Jeong-woo headed straight to the scene ahead of even greeting his new coworkers at the agency.
An emergency dispatch via helicopter rather than any ground transport.
They crossed the sky and arrived above Noryangjin, where a deep green Gate loomed under tight perimeter control.
'Third Gate.'
It was the heart of Dongjak-gu.
Gates were fundamentally classified into three types based on their nature.
First Gates that spewed out hordes of regular monsters.
Second Gates that birthed a single, overwhelmingly powerful entity.
And Third Gates, where both existed in complex tandem, with monsters lingering inside the Gate's internal world.
Modern Gate management revolved around these Third Gates.
By predicting the emergence of First and Second Gates and channeling them into Third Gates, civilian casualties approached zero while creating optimal combat conditions for Hunters.
Thanks to this system, society had escaped the era of groaning under sudden Gate outbreaks.
But it wasn't a perfect safety net.
It merely diverted the flow of disaster elsewhere—like redirecting floodwaters. If a downpour overwhelmed the banks, the waters would overflow anyway. Similarly, when monster density inside spiked, they could surge back out en masse.
This phenomenon...
When the First and Second monsters bottled up in a Third Gate burst forth, it was called a Gate Shock.
The most realistic catastrophe in the modern age.
"A clear case of man-made disaster. These Shocks lately."
As Director Jin Ho-jong said, it was a calamity born of human greed.
"Monsters inside Third Gates need periodic culls. But human nature being what it is... Monster byproduct markets are booming these days. So they think, 'If we're clearing anyway, why not let higher-grade ones grow for bigger profits?'"
"Exactly. They crank up the Gate's mana density on purpose to force monster evolution through environmental pressure."
"Right. Mess that up, and boom—Gate Shock. You've done your homework, Jeong-woo."
"Gotta know what I'll be dealing with from now on."
"Solid. Real solid."
Jeong-woo flashed a bright smile.
"So our job is managing and responding to those Gates, right?"
"Strictly speaking, we're Gate firefighters. With some oversight on the side."
The Anomalous Disaster Response Agency's role was clear-cut.
When district-assigned Hunter guilds mismanaged their Gates and things went haywire, the Agency swooped in as Gate firefighters to contain and clean up. As a national agency—and just a branch under the Hunter Management Bureau—their authority was limited in peacetime. But in crises like this? Different story.
"We're in charge now. First field op for you, Jeong-woo—pay attention."
"Yes, Director."
Jeong-woo stepped off the chopper onto solid ground.
The Dongjak-gu guild execs who recognized him and Director Jin froze solid.
Director Jin spoke up.
"Gentlemen, how much damage were you planning with this monster pile-up? You scared us out of bed at dawn."
"It's been a while, Director. And first time meeting you, Hunter Jeong-woo. The rumors were true... You've joined the Agency..."
"Save the chit-chat for later."
The guild exec's lip twisted at the gruff jab.
But he didn't push back further.
There was that top clause in the Hunter laws:
[In Gate disaster situations, on-site command authority transfers to the Anomalous Disaster Response Agency.]
He had the sense not to ignore it.
"...We're sorry."
The exec bowed his head low.
Jeong-woo gave an awkward smile.
A twinge of sympathy stirred.
Truth was, when you dug into why Gate Shocks spiked around this time, the fault often lay more with the district-managing Hunter Management Bureau than corporations.
'It came out later. Orders to ramp up density came from the Bureau.'
Monster byproducts for political lobbying.
To produce them, the Bureau slotted compliant corporations into district guild management roles as factories.
Guilds were just companies with state-granted business rights anyway.
They couldn't ignore Bureau directives.
Sure, getting tangled made them accomplices—but as someone who'd once been a mid-level manager at an SME, Jeong-woo couldn't help empathizing with the wage-slave plight.
Anyway, setting that aside, back to the present.
"Situation report."
"Yes. Currently inside the Gate..."
At Director Jin's prompt, the exec rattled off a smooth briefing on the internal dynamics.
A three-way power struggle among three Champion monsters. The frontrunner devoured a laggard, evolving in the process.
The runner-up got culled as fodder.
The evolved Champion reshaped the internal environment, accelerating evolution across the entire monster horde.
Mana density had skyrocketed exponentially—Shock imminent.
"A guy who ate two A-Rank Champions. Must be huge."
"Not quite S-Rank specs, but definitely top-tier."
"Got it. Oh, Jeong-woo—you don't have real combat experience yet, right?"
"Nope. First time since awakening."
"How about you handle this one? Gotta see what an innate S-Rank can do at least once."
That was the moment.
"...We'll enter with you."
The exec who'd been chatting up till then spoke up.
Every Hunter on-site turned to stare at Jeong-woo.
They were curious too.
Korea's first innate S-Rank.
Currently the strongest—and destined to be uniquely unrivaled.
Just how powerful was he?
Director Jin blanched first at the sudden spotlight.
"Don't pressure him like that."
"...If it's not too much trouble, we'd like to request it."
"You're making this awkward. Right, Jeong-woo?"
At the question, almost reflexively...
'Ah, you're doing this on purpose.'
Jeong-woo sensed what Director Jin wanted.
The affable uncle vibe, the jaded bureaucrat look—it all framed this as playful banter.
But knowing who Director Jin Ho-jong really was and thinking accordingly changed things.
'He's setting the stage.'
Creating an environment for him to shine in front of everyone.
Beyond just resolving the Shock—making them feel the how and the extent.
So how could he not realize?
'A test?'
No, closer to a favor.
Jeong-woo already knew what mattered as much as raw power in the Hunter world.
'Visibility and public support.'
Even national Hunters weren't exempt.
In modern society, Hunters resembled classic comic heroes.
In Hunter society, your influence hinged not just on strength, but on how desperately the public craved and cheered it.
To Jeong-woo, it looked like Director Jin was filling those gaps for him.
'Why?'
A justified reason.
Tying it to his foreknowledge of the future, it clicked.
Maybe...
'He already knows some of the Bureau's corruption. Watching for an opening? Building a card to play?'
His goals might already align somewhat with Jeong-woo's.
Whatever the case, the situation was shaping up beautifully for Jeong-woo.
"Whoa, looks like the press sniffed it out and swarmed again."
Broadcast choppers overhead, camera crews baking under the sun below that building.
Only then did Jeong-woo spot them.
Really caught off-guard?
'No.'
Director Jin had orchestrated this knowing they'd come.
Jeong-woo was certain now.
Jeong-woo spoke.
"...Since it's my first entry, some backup sounds good."
"Hmm, yeah? Fair enough for a newbie."
Director Jin grabbed the radio.
"Gi-yoon. Gate entry clearance? Huh? Already got it? Quick work. Real quick."
He clicked off and said,
"Clearance granted. We can head in. You know the drill?"
"Yep. Hold breath, enter, hold still for 15 seconds. That's the assimilation time."
"Manual says so, but you'll probably be faster. Higher rank makes assimilation easier."
Jeong-woo nodded.
He drew a deep breath, tensed up, and activated his skills.
[All-Ages Filter activated!]
[Kids Need Heroes! triggered!]
[Slot 1! Teddy Warrior (S) summoned!]
Poof!
A human-sized teddy bear doll clutching a toy sword appeared.
First stage.
First real combat deployment. Jeong-woo planned to test his summon's full capabilities properly.
Voices rose around him.
"Gate coordinates locked! Bidirectional pathway deployed in 3! 2! 1! Pathway active!"
"Base camp linked! Internal density at critical threshold! Calling protocol initiated! Monster aggregation ready!"
A pre-Shock Gate's internal mana pressure skyrocketed.
The ideal counter: enter and take out the Champion at the density's core.
So they signaled inside.
Here—a challenger for your throne.
Woooong—!
Circular space yawned open at the deep green vortex's center.
Beyond it, the Gate's inner world emerged.
Green skies, black earth. Crimson veins threading the land like molten cracks.
An ominous realm.
Once coordinates locked, you could peer through like a mirror to another world.
Jeong-woo spotted it.
'That one's the boss.'
A colossal figure lumbered slowly toward the base camp.
A tortoise-shaped monster roughly ten stories tall.
Its obsidian rock body bristled with hundreds of cannon-like barrels atop its shell.
Thud—!
Thud—!
Vibrations rumbled.
It wasn't alone.
"Monster horde sighted! Escorts for the Champion... hundreds strong!"
It brought its army.
Flying and walking monsters adapted to the zone swarmed in black waves.
If Shock hit, they'd flood Dongjak-gu, unleashing disaster.
Jeong-woo licked his lips.
"Entering now."
"We'll provide support."
The guild execs fell in behind him.
Jeong-woo took one step forward.
Shwoooosh!
Vision warped, nausea hit.
Gate assimilation—but adaptation was instantaneous.
How long since he'd last crossed to scout a Gate interior?
He shelved the nostalgia and focused ahead.
Thick air, sweltering heat.
And the overwhelming presence generating it.
"Teddy."
He was curious.
"Crank the output for a test run?"
S-Rank summon.
Guaranteed equivalent to an S-Rank Hunter's full power, solo.
Just how strong was it?
The monster legion charged.
But—
[All-Ages Filter currently active!]
Pew-pew-pew!
The instant they entered range, the horde morphed one by one into giant plush monster dolls.
Everything turned cartoonish, absurdly comical.
Teddy waddled forward amid them, squeaking with each step.
Jeong-woo eyed the red cape draped over the doll's back.
The toy sword in its paw.
Teddy raised the blade high.
Then swung down.
Fwaaaaaang—!
Scorching flash erupted forward, filling vision.
Staring at it, realization hit again.
Jeong-woo let out a hollow chuckle.
'As expected...'
Ridiculous power.
The guild Hunters who'd tagged along suddenly had nothing to do.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
With coordinates locked, a Third Gate allowed external observation of the interior.
Outside, helicopters buzzed around the Gate perimeter, while below nearby buildings, countless cameras strained to capture the scene.
Jeong-woo's official Agency assignment had dropped, right as a Shock loomed—word spread he'd deploy.
Exclusive of exclusives, Shock or no.
All the public obsession sources converged here—every broadcaster's crew swarmed.
In that hype, the shock hit harder.
Everyone yelling updates fell abruptly silent.
Reporters, Hunters, onlookers—speechless.
Amid it, a reporter gaped blankly, forgetting her lines before mumbling in disbelief.
[Breaking News: Hunter Jeong-woo entry: 3 seconds. Enemies visible beyond the Gate: total annihilation.]
A near-disaster vanished in an instant.
Korea's first innate S-Rank.
The moment his power's worth shone for all to see.
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