Tearing the Gate Apart - Chapter 111

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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 111.
Prudhoe Bay, Deadhorse Airport, Alaska.
Getting here from Korea required a considerably complex process.
But Ha Gyeong had arrived on a business jet.
Thanks to American cooperation, he’d been able to fly directly to this frozen wasteland.
The moment he descended the stairs, a bitter wind assailed him.
Wheeeee—!
With each breath, a freezing chill seized his lungs.
The vista stretched open before him.
A gray sky and desolate snow fields.
An outpost barely holding its ground at the edge of civilization.
That was precisely the atmosphere.
“It’s been a long time, Ha Gyeong.”
At the unexpected use of his name, Ha Gyeong tilted his head in confusion.
Then an East Asian man bundled in thick clothing came into view.
He hadn’t recognized him because of the fur-trimmed hat.
But surprisingly, it was an old acquaintance.
It was Eden Han, who had served as a guide for the Eastern Association.
Ha Gyeong smiled and returned the greeting.
“Good to see you. Have you been well?”
“Oh, thanks to you! The Eastern Association is thriving, so I didn’t lose my job. They even gave me a bonus for good guiding.”
Seeing him answer with a beaming smile,
it seemed he’d had quite a bit of good fortune in the meantime.
Eden Han extended his arm and began to lead the way.
“This way.”
Prudhoe Bay wasn’t a naturally formed town.
It had the feel of an advance outpost for the oil industry near the Arctic Ocean.
So most of the buildings were modular,
and the people moving about were only shift workers.
Yet no matter how much Ha Gyeong looked around, he saw no Gate.
Ha Gyeong posed a sudden question.
“Where is the Gate located?”
“Distance-wise, it should be around twenty-five kilometers.”
“Then shouldn’t it be visible from here?”
“The location is particularly treacherous. Right now it’s obscured by sea fog, but it’s over there—Cross Island.”
Ha Gyeong understood why America had chosen this location as their first priority.
Not many Awakened Ones would come to such a remote place.
Following Eden Han, they moved forward,
and a Snowcat was waiting for them.
It was the perfect means of transport for northernmost Alaska.
Suddenly, Ha Gyeong looked back at his teammates.
“Is everyone all right?”
John, who always accompanied him, needed no worry.
He was sturdy enough.
Yu Se Ha, on his first deployment, was a different story.
As a Healer, he necessarily lacked in durability.
But Yu Se Ha simply shrugged his shoulders lightly.
“I’m fine. No matter how harsh the Earth’s environment is, it can’t compare to the Bottomless Abyss.”
“Ha! That’s true.”
Ha Gyeong laughed despite himself.
He was thin and docile-looking,
but Yu Se Ha was a veteran who’d cleared Extreme-rank Dungeons.
Thump! Whoosh!
The Snowcat trampled the snow on the road and surged forward.
Soon they arrived at East Dock.
A small boat was waiting.
Eden Han, the first to disembark, began his explanation.
“From here, it’s about an hour by boat. There are many variables, so it might take longer.”
“I see. But who are those people?”
Ha Gyeong pointed to the group standing around the boat.
Eden Han’s face flushed slightly as he spoke.
“They’re a support team from the Northern Association. They’re all exceptionally skilled, so they’ll be of great help.”
It sounded like they were equivalent to the Masters of Korea’s four great guilds.
Soon two members of the group approached and greeted them.
“Are you the Immortal?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I’m Matthew Caldwell. I’m in charge of field operations for this mission.”
The man who had addressed Ha Gyeong was a Caucasian in his mid-forties.
Short-cropped blonde hair and sharp eyes.
He was missing only a military uniform.
He had the unmistakable air of a seasoned veteran.
His tone matched that bearing—clipped and direct.
And there was something suspicious in the way he looked at Ha Gyeong.
‘What’s this about? Why is he like this?’
It reminded Ha Gyeong of Bradley Turner, whom he’d seen before.
The initial attitude of the Eastern Association’s Inspector had been similar.
They did what they were told from above,
but they didn’t seem to like the idea of organizing around Ha Gyeong.
He turned to look at Eden Han.
A questioning look in his eyes.
But the brown-haired young man at Matthew Caldwell’s side spoke up.
“Why are you making such an uneasy first impression? This man has taken so many stabs in the back recently that he’s a bit on edge. Please be understanding.”
“Well, I can understand that, but it seems a bit excessive.”
“I’ll apologize on his behalf. I’m Nayson Dinsay, and I’m the vice-captain of the support team.”
“It’s a pleasure. I’m Ha Gyeong.”
“Shall we head to the boat?”
“Yes, let’s.”
Nayson Dinsay tapped Matthew Caldwell on the arm as he walked past.
It seemed like a playful nudge saying to take it easy.
But Matthew Caldwell’s expression remained grim.
The kind of eyes that suggested he’d snap sharply at even the slightest mistake.
Ha Gyeong spoke to John in Korean.
“Listen, John.”
“What is it, bro.”
“Isn’t that guy about your age?”
“Around the same age range, yeah.”
“Is it a North-South difference? Why are you two so different?”
“I just live young.”
“That’s just because you’re irresponsible.”
“Come on? Where would you find a husband as conscientious as me?”
“A guy like that only shows up at home what, a few times a month?”
“T-two times?”
“Even weekend couples don’t do it that bad.”
“…Wait, why are you suddenly attacking me after badmouthing that guy.”
While they exchanged words,
the boat cut through the Arctic Ocean smoothly…….
No, cautiously.
There were too many chunks of sea ice.
After navigating around ice floes, they reached the island—Cross Island.
It used to serve as a temporary hunting camp for the indigenous people,
but now no one dared approach it.
Ha Gyeong offered a brief observation.
“There are quite a lot of monsters.”
He understood why the Northern Association had sent a support team.
They wouldn’t be able to remove the Gate without clearing those creatures first.
Matthew Caldwell glanced back at Ha Gyeong,
then immediately issued an order.
“Let’s go. Show those bastards what we’re made of.”
“Yes!”
A genuine question arose in his mind.
Ha Gyeong murmured without thinking.
“I wonder if those bastards that guy’s talking about are the monsters—or us?”
“Probably both.”
Yu Se Ha answered Ha Gyeong’s words.
His tone and expression clearly showed displeasure.
If they’d ventured into the Bottomless Abyss, they weren’t the type to be disrespected anywhere.
This team captain’s attitude was excessive.
Perhaps sensing the bad atmosphere,
Eden Han attempted to mediate.
“I don’t think he has ill intentions. He’s just naturally suspicious.”
“Then we should just show him.”
“Show him what?”
“What we’re made of.”
“Wait—you’re not talking about stabbing him in the back or anything outrageous like that…?”
“I’m joking. Whether he trusts us or not, we just do our job.”
“Phew!”
Just as Eden Han exhaled in relief,
the Northern Association’s support team clashed with the monsters.
At first, the Awakened Ones seemed to have the advantage.
But the problem was that monsters kept pouring out of the Gate.
Ha Gyeong spoke with a puzzled expression.
“This isn’t Gate Breaking, so why is this happening?”
“It already burst once. That’s why there’s even a joke going around that Alaska has more monsters than polar bears these days.”
“But why is the base from earlier still fine? Why is everyone okay?”
“That was right in the middle of winter, so anything without fur froze to death.”
Cold so severe it could freeze the very creatures that dwelt in the Abyss.
Ha Gyeong found himself thinking the Earth’s environment was no less harsh than the Abyss itself.
Well, there was no point comparing which was crueler.
It was natural for any life that couldn’t adapt to perish.
Anyway, Ha Gyeong’s task was to destroy the Gate’s core.
So he’d been planning to simply observe.
But the situation was deteriorating.
More and more monsters were pouring out of the Gate.
Later on, the reinforcements vastly outnumbered the defenders.
Ha Gyeong assessed the situation coldly.
‘At this rate, all those people are going to die.’
Even elite clearing teams couldn’t withstand an endless monster wave.
And Cross Island had no fortifications whatsoever.
That meant fighting while surrounded in an open field.
Even if they took a defensive position along the shoreline, they’d be attacked from three sides.
Thirty people couldn’t withstand an assault like that.
Ha Gyeong prepared to disembark.
“Let’s go.”
“I don’t like it much, but I can’t abandon humanity either. Right? Yu Se Ha?”
John’s sudden question made Yu Se Ha’s expression harden.
Not only had he used his name,
but he’d called him “Yu” so abruptly that it caught him off guard.
Yu Se Ha laughed softly and shrugged.
“I’m not thrilled about helping, but I still have to do what needs doing. We’ve fought alongside guys like the Raiders before. What else?”
“The way you say it, those American guys are starting to look like angels.”
His teammates weren’t just trading quips.
Even as they spoke, they’d finished preparing to disembark.
Since the boat was some distance from the shore, Ha Gyeong launched himself from the deck.
Thump! Splash!
This distance was nothing for an Awakened One.
But the moment his feet touched the ground, system messages erupted loudly.
[Field Boss Snow Reaper has appeared.]
[Field Boss Grim Hunter has appeared.]
[Field Boss Scum Eater has appeared.]
Ha Gyeong started in surprise.
‘I felt something was off, and now I see—there are three Field Bosses mixed in.’
America had an enormous supply of Awakened Ones.
A support team shouldn’t have been overwhelmed by mere dozens of monsters.
And these weren’t ordinary hunters—they were recognized as skilled practitioners by the Northern Association.
With so many Field Bosses present, it was inevitable they’d be pushed back.
Ha Gyeong strode forward purposefully.
“Let’s take care of that one first.”
He chose the Scum Eater.
The Field Boss devouring monster corpses at the island’s edge.
“Squelch! Squelch!”
Slurp! Slurp!
Each time the creature fed, its bulk expanded.
If left unchecked, it would surely cause catastrophic damage later.
John, observing the Scum Eater, made a face of disgust.
“Ugh! That’s absolutely vile. Can’t we take care of a different one instead? Leave that thing to the American support team.”
“They don’t have the capacity for that, as you well know.”
“Damn it. Why do we always get stuck with the nasty, difficult jobs?”
“Because the situation doesn’t allow for anything else. Stop whining and start Pulling.”
“Yes, yes, Captain.”
John was right—the Scum Eater was utterly abominable.
A massive slug completely covered in pus sacs.
That was precisely what it looked like.
When John swung his Titan Flail, a nauseating spectacle ensued.
Crunch! Splort!
“Blegh! I knew it was coming, but still!”
Pus sacs burst, spraying the foul liquid everywhere.
Soon the Scum Eater turned its eight protruding eyes.
“Shriek!”
[Scum Eater deploys Septic Burst.]
Zzzzzzzzz!
All the pus sacs swelled in unison.
Ha Gyeong instinctively felt the danger.
‘If we can’t stop this, we’re in serious trouble.’
A wide-area bioweapon attack on this narrow island.
He immediately launched himself into the air.
This was the perfect environment to test his newly learned technique.
[The Heart Core Guardian’s will grants instantaneous flight and acceleration.]
Whoosh—! Screee!
Ha Gyeong’s form soared skyward and plummeted like a bird of prey.
Tearing the Gate
Author |
Moraetop
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Samyang C&C
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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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