Chapter 33
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: The Prophet's Request for a Meeting (1)
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With Kataku's death, the Gate was cleared.
The survivors erupted in cheers, tears streaming down their faces as they reveled in the miracle of still being alive—and in the accomplishment of clearing a C-rank Gate that could have posed a massive threat to the nation.
But that joy was short-lived.
As if by some unspoken agreement, the Hunters stared silently at the system windows floating before their eyes, their faces grim.
You have cleared a B-rank Gate.
You have obtained 5,000 points.
A heavy silence descended.
Kang Sa-hu, who had revoked the Territory Declaration and decomposed the throne of bones back into Soul Cores, stared at the system window as well.
"Oppa. I'm not seeing things wrong, am I?"
Kang Ji-ye bit her lip as she asked.
Kang Sa-hu couldn't bring himself to speak as he looked at her pallid face, worn thin from lack of food, sleep, and rest.
The emotion in her eyes was unmistakable.
Betrayal.
The perfectly reasonable suspicion that someone had hidden the Gate's true rank to lure the Hunters in.
Kang Sa-hu could instantly guess that she wasn't the only one feeling this way—every other Hunter likely shared the sentiment.
The world of the cleared Gate began to shrink.
Knowing the exit back to reality would appear soon, Kang Ji-ye turned to Kang Sa-hu.
"Oppa, let's get out of here for now."
Though Kang Ji-ye urged him, Kang Sa-hu shook his head.
"Just a moment."
Instead of heading straight for the Gate, Kang Sa-hu waited—and spotted a Giant Hound charging toward him at tremendous speed.
Kwang!
The Giant Hound returned wagging its tail, bowing its head to Kang Sa-hu in reverence before nudging forward the Soul Core pouch tied near its fangs.
He could have summoned the Soul Cores to fly to him directly, but that would consume mana depending on the distance and speed.
And even if he did, they couldn't match the Giant Hound's running pace, which was why he'd given prior orders to one Giant Hound and one Corpse-Eating Ape.
"Good work."
Grrr...
As he stroked the Giant Hound's head, it let out a pleased rumble and rolled on the ground.
Kang Sa-hu rummaged through the Soul Core pouch, pulled out the King Forest Lizard's Soul Core, and examined it.
Fwoosh.
A fierce glint ignited in his eyes.
With blue and green irises, he stared at the King Forest Lizard's Soul Core as if appraising it.
"Hm."
Satisfied after confirming the Soul Core, he noted how the King Forest Lizard's belly was stuffed full.
Right before hunting Kataku, Kang Sa-hu had issued commands to several Corpse-Eating Apes and Giant Hounds.
The order was simple: "Scour every inch of this Gate and stuff anything useful into the King Forest Lizard's mouth."
His swift and agile summons had carried it out faithfully, sweeping up not just the items dropped when the trolls became Soul Cores, but even raiding their base clean.
The King Forest Lizard's belly—big enough to fit two elephants stitched together—was packed to the brim with weapons, hinting at an enormous haul.
And since he planned to use those trolls as summons going forward, he'd need weapons for them anyway. This solved that hassle entirely.
"Let's go."
Kang Ji-ye had watched her brother in bewilderment as he nodded to himself while inspecting the Soul Core alone. When he summoned the Giant Hound, she shrugged and climbed onto its back.
Woof woof!
The Giant Hound, carrying the two of them, leaped over high cliffs and dashed onward.
Having devoured troll muscle and incorporated it into its body, the Giant Hound's movements were incomparably faster and stronger than before.
Thanks to the Territory Declaration's effects, it had melted troll muscle into its own in an instant, reaching the fortress at a speed that made past comparisons laughable.
"Hunter Kang Sa-hu!"
Upon his arrival, his comrades and the other Hunters greeted him warmly.
Their eyes held gratitude, respect, trust—and a touch of fear toward him.
But that lasted only a moment.
Unconcealable anger surfaced on their faces.
"Hunter Kang Sa-hu, did you see the Gate clear message?"
Kang Sa-hu, who had anticipated this, nodded calmly. The guild masters from each guild erupted in fury.
"This Gate wasn't C-rank—it was B-rank! B-rank! You hid the Gate's info from us!"
"W-Wait a second. Please calm down just a bit..."
Han Si-yeon, who had defended the fortress alongside them as a fellow comrade-in-arms, tried to soothe the overheated Hunters, but it only backfired.
"That's right, Hunter Han Si-yeon! You're military, aren't you? And a high-ranking officer at that!"
One Hunter approached her, eyes flashing.
"You weren't in on this too, were you?"
"N-No! We really had no idea!"
The military-affiliated Hunters shook their heads desperately in shock.
As the crowd eyed their frantic denials with suspicion, Han Si-yeon gazed at Kang Sa-hu with pleading eyes.
'Hunter Kang Sa-hu! Please help us out!'
Kang Sa-hu sighed upon seeing her desperate, almost tearful expression begging for his aid.
After mentally reviewing the situation and organizing his thoughts, he finally spoke.
"First and foremost, everyone—good work."
At his words, the Hunters locked in heated debate fell silent as if on cue, focusing intently on him.
Having witnessed the power of Territory Declaration firsthand and stepped within its domain, they unconsciously feared and followed him, a seed of loyalty sprouting unbeknownst to even themselves.
Of course, this wasn't the intended effect but an inevitable byproduct—and the Hunters weren't fully aware of their own feelings.
"I know you're all confused and angry right now. But the most important thing is that we survived without a single death and cleared the Gate."
The crowd nodded gravely at his words.
Kang Sa-hu continued immediately.
"You'll hear all the details once we're out, so please stop suspecting and blaming the comrades who fought alongside you, risking their lives. For now."
After pondering what to say next, Kang Sa-hu wrapped up his speech with the safest, most sincere words.
"Go home, see your families, get some solid rest, and then we can sort out the rights and wrongs properly."
"...Yes! Understood!"
"Sorry, Hunter Han Si-yeon. You were in the thick of it with us, so of course you didn't know..."
"No, no. I'm just glad the misunderstanding's cleared up."
Han Si-yeon accepted their apologies with an awkward smile.
As the commotion settled, a system window appeared before Kang Sa-hu.
But its contents were unusual.
You have contributed overwhelmingly to clearing the Gate.
As commensurate compensation for your contributions, 100,000 points will be provided.
"Points?"
A flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes at this unfamiliar reward, which he'd hoped for.
He'd cleared plenty of Gates already and had a fair amount of points, but the issue was he had no idea how to use them.
They surely weren't useless since the Gates granted them, but not knowing how to spend them right away was regrettable.
Vmmm—
Moments later, the Gate to reality began to open.
Though they'd heeded Kang Sa-hu's plea, the Hunters' anger hadn't fully dissipated. They waited with a menacing aura for the Gate to fully form.
Before leaving, they'd urged him to go first, but sensing they were more exhausted and desperate to escape even a second sooner, he chose to exit last.
'He looks exhausted too, but he's doing this for us...!'
'This is noblesse oblige in action...!'
Moved by how he yielded the way despite surely wanting out himself, the Hunters were touched.
Soon, as the Gate fully stabilized, Hunters gathered by their guilds began filing out.
"Let's head out too."
Kang Sa-hu turned to his group last and spoke.
His companions, who had silently waited to exit last per his choice, suppressed their excitement and stepped through the Gate.
"Leader."
As the others left and it was his turn, Bae Deok-ho paused and turned to Kang Sa-hu.
"I'm really sorry for deceiving you. The truth is..."
"We'll talk about that outside."
Kang Sa-hu cut him off, eyeing Bae Deok-ho's injuries.
"You've been through hell. Rest is the priority now."
"...Yeah."
Though busted for the deception, Bae Deok-ho bit his lower lip at how Kang Sa-hu still fussed over him.
With Bae Deok-ho gone, Kang Sa-hu finally stepped toward the Gate last.
"Hm?"
An odd look crossed Kang Sa-hu's face as he emerged.
The last thing he'd seen before entering the Gate was the ordinary sight of Wonsu Peak, Sejong City's landmark mountain.
Now, centered on the Gate site, soldiers had erected multiple layers of defensive lines as if bracing for war.
Heavy weaponry, armored vehicles, helicopters, even fighter jets circling overhead in chaotic swarms.
Kang Sa-hu grasped the situation at a glance.
'As expected. The Gate rank wasn't falsified.'
If they'd truly known it was a B-rank Gate, they wouldn't have gambled on clearing it amid the Hunters' resentment—not when success wasn't guaranteed.
They'd have poured money into calling in top Hunters from abroad instead.
This setup was clearly a precaution in case they failed and a Gate Break occurred.
Medics rushed over, guiding the badly wounded Hunters to treatment tents.
His group unscathed, Kang Sa-hu started toward home when Han Si-yeon, already outside, approached with a man in tow.
"Hunter Kang Sa-hu, do you have a moment?"
Kang Sa-hu glanced at the man following her.
It was Han Sung-hoon, who had rallied the Hunters before entry and introduced himself as the National Crisis Management Center Director.
From the vibe alone, it was obvious this wasn't Han Si-yeon's errand—her boss Han Sung-hoon was using her to get a word with him.
But fresh from the Gate, his comrades looked beat—and Kang Sa-hu himself wasn't keen on chatting now. He was about to politely decline.
Before Han Si-yeon or Han Sung-hoon could continue, familiar black-suited men approached.
Unlike the trio before, ten this time.
And Kang Sa-hu sensed via his spirits that each was at least C-rank Hunter caliber.
"Greetings, Hunter Kang Sa-hu."
The suits parted, revealing a stranger.
An older man with neatly combed graying hair, heavy-lidded eyes, and a prominent jaw.
A new face, but Kang Sa-hu caught Bae Deok-ho flinching behind him—a faint glint in his eyes.
'Someone who makes Bae Deok-ho nervous.'
Bae Deok-ho had shown at least A-rank prowess in this Gate battle. Few could rattle him.
And barging in bold enough to interrupt the National Crisis Management Center Director? Only one came to mind.
'The NIS Director.'
"Hunter Kang Sa-hu, I'd like a word."
NIS Director Lee Jae-man smiled faintly and offered a business card.
Kang Sa-hu, already set to rebuff even Han Sung-hoon, planned to take the card and suggest a later meeting.
But as he glanced down before refusing, his actions froze.
"......"
Kang Sa-hu silently stared at the small note affixed to the business card.
[The Prophet requests a meeting with Hunter Kang Sa-hu.]