My Tamed Beast Returned with a Dragon

Devil Lord 3 had a variety of NPCs, and you could receive various quests from them.

 

However, Kang Ian had inwardly given up on quests.

 

Even if he could bring items from the game into reality, quests were a different matter.

 

Completing quests in the game wouldn’t give him anything in reality.

 

And there weren’t any beings in reality that could be called NPCs.

 

And in reality, there were no NPCs to assign quests.

 

But then…

 

Kang Ian reread the quest message in front of him.

 

[Quest: Eliminate the demon emerging from the Black Gate.]

 

[Would you like to accept the quest?]

 

[Y/N]

 

Eliminate the demons emerging from the Black Gate.

 

He turned his gaze back to the news screen.

 

A Black Gate had appeared in the ocean near Sokcho Lighthouse Beach, spewing out monsters.

 

“I… I have to do this. Absolutely.”

 

Kang Ian muttered unconsciously.

 

It was his first quest in reality.

 

It would be dangerous, but he didn’t want to back down.

 

Quests were important in Devil Lord as well.

 

Especially at lower levels, it was essential to diligently complete quests.

 

Devil Lord was famous for its generous quest rewards compared to the difficulty.

 

It felt almost mandatory, and it might be the same in reality.

 

‘Of course, I have to go prepared.’

 

Even though he had just returned from his exploits in the Krupan Dungeon, Kang Ian had no intention of letting his guard down.

 

The E-rank Krupfan and the monsters emerging from the Black Gate were completely different.

 

Among them, there were E and F-ranks, but there were also terrifying D and C-rank or higher monsters.

 

As someone who had only just awakened, he wasn’t ready to take them on directly.

 

Therefore, Kang Ian sat in front of his computer.

 

He immediately launched Devil Lord 3 and opened the shop.

 

He planned to buy something helpful with the evil souls he acquired from the Krupan Dungeon.

 

‘There isn’t much I can buy. What would be the best purchase…?’

 

Kang Ian pondered for a long time, looking through the shop.

 

And a while later.

 

Having made his decision, he purchased an item.

 

Instantly, it dropped in front of Kang Ian.

 

* * *

 

“Team Leader!”

 

“Alright, alright. I’m sorry. I apologize. Oh, you petty child.”

 

Team Leader Lee Jigwang kept apologizing next to his subordinate, Lim Eunjun, who was diligently driving.

 

After the Krupan Dungeon raid, Jigwang had yelled at Eunjun over the phone for failing to hold onto Kang Ian.

 

The problem arose afterward.

 

The sudden Black Gate incident occurred.

 

Forget the dinner party, if they had been having one, they would have had to rush out immediately.

 

In hindsight, skipping it was a blessing. 

 

If they had been in the middle of a dinner party and had to abruptly leave, Kang Ian might have gotten a bad impression of them.

 

A Black Gate suddenly appeared in Sokcho.

 

In such cases, guilds typically dispatched Hunters who were on standby or off duty.

 

Since Black Gates promised tremendous rewards upon clearing, they had to rush there as soon as one appeared.

 

Vrooom—

 

A red Ferrari sped down the highway leading to Gangwon-do.

 

It was Team Leader Lee Jigwang’s car.

 

Since Team Leader Lee Jigwang needed to make calls and receive updates from his superiors, Lim Eunjun took the wheel.

 

“Ugh. Drive more carefully.”

 

“Sorry.”

 

Shim Seoho, crammed into the back, complained every time the car swayed.

 

However, despite apologizing, Lim Eunjun had no intention of slowing down.

 

They were in a hurry, and it wasn’t often he got the chance to drive this red Ferrari.

 

Team Leader Lee Jigwang, Lim Eunjun, and Shim Seoho.

 

They were the only ones the Ohseong Guild could send immediately.

 

Other teams were either in the middle of clearing gates or were unable to move due to post-raid injury management.

 

“Eunjun, let’s go faster. Step on it.”

 

“Yes!”

 

As Team Leader Lee Jigwang urged him from beside, Lim Eunjun pressed the accelerator harder.

 

The road to Gangwon-do was empty.

 

With a Black Gate appearing, would any ordinary person be crazy enough to go sightseeing there?

 

The Ferrari raced down the empty highway.

 

“How long will this gate last?”

 

“Well, if it’s short like before, a day. If it’s long, two or three days.”

 

Black Gates appeared suddenly, but there was a generally established clearing method.

 

Usually, these Black Gates spewed monsters out for more than a day.

 

After that, it calmed down, and then Hunters entered, cleared the inside, and destroyed the core to finish it.

 

The problem arose here.

 

Black Gates offered good-grade ‘Crystals’ and guaranteed ‘Skill Stones.’

 

Every Hunter wanted to go inside.

 

So, how should they determine the entry criteria?

 

In the past, guilds even waged wars over entry into Black Gates.

 

Naturally, the government didn’t stand idly by, so now a relatively peaceful method had been established, which was very simple.

 

They counted the number of monsters hunted before entering the Black Gate, and the team that hunted the most monsters got priority.

 

Since many filming drones flew around the scene, there was rarely any problem with the counting.

 

“Yes? The Red Rose team already broke through 50 kills? Ah, yes. I’m stepping on it, so we’ll get there quickly.”

 

Team Leader Lee Jigwang, having ended the call, looked to the side.

 

“You heard?”

 

“Yes. I’ll push it a bit more. Seoho, just bear with it a little longer.”

 

“Ah, damn it.”

 

Vrooooom—

 

* * *

 

Kang Ian didn’t own a car, so he booked a train ticket to Sokcho.

 

With Gangwon-do’s recent boom as a tourist hotspot, it was sometimes impossible to get same-day tickets.

 

But with the Black Gate incident, things were different.

 

These days, sudden gate outbreaks rarely caused mass casualties.

 

Still, they were dangerous, and most tourists canceled their plans for safety.

 

Thanks to that, Kang Ian practically had the train to himself.

 

The ride took about an hour.

 

The discovery of Crystals had advanced science and technology, significantly pushing the boundaries of transportation speed.

 

Finding a taxi from the station to the site was difficult, but he solved that by running.

 

His strengthened body, awakened as a hunter, didn’t feel particularly strained even after running a considerable distance.

 

The Black Gate incident occurred at Lighthouse Beach.

 

The area was barricaded by deployed military units.  

 

Only a few reporters lingered around.

 

The soldiers, seeing Kang Ian approaching, stopped him.

 

“This area is currently a danger zone, and civilian access is prohibited.”

 

“I’m a hunter.”

 

“Then could you show us your identification?”

 

Kang Ian took out his license, which stated he was an F-rank Hunter.

 

“An unaffiliated F-rank Hunter…?”

 

“Yes. Does that mean I can’t enter?”

 

“No, that’s not it. But it could be dangerous, are you sure?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“If that’s the case, alright.”

 

The soldiers readily opened the barricade. 

 

They were quite surprised inwardly.

 

‘People like him still exist?’

 

Hunters affiliated with guilds or the government had a duty to respond to such emergencies.

 

But an unaffiliated F-rank Hunter didn’t need to come to a major incident like a Black Gate.

 

There wasn’t much to gain from hunting monsters.

 

Independent Hunters had to give up priority access to Black Gates, and even if they hunted monsters, they’d be lucky to get any Mana Stones.

 

They couldn’t do much with other byproducts even if they collected them.

 

On the other hand, the risk of injury was significant.

 

Yet, there were people who came out of goodwill.  Those who willingly sacrificed themselves for national emergencies.

 

Hunters worthy of being called true heroes!

 

Especially an F-rank Hunter coming to a place like this to contribute must have been purely out of a sense of justice.

 

Of course, Kang Ian’s reason for coming was different from what the soldiers thought… but they couldn’t know that.

 

They just watched him go, puzzled.

 

‘Their gazes are strangely welcoming.’

 

And as Kang Ian left, a few reporters who had been loitering around approached.

 

Reporters from major companies were already filming inside with drones, and these were the ones lingering, hoping to find any scrap of news.

 

“Excuse me, which guild does that hunter who just went in belong to?”

 

“He’s independent.  F-rank, it seems.”

 

“F-rank? Uh… could it be…?”

 

The reporters were startled. 

 

They, too, realized the reason why a low-rank, independent Hunter was here, just like the soldiers.

 

“Wow… there are still people like that these days?”

 

They snapped a few pictures of Kang Ian, who was now quite far away.

 

Click— Click—

 

* * *

 

When Lee Jigwang’s team arrived at the scene, it was utter chaos.

 

The sandy beach, which would normally be peaceful, was swarming with demons.

 

Monsters were falling from the Black Gate, which had appeared in the air over the sea, and they were swarming onto the beach.

 

And Hunters, lined up at regular intervals, were fighting against them.

 

“Ohseong Guild, please take charge of section D-13.”

 

“Understood.”

 

The soldiers, who were fencing and guarding the area, let them through.

 

Lee Jigwang’s team quickly moved forward. 

 

There was no time to waste, as the order of entry into the gate was determined by the number of monsters hunted.

 

“Lim Eunjun, Shim Seoho. You two stick together. I’ll move freely on my own.”

 

“Yes, Team Leader.”

 

Both of them answered simultaneously.

 

They had anticipated this before coming.

 

Lim Eunjun, whose main weapon was a shield, and Shim Seoho, who was better suited for rear support, were practically required to operate as a pair.

 

Click—

 

Team Leader Lee Jigwang approached a large monster. 

 

A monster with a thick body, capable of flattening a car with a single punch. A C-rank ‘Grendanker.’

 

Team Leader Lee Jigwang, standing before the monster, looked quite relaxed

 

At some point, he had already drawn two pistols from inside his jacket.

 

Rat-a-tat-tat—

 

The pistols fired, and dozens of bullets struck the demon.

 

Due to the unique protective barrier that monsters possessed, ordinary bullets hardly inflicted any damage.

 

Unless it was an explosion on the level of a nuclear weapon, all they could inflict was a slight impact.

 

But Lee Jigwang’s bullets were different.

 

 The bullets, enhanced by his skill, riddled the Grendanker.

 

The monster bled profusely from all over its body and collapsed.

 

“One down.”

 

Team Leader Lee Jigwang, about to move on, paused for a moment to retrieve the sparkling Mana Stone that had formed inside the monster’s body.

 

Mana Stones were obtained with a certain probability when a monster died. 

 

They weren’t as valuable as Crystals, but they were still an energy source, translating to a substantial amount of money. 

 

No matter how urgent the situation, leaving it behind was not an option.

 

Quickly pocketing the mana stone, he resumed hunting.

 

Even among all the hunters on this battlefield, Lee Ji-gwang was one of the most formidable.

 

Hours passed as he continued slaying monsters.

 

Then, something caught his eye.

 

“…?”

 

A hunter equipped with a one-handed sword and a shield.  

 

At first glance, there was nothing particularly unusual about him.

 

The problem was that he looked strangely familiar.

 

It was Kang Ian, whom he had met just a week ago.

 

Lee Jigwang had been discussing him with his teammates just earlier—there was no way he wouldn’t recognize him.

 

‘Why is he here…?’

 

That was when it happened, as his attention was diverted.

 

Kang Ian was charging towards a monster.  

 

Lightning sparked from his sword.

 

Crackle—

 

Kang Ian swung his sword, enveloped in blue lightning, at the monster.

 

“Huh???”

 

Team Leader Lee Jigwang’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.