novelburst
Chapter 138
Chapter 138
Gate rankings are determined by various factors, but the most critical determinant is the mana level measured at the moment the gate appears.
When a gate is measured at S-rank mana, it’s a state of emergency for the Gate Bureau.
The higher the gate's rank, the greater the potential shockwave it could release, leading to widespread destruction.
It was understandable why Jeong Cheol-min had urgently summoned Su-ho.
Without delay, Su-ho drove to the address provided.
Fortunately, it wasn’t far.
The gate had appeared at Yeongwolru, located in Yeoju.
When Su-ho arrived at the scene, the area was already cordoned off with restricted access guidelines.
As he parked his car, Jeong Cheol-min, who had been notified of his arrival, came out to meet him.
“You’re here?”
“I left as soon as I got your call.”
“Where were you to get here so quickly?”
“I was in the Gonjiam area, working on a quest there.”
“Really? The timing worked out perfectly. So, did you finish the quest?”
“There’s still a bit left to do for my Trait Quest.”
“Ah… I must’ve called you at a crucial time. But I hope you understand—it’s an S-rank gate.”
“Of course. Even though you’ve been considerate of my schedule, work must take priority.”
Su-ho glanced around.
“But it seems the others aren’t here yet?”
“Well, since I was already in charge of this area, I called in the Exploration Team first, rather than the whole crew.”
Gate Bureau Teams Explained
The Gate Management Team is divided into several groups:
- Exploration Team: The first responders, sent to survey the gate and determine its characteristics.
- Raid Team: If the Exploration Team deems it feasible, the Raid Team is dispatched to attempt a full clearance.
- Management Team: Handles overall gate monitoring and lower-priority gates.
A common feature of these groups is that every member is Awakened.
However, the Exploration and Management teams are fixed in composition:
- The Management Team is composed of low-level personnel focused on logistics and monitoring.
- The Exploration Team performs the riskiest tasks, staffed by the most experienced hunters.
But even "experienced" is relative—within the Special Management Team, they were mediocre at best.
In other guilds, these so-called "veterans" would barely qualify as support staff.
The Exploration Team had no hunters above Level 100. This fact alone spoke volumes.
The reason?
It was obvious: government hunters had minimal incentives. Performance bonuses were low, and all loot obtained inside gates belonged to the state.
In essence, the Raid Team didn’t even exist in practice. If the Exploration Team could handle it, they were sent in to deal with the gate themselves.
Su-ho had no expectations for the Exploration Team.
His memories from his past life confirmed there wasn’t anyone notable among them.
Still, Jeong Cheol-min called them in—they were the Exploration Team for the Gate Management 2nd Unit, after all.
Jeong Cheol-min led Su-ho into the Detection Unit tent.
The atmosphere inside was tense.
The rare occurrence of S-rank mana had everyone on edge.
If the gate went berserk and triggered a Gate Shock, the consequences would be catastrophic.
The Detection Unit 3rd Team Leader, Son Do-won, spotted them and approached with a welcoming smile.
“You’re here?”
Jeong Cheol-min gestured.
“Let me introduce you. This is Son Do-won, Team Leader of Detection Unit 3. We joined the bureau at the same time.”
Su-ho bowed politely.
“I’m An Su-ho. I was recently assigned as Deputy Team Leader of the Special Management 2nd Unit.”
Son Do-won smiled and extended his hand.
“Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from your evaluation at the Detection Department. But… did you come here alone?”
At his question, Jeong Cheol-min answered,
“I called the Exploration Team as well. But honestly, even if they come, it won’t make much of a difference. Su-ho here is the highest-level person in our unit.”
Son Do-won raised an eyebrow.
“This guy? What’s his level?”
Before Jeong Cheol-min could reply, Su-ho answered,
“Level 100.”
In truth, Su-ho was Level 104, but he deliberately understated his level.
Revealing his true level would invite a barrage of questions about which gates he had cleared.
Hearing this, Son Do-won’s lips pursed in surprise.
“Have you finished your Special Trait Quests?”
“I haven’t even taken my Trait Leave yet.”
“Ah… so you’re at a crucial stage. Wait, don’t tell me you’re thinking of adding him to the Exploration Team?”
“I’m considering it. But realistically, sending the Exploration Team into an S-rank gate is a bad idea. What if they die for nothing?”
“Then why call them?”
“Well, it’s protocol. Besides, Su-ho isn’t officially part of the Exploration Team yet.”
“Fair enough…”
After a moment’s thought, Son Do-won turned to Su-ho.
“Su-ho.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
“I’m not trying to pressure you, but since you’ve been clearing Sealed Gates… are you interested in S-rank gates? Just curious—no pressure.”
Su-ho responded without hesitation.
“I’m interested.”
“…Really?”
“Yes, absolutely. And I agree with my Team Leader. The Exploration Team members are all under A-rank. Sending them into an S-rank gate would be reckless.”
“What about you?”
“I’m fine with it. If I get permission, I’ll explore the gate on my own.”
The moment Su-ho finished speaking, Son Do-won’s eyes widened, and his jaw dropped slightly.
“You’re serious?”
“Absolutely.”
“…I see.”
Even Jeong Cheol-min had considered letting Su-ho handle the gate alone.
But no matter how skilled Su-ho was, sending a subordinate into an S-rank gate alone felt reckless.
Understanding Jeong Cheol-min’s hesitation, Su-ho spoke in a reassuring tone, almost as if he were making a request:
“I prefer working alone. If you approve, I’d like to attempt a solo exploration.”
“…Are you sure about this?”
“Of course. It’s not like this is just another sealed gate. If no one explores it, the S-rank gate will end up unexamined and sent to auction. That would be such a waste, don’t you think?”
Su-ho wasn’t wrong.
If the Grand Hunter Association gave up on exploring a gate, it would be transferred to the Trading Division and sold at a private auction.
This was how most high-level gates were handled.
As much as it was a shame, there was little choice.
The government lacked the personnel to explore such gates, and holding onto them would only result in wasted resources and tax revenue.
But now the Grand Hunter Association had something new—a top-tier asset: the Sword Saint.
Jeong Cheol-min knew this all too well, which was why Su-ho had been his first call.
Jeong Cheol-min nodded and said:
“Honestly, if you insist, how can I say no? But keep in mind that high-level unexamined gates are very different from sealed gates. At least sealed gates have some collected data. An unexamined gate is pure randomness. You know that, right?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Alright then. If you’re still determined after hearing that… How much charge time is left?”
“12%.”
“How long will that take?”
“At the current rate, about 12 hours.”
“Hmm, in the meantime, you can prepare and consult with the Exploration Team when they arrive.”
12 hours.
Su-ho nodded at the estimate.
‘If I were to wait for it to open naturally, sure.’
But time was gold.
If he was going in alone, he didn’t want to waste 12 hours.
He didn’t need preparation.
‘Even if it’s an unexamined gate, whether it’s in Korea or overseas, if it’s within the timeline I lived through, I should know about it.’
Su-ho had once reviewed every known gate in the world as part of his professional evaluations.
And with his Library of Memories, it was impossible not to recall details about any gate he had encountered before.
If possible, Su-ho wanted to speed up the gate’s opening.
“Team Leader, may I step out for a moment?”
“Why?”
“I was in the middle of a quest when I came here. There are a few people I need to contact.”
“Oh, in that case, go ahead. We still have 12 hours.”
“Thank you.”
Su-ho moved to his car and accessed his Library of Memories.
He began searching for records of S-rank gates that had opened in Korea around the current year.
After sifting through the library for a while, he found a likely match.
The timing and location were too perfect to be a coincidence.
‘If the gate opening at Yeongwolru right now is the same Yeongwolru Gate I’m thinking of… this is amazing.’
There could be no duplicates.
A gate never appeared in the same location twice.
Realizing this, Su-ho couldn’t help but smirk as he rubbed his chin.
‘If this is the Yeongwolru Gate, I couldn’t ask for better.’
With his decision made, he stepped out of the car and returned to the Detection Unit tent.
“Did your call go well?”
“Yes, thank you. By the way, Team Leader.”
“Hmm?”
“I have a proposal for Team Leader Son. Could you join us for this?”
“A proposal? Now I’m curious—and a bit scared. Son! Are you busy right now?”
Hearing his colleague call, Son Do-won approached.
“What’s up?”
“Su-ho has a proposal for you.”
“For me?”
Son tilted his head in curiosity, and Su-ho began to speak.
“Team Leader Son, have you ever heard of Fast Opening?”
“Fast Opening?”
“Yes, it’s a method for accelerating gate openings. It’s currently being used overseas.”
“Overseas? Never heard of it.”
That was expected.
Fast Opening would eventually become a widely used technique, but at this point, it was still a secret method employed only in select foreign operations.
Su-ho explained further:
“This method isn’t well-known yet, so it makes sense you haven’t heard of it. By using Fast Opening, we can significantly reduce gate charging time.”
“You can speed up gate openings? Without waiting for them to open naturally?”
“Yes. By injecting highly refined mana into the gate itself, the opening process can be accelerated. There’s no need to wait.”
“That kind of method exists…? But is it safe?”
“Safe…”
The truth was, it wasn’t entirely safe.
High-level mana-infused gates carried a small risk of triggering Gate Shock, and at this point, there was no surefire way to suppress such an event.
‘Suppressing Gate Shock requires specialized skills or items… but neither are available yet.’
The necessary items hadn’t been developed, and the relevant skills wouldn’t be discovered for some time.
While it was possible to acquire these with significant effort, it was inefficient to do so just to handle a single gate.
For now, Su-ho decided to bend the truth slightly.
The Yeongwolru Gate, while containing high-level mana, hadn’t caused any Gate Shocks in his past timeline.
“If you’re worried about Gate Shock, there is a way to determine if it might happen.”
“There’s a way to predict Gate Shock?”
“Yes. Would you like to hear it?”
Son Do-won’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Alright, let’s hear it.”
Seeing his interest, Su-ho smiled and began his explanation.
The way Son’s expression shifted suggested he was almost convinced already.