Chapter 96

[I was supposed to upload 5-8 today rip, but I spent a few hours processing some back-end stuff related to this series instead. A few minor terms were changed, and we have already replaced the translator and editor. Since we are burning through the stockpile, there won't be any delays on the front end outside of today. The current quality according to our in-house metric is around 5.5/10. The new team will be at least a 7-8/10. The better quality chapters will reflect once we upload the stockpiled chapters. As an apology for the inconvenience here are 2 free chapters.]

Two-way Gate (2)

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"So, how's the GED thingy?"

That was Lee Ho's first question.

"I can pass it."

That answer made Lee Ho smile awkwardly.

As I had mentioned before, a strange message had been sent to all hunters. I supposed Ho was wondering about it as well.

He then sighed and told the story.

It was about the 'Martial Art of the Heavenly Devil', the skill he'd learned. What he mentioned was quite interesting.

"The what?"

"The system told me that the Heavenly Devil was known as the 'greatest'."

It was interesting. While I was in Valhalla, people did call me Heavenly Devil. But the place Ho mentioned was not Valhalla.

There was no 'Moorim' in Valhalla.

People who knew me, including my allies and enemies, called me the 'Sword God'. Which meant there was another person who'd created the 'Martial Art of the Heavenly Devil'.

"Interesting. Another person had exactly the same idea as I did."

"...I suppose what I thought was correct."

Lee Ho was not a fool. He had the same idea that I had.

Another person had made the technique that Yeo-Hwa and I created together.

I had made it to absorb nature's power and change it to life energy. The life energy of a strong person was much more powerful than the aura from the outside.

In fact, my black aura was more like my life energy.

That's why I was interested. Another man had come up with the exact method that I did. Yet, the keywords were different from mine.

Ho then asked, "If you fought with that person, who would win?"

"Me, of course."

"But he was the 'Heavenly Devil'."

"I was known as the 'Sword God'."

"He did reincarnation."

"Maybe the system thinks that I did too. I was an ordinary person, but I went through the difficult task to possess this strength."

"...Are you sure you aren't this guy?"

Lee Ho was seriously doubting me. That made me laugh.

"He's not me. Valhalla is different from where he was. Valhalla only had the West continent and East continent."

"Is that so?"

"There was no such thing as Moorim. Yet, the system said that he was from there. We're just similar."

I noticed that Ho was thinking about something. "Should I guess?"

"About what?"

"About what you're thinking right now. You are concerned that there might be a stronger person than me in Moorim."

"...You read my mind."

"You were obvious. By the way, allow me to say this to you. I've told this to my companions from Valhalla."

I used chopsticks to finish cooking. With that, I continued speaking.

"My companions told me to stop. Even if I became stronger, they told me that there were other strong people. If I continued to fight, then I would eventually die painfully."

"..."

I put the food on a dish. After taking a bite, I continued explaining.

"Yeo-Hwa told me that fighting against the dragon was more like suicide. It's better to negotiate. That's what she told me."

I drank a sip of water, then smiled and asked, "After eight years, do you know what they told me?"

"What did they say?"

"They told me to bring a gift back for them. Even when a dragon like Tiamat appeared."

That made Ho freeze. He was speechless. He knew what I was about to say.

"I'm that kind of person. I always overcome the difficult challenges and win the battle. So trust me. I won't lose."

I supposed that was enough to make him confident.

"I can see what your people are like."

"Really?"

"Yes."

After that, we ate our meal. Then Ho asked, as if he had thought of it just then, "By the way, where would that Heavenly Devil be?"

"I'm not sure."

"What if that man is in another dimension? He might be away like you." That was a reasonable question.

"They told me that I'm the second one to 'learn' that skill. But that's strange. You, Yeo-Hwa, and the Heavenly Devil already knew it. So why am I considered as the second learner?"

"That is weird indeed."

Like Lee Ho had said, only Yeo-Hwa and I could use that skill perfectly. And the Heavenly Devil, if the system was correct. But that still was three. Yet, the system had told Ho he was the second learner.

"If I'm included, then I should be third or fourth. Could that mean the system recognized you as the first?"

I shook my head. On Earth, I had never used it.

It was quite simple. The system recognized the player and scanned them. That was how the stat window could present the stats.

But the system could not scan me properly. That meant I wasn't it.

Also, if the system tried to put me under its control, then I would be the first to destroy it. "Then who is the first?" Ho asked.

I shrugged.

"It could be Yeo-Hwa, or the actual apprentice of the Heavenly Devil."

***

A man was on Paektu mountain. He turned on the hologram and began talking. "My dear friends, check out where I am now."

This was the place where Hwan Lee had killed Tiamat.

The streamer, BJ Ra-cooon, smiled and continued his V-log.

"It's not as amazing as I saw on the video."

Then tons of messages were sent to him.

[ No bullshit. ]

[ I bet you want to go to your mom and cry. ]

And more. With every word Ra-cooon said, his viewers were sending messages to him. That was obvious. He had nine hundred and eighty million subscribers.

However, soon, the land started shaking. Ra-cooon blinked.

Even though he was a streamer, he was a hunter as well. He was, in fact, S-rated. That was why he was surprised. He knew what was going on now.

[ Holy sh**! ]

[ Are we watching the formation of the gate live? ]

As mentioned in the chat room, the gate was forming. Yet...

[ What is this color? ]

[ A Purple Gate? Isn't this the first time? ]

Ra-cooon laughed. He had never observed the formation of a gate before. But that didn't matter; he wasn't going inside anyway.

Soon, he was surprised to see a certain message. [ GodUSA funded you 50M Won. ]

Surprise filled Ra-cooon's eyes. That was one of the viewers who supported him with funding.

"GodUSA! Thanks for that!"

He was ready to react to that. But GodUSA sent another message. [ Go inside the gate. I'll forward 10 billion Won. ]

'What is he saying?' Ra-cooon thought.

"But that's illegal. I'd have to pay a fine for that."

[ How about $20 billion? ]

[ I can afford $30 billion as well. ]

Ra-cooon wondered who this man was. He never talked about himself but always sent a lot of money. He had to be rich, that was for certain. But thirty billion?

Ra-cooon was a high-rated hunter. He was confident enough. Soon, more messages came in.

[ That guy is a chicken! ]

[ Just go in and get the money. ]

[ It's 30 billion Won. I would just go in. ]

[ Just give up if you are a coward. ]

There were a lot of insane men around the world.

Ra-cooon was an S-rated hunter with shadow walk skills. Even if he went into an SS-rated gate, he was sure that he could survive. In fact, he had managed to survive most of the gates he'd been in.

That was why he decided to do so.

"Alright."

So he entered the gate. No one was stopping him.

He slowly took out all his equipment and then paused.

[ Just get in quickly. ]

[ He is chicken! ]

However, that was not the issue. "GodUSA?"

He smiled and made a money sign. Soon, the message was sent.

[ GodUSA funded you 30 billion Won. ]

If someone asked a streamer to do something, then they had to pay first. That was an unofficial rule.

"Ah, I suppose I'll have to pay a big fine."

However, that did not matter. He'd just earned thirty billion Won. A fine? It wouldn't even leave a scratch.

And so, Ra-cooon went in. But as soon as he entered the gate, he noticed that something was not right.

[ Is he in? ]

[ Why is streaming still going on? ]

[ ??? ]

That certainly was an issue. When they were inside the gate, connections were lost.

[ Was that a returning portal? ]

[ Idiot. Why would a returning portal form? ]

The gate had just formed. So it couldn't be a returning portal.

Also, he noticed that he could get out of the gate without clearing it.

Ra-cooon was speechless. It was a gate that had never appeared before. However, that wasn't important.

"I did what you told me."

[ GodUSA: OK ]

Ra-cooon, grinning, looked around. He was in the forest.

He then thought carefully. 'Should I return? Or explore the forest?'

That was when the message was sent.

[ GodUSA: If you investigate the gate, then I'll double the pay. ]

"Deal."

Ra-cooon smiled. But then, a lot of messages were sent to him.

[ Something just passed. ]

[ Was that human? ]

[ It could be a monster. ]

[ Turn back. There's someone behind you. ]

So Ra-cooon did. And he was surprised.

There was a man. He looked like someone who would appear in Chinese movies.

"Who... are you?"

Quickly, the man attacked Ra-cooon. Ra-cooon managed to respond, but it was not enough. He was hit. The man glanced at Ra-cooon and smashed his watch. The connection was lost.

- The Vlog has ended.

Yet, the chatroom was very active.

Thirty-eight million people were replaying Ra-cooon's video. One man sent a message.

[ GodUSA: I suppose this is the main story. ]

Not everyone could see it. GodUSA ignored it.

[ GodUSA: I sent another 30 billion Won. Rest in peace. ]

...

[ GodUSA: Amen. ]