First Gate - The Path of Disdain
A wide corridor stretched out long and straight.
The walls were made of the fortress's pale gray bricks, lit here and there by bright torches that kept the darkness at bay.
Advancing through that corridor was
Paegong Guild, Korea's third-ranked guild.
Paegong's guild master, Lee Changhyeon, wore a deeply dissatisfied expression.
"I know how strong Mumyeong is, and how strong his subordinates are."
Back in the Apocalypse Temple.
Paegong Guild had witnessed Mumyeong's exploits firsthand.
Mumyeong's subordinates had slaughtered the monsters in an instant, and the moment Mumyeong himself appeared, the raid was over.
That was how it had felt to them.
"But that doesn't mean Mumyeong should hog everything. It stifles everyone else's growth."
Lee Changhyeon's words carried some logic.
If Mumyeong monopolized all the experience, the other hunters would inevitably weaken by comparison.
"Hmm, is that so? Then handle it among yourselves."
Lucifer, standing beside Guild Master Lee Changhyeon, flashed a peculiar smile and took a step back.
"Thanks for understanding."
Surprisingly, Lucifer backed off without protest. Lee Changhyeon felt a mix of satisfaction and unease.
The three apostles had been assigned to separate paths.
Blue Dragon to the first path.
Gabriel to the second.
And Lucifer here on the third.
True to his word(?), Mumyeong had sent apostles down all three paths.
The first gate wouldn't open until every path was cleared. With apostles on the job, failure wasn't an option.
Third Path: Ignore
The orcs ignore pain and fear.
Rum-rum-rum...
Monsters began swarming from the end of the corridor. The soldiers emerging from the Path of Ignore were elite orc warriors.
Two orc scouts with flags strapped to their backs.
Paegong's guild members snickered.
"What, just orcs?"
"Guess the first gate isn't meant to be too tough."
"Perfect for a warm-up."
They'd fought orcs until they were sick of them.
A race with strong physical prowess but lacking in skill. Higher levels didn't change their inherent traits.
Clank, shing.
As the guild members raised their weapons—
"Ignoring pain, huh."
"Doesn't matter, they're still monsters..."
"Wait, that's a lot of them."
The guild member who'd dismissed them froze. Behind the scouts, the end of the Path of Ignore teemed with orcs.
Thud, thud, thud.
Soon, the corridor was packed with marching orcs.
Dark mana swirled over their iron armor, blue energy flickering along their sharp axes.
They advanced in perfect formation, like a proper army.
"Raaargh—!"
The orcs' roars echoed thunderously down the hall. Fearless, they charged the hunters in a berserk state.
"Tanks, hold the front!"
Guild Master Lee Changhyeon grabbed his shield and stepped forward. His unique ability: Giantification.
Boom—!
In an instant, he swelled to over 3 meters, blocking the orcs with his massive shield.
Other tanks filled the gaps, while spells and arrows flew precisely into the fray.
Boom—! Thunk, thunk!
Magic exploded in wide bursts. Arrows pierced the brows of surviving orcs. Charging foes dropped dead.
A textbook clear from Korea's third-ranked guild.
But the orcs weren't pushovers.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
They trampled their own dead, pressing forward. Warriors who knew no pain or fear.
Orcs kept coming endlessly. Severed limbs meant nothing—they ignored the agony and advanced.
"DPS, left flank's open! Tanks, rotate!"
"Injured, fall back now!"
Unkilled orcs began slipping through the lines.
Three minutes into the raid.
Their formation was already crumbling.
Lee Changhyeon's face twisted.
'Damn, each orc is tough and durable.'All here were level 140+ elites, veterans of countless raids.
Yet the monsters' bulk was immense.
Power befitting SS-rank foes.
They wouldn't lose, but attrition was inevitable.
"Fall back! Regroup while retreating!"
"Retreat! Raise barriers!"
The moment the hunters shouted—
Boom—!
Lucifer, from the rear, soared up and unleashed a beam of light. Dozens of SS-rank orcs melted under the mana ray.
Paegong members stared blankly at Lucifer.
They'd bought time to regroup without retreating.
It was like a breath of fresh air after choking.
"How long would that take? I gave you plenty of chances. Now I'll clear it."
Lucifer sneered.
"I don't do cleanup after you lot."
Boom—!
A compressed black mana beam sliced through the orcs cleanly once more.
Second path: Rage.
The guild handling it: second-ranked Cheongmyeong.
"Man, nothing left for us to do..."
Guild Master Chae Arin scratched her cheek.
Traces of someone else's passage littered the area. Monster corpses filled the wide corridor.
Cheongmyeong just mopped up the remnants.
Second Path: Rage
Appearing monsters enter a rage state.
The monsters were more frenzied than usual, but so few they posed no issue.
"The guy who soloed that gate did all this? What a monster..."
Chae Arin smacked her lips in disbelief—
"Unnie, he's a returner. Said he's crossed dozens of dimensions."
Cheon Iryeong, back after a while. Chae Arin narrowed her eyes.
"That pigeon..."
"One of Mumyeong Hunter-nim's apostles."
A white pigeon perched on Cheon Iryeong's head.
Coo.
"Ah, that guy."
Chae Arin glanced at the pigeon, then shifted to Cheon Iryeong. She stared quietly for a moment.
"Why?"
Cheon Iryeong tilted her head.
"No, you seem... different."
Brimming with confidence, somehow.
An indescribable aura.
Just a few days apart.
Intense special training at Bulmyeol?
Cheon Iryeong grinned, spinning her dagger deftly.
"That obvious? I've gotten way stronger. Body's itching for a real fight."
"Related to Mumyeong Hunter?"
Cheon Iryeong had gone to Bulmyeol, but showed up today with Mumyeong on Blue Dragon.
"Well..."
As she started to reply—
"Whoa, left behind all the mana stones and items?"
"Guild master, check this out! Jackpot!"
Guild members in the back went wild.
Chae Arin reluctantly turned.
"What’s the big deal... I was in the middle of something important... Wait. Legend+? Holy shit, for real? Left this behind?"
A massive grin spread across Chae Arin's face.
Whatever happened, Cheon Iryeong looked brighter.
That was enough, right?
First path: Endurance.
"You're the new apostle?"
Sa Choiheon asked. Blue Dragon smiled.
"Yes. Ah, I've watched you from above too. You're popular with the constellations. Suspiciously so."
Sa Choiheon's surroundings surely twinkled with countless stars.
Of course, he didn't respond.
Just changed the subject.
"Around the third gate, we'll encounter hunters from other countries. Looks like a structure designed for that. Faster clears give the edge."
This time, national rankings were in play.
In other words, competition between nations.
"You know a lot."
Blue Dragon smiled as he asked.
Sa Choiheon pivoted again.
"The problem is..."
"The Seven Deadly Sins."
"Exactly. When will they show?"
"If they contacted the ma-in as you said, ma-in are probably infiltrating each country's hunters by now."
"Ma-in alone aren't a threat."
Sa Choiheon shook his head.
"But their kin change everything."
The Seven Deadly Sins could have kin—direct subordinates.
Kin inherited part of their power.
But couldn't defy orders.
Kin could sow real chaos.
"Logically, the Seven Deadly Sins have a scheme. Of course, we could turn it against them..."
"And draw them out instead."
They clicked well.
Mumyeong, listening quietly, nodded.
Current Level: Lv.143
Experience from SS-rank gate monsters was richer. Leveling faster than on Jeju Island.
The soul lanterns filled with white light even quicker.
'Seven Deadly Sins... With our current forces, we can win.'Myth-rank apostle Blue Dragon.
Plus returner Ho Young.
Ho Young was an iffy ally... but per Sa Choiheon, on humanity's side.
Just adding them shifted the balance greatly.
Joo Kanghyeok looked ahead at the monsters.
Their movements sharpened in his vision—thanks to heightened perception from leveling.
Undeniably S-rank now.
'One more solid ability would be perfect.'The lantern's light was half-full.
Plenty of monsters left in this SS-rank gate.
Plenty of chances for new power.
Gate raids were underway worldwide.
The structure was identical everywhere.
First gate, three paths.
Unlike smooth Korea, other nations struggled.
Japan's top guild, Mugen.
"Damn, these things are brutal. The difficulty's insane."
"You think an SS-rank gate's a playground? Ugh!"
"Block the front! Push through or die trying!"
Sixty entrants.
Three guilds per path.
Fail one, and the gate stays shut.
No progress.
"Don't overreach! It's just the first gate. Minimize losses!"
Mugen's guild master Hayato bit his lip.
Ridiculous difficulty.
Twenty per path.
Hundreds of buffed monsters.
No deaths allowed.
Sixty was the limit—no reinforcements.
No external aid even on wipe.
'Never been this tense in a raid.'Failure meant Tokyo overrun.
"Guild master, Legend+ item dropped!"
"Not the time for ownership—give it to who needs it!"
Top gates were hardest at spawn.
Hunters' gear wasn't ready.
SS-rank clears dropped matching equipment.
Why repeated raids got easier.
Fail the first, no future.
Clash of weapons and claws echoed endlessly.
Hayato judged calmly.
'Minimum three days. Six at worst.'Japan scraped by; America progressed leisurely.
US third-ranked guild, New Heaven.
"Haha! Come on, monsters! I'll smash ya!"
"God, Derek! Too far ahead—get back!"
"I'm good, I'm good! Piece of cake!"
Boom! Boom!
Derek's punch obliterated monster chunks. No hesitation in his moves.
His body tougher than alloy, physicals crushing other hunters.
A true battlefield hero.
The name of his unique ability.
"World number one on the line—can't hesitate here!"
Derek leaped into the air, grinning fiercely. Boom! Landing shockwave erupted.
Rear guild members looked exasperated.
"Why's Derek so hyped?"
"Got a leaked vid before entry. Watched it and went nuts."
"What vid?"
"Korean Mumyeong turning Apocalypse Temple to rubble."
"..."
Derek bulldozed forward.
Not just video hype.
Star of Prophets shared gate layout.
Per them, world's elites would converge.
Faster clear meant earlier clashes.
'Can't wait to see how strong he really is.'Boom—!
Mana burst from Derek's fist, pulping front monsters. He advanced relentlessly.
Impressive pace, even to him.
'Perfect.'Clear this path fast, then help others.
Possible because Derek dominated US hunters.
'Six hours tops.'First gate, world first.
As Derek smirked confidently—
Korea has become the first to clear the 1st Gate.
Korea receives system benefits.
"...What?"
Thirty minutes since SS-rank gate start.
A system message shocking hunters worldwide.
"Korea cleared the first gate already?"
"Mumyeong really is something..."
"Even so, does that make sense?"
That alone might've been fine.
"Huh?"
Ting—!
Less than a minute later, another.
Korea has become the first to clear the 2nd Gate.
Korea receives additional system benefits.
Second gate cleared.
The staggering news hit.
"What the..."
Fuck.
Derek froze, cursing under his breath.