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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Doomsday Gate
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- This just in! The World Awakener Association has announced that Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is the predicted location for the emergence of a ‘Doomsday-grade Gate’!
- In response, Bureau Director Seo Do-cheol has called an emergency press conference, stating that this is an unprecedented crisis with the potential to lead to the nation’s ‘utter collapse’—
Seated in the back of a luxury sedan, Bureau Director Seo Do-cheol slowly took in the scenery visible beyond the window.
Hoooooooonk!
Cars trapped in the middle of the gridlocked road, unable to move forward or back, blared their horns as if on cue.
“Move your cars, you bastards!”
“What are you doing!”
“Just go forward!”
Drivers had rolled down their windows, busy hurling anxiety-laced curses at one another….
======= / 7~7~7~7~7~r
Overhead, fighter jets flew in formation, as if a war had broken out.
“The traffic seems to be more severe than we could have ever imagined.”
At his executive assistant’s words from the passenger seat, Bureau Director Seo Do-cheol replied in a low voice that sounded remarkably calm.
“So it seems….”
The assistant licked his lower lip before continuing cautiously.
“It might be because some drivers, frustrated with the standstill, have started abandoning their vehicles on the road and fleeing….”
Hearing this, Seo Do-cheol pressed a hand to his throbbing forehead and began issuing instructions as calmly as he could.
“The emergence of a Doomsday-grade Gate is an unprecedented emergency that could very well lead to the ‘utter collapse’ of the nation.”
“Yes….”
“Contact the military and police immediately and inform them that, under my authority as Bureau Director, I authorize the destruction of any unoccupied vehicles.”
In an emergency like this, Bureau Director Seo Do-cheol was granted a vast amount of executive power.
Although he couldn’t directly command the military or police, they were required to cooperate fully with his directives….
Depending on the situation, he was even granted the authority of requisition.
In other words, there would be no issue with simply plowing through the abandoned vehicles obstructing the evacuation routes.
“Could you turn up the radio?”
The assistant immediately adjusted a few buttons on the car’s center console, increasing the radio’s volume….
The young anchor’s voice, filled not only with urgency but also a sense of resolve, became clearer.
- Furthermore, Bureau Director Seo Do-cheol has summoned all of the nation’s S-rank Hunters and has requested support from various allied nations for the Gate subjugation effort….
Closing his eyes and listening to the anchor’s voice, he muttered with a sigh.
“Of all the countries in the world, why did it have to be Korea…”
Since the strange phenomenon known as Gates began appearing on Earth, a Gate classified as Doomsday-grade had occurred only once before.
‘The New Delhi Gate in India….’
The Doomsday-grade Gate that had appeared in New Delhi, India, six months ago had laid waste to all of Southeast Asia in a matter of days.
Not just India, the epicenter of the Gate, but also Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, and even Afghanistan….
Powerful monsters that had poured out from beyond the Gate as if in a flood had ultimately torn away a part of the Asian continent.
And that wasn’t all.
In the process of attempting to subjugate the Doomsday-grade Gate, top-ranked Hunters from all over the world had died in the line of duty.
‘Even Korea’s number one Hunter, Jeong Yun-chan, went missing during the subjugation of the New Delhi Gate….’
Tragically, in just a few short hours, a Gate just as terrifying was scheduled to appear in the heart of downtown Seoul.
Soon, the country’s top-ranked Hunters would all be deployed to subjugate the Gate….
Neighboring countries, including China and Japan, had also promised to dispatch support troops to prevent the damage from spreading to their own territories.
‘Of course, that will only buy us some time at best.’
As the case of the New Delhi Gate had already shown, humanity could not yet defeat a Doomsday-grade Gate.
‘A few days at most….’
Within that time, the very existence of the nation of South Korea would be wiped from the map without a trace.
‘The country is finished.’
The last mission he could undertake was to evacuate as many citizens as possible from the Gate’s effective range.
“Director.”
The driver glanced at Seo Do-cheol through the rearview mirror and spoke softly.
“I’m very sorry, sir, but due to the traffic, we can’t proceed any further by car. You’ll have to continue on foot from here.”
As soon as they approached the roads near Insa-dong, the traffic had become several times worse.
While they had been able to inch forward before, they were now completely stuck.
“Alright.”
After speaking, Seo Do-cheol suddenly looked at the driver and asked in a deliberately casual tone.
“Do you happen to have a cigarette?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Could I borrow one?”
The driver immediately pulled a cigarette from the inner pocket of his suit jacket, handed it to Seo Do-cheol, and asked.
“Sir, didn’t you quit smoking?”
At that, Seo Do-cheol gave a bitter smile.
“Yes, I did.”
His wife, who had lost her life to a Gate, used to nag him constantly to quit smoking.
Ironically…
Seo Do-cheol had only managed to quit after his beloved wife was no longer by his side.
Of course, he had never shared such a long and painful story with his colleagues.
“Smoking is bad for your health.”
Then he added.
“But it seems the era where we could afford such leisurely worries is over.”
“Sir?”
“To be able to slowly waste away and die from a disease caused by smoking would be a blessed life.”
Finishing his words, Seo Do-cheol carefully placed the cigarette in the inner pocket of his suit jacket and added once more.
“In a world like this.”
If he were to face death, his plan was to leisurely smoke a cigarette before he went.
‘You’d understand, wouldn’t you?’
If he had died before his wife, she would have lit a cigarette for him instead of incense.
Probably.
Crack-crack-crackle!
A thin, long crack stretched across the high sky over downtown Seoul.
It was a sign that the Gate’s appearance was imminent.
A young woman, floating in mid-air on a broom, murmured softly.
“Whoa, so this is a Doomsday-grade Gate….”
She was the Ice Witch, Seol Eun-bin, S-rank, number 15.
She looked down and shouted.
“What’s the assembly status?”
In response, a bald man with a massive physique slammed his fists together with a “Thump, thump,” and answered.
“Looks like they’re finally starting to show up.”
He was ‘Iron Man Go Du-yeol,’ the S-rank Hunter ranked 6th, who had once been knocked out by a slap from Kang-jun.
“Tsk.”
A handsome young man standing next to him with his arms crossed suddenly interjected.
“A soldier with only courage is destined for a reckless death. Calm yourselves and wait patiently until the Gate begins to open.”
This was the Black Wolf, Kang Seong-hyeon, leader of ‘Solitad,’ one of the most prestigious guilds in the country, and the S-rank Hunter ranked 5th.
“You all look terrified, so step back. I’ll make sure not a single one of those bastards leaves with its life.”
A woman with a stern impression, reminiscent of a girls’ high school dorm mother, spoke in a growl.
In her mid-thirties, she was ‘Swift Sword Yun Hui-su,’ the S-rank Hunter ranked 3rd.
“It’s a pleasure to see so many familiar faces after so long, but it’s a bit of a shame we’ve gathered under such unfortunate circumstances.”
‘The Guide Jo Min-jin,’ Korea’s 4th-ranked S-rank Hunter, said with an ever-pleasant tone.
And so…
Not just them, but countless other Hunters were gradually appearing in the predicted area of the Gate’s emergence.
Furthermore.
Hunters from neighboring countries, who were at risk of secondary damage should the subjugation fail, also began to appear one by one.
Starting with Japan’s number one S-rank Hunter, ‘Nuclear Samurai,’ and the Hunters from his Shogun Guild…
And even ‘Blood Qilin Wang Zhuo,’ recognized by all as China’s greatest Hunter, along with the members of his Heavenly Dragon Gate Guild.
Just then.
Another loud roar echoed as the crack in the sky began to spread out like a spiderweb.
Not all the forces had assembled yet….
But it seemed the Gate was beginning to open.
“I need you to do something for me.”
After putting his sister and Seol-i to sleep with a sleep spell, Kang-jun asked the general manager, Kajan, to ensure their safety and then left the building.
Thump, thump….
From a place not too far from here, he began to sense a familiar energy.
‘Divine power….’
Moreover…
The owner of this familiar energy was sending it out toward him quite blatantly, as if calling for him.
It was probably a god from Asgard.
The divine power was a perfect match for that of the ‘Norns,’ the goddesses of the Asgard constellation he had killed with his own hands before the auction.
It was then.
Kang-jun, who had been walking briskly, came to a sudden halt and began to stare into a dark alleyway in the distance.
“*Hic, sob…*”
He heard a child crying.
“What are you doing here?”
A child, who looked to be about six or seven and was hiding among a pile of trash, began to speak between hiccups.
“*Hic*, I lost my mommy….”
“And?”
“I-I was scared, so I hid….”
At that, Kang-jun let out a sigh, “Haaah,” and extended a hand to the child, adding gently.
“Nothing’s going to happen.”
“*Hiccup…*”
“Do you know the way home?”
The child nodded.
“Stop crying and go home.”
Just then, a loud noise rumbled from the sky above.
It was the sound of fighter jets flying in formation.
Rumble—
And on the road below, armored vehicles passed by as if a war had broken out.
Kang-jun shook his head and muttered softly.
“What a damn messed up world….”
Then he looked at the child and said.
“Hey, I said it’s okay, so stop crying and go home, will you?”
Kang-jun, speaking in a grumpy tone, knelt on one knee in front of the child and added.
“Actually, I’m the strongest Hunter in the world.”
“R-really?”
“Yeah, a Super Ultra Whizbang and Whatchamacallit-grade Hunter.”
The child tilted his head and asked again.
“Is there a Hunter like that?”
Kang-jun retorted bluntly.
“Jeez, have you been lied to your whole life?”
“No….”
“Why are you so suspicious?”
He then gently patted the child’s small shoulder and added.
“I was just on my way to defeat all the monsters, so stop crying and go home. Wait quietly until your mom comes.”
“But I’m scared….”
“Go home and watch cartoons, draw a picture, play hide-and-seek by yourself, play tag, whatever. Just do something, and your mom will come.”
After speaking, Kang-jun added.
“Instead of crying your eyes out in the middle of the street because you’re scared, try acting like a kid. Be carefree, happy-go-lucky, and just play without a thought in your head.”
At his words, the child’s eyes began to well up with tears again.
“Hey, didn’t I tell you to stop?”
“*Sob…*”
“I hate the sound of kids crying more than anything.”
He gently wiped away the tears and added softly.
“Whenever I hear a kid cry, it just breaks my heart.”
Finishing his words, Kang-jun patted the child’s bottom and asked again.
“Hey, you can find your way home by yourself, right? Be brave.”
“Yes….”
“When I count to three, run without looking back.”
As Kang-jun slowly counted to three, the child started running toward home with all his might.
“Gods… what a damn joke.”
He didn’t know much, but it was clear that beings called gods were a dime a dozen.
Hell, hadn’t he himself recently acquired Divinity and a Divine Throne, gaining the potential to become a god?
And yet, who knows where they all were or what the hell they were doing, because the world was in this state.
A world that wasn't just unfit to raise a child in, but unfit for children to grow up in at all.
“I don’t like it….”
If a god was a being that made a small child tremble in fear, then it needed to be eliminated from this world.
If that’s what they were, then they too were unnecessary in the world his daughter would live in.
Kang-jun once again shoved his hands into his pants pockets and resumed walking.
Thump, thump….
The sound of shuffling slippers trailed behind him.
Crack-crack-crackle-crack!
The formation of the Gate was accelerating….
Gulp.
The Hunters gathered in the area could only stare blankly up at the sight, completely mesmerized.
They were all prepared to sacrifice themselves for the peace of all, but they were already overwhelmed by the energy emanating from the Gate.
An eerie aura, incomparable to any Gate they had experienced before, was pouring out.
It was then.
“What are you all doing just standing there?”
At the irritated voice that suddenly came from behind, ‘Go Du-yeol’ scrunched up his face and was about to whip around.
“You’re blocking the way. Move.”
The speaker roughly shoved Go Du-yeol’s shoulder to the side….
“Ugh…!”
Unable to handle the sudden impact, Go Du-yeol began to stagger back and forth like a newborn foal.
“Wh-what do you think you’re doing?”
“Hey, stop! I said stop!”
“Are you trying to enter the Gate alone?”
“W-wait for the support troops to arrive….”
The other Hunters shouted at the back of the unidentified young man who was walking toward the forming Gate.
However…
The young man, with the hood of his hoodie pulled down low, paid them no mind and continued walking toward the Gate.
And then.
Whoooosh!
The mysterious young man suddenly kicked off the ground and launched himself through the Gate, which hadn’t even fully formed yet.
“C-crazy….”
As everyone stared at the young man, utterly dumbfounded.
Go Du-yeol, blinking blankly, muttered to himself.
“Th-that voice just now…”
And then he added again.
“Gw-Gwak Du-pal! My brother…!”
Go Du-yeol could swear on his life.
The cold voice that had just brushed past his ears…
‘If I die, it’s not your fault?’
It belonged to the man with whom he had formed a bond of sworn brotherhood through a slapping contest (?), the man with whom he had shared a sticky friendship while lifting weights in his dreams—
It was undoubtedly Gwak Du-pal.
