Chapter 31
“Alright, everyone, listen up.”
The outskirts of Gangwon-do’s city center—
far from the busy streets, a quiet road lined by the shimmering border field.
“This is a B-rank gate. Everyone, stay sharp as we go in, understood?”
It was a freshly-discovered B-rank gate, one that Yena had helped find.
The party leader gathered the scattered hunters, forming up the team before entry.
“If you’re ready, let’s move in.”
At his signal, the group stepped through the gate.
That familiar, tingling sensation wrapped around the body, and moments later—
the air changed drastically.
‘Ugh… I can barely breathe.’
A quick glance around showed a field of boiling lava—
as if they had walked straight into a volcano’s heart.
“This looks like hell itself. Be careful—monsters here all have intelligence.”
The party leader said this while shooting a meaningful look at Juhyuk.
Though Juhyuk’s name was becoming more well-known,
the “F-rank” label still hung around his neck—
and so, distrust followed him everywhere.
It was only natural; even “irregulars” were usually just one tier above their actual rank.
So an F-rank irregular joining a B-rank gate expedition?
That was bound to make people uneasy.
‘They’re still debating whether that video was fake or not. Yeah, they probably don’t believe it.’
He couldn’t blame them for their skepticism.
He’d gotten used to those kinds of looks long ago.
“Hold your positions and move forward.”
Juhyuk and another hunter took the vanguard,
while the leader, being a supporter, guarded the rear silently.
He could practically hear the man thinking behind him.
Still, Juhyuk had no interest in proving anything beyond results.
“Enemies ahead! Imps!”
A shriek echoed—
demonic creatures, barely a third the size of a human, came rushing in.
Kyaaahh—!
Claws outstretched, one leapt for him.
Juhyuk easily blocked the attack with his sword and countered.
Krk—!
The imp split cleanly in half—
as easily as cutting tofu.
After dispatching three or four more in similar fashion,
he could feel all eyes turning toward him.
“Juhyuk! You’re pretty handy with that sword!”
“Thanks.”
Even the doubting leader looked visibly startled.
‘That should ease their nerves.’
Now that he’d proven he could more than pull his weight,
he focused on one thing only—slaughtering every monster in their path
and gathering materials for his next training chamber upgrade.
But something strange was happening today.
Kieeek—!
The imps, the pigmen who walked on two legs like humans,
even the hell slimes that oozed across the molten ground—
they all ignored the rest of the party
and targeted only Juhyuk.
“Guess your mana level really is F-rank.”
“…Huh?”
“They’re all going straight for you.”
The other frontliner explained casually.
“Hell-type monsters have strong mana-sensing abilities.
They probably want to devour the one with the lowest mana first.”
“So… they’re after me because I have the least mana?”
“Exactly. To them, you’re like food that walked right up to their mouths.”
Because of that, Juhyuk ended up fighting the most monsters—
and killing them all.
“Well, whatever the reason, I’m impressed.
Taking down three pigmen alone like that—you surprised me.”
“They let their guard down after sensing my weak mana.”
The monsters, thinking him an easy meal,
made bigger movements—
and he exploited every opening with precision.
His senses, sharpened from countless sessions in the training chamber,
were now so acute that B-rank monsters were hardly a challenge.
‘Still… I can’t say for sure if I can handle A-rank ones yet.’
The gap between B and A rank was vast.
A-rank monsters were exponentially stronger—
intelligent, cunning, capable of speech and deception.
‘Maybe one or two on their own, sure.
But inside a gate? That’s a different story.’
He was still lacking.
He needed to get much stronger.
Limited mana, limited talent—
everything made his path steeper than anyone else’s.
Even countless runs through the training chamber weren’t enough.
‘Then I’ll just do it hundreds more times.’
He still had time.
Grinding B-rank dungeons alone would eventually let him upgrade his chamber again.
He just needed to keep going.
As he continued cutting down monsters,
the party suddenly stopped when the leader raised a hand.
“Hold up. The mana density spikes from here on.”
“Is it the boss?”
“Most likely.”
He used his detection skill, eyes narrowing.
“…This isn’t B-rank. It’s A-rank.”
“Well, that tracks.
B-rank gates can spawn A-rank bosses.”
No one seemed particularly surprised.
They had already guessed as much from the infernal environment.
“Probably a mid-tier demon, then?”
“Seems likely.”
“Alright.”
The vanguard nodded.
“No reason to retreat. We’ve got enough manpower.”
“Agreed. Let’s finish this.”
Everyone consented to entering the boss room.
And Juhyuk—who had once obliterated a B-rank boss in a single strike—had no reason to refuse.
“Alright, let’s move.”
They began climbing again.
Sweat rolled down cheeks from the scorching air
as they trudged up the steep, dusty incline.
Finally, after what felt like forever,
a large mansion appeared at the summit, overlooking the infernal landscape below.
“Finally, the boss room.”
The others were panting, exhausted.
Juhyuk alone still looked fresh.
“You’re not tired, Juhyuk?”
“A bit, but manageable.”
He didn’t even sound winded—
a fact that only deepened their awe.
“Guess you really are an irregular…”
It was a title awarded only after rigorous evaluation by the Hunter Association.
And now they could see why he’d earned it.
“Everyone’s tired, but we should move. There might be guards nearby.”
“Right.”
If the guard monsters swarmed, they’d waste precious energy.
Better to storm the mansion and take down the boss.
They all knew it—so they pressed on quickly.
A wide, ornate mansion that looked like something straight out of a fantasy comic.
They pushed open the grand iron gates.
A sprawling garden and stone path awaited.
“Damn, the demon’s house is nicer than mine.”
“Then go live in hell if you’re jealous.”
Joking lightly, they advanced toward the main doors.
Surprisingly, no guards blocked their way.
“Let’s go in.”
The leader pulled open the massive wooden doors—
they creaked ominously,
then shut automatically behind them.
‘These gates always close on their own… just like last time.’
He wondered half-jokingly whether monsters shared manuals on this sort of thing.
As he was thinking that, chandeliers lit up high above them.
“Welcome. Four guests came all this way?”
A seductive voice echoed from the second-floor balcony.
A figure stepped into view—
horns on its forehead, wings unfurled from its back.
A demon.
“Did a gate open nearby?
How convenient. I was getting bored.”
Androgynous beauty—
handsome and beautiful all at once,
skin glowing violet under the light.
The demon rested its chin on its hand,
but then frowned, noticing something.
“Wait… not four?”
It leapt down gracefully, landing soundlessly before them.
“You. What nerve brought you here?”
It was speaking to Juhyuk.
Juhyuk silently raised his sword instead of answering.
The demon’s expression twisted.
An arrogant being like that hated being ignored.
With a snarl, it ripped its own nails free, veins bulging.
“Impudent little human… whatever. You’ll die soon enough.”
Spreading its wings wide,
it lunged—straight for Juhyuk.
“Juhyuk! Look out—!”
Before anyone could finish shouting—
CRACK!
“Guh!”
Juhyuk sidestepped the strike with minimal movement,
and since he didn’t have enough room to swing,
he slammed the demon’s chin hard with his sword hilt.
Blood spattered as the demon stumbled back.
“Wh… what the—?”
The demon’s mana was immense—
yet this human had parried and countered effortlessly.
No way that was luck.
Gripping its head, the demon leapt back onto the balcony.
“…I underestimated you.
Of course—no human with such low mana would be allowed into a gate like this.”
It muttered, then tilted its head with a curious smirk.
“But how strange… how did you block me with that body?”
Even among low-mana humans, some were strong—
but this disparity was absurd.
Then it sniffed the air.
“Now that I’m closer… your blood smells thickest.
You’ve killed the most, haven’t you?”
The demon’s grin widened, sharp and chilling.
“Good. The master will be very pleased.”
Then it lifted its claws—
but instead of attacking,
it plunged them into its own neck.
“Kha—!”
Blood erupted like a fountain.
Its body went limp, collapsing over the railing.
“What the hell—!?”
“….”
The group stared in disbelief.
Was it a trick?
Monsters never chose suicide.
But soon after, a portal of light—the exit gate—appeared in the mansion’s center.
“The boss… really died?”
Exit gates only opened after the boss’s death.
That meant the demon had truly perished.
“What… just happened?”
Confused and wary, they finally agreed there was nothing left to do but leave.
“Shall we go?”
“…Yeah.”
Still uneasy, they approached the exit one by one,
casting wary glances at the corpse.
“It’s safe, right? What if this is a trap?”
“No—it’s a genuine exit gate. I can tell.”
“Then let’s hurry. Who knows what else might happen. Forget the magic stone—too risky.”
They followed the leader through the gate.
Finally, only Juhyuk was left.
Just as he was about to step through,
he paused.
He turned back toward the corpse.
“….”
Still slumped, motionless, bleeding.
He was sure it was dead—
but something about the ending didn’t sit right.
He couldn’t take his eyes off it.
“Yeah. I knew you’d be the last one left.”
The corpse lifted its head and smiled.
Juhyuk instantly raised his sword.
“You weren’t dead?”
“Oh, I was. For about five minutes.”
It spoke casually, as though death were a nap.
Propping its chin on both hands, it smiled playfully from the balcony.
“Curious about my little trick? Want me to tell you?”
“No. Just give me your magic stone.”
“Magic stone? Hah. Humans and their obsession with money…”
Pretending to think, the demon took out an envelope from its chest pocket.
“If it’s wealth you seek, I can offer something better than my stone.”
It tossed the letter into the air—
it fluttered down gently like a paper airplane, landing at Juhyuk’s feet.
“Take it.
There’s someone beyond this letter who can grant anything you desire.”
The demon waved its hand lazily, voice dripping with honey.
“Knowledge, riches, women…
Depending on your ability, you could have it all.”
“As if I’d trust a demon.”
“Well, that’s your choice.
But think it over.”
“Who knows? You might uncover secrets of the world you’ve never known.”
“….”
Secrets of the world I don’t know.
That phrase immediately reminded him of the mark on his arm—
the Training Chamber.
‘Could demons know about it?’
Knowledge of something that didn’t exist on Earth…
Perhaps, among demons, there was information.
“Well, I’ll be going. The choice is yours.”
The demon’s body slowly turned to dust, fading away.
Only Juhyuk and the letter remained in the silent mansion.
“….”
Quietly, Juhyuk looked between the letter and the spot where the demon vanished.
Then, carefully, he picked it up—
and stepped through the gate.
