Jin-Woo's gaze fixed on the dagger forged from one of Kamish's fangs. The stats displayed on it were nothing short of astonishing.
[Item: Wrath of Kamish] Acquisition Difficulty: ?? Type: Dagger Attack Power +1,500 The finest dagger crafted by a master's hand from the sharpest fang among the dragon's teeth. Its sharpness is utterly unmatched, and its exceptional sensitivity to mana means it can become an even more formidable weapon depending on the wielder's capabilities.
The description was lengthy. But aside from the attack power, nothing else really registered.
'1,500? Just raw attack power?'
No special options—just a flat attack power of 1,500. A staggering 1,500. Considering how the higher his attack power, the more cleanly he could cut through enemies, it was hard to even fathom just how devastating this dagger would be.
'Wait—is there even a weapon with 1,500 attack power?'
Too excited to care about the many eyes watching, Jin-Woo pulled up the shop. The daggers there were laughable by comparison, so he browsed the greatsword category—the weapons with the highest attack power.
'...Huh.'
The most expensive greatsword barely topped 1,000 in attack power. No matter how standard-issue the shop's offerings were, greatswords with only 1,000 attack power next to a dagger with 1,500 was absurd.
'Doesn't this mean, purely by the numbers, I'd be swinging a greatsword in each hand?'
A weighty sensation settled into the fingertips gripping the dagger. An intense urge to cut something—anything—surged up, and when Jin-Woo lifted his head, Thomas, as if reading his thoughts, gave an awkward laugh and shook his head.
"Oh, Mister Sung. Even with my reinforcement skill boosting my defense, that thing would punch right through. You're not planning to use the very dagger I gave you to kill me, are you?"
Of course he had no such intention. Jin-Woo returned Thomas's overdramatic theatrics with a grin and turned his attention back to the dagger.
'Outstanding sensitivity to mana?'
Mana—meaning magical power. To find out what exceptional mana sensitivity truly meant, Jin-Woo began trickling his own mana into the dagger ever so gently. And then—
"Hhh..."
The bodyguard, who should have been maintaining silence unless absolutely necessary, couldn't help but let out a gasp. He quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, but nobody blamed him. No one even noticed his slip—every pair of eyes had already been stolen away by the dagger in Jin-Woo's hand.
"Oh my God..."
Thomas, a man who had seen everything, was just as unable to hide his astonishment. From the tip of Jin-Woo's fingers—the entire length of the dagger—a black aura was slowly rising.
'The dagger... is responding to my mana.'
It wasn't just aura rising. The weight that had been filling his palm so solidly a moment ago had vanished in an instant. As if it were a lie. The dagger had become lighter than a feather.
'Whoa...'
A weapon whose weight could be freely adjusted at the wielder's will. Hmmm, hmmmhhhh—The dagger "Wrath of Kamish" trembled along its edge as if greeting its new master. Jin-Woo's heartbeat grew progressively stronger as he gripped the handle. Thud-thud, thud-thud. He wanted to fight with this dagger. He wanted to try using it. Whether this was the dagger's will or his own, he couldn't tell. Jin-Woo steadied his racing heart and slid the dagger back into its place. Thunk. The vibration ceased. Laura and the bodyguards, who had been holding their breath under the oppressive pressure from the black aura, all exhaled in unison. Thomas, who had been looking at Jin-Woo, turned his head toward Laura.
'Do you still think my choice was a mistake?'
Laura shook her head at Thomas's gaze. As long as those daggers were aimed at monsters rather than people, Thomas's decision had been absolutely correct. The weapon had found its master. Even Laura, a civilian who couldn't sense mana at all, could see that at a glance. Thomas, having proved his judgment correct, broke into a gentle smile.
"So how do you like my gift, Mister Sung?"
The truest expression of powerful emotion comes not from words but from action. Jin-Woo quietly raised his thumb.
"Hahahaha—"
Thomas, in high spirits, slowly clapped his hands together to express his delight. These daggers were proof of friendship. If they served to win Jin-Woo's favor, he didn't regret giving them away at all. If anything, it was Jin-Woo who felt the burden.
"But... is it really okay to take something like this for free?" "Free? Please."
Thomas, who had been smiling the entire time, suddenly turned serious.
"My life and the lives of my guild members—if all that amounts to is two daggers, I'd say I got off pretty cheap."
Thomas could only express his insistence that Jin-Woo accept the gift in that roundabout way. Having heard from Laura about Thomas's particular manner of expression, Jin-Woo answered with a smile.
"Then I'll accept them gratefully." "If you do, Mister Sung, that makes me happy too."
As the amiable atmosphere flowed between the two top-ranked Hunters, Jin-Woo and Thomas's movements froze at the same moment. Before Laura or the bodyguards could register the sudden tension on their hardened faces, Thomas spoke first.
"Mister Sung, just now..."
Jin-Woo gave a short nod. A chill raced down his spine. Thomas had felt the same thing. Their eyes went to the sky. As if they had rehearsed it, both men sprang to their feet and pressed against the window.
"..."
Jin-Woo let out a sharp breath. Thomas's pupils were quivering too—he had seen the same thing. How could something like that appear in the sky? Thomas stared at the Gate hovering in the distant heavens, pointed downward toward the earth, and was unable to close his mouth.
"I can't believe it. A Gate of that size—I've never seen one in my life."
Even the Gate Kamish had emerged from wasn't that large. Thomas, who had gained his powers in the very early days of Gates appearing, had never witnessed a Gate of this level even once. But Jin-Woo had a memory of seeing a Gate of comparable size. Back then—in the data that the angel statue had summoned. The very Gate through which winged soldiers had poured out in droves. The colossal Gate that had blanketed Seoul's sky matched exactly what he had seen in that data. Remembering the soldiers that had been slowly dyeing the sky pitch-black, a shiver ran from the base of his neck down his spine.
'Could the enormous amount of magical energy that was supposedly gathering over Seoul's sky... have been that?'
Jin-Woo was at a loss for words. Thomas, Laura, and the bodyguards behind them—all were equally struck silent. As a heavy silence settled over them, the massive Gate that had suddenly materialized in the sky swirled silently, as if ready to swallow everything in the world.
* * *
Beneath the Gate. Citizens, knowing that a freshly formed Gate carried no risk of a Dungeon Break, had gathered in a sea of people. They held up their phones and snapped photos of the Gate that had turned the sky black. The first Gate to appear in midair. And one of unprecedented size. Even in the face of the fear of not knowing what might burst out from inside, people couldn't suppress their curiosity. Among the crowd were many foreign correspondents. Their cameras whirred busily, capturing the tightly packed masses.
"Yes, I'm currently beneath the Gate that has blanketed the sky over South Korea, Seoul..." "The Gate before us is the largest to appear since monsters first began emerging..." "As you can see, many citizens have come out to see the Gate, though their expressions are not entirely cheerful..." "This has been Nick Polwell for BBN News."
Reporters from various countries, wearing grave expressions, delivered their reports in their respective languages. Japan, which had long taken a keen interest in Korea, went as far as a special broadcast, extensively covering the "Gate over Seoul's Sky." Dr. Norman Belger, who had been drawing attention to the anomalous phenomena in the sky for some time, was invited as an expert. After the host's brief introduction, Dr. Belger took the microphone.
"For some time now, I have been warning about the immense power that has been coalescing in the sky. The enormous Gate that has appeared over Seoul is only the beginning—more of those dreadful Gates will appear over the skies of many nations."
The host's shoulders tensed.
"I-I'm sorry? So, Doctor, you're saying there's more than one or two locations showing these ominous signs?" "That is precisely the point I wish to emphasize."
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izer.The hushed exchange between the two top Hunters was cut short when Jin-Woo and Thomas both froze simultaneously. Before Laura and the bodyguards could react to the tension freezing their faces, Thomas spoke first.
"Mister Sung, just now..."
Jin-Woo gave a short nod. A shiver ran down his spine. Thomas had felt the same thing. Their gazes shot skyward. As if they had rehearsed it, both men sprang to their feet and stood pressed against the window.
"..."
Jin-Woo let out a sharp breath. Thomas's pupils shook as well—both had seen the same thing. How could something like that appear in the sky? Thomas stared, jaw agape, at the Gate far above, angled down toward the earth.
"I can't believe it. A Gate of that size—I've never seen one in my life."
Even the Gate Kamish had come through wasn't that large. Thomas, who had gained his powers in the early days when Gates first appeared, had never once witnessed a Gate of this magnitude. But Jin-Woo had a memory of seeing a Gate of comparable size. Back then—in the data the angel statue had summoned. The very Gate through which winged soldiers had poured out in droves. The colossal Gate blanketing Seoul's sky matched exactly the one from that data. Remembering the soldiers that had slowly blacked out the sky, a shiver raced from the nape of his neck downward.
'Could the massive amount of mana supposedly gathering over Seoul's sky actually be... that?'
Jin-Woo was speechless. Thomas, Laura, and the bodyguards behind them—no one could utter a word. Heavy silence descended over the group, and far above, the enormous Gate that had suddenly appeared in the sky churned quietly, as though it were about to swallow everything in the world.
* * *
Beneath the Gate. Citizens, knowing that a freshly generated Gate posed no risk of a Dungeon Break, had gathered in enormous numbers. People held up their phones, photographing the Gate that had turned the sky black. The first Gate to appear in the air. And one of unprecedented size. Even in the terrifying unknown of what might come bursting out, people couldn't hide their curiosity. Among the throng were many foreign correspondents. Their cameras clicked furiously as they filmed the densely packed crowd.
"Yes, I'm standing right beneath the Gate that has blanketed the sky of Seoul, South Korea..." "The Gate before us is the largest since monsters first began emerging..." "As you can see, many citizens have come out to gaze upon the Gate, though their expressions are not entirely cheerful..." "This has been Nick Polwell for BBN News."
Reporters from various countries wore grave faces as they delivered their reports in their respective languages. Japan, which had already been paying close attention to Korea, aired a special broadcast, extensively covering the "Gate over Seoul's Sky." Dr. Norman Belger, who had long been sounding the alarm about aerial anomalies, was invited on as an expert. After the host's brief introduction, Dr. Belger took the microphone.
"For some time now, I have been issuing warnings about the tremendous power coalescing in the sky. The enormous Gate that has appeared over Seoul is merely the beginning. Many more of those dreadful Gates will appear over skies across the world."
The host's eyebrows rose.
"W-what? Then, Doctor, are you saying that this phenomenon isn't limited to one or two locations?" "That is precisely the point I wish to emphasize."
The doctor repeated on camera the same lecture he had delivered to Hunters at the International Guild Conference. Now that what he had been studying had materialized as an actual threat, he had a duty to share the information with the public. Seoul was only the beginning. In eight other locations, the mana continued to swell. As the doctor revealed the names of the nine locations alongside aerial photographs, gasps and groans alternated through the audience. Some were relieved that Japan was not among the targets, while others were shocked by the crisis facing multiple nations, including neighboring Korea. With a somber expression, the host pressed further.
"Doctor, you've been studying Gates and monsters for a very long time, haven't you?" "Indeed I have." "Then, in your opinion, what would be the wisest course of action for us?"
The audience gathered in the studio, and the countless viewers watching from home—all leaned in to hear the doctor's words. But what came from his lips was something anyone could have said.
"We must pray."
He looked out over the audience and continued.
"That this unprecedented crisis does not end in tragedy."
The audience listened with serious expressions, and the doctor went on.
"But there is one piece of news that isn't entirely bad."
His remark, delivered just before the broadcast ended, changed the host's expression. Desperate to lift the gloomy mood of the set even slightly, the host asked with renewed energy.
"What is that, Doctor?" "The fortunate thing is that this Gate appeared over Korea."
Did the doctor harbor some personal sentiment toward Korea? The murmur of surprise swept through the audience. The CP who had planned the segment felt his face go rigid—afraid that this could spiral into an international incident. But. His fears did not materialize. The doctor hurried to add an explanation before the misunderstanding deepened.
"Korea has the greatest Hunter in the world—one who has thwarted world-class catastrophes multiple times."
That Hunter's name was anything but unfamiliar here.
"Yes. I'm referring to Hunter Sung Jin-Woo, who exterminated the ants of Jeju Island and defeated the giants of Japan."
The greatest Hunter just happened to be where the mana was concentrating the most. To the doctor, none of this felt like coincidence.
"If he can't stop it, then probably no Hunter in any country can. So from the world's perspective, the fact that this Gate appeared over Korea is something to be grateful for."
Grateful, or something to be pitied? As the audience wavered, the doctor drove his point home once more.
"It may sound harsh to Korea, which is staring down a grave crisis, but the world doesn't need to grieve on Korea's behalf just yet."
Oh no—this is going to cause an incident! As if to tease the CP who was pulling at the hair on both sides of his head, Dr. Norman Belger closed with a knowing look on his face.
"Because if the day comes when Korea truly needs to be consoled, there will be no one left in the world to console each other."