Tearing the Gate Apart - Chapter 8

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 8.
Ma Do Hyeok’s jaw dropped.
‘What kind of person is he, exactly?’
At first, he’d taken him for just an arrogant kid.
Bragging about Artifacts during the interview, of all things.
But Ha Gyeong’s skill and courage made him want to eat his words.
Even Ma Do Hyeok had been forced to stumble back—wasn’t that the situation?
The danger had been so severe they’d have to consider the possibility of a failed assault.
And yet Ha Gyeong charged straight at the Gear Crusher.
And somehow managed to mount a counterattack.
Ma Do Hyeok stood there in a daze.
Then someone’s voice drifted over.
“Wow! Who the hell is this guy that he can pull off something so insane?”
“They said his name is Ha Gyeong, but I’ve never heard of him.”
“He apparently obtained seven Artifacts. And the crazy part is—he’s not affiliated with any guild. He operates solo.”
“Why would he need to do that? With skills like that, even the Four Major Guilds would fast-track him.”
The close-range Dealers, no less shocked than Ma Do Hyeok.
But right then.
A sharp voice rang out.
“Start destroying the water droplets right now! The stun effect won’t last much longer.”
Sure enough, just as Ha Gyeong said, a system message appeared.
[The Gear Crusher is regaining consciousness]
[The Gear Crusher’s Aggro is rising rapidly]
When the status effect wore off, a catastrophic barrage of attacks would come down.
Before that happened, he absolutely had to save the Raiders Awakeners.
Completing an assault without a major guild backing would be impossibly difficult.
“Move quickly, everyone!”
“Go, go!”
The close-range Dealers snapped to attention at last.
They sprinted toward the back line, swinging their weapons frantically.
Meanwhile, Ha Gyeong swept his gaze across the Gear Crusher’s entire body.
On the surface, it looked like he was doing something pointless.
Just poking here and there while circling around.
But Ha Gyeong’s actions had a clear purpose.
‘It barely has any weak points. Its whole body is incredibly tough.’
At first, it seemed it would be easy to overcome.
Since it was a machine, even if only a few places broke down, it wouldn’t be able to move properly.
But the Gear Crusher was no ordinary robot.
Ha Gyeong quickly grasped its true nature.
‘It’s not the armor itself—it just looks mechanical. There’s some unidentified monster inside it.’
Like a creature squeezed into a steampunk skin.
There seemed to be only one way to overcome this.
But then someone called out to Ha Gyeong.
“Should I create a weak point?”
Ma Do Hyeok stepped forward abruptly and asked.
His usual blunt tone was nowhere to be found.
Instead, he was being quite respectful.
Ha Gyeong answered readily.
“Its defense is incredible. I think we’ll need to do that.”
At his brief explanation, Ma Do Hyeok nodded.
Then he immediately charged in alone.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
Ha Gyeong reached out only to grasp at empty air.
There was no time to stop him, and he doubted Ma Do Hyeok would listen anyway.
It looked reckless, but surprisingly, Ma Do Hyeok’s attack proved effective.
Crack!
[The Gear Crusher’s outer shell is torn by the Piercing Burst Strike]
[A specific area’s defense drops to an extreme low]
[The Gear Crusher regains consciousness from the impact]
Gaaahhh―!
“Beep! Beep beep!”
The Gear Crusher, silent until now, jolted awake instantly.
Immediately after, its devastating hammer attacks resumed.
Whoooosh―! Boom!
“Argh!”
Ma Do Hyeok, raining down attacks like a berserker, flew backward through the air.
Like a baseball hit by a smooth swing.
In that brief moment.
Their eyes met as Ma Do Hyeok soared through the air.
A meaningful smile and a raised thumb.
Ha Gyeong nearly laughed despite himself.
‘Is that really how he’s trying to play it?’
As if saying this was nothing at all.
It was exasperating, but Ha Gyeong refocused on the fight.
The wound created by Ma Do Hyeok’s sacrifice.
If he concentrated his attack there, he could win.
Ha Gyeong prepared to attack immediately.
But right then.
Boom-boom-boom! Crash―!
Beams of light in countless colors streaked from behind.
The Gear Crusher staggered as explosions echoed through the chamber.
Ha Gyeong turned his head to confirm the rear line was holding its own.
‘They did it!’
They’d made good use of the time he’d bought them.
Soon after, the Tankers returned with support from the Healers.
Everything was falling back into place.
Then a calm voice came through the Whisperer.
―Ahem, ahem! Thank you for helping us through this crisis, Ha Gyeong.
It was the voice of the Raiders Guild Master, Choi Hyun Gi.
Ha Gyeong felt oddly self-conscious at the sudden praise.
‘Isn’t he making it too public?’
He didn’t see the need to make such a fuss.
For some reason, the Guild Masters of Black Water and Yun… came to mind.
Yun Chang Ho and Ryu Jae Uk had also been generous with their praise.
But the mood of the assault team shifted subtly.
Everyone began fighting more aggressively.
Especially the Raiders Awakeners changed the most.
Ha Gyeong glanced back at Choi Hyun Gi.
‘If that was intentional, that’s genuinely impressive.’
He’d motivated the guest members
while simultaneously issuing a warning to his own subordinates.
Why couldn’t they perform like that?
No wonder the Raiders Guild members were moving with such intensity.
Of course, Ha Gyeong didn’t dwell on it that much.
‘Their internal politics aren’t my concern.’
Right now, bringing down the Gear Crusher was the priority.
The moment the ranged attacks let up, Ha Gyeong lunged forward in a flash.
He planned to shred the weakness Ma Do Hyeok had created like a wild animal.
Whoosh! Thrust!
The blade, strengthened by the Abyss Tempering, drove home with savage force.
Then came a violent reaction.
“Beep beep beep beep beep!”
An alarm far more chaotic than before.
The Gear Crusher’s eyes, burning a fierce red, locked onto Ha Gyeong.
His attack must have hurt plenty.
[The Gear Crusher’s Aggro has reached critical]
[The Gear Crusher’s Ultimate activates: Great Rampage]
[An unstoppable wave of Abyss Energy is detected]
Wrapped in a yellow aura, the Gear Crusher thrashed both arms wildly.
At first, its attacks didn’t reach all the way to the walls.
So the rear line was able to deal and heal relatively comfortably.
But now things were different.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
“Aaaah! Its attacks are reaching us back here!”
“Incoming damage!”
The assault team’s rear line descended into chaos.
The Tankers were putting up resistance, but it wasn’t helping much.
The Gear Crusher’s Aggro had spun wildly out of control.
Ha Gyeong’s single strike had genuinely enraged it.
‘Damn! How is it moving so fast?’
The Gear Crusher was a boss that boasted a massive, ponderous frame.
Being so heavy, it naturally had to be somewhat slow.
The time needed to accelerate was considerable.
But now it seemed to have shed those constraints entirely.
The pressure Ha Gyeong was under was enormous.
He was actively targeting the Gear Crusher’s weakness.
‘I have to push forward, no matter the risk.’
The assault team’s rear line was currently in shambles.
Even the Tankers were struggling against the mad wave of attacks.
He had to break the Gear Crusher’s momentum somehow.
If it unleashed its full Ultimate, they’d win but with massive casualties.
Then the final boss assault would suffer setbacks.
Ha Gyeong relied on his Soul Mark Sense Amplification.
‘I can see the gaps.’
He evaded the Gear Crusher’s broad two-armed sweep with bold precision.
Even closing the distance to his opponent in the process.
Follow-up attacks came, but he pressed deeper still.
The blazing aura of the Great Rampage grazed his cheek.
Every attack narrowly missed him.
Yet damage was still unavoidable.
The yellow aura smothering the Gear Crusher.
Even the slightest touch would pulverize anything.
[Reactive Mana Armor Activation]
[Impact is converted to mana]
[Spirit Cloak Activation]
[Pain immunity granted]
Thanks to the Great Rampage’s aura, his Artifacts activated.
Ha Gyeong’s whole body brimmed with mana and Abyss Energy.
At last, he reached the Gear Crusher’s weakness.
The hole Ma Do Hyeok had torn open.
The ashen-white aura rippling from Ha Gyeong’s Karambit grew stronger.
“Hah!”
A shout accompanied the motion.
Meanwhile, the blade began to take on clearer shape.
When the True Soul half-unfurled,
Ha Gyeong’s attack pierced through the Gear Crusher’s abdomen.
Then a tremendous shockwave erupted.
Crack! Screeeech―!
The Tankers arrayed around the Gear Crusher were all sent flying at once.
The force was truly staggering.
But Ha Gyeong didn’t budge.
‘I’ll tear it right through!’
He gritted his teeth and poured all his strength into both arms.
Cracks rapidly spread from the Gear Crusher’s weak point.
Crack! Crackle-crackle-crack!
Then ashen-white light exploded outward with devastating force.
Ha Gyeong’s Ultimate.
The True Soul completed itself inside the Gear Crusher’s body.
He rocketed skyward, then spun his body with speed.
Slash―!
With a sharp sound, the Gear Crusher’s head snapped backward.
Ha Gyeong’s blade had torn open its neck.
Then the yellow aura that had been blazing faded rapidly.
The Gear Crusher’s massive frame lurched.
With a thunderous crash, it collapsed.
Boom―!
As the massive body struck the ground, nearby structures crumbled.
[Dungeon Guardian, Gear Crusher, defeated]
[You receive the Rampage Sledge Hammer as a reward]
“Phew……”
Ha Gyeong exhaled a long breath.
It had been an endless series of close calls.
When the Raiders Guild had been taken out of commission, he’d thought it was all over.
After catching his breath, Ha Gyeong stowed his Karambit.
Then cheers erupted from all around.
“That’s it!”
“I knew it! I believed in you!”
“Right? Anyone who’s got seven Artifacts definitely earned them fair and square.”
“That much skill? Those rewards are justified. I’m ashamed I was jealous.”
“Right. We all were. Saying he was some Guild Master’s bastard kid getting carried, and all that.”
“Well, ahem. That wasn’t me.”
The Awakeners voiced their gratitude one by one.
Most were guest members.
Meanwhile, the actual Raiders Guild members just stood watching dumbly.
Of course, Ha Gyeong barely spared them a thought.
‘Where did the loot fall?’
He was examining the Gear Crusher’s corpse.
Just then.
Several Awakeners rushed past Ha Gyeong.
They were Raiders Guild members.
They dug through the Gear Crusher’s body eagerly.
Watching them, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Ha Gyeong nearly laughed despite himself.
‘Do they have no shame?’
The Raiders Guild had done almost nothing this assault.
They’d brought nothing but ranged Dealers and Healers.
Their sustained damage was pathetic, and their healing was unreliable.
They’d even gone completely out of commission from the Gear Crusher’s attacks.
Ha Gyeong was frowning when.
Ma Do Hyeok suddenly grabbed the Raiders members by the back of their necks.
“Just as you’d expect from gangsters. Your eyes are gleaming trying to snatch up the rewards.”
“What are you doing?”
“If we hadn’t saved your worthless hides, you’d be dead. The least you could do is say thanks. You ungrateful bastards.”
Ma Do Hyeok threw punches without hesitation.
Thud! Whack!
At first, he didn’t mean to pummel them.
But the attitude of the Raiders members was the problem.
They complained as if asking why this was happening at all.
That properly provoked the beast within Ma Do Hyeok.
As his punches intensified, a cough came from behind.
“Ahem, ahem! That’s enough. They understand now.”
It was Choi Hyun Gi, the Raiders Guild Master.
A cold gleam flashed across his narrowed eyes.
The atmosphere felt ready to explode into open conflict.
But it didn’t last long.
Ha Gyeong picked something up from the Gear Crusher’s remains.
“I’d really like to get some rest soon.”
A golden object spinning around on his fingertip.
The Dungeon Key to advance to the next stage.
Ha Gyeong immediately opened the door behind him.
Click! Whoooosh―!
The heated air cooled in an instant.
Ha Gyeong’s action had shifted the mood entirely.
Soon after, he vanished beyond the doorway.
“……”
“……”
Ma Do Hyeok and Choi Hyun Gi said nothing.
Neither felt like pressing the confrontation any further.
Then the two of them laughed despite themselves.
“Heh! A friend as entertaining as he is skilled.”
“Ahem. I agree. I should seriously consider recruiting him.”
Ma Do Hyeok looked at Choi Hyun Gi with an incredulous expression.
As if asking why Ha Gyeong would ever join Raiders.
Choi Hyun Gi just shrugged his shoulders in response.
“Why? You don’t think I can do it?”
Ma Do Hyeok shook his head and walked away.
Ha Gyeong had no interest whatsoever.
Everyone seemed to be dreaming different dreams.
Gate Breaker
Author |
Morae Tope
Publisher |
Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.
Editorial Director |
Editorial Department
Published by |
Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. – Dream Books
Address |
7th Floor, Gwangseong Building, 28 Bongeunsaro 114-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea
UCI |
G720:N+A063-20260306112
Blog |
blog.naver.com/dreambookss
Twitter(X) |
@dreambookss
Submissions |
[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 Co., Ltd. – Dream Books.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————