guy I am."
Whether their curiosity was satisfied or not, they started turning away, resuming chats with neighbors.
'What am I, merchandise on display?' 'Our Son♡' 'Sung Hyun-sook' shows displeasure!
Eh? I don't mind it that much.
Every star's gathered here.
From the heads of the world's top three guilds to high and mega rankers… The 0.01% elites had their eyes on me, if only briefly.
I'm not one to bask in attention, but those gazes were pretty thrilling.
Though not many were friendly.
Their stares were so blatant, no need to open Throw Eye.
Some showed respect, but most flickered with distrust and resentment.
Reason's obvious.
Lots of folks pissed that a newbie like me hit mega ranker.
Especially those guys. The two Japanese still glaring from the left side. I know 'em. Famous ones. The guy was Miura Kei, the woman Sawajiri Yuki.
'Our Son♡' teases that it's good they know you're handsome!
Mom's cheekiness is the best. I almost chuckled, but
"……!"
I wiped the smile and hardened my expression.
A terrifying presence. A pressure that raised goosebumps across my skin in an instant.
"Hey… Jae-min hyung?"
"I-is that guy… coming this way?"
I looked where President Heo and Yoo Seong-su pointed.
There,
"Looks like it."
Jayden Goliath, one of the strongest humanity's known Ender 7, was slowly walking toward us.