Chapter 9
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Gate Hunters, Hunters (1)
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The day after completing their Awakener rank measurement.
Kang Sa-hu and Kang Ji-ye returned home and placed a video call to their parents.
The moment the signal connected, their parents' faces filled the screen.
[Sa-hu-yaaaa! Ji-ye-yaaaak! Aaaak!]
Their father lunged forward, filling the entire screen, only to suddenly arch his back like a bow and tumble sideways.
In his place, their mother appeared on screen, waving her palm, which had turned red from smacking his back.
[You two okay? No troubles?]
"Yeah! What about you, Mom and Dad? Everything alright there?"
[Necromancer Society's a bit rowdy, but nothing serious.]
As she replied, she casually tilted the phone, revealing a dim, greenish space behind her.
Kang Ji-ye stuck out her tongue at the gloomy sight.
"It's always so dark and creepy there. We just got back from our rank measurement."
[Rank measurement?]
Unable to fully grasp it since she only heard rumors as a non-Awakener, their mother looked puzzled, so Kang Ji-ye gave a quick rundown on Awakeners.
Once she'd heard it all, she nodded.
[So our girl's a B-rank, then.]
"Looks like it. But it's not set in stone—it's based on potential, so it can change with levels or skills!"
"When did you get that explanation?"
Kang Sa-hu, listening from the side, cocked his head at the unfamiliar info.
"Oh, right, you wouldn't know, bro. They told us right after the measurement, but yours glitched out."
[What do you mean? Didn't you do it together?]
"Well..."
As Kang Ji-ye launched back into her explanation, Kang Sa-hu turned away and gazed at the stone shard from his pocket—the one the Giant Hound had hidden in its mouth and passed to him.
Oddly, this fragment small enough to fit in his palm emitted no power at all. Yet it pulsed with the faint presence of a vast system.
Logically impossible, but as a Necromancer, he knew of similar cases.
'Seal's broken. Or maybe this is the core.'
If the massive Monolith had been a vessel sealing this away, or if this stone was its core, it made sense.
He had no idea how the Giant Hound had pinpointed this tennis-ball-sized core amid that colossal Monolith, but it was clearly no ordinary item.
'Ah, what if...?'
On a whim—like back at the hospital—what if he viewed it through his Spirit's sight? Kang Sa-hu sharpened his gaze.
Switching to the Spirit's vision, the Monolith core revealed an entirely different sight from normal eyes.
"......!"
His eyes widened at the impossibly intricate and robust mana circuits packed inside something so small.
The core itself held no power, but that was irrelevant.
Its true worth wasn't in 'stored energy.'
Less a power source, more a catalyst that shone when fed energy.
But the issue was he couldn't properly identify what kind of power it channeled.
As Kang Sa-hu held the core with grave focus, Kang Ji-ye suddenly draped herself over his back.
He turned, absorbed in peering into the Monolith, to find her angling her phone at his face.
[Son. Lost in thought again, I see.]
[Aheuk! Sa-hu! Heard it all from Ji-ye. Our boy's a proud Necromancer—thwack!]
Their father, shoving his face into frame, took a sharp backhand from their mother and crumpled. Kang Ji-ye let out a deep sigh.
"Mom, quit hitting Dad! He's gonna hurt!"
[Don't you worry. You think I'd overlook that?]
Mother brushed off her daughter's concern and peered alternately at Kang Sa-hu and Kang Ji-ye through the screen.
[Now that the government's confirmed you're Awakeners, things could get dangerous. If so, come here anytime. Don't stick around there risking your necks.]
"Got it. When are you two coming home? Still got work to do?"
[It's dragging on. Probably another two months at least. We'll let you know before we head out.]
Kang Ji-ye slapped a clumsy salute above her brow with a sturdy expression. Their mother shook her head at the playful antics.
[Alright, say your goodbyes. These calls rack up fees.]
[Sa-hu! Ji-ye! Stay healthy! Don't skip meals just 'cause you're broke—order delivery if you have to! And...]
The endless barrage of farewells cut off as their mother hit end call.
As Kang Ji-ye giggled and pocketed her phone, a text notification chimed on both her phone and Kang Sa-hu's almost simultaneously.
"Huh? What? No way?"
Kang Sa-hu pulled out his phone and checked the message amid her startled voice.
It was exactly as they'd guessed—a government text to Awakeners.
[Mr. Kang Sa-hu, your Hunter license has been issued. Apply at your nearest Administrative Welfare Center or use via app. Please check the enclosed details for more information.]
"Hunter? They call Awakeners Hunters?"
Kang Ji-ye soon whooped excitedly, "I'm a Hunter! High school senior Hunter!" as she bounced around.
Kang Sa-hu opened NewTube and searched for Hunter license info.
Dozens of videos from just a minute ago popped up, with even fresher ones still uploading.
He tapped one titled "What is a Hunter? Super Simple Breakdown!" and was surprised to see Lieutenant Han Si-yeon—the officer who'd led the soldiers at the measurement—on screen.
Awkward before the camera, her face slightly flushed, she flashed her newly issued Hunter license and explained what it meant to be one.
Probably content compiled by government Awakeners over the past month.
Kang Ji-ye stopped her solo jumping spree at the video's audio and propped her elbow on Kang Sa-hu's shoulder, settling in comfortably.
The rundown boiled down to this:
Hunters were Awakeners who entered Gates to hunt otherworld monsters, neutralizing potential threats.
Superhumans who could access Gates forbidden to ordinary people.
But you couldn't leave a Gate without slaying its core monster—the "boss" sustaining it.
Gates stayed blue when stable.
When they shattered and monsters spilled out—a Gate Break—they turned red, with 12 hours until total collapse.
As long as surviving Hunters remained inside, Break was postponed, shifting the Gate to yellow.
The explanation poured out like game rules, but Kang Sa-hu calmly memorized every detail.
[...You can choose full-time Hunter or side gig alongside your current job. Taxes differ based on part-time vs. full-time.]
"What?! What about students? Seniors?!"
Ignoring her indignant outburst, Kang Sa-hu kept committing the video to memory.
Government bounties rewarded clearing Gates by rank.
Otherworld "items" from Gates belonged to the Hunter who claimed them.
Later bits about public servants trailed off, but he skipped irrelevancies—the video soon ended.
"Bro! Bro! Easiest F-rank Gate pays a million won! Jackpot!"
"Jackpot, my ass. Factor in life-risk pay, and it's peanuts."
Sure, compared to deminers getting 4,000 won daily hazard pay, it sobered you up—but they weren't soldiers.
Plus, no exiting till the boss dropped. A day? Week? Month? One mil for that.
With info scarce, Kang Sa-hu stayed wary.
Kang Ji-ye, though, sparkled like she'd already cashed in.
"Ten F-ranks: ten mil. Hundred: hundred mil... New phone, gifts for Mom and Dad..."
"First off, gotta gauge how risky an F-rank Gate really is."
Kang Sa-hu stood.
"Let's go."
"Huh? Where to?"
His abrupt words left Kang Ji-ye tilting her head in confusion.
"Welfare center's open now for licenses. App works too, but better have the physical copy."
He lived by one ironclad rule: research before diving in. This was no rash call.
People were still spooked by Gates, no appetite for challenges yet. But Gates would keep spawning.
Sooner or later, Hunters would be essential.
Moving now felt like the smart play.
"Ehhh, too much hassle. App for me~"
"...Tonkatsu on the way."
"Lead on, bro."
She bolted upright at "tonkatsu."
After grabbing their licenses, Kang Sa-hu and Kang Ji-ye hit the tonkatsu joint and each ordered a double-size set.
Kang Sa-hu added one of his cutlets to her plate as she devoured hers like a woman possessed.
"Slow down."
"Mmph."
While she chewed her puffed cheeks full of tonkatsu, he installed the app recommended at the welfare center.
Inputting his license ID and password activated it, displaying a map dotted with markers.
"But bro, what's EX mean?"
"Beats me. Gov-assigned, and even the clerk didn't know."
He brushed it off—ranks barely interested him—and Kang Ji-ye pouted back to her food.
Scanning the map, Kang Sa-hu's eyes lit up.
"This spot here. Pretty close to home, right?"
He passed her the phone; she checked and nodded.
"Yeah, twenty minutes by car. Wait, what's this?"
"F-rank Gate spawn predicted."
"Uwaaa?!!"
Kang Ji-ye dropped her fork and knife, zooming in intently.
"Bro! Confirms spawn in three hours!"
"Saw it."
He replied flatly over his tonkatsu, then flinched at her glittering eyes.
"...What's with those eyes?"
"Let's go!"
She declared it obvious. He sighed deeply.
But against her expectations, he didn't shut it down cold like usual. Instead, he pondered, staring into space.
"...For real?"
"Doesn't seem impossible."
From NewTube and the clerk, he'd gauged his strength somewhat.
No other Awakeners when he'd solo-blocked the Giant Hounds at the hospital.
Meaning he'd fully contained that Gate Break alone.
And Giant Hounds were E-rank monsters, so that equated to soloing an E-rank Gate.
F-ranks scaled down in danger, likely weaker foes than those hounds.
Factor in other Awakeners, and risk dropped further.
"How many applicants so far?"
"Applicants? Hang on... Two A-ranks, one B-rank listed!"
"Five total with us."
With two A-ranks and a B-rank in the mix, he decided.
"Rare shot at tagging along with top-tiers on a low-rank Gate. Let's do it."
Challenging an F-rank with A- and B-rank elites? Once-in-a-lifetime.
"Sweet, got it!"
She handed him both phones with bold fanfare.
He eyed her quizzically; she crossed her arms proudly.
"I spaced on the rundown! You explain, bro!"
"......"
Kang Sa-hu sighed deeply at his cheeky, grinning sister.