Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Dungeon Break
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“This situation is serious. For the first time, a Mythic-grade item was used as a sacrifice.”
“Mythic-grade?”
“To sustain a spontaneous gate, it needs a core source of power, so they must have had no choice. It seems like one Mythic-grade and at least two Legendary-grade items went into it.”
Oh Min-jae reached this conclusion based on the investment. He'd gleaned the information about the Mythic-grade item through a subtle conversation with Sodoban.
“So we can't just treat this as a spontaneously generated S-rank gate?”
“There seem to be other secrets, too. Secrets even Sodoban doesn't know.”
“He told you about the Mythic-grade item, but there are even bigger secrets than that?”
“People from the royal palace have been visiting the Magic Tower as well.”
The unsettling information just kept coming.
“The gate will open soon.”
“Where?”
“I don't know. There's no way for me to get involved.”
Oh Min-jae had tried every method he could think of, but he wasn't powerful enough to interfere in a matter involving an 8th-floor mage from the Magic Tower.
“One week. The gate will open within a week.”
“Got it. When the gate opens, we need to gather the hunters as quickly as possible. Keep every available channel open.”
The base sprang into action.
The distribution of gate detectors to each country provided an opportunity.
—We have a project currently under research that predicts the emergence of a dangerous gate within a week. We urge all nations to prepare.
They couldn't provide clear evidence, as they couldn't reveal that the information came from the Azelan Continent.
When they presented it as a new technology, the atmosphere was one of caution.
And so, a busy week passed.
During that time, Wang-sik used Min Ha-na's and Kang Il-seop's connections to have as many countries as possible raise their alert levels.
On the day the gate was expected to appear.
Wang-sik headed not to the base, but to the Hunter Management Bureau.
All agents were on high alert, with real-time gate occurrences from every country displayed on the monitors.
—It's already activated in Azelan.
Oh Min-jae left that message and entered the Magic Tower with Sodoban.
He was there as an investor.
The gate creation process was a secret, but the intention was to reveal the result.
It was a historic event for the Magic Tower, which also signified their confidence.
The invited guests had gathered not in the tower itself, but in a specially prepared building where over a hundred people were already present.
Half were mages, and the rest were nobles in extravagant attire. Oh Min-jae had worn his finest clothes, but he looked shabby in comparison.
Famous mages from the Magic Tower, who were normally difficult to even greet, were present, along with three of the empire's five dukes. Counts were so common they were barely noticeable.
Oh Min-jae took a seat at the very back and looked at the stage, which was guarded by mages.
A crystal the size of a human face floated there, holding a white light within.
“Once it acquires life force, a red energy will fill it.”
This was how Life Stones were made.
This event was to witness the process of a crystal turning into a Life Stone firsthand.
*Huh?*
When a mage blocking his view stepped aside, a chill ran down Oh Min-jae's spine.
*There's more than one?*
Flanking the large crystal were two smaller ones.
*I have to tell them. There wasn't just one gate.*
Oh Min-jae looked around. But as the event began, mages from the Magic Tower sealed the entrance.
*No...*
Leaving now would arouse suspicion.
As if to confirm his fears, someone approached him from behind and spoke.
“Don't be anxious. Those fools won't even be able to respond.”
Sodoban had come to check on Oh Min-jae, treating him as one of his own.
This entirely unwelcome kindness only made Oh Min-jae more anxious.
*Won't be able to respond? Why?*
Is it because there are three gates?
*No. There's something more. What have they prepared?*
Oh Min-jae could only watch with a heavy heart.
At the same time.
A group of people entered the Hunter Management Bureau, where busy orders were being exchanged.
“What is the meaning of this?”
At those words, the agents rose from their seats in unison.
It was the President of South Korea.
“A state of emergency without my permission? The public is growing restless.”
Kang Il-seop had used his authority to put every Hunter Management Bureau on high alert.
When every agent of South Korea's Hunter Management Bureau was deployed to key locations and helicopters were put on standby, the media had caught on.
“Why are you inciting chaos without permission?”
“I did request permission, did I not?”
“And I clearly opposed it.”
“Which is why I'm proceeding without your permission.”
The president had ordered him to respond with a minimal force.
He thought he had granted permission within a reasonable scope, but Kang Il-seop had put the entire country on high alert.
He was not pleased.
“There's no guarantee a gate will even appear, and the chances of it being in Korea are even slimmer, are they not?”
“What if one does appear, and our response is delayed?”
“Listen here, Bureau Director Kang!”
As the president's voice rose, Kang Il-seop grew irritated with the situation.
Moreover, the president's gaze shifted to Wang-sik, who was standing behind him. As expected, unwelcome words came from the president's mouth.
“An outsider…”
“That's enough.”
“What did you just say?”
“I'm saying I'll submit my resignation when this is over, so you can go back to the presidential office.”
Kang Il-seop took a step toward the stunned president and said.
“I mean you don't need to go looking for an excuse to fire me. Today is my last day.”
The president, overwhelmed by Kang Il-seop's presence, unconsciously took a step back.
It was then.
“S-rank gate has appeared!”
Everyone's gaze turned to the agent who had shouted.
“Where!”
“New Zealand!”
At those words, a few people sighed in relief, and the atmosphere gave the flustered president some breathing room.
“Korea is safe. You'll have to take responsibility for this, Bureau Director Kang.”
Wang-sik was the one who answered.
Wang-sik walked up to the president, who had regained his confidence. His aides tried to block him, but Wang-sik spoke first.
“Happy?”
Wang-sik said, his eyes filled with contempt.
“Are you happy that a gate like that has appeared on Earth?”
The president was speechless. His aides belatedly pushed Wang-sik away, allowing him to hide his expression.
“I'm heading to New Zealand right away.”
“I'll do what I can from here.”
“Please gather the hunters as quickly as possible.”
“Wait! Hold on!”
Wang-sik, who was about to turn away, looked back at Kang Il-seop's shout.
The main screen displayed a map of the gate's location.
North of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.
The problem wasn't the location.
“That's…”
A massive cloud formation covering the area around Wellington was visible.
“A typhoon…”
The fastest route was blocked.
The appearance of a spontaneous S-rank gate.
In the end, Mad Castle's prediction had come true.
New Zealand is located southeast of Australia.
It wasn't a location that could be reached quickly from other continents.
Furthermore, the typhoon forced a change in travel routes, and the fastest remaining path was through Auckland.
Media outlets worldwide reported the news as a breaking story, and the Prime Minister of New Zealand immediately issued an emergency statement.
—New Zealand needs the help of hunters from all over the world.
New Zealand had been a land of peace.
Not a single S-rank gate had ever appeared there, and they had defended against A-rank gates in cooperation with Australia.
There had only been four Dungeon Breaks in its history.
And all of them were B-rank or lower, making it one of the most successful nations in terms of defense.
But this time was different.
—Gate opening time: immeasurable!
The agents who first discovered the gate analyzed it from every angle but couldn't reach a conclusion.
—Gate measurement results: Highest mana levels in recorded history. Monster presence estimated to be double that of a standard S-rank.
The detector provided by Mad Castle showed a reading near its maximum limit.
For the first time, the media began using a new term.
—Appearance of a Double S-rank gate!
Everything about this situation was a first.
The global atmosphere began to change rapidly. However, some media outlets said this:
—Even in the worst-case scenario, the damage is not expected to spread.
Because New Zealand is an island.
Many were angered by the selfishness of such reporting, but many others shared the same sentiment.
“Is everyone ready?”
Regardless of what others were saying, Wang-sik stood before a gate without hesitation.
Beside him were Min Ha-na, Sa Seon-gi, and Gong Yeong-ji, who had officially joined the team.
—I heard the news. I'm joining too.
Wang-sik had opposed it, but Gong Yeong-ji's will was too strong.
—I want to save even one more person. You'll protect me, won't you?
He couldn't refuse the resource of an A-rank healer. In the end, he had to give his permission, and this would be Gong Yeong-ji's debut mission.
“Let's go.”
They immediately passed through the gate and traveled to Sydney.
The Guseong Gate Exchange in Sydney.
The person guarding it was also a friend of Wang-sik's.
As it was a job that involved guarding a gate, a trustworthy person had been assigned.
“Wang-sik, be careful.”
“Just trust me.”
They arrived on the roof of the exchange.
As they boarded the prepared helicopter, the pilot gave a brief greeting and took off.
The destination was Sydney International Airport.
Perhaps because of its proximity to New Zealand, the airport was already in chaos.
All flights to New Zealand had been canceled, including the special plane Wang-sik had requested from the Australian government.
It was originally supposed to be on standby without a destination, but a problem arose when the destination was declared as New Zealand.
Min Ha-na and Wang-sik quickly made calls to resolve the situation, but it took thirty minutes to get clearance.
The plane only took off after receiving permission from both Sydney and Queenstown, New Zealand.
“We can be there in three hours.”
Only after hearing this could Wang-sik's party, who had been moving frantically, finally catch their breath.
“Absolutely no acting on your own. No exceptions, under any circumstances. Everyone understand?”
He received his companions' assurances, but Wang-sik couldn't shake the uneasy feeling.
*Is this what he meant by 'won't be able to respond'?*
The typhoon had been forecasted. That meant the enemy had timed this.
The location: New Zealand.
The time and place of the typhoon.
*Does this mean they can open a gate at a time and place of their choosing?*
If they were stalling for time, that had to be the reason.
New Zealand's hunter combat power ranked in the top 30, similar to Korea's before Min Ha-na became an S-rank.
The closest Awakeners, those in Australia, had not even departed yet.
Not only that, but even New Zealand's own Awakeners had not been able to gather in one place.
This was because New Zealand had ignored Mad Castle's advance warning.
They had urgently contacted hunters who were going about their daily lives and told them to gather at the gate's location, but due to the nature of New Zealand, this was not easy.
“Wang-sik, but... will just the four of us be enough?”
When Min Ha-na asked the question she had been holding back, Wang-sik answered without hesitation.
“The Earth Defense Force always wins. There are just hardships along the way.”
The plane carrying them left the continent and flew over the blue ocean.
—Mad Castle arrives in Auckland!
—The first reinforcements: S-rank Fire Mage Min Ha-na!
The people of New Zealand cheered at the news that an S-rank hunter had come to help.
Since the others in her party were unknown, Min Ha-na naturally received the spotlight.
In any case, thanks to her, Wang-sik's party received special treatment and boarded a prepared helicopter without any hassle.
It was the fastest route, but to Wang-sik, it felt agonizingly slow.
—17 nations have announced their intent to provide support. However, it will take time for them to depart.
—New Zealand in a state of emergency. All hunters gathering before the gate.
—Gate opening time still unknown.
News reports filled with both hope and despair spread quickly.
When they were thirty minutes away from their destination.
The helicopter pilot heard something over the radio. But he couldn't respond; he just sat there, stunned.
“What's wrong?”
Wang-sik asked about the situation, but the pilot remained dazed. Only after being prompted again did he answer.
“D-Dungeon Break…”
“What?”
“It's a Dungeon Break situation. The mission is canceled.”
A Double S-rank Dungeon Break.
Hell had begun.