The A-Rank Gate Disaster (Part 2)
When I arrived, Gangnam's intersection was already teeming with people.
Countless media crews, curious onlookers, and politicians packed the streets.
Just looking at the scene made my chest feel tight.
“Lucky I didn't take the car.”
I leaped straight off the building's exterior wall and landed inside the control line.
The startled security personnel rushed toward me.
“Wait! You can't come in! Get out right now…….”
“Lee Seoyun of Orion Guild. I'm taking charge of this A-rank gate raid.”
I pulled out my hunter ID and held it out to them.
“Ah. You… the S-rank hunter. Sorry. Recent livestreamers have been making unauthorized intrusions like this.”
“I'm the one who should apologize. I didn't want to be late.”
“No! We should be the ones sorry. Please head this way.”
The professionals quickly softened and led us to a tent.
Inside, I saw Guild Leader Choi Jincheol, Association representatives, and familiar S-rank faces.
“Oh. You're finally here. Why so late?”
“Well, someone woke me up right in the middle of my vacation.”
I lightly brushed off Choi Jincheol's jab.
“Tsk. If only you weren't the one calling me, what would you do? Can't just send the kids.”
“What about sending the other S-rankers? There were more than ten today, right?”
“Hey, hey! That's my boy…….”
He suddenly looked flustered and glanced toward the Association side.
He clearly wanted favor with them for this A-rank gate. No big guilds had claimed it yet.
I didn't care either way, but using a vacation day felt wrong.
He tried to smooth things over with a laugh and headed straight into the strategy meeting.
“Then, Guild Leader Choi. I'll leave the aftercare to you. The politicians outside are counting on you.”
“Of course. I'll handle it!!”
As the Association members left, he bowed 90 degrees to see them off.
The way people looked from behind was so pathetic it was almost funny.
Once they were gone, Choi Jincheol spun toward me.
“Hey, Seoyun. You had to say that right in front of those people?”
“What are they? If you didn't want to see this face, why call me? Are the S-rankers in the guild just for show?”
“Ah… you really……”
He glared sharply, but it only made me see him as ridiculous.
Eventually, after staring for a while, he sighed and waved his hand.
“Fine, fine. The friend who called me in the middle of vacation gets angry. What a petty guy.”
“Hah.”
This guy, who had no real work experience, was talking nonsense.
I felt like leaving right then, but the situation was unpredictable. A monster could pop out anytime from an A-rank gate.
And I couldn't abandon the juniors.
Just then, cheers from outside the tent grew louder. The juniors had arrived.
Soon, Yoon Seah and Cha Seojin entered and saluted.
“Guild Leader. S-rank hunter Yoon Seah. I've arrived at the raid site under Orion Guild's orders!”
“Aigoo, Se-ah and Seojin are here! Was there any trouble on the way?”
“No. We're fine. Just one person who made it awkward.”
Yoon Seah glanced at me as she spoke.
Cha Seojin was already rubbing Choi Jincheol's shoulder and fawning.
“Hehe. Leave the rest to us. We'll turn our Guild Leader into a millionaire!”
“Kya. Really, only Sejin and Se-ah. You're on another level from anyone else!”
I couldn't help but chuckle.
Maybe I should take these guys out before the A-rank gate.
I rushed into the briefing to waste no more time.
“As you all know, A-rank gates have too many variables. We must be extremely careful. Reported lower-to-mid monsters include goblins and ogres. High-tier ones include cyclopes, wyverns, and liches.”
I paused and scanned the guild members.
The raid team numbered 17, including me. Yet not a single priest—no holy maiden, not even a low-rank cleric.
“What? Where are they?”
A cleric was essential for liches and undead. I double-checked, but nothing.
“Guild Leader. The party members don't seem to have arrived yet.”
I turned to him, but he shook his head.
“No. Everyone's here.”
“That's nonsense. No cleric among you. You can't seriously mean to go like this.”
Even ordinary undead needed a cleric. For a lich, it was essential.
But he called me aside and whispered.
“Hey, Seoyun. Look at all the people outside. The whole city is in an uproar because an A-rank gate appeared in the middle of Seoul. Instagram and YouTube are already flooded.”
“So what? What's that got to do with no cleric?”
“Hah, I'm really frustrated. I got Se-ah and Seojin to S-rank. Might as well use them properly this time!”
“What?”
I doubted my ears. Who promoted who?
“You really sabotaged the Association?”
“Tsk. Other guilds do it too. You still think hunter power matters. Hunters are entertainment now. Ranks are based on who gets more popular, not strength!”
“…Are you serious?”
“Of course! You know our kids are Orion's face. When they appear on ads or shows, everything sells out and ratings double. One TV appearance from them makes more money than you clearing ten gates!”
Choi Jincheol spittle flying, he ranted.
I was speechless.
Not because I was convinced, but because it was so absurd.
He didn't stop.
“But with no cleric on this gate, how much chance do they have? Think. The youngest S-rank hunter to slay a lich! How cool is that?”
“Hey. Gates aren't a business. Don't treat it like your money-making scheme. What if they get hurt?”
“What’s there to worry about? Healers will patch them up. Arms regrow easily, and they can be revived right before death.”
Yes. But the pain? Why do they have to suffer limb loss because of your greed?
I bit back my anger and murmured softly.
“Hoo. Choi Jincheol. If you want to earn money, do it yourself. Stop using clueless kids.”
“Hey, hey. Enough. Go protect our kids' faces. Don't get greedy and let them take out the boss.”
“You crazy bastard……”
“Just go. It's a guild order.”
For a moment I almost grabbed his collar. If no one was watching, I would have.
But I couldn't lower morale before the raid, so I turned and walked back to the others.
Seeing a party without any cleric, I chuckled.
Why was the roster empty? Now I knew why. He hid it to stop me from saying anything.
I had no choice but to stuff my bag with extra holy water instead.
“Alright. Preparation's done. Let's head in.”
“Yes! Mr. Lee Seoyun.”
My words had the guild members following.
As we stepped out of the tent, flashes exploded everywhere.
“Waaaaah! They're out!! It's Orion Guild!”
“Kyaaaa! Cha Seojin-oppa! Look after me here!!”
“Our baby Se-ah! Don't get hurt and come back!!”
Fans' cheers rang from everywhere. We waved appropriately.
Yoon Seah and Cha Seojin especially struck poses with flushed faces or sent finger hearts.
“Hehe. Mr. Lee Seoyun. Just a moment.”
One politician suddenly approached and offered a handshake.
His secretary demanded the same.
“Come on. Before we go in, shake hands with the politician. Smile brightly while looking at the camera!”
I alternated between the press flashes and the politician who looked like a groundhog and chuckled.
Hah. Facing a gate and this is what they're doing?
I ignored the handshake and walked past.
“W-what……!”
“No time. Let's get in.”
I ignored the shouting from behind.
Even the guild members were pale, and Choi Jincheol's face was drained of color.
Even Yoon Seah, who had been fawning over fans moments ago, ran after me.
“S-Senpai?! Do you even know who that politician is?! He's one of the next presidential candidates…….”
“Yeah, yeah. I know. Tone it down and come. Let's finish quick and go home.”
I was already skipping plans with my sister.
I stepped through the red gate.
Where Gangnam had been moments ago now became a dark cave in an instant.
It was far darker than expected.
While the guild members crossed, I opened a holy water bottle and sprayed it on my body.
Then I immediately scanned the surroundings and held my breath.
“Everyone here?”
“Yes. Everyone's accounted for.”
“Good. Current time 15:32. Orion Guild. Beginning the A-rank gate dungeon raid.”
I quietly recorded it on an artifact, then drew my weapon.
Others did the same. Next to me, a phone appeared instead of a weapon.
“Hello, our Seojin-mamas! Ah, can you hear my voice?”
“……”
“Haha, you can't see it? Yeah, it's pretty dark here. Let me see… something to light up……”
“Hey. Cha Seojin. What are you doing?”
I couldn't hold back.
If my eyes weren't deceiving me, he was livestreaming with the fans right now.
We needed to block both sound and sight in a situation where monsters could appear anywhere at any time.
Yet he kept grinning and reaching for his phone's flash, so I quickly blocked him.
“Ah, why are you doing this? We're live right now. I'll edit it and upload as Shorts later.”
“Turn it off now. We're not advertising monster locations.”
“Haa, really. There are only three S-rankers. What's the problem? Besides, the Guild Leader approved it. No matter what, Senpai, I won't stop it.”
“Really?”
Pop! I instantly snatched the phone from his hand.
Before Cha Seojin could protest, I crushed it without a trace.
“I'll buy you a new one when we get out.”
“Hah. Senpai, really……”
“Let's go. Stop messing around.”
I ignored his complaints and led the way.
This felt like S-rankers were wearing blinders on both sides.
‘We have to end this as fast as possible.’
I prayed for no accidents and continued the raid.