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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 15
The Myeongnyang Gate had never been conquered not even once since its discovery.
[PR/N: "Myeongnyang Gate" likely refers to the Myeongnyang Strait, a narrow strait in southwestern South Korea, famous for the Battle of Myeongnyang where Admiral Yi Sun-sin's Joseon navy achieved a decisive victory against the larger Japanese fleet.]
Every top-ranked hunter in South Korea had attempted it, yet none had succeeded.
It was an unconquerable gate.
Even the government had long since abandoned it, officially designating the Myeongnyang Strait as a no-go zone.
And yet…
[Myeongnyang Gate has been cleared.]
[Clear Rank: SSS]
[Conqueror: Connector]
A system-wide notification spread across the entire Korean Peninsula, alerting every hunter.
Chaos erupted instantly.
News outlets rushed to broadcast breaking reports about the conquest of Myeongnyang Gate, while Hunter Web, the country’s largest online hunter forum, exploded with discussions.
[Did you see the announcement? Myeongnyang Gate got cleared!]
└ What the hell? Wasn’t that place underwater? How did someone clear it?
└ No way. Did they have gills or something?
└ But who the hell is Connector?
└ Han Yujin, maybe? She’s obsessed with Yi Sunsin.
└ Nah, the Association just put out an official notice. It’s not her.
└ ??? Then who is it?
└ Gotta be the Heavenly Martial Sect.
Naturally, the nation’s most elite hunters were suspected of being the ones who conquered the gate.
Yet, not a single hunter came forward to claim credit.
As a result, every major organization in Korea was now scrambling to find the person responsible.
“Still no leads on who cleared Myeongnyang Gate?”
“I’m sorry. We’re still investigating.”
Baek Seorin, guild master of Samdocheon, furrowed her brows.
‘How did they even clear it?’
She wasn’t just curious about who had done it.
She wanted to know how.
Because Myeongnyang Gate wasn’t a gate that could be cleared with sheer power alone.
If it were, she would have conquered it herself long ago.
As an S-Rank World-Class Mage, she had deemed Myeongnyang Gate impossible.
Because Myeongnyang Gate wasn’t on land.
It was deep underwater and clearing an A-Rank or higher gate typically required at least 10 hours.
Even an S-Rank hunter couldn’t possibly hold their breath for that long.
On top of that, Myeongnyang Gate wasn’t just underwater, it was suffused with oppressive mana pressure that crushed the body.
Before even reaching the boss room, a hunter would either drown from lack of air or be crushed to death by the mana pressure.
This was why even South Korea, one of the world’s strongest hunter nations, had no choice but to leave Myeongnyang Gate untouched.
Yet somehow, it had been conquered.
At first, everyone assumed it was the work of a well-known S-Rank hunter.
That the name ‘Connector’ had been written as a joke.
But to everyone’s shock not a single named hunter stepped forward to claim the achievement.
This meant only one thing.
A new talent!
And if that talent was capable enough to conquer the Myeongnyang Gate?
‘We must secure them at all costs.’
That was why every guild in South Korea was on high alert, scrambling to find the conqueror.
"The conqueror is still inside Myeongnyang Gate. Keep a tight watch on the entrance. The moment they come out, bring them in immediately. Under no circumstances can we let the Association take them."
Scouts from major guilds like Samdocheon and the Hunter Association had already set up camp at the gate’s entrance.
News reporters crowded the area, busy filming.
All to capture the moment when the conqueror of Myeongnyang Gate would finally emerge.
But an hour passed.
Then two and yet, no one appeared.
***
While the entire nation’s attention was fixated on the entrance of Myeongnyang Gate.
“Ahh, that feels good.”
I stepped out of the shower, towel-drying my wet hair.
The moment I entered Myeongnyang Gate, sea water had drenched me completely.
After carefully scrubbing off the sticky salt, I finally felt refreshed.
I dried my hair with a blow dryer, changed into clean clothes, and grabbed a cold Coke from the fridge, chugging it down in one go.
“Damn, that hits the spot.”
Leaning back on the couch, I turned on the TV.
[Yes, I'm currently reporting live from the much-anticipated Myeongnyang Gate.]
[Right now, scouts have already gathered in large numbers at the gate’s entrance…]
No matter which channel I switched to, it was all about Myeongnyang Gate.
Not just TV, YouTube, Hunter Web, everywhere I looked, it was the same.
Everyone was waiting for the conqueror of Myeongnyang Gate to step out.
They wanted to witness the emergence of a new legend, someone who had cleared an unconquerable gate.
‘I feel a little bad.’
Since I had entered and exited the gate from my own room, I had no reason to physically go to Myeongnyang.
But the world didn’t know that.
So, they kept staring at the gate’s entrance, waiting for my arrival.
I felt both a sense of pride and relief.
‘It’d be a pain if they found out.’
Sure, being famous would feel nice, but it would also come with endless annoyances.
Especially for a hunter.
Whenever a gate appeared, people expected top hunters to step in and take care of it.
In Korean society, that was the norm.
Refusing meant being criticized.
I had seen Baek Seorin risk her life day after day clearing gates, only to be insulted anyway.
There was no way I wanted that kind of fame.
Who in their right mind would willingly put their life on the line?
I'd rather just live my life in peace.
“But damn, the money is fantastic.”
I smirked, glancing at the chunk of mana stone sitting in the corner of my room.
The Myeongnyang Gate hadn’t just given me skills.
I had also acquired one kilogram of high-quality mana stone.
That was a fortune of nearly 30 million won.
“This is why people become hunters.”
I should send some money home.
Dad hurt his back recently and hasn’t been able to work.
Without hesitation, I transferred 5 million won to my mom’s bank account.
The phone rang immediately.
—Seojun, what kind of money do you have to send 5 million won?
"I made some good money from the shop lately, so I sent it."
—You're not sneaking into gates again and messing around, are you?
"I'm not, so don’t worry."
My mother, Lee Eunha, had never liked me hanging around gates, ever since my days at Samdocheon.
She constantly worried that her only son might get into trouble trying to earn money inside a gate.
—You saw the news, right? They said Myeongnyang is extremely dangerous. Don't even think about going near it.
—Mom! Stop worrying. Do you really think a coward like my brother could step foot in Myeongnyang?
From the other end of the phone, my younger sister, Choi Seoyeon, chimed in.
"Hey, I’ve been through plenty of gates, you know!"
—Yeah, right. You probably just played the role of a pack mule.
Damn, ever since she became a high school sophomore, she’s been getting cheekier.
“You don’t want your allowance, do you?
—You know I worry about you, right?
“Say, ‘Please give me money.’"
—…Please give me money.
"Okay, hanging up now."
—Hey!
I ended the call and flopped onto the couch.
"Ugh, I’m exhausted."
I hit the jackpot this time. Might as well take it easy for a while.
"Things are getting messy over there, though."
I clicked my tongue, watching the TV.
[Are you certain Noryang Gate can be conquered?]
[We will do our best.]
[We didn’t summon the guild master to the National Assembly just to hear that. Answer with a clear yes or no.]
[The people are watching. Can Noryang Gate be cleared or not?]
The leader of Dawn Constellation, summoned to the National Assembly, was being grilled relentlessly.
If Myeongnyang Gate had been a big deal, Noryang Gate was an even bigger disaster.
The media tried to keep it quiet, but everyone knew it was on the verge of going berserk.
And now, the politicians were tearing into the guild master over it.
‘At this rate, he’s gonna get punched.’
I didn’t get why these politicians acted so high and mighty in front of a hunter.
I was mindlessly flipping through channels when something caught my attention.
[Dawn Constellation is searching for a water-attribute artifact from the Imjin War to help conquer Noryang Gate.]
[If you have one or know its whereabouts, please contact us immediately.]
A water-attribute artifact from the Imjin War?
Now that I thought about it, I did pick up something while clearing Myeongnyang Gate…
==
[Worn Hwando of Anwi]
Artifact Grade: Epic
- It seems useful for conquering certain gates.
==
‘The durability is garbage, but…’
I should sell it.
Without hesitation, I dialed the number displayed on the TV.
—Current wait time: 8 callers ahead."
"Guess I'll have to call back later."
As expected from a major guild their phone lines were flooded.
***
While Choi Seojun was trying to get through to Dawn Constellation, an under-the-table meeting was taking place at a small Chinese restaurant in Daerim-dong, Seoul.
"Noryang Gate’s raid must fail no matter what."
"No need to worry. Anticipating this, we’ve already bought up every last water-attribute artifact. Kim Hayoon won’t be able to get one even if she tries."
"Excellent work."
Hunter Lee Taejun, an A-rank, smiled in satisfaction.
As the Team 2’s Leader of Dawn Constellation, he had once been a frequent face on television, a celebrity hunter.
That was until Kim Hayoon arrived and stole the spotlight.
Taejun hated that.
‘What’s so special about conquering a damn gate?’
Just because she had cleared a few gates, Kim Hayoon had become the media’s darling overnight.
Of course, Taejun had drunk and driven, gotten into fights with women at clubs, and caused various scandals, but he dismissed them as minor issues common incidents for hunters.
As far as skill was concerned, he believed he was second to none.
But none of that mattered anymore.
Kim Hayoon would fail the Noryang Gate raid.
Wouldn’t that put civilians in danger when the gate went berserk?
‘Even better.’
There might be some collateral damage, but if he stepped in to clean up the monsters, his reputation would soar once again.
And he had already made all the necessary preparations.
"I’m trusting you, Mr. Wang Wei."
"Hahaha, no need to worry. In exchange, the relics of General Yi Sunsin found in Noryang will belong to China."
"You have my word. I’ll personally make sure of it."
Taejun had just sealed a deal with the Chinese selling out his country’s heritage in exchange for his own glory.
Meanwhile, at that very moment.
"Oh, I got through!"
"Yeah, I’m calling to sell an Imjin War relic. Yes, it’s water-attributed."
Choi Seojun was making a sale.
——————
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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