NOVEL NEXT Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Jung Chulmin asked Suho, his eyes wide as dinner plates.
“Are… you joking?”
“I’m not joking.”
Suho was utterly serious.
And he had every reason to be.
Perhaps that was why.
Jung Chulmin swallowed dryly at the sheer seriousness on Suho’s face.
Then, after a brief silence, he asked,
“Wh-why?”
“Pardon?”
“No, I mean, how?”
“That’s a secret.”
“A secret?”
“Yes.”
“Ah….”
A sound of profound disappointment.
Of course.
After all, this was no ordinary gate but a Sealed Gate.
Suho thought to himself.
‘Sealed Gates are all classified as S-rank difficulty. That’s why they’re called Sealed Gates. Naturally, anyone would be curious if I claimed to know how to break through one.’
But he couldn’t reveal it.
He had no obligation to share.
There was no rule stating that the Sealed Gate had to be opened by revealing the strategy.
Sure, if someone was stubborn, they could throw a fit, but Suho had already received the Association President’s approval.
It wasn’t something Jung Chulmin could change at this point.
Moreover, it was Suho who claimed to know the strategy, the same Suho who had unexpectedly conquered the Tower of Trials alone, despite no one knowing it could even be conquered.
There was no choice but to trust him.
Suho added further explanation.
“Think of the method I used to discover this strategy as similar to when I cleared the Tower of Trials. So, please trust me, and allow access to the Nameless Sword Gate. Starting there, I’ll work my way through other gates one by one.”
“O-other Sealed Gates too?”
“Yes.”
“Heh….”
Knowing the strategy for the Nameless Sword was already unbelievable, and now he intended to clear other Sealed Gates…
Jung Chulmin’s mouth fell open unconsciously.
At the same time, he felt it.
Suho’s words weren’t just bravado.
Thus, there was nothing more to say.
To Jung Chulmin, Suho seemed like a tiger, while he himself was but a dog.
How could a dog comprehend the mind of a tiger?
Jung Chulmin sighed and replied,
“…I understand. I’ll get in touch as soon as preparations are made.”
“There’s no need for that. Let’s depart immediately. I’m already fully prepared.”
“Right now?”
“Yes. The Nameless Sword Gate is in Gyeongju, correct?”
“It is, but… are you serious?”
“Yes, as they say, strike while the iron is hot. I’d like to finish it today.”
“Oh… just a moment.”
At Suho’s insistence, Jung Chulmin stepped aside and made a phone call.
A short while later, he returned with an awkward smile.
“I’ve received confirmation. Would you like to accompany us to Gyeongju?”
“No, I’ll go separately. There’s someone I need to bring along. By the way, I already know the location of the Sealed Gate, so we can meet at the entrance.”
“…Understood.”
Jung Chulmin gave a dry laugh and prepared to depart.
***
“It’s just up ahead.”
Vroooom!
A car zoomed down the highway.
It was Jo Jin-hwi’s sedan.
As soon as Suho left the Korean Hunter Association, he had called Jo Jin-hwi and Guild Master Bae Donghyuk.
The reason for calling Bae Donghyuk was to inform him about securing the entry pass for the Sealed Gate, while he called Jo Jin-hwi to request his presence as a journalist.
Thus, they were traveling together now.
Originally, he’d planned to take the train, but since there was a comfortable sedan, they came together.
It was better to move together than separately.
Not long after entering Gyeongju, Jo Jin-hwi’s car arrived at the Sealed Gate entrance.
The Sealed Gate, of course, was guarded by the military, and the atmosphere was intense.
After confirming their identities, they proceeded to the gate, where the exterior of the Sealed Gate, concealed by item effects, gradually came into view.
‘The square structure hasn’t changed.’
The Square.
This was a type of sealing structure built around the gate portal.
Its square shape earned it the name “Square.”
The Square was constructed from high-grade alloy and iron to confine monsters that occasionally spilled out and to suppress shocks.
As Suho got out of the car, Jung Chulmin and the manager of the Nameless Sword Square, who had arrived earlier, approached him.
“You’re here.”
“Ah, yes. You arrived before us.”
“We took the train. By the way, who is the person with you…?”
In response to Jung Chulmin’s question, Jo Jin-hwi handed over his business card and introduced himself.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Jo Jin-hwi, a journalist with PBS.”
“A journalist?”
At the slight surprise in Jung Chulmin’s expression, Suho explained on his behalf.
“He’s not going to publish an article immediately. I brought him to capture some photographs of the site. He’ll only take photos after the mission, if that’s alright?”
“Ah, no, it’s fine. It’s not a secret location anyway. I’m just surprised that Suho himself brought a journalist.”
“Thank you for the permission. Also, just so you know, it might be good for the journalist to become familiar with the area. He’ll likely be visiting often from now on.”
“Ah, yes, understood.”
At that moment, Square Manager Major Kim Jongwoo stepped forward.
“I am Major Kim Jongwoo, in charge of the Square.”
“So, you’re the manager. I’m Ahn Suho.”
“It’s an honor to meet you. But… are you really planning to clear the Nameless Sword alone?”
Despite having already been briefed by Jung Chulmin, Kim Jongwoo confirmed once again.
It was understandable.
No matter how he thought about it, a solo attempt seemed almost unbelievable.
‘It’s no wonder he’s shocked. So many players have died here.’
According to Suho’s recollection, the recorded fatalities at this gate had already exceeded 200.
This was why it was sealed off with the Square and designated as an S-rank difficulty.
Suho replied,
“Yes, I’m planning to clear it alone.”
“Excuse me… but may I ask your level?”
“51.”
“Ah….”
Kim Jongwoo exhaled a faint sigh.
However, Suho continued, unconcerned.
“Major, I understand your worries, but there’s no need to be concerned. Nothing will go wrong. Just trust me and wait.”
At that, Kim Jongwoo looked toward Jung Chulmin.
Eventually, Jung Chulmin nodded, and Kim Jongwoo sighed heavily and replied.
“Understood. Then, we’ll be outside, praying for your success.”
“Thank you for trusting me.”
“The interior of the Square has been cleared. You may enter right away.”
They had even tidied up the space.
Their consideration was impressively thoughtful.
Before Suho entered the Square, Jo Jin-hwi asked,
“How long do you think it’ll take?”
“Let’s see… if nothing unexpected happens, I’ll be back within an hour.”
“Clearing a Sealed Gate in just one hour….”
Anyone who heard that would likely call him insane.
However, Jo Jin-hwi felt an inexplicable sense of belief.
“Take care.”
“Yes, I certainly will.”
After exchanging goodbyes, Suho stepped into the entrance of the Square, which the soldiers had opened for him.
The moment Suho entered the Square,
“Sealing the entrance!”
The soldiers called out.
Simultaneously, the entrance was firmly locked from the outside, and people began to observe Suho through the cameras installed inside the Square.
Suho glanced around at the faintly glowing interior of the Square and thought,
“Looks like they’ve cleaned up nicely.”
There was a lingering scent of blood in the Square.
Since uncleared Gates regularly released monsters, the military had used heavy weaponry to sweep them out.
If monsters could be handled with standard arms, the military took care of it; if not, they requested support from the Korean Hunter Association or external guilds.
In that sense, the monsters in the Nameless Sword Sealed Gate were manageable with military-grade weapons.
Soon, he reached the end of the Square, where the portal to the Nameless Sword Gate shimmered, emitting light.
“It’s been a while, here too.”
Suho had visited this place in the past.
Specifically, he had been here seven times.
The first time, he had barely escaped with his life, unable to defeat the boss monster inside the Nameless Sword Gate.
The Nameless Sword Gate allowed one to exit without defeating the boss monster.
After that, Suho had dedicated himself to intense training, determined to kill the boss monster of the Nameless Sword Gate.
Even so, he attempted it five more times, experiencing a total of six defeats.
But Suho didn’t give up.
And finally, on his seventh attempt, with unyielding resolve, he successfully conquered the Nameless Sword.
“It’s a place with significant meaning for me in many ways.”
For that reason, Suho knew the strategy of this place better than anyone else.
After all, he was the only one who had succeeded in conquering it, following seven attempts when everyone else had failed.
The moment Suho stepped into the Gate,
[ Entering the Gate. ]
[ Retrieving Gate information. ]
[ Nameless Sword ]
– Entry Requirement: Open to all.
– Maximum Number of Entrants: 1 person.
While anyone could enter, the maximum capacity was limited to one person.
This restriction exponentially increased its difficulty.
Suho’s vision flickered.
***
“He’s gone in.”
“Hah… will he be alright?”
“Now, we just have to trust him.”
In the Square’s external control room.
Jung Chulmin, Kim Jongwoo, and Jo Jin-hwi watched the camera with tense expressions.
Then, with a flash of light, Suho entered the Gate.
Immediately after Suho disappeared, Kim Jongwoo spoke, still looking worried.
“No matter what, I still… I can’t help but feel concerned. This isn’t a place you can clear just by having high stats or level.”
“Exactly. After all, the Sword Emperor resides within the Nameless Sword Gate.”
“Not to mention, isn’t Ahn Suho a healer?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
It was none other than Jung Chulmin who responded to Kim Jongwoo’s concern on Jo Jin-hwi’s behalf.
“It doesn’t matter?”
“In my opinion, Ahn Suho is a healer in title only.”
“A healer in title only?”
“Yes. At least from what I’ve seen… I’ve never encountered anyone, not just among players, but in all of humanity, who wields a sword as proficiently as Ahn Suho.”
Hearing this, Kim Jongwoo narrowed his eyes.
“…Are you serious?”
“When Ahn Suho took the Hunter Exam, I personally observed his practical test in real-time. Naturally, as a healer, he took the healer-specific practical, but his way of passing the exam was to kill every monster with a sword.”
At that, Jo Jin-hwi’s eyes widened as he asked,
“Wait, wasn’t the healer practical exam supposed to involve protecting the patient until their death? The healer’s practical is meant to test their professional dedication… in other words, their self-sacrifice, right?”
“Yes, exactly. But Ahn Suho protected his patient in a different way. Instead of dying alongside them, he focused on keeping the patient alive till the end. So, he picked up a sword nearby and killed all the orcs that appeared in the exam.”
“That’s insane….”
This was completely new information.
After all, the only thing known to the world was that Suho had graduated at the top of his class in the exam.
With that memory, Jung Chulmin thought,
‘I don’t know what strategy Ahn Suho has in mind, but maybe, just maybe, the Sword Emperor might fall this time.’
Listening to Jung Chulmin’s account, the three of them looked back at the camera with renewed anticipation in their eyes.