Chapter 51
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Heading to Pyongyang (2)
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"The Pyongyang Gate opened 11 years ago."
On the chartered flight heading to Incheon.
At Kim Hyun's request to tell her about the Pyongyang Gate, Chae Seol-ah explained with a serious expression. Kim Hyun sat in the seat across from her, listening intently.
"No one knows why North Korea let an S-Rank Gate fully open like that. Either way, the important thing is that Pyongyang was destroyed because of it."
"Yeah, figures."
"What came out of the Pyongyang Gate were spider-like insect monsters. The problem is that they were a swarm type."
"Swarm type?"
"They multiply on their own and form armies—that's what swarm type means. Just think of them like ants."
"Hmm."
As Kim Hyun nodded, Chae Seol-ah continued.
"North Korea must have tried to stop them, but it was no use. There were just too many spiders, and each one was strong. In the end, most of North Korea, including Pyongyang, fell to the spiders."
Chae Seol-ah paused for a moment before speaking again.
"Of course, the spider army didn't stop expanding there. Even now, they're steadily pushing south along the DMZ. The military's holding them back for now, but no one knows when the line might break. The spider swarm keeps growing and getting stronger."
Chae Seol-ah hesitated briefly before asking cautiously.
"So... are you really going to Pyongyang?"
"Of course."
Kim Hyun answered immediately.
"......"
Chae Seol-ah's face grew complicated.
'Kim Hyun unnie couldn't possibly lose to those spiders...'
Beijing in 3 minutes, Shanghai in 13.
With skills like that, conquering the Pyongyang Gate should be no problem. This could be the chance for Korea to finally defuse the time bomb that was the Pyongyang Gate.
That wasn't the issue, though.
'But if the spider swarm goes on a rampage during the raid...'
What if the spiders got agitated while she was raiding Pyongyang and scattered everywhere?
Civilian casualties could occur.
If that massive spider army didn't just probe like usual but came crashing down like a real wave, the DMZ defenses might collapse.
"Something bothering you?"
Kim Hyun asked, noticing Chae Seol-ah's expression.
"Oh, no. It's just..."
Chae Seol-ah hesitated.
"I was worried that if the spiders rampage during the raid and head south, the DMZ might break. Even if it doesn't, there'd be soldier casualties we couldn't avoid."
"Ah."
Kim Hyun nodded.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"......Okay."
Chae Seol-ah said no more.
Kim Hyun would have some way to handle it.
That's what she decided to believe.
A few hours later.
The chartered flight landed at Incheon Airport.
Kim Hyun and Chae Seol-ah exited the airport.
"Hold on a sec."
Kim Hyun pulled out her smartphone.
"Gotta give them a heads-up first."
Kim Hyun dialed the direct line to President Han Sung-ho that she'd gotten before.
Ring ring.
After a few rings, the call connected.
-Kim Hyun?
President Han Sung-ho's voice came through.
"Yeah. Got something to tell you."
-What is it?
"I'm going to raid the Pyongyang Gate."
-......Pardon?
The president's voice stiffened.
-W-Wait a minute. You're raiding the Pyongyang Gate... right now?
"Yep."
-Th-That... you're joking, right?
"Do I look like the type to joke around? I don't joke. I'm heading there right now."
-......!
A brief silence followed.
President Han Sung-ho was caught off guard for a moment.
'What the hell is this?'
Raiding the Pyongyang Gate?
Right now?
But Kim Hyun wasn't the type to joke, just as she said. And she definitely had the power to pull it off.
'So she's seriously notifying me that she's about to raid the Pyongyang Gate?'
President Han Sung-ho swallowed dryly.
His mind raced.
'F-First...!'
The president spoke again.
-Do you need any support?
"I'm planning to wipe out the boss and nearby monsters first, but that might agitate the spiders and trigger a monster wave, or so I'm told."
Kim Hyun said calmly.
"Just in case, let the military know."
-A monster wave...
President Han Sung-ho thought for a moment, then replied firmly.
-Understood. I'll deploy the troops immediately.
"Good."
Kim Hyun hung up lightly. She pocketed her phone and turned to Chae Seol-ah.
"Alright, I'm off to Pyongyang."
"Y-You're not taking me this time?"
Chae Seol-ah muttered with a dissatisfied look.
"Why would I? You want to go into an S-Rank Gate?"
"Of course not, but... I want to help."
"If you really want to help, assist the military. I'll block them as much as I can, but a wave's probably inevitable."
"......Got it!"
Chae Seol-ah clenched her fist determinedly.
Kim Hyun nodded and kicked off the ground.
Whoosh!
Her body shot into the sky.
"See you later."
"Yes!"
Meanwhile, at the Blue House.
President Han Sung-ho urgently convened the military chain of command.
The Minister of National Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and service chiefs rushed in.
"What's going on, sir?"
The Minister of National Defense asked.
"Hunter Kim Hyun is raiding the Pyongyang Gate."
"......Pardon?"
The conference room fell silent instantly.
President Han Sung-ho began explaining slowly.
"This isn't a joke. Hunter Kim Hyun is heading to Pyongyang right now. She'll probably start engaging soon."
The president said firmly.
"Deploy troops along the DMZ immediately. We have to stop a monster wave."
"Understood!"
The minister replied at once.
"Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, draw up an operations plan now."
"Yes, sir!"
The room buzzed with activity.
After issuing orders to the others, President Han Sung-ho gazed out the window.
'Hunter Kim Hyun...'
The Pyongyang Gate had been Korea's festering tumor for 11 years.
And now it was finally going to be conquered.
'...During my term?'
His approval ratings were about to skyrocket.
President Han Sung-ho smiled inwardly.
Raiding the Pyongyang Gate.
This was a monumental achievement.
Of course, Kim Hyun was doing the actual work, but just supporting it as president would score major points.
'Riding the Kim Hyun wave was the right call.'
The president looked satisfied.
Memories from the past surfaced in his mind. When he first made the pact with Kim Hyun, many had opposed it.
Too many concessions, they'd said.
But Han Sung-ho had pushed through, even firing his chief of staff.
'My judgment was spot on.'
At first, it had been out of fear for his life, but now it was genuine. President Han Sung-ho truly believed Kim Hyun was a blessing for Korea.
'So we need to step up too.'
He couldn't let another country steal someone this incredible.
Analysis showed she had no plans to leave, but you never knew—better safe than sorry.
Preparation was key.
President Han Sung-ho resolved firmly.
He'd make Korea so great that Kim Hyun wouldn't even consider other countries.
Whoosh!
Kim Hyun continued flying through the sky.
'Wish I had teleportation for times like this.'
She accelerated.
Boom!
Breaking the sound barrier.
Yet her posture remained perfectly steady.
How long had she flown?
'There it is.'
She had long passed what resembled the DMZ.
In the distance, something like a city came into view.
Pyongyang.
Once the palace of the Kim family dynasty.
Now a monster's lair.
Kim Hyun flew toward it.
Soon, the gate hovering over Pyongyang entered her sight.
A massive rift in the sky.
Far larger than the gates in Beijing or Shanghai.
The rift was pitch black and gaping wide.
'So that's what a fully opened gate looks like.'
Kim Hyun looked down at Pyongyang.
The city was in ruins.
Buildings crumbled, streets empty.
And.
Skitter skitter!
Skitter!
Spiders crawled everywhere.
From large-dog size to bus-sized giants.
Thousands—no, tens of thousands of them.
"Whoa, creepy as hell."
Like ants, but spiders.
Kim Hyun marveled.
'No wonder they gave up reclaiming it.'
You'd need an army and carpet bombing. Even then, no guarantee you'd kill them all without survivors. Sending regular hunters would just get them buried under the horde.
And sending soldiers? That'd just be spider food.
But.
"Eh, this is nothing."
To Kim Hyun, it was trivial.
She flew to the center of Pyongyang.
And landed at what looked like the former site of Kim Il-sung's statue.
Boom!
As Kim Hyun hit the ground, the surrounding spiders all turned toward her.
Skitter!
Skitter skitter!
Instantly, they charged at her.
Hundreds, thousands swarming from all sides.
"Alright then."
Kim Hyun snapped her fingers.
"Time to clean house?"