The Cracked Soul Lantern
The constellation 'White Dawn' sponsors the first gift.
The rank of this constellation shakes the laws of causality!
Crash!
The space in the air shattered.
The sudden anomaly shifted the flow of the atmosphere. From within the fractured void, light and wind poured out.
Thud!
An item burst forth amid pure white light. I caught it reflexively.
A lantern...?
It looked like a lantern painted stark white. Not perfectly pristine, though—more like it had seen some use.
The glass was slightly cracked, and the color had faded in places.
But the item's rank was no joke.
A holy relic...?
The constellation 'Master of the Black Star' can't hide their shock.
Typical item ranks went like this:
Common - Rare - Unique - Legendary.
Holy relics fell outside that system entirely—special items all their own.
I've only ever seen them online.
Considering the first sponsorship from the Black Star constellation had been a mere rare item, this was on another level.
"The rank of that White Dawn guy is on a whole different plane from ordinary constellations. Twisting the causality of this world is child's play for them."
Lucifer, the crow in my backpack, explained proudly.
"Rank? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Just as hunters are classified by rank, constellations are classified by their rank... Er, that's all I can say for now. There are restrictions."
Lucifer had been a constellation himself before being summoned.
That brought up an old question again.
"So, what's your deal with White Dawn? Another restriction?"
"Think of them as a former coworker. We're not close."
For someone who claimed they weren't close, he sure acted like he knew everything.
I could guess, though.
Lucifer, for starters.
His name was famous from movies and media—too famous for anyone not to know it.
Originally God's angel, Lucifer had fallen for some reason.
A fallen angel, in other words.
If he's calling White Dawn a former coworker, then...
Probably an angel.
That made sense.
An angel might even be capable of bending causality.
Of course, it was just a hunch.
Asking Lucifer directly about his past always got the same response:
"Restrictions. Sorry."
But right now wasn't the time to dig into Lucifer's history anyway.
I've got a gate break to help with.
Down below, they were probably still holding it off.
I needed to check the item quick and head down.
I examined the white lantern's system info.
Collects the souls of monsters. [0 / 500pt]
When souls reach maximum capacity, performs a minor miracle.
Minor miracle: Unique Skill Reset Ticket x1
* Durability is nearly depleted.
"...This is insane."
I muttered without thinking as I read the description.
Hunt a bunch of monsters to rack up points, and you'd get a unique skill reset ticket.
Considering you normally needed a legendary raid clear for one, it really was a minor miracle.
The low durability was a downside, but with performance like this, what could you do?
"Not bad at all. Free volunteer work won't fly now—we can't get EXP, but we can snag that ticket. Forget this; let's go stop that gate break already."
Lucifer urged me on as he inspected the lantern from my backpack.
The constellation 'White Dawn' sneers at the apostle's shift in attitude.
"Thanks for the item. I'll put it to good use."
"You don't have to be polite with that guy. It's just standard sponsorship."
"My call."
"Ah, then go ahead."
"..."
Anyway, time to handle the gate break.
I dashed down the stairs. Outside the building, guild staff and police had the area locked down.
I adjusted my mask and approached the barricade line.
Effect of Recluse's Mask activated.
- Stealth Lv.2
- Immune to detection skills B-rank and below.
"This is getting serious."
"Damn it, when's backup coming?"
"We might need to start evacuating..."
The guild staff's voices mixed frustration and tension. The police glancing back nervously were just as on edge.
Situation doesn't look great.
I slipped past the barricade effortlessly. No one even glanced my way.
No risk of detection from stealth anyway.
Lucifer had already confirmed there were no real powerhouses around.
Deeper inside the cordon, the silent disaster zone came into view.
Boom! Splash! Slash!
"Kill that bastard! Don't let it out!"
"Healer! Where's the damn healer?!"
"Gaaah! My arm!"
Monsters poured endlessly from the roughly 5m black gate.
"Fireball, launch the damn fireball!"
"Hold the shield right! Shit, when's backup?!"
"Just hold on a bit longer!"
...
The situation looked far worse up close.
* * *
Thirteen hunters were desperately plugging the gate.
"Hold the formation to the end! Don't give an inch!"
Seonghyeon Guild's master, Kim Seonghyeon, bellowed in fury. His voice was hoarse and cracked from the strain.
Damn it all!
This shouldn't have escalated like this.
It was just a D-rank gate clear.
They'd followed official procedures.
His guildmates were all veterans.
Equipment and tools had been perfectly checked.
And yet they'd failed.
Far more monsters lurked inside than expected.
A recent anomaly that even top guilds and the Association had warned about.
Ugh, I should've been more careful. No, careful wouldn't have cut it.
But he never thought he'd be the victim.
The monsters numbered beyond what his guild could handle.
Following protocol, Seonghyeon Guild fell back outside the gate.
And that's when hell broke loose.
The gate suddenly started collapsing.
- What the—?!
- No time to think! Block it!
- Ngh, why are these things so tough...!
Monsters emerging from the gate were far stronger.
Unbelievable for low D-rank fodder.
"Damn it! Hold on just a bit more! Backup's coming!"
"Yeah? Then when the hell is this backup arriving?!"
Crunch.
"Grk!"
A grotesque monster bit into Kim Seonghyeon's shoulder. He gritted his teeth and jammed his sword into its skull.
"Block no matter what! If it breaks through here, we're done!"
He shook off the limp corpse and raised his sword again.
Splash! Splatter!
Bleeding profusely, he swung desperately.
This was smack in the city center.
Let even one slip, and the damage would be irreversible.
Not that he was some grand hero.
Fail to stop the break, and his career as a hunter was over. The guild he'd built over years would disband.
As master, he might even face legal consequences.
Splatter!
Whatever the reason, Kim Seonghyeon gave it everything.
To avoid ruin.
To not end here.
As he thrust his sword in a frenzy, it happened.
"Guild master, danger!"
"Guild master!"
The urgent cries snapped him back.
"!"
In his frenzy, he'd gotten too close to the gate without realizing.
Crack—!
A monster leaped from the gate, jaws wide to devour him.
"Ah."
A short gasp escaped.
Too late to swing.
Too deep to dodge.
Kim Seonghyeon sensed his end.
And in that instant.
Pop—!
The charging monster exploded like fireworks. In a blink. Kim Seonghyeon was drenched in its blood.
"...?"
The monster vanished instantly.
Did we have someone in the guild with that kind of firepower?
Stunned, Kim Seonghyeon turned.
Pop! Burst, pop!
The surrounding monsters began exploding one after another.
"Wh-what?!"
"What the hell's happening?"
"What's going on...?"
Even his comrades, fighting for their lives, froze in bewilderment.
Pop—!
Another monster emerged cluelessly from the gate.
It exploded mercilessly too.
"This looks familiar..."
Kim Seonghyeon swallowed hard.
He'd seen this scene before.
Etched in his mind like déjà vu.
A scene this striking could only be...
"It's Mumyeong! Mumyeong the hunter!"
Someone shouted.
Then it clicked for the guild.
"Mu-Mumyeong?"
"It's really him!"
Just like the world boss's final moments in the video.
Burst! Pop!
Monsters evaporated as they emerged from the gate.
Enhanced or not, numbers didn't matter. Before Mumyeong, they were nothing.
"...Insane."
The hunters stared, dumbfounded.
Mumyeong himself was nowhere to be seen.
Only the monsters died one by one.
Exploding like fireworks in sequence.
In this surreal scene,
no one dared move.
Lest they interfere with Mumyeong.
Grrr...
A 3m boss emerged from the gate, an alligator-like beast radiating menace as it advanced.
No one raised a weapon or braced.
Forgetting to breathe, they stood frozen, staring at the boss.
Everyone there knew.
Pop—!
The boss stood no chance against Mumyeong.
Its red blood stained the city street. Another puddle joined the roads slick with monster gore.
The 5m black gate shrank rapidly.
3m, 1m, 1cm...
The swollen gate reduced to a point and vanished.
Gate break prevented.
Only then did the guild exhale in relief.
"Haa, haa..."
"It's... over."
"We held it. Thanks to Mumyeong..."
"Mumyeong? From today, it's Sir Mumyeong."
"We lived. We freaking lived."
Tension released, they collapsed in place.
Relief at survival left them immobile. They wanted to thank Mumyeong wherever he was.
But no trace of him anywhere.
"This is what they mean by ghosting..."
"I'm seriously joining the Mumyeong fan club."
"You okay?!"
Police and guild staff swarmed in, cleanup beginning.
Shortly after.
Whirrr...
A black helicopter sliced through the sky. As eyes turned to it, someone leaped out.
Thud!
"Is everyone alright?!"
A high school girl in uniform landed.
Hunter ranking 3rd, Cheon Iryeong.
Her nickname: All Master.
Also known as the sole S-rank high schooler.
Cheon Iryeong gripped her dagger, scanning around.
"I heard about a gate break and rushed over..."
This wasn't her assigned support. No way ranking 3rd got sent to a D-rank break.
She'd landed out of pure goodwill on her way to her real mission.
"Is it... already over?"
But the scene didn't match her expectations.
"It's Cheon Iryeong the hunter!"
"The support was Cheon Iryeong?"
"No way. How'd the Association pull that off?"
"Hunter-nim, huge fan! Autograph please!"
Onlookers who'd been waiting now mobbed her instead.
"Whoa, everyone. Calm down, calm down!"
The gate break?
Already cleaned up?
Of course, it was good news.
No casualties, break resolved.
Crap, no time for this.
Cheon Iryeong rolled her eyes.
Done? Time to go. Back to the chopper now.
"S-sorry! I have to head out, so the autograph..."
As she pushed through the crowd,
"Hunter Cheon Iryeong!"
A Seonghyeon Guild staffer shoved through urgently.
He briefed her on what happened.
Mumyeong had shown up and cleared the break in seconds.
"M-Mumyeong was really here?"
Cheon Iryeong froze, stunned.
* * *
I finished the break and headed straight for the F-rank labyrinth.
"Brilliant work, master. Those humans down there won't forget it for life. Your followers will multiply. Moments of salvation are always ecstatic, after all."
"Nah, it wasn't that big a deal..."
I brushed off Lucifer's excessive praise and bit into my burger.
Nom nom.
Good call grabbing the burger set ahead of time.
Nutrition's gotta be timely.
After devouring it, I chugged my cola and checked the white lantern.
Not bad at this rate.
- [176 pt / 500 pt]
A milky white energy swirled inside the lantern. Fill it up, and we'd hit the goal.
Clearing a D-rank break got me about a third.
"Guess it's not just about quantity."
"Higher-grade monsters should yield more points."
"Then it'll fill faster than I thought."
The catch was it'd break after a few uses.
Still, full meant a unique skill reset ticket.
More the better for those.
Like stocking ultimate moves.
Best to hoard 'em.
I stowed the lantern in my inventory, cleaned up the burger wrapper, and stood.
Now for the real F-rank labyrinth clear.
"Lucifer, how's your condition?"
"Mostly recovered."
"Be honest."
"...About 67%."
Figures, some vague number.
Let him rest more.
I could solo an F-rank labyrinth easy.
"Stay put. My gear's set for it."
The constellation 'White Dawn' agrees.
The constellation 'Master of the Black Star' nods.
"Yes, I'll watch your exploits from the backpack, master."
I stepped into the labyrinth. The floor sloped down slightly, and an arrow shot from ahead.
Shick—!
I didn't dodge.
More like I couldn't react, really.
Thud.
The arrow passed harmlessly through me and hit the floor.
"Ooh, as expected of master. Even arrows bow before you!"
"Enough with the flattery."
Pure defense doing the work.
Pendant and shoulder guards.
Together, immune to most F-rank traps.
This was gear power for ya.
Top hunters shelled out big for items for good reason.
"No need to talk. Just stay."
"Got it."
No need for Lucifer either.
F-rank labyrinth? I had it solo.
As I advanced deeper,
Ding!
Settlement for killing Solomon's 72 Demons 'Belial' has been processed.
Rewards corresponding to 'Legend+' clear level will be granted.
The demon kill reward message popped up.
My reaction?
...Now?