Tearing the Gate Apart - Chapter 18

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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 18.
The tank’s Provocation Skill had no effect whatsoever.
The Obsidian Titan was already dead.
Ha Gyeong’s face flushed slightly.
It was the thrill of a dramatic victory.
He steadied his thundering heart.
‘The Abyss Dungeon is definitely a step up from the Upper Layer. But my skills work here too.’
There seemed no need to be intimidated by this unknown space.
Of course, fear or no fear made little difference.
Ha Gyeong would forge ahead regardless.
As he caught his breath, the tank approached him.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes.”
“I… I apologize for my earlier conduct.”
Was he referring to failing to hold aggro properly?
Or regretting how he’d looked down on Ha Gyeong’s abilities with doubt?
It was an apology whose meaning remained somewhat ambiguous.
Ha Gyeong didn’t particularly mind.
Territorial friction was inevitable wherever you went.
And he wasn’t weak enough to be wounded by something like this.
No—he was someone who had no room to be swayed by petty feelings.
Ha Gyeong spoke in a measured tone.
“Everyone makes mistakes. As long as you don’t repeat them, that’s all that matters.”
His reply carried a dual meaning, naturally enough.
Whatever he’d apologized for, he shouldn’t do it again.
The tank bowed respectfully.
“Thank you. And, ah…”
“Yes?”
“I’m late on introductions. I’m Kim Sang-woo.”
“Ah, yes.”
Ha Gyeong smiled awkwardly.
He hadn’t expected such a sharp reversal in attitude.
Soon after, he collected the Obsidian Titan’s loot.
Field Bosses typically offered inferior rewards compared to dungeons of the same grade.
But this was the Abyss Dungeon.
And the Obsidian Titan was rated Unknown Grade.
The spoils were likely to be quite respectable.
And indeed, a large metal club appeared as the reward.
Its name was the Titan Mace.
It was an Artifact equipped with Provocation Amplification.
Ha Gyeong examined the weapon from every angle.
‘The weight distribution is heavy toward the top. It’s far too massive and unwieldy for me.’
A single devastating blow, weighty and decisive.
Plus Provocation Amplification on top of that.
This was unmistakably a tank-exclusive Artifact.
Soon after, the rest of the party regrouped.
Dae Hyun-ja lavished praise on Ha Gyeong.
“Didn’t I tell you? A person with genuine skill. Look at this—he just demolished a boss that would earn an Incomprehensible Grade rating in the Upper Layer, all by himself.”
Of course, there was a slight inaccuracy in Dae Hyun-ja’s words.
Put the Obsidian Titan in the Upper Layer?
It would rank somewhere between Unknown Grade and Incomprehensible Grade.
Even accounting for the Abyss Dungeon’s increased difficulty.
There was a small exaggeration involved, but Ha Gyeong didn’t bother correcting him.
‘Everyone seems to accept it anyway.’
The results were what mattered.
Dae Hyun-ja quickly settled the situation.
“Honestly, the Obsidian Titan might as well have been solo’d by Ha Gyeong. So we’ll just divide the loot excluding the Artifact. Everyone agrees, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Good. The Mace is yours to keep. Now we’ll handle the Butchering and then move on.”
Everyone nodded at Dae Hyun-ja’s proposal.
It wasn’t merely out of deference to the team leader’s authority.
Hundreds of billions per person—that was what they could have claimed.
How could anyone easily walk away from that?
Yet there was no objection.
Everyone acknowledged Ha Gyeong’s contribution.
‘It’s not easy to claim rights when you’ve done nothing.’
Strictly speaking, the Titan Mace’s value should have been split too.
The entire process—entering the dungeon and returning—was part of the clearance.
Distribution of loot obtained during the expedition was covered in the contract.
If this were the Raiders Guild, they’d have demanded an immediate split.
Without a shred of shame on their faces.
Ha Gyeong approved of Dae Hyun-ja’s handling.
‘It’s not just about getting the Artifact. If you refuse to acknowledge someone’s accomplishment, the clearing party will fall apart.’
Dae Hyun-ja understood that fact very well.
Shortly after, the clearing party finished processing the loot.
And resumed their advance toward their destination.
They crossed the rocky terrain, but fortunately the dungeon wasn’t far.
[You have entered the dungeon ‘Encroaching Abyss’]
[A space teeming with Brood Eaters and Hemovists]
[Find and defeat the Brood Sovereign hidden in the depths of the Abyss]
[Grade: Incomprehensible]
[Limit: 5 people]
[Reward: Unknown Artifact]
The moment they passed through the stone gate, a pink space appeared.
The floor, the walls, the ceiling.
Everything twitched subtly as if alive.
A complex, winding labyrinth.
For a small dungeon with a 5-person limit, the interior was surprisingly expansive.
Only the corridors were narrow.
“From here on, I’ll take the lead.”
Kim Sang-woo stepped forward with a bow.
His expression was stern, his eyes ablaze.
He seemed eager to make up for his earlier mistake.
Kim Sang-woo cautiously rounded a corner.
There didn’t appear to be any traps, but complacency was still dangerous.
In a dungeon, the most absurd things could happen without surprise.
“Screeeee! Screee?”
After the unpleasant atmosphere of the corridor had repeated three or so times,
A sinister sound echoed from behind.
It was the path they’d just come through.
If that was a monster, the rear line would come under attack.
Dae Hyun-ja immediately moved to call Kim Sang-woo.
But danger descended far faster than anticipated.
“Kweeeeee!”
A thick body resembling a caterpillar.
Even hunched over, it easily exceeded two meters in height.
And those four foreleg-like appendages, shaped like a mantis’s claws.
The creatures that appeared with the screech were utterly grotesque.
Those must be the Brood Eaters from the system message.
Alarm bells shrieked in everyone’s minds.
—Kim Sang-woo…!
Dae Hyun-ja’s urgent voice crackled through the Whisper.
But the Brood Eaters’ attack had already commenced.
“Dodge!”
Dae Hyun-ja and the ranged dealers unleashed a barrage of attacks.
Then immediately hurled themselves aside.
To block the Brood Eaters’ approach,
And shift their positions.
But the creatures were far from defenseless.
Crack! Bang—!
The Brood Eater effortlessly batted projectiles away with its foreleg.
Soon, they charged forward at tremendous speed.
It was a critical moment before the rear line would be swept away.
But that was precisely when—
Whoosh—!
With a sickening sound, the Brood Eater’s body split in half.
Transparent viscera spilled out,
And the severed chunks collapsed limply.
Moments later, Dae Hyun-ja’s bewildered voice rang out.
“Ha—Ha Gyeong?”
The figure that had appeared was Ha Gyeong.
He should have been far ahead.
He was supposed to be opening the path with the tank.
Dae Hyun-ja could only find it strange.
Yet Ha Gyeong was performing his duties correctly.
The moment he sensed danger, he simply rushed here.
His movements had been so swift that it created this misunderstanding.
“Explanations later. This is more pressing.”
Dae Hyun-ja shook his head vigorously.
Then Ha Gyeong began tearing through the Brood Eaters.
Whoosh—! Crunch!
With his Abyss Resonance, now at its third stage.
With Ha Gyeong as a steadfast front line, the tide of battle shifted.
Now the ranged dealers could attack without hesitation.
Yet a bizarre scene unfolded.
Tap! Tap!
The arrows arcing through the air all ricocheted harmlessly away.
It was due to the Brood Eaters’ resilient exoskeleton.
A direct hit would at least lodge the arrow,
But any deviation in angle and it bounced right off.
Ha Gyeong’s situation was different.
Slash! Squelch—!
A single blow and the Brood Eater was cleaved in two.
Everyone found the brutally incongruous sight bewildering.
Dae Hyun-ja in particular voiced his confusion directly.
“Wait, why isn’t anything penetrating? Did I forget to apply an Enhancement?”
“Well… I didn’t just attack. I used a Skill as well.”
Two archers among Dae Hyun-ja’s party.
They were among the top-tier Awakeners in the industry.
Yet their attacks weren’t connecting properly.
Of course, it wasn’t completely ineffective.
If Dae Hyun-ja’s Buff Skill combined with Mana Resonance were applied,
Bang—!
Then they could kill a Brood Eater like this.
But that was just a common mob from the dungeon entrance.
Having to throw full-power strikes at such creatures was beyond reason.
Everyone could only be flabbergasted.
While the team members stood frozen,
Ha Gyeong finished off all the Brood Eaters.
“That’s done. We can move forward now.”
“How are you killing these things so easily?”
At Dae Hyun-ja’s genuine question, Ha Gyeong almost laughed.
He was clearly amazed by Ha Gyeong’s insane performance.
Still, Ha Gyeong figured he should give a thorough explanation.
No point in clouding the mood with anything strange.
After a brief pause, Ha Gyeong spoke in a humble tone.
“It’s because of their taut exoskeleton.”
“But even so…”
“It’s a matchup advantage. There’s no need to be disheartened that your attacks aren’t connecting. Let’s just collect the loot quickly and move on, shall we?”
“Ah, yes.”
Dae Hyun-ja’s eyes held an enigmatic light.
He felt a strange sense of inadequacy, somehow.
He’d brought what he considered impressive team members,
Yet he kept finding himself measuring them against Ha Gyeong.
But then Dae Hyun-ja tilted his head.
“Wait, where is Kim Sang-woo?”
“You’re right. If we’d called him through the Whisper, he’d have known the rear line was in trouble.”
“We should hurry forward.”
“Let’s go.”
Ha Gyeong quickly traversed the winding corridors.
Rapid footsteps!
Rounding a corner, he caught sight of Kim Sang-woo’s back.
Before him, a writhing mass of creatures resembling chimpanzees.
Those must be the Hemovists.
So this was why Kim Sang-woo hadn’t returned—he was blocking the path here.
‘Thanks to him, the rear line wasn’t surrounded.’
Ha Gyeong thrust his blade below Kim Sang-woo’s ribs.
It was a reckless, crude attack.
But his blade intercepted a rising Hemovist’s tentacle and severed it.
Slice—! Splurt!
It was a devastatingly precise strike.
Kim Sang-woo spun around in surprise.
“Ha Gyeong?”
“Stay focused. The rear ambush is handled. Don’t worry.”
“Understood!”
The two worked together with remarkable synchronicity.
As if they’d coordinated for over a decade.
Of course, this was thanks to Ha Gyeong’s superior skill.
He read Kim Sang-woo’s movements
And matched them appropriately—that alone made it possible.
Crash! Bang!
The Hemovists were downed in moments.
Truth be told, they weren’t particularly difficult.
Spherical bodies with mere tentacles—their combat prowess was mediocre.
The problem was the poison gas they exhaled.
[You have been poisoned by Hemovist toxin]
[Your movement speed is reduced]
[You are taking continuous damage]
Prick—. Prick—. Prick—.
It felt like someone was constantly stabbing him with needles.
Ha Gyeong and Kim Sang-woo’s limbs swelled up.
It was an immune response.
But then—
Dae Hyun-ja’s voice came through the Whisper.
—Antitoxin incoming!
[Status Ailment Cure ability removes the poison]
The swelling vanished instantly,
And Ha Gyeong’s face returned to normal.
Now it was just a matter of finishing off the remaining Hemovists.
But just then—
Something shifted.
[You have encountered the Abyss Dungeon’s boss, the Brood Sovereign]
[The Hemovists go berserk]
Roooooaaaarrr!
A colossal caterpillar-like monster broke through the wall.
Up to this point, the situation was comprehensible enough.
It was a small dungeon after all—an early boss appearance was possible.
But then an astonishing sight unfolded.
“Chirrrrup!”
The Hemovists began hurling themselves at the Brood Sovereign.
Monster against monster in an unprecedented fray.
Then—
Something flickered across Ha Gyeong’s mind.
‘If that’s the case… could this entire dungeon be…?’
Tearing Open a Gate
Author |
Morae Tteop
Publisher |
(Samyang C&C)
Editor-in-Chief |
Editorial Department
Published by |
(Samyang C&C) – Dream Books
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7th Floor, Gwangseong Building, 28 Bongeunsa-ro 114-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
UCI |
G720:N+A063-20260306112
Blog |
blog.naver.com/dreambookss
Twitter(X) |
@dreambookss
Submission |
[email protected]
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means without written permission from (Samyang C&C) – 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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