Chapter 43
Chapter 43
43.Discharge-type Gate (6)
"……."
Is he telling me I did a good job?
Shin Chang wordlessly helped me up and lightly patted my shoulder with one hand.
Hmm.
My goal was to wait until the high-level Hunters from Daejeon arrived, but I felt a bit dazed.
'I didn't expect Shin Chang to come.'
Isn't he the best Hunter in Korea?
Since the Gate incident, it was safe to say that every citizen had benefited from Shin Chang's abilities.
"Thank you."
As I subtly bowed my head, Shin Chang nodded slightly.
"……."
Then, with a blank expression, he stared at me for a moment before leaping straight up.
What's that about?
'He's really not saying anything.'
It was well-known that Shin Chang was taciturn, but I didn't realize it was to this extent.
Shin Chang, who had leaped incredibly high, grabbed the ladder dropped from the helicopter. His leaping ability was unbelievable.
Looking up at the sky, I saw the people in the helicopter looking down at me. Even though they were far away, I recognized some familiar faces.
The Dawnlight Guild members were famous enough. Intriguing gazes lingered on me before the helicopter flew away.
-Thud, thud, thud
And a beat later, a considerable number of helicopters appeared in the sky. High-level Hunters were officially returning.
It wasn't a large Gate, but a medium one. With high-levels here, this situation would be resolved soon.
"Hoo."
I thought about sitting down to rest, but after a brief rest in the Subspace, I immediately turned around.
The medium Gate we were blocking might need help.
'But really, what was that about?'
I had some questions about the help I received. A sniper shot had come in a moment of crisis.
At first, I thought Seo Seung-yeon, the sniper, had helped me with a long-distance shot.
There was a slight delay, but didn't the Dawnlight helicopter appear soon after I received the sniper's help?
However, Seo Seung-yeon wasn't among the people on the helicopter just now.
'Could it be that the bodyguard Lee Shin-hee mentioned is Seo Seung-yeon?'
If so, that would explain the delay between the first sniper shot and the arrival of the helicopter.
Since Seo Min-jae was also a member of our Guild, it was entirely possible.
What I didn't understand was why they hadn't helped from the beginning.
"Hye-ya! You're back!"
I arrived at Seoul National University Station while thinking about that, but it didn't seem necessary to come back.
Thanks to me leading away the four Grendel, the Gate in front of Seoul National University Station was intact.
High-level Hunters had already gotten out of the helicopters, and unfamiliar faces were fighting in front of the Gate.
Those who had been fighting the defensive battle earlier were resting in the back.
"How……?"
The Emergency Guild and Recovery Guild, seeing my return, widened their eyes as if they had seen a ghost.
They must have thought I wouldn't come back alive. It was natural since they didn't know my Skills.
"Well, that's how it happened."
I just smiled. However, the other side didn't. Unlike the Dinosaur Guild, who seemed to welcome me, Recovery and Emergency had serious expressions.
The Emergency Guild Leader, with a stiff face, trudged over and grabbed my hand tightly.
"Thank you."
Behind him, the two vanguards who had gone out to stop the Grendel earlier stood with moved expressions.
"Thank you. Really, we lived thanks to you."
.
.
.
[Confirmation: All Medium Gates in Seoul City Have Been Eliminated]
[Korea, Ends 3rd Discharge-type Gate Crisis]
All the medium Gates had disappeared. The first was 10 years ago, the second 5 years ago, and now this was being called the 3rd Gate Crisis.
The damage increased with each passing crisis. They weren't prepared, and the 1st Gate Crisis was overwhelming.
'Back then, a super-large Gate opened in Seoul. There was no waiting time either.'
[How Long Will It Take to Restore Daejeon, Where the Large Gate Appeared?]
[3rd Gate Crisis, a Successful Defense!]
[UN Gate Countermeasures Committee: 'Korea Dealt with the 3rd Gate Crisis the Best...']
With a large number of top-ranked Hunters moving to Daejeon, the 13 medium Gates were close to a disaster, so damage was inevitable.
However, considering the situation and comparing it to other countries, it could be seen as a fairly successful defense.
[The Secret to the Seoul National University Station Defense Line, Which Suffered No Damage? The Dinosaur Guild]
Especially our side.
We were one of only three places in Seoul that maintained a medium Gate defense line.
And even those places suffered casualties.
Only we were the exception. The Seoul National University Station defense line suffered no damage.
[Emergency and Recovery Guilds Express Gratitude to the Dinosaur Guild]
-To be honest, when he led away four Grendel, I really thought he was out of his mind. When he came back alive, I thought I was seeing a ghost.
-We're just grateful. If we had fought as we were, some of us might not be here...
[S+ Class Spatialist Proves His Worth of 200 Billion! Successfully Completes an Impossible Chase for an Hour for the Sake of Citizens and Comrades!]
[The Defense Battle of the Dragon Knight and Magician, Unbelievable for D-Class]
The Emergency Guild, who had thanked me, contacted me again later to apologize.
-Once again, I apologize for cursing at you back then.
"It's okay. It was understandable given the situation."
I didn't hold any grudges. They had expressed their apology and gratitude. If I were in their position, I would have been angry too.
-The Dinosaur Guild members were amazing too. I was surprised by the firepower of the Dragon Knight and Magician.
I heard that not only Min-jae but also Uncle had been quite active. Magic required preparation and Mana, so there were bound to be gaps.
Even though I led away the Grendel, it was still a medium Gate. A lot of Monsters came out.
In a situation where the Magicians' Mana was running low and mobs were pouring out, Uncle bought time several times with Flying Dragon Pierce.
They endured with Lee Shin-hee's Protective Barrier added to Flying Dragon Pierce, and then magic was cast again.
I checked the recorded video of that side. It seemed like they had a tough battle.
In the end, we were able to reduce the damage because everyone was there.
* * *
-Hunter Han Hye is leading four Grendel and has been chasing them for over 40 minutes!
-C, could it be... 2nd, 2nd Awakening! The Grendel are targeting Hunter Han Hye at tremendous speed! It's dangerous! He dodged it for now...!
-Bang!
-The Grendel has fallen! A sniper? Where is it? We don't know the location!
-It's a helicopter! Everyone, the Dawnlight Guild is back! A spear is being thrust!
-Shin Chang is protecting Hunter Han Hye! It's truly a beautiful sight!
It goes without saying that my chase video became a huge topic. Not only in Korea but also abroad.
A Hunter in the early 20s had been chased by four Grendel for nearly an hour.
The 2nd Awakened Grendel were at the level of Hunters above level 40, so it was natural to attract attention.
Many people professionally analyzed my chase video.
-Do you see that? He dodged it, right? It's clearly an impossible position to see. But he dodged it as if he had eyes in the back of his head. I wonder if Spatialists also have the ability to sense Spatial Sense itself.
-So far, we've confirmed Physical Immunity Subspace and Space Warp, and now Spatial Sense is being added?
-Yes. You also have to remember that he has an S+ class Skill, so his Stats are excellent. There's a reason he broke the Knight's record at the workshop.
Of course, my story was circulating in online communities as well.
-Wow, the structure of the first place in the advance team protecting the first place in the follow-up team is beautiful.
-The future of Korean Hunters is bright.
From polite communities to more direct ones.
-Is it even possible to lure four Grendel? Isn't it fabricated?
-Fucking fabrication-parrot is everywhere lol How can you fabricate a large Gate, a medium Gate, and Grendel?
-The current and the future. The structure of holding hands and lifting each other up is fucking cool.
-I understand the fabrication-parrot too lol A D-class Hunter chasing four Grendel for an hour? It doesn't make sense
-The overseas is already going crazy
A review from someone who was in a shelter near Seoul National University Station at the time was also posted.
-I was in a shelter near Seoul National University Station at that time, and when I saw the four Grendel, I honestly thought we were all going to die.
-Yeah, honestly, it was an impossible situation to stop. Other defense lines' shelters were destroyed.
-If it weren't for Han Hye, we would have all died for real.
-Dude? Is Han Hye your friend? From now on, anyone who slanders Spatialists is my enemy
-Han Hye. My light, my salvation...
-I'm not kidding, it's really salvation. I am Han Hye, and Han Hye is me.
There were some overwhelming reactions. I was quite embarrassed by the popularity I was experiencing for the first time.
Of course, I didn't dislike it.
-But where did the rumors about him being rude come from? How can someone who's rude have such a spirit of sacrifice?
-Looking at his face, he looks like he'd be rude
-?
-It means he's fucking handsome
-I almost friendly fired;; Write your comments carefully
I used to feel satisfied just by looking at the stories that occasionally came up on Hunter Net while only going through Gates...
Seeing the reactions that had become a nationwide topic like this was more than that. It was like the dopamine never stopped.
I had wondered why Hunters sometimes calmly sacrificed themselves knowing they would die, but I understood a little.
Well, I don't know about me. I'm not there yet. For now, I decided to just enjoy it.
Unfortunately, no separate rewards were given for defending against this Discharge-type Gate.
After all, we signed Hunter contracts and received huge amounts of money to prevent things like this.
'It's just something we have to do.'
However, I heard that commendations would be given to Hunters who played a major role in this Gate Crisis.
It's not really used anywhere. It's like a courageous citizen award.
Apart from that, this 3rd Gate Crisis didn't just happen in Korea.
Because it happened as the Mana concentration in the atmosphere increased, Discharge-type Gates opened all over the world on the same day.
[3rd Discharge-type Gate Crisis, the Most Successful Countries Are Korea, the United States, and Switzerland]
I heard that in other countries, a large Gate opened first, followed by medium Gates in other places.
It was as if the Gates were deceiving humans.
Because of that, I heard that other countries suffered considerable casualties and property damage.
Korea was among the top countries in minimizing damage.
'Half of why I became a hot topic is thanks to that.'
Korea, which had defended relatively well, received attention, and I, who was at the center of it, became famous even abroad.
It wasn't just me who became famous. The same was true for our Guild members.
[The Dinosaur Guild, Shrouded in Mystery, Finally Reveals Itself!]
In fact, large Gates were a big deal, but Korea was a Hunter powerhouse, so there was a belief that high-level Hunters could stop them.
On the other hand, there was no expectation that our side, a newly launched Guild, would perform this well, and that was coupled with the fact that we had avoided media exposure as much as possible.
[Korea's First S+ Class Hunter? The Trinity of Space Warp, Physical Immunity Subspace, and Spatial Sense!]
[The Dragon Knight's Charge Annihilates the Waves of Monsters!]
[A Small and Cute Dragon, But Its Power Is Amazing!]
[The Magician Showed the Destructive Power of a B-Class Magician! Sniper Seo Seung-yeon's Cousin?]
[Spatialist Han Hye, Ranked First in the World Among Promising Hunters?]
[The Spatialist Who Chased for an Hour Said, 'I Thought I Should Buy Time Until the High-Levels Arrived.']
It was like a cheerful rebellion of promising talents who had only been rumored about in a desperate situation.
They had turned around a seemingly impossible situation, so the spotlight was on us.
'Korea is also the place that defended the best in the world.'
The funny thing was that even as I was receiving so much attention and praise, I also heard some bad things.
Surprisingly, the target was Park Seo-woong, the Association President's direct secretary.
'Well, it's not really bad news.'
After the incident, I received a call from Park Seo-woong.
-Hunter Han Hye, are you alright? The fact that there was no damage to the Seoul National University Station defense was thanks to your excellent strategy and response in luring away the Grendel. I can't believe how you managed to lead four Grendel...
First, Park Seo-woong praised me for about 20 minutes.
-The Association President also expressed his sincere gratitude.
-However, Hunter Han Hye is too valuable to us, so if a similar incident occurs next time, we hope you will take a safer approach...
After that, he cautiously expressed his concern that I should pay more attention to my survival.
Of course, he didn't mean that I should abandon the others to save myself. It was more like, "You did well, but please take care of yourself."
It was probably because the moment after the Grendel 2nd Awakened looked dangerous. It was understandable.
Even I, who could feel it with Spatial Sense, thought I had barely dodged it, but it was different when I watched the video.
'It really looked dangerous.'
Actually, I wondered if anyone thought about my body as much as I did, but I replied that I would pay more attention in the future.
As the story came to a close, Park Seo-woong brought up another topic.
-Shin Chang would like to meet you. Is there a time that would be convenient for you?
"Shin Chang?"
-Yes. He said that you agreed to meet when you met last time.
"Excuse me?"
What was that supposed to mean?
All he did was look at me silently?
"He didn't say anything?"
-I guessed as much, haha. He's the type to speak with his eyes...
Park Seo-woong chuckled as if he was used to this situation. I didn't know why the taciturn Shin Chang was calling me...
Anyway, that's how I ended up meeting Shin Chang.