The Gate
The Gate
"Leaving?"
The Emperor of Belial, at least on this land, no one could ignore the golden crown resting on the head of the middle-aged man. However, the silver-haired young man smiled faintly and said, looking at the emperor.
"I'm leaving. I'm a guy who shouldn't be here in the first place."
Even disregarding age, doing such a rude thing to the emperor, the guards surrounding it, who protected it like ironclad, didn't say a word as if it was natural.
It was a secret, but they knew. This young man was the only person on the continent who could stand on equal terms with the emperor, the emperor's teacher and the continent's greatest alchemist. The man called Karen.
"The enemy will keep bothering me. Fortunately, this time it was a somewhat weak guy."
After 160 years in another world, rather than being weak, it was a problem that he was too strong.
"Damn the balance."
Coming to this place called Belial from Earth, suffering, and wanting to live comfortably, but constantly appearing guys who want to destroy the world.
At first, I thought it was coincidence. But they kept appearing at regular intervals, so something was wrong. I went to the temple and asked. Honestly, the words didn't come out nicely. If a wise man gets bothered by someone coming to rest, he wouldn't be angry.
[Are you not working?]
The goddess who preferred peace, perhaps because of that, I was able to hear the answer.
[As long as an alien being is in Belial, the one who is not a subject of mine will continue to appear.]
[...For a lifetime? Without being able to rest?]
Hearing those words, I made a decision. To use the emperor, my disciple and friend, the son. It was not difficult to persuade.
Power and authority, sure, but rather than appearing bothersome guys, I liked it.
"Done. Get out quickly, you continent's troublesome guy who doesn't age."
The old friend, the court archmage, gave a very pleasant final greeting. I had to respond to that.
"What about for 100 years over the flower shop Eilin's thing..."
"Ah! Get out now! Crazy bastard!"
"Hahaha, then I'm going!"
As expected, leaving the archmage who causes trouble behind, I put my foot into the huge magic gate built with all the mana of the continent's mages.
The reason this gate is so huge is simple. The larger the presence of the passerby, the larger the gate.
A one-time use gate that moves you anywhere you want, apparently it poured out all the rare resources of the continent.
This luxurious magic would be used by me, the first and last. When I go to Earth, I should rest a bit.
* * *
[Uuuuuuung, iiiiiing]
"Again?"
"Tired, I'm tired."
The siren was urgent, but people's expressions had irritation and boredom rather than fear and panic, as if this kind of thing had happened more than once.
[Warning, warning, announcing from Korea. Gate emergence warning. Gate emergence warning]
"This time, what rank is it, at best E? Or F?"
"Let's bet."
"Okay. This time I win. I'm betting on an E-rank gate emergence."
"Then I'll bet on D or F."
"What? Betting on two cheaply?"
"Anyway, E comes out the most, so two or so should be fine. Then I'll do E."
"Hmm... no, then let's do that."
The man who was considering for a moment after his friend's suggestion soon accepted the bet. After all, in the East Asia Union, detailed probabilities weren't announced, but from his perspective, E-rank gate emergence was the most frequent. At least 60% or more?
"First, let's go to the shelter."
"If it's E-rank, do I need to go to the shelter? I have to go into the company soon. It's after lunch time."
The employee's badge hanging on the man's neck and the coffee in his hand told that there were many companies and firms in this street, bustling with people like themselves. The man tapped his left wrist with his fingers 'tuk tuk', and time appeared on the skin.
12:52, must enter by 1 o'clock. Of course, being a few minutes late wasn't a big deal, but recently the department's Kim and his wife were fighting, so he didn't need to make excuses for nothing.
"Just go to the company side."
Everyone was obliged to know the nearest shelter to work and home, and when the gate alarm rang, they had to head to the shelter immediately. But in this wide area, would a gate really generate in front of them?
Even if so, D and F ranks would be handled by resident hunters.
First, there was a short 10 minutes from when the warning sound rang until the rank was announced. For the man, it was a crossroads of whether to return to the company or not.
"After all, something would happen."
At most once a day. No matter how little, the warning sound that rang at least once a week at first was scary, but soon it seeped into daily life and brought a sense of safety to the citizens.
[Gate rank announcement. The rank of the gate that emerged this time is...]
"Finally coming out."
Before long, 10 minutes passed and the company appeared across the traffic light.
"Please come out as D-rank."
"D? It's definitely E, right? This time the coffee is on you."
The man, who won the bet again this time, was smiling brightly at his friend, thinking he would get the coffee. But soon, the announcement from the speaker stopped all movements and words of the people on the street, and a moment of silence flowed.
[N/A]
"What? What does N/A mean?"
[Unmeasurable. Unmeasurable. Unmeasurable with current technology. Union level alert. Union level alert. All citizens evacuate. All citizens evacuate, uuuuung]
"Kyaak!"
"Move! Don't block!"
The complacency engraved in citizens' hearts changed to urgency, and everyone started running to the shelter. Cars running on the road suddenly rang their horns when people jumped in, but because of the people running on the road, they couldn't move at all, so they soon abandoned the car and started running.
"Ahahaha... what is this."
"Let's go quickly too!"
The man, whose coffee fell on his shoe without knowing it was soaking his sock cold, opened his mouth wide in front of the suddenly unfolding hell. But after the continued alarm, he quickly regained his senses and started running with his friend.
Uuuuuung
[According to the Union Law, we announce. Hunters in the vicinity, gather at Yongsan-gu, Yongsan-gu]
Soon, hunters with various colors began to gather in Yongsan-gu. Thanks to the gate emergence that has become routine, a separate second-lane road was created for the hunters. When citizens flee, they gather like salmon swimming upstream.
"Shit, what the hell is this?"
"Ah... it's a holiday today, damn gate."
People who came with their own weapons—swords, clubs, maces, even aluminum bats—spewed out rough words.
"N/A rank? I haven't seen that kind of rank. Don't gates have ranks up to S-rank?"
One hunter grumbled, and the other hunters next to him nodded. Even S-rank, let alone A-rank, many here hadn't seen it. But N/A rank?
"Everyone, pay attention!"
"This bastard... what the hell."
At that time, the piercing voice made all hunters frown and look at the one who shouted. But not the man, but the woman, and everyone had no choice but to close their mouths.
"I know, right? If I didn't know, I wouldn't be a hunter."
With a short reprimand, a pretty face, but thanks to the scar that split the nose horizontally, no one would look ordinary.
Over the flexible clothes that made movement easy, the muscles were clearly raised. Not large, but anyone who was a hunter would know. The power compressed by mana and effort inside that appropriate muscle.
Witch of Severance
"Yeah, the Witch of Severance belonging to the Union. You guys. Haa... the first one who called me witch, if I find him, I'll really tear him apart."
The Witch of Severance ground her teeth. Severance is one thing... since she has her own ability, but what is witch? At first, she beat the guy who called her that, but now she half-ignored it.
Addeuk, addeuk
All hunters shrank their heads at the eerie sound. They all knew that the word "tear apart" was not a simple threat. No, even without using her ability, that woman could tear with her hands.
But now, Jeong-hyeon, the secretary wearing a suit next to the urgent situation before the gate emergence, said, and she quickly regained her coldness.
"Lee Chaerin-nim, you need to prepare. Soon, the Union's Ryoku and Chencheong will arrive. An urgent summons order has been issued to S-rank hunters other than the standby team, so they will come soon."
"Got it. Japan and China are coming, right? Mongolia?"
"Since the distance is a bit far, it might be late."
"Then..."
Pajik
"Eh? Already?"
A crack appeared in the empty air as if glass breaking. And like spreading infection, the crack grew larger. It was the symptom before the gate opened. But normally it takes about 10 hours?
"Damn it. Everyone, weapons ready! I'll explain about the N/A rank."
Lee Chaerin took out her weapon at the forefront and aimed at the gate. Although she was facing the hunters, the loud voice clearly pierced the ears of the hunters.
"No need to talk long. There's one event that everyone knows."
"Do we all know?"
The hunters muttered. They checked their own memories, but nothing came to mind. No matter how much they rummaged, there was no event related to N/A rank?
"The Cataclysm."
"Ah!"
A cry burst from the hunters' mouths. Right. The event known to everyone in the world, the Cataclysm. For unknown reasons, earthquakes occurred worldwide. The land of Northeast Asia, that is, Korea, China, Japan, Mongolia, was close together.
The sea between Japan and Korea disappeared, and Mongolia and China were originally bordering, but with the land in between disappearing, their capitals were close.
Coincidentally, most politicians including presidents were gathered for a gate preparedness meeting, and they all died.
As a result, Northeast Asia fell into extreme chaos, the meaning of borders disappeared, the national system disappeared, and guilds took their place. The group that cooperated against the gates made by those guilds was the Union.
"Coming. Prepare!"
While speaking, the crack spread from the size of a sheet of paper to instantly, and soon became as large as a high-rise building.
"Damn, such a huge crack is the first time."
The gate's crack grows in size in proportion to the rank before the gate opens. As expected for an N/A rank, it was an unprecedented huge size.
Uuuuuung
[Warning, warning]
"Shit, what now?"
It was already soaked with sweat from just that, what was this warning sound.
[Multiple gates detected, C-rank, B-rank, A-rank, S-rank]
Jjeojjeojjeok
Before the warning sound ended, numerous cracks began to form next to the N/A rank crack.
"Insane, we're all dead."
"Mom..."
Although the hunters' world was rough with swearing, there was a taboo. Saying the word death. But despite someone breaking that taboo, no one punished it. Because the same thought popped into everyone's heads.
"Jeong-hyeon."
"Yes, Lee Chaerin-nim."
"Don't go to the army. Tell the hunters to come quickly."
"...Understood."
Hearing Lee Chaerin's words, the secretary called Jeong-hyeon disappeared for a moment into the back alley next to her. After all, if they couldn't stop it, the army couldn't stop it either. It was right not to get killed and evacuate the citizens. And during that time, they...
"Hey! You guys!"
The Witch of Severance, Lee Chaerin, turned around and shouted. All the hunters looked at her.
"We're going to lose. Yeah, we're definitely going to die."
The hunters were confused. What the hell was this crazy woman saying in this urgent situation.
"What is your rank?"
Lee Chaerin pointed with her sword, and one hunter hesitated and answered.
"B.. is it."
"Oh~ high, what about you?"
"D is it."
"I'm S."
The hunters looked at Lee Chaerin with confused expressions, not understanding what she was saying.
"I'm also going to lose. Even I, an S-rank, am going to die, so let's die together. Is my life more precious than yours? Is an S-rank more precious than me? Are you more expensive than me?"
"Hahaha, no."
"Compared to S-rank, I'm just a pebble rolling on the roadside, that guy is a diamond."
The value of an S-rank hunter's body is not even 1000 people in the world. Of course, there were A-ranks here too, but A-rank and S-rank were a world apart, incomparable.
"I'll stand in front! There is an expensive S-rank in front. Understand?"
"Yes!"
"After all, I'll die once, dying with an S-rank isn't bad, right?"
"That's good!"
A small sense of relief and determination lingered on the faces of the hunters who were all dying. And from the C-rank crack, the lowest rank, finally began to take shape.
"Prepare!"
Pajik
The sound of sparks fading, and finally the expansion of the C-rank crack stopped. And it created one form, and with this, one could understand why it was called 'gate'. Because when the crack's expansion ends, a 'door' is truly made.