Chapter 39
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: S-Rank Gates Have No Romance (4)
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S-Rank Gate.
Unlike ordinary gates up to A-Rank, it doesn't follow the standard format of just defeating monsters and the boss to clear it. Every S-Rank Gate so far had been like that.
There was no fixed pattern. The number of monsters, the size of the terrain, the way to clear it—even the starting points for each hunter. All that emerged were unique experiences every time.
That's why no hunter ever took an S-Rank Gate lightly. Even S-Rank hunters, called transcendent beings beyond A-Rank, had no guarantee of returning alive. They just had a higher chance of survival than others.
For A-Rank hunters, it was like walking into the underworld on their own two feet. These top-tier hunters, envied by society and living lives of admiration, were nothing more than reeds endlessly falling inside an S-Rank Gate.
Yet hunters stepped into the gates, risking their lives. They gripped their blades and charged forward. They blocked monsters baring fangs at their throats and cut them down. Ignoring wounds carving into their bodies, they struggled to take out even one more monster.
That was why they were admired. Because they willingly burned their own bodies for others' peace, they lived receiving envy and respect. For the sake of others, they stepped back into the gates again.
That was how Luna Guild held its firm position in the hunter market. It was the only domestic guild with an extremely low number of sacrifices in S-Rank Gate raids so far. More than any other guild, they burned themselves and stood at the forefront for peace.
And through all of it, Yuna was always there. The woman who held no interest or affection for others always exerted herself to protect those within her reach. She shouldered the responsibility of the S-Rank title as a matter of course, scattering her radiant light.
The massive walls soared into the sky, their ends invisible. In this dark labyrinth, I didn't stop my steps. I pressed on without hesitation along the endlessly continuing path.
Truth be told, I had no idea where I was going. Already an hour in, the branching paths kept ensnaring me. Like an endless maze from the movies, they blocked my way and constantly presented choices.
So I decided to just keep going left. Didn't someone say that if you're trapped in a maze, stick to one direction? Trusting that vague bit of info I'd heard somewhere, I just kept moving forward.
- Grrr…
Of course, even while doing that, the monsters charging at me didn't let up.
"Whoa, hey. Haven't seen you in a while. You're that guy I beat up before, right!"
- Roooar!
Smack—
"Yep, this satisfying texture couldn't belong to anyone else."
- Yelp!
Smack—
- Squeak!
"This bastard's gotten a lot bigger. Just a trash mob, and now showing up in an S-Rank Gate."
The one I knew couldn't even approach the demon realm. It was just like a wild dog that preyed on village livestock to survive.
But the one appearing here had far superior durability and strength compared to what I'd seen in Pretoria. It was a bit surprising, to say the least.
After clearing the charging monsters, I resumed advancing along the path.
I vaguely remembered the team leader telling me before entering the gate not to panic at anomalies and to deal with them. Was getting separated like this an anomaly too?
I'd been asked as a favor the day before and entered the gate this morning, so how would I know what an S-Rank Gate was like? I just figured it'd be like an A-Rank or C-Rank or something.
No, but if everyone gets scattered like this, won't all the A-Rank hunters die? With monsters endlessly swarming in this maze. Even if Luna Guild's standards were high, they weren't all capable of surviving solo.
The thought that people might actually die made me anxious. The raid I had envisioned was one where we built a solid defensive line and followed it up with Yuna’s barrage of arrows for a steady clear. Getting separated like this let worries creep in.
"Ah, this is why I didn't want to come. Just pointless hero syndrome acting up again."
I let out a sigh and invoked my blessing.
Bless (Lv. Max)
All abilities enhanced. Proportional to caster's stats.
Light dwelled within me, and my body felt lighter.
A simple yet efficient blessing prayer I always relied on. Among all blessings, the basic and foundational Bless enhanced the caster's overall stats.
Despite boosting all stats, it was basic because the enhancement scaled with the caster's own stats. If the caster was weak, it just brought a bit of vitality.
Priests handling divinity didn't pursue peak physical prowess. The holy knights protecting them focused solely on defensive combat. So it was basic. Fundamental.
But if the caster's stats were at their extreme peak? That simple blessing transformed into the most efficient one imaginable.
That was the Bless I used.
A hero who didn't believe in Evgenia Church's doctrines yet wielded divinity. Unlike those who believed, I had to push my physical abilities to the limit. The divinity dwelling in me drew out enough amplification to survive even beyond the demon realm.
Right now, with recovery incomplete, I could only use simple ones, but Bless was so basic it posed no issue.
"Former hero, charging in~"
I put force into my back foot. The labyrinth floor, which seemed unbreakable, exploded with a rupture, sending vibrations echoing.
A rumble—ku-gu-gung. The labyrinth groaned as if resisting my overwhelming power, spewing monsters toward me.
My hand, which had been casually sweeping away monsters, now gathered light into a single sword.
I kicked off the ground. My powered back foot shattered the solid rock floor, propelling me forward.
The monsters bared their fangs. At my legs as I charged, my arms, my neck—they thrust those vicious things toward me.
Sio Style Swordsmanship Form 4: Residual Shadow
Afterimages slice foes. Wind trails shred limbs. Sword path becomes shield.
The blessing on my body neutralized the strain from using the technique. One or two uses were no problem, but given my daily life lately, situations requiring techniques were increasing.
The swiftly swung sword left only fleeting afterimages. The path of the blade, the momentary trail of whipping wind—they had no further effect.
But Sio's swordsmanship was different.
All those afterimages from the swift swing circled around me, slicing approaching enemies. The wind trails shot far, tearing limbs; the sword's path became a shield protecting me.
The monsters could no longer even serve as obstacles. I rapidly pierced through the labyrinth. My goal was to quickly find the other hunters, clearing paths and scanning for traces of people.
But no traces appeared. In this endless maze of branching paths, all that came were more forks and swarms of monsters.
No footprints, scraps of clothing, messages, or bloodstains worthy of human traces turned up even after over two hours of searching.
With the blessing, my speed was beyond what others could match. Yet even at that pace, the maze showed no end, and nothing but monsters was o ddly absent.
At this point, maybe it was designed so you could only meet others by escaping the maze. Or perhaps I was the only one in this labyrinth. Such doubts began to creep in.
If so, some might go mad.
If I, charging unimpeded, hadn't found an exit or people after three hours, others would take at least a day.
"Can this even be cleared?"
My lack of S-Rank Gate experience only fueled the doubts.
I sheathed Beatrice and accelerated further. If nothing came even at this speed, I'd just have to run faster.
"Alright, let's see who wins."
With that, I bolted off like a madman.
"No way, damn it. I lost."
Three hours of dashing through the labyrinth. I was still frolicking among its monsters.
I wondered if a maze this vast could exist, but after seeing all sorts in gates, I just sighed.
Divinity didn't run out, but my patience was wearing thin, and irritation built up.
"Even so, no exit after half a day... isn't that crossing the line?"
Others would starve in this maze.
I vented my frustration by punching the wall. No monsters left to take it out on, so the innocent wall suffered.
Kwaaaaang—
The enormous, thick wall collapsed with a massive boom. And the sight revealed? Another maze path.
"Oh."
Found a shortcut.
Damn, why didn't I think of this sooner…?