Chapter 8

Bakrang, the sixth S-class Hunter in Korea, was said to be an extraordinary ice mage capable of turning all of Seoul into Alaska if he so desired. However, this was just one of the many rumors surrounding him.

The reason Bakrang, the subject of countless unverifiable rumors, did not reveal himself to the public was, in fact, not as grand as one might think.

‘Is this the last one?’

Siwoo, who had been dispatching the monsters charging at him one by one, lightly flicked his finger for the final time.

Clang!

Together with the monster's body, the ice shattered into tiny pieces like shaved ice. At the same time, Siwoo swallowed a gag.

‘...The smell.’

Siwoo turned his gaze away from the shattered monster fragments. He quickly covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve, then, as if remembering something, searched his hood pocket and pulled out a thick mask.

It is true that he is the young master of the largest wolf guild in Korea and the sixth S-class Hunter. However, he was actually uncomfortable with gates and monsters and had no interest in hunter activities. In fact, he even despised them.

As Siwoo put on the mask, he noticed that his sleeve had been torn during the recent battle. The torn fabric flapped inconveniently and would hinder his movements in battle.

He couldn't take off his shirt. After a moment's thought, Siwoo rolled up his sleeve.

“...”

Then, severe scars, almost unbelievable in their number, were revealed on his arm. There were puncture scars, burn scars, and cuts from sharp objects—too many to count.

Siwoo knew exactly where and when he had obtained each scar, and that they extended beyond his arm to his shoulder and back.

His blue eyes, which had been gazing at the dense scars, turned cold.

‘Can I carry the burden of the wolf with just this much?’

Siwoo, who had been staring at the scars, let his sleeve drop as if to block them. Just as he was about to take another step, he noticed something.

“What is this?”

Something glinted at his feet. Siwoo, wearing the mask, bent down to pick it up. It was a purple gemstone, about the size of a fist.

It looked like a gemstone or plastic and was a 'Gate Core,' a stone obtained upon defeating a boss monster.

If he took this back, it would serve as proof that he had completed the tutorial.

Siwoo, who had picked up the core, checked his phone in his back pocket. The current time was 7:58. It seemed to have taken him about 30 minutes.

‘If I take a taxi and include the time to get to the cafe where Kim Gwanghyun is...’

It would be around 8:30. He wouldn't be late. Siwoo cleaned his hands and the phone screen with a white handkerchief and turned to leave.

But something was strange.

‘The exit... is closed?’

He had clearly eliminated all the monsters without leaving a single one behind. He had also collected the core. Siwoo stood still for a moment, thinking about the situation.

He didn't know. Even with over ten years of experience and knowledge from training that felt like real combat, he had never heard of such a case.

Could this be the rumored Unknown Gate?

‘No, it was definitely green.’

The color of the crack in the gate indicated its difficulty. The association's materials had specified it as B-class, and he had clearly seen a green crack when he entered.

Then, the only remaining possibility was one: a gate with two bosses.

Sometimes, monsters could split into two physical forms.

‘There's no other way to check.’

Siwoo eventually returned to the center of the gate.

A pale ice path, indicating the direction he had taken, stretched out before him. Of course, there wasn't a single ant to be seen on it.

Siwoo walked endlessly along the inner wall of the passage.

Just as the calm, water-like blue of his eyes began to stir with irritation, he discovered a black crack, violently pulsating, deep within the gate.

Although it was a phenomenon he had never seen before, his instincts told him that the last one was there.

After a moment of hesitation, Siwoo finally stepped into the crack.

The crack shuddered as if in rebellion, then scattered into the air with a hiss.

Suddenly, pitch-black darkness spread across his field of vision. It felt as if he had been submerged in ink.

When the darkness cleared and his vision brightened again, Siwoo found a pair of eyes staring at him.

Level 30 'Red-Eyed Black Fox' is charging at you!