F-Class Gate (2)
The days when the gates had just begun to open. Back then, humanity didn't even have basic information about monsters. We didn't know that after a certain amount of time, the gate would explode and monsters would pour out. Because of that, monsters kept streaming endlessly from the gates, but the Awakened were all still inexperienced too.
In the end, to defend themselves, humanity mobilized every bit of military force they had. They rained down bullets and missiles on the monsters like a storm. The result?
Monster Kill Confirmed!
There was an effect. Low-grade monsters could be suppressed by the military's firepower. But once they reached a certain level, the story changed completely.
Bombardment Complete! No Damage to Monster's Outer Shell!
Guns were useless. Even missiles and chemical weapons couldn't pierce them. Eventually, monsters appeared that could withstand a direct hit from a tactical nuke. Only then did humanity realize the clear limits of pure physical and military force.
The only weakness monsters had was the mana—or internal energy—of Awakened individuals. An Awakened's attack could slice through a monster's thick resistance like paper. It didn't need to be some incredible magic or sword qi. Even if an Awakened simply held a weapon and coated it with the faintest trace of flowing mana, it was enough.
A monster that had shrugged off missiles would have its head fly off from a single slash by an Awakened. So to fight monsters, Hunters who could handle mana were essential.
However.
If you twisted that fact just a little...
“This is a special firearm designed specifically to combat monsters.”
It meant that at the very lowest ranks—at least against F-class monsters—regular guns could still land effective hits.
Inside the thick bag, I fiddled with the issued firearm.
“It's huge.”
Big and heavy... The basic shape resembled a rifle, but its frame was completely different from ordinary firearms.
“Of course. It's not an ordinary gun,” said the Association employee who had opened the bag's lock.
“It's a rifle that uses .50 caliber rounds, the kind employed in anti-materiel sniper weapons.”
“We've borrowed some elements from shotgun design. Since it's meant for close-quarters combat, the barrel has been shortened.”
“Semi-automatic loading with a ten-round magazine. Load it like this and—bang!”
It was a crude design that poured everything into raw firepower. That employee looked incredibly happy as he explained it, spit flying everywhere. He seemed to have found his true calling.
Anyway, it meant that if you got hit by one of these, there wouldn't even be bones left to collect. Since it was a rifle that fired anti-materiel rounds.
“Looks like a damn bazooka.”
“It's wild.”
The examinees' faces lit up with excitement at the unusual appearance. Everyone took turns picking it up and fiddling with it.
Then one of the examinees muttered with a hint of disappointment.
“Couldn't you just give us something like a K2 rifle? I was a designated marksman in the military.”
The employee shook his head.
“Its firepower is insufficient. To penetrate a monster's resistance, you need a single shot with powerful kinetic energy.”
So one-shot damage was what mattered. Rapid fire didn't mean much.
“That's a shame.”
“Eh, who cares? This looks way cooler.”
Maybe because real combat was right around the corner, everyone's voices carried a subtle tension. Perhaps to ease that tension, the examinees started chatting more.
“Ugh.”
I slung the gun—which was almost as big as I was—over my shoulder. A massive sword at my waist and an oversized firearm on my back. Just walking a few steps made the weapons drag along the ground.
“Then we'll begin entry,” Choi Jungwoo ordered.
I stepped forward, joining Group 1. Me, examinee number 31 Park Minsu, and two other examinees. Four people total for the first party.
An Association employee firmly secured a body cam to my chest.
“Just so you know, using the firearm will result in point deductions on your practical exam score.”
The employee continued with the final explanation.
“We'll check the number of bullets used later, so don't think you can secretly fire it off-camera.”
There was only one reason to bring this gun: for emergencies. Even though Awakened attacks worked on monsters, we were still complete beginners who hadn't even reached F-class Hunter status yet. At this stage, the gun's firepower was more effective.
Of course, it was strictly an emergency measure. Once you entered a dungeon, escaping before clearing it was nearly impossible. Even if things got dangerous, a rescue team couldn't just barge in from outside.
So it was meant for true life-threatening crises.
‘Besides, starting from E-class, this kind of gun doesn't mean much anyway.’
Clearing it with the gun would result in heavy point deductions.
“And the specially modified ammunition loaded in it is ridiculously expensive... It's made through alchemy.”
Listening to the employee's unnecessary TMI, I didn't have to walk far before arriving in front of the gate.
A shimmering portal. A dimensional rift known as a gate.
“But, Cheonma-nim. Are you certain this is truly the lowest-grade gate?”
Heugryeon tilted her head as she looked at the gate.
“Hmm? Is there a problem?”
“From what I can see, the energy flowing from the rift is slightly...”
“One moment.”
Choi Jungwoo, standing before the gate, spoke up.
“Before entry, please verify the rank once more.”
Choi Jungwoo instructed the gate assessor.
“I'm certain another assessor completed the preliminary check yesterday.”
The assessor who followed frowned deeply.
“Maximum entry capacity of four. Maintains stability through three clears without collapse. Difficulty is the absolute lowest within F-class.”
The assessor's face clearly showed annoyance.
“It is perfectly suitable for a beginner practical exam.”
“This is for the safety of the examinees. We ask for your cooperation.”
His voice was polite, yet carried an undeniable pressure that brooked no argument.
‘It's not unreasonable.’
By regulation, the final mana measurement was supposed to be taken right before entry during official exams. It was a procedure usually skipped in the field, but...
“Ugh.”
The pressure from an A-class Hunter. The assessor shut his mouth.
He obediently pulled out a mana-measuring artifact from his pocket. When he activated the magic, a soft light shot toward the portal.
Beep. Click.
The artifact made mechanical sounds. Numbers appeared on its LCD screen.
After checking the results, the assessor nodded.
“See? The mana level is clearly at the minimum.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Despite the assessor's grumbling, Choi Jungwoo didn't bat an eye.
“Then Group 1. Entering now.”
Stepping past the shimmering gate, we entered inside.
The space within the gate, called a dungeon.
Dungeons came in all varieties. And generally, you couldn't know what was inside until you entered.
“It's a plain,” I said.
What lay before our eyes was a wide plain. A grassy dungeon where the vegetation grew as tall as an adult's waist.
“E-everyone, let's do our best,” said the slim man, addressing the group. Holding a wooden staff, he appeared to be a mage-type Awakened.
“Yes. Please take care of us,” replied the woman holding a spear with a slight smile. Her voice was bright, but the end trembled faintly. Both of them were clearly nervous. It was only natural for their bodies to stiffen during their first real combat.
Of course, there were exceptions.
“Ahhh. Just stay behind me. I'll clear everything for you. You guys are really lucky today.”
It was examinee number 31, Park Minsu. He thumped his chest as he boasted.
“Um, the weapons on your back...”
The mage asked Park Minsu. In addition to the massive gun he'd just been issued, two more weapons hung from Park Minsu's back.
‘Looks like a weapons wholesaler.’
I examined what exactly he'd brought. One was the magic sword he'd used at the testing site. The other was...
“I brought the magic sword as a backup. Well, this test should be fine with this one.”
He drew a sharp longsword from his back. The blade was evenly honed and gleamed softly—it looked quite high quality. But it carried none of the unique aura of a magic sword.
“He's not a complete fool, it seems,” Heugryeon said quietly beside me.
Magic artifacts had strong power but consumed an enormous amount of mana. In real combat like this, it was right to save it as a trump card. For beginner examinees with small mana pools, using ordinary weapons was the wiser choice. Running out of mana midway would be disastrous.
Rustle—
Not long after, a sound came from the grass ahead. Something sprang out toward Park Minsu, who was at the front.
Small stature. A scrawny, hunched build.
“Goblin!” the female examinee shouted.
A goblin holding a rusty dagger in one hand charged at us.
“Uaaaaagh!”
Park Minsu let out a scream or battle cry—I couldn't tell which—and swung his longsword. But perhaps because he was so tense, the blade cut through the goblin's empty arm instead of its dagger.
“Kieeeeek!”
The injured goblin shrieked and lunged again.
“You son of a bitch!”
Flustered, Park Minsu spat out a harsh curse. Even so, he stabbed the goblin's torso repeatedly with his sword. After several frenzied slashes, the goblin collapsed with a thud.
“Huff, huff. W-was that the boss monster just now?” Park Minsu asked, breathing heavily.
If he'd killed the boss monster, the gate should have been cleared. But the surrounding dungeon landscape remained unchanged.
“Man... that thing was ridiculously tough...” Park Minsu muttered, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.
Still, he wasn't all bluster. After repeating the battles a few times, he adapted quickly. Soon he regained his composure and began fighting quite decently.
‘The difficulty is easy.’
As expected of the lowest-grade gate. There weren't many goblins overall. Moreover, they only attacked one or two at a time at most.
When one appeared, Park Minsu handled it alone. When two or more showed up, the woman with the spear joined in to take them down.
“Huuuup~! Hey, I said I can do it alone!”
Every time the spear-wielding examinee stepped in at first, Park Minsu would shout like that, but...
“Then should we rest?”
“No, I mean, um, I just don't want to stand out too much.”
Honestly, even he seemed to find two too much, because he'd mumble like that and no one stopped him.
Feeling bad about just standing there, I tried to move too, but...
“Big sis will take care of everything. You just relax in the back. Don't get hurt, okay?”
The woman with the spear winked at me. Her voice was full of concern. She seemed very uncomfortable with a child stepping forward.
‘She's pretty good.’
The female examinee with the spear had solid skills too. Above all, the reach difference between a dagger and a spear was overwhelming. Every time a goblin charged while swinging its dagger, she thrust her long spear forward. The monsters couldn't even get close before falling in one hit.
“Looks like we really don't have anything to do. Haha.”
The man with the staff smiled awkwardly at me.
All the monsters were being neatly cleaned up between Park Minsu and the woman.
“Indeed. Cheonma-nim, are you deliberately not seeking to show off your prowess?” Heugryeon asked, tilting her head.
“The passing condition is simply clearing the dungeon anyway.”
There was only one condition to pass the test: clear the dungeon without using the issued firearm.
There was no need to stand out in front. Of course, I could guess why Park Minsu was going all out like that.
The body cam attached before entry. Every movement was being recorded. If you proved outstanding ability here, you could receive scouting offers from large guilds or corporations.
“But I plan to work as a freelancer.”
I had no intention of joining a company and working under someone else. A freelance Hunter. I wanted to live a life without having to commute...
So showing off here held no meaning for me.
“Huh? Who were you talking to just now?”
The man asked with a puzzled expression. Naturally, only I could see Heugryeon.
“My imaginary friend...”
I was about to brush it off vaguely when—
Chill.
A spine-tingling sensation brushed across my skin. A thick, suffocating killing intent that made my breath catch. It was on an entirely different level from the goblins that had appeared so far—a heavy, massive pressure.
The aura was even stronger than the orc I'd encountered before. It was absolutely not something that should appear in a lowest-grade dungeon.