Arc ll: Red Echo

After nearly an hour inside the 7-Eleven, Gong-heo finished eating and drinking in silence. He had already paid earlier when he picked out his items. Without a word, he stepped out into the quiet city night.

He wandered along the side road, letting the hum of passing traffic fade behind him. A moment later, something unnatural caught his eye.

There—hidden behind a half-finished construction site—stood a Red Gate.

Its glow was faint yet furious, almost like it was breathing. No guards. No warning signs. Just raw, forbidden power waiting to be unleashed.

Gong-heo's steps slowed. He knew what this meant. A Red Gate wasn't something anyone could just walk into—it signified Destruction, an S-Rank threat, or worse. Typically, even S-Rank Hunters needed to enter it in full parties with full authorization.

But Gong-heo wasn't like them.

He wasn't part of the Hunter Association. He had just recently joined a different path—a Rogue Hunter Guild, the only kind of organization that let members enter gates at their own risk.

From what he learned through SystemTube, Rogue Hunters were allowed to explore gates so long as they took full responsibility for the consequences. The Association hated that freedom—mostly because they required payment before gate entry, whether in cash or card. The fee depended on the gate's classification.

But Gong-heo didn't hesitate.

He reached out.

And just as his hand made contact, the gate let out a blinding pulse—and shattered into nothing.

The air cracked.

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake shook the ground. Not just here—but it echoed across Gyeonggi-do, Incheon, Gyeongju, and beyond. Like a warning. Like a scream.

And yet, in the midst of the chaos, Gong-heo's expression remained still.

Something was being absorbed.

His Void Storage—an ability from his world, Gaeia, linked to his eyes—was storing something vast and unknown. He hadn't realized it still worked in this world.

He closed his eyes.

In the darkness of his spirit, he saw—his master Feral... the relics, weapons, scrolls... all left as inheritance. Treasures once thought lost were now appearing in fragments, stored safely within the void once more.

When Gong-heo opened his eyes again, the Gate was long gone.

And the silence? Too loud.

He turned and ran.

Any longer and Hunters nearby would feel the shift. Someone surely would've sensed it already.

After a full mile, he stopped to catch his breath. He paused by a familiar figure in the crowd.

Was that... Kim Soon?

Her sharp eyes darted around, her expression tense, as if tracking something. Her stride was swift. Determined.

But Gong-heo didn't approach. He slipped away and continued running—straight to his house.

From the outside, it looked like a simple single-family home. Nothing suspicious.

He entered, quietly closing the door behind him.

Shoes off. Neatly arranged.

He stepped into the living room, sat on the couch, and let out a deep breath. He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, casually flipping through channels until the screen settled on the news.

— News Channel: Live Update

Female Reporter: "Just moments ago, AA+ Rank Hunter Kim Soon reported feeling the ground tremble, which led her to rush toward a certain location—believing she sensed something powerful there."

Male Reporter: "The quake measured at least a magnitude 5.0—but what's odd is that it was felt far outside Seoul. Reports from Gyeonggi-do, Incheon, and even Gyeongju confirm the same tremors."

Female Reporter: "Hunter Kim Soon mentioned sensing a presence stronger than Destruction. One she couldn't explain."

Male Reporter: "We can only wonder what this could mean."

Together: "For more information, stay tuned."

Click.

Gong-heo turned off the TV and leaned back against the couch. A laugh slipped out of his mouth.

"Good. They didn't find out... looks like I can move freely for now."

He smiled, pulled out his phone, and opened the SystemTube app. He scrolled through the latest videos like nothing had happened.

But on the other side of the city, chaos was beginning to brew.

At the Hunter Association Guild Headquarters...

The top 10 Hunters were seated around a long obsidian table. Faces grim. Eyes sharp.

The Guild Master (Donghyun) broke the silence.

— "I remember there was a Red Gate marked in Gangnam... why was it already gone when Hunter Soon got there?"

Danil raised his hand and spoke calmly.

— "Possibly an interference. Could be the Rogue Hunter Guild again, Guild Master Donghyun."

Cheng added, arms crossed:

— "Their Guild Master said most of their members are inactive. Vacation, relaxation... nothing serious recently."

Priya chimed in, glancing around the table:

— "I agree, Guild Master. If it really were one of them, there would've been a Death Mark Card left behind—our agreed sign for gate takedowns."

Tension settled back into the room as the discussion continued. The unknown made them uneasy.

Someone had closed a Red Gate alone—and it wasn't recorded. No presence, no signature. Just vanished.

Back in his room, Gong-heo lay on his bed, fast asleep.

Unbothered.

Unaware of the storm his silent move had stirred.

End of Arc ll