Chapter 14 : Yi Sun-sin’s Three Gates (2)

“Just dipping my feet in.”

If there’s even a little danger, I’ll run immediately.

Summoning both Napoleon’s gun and the Twin Dragon Sword, I prepared myself fully and looked at the status window.

===

Special Gate: Myeongnyang
[Entry Condition: Joseon-era Relic]
[Entry condition met.]
Would you like to enter?

===

“Yes.”

To enter a gate, you must physically go to the location where it has opened.

For Myeongnyang, do I have to dive into a whirlpool?

But since this was a quest, I could enter just by selecting it.

Entering the Special Gate: Myeongnyang.

“Ugh!”

In an instant, darkness swallowed my surroundings, and water rushed into my mouth and nose.

The Myeongnyang Gate was an underwater world, completely submerged in the ocean.

‘I’m screwed!’

Just as regret and the fear of death overwhelmed me, the Twin Dragon Sword let out a cry, and the water around me pushed back.

“Cough!”

I spat out seawater, getting rid of the salty taste lingering in my mouth.

“Ugh, ptooey! That was close.”

Gasping for breath, I looked around and saw scattered shipwreck debris all around me.

Since my feet touched the ground, I realized this was the ocean floor.

The Twin Dragon Sword glowed faintly, illuminating the pitch-dark depths.

“Now I see why this gate is considered impossible to clear.”

The moment I entered, I understood why even the three major guilds and the government had abandoned the Myeongnyang Gate.

“You need to breathe to clear a dungeon.”

Humans, being land creatures, can’t breathe underwater unless they have gills.

And this wasn’t a place where you could bring an oxygen tank.

The sheer magical pressure here was overwhelming.

Just like how water pressure increases in the deep sea, the magic pressure in this place was no joke.

The moment you entered, an oxygen tank would be crushed instantly.

Sure, high-rankers could withstand this magic pressure, but only to an extent.

To clear the gate, you had to defeat the monsters and find the boss room—but how was that possible?

You had to hold your breath and endure the magic pressure at the same time.

You’d drown long before reaching the boss room.

“If you can’t even swim, don’t bother trying.”

Since this was underwater, you needed swimming skills too.

Despite its simple entry condition, the Myeongnyang Gate remained unconquered.

But I had no need to hold my breath.

No need to swim either.

Because the Twin Dragon Sword pushed the seawater away for me.

“I just need to find the boss room, then.”

With ease, I walked across the ocean floor toward the nearest sunken ship.

I had plenty of time, so I figured I could search at my leisure.

But Myeongnyang wasn’t going to be that easy.

Kreek—

“Hmm, guess I have company.”

A skeletal soldier, dressed in Joseon-era naval armor, stared at me.

Its hollow eye sockets glowed red, sending chills down my spine.

[Wailing Soul]
[B-Rank]

A restless undead that couldn’t move on due to lingering resentment.

A B-rank monster requiring multiple B-rank hunters or an A-rank hunter to subdue.

But here in Myeongnyang, these so-called B-rank mini-bosses were everywhere.

“D-rank difficulty, my ass.”

Even calling this an S-rank wouldn’t be enough.

Realizing my mistake, I was about to run immediately.

Of course, the Wailing Soul wasn’t going to let me go.

Kreek—

It raised its old, rusted sword.

I tensed, watching it closely.

But then—

“?”

The Wailing Soul suddenly trembled, its arms shaking as if it had malfunctioned.

Then, it lowered its weapon.

“Huh?”

I blinked at the monster that showed no intention of attacking.

Then I noticed—

The Twin Dragon Sword was humming.

Woooong—

When I lifted it, the Wailing Soul bowed its head toward me.

Like a soldier saluting their superior.

“No way…”

Out of curiosity, I approached another Wailing Soul and showed them the Twin Dragon Sword.

Sure enough, it bowed its head just like the first one.

“So this is why the gate was rated D-rank?”

The sunken ships here were from the Battle of Myeongnyang—Korean and Japanese warships that had sunk during the historic fight.

And the dead Joseon navy soldiers had become Wailing Souls, guarding the wreckage.

Of course, they recognized the Twin Dragon Sword as Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s blade.

That’s why they didn’t attack me.

A wave of emotions surged within me.

These Wailing Souls were the Joseon soldiers who had fought with me in the Battle of Myeongnyang.

Even if this was just a parallel world, it still felt surreal.

“Well, this makes things easy.”

I began walking around the wreckage, gathering the Wailing Souls.

Before long, eighty B-rank Wailing Souls stood in formation behind me.

Some wore general’s armor, indicating their high ranks.

Even though they were just skeletons now, I felt an immense sense of reassurance.

“Let’s go, General.”

Creak—

The Wailing Soul general took the lead, guiding me toward the Japanese warship where the boss awaited.

‘There’s no way we lose, right?’

I didn’t know who the boss was, but with eighty B-rank Wailing Souls at my side, I wasn’t worried.

On the sunken Japanese warship’s deck, Wailing Souls dressed in Japanese military uniforms wandered aimlessly.

Creak—!

One of them spotted me and charged forward, katana in hand.

But I didn’t even need to lift a finger.

Crunch!

A Joseon Wailing Soul general swung his sword, shattering the enemy’s skull.

“Damn, our general is strong.”

The moment one fell, the rest of the Japanese Wailing Souls rushed in, turning the deck into a battlefield.

But they numbered only around ten.

Meanwhile, I had gathered eighty Joseon Wailing Souls by meticulously scouring every sunken ship.

It wasn’t even a fight.

We wiped them out instantly and moved into the warship’s interior.

The inside was eerily vast, as if warped by magic.

And at its dark, shadowy center stood a figure exuding a menacing black aura.

A skeleton clad in Sengoku-era samurai armor—pitch black.

‘Shit, a Black Wailing Soul.’

While regular Wailing Souls were undead who couldn’t move on, Black Wailing Souls were even more cursed, bound by their relentless will.

An A-rank monster.

Sensing the Twin Dragon Sword’s energy, the Black Wailing Soul turned to face me.

It spoke in Japanese, but I could barely make out “Yi Sun-sin.”

Then, it pointed its katana at me.

The battle began.

Clang! Clang! Crunch—!

Eighty Joseon Wailing Souls clashed with one Black Wailing Soul.

‘Hmm, we’re struggling a bit?’

I thought sheer numbers would be enough, but an A-rank monster wasn’t that simple.

The Black Wailing Soul’s armor cracked, yet more Joseon Wailing Souls fell under its blade.

From the broken gaps in its armor, thick, black magic oozed out ominously.

‘Damn, this thing is strong.’

Were we actually going to lose?

A sliver of doubt crept in—

Then.

—The Twin Dragon Sword senses a naval battle.

A message popped up in the status window.

And the sword unlocked a new trait.

[Unyielding Admiral]
Yi Sun-sin never experienced a single defeat in naval warfare.

Wooong—

A blue light spread from the Twin Dragon Sword, washing over the Joseon Wailing Souls.

The tide shifted instantly.

“Oh? A buff?”

The Joseon Wailing Souls moved faster, stronger than before.

But they weren’t the only ones affected.

The Twin Dragon Sword, once heavy and unwieldy, now felt light as a feather in my grasp.

‘Should I jump in too?’

At this rate, the Black Wailing Soul would be overwhelmed and exorcised.

Its once-imposing armor was in shambles, and even its skull had begun to crack.

One light tap might be enough to finish it off.

‘Ending it like this feels… underwhelming.’

I gripped the Twin Dragon Sword tighter.

‘Maybe I should wait a bit longer.’

The Black Wailing Soul made a desperate counterattack, pushing back the Joseon Wailing Souls.

But it was clear—this was its final struggle.

It was losing strength.

It was getting pushed back.

‘Now!’

As the Black Wailing Soul was held down by the Joseon Wailing Souls, I swiftly moved behind it and swung the Twin Dragon Sword with all my might, aiming for the back of its skull.

Crunch—!

With a satisfying impact, the Black Wailing Soul’s skull was obliterated.

[You have defeated Kurujima Michifusa! (Shogun)]

[Myeongnyang Gate cleared!]

[Clear Rank: SSS]

The system message confirmed it.

And then—

[The Joseon naval spirits are beginning to ascend.]

The Wailing Souls crumbled, and the spirits trapped within them emerged.

They began to take on their human forms, revealing their past selves.

“Wait… this man…”

I widened my eyes as I recognized the spirit emerging from the fallen general’s Wailing Soul.

—“Hey, you! What are you standing around for? Come help carry the cannons!”

It was the same officer who had forced me to handle cannons during the Battle of Myeongnyang.

And he wasn’t the only familiar face.

—“If I can fight alongside the general, I’ll gladly give my life!”

A farmer who had abandoned his plow to follow Yi Sun-sin all the way from Jinju.

—“One more shot! Fire at that ship!”

A naval officer who had urged me to fire the cannons.

—“Choi Jeosun, come this way!”

The Manhojang who had put me on a scout ship.

One by one, their faces became clear.

They had been trapped in the ocean depths for six centuries, yet now, they ascended with peaceful expressions.

And with that, the Gate Rewards List appeared.

[A-rank Titan Fist]
[A-rank Vacuum Slash]
[A-rank Shadow Step]

“Oh.”

The rewards were so good my eyes widened.

All A-rank skills—definitely worth the effort.

Of course, I could only pick one.

Even so, my decision was instant.

‘Shadow Step, no doubt.’

Titan Fist was a martial arts technique, but I relied on relics, not hand-to-hand combat.

Vacuum Slash was a cutting technique, but I already had the Twin Dragon Sword and Napoleon’s Musket.

On the other hand, Shadow Step was incredibly useful.

A movement skill that allowed me to evade enemy attacks? Absolutely.

[You have acquired Shadow Step.]

[Shadow Step has been added to your skill list.]

Skill List:

• Shadow Step (A)
• Appraisal (C)
• Transcendent Connector (EX)

As soon as the skill was registered, a rusty sword dropped onto the ground.

「Anwi’s Worn Hwandao」

• Relic Rank: Epic
• Seems useful for clearing specific Gates.

It was the hwandao used by Anwi, Yi Sun-sin’s right-hand man.

An epic-tier relic—but its condition was terrible.

Its durability was nearly depleted.

Even if it had a special purpose, it seemed like nothing more than a weaker version of the Twin Dragon Sword.

“Meh, kinda lame.”

Might as well sell it.

Shoving the sword into my bag, I registered my nickname in the clear records.

[Myeongnyang Gate Conqueror: Connector]
[Rank: SSS]

The Myeongnyang Gate had finally been conquered for the first time.