Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: S-Rank Gates Have No Romance (7)
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Reaching the end of the S-rank Gate just three days into its seven-day limit had gone as smoothly as the journey up to that point.
The boss monster's massive body exuded an intimidating pressure befitting its rank, momentarily cowering the hunters. But a single arrow of light shattered all their unease.
Yuna, who had been blankly resting until now, spoke softly—but loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Get ready. Don't stray from my range."
Her words were chilling and emotionless, devoid of any affection for her guildmates.
Even so, the hunters gripped their weapons. They anticipated the raid proceeding under Yuna's protection, just like always.
As Yuna's arrows flew once more, the boss let out a roar, and the hunters formed ranks and teams to begin the hunt.
The monster was enormous. Especially the king of monsters, the boss—its presence was overwhelming.
Hunters were insignificant. Even at the exalted rank of A-class hunter, they were like children defying adults before the Gate's monsters.
Each hunter attack left only a mere scratch on the boss, unable to halt its charge.
- Team 1! Switch and draw its attention again!
The raid proceeded calmly, turning scratches into deeper gashes, then into massive wounds.
If blades couldn't slice, they jammed into existing cuts. They relentlessly targeted vitals, moving as one under Yuna's commands.
Just like those knights who had followed me back then. They trusted their idol completely and obeyed orders.
Believing Yuna would block the boss's attacks, they dove in boldly. Arrows kept flying, blades, spears, and magic whittling away at the boss.
I just watched. Seeing them cooperate instead of me wiping it out alone reminded me of my past self.
"What a magnificent sight."
"Is it...? I wouldn't know."
"That's because you're too heartless."
"Whatever. Shut up if you're not doing anything. Or I'll toss you again..."
Yuna glared at me even as she fired arrows forward. She was still sulking about me throwing her off my back before we reached the end, when she was drooling while carried.
- Guild Leader! The boss is almost down!
The final monster fell smoothly amid the uneventful raid.
With the end in sight, energy lit up the hunters' faces, and they moved more busily.
Rest was near, so they couldn't hide their excitement as they struck the boss.
「Illusionary Shot」
Yuna wrapped mana around herself. No arrow nocked on her drawn bowstring—only sharply honed illusions aimed at the boss.
The illusions turned to light and vanished, engulfing the boss's body. The colossal beast collapsed without a scream.
- R-Raid complete!
The frontline hunter shouted, and the others erupted in cheers.
Having finished the four-day trek, they shared joy at the thought of returning to Earth for rest.
- Alright, everyone line up. We'll head out when the gate reopens.
The guild leader smiled for the first time amid them, praising their efforts. The hunters exchanged warm words, enjoying the wait.
But anomalies always strike when off guard.
- Why isn't the gate opening...?
One by one, they voiced doubts.
The gate that should open remained shut.
This unprecedented situation—the unknown. Humanity's most primal and potent emotion is fear, and the greatest fear is of the unknown.
The unknown engraves terror in people's hearts.
As time passed without the gate opening, hunters moved from confusion to anxiety.
Meanwhile, an inexplicable presence watched from the Gate's high ceiling. No—not us. It pierced only me.
Error. Detected entity not matching difficulty. Hero of Pretoria.
Gate upgrade. Reconfigured based on memory.
A voice reached my ear, calm like game narration.
But its content was anything but calm.
And how does it know I'm from Pretoria? Who's speaking? My mind filled with questions about the Gate.
The Gate transformed. The floor flipped, the sky crashed down.
The world inverted.
The dim space vanished, replaced by a vast, empty terrain.
The hunters' cheering faces now paled with horror.
Coldness settled on my face too.
The changed world revealed Pretoria's battlefield.
Things that shouldn't appear here defiled my sight.
An unknown phenomenon, an unknown monster.
I thought: something was wrong—terribly wrong.
I scanned the rare battlefield terrain that occasionally appeared in Gates.
It felt unnaturally real. Too vivid and bleak for a Gate's virtual space.
And the monsters surrounding us from all sides were unreal in proportion.
Endless black hordes—it defied logic. No Gate we'd cleared had ever spawned this many.
Gates were thought to release only manageable numbers.
Thus, the guild's exhausted hunters after conquering the S-rank Gate were stunned, despairing at the endless waves.
I gripped my bow tightly.
"Snap out of it and prepare."
I spoke more forcefully than usual. I was tensing up too. Unsure if we could handle this many.
I turned to my side. This would be impossible without his help, so I sought aid.
"Siu, you have to help with this...?"
「Rho Aias」
The grave voice I'd never heard before, the coldly furious expression—it made him seem like someone else.
Only the intensifying glow proved it was him.
Scattered corpses littered the ground.
The undead horde that had invaded from the demon realm had razed homes, leaving vivid red-stained bodies where no other traces remained.
I knew whose that decapitated body was, whose that sword stabbed in the dirt, who that shambling undead had been.
That's why I couldn't contain my rage.
Traces of those who helped me, wounds I'd buried deep in my heart, ached anew.
「Rho Aias」
I enveloped everyone in divinity.
"Prepare for battle."
I said curtly. No one knew this battlefield better than I, so I took command naturally. No apologies—I wasn't in the mood.
「Divine Force」
I empowered those already drained, dropping their weapons.
Dizziness hit as divinity drained from me, but I pressed on.
"We break forward. Raise your swords, everyone."
I reached out, grasping light. Beatrice sensed the scene, radiating fury.
"Yuna. Fire nonstop ahead. I'll go first—don't fall behind."
I charged alone. Hunters belatedly raising swords shouted after me, but I ignored them, aiming at the undead.
「Divine Stigma」
Stigmas swept surrounding undead, slashing demon realm tendrils resisting divinity.
The thick demonic energy was definitely that guy's handiwork.
Sachael Sirenchium, Lord of the Dead. His main body hadn't come here, but his staff—commanding this horde—would be planted farthest back, safest spot.
I had to destroy it. Without shattering that staff spewing demonic energy, every buried corpse would rise as his army.
Too many sacrificed to a mere wooden stick—it was unjust.
I burst through light, piercing the endless horde. Other hunters cleared around me, magic flew from afar, her arrows streaked like light.
We clashed with the army. I swung ahead, undead endlessly summoned, pushing our lines.
Not enough. At this pace, it'd end as bleakly as back then. Undead numbers grew; we couldn't hold.
Even now, lines buckled. Despite my buffs, hunters exhausted, barely dodging lethals while accumulating wounds.
Screams from behind—enemies from all sides, not enough to guard mages and archers.
Even Yuna moved frantically.
So I dove into their midst to cover the rear.
「Sanctuary」
I stabbed Beatrice into the ground, exploding visible undead. Divinity etched the floor, barring their approach.
"Siu...! What do we do...?"
Her uncharacteristically trembling eyes met mine as I raised my hand.
Mana swirled from my body to my palm, inscribing circuits: massive circle, intricate geometries, elongated runes.
The formed circuit mixed light and dark in the air, scattering around.
「The Gate of Truth」
I opened the door. The chaotic gate taught by Lissroom, burning mana. My damaged, leaking mana was consumed entirely save a handful.
Identity be damned—rage overrode reason at the infuriating sight.
I read the black hole-like Gate of Truth in the air.
Fated destiny, inevitable future. To alter that unchangeable past death, I reached for truth.
One minute.
The answer granted one minute's foresight. It whispered the path piercing all evil ahead.
"Yuna. That thing from before—fire it again. In my direction."
"No, Siu. Wait...!"
「Bless」
Blessing settled on my body.
Sio Style Special Technique 「Phalanx Charge」
Beatrice aimed forward, I launched. Ignoring blood dripping from my mouth, sword extended toward the staff beyond.
Monster claws raked my shoulder. Undead teeth sank into my leg, Yuna's illusion grazed my cheek, scattering.
Screams behind—my absence crumbling lines faster, trapping them. Ignoring new wounds, I advanced swiftly.
Truth said this path wouldn't kill me, would pierce through.
I broke through swelling undead. Cleared denser monsters ahead.
My clothes soaked blood, excess dripping, vision blurring red—I wiped and reached it.
Surpassing familiar pain, ignoring fading screams, I touched that cursed staff.
I smashed the wretched thing.
Punished the evil feeding on sacrifices' deaths.
I closed my eyes as all surrounding monsters vanished.
It was fortunate.