Garden of the Abyss (1)
"Today, we sit down with the team that has been making headlines across the globe—the Dinosaur Guild!"
It was an in-depth spotlight organized directly by the Association. While it aired on the state-run Hunter Channel, it tended to generate far more buzz on YouTube. The broadcast was less about hard-hitting journalism and more of a celebratory introduction meant to showcase trending guilds.
Naturally, the interview opened with our guild's track record.
"Despite how recently the guild was founded, you've amassed an incredible list of achievements. It began with the third discharge crisis, where you put down four Grendels..."
Because it was a guild-wide profile, the spotlight was not fixed solely on me. Naturally, as the core vanguard, a good portion of the conversation revolved around my fights, but the others received their fair share of recognition as well.
"During that battle, Dragon Knight Choi Cheol-gi, Mage Seo Minjae, and Healer Lee Shinhee all performed well above their tier."
Being an official Association broadcast, the host spoke of us with glowing cordiality.
"And it didn't stop there, did it? Next came your encounters with high-grade ogres and harpies. And just recently, you seized the spotlight once more, didn't you?"
"Haha."
"You received worldwide attention after becoming the very first strike team to clear the global 'Trial of Mana' gate."
Wrapping up the whirlwind recap, the host took a theatrically deliberate breath.
"Recounting the history of a guild founded only this year is exhausting work! That alone proves how sensational your rise has been."
"Thank you for the kind words."
"It was remarkably difficult to book you, however. The Dinosaur Guild famously avoids outside media engagements. Is there a particular reason you steer clear of public appearances?"
It was a question I couldn't answer with complete honesty. I couldn't exactly blurt out, 'Because if we don't level up quickly, we'll be consumed by the Erosion of Mana.' Nor could I dismissively declare, 'Because I'm a hunter, not an entertainer.' That would sound like a petty slight against celebrity hunters who did enjoy public life, and there was no telling how my own stance might evolve in the future.
"We started later than most," I offered with a practiced smile, "so we felt it was best to concentrate entirely on our growth."
It was a textbook PR answer, and the host smoothly leaned into it with a bright grin.
"Ah, what an admirable mindset! Is that focus the reason you managed to shatter every single leveling record previously set by Liu Zhen, China's S-rank sword prodigy?"
Seeing how effortlessly she bridged a generic talking point into the hot-button Liu Zhen comparison, I had to admire her professionalism. When I offered only a self-deprecating chuckle, she studied my expression and pressed on.
"Following your latest performance, public consensus seems to lean heavily in your favor, Hunter Han Hye."
That chatter had been circulating ever since I cut down that high-grade ogre in a single stroke, and clearing the Trial of Mana had only fueled the fire. It made sense. Liu Zhen possessed S-rank swordsmanship and combat skills, outleveling me by nearly ten levels, yet his squad had been forced to retreat. Meanwhile, despite being the lowest-level hunter in our raid party, I had spearheaded our breakthrough and conquered the tower.
Still, when it came to Liu Zhen, reckless remarks were out of the question. I chose my words carefully.
"You never truly know how a matchup goes until you cross blades. In the Trial of Mana, I benefited greatly from the specific nature of my abilities."
Korea had publicly released the raid report for the synchronized gate. The government framed it as a magnanimous contribution to global security, but it was also an unabashed flex. It served to shut down China's posturing, sure, but mainly it was a reminder of our overwhelming strength. After all, conquering a spire sustained by near-limitless mana was an impossibility for almost any conventional raid squad.
"Is that so?" The host nodded in understanding. "I suppose that's true. Even with SSS-rank swordsmanship, scaling to the pinnacle of a magic tower unseen is nearly impossible—unless, of course, one has a dragon or spatial teleportation."
"Even so, what I said previously remains unchanged."
"And what was that?"
She raised an eyebrow in mock ignorance. A practiced actress through and through.
"At equal levels, I'll win."
"Ah! I wholeheartedly agree with you on that, even if I don't know all the intricacies of high-tier combat." The host flashed a radiant smile. Perhaps because of Uncle's teasing remarks earlier, I thought I caught a subtle flirtatious vibe in her gaze.
Regardless, the interview moved along smoothly. Seo Woong had already vetted and purged any awkward or invasive questions beforehand, leaving little room for missteps.
"Now then, what are the Dinosaur Guild members' favorite foods?"
Given the lighthearted variety-show slant of the segment, the questions drifted into light personal trivia. Minjae looked thoroughly pleased with himself throughout the segment.
"Thank you all for your hard work!"
With that, the recording wrapped up.
"You were wonderful today. It was an absolute pleasure meeting you," the host said, extending her hand for a farewell shake.
As our palms met, I felt the crinkle of a tiny slip of paper pass between our fingers. A phone number, neatly folded. Thanks to my spatial awareness, I had sensed the motion before her fingers even closed, leaving me momentarily flustered. She merely offered a knowing smile before turning to leave.
Well then.
I appreciated the sentiment, but right now, I had zero bandwidth for romance or distractions. With our brutal cycle of training and diving into gates, every spare second had to be spent recovering inside my subspace.
The Dinosaur Guild's in-depth feature became an overnight sensation. Considering our guild was dominating international news while rarely engaging in outside media, the public devoured it. Our brief comment during the past discharge incident had been more of an impromptu battlefield statement than a proper interview, making this our first true sit-down. Within hours, clips subtitled in dozens of languages blanketed YouTube.
Browsing through the comments, I could see how easily some hunters ended up seduced by the celebrity lifestyle. Still, I chose not to dwell on it. We were hunters, first and foremost. Our priority had to remain on the next gate.
"Hmm, doesn't look like there's anything particularly special this cycle," Minjae noted.
"Yeah, seems that way," Uncle agreed.
On the morning the new gate listings were officially posted, the guild gathered around the terminal, somewhat underwhelmed. There was nothing that immediately caught the eye. While two high-demand gates—including an ancient ruin—were on the roster, their level requirements didn't align with our current standing.
"One's level 20, and the other's level 45," Minjae sighed.
"Nothing we can do about that," I said. "Let's see what's best among what's left."
"Right," Uncle chimed in. "Before we tackled that ancient ruin, weren't we planning on hitting a siege defense gate anyway?"
He was right. We had originally wanted a high-density, protracted combat gate so everyone could hone their battle fundamentals. Doing that now was hardly a bad compromise.
"That makes sense. Everyone just unlocked new skills, after all."
Opening the fourth subspace vault had yielded secret skill manuals for the entire team. While I had merely upgraded my Fighting Rooster martial technique, the others had received entirely new skillsets: Minjae gained an advanced spell tome, Uncle received an esoteric spearmanship manual, and Lee Shinhee had acquired a sword-and-shield technique. Each of them had poured hours into personal training during our guild practice sessions to master their newfound abilities.
Rather than a high-stakes ruin, a combat-heavy gate where everyone can acclimatize to their new moves might actually be ideal.
We had claimed our fair share of premier gates lately, so passing on this week's top picks didn't sting all that much.
"Looks like someone already snagged the siege gate we were looking at earlier," Minjae said, refreshing the board. "Should we look for a standard hunting-type dungeon instead?"
"Works for me," Uncle nodded. "Let's each pick out two or three candidates, and we can make a final call together."
As we scrolled through the official listings, Chunbae's voice suddenly echoed in my mind.
—Master Han Hye.
'What's up? Spot a gate you recognize?'
—Strictly speaking, it is not a gate I am personally familiar with. However, the designation strikes an unmistakable chord.
Recalling how our trip to the frozen wastes had panned out, my curiosity piqued instantly.
'Which one?'
—The Garden of the Abyss. I cannot verify if it is indeed the place I remember... but a location by that name existed within the realm of the Pre-predecessor Space Lord.
'It existed back in her world?'
—Affirmative. It served as the concealed sanctum of a certain alchemist.
Hmm. A place Chunbae actually recognizes.
'You're not certain it's the exact same place, right?'
—Indeed. It may simply be an entirely unrelated dimension that happens to share the same name. I mention it only as a point of interest.
'Still, if there's even a slight chance, isn't it worth checking out?'
To be honest, the probability of a gate aligning precisely with Chunbae's ancient memories was slim. But since none of the other listings stood out, there was no harm in taking a gamble. Better yet, the recommended level range was a perfect match for our guild.
—I must emphasize, I only ever heard whispers and rumors regarding its reputation; I never set foot inside myself. My knowledge of its interior is limited.
'We can figure that out when we get there. If you know about it, that means this alchemist was pretty famous, right?'
—Affirmative. He was counted among the preeminent alchemists of the Pre-predecessor Space Lord's realm. A man obsessed with researching the Elixir.
'The Elixir?'
The name rang an immediate bell. In standard folklore and fantasy lore, it was hailed as the supreme panacea capable of curing any affliction. Yet in all my time as an Awakened, I had never heard of a hunter pulling an Elixir from a gate.
—Typically, it manifests as an S-rank item obtainable exclusively from gates of level 60 or higher. While it does not grant immortality, it can mend wounds hovering on the precipice of death and purge even the most pernicious curses.
'Then we definitely have to go.'
An S-rank item.
Though I had crossed paths with such rarities recently, they remained miraculous treasures of the highest order. Considering the global vanguard was only hovering around level 60, one could count the total number of circulating S-rank items on one's fingers. While an S-rank drop obtained at level 50 was generally superior in raw stats to one obtained at level 30...
A consumable like an Elixir doesn't care about level scaling.
However, Chunbae added a prompt caveat.
—I must clarify, I never received word that the alchemist successfully completed the Elixir in his lifetime.
'Hey, it's a gate dungeon. Who knows? The system might offer it as a clear reward anyway.'
Regardless of how slim the odds were, diving into a gate where Chunbae held contextual insight felt far smarter than picking blindly.
"Chunbae pointed out a potential target," I announced to the room. "It's not a sure thing, but there's a lead."
I laid out the details for the team. Unsurprisingly, their reactions were overwhelmingly positive.
"A recommendation from Chunbae? Then we're going, no question," Uncle said without hesitation.
"Totally," Minjae agreed. "Even if it turns out to be a bust, we should still take the shot. We can always grind combat experience in the next gate."
"I'm in favor as well," Lee Shinhee added with a nod.
And just like that, we burned one of our gate Priority Passes. That left us with three remaining—still a comfortable reserve.
'Did you hear any other rumors about the place?'
—Tales spoke of a botanical sanctuary overgrown with flora mutated and empowered through alchemical arts... though I cannot vouch for the authenticity of such claims.
'Man, I hope those rumors are true.'
If they were, we could ransack an ancient alchemist's personal greenhouse while simultaneously getting the rigorous combat drill our team needed. It would kill two birds with one stone.
A few days later, our preparations were complete.
We crossed the threshold and stepped into the Garden of the Abyss.
What unfolded before our eyes was an immense, sprawling expanse of greenery—swallowed entirely in a suffocating shroud of mist that dragged our visibility down to near zero.