Chapter 120
Frenzy Gate.
As the Red grade raid gate unexpectedly transformed, increasing its difficulty, one could intuitively sense that a challenging battle lay ahead.
However, there was no fear.
Rather, there was confidence.
Having surpassed the barrier of realms through closed-door training, there was no reason to consider defeat even if this was now a Frenzy Gate.
In fact, it could be said to be a good thing.
If he could hunt down a boss monster strengthened by becoming a Frenzy Gate rather than an ordinary Red grade gate, he could definitively prove that he, Yoon Min-su, was the strongest.
Therefore, Yoon Min-su strode confidently through the cliffs where storms raged, and before long, he encountered the raid gate's boss monster - the Harpy Queen Cavilo, known as the Deathly North Wind.
As Yoon Min-su finally drew his sword, he once again reminded himself of his position as the strongest.
A strong desire arose in a corner of his mind, breaking down a small inner wall.
Along with an exhilarating feeling that struck his entire body, a sword path one dimension higher than his original skill began to come into view.
Naturally, the conviction that he could defeat Cavilo before him filled his heart.
However, it didn't take long to realize that this thought was just his own delusion.
"How cute, you really look like a worm struggling."
Cavilo, the boss monster of the Red Gate, was terrifyingly strong.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that even the initial confidence in victory was all part of Cavilo's ploy.
In reality, the more he swung his sword, the more apparent the gap became.
"Why...! Why can't I reach her! Why!"
Yoon Min-su, spitting out words that sounded like resentment, stomped the ground.
Boom-!
Like a blue flash of light, Yoon Min-su, enveloped in blue energy surging from his entire body, tried to exploit the slightest opening.
It was an attack aimed perfectly at Cavilo's weak point while she was being careless, executed at his current maximum speed.
Surely, she wouldn't be able to block it.
No, she shouldn't be able to block it.
'If even this sword is blocked...'
Yoon Min-su quickly erased the unimaginable situation from his mind and swung his gripped sword fiercely.
Whoosh-
With the sound of wind, Cavilo's figure that had been right in front of him vanished.
"Do you really not know why? It's simple."
Simultaneously, Cavilo's chilling voice was heard from behind.
"Your sword is just too slow."
As Cavilo, who snorted in derision, stretched out her hand, the sword that had been shooting forward turned into a gust of wind and shot out.
There was no gap to dodge.
All he could do was deflect it.
Clang-!
As the two swords clashed with a loud metallic cry and sparks flew from the blades, Cavilo's sword path changed.
As naturally as water flowing, it struck down on Yoon Min-su's sword from above.
Cheng-!
"Kugh...!"
Under the overwhelming brute force, the skin on his hand gripping the sword burst open.
Naturally, the sword he had been holding fell to the ground, and Yoon Min-su's body also collapsed to the floor.
"Your level is pathetic, but still... as a fellow swordsman, you weren't bad as a warm-up partner."
Facing Cavilo's gaze, which was like looking at a toy, he had to admit it.
His sword, Yoon Min-su's sword, couldn't reach the realm of Cavilo before him.
'With my current strength, she's an unbeatable opponent.'
Solo clearing the Red Gate was arrogance and a mistake.
He shouldn't have come alone.
He should have joined forces with the hunters of Cosmos. No, he should have teamed up with Hunter Lee Seong-jun.
'If I had come together with Hunter Lee Seong-jun...'
He could have received help from that sword strike he had shown when defeating Razaka, and surely the outcome of the battle would have been different.
A bitterness filled his mouth at his own foolish choice, but he couldn't turn back time that had already passed.
'Now is the time to focus on the present.'
Yoon Min-su quickly shook his head to dispel the distracting thoughts in his mind.
'If such a monster goes outside.'
The result was obvious.
His homeland, South Korea, would face terrible destruction.
'It's time to take responsibility for the choice I made.'
With his eyes shining, Yoon Min-su quickly rotated the energy concentrated in his heart to form the rings of fate.
'Core Rampage.'
Artificially creating a core to surpass limits, this was a secret technique he had learned from the Elden continent and Yoon Min-su's ultimate move.
However, as it forcibly drew out power, the risk was enormous.
Once used, he wouldn't be able to use energy for at least a week to a month, and in the worst case, he might never be able to handle energy again for life.
It was no exaggeration to say it was a power that bet his life as a swordsman and hunter.
As the risk was so great, the return was also certain.
'All abilities increase explosively.'
The duration was 3 minutes at most, and within that time, he had to defeat Cavilo before him.
As determination filled Yoon Min-su's eyes, the immense power surging from his heart began to spread, and passionate energy rose throughout his body.
Ding-!
[Entering Core Rampage state.]
[All stats increase by 200%.]
[You will receive a penalty after the duration passes.]
[Current time remaining: 3 minutes.]
As the green hologram window timer began to move, Yoon Min-su immediately grabbed the sword that had fallen to the floor and moved his legs.
"Is this your last struggle? This should be interesting."
Yoon Min-su, who had instantly widened the distance from Cavilo, immediately swung his sword in an arc.
"Waterfall Azure Wave."
The blue energy beams shot one by one, forming a shape like fierce waves, enveloping Cavilo's figure who was still wearing a relaxed smile.
"Hmm?"
Cavilo's brow, which had always been smiling, furrowed.
Kwakwang-!
The veil covering her entire body shattered under the crashing waves.
Her defense had been broken.
Immediately after, Yoon Min-su's blue energy beams filled with fierce killing intent filled Cavilo's vision.
Cavilo, who had belatedly come to her senses, moved her body urgently, but she couldn't dodge all the energy beams being shot.
With a dizzying pain, the white feathers covering her entire body turned red.
"How dare you! You worm...!"
Cavilo, who had lost her temper, soared into the sky and raised her energy.
All that was reflected in Cavilo's eyes as she stared at Yoon Min-su was immense killing intent.
The playfulness from before was no longer visible.
The aura she was emitting had clearly changed, but a smile was drawn on Yoon Min-su's lips.
'This is the best situation.'
The time given was only about 3 minutes anyway.
He would settle it with one attack.
Yoon Min-su, burning with fighting spirit, gripped his sword tightly.
"Waterfall Azure Wave, Great Torrent."
It was no longer a wave.
The energy beams that had become a tsunami contained enough power to sweep across the entire area.
This was natural, as his body was enhanced by Core Rampage.
This was power that surpassed limits.
However, he couldn't be certain of victory.
Kugugung-!
Cavilo's sword, floating in the air, looked like a massive storm.
"I'll tear you apart without leaving a trace."
As Cavilo's sword swung down with her declaration, it was at that moment.
The storm and the tsunami, two forces collided in mid-air.
Kugugugung-!
In the ongoing power struggle, Yoon Min-su, with a distorted face, let out a shout close to a roar.
"Die-! I said die!"
At the same time, he rotated the mana rings settled in his heart even faster to draw out energy.
Thump thump thump thump thump-!
The pounding heartbeat constantly struck his eardrums, and the muscles throughout his body screamed.
Finally, his heart, reaching its limit, showed signs of bursting at any moment. But even so, he still couldn't overcome Cavilo's sword.
Kwakwang-!
Yoon Min-su's tsunami was pushed back by Cavilo's raging storm.
"Uwaaaaah-!"
As Yoon Min-su, witnessing the approaching death, let out a fierce shout and squeezed out his last bit of strength, it was at that moment.
Crash-!
With the sound of something breaking, cracks like a spider web appeared on the invisible veil covering the inside of the gate.
At the same time, everything around except Cavilo was sucked in.
"What...?"
Yoon Min-su's vision spun as he let out a confused voice.
For an instant, it felt like a deep darkness had fallen as if the world had gone dark, but suddenly the scenery changed and familiar buildings and people came into view.
"Y-Yoon Min-su! Yoon Min-su came out!"
"The gate isn't closing... What's going on?!"
"Master, are you alright?!"
It was such a bewildering situation that it felt like the afterlife or a dream.
But the pain from the backlash of Core Rampage began to rush in, making it clear that this was reality.
"H-How...?"
It was an inevitably confusing situation, but Yoon Min-su was a master who had reached the level of Grand Master.
He immediately regained his composure and set his mind in motion.
In a short time, his quickly rotating brain found a plausible reason among the information he had acquired.
'Could it be... I was expelled?'
The exact reason was not yet known, but it was something that occasionally happened in special gates.
Thanks to this miraculous event, he was able to save his life, but he couldn't be entirely happy about it.
Behind him, the raid gate was still exuding an ominous aura, asserting its presence.
"Th-There's a monster. A monster that will bring destruction to all of Korea!"
Yoon Min-su, with an urgent expression, began to shout and relay the situation inside the gate.
* * *
Yoon Min-su had been defeated.
The defeat of the hunter called the strongest, the public couldn't help but feel considerable shock and fear.
News articles poured out, and public broadcasting companies aired emergency reports with Yoon Min-su's interview, alerting people to the danger of the raid gate.
Everywhere you went, you could hear news about Yoon Min-su and the Red Gate.
Thanks to this, Lee Seong-jun was also able to quickly receive the news.
"...The worst situation has occurred."
Lee Seong-jun's eyes lowered as he looked at the TV screen in the living room.
This was because the Red Gate that had occurred in Seodaemun-gu had become a direct threat.
He could no longer stand by and watch.
Just as Lee Seong-jun was thinking he should step forward voluntarily and picked up his smartphone, a call came from Ko Tae-hyun, as if he had been waiting.
"Yes. I saw the news."
-There's no need for a long explanation then. The Hunter Association... no, an official subjugation request has come from the Korean government. Can you handle it?
Given that even Yoon Min-su, who had reached the Hwagyeong level of pure martial arts, was defeated, the Harpy Queen Cavilo said to inhabit the Red Gate was clearly a formidable opponent.
However, considering the newly acquired skills and the improvements they brought, defeat was not an option.
Lee Seong-jun nodded vigorously and moved his lips.
"Of course I'll subjugate it. I'll head to Seodaemun-gu right away."
-As for transportation...
"It'll be faster if I go directly."
Unless it was a very long distance, the distance from Yongsan to Seodaemun-gu wasn't that far.
Vehicles or helicopters would inevitably be somewhat delayed due to terrain constraints or complicated restrictions.
It would be faster for him, Lee Seong-jun, to move directly without any restrictions.
Ko Tae-hyun, also recognizing this, immediately expressed his agreement without further words.
-Yes. I'll make preparations to receive Hunter Lee Seong-jun right away.
After ending the call with Ko Tae-hyun's final words, Lee Seong-jun immediately got dressed and ran outside.