Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: A-Rank Gate (4)
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A-Rank Gate cleared.
By the power of a single person.
That alone was astonishing enough, but there was something even more outrageous.
The time it took to clear the gate.
A mere five minutes.
An A-Rank Gate completely cleared in just five minutes.
In the face of this overwhelming, almost unreal situation, everyone present fell into confusion.
"No way."
"Five minutes? Actually five minutes?"
"...Wasn't the fastest A-Rank Gate clear record just a little over an hour?"
"My God in heaven...."
Lee Min-hyuk swallowed dryly as he watched the stunned crowd murmuring in shock.
'I expected it, but this is ridiculous....'
He had thought Kim Hyun could clear it alone, and that it wouldn't take too long.
But he never imagined it would be this short.
'How the hell did she do it?'
Did she toss the entire gate into a blender? Anything short of that seemed impossible.
At that moment.
"Th-this can't be real!"
The Deputy Team Leader of Team 2, whose face had gone pale and rigid, suddenly bellowed. He strode toward the gate.
"D-Deputy Team Leader?"
"Don't bullshit me! Clearing an A-Rank Gate in five minutes? That's impossible!"
The Deputy Team Leader brushed past Kim Hyun in an instant and plunged into the gate. Lee Min-hyuk, who had been watching the scene, glanced cautiously at Kim Hyun before speaking up.
"Ms. Kim Hyun, is everything all right?"
Kim Hyun turned to him with a look of utter incomprehension.
"What?"
"Checking inside the gate, I mean."
"Why?"
"Well, just in case it bothers you...."
"I don't really care."
Lee Min-hyuk's face lit up at her words.
This was basically permission granted. He headed straight for the gate. Seeing this, several others glanced at Kim Hyun before following him inside.
Everyone there was dying to know how she'd cleared the gate in just five minutes.
Waiting for them inside the gate was the Deputy Team Leader, his face drained of soul, and beyond him...
"My God."
"Heavens."
"Insane....!"
A mountain of corpses.
The gate's interior was littered with countless monsters, all dead with their heads blown clean off. It was as if they'd been killed in a single blow each—no traces of battle anywhere.
Just bodies and a sea of blood.
'They all died with their heads exploded, without even putting up a fight.'
Lee Min-hyuk's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the inside.
'And not hunted one by one, either. All killed in one strike. What kind of ability lets you do something like this?'
When Kim Hyun had first explained her powers, she'd said she could do "anything a demon can do."
'Anything a demon can do....'
Lee Min-hyuk couldn't even begin to imagine it.
What couldn't a demon do?
"......"
Meanwhile.
The face of the Deputy Team Leader who'd led the boycott was frozen stiff. Staring at the pile of corpses, his body trembled. Curses bubbled up in his throat unbidden.
"Damn it, damn it!"
How could this happen?
Was the S-Rank Returnee HQ had scouted really the absolute top-tier of S-Ranks, of all people?
Not just top-tier S-Rank, but a lunatic monster who could clear an A-Rank Gate in five minutes?
'This makes no sense!'
It was the worst.
The absolute worst-case scenario had unfolded.
'...This ruins our entire boycott justification!'
They'd led the boycott claiming they couldn't trust the skills of the S-Rank Returnee from HQ, only for that S-Rank to prove more powerful than the entire Team 2.
No justification meant no legitimacy.
The Deputy Team Leader glanced around.
The gazes of his team members were growing sharper. Of course they were— they'd followed his words and defied HQ's orders, only for it to end like this.
Ignoring those stares as best he could, he raised his voice.
"Nothing changes anyway."
"...Bro?"
"No one saw this coming. ...Considering the risks, our boycott was justified."
"Th-that's...."
Even his closest aide looked at him like he was spouting nonsense. Grinding his teeth, the Deputy Team Leader muttered.
"Even if they make an issue of it, what can Seosung do? Unless they want to disband the team, they won't act rashly."
"......"
"So it's fine. It'll be fine."
Terror at his mistake and the sinking feeling that he was screwed washed over him, but he muttered assurances to himself.
He didn't know.
That this order had come straight from the Vice President herself.
"Y-yes, sir! Got it! We'll do that!"
And.
That one of the Seosung support team executives who'd tagged along had reported the situation directly to the Vice President.
After the gate clear was done.
I had nothing left to do.
"Once the clear is fully complete, the rear support team enters the gate right away. They dismantle the monsters, collect byproducts, and gather internal resources."
"Convenient. Means I don't have to butcher monsters myself."
"Exactly."
I laced my fingers behind my head and watched Seosung's rear support team enter the gate.
Watching the monster dismantling team, corpse collection team, and resource gathering team work like perfectly meshed gears reminded me oddly of an ant colony.
And from there, my wandering thoughts inevitably led to one conclusion.
"I want ice cream."
I smacked my lips and turned to Chae Seol-ah.
"Agent Chae, look something up for me."
"Y-yes?"
"See if there's a Baskin-Robbins around here. Suddenly craving chocolate ice cream. The one with almonds."
What was that flavor called again?
I racked my brain for a while, but the name wouldn't come. Eh, not important. I'd remember when I saw the menu at Baskin-Robbins.
"O-okay!"
Chae Seol-ah fumbled with her watch to pull up a map.
Out of curiosity, I asked her.
"What flavor do you like, Agent Chae?"
She mumbled something in response.
"M-mint chocolate...."
Hm. Right.
Chae Seol-ah was no longer human.
Makes sense, then—that's why she'd contracted with that Akashic Manual thing from "outside." Otherwise, it doesn't add up. How could a person eat mint chocolate?
I stared at her like she was an alien, and she started trembling, looking terrified as she stammered.
"Wh-why are you looking at me like that?"
"Live like a human, Agent Chae."
"H-huh?"
True to her inhuman nature, she couldn't grasp my point and tilted her head in confusion.
It was right around then.
"Hm?"
A line of black sedans entered my view, heading this way—straight toward the gate site.
"What's that?"
I shot Lee Min-hyuk an expectant look, but even he tilted his head, puzzled.
Finally, the sedans pulled up in front of us.
Slam!
Doors flew open, and a swarm of bodyguards in black suits and sunglasses poured out. Each one was A-Rank caliber. A couple even matched Lee Min-hyuk's level.
The bodyguards swiftly formed ranks and began securing the perimeter.
"Flashy bunch."
Who the heck needed this much protection? As natural curiosity bubbled up.
One bodyguard opened the door of the last remaining car.
Out stepped a tall woman in a sharply tailored gray suit.
A long-haired beauty around 170cm scanned her surroundings with piercing eyes the moment she emerged.
Spotting me, her expression softened. With a faint smile, she strode over and extended her hand.
"Hello. Nice to meet you. I'm Hwang Yu-kyung from Seosung."
"Who?"
Lee Min-hyuk mouthed something desperately at me with an imploring face.
"Wh-what?"
Sorry, but I suck at lip-reading. Especially when it's mumbled like that.
But I didn't need lip-reading anyway.
Hwang Yu-kyung followed up with her introduction.
"I serve as Vice President of Seosung Group."
"Ah, the Vice President."
A big shot.
"Hold on, so Hwang Jae-yong's the Chairman?"
Hwang Yu-kyung's eyes sparkled as she asked.
"Do you know my father?"
"Nah, not really. Just seen him on the news a bit."
She looked disappointed at my answer.
"That's a shame."
What? Why disappointed there's no connection?
As I puzzled over it.
Hwang Yu-kyung cleared her throat lightly.
Then she fixed me with a serious gaze.
"Ms. Kim Hyun. The reason I'm here today is to apologize for Team 2's boycott."
"Apologize?"
"Yes. Seosung Guild failed in managing our employees, causing you grave discourtesy. I sincerely apologize."
With that, Hwang Yu-kyung bowed at a perfect 90 degrees.
Her sudden move startled not just her bodyguards, but her secretaries too—they flinched visibly.
After holding the bow briefly, she slowly raised her head.
"Feeling full responsibility for this incident, we will punish all those involved and promise it won't happen again. Furthermore, Seosung wishes to compensate you for any damages incurred."
Vice President Hwang Yu-kyung met my eyes with a fierce glint.
"Name anything. What would you like? I stake my name as Seosung Vice President on fulfilling any demand you make."