A few days after the incident at Mount Cheonggyesan, I finally received the data I had been waiting for from Hye Rin. The file on the Black Crescent Cult arrived on my phone as an encrypted document. Ah, these tech guys always have to make things complicated. Luckily, I had a good file opener app, so no need to jump through hoops.
I sat on the apartment sofa while opening the file. Names, secret hideouts, organizational structure, and most importantly, who was left in the cult after The Necromancer's death. Four other main members, including their mysterious leader they called Abyss Lord. I smirked as I scanned the data.
"Bunch of damn bastards," I muttered, taking a sip of my half-cold beer.
Before I could dive deeper into the information, my phone rang. Hye Rin's name appeared on the screen.
"Hello? What's up now, Rin?" I greeted lazily.
"Taemin, I have a job for you," she replied without any small talk, her voice serious.
I raised an eyebrow. "A job? Do I look like the kind of guy who enjoys side gigs?"
"A mysterious gate has appeared, rank A. Several people have entered, but none of them have come out," she continued.
I went silent for a moment. Rank A? It had been a while since I faced something like that. "And you want me to go in there and investigate?"
"Exactly. You're the only one who can handle this quickly and without any problems," she said confidently.
I let out a long sigh. "Are you sure there's no other way than sending me into that death hole? No one else? Maybe a group of interns looking for punishment?" I joked half-heartedly, but inside, I was already feeling the challenge.
"No, Taemin. You're the only one strong enough and... well, crazy enough to face it," Hye Rin replied with a slight chuckle at the end.
I chuckled softly. "Alright. Send me the gate details. But I'm asking for a special bonus when this is over."
"Don't be greedy, Taemin. You've already made enough from us."
I shrugged, even though she couldn't see it. "There's always room for more, right?"
The call ended, and seconds later, the details about the mysterious gate appeared on my phone. I looked at the location coordinates. "Well, this should be fun," I muttered as I started preparing my gear.
I checked the gate's location on the digital map. It wasn't too far from the city center, but hidden enough in the outskirts that it was usually a place people avoided. "Seriously, why are dangerous places always in the middle of nowhere?" I grumbled as I double-checked the important items and quickly stored them in my inventory. A bag? Why bother carrying a bag when you have space-age technology like this?
When I arrived at the location, I saw the gate standing tall, emanating a dark aura that seemed to suck the light out of its surroundings. In front of the gate, Hye Rin was already waiting with a serious expression, fully equipped in her Crimson Lotus combat uniform.
"Taemin, you finally showed up," she said without a smile. "We have a big problem here."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. But can I use the restroom before we get into this?" I glanced around, pretending to look for a hidden spot.
Hye Rin just shook her head, clearly not amused by the joke. "Don't mess around this time. The situation is really bad."
I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets and walked closer, looking at the dark, flickering gate like a broken TV screen. "So, what are we dealing with this time?" I asked casually.
"This isn't a normal gate. We're calling it a Twilight Gate—an A-rank gate, but with unstable energy. Several people have already entered, but none of them have come out. Even their signals were cut off immediately," Hye Rin explained, pointing toward the gate. "We need you to go in and find out what's happening inside."
I frowned, studying the gate more closely. Twilight Gate? That was a new term I hadn't heard before. "Unstable, huh? That means something's messing with the balance inside," I murmured, considering the worst-case scenario.
Hye Rin nodded. "That's exactly what we're afraid of. If there's something disrupting the stability, it could be man-made or... there might be a greater power behind it."
I glanced at her, then back at the gate. "Okay, so what's the worst-case scenario here?"
"Worst-case scenario? You die in there, and we can't recover your body," she replied, half-joking, though her eyes remained sharp.
"Wow, you really know how to make someone feel valued." I laughed softly, leaning against the wall near the gate.
Hye Rin sighed. "Taemin, seriously. If you don't want to do this, I can look for another alternative. But I know you won't turn down a challenge like this."
I just gave her a thin smile. "Well, who can say no when they're set up so nicely? Besides, I'm already halfway in. No point in backing out now."
Hye Rin handed me a sheet of paper containing some additional information I needed to check. "Here are the last details on the people who went missing inside. There's a chance we're dealing with an outside force manipulating this gate."
I looked at the list of names and photos of the missing people. They seemed like regular awakeners—nothing too special. "Alright," I muttered, storing the paper in my inventory. "I'm going in now, but if things go sideways, don't blame me."
"Don't die, Taemin," she said firmly.
I winked at her. "Dying isn't my style." Then, without waiting any longer, I stepped toward the gate, my hands ready at my sides, and walked into the darkness that swallowed everything.
I entered the gate that felt like the gaping mouth of hell, sucking me into pitch-black darkness. The air here was heavier, and the metallic scent of blood lingered everywhere. I activated Stealth, though I knew in an A-rank gate like this, stealth might only delay the inevitable. But hey, better to be prepared than to be sliced apart.
"A rank-A gate, huh? Let's see who lasts longer," I muttered, my hand casually in my pocket. My sword was ready in the inventory, just in case of any surprises from this abyss.
I kept walking, searching for signs of life. Or... more realistically, traces of life that once existed. Most of the hunters who entered here never returned, and surely, if they were still alive, they weren't having a picnic.
Bloodstains started appearing on the stone floor, creating abstract patterns that signaled a fierce battle. "Doesn't look like anyone's having a good time here," I mumbled. "But hey, at least there's a clear direction to follow."
Not long after, I heard heavy footsteps echoing from the darkness ahead. A low growl followed, accompanied by the flickering glow of red eyes in the distance.
"Well, here we go," I whispered.
A group of humanoid monsters with long claws emerged from the shadows, moving quickly toward me. They looked like a cross between goblins and wolves, only larger and more ferocious. I calmly drew my sword from the inventory, ready to face them.
"So this is Wave 1, huh? Is that all?"
One of them leaped at me with surprising speed, but I moved faster, dodging its attack and slicing through its neck. Its body hit the ground with a satisfying thud. Black blood oozed from the open wound, but I didn't have time to celebrate.
Two more monsters attacked from the sides, their claws gleaming in the air. With a swift movement, I slashed one of them, while the other I managed to kick back.
"Not too bad, but you're still far from threatening," I muttered while cutting down the last one.
I continued walking, venturing deeper into the gate. The further I went, the clearer it became that no hunters survived here. I found remnants of armor, scratched and broken weapons, signs of a failed resistance.
"Damn, this place is a slaughterhouse," I murmured, shaking my head.
A cracking sound in the distance caught my attention. The ground started to tremble slightly, and I knew this wasn't just a regular tremor. Something bigger was coming.
Wave 2 had begun.
From the dark corners of the room, a pack of large wolves covered in sharp spikes emerged. Their red eyes were filled with hatred and bloodlust. Their bodies were much larger than the previous monsters, likely twice the size of a regular human.
"Spiked wolves, huh? Now we're talking."
One of them leapt towards me, its mouth wide open, razor-sharp teeth ready to rip me apart. But I was prepared, dodging to the side and slicing through its body with my sword. Black blood sprayed from the gaping wound.
Another immediately lunged from behind, but I swiftly turned and thrust my sword into its skull. Their cries filled the room as I tore through their bodies, one by one.
"You should've learned from your buddies in Wave 1."
The last wolf tried to spew acid from its mouth, but I easily dodged and severed its leg. As it fell, I drove my sword into its heart, ending its life with a single strike.
"Wave two complete," I said, slightly out of breath. "Better, but still not enough."
I continued my journey deeper. This time, I started searching for clues about the gate boss. The rooms I passed through grew larger, and the atmosphere darker. In some places, I found the remains of hunters who had been dead for a while. Their skin was pale, and their blood had long since dried up.
"So this is how they disappeared. One by one, devoured by those monsters. Nothing left," I said, surveying the surroundings.
My steps halted as I felt a stronger rumble. This time, the monsters of the third wave were ready to greet me.
Wave 3 had begun.
From a distance, massive humanoid monsters appeared. They wielded weapons resembling giant axes that seemed fused to their hands. Their eyes glowed red, full of deep-seated hatred.
"And here we are at the final wave. Let's make this quick."
The first monster attacked with incredible speed, its massive axe swinging toward me with immense force. I dodged at the last second, then countered with a quick slash. Despite the deep cut, the monster didn't fall immediately. Its skin was much tougher than I had anticipated.
"Ah, so you guys are tanks, huh? Interesting."
They moved together, trying to surround me. But I was faster. With a single leap, I jumped into the air and slashed one of the monsters right in its skull. But even after its head was split open, it survived for a few seconds before finally collapsing.
The others tried to strike at once, but I rolled away and quickly slashed one of their knees, bringing it down.
The fight intensified. They were strong, but I was stronger.
Finally, after a series of brutal strikes, the last monster fell to the ground with a thunderous crash that shook the room. I stood in the midst of them, monster blood dripping from my sword.
"Wave three... complete. So, where's the boss?"
I began moving further in, scanning every room I passed. There were no signs of any hunters left alive. All I found were dismembered bodies, some of which were unrecognizable.
"Yeah, they're all dead," I said grimly. "There's no one left to save."