Tearing the Gate Apart - Chapter 3

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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 3.
Ha Gyeong leapt toward the Central Island.
Tap!
The moment his feet touched ground, a heavy tension flooded the space.
The Venom Drake’s eyes blazed with savage ferocity.
A wounded beast was always the most dangerous.
Yet Ha Gyeong pressed his assault without hesitation.
‘Can’t let it recover.’
As he closed in, the Venom Drake’s jaws snapped wide open.
A torrent of green liquid sprayed forth.
Sizzle!
An acidic slime attack meant to restrict his footing.
But Ha Gyeong didn’t flinch.
He deployed Wall String Support and scaled the stalactite instead.
Then he began slashing at the ceiling.
Crack-crack-crack! Boom!
A massive stalactite came crashing down onto the Venom Drake’s head.
It was a devastating rockfall attack.
The Black Water Awakeners watching from a distance murmured to one another.
“He’s running across the ceiling like flat ground. What in the—”
“We shouldn’t just stand here in shock. We need to support him!”
“But we haven’t received orders yet?”
“Ah, right.”
While they hesitated, Ha Gyeong’s voice came through the communicator.
―What are you doing? Just attack. Aggro management isn’t a concern anyway.
Normally, ranged dealers had to time their shots carefully.
One mistake could mean hitting allies instead.
But they only had two ranged dealers anyway.
The other two were healers.
They began desperately unleashing arrows and mana bolts.
Yet no matter how many attacks they poured out, the aggro never shifted.
“Wait, is that supposed to happen?”
“Yeah, shouldn’t it switch by now?”
But the Black Water Awakeners’ concern proved unfounded.
The Venom Drake’s gaze remained fixed solely on Ha Gyeong.
‘It’s marked me as the greatest threat.’
It seemed the beast’s judgment was functioning normally without a tank to confuse it.
Ha Gyeong felled the final stalactite and
immediately ended Wall String Support.
With a thunderous boom, the jagged stone plummeted downward.
Crash!
The instant the falling rock struck the Venom Drake,
Ha Gyeong burst forth from an unexpected angle and unleashed a barrage of strikes.
He’d hidden himself within the falling stalactite.
It was a display of exquisite combat sense.
The Venom Drake, caught off guard by the sudden blow,
had the scales around its neck shattered in one instant, exposing a critical gap.
Ha Gyeong moved to drive his blade deeper through the opening.
But that was the moment—
[Uncontrollable Abyss Energy fluctuation detected.]
The Venom Drake’s ultimate ability.
Poison Snipe activated without warning.
A tremendous wave of Abyss Energy erupted in an instant.
Whoosh!
“Ugh!”
Ha Gyeong twisted his torso, but a sharp cry escaped him nonetheless.
A dark mass of energy had grazed his arm and ribs.
A direct hit would have pulverized his bones.
Clatter!
But his Reactive Mana Armor performed its role perfectly.
[Reactive Mana Armor activated.]
[Converting impact to mana.]
Soon his blade was engulfed in crimson flames.
Howl!
The Reactive Mana Armor’s power amplification combined with Abyss Resonance.
He immediately thrust his sword toward the Venom Drake’s open maw.
“Shrieeeek!”
Squelch! Crunch!
The blade struck true—embedded in the roof of its mouth.
A sharp, electric sensation transmitted through his grip.
Ha Gyeong wrenched the blade free with all his strength.
Splash!
A movement calculated to anticipate any possible counterattack.
A torrent of blue-black blood sprayed forth, and
the Venom Drake’s head severed clean from its body.
Thud!
Its eyes rolled back; its form lay motionless.
[Dungeon Boss, Venom Drake, defeated.]
[You receive ‘Poison-Stained Karambit’ as a reward.]
An exhilarating system message bloomed in his mind.
‘Success!’
Ha Gyeong exulted silently.
This dungeon was Unknown Grade.
Normally, a single proper raid party—
at minimum thirty people—would be required to challenge it.
Yet he had succeeded in the boss raid with only a skeleton crew.
It was a truly remarkable achievement.
A thrilling sensation rushed through his veins.
But Ha Gyeong’s joy was cut short by sudden clarity.
He turned his gaze to where the Venom Drake had been keeping watch.
‘This is no time to celebrate. I need to find the Ultimate Abyss Key fragment.’
And that meant he had to redirect his attention.
Ha Gyeong activated his communicator.
“Gather the spoils. I’m going to scout the area—there might be survivors.”
―Understood.
The Black Water Awakeners crossed over to the Central Island.
In the meantime, Ha Gyeong headed to the location he’d noted earlier.
Of course, the survivor search was merely a pretext.
He was following where Soul Stigma guided him.
Glancing back, all of them were absorbed in collecting the loot.
Ha Gyeong moved forward with relief.
‘This is the place.’
He had arrived at the deepest recess of the boss’s lair.
To the eye, it was merely a shallow depression.
But Ha Gyeong knew an immense treasure lay hidden within.
A thrill ran through his entire body.
He immediately began excavating where Soul Stigma indicated.
Dig! Dig! Dig!
The field spade cut through the earth, and
poison-tainted soil and rocks were cast aside.
Soon he withdrew a dark, murky crystal.
‘It’s small. So then—’
Could it contain a fragment of the Ultimate Abyss Key?
He split the crystal open with eager anticipation.
Crack! Ting!
In that instant, radiant light burst forth.
[Ultimate Abyss Fragment opened.]
[Abyss Ruler Authority ‘Distortion’ has been gained as a skill.]
[Vast Abyss Energy is being transferred.]
Crackling electricity!
“Ahhhhh!”
Ha Gyeong gasped.
Tremendous power flooded through his entire being.
It felt as though flaming spheres were rolling through his veins.
But the pain was brief.
Soon he opened the eyes he’d been clenching.
“Hah……”
A long exhalation released white vapor.
He realized he had ascended to a far greater level.
Even with mana efficiency diminished by poison, he felt overwhelming power.
A mere debuff like that was beneath his notice.
An enormous surge of energy flowed majestically through his body.
Ha Gyeong was inwardly staggered.
‘This can’t be real. I feel several times stronger.’
A different kind of thrill, distinct from Soul Stigma, spread through him.
His heart hammered wildly.
Ha Gyeong couldn’t help but feel exhilaration.
The Abyss Ruler’s Distortion ability was a truly vicious technique.
It sent projectiles careening into impossible trajectories—
a calamity for any ranged dealer.
Imagine your own attacks killing your comrades.
What could be more horrifying?
Recalling those days, Ha Gyeong’s body trembled.
‘Either way, I’ve taken one step further.’
He immediately pulled up his Awakener information.

Name: Ha Gyeong
Resonance Grade: Stage 1
Skills: Wall String Support (A), Soul Severance (S), Abyss Resonance (S), Soul Stigma (EX), Distortion (Authority)
Artifacts: Reactive Mana Armor, Ultimate Abyss Key (1/3)
The Abyss Ruler’s Distortion Authority now sat squarely in Ha Gyeong’s Awakener information.
It meant something profound.
Wielding the enemy’s weapon to threaten the enemy itself.
Overwhelmed by emotion, Ha Gyeong clenched his jaw.
But then his communicator vibrated.
―We’ve gathered all the spoils. Um… where are you?
A message from one of the Black Water Awakeners.
It seemed they were hesitant about what to call him.
Ha Gyeong rose quickly and swept the surroundings.
‘No sign of anything.’
Despite the cursory inspection, he was certain.
Soul Stigma had sharpened his senses.
Ha Gyeong activated his communicator.
“There don’t appear to be any survivors. I’m heading back.”
―Understood.
Upon returning to the Central Island, a rather unexpected sight greeted him.
The Venom Drake had vanished without a trace.
Though some remains were scattered about, they seemed worthless.
Ha Gyeong clicked his tongue silently.
‘Their dismantling technique is extraordinary.’
Now that he thought about it, everyone wore large rucksacks.
Spatial Expansion Bags.
Being one of the four major guilds, the quality of their artifacts appeared excellent.
Ha Gyeong took the lead, finding the path.
The Black Water Awakeners naturally fell into step behind him.
After a moment, one of them casually approached and struck up a conversation.
“I should have introduced myself sooner. I’m Seo Jun Hyeok.”
“I’m Ha Gyeong.”
“Your skill was impressive.”
“I was able to finish it cleanly because of your timely healing.”
“Ha! That’s what healers are supposed to do. It wasn’t any great feat. You shone far brighter.”
“You’re too kind.”
“By the way, weren’t you a promising talent before?”
“…No.”
A slightly delayed answer.
It was a past he didn’t care to discuss.
Axis Prime had already faded into history,
and the promising Ha Gyeong had died.
Now he was only a specter wandering in search of the Abyss of Collapse.
He grasped Seo Jun Hyeok’s intention at once.
‘He probably asked because he’s Black Water’s own promising prospect.’
An attempt to find common ground.
They were similar in age, after all.
The conversation seemed ready to die there.
But Seo Jun Hyeok appeared to have other ideas.
“The boss reward is the Poison-Stained Karambit—a dagger, so you should have first right of purchase.”
“Lucky me.”
Ha Gyeong nodded.
On one hand, he wondered why this man was being so warm.
But he thought he understood soon enough.
The brightness in Seo Jun Hyeok’s eyes was unmistakable.
Like a fan meeting a superstar.
Ha Gyeong found himself shaking his head without thinking.
‘This is burdensome.’
* * *
After departing the Abyss of Collapse, Ha Gyeong passed through the Abyss Gate.
Following decontamination and exit procedures,
he headed straight for Black Water’s guild headquarters.
He was there to negotiate regarding the right of first purchase for the artifact.
But when he arrived at the headquarters,
Yoon Chang Ho appeared right on cue.
“I heard the news. You continued the raid even after we had to withdraw?”
“Yes.”
“Well done. Come inside and we can talk.”
Yoon Chang Ho maintained a respectful demeanor throughout.
Ha Gyeong was shown to a neatly appointed reception room.
Barely had they sat when refreshments appeared before him.
‘Good treatment.’
There was no other way to describe it.
Ha Gyeong was the man who had solo-carried the failed raid.
The situation called not merely for first right of purchase, but outright ownership transfer.
Soon Yoon Chang Ho opened his mouth with gravity.
“You’re well aware that organizing a raid team requires considerable resources.”
Dungeon raiding wasn’t a matter of simply gathering Awakeners.
There were potions and various supplies;
repair costs for damaged artifacts;
and guest member wages on top of all that.
Operating a raid team demanded a steep price.
Ha Gyeong understood this perfectly.
“I agree.”
“How about we compromise at a reasonable middle ground?”
“What sum do you have in mind?”
“We’ll grant you first right of purchase, but at half the market price. Is that acceptable?”
It was honestly not a bad offer.
Yet Ha Gyeong was cautious.
“Let me see the item first.”
“Of course, that should come first.”
Ha Gyeong placed the hooked blade on the table.
The Poison-Stained Karambit.
Befitting an Unknown Grade artifact, it emanated an extraordinary aura.
After examining the blade briefly, Ha Gyeong nodded.
“I’ll take it.”
“That’s unfortunate for us.”
“It’s an Unknown Grade artifact—I can’t pass up an opportunity like this.”
“Right, understood. Please transfer the payment through this account.”
“Very well.”
Ha Gyeong lifted the Poison-Stained Karambit and tested its weight.
It felt comfortable in hand; quite serviceable.
He secured it in his belt.
Then Yoon Chang Ho smiled meaningfully and spoke.
“Ha Gyeong.”
“Yes?”
“Would you consider joining our guild? I promise industry-leading treatment.”
“……”
Under normal circumstances, it would have been a tempting offer.
Black Water was one of Korea’s four major guilds.
Surely diverse support would follow.
Dungeon raids would become much easier to organize.
But Ha Gyeong’s purpose was to find the Abyss of Collapse.
Guild membership would place restrictions on his actions.
He shook his head.
“I’m sorry. I have my own path to follow.”
“I suspected as much, seeing how you work solo. Don’t worry about it.”
“Thank you.”
“Then how about this instead? Participate in our next raid as a guest member, just as you did this time.”
Ha Gyeong prepared to decline again.
The intent to recruit was still present.
But Yoon Chang Ho’s next words made him pause.
“We’ve discovered another Unknown Grade dungeon.”
Ripping the Gate Open
Author |
Morae Tob
Publisher |
Samyang C&C Corp.
Editorial Director |
Editorial Department
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Samyang C&C Corp. – Dream Books
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G720:N+A063-20260306112
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This work may not be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without the written permission of Samyang C&C Corp. – 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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