Sudden Gate Anomaly
I calmed my confused mind and asked Su-ah.
"Didn't you mean a second-gen hunter by mistake?"
"No way, sis! Park Min-su, Korea's first-gen S-rank hunter! I got it right."
My head spun. Sure, a middle-aged guy might know, but how does a fresh-out-of-school kid like her know about the previous generation?
"I didn't know a thing about first-gens until today. How do you know so much?"
"Ehehe~. Grandpa told me! I've been nagging him for old stories since I was little… Ah."
Jeong Su-ah's excited chatter halted for the first time in thirty minutes.
Fine, she knows—but it's not something to blab about to strangers.
"Uh, sis."
"Yeah?"
The bubbly energy from moments ago was gone. Now she looked like a puppy who'd gotten in trouble, shoulders slumped.
"Um… actually, Grandpa said not to tell anyone outside the family…"
"Yeah?"
"Yeeeah… so…"
"I'll pretend I didn't hear it."
"Huh?"
"Pretend I didn't hear your first-gen hunter story."
I don't wanna hear it either. It's bound to be a flood of exaggerated tales. I'd rather reread my elementary school diary.
Even ten years later, that name still makes me cringe. Thunder God—what the hell kind of name is that…
'Hey, Thunder~ God! If you're not dealing damage, go charge at that generator over there!'
'Grk… brrz mrrgh hnd…'
'Huh? What? Can't hear you with that battery talk. They say if you bite down hard, the damage starts flowing?'
It was way too grandiose for a lowly S-rank grunt. Some old-timer in the Association's naming department must've slapped it on based on his tastes.
The embarrassment of that black history was one thing.
But every time it surfaced, it dragged along blood-soaked memories like a buy-one-get-one-free deal. Not exactly pleasant.
Maybe I should see a counselor after this mess.
"Thanks, sis!"
Innocent as ever, oblivious to my inner turmoil.
"Yeah."
Come to think of it, if I kept hunting like this, with my lightning being pitch-black, would they nickname me something stupid like Black Thunder God Garlic?
I'd have to quit for real.
Su-ah kept chattering away, now on hunter-unrelated topics. Mala tang, butter rice cakes, spring onion bibimbap…
Listening to her one-sided ramble, we soon reached the hunting zone.
"Lots of people besides us!"
"Suwon Gate 3's the safest, right?"
Korea's gate with the weakest monsters—a so-called newbie haven.
Goblins or infected wolves at most, and never more than five at a time.
Like hot reservation-only restaurants, slots fill up the instant they reset—sometimes two or three months out.
Or so the search results said earlier.
Means they really don't wanna die.
Life's precious.
Thinking back to our two-person entry, they must've fought tooth and nail for tickets too.
Her uncle, Choi Yun-deok, must dote on his niece beyond measure.
Glancing around, F-rank hunters were scattered, picking off monsters.
One punched wind-holes in a wolf's torso with what looked like a laser gun; another hurled fireballs at a goblin's head.
I took them all in, lost in thought.
Full of gaps, sloppy, slow as molasses—it was almost moving.
Unlike back then, when sacrificing a limb during a welcoming hunt wouldn't have felt like a waste. Peace had come here too.
"Sis?"
"Yeah? Oh, uh. First time here, just sightseeing."
Spaced out too long, huh.
"Shall we go?"
"Yeah!"
We headed toward an area with no hunter presence and just three monster signatures.
The world sure had improved.
Krrr…
Deep inside Suwon Gate 3, an injured infected wolf lay collapsed.
Its body gashed by a massive blade, but it had barely escaped with its life, clinging on.
Lacking any intelligence, the wolf simply heaved ragged breaths on instinct, staving off death.
Clack, clack.
At the sound of approaching footsteps, it laboriously lifted its head.
Through half-blurred vision, a human figure appeared.
"Oh my, why are you all alone without your friends?"
Human. Human? The wolf hesitated.
Human-shaped, yet its instincts weren't screaming to kill.
"Poor thing. All your friends died too, huh? You're the only survivor."
The human knelt before the wolf and began stroking its head, which lacked even the strength to resist.
"Pitiful creature. Born without knowing your purpose, faithful only to instinct, and now you must die."
The human gazed at the wolf with sympathetic eyes, murmuring incomprehensible words.
Grulk…
But such actions were beyond the wolf's concern. It had no spare energy.
The spores settling on its body heralded death too close to fend off.
Right now, it just wanted to savor the stroking hand and let its heavy eyelids fall.
As the wolf succumbed to overwhelming drowsiness and began closing its eyes—
"No, you can't. It'd be too unjust for you to die like this."
Suddenly, an unknown energy surged into the wolf's body.
A novel sensation, yet akin to the instincts that occasionally flooded its mind.
"You're lucky, pup. This was meant for my last friend."
Something entered the wolf's body. Sticky and viscous, it coursed through veins in place of the nearly drained blood.
"But he died a few days ago. Must've hated this world."
Crack, craaaack!
Split skin knit closed; spilled guts reformed. A power the wolf had never known surged, strengthening its entire body.
Krr…
Unsure what happened, but the wolf knew: the human before it was voicing the very commands its instincts had screamed.
"So, make the world know in his place."
The stroking stopped. The human stared into its eyes, words echoing identically in its mind.
"Kill all humans."
"Awooooooo!"
With a howl turning to a roar, the wolf charged.
To rip out the throats of humans in their territory.
"Hah!"
Bam!
A clean straight punch shattered the goblin's skull.
"Not bad?"
"Hehe! Uncle said this is plenty here! No blood splatter—super handy skill!"
Nothing special. Just firing mana like a bullet from your fist as the focal point.
Add fire for flame fist, water for water fist, lightning for Lightning Fist—basic stuff.
As she said, no mess on clothes was nice, but it lacked that satisfying hand feel.
"Sis, behind you!"
"Got it."
Kyaack!
The goblin that had been lying in wait lunged close, swinging a rusty sword at me.
Bam!
A light jab, and its upper body exploded cleanly.
The resistance on my fist after so long felt good. Yeah, this is it.
"Whoa, sis, you're amazing! Really F-rank?"
"Yup. My skill's Body Enhancement."
"Still impressive! Takes me four hits…"
Nah. Four's solid.
At your age, I stabbed a goblin dozens of times till it was shredded, barely killing it.
Unlike me, second-gens got automatic physical buffs on awakening.
Like electronics—don't buy the first-gen models.
"Can't you use your skill for fewer hits?"
"Nope. Uncle says solve requests without skills, then he'll let me try other gates."
"Huh."
Even if she did everything he asked, this overprotection screamed no C-rank-plus requests.
"How many left?"
"Four more. You?"
"Done. Easy request."
Truth: no request. Could I even take one? Without a Status Window, normal requests seemed tough.
"But no byproducts—how does the Association confirm clear?"
"Oh, that? Status Window says 'clear,' and it authenticates at HQ!"
"Gotcha."
Might end up working as an info broker. Cash-only in a card world—must be the vibe.
As I smacked my lips at the generational gap—
Awooooooo!
Awooooooo!
Awooooooo!
Infected wolves' howls echoed from deep in the forest.
"Huh? Why are the wolves suddenly group-howling?"
"Never done that before."
Nearby F-ranks looked puzzled too.
Monsters don't howl for nothing.
Extending my senses: monster presences far off.
Fifty infected wolves… and a B-rank?
Supposed to be F-rank only, max five in a pack?
Clear anomaly. Inside gate, not a break or surge, but no joke.
"Su-ah, just in case, wanna head out?"
"Suddenly?"
"Yeah? Safe's safe, but better cautious."
I chose to exit with Su-ah.
Tell the gate guard on the way—they're paid for this.
"Yeah, just in case!"
She pulled something from her pocket.
"Return Stone from uncle. Usable twice—use now, later to return!"
Infuse mana; light filled vision, eyes shut.
Opened: at gate entrance.
"Excuse me."
"Yes?"
"Infected wolves group-howling inside. Might wanna check."
Passed info to guard, left with Su-ah.
Ex-S-rank, now nonexistent. Proper F-rank move.
"F-ranks left inside?"
"Six nearing entrance aside, all others confirmed out!"
"Rich brats. One Return Stone and they're gone—not their fight."
Cha Pil-hyeon grumbled, pulling gear from inventory.
Gate 3 was cushy duty, but spoiled rich kids panicked at nothing—annoying.
"Probably spooked by five wolves, bolted."
"Hey, outcall pay though."
"Kid, that's paperwork hell and complaints. Worth it?"
"Baekdu doesn't even pay—better here."
"True."
Chatting leisurely toward hunting zone.
Stuck inside two hours anyway—handle quick, more boredom.
Huff, huff!
Five minutes in, F-rank kids running from exit—dirt-covered, like they'd rolled.
Typical scared newbies.
One oddity: utter terror.
"Guards, right?"
"Yep, Jeoksa Guild."
"W-wolves pack coming from behind!"
"We'll handle. Exit safe."
Sent pale kids off, headed in.
Halfway, bored, eyed junior.
"These hunter kids suck. Whining over wolves."
"Maybe a dozen?"
"Never in ten years. Five max. Bet?"
"Coffee?"
"Cheapskate. If buying, make it meal…"
Stopped at front presences.
"Senior?"
"…Weapon up."
"Huh?"
"Now. Weapon."
Front aura off. Viscous killing intent never felt, even as B-rank.
Rustle, rustle.
Krrr…
Infected wolves emerged from roadside brush, red eyes glowing.
Five, six, ten, thirty… fifty.
Flankers circled, blocking retreat.
"Senior?"
Junior's breath quickened in fear. Situation wrong.
"Stay sharp. These aren't the issue."
Worse: killing intent source wasn't these mobs.
Krrr…
A monster hidden by front wolves' bulk.
Smalls parted; it advanced slowly.
Five times larger, eyes blood-red, fangs bared—impossible in Gate 3.
A-rank. Him and junior truckload more? Zero win chance.
"Hey."
"Y-yeah?"
"My signal, break rear encirclement, call support."
Cha opted to stall, abandon aggression.
Leader protects junior from bloodsplatter.
'Sharpness.'
Channel mana to axe blade. No deep wound, but alert it'd give.
"Go!"
Grip tight, swing at signal—
'Huh?'
Vision filled cave. Mucous-spore walls, embedded blades.
Slowed thoughts realized: no cave—wolf's maw upon him.
Mouth closing slow, surely on his head.
'Sorry. No Chuseok this year.'
Braced death, eyes squeezed.
Sizzle.
Too slow—darkening vision: eyes closing or jaws near-shut?
Bam!
No flesh-rending; sharp impact, acrid liquid splashed face.
"Ptooey, ptoo!"
"Team leader!"
Eyes open: A-rank impaled distant tree; minions pulverized unrecognizable.
"Mister. If compos mentis, leave. You're in the way."
Voice turned: young girl, hat low, masked.
Crack, crack.
She stretched wrists and ankles casually, like no big deal.
"Senior, now!"
Junior rushed, grabbed shoulder, dragged back.
Supported, shaky legs to exit, Cha asked her name—for report.
"Who're you?"
She glanced, turned forward.
"That's your life price for leaving quiet."
"Ahead!"
Kiyaaaa!
A-rank reared, charged her; Cha yelled.
"Told you, I got this."
Crackle, sizzle.
Black currents coiled her arms.
Casual flick at lunging wolf.
Kabooooom!
Deafening roar; pitch-black lightning rode fist, engulfed wolf.
"So leave. Hate repeating myself."
Calm, composed eviction notice again.