Chapter 17 : Yi Sun-sin’s Three Gates (5)
by fnovelpia
The deputy leader of Team 2 in Dawn’s Constellation, Lee Tae-jun, made a deal with the Chinese Communist Party to regain his past fame.
In exchange for handing over Yi Sun-sin’s relics from Noryang Gate to China, he would receive the support of the Communist Party.
Of course, Lee Tae-jun did not make this deal without any thought.
He believed that there were no longer any of Yi Sun-sin’s relics left in Noryang Gate.
After all, this was not the first time Noryang Gate had gone berserk, and it had already been raided in the past.
The Korean government had determined that all the relics that could have been discovered had already been found.
Noryang Gate was nothing but an empty house that had been looted down to the dust.
So for Lee Tae-jun, the Chinese offer to help him in exchange for relics was a stroke of luck he had no reason to refuse.
No, even if Yi Sun-sin’s relics were to appear, Lee Tae-jun was willing to hand them over to China.
After all, even if they did emerge, they weren’t items he could keep for himself.
Such top-tier relics were always prioritized for S-rank hunters.
“If the conditions don’t match, I wouldn’t be able to use them anyway.”
Ancient-grade and higher relics choose their own owners.
Without the relic’s recognition, possessing one was nothing more than a burden.
Lee Tae-jun knew that the chances of him being chosen by Yi Sun-sin’s relic were slim.
Above all, regaining his former fame was far more important to him.
Ever since Kim Hayun appeared, he had been treated like an outcast in Dawn’s Constellation.
“Those damn bastards.”
Lee Tae-jun clenched his teeth.
His goal was to undermine Kim Hayun and take the benefits for himself.
And that goal was soon to be realized.
China had already secured all the resources necessary for the Noryang Gate raid.
“Haha! The guild must be in mourning by now.”
Lee Tae-jun chuckled, picturing the guild in distress over the failed Noryang Gate raid.
He decided he would drop by and pretend to offer his condolences while enjoying the scene.
“Heh.”
Just thinking about Kim Hayun’s hardened expression made him laugh.
As he grinned and entered the guild headquarters, Team 1 Leader Ha Jin-woo approached him.
“Lee Tae-jun, where have you been?”
Lee Tae-jun quickly wiped the smirk off his face and lowered his head with a solemn expression.
“I’m sorry. I tried to find a water-attribute relic, but I failed.”
His darkened expression was so convincing that anyone would believe he was genuinely disappointed.
But then…
“Oh, don’t worry about that. We already found one.”
“…What?”
Lee Tae-jun, caught off guard, completely forgot to keep acting and snapped his head up.
“You mean you found a rare-grade water-attribute relic?”
“Haha, no, not a rare-grade one.”
“?”
Not a rare-grade one?
Then what was it?
“It’s an Imjin War-era water-attribute relic.”
“!”
Lee Tae-jun’s eyes widened.
“I-Imjin War-era? That means it’s a relic of the Joseon navy, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s General Anwi’s relic.”
“!!!!”
Lee Tae-jun was so shocked that he almost swore out loud.
“Shit!”
Anwi?
Wasn’t that the name of Yi Sun-sin’s right-hand general?
And now they had obtained that general’s relic?
“A-Are you sure it’s really General Anwi’s relic?”
“We just finished an appraisal with the experts. It’s genuine, no doubt about it.”
“H-How did you even find something like that…?”
“Haha, someone from Yeoksam-dong contacted us, saying they were selling it. When we checked, it turned out to be real.”
Ha Jin-woo, in high spirits, went on to share the details.
He was completely unaware that Lee Tae-jun’s expression had stiffened.
“No, damn it!”
Anwi’s relic?
Why the hell did something like that suddenly appear!?
Even as he screamed internally, Lee Tae-jun forced a bright smile.
“H-Haha! T-That’s great news!”
His voice trembled as he failed to hide his emotions.
At that moment, Lee Tae-jun spotted Kim Hayun following behind Ha Jin-woo.
He greeted her with a fake smile.
“Congratulations, Hayun. I just heard the news. Now, there should be no problem with the Noryang Gate raid.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“By the way, Tae-jun, you came at the right time. You’re free, right? Contact all the major TV reporters. Tell them we’re holding a Noryang Gate briefing this evening.”
“Yes, understood.”
As Lee Tae-jun turned around, his face twisted in frustration.
“Damn it!”
South Korea was relentlessly criticizing Dawn’s Constellation over the Noryang Gate situation.
“These guys insisted on handling it themselves, so why do they always fail?”
“My house is in Noryang. Does that mean I have to die?”
“Better run. I heard the monsters are about to pour out.”
“They kept hyping up Kim Hayun, but she’s actually useless, huh? Just a water rocket.”
“LOL, looks like Udama’s one-shot kill was just a fluke.”
The general public’s online communities were in chaos, and even on Hunter Web, opinions were overwhelmingly negative.
No matter the reason, it was clear that they wouldn’t be able to stop Noryang Gate’s rampage.
Public sentiment toward Dawn’s Constellation was at an all-time low.
But amidst the rising hostility, a major scoop hit the headlines.
[Dawn’s Constellation Secures General Anwi’s Hwandao!]
It was just a single line of news, but it was enough to turn public opinion 180 degrees.
“Did you really think Dawn’s Constellation was a joke??”
“I always believed in them.”
“Wow, that’s insane. Anwi’s relic is legendary. Did they wait for people to start hating them just to drop this bombshell?”
“Where did all the Kim Hayun haters go now?”
“Hayun noona is protecting my house?”
“Kim Hayun, Kim Hayun, Kim Hayun, Kim Hayun…”
Just that morning, the forums had been flooded with criticism against Dawn’s Constellation. But now, they were overflowing with posts worshipping them and Kim Hayun.
In the context of the Imjin War, Anwi was one of the most revered heroes.
There was no way the sword he used could be just an ordinary relic.
“But what’s the grade of Anwi’s relic?”
“Not sure, but it’s at least Epic-tier.”
“If it’s a good roll, it might even reach Ancient-grade…”
“Damn, I’m jealous.”
The waves of criticism against Dawn’s Constellation completely vanished.
TV stations and YouTube channels were flooded with videos explaining who Anwi was.
The entire country was in a celebratory mood.
But there was one place where things were far from celebratory— the Chinese embassy.
“Wang Wei! What the hell is going on!? You said not to worry about missing out on the relics!”
“Ugh… How was I supposed to know General Anwi’s relic would suddenly appear? I’m just as shocked as you are.”
Wang Wei’s face twisted at Lee Tae-jun’s rude tone.
“This incompetent bastard…”
Honestly, it was a miracle that someone like Lee Tae-jun had even managed to become the vice leader of Team 2 in Dawn’s Constellation.
Compared to Kim Hayun, he was on a completely different level— in talent, in character, in everything.
And yet, instead of being grateful for their backing, he had the audacity to come complaining the moment things went slightly off track?
Rage surged within Wang Wei, but he held it in.
He still needed Lee Tae-jun’s help to acquire that relic hidden in Noryang Gate.
“It doesn’t matter if the gate is cleared. The Koreans don’t know about Yi Sun-sin’s relics anyway.”
The Koreans had convinced themselves that there were no Yi Sun-sin relics left in Noryang Gate.
But Wang Wei knew better.
He knew that Yi Sun-sin’s relics were still there.
Specifically, the helmet that Yi Sun-sin wore during the Battle of Noryang.
And Wang Wei knew this because it was his ancestor who had discovered and hidden Yi Sun-sin’s helmet in Noryang Gate.
Why didn’t they take it back then?
“Because back then, it wasn’t a relic!”
Wang Wei’s ancestor was none other than Jin Bong— the most infamous tomb raider of the Ming Dynasty.
A thief who dug up every tomb in China, ultimately desecrated the grave of the emperor’s great-grandfather, and was executed by dismemberment.
People believed that he had only looted Chinese ruins, but in truth, Jin Bong had also targeted Joseon’s heritage.
During his plundering, Jin Bong discovered Yi Sun-sin’s helmet hidden within Noryang Gate.
However, at the time, Yi Sun-sin’s helmet was not considered a relic.
After all, Jin Bong was a contemporary of Yi Sun-sin.
Certain that the helmet would one day become a relic, Jin Bong sealed it deep within Noryang Gate using a jinbeop (mystical formation).
By leaving it in Noryang Gate, where its connection to Yi Sun-sin remained strong, the likelihood of it turning into a relic increased.
“Now it’s finally time to retrieve it.”
Wang Wei, Jin Bong’s descendant, knew exactly where Yi Sun-sin’s helmet was hidden within Noryang Gate, thanks to the records left behind.
Not long ago, he had even confirmed through Lee Tae-jun that the jinbeop protecting the helmet was still intact.
“As long as the formation remains untouched, the helmet should still be there.”
The problem was that Noryang Gate was under Korean control, making it difficult for a Chinese national to enter unnoticed.
That was why Wang Wei had been planning to infiltrate Noryang Gate with Lee Tae-jun’s help.
“I need to retrieve it quickly.”
There was little chance that anyone would discover the jinbeop, but with Lee Tae-jun nagging like this, Wang Wei couldn’t afford to stay passive.
At the very least, he needed to put on a show of cooperation to keep Lee Tae-jun on his side.
Wang Wei put on a friendly smile and spoke.
“If Mr. Tae-jun brings in Chinese support, Dawn’s Constellation will surely welcome it.”
“Oh? You’re really going to do that?”
“Of course. Don’t worry too much.”
“Haha! I knew I could count on you, Ambassador Wang Wei.”
Count on me, my ass.
“Pathetic fool.”
Cursing Lee Tae-jun internally, Wang Wei stood up.
“Let’s go, Mr. Tae-jun.”
His heart pounded with anticipation at the thought of obtaining Yi Sun-sin’s helmet.
As Wang Wei made his move toward Noryang, I was testing out Shadow Step.
“Oh, this is nice.”
The swift, nimble movements seemed perfect for emergencies.
“Kiiieeek!”
A goblin warrior swung its baseball bat at me, but only struck empty air, panting in frustration.
The enraged creature flailed wildly, but thanks to Shadow Step, not a single attack landed on me.
Swoosh—
I dodged backward.
Bang!
A clean headshot with Napoleon’s Rifle!
[You have defeated the Furious Goblin Warrior.]
[D-8 Gate cleared.]
[Completion Rank: SSS]
As status messages popped up, confirming the successful raid of D-8 Gate, I skimmed through them without much emotion.
And then—
Twin Dragon Blade’s Fate (2)
- Retrieve Yi Sun-sin’s hidden relic from somewhere within Noryang Gate.
[Difficulty: E]
[Condition: Twin Dragon Blade]
[Reward: Yi Sun-sin’s Helmet]
“Yi Sun-sin’s helmet?”
Seeing the reward for the second quest triggered by the Twin Dragon Blade, my eyes widened in shock.
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