- Mars -
Keeping Igris permanently summoned as my bodyguard seems to be a good idea so far. Any White Tiger guild members who wanted to come up to me finds themselves being stopped by my first and strongest shadow.
"That summon of yours really is something…" Guildmaster Baek Yoonho said to me with a chuckle as we walked towards the dungeon gate.
"He's quite protective of me, I'll admit." I respond, patting Igris on his chest plate. "If I die, he dies, after all."
As we strolled through the abandoned neighborhood, it was obvious to me the whole guild has an utmost admiration for Baek Yoonho. That's a great sign. If I can secure Baek's loyalty, that's an entire guild I can count on to have my back.
The rest of the walk was peacefully silent, as Kim Chul and the rest of the dungeon party kept a respectful distance from the three of us. Mostly due to Igris, and thankfully Yoonho found it more humorous than anything else.
Once we arrive at the dungeon gate, I'm surprised to see Song-Yi waiting there with Ahn Sangmin. Looks like they got here ahead of us. Greeting her with a hug, I raise my eyebrow at Sangmin, before smiling warmly at my former classmate.
"Of course I'm happy to see you, but what are you doing here?" I ask the girl with a curious look on my face.
"Allow me to answer, sir." Ahn Sangmin cuts in. "Miss Han Song-Yi here is the White Tiger Guild's brand new signing! And this just so happens to be one of our famous White Tiger training exercises for our newest recruits."
This feels like a dirty trick. An E-rank can really die quite easily in a higher ranked gate if they're not careful, and since Song-Yi has zero experience, it's basically up to me to protect her from any real danger. And if this is truly the deadly red gate? There's no way I could leave her with Kim Chul, she'd be killed within the hour.
"Ahh, I see. Well I'm here for a trial run with the guild, so let's learn together then!" I say to Song-Yi with a toothy smile. I have to pretend I can't even think of any ulterior motives from anyone for now.
I look over to the gate, studying it's relatively weak aura, as if it really is only a C-rank gate and not the red gate I'm sure it'll become. From what I remember, a red gate will bring us to an entirely new dimension, where it is usually an extreme and hostile environment like a scorching desert or a deadly jungle. In this case, it'll be a freezing cold environment filled with hostile elves, ice bears and yetis. Time is also warped in red gates, as one hour in the real world is one day in the dungeon. But, if I play my cards right here, I'll be able to make progress on some of my goals.
"Mars, can you do me a favor?" Guildmaster Yoonho asked me with serious eyes. "It's just a C-rank gate, so do you mind staying on the sidelines, and let Kim Chul lead the raid exercise? Of course, if things get dangerous for you or your friend Song-Yi do what you have to, okay?"
I make sure to glance back at Kim Chul, who was eavesdropping on us, giving him a small smirk before looking back at Yoonho.
"Not a problem." I say confidently to guildmaster Yoonho, shaking his hand as he pats me on the shoulder.
"Thanks, Mars. I'll leave you and Song-Yi to prepare while I address the rest of the guild." Yoonho responds as he walks over to Kim Chul and the rest of the other hunters with Sangmin, leaving me alone with Song-Yi.
Igris manages to keep the rest of the hunters and White Tiger officials from getting close to either of us. Looking back at the guildmaster and Chul, I can see Chul getting increasingly worked up. I think Yoonho is warning Kim Chul not to mess with me or Song-Yi. Whatever it is, I can tell he's even more annoyed with me now.
"Song-Yi. Meet Igris, my S-tier summon and right hand man." I ask the anxious looking girl, as I motion Igris over to the two of us. "Don't worry about his intimidating looks, I trust him with my life. In fact, he'll make sure you're safe in this gate no matter what."
I need to assure Song-Yi here, but it's important for her to fully realize the hurdles an E-rank must go through in this harsh world. I've grown rather fond of her in this short time I've reincarnated, or maybe Mars' original memories growing up here in South Korea have influenced me more than I thought.
"I'll be in your care, Igris sunbae-nim!" Song-Yi mutters out, bowing as Igris matches her bow.
I pat Igris on the back, proud of him for being such a gentle giant when the situation calls for it. I don't mind him intimidating the rest of the other hunters gathered here, but it's important to me that those close to me feel safe with my Immortal Army.
- Kim Chul (White Tiger Guild) -
The large tanker watched guildmaster Baek chat with the young 4-winged hunter as if they were already close friends. It sickened him, as the Great Kim Chul thought himself to be the most promising new hunter in the country. As soon as he awakened as an A-rank, the White Tiger Guild was there, offering him fame and fortune. It was hinted he would be groomed for vice-guildmaster if he proved worth the investment.
So far, The Incredible Kim Chul aced every physical and mental test the guild threw at him. Chul's next test would be if he's suitable for leading dungeon raids. He heard from his manager, Joo Sungchan, that the White Tiger guild is planning on creating a second elite raiding party. Guildmaster Baek is a busy man, and he doesn't have time to lead each and every dungeon raid. Naturally, the tanker believed himself to be the best candidate for raid leader when guildmaster Yoonho wasn't available.
At least he thought so, until this twiggy Mars came out of nowhere. He saw the reports on Seoul's so-called Saint, but to meet this Mars in person really pissed him off. How dare this brat upstage The Amazing Kim Chul on the eve of his first legendary raid as leader? It angered him to see guildmaster Baek bend over backwards for this kid. Was the guildmaster that desperate for power? In that case, The Mighty Kim Chul will prove to the whole guild he can step up and be the second in command the guildmaster was looking for. He'll prove to the whole country he is the one and only new hunter to keep their eyes on.
But now the Wonderful Kim Chul isn't even the center of attention of his own raid, according to Joo Sungchan it's now some recruitment pitch for the kid to join their guild. He could see the potential in Mars, but now he's mad he has to babysit two bratty hunters treating this exercise like it's a little school field trip. He managed to keep his cool when he learned Mars was strictly observing the raid, but now Mars is also bringing his pathetic E-rank girlfriend? The S-rank kid should at least take care of himself, but this E-rank will be actual dead weight. More than that, this Song-Yi will be a complete hindrance to his raiding party. According to the weasel Ahn Sangmin, this chick was actually instrumental in bringing Mars here. Pfft, hopefully these two can fall in a hole and die.
His thoughts were cut off when the guildmaster came over to the rest of the party, leaving those shitty kids and that ghastly knight alone.
"Attention!" Baek Yoonho shouted out to the crowd, bringing the multiple conversations within the guild to a halt, as the group of hunters assembled near the gate gathered around the guildmaster. "Korea's newest S-rank hunter, Mars Valentino is here, strictly as an observer to watch Kim Chul lead this C-rank dungeon exercise. So treat this like any normal raid. All of you are here because you need combat experience, now use what you have learned about your powers and abilities against real monsters!"
"Yes, sir!" The crowd responded back in unison.
"Kim Chul. This is a big opportunity. Show me what you're really capable of here." Guildmaster Baek said with a reassuring look on his face. "This is your raid to lead, I've already asked Mars to sit on the sidelines for today."
Somehow that pissed Chul off even more. Clearly, if Mars joins the guild it would be Mars leading the new raiding party, not him. So is all that hard work he put in to becoming raid leader worthless? No... It can't be, the Awesome Kim Chul will make sure that brat will stay the hell away from the White Tiger guild.
"Thank you, sir. I will not disappoint you." Kim Chul responded as he subtly gripped his shield as hard as he could, not wanting to show his frustration to the guildmaster.
As the guildmaster walked away with Sangmin and Sungchan, he looked to the rest of his raiding party glaring at Mars and his giant summon in awe. In all honesty he had no interest in training these low ranked hunters. At least he had more B-ranks than C-ranks going with him, but the fact he has to watch over a pathetic E-ranker really made the Extraordinary Kim Chul want to punch a hole in a wall. So how could he get Mars in trouble? It would be a shame if something unfortunate happened to his little girlfriend. Accidents tend to happen to newbies in gates, after all.
"Focus up! This isn't a picnic, you know." He screamed to Mars and Song-Yi. "We're leaving now!"
- Mars -
Watching Kim Chul lead the party into the gate, I stop briefly to grab Song-Yi's hand in mine.
"Just stick close to me, I won't let anything happen to you." I gently whisper to the understandably nervous Song-Yi, remembering that the ice elves have a deadly surprise for us once we enter.
Stepping through the ordinary looking blue gate, I immediately feel a wild storm-like energy detonate. The gate suddenly turns a bloody red as I no longer feel I'm entering a C-rank dungeon but rather, a much more dangerous A-rank level dungeon.
I could barely hear Yoonho yell my name from afar as I feel myself getting transported into another dimension. The first new sensation I feel is the sudden temperature drop as the freezing snow-covered landscape comes into view.
"Where are we?!" A scared C-rank hunter screams in panic. "This doesn't look like a dungeon!"
I ignore the panicked shouts of some of the hunters as I scan around the frozen forest.
"Mars… Something's gone wrong hasn't it?" Song-Yi softly asks me as she grabs my right arm.
Before I can respond to her I finally spot the two elves I was looking for; high up in the enormous trees who have just fired their bows in our direction.
In the blink of an eye, I grab the arrow mid-air inches away from Song-Yi's face with my left hand. Right as Igris manages to save the panicked hunter with lightning quick reflexes, shocking everyone as the giant shadow rushes to tank the other fired shot at our group.
"What the hell?! We're being ambushed!" Raid leader Kim Chul screams out as the party scrambles into position.
The rest of the team looks up in the trees, where I had been staring down the two ice elves after their attempted assassination. With my enhanced senses I can clearly see they were surprised no one died in their attack. The lead elf gives me an annoying smirk before he threatens us with a throat slitting gesture, jumping off the branch into the thick forest with his fellow ice slayer.
After a moment of tense silence, the group relaxed as there was no longer a clear hostile presence in the area.
"Some of you may have noticed by now, but we're inside a red gate. That means nobody can enter this dungeon until all of us either die, or a dungeon break causes the gate to open." Kim Chul informs the whole raiding party.
"A red gate?!" Another panicked hunter yells out in disbelief.
"Mars…" Song-Yi sputters out. She had been clinging to me since we entered the gate, but her near death experience must have really shook her. "What's a red gate?"
"It's a special gate that connects us to another dimension. Once you step foot inside a red gate, you become completely cut off from the outside world. Which means we won't be able to get any help." I explain with a deep breath. "There is no escaping unless the boss is defeated, or a dungeon break occurs, which could take months. In other words, we're stranded."
- Baek Yoonho (White Tiger Guild) -
"The entrance is magically shut tight. Fuck! This was supposed to be a C-rank gate?" Yoonho growls out with glowing orange eyes. The White Tiger guildmaster was in his half beast transformation state. He had tried to sprint into the gate right after Mars as it turned red, but he was a couple seconds too late.
"Yes, sir. The Association kept insisting to me they were sure it was just a C-rank gate…" Ahn Sangmin sighed, as he tried to explain the disastrous situation to the irate beast man.
Yoonho slowly started to calm down. Once the gate is closed shut it's out of his control. He banged his fist on the gate one more time out of frustration. He quickly ruled out the red gate being S-level, as those are extremely rare and would mean the end of the whole country. The country was already plagued with the Jeju Island problem and so he made the assumption it's most likely A-rank level. He thought of the 12 White Tiger hunters who went in, trying to remember all of their names and ranks, not counting Mars and his E-rank companion Song-Yi.
"If this gate is A-rank, they will need at least 10 more A-rank hunters. Mars should be okay, but the other hunters in there are as good as dead. Maybe Kim Chul and one or two B-rank hunters make it out alive, if they're lucky." Yoonho bit his lip, "I can only put my trust in Mars."
- Kim Chul (White Tiger Guild) -
The tanker readjusted his helmet as he thought of a plan with the highest success rate. A small part of him felt relieved there was an S-rank with him in the red gate, but his pride, a much larger part of Chul felt disrespected. This was HIS team, HIS raiding party. If Mars leads the group through successfully, then how can he possibly expect guildmaster Baek to let him lead the new strike team?
No, this must be a true test of his capabilities, he will lead the strike team to the dungeon boss where he will kill it and save the day. For all he cares, Mars can just sit and watch from a distance, so the rest of the squad can see how useless the brat really is. Seoul's Saint might be stronger, but he hasn't gone through the rigorous training The Marvelous Kim Chul has.
"Let me introduce myself again. My name is Kim Chul and I'm an A-rank. Now that everyone knows we've entered a red gate, I'll see to it that we make a safe return!" Chul amplified his voice louder than usual, wanting to display unwavering confidence. "I'll lead our forces as we clear the gate all the way to the dungeon boss."
Honestly, Kim Chul wanted to just take the B-ranks and clear the dungeon while leaving the useless C-ranks behind. But he didn't want to give Mars the satisfaction by creating separate groups. The Powerful Kim Chul will drag the whole squad to victory if he must. He knew it would be quite difficult to manage such a large group for potentially months on end depending on how many enemies there are in the forest.
"Except for you two." The tanker pointed at Mars and Song-Yi. "Frankly speaking, it'll be a ton of work for me to even keep that E-ranker alive, so do me a favor and just wait here for us to clear the dungeon."
Chul was surprised when Mars barely reacted with a small smile to him essentially kicking the kids out of the party. It'll be a miracle if he manages to keep her safe in this red gate, Chul simply expects Mars to come crawling back once his weakling girlfriend is killed by the ice elves or even worse, the giant bears or brutal yetis. Actually, she would most likely die to frostbite before anything else, as he began to shiver slightly in his own bulky set of armor.
"W-what?! They're just highschoolers… We should be sticking together, especially with an S-ranker…" A C-rank hunter chimed in, clearly not wanting to go with the larger group.
The rest of the other hunters began to whisper to each other, as they found themselves in an awkward position between following the assigned raid leader or staying with the S-rank hunter.
"I think it's a good idea." Mars announced to the rest of the group, surprising Chul more than anyone else. "We'll just camp out deeper into the forest, Kim Chul-sunbae, I bet you can solo the way to the dungeon boss! I have no doubt you can beat a pack of ice bears just by yourself!"
"Y-yes, that's right! Guildmaster Baek asked him to stay on the sidelines, anyway." Kim Chul cleared his throat at the unexpected show of faith. "Pretend Mars isn't even here in the first place."
"Would it be okay if I went with those two instead?" B-rank mage Park Heejin suddenly asked.
The raid leader went silent for a second. Is she serious? The Phenomenal Kim Chul won't forget this…
"Fine… as you please." He scoffed out, "Have fun babysitting. But I can't afford to spare anyone else. We're heading out now!"
He started to march out through the clearing, ignoring the grumbling of the remaining hunters. He gave a fierce look to any other hunters looking back, wanting to stay behind with Mars, forcing the rest of the group to follow him. Park Heejin, Valentino Mars… I'll make sure you regret ever coming with us.
"I bet that idiot doesn't even realize they'll be heading into ice bear territory." He spat out, "You should all be glad I'm bringing you all with me!"
- Mars -
As we watched the main strike force march out in the distance I let out a tired sigh. Who knows how long this red gate will take to clear. I was quite shocked Kim Chul wanted nothing to do with me, I really expected him to want me to go with them to find the dungeon boss. But this might work out even better for me than I thought. I'll give it a day, maybe two before his team is wiped out.
I quietly sent out Kang and the assassins to follow them. Chul must know there is no way he can safely escort the whole group through the deadly gate. In the worst case I'll simply revive the slaughtered members as my main goal in this red gate will be to enhance my shadow army.
"Are you sure this is a good idea Mars? Maybe we should have went with them…" Song-Yi nervously asked me.
"Yes, we'll be safer in a smaller group and especially if we head out deep into the forest." I assure her, before I turn to our newest member. "You know, it's not too late if you want to rejoin the main group…"
"No, I'm fine. Something tells me I'll be safer with you." The green-eyed mage said to me while cutely holding her staff. "Besides, guildmaster Baek asked me to keep an eye on you."
Name: Han Song-Yi
Level: 7
Race: Hunter (E)
Class: Fighter
Thoughts about you: She didn't even see that arrow coming, thankful to you for saving her life. She knows you will protect her in this red gate.
Affection: 100
[Han Song-Yi's Affection has been Maxed and Locked]
Name: Park Heejin
Level: 34
Race: Hunter (B)
Class: Mage
Thoughts about you: Wonders what powers you hold, curious about your relationship.
Affection: 20
"Is that so?" I reply back with a small smile. "Park Heejin, right? Valentino Mars, it's nice to officially meet you. This is my friend from high school, Han Song-Yi."
"Likewise, it's good to meet you two. Since we'll probably be stuck in this gate here for a while, you two can just call me Noona~" Heejin greeted us back with a charming smile.
"Okay, Heejin Noona. We should head into the forest while we still have sunlight. It will likely get a lot colder once the sun sets." I start to walk before Heejin stops me, squeezing my free arm.
"That's Ice Bear territory… Do you see those scratches on the trees?" The beautiful mage cautiously asks me.
"Exactly, we won't have to worry about any other enemies besides bears if we go this way. They're much more manageable than those ice elves from earlier." I answer back confidently. "My summon Igris will lead the way for us, do you trust me, Noona?"
"Ah, why didn't I think of that…?" Heejin responds with a small pout. "Okay, Mars. Let's go!"
Before we ventured deeper into the forest I quickly pulled up the Gamer's Shop, finding identical fur coats that Jinwoo's group had during the red gate. It only cost me 20 gold coins for two coats. Despite me being shirtless, my wings keep me wholly warm, as Song-Yi is comfortably snuggled under one of my wings.
"You know spatial magic?!" Park Heejin blurted out in surprise as I handed a full coat and mitts to each girl.
"I promise you two I'll protect you both with everything I have…" I say, patting each of them on their heads. "In exchange, please don't ask me any questions about my powers."
Right as Heejin was going to protest, an ice bear managed to sneak close to us, roaring in anger at us for trespassing in its territory. Without missing a beat, Igris quickly appears from behind it, leaping high into the air with his great sword and swings down violently, slicing the bear in two right down the middle. The sound of Song-Yi's screams were drowned out by the bear's death rattle.
As the ice bear falls to the ground in two, I send a mental order to Igris not to scare the girls any further.
"Arise."
An ominous howl emerges from the corpse of the wild beast, echoing in the forest, as the shadow of the ice bear rises to its feet once more; this time as my first beast type shadow.
"W-what is that thing?!" Park Heejin yells out in shock as I feel Song-Yi bury herself behind my wings in fear.
[Shadow Beast - Elite]
"It's okay." I reveal to the girls, as the giant bear drops down to one knee in reverence to the Shadow Monarch. "This is my power…"
I scratch behind the shadow beast's ear and it responds to my touch as if it was a puppy, wagging its tail while it sticks its tongue out.
"Aww. How cute!" Song-Yi giggles out as she slowly approaches the new shadow with Heejin.
The bear flops over on its back, clearly asking for belly rubs as the girls indulge the now friendly beast, a stark contrast to its deadly aura from a minute ago.
After a few minutes of belly rubs, Igris alerts me that multiple groups of ice bears are slowly investigating the area thanks to the roar of the now dead monster.
My newest shadow also senses the incoming danger as it rises to two feet, ready for a fight.
"Girls, stay behind me." I order, as I summon my infantrymen and archers. "Hunt the bears down, then gather their corpses all together for me."
The shadows give me and Igris a quick bow before they split into groups, each looking to finish off their assignments first. I promised the group with the most kills head pats, so the shadows will feel extra motivated when hunting for ice bears.
My infantrymen and archers should be enough, as ice bears are only B-rank, but fights can get dangerous as they tend to gather in large numbers.
As those shadows perform their task, we will march forward, looking for a spot to camp for the night. I can already hear the sounds of multiple battles in the distance, I wonder how many soldiers I'll gain as I plan on building up my forces for Jeju Island.
- Kim Chul (White Tiger Guild) -
The A-rank tanker took a moment to catch his breath as he wiped blood and guts from his battle axe. His new shield already has a couple of scratches on it thanks to the swipes of multiple ice bears.
"Way to go, Kim Chul! That's an A-rank all right!" A guild member shouted in joy. "He basically defeated all of these ice bears by himself! We're in good hands!"
Pfft, I guess I'm strong enough to go up against a couple of ice bears on my own. None of these weaklings would be alive right now without me, the Prodigious Kim Chul. I bet that shitty Mars is holding his dead girlfriend in his arms, crying his eyes out. And hopefully that Park Heejin traitor is bear food already.
"Let's gut out their intestines and slice up the meat. We need to stock up on food." The guild member chimed in, "This should be enough to last us a couple of days."
"Looks like we're off to a good start." Another weakling of a hunter commented.
"What are you talking about?! We can't let our guard down until we've made it out of the forest!" Kim Chul screamed out in annoyance towards his raid party.
"Y-yes sir!"
- Mars -
I gently hold Song-Yi in my arms as she leans against my chest while Heejin Noona tightly grips my waist from behind as we ride my shadow bear throughout the forest. Its long strides are surprisingly silent against the snow as Igris follows closely behind, watching our backs. We haven't run into any bears so far, looks like my shadows I sent out ahead have drawn their attention elsewhere.
It's a comfy ride as we look for a safe spot to rest as the sun has started to set and the appearance of two rising moons provides an amazing view.
"A second moon, trees and plants you would never find anywhere on Earth…" Song-Yi commented in awe, no longer as scared as she enjoys the scenery of the strange dimension.
"It's beautiful." Heejin says with wide eyes, "I wish I could take a photo to remember this."
The shadow beast slowly comes to a stop as we reach a small clearing. I summon my mages who start collecting firewood for the night. Igris climbs onto the tallest tree in the clearing, as it gives him the best vantage point. Since shadows don't need to sleep, Igris can dutifully watch the whole night with no issue. The darkness as well provides ample cover for all of my shadows.
Opening Gamer's Shop again, I find a tent that would fit the three of us all in perfectly, knowing the girls would prefer snuggling up with me.
"It might be a tight fit, but this tent I brought beforehand should keep us nice and warm." I announce to the women who were busy playing around with the shadow beast. "Unless, Noona, you're uncomfortable with sharing it with Song-Yi and I? I can just stay outside next to the fire…"
"No, it's fine, Mars. I got to feel how lovely and warm your wings are during the ride. I'll need you to cuddle with me all night long!~" Heejin sings out while she winks one of her vibrant green eyes at me.
"Damn, Mars, lucky you! You get to sleep with a beauty in each arm tonight." Song-Yi says with a giggle.
"Haha, lucky me, indeed." I joke back with a bright smile.
I know Song-Yi has no problem with the sleeping arrangement, I'll have to find some time to progress further on my maiden quest soon.
My shadow mages return with a generous amount of firewood, they may have gone a bit overboard. I order one to create a campfire, as I unwrap a couple of giant rabbits Igris had hunted for us. My first shadow suddenly drops down from the perch he was keeping watch from, ordering the rest of the mages to form a wide perimeter both on the forest floor and in the trees to keep watch for the night.
Igris reaches out to me expectedly, pointing at the rabbits in my hand. Giving the corpses to Igris, he pulls out one of his knives, starting the delicate process of skinning one of the dead creatures. I didn't know he could cook, so I'll leave him to prepare dinner for us.
As the girls set up the tent, I took the free time to browse Gamer's Shop once more, looking for something to boil water with. I eventually find a survivalist's cooking kit: fit with pots, a kettle, a cast iron pan; all the camping basics. There's no shortage of snow we can boil for drinking water. And there are even some tea leaves included so we can have some warm, refreshing tea.
Soon after, the shadow soldiers sent to hunt the bears enter the campsite, they were able to hunt and bring the corpses of 10 regular ice bears. I cast [Shadow Extraction] on them, and the campfire almost goes out as a chilling breeze suddenly engulfs the site for a couple seconds, a sign the extraction is successful.
"Wow…" Heejin admires the newly summoned group of shadow beasts that have all acknowledged me as their master, as they all bow in deference before they stand up and roar out loud.
The infantry and archer shadows break out in small applause, welcoming the newest additions to my Shadow army. The first beast joins its former ice bears, it looks like they're developing a hierarchy, but they all seem to be around mid to high B-rank. As they stand on their hind legs, the beasts are about 11 feet tall on average, making them my most imposing shadows, so far.
Igris claps his gauntlets together loudly all of a sudden, as he lets us know dinner is ready.
- Kim Chul (White Tiger Guild) -
The entire group shudders in fear as they hear the distant sounds of bears howling out. Kim Chul and the remaining hunters attempted to stay close to the one measly fire they managed to keep lit. They had to put out the other fires as they only attracted more and more hostile magical beasts to their location. They felt trapped in between the trees as the large group tried to march forward. A couple of C-rank hunters were already picked off as the group was surprised by the return of the deadly elven ice slayers.
He couldn't get the image of one hunter's eyes popping out and freezing solid as the ice arrow impaled through the unfortunate hunter's brain. The group didn't expect the temperature to drop what felt like -40 degrees Celsius once the sun rapidly set.
"F-f-fuck, I'm h-hungry." One hunter managed to breathe out, it almost looked like his breath would freeze as it exited out his mouth. "We have to go back and get the bear meat."
"We can't... I think we're l-lost." Chul managed to utter out. "I h-hope as many of you can survive this night. I'm leaving on my own to find safe passage tonight, you're all dragging me back... Good luck."
The Tenacious Kim Chul could only ignore the panicked shouts of the other hunters as he ran back with all his remaining strength. As long as he can find a cave, and wait until sunrise, there's a chance he can still survive and wait for the dungeon break. He had to make the tough decision in leaving the dead weight behind, but there's simply no chance he can lead them safely through this frozen wasteland.
"Mars..." Chul whispered out. "I hope I can run into you..."
- BONUS -
- Woo Jinchul (Hunters Association) -
The chief inspector arrived at the red gate as soon as he could after he received the call from the White Tiger guildmaster, Baek Yoonho. Apparently a C-rank training exercise for newly awakened hunters turned out to be a red gate in disguise. He prayed it wasn't S-rank, as the country is finally preparing itself for its original S-rank calamity in Jeju.
A silver lining presented itself in the fact hunter Valentino Mars was in there, no doubt it was his trial dungeon raid that Go Gunhee mentioned to Jinchul. He could only hope Mars makes it out okay as the country would be the laughingstock in the hunter community if their brand new S-rank hunter was critically injured or traumatized. He shuddered to even think if the whole party died in there, losing an A rank and an S-rank could jeopardize the planned Jeju raid in a couple weeks.
If something catastrophic like that happened, Korea would have to get on its knees and beg another country for international aid. Or maybe they would have to pay huge money to a national rank hunter to come in and assist in clearing out the gates.
He cursed under his breath, wishing his biggest problem was still the lunatic Kang Taeshik on a murderous rampage.
"Inspector Woo, can you explain what happened here?" Baek Yoonho asked in an irritated tone.
"I assure you, guildmaster Baek, our power readings on this gate were merely C-rank level." Jinchul responded professionally, understanding that Baek is potentially facing an entirely wiped out strike force. "We'll be ready to enter the gate if a dungeon break occurs. How many hunters are inside?"
"There are thirteen White Tiger hunters in there, plus Mars makes it 14 total." The guildmaster managed to spit out. "A mix of one A-rank, seven B-ranks and four C-ranks. And one E-rank…"
"Shit. Mars might be the only one to make it out alive if it's an A-rank dungeon." Inspector Jinchul felt a migraine incoming as he thought of the potential casualties. "I'll get in contact with the Hunter's guild, we might need even more reinforcements."
- BONUS -
- Hwang Dongsoo (Scavenger Guild) -
Washington, D.C.
"What a beautiful morning." The broad man sighed in content, as he stretched his shoulders sitting up in his Alaskan king bed. "What a strange dream… I'm getting all teary eyed."
Hwang Dongsoo cracked his neck as he wiped a couple tears from his eyes. He hasn't cried since he was a boy, not since his older brother Dongsuk beat him unconscious. His brother only did so because Dongsoo snitched to their father, as Dongsuk had swiped a cigarette from their vicious dad. It was only to save himself from a beating from the alcoholic man, as Dongsuk would be the one to catch their father's anger for the night. It was a trick he learned from his big brother after all. He always figured a beating from his Hyung was easier as Dongsuk was never as violent as their father.
"Where's my phone…" Dongsoo suddenly sprang up from bed, feeling a sudden urge to check in with his brother.
How long has it been since he defected to America, leaving his brother and the rest of his countrymen behind? He hasn't talked to Dongsuk since accepting the American's offer. But how could he refuse their proposal after meeting with the Upgrader Norma Selner? She alone increased his strength by 20%, and apparently she can increase it even further in due time. Why would he waste away in Korea slaving away for the mediocre Korean guilds or that geezer Go Gunhee when he can rule the world with Thomas Andre, the de facto strongest hunter alive and guildmaster of the Scavenger Guild.
"What time is it in Korea?" Dongsoo felt anxiety he hadn't felt in a long time. Why was he so nervous? "Pick up, you piece of shit!"
Another missed call.
"LAURA!" The brutish man screamed outside the bedroom in his penthouse suite.
"Yes, Mr. Hwang?" Scavenger guild's famous secretary Laura answered. As always, she seemed to be in the right place at the right time.
"How soon until I can get some time off? I need to go back home."