Tearing the Gate Apart - Chapter 10

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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 10.
Of course, the Ultimate Abyss Fragment wasn’t something he could find right away.
Across the flowing River of Molten Metal.
It was hidden somewhere in the darkness.
To reach the destination, he would have to brave tremendous danger.
Ha Gyeong closed his eyes quietly.
‘No need to be afraid. I just have to follow where the Soul Mark leads.’
Thump-thump!
His heartbeat quickened, growing fierce.
A chill climbed up his spine.
As his concentration deepened, the faint sensation grew steadily stronger.
Then in the darkness, a brilliant blue flame seemed to bloom.
Ha Gyeong’s eyes snapped open.
‘There it is!’
The blue flame was nothing but an illusion that existed only in his mind.
But now he could see it clearly.
Ha Gyeong drove his Karambit into the stone wall and began moving sideways bit by bit.
Crack! Screech!
With each movement, his sense of perception grew sharper.
Sharp enough that he could now locate the Secret Chamber’s position.
Ha Gyeong measured the terrain and his target point.
‘The distance is roughly fifteen meters. Not too far. And there are chains I can grab.’
With an Awakener’s physical abilities, he could easily leap across it.
After taking a deep breath, Ha Gyeong fixed his gaze on the target.
‘The human brain cannot comprehend negation.’
Instead of thinking about not hitting obstacles, he had to focus solely on the imaginary path he would take.
That way, he wouldn’t hit any obstacles.
Ha Gyeong erased the existence of the molten metal from his mind.
Then he pushed hard against the wall and launched himself forward.
“Hrah!”
With a shout, his body soared through the air.
He stretched his arm to grab the chain.
Bang! Clang!
Fortunately, it was anchored firmly, and he was able to hang without difficulty.
If he swung like a pendulum using it, he could easily reach the other side.
But that was exactly when it happened.
Splash!
“Screeee!”
Something dark erupted from the seething molten metal.
A massive form resembling a shark.
It was clad in mechanical armor like a Fusion Unit.
The creature’s mouth opened wide, lunging for Ha Gyeong’s legs.
If he continued the pendulum swing, he would be torn to shreds in an instant.
His heart seemed to plummet at the sudden threat.
Ha Gyeong gritted his teeth.
‘No choice. I’m breaking through.’
He stomped his right foot hard, slamming the mechanical shark’s snout.
A sound like something shattering echoed out.
Snap!
“Ugh?”
Startled by the impact, the creature convulsed and fell away.
Meanwhile, Ha Gyeong soared even higher.
High enough that he no longer needed the chain.
He landed at his target point and rolled across the floor, coming up on his feet.
Crash-bang!
“Phew. What the hell was that?”
Ha Gyeong turned around with a bewildered expression.
The mechanical shark swam leisurely in the molten metal.
Perhaps realizing he was uncatchable,
it no longer seemed interested in him.
‘It’ll attack again on the way back. I need to stay careful until the end.’
He began searching in earnest for the Secret Chamber.
After reaching the far side of the River of Molten Metal,
the Soul Mark was signaling frantically.
It meant the Ultimate Abyss Fragment was very close.
Ha Gyeong pulled out a Tactical Glow Stick.
Snap!
He snapped the middle, and green light chased away the darkness.
Now he could see his surroundings more clearly.
Ha Gyeong stared at the complex tangle of mechanical structures.
‘This is the entrance to the secret chamber. But how do I get in?’
He couldn’t dig into the ground.
There didn’t seem to be any kind of puzzle mechanism either.
Ha Gyeong held the glow stick up in various places.
Then he spotted a keyhole deep within the structure.
He looked around.
“It’s quite deep. So the key should be fairly long. It has to be somewhere here…….”
Muttering to himself, Ha Gyeong turned around.
Suddenly, he noticed something odd.
Other components were connected to the structure,
but a single dented Pipe sat alone in the corner.
What could that mean?
Ha Gyeong smiled with conviction.
‘That’s definitely it.’
He inserted the Pipe into the gap of the mechanical structure.
Remarkably, it fit the keyhole perfectly.
Click! Whirrrr!
As he turned the Pipe, the secret chamber finally revealed itself.
Mechanical walls split open left and right.
Soon Ha Gyeong could make out an object.
A Black Crystal resting alone atop a rough stone.
He reached out his right hand as if entranced.
[You have opened the Ultimate Abyss Fragment.]
[You have acquired a lost artifact from this Dungeon.]
[You have integrated Cannibalism as a skill.]
[A vast amount of Abyssal Energy is being transferred.]
Hisss!
Ashen-white energy scattered and converged on Ha Gyeong.
The same phenomenon as when he’d gained the distortion ability.
The Abyssal Energy contained within the fragment was being absorbed.
Though he’d experienced this once before, Ha Gyeong gritted his teeth.
‘The intensity keeps getting stronger.’
A sensation like his entire body was being torn apart and reassembled.
Still, all he could do was endure it now.
Once the Abyssal Energy was fully integrated, tremendous growth would follow.
A moment later, Ha Gyeong opened his eyes.
Zing!
It felt like piercing blue light shot forth from his gaze.
He could feel an enormous surge of power coursing through his entire body.
‘I think I understand now how to use Abyssal Energy more efficiently.’
It felt like stepping into a new realm.
Until now, Abyssal Energy had only served to augment his Mana.
Of course, that had been enough.
A hint of it produced tremendous power.
But now he could blend in much larger quantities without losing control.
Ha Gyeong slowly rose to his feet.
“Too bad it wasn’t a key fragment.”
And he hadn’t gained the Abyss Sovereign’s authority either.
What emerged this time was a lost artifact called Cannibalism.
It belonged to one of Ha Gyeong’s allies—
Light Bullet Marksmen Seo Gang Min, a skill he used to employ.
Ha Gyeong found himself feeling unexpectedly nostalgic.
‘So the things my comrades lost are also contained in the Ultimate Abyss Fragment.’
It was an odd sensation.
Meeting their keepsakes in this way.
For some reason, his heart felt heavy.
Ha Gyeong thought of Seo Gang Min.
A sharp marksman, but someone with a playful side in his everyday manner.
He even remembered the disappointed expression on Seo Gang Min’s face when Cannibalism had appeared from an artifact.
But Ha Gyeong wasn’t suffering now.
‘With this, I’ll land a good hit on the Abyss Sovereign. Uncle.’
Seo Gang Min had often said Cannibalism was a useless skill.
Taking a comrade’s Mana was pointless—it all balanced out anyway.
Of course, there were some applications.
If you took Mana from an injured comrade, that was beneficial.
But Ha Gyeong was different.
‘What if I use this to steal a monster’s Abyssal Energy instead?’
He could strengthen his power without any loss.
Of course, whether it would actually work remained to be seen.
Ha Gyeong crossed the River of Molten Metal again and returned to the Boss Lair.
* * *
“Dammit…….”
A curse exploded from Ma Do Hyuk’s lips.
Though they’d fought fiercely enough to be covered in blood,
the Fusion Unit remained remarkably intact.
It was all because of that damnable metal pillar.
[The Fusion Unit deploys an Energy Circulation Core.]
[If you do not destroy it within five minutes, the Fusion Unit’s body restoration will be complete.]
Whirrrr! Click!
Four pillars rose up again.
All of them looked pristine.
Even the Energy Circulation Core was recovering.
Ma Do Hyuk looked around.
“This is bad. Really bad. This is—”
More than half the Conquest Party had fallen into Mana Depletion.
They’d overextended themselves trying to destroy the Energy Circulation Core.
Just before they could smash the final one,
unfortunately, the five minutes were up.
And the Fusion Unit snapped right back to its original state.
That’s when it started.
A grim atmosphere descended over the entire Conquest Party.
—Can we actually win this?
—We should try to find an escape mechanism while we still can.
The team leaders voiced opinions about retreating.
Yun Chang Ho hurried to reassure everyone.
—Our scouts are currently investigating a way out. Let’s hold out as long as we can before the escape route opens.
But hours passed without word.
Now the threat of annihilation loomed right at their doorstep.
Ma Do Hyuk muttered to himself.
“Would things have been different if that person had been here?”
The one who’d handled crucial roles since the Gear Crusher.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him the greatest close-range dealer.
Ha Gyeong.
Ma Do Hyuk was certain that he would have opened a path to victory.
But Ha Gyeong had been knocked out by a surprise attack.
Since then, the situation had only spiraled into disaster.
They were on the verge of total annihilation.
Ma Do Hyuk gritted his teeth and stood up.
“I have to do something. I can’t just die pathetically like this.”
Of course, he couldn’t just charge in recklessly.
Too many lesser monsters were pouring out.
[The Fusion Unit summons Fusion Units.]
“Screee! Screee!”
Dozens of machines roughly two meters tall emerged.
They looked like Terminator-style skeletal war machines.
Each one was formidable enough that the Conquest Party found itself in crisis again.
Ma Do Hyuk swung his greatsword like a madman.
“These damn metal scraps!”
Clash! Boom!
Some Awakeners fought alongside him with all their might, but it wasn’t enough.
The Conquest Party was engulfed in the aura of defeat.
But just as everyone hung their heads,
Clang!
A sharp metallic sound rang out from one of the vents near the ceiling.
Then a strangely familiar silhouette abruptly burst through.
The moment he saw that figure, Ma Do Hyuk cheered.
“I knew it! I knew you weren’t dead!”
The person who emerged through the vent was Ha Gyeong.
He landed on the ground and calmly surveyed his surroundings.
Then he picked up the Whisperer.
—What should I do first?
In truth, what needed to be done was clear.
The fully recovered Energy Circulation Core and the lesser monsters.
Those had to be dealt with before the fight against the Fusion Unit could continue.
Yun Chang Ho’s bewildered voice came through the Whisperer.
—Let’s take down the pillars first. Our ranged attackers will clear a path for you.
Yun Chang Ho understood.
That Ha Gyeong was the only one worth placing hope in.
Immediately, overwhelming firepower was scattered across the center.
Whoosh-whoosh! Boom! Explosion!
It was truly a final, all-out attack.
Several ranged dealers who’d used their skills collapsed.
The aftereffect of Mana Depletion.
Soon the mechanical soldiers began falling one by one.
Ha Gyeong was now able to approach the metal pillars.
‘This is a perfect chance to test the skill I just gained.’
[Cannibalism skill target locked.]
[Target: Fusion Unit]
Screee!
A piercing sound cut through his mind.
The Fusion Unit shrieked out warnings convulsively.
“Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep!”
Then a massive surge of Abyssal Energy began flowing in.
Ashen-white flames erupted across Ha Gyeong’s entire body.
For a moment, he felt as though his whole frame was being crushed.
‘The pressure is immense. So this is the final boss of an Unknowable Grade Dungeon.’
His breath came in ragged gasps.
He’d only stolen a portion of the Abyssal Energy,
yet his will felt like it was breaking.
But Ha Gyeong steadied his mind.
There was someone who would protect him at times like this.
[Spirit Cloak activated.]
[You are now immune to pain.]
Hisss!
The crushing sensation around his heart eased,
and Ha Gyeong was able to handle the Abyssal Energy relatively smoothly.
Soon, an ashen-white blade manifested from his Karambit.
Zing!
Soul Slash deployed with an eerie vibration.
Normally it should have ended at five meters.
But this time, its length stretched by roughly one and a half times.
And the blade itself grew enormously wide.
The result of concentrating a vast amount of Abyssal Energy.
Ha Gyeong swung the Karambit in that state.
“Kyaaaah!”
Soul Slash struck with his battle cry.
It was a truly crude, brute-force blow.
In fact, for Ha Gyeong, it was his absolute best effort.
The overwhelming amount of Abyssal Energy made it impossible to wield the blade properly.
Yet against the Fusion Unit, it was more than enough.
Then something remarkable happened.
Crash-crash-crash-crack! Boom-boom-boom-boom!
All four Energy Circulation Cores collapsed at once.
And the body of the Fusion Unit was cleaved in half.
As Ma Do Hyuk watched the spectacle unfold, his jaw fell open.
“Seriously……. Is that guy actually the Dungeon boss?”
Ripping Open the Gate
Author |
Moraetop
Publisher |
Samyang C&C Corporation
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Editorial Department
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Samyang C&C Corporation – Dream Books
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UCI |
G720:N+A063-20260306112
Blog |
blog.naver.com/dreambookss
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@dreambookss
Submissions |
[email protected]
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of Samyang C&C Corporation – Dream Books.

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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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