Ch.149The Massive Gate Is Dangerous (5)

The Korean Hunter Association was truly racking their brains over the tyranny of dungeons that had reappeared.

‘So suddenly like this…’

Currently, massive gates of unknown origin had begun to appear around the world, and Korea was no exception.

No, rather, Korea was facing one of the world’s most critical situations with the appearance of three gates.

‘…There’s no time to delay.’

Due to the sheer size of the dungeons, many civilians had been caught up in them when they appeared.

Fortunately, news had arrived that Baek Eunha had already entered one of them, so the Korean Hunter Association decided to split their teams and tackle the remaining two dungeons simultaneously.

“Are you really sure about this?”

“…The two of us are enough for one side. More people would just get in the way.”

With the cooperation of Henesia and Astride, who were essentially Baek Eunha’s subordinates, the association could focus entirely on the last remaining dungeon.

Thus, a raid team of unprecedented scale was formed, combining several major guilds, which included four S-rank hunters.

Diamond Choi Hamin, Tyrant Lee Jicheol, Magician Shin Yuha, and the newly S-rank certified Divine Spear Baek Seoha were among them.

‘With this much…’

‘Even if it’s an S-rank large-scale dungeon, we should be able to protect the citizens somehow.’

That was the association’s judgment and the general public’s perception.

However, the raid team that departed into the unknown dungeon soon realized that their expectations were completely off the mark.

“…This is.”

After breaking through absurdly powerful mobs, they finally reached the dungeon’s boss room. There, a dangerous aura incomparable to anything they’d encountered so far was swirling.

Lee Jicheol, who was leading the party, muttered.

“What’s ahead is a monster. I don’t think we should enter.”

“…I agree. We’ve already secured all the civilian survivors anyway.”

Although there had already been several casualties, relatively many people had survived thanks to the small number of dungeon monsters.

So the raid team had no reason to take unnecessary risks.

After all, if they just bought time, Baek Eunha would come to their aid leading his undead army.

But they had underestimated the unknown dungeon. Just 30 minutes later, the tightly closed boss room began to open on its own.

“…What on earth is happening?”

“Everyone, stay alert! Something’s coming!”

Even veteran hunters with countless experiences and long careers gulped at the incomprehensible sight before them.

And from the opened door, a woman of unparalleled beauty appeared.

“How bold. For humans to dare make me wait.”

The hunters of the raid team, facing the woman, couldn’t help but be bewildered before they could even raise their hostility.

The aura emanating from the woman caused extreme discomfort.

It was qualitatively different from any monster. No, one might even question whether they should be placed on the same level at all.

She was noble, dignified, and just looking at her filled one with awe.

It felt like facing a being from the heavens, an inviolable realm that should never be challenged.

“W-who are you, exactly…?”

“Do you really need to know?”

The woman didn’t bother to finish her sentence, but everyone in the raid team could imagine what would follow.

“You’re all going to die anyway.”

A crisis that couldn’t be avoided had come upon the hunters of the raid team.

#

“…So you sent them all in there?”

I frowned with a somewhat displeased expression as I confronted the association representative who had come to greet me.

After quickly clearing the dungeon and coming out, sure enough, the world was already in chaos.

Korea was no exception, as they had already deployed hunters to the massive gates that had appeared in other regions.

‘If they’re at the level of the giant I just saw, Henesia and Astride should be fine.’

But I was worried about the other side where Seoha was.

I continued speaking to the flustered association representative.

“I’m pretty sure I told you to take good care of things.”

“I-I’m sorry. The person in question was so insistent…”

Well, given Seoha’s personality, he wouldn’t have allowed only his Blue White Guild colleagues to enter the dungeon.

Sighing, I asked the two people following behind me.

“So what are you going to do now?”

“We should follow them, of course.”

“Ah, if it’s not too presumptuous, I would also like to…”

Strangely, no gates had appeared in Japan at all, probably because Saya, who was supposed to serve as the coordinate, had come to Korea.

In other words, the giant race gate from earlier was a dungeon that should have appeared in Japan.

I had inadvertently saved them.

“Sigh, fine. Just guide us quickly.”

As I waved my hand dismissively, the association employee urgently led us to another dungeon as if his back was on fire.

And standing in front of it, I realized the situation was not good and immediately started moving.

“…Looks like we need to hurry.”

I frowned involuntarily at the energy I felt through the massive gate.

The boss here was much stronger than the Giant King from earlier. It was beyond what the raid team could handle.

Whoosh.

Swish.

After entering the gate and quickly proceeding to the deeper levels, I saw the chaotic situation inside, just as expected.

“Kuhurk.”

“Kuuuk…”

Most of the raid team hunters were writhing on the ground in pain, while flashes and explosions continuously occurred in the distance.

I kicked off the ground without delay, as I could sense several familiar energies, including Seoha’s, mixed in.

However, as I got closer, I couldn’t help but tilt my head at a situation I couldn’t understand.

‘What is this?’

It wasn’t just my imagination. At first I thought I was mistaken, but the dungeon boss that the raid team was facing also gave me a familiar sensation.

‘Where have I felt this flow of power before?’

When I reached the battle scene, I saw the battered Lee Jicheol and Choi Hamin, and Seoha being held by the neck with his spear broken.

The woman who had lifted Seoha by the neck with one hand was smiling seductively with a noble and self-intoxicated expression.

Looking at her, I quietly opened my mouth.

“…What are you doing?”

“My, you’ve come again without getting tired of it.”

The woman, seemingly not recognizing who I was, maintained her arrogant attitude and threw Seoha aside.

At that moment, I felt my brow furrow involuntarily.

“Hey.”

“What an insolent human. You’d be better off not doing something you’ll regret.”

“Shut up and get over here now.”

At my irritated tone, the woman raised her hand with a somewhat puzzled expression.

“You can’t even recognize the difference in power. What a futile and pitiful being.”

Even her tendency to be somewhat lenient toward women who matched her taste was exactly like someone I knew.

I waved away the golden spear shooting down from the sky with a single hand motion, then beckoned with my finger.

“Five, four, three, two, one…”

“Eh? What?”

Even as her face filled with shock and she gasped, the woman faithfully followed her memory and knelt before me.

She too had realized my identity from that single exchange.

“W-why are you here? No, then could this place be…?”

“That’s what I should be asking.”

I smacked her head and pointed at the fallen raid team members with my fingertip.

“Heal them.”

“Why should I heal these insolent humans who attacked me…?”

“That one over there is my little sister I told you about before.”

“I-I’ll do it right away! Not a scratch will remain!”

The woman, realizing the mistake she had made, turned pale and rushed toward Seoha.

Flash.

Whoosh.

“Are you alright? Um, you know I was just testing you, right? Is there anything else bothering you?”

And the raid team members were looking at me with faces that couldn’t understand what was happening.

That was understandable.

From their perspective, the dungeon boss who had been fighting them to the death was suddenly bowing her head.

But to me, it was only natural. The woman was a very familiar being to me, and the memories of our recent time together were still vivid.

‘…Things are getting quite interesting.’

I didn’t fully understand, but this felt like a new opportunity to me.

After all, this woman who had been toying with the raid team as the dungeon boss was none other than Serejia, the demi-god of Thebes who had sent me back to Earth.