The largest Gate to have ever appeared on Earth was the one in America, the Kamish Gate. But the Gate before our eyes was at least ten times its size. Was there even a need to measure its rank? Still, someone had to do it, so the Hunter's Association dispatched a helicopter. Only staff who were Hunters boarded the helicopter, in case ordinary employees couldn't withstand the mana pressure of the 'Giant Gate' and their bodies were destroyed. Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat! The helicopter, carrying the pilot, co-pilot, and two staff members, flew toward the Gate. Is this what it feels like to be sucked into a black hole? Inside the shaking helicopter, a staff member stared at the black, enormous circle growing closer and asked.
"Senior, have you ever seen anything like this?"
The sun had already set, so they had to rely on the helicopter's lights for visibility, but the sheer scale of this terrifying Gate was still overwhelmingly clear. The senior shook his head.
"No. Probably no one has ever seen a Gate this big."
The entire world was in an uproar because of this alone. It was absolutely impossible just because it appeared in the sky. The world was shocked by the unbelievable size and the Gate's special location in the 'air'. If they had known that even Thomas Andre himself had doubted his own eyes, this foolish conversation about whether they'd ever seen such a Gate wouldn't have taken place. Gulping. As the two, whose eyes were glued to the Gate, kept swallowing dryly, the helicopter, having neared its target, began to slow down. The co-pilot informed the staff.
"If we get any closer, the helicopter will be in danger."
The staff member who acknowledged this finished preparations for rank measurement. Normally, when measuring a Gate's rank, it's standard to check the values right in front of the Gate. But in this case, there was no need. The moment the switch was flipped, the meter let out a 'clunk' sound and stopped working. It was proof that the meter couldn't handle the mana flowing from the Gate. An expected result, of course.
"Senior."
The staff member operating the meter looked at the senior. The senior nodded in agreement. The staff member connected communication to report the measurement results to the Association. But at that moment, the senior, who was looking out the window, shouted.
"Watch out!"
The startled staff member hurriedly looked around.
"What, what is it?" "Just now, something like a magical beast outside the window..." "Huh? A beast already?"
A magical beast emerging from a Gate that hadn't even been open for a full day? It was impossible, but the senior, who had witnessed the beast, was one of the higher-ranking Hunters. There was no way the pilot or the staff could tell him he hadn't seen it correctly. Sure enough.
"There!"
The senior pointed exactly at what he had just seen. At that moment, the urgent voice of Association Chairman Woo Jin-Chul came through the staff member's headset.
-What? What's that noise? Sang-Won! Yu Sang-Won! What's going on? "Chairman, sir. A beast! A huge magical beast has appeared near the helicopter!" -What? "But... it doesn't seem like an ordinary beast." -You know if you encounter a beast in the air, it's over, right? I didn't send you up there to investigate! Come down immediately! "Ah, no. It's just, Chairman... there's a person riding on the beast." -What does that mean? No, how can a person ride a beast...
At that moment, the image of a man who actually rides around on real beasts flashed through his mind, and Woo Jin-Chul's voice paused for a moment before continuing.
-Sang-Won... can you see the face of the person riding it? "One second. Yes, I can see it faintly." -Is that Hunter Sung Jin-Woo by any chance? "What?"
The staff member, pressed against the window, straining his eyes to look at the beast, exclaimed in astonishment and asked back.
"H-how did you know that?"
* * *
Eek!- Jin-Woo, riding the 'Kaisel' dragon, approached the Gate. Flying right up beneath it, it looked less like a Gate and more like a boundless black lake. An overwhelming size. An ordinary Hunter wouldn't have been able to withstand the Gate's tremendous mana, but Jin-Woo had been calm ever since he decided to check it out for himself. The Hunter's Association helicopter below, judging it dangerous, had quickly returned to the ground. After watching the helicopter for a moment, Jin-Woo moved closer to the Gate. Above his head, within arm's reach, was the Gate, its mouth open toward the ground. Of course, the Gate's black membrane still blocked the entrance, so there was no way of knowing what state it was in inside.
'...'
If he touched it, would his hand pass through? Or would he be sucked in like a Red Gate? Or would it be... Jin-Woo cautiously reached out his hand. Perhaps he could resolve this before the Gate burst and the beasts poured out. His fingertips, carrying that slight hope, touched the membrane.
'Huh?'
It was the first phenomenon he'd experienced since becoming an Awakener. He couldn't pass through the Gate. His hand couldn't enter; it was blocked by the black membrane. The membrane was as hard as a wall.
'If it were a normal membrane, I could at least break it...'
Even when he pushed with all his might, the wall didn't budge. Knock, knock. Jin-Woo, who had knocked on the membrane, pressed his lips into a thin line.
'It's different.'
A Gate an Awakener couldn't pass through. It was unlike any Gate he had seen before. Were the things inside also different from all the others?
'Whatever comes out...'
Whatever came out. Below this Gate were his family and friends. He had no intention of letting them through easily. He had the stats he'd gained over time and the brave soldiers who would fight for him. At that thought, Whaaa!- He could almost hear the loud cheers of the soldiers hiding in the shadows. Thump- Anxiety and excitement intertwined. For the first time since Jin-Woo had become the Player and gained the power of the System, he'd thought there had to be a reason for it all. If that were really true, perhaps it was to prevent this very thing?
'Useless thoughts...'
Jin-Woo laughed off his own sudden surge of emotion and removed his hand from the Gate. At that moment, his Hunter Phone, set to vibrate, buzzed vigorously in his pocket. The caller was the Japan Hunter's Association. Since he'd made a request, Jin-Woo answered quickly.
-Hello? Hunter Sung? "Speak." -Ah, I'm sorry. I can't hear you well. Should I call again?
Jin-Woo grinned, looking down at the buildings that had shrunk to the size of toy blocks.
"That's not necessary. I'm at a rather high altitude right now. Did you find what I asked for?" -Ah. Yes. We just scanned all of Japan with a satellite. But...
The Japanese Association staff member trailed off, unlike usual. Had something happened in Japan on this of all days? But the staff member's answer was completely unexpected.
-There are no Gates. Not a single new Gate has appeared anywhere in all of Japan. '...!'
For Jin-Woo, who had been conducting raids mainly in Japan since defeating the Giants, this was a bolt from the blue.
"No Gates are appearing?" -Yes. That's right. We thought it might just be us, so we contacted other countries' hunter management organizations, and...
The hesitant staff member continued in a voice full of concern.
-From the moment the Gate appeared over Seoul's sky, all new Gates completely vanished.
About three hours had passed since the Giant Gate appeared in the sky. During those three hours, what were the odds that all the Gates in the world would simultaneously disappear by chance?
'...It's not a coincidence.'
Jin-Woo's expression hardened. As he looked up at the Gate above him with that stern face, the staff member asked.
-Um... pardon the question, but is there a reason you asked us to check the locations of the top-tier Gates? "..."
It was a bit difficult to answer honestly. How could he explain that before this unnecessarily huge Gate opened, he wanted to try out the daggers with an attack power of 1,500 that Thomas had gifted him? So.
"Even if we don't know what tomorrow will bring, someone has to plant the apple tree, don't they?" -Ah... the apple tree. I see. What a wise saying.
After giving a vague answer and letting the staff member interpret it as he pleased, Jin-Woo was just about to hang up.
-Excuse me, Hunter Sung. "Yes."
The staff member hesitated, as if embarrassed, and then spoke.
-To be honest, I didn't particularly like Korea. As you well know, the Japan Hunter's Association has been头疼 over the Jeju Island ants problem for the past few years. As a staff member of the Association, and as a Japanese citizen, I disliked Koreans.
Jin-Woo silently listened to his words.
-But Hunter, you changed my mind. Korea has become a country of benefactors to me. I am grateful to the Hunter who helped us, and to Korea, your country.
The longer the story went on, the more his voice turned into a choked sob.
-So I pray that the terrible things we had to experience will never happen in Korea.
The people trampled by the Giants. The burning cities, the screams, the indelible despair. The nightmare was not an old story. Because he had witnessed the catastrophe from the closest range, the staff member knew. Such things must not happen to anyone. Jin-Woo, who had been listening, spoke calmly.
"It won't happen."
This was not a promise. It was more like a resolve he made to himself. It was also the reason he had pursued constant growth and run this far. Now was the time to show the result. The staff member smiled softly upon hearing Jin-Woo's answer.
-Haha, I never thought the day would come when I, who used to hate Korea, would envy it. I envy Korea for having Hunter Sung. "You don't have to envy it that much. I have no hobbies other than catching beasts, so as long as beasts exist, I plan to keep visiting Japan." -Ah, I was found out? As expected, the instincts of a top-tier Hunter can't be deceived. I was hoping to score some points with you.
Jin-Woo, who had smoothly lightened the potentially heavy mood, thanked the staff member, who gave a sincere farewell.
-Then please contact us 'again'. "Yes."
Jin-Woo pocketed his Hunter Phone. He stared silently at the Gate, which was eerily quiet, like the calm before a storm.
'If the dungeon break period for this and the other Gates is long...'
The remaining time was about six days. In the darkness, Jin-Woo's eyes quietly gleamed.
"...Let's go down."
Keeah!- The dragon carrying Jin-Woo beat its powerful wings and headed downward.
* * *
About a day passed, and people began to notice the change. The Gates had disappeared. Since the Giant Gate appeared over Seoul, no new Gates were forming! No one knew if this was fortunate or unfortunate, but there were people who welcomed this phenomenon. They were the members of the Hunter's Association led by Woo Jin-Chul. Woo Jin-Chul, who had received the report with a tense expression, made a decision.
"Summon all Hunters across the country to Seoul." "What? That's too dangerous." "What if a dungeon break occurs in a Gate we haven't discovered yet..." "Perhaps just call half of the Hunters and leave the rest..."
Facing the flood of objections, Woo Jin-Chul slammed his fist on the conference room table. Bang! With the anger of a top-tier Hunter, everyone's shoulders flinched. Woo Jin-Chul bared his teeth.
"Are we in a situation where we have enough leeway to prepare for threats we can't even see right now?"
Then, everyone in the conference room fell silent for a moment. Woo Jin-Chul pointed outside.
"We are currently facing an unprecedented crisis! Right now, we might not even be able to stop that damned thing even if we focus all our attention on it!"
After shouting this, Woo Jin-Chul looked at everyone and said.
"I will take full responsibility for any damage that occurs in other regions. If you tell me to hand over my entire fortune, I will. If you tell me to fight risking my life, I will."
With Woo Jin-Chul's resolute determination, there were no more objections. Inside a dungeon, when lives are in danger and opinions differ, the leader might even kill a subordinate. One person's wrong judgment could lead the entire group to destruction. Outside a dungeon, it's a crime, but inside, it's different. A raid is a war where lives are staked, not a children's game. And now, that war was about to erupt not inside a dungeon, but on the surface. Woo Jin-Chul was not the kind of leader to indulge in opposing opinions at this critical moment.
"Immediately summon every Hunter in the country to Seoul. Every single one who can fight, without missing a single person."
Under Association Chairman Woo Jin-Chul's orders, all Hunters in the Republic of Korea began moving toward Seoul.