The Gate Accident (1)
Hunter.
Their powers appeared one day, alongside the gates.
Only the chosen awakened abilities, and those abilities varied wildly depending on talent.
Ordinary firepower and armies proved utterly helpless against the monsters that poured from the gates.
Gates began appearing throughout the city, claiming countless lives, but the chaos lasted only briefly.
Once hunters started clearing the gates, the situation stabilized with surprising speed.
The only ones capable of stopping gates that could open anywhere, at any time, were the hunters themselves.
That fact drew the eyes of the entire world. Media, politicians, and ordinary citizens alike became obsessed with these beings called hunters.
As laws and institutions were created specifically for them, their popularity skyrocketed.
Media appearances, merchandise sales, advertising contracts—hunters had long since ceased to be mere professionals. They had become icons.
Before long, countless hunter guilds sprang up like entertainment agencies, and a rank system based on ability was introduced.
I was one of them.
“An A-rank gate raid, huh…”
Inside the Orion Guild headquarters, I sipped coffee while reading the report on the gate I would be clearing today.
It had appeared three hours ago at the Gangnam Station intersection.
“Of all the places it could open, it had to be right in the middle of Gangnam.”
Gates appearing inside urban areas weren’t rare, but most were F- to C-rank. A-rank gates were few and far between.
“Haah. That bastard Choi Jincheol. I wondered why he called me in during my vacation. So this was the reason.”
Still, no matter how urgent it was, dragging me out when I had barely rested all last year made no sense. This was my first vacation of the year, for crying out loud.
If it was that bad, he could have called someone else.
There were several other S-ranks in this guild alone. Why call the one person who was actually on vacation?
I brewed a fresh cup of coffee and forced down my rising anger.
“…No. Better me than leaving it to the others.”
Above all, civilian safety came first.
If I could end it even one minute faster, then I was the one who should go.
There would be vacations next year and the year after that. Right now, the problem in front of me took priority.
With that thought, I read through the rest of the report with meticulous care.
“Reported monsters are Cyclops, Wyvern, and a Lich. I’ll need to switch to a longsword and make sure to bring holy water.”
A priest was essential for this, so I needed to check the party roster.
For some reason the most important section—the list of party members—was completely blank.
“What the hell? Why is this part empty?”
These people. Can’t they do anything right?
I was already running on fumes, and they pull a basic mistake like this?
This wouldn’t do. I’d have to drag everyone from the writer of this report to the one who approved it over the coals. Maybe then they’d wake up and never make this kind of error again.
“Huh? Senior, what are you doing here?”
A familiar voice stopped me just as I was about to leave.
It was Han Yeseul, a B-rank hunter and my junior. She walked over with her head tilted in confusion.
“Aren’t you on vacation today? Why are you at the office…”
“It’s nothing special. Actually, maybe it is. They say an A-rank gate has opened in Gangnam.”
“Ah. I saw it on the news earlier too. Are you the one being sent, Senior? But this is your first vacation since you joined the guild, isn’t it?”
“What?”
Had I really not taken a single day off since three years ago, not just last year? I’d been so busy I couldn’t even remember clearly.
And yet that bastard Choi Jincheol had called me, of all people?
I briefly considered storming the guild master’s office, then shook my head.
We’d be deploying soon, and I couldn’t let my junior see me beating the crap out of the guild leader.
Sigh. The only reason he’s still breathing is because we used to be friends.
“Yeah. It somehow turned out this way. Don’t you ever answer work calls during your vacation.”
“Ahaha. I-I won’t.”
She gave me a sympathetic look, as if she understood perfectly.
Just having someone acknowledge it eased the weight in my chest a little.
“Anyway, where are you headed, Yeseul? Don’t tell me you’re coming with us?”
Now that I thought about it, her class was priest as well. She even had experience facing liches, so she would have been perfect for this raid.
She was still only B-rank, but if I kept an eye on her, it would be fine.
“Oh, no. I was called for a different raid. I heard it’s a D-rank gate.”
“D-rank?”
With an A-rank gate sitting wide open in the middle of the city, they were sending her to a measly D-rank?
Who the hell had assembled these parties? The personnel choices were garbage.
Or were they planning to pull in an S-rank priest or a saintess?
“Senior. Don’t you know who the party members are yet? The news said the raid would begin shortly…”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Wait, is that actually true? The party still hasn’t been formed!?”
She looked genuinely shocked, her eyes wide with disbelief.
I couldn’t believe the situation either.
We were supposed to deploy any minute, yet I didn’t even know who the other members were, and no one had shown up at the assembly point. Why had they rushed me to come in so quickly?
This was exactly how a so-called major guild operated.
And they had the nerve to call themselves one of Korea’s top five guilds. A stray dog would laugh at them.
“Well. They’ll show up soon. Don’t worry about it.”
“Th-then, should I stay with you until everyone arrives?”
“Hmm? Why?”
“Ehehe. Just… to talk for a bit. Or! The weather’s nice, so maybe we could take a short walk together.”
“It’s raining outside.”
“Ah…”
When I pointed at the window, she froze on the spot.
She must be exhausted. That bastard Choi Jincheol—if he was going to overwork anyone, it should have been me. How hard was he pushing the younger hunters?
My own vacation situation was one thing, but this was something I’d have to bring up with him later.
“I’m fine, so don’t worry and head out. You’re busy too.”
“Aww. Then I’ll take my leave first.”
Her ears flushed bright red as she practically fled.
I poured myself another coffee and read the report one more time.
I was seriously considering going in alone when familiar faces finally walked over.
“Oh! There he is.”
“I heard you were on vacation. You really came?”
“Haah…”
A-rank hunter Cha Seojin.
And A-rank hunter Yoon Seah beside him.
Looked like I’d be raiding with these two. I sighed and greeted the late arrivals.
“What time do you think it is? Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting?”
“Come on, that’s not important right now. Look at this.”
Cha Seojin shoved a certificate toward me.
“S-rank Hunter… Cha Seojin?”
“Haha. I got it yesterday while you were on vacation, Senior. Now you understand? From today onward, we’re on the same level.”
“Of course, I got one too.”
Yoon Seah held out her certificate with the same casual confidence.
I stared at the documents, doubting my own eyes.
“The association actually gave you both S-rank qualifications?”
“Yes. It was only natural.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me…”
She sounded proud, but I couldn’t stop the curses rising against the association.
They handed S-rank to these rookies? Even if the promotion test had gotten easier, this was insane.
Once you reached S-rank, clearing B-rank or higher gates became routine.
Yet they were throwing kids with only two years of experience into such dangerous territory?
It would have been impossible unless the association had lost its mind.
“You two. Stop messing around and answer me seriously. Did you actually earn these certificates?”
I looked them in the eyes, my tone grave.
I almost hoped they’d admit it was an AI prank, but Yoon Seah glared at me, clearly offended.
“What exactly are you trying to say? Are you questioning the association’s decision, Senior?”
“Listen carefully. I’ve always believed you both have the talent to become S-rank eventually. But not yet. An A-rank gate is too early for you.”
“No. Isn’t it you who’s overprotecting us, Senior? I’ve already cleared B-rank gates and even A-rank gates with other hunters. I know my own ability better than anyone.”
Yoon Seah refused to yield even an inch, lips pressed tightly together.
I knew she had cleared A-rank gates before.
But those had been pre-measured, the lowest difficulty among A-ranks.
This raid would be fine since I’d be there, but I couldn’t protect them every single time.
“Haah. Senior, that’s enough.”
“What?”
Cha Seojin cut in from the side.
“Isn’t it a bit much to ruin a good day like this? Of course I understand how you feel. After all, we got our S-ranks faster than you did, Senior. Heh. Must be hard to accept.”
“He’s right. I’ve already cleared gates fifty times. So stop treating us like children.”
Haah. Not fifty times—only fifty times.
How could I explain it so they would understand?
But Yoon Seah had already taken offense. She turned and walked ahead without waiting to hear more.
Cha Seojin glanced at me and let out a small laugh.
“See, Senior? Keep acting like that and people will just call you a boomer.”
Then both of them headed downstairs without waiting for me.
I watched their retreating backs and let out a long sigh.
“Sigh. A boomer, huh.”
I wished it were that simple.
I hoped all my worries were nothing more than needless anxiety or overprotection.
When I looked out the window, the two had already climbed into a car. It seemed they planned to go separately. My words must have really struck a nerve.
“Can’t be helped. I’ll head there first and get ready.”
I stretched, then opened the window.
Without hesitation I leapt out, landing on the building’s outer wall and running straight down it.
“Wow! Look over there! It’s the S-rank hunter Lee Seoyun!”
Someone pointed and shouted.
People below immediately began snapping photos with their phones.
“Looks like the monsters haven’t come out yet.”
I felt relieved seeing the cheering citizens.
By the time I reached the gate, an enormous crowd had already gathered, packed so tightly there was barely room to stand.