Dawn at the Red Gate
CHAPTER_TITLE: Dawn of the Red GateStill before sunrise, the early morning light had not yet touched the sky.
The research lab of SW Technology was already ablaze with activity.
“……Wow.”
So-hee let out a gasp as she gazed at her equipment.
Only now did she fully grasp the meaning of enduring that impossible schedule and leveling up without pause.
So-hee asked, her voice quiet.
“Is it… really okay for me to take all of this?”
“Everything has been custom-made for So-hee. Direct order from the chairman.”
The lab team leader, Lee Ji-sook, inspected the armor on So-hee’s body with meticulous care.
The inspection was already complete, yet the final check was still required.
So-hee lowered her head in gratitude for Ji-sook’s thoughtfulness.
“Thank you so much. But… I’m not even entering the Red Gate, yet why am I wearing full gear?”
The items on So-hee’s body alone were worth over ten billion won by any estimate.
All of it had come down to one sentence from Do-jin.
Ji-sook shook her head in reply.
“It was simply an order to prepare. And it’s also equipment designed to help So-hee become an even better hunter.”
“……Understood.”
So-hee nodded.
And then.
“Ah, it seems Mr. Do-jin is coming out as well.”
Ji-sook glanced toward the changing room where Do-jin had disappeared.
Unlike the thick armor on So-hee, he wore a lighter, everyday-style protective suit. LT__div style="text-align:centerborder:3px solid #fbbf24padding:25pxbox-shadow:0 0 25px rgba(251,191,36,0.6),inset 0 0 25px rgba(251,191,36,0.1)background:linear-gradient(135deg,#1a0f00 0%,#000 50%,#1a0f00 100%)border-radius:8pxmargin-bottom:20px">
Shadow of the Quiet Dawn
When Do-jin stepped out of the changing room, So-hee’s eyes sparkled.
“Oh! Uncle, you look amazing!”
“……It’s fine.”
The design was completely different from the jacket she had been wearing before.
The suit hugged his body tightly with a belt to prevent fabric flutter, and inside it was lined with oil-treated Ogre leather to boost defensive power.
Especially here, the oil came from the wings of a Soul Moth, a superior monster—fireproof and extremely durable.
“The gauntlets are already top-tier items, so it’s just a light upgrade.”
It was equipment the Firebird Guild had specially prepared for him, after all.
Ji-sook looked at Do-jin and asked.
“Is there any discomfort while moving?”
“No. It feels perfect.”
The belt’s compression actually heightened his sense of alertness.
Ji-sook calmly fastened a dagger to the hook on the belt.
“The red handle is infused with mana; when thrown, it will explode three seconds later. On impact it detonates immediately.”
The blue one slightly freezes its surroundings, while the green spreads poison.
Along with the three daggers, an extra weapon was also provided.
So-hee, watching Do-jin, said.
“He looks just like an assassin from the movies.”
“Because he’s a hunter who specializes in assassination.”
Ji-sook supplied the answer.
Do-jin studied his reflection in the mirror.
Exactly as So-hee had said, he resembled a fantasy-film assassin that would appear in a blockbuster.
Do-jin drew Arkal’s Wrath from behind his waist.
The sheath slid out smoothly with no hindrance.
All preparations were complete.
Do-jin faced Ji-sook.
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing. I merely followed the chairman’s instructions.”
“Is the chairman still at the company? If so, I’d like to greet him before leaving.”
“The chairman already mentioned that part. He wanted to greet you after your safe return.”
“……I understand.”
Do-jin looked at So-hee.
She still wore a dazed expression.
Perhaps she was puzzled that someone entering the Red Gate was receiving such overwhelming gear.
But Do-jin gently ruffled her hair and said.
“You’ll need it. And we must also prepare for the worst-case scenario.”
So-hee was accompanying him to the Red Gate site.
Because there was a raid team heading inside, yet hunters would be waiting in case they failed to clear the dungeon.
So-hee was one of the waiting hunters.
Although her level was still low, this experience alone would teach her a great deal.
“What’s my level right now?”
“54th level.”
‘54th level…’
Even reaching just 50 would have been tremendous growth.
Yet So-hee had gone further, thanks to the Firebird Guild’s support, and climbed all the way to 54.
Her stamina, including the options on her gear, already exceeded 200.
She could now hold her own against mid-tier hunters anywhere.
Do-jin said.
“Then let’s go.”
“……Yes!”
Do-jin and So-hee boarded the prepared vehicle.
* * *
Midway up Bohyeon Mountain in Yongin.
A crowd had gathered around the Red Gate that had appeared in this location.
“……Uncle.”
“It’s fine.”
So-hee flinched slightly upon seeing the Red Circle guild emblem, but Do-jin gently patted her head.
The bad history between them was there, yet there was no choice in the current situation.
‘Kang Seungho… isn’t coming?’
Kang Seungho usually avoided the public eye.
Perhaps once the board was perfectly set…
‘He’ll step out at that moment and clean up this mess.’
Red Circle had artificially created the dungeon break.
Because it appeared at an entirely unexpected time, initial response was poor and massive damage resulted.
‘I must stop it.’
Do-jin arrived at the site and surveyed those gathered around the Red Gate.
The three major guilds of South Korea: Hwarang, Black Chain, and Red Circle.
Two representatives from other large guilds joined them, forming a ten-man team.
Do-jin participated as a member of the Firebird Guild, while his master, Hye-jin, joined the other member.
“Long time no see, Mr. Ha Do-jin.”
“The same to you.”
Do-jin had never imagined that 170-level Hye-jin herself would come forward.
Although the Firebird Guild had few A-rank hunters, there would still have been someone to substitute.
Hye-jin answered Do-jin’s gaze.
“You look surprised.”
“A little.”
“I was curious. About what kind of person the hunter named Ha Do-jin is.”
She was someone who had witnessed his starting point together.
The very first time.
Clearing a level-10 dungeon, Black Groling, and now more than two months had passed.
Yet here he stood, one of the raiders for a Red Gate with mana readings over 130,000.
Impressive. Astonishing.
Words failed to capture it.
The world was slowly changing these days, but the story still circulated that after one year of reaching level 50, a promising hunter remained the focus of attention.
Some claimed it was simple: just raid dungeons and keep hunting to level up.
But that was truly foolish talk.
It was completely different from grinding potions in a game.
Ordinary hunters would get exhausted after just two or three consecutive dungeon runs and couldn’t hunt for days.
It wasn’t about mental fortitude.
It was the enormous consumption of stamina and mana.
And to level up quickly, you had to fight the strongest monsters, whose fatigue was unimaginable.
‘Yet…’
The man standing before her eyes had accomplished all of that and arrived here.
He knew every dungeon Do-jin had entered during the past month.
Even the ones he cleared without ever actually finishing—just kept farming for levels.
“I’m curious. What kind of driving force could make someone do all of that?”
“……I simply wanted to become stronger.”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
The hunters who had supported each guild then approached one by one, Hye-jin and Do-jin.
All were hunters dispatched from guilds whose names alone were recognizable.
From there.
“I think we should also elect a team leader. What do you think?”
A hunter dispatched from Steel Wing Guild spoke up.
“Jeong Woo-hyun of Steel Wing. A-rank. Position: tank.”
“Seo Yu-ri of Storm Zone. A-rank. Position: healer.”
The others introduced themselves one after another.
Two tanks and three healers, plus four main damage dealers.
Assassins: only Do-jin.
In reality, those with assassin jobs were unpopular unless the dungeon had a special concept.
In a hunting party, they were the only ones providing damage, tanking, and support, yet the role felt off in every aspect.
Of course, a single excellent assassin could disrupt enemy formations and deliver huge effects, but such skilled individuals were rare.
Because of that, the stares directed at Do-jin were not exactly warm.
But Hye-jin was present, so no one dared speak openly.
‘There was a reason for that as well.’
That was why Hye-jin herself had joined the Red Gate raid.
She spoke in a blunt tone, yet it carried a deeper meaning.
“Then the leader… should we leave it to the only master, Hunter Hye-jin?”
A healer-class hunter looked at Hye-jin and spoke.
“Hunter Hye-jin does have excellent leadership qualities, but how about Jeong Woo-hyun from Steel Wing as leader? He’s more of a tank than a damage dealer.”
The others secretly glanced at Hye-jin.
Because they had openly shown eagerness to seize the leader position of the joint raid from Steel Wing Guild.
Hye-jin nodded.
“It doesn’t matter. But given the Red Gate’s nature, the probability of splitting once inside the dungeon is high. Shouldn’t we start with gathering?”
“I have signal flares. We’ll fire them every thirty minutes to signal movement. Let’s focus on gathering first.”
“Good.”
“Very well.”
The joint team discussed approximate positions in case fighting broke out.
Since everyone was experienced, the discussion ended quickly.
However…
“We have no information on Mr. Ha Do-jin, so I excluded him from the positions. Follow the orders according to the situation.”
“Understood.”
Level and experience alike.
Do-jin did not receive recognition from the other hunters in the joint raid.
Many eyes questioned why such a person had been included, yet Hye-jin ignored them and looked toward the gate.
By now, Dong Gwan-taek of the Dungeon Management Agency had called out to the hunters who had assembled around the Red Gate.
“Everyone, please gather.”
The raiders who had been in place all came together.
All were hunters whose names alone commanded respect.
Do-jin’s gaze fixed on one man.
‘…That guy.’
The strange man who had been subtly flirting with the women nearby.
But Do-jin already knew who he was.
‘Main damage dealer from the Yellow Dragon Guild… Hao Chen.’
The man held his trademark long spear without hiding it.
That was why flashes of camera light were bursting toward him.
Hao Chen seemed to be enjoying the situation too, staring at his phone and licking his lips as if he had come on a picnic with children.
Taek called out to the assembled raiders.
“This dungeon has mana readings completely different from any that have appeared before. Please clear it.”
No lengthy explanation was needed.
All were professionals.
Upon hearing the words, everyone nodded with serious expressions.
They already knew how dangerous a Red Gate with over 130,000 mana was.
Just…
‘…It’s just a different objective.’
Do-jin looked at Red Circle’s raid team.
The First Raid Team led by Choi Jang-hoon.
At this point, it was probably the strongest raid team within Red Circle itself.
Along with the hunters from the Yellow Dragon Guild.
For Kang Seungho, it was the most reliable card he could play.
Do-jin’s gaze turned ice-cold.
When that largest card prepared by the man was torn apart, what kind of expression would the man make?
‘Wait just a little longer.’
One by one… I’ll shatter everything and leave.
Eventually, watching the hunters entering the Red Gate, Do-jin was also pulled inside by the portal.