Here's an Opportunity-Chapter 233: The Hell Gate (1)

[Hell (?)]

Difficulty: ?

Reward: ?

A Gate appeared in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. This alone wasn't cause for alarm since Gates had opened above the sea several times before. What set this one apart was its name, as well as the eerie timing of its arrival.

The Gate called "Hell" manifested on April 4, at 4:44 a.m.[1]. Although wild speculations spread quickly, Gate experts, the government, and the Hunters Association acted swiftly to calm the public's growing confusion.

Officials explained that this was not the Hell from religious beliefs. The Gate's name was translated by the Earth system from an otherworldly language, selecting the closest equivalent term. As for the ominous date and time, it was simply beyond human influence and therefore irrelevant.

The authorities didn't stop there. As if they'd anticipated it, the government and Hunters Association immediately dispatched aircraft carriers and warships to encircle the Gate. Normally, this kind of action would have sparked disputes over territorial waters, but not this time. Even if it wasn't literally Hell, all those question marks in that Gate description were enough to warrant the highest caution.

Hunters were naturally mobilized, and for the first time since those thirty S-Class Gates had appeared, a Level 1 emergency was declared.

***

Chaos swept through society in the early dawn following the Gate's appearance. By 10:20 a.m. on April 4, 2051, things had calmed somewhat. Outside the Hunters Association, reporters hurriedly raised their cameras as a black limousine pulled up.

The President of the Republic of Korea Hunters Association stepped out without waiting for his secretary. Sensing the reporters' presence, he carefully released his mana and spread soft energy outward, immediately quieting the crowd.

"Only six hours have passed since the Gate appeared," he announced. "Nothing has been confirmed yet. We haven't even held a meeting."

The reporters fell silent. As Kang Man-Ki had said, it was far too soon for concrete answers.

"However, just as we did when the S-Class Gates appeared, we've declared a Level 1 emergency for all Hunters affiliated with the Association. Once we have enough information, we'll hold an official press conference. Please wait until then."

With a polite bow, Kang Man-Ki excused himself and strode quickly into the Association building. He paused in front of the elevator, glancing back at the throng of reporters murmuring among themselves at the entrance.

"Was there really no better word than 'Hell?'" he muttered before turning to his aide. "Any news from Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok?"

"We received a call around 5 a.m. He said he was going to check things out using Discernment."

Kang Man-Ki nodded. Whether spurred by the emergency or running on no sleep, Kim Ki-Rok had acted immediately, heading out as soon as the Gate appeared to assess the situation and gather intelligence.

"How did he get there?"

"He was transported by a movement skill user who joined us three years ago," replied his aide.

"So he hasn't come back yet."

As the elevator arrived, Kang Man-Ki stepped inside with his secretary, pressing the button for his floor.

Kim Ki-Rok had rushed to gather information using Discernment, but still hadn't returned.

"Did they go in?" Kang Man-Ki asked.

"Yes. As soon as the Gate appeared, he entered with the SSS-Class Hunters staying at the guild dormitory to assess the situation. The Overseas SSS-Class Hunters who were already on surveillance had been notified by their governments and Associations and went in with him as well."

To be SS-Class, one had to surpass Level 150. But SSS-Class? That was Level 200 and beyond. In a league of their own, these elite Hunters were the ones best suited to enter the Gate first.

Kang Man-Ki checked the floor display, jaw clenched. "At least we're prepared."

"Pardon?" his secretary asked.

"We've made some preparations."

"Ah..."

Kim Ki-Rok had once brought a tail radiating ominous energy to the Association's leadership. If he hadn't secured that tail, and if the Association had dismissed his warnings, they would be entering the Gate blind.

"We can't begin the clear until we've collected enough intel. But time is short. For now, convene a meeting and restrict entry to Hunters SS-Class and above. Contact the domestic guilds," he instructed.

The secretary nodded. "Understood."

Once the elevator doors slid open, Kang Man-Ki parted from his secretary and went to his office. Sitting at his desk, he started his computer and launched a video conference app. The screen split into sixteen windows, showing some Association Presidents who had already been waiting and others who had yet to join.

"Hell, huh..." Kang Man-Ki murmured.

Occasionally, a question-marked difficulty Gate proved easier than expected. This time, however, he felt this Gate was the worst of the worst. Kim Ki-Rok's immediate response only reinforced that conviction.

***

"Seriously..."

There was so much she wanted to say, but she couldn't. The ground was littered with monster corpses, their entrails spilled out. Pools of dark red water dotted the landscape. The mountains loomed, their trees stripped of all life.

Yoo Seh-Eun, SSS-Class Hunter from DG Guild, slowly raised her head to the sky. A blood-red moon, the color of fresh wounds, hung overhead. Even after three hours inside the Gate, only that crimson moon remained above them.

"Does any four-character idiom come to mind for 'Hell?'" someone said abruptly.

Yoo Seh-Eun and the other Hunters, who had been silently surveying their grisly surroundings, turned to see Kim Ki-Rok crouched over a monster's corpse. He'd already begun his investigation, using his surveillance system and the practiced dissection skills he'd picked up who knows when.

"A four-character idiom?" Yoo Seh-Eun repeated.

"The weak are meat and the strong eat[2]," he replied.

"A world ruled by strength," explained a Chinese Hunter, who had joined after hearing Kim Ki-Rok would lead the investigation, translating for the other foreign Hunters.

"Right. That phrase just feels fitting for a place like this, doesn't it?"

Kim Ki-Rok's easy laughter and calm investigation were no different from how he'd been during other S-Class Gate clears. His steady presence reassured the team, who remained on alert in every direction.

"So, what did your investigation turn up?" one Hunter asked.

"The monster is Level 180," Kim Ki-Rok reported.

"So it's SS-Class," a foreign Hunter remarked.

"The key detail is this: the claw of the monster that killed it is still lodged inside. Using Discernment, I identified its level. Let's call these two the victim and the perpetrator."

"What level was the perpetrator?" someone asked.

"Two hundred thirty."

The Chinese Hunter who had asked shut his eyes tightly. Even with the thirty S-Class Gates having raised the average Hunter level, those over 200 were rare. And as everyone knew, the deeper one went into a Gate, the stronger the monsters became. The implication was dire.

Taking in the group's grim expressions, Kim Ki-Rok sliced into the monster again, speaking as he worked. "I mentioned before we entered that I once encountered a monster with 'Hell' in its name."

Several Hunters nodded.

"That monster was weak to Hunter mana. Hunter mana weakens the monster's strength by about ten percent. So, the victim was effectively Level 162, and the perpetrator was 207."

"Does the weakening effect scale with a Hunter's level?" the Chinese Hunter asked.

Kim Ki-Rok shook his head. "I'm not sure. I've only fought one of these before."

He stowed his scalpel and stood, the Hunters following his gaze as they all turned toward their eleven o'clock. A monster was slowly approaching. Part of its face was torn away, as if it had just survived a brutal fight. Its arms sprouted not from its shoulders or back, but from its abdomen.

"Based on Discernment... it's Level 220. From what we know, Hunter mana should weaken it by ten percent, so for us, it's like fighting a Level 198 monster. It has three arms, including one on its abdomen, and attacks with a deadly poison, one that even S-Class detoxification skills can't cure."

The sight was so revolting it made them want to retch.

Some Hunters instinctively drew their weapons, but Kim Ki-Rok held up a hand to halt them. "We need as much information as we can get. Don't kill it right away; stall it as long as possible. If another monster shows up during the fight, do the same. Everyone here is Level 180 or above. With your stat-boosting gear and all the food, skills, and magic buffs we've prepared, you should be able to handle this."

He paused for a moment before adding, "But if any monsters above Level 250 appear, or if you're faced with more than ten at once, retreat immediately."

They were here today not to clear the Gate, but to gather as much data as possible on the monsters inside.

Kim Ki-Rok accepted a camera from another Hunter, holding it up. "I'll begin recording now."

***

At the Hunter School for young Awakened in Seongdong District, Seoul, the teachers' attention turned to Kim Ji-Hee, who had arrived in the staff room early that morning. Lee Chae-Yeon, professor in charge of Class A and a former A-Class Hunter, examined the Gate activity application Kim Ji-Hee handed over.

"Is it that Gate?" she asked cautiously.

"Yes," Kim Ji-Hee replied.

"Did you get your parents' permission?"

"Yes."

Professor Lee closed her eyes. Kim Ji-Hee's parent, Kim Ki-Rok, was a current SS-Class Hunter and Guildmaster of DG Guild. He had taken Kim Ji-Hee along to clear a Gate before, but always after gathering information, and only if he thought her spirit powers would be helpful. This time, though, he'd asked Kim Ji-Hee to help before he had any intel at all.

"What did your father say?" Lee Chae-Yeon asked.

"If things turn out the way he expects..."

Not only teachers, but also students who'd stopped by for club business or other errands loitered around, waiting for her answer.

"He said Hunters from all over the world will have to step in," she finally said.

Lee Chae-Yeon was at a loss for words for a moment. "All over the world?"

"Yes. Not just current Hunters—"

Everyone could guess what Kim Ji-Hee was about to say. The professors tensed, and the students who'd been busy texting news to friends looked up.

"Retired Hunters, underage Hunters, and..."

"And?" someone prompted.

"He said that if possible, even Awakened criminals will have to help clear this Gate. Otherwise, we won't be able to clear it." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

1. Four is considered an unlucky number because it sounds like the Chinese word for "death." ☜

2. An ancient Chinese proverb similar to "the strong prey on the weak." ☜