Tearing the Gate Apart - Chapter 109

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

Episode 109.
The Stanford Marshmallow Experiment.
You give candy to a child.
After explaining that if they don’t eat it for fifteen minutes, you’ll give them another one.
An experiment to observe whether they can resist or not.
Former nobility standing there helpless, holding Power Chunks.
Kudin especially seemed to feel anger beyond mere bewilderment.
―This is my body, though.
“That’s nonsense. It’s a Power Chunk the Emperor gave you.”
―That’s true, but…….
“You eat it, you get nothing. Wait.”
Ha Gyeong drove the point home firmly.
Then he swept his gaze across the Abyss fog.
His vision was a mess, but he zeroed in on one thing clearly.
‘I see it.’
A glowing mass of yellowish energy.
An Abyssal Core—the thing that triggered Gate Break.
If he destroyed it, he could absorb one of the Sky Mauler’s abilities.
Ha Gyeong moved immediately.
As he vanished into the fog, the former nobility glanced at each other.
Then Jeron spoke first.
―Can you even trust what that bastard says?
―Senior?
―What.
―It’s my body originally, so give it back.
―Ahem! You have to think about it from a bigger picture. Among us here, who can handle His Majesty’s power the best?
―Well…… you, Senior, but it’s my body.
―Quit your whining. Hand it over.
―Why are you like this!
Jeron began chasing after Kudin.
But he couldn’t catch him.
Jeron was a Barren Executor named Blight Shaper.
An entity specialized in mental attacks.
Meanwhile, Kudin’s nickname was Sky Mauler.
Their flight speeds simply couldn’t be compared.
At the pursuit of the two former nobility, Rokan let out a long sigh.
―Man, that’s really loud. Tch! This is why greenhorns are a pain.
* * *
Meanwhile, Ha Gyeong was splitting the Abyssal Core in half.
The Crimson Edge pierced through the center of the yellow mass.
Squelch—!
It cracked easily without needing much force.
Hard to believe something this gelatin-like caused a Gate Break.
It was absurd.
As the Abyssal Core split in two, brilliant light streamed out.
Shiiing—!
[You have destroyed the Abyssal Core]
[You embody the will of the Abyssal Core Guardian, “Talon Assault,” as a skill]
[A vast amount of Abyss Energy is transferred to you]
Tssssssss!
“Haaah!”
Ha Gyeong drew in a sharp breath.
Immense Abyss Energy burrowed into his body.
But he didn’t feel pain like before.
There was no mana left in Ha Gyeong’s body.
And he already possessed an enormous amount of Abyss Energy.
That’s why.
Absorbing it didn’t meet much resistance.
Ha Gyeong regulated his breathing slowly.
‘Have I really gotten this used to it now?’
He could hardly be called an Awakened One anymore.
Essentially similar to an Imperial noble in form.
Though not entirely the same, of course.
Ha Gyeong’s Abyss Energy had its own characteristics—its texture was slightly different.
“Talon Assault, huh? That’s a cool name at least.”
He’d have to test it out at the Training Ground to get a feel for what kind of skill it was.
Whoosh—
Soon the fog began to dissipate.
By destroying the Abyssal Core, the Gate Break had stopped.
But the Monster Wave hadn’t ended yet.
The DRC’s villains would still be active.
He needed to head back and support the defense force.
First, though, he had to get his own team in order.
Soon his teammates gathered around Ha Gyeong.
The first to approach was, naturally, John.
“Yo! Bro. Another killer performance, huh?”
“I didn’t exactly kill anyone.”
“That so? You pick up some new flying rats?”
“They seem useful in various ways. Good for extracting information, too.”
“What if they betray you?”
“We’ll take them out first. The moment I catch a whiff of trouble, boom!”
“I’ll keep a close eye on the little shits, then.”
John stared at the former nobility with gleaming eyes.
Just then, Ha Gyeong remembered the marshmallow test he’d just conducted.
“Hey, what happened to that thing I gave you? Let’s see.”
―…… Well, about that.
―How do you expect me to trust you and hold back?
Jeron and Kudin had already wolfed theirs down.
Both their bodies had grown slightly larger than before.
Meanwhile, Rokan held out a half-eaten Power Chunk.
―I didn’t eat mine.
“Ah, nice. A veteran is different indeed.”
Ha Gyeong tossed one of the hands he’d brought earlier to Rokan.
Then without hesitation, he swung the Crimson Edge.
Slash! Rip!
―Ahhh!
―Wha—?
Jeron and Kudin, caught before they could react.
Ha Gyeong scooped up the chunks he’d cut from them and spoke.
“This is what happens when you don’t listen. Get your act together.”
―Truly a remarkably wicked bastard.
―Damn it, my body. Waaaaah!
Ha Gyeong handed the Power Chunks to John.
Once they were in the Sealed Loot Bag, there wouldn’t be any attempt to steal them.
With only a head remaining, these former nobles lacked the strength to open it.
Some time later.
All the team members had gathered.
Yun Chang Ho extended his hand and greeted Ha Gyeong warmly.
“That was truly an incredible performance. You’ve become far more formidable than before?”
“Ha ha! You’re too kind.”
“People are saying you took first in the Ranking Battle because no real rankers showed up.”
“There was some talk like that, yes.”
“I absolutely don’t think that’s the case. It seemed like…… you’d reached a new level entirely.”
“I’m a 5-Stage Refining user, just like everyone else here.”
“To reach 5-Stage in your twenties—it’s truly remarkable. In any case, thank you so much for saving us.”
“You’re my teammates, so of course. Please don’t worry too much about it.”
“Hah! I wish the young Awakened Ones in our guild were even half as good as you…….”
Yun Chang Ho kept licking his lips.
He was remembering when he first met Ha Gyeong a year ago.
What if he’d succeeded in recruiting him back then?
Such thoughts churned through his mind relentlessly.
Not just Yun Chang Ho, though.
Kang Woo Jin and Ryu Jeong Hwan also offered their thanks.
“You saved my life. I’m grateful.”
“I never imagined the power gap would be this wide. I need to train harder going forward. Thank you.”
Yu Se Ha, standing a distance away, bowed in gratitude.
Now of the four major guild masters, only one remained.
Choi Hyun Ki alone.
Of course, Ha Gyeong had no intention of accepting his bow.
‘Why would I avoid someone who’s full of shit?’
There was no need to get tangled up with this guy with questionable character.
So he was just going to ignore him and walk past.
Then suddenly Choi Hyun Ki opened his mouth.
“Th-th…….”
“Yes?”
“Th…….”
“What are you saying? Get lost?”
“Thank—… you. Ass!”
Ha Gyeong thought he’d pull another swerve at the end.
But Choi Hyun Ki managed to complete his “thank you” after all.
This prideful, stubborn bastard actually apologizing?
It was a truly stunning sight.
Choi Hyun Ki, face bright red, strode off somewhere with long steps.
The team’s mission was now complete.
They were apparently heading to where the Riders Guild was defending.
The other team members did the same.
“We’ll head out first.”
“I’ll contact you separately.”
“Then goodbye.”
The four guild masters departed.
Ha Gyeong also wanted to head back now.
Having captured two Imperial nobles, wasn’t that enough?
But then Dae Hyeonja asked a question.
“Ha Gyeong.”
“Yes?”
“There seem to be more flying creatures around you than last time?”
“Ah…….”
Ha Gyeong turned to look at the former Imperial nobles.
When there was only Rokan, it wasn’t very noticeable.
But with three of them, attention naturally drew to them.
He couldn’t exactly say he was bringing Imperial nobles around with him.
He needed a plausible excuse.
Ha Gyeong answered as casually as he could manage.
“These are like Keyrings I’m collecting.”
“Ah! So they’re summoned creatures?”
“Well, yes. They don’t have much power, but they’re useful in various ways. When the Whisperer went silent in the Tracking Abyss, they acted as messengers.”
“I saw you handle silver clones or something like that last time. You’re quite versatile.”
Ha Gyeong hadn’t deployed the Liquid Core in this fight.
He’d only been consuming Abyss Energy.
It wouldn’t work on the Zaredor Empire’s nobles anyway.
But thanks to the Core Belt, he could make excuses well enough.
The former nobles seemed to have no thoughts about it either.
―What’s a Keyring? Senior.
―Hmm! The pronunciation sounds like “King,” so I’d guess it means royalty.
―Oh! You Immortal bastard have good taste too. To treat us so respectfully, no less.
―But why does he give us power only to snatch it back?
―Because he’s cruel?
―I agree.
Hearing Kudin and Jeron prattle on.
Ha Gyeong felt a headache coming on.
A massage was best for times like this.
Of course, not for him to receive.
“John?”
“What? Bro.”
“Work over those loud bastards for me.”
“Heh heh! I’ve been waiting to hear that.”
“Oh right, skip Rokan. He hasn’t said anything stupid.”
“Even so, after a few months with us, the kid’s picked up some sense. Leave it to me.”
John grabbed Kudin and Jeron by the scruff of the neck.
Then dragged them behind a boulder.
Soon, ominous sounds erupted.
Wham! Thwack!
―Aaaahhh! Save the noble!
“Shut up! You’re not a noble anymore!”
After John’s corrective education was done.
Ha Gyeong finally announced their departure.
“Let’s head back now.”
* * *
Though the nobles were dealt with, they couldn’t withdraw immediately.
The Monster Wave and the DRC’s attacks still weren’t over.
So Ha Gyeong assisted the defense force and played an active role in various locations.
With the focal point gone.
The monster forces and villains were dealt with relatively easily.
Ha Gyeong remained on the front lines for several more days.
Only after the fighting was completely over could he return home.
During those few days of rest that followed.
Various news flooded both online and offline.
[AI Coverage] Immortal Ha Gyeong’s Overwhelming Combat. Two Zaredor Empire Nobles Defeated in Succession!
―The video quality is insane. He really fought like that?
└If it’s Ha Gyeong, he can do it. But those four major guild masters fumbling around is hilarious.
└Why are they all so pathetic?
└There’s talk that the Zaredor Empire nobles are just that strong. Plus they probably don’t have much combat experience either.
└It’d be way better to send professional combat specialists against those types.
└That’s not easy either. These guys can all fly fundamentally. Look at the relatively slow Barren Executor’s flight speed. Can you guys even keep up?
└Absolutely not. It’s like fighter jet speeds.
└So how did Ha Gyeong manage it?
└No idea. That guy’s just not human.
Ha Gyeong, who clicked on the article absent-mindedly, found praise comments everywhere.
In truth, it wasn’t the endless gushing you’d see in fan cafes.
Everyone was just shocked at the unexpected outcome.
Ha Gyeong chuckled and scrolled past.
‘Pretty funny.’
Nobody minded being loved by many.
John, sneaking glances at the tablet beside him, suddenly spoke up.
“But who exactly testified to this? The details are too precise for someone watching from afar. A lot of what we said is included here.”
“I have an idea who it might be.”
“Who?”
“Yu Se Ha.”
“What’s your reasoning?”
“I noticed he was writing something down in a notebook back then.”
“That’s pretty plausible. What are you going to do?”
Recently, Ha Gyeong had been carrying around former nobles.
Or rather, Keyrings.
If things went wrong, a security issue could arise.
The second special operations commander dispatched to Earth.
The information might reach his ears.
He should probably ask Yu Se Ha not to include any dialogue.
Ha Gyeong picked up his phone right away.
But just then, it rang.
Tring-tring-tring!
The name on the screen was Dae Hyeonja.
He pressed the call button with a puzzled expression.
“Hello?”
―Did you receive the gift I sent?
Gate Breaker
Author |
Morae Top
Publisher |
(주) Samyang C&C
Publishing Director |
Editorial Department
Published by |
(주) Samyang C&C – Dream Books
Address |
7th Floor, Gwangseong Building, 28 Bongeun-sa-ro 114-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
UCI |
G720:N+A063-20260306112
Blog |
blog.naver.com/dreambookss
Twitter(X) |
@dreambookss
Submission |
[email protected]
Without written permission from (주) Samyang C&C – Dream Books, this book’s contents may not be used in any form or by any means.

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