Tearing the Gate Apart - Chapter 12

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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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Chapter 12.
Unknown Grade artifacts typically fetched prices in the tens of billions of won.
Then what would be an appropriate price for an Incomprehensible Grade item?
Most would likely assume it exceeded a hundred billion.
The problem was that the very first bidder was Lee Ha-gyeong.
Suddenly, murmuring drifted from behind.
“He’s opening pretty strong from the start.”
“We have funds to spare, but the competition is Lee Ha-gyeong, and…”
“Ahem! Y-yes, quite right.”
Everyone hesitated to bid recklessly.
It was unavoidable, really.
They all regarded Lee Ha-gyeong as nothing less than their savior.
Without him, after all, the raid wouldn’t have succeeded at all.
The guest members wouldn’t have had the financial means for it.
Only the guilds that participated in the raid could seriously contest the bid.
Choi Hyun-gi, the master of the Raiders Guild, regarded Lee Ha-gyeong as he spoke.
“Shrewd move.”
“An asking price we can’t casually jump into.”
“Right. I expected as much, but this is awkward.”
“What will you do, Master?”
At his subordinate’s question, Choi Hyun-gi glanced around.
Yun Chang-ho of Blackwater, Jung Cheol-jin of Ironheart, Do Hyun-a of Cheon-il-hong.
The other guild masters showed no intention of bidding further.
It seemed they were showing deference to Lee Ha-gyeong.
Choi Hyun-gi clicked his tongue.
“Hmm. There’s no point in pressing further, and I’ve no desire to embarrass myself over this.”
The Raiders Guild conceded as well.
Silence settled over the auction hall for some time.
The auctioneer, who had stepped up, encouraged the next bid.
―Do I hear one trillion one hundred billion?
In that brief moment of quiet.
Someone raised their hand slightly.
Murmurs erupted through the crowd.
“Wait, what? Did this person participate in the raid too?”
“They must have used a false identity to get in again.”
“Dae Hyeon-ja? No wonder Team One’s healer had such exceptional care…”
Dae Hyeon-ja.
An Awakener who operated while concealing their identity, quite famous in the industry.
For peculiar behavior, specifically.
They were doing it even now, weren’t they?
Bidding in an auction the guild masters had abandoned.
Beneath a deeply pulled-down white fedora, finely drawn eyebrows curved with grace.
One might have expected surprise, but Lee Ha-gyeong’s expression remained unchanged.
“One trillion five hundred billion.”
He simply raised his hand, bidding without affect.
The auctioneer called out with evident excitement.
―One trillion five hundred billion! Do I hear further bids?
Now all eyes turned to Dae Hyeon-ja.
Only one person remained in the bidding against Lee Ha-gyeong.
As expected, Dae Hyeon-ja opened their mouth with a light gesture.
“One trillion six hundred billion.”
But at that very moment.
Before the auctioneer could call it, Lee Ha-gyeong’s hand rose first.
“Two trillion.”
“…….”
The auction hall fell into silence in an instant.
Dae Hyeon-ja bidding in increments of one hundred billion.
Lee Ha-gyeong bidding in increments of five hundred billion.
The outcome of this battle of nerves was painfully obvious.
Soon the Awakeners began to murmur among themselves.
“Two trillion? That seems steep, even for something from an Incomprehensible Grade dungeon.”
“Still, it’s an artifact with a Fusion Tyrant’s regeneration attached. It’ll be worth every won and then some.”
“Right. With that, even a melee dealer could tank. So wouldn’t that mean—”
“A universal Awakener capable of handling everything solo.”
The auctioneer, regaining their composure, grasped the microphone once more.
―Do I hear two trillion one hundred billion? Two trillion one hundred? Going once, going twice—sold! Two trillion to the gentleman. Congratulations!
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!
Applause erupted from all directions.
Everyone was congratulating Lee Ha-gyeong on winning the bid.
‘I just bought it with money, but they’re celebrating like this. I see.’
The auction proceeds would be divided among the raid participants anyway.
That’s why the bidding had been somewhat heated to begin with.
Even with the price driven high, they’d recover a portion of it.
Lee Ha-gyeong completed the auction procedures.
He had processed a payment of two trillion won through the Awakener Association’s guarantee system.
Now the Tyrant’s Bracelet was entirely his.
He left the Association headquarters.
But standing on the street was someone wearing a white fedora.
It was Dae Hyeon-ja.
“Pleased to meet you, Lee Ha-gyeong.”
“Thanks to you, I bought it at a premium price.”
“The price is slightly above market value, but it’s worth the cost nonetheless.”
That wasn’t wrong.
The guild masters had stepped aside out of consideration for Lee Ha-gyeong.
It should’ve fetched at least one trillion five hundred billion normally.
Lee Ha-gyeong offered a light greeting and started to walk past.
But Dae Hyeon-ja’s next words made him stop.
“I hear you’re searching for Unknown Grade or higher Abyss Dungeons.”
“I am, yes.”
“I’ve received some rather useful intelligence. Would you care to hear it?”
It was an enticing proposal.
High-Grade dungeons were exceedingly rare.
Organizations that discovered such places didn’t always recruit guest members.
Moreover, they typically assembled their raid teams exclusively with acquaintances.
The environment left no room for anything but trust in such circumstances.
Lee Ha-gyeong began studying Dae Hyeon-ja intently.
“I’ll listen carefully if you speak.”
“It’s an Incomprehensible Grade dungeon. But the location is rather difficult.”
“What makes the location so difficult?”
“……The Bottomless Abyss.”
Anyone would have tilted their head at this point.
Most didn’t even know the Bottomless Abyss existed.
Yet Lee Ha-gyeong gazed at Dae Hyeon-ja with keen interest.
‘I had one more reason to visit the Bottomless Abyss now.’
* * *
A few days later.
Despite spending two trillion won, Lee Ha-gyeong’s life had changed little.
He remained confined to the training grounds at home.
The moment his condition recovered, he intended to enter the Abyss.
Lee Ha-gyeong pulled up his Awakener information to check.
‘Let me see how much has changed.’

Name: Lee Ha-gyeong
Resonance Grade: Stage 2
Skills Possessed: Pyo-kyeon-bo (A), Cham-hon (S), Abyss Resonance (S), Kin Predation (S), Soul Stigma (EX), Distortion (Authority)
Artifacts Possessed: Responsive Mage Armor, Spirit-Responsive Cloak, Tyrant’s Bracelet, Ultimate Abyss Key (1/3)
Remarkably, his Resonance Grade had shifted to Stage 2.
It seemed to be a result of the large amount of Abyss Energy he’d absorbed recently.
The difference between Stage 1 and Stage 2 was straightforward.
A shimmering, haze-like form was Stage 1.
From Stage 2 onward, it took the shape of a proper weapon.
Lee Ha-gyeong recalled what he’d seen in the Fusion Abyss.
‘The blade that sprouted from the Karambit had no shimmering. Now that Resonance Grade has progressed to Stage 2, that makes sense.’
The newly acquired skill this time.
Kin Predation was nothing less than S-Grade.
Uncle Seo Gang-min would grumble that the rank was needlessly high.
But for Lee Ha-gyeong, it was a skill that demonstrated effects beyond S-Grade.
‘It’s thanks to the synergy with Soul Stigma. Anyway, shall I depart now?’
Lee Ha-gyeong headed straight for the Gate.
Normally, he would need to sweep through the depths of the Abyss.
But this time, his destination was quite different.
Lee Ha-gyeong recalled what Ma Do-hyuk had said.
‘He told me to obtain the qualifications first.’
There was a rite of passage to enter the Bottomless Abyss.
The Tower of Judgment, located in the heart of the Abyss.
That was what had to be conquered first.
Of course, Lee Ha-gyeong knew the place well.
‘It’s existed for a long time.’
The reason he hadn’t bothered to clear the Tower of Judgment before was simple.
The difficulty was unexpectedly high, and the rewards were underwhelming.
So it came as no surprise that no one visited this place.
Upon entering the Tower of Judgment, text materialized before Lee Ha-gyeong’s eyes.
[You have entered the Tower of Judgment]
[Prove your qualifications by clearing all floors]
[You may exit at any time if you wish]
[Grade: Lower Grade]
[Reward: Crafting Materials]
Floors 1 through 10 held little of interest.
It was merely a matter of disposing of the common Abyss monsters encountered regularly.
Lee Ha-gyeong swung the Karambit with an impassive gaze.
Whoosh! Splash—!
His Abyss Resonance had extended to three meters.
Thanks to reaching Stage 2, its power had more than doubled.
The monsters fell without even a cry.
However, from the 11th floor onward, the atmosphere changed dramatically.
Traps exploding from unexpected places.
Moreover, the monsters that appeared had levels that were utterly absurd.
“Grooooaaahhh!”
A massive horde of skeletal creatures charged forth with bloodcurdling screams.
These creatures were called Bone Brutes.
Undead monsters with a troll-bone appearance.
Their bodies being composed of metal material, they were extraordinarily durable—that was their defining trait.
But before Stage 2 Abyss Resonance, they were no better than marrow-picked bones.
Lee Ha-gyeong sliced through the Bone Brutes and advanced.
Crunch! Crack!
‘More stubborn than I expected.’
There was a definite sense that the difficulty had escalated.
The resistance felt in his hands was no trivial matter.
The moment he finished pulverizing the Bone Brutes and prepared to move on.
An unpleasant sound reached his ears.
Clatter-clatter-clack!
“Kee-kee-kee-kee?”
Turning back, the Bone Brutes stood before him, seemingly intact.
It was a rather astonishing sight.
He’d ground them down to near oblivion.
Lee Ha-gyeong examined the surroundings carefully.
‘Absurd regeneration. It’s impossible with just the Abyss Energy they possess.’
The power wielded by Bone Brutes was negligible.
There was no way they could manifest regeneration equivalent to a Fusion Tyrant with merely that.
Then something else must be at work.
Lee Ha-gyeong heightened the sensitivity of Soul Stigma.
Presently, a faint current flowed from the walls.
He threw himself at it immediately.
Slash! Crack!
As he drove his Abyss Resonance through, something felt like it snapped.
The Bone Brutes’ movements ceased in an instant.
The Abyss Energy had been severed.
Lee Ha-gyeong shrugged and turned to move forward.
“Simple enough once you understand it.”
Most Awakeners would likely have given up here.
Worn down by an endless swarm of Bone Brutes.
Lee Ha-gyeong could progress to the next floor with ease.
The pattern remained similar after that.
They all collapsed like dying flies the moment he swung his Abyss Resonance.
Having broken through to the 14th floor.
He smiled wryly.
‘I would’ve had a rough time of it originally.’
It was a curious feeling.
Soul Stigma was an indelible wound.
A skill obtained through the sacrifice of his father and uncles.
But now his thoughts had changed.
It felt as if he walked alongside his comrades.
It meant Lee Ha-gyeong had matured significantly in spirit.
Moments later.
He set foot on the 15th floor.
But the presence he felt was distinctly different from before.
“Uh? W-who are you?”
At the abrupt question, Lee Ha-gyeong tilted his head.
Several Awakeners huddled together in a corner.
Honestly, it was what he wanted to ask.
“What are you all doing here?”
“We’re taking a rest. But aren’t you an applicant for the Raiders Guild?”
“I’m not.”
“Then why are you here?”
“To clear the Tower of Judgment.”
“Why would you do that?”
“No particular reason.”
“…….”
At Lee Ha-gyeong’s answer, the Awakeners fell silent.
Why on earth would anyone come to the unprofitable and grueling Tower of Judgment?
Of course, Lee Ha-gyeong had a clear objective.
But there was no need to inform these people.
So he’d deflected, and now.
They all looked at him as if he were insane.
Lee Ha-gyeong let out a quiet laugh.
‘It makes sense. There’s probably no one who’d come all this way just to court danger.’
But then a question occurred to him.
Hadn’t these Awakeners just mentioned something?
A Raiders Guild recruitment test?
Lee Ha-gyeong posed a question.
“Does the Raiders Guild conduct its recruitment exam here?”
“Yes, you can only sit for the interview after clearing floor 15.”
It wasn’t as absurd a requirement as all that.
Some places had applicants bring back specific monsters.
But the difficulty was far beyond imagination.
Lee Ha-gyeong shrugged.
‘So the exam is so hard they’re recruiting even those who fail?’
Either way, it wasn’t his concern.
Presently, Lee Ha-gyeong stepped forward alone.
The trial of the 15th floor was a vivid blue metallic skeleton standing in the center.
Its form was unmistakably the evolved variant of the Bone Brute.
This time, Soul Stigma did not resonate.
Lee Ha-gyeong clicked his tongue.
‘It possesses considerable Abyss Energy on its own. Can’t simply overpower it.’
Direct combat was the only option.
As he approached, the opponent made an eerie movement.
Like a creature from a horror film, it rose in stuttering, jerky increments.
[You have encountered the Guardian of the Abyss Dungeon, Bone Breaker]
Ripping Open the Gate
Author |
Moraet’op
Publisher |
Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.
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Editorial Team
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No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without written permission from Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. – 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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