Chapter 112
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Gate (1)
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That night.
After putting the princess and the tiger-cat duo to bed in their room, I sat in the living room, lost in thought.
Fire attribute affinity
It turned out the flame wings that had flared up earlier were an effect caused by my increased fire attribute affinity.
I didn't figure it out on my own; our brilliant beastkin princess gave me a huge hint.
The princess is seriously smart.
A little while ago, after seeing my Fire Arrow coated in spirit flames and my wings of fire, the princess had said this:
It looks quite similar to how fire spirits ascend.
Her words sparked a realization.
Spirits were a unique race that underwent something called ascension.
They ranged from low-grade to the highest grade, and naturally, they grew stronger with each ascension. What developed in this process wasn't their mana or physical abilities, but the unique affinity that spirits possessed.
For spirits, who were incorporeal mental entities, the amount of this affinity they held was a direct measure of their strength.
Since she said the flaming wings that had appeared were the exact same effect as when fire spirits ascend, it wasn't hard to deduce that achieving complete spiritualization with a spirit race increased one's attribute affinity.
Hmm. It seems only my fire attribute affinity has increased.
So, if I achieve complete spiritualization by acquiring the traits of a water spirit, my water attribute affinity will rise, and if I do it with a wind spirit, my wind attribute affinity will rise.
Well, yeah. An increase in all attribute affinities would be too overpowered.
I could totally understand that.
In the first place, in the worldview of this novel, attribute affinity itself was one of the most overpowered concepts.
Someone might ask:
Whats so great about some measly affinity?
To that, I would answer:
Its great.
Its *unbelievably* great.
First of all.
When you gain an attribute affinity, your immunity to that attribute increases according to your affinity level.
Its the same reason fire spirits don't take damage from fire magic.
And second.
The power of that attribute increases depending on the amount of affinity you possess.
In other words, amplification.
This part is truly broken.
A passive power increase is already overpowered on its own, but this affinity is also incredibly versatile.
From magic and spirit arts to the use of aura, a supplementary amplification is applied to all magical acts bearing the name fire attribute.
Even just this much was an ability so absurd it would make you gasp, but there was still one more thing.
Increased efficiency in the use of attribute magic.
What this means is,
your mana consumption simply decreases.
Attribute damage immunity.
Attribute damage increase.
Attribute magic mana consumption reduction.
How overpowered is that?
The corners of my mouth curled up as if they were about to ascend to the heavens.
*Fwoosh-!*
I lightly cast Fire Arrow.
It was a bit of a struggle at first, but now it was the most basic of fire attribute spells, one I could cast with my eyes closed. Compared to three hours ago, its size had grown by about twenty percent.
The power has increased by roughly 20 percent.
On the other hand, the mana consumed had decreased by 20 percent.
Heh.
This led to the conclusion that if I used 100 mana to cast a spell, I could inflict about 50 percent more damage.
How could I not be thrilled?
Ill have to experience the fire attribute damage immunity to know for sure, but
The power increase was 20%,
and the mana consumption reduction was also 20%,
so the attribute damage immunity was probably around 20% as well.
Conversely, that meant I would still have to take 80% of the damage
Well, the affinity will grow over time.
Considering this was only my first complete spiritualization, it was a very satisfying result.
I leaned back on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling.
A smile crept onto my face without me even realizing it.
* * *
Tuesday morning.
After finishing my light no, my incredibly tough morning training,
I was now in a theory class.
Superhumans have countless duties, but among them, there are three most dangerous situations. Cadet Kang Seoyul. What are those three?
My name was called.
Perhaps because of my title as first in theory, the instructors had been calling on me more often.
I stood up from my seat.
Villain extermination, monster rampages, and Gate appearances.
Correct.
Sir, I have a question.
Just then, a cadet raised his hand.
You may.
I heard that the fatality rate for ruin and dungeon clearings is higher than for monster rampages, so why aren't ruin clearings considered a dangerous situation?
A good question.
The instructor smiled.
Cadet Kang Seoyul, since youre already standing, please answer.
Yes, sir.
That instructor. I feel like hes been working me too hard lately.
Ruin and dungeon clearings are not mandatory missions, so I believe they are excluded from the statistics.
Precisely. Cadet, has your curiosity been satisfied?
Yes. Thank you.
The instructor smiled with satisfaction.
Cadet Kang Seoyul, you may be seated as well.
Yes, sir.
Now, to return to our topic, we will discuss the three major dangerous situations. We've covered villains and monster rampages extensively in previous classes, so well skip those. Today, well talk about Gates. Cadet Kang Seoyul, since you just sat down, please stand up and explain what a Gate is.
Yes, sir.
Seriously? Whyd he tell me to sit down then? I stood up from my seat.
A Gate is a special rift from which monsters pour out. There are broadly two types: Eruptive Gates and Encroaching Gates.
Correct. You may sit.
I sat down again.
Hes not going to tell me to sit just to call on me again, is he?
Which of the two is more dangerous? Cadet Kim Mingwang.
Wouldnt it be the Encroaching Gate?
Cadet Chae Minju.
The Encroaching Gate, sir.
The instructor, with a deep smile, continued to call out the cadets names. About ten of them answered, Encroaching Gate.
Cadet Ha Siyeon.
Um I think its the Encroaching Gate.
Cadet Shin Jia.
The Encroaching Gate is far more dangerous.
An Eruptive Gate, which disappears after unleashing a wave of monsters.
An Encroaching Gate, which never closes unless it is specifically cleared.
Of course, the Encroaching Gate would seem more dangerous. Thats what the books taught, after all.
You could tell just by looking at the frequency of their appearances.
Eruptive Gates opened very frequently, but they were dealt with each time without significant damage.
On the other hand, Encroaching Gates didn't open easily, but when they did, they inflicted catastrophic damage.
Does Cadet Kang Seoyul share the same opinion as the other cadets?
But that was only because most people didn't know the true terror of an Eruptive Gate.
The Eruptive Gate is far more dangerous.
Oh-ho.
A flicker of interest appeared in the instructors eyes.
And why is that?
Because the cause of numerous monster continents, including the Greenland Zone, is the Eruptive Gate.
The instructor chuckled, amused.
Are you saying Encroaching Gates aren't dangerous?
Of course not. Encroaching Gates are dangerous. But thats all they are.
The instructors smile deepened.
Thats all they are? What do you mean?
Of all the Encroaching Gates that have appeared to date, not a single one has failed to be closed.
I glanced at the whispering cadets before speaking again.
The average mana level of an Encroaching Gate is about 200,000. The highest ever recorded was the gate that appeared in southern China, and even that was 268,273. It was a terrible disaster, but ultimately, it wasn't something humanity couldn't handle.
The perk I received from my brother, Shin.
Thanks to the basic knowledge of this world and an excellent memory, there was almost nothing I didn't know. I even remembered such statistical figures in detail.
On the other hand, what about Eruptive Gates? The mana levels of the small, frequently appearing gates are certainly low. Around 3,000. Thats why the average is only about 20,000.
A gate with 20,000 mana.
A level that could be handled by just three superhumans from the top 100 S-Ranks.
20,000 and 200,000. Statistically, that's a tenfold difference.
So the Encroaching type is more dangerous, right?
The cadets who had been listening quietly started to challenge my point.
But what if we look at the distribution instead of the average?
What meaning did an average hold?
The lowest recorded mana for an Encroaching Gate is 140,000. The highest is 260,000.
The important thing was whether it could be dealt with or not.
The lowest recorded mana for an Eruptive Gate is 500. The highest is
I recalled the recent incident when the Vaccine Program was activated.
The major event where a gate with over a million mana appeared.
1,280,000.
It was also in the historical records.
A gate with 500,000 mana had caused the collapse of a nation. That was the terror of an Eruptive Gate.
For these reasons, I have concluded that the Eruptive Gate is far more dangerous.
Silence fell.
Everyone stared at me blankly.
Their expressions said they didn't understand what I was talking about.
Of course they wouldn't.
They had been taught that Encroaching Gates were far more dangerous.
They couldn't possibly comprehend my words.
Everyone, a round of applause. An excellent perspective, as expected of the top-ranked cadet in theory. You may be seated.
Yes, sir.
I sat down.
How does Kang Seoyul have all those stats memorized?
I know, right?
A debate sparked over my statement. Perhaps pleased by the free discussion, the instructor made no move to control us.
Still, saying Eruptive Gates are more dangerous is an exaggeration.
You think so? I thought it made sense when I heard it.
Me too. It felt like I got hit by a hammer.
I still think the Encroaching type is more dangerous, though.
It was true that, up until this point in time, Encroaching Gates were considered more dangerous.
The World Superhuman Federation even compiled their data that way.
But the day that perception would change was not far off.
Starting with the first major arc of the original novel, `S-Class Status Window`, that entire concept would be turned on its head.
...Hoo.
The beginning of that arc was just around the corner.
I needed to grow as quickly as possible before then.
Everyone, settle down. Class is still in session.
After that, the instructor's lecture on Gates continued for a long while.
*Ding-dong-dang-dong*
And so, time passed.
The bell signaling the end of class rang.
Thats all for todays class. I dont need to tell you why the instructor focused on Gates today, do I?
No, sir!
Because we have Gate Experience Training on Thursday!
The instructor scanned us with a serious expression.
Gate Experience Training is training in name only; in reality, its no different from an actual battle. In fact, its the training with the highest fatality rate.
Gate Experience Training was dangerous.
It was called an experience, but it was no different from the real thing. There were no safety measures, and unlike other training exercises, it couldnt be 100% controlled.
Naturally, there were many variables and many dangers.
So, everyone, prepare your minds and approach this training with resolve. A Gate clearing is where you can lose your life in the brief moment you let your guard down.
A heavy atmosphere settled over the classroom.
* * *
Time flew by, and it was Thursday.
The day of the Gate Experience Training. For once, everyones expression was serious. Most of the cadets wore anxious faces.
Well, considering the dangers of the Gate Experience Training, it was only natural to be trembling with anxiety.
Is it just me, or is everyone scared?
No, Im a little too.
Whew. Im nervous.
To be honest, I was a little scared too.
Even if it was a degraded, copied version of a temporary gate created through research, a gate was still a gate.
One wrong move and youre toast.
It was my first time entering a gate, and since it was a training exercise not mentioned in the original novel, I was quite tense.
But this was a good opportunity.
The next episode happened to be the Gate Rampage episode, and being able to experience a gate, even a temporary one, beforehand was something I couldn't have hoped for more.
We will now begin the Temporary Gate Experience Training for Class 1-1!
This Gate Experience Training was being conducted by class.
Even a small gate required at least 50 superhumans, so entering as a class unit was a given.
Do one last check of your equipment. We will enter in two minutes!
In the heavy atmosphere, only the clashing sounds of metal and wood echoed.
Two minutes passed.
Prepare to enter!
With the instructors command, a crack appeared in mid-air. It looked like a mirror shattering in slow motion.
*Crack, crack!*
The crack gradually widened until, finally.
*KRAANG!*
With a sharp shattering sound, the air split wide open.
Gate open confirmed! shouted the person in charge of managing the gate. The instructor nodded.
Enter!
Enter!
We repeated the order in unison and started moving. We walked past the instructor and toward the rift. I was at the very front.
The moment I stepped into the rift,
Oh.
The scenery changed.
A strange world, as if something had been fused together, came into view. A landscape where worlds had collided in a half-formed way. It was exactly as it had been described in the novel.
Ugh.
Im so nervous
Anxious voices continued to sound from all around.
Its fine. Look at our class members. You think anything dangerous could happen?
Thats true
The cadets looked in turn at Siyeon, Jia, Cheoljin, and then me.
Were pretty perfect in terms of both power and intellect.
I suddenly feel at ease.
Well, this lineup was pretty overpowered.
By the way, this must be Jias and Siyeons first time clearing a gate too. Are they okay? Are they nervous? I discreetly glanced around.
Jia had her usual calm expression.
Siyeon had a good look on her face, her tension raised to an appropriate level.
It seems I was worrying for nothing.
I turned my gaze forward again.
After walking for about a minute,
the surrounding scenery began to fade rapidly.
Everyone, get ready!
I shouted.
In five seconds, we would be inside the gate.
I raised my guard. Id heard that ambushes right upon entry were commonplace, so I prepared to react immediately.
A moment later.
The scenery changed completely.
The ambiguously fused, deformed background vanished entirely, replaced by a very ordinary forest.
A forest zone?
Thankfully, it was a normal terrain.
I was worried we might get something like a swamp or a lava zone.
I let out a sigh of relief and turned around to speak.
Everyone knows the characteristics of a forest zone
But I couldn't finish my sentence.
It wasn't for a pressing reason, like my words being cut off by an enemy attack or having to hastily dodge a triggered trap.
There was simply no need to speak.
Where did everyone go?
Because there was no one around me.
< Gate (1) > End