Chapter 404 – At the Gate (7)
*
The Andong Gate was one of the open gates that were maintained without being removed for various reasons.
It was a gate managed by the association for hunters and various companies, and it could be said that it was a gate where various resources could be obtained.
Because it is a gate connected to another dimension, it is free from the problem of resource depletion, and it is a space that can be called a home for hunters.
Therefore, no matter how gate it is, it was a gate that was continuously maintained by limiting the number of monsters that could be hunted to maintain the ecosystem, but the ecosystem was being destroyed due to a mixing phenomenon that suddenly appeared.
The monsters inside the gate were being slaughtered mercilessly as the Black Mantis, the top predator temporarily named Black Mantis, appeared in large numbers.
Of course, because of the sudden appearance of predators, other monsters had no choice but to move their territory, and those who were pushed out came all the way here.
“Haa.. Is it an attack again?”
Standing in front of the barrier, Mina Kang let out a sigh as she saw the hordes of monsters rushing towards her base camp.
She came in with the idea of doing survival training, but who knew it would turn out like this. It became a real situation rather than training, but there was no big problem right now.
Even though the entrance disappeared, the existing facilities remained intact.
As long as there were magic stones that could be said to be the supply source, the facility seemed to be able to continue to be maintained. Also, magic stones can be obtained by killing monsters.
The most problematic part was food. I brought some, but I didn’t have one or two mouths, and there wasn’t enough combat rations to keep eating.
Therefore, hunting was essential in order to survive.
“I want to burn everything, but… It is also a resource.”
She did not use flame magic, which could be said to be her special skill, but used other magic with a magic circle created with her magical power.
Starting with the monster’s head being blown off by a mass of magical energy, magic flew towards the monsters from all sides.
The monsters fell like falling leaves in the autumn wind, in front of the magic blown in unison, regardless of whether they were cadets or instructors.
“Ah.. This is fishy and tasteless.”
“Is it this guy again?”
It is said that humans are animals of adaptation, and even the cadets, who were in a half-closed state at first, seemed to have adapted to some extent.
Still, it was fortunate that there were no cadets who would cause a big commotion, perhaps because only the top cadets were gathered.
You have to survive inside the gate anyway, but there are some cadets who think that nothing has changed.
‘That would be a matter of time… ‘
After the scheduled date passed, it was clear that the anxiety would gradually increase.
Except for a few people, they did not know that Andong Gate had been converted to a closed gate.
When the gate mixing phenomenon occurs, the gate becomes unstable, and since the Andong gate is much larger than a normal gate, it is assumed that it takes a long time to stabilize.
You seem to think that if you wait, it will be solved someday, but it wasn’t that simple.
‘I can’t force open it… I don’t know if it can be opened from the outside…’
If he couldn’t find the clear conditions, he might really have to live here for the rest of his life.
Of course, that’s the worst assumption ever.
“Is that how it happened?”
“Yes, West…”
One woman before being a professor. Kang Min-ah conveyed the current situation to Kim Si-woo.
“You mean there will be a boss monster somewhere on the island?”
“My current guess is yes. Because in the current situation, the existence of the gatekeeper is the most suspicious.”
“Hmm.. Gatekeeper.”
The gatekeeper is the source of the gate, and could be a boss monster or a specific structure.
Kim Si-woo of the past was not a gatekeeper either, but the gate didn’t open when he defeated the boss monster. It was a reasonable guess.
“You don’t know where the problem is?”
“Yes.. Andong Gate is not a normal sized gate.”
“As expected, the most suspicious thing is Black Mantis, right?”
“I think so. I am not totally sure… “
It was speculated that a special entity among the Black Mantis might be the Gatekeeper.
“Minah, do you think the current situation is simply a coincidence?”
“West? What do you mean by that?”
“I just thought the timing was too artificial.”
There was not one or two suspicious parts.
So far, gate mixing has not occurred in gates as large as Andong Gate, and open gates have been converted to closed ones.
What is the probability that not one situation that has never been reported to the association will explode at the same time.
“Thanks for letting me know, Minah.”
“Western…”
The moment I approached with the intention of receiving a light expression of affection, I heard someone from behind.
‘What kind of year it is!’
I was going to kiss lightly after a long time, but the interrupter who appeared was Instructor Kim Si-young.
Even so, she suspects that she is meeting with a cadet, but when she sees her here with Kim Si-woo, she doesn’t know what else to say.
“Hmm? What are you and cadet Kim Si-woo doing here?”
“Go… I was consulting on my worries. It must be hard for student Kim Si-woo, but I hope you don’t forget what I said.”
“… Yes. Thank you professor.”
At first, he seemed embarrassed, but Kim Si-woo kissed him as if he understood the situation to some extent.
She would have really kissed her if only Kim Si-young hadn’t come. A little anger came through, but it was never allowed to come out.
“Hmm..? I don’t know what you’re worried about, but make a choice you won’t regret.”
“Thank you.”
Kim Si-young, who was looking at the back of Kim Si-woo, who walked naturally, opened her mouth.
He still had a suspicious look on his face, but he didn’t seem to be thinking too much. Whatever the situation, I can’t afford to do that.
“You didn’t forget that there was a countermeasure meeting soon, right?”
“I know.”
“Because I can’t keep slogging around the entrance like this. We should move slowly.”
“Are you thinking of making a search team?”
“Okay. We can’t all move together, so we’ll have to cull the good ones.”
*
The search tank that was created like that.
The search team, led by Instructor Siyoung Kim, Minji, Kang Joowon, Kim Taepung, and the rest of the top cadets, was currently exploring the island.
It was a team made up of melee cadets because it was a job to continue exploring the hot forest.
The magic cadets were inevitably filtered out because their physical strength and mobility were low.
Black Mantis itself is a monster with high agility, and stamina is essential to exploring the vast forest.
They continue to search the forest, but nothing is found.
In the hot and humid weather, everyone is annoyed by all kinds of bugs and Black Mantis attacks.
Everyone was in a state where they felt like they would explode if anyone touched them. Surely this murderous weather is hard to bear.
After wandering around the woods like that, I finally found a suspicious place. Compared to other places, it is a place where many Mantis are gathered.
As she tried to retreat to her safety, a woman wearing a red robe appeared.
At the point where she had to choose whether to retreat or pursue the woman, she emotionally made the choice to attack, and the moment she approached the guy.
‘I came to this damn place.’
To be honest, I think my judgment was poor because of the heat. Although it has pain tolerance, it must be said that it is not very effective against this kind of pain.
I got hit by the guy’s move that I had intended from the beginning.
[ Could not load save point. ]
You can save, but the point before entering this place cannot be loaded.
Maybe it’s right to look at it from another dimension.
‘I ate one shot.’
There was nothing around here except white space.
I was going to make a surprise attack and knock it out in one shot, but who would have known that it would be reversed.
It was only me and Instructor Kim Si-young who were here. After reading my movements, I hurriedly ran to Instructor Si-young Kim, who was also caught up in the same.
“Hmm. It is a space where there is nothing.”
“Sorry.”
“What is fine? It wasn’t a bad try. I actually managed to injure him. But I want to tell you that I was impatient.”
“… Sorry.”
Since there is a save load, it must be a bad habit to move a little boldly.
I know that people around me are worried because they tend to pursue high-risk, high-return, but the opportunities are endless.
Well, by the way, how do I get out of here again?
“It’s like some kind of dungeon. A dungeon that can only be accessed by meeting clear conditions.”
“The problem is that there is nothing.”
“Okay. Usually in the case of dungeons in empty spaces like this.”
Kim Si-young muttered that and quietly lifted her dagger from her waist.
Her cold sharp face and razor-sharp daggers.
“Sometimes you have to fight until one person survives.”
“… “
Because of the sudden heavy air, I unwittingly drew my knife.
‘Are you going to fight? Aren’t you a little impatient?’
Should it be said to be instantaneous? I was nervous without even realizing it.
I’ve only heard rumors, but the momentum I can definitely feel is unusual. When I was contemplating whether I should really fight, Siyoung Kim smiled and put her dagger in.
“Haha. Just kidding. Would you like to fight a cadet?”
I also put the knife in the atmosphere that suddenly became lighter. As we walked to one side like that, we found a sign with an unusual text.
[The only one who can go out is the last one left alive. ]
“… “
“… “
*
“Seo..Success..”
As soon as the woman in her red robe stepped over the crack, she fell to the floor.
She had a deep cut in her chest, and a little deeper would have put her life in danger.
“You… What happened to that wound!”
“She was just hurt on purpose…” She’s going to use the stuff she got from that bitch..”
She succeeded in imprisoning Kim Si-woo with the object she received from the demon who called herself Lilim.
If you think about it, you can get rid of the existence that interferes with them every time, so this kind of wound was enough to handle.
The woman raised the corner of her mouth, spitting out bloody water.
What happens when two humans enter a space with nothing?
Can you survive when you start to feel hungry and thirsty?
And what if you find a sign telling you to fight each other?
‘I’ll die fighting on my own.’
The sign was a fake made by her.
It was her purpose to trick the signs into fighting each other.
It didn’t matter which of the two won. If that happens, you won’t be able to go out forever.
Because that trap is a dungeon that you can’t get out of unless you have sex.
‘I thought that bitch was crazy, but everything depends on how you use it… Maybe you want to have sex?’
She smiled her triumphant smile.
