Tearing the Gate Apart - Chapter 102

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

Episode 102.
Smack!
“Get your head together.”
Cha Min Woo crumpled to the ground after taking a hit from Jon.
Then he jolted upright.
His expression dazed, he spoke.
“Where am I? Who am I……. Me?”
His condition didn’t look good at all.
Ha Gyeong nodded toward Jon.
He meant for him to try again.
And so the Titan Flail was hoisted up once more.
Originally, this weapon was for pulping monsters.
Just now he’d held back.
The fact that his target survived at all was because he was a high-ranking Awakened One.
If he’d swung with real force, it would’ve been fatal.
Besides, Cha Min Woo had no armor to speak of.
“Arghhh! What are you doing?!”
Sensing mortal danger.
He screamed.
Now he seemed ready to talk.
Ha Gyeong began asking questions methodically.
“What’s your last memory?”
“I heard from Gilma that a Dungeon Raid was set up……. I had a drink. But why am I like this?”
“When was that?”
“March 30th? A Monday.”
Exactly a week ago.
The day the Raid Party roster was finalized.
Cha Min Woo had apparently been injected with Abyss Energy.
Ha Gyeong pressed with a few more questions.
“Who did you meet that day?”
“Had a Guild dinner, met a friend briefly, then went home and slept.”
“Which friend?”
“A college classmate.”
“Call that person for me.”
“Why are you doing this?! Aren’t you an Association executive?”
The way he was panicking showed his grip on reality was still tenuous.
It couldn’t be otherwise.
Cha Min Woo had no memory of the past week.
Ha Gyeong gave him a brief explanation of the situation.
Cha Min Woo’s mouth fell open.
“That can’t…….”
“There are plenty of witnesses. The whole team saw it. And check today’s date.”
“……Oh no.”
Cha Min Woo clutched his head.
Jung Tae Won had brought over the Tablet and shown him the date.
He’d even pulled up the internet and done a search.
There was no way to disbelieve it.
Then Ha Gyeong suddenly turned to Jung Tae Won with a question.
“How should we handle a case like this? When someone has no memory of what they did?”
“Yeah, this is a bit murky.”
If he’d been drinking or on drugs—
If the cause was something he’d chosen, then responsibility could be assigned.
But this was complete mind control, wasn’t it?
A moment passed.
Ha Gyeong reached a decision.
“Let him go.”
“What? You can do that?”
“Why not? The victim is fine with it. Besides, it happened beyond the Gate.”
The Abyss was nearly a perfect Lawless Zone.
Even if Ha Gyeong disposed of him as he pleased, no one would say a word.
Cha Min Woo’s face went slack.
“I can really go?”
“On one condition—let me see that friend you met back then. He might be under control too.”
“Ah, understood.”
Cha Min Woo nodded obediently.
They arranged a meeting right away.
And when they saw the friend Cha Min Woo had met a week prior,
There was no trace of Abyss Energy in him.
After all, he was an ordinary civilian.
If he’d been planted with it, his head would have burst open long ago.
Ha Gyeong said farewell to Cha Min Woo.
“If anyone approaches you or you notice anything strange, contact me.”
“Yes, understood. Thank you. Thank you for forgiving me.”
“There’s nothing to forgive. You didn’t do it willingly.”
“Still…….”
“In any case, take care of yourself.”
As he turned to leave without hesitation,
Jon’s voice slipped in.
“Hssst! Bro, you really letting him go like that?”
“Of course not.”
“Then what?”
“That noble who crossed over the Gate—he might make contact again.”
“You’re putting a tail on him. He’ll spot it pretty quick though.”
“I have a suitable candidate.”
With that, Ha Gyeong glanced back at Rokan.
The creature swooping over suddenly looked confused.
―Why are you looking at me?
“Is there anyone here smaller and faster than you?”
―No one.
“Anyone with a better ability to move unseen?”
―Just me.
“Then we have our answer.”
―Damn it. Everything annoying falls to me.
“When have you ever earned your keep? Go on, stick with him. Daily reports, and do good work.”
―Fine! Got it.
“And if you let that noble guy turn your head and start blabbing, you’re really dead.”
―Would I do that?
“That’s exactly the type you are.”
―…….
Rokan’s fur bristled up.
A gesture of displeasure.
Ha Gyeong, needless to say, paid it no mind.
So Rokan departed from the group.
But Jon still looked uncertain.
“That guy’s pretty sketchy too.”
“That’s why I’ve prepared something else.”
“What?”
“A watchdog on the watchdog.”
“Oh! Who is it?”
―…….
Instead of answering, Ha Gyeong simply stared at Jon.
Realizing the implication a beat too late,
Jon flailed both hands frantically.
“Whoa whoa? I’m not as small and fast as Rokan. I’m pretty burly, and built for the long haul. My wife can testify to that.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“You weren’t talking about stamina?”
“We need to watch Rokan. Starting now, let’s shoot some spy movie.”
“Any bed scenes? Those Hong Kong films had some really steamy stuff…….”
“Should I call your wife?”
“I was joking! Bro. You think I’m actually dreaming fantasies like that?”
Ha Gyeong knew better.
Jon was just all bluster.
He talked big,
But he was a married man who lived under his wife’s thumb.
Ha Gyeong let out a brief laugh and turned away.
“Let’s go. We’ve got a conspiracy to bust.”
* * *
Rokan was tailing Cha Min Woo.
Bustling crowds.

A sight that never got old.
Rokan’s thoughts turned to the Jardor Empire.
―Dreary, merciless place.
Cutting a brother’s throat to become a noble was routine.
If you wanted the Emperor’s favor, you had to show that level of resolve.
Even when you reached a high position, the fighting never ended.
Stomping out subordinates clawing their way up.
Leading other planets to ruin—that was the job.
To Rokan’s eyes, Earth seemed endlessly peaceful.
―Not that I have the right to speak.
The final battle with Ha Gyeong had taught him so much.
The fact that he’d only been strong because he occupied Veil Lancer’s seat.
That realization had shaken Rokan to his core.
What if he stripped away the rank and fought as equals?
Would he really be stronger than the rising juniors of today?
Rokan shook his head.
―Probably not.
That’s why he hadn’t gone back.
He wanted to stay beside this battle-obsessed Ha Gyeong, watch, and learn.
And if he became a true master that way, then…….
Rokan’s eyes gleamed crimson.
―I’ll take back what’s mine and claim victory.
The target was clear.
Rokan drifted lazily along, lost in thought.
Then he snapped to attention, changing direction sharply.
He’d almost lost sight of Cha Min Woo.
Whoosh—!
Fortunately, just before Cha Min Woo boarded a taxi,
Rokan managed to locate him.
―Phew! That was close. I’d’ve caught an earful for sure.
Ha Gyeong’s stern reproach flashed through his mind.
Asking if he couldn’t handle such a simple task.
Rokan sharpened his focus and latched onto the taxi’s roof sign.
Vroom—!
A speeding bullet of a taxi through the city.
But Rokan found it utterly tedious.
―Disgustingly slow.
Like a fighter pilot riding a roller coaster.
Still, riding beat the alternative.
Direct flight would’ve drawn more attention.
They arrived at the Upscale Residential District.
Cha Min Woo stumbled into some house.
It seemed he lived alone.
No one was inside.
“Damn it, how did I…….”
Cha Min Woo muttered in anguish.
He grabbed a bottle of Whiskey from the cabinet and drank straight from it.
Glug! Glug!
“Ahhh!”
The burning sensation slid down his throat.
But the unease didn’t fade.
Cha Min Woo heaved a long sigh.
“Huh! It’s because of that, isn’t it?”
He’d told Ha Gyeong he didn’t remember anything, but that wasn’t quite true.
A week ago.
He’d encountered something suspicious.
A mysterious figure shrouded in shadow.
That being had made him a sweet offer.
An EX-rank Skill as payment.
Honestly, how could anyone refuse?
A single Skill could determine an Awakened One’s value.
So he’d run a simple errand.
And it seemed he’d lost control of his own body then.
Cha Min Woo entered a corner room on the second floor.
“I hid it somewhere around here.”
After rummaging through drawers with a clatter, he found it.
A Black Sun Pendant, wisping with pale gray energy.
Rokan, watching from hiding, widened his eyes.
―That’s……. A symbol of the Imperial nobility.
Naturally, not the original.
A kind of marker.
Rokan felt his spine grow cold.
Something that had lain hidden suddenly began to reveal itself.
―Tsk! Failure then.
A black silhouette emerged from the darkness,
And with a casual wave of its arm, Cha Min Woo collapsed.
Thud! Wheeze-wheeze-wheeze!
Soon a sickly blue aura was torn free.
From Cha Min Woo’s head.
The black form let out a low groan, savoring something.
―Hmm……. What shall I do with you?
Its gaze had already turned toward Rokan.
He’d suppressed his presence as much as possible.
But it clearly hadn’t been enough.
Rokan lowered himself, his expression pained.
―It’s been a long time. Marquis Blight Shaper.
The shadow-wrapped entity stepped forward slightly.
Its body was gaunt, its limbs stretched long and thin,
With demonic wings and a beast-like head.
A typical Jardor Empire native.
Blight Shaper curled his mouth and spoke.
―I heard you’d fallen from grace. Yet here you are on Earth? A surprising turn of events.
At the mocking tone, Rokan’s entire body tensed.
But he didn’t bare his fangs.
The man before him outranked him by a full tier.
Having already lost his power, Rokan wasn’t fool enough to bristle.
―I had my reasons.
―Reasons? From you, a talent-devourer with neither blood nor tears? That’s rich……. Wait. Could this be part of the Emperor’s grand design?
―I’m afraid I can’t say more on that subject.
―Ah! So that’s why you gave up your position so readily. Now it makes sense.
―…….
Rokan said nothing.
Let him misunderstand if he wanted.
There was no need to correct him.
Soon Blight Shaper posed a new question.
―No matter how much the Emperor’s arranged this, there’s surely information we can share. I’m out here working hard too, so let’s help each other out.
Coming from a Marquis, such a plea couldn’t be ignored entirely.
Rokan had no choice but to respond.
Besides, he was a Jardor native himself.
A noble who’d stepped back for the Empire’s sake.
Sharing information was something he could do.
Rokan nodded readily.
―What would you like to know?
―You see, I’ve been scheming with a few Awakened Ones I’ve recruited, but nothing’s working out. Someone keeps sabotaging my operations.
―The Undying Ha Gyeong, then.
―Exactly. Tell me about him. Weaknesses, that sort of thing.
―Hmm.
Rokan let out a low sound.
It wasn’t that Blight Shaper’s request was difficult.
He simply didn’t know how to answer.
The silence dragged on, and Blight Shaper pressed him.
―What’s there to think about? Family, some attribute or Skill weakness, whatever. The usual things.
―I did give it some thought.
―Oh? Well then, let’s hear it.
Blight Shaper’s eyes gleamed with expectation.
Then Rokan raised his head with a hardened expression.
―None.
―What?
―Weaknesses.
―…….
Tearing Open the Gate
Author |
Morae Tob
Publisher |
Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.
Managing Editor |
Editorial Department
Publishing Company |
Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. – Dream Books
Address |
7F Gwangseong Building, 28 Bongeunsa-ro 114-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
UCI |
G720:N+A063-20260306112
Blog |
blog.naver.com/dreambookss
Twitter (X) |
@dreambookss
Submissions |
[email protected]
This book may not be used in any form or by any means without written permission from Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. – Dream Books.

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