Tearing the Gate Apart - Chapter 86

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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 86.
Ha Gyeong found himself at a loss for words.
The Liquid Core was something he could explain well enough.
He just had to prove it was a summoned creature.
The real problem was that he hadn’t recognized the Association Chairman.
Of course, Ha Gyeong was a special advisory member.
An outside consultant brought in for the Association’s various interests.
So he decided to push forward with a certain amount of audacity.
‘If they want to cut me, let them.’
Honestly, if they fired him over something this petty, it would only damage the Association’s image.
But right then.
Someone came racing down the hallway at tremendous speed.
Thud-thud-thud! Whoooosh!
“Welcome, Chairman. I’m Jung Tae Won, deputy director of the External Cooperation Team!”
He slid to a stop while bowing at the waist—an absolutely insane display of athleticism.
Ha Gyeong wondered how an ordinary person could pull off something like that.
It was like something out of the ultimate dogeza meme.
All eyes instantly snapped toward him.
“Ah, so you’re the employee who was recommended as a special advisory member.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“You must have your hands full with so many matters to attend to. Thank you for the hard work.”
“Not at all!”
“Rather than doing this here, shall we discuss it inside? That would be acceptable, wouldn’t it, Consultant?”
The last question was directed at Ha Gyeong.
Either way, it would be better if this went smoothly.
Ha Gyeong nodded readily.
“Of course. Please, come inside, however humble it may be.”
“Haha, thank you.”
The office was a sight to behold.
The summoned Liquid Core was mimicking Ha Gyeong’s movements.
John had no interest whether the Chairman came or not.
Meanwhile, Rocan was zipping around one corner at high speed.
Apparently if he didn’t do high-speed flights now and then, he’d get some kind of tongue condition.
Ha Gyeong pressed his forehead with a sigh.
‘Of all times, he had to come when things are most abnormal.’
Ha Gyeong quietly waved his arm.
The signal meant: stop causing a scene in the office.
Go play outside instead.
The Chairman didn’t seem to mind, though.
Ha Gyeong was merely a shield to deflect public criticism, after all.
He wouldn’t have come expecting a polished appearance.
Once the office quieted, Ha Gyeong offered a seat.
“Please, sit.”
“Thank you.”
With that understated reply, the atmosphere settled somewhat.
Only then could Ha Gyeong get a proper look at the man.
Association Chairman Jin Hyeong Gyu.
His suit and watch were tastefully upscale.
His face was utterly ordinary.
No one would find it strange if you called him a typical office worker.
Yet a man of such stature had come calling unannounced.
Ha Gyeong couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
“I apologize for the poor hospitality. We’ve never had a visitor before.”
“That’s fine. But you must be quite curious about why I’ve come, no?”
“Yes, I am.”
“It’s about a business trip.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Ha Gyeong’s expression betrayed his confusion at Jin Hyeong Gyu’s answer.
He was already doing his job excellently.
He’d uncovered the secrets of the Bottomless Abyss.
He’d successfully conquered those high-difficulty dungeons.
The Association must be very satisfied.
His salary would be cheap even if they raised it several times over.
So what did he mean by a sudden business trip?
As Ha Gyeong merely blinked, Jin Hyeong Gyu broke into a hearty laugh.
“Haha! I thought you’d react like that. Let me show you this first.”
Soon, a document was placed on the table.
It was the report written by Ha Gyeong and Jung Tae Won.
Jin Hyeong Gyu continued with a satisfied expression.
“The content about the Bottomless Abyss and the Jardor Empire was truly impressive. And to predict Gate Break as well.”
“You’re too kind.”
“Haha! Thanks to you, I’ve built quite a bit of face in various places. Even that arrogant US Association has shown keen interest.”
“Could the destination be…?”
“Yes, the US Eastern Region.”
Ha Gyeong had shared all the information he’d obtained from Rocan.
That included something like a prophecy.
It concerned the Gate Break that would occur in the US Eastern Region.
The essence of the trip request was simple.
Ha Gyeong, the report’s author, would go in person and reveal the location.
He met Jin Hyeong Gyu’s gaze and spoke.
“What’s the compensation?”
Crossing an ocean certainly warranted proper labor fees.
Moreover, Ha Gyeong’s market value was quite high.
How common were people capable of leading a Limit Grade dungeon conquest?
And he’d be showing them where a Gate Break would occur.
Without appropriate compensation, what reason would he have to move?
He had no connection whatsoever to the United States….
‘Though I suppose John is American, technically.’
Still, he needed to keep business and personal matters separate.
Jin Hyeong Gyu nodded at Ha Gyeong’s question.
“Of course there is.”
“It would come from the US side, not the Korean Association, correct?”
“Naturally.”
“How much?”
“Two Incomprehensible-grade Artifacts.”
……
Ha Gyeong was rendered speechless.
Honestly, he’d thought he’d need to negotiate several rounds.
Proper compensation from a government initiative?
That wasn’t happening in a place like this.
Yet they were offering two Incomprehensible-grade Artifacts.
If he got to choose, it was a surprisingly attractive proposal.
But Ha Gyeong didn’t accept immediately.
“You’re giving something that rare? Just to show you the location?”
“No. You’ll need to participate in the operation as well.”
“So the condition is fighting alongside them.”
That made sense now.
Ha Gyeong’s abilities had been proven countless times over.
Of course, they wouldn’t take Korea’s data at face value.
Still, it wasn’t a bad deal for Ha Gyeong.
But he had no intention of going alone.
“May I assemble a team? I’m getting cold feet going solo.”
“It’s possible, but we won’t increase the compensation.”
“Then let’s negotiate. On terms we can choose.”
Hmm.
Jin Hyeong Gyu let out a low hum.
Then he nodded heavily.
“I’ll do my best to discuss it with the US side.”
“Thank you.”
“They’ve asked to come as soon as possible, so you should start preparing right away.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Thank you so much for accepting such a difficult request.”
Jin Hyeong Gyu stood and gave a deep bow.
When an elder showed such courtesy, Ha Gyeong naturally responded with equal respect.
Soon after, Jin Hyeong Gyu left Ha Gyeong’s office.
Because of how different he seemed from usual.
Immediate commentary came from the side.
―So you can do the formal act too?
It was Rocan’s quip, having watched the situation unfold.
Ha Gyeong turned to look at John instead of responding.
He trusted John would handle it on his own.
He happened to be standing nearby anyway.
John grinned wickedly and picked up the Titan Flail.
“How many hits should I give him?”
―These insane people!―
* * *
The negotiation was settled exactly as Ha Gyeong wanted.
The US Eastern Association would cover all dispatch expenses.
Compensation: two Incomprehensible-grade Artifacts.
They would be chosen from those currently held by the Eastern Association.
In exchange, a penalty would be paid if the mission failed.
One might argue it was strange to pay a penalty while helping them out.
But Ha Gyeong quickly accepted.
‘The whole thing happened because of my report in the first place.’
The problem was team composition.
The US Eastern Association would only permit one additional person besides Ha Gyeong.
They cited difficulty in managing larger teams as the reason.
It was an absurd answer.
What could two people accomplish?
But Association Chairman Jin Hyeong Gyu seemed unable to push further either.
So Ha Gyeong decided to shift his mindset.
“Let’s think of it as each of us getting one Incomprehensible-grade Artifact. The payoff is proportional to the risk we’re taking.”
“High risk, high reward, baby! A real man can’t resist that. You know what I’m saying, bro?”
“Don’t do broken English just because we’re going to America.”
“Aw, come on, bro. Wanna get some back smashes?”
“Wow. Wow. Calm down. I’m the team leader here, right?”
“Team leader? We’re barely two people.”
John chuckled and loaded the suitcase into the car.
The two headed straight for the airport.
But the moment they arrived, they were directed elsewhere.
Without going through any normal procedures.
Ha Gyeong asked the accompanying staff member a question.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a special departure procedure. We’ll head directly to the tarmac.”
A business jet sat waiting without a jet bridge, with stairs attached.
Ha Gyeong boarded calmly, but John’s reaction was different.
“Holy crap! When I came back to Korea, they stuffed me in economy. But coming home in style means even the plane looks different.”
“So you do know how to use proper idioms.”
“Hey, bro! Foreigners actually know four-character idioms and classical allusions way better. Koreans learned them as kids and forgot everything.”
Ha Gyeong let out a laugh at John’s retort.
He couldn’t really argue with it.
The interior of the business jet was quite lavish.
An L-shaped sofa and a small table.
There was even a spacious dining area on one side.
The flight attendant who boarded with them took care of their luggage.
“Welcome aboard the US Eastern Association’s chartered flight. We’ll take care of you with utmost care. You’re welcome to use any seating you’re comfortable with.”
“Thank you.”
Even Ha Gyeong had never flown on a chartered jet before.
Not for lack of money.
Wasn’t he someone who could spend hundreds of billions on a single Artifact?
He simply had no reason to travel abroad, buried as he was in the Abyss.
John, meanwhile, was acting like a kid in a candy store.
“Yo! Bro, thanks to you I get to experience all kinds of flights. Let’s stay friends forever. I love you.”
“That’s creepy. Skip that last part.”
“Aw man, you’re too cold.”
After a short wait, the business jet took off.
Thanks to it, Ha Gyeong and John were able to fly to the US very comfortably.
Immigration procedures were also quite streamlined.
A staff member from the US Eastern Association was waiting for them.
“Consultant Ha Gyeong! I’m here!”
“Are you from the Eastern Association?”
“Yes, I’m Lee Deun Han from the External Cooperation Team. This way, please.”
Lee Deun Han was a typical East Asian.
His Korean was quite fluent.
They’d clearly sent a Korean-American on purpose.
Once they boarded the vehicle, Lee Deun Han immediately handed over a file folder.
“These are the contract terms agreed upon with the Korean Association. Please review them and let us know if anything seems incorrect.”
“Thank you.”
“We’re short on time, so I’ll explain on the way. We have many places to visit.”
“How many locations in total?”
“Speaking of Gates? One hundred thirty-eight.”
……
Ha Gyeong was rendered speechless.
Did anyone not know how vast the US landmass was?
But the scale was far bigger than he’d anticipated.
The US Eastern Association must be troubled as well.
They had no way of knowing which of 138 Gates would rupture.
Soon after, Ha Gyeong nodded to himself.
‘That’s why they seemed lukewarm. Providing a business jet but being careless with hospitality otherwise.’
Probably they half-doubted his report.
They’d likely proceeded with the mission on a “break even or better” basis.
But Ha Gyeong had no intention of doing sloppy work.
‘They’re thinking of just eating the penalty. Not happening. Not a chance.’
But American soil was vast.
There were far too many places to visit.
Then suddenly, he grew curious about the penalty amount.
Ha Gyeong posed a question to Lee Deun Han.
“If we fail, how much would we have to pay?”
“I believe it’s roughly double the compensation.”
“An Incomprehensible-grade Artifact runs about one hundred billion give or take five hundred million….”
That would be around three hundred billion at most.
It was more than he’d expected.
Ha Gyeong furrowed his brow, then suddenly realized something.
‘Oh right. It’s not coming out of my pocket.’
Gate Breaker
Author |
Moraetop
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(株) Samyang C&C
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No part of this book may be used in any form or by any means without written permission from (株) 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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