Chapter 54
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: A Sudden Shift in Tone (1)
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Seeing Kang Sa-hu and Bae Deok-ho effortlessly hunting orcs up ahead, the hunters ignited their fighting spirit through their guild leaders' urging and a competition that might seem childish at first glance: "Who's the strongest guild?"
But that was only the surface reason.
The other hunters weren't idiots either, so they understood why Kang Sa-hu was specifically handing the hunts over to them.
And why their full-grown guild leaders were suddenly pitting themselves against each other in this "who's the top guild" rivalry.
Above all, as hunters who had staked their lives on gate raids, they strongly sympathized with those very thoughts.
Tchweeeek!
"Uwaaaah-!"
Facing orcs nearly two meters tall, the hunters charged in, unleashing their individual skills.
Since the orcs' primary weapons were axes and clubs—tools that could inflict massive injuries with a single hit—the initial assault began with ranged attackers.
Unyielding Water
Lightning Strike
As the diverse hunters unleashed their skills in unison, the orcs were trapped in watery prisons and electrocuted by bolts of lightning.
The bare minimum requirement for joining a C-rank gate was B-rank hunters or higher, so every skill packed at least respectable power, no matter what was used.
"Uwaaaah-!"
War Cry
Allies' spirits are roused.
Allies' physical abilities increase.
When Daehan Guild's leader, Wi Dae-han, activated his skill, the hunters' fear subsided, and their waning battle lust swelled once more.
It seemed incredibly useful at a glance, but to certain hunters, it was like a poisoned chalice.
"Uwaaaak!"
A hunter, hyped up by War Cry, lunged at an orc only to have his arm deeply slashed, dropping his sword.
"A, ahhh!"
The orc in front of him snorted derisively and raised its axe high for a crushing blow.
Shouts and screams echoed around them as the fallen hunter squeezed his eyes shut.
Yet no matter how much time passed, no pain came.
As the hunter trembled, arms crossed in a desperate block, someone approached from the side.
"You okay? That must've scared you pretty bad."
"Uh, uhhh?"
At the surreal voice—calm and devoid of any panic despite the chaos—the hunter barely pried his eyes open.
Standing beside him was Kang Ji-ye, her long black hair neatly tied in a single braid.
"Here, let me see the wound."
"Ah, aah...?"
Stunned, he showed her the deep gash from shoulder to elbow, and Kang Ji-ye's eyes darkened with focus.
A fluffy, cotton-candy-like energy gathered in Kang Ji-ye's hand.
She gently placed it on his arm, and the muscle—slashed so deep the bone was visible—began knitting together, flesh regenerating smoothly.
"There! Doesn't hurt anymore, right?"
"Y-Yes, yes!"
She looked up at him with wide, round eyes, and he flushed red, springing to his feet.
At his words that it didn't hurt, Kang Ji-ye flashed a bright grin.
"I'll heal you anytime you get hurt, so don't worry! If it gets too scary, just fall back!"
"N-No...!"
Before he could protest the "if it's scary, fall back" remark, his face burning,
Kang Ji-ye spotted another fallen hunter in the distance and let out a soft sigh.
"Be right back-!"
She kicked off like a track star and dashed away.
Reaching the injured hunter, she frowned at the sight.
"Kgh, agh...!"
His arm had burst open from a club strike, and Kang Ji-ye's expression turned grave.
She drew twice the mana she'd used for Hand of Healing.
Placing her hand gently on his arm, her second skill triggered.
Body Restoration
Activating Body Restoration, Kang Ji-ye focused intently on the mangled arm.
'Restore the blood vessels first, map the muscle's original position, then use regenerative power for the lost parts...'
Rather than leaving it all to the skill, she drew on her necromancer knowledge from dissecting countless animals to plan her use of the ability.
Then, a nearby orc spotted her and its eyes lit up.
Tchwarak!
Bang-!
Seeing her treating the wounded, the orc hurled its axe.
Not a small handaxe, but a massive, thick-bladed logger's axe hurtling toward her with a deadly whistle.
"N-No! Hunter! Hunter!"
The hunter she'd been healing screamed at the axe flying toward Kang Ji-ye, but she didn't break focus, replying curtly.
"It's fine."
"Wh-What do you mean...?!"
As he started to demand what insane thought made her say that with the axe nearly upon them,
A figure with a massive shield stepped between them and the incoming blade.
Weight Proportion
Kwaaaang!
The moment Kim Ho-myeong activated Weight Proportion, the axe slammed into his shield.
But with his increased mass from the skill, he merely slid back a step, blocking it effortlessly.
Shock Reflection
Before the axe could fall from the shield, he chained Shock Reflection, sending it flying back the way it came.
Krung!
Thud!
The orc that threw it had its throat severed and dropped dead in an instant.
The hunter, staring blankly at the scene, suddenly noticed his burst arm fully healed and gasped in shock.
"H-How...? Are you an S-rank healer...?!"
"Just B-rank!"
Kang Ji-ye replied cheerfully before spotting another casualty and sprinting off.
Watching Kim Ho-myeong naturally follow her, the hunter realized they operated as a healing pair.
"...What the hell."
While Kang Ji-ye treated others, Kim Ho-myeong stood guard with his shield.
And then he spotted Lee Yu-rim darting around them like the wind, slaying orcs to protect the pair without anyone noticing.
The hunter's face went slack.
"...This is their first gate raid as a new guild...?"
Until now, they'd been overshadowed by Guild Leader Kang Sa-hu, but peering inside revealed every member was a monster.
Gazing toward the afterlife, the hunter muttered.
"Hoo."
Han Sung-hoon, director of the National Crisis Management Center, sat outside the gate the hunters had entered and let out a deep sigh.
"Hoo."
Hearing the exact same sigh from beside him, he glanced over.
About ten meters away, Lee Jae-man, the agency director, paced anxiously just like him. Their eyes met, and Han Sung-hoon gave a wry smile.
'They're suffering too.'
Han Sung-hoon, who commanded military-affiliated hunters, and Lee Jae-man, who oversaw the national intelligence service—both government operatives—shared a bitter smile, thinking the same thing.
Lee Jae-man turned from Han Sung-hoon to the swarm of reporters and NewTubers buzzing around the gate like flies.
And among them, foreign hunters blending in seamlessly, scanning the area with sharp eyes. He scowled.
'Hyenas, the lot of them.'
Having received prior reports on incoming foreign hunters, Han Sung-hoon knew several key figures.
'FBI and CSI from the US. UK's MI6, Russia's Spetsnaz, even the UN Hunter Association...'
It looked like a global secret society convention. Lee Jae-man rubbed his throbbing temple.
"Those bastards. If they're here, they could at least help..."
Lee Jae-man grumbled irritably, though he didn't truly mean it.
What if they caused trouble? Why risk sending their nation's elite hunters in with them?
They shared the common ground of being hunters and facing the unknown enemy of gates, but they were still foreign hunters.
Moreover, with hunters now responsible for national security, even officially borrowing their power cost astronomical sums.
And gate raids weren't sports—they determined a nation's survival.
The higher a hunter's rank, the steeper their price skyrocketed.
Thus, the world watched Korea's second gate—a C-rank following a cleared B-rank—with intense interest.
'Please. Let them all return safely.'
As Lee Jae-man prayed silently toward the gate with heavy eyes,
Whether his umpteenth inward prayer reached the heavens,
An anomaly stirred in the gate.
Woooong-
"Wh-What?!"
The hunters had entered just half a day ago.
It was a C-rank gate, infamous worldwide.
Yet in the dim early evening, as dusk settled, the gate showed signs of anomaly after mere half a day.
"Ri-Right now! An anomaly in the gate!"
"D-Does this mean another gate rank shift?!"
"You bastard! Are you trying to jinx the country into ruin?!"
A NewTuber hyped a sensational report, drawing curses from another, and soon they were brawling amid shouts—but no one paid attention.
"......"
The foreign hunters watching the situation quickly withdrew one by one.
Lee Jae-man knew their conclusion.
'Gate Break.'
The break timer had passed, so no re-challenge possible.
Only clear or break remained.
They knew the world's fastest C-rank clear took three days.
Thus, the foreigners judged Korea had failed, and a break imminent.
"Uh, uh..."
"S-Something's off..."
With global info spreading instantly, people realized and paled.
"...It's a Gate Break!"
Someone voiced the shared dread, and after brief silence, chaos erupted.
"D-Don't push!"
"My gear! Who was it?!"
"Get lost! Gear matters now?!"
As Lee Jae-man pondered evacuating amid the panic,
He glanced at Han Sung-hoon and froze at the smile on his lips.
Paaat!
The gate flared with light amid the turmoil.
"Uwaaaak!"
People screamed and hit the dirt.
Gate break meant monsters pouring out soon.
Non-awakened like them? Instant mince meat.
But then, people noticed the light's color and widened their eyes.
"Huh...?"
"The gate's color...?"
Dim dawn sky.
And below, the gate bathed in yellow light drew all eyes.
Mouths clamped shut or gaped wide.
No voices rose, only birdsong from morning dew.
Then, one person emerged from the yellow gate.
Leading was Kang Sa-hu.
Followed by Kang Ji-ye, Bae Deok-ho, Kim Ho-myeong, Lee Yu-rim.
Then each guild's hunters trailed behind.
One, two, three, four...
Han Sung-hoon, obsessively counting hunters and their conditions, twisted his face.
But his bloodshot, teary eyes held no sorrow or despair.
The situation crystallized in his mind.
C-rank gate in Korea.
80 participating hunters.
Hunt time: about 13 hours.
All returned alive.