Infinite Evolution Hunter - Chapter 37

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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37
I entered the office on the top floor of the Gate Management Bureau Headquarters.
“Please wait.”
The secretary guided me through the inner door.
Knock, knock.
“Lee Ji-seok has arrived.”
“Come in.”
“Hello.”
I greeted him as I entered.
“Lee Ji-seok, thank you for coming.”
Baek Young-shin stood up to welcome me.
“It’s been a while. Director Baek Young-shin. Or should I say Director now?”
I pointed to the nameplate that read “Director.”
“Ha, after spending so much time in the field, sitting behind a desk feels terribly uncomfortable.”
The previous director had been removed from office when it was revealed he’d accepted bribes from Shinwoo, and Baek Young-shin had been promoted to director in his place.
Director Baek had achieved unexpected results in multiple subjugation operations, and the credit for capturing Shinwoo’s son and the Assassin also fell to Director Baek Young-shin. Most of the major reasons for his promotion to director were connected to me in some way, so he maintained considerable goodwill toward me.
“But what brings you to call for me?”
“Please, have a seat first. Would you like some tea?”
“Yes.”
I sat on the sofa, and Director Baek Young-shin sat down beside me.
As soon as we were seated, the secretary entered, placed tea before us, and left.
“I’ve heard you’ve been clearing Gates at an incredible pace lately.”
“Yes, there are quite a few things I need. And I still have energy to spare.”
“Most hunters don’t run that many operations.”
“Is that a problem?”
Given how much trouble the Awakener Management Bureau had caused me, I felt uneasy.
“No, no. Quite the opposite. I called you because I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor?”
“Currently, anyone with the minimum qualifications can enter a Gate. Since most people don’t go to die, usually everyone clears them. But occasionally, Gates appear where clearance fails even as the capacity approaches its limit.”
“You mean Gates on the verge of a Break?”
“Yes. When a Break is imminent and only a few entry slots remain, we reluctantly pay S-rank hunters enormous sums to request clearance.”
“That’s better than a Break occurring.”
“Exactly. So I’d like to ask Lee Ji-seok this: before resorting to S-rank hunters as a last measure, could you clear Gates on the verge of a Break and rescue survivors?”
“So I’d be the first safety mechanism, and the S-rank hunter would be the second?”
“Precisely. Looking at your past clearance records, I’ve confirmed you’ve soloed numerous C-rank Gates in remarkably short timeframes. I believe you have the capability.”
Besides, my life had been replayed, and I was already taking sufficient precautions regarding future events. One of those precautions was preventing Breaks.

I periodically cleared Gates that looked dangerous on my own and Gates that had caused breaks in my previous life. However, since things had already changed slightly from my past life, I needed more information, and gathering it alone was proving difficult. If the Awakener Management Bureau provided the information, my workload would decrease and things would become easier.
“Of course, I plan to provide appropriate compensation as well.”
When I didn’t answer immediately, Baek Young-shin, the director, seemed to think I was displeased and dangled a carrot in front of me. There was no reason to refuse an offer.
“Understood. If you send me the schedule and Gate information, I’ll clear it.”
“Then, it’s a bit urgent, but it must be cleared within three days at the latest.”
Assuming I would agree, he immediately handed me a piece of paper with Gate information written on it. It was a C-rank Golem Gate.
“I’ll go right now.”
I drained the remaining tea in one gulp and stood up from my seat.
“Pardon? Will you be alright?”
“I was planning to go to a Gate today anyway, so I’ll just stop by here on the way. And there could be survivors in this one, right?”
“That’s correct. Thank you. I’ll have the necessary equipment transferred to your vehicle.”
Director Baek Young-shin called his secretary back and gave instructions.
* * *
After driving for an hour, I arrived at the Gate where more Gate Management Officials than usual had set up camp.
There were also several Hunters present, blocking any unauthorized personnel from entering the Gate.
“Stop right there!”
As I approached, the Hunters blocked my path menacingly.
“I have orders. I’m going in for a rescue operation.”
I presented the information I’d received from Baek Young-shin. Only after confirming it did the Hunters’ tension ease. If some madman rushed in and killed a Hunter inside before committing suicide, it could potentially cause a Gate break.
“Ah, my apologies.”
I passed the Hunters who had lowered their guard and approached the Gate.
“Good luck.”
The Hunters currently on guard weren’t low-ranked either—they were at least B or C-rank—but even they wouldn’t clear a Gate alone. It was that dangerous. And failure meant taking one step closer to a break.
As I passed through the Gate, a Rocky Mountain appeared. It was the typical terrain of a Golem Gate.
With no time to waste, I shouted loudly.
“Is anyone alive here?!”
My voice, amplified beyond what an unawakened person could produce, echoed across the mountain like a megaphone.
My shout could bring survivors—or it could bring Golems.
Within seconds, the stones beneath the ground began to vibrate.
Then the rocks ahead coalesced into the shape of an orangutan roughly three meters tall.
Since the stone Golem had no mouth, there was no roar, but it approached me threateningly, pounding the ground with both hands.
I charged toward the Golem.
With each step I took, my body grew larger. By the time I was nearly upon the Golem, my height had reached four meters.
As I approached and my size increased, the Golem actually slowed its pace.
But I did the opposite—I accelerated and brought my fist down directly on the Golem’s head.
The rock that formed the orangutan Golem’s head shattered, and a thunderous boom echoed across the Rocky Mountain. The headless Golem collapsed face-down.
I’d like it to die from this, but stone Golems don’t die unless you destroy their core.
Sure enough, another stone rolled over and replaced the shattered head.
However, while it was replacing its head, its body remained still.
I mercilessly brought my fist down on the largest rock in the center of the fallen Golem’s torso.
If I don’t know where it is, the probability of finding the core is high if I destroy the largest rocks in order from biggest to smallest.
It’s crude, but it’s a certain method.
Each time I shattered a body part of the golem, smaller stones filled the space where the broken pieces had been.
Crash!
When I finally broke one of the rocks from its torso, all the stones composing the stone golem crumbled down.
Between the last rocks I destroyed, the golem’s core became visible. It’s worth more than an ordinary magic stone. I’ve heard that countless companies are attempting to create golems using this. Of course, no company has succeeded at this point in time.
“Phew.”
I straightened my back and caught my breath.
In the meantime, three more golems were charging toward me.
“They won’t give me a moment’s rest.”
I rushed at the one in the lead and smashed its chest with a flying kick, dismantling it, then leaped forward and struck the second one’s head with a hook punch.
The last one stopped dead in front of me.
The two golems in front hadn’t died yet either. They were gathering rocks from their surroundings again to rebuild their bodies. But when they saw their leading companions collapse helplessly, the last golem’s feet froze.
Many suspect that golems might possess emotions, given this kind of behavior.
Whether they have emotions or not, I had no intention of sparing them.
* * *
After pulverizing the rocks and disposing of the three golems, I continued exploring the Gate. The scent of hunters was scattered everywhere, which suggested it would take time, but since I had to clear it anyway, I turned every golem I encountered into dust.
Thanks to that, I collected a substantial amount of golem cores.
A faint groan echoed from a distance. It was so quiet that other hunters wouldn’t have heard it.
Following the sound, I discovered three hunters huddled in what looked like a den with a sunken ground.
“A-a golem!”
The Male Mage shouted when he saw me.
“I’m a person.”
He must have mistaken me for a golem because of my enlarged shadow.
“Wh-what?! Y-you’re a person. W-we’re saved!”
“I was sent by the Awakener Management Bureau. I’ll treat this man first, so take out whatever you need from the bag.”
I returned my body to its normal size and entered where they were hiding. The Male Warrior’s both legs were shattered, and the Male and Female Mages weren’t in good condition either. It was incredibly fortunate that they survived and managed to hide despite such injuries.
I poured potion little by little into the warrior’s mouth as he lay unconscious, cold sweat dripping from his face.
“Where are the other hunters?”
The Male Mage asked me while rummaging through my bag.
“I came alone.”
“H-huh? Alone? What’s your rank, if I may ask?”
“C-rank.”
“…It looks like we’re just going to pile up bodies.”
The man stopped rummaging through the bag and sat down on the ground.
“Why?”
“Because there’s a Giant Golem.”
“A Giant Golem? That’s incredibly bad luck.”
Giant Golems are so rare that you can’t encounter them under normal circumstances. I wondered why the Gate couldn’t be cleared, and it seemed the hunters who entered first were all killed by the Giant.
From my memories of my past life, this Gate didn’t experience a break at this point in time. If that’s the case, perhaps an A-rank hunter cleared it later.
“Isn’t a follow-up rescue team coming?”
the Female Mage asked.
“If we don’t leave for a day, won’t they come in?”
“A day… Can we hold out that long….”
“Why are you saying that? Where is it? I’ll go check.”
I poured the remaining potion onto the Male Warrior’s broken leg and asked.
“What is it?”
“A Giant.”
“Are you insane? You think you can take down something that even C-rank hunters can’t beat when they swarm it, all by yourself?”
The Female Mage’s expression became one of disbelief.
“I’m not asking you to come. Just tell me where it is.”
“Don’t do that. Let’s wait for rescue here together. If we stay hidden, we have a chance.”
“I’ll search on my own.”
Having finished the first aid, I stood up from my spot.
“It’s on the right hill outside. If you want to die, do as you please. But if you’re thinking of running, go the other way. Don’t drag us into this for nothing.”
Without another word, I left.
* * *
“A-a Golem! Wake up!”
The Male Mage startled at my shadow again and shook his companions awake.
“Will you do that every time?”
“Ah! You’re back.”
The man peeked his head out cautiously, checking if the Giant was nearby.
“Phew… Good job. No need to throw your life away for nothing.”
He mistook me for having fled without fighting the Giant.
“Did you not see the sky? I cleared it. Let’s go.”
I hoisted the still-unconscious Male Warrior onto my shoulder.
“Really?”
The Female Mage peeked outside with an expression of disbelief.
Outside, rock fragments were scattered in all directions, and there was naturally no sign of the monster.
“Aren’t you coming?”
I asked as I stepped out first.
“W-we’re coming!”
The two of them hurried after me.
* * *
After that, I cleared several more Gates while rescuing survivors.
The Gates I entered were limited to C-rank or below, but accidents rarely occurred at B-rank Gates and above in the first place. High-ranking Hunters prepared thoroughly before entering.
I wished that Hunters who had entered beforehand, like in the Golem Gate incident, would be rescued, but most of the Hunters who had entered were already dead by the time I arrived. More often than not, I could only recover their belongings and return.
What was somewhat unexpected was that there were quite a few precarious Gates. The number of monsters increased drastically after Gate resets compared to before, or rare monsters appeared—such incidents occurred far more frequently than the average from a year ago. As a result, I cleared Gates without rest, and my level increased by two.
And having my contributions and achievements recognized, my Hunter rank was elevated to B-rank.
I was leveling up and conducting rescue operations with peace of mind, when suddenly the brakes gave out from an unexpected place.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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