Tearing the Gate Apart - Chapter 63
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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 63.
Despite the crisis, Ha Gyeong felt oddly content.
He’d managed to overcome it well enough, all things considered.
And he’d confirmed the sincerity of the Raiders Guild members.
In the end, only a handful—Choi Hyeon Ki foremost among them—harbored ill will toward him.
Not the guild as a whole.
Ha Gyeong pushed aside idle thoughts and focused on finding the path forward.
‘Discard the useless thinking. Concentrate on the clear.’
The Abyss of the deep sea was a Bottomless Pit of an Incomprehensible Tier dungeon.
A place as perilous as the Extreme Tier dungeons above.
Even with a handpicked raid team, there was no room for carelessness.
Just fighting the Guardian had been an endless chain of crises, hadn’t it?
Ha Gyeong decided he needed to stay sharp.
Then, without warning, John drifted over beside him.
“Hip-hip-hip hooray! Hip-hip-hip hooray! Over the hill, through the valley!”
He bounded along like an astronaut who’d just landed on the moon.
Ha Gyeong pressed his palm to his forehead.
“What on earth is the problem? There must be a reason you’re acting like this.”
“Hey! Bro, you’ve got no sense of wonder. The feeling of swimming through water where you can actually breathe—it’s like space. Isn’t it amazing?”
“That may be, but we’re in the middle of a raid right now. We don’t know what could happen at any moment.”
“There’s a saying: a flying bird beats a running bird. But even a bird that flies can’t outrun one that’s having fun.”
With that, he drifted ahead, swaying gently.
Then something dark suddenly burst out and slammed into John.
Grrrr! Bang!
“Ugh!”
John crashed against the wall and slid downward with a scrape.
It looked like a scene straight out of an American cartoon.
Ha Gyeong quickly moved forward and swung the Crimson Edge.
Slice!
The dark thing severed instantly.
Looking closer, it was a new trap.
It lurked within the coral like a clam wielding seaweed.
But its attack pattern was different.
It shot out a dark mass of flesh to stun its prey, then
dragged it inside and consumed it.
Ha Gyeong found himself clicking his tongue involuntarily.
“Every trap here is brutal. You alright, John?”
“You ask quick. It hurts like hell.”
“Hm. Seems fine to me.”
“I’m telling you it hurts. Why can’t you believe what people say?”
“Come on, is John really going to be bothered by just that much? Weren’t you the tough guy from America?”
“Ahem! I’m something of a macho man, yeah.”
John struck a bodybuilder’s pose.
Ha Gyeong was certain of it.
‘A real character, this one.’
Of course, he kept that thought to himself.
Otherwise, he’d have to watch John throw a fit.
Ha Gyeong reported immediately to Ryu Jeong Hwan.
“There are traps that suddenly burst out from between the coral. They’re hard to spot, so everyone should be careful.”
―Understood. It would be wise for the vanguard to slow its pace.
Ryu Jeong Hwan’s voice came through the Whisperer.
The raid team’s advance slowed.
Apart from the traps, Ha Gyeong fell into thought.
‘Where exactly is the boss?’
Hours had passed since they’d defeated the Guardian.
Yet Black Leviathan was nowhere to be seen.
Despite having explored most of the dungeon.
Ha Gyeong organized his thoughts.
‘There are basically two solutions.’
First, solve some special dungeon mechanic.
Second, explore the parts they haven’t visited yet.
Honestly, the former seemed unlikely.
Of course, there were dungeons that required solving riddles.
But veteran Awakened Ones wouldn’t miss something like that.
Then the answer had to be the latter.
Ha Gyeong stared at the area beyond the Coral Zone for a long while.
Then John nudged his shoulder.
“Bro, why are you staring blankly at the upper areas?”
“That’s the only place we haven’t explored.”
Of course, the Hydrothermal Vent at the dungeon’s center was also unexplored.
But it was too hot to approach.
That left only the dark deep sea.
John nodded, his expression troubled.
“Ooh! It’s a good idea, but isn’t it dangerous?”
“If we run into something like a Skull Piercer, I’ll be defenseless and take a beating.”
“Hm! But you’ll go anyway, right?”
“First I need to consult with the team leader.”
Ryu Jeong Hwan was the driving force of this raid team.
He couldn’t break the teamwork.
Ha Gyeong headed toward the back of the formation.
The moment he left his position, Ryu Jeong Hwan spoke up.
“What’s the matter?”
“I’ve explored nearly all of the Coral Zone, but I can’t find the boss. There doesn’t seem to be any special mechanic either…”
“I’ve found that a bit odd too. It should be coming out soon.”
“What if we checked out there?”
Ha Gyeong pointed to the deep sea beyond the Coral Zone.
Ryu Jeong Hwan’s expression shifted subtly.
Apparently, he hadn’t considered that far.
The mood among the team members listening in grew serious.
Ha Gyeong’s theory was too plausible.
But one difficult problem remained.
Who exactly was supposed to venture into such a place?
Soon, voices of the team members debating erupted.
“Normally, Sharp Force would handle it, but they’re all Ranged Dealers.”
“It’s bound to be difficult to respond. If something goes wrong, we could really be finished.”
“But Order can’t be the one to go either.”
“So who’s actually willing to bear the risk?”
In truth, Ha Gyeong believed he was the most suitable person.
He had decent defense and even possessed healing ability.
But he had no intention of stepping up on his own.
He could see the situation clearly.
Ryu Jeong Hwan was considerably troubled, though he didn’t show it.
So perhaps he could negotiate something appropriate.
Ha Gyeong casually threw out a suggestion.
“Scouting into the deep sea isn’t difficult. I can do it.”
“Really?”
“If you promise adequate compensation.”
“What do you want?”
Ha Gyeong didn’t answer Ryu Jeong Hwan’s question.
Instead, he offered only a meaningful smile.
It meant: figure it out yourself.
A moment of silence followed.
Ryu Jeong Hwan closed his eyes, then opened them and spoke.
“I’ll grant you Priority Purchase Rights on the Final Boss rewards.”
“How many categories?”
“Two categories.”
It was a quite reasonable offer.
Ryu Jeong Hwan likely knew this as well.
That they would reach this point of agreement in the end.
Ha Gyeong nodded without asking for more.
“I understand. I’ll take accessories and spellbooks.”
“What? You’re excluding weapons and armor?”
“Yes.”
At Ha Gyeong’s answer, Ryu Jeong Hwan looked surprised.
Usually people chose in order of value.
But it truly didn’t matter to him.
‘He gave me good weapons, so I’m just returning the favor.’
Ha Gyeong returned to the front line and spoke with John.
About how exactly he’d go out and return.
First, he pulled out a long Alchemy Rope and wound it around his body.
Of course, he removed his armor and left it with John.
Soon all the preparations were done.
Ha Gyeong spoke as he moved beyond the Coral Zone.
“Pull me up the moment I signal.”
“Don’t worry, bro. I’ll make sure to whip you like a slave driver.”
“I’m saying this because John’s most likely to slack off.”
“Just let me hit you a couple times first. That way the fish bites better.”
“You realize this is fishing, right?”
“Isn’t it?”
“Well… it’s pretty similar, isn’t it? I just don’t plan on being half-swallowed like actual bait, so don’t fool around.”
“Hey now! What do you take me for? Trust me.”
It was truly the most untrustworthy thing he could have said.
But there was no real need to worry.
John was a comrade with considerable loyalty, despite what he said.
Ha Gyeong immediately left the Coral Zone.
‘Carrying this Glowing Rod, I really do look like bait.’
Like an anglerfish luring prey with luminous tentacles.
Despite such idle thoughts, he swam steadily upward.
Before long, he’d put considerable distance between himself and the raid team.
Roughly a hundred meters up, it seemed.
The Coral Zone was no longer visible at all.
The sensation of being utterly alone in the dark.
‘Is this what they call deep-sea terror?’
Regardless of such thoughts, Ha Gyeong continued swimming diligently.
The Alchemy Rope was beginning to reach its limit.
If he went further, it would snap.
Then suddenly, something solid touched his fingertips.
Touch.
“Hm? What’s this?”
A bumpy, rough texture.
For a moment, he thought he’d touched the ceiling.
Like the outer surface surrounding the Coral Zone.
But then he realized something was wrong.
The endless ceiling suddenly writhed.
Grrrrrr!
[Encounter with the Final Boss of the Abyss Dungeon: Black Leviathan]
Purple eyes seemed to pierce through Ha Gyeong’s entire body.
‘What kind of presence is…’
If mere killing intent could slay a person, this was exactly what it would feel like.
The aura radiating from Black Leviathan was utterly overwhelming.
Snapping out of his momentary daze, Ha Gyeong frantically grabbed the Whisperer.
“Found it! Pull me up!”
At the same time, he jerked the Alchemy Rope twice hard.
Then his body was yanked downward with tremendous force.
Once the boss acknowledged him, it was only a matter of time before it gave chase.
He had to rejoin the team before being devoured.
Ha Gyeong flailed his limbs frantically.
Grrrrr!
He was moving at considerable speed, but his neck prickled with dread.
Instinctively, he glanced back.
And gasped in shock.
Black Leviathan was less than a meter away.
Jaws split wide on both sides, lined with countless teeth.
A truly horrifying visage.
Ha Gyeong immediately drew the Crimson Edge and Resonance Staff.
‘Let me slow things down a bit.’
Clang! Shriiiiing―!
[Resonance Staff Activated]
[Absorbs all surrounding energy]
A thunderous boom echoed as the surrounding water surged violently.
A suction force erupted right in Black Leviathan’s face.
At first, the effect seemed quite effective.
The distance between him and his opponent widened just as he’d hoped.
But Black Leviathan was no easy foe.
“Kyaaaaaa!”
A horrible shriek released something purple that spread outward.
Ha Gyeong felt an enormous sense of crisis.
An indescribable force suddenly dominated the entire area.
[Black Leviathan deploys the Abyssal Dragnet]
Splash-splash-splash!
It was an extremely dense net.
A purple prison that seized all who swam through it.
It seemed he’d be caught any moment now.
But Ha Gyeong had an invincible shield.
Though it only worked on projectiles.
[The Abyss Challenger’s Distortion ability inverts the space]
Spin!
The net chasing Ha Gyeong vanished in an instant.
Sent flying somewhere else by the Distortion ability.
Thanks to that, Ha Gyeong escaped the boss’s grasp.
But there was one thing he’d overlooked.
Splash-splash-splash!
The Abyssal Dragnet that had scattered came bearing down on Ha Gyeong again.
‘Are you kidding me! The skill’s range covered the entire dungeon?’
It might as well mean the Distortion ability to deflect it was nullified.
Soon Ha Gyeong’s movement ceased entirely.
The Alchemy Rope grew taut to the breaking point.
As if it might snap any second.
Ha Gyeong tried to slash the net with the Crimson Edge.
Slash! Slash!
‘Why is it so tough?’
But he only churned the water futilely.
The net wrapped tighter around his body.
He was on the verge of being dragged into Black Leviathan’s jaws.
Gritting his teeth, he stared at his opponent.
‘I didn’t manage to grab its aggro, but there’s no choice. I have to land one good hit first.’
[Kin Predation skill target locked]
[Target: Black Leviathan]
Shriek!
The same ringing sound as always echoed.
But Ha Gyeong’s reaction was entirely different.
An enormous amount of Abyss Energy transferred into him.
Not merely unexpected—far beyond imagination.
It was because Black Leviathan was that powerful.
Ha Gyeong’s arm trembled uncontrollably with the force.
“Gaaaah!”
He let out a shout that was almost a scream.
Without this, he couldn’t control the power.
Ha Gyeong barely managed to raise the Crimson Edge.
By then, a thirty-meter-diameter disc had already formed above his head.
“Disappear!”
He barely understood what he was doing anymore.
But one thing was certain.
Ha Gyeong’s strike hit Black Leviathan’s head with absolute precision.
An all-out Transformed Sword Soul.
Quuuuuung!
The entire dungeon shook with the impact.
Ha Gyeong went limp and waited.
Soon the Alchemy Rope began pulling him down.
‘The team is safe. But what about Black Leviathan?’
He raised his head without thinking.
In the dark water, Black Leviathan’s silhouette was visible.
One of its jaws severed and hanging.
It drifted motionless.
As if reeling from the tremendous blow.
But then something absurdly shocking unfolded.
Slip. Slip.
Identical forms suddenly appeared on both sides of the wounded Black Leviathan.
Ha Gyeong couldn’t believe his eyes.
“It had… three heads?”
Tearing Open the Gate
Author |
Moraetop
Publisher |
Samyang C&C Corporation
Editor-in-Chief |
Editorial Department
Published by |
Samyang C&C Corporation – 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
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@dreambookss
Submission |
[email protected]
No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of Samyang C&C Corporation – 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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