Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Escape, Vibration Detection
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The world of hunters and gates.
Their emergence had a massive impact on society.
One of the things affected was urban legends.
Strange rumors that began to live in people's hearts alongside the rise of modern cities.
Like the grotesque offspring of human-monster love secretly living at the bottom of sewers.
Or a bizarre hunter whose body has turned monstrous, swallowing sorrowful cries in back alleys all night.
And then.
Large guilds have enormous gates hidden underground.
'So this was real.'
Joo Ha-neul had casually mentioned it to me, but I never imagined it would be on this scale.
I smiled on both cheeks after receiving the info from Kami No.2.
Kami—more precisely, Kami's clone—had infiltrated Hwayeon's server.
Because I'd heard the truth from Sung Yi-jin, the hacker who attacked the Molrangmol server.
[Ah, it was probably Hwayeon!]
It was something I'd half-expected.
But hearing it straight from him felt so damn refreshing.
Of course, that testimony alone wouldn't be enough to go after Hwayeon.
As Sung Yi-jin added later, Hwayeon were pros at cutting off tails.
Even Yoyong-i, who sheds its tail once a day, would be amateur compared to them.
They'd slipped away so smoothly from that last gate terrorism incident.
'How should I punish these bastards?'
I'm no pushover to just take it lying down.
I brainstormed ways to make them pay from every angle.
The first idea was using a blood clot like before.
'They'd spot it immediately.'
The whole world now knows there's a unique S-rank monster summoner at Molrangmol.
It passed as a disaster last time.
But if I did it now, everyone would peg me as the culprit.
So, pass.
After ruling out similar risky ideas, only one remained—
'Kami No.2 is all I've got.'
An eye for an eye.
A tooth for a tooth.
Information war with information.
I planned to use Kami No.2, the incarnation of the information world and a creeping chaos unto itself.
Of course, blowing up their server like they did was a last resort.
'They're so pathetic, they'll definitely come hacking right away.'
That's the Hwayeon type.
Hypocrites to the extreme. Fine when they do it, but can't tolerate it happening to them even in death.
If the server blew, they'd pin it on Molrangmol timing-wise and punch back even harder.
Nyaaang!
For now, I infiltrated Kami No.2 into Hwayeon's server.
Someone pretty skilled in info abilities must be there—it got detected on entry, but—
Nyaaang!
No.2 melted into the shadows like a ghost, hiding itself.
What a terrifying little guy.
A being freely leaping through the network world in this information age.
Reminds me of that famous hero movie AI with the motto 'peace of our era.'
Could bring disaster if it slipped my control.
Nyaaang!
But it craves my affection daily, so probably not.
Anyway.
As No.2 prowled every corner of the Hwayeon server, it uncovered one special fact.
[S-Rank Gate: Yeonhwa]
There really was an S-rank gate at the bottom of Hwayeon's underground.
Called Yeonhwa. Is that why they named the guild Hwayeon?
Or maybe the other way around.
Nyaaang!
Yeonhwa Gate was a periodic gate.
And their analysis showed now was peak activity time.
'I can use this gate.'
CCTV confirmed thick barriers around the gate.
Above that, a secret lab.
Above that, thick concrete walls.
Above that, Hwayeon's training hall, the Flame Lotus Room.
Only then did you reach the surface.
A triple barrier to prevent civilian casualties from monster escapes.
They'd built it with extreme care.
For the monster to break free, all that had to crumble... probably not easy.
The central control room even had Hwayeon's vice-guild master on standby.
'Definitely thought he was a civilian.'
Hwayeon's database listed him as one too.
Nyaaang!
But No.2 sensed it. The mana residue leaking subtly around him.
Probably assigned as the agent to handle escapes.
Not sure exactly... but S-rank hunter level?
He's their vice-guild master, after all.
"Then I'm counting on you."
Nyaaang!
I tasked No.2 with disrupting the info.
Nothing big—just display Yeonhwa Gate's safety level as normal.
'They said high risk means high chance of monster escape...'
So, I'd use just one monster.
At the moment of escape, lift the disruption with No.2.
That way, the vice-guild master would come to deal with it.
Until then, the monster handles the gate barrier and scratches up the newly completed lab.
Perfect.
No civilian casualties, obviously.
The lab wasn't operational yet, no one around anyway.
'If it gets too big, I can step in.'
Low chance, but I was monitoring everything around the gate via No.2.
Ding!
After a few days, the gate's risk rose from normal to dangerous, then very dangerous.
But the control room stayed calm.
Their screens showed 'normal.'
That's why info is so scary.
No wonder the proverb: 'Test the bridge before crossing.'
One 'it's fine' yesterday, and you drown today assuming the same.
People these days trust info way too easily.
Even me.
I take Mitube videos before bed at face value.
Should doubt them more, like 'Is this legit?'
Hwayeon was showing the same tendency.
They all trusted their monitors blindly.
Didn't they detect Kami's intrusion?
I'd check the gate myself at least once.
But only the vice-guild master could go.
S-rank gate and all.
In the end, thanks to the heavy-ass vice-guild master—
Ziiing...!
A bizarre creature emerged from the gate undisturbed.
Body like a T-rex-ish dinosaur, with a thick, long horn sprouting from its head.
Rare monster type I'd never seen.
That thing's swarming inside.
No wonder Hwayeon cherishes the gate. How much is that worth?
Kwaaaaa!
It bellowed fiercely, but this deep underground.
No one to hear.
Naturally, no gentle path to guide a large monster to the surface.
Just passages for hauling chopped monster corpses.
Way too small for this escapee.
Kwaaa!
So maybe that's why.
It decided to carve its own path.
Woooong!
Its horn glowed.
Deep purple, aimed at the ceiling.
—Kwoong!
Soon, the sturdy barrier clashed with the horn.
Mana-charged sharpness tried to shred the wall.
'...Pretty tough.'
S-rank gate barrier, as expected. Cracks formed deep, but no breach.
Of course, it wouldn't hold forever.
No matter how well-built, can't withstand S-rank monster power.
—Kwoong!
The monster finally wedged its horn in a bit.
Then woooong! It began vibrating the barrier with immense force.
Destroying from inside with shocks?
Vibrations stronger than expected—whole ground around shaking.
But sadly, that was it.
'...Quick response.'
The vice-guild master appeared.
Kwaaang!
His mace strike downed the monster.
The monster did its best but couldn't damage Hwayeon directly.
At best, a shallow hole in the barrier?
...Plan failed?
Ding!
No.
Maybe success in a different way than planned.
**
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[What? Did only I feel that vibration just now???] [Author: Yaho Dayo]
Was it an earthquake? Do I hate earthquakes or something?
Wtf dude
-Where do you live
ㄴ(Author): Seoul
ㄴI live in Gyeonggi, didn't feel it
-I felt it too lololol
ㄴ(Author): Earthquake for sure?
ㄴㄹ?
-News just dropped. Something underground. Not a normal quake
**
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[Underground Vibration Official Summary So Far] [Author: Alpha Ritco]
1. Definitely not an earthquake.
BUT felt like intensity 3. No civilian or building damage. (3 is weak sauce anyway)
2. Hunter Association investigating. Focusing on gate outbreak.
3. And it's probably under Yeonhwa Palace?
This true?
Hwayeon bastards hoarding gates is fact lololol
-Fuck off this ain't official summary
ㄴ(Author): 1-2 are pretty factual..
-Traitor: I'll spell it out. Hwayeon underground gate is fact
ㄴTraitor: They catch monsters from there and research in the lab right above
ㄴWtf is that nickname lololol
ㄴKnow your limits retard
ㄴTraitor: You with Hwayeon? Run while you can. You're fucked now gtfo
**
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[Official))) Dropped] [Author: I Am Bibim Dog]
(Hunter Association news release)
Confirmed under Hwayeon
Hearing to link it with last monster escape and get to the truth
Fr Hwayeon assholes need to chill with the dirty shit lololol
-Is this hearing-level? (Genuine q)
ㄴQuake-like in Seoul. From idiot Hwayeon secret ops
ㄴSo? No damage
ㄴNo damage my ass idiot. People freaking over house prices tanking
ㄹㅇlol
ㄴIn real estate republic Seoul, can't tolerate that shit~
ㄴGate zones 1km land ain't cheap for no reason
ㄴHwayeon dogs arrested lololol
ㄴFact) Unreported, unauthorized gate ownership/management is straight-up illegal
-Hwayeon deserves a beating lolol looks like they hit Molrangmol too
ㄴNo rumors pls
ㄴLmao lololol