Hell Gate 4: Deluxe Bomber Detonation
A massive, endlessly swelling form of the abyss filled my view as I stepped out of the vehicle.
'Can't kill that thing right now.' Well, to be precise, if I poured everything I had into it, I might physically take it down. But I knew all too well that such an act would be utterly meaningless.
Even before my regression, that bastard had been "subjugated" dozens of times. Each time, the abyss returned with even greater resistance, ultimately withering humanity to dust.
'The promised catastrophe in the cycle of history.' Severing its neck alone wouldn't break this nauseating loop of extinction. I had to uproot the source of the disaster entirely.
The first step was killing Desolatus.
'Remove the seeds of catastrophe before they gain power.'
Right now, my job was to buy time to pluck those seeds.
"Adel. You ready?"
"Ah, seriously! I've been waiting for this moment!"
Adel in the passenger seat hurled her popcorn bucket aside and slammed the long-awaited red button. A soccer-ball-sized bomb hidden beneath the vehicle revealed itself. Her eyes gleamed with the madness unique to a mad scientist.
"Gonna finish setup quick. How much time?"
"3 seconds."
"...Okay."
The standard for clearing an S-rank gate is taking down the boss? Wrong.
For abyssal S-rank gates, as long as the space persists, everything inside revives and regenerates infinitely. To conquer one like this, you need a different approach: exploiting the hidden special gimmick.
Destroy the space that enables regeneration itself.
'How many died just to figure that out?'
Deluxe Bomber
3 Seconds
"Setup complete."
The soccer-ball-sized metal orb, now set by Adel, landed in my hand.
"3."
Tentacles erupted from the abyssal form in a final frenzy, surging toward us.
"2."
Take this. The obsession of a mad genius scientist.
"1."
Desoar’s Wrath ver 1.0.
—DELUXE BOMBER!!
As Adel finished the countdown and tore the pre-marked coordinate scroll—
—Fwoosh!
The moment our bodies were sucked into the rift of space, the last sight in my eyes:
The A-rank magic stone engine—built by stripping the Red Skulls bare—glowing white from overload.
—!!
Seoul City Hall Square.
Isha von Estelle stared blankly at the gate entrance.
The two who had shoved her out and stayed in hell. Beyond the black curtain where they'd vanished, a blast erupted—swallowing every sound in the world.
"This mana fluctuation...?"
Isha reacted instantly, activating her sanctuary with her last strength.
Thousands of eyes in the square turned skyward.
The blackened gate entrance tore open, unleashing a massive purple pillar of light.
Whether calculated with Isha von Estelle's sanctuary in mind or not, dreamlike, overwhelming violet flashes lit the square like fireworks embroidering the night sky.
—Pop! Bang! Bang!
Purple fireworks bloomed, devouring the abyss's darkness. Their beauty made people forget their terror, lost in awe.
"...Whoa."
On a rooftop in outer Seoul.
I'd escaped via spatial transfer and sat on the railing, taking in the spectacle.
"Gonna kill it. So badass. Thrilling!"
Beside me, Adel gripped the railing, jumping up and down. Her face was enraptured by the explosion's glow.
"You see that? That color? Exactly the wavelength I calculated! That razor-edge curve! That destructive power!"
"Yeah, yeah. Pure art."
I gave Adel a thumbs-up and savored the scene.
Even here, I felt the dimensional vibrations from the gate's collapse.
The abyssal form? Probably pulverized to dust between the blast and dimensional implosion—regeneration or not.
'By the time you return, everything will be over.'
"Best... Today is the best day of my life!"
Adel slapped my back, laughing.
She could be that innocently cheerful after dropping a nuke-level terror in central Seoul? Definitely not right in the head.
But whatever. Seoul was saved, and we lived.
"Too early for our debut anyway."
I murmured, watching the brilliant fireworks.
Hero games could wait. Now was the time to build real power amid the chaos.
I pulled a spare smartphone from my pocket.
As expected, the world was already in uproar.
Whoa.... What exploded inside the gate? The black sky turned purple in an instant. Those persistent tentacle monsters? Vanished the second they touched that light.
The abyssal gate just got physically deleted. Who did this?
Holy See situation room.
"Ooh.... Oooh!"
The cardinal in red robes clutched the monitor, trembling in.
The drone inside the gate was smashed, but spares outside broadcast their feat live.
10 Million Breakthrough
Donations: Over 5 Billion Won
On screen, Isha staggered against the purple glow— the very image of a saintess. Tragic yet sublime, goddess of victory.
"If you'd perform this well! Why the diva act, Saintess!"
The cardinal grinned ear to ear. That Lee Han punk tarnished her image, but she stole the final spotlight.
The masses remember results, not process.
"Estelle Guild stock hits the limit for sure! Release the presser now! Title it 'The Saintess's Miracle Saves Seoul'!"
The ruined City Hall Square.
Amid settling dust clouds, Isha staggered forward.
"Is everyone alright?"
She rushed to the knight captain on the ground.
The knights ejected from the gate seemed unscathed.
"Ugh.... S-Saintess?"
The captain groaned, opening his eyes.
Isha collapsed in relief.
"Thank goodness. Really..."
She gripped his shoulder with trembling hands.
"Tough situation, but you and the kids held till the end.... Until that car saved us."
"Pardon?"
The captain blinked blankly.
"Saintess. Car? What do you mean?"
"The, hearse. The one Lee Han drove..."
"Lee Han? The wanted criminal?"
The captain eyed her worriedly.
"Saintess. We.... blacked out after boss clear. Woke up on the square. Never saw a car."
"......"
Isha was speechless.
The captain asked the elite knights who'd entered the gate.
"You guys see it? Hearse, Lee Han, Adel."
"Hearse? Even unconscious, I'd remember that."
"Felt bugs crawling all over, but... seemed like a hallucination...."
No one saw it.
Not the pitch-black hearse.
Not Lee Han's smug grin from the window.
Not even purple-haired Adel munching popcorn.
'Then... it was all a hallucination?'
The abyss's curse. Mental corruption crafting her deepest desire: salvation?
'No. Impossible.'
Isha glanced at her right hand.
That iron grip yanking her into the car. Rough, crude, but solidly supporting her—hot body heat.
The sensation lingered on her wrist, vivid as a burn.
"Lies...."
Isha clenched her fist.
Staring at dispersing purple embers, she murmured with confused eyes.
'Where does reality end, illusion begin?'
Yet one thing was certain.
That man said, 'See you next time.'
"We're back."
Seoul outskirts, abandoned factory basement—Red Skull hideout.
"Boss! Sis!"
The bruised Red Skull boss—no, now Assistant No. 2—greeted us politely.
He peeked behind me.
"B-Boss. The car? My life's savings tuned that engine..."
"Oh."
I brushed off dirt, replying flatly.
"Sorry. Had to scrap it. Used it up in a hurry."
"Scrap? That cost a fortune..."
The boss's eyes welled up.
My glare screamed 'Got a problem?' He shook his head frantically.
"No sir! Cars are consumables! As long as you and sis are safe! Haha!"
Tears of loyalty. Nice.
"Anyway. Business first?"
Adel stepped forward, eyes flashing.
"All hands assemble."
She held a precision loupe and LED light.
Adel beelined to the basement depths—her treasure trove, the Desolatus limited edition display case.
Gulp.
Safety manager Doki and dozens of members swallowed dryly.
Like sinners awaiting the reaper, they held their breath.
"Hmm...."
Figure collector Adel inspected like a shady rental boss nitpicking scratches.
From box corners to plastic wrap—nano-level scrutiny.
"Here. Lighting angle off by 0.5 degrees?"
"Eek! S-Sorry! Earthquake!"
"Here. Micro dust particle on box bottom."
Doki dropped to his knees under the loupe.
"I deserve death!! Spare the Chamber of Truth!!"
"Eh. Natural disaster fallout. I'll let it slide."
Adel lowered the loupe coolly.
Siiiigh.
Relief swept the basement like a typhoon.
Killers trembling over figure boxes. True reform?
I flopped on the sofa, habitually opening Hunter Inside.
One post caught my eye.
My sources say while Lee Han and Adel were in the gate, Red Skulls all bailed. Criminal scum got loyalty? Lol that idiot Lee Han thought he was hot shit, now penniless and crying. Red Skull bros took the cash and ran lmao.
"Ho?"
My lip twitched.
BurningWarrior. This pest had been needling me forever.
This time, he crossed the line hard.
I glanced at the groveling Red Skull boss massaging me.
He peeked at my screen, face flushing red.
"B-Boss! Not true! We never ran! Not one! Swear I'm innocent!"
"I know, dummy."
I cracked my knuckles.
"Got an enrollment request. Can't ignore it."
"Enrollment?"
I called Adel instead.
"Adel. Done with figures? Time to work."
"Huh? What?"
"IP trace. Fast and precise."
To her questioning look, I replied shortly.
"House call needed."