Chapter 2. Encounters and Opportunities (7)

Gates basically occur randomly. If no measures are taken, and you’re unlucky, a gate can appear in the middle of a crowded downtown area, leading to a large-scale disaster.

It was like that in the early days. Until people researched and could control that probability to some extent, various countries, including the Republic of Korea, suffered considerable damage.

Although the exact mechanisms of magic and gates have not been fully revealed, at least several magic circles have been created that can control those gates to some extent.

If you draw magic circles like barriers everywhere and overlap those areas, the probability of a gate appearing within them is significantly reduced.

Well, it’s reduced, but not completely eliminated.

Furthermore, beyond the gates are materials that can never be obtained in this world, or resources that are difficult to obtain. Some creatures inexplicably produce rare earth elements, and in some cases, there are even countries with which exchange is possible. And the countries beyond the gates were, with high probability, civilizations that skillfully wielded magic.

If all the gates in the world had been closed, policies would have moved in that direction, but after it was revealed that gates could be controlled to some extent, most countries tried to utilize those gates as much as possible.

The more secretive a country, the more lacking in natural resources, the smaller its territory.

And as long as such countries exist, it was difficult for other countries to choose to completely close the gates. Even if there were no great resources beyond them, the mere existence of ‘space’ is already an advantage. There are also options to throw in the overflowing trash beyond, or to bury industrial waste or radioactive waste that is difficult to dispose of.

Well, in the first place, no matter what you do, the possibility of a gate appearing can never be completely ‘zero,’ so it’s less frustrating to use it, even if it’s just that.

“But, Bukhansan?”

“Yeah, well… you have to consider it bad luck in this case.”

Unless you can ‘build’ gates at will, the occurrence of ‘useful gates’ is also a matter of luck.

No matter how useful a gate is, if it’s a place where it can completely take the lives of countless people, it’s beneficial to close it. However, even if it’s in the middle of Seoul, if it’s a gate deep in the mountains, and if the creatures inside can be controlled, there wouldn’t be many people who would want to close it.

I also knew that there was such a gate in the mountains not far from the church. The space beyond it was actually the size of a planet, and most of the creatures that appeared had a danger level comparable to animals you could see in a zoo, and there were abundant resources.

However, since no area that could be called a civilization had been discovered yet, I heard that they had even created a landfill about tens of kilometers inside the gate.

But not closing the gate also means not placing the magic circles for closing the gate nearby.

Even if there’s only one gate, its volume is about the size of a sports field. Magic is still almost impossible to measure its influence with a ruler.

Although the possibility of an additional gate appearing within the size of that sports field is quite low- still, the probability is not ‘zero’.

The place where Lee Si-yoon was injured was an incident that occurred at that unfortunately newly formed gate.

“What on earth is in there that’s so great?”

“It doesn’t seem particularly dangerous from the outside, but there seems to be a rather dangerous beast inside.”

As I muttered unintentionally, Ria, who was sitting next to me, replied.

“How dangerous a beast?”

Since it was described as more ferocious than any monster I had seen so far, it must be an immense being.

And Lee Si-yoon also seemed to have said something similar in the work.

“Hmm, I don’t know exactly, but if it’s ferocious among what’s been confirmed so far, there are various things. Like a bear the size of an elephant. Usually, if the size is large, the energy consumed is also large, so they have to eat something constantly, but there are often things that have evolved into carnivores.”

“……”

“To eat so many creatures, they must also be agile.”

Even that ‘bear the size of an elephant’ was just an example given by Ria, so it probably wasn’t the ‘worst opponent’.

“How did that person survive?”

Wouldn’t one usually be torn to shreds just by encountering a bear?

“First of all, it’s the only carnivorous creature confirmed in the vicinity. And even the lowest-ranked hunter is considered to have surpassed the ‘normal person’ category. Well, even so, I agree with your question. Surviving in such a situation is a miracle.”

Ria said that, sitting next to me in the rattling car.

“Well, don’t worry too much. Gates rarely come out beyond the outside.”

“I know that, but…”

I tilted my head.

“In such a situation, isn’t there no need for Lee Si-yoon to go in? Wouldn’t it be better for a team composed of much more skilled hunters to go?”

“Why? Are you worried?”

At my words, Ria’s eyes narrowed slightly. The smile on her lips is unsettling. Why does her smile not seem like a smile? The atmosphere seems teasing, but her expression seems suspicious.

Ah, is that so? Is this also a kind of jealousy? Because if I approach Lee Si-yoon for no reason, she’ll have to compete too.

Well, I guess I must be pretty.

“Of course, I’m worried.”

But I said it flatly.

Even if he’s the protagonist and has hidden talents, he’s ultimately a lowest-tier hunter for now. Last time he was lucky and survived, but if he gets caught by the neck this time, he’ll really die.

…Considering it’s before the main story, he’ll likely come back to life, but well, since I’m here, this world has changed a bit from the novel I knew.

“…Well, that makes sense too.”

Seeing me say it as if it were obvious, Ria seemed to understand what I meant.

“Don’t worry. Usually, when such an event occurs, the highest-tier hunters and heroes are deployed afterward. He’s only going in to find that predator. Because tracking with magic is the fastest way to confirm. Once the direction is confirmed, he’ll get out, so there probably won’t be any major problems.”

“Hmm.”

Somehow, I feel like it won’t end so easily.

No, it’s not that I’m hoping for that.

But before I could ask anything more, the car stopped.

Judging by the fact that the bumpy cement road, which was not very smoothly paved, had ended, it seemed we had arrived at our destination.

“We have arrived.”

As if responding to my judgment, the man sitting in the driver’s seat spoke.

Before I could even touch it, the van door opened smoothly, and cold wind rushed into the car.

“Ah, right.”

As I was about to get out of the car, I turned to Ria and said,

“You’re not going into the gate, are you?”

“Why, are you worried?”

This time, Ria asked with a truly teasing expression and tone, so I flinched my eyebrows.

“…It’s fine if you don’t go.”

I replied curtly and got out of the car.

*

Without resting at all after getting out of the car, I immediately headed towards the building where the injured were.

It was in the mountains, but since there was a road for cars, the building wasn’t prefabricated. However, it wasn’t a particularly splendid design either.

And the moment the person guiding me and Ria opened the building door, the smell that wafted out was the smell of blood.

“Wait a minute.”

As I tried to rush inside, Ria grabbed my arm tightly. So tight it hurt a little.

“Calm down first.”

“But-“

“You, how many people can you heal?”

“…Uh.”

“You fall asleep right away after healing just one dying person. And you even faint if you get a little tired.”

“I…”

“Hey, don’t misunderstand. I’m not worried about you collapsing. I’m worried about how many people you can heal.”

“…Ah.”

I see.

“If you collapse, you won’t be able to heal the patients who might come in later. Look carefully.”

Ria pointed around, and when I turned my head, it was true that not all patients were in critical condition.

Some were healing their wounds by sprinkling holy water on themselves, and some were being cared for by other clergy who had arrived before I did.

“People who are truly desperate and on the verge of death, or if not, people whose lives would be in great danger without you.”

Ria said, still holding my arm tightly.

“Don’t step forward unless it’s someone like that. We called you here for such unavoidable situations.”

“…Alright.”

It’s a rational choice.

Perhaps I could divide my divine power and heal multiple people. Perhaps I could gather multiple people in one place and heal them all at once.

However, if I get exhausted from doing so, I might have to let people injured like Lee Si-yoon die.

As long as there is someone to replace me, I should not do their work for them. If I do, an unmanageable situation could arise.

“…Let’s hear what people have to say first. We might be able to find out what kind of being was beyond the gate. Well, it might not be of much use even if we know it right away.”

I nodded at what Ria said.

As I walked among the injured, I felt gazes fixed on me. I couldn’t meet their eyes for no reason, so I walked with my head bowed.

“You don’t have to walk like a sinner.”

Ria said, patting my back, but I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of guilt.