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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 18
"Yi Sunsin’s helmet?"
I blinked in surprise as I checked the quest's clear reward.
If this was truly the helmet worn by Admiral Yi Sunsin, then it couldn’t be just any ordinary relic.
It wasn’t as well-known as the Twin Dragon Sword, so I wasn’t sure if it would be a legendary rank, but at the very least, it was an epic rank for sure.
Even better, the clear difficulty was extremely low.
Not even D-rank it was a mere E-rank.
Considering that Myeongnyang Gate was D-rank, an E-rank quest was practically a freebie.
And the fact that the reward was armor and a helmet was perfect.
With the Twin Dragon Sword and Napoleon’s Rifle, I could take down C-rank monsters in a single hit.
And Shadow Step allowed me to move swiftly.
But physically? I was weak.
Using Shadow Step made my legs cramp, and my defense was paper-thin.
Even with legendary-rank relics, I avoided D-rank or higher gates.
Because if I made a single mistake or got hit by a monster’s attack, I would be dead with no second chances.
That’s why Yi Sunsin’s helmet, a defensive relic, was exactly what I needed.
I wanted it.
But I didn’t jump into the quest right away.
Unlike Myeongnyang Gate, where I had to enter unarmed, things were different now.
I had just made 5 billion won by selling Ahn Wi’s Hwando.
With that kind of money, I could buy top-rank l equipment and still have plenty left over.
There was no reason to not buy better gear.
Anything could happen inside a gate, so thorough preparation was key.
"Time to do some shopping."
I hailed a taxi and headed to Cheongdam-dong’s luxury gear shop.
My general store did carry some magic tools, but what I wanted was far more expensive gear than what I had in stock.
It was time to flex.
"Welcome! Is there anything you’re looking for?"
"I’m here to buy a mithril-reinforced magic vest."
Mithril was the most sought-after defensive material among hunters.
It was durable, had excellent mana conductivity, and most importantly could block monster attacks.
And blocking monster attacks, that was basically an extra life.
"You’re in luck! We only have a few mithril vests left in stock."
"How much?"
"The price depends on the mithril content.
- Low-tier: 500 million won (≈ $370,000 USD)
- Mid-tier: 1.5 billion won (≈ $1.1M USD)
- High-tier: 2 billion won (≈ $1.5M USD)
I stared blankly.
2 billion won... for a vest?
It felt absurd, but when I thought of it as the price of my life, it didn’t seem expensive at all.
And if I really regretted it later, I could always resell it. Mithril was always in high demand.
"...I’ll take the high-rank one."
Gritting my teeth, I dropped 2 billion on a vest.
Because there’s no price too high when it comes to staying alive.
"Would you like to pay in full or in installments?"
"Is there interest in installments?"
"Up to 24 months, no interest."
"I'll go with the 24-month installment plan."
***
After purchasing a mithril vest at the shop, I returned to the store and immediately entered the Noryang Gate.
==
Entering the Special Gate: Noryang.
==
Whoosh—
A wave of searing heat engulfed my entire body.
If the Myeongnyang Gate was an underwater battlefield filled with water, then the Noryang Gate was a blazing inferno on all sides.
Crackle, crackle.
The burning Japanese fleet illuminated the night sea, while the land was engulfed in flames.
‘Good thing I wore the mithril vest.’
The cool touch of the mithril shielded me from the scorching heat.
Creak— Creak—
On the fiery battlefield, skeletal warriors roamed about, dressed in two distinct types of naval uniforms.
Since they weren’t wearing Japanese armor, they were likely the naval forces of the Ming Dynasty and Joseon.
I had heard that the Ming also took part in the Battle of Noryang.
Wuuung.
The Twin Dragon Sword hummed.
‘Is it telling me to go that way?’
Following the sword’s guidance, I walked forward at a leisurely pace.
Whoosh—!
The raging flames parted to either side, pushed away by the sword’s aura.
Creak—
A burning skeletal warrior approached, prompting me to raise the Twin Dragon Sword.
At that, it simply turned away and continued on its path.
The first encounter was difficult, but the second was easy.
‘If they're not following me, they must not have souls.’
This was a dimensional space crafted by the Gate, built upon the memories of the Battle of Noryang.
The burning skeletal warriors either had no souls from the start or had already found peace during the first conquest.
They were merely reacting instinctively to the Twin Dragon Sword, stepping aside upon seeing it.
Guided by the sword, I crossed the sea of fire and climbed aboard a sunken panokseon that had run aground.
Inside the hull, a vast interior unfolded before me.
At its center stood a burning general, a Black Spirit Skeleton.
Startled, I halted in my tracks.
Creak—
The Black Spirit Skeleton turned its skull-like head, locking its hollow eye sockets filled with pitch-black flames onto me.
Then, as if losing interest, it shifted its gaze away.
"…That scared me."
Judging by its attire, it seemed to be a Ming general.
It must have mistaken me for a Joseon commander upon seeing the Twin Dragon Sword.
Letting out a sigh of relief, I moved forward.
The sword was pointing beyond the Black Spirit Skeleton.
Approaching the spot it indicated, I tilted my head in curiosity.
"What's supposed to be here?"
All that stood before me was a blank wall.
Curious, I reached out, and my hand slipped right through it.
"Huh?"
Startled, I extended my other hand, only to have it pass through the wall as well.
"Oh, a formation? Interesting."
I had heard tales of ancient Chinese tacticians using strange sorcery like this.
They were said to have been lost after the Tiananmen Incident, leaving almost no one who could use them today.
[PR/N: The Tiananmen Square incident was a series of protests and demonstrations in China in the spring of 1989.]
Stepping through the illusory wall, I found myself in a hidden chamber, where a dust-covered shelf stood.
The Twin Dragon Sword pointed toward an old helmet resting on the shelf.
As I lifted it, a status window popped up.
Ding!
— You have acquired Yi Sunsin's Helmet.
===
[Yi Sunsin’s Helmet]
Relic Rank: Ancient
— A helmet worn by the legendary Joseon Admiral Yi Sunsin during the Battle of Noryang.
Defense: 1800
===
"Oh."
My eyes gleamed at the sight of an ancient rank relic only to immediately scrunch up my nose.
"Ugh, this definitely needs a wash."
The stench of age was no joke.
***
The day after the discovery of Ahn Wi’s hwando shook South Korea…
"Are you ready, Hayoon?"
"Yes, I can enter anytime."
Kim Hayoon stood at the entrance of the Noryang Gate.
In her hand was Ahn Wi’s hwando, an epic rank relic.
"You don’t have to clear it all in one go, so don’t push yourself."
"I’ll make sure to clear it before coming out."
Answering Ha Jinwoo’s encouragement, Kim Hayoon stepped into the Noryang Gate, accompanied by ten water-attribute hunters.
Whoosh—
The moment they entered, an intense wave of heat assaulted her.
Though her magic shielded her from the flames, she could only endure for three hours at most.
That was all the time she had to conquer the Noryang Gate.
The gate was divided into twelve zones, so a full conquest wasn’t necessary in one attempt but pushing through as many zones as possible was crucial.
"I hope this actually works."
Although Ahn Wi’s hwando was an epic rank relic, that alone wasn’t enough to guarantee success.
After all, her water-based attacks hadn’t been particularly effective against the burning skeletons.
The only way to know for sure was to wield it herself.
Tightening her grip on the hwando, Kim Hayoon lifted her gaze.
"Let’s go."
"Understood."
With Kim Hayoon leading the way, the ten hunters stepped onto the burning battlefield of Noryang.
Creak—
A burning skeletal warrior spotted Kim Hayoon and lunged at her.
It felt as though a ball of fire was crashing toward her.
But something was strange.
The skeleton’s flames weren’t hot at all.
It was no different from a regular skeleton charging at her.
‘Is this the effect of the hwando?’
Surprised yet intrigued, Kim Hayoon dashed forward to meet the attack head-on.
Whooosh…
An A-rank water-attribute skill activated, sending a powerful surge of water swirling around her blade.
She swung the hwando with all her might at the burning skeleton.
Ssssshhhhh!
As water and fire collided, a thick cloud of steam billowed into the air.
Fwoosh!
The once-raging flames of the skeletal warrior were snuffed out in an instant.
Crunch!
Its skull shattered as it collapsed to the ground.
[You have defeated a Burning Skeletal Warrior.]
“!”
Kim Hayoon stared in disbelief at the fallen skeleton.
Its scattered bones were soaked in water.
‘Was it really this easy?’
She couldn’t believe it.
She had struggled so much just to take down a single burning skeleton before.
She had to pour an enormous amount of magic into extinguishing its flames, only for them to reignite again and again.
Even after exhausting herself, she had barely managed to defeat a few before retreating.
But now, with just a single swing of Ahn Wi’s hwando, the skeleton’s flames had been extinguished effortlessly.
It was as if they had never been there at all.
‘This is an incredible relic.’
The hwando given to her by Choi Seojun was nothing short of a game-breaking weapon.
With this, conquering the Noryang Gate would be a breeze.
‘Alright.’
Confidence surging through her, Kim Hayoon gripped the hwando tightly and charged into the inferno.
[You have cleared Noryang Gate Zone 1-1.]
Within less than ten minutes, the system announced her first successful conquest.
***
[You have cleared Noryang Gate Zone 1-1.]
[You have cleared Noryang Gate Zone 1-2.]
[You have cleared Noryang Gate Zone 1-3.]
[You have cleared Noryang Gate Zone 1-4.]
A series of system messages echoed through the Noryang Gate control room.
“This is it!”
“She did it! She actually did it!”
The watching hunters erupted into cheers.
Having anxiously observed the raid, they now clenched their fists and fixed their eyes on the massive screen before them.
On the screen, Kim Hayoon was cutting through the Noryang Gate like a force of nature.
—Clang!
—Clang!
With every swing of her hwando, the burning skeletal warriors crumbled to dust.
“Haha! That’s our Hayoon!”
Ha Jinwoo beamed with pride.
Kim Hayoon’s gate conquest was being broadcast live across the country via her body cam.
“The entire community is going crazy about Team Leader Hayoon! The YouTube live viewer count just hit five million!”
“Haha! That’s how it should be!”
The situation room no, the entire nation was in a state of celebration.
It was as if South Korea had reached the finals of the World Cup.
But amidst the excitement, there was one person who grew increasingly anxious.
Lee Taejun, who had aligned himself with the Chinese Communist Party, watched with a sinking expression.
"Where the hell is Wang Wei!?"
With every system message announcing Kim Hayoon’s progress, Lee Taejun’s face contorted further.
If this went on for much longer, he wouldn’t get a chance to make a name for himself.
Kim Hayoon would clear all the zones before he even had the opportunity to act.
The only saving grace was that Hayoon seemed exhausted and had exited the gate after clearing Zone 1-5.
And just around that time, Wang Wei finally arrived with his team of Chinese Hunters.
Lee Taejun, who had been anxiously pacing, shot to his feet.
“Ambassador Wang Wei! You’re late!”
But unlike Lee Taejun, who was on edge, Wang Wei remained composed.
He first turned to Ha Jinwoo and congratulated him with a smile.
After all, Wang Wei wasn’t concerned about the gate’s conquest; his real interest was in Yi Sunsin’s helmet.
His plan was simple: let Kim Hayoon handle the difficult parts and swoop in at the end to reap the benefits.
With that kind of strategy, it was easy to remain relaxed.
Even Dawn Constellation had no reason to refuse Wang Wei’s offer of assistance.
If they had known Hayoon would conquer the gate so effortlessly, they might have rejected him outright.
“Shall we head in, Taejun?”
With his team of water-attributed Chinese Hunters in tow, Wang Wei leisurely entered the Noryang Gate.
Since Kim Hayoon had already cleared much of it, the interior was eerily quiet.
“Ugh, it’s scorching in here. Let’s finish this quickly.”
Wang Wei wiped away the sweat dripping from his forehead.
Both he and Lee Taejun possessed water-attribute abilities, but it wasn’t their specialty, making the inferno unbearable.
“If we take down the mini-boss general inside the sunken ship, you’ll have something to show for yourself.”
“…I don’t like it, but I don’t have a choice.”
Lee Taejun was dissatisfied, but with his plan already falling apart, he had to salvage whatever scraps he could.
Of course, for Wang Wei, whether they took down the general or not didn’t really matter.
His true goal was Yi Sunsin’s helmet, hidden beyond the Black Spirit Skeleton.
A few days ago, Lee Taejun had confirmed that the ancient formation within the ship was still intact.
With that assurance, Wang Wei remained as composed as ever.
And sure enough, as they entered the ship’s interior, the illusionary barrier stood before them.
“There it is! It’s here!”
Wang Wei grinned, baring his teeth.
Creak…
“Hold him off.”
He left the Black Spirit Skeleton to his subordinates and approached the formation.
Reaching out, his hand passed through the illusory wall with ease.
"Heh…"
Wang Wei's heart pounded.
Like a child moments before unwrapping a long-awaited gift.
But then
“...?”
His hands grasped at nothing.
Whoosh—whoosh—
He swept his arms through the air inside the barrier, but his fingers met only empty space.
Frowning, Wang Wei leaned in further, shoving his entire body past the illusory wall.
And then a barren shelf greeted him.
Thick layers of dust covered the wooden surface except for one conspicuously clean spot at the center.
As if someone had recently plucked something from that very spot.
The trembling in Wang Wei’s fingertips spread up his arms.
His expression twisted and his lips curled in rage.
“WHO THE FUCK TOOK IT!?”
His furious roar echoed through the sunken ship.
——————
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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