Tearing the Gate Apart - Chapter 60
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 60.
Choi Hyun Ki stood speechless.
And rightfully so.
Who throws in extra money just because something’s pretty?
Ha Gyeong regretted losing the Blizzard Blade somewhat, but he shook his head.
Then Choi Hyun Ki raised his voice.
“Wait, you just said you’d buy both of them.”
“Only at a reasonable price. I’ve already obtained a usable weapon. Do you really think I’d fetch 250 billion won reselling the Blizzard Blade?”
“Well… that would be difficult.”
“I’d consider it at 180 billion.”
“If that’s how it is, I’ll just put it up for public auction instead.”
“Which means you’re not buying it. You seem to struggle with plain language.”
“You rotten bastard.”
“What, you want to throw down right here?”
Choi Hyun Ki was a first-generation Awakened One.
A wielder of overwhelming firepower.
But his compatibility with Ha Gyeong was the worst possible.
Especially at close range like this.
Any reckless move would only result in him getting thoroughly beaten.
Realizing this fact,
Choi Hyun Ki’s face flushed red.
But he said no more.
Whether he liked it or not,
Ha Gyeong strolled leisurely out of the Abandoned Factory.
Shortly after, John’s smiling face lit up.
“Yo! Bro. Your trash talk’s getting pretty sharp, huh? I’m digging the attitude.”
“That’s all your influence.”
“My influence? What do you mean?”
“You’re always spouting nonsense next to me. I can’t help but be rubbed off by it—you know, Following the Black After Visiting the Ink. Seriously, it’s not supposed to match with just anyone.”
“Foll…?”
“No, not that.”
Ha Gyeong shook his head firmly.
He was about to start the engine and drive off
when a rather interesting idea suddenly occurred to him.
He turned to John in the passenger seat.
“Hey, John.”
“What?”
“If the Raiders Guild opened a public auction and I went out there to buy the Blizzard Blade, do you think Choi Hyun Ki would be furious or not?”
John’s mouth fell open.
“You demon. I like it.”
“Huh?”
The sentences didn’t match at all, and Ha Gyeong couldn’t help his bewilderment.
I tried playing dumb for a moment,
but it seemed you really can’t outcrazy an actual lunatic.
* * *
After waiting several days, the Raiders Guild never opened a public auction.
It wasn’t consumed internally, either.
If someone had obtained the Blizzard Blade, the Association would surely know.
Likely they were still deliberating
on how to handle it.
Ha Gyeong erased the Blizzard Blade from his mind.
‘It’s a shame, but it can’t be helped. The Crimson Edge is sufficient.’
He’d never relied on weapons in the first place.
The Karambit’s stats were respectable, but that was all.
Ha Gyeong’s core strength lay in his Abyss Energy and formidable skills.
Naturally, he planned to use his newly acquired weapon similarly.
Today was when Ryu Jung Hwan’s planned dungeon expedition was happening.
Ha Gyeong headed toward the Gate with John.
“Just the two of us makes it feel a bit lonely, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah. I guess I’ve grown attached from seeing you so often. Especially without Dae Hyeonja—really feels like something’s missing.”
“The Healer was sponsored by the Raiders Guild, after all.”
“Still, don’t you think Kim Sang Woo would’ve been worth bringing?”
“I suppose so.”
Of all the personnel Ha Gyeong had recommended, only John had been selected.
Given that it’s an Incomprehensible Grade dungeon in the Bottomless Abyss,
they seemed to have been very careful in assembling the team.
When Ha Gyeong arrived at the Gate and joined the Expedition Team, he felt subtle stares.
Ha Gyeong quickly identified their source.
‘The Raiders Guild.’
All eight Healers were watching him.
Not with animosity, though.
More like curious glances—perhaps mildly impressed.
Of course, Ha Gyeong paid little attention.
‘I’m not the type who needs much support.’
If worse came to worst, he could overcome the crisis with the Tyrant’s Bracelet.
Soon Ryu Jung Hwan gathered his team members.
“As you all know, we’ve assembled quite generous numbers. The Expedition Team comprises forty members, and two Escort Teams will accompany us.”
The Incomprehensible Grade dungeon in the Bottomless Abyss.
By the standards of the upper Abyss, it matched the difficulty of a mid-sized Incomprehensible Grade dungeon.
A sixty-member capacity, that is.
So they’d expanded the Expedition Team to forty members.
After a brief equipment check,
the expedition headed toward the Bottomless Abyss.
Suddenly, John whispered to Ha Gyeong.
“Looks like they picked mostly Rankers.”
“Is that so?”
“The guest members are all top-ranked people.”
“How would you know that?”
“Spend a little time on community forums and social media, and the answer comes quick. Everybody’s dying to brag. Except one guy.”
“Who?”
“Bro. You.”
Ha Gyeong didn’t do social media at all.
Same with Awakened One communities.
He’d rather spend that time training.
He figured getting proper rest was far more beneficial.
Ha Gyeong’s entire focus was on the Abyss Ruler.
His mind remained concentrated on that creature.
He could never forget it.
‘It’s the driving force of my life.’
On the surface, he appeared composed.
But beneath, a flame of resentment burned fiercely.
Using John’s chatter as background music,
Ha Gyeong proceeded at a steady pace.
Entering the Bottomless Abyss, the Escort Teams’ complexions darkened.
They didn’t seem particularly accustomed to this place.
They’d probably volunteered for the Escort Teams to gain experience.
Ha Gyeong recalled his first arrival in the Bottomless Abyss.
‘I had times like that too.’
But unlike back then, this expedition was remarkably stable.
Few monster packs appeared.
Even Obsidian Titans were nowhere to be seen.
As Ha Gyeong glanced around in puzzlement,
he suddenly understood.
‘It’s because there are so many of us.’
Monsters weren’t mindless creatures that simply attacked with blank stares.
They too were sentient beings capable of thought.
The expedition numbered one hundred.
With such numbers, they didn’t dare attack carelessly.
Realizing his oversight, Ha Gyeong felt oddly embarrassed.
‘This place is different from the upper Abyss. I was being too careless. I should’ve been as cautious as when I first passed through a Gate.’
Next time, he’d need to organize at least two teams.
While he pondered these things,
the Raid Party reached their destination.
Ryu Jung Hwan stepped forward and inserted a key into the hidden stone door.
“Everyone, stay alert. We’re beginning the expedition now.”
Click! Rumble, rumble, rumble!
[You have entered the dungeon “Deep Sea Abyss”]
[It is a space filled with an unidentifiable liquid, but you can breathe]
[Beware the Infinite Onslaught of the Skull Piker]
[Defeat the Guardian Dread River and find and kill the Final Boss Black Leviathan]
[Grade: Incomprehensible]
[Reward: Unknown Artifact]
‘Huh?’
Ha Gyeong instinctively held his breath.
The entire interior was filled with liquid.
But he couldn’t hold it forever.
No matter how hard he looked around, there was no air pocket.
Eventually, Ha Gyeong breathed in the liquid.
“Oh?”
Surprisingly, breathing was easy.
It felt natural, like inhaling air.
He could even speak normally.
Ha Gyeong nudged John and spoke.
“This is going to be really difficult, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Movement’s heavily restricted. My armor keeps me from floating, but the resistance is considerable.”
“If the monsters turn out to be fish-like…”
“Whoa, don’t say things that jinx us! Spit, spit, spit!”
“What? I’m not a kid. Where’d you even learn that?”
“My wife says it whenever I ramble.”
“So you’re aware you’re the one rambling?”
“Wow, that’s downright ad hominem. Classic Ha Gyeong!”
“Please stop calling me that. I’m dying of embarrassment.”
As Ha Gyeong and John conversed,
blurry shapes began rippling in the distance ahead.
Fish-like creatures clad in what appeared to be bone armor.
A five-meter-long giant fish had appeared.
This must be the Skull Piker mentioned in the system message.
Ha Gyeong quickly moved to the formation’s flank.
‘This is the right position, but why do I feel uneasy?’
A nagging feeling, as if he’d forgotten something.
Unable to ignore the doubt, he immediately opened the system message.
Then a chilling word appeared before Ha Gyeong’s eyes.
“Infinite Onslaught?”
The moment Ha Gyeong murmured the message content,
the slowly swimming Skull Pikers detected the Raid Party.
Soon after, a terrifying wave of attacks began.
[The Skull Piker pack deploys Infinite Onslaught]
Whoooosh—!
Dozens of fish carving through the water.
Given their size, the pressure was immense.
Ha Gyeong hurled himself forward immediately.
‘I need to rejoin the front line. Otherwise I’m a sitting duck.’
Normally his position was well-chosen.
But now the enemy’s movement speed far exceeded his.
Standing alone, he’d become an easy target.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Heavy footfalls echoed through the water.
Ha Gyeong’s judgment was sharp, but his body moved sluggishly.
The water’s resistance bore down on him completely.
Eventually, he found himself face-to-face with the charging Skull Piker pack.
Ping—! Clang! Clang!
At the moment of crisis,
a pale-blue aura enveloped Ha Gyeong’s entire body.
Remarkably, the Healers had come to his aid.
The Raiders Guild supporting Ha Gyeong?
Unexpected, but he had no time to wonder.
Ha Gyeong quietly withdrew the Resonance Staff.
“I don’t know who you are, but thanks for the professional courtesy.”
Then he swung the Crimson Edge with force.
Dooong!
A far more magnificent soundwave rippled outward than usual.
[Resonance Staff activated]
[Draws in all surrounding energy]
The Skull Pikers that had been rushing forward abruptly halted.
The Resonance Staff’s pull had seized them.
Thanks to that, Ha Gyeong could catch his breath.
He immediately began wielding the Crimson Edge.
[The Abyss Challenger’s Compression authority elevates Abyss Energy density]
Crack—! Squelch!
A slow strike, but devastatingly effective.
Ha Gyeong’s Compression Abyss resonance cleaved a Skull Piker in two.
The Crimson Edge’s armor-breaking effect had proven decisive.
“Croak?”
“Croak?”
Then most of the Skull Pikers turned their attention to Ha Gyeong.
They’d identified him as the greatest threat.
Soon after, the direction of the Infinite Onslaught shifted.
Ha Gyeong couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
“Heh. Why is this all coming at me?”
Of course, not all Skull Pikers charged at once.
Some remained engaged with the front line.
Only those not caught in taunts had swarmed him.
Ha Gyeong ran his fingers along the Crimson Edge’s blade and spoke softly.
“All right then. Let’s see what you’ve got, new friend.”
The grip was definitely more stable than the Karambit.
Maybe because of that, applying power felt somewhat easier.
Soon after, Ha Gyeong fixed his eyes on the Resonance Staff.
‘Maybe it’s time to open the piggy bank again.’
[Kin Predation skill target set]
[Target: Resonance Staff]
Ping—!
Alongside the familiar ringing, an enormous torrent of Abyss Energy surged forward.
Engulfed in ashen flames, Ha Gyeong tilted his blade sideways.
He was about to deploy a thirty-meter-wide Transformed Chaotic Soul.
But that was when it happened.
[The Crimson Edge, affected by massive Abyss Energy, begins to transform]
[Projectile Enhancement effect is added]
Ha Gyeong tilted his head.
“What is…?”
A new option on an artifact was a good thing.
Projectile enhancement on a machete, though?
What kind of nonsense was that?
As he struggled to process the absurdity,
Ha Gyeong suddenly realized something.
‘Wait. If that’s the case…?’
The disc embedded in the blade.
The size of the thirty-meter Transformed Chaotic Soul doubled instantly.
Exactly twice.
Ripping Open the Gate
Author |
Moraetop
Publisher |
Samyang C&C
Editor-in-Chief |
Editorial Department
Published by |
Samyang C&C – Dream Books
Address |
7th Floor, Gwangseong Building, 28 Bongeunsaro 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 in any form or by any means without the written permission of Samyang C&C – Dream Books.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————