"What's the situation now?"
"..It seems like it will take at least six more days before the gate breaks, sir."
S-rank Hunter Kim Suho. Currently, he was at the car park where the gate had manifested. At first, he hadn't cared much about the A-rank gate. That was until it was reassessed. A+ rank.
That was why he was here now, along with his party members.
"Secretary Eun, which party went in?" He asked, turning around to look at his secretary. She turned over the pages, scanning the notes.
"It seems a small group of people has went in, boss." She replied, then began reading the names.
"Kyungsoo Kang. A-rank tanker. Unaffiliated with a guild."
Suho raised an eyebrow. Such a tanker is not part of any guild? He should've took him in..
"Sungjae Woon, A-rank archer. Not affiliated with any guild either. Min-Ji lee, B-rank mage…"
'Seriously, are any of them in a guild?' He pinched the bridge of his nose. How come he hasn't heard of any of them? If he had, he would've had someone make an offer to them straight away. A shame..
"Haesung Choi, F-rank Porter."
Suho blinked. 'What did she just say?"
"Taeya-"
"Wait, could you repeat the previous name again?"
" Haesung Choi, F-rank Porter." She repeated instantly.
'Why would an F-rank go inside an A-rank? Does that even make any sense?'
He gazed shifted back to the gate, the gate emitting waves of suffocating mana. His frown deepened. 'How is he faring in there? No, perhaps he's already dead..'
A tap on his shoulder broke his thoughts. He looked behind and was met with a woman in a pointed witch's hat, her long brown hair spilling from her shoulders.
"Yun Si-ra." He acknowledged with a nod.
The woman smiled lightly, tilting her head as she rested her hands on her hips. "Boss, why the grim face?"
"…"
"…I was just thinking." He muttered, then narrowed his eyes at her attire. "Tell me, why do you still wear that horrendous hat? You look like you walked out some fantasy game instead."
Yun Si-ra chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her hand in a graceful manner. "Hmm? Am I not allowed? This hat isn't some ordinary thing, you know?"
{Witch of Gloom}. An S-rank item. Alone, it amplifies mana output by ten percent. With the full set, it would surpass that. Unfortunately, she only had the hat.
"Anyway, are we really going to wait for them?" She glanced at the gate next to them. "It might take a while. Our team members don't have the time to wait when we could be inside a gate by now."
Suho's eye darkened, and he nodded. "That's right, no matter how long, it is our duty to protect Korea. We will wait, tell that to the others."
Yun Si-ra exhaled softly, closing her eyes for a brief moment. "Of course, boss." She turned and left, calling to the other members.
…
He returned his attention to the gate. To his eyes, it didn't seem close to breaking but he wasn't an appraiser. He couldn't take chances. His fist clenched tightly. I won't let it happen again. Never again.
Suddenly, the gate pulsed. It's red hue gradually turning blue. His eyes widened in shock.
"No way…has it been cleared?"
From the gate, a figure stumbled out. Behind, two others followed closely behind, their faces pale but alive.
"We..we made it out!"
"Ahh..ahhh…" A sob came from the woman, hastily wiping her eyes.
Min-ji.
"Don't cry here, Min-ji. There's people here." A guy told her, brushing her tears away with his hands. Jet-black hair and a stern expression.
Taeyang Han.
And…
Me.
I blinked against the light. I glanced at the sky, endless and so, so blue. For a moment, I just stared, feeling my face stretch from the smile I wore. Oh, how I missed this sky. The other place was incredibly gloomy. But here? It felt much better. If I had stayed there any longer, I would've gone crazy..
Hm? That's when I noticed a large group of hunters watching us. 'Oh, were they the other hunters who wanted to go afterwards?.. Oops.
"Are you guys the only hunters who came out?" A voice startled me from my thoughts.
"…That's right." Taeyang confirmed. "And you are?.."
The woman in glasses examined the guy infront of her, adjusting her frames. Her gaze lingered on his features, blood, scrapes and an exhausted face. He's injured, yet somehow it's nothing fatal. How did they make it out with only those injuries?
"I am Secretary Eun. I come from the Overkill guild. I trust that you know what that is?"
Taeyang's eyebrows shot up. Min-ji, too, straighted her back after hearing that, her demeanor turning formal. "Yes, we do. I am honored to meet someone who's of that guild."
Wow. I never knew she could speak so politely. Normally, she was..a lot different. Then again, seeing such an important figure here, manners just automatically materialize. But wait, if Overkill was here, that must mean the other members are also here.
My heart skipped a beat. That..could be very bad.
And so, while the others talked, I slipped away, blending into the background. After all, if they knew the story of what had happened inside the gate, wouldn't I be completely screwed?
"You guys came as a team, didn't you?" Secretary Eun raised one of her eyebrows. "Do you know where the other three has gone?"
"Ah.." Min-ji's cracked, feeling her eyes tear up again. "Uhm, they- they didn't make it." She looked down, hiding her face.
"Wait- did you say three?" Taeyang asked, furrowing his brows. Secretary Eun nodded slowly, "That is right. Unless the other one disappeared?"
Taeyang turned instinctively. "No, we have another survivor right here-" He stopped abruptly. Because in the place where the last person was supposed to be, only a bag full of mana stones remained.
"No way…"
.
.
.
.
Quests (Beginner)
Avoid death (3/5) Reward: Bonus box
Find a temporary shelter (1/1) Reward: 10 points
Gain popularity (10/1000) Reward: 50 points
Somehow, I only avoided death three times, and only gained 10 popularity points. How pathetic. I sighed, collapsing onto my bed. "This quest is going to take me ages.."
'…'
After Sungjae had stalled time for us, our remaining group had slipped into a cave. We thought we'd escaped from the monsters, at least for a while. But of course, nothing in this gate was normal. After all, even resting came at a price.
.
.
.
"Ah- I'm so tired!" I leaned against the damp cave and watched as the others find their place on the ground. We were drained, both from fleeing from a horde of Mirebeasts and fending off the low-rank monsters that had occupied this cave.
Min-ji looked half-dead. Her eyes which were full of light, had reduced to nothing but an empty void, her hair a wild, tangled mess from battle. Honestly, it looks like a bird nest.
We sat in silence. Only the drip of water echoed in the cave. Then Min-ji's voice cut through the sound.
"Do- do you guys think we can make it out alive?" She whispered, clutching her hand tightly. She seemed traumatized, perhaps from the death of our friends. Well, I couldn't blame her.
Taeyang seemed hesitant to answer, opening his mouth many times before closing them again. Then, he nodded slowly, "..Yes, we will. We have to."
Min-ji studied him for a moment, flickering her eyes at his features. Then suddenly, her eyes lit with determination once more. She nodded fiercely. "You're right. We have to."
Without another word, she stood, brushing the dirt off her clothes. "Come on. We still need to find an exit."
.
.
.
I traced my hand along the wall, my fingers rubbing against the rough texture. How long has it been since we've been wandering? It seemed endless, the cave stretching on.
Occasionally, we would come across some low-rank monsters. But they were quickly taken care of. Afterwards, we'd take some rest..
Ah, it's no wonder why we've been taking ages.
"Hey, guys! look!" Min-ji interrupted, her voice filled with excitement. She pointed ahead.
At the end of the tunnel, a faint light spilling from the other side.
'Did we make it to the boss room?'
I swallowed, following after the other two. Strangely, they both looked calm. Too calm, without a hint of fear on their face. 'Seriously, these people..' I sighed, tightening my grip on my ring as we drew nearer.
Finally, we made it to the other side-
Crrkkk
A hideous sound echoed.
In front of me, a beast stood. A scrawny one. It moved with playful motions. It's limbs twitching like a puppet. A cracked wooden mask clung to its head, and around its neck hung a pendant. Light pulsing inside like a heartbeat.
Appraise!
{Hallucinae}- An A-rank beast who infect the mind with illusions.
My breath hitched. "Guys!"
I spun around, only for the words to die in my throat.
Both Taeyang and Min-ji stood still, gazed unfocused. Their irises turned into a hazy blue, proof of the beast's magic working on them.
"Shit!" My chest tightened.
It was a miracle I wasn't affected. But then I remembered- the potion. The one I had drank at the start in case something like this happened. Without it, i'd probably be in the same shoes as them.
But..what do I do now?
Suddenly, red smoke seeped out of Taeyang and Min-ji's bodies. I watched as the smoke drifted in the air slowly towards the necklace.. that the beast wore.
My blood ran cold. The article I once read resurfaced. Hallucinae.. they drain life force.
Shit!
I glanced at the beast. It wasn't built for combat. It was too weak. Too thin.
I clenched my jaw and reached into my sub space, pulling out my staff. I exhaled, stating the fear inside my chest.
I stepped forward.
The creature's face twisted. It's expression faltering as I approached.
"Crrk?.."
I grinned, false bravado carrying my voice. "That's right. I'm not affected. You know why?"
I lifted my staff. "Because i'm strong."
.
.
.
Taeyang opened his eyes.
The first thing he noticed was that he was outside. A gentle breeze swept through his hair.
"What? I was inside a gate.. how am I here?"
"Taeyang-ah, what's wrong?"
His heart stopped. He turned his head sharply and his eyes widened.
"..Mother?"
A short, plump woman stood before him. Her face soft with wrinkles and her expression gentle. Too gentle, as she tilted her head at him.
"Yes, what's wrong, dear?"
His breath caught. The last time he had seen her…was years ago.
He looked down, startled to see small hands. He had turned back into a kid. Back to the time he had a miserable day at school.
"My child, what is it? Why do you look so pale?" She embraced him. "Talk to me, Taeyang-ah."
He staggered back, pushing her away. Her eyes widened, fear flashing through her eyes. "What's wrong? Did something happen at school?"
"Ah- no, there isn't anything wrong." He muttered, stepping back. He locked his gaze to the floor, refusing to look up.
"Don't lie to me." Her hands reached out again, trembling with concern.
"You…you're not real." He shook his head. "You died.. years ago."
The warmth in her eye vanished. "Strange…was my magic not enough..?"
Her body twisted and warped, the flesh peeling away in an instant. All that remained was the illusion beast, its mask glaring at him.
"Well, I'll just eat you anyway!"
It lunged towards him.
slash!
Its head flew off in an instant, crumbling instantly. "Is this the illusion that hunters were experiencing? How weak."
The place around him wavered before shattering like glass. The park was gone and all that remained was the cave. At a similiar time, Min-ji grumbled next to him.
"Min-ji, are you okay?"
She nodded, scrunching her face up. "Oh man, that illusion seemed too real..it was a good thing I read that article."
He nodded, before dust flew in his face. "What on earth-" He waved his arm around, covering his nose with his other hand. "Haesung, you idiot. What are you-"
"Oh my…" Min-ji stared at the scene in front of them. There stood Haesung, clutching the same monster they had seen in their illusion. Behind him, the cavern walls was scorched and burn marks seared into the floor.
Taeyang blinked, "Did..did he fight it alone?"
"Haesung! Are you okay?" Min-ji rushed towards him, staggering from the uneven path. Taeyang quickly followed after her.
Haesung looked at them before grinning, "Hey, I defeated the boss. Pretty amazing, right ?" His eyes sparkled with pride.
Taeyang just grumbled, rubbing his temples. "Was that really the boss?"
Haesung nodded, his gaze flickering to the gate forming beside them. "That's right..it seemed like the boss was a lot weaker than expected." He turned back to the other two and held his hands out, "Here, drink this. It's a health potion."
Min-ji practically snatched one. "Oh, thank goodness! My wounds had been killing me!" She downed it in seconds, her injuries vanishing almost instantly, leaving only faint bruises. Taeyang followed, drinking his cautiously, but even he couldn't hide his surprise.
"Where did you get this stuff? This is better than most potions I've seen!" Min-ji turned the bottle in awe.
Taeyang's sharp eyes flicked to Haesung, who suddenly looked nervous, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Ah..that..that's a secret." Haesung laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "Anyway, let's just go! I feel like I might go crazy if I stay here!"
He quickly grabbed his reward pouch and bolted towards the gate.
"Hey, wait for me!" Min-ji called, hurrying after with her pouch in hand.
Taeyang remained where he stood, his brows furrowed.
"What was that?.." His mind replayed the brief moment he caught earlier. Haesung holding a staff, glowing with mana, before it vanished into thin air.
His grip on his dagger tightened.
Wasn't he supposed to be… an F-rank?