NOVEL NEXT #023
#023
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▷Gumun-dong Gate causes A→S-class anomaly… Unexpected housing price crash
▷Three anomalies occur worldwide… Gate network theory gains attention
▷Korean immigration applications surge 280% in 2 years. Reason found to be ‘this person’
▷Survey of elementary, middle, and high school students’ dream jobs… ‘Hunter’ ranks 1st, ‘Creator’ 2nd
▷Do you know Dan Joo-hyuk? K-Hunter craze brings smiles to hunter powerhouse Korea
▷Global community struggles with anomaly gates… Korea unaffected! Dan Joo-hyuk effect!
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▷Investigation of Gumun-dong anomaly gate progressing smoothly. Gate Management Office… ‘Requests refraining from reckless behavior such as visiting out of curiosity’
｜Posted 20XX.10.20 13:42 (Original article)
｜Reporter Kim Myung-gu
(Photo)
[The moment Dan Joo-hyuk hunter carries Yoon Pa-ran hunter on his shoulder during the last anomaly gate conquest. (Photo=Neulbom Daily)]
The academic world is focusing on the investigation results of the S-class anomaly gate that occurred in Gumun-dong on the 4th. According to the Gate Management Office’s announcement, the exact cause of the anomaly has not yet been determined.
However, the Gate Management Office expects to discover significant gate-related laws through this investigation.
In particular, they announced through a regular briefing that they found clues that could help identify the cause of safe zones. According to information exclusively obtained by this newspaper, the clue discovered by the Gate Management Office seems to be closely related to the ‘statue in the safe zone’.
During the regular briefing, the Gate Management Office also urged people to refrain from entering and exiting around the gate. The frequent visits of solo broadcast creators are cited as the cause.
Additionally, the Gate Management Office requested “to refrain from spreading rumors that create anxiety, as the anomaly gate has definitely been cleared.”
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｜Comments (146,849)
ID001584: Ah― Korea is Dan Joo-hyuk’s country.
└ID087963: Dan-men.
ID014967: I live in an apartment right next to the gate, thought I was going to die evacuating that day.
└ID009897: I was pooping when the alarm went off, had to evacuate feeling gross
└ID003445: Keep that to yourself, damn it
ID123976: What’s this about a statue in the safe zone? LOL Another article fishing with old bait
└ID009897: Why? Isn’t there something new?
└ID123976: Nope, they’ve been researching that place for over ten years and found nothing
ID077558: Ah, do something about the article ads. But is the B-class monster leather wallet really good?
└ID005554: Be careful when buying, or you might end up with a wallet made of monster ball sack leather
└ID034870: Holy shit;
ID789956: Yoon Pa-ran is just B-class deadweight, should’ve saved another A-class instead
└ID008467: Isn’t he protected because of his low rank? Dan Joo-hyuk is such a saint, always picking fights with the guy, what’s so pretty about him
└(Comment has been blinded by administrator.)
└ID098321: ?? Are the comments above sane?
└ID09992: Wow… Are they thugs? I doubted my eyes while reading
└ID773085: Honestly, A-class is more useful, there’s a fuss about gate vacancies because many A-class hunters died this time
└(Deleted comment.)
└ID770468: By that logic, shouldn’t civilians die and B-class hunters survive?
└ID608392: Seems like everyone’s lost their minds after seeing the anomaly gate
ID887603: Designate us as a safety special zone too
└ID539750: Stop with the special zone talk; how would that stop gates from evolving, are you really that stupid
ID125600: Damn, I want to put up a barrier around my house, is there no way?
└ID875630: People with barrier skills are busy using them in gates, they won’t use them on houses
└ID456200: We’re so screwed, the Earth is doomed
└ID022221: The Earth won’t be screwed. Only humans will be
└ID696900: Let’s believe in the Gate God and achieve immortality together
└ID120506: Block these cult comments;
ID660809: Yoon Pa-ran hunter is quite skilled among B-class… It’s too much to call him deadweight
└ID003456: Yeah, with Dan Joo-hyuk’s temperament, he wouldn’t have saved someone who’d be a hindrance.
ID069545: I’m not criticizing Yoon Pa-ran’s rank like the troll above; but why did he only carry out Yoon Pa-ran among the surviving hunters? There were more critical hunters
└ID696900: Yeah, I wonder…?
❖ ❖ ❖
Three days after sending a reply agreeing to the contract.
Yoon Pa-ran walked through the forest path with a tense expression.
“Sigh…”
Although he sighed as if dissatisfied with the situation, his steps were steady.
Today, he was supposed to meet Dan Joo-hyuk to use the contract item. Dan had sent coordinates, saying they needed to enter the gate right after using the item.
The way the appointment was set seemed quite one-sided, but Yoon Pa-ran tolerated it for now. Even though they weren’t entering the gate yet, his hands instinctively reached for his armor and sword.
The sound of leaves crunching under his feet could be heard. Wrinkling his nose at the dry mountain air, Yoon Pa-ran looked down at his phone again.
He kept checking the GPS coordinates, but this direction was correct. As he cut across the forest, which wasn’t even a hiking trail, Yoon Pa-ran gritted his teeth.
When he first set foot in the mountain, Yoon Pa-ran thought a gate might have appeared in the forest. After all, gates appeared anywhere without discrimination.
However, after passing through increasingly dense forest paths and climbing over several rocks, suspicion began to rise. The terrain was too good for hiding and burying someone.
Why call someone to a place like this? He’s not planning to kill and silence me now, is he?
Slightly furrowing his brow, Yoon Pa-ran pushed aside the bushes blocking his path. Unexpectedly, Dan Joo-hyuk was standing there.
“You’re late.”
Yoon Pa-ran tensed up at the sudden encounter. He hadn’t sensed the presence of the large man at all.
He flinched, reflexively reaching for his sword, but only for a moment. Soon, Yoon Pa-ran fixed his gaze on Dan Joo-hyuk’s face as if entranced.
With his head tilted askew, Dan stood alone in the middle of the forest.
Dan Joo-hyuk was dressed entirely in black equipment again today. So much so that even if he were to be covered in blood upon entering a gate, it wouldn’t show.
Sunlight filtering through the dense leaves created patchy shadows on his face. As the wind gently swayed the trees, the shadows embroidered on his face moved along.
It was just for a moment, but alone, his face was expressionless. Unconsciously, Yoon Pa-ran had thought Dan Joo-hyuk would be grinning even when alone, so this was unexpected.
That appearance seemed very natural, yet also alien.
“Who told you to come through such rough mountain paths?”
It couldn’t help but be an unnecessary observation. It’s not like he could read Yoon Pa-ran’s mind, but Yoon Pa-ran hurriedly pushed away his thoughts. Because of this, his words came out rather unkindly.
By now, Dan Joo-hyuk’s face bore his familiar grinning smile.
“Surely you didn’t come cutting through the mountain? You could have come straight from the road over there.”
“…”
Shit. No wonder it seemed too deep in the mountains.
Because the straight-line distance wasn’t far, he had just moved in a straight line. This was one of the habits he had developed after becoming a hunter. After his physical abilities improved, there were hardly any paths he couldn’t cross.
“You showed no talent for finding paths in the gate either. Or is it that you have no talent for thinking?”
“…Shut up.”
This time, Yoon Pa-ran knew he was being openly mocked, but he just muttered softly. It was awkward to retort after realizing he had misunderstood unnecessarily.
“Let’s go by car.”
Dan Joo-hyuk blurted out after observing Yoon Pa-ran’s face for a while. Then he briskly started walking first.
“…”
Following him, Yoon Pa-ran curiously observed his footsteps. To move with such a large body yet make no sound, he felt the difference in their ranks.
After walking for a while, a proper forest path appeared as Dan Joo-hyuk had said. And soon it changed to an asphalt road.
It really was close to a proper road.
“From now on, use these civilized paths. Don’t just cross mountains recklessly like a wild animal.”
“Ah, I got it already!”
Noticing his embarrassed appearance, Dan Joo-hyuk spoke kindly. Acting as if he was explaining information to a primitive person, Yoon Pa-ran burst out in irritation.
The parking lot halfway up the mountain looked deserted. Perhaps an evacuation order had been issued in the area due to the gate’s appearance.
In the middle of such a parking lot stood a rather flashy sports car. Guessing it was probably Dan Joo-hyuk’s car, Yoon Pa-ran trudged over.
The color is different from the last car. Having no interest in cars, Yoon Pa-ran silently observed only the most obvious difference from before.
Dan Joo-hyuk spoke in a rather kind tone this time as well.
“Pull the handle and it will open.”
“Damn it…”
Just tell me to get in, why say so much.
Irritated, Yoon Pa-ran opened the passenger door and got in. This time, he felt annoyed that he seemed to have learned how to open the door as Dan Joo-hyuk had instructed.
Once again, the back of his head felt tense. Suppressing the doubt of whether this was right, he leaned back in the seat.
As Dan got into the driver’s seat, the car sank heavily.
“Here’s the contract.”
“…Huh.”
Once in the car, Dan Joo-hyuk wordlessly pulled something out from the space between the driver’s and passenger’s seats.
Seeing it casually placed like a piece of gum wrapper, Yoon Pa-ran unconsciously let out a deflating sound.
“You carry it around like this?”
“Should I keep it in a safe instead?”
Isn’t that what you should do?
Seeing the 1 billion won contract dangling carelessly in front of him, Yoon Pa-ran wore a complex expression.
The [Blessing Contract] was an item that dropped from gates with a low probability. Like most consumable items, it wasn’t cursed and was about the size of a palm.
When you hold the contract and infuse it with will, a status window appears and starts recording. After that, if two people directly write their names, the system executes the agreed-upon penalty if the contract is violated.
Since even non-hunters could use this item, its market price was naturally high. It could also be used regardless of a hunter’s rank.
Because of this, some gate scholars classified the contract’s execution power as a type of curse. Even those with curse immunity skills couldn’t avoid the contract’s penalties.
“Any more phrases you want to change?”
“Well…”
Dan Joo-hyuk observed Yoon Pa-ran, who was looking down at the contract with a sour expression, with narrowed eyes.
Then he asked casually.
“Did you consult a lawyer about the contract wording?”
“Who would I ask about this kind of thing?”
“Hmm, I see.”
He seemed to have judged the contract phrases alone. If he had consulted an expert, he would have known that those clauses Yoon Pa-ran believed in were useless.
He’s naive.
He newly observed Yoon Pa-ran’s youthful face. Unlike when fighting, Yoon Pa-ran outside the gate often showed such naive aspects, like today.
Well, even if those clauses were effective, Yoon Pa-ran wouldn’t be able to get what he wanted anyway.
The result wouldn’t be different.
“Let’s decide on the penalty.”
Dan Joo-hyuk, who had just smiled ambiguously, moved on to the next matter.
This time, as if he had something in mind already, Yoon Pa-ran answered immediately.
“Let’s make it a rank reduction.”
“Haha.”
Hearing the quick answer, Dan Joo-hyuk burst out laughing, finding it ridiculous.
Judging by his equipment, Yoon Pa-ran seemed to be hiding that he was A-rank. So even if his rank dropped by one, his external treatment would be similar to now. It was ridiculous to compare his S-rank to a mere A-rank in the first place.
Nevertheless, Dan Joo-hyuk just relaxed and leaned against the steering wheel.
The boldness to make such a proposal right in front of him was now almost amusing.
“Well, alright.”
Contrary to expectations, he readily agreed. At this casual tone, Yoon Pa-ran frowned instead.
Is this bastard a pushover?
However, this sudden impression quickly turned into strong suspicion.