Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Advice Verification
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A minor post about today's Yura broadcast popped up on the streaming community.
I happened to see it.
I'd left the tab open from writing my own post earlier and hadn't closed it.
"Haa..."
A sigh escaped my lips.
Seeing posts online ripping into my precious advice felt a bit depressing.
But what shocked me more...
Wasn't that my advice got ignored.
It was getting banned.
A 24-hour ban, no less.
Who would've thought it'd deprive me of my modest dopamine hits for a full 24 hours.
I'd never even considered this scenario.
Should've prepared a sub account in advance for times like this.
I could watch other streams just fine, but the mood was gone.
I swept up the crushed potato chips from the floor into the trash, then got up from the chair I'd been glued to for so long.
"Urgh!"
I forcibly stretched my stiff, aching back and turned my head side to side.
And then a sudden thought hit me.
"What now?"
Maybe eat the meal I'd been putting off.
What was even in the fridge?
Haven't gone grocery shopping in ages, probably nothing edible.
Still, with a sliver of hope, I opened the fridge door.
Click.
Yep.
Right on the money.
A completely empty fridge.
All that was there was a bit of chill air.
Grrrrowl.
Stomach's growling.
Guess I have to hit the mart.
I could starve for a few days, no biggie.
But you gotta eat well to grow tall.
This 8-year-old body still has ages before growth spurts end.
Prime age for lots of sleep and food.
This life, let's cap at 180cm.
"To the mart."
I grabbed the card on the table and shuffled out in my slippers.
One perk of this place.
The mart's just a 15-minute walk away.
And here's another shocker.
I can still go to the mart even after watching streams.
One reason I make time for Yura's broadcasts.
She streams mostly weekend mornings.
Thanks to that, I can hit the mart instead of a convenience store.
"Fresh veggies on sale! Buy now for 10% off!"
"Pork bulgogi made from domestic hanwoo, special sale starting now!"
I passed the staff hawking their wares and picked simple grilling meat and veggies.
Oh, fruit for dessert and tomato juice too.
A shockingly healthy spread for an 8-year-old shopping solo.
Any frail mage would faint at the sight.
-What the hell, man?
"Hearing voices now."
I dug in my ear once and headed to checkout.
"Mommy! Buy me this!"
A kid throwing a tantrum.
Normally, I'd ignore it.
But...
Crackle!
Sparks suddenly flew in the air.
And then the announcement blared.
On a broad scale, it was the authorities.
On a smaller one, Lee Hyung-chul of the police Special Division had a throbbing headache.
Even within Special Division, duties were subdivided by field.
Lee Hyung-chul handled gate-related tasks.
"Bro, here's the analysis on random gate spawns from last year and early this year, like you asked."
"Ah, thanks. Good work."
"Work my ass. Just grabbed a file from stats team. Anyway, bro, shouldn't you head home soon? Sis-in-law must miss you."
"Yeah. Wanna go home and rest too."
Lee Hyung-chul let out a short sigh.
He opened the binder his junior brought.
Gate spawn stats, neatly summarized.
The red-highlighted summary especially stood out.
Exactly what he needed.
Last year and recent months.
Indiscriminate gates were spiking.
12 gates outside statistical norms, completely unpredictable.
Not a huge number, but the problem was their utter unpredictability.
11 were dungeon-type, so hunters could handle them.
One was invasion-type.
Gates where monsters spill out.
In other words, monsters damaged urban areas.
Special Division, including Lee Hyung-chul, worked non-stop.
Monitoring every gate nationwide for contingencies.
National safety on the line, so no going home till it's over.
Can't even see his beloved daughter.
Underwear and clothes stashed at work—how many days now?
Lee Hyung-chul swallowed his frustration and spoke to his junior.
"Villains been quiet lately?"
Lee Hyung-chul's junior worked a different section.
He did monsters and gates; junior did villains and heroes.
"Bro, you call that quiet? Last time some psychos experimenting on humans got nabbed by International Hero League and hunters. Now street-terror crazies popping up."
"Terror?"
"Yeah. Weird terror too, but yeah."
The junior glossed over it.
"What kind? Can't tell me details?"
"Nah, it's just not sorted yet."
He glanced around.
Lunchtime, most out for coffee and food. Few left in HQ.
"This is just between us, bro..."
"Spit it. You know I keep my mouth shut."
"These terrorists are weirdly clearing gates on their whim."
"Huh? Why?"
"Beats us. Looting byproducts maybe. Anyway, their motives are baffling. Headache for us."
Gate-clearing rogues usually have motives.
Whatever it was, dangerous for sure.
Pity in Lee Hyung-chul's eyes.
Like looking at a comrade.
"You guys in for it too."
"Yup. Easier to write off home till we catch 'em."
Conversation wrapping up.
Weeeeeooow!
[Unidentified gate detected!]
[Location: Residential complex 7km from here!]
The feared mystery gate erupted.
Crash!
"Bro!"
"I know!"
Lee Hyung-chul bolted up and checked the gate location.
And.
His eyes bulged at the detailed map on the monitor.
"Fuck..."
The spot? His own neighborhood.
Where his family was.
Nearby shoppers couldn't hide their shock, faces paling.
"Wha...?!"
"Wh-what!"
"Kyaaah!"
They knew exactly what it was.
"A gate!"
Gates usually take time to form.
Absorbing ambient mana before ripping space to another dimension.
But this invasion gate spewing monsters—not dungeon—formed right in the mart's center, feeling artificial.
Monsters slowly emerging.
Long tusks.
Green skin.
Tattoos snaking across torsos.
Beast hides draped over faces.
Savage warriors.
Orcs.
"Seo-ah, it's okay. You're okay."
The kid who'd begged for her favorite drink moments ago.
Seo-ah, freshly 8, saw real monsters for the first time.
They were huge.
Taller than Dad, bulkier too.
Adults scare kids with tales of scary things.
"Misbehave and the three witches'll snatch you," or "tiger'll get you."
Seo-ah heard monster stories most when naughty.
A normal kid would've frozen or sobbed at the sudden orcs.
But Seo-ah had bigger worries.
Monsters didn't feel real, so less scary.
Instead.
"Mommy...?"
Her mom clutching and trembling worried her more.
She called out instinctively.
Mom kept repeating "It's okay. It's okay."
Then the orcs roared.
"Grroooaaarrr!!!!!!!"
Killing intent ringing in ears.
That mighty bellow could terrify grown men.
Seo-ah faced killing intent first time.
Mind blanked white, thoughts gone.
She staggered.
Head spinning toward blackout.
But her shaking body snapped her awake.
Wait, not her body shaking.
A larger body enveloping her protectively.
Mom.
She was in full panic.
Instinct shielding her daughter amid terror, helpless.
Seeing her, the child's survival instinct kicked in.
Hard to process fully.
But she grasped essentials.
"H-help!"
Seo-ah cried out.
To those around.
Pure instinct.
No response.
"Anyone! Help!"
Post-announcement, quick folks distanced from orcs.
No one risking life to charge orcs for mother-child.
Security tied up on 1st floor.
Then, an observing orc slowly raised its club.
Caution toward sudden prey gone.
Confident to slaughter them one-sidedly.
Seo-ah squeezed eyes shut in terror at the intimidating weapon.
"Hey, perfect timing."
A kid's voice echoed.
"Just three of you, huh."
Seo-ah peeked.
A boy approached.
"Gotta test if my advice from today works here too. Mind helping out?"
Saying nonsense.