Saying Goodbye

A few days after I cleared the Spontaneous Gate.

"Thank you for the hard work!"

"So you'll be quitting before long. You've worked hard, Sehyun."

"Ahaha, not at all. If anything, I had it easy thanks to you, boss."

"I appreciate you saying so. Go on home."

"Yessir!"

I pushed through the convenience store door, and the cool air peculiar to early morning brushed my face.

I hadn't done anything special for a few days. The first day I could barely move from the bed, and after that I spent my time doing nothing but rest. Thanks to that I'd recovered quickly enough to show up for my shift.

First thing, I pulled out my phone and opened Hunter Gallery.

At the start, what with the verification and the hunters-only rule, I'd figured it was some place where incredible intel changed hands...

"Yeesh."

Hunters were just people too, huh.

My fingers, already used to the motion, flicked through the pages.

"Seriously, though, what are the mods even doing?"

Did they have some kind of arrangement with Neca Guild? I'd seen that identical template go up dozens of times. Why on earth weren't they blocking it?

I was still grumbling, sneaking looks at the recruitment board, when a new notification rose over the screen.

"Hm?"

The day after we'd exchanged numbers she hadn't contacted me except to ask how I was. What was this?

The reply came straight back, and I stopped walking.

A gate...

Of course I was. The whole reason I'd been haunting Hunter Gallery was to look at recruitment posts.

"..."

I hadn't even considered this.

I was staring blankly at her messages — maybe she thought I was about to refuse — when more texts rushed in.

"No... that isn't what I was worried about."

Along with those words, a new contact came through as smoothly as running water.

It was Ha Jia's recommendation. Not so heavy a favor that I couldn't bear it — she wasn't offering money, or expensive gear. And real combat experience was exactly what I needed.

"...Seeing as I've never once been inside a normal gate."

"Today?"

I checked the time. My shift had just ended, and my body felt nicely loosened up.

"...Maybe I should get in touch."

"Are you... the Sehyun that Jia unnie mentioned?"

"Yes. Hello."

I'd thought I'd arrived plenty early, but two people were already waiting in front of the gate. A man with a sword at his hip, and — identical to the profile photo — someone carrying an enormous staff.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Jung Inyoung."

"I'll be in your care."

"We're the ones who should say that. We heard about you from Jia unnie and Jiyeon."

"Heard what, exac—"

"That... you saved Jiyeon in the Spontaneous Gate."

"Ah."

We were still trading light greetings when the last party member arrived, a bow slung across her back.

"Sorry! I'm late, right?"

"You're fine. There's still time."

While everyone checked their gear and ran the gate-entry process through the Management Bureau app, the others kept stealing glances at me. Expectation and curiosity — someone Ha Jia had recommended — and then, little by little, faces going flat. Under looks that might as well have said What the hell is this guy?, I started to feel physically uncomfortable.

...What's their problem?

"Um, Sehyun. I heard your skill is Suit Creation."

"That's right."

"Are you a production class? Or do you summon armor, or something."

"Same. That's what I thought at first, too."

"Ah..."

Jung Inyoung thought for a moment, then asked again.

"Then what's your main position?"

"You can think of me as a tank. I can handle close-range damage to some extent, too."

"Ah... so you're a tank."

This time the woman with the bow asked.

"What weapon do you use? The suit by itself can't be enough."

"How'd you know? The suit is the weapon."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Well. I could tell exactly what they were thinking.

Their reactions weren't what you'd call positive, but there was nothing to be done about it.

"You'll see the details inside the gate."

Explain any further out here, and my first impression might punch a hole straight through the floor. But once they saw it for themselves, they'd definitely change their minds.

"...Then let's head in!"

Unlike the Spontaneous Gate, which had taken me with no warning at all, I stepped through a blue membrane, and the world swapped out in an instant. Trees thick enough to hide the sky. Damp soil. And here and there, large mana-steeped stones jutting from the ground.

I looked around, and once I saw that the whole party had come through, I got ready to use the skill.

"Here they are."

"What is?"

"Materials for the suit."

I picked up a stone of a decent size.

"Don't tell me—"

Someone muttered it behind me.

Stone in hand, I activated the skill.

"Suit Creation."

What I held in mind was the image of the suit.

KUGUGUGUGUNG———!

The ground around me shuddered, and the tremor climbed through the soles of my feet. A moment later the earth burst open, and stones buried in the dirt came flying in around me. They circled my body for a breath, then began clamping on one by one, starting at my toes.

Except this time, I had no intention of building it the same as before. The calves had been way too thick. I turned aside the stones trying to latch on there and sent them packing off the tips of my feet. Knees, too. Elbows, too. Anywhere that had to move, I kept thinner than last time; the chest and shoulders, I barely touched. Those had been good for defense, and just as good for hitting back.

The stones climbing my arms finally covered my hands. I curled the thick fingers with a grinding crack, and a fist more vicious than my own skull took shape.

"..."

This part had come out well, so I'd leave it. It was practically my greatest weapon, after all.

No — should I make it a little thicker?

THUD!

The suit finished as the last ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fragment of stone crowned my head in a sharp edge.

"Hoo."

I took a test swing.

WHOO— WOOM— WUNG—!

Still heavy, but definitely better than last time. Thinning the joints had made the movement feel natural. Was that the way to put it?

"I'm ready!"

Even so, not a word came from behind me.

I turned to look at the party. All three of them were standing there, dumbfounded.

"Uh— is something wrong?"

"...No."

The party leader swept her eyes up and down me.

"A tank. Yeah. That tracks."

"..."

The man with the sword stepped up beside me.

"Then where's your weap—"

"Oh. That part I'm confident about."

I stretched both arms forward and folded my fingers.

CRRRRK—

CRACK. KRK-KRK—

When I clenched my fists, stone struck stone, and the air itself seemed to crunch.

"F-Rank monsters die in exactly two hits. Catch a vital spot, and it's one."

"...I'll look forward to it."

The first fight started not long after we finished getting ready.

What showed itself up in the trees were three monkeys, each about as tall as a person's waist.

"Apple Monkeys. Nahee and I will take the main damage. Daegyeom, cover us. Sehyun, pull aggro, please."

"Yes."

"Yep."

"Got it, unnie!"

"Ready!"

The moment the party leader's word dropped—

FWIP—!

An arrow hissed past the side of my helmet.

"Whoa."

THUK!

It buried itself cleanly in the shoulder of the foremost Apple Monkey.

SKREEK! SKREE— SKREEEEE—

—BOOM!!!

While the thing screamed, the apple that slipped from its hand exploded in midair and took the life of another monkey nearby along with it.

"Deflect the Apple Bombs as gently as you can."

"Understood."

Unlike wolves, the Apple Monkeys didn't so much as blink when one of their own died. If anything, they aimed for the gap in our attacks and hurled the Apple Bombs in both hands — and straight at the two ranged dealers.

"I'll take the front."

Splitting them one apiece wouldn't have been bad, but, how to put it.

I think I can handle this just fine?

With the arms ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the suit had lengthened, I gently caught an Apple Bomb flying toward the rear—

BOOM!!!

"..."

Then, a beat later, I turned the other falling Apple Bomb back around—

BOOM!!!

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Um— are you all right?"

"...Yeah, well. I'm more of a stats guy than a technique guy."

Damn it.

On specs alone, it should have been plenty doable... Was I the one who couldn't keep up with the suit?

Still, looking only at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the result, it was fine. I scratched at the back of my head through the helmet.

The blast shook the trees, and the Apple Monkey that had dropped to the ground came charging at me, eyes blood-red, an Apple Bomb in each hand. It threw its head up, and through the gap in the helmet my eyes met its.

"Nice to meet you."

KWAANG!

I raised my arm and slammed the Apple Monkey straight into the ground.

"Take care."

...Quiet.

I'd meant it as a joke, something to bleed off the tension. Maybe the farewell had come a beat too late?

I looked back. The party had lowered their weapons and were standing there with their souls halfway out of their bodies.

"Hm. No matter how funny my jokes are, I think you still need to stay sharp."

Even a veteran was supposed to keep their guard up inside a gate.

"Mm-hm. Right?"

"Ahaha... Sehyun's right, isn't he, unnie?"

"Yeah, h-huh? Ah! Right. Sehyun was so funny I let my guard down!"

"Hhh. Maybe I shouldn't have butted in."

Nice. The party mood was warm, and I had a good feeling about this.

"Sehyun. By any chance, could you just handle the front line by yourself?"

"...Isn't that what I came here to do?"