My Catastrophic‑Level Summon Devours Gates - Chapter 283
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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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Episode 283
“Ugh…”
I’d slept for about four hours.
My shoulders felt heavy, and my eyelids were slightly weighed down.
Even the Heavenly Martial Body couldn’t fully recover my fatigue.
“The Heavenly Martial Body isn’t a panacea, you know.”
Sir Isra, dressed in casual clothes, blurted out the words.
“Did you read my mind or something?”
“Your expression was practically screaming ‘Why am I so tired?'”
“It’s my first time feeling this kind of fatigue since I took you on as a subordinate.”
“Both mental and physical exhaustion have accumulated quite a bit.”
“But I haven’t done anything.”
“Is swinging a hammer in a place shrouded in ominous energy an ordinary task?”
Sir Isra sat beside the bed and raised his hand slightly.
My body flinched.
Was something wrong?
As I watched without thinking much, I felt a cool sensation on my forehead.
“No fever. Your condition looks fine.”
Sir Isra.
So he was bothered by how Ingrid checked my temperature?
Heh.
He has an unexpectedly cute side.
The way he mimics Ingrid’s actions is rather amusing.
“I think I’m suddenly running a fever.”
You expect me to let this moment pass without playing along?
Absolutely not!
With Ingrid, it happened so suddenly I couldn’t respond properly.
But now, with him practically waving a flag that says “Should I go in there?” I can’t possibly ignore it.
“A-Are you… are you alright?”
“I guess I did overexert myself like you said.”
“I might have caught a cold!”
“Hmm. What should we do about this.”
“I shall assist my Lord.”
Just as I was about to ask how—
my body was lifted slightly.
“Wh-wh-what?!”
Before I could even react, the back of my head was placed on Sir Isra’s thigh.
@#$!@#!$!!
Unrefined language swirled in my throat.
I clamped my lips shut with all my might.
Otherwise, I might have screamed.
No.
I definitely screamed!!
“Rest a bit more.”
“Ugh… mmm…”
“How exhausted must you be to not speak properly?”
It’s all Sir Isra’s fault!!!
I was trying to tease him about checking my temperature, but his bold physical contact left me completely speechless instead.
My face burned so intensely that I couldn’t open my eyes properly and clamped my mouth shut.
Meanwhile, Sir Isra, who was providing the lap pillow, appeared perfectly composed.
Surely not.
Is it normal in the Imperial Knight Order to lean on each other after intense battles?
Sigh.
I was only trying to tease him when I saw how tense he got about taking my temperature.
But I got completely outmaneuvered and ended up rigid instead.
“Are you feeling better now?”
I was fine.
But not anymore.
Thump, thump, thump.
My heart was pounding like crazy.
An unexpectedly dizzying situation.
I could only hope Sir Isra couldn’t hear my heartbeat.
I swallowed slowly and tried to calm my mind.
“Master! The girl has brought cool water…”
Thunk.
A 500ml water bottle clattered to the ground.
Ingrid’s hair swayed dramatically side to side, shimmering like heat haze.
“Iron Head!!!!”
“Do not act recklessly before the Lord.”
“You, you, you, how dare you touch the girl’s master!!!!”
“The Lord appeared fatigued, so I merely provided a place for rest.”
“Don’t spout nonsense!!!!”
I found myself agreeing with Ingrid’s sentiment.
Normally, a lap pillow was something you’d only do between lovers, wasn’t it?
“Don’t be so angry, Ingrid.”
“But Master!!”
“In Sir Isra’s world, it seems knights often did this to help relieve fatigue. Right?”
Sir Isra’s movements paused for a moment.
“Y-yes, that’s… correct.”
“See? That’s why he was so bold about it, unlike usual.”
I could tell this wasn’t something done casually or without practice.
If someone wasn’t accustomed to physical contact—even something as simple as taking a temperature—how could they perform such a bold action as offering a lap pillow?
“Then I shall become Master’s pillow as well!”
“Why must you make such a fuss when your Liege Lord seeks rest?”
“Eeeeek!”
“What I need now is peace of mind and body. Leave at once.”
“You. I will never forget this!”
Ingrid’s face crumpled as she spun around and stormed out.
I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet I felt oddly apologetic.
But there was no point in blaming anyone.
Sir Isra had simply acted on instinct; I’d need to explain later and ask for her understanding.
“Yawn.”
Perhaps it was the lap pillow.
Everything felt more comfortable, and the tension melted away.
Just a little more sle… zzz…
* * *
Thanks to Sir Isra’s help, I was able to relax and sleep a bit longer.
I rested deeply for half a day straight.
After a light wash, I contacted the Rift Bureau.
“Rest a bit longer.”
Ingrid spoke with a tone of regret.
“I need to assess the situation. Everyone’s working hard, so I can’t just rest while they do.”
“Master has made the greatest sacrifice.”
“Sacrifice? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“If Master rests more, then I won’t have to offer my lap.”
So that was her real intention.
“There’s no need for that. You’re exhausted, so forget it.”
“But—”
“Sir Isra is a Warrior. She has excellent stamina.”
“If it’s to serve Master, I can do it as much as needed.”
“Mage. Do not let your personal feelings interfere with your Liege Lord’s duties.”
“Personal feelings? You Iron Head!”
“Now, now. Let’s go.”
I needed to assess the situation at the Yalu River defensive line first.
I’d defeated two Drakes.
But there were others that Director Jeong had driven back.
Some of the Domestic Big Five had reportedly encountered a Monster equal to the Drake—a Hell Hound.
“If an SS-rank intrudes, maintaining the front line won’t be easy.”
The area we needed to cover was far too vast.
I heard that thanks to buying time in Gando for so long, countermeasures had been perfectly prepared.
A sharp-pointed awl piercing through a hole wouldn’t be part of the plan.
“Aside from Director Jeong and a few others, it would be difficult to stand against it.”
“Hmm. In the end, this nation finds itself in a position to be grateful for your mercy, Master.”
What mercy, really.
I descended to the first floor of the hotel assigned as my dormitory.
“Hunter Park! Did you rest well!”
A Rift Bureau Employee bowed so deeply their head nearly touched the ground.
The greeting was remarkably loud.
The bustling lobby atmosphere fell silent in an instant.
“Park Min-ho?”
“The hero of the Yalu River!”
“He was staying at this hotel.”
“They say his Summoned Creatures slaughtered the Drake.”
“Unbelievable. An A-Rank Hunter hunting a Drake.”
“Didn’t the Chinese Hunters have several S-Rank members team up just to barely kill a single Drake?”
The crowd murmured.
Hmm.
If the goal was to embarrass me, it seems they’ve succeeded.
“My Lord.”
“I know. Just stand straight and be confident.”
“That’s the proper bearing of a true ruler.”
I’m not a ruler, dammit.
Still, I hadn’t forgotten what Sir Isra had emphasized multiple times.
When these people call my name and cheer,
it’s the hope they can rely on in a desperate situation.
So then,
I needed to stand confidently and show an unwavering presence.
“By the way, how is the battle situation?”
“The Drake showed itself, but it didn’t cross the river.”
“That’s fortunate.”
“I’ve heard the defensive line has no problems so far.”
Over the past month, we’ve stockpiled sufficient supplies to maintain the Refinement Circles installed along the front line.
Mages are being deployed in rotation, efficiently holding back the long defensive line.
“Have you completely blockaded the crossing?”
“There are cases where one or two slip across, but we haven’t been breached.”
Multiple Warrior-Type Hunters are deployed as well.
They cut off the breath of any monsters that cross the river immediately.
“This is only possible thanks to the dedication of Hunter Park Min-ho. We are grateful.”
It feels like I asked just to receive thanks.
Feeling awkward, I scratched the back of my head.
“How’s the situation on the other front?”
“Ah. You’re asking about China.”
I hadn’t asked for any particular reason.
The Zheng Shiyenho incident would have played a role too.
Since they’d lured their own Drakes over to our side, they should be holding the line more easily now.
That’s the thought that prompted me to ask casually.
But.
The answer from the Rift Bureau Employee was the complete opposite of what I’d expected.
“Jinzhou City has collapsed.”
“What?”
“The Chinese government has issued an evacuation order for the Jinzhou City area and relocated the front line to Shanhaiguan.”
What in the world?
What kind of situation is this?
* * *
The front line holding back the Monster Wave from the Great Rift.
The walls of Jinzhou City, developed as a military stronghold, began crumbling one after another.
“Grrrr!”
A monster twenty meters in size.
Brilliant blue flames erupted from the jaws of the Hell Hound, the infernal beast.
Even steel walls.
Even the Defense Magic carved across the walls.
Could not maintain their form before the flames the Hell Hound unleashed.
Crash!
The pale blue aura coating the wall shattered like glass.
The section of the city wall where the magic’s power had dissipated melted away, collapsing entirely.
“R-Run!”
“Damn it. A Hell Hound of all things!”
The Superhumans near the wall immediately abandoned the Battlefield.
“Don’t retreat! Stand and fight!”
“Local defense is protocol.”
“Anyone who abandons position will be executed!”
The administrative-level Superhumans from the Supernatural Affairs Bureau shouted loudly.
“Grrrrr!”
But the moment they actually faced the Hell Hound.
Even the administrative-level Superhumans who’d been shouting to stand and die defending the position began backing away.
[Gaze of the Abyss]
A powerful Debuff that inflicts extreme terror the instant eyes meet—a curse that imprints the fear of death itself.
Even A-rank Superhumans cowered before it.
Only S-rank Hunters and above could resist it.
Though its mechanism differed from Dragon Fear, it was equally a powerful Debuff technique.
The Hell Hound stepped through the melted wall and advanced into the interior.
“Stop it! Hold the line!”
“If you don’t want to die, step up yourself!”
“What? Are you defying orders?”
“I don’t want to die!”
Despite being elite operatives selected by the Superhuman Bureau.
Before the irresistible terror of death, they turned their backs and fled.
Some Superhumans capable of resisting fear remained on the front line.
Superhumans like Yong Cheon-woo, who was at the peak of S-rank.
“There’s no helping it. I’m withdrawing.”
Yong Cheon-woo didn’t even consider fighting—he simply turned and left.
To face a Hell Hound, one needed to assemble a raid team.
Clerics to resist the debuffs.
Resistance items had to be equipped to withstand the hellfire.
Beyond that, several other conditions had to be met to minimize casualties and successfully hunt it.
But.
Fight the Hell Hound while maintaining the front line?
‘They might as well just tell us to die.’
I harbored no loyalty to the nation.
When you thought about it, Yong Cheon-woo had lost everything because of the Superhuman Bureau’s complacency, hadn’t he?
Objectively, that wasn’t the case.
But that’s how Yong Cheon-woo saw it.
“Where are you going!”
“If you don’t want to die, get out of here too.”
There were other S-rank Superhumans deployed to defend Jinzhou City besides Yong Cheon-woo.
However.
Unfortunately, the Hell Hound had infiltrated Yong Cheon-woo’s sector.
The moment he withdrew, the front line had no choice but to collapse rapidly.
If Zheng Shiyenho, who had been holding this section alongside Yong Cheon-woo, had been there.
It might not have crumbled so easily.
But.
Just as spilled water cannot be gathered back up.
The snowball born from the Superhuman Bureau’s miscalculation rolled on steadily, growing larger with each turn.
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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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