Chapter 3: Going to Work Even When the Gate Opens (3)

I gripped the box containing the Hunter Rifle with my left hand.

At a glance, it probably just looked like a rectangular bag for an instrument.

Ming Ming tilted her head beside me.

“Ming.”

The soldiers sighed.

“You’re talking about what we confirmed earlier…”

The soldier trailed off, as if he understood.

It was obvious what these people wanted.

Even the officers had no idea what was going on right now, so of course those above were pressing and those below were asking questions.

– Report what’s happening.

– Do you know what’s going on?

They must have repeated this kind of conversation hundreds of times today alone.

If someone was an expert, or even looked like one, they’d be welcomed when they spoke up.

As long as they offered even a clue toward a solution.

“What is your name, sir?”

“Kim Lieutenant Colonel. I’m the Battalion Commander here.”

“Battalion Commander, do you know what that thing is? The strange Black Sphere that appeared this morning.”

I pointed toward the Gate above Night Island.

The moment I made eye contact with the Black Sphere that composed the Gate, a chill swept over me.

Kim Lieutenant Colonel, who followed my gesture, seemed to feel it too, noticeably flinching.

The vibration from the Black Sphere was growing louder and louder.

It meant the Gate would open soon.

“The higher-ups are calling it an Unidentified Flying Object, presumed to be some sort of Drone. We’re still investigating as well. We don’t know what it is yet. Doctor Lee, do you know what it is?”

“Ming!”

Of course, it was a supernatural phenomenon. Just like my Summoned Beast.

Kim Lieutenant Colonel gawked at the white halo as if speechless. If he wanted to know, he’d have to listen to my explanation.

“There’s no time. Let’s get started right away.”

“I’d appreciate an explanation if you could give one.”

The Battalion Commander nodded, looking impressed.

There was a lot to explain, but the immediate issue was separate.

Right now, what mattered was the nature of the Gate and how to respond.

I began explaining to the Battalion Commander.

“Soon, hostile monsters will appear from the Gate. You need to aim heavy weapons at the Gate and prepare to engage.”

“That seems a bit—”

Kim Lieutenant Colonel opened his mouth, as if to object, but after meeting Ming Ming’s eyes again, he closed it.

It’d be hard to believe, but the evidence was right in front of him.

“Understood. What happens next?”

“To stop monsters from coming out of the Gate, in the end, we have to go inside. I intend to go in myself.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?”

“It’s a necessary step.”

The Battalion Commander glanced at Ming Ming again.

“What kind of monsters come out? Like that one?”

“No. She’s on our side.”

If only all of them were like that.

Strictly speaking, my Summoned Beast wasn’t something that emerged from the Gate. I summoned her myself.

Everything that comes out of a Gate is hostile to humans, to our very world.

“Sometimes, terrifying, incomprehensible, or unimaginably powerful monsters might appear. But today, it should just be monsters.”

The Goblin Gate was relatively simple.

Well, compared to other Gates, at least.

“How much firepower do we need?”

“The bigger and the more, the better. Uh, have you ever hunted elephants?”

“Elephants?”

I reconsidered my choice of words.

It wasn’t like elephants were that important… but monsters the size of elephants would definitely show up in numbers.

“Legally, the minimum caliber for elephant hunting is .375, but you need at least a .45 to take them down properly. Monsters are similar. Small-caliber weapons will just make them angry.”

Kim Lieutenant Colonel sighed.

“Understood.”

“One more thing. The Gate might be polluting the air in the vicinity. Can you call in a Chem/Bio Warfare Team to the site?”

He seemed a bit taken aback.

But there was a definite reason for it.

The Terraforming process always started with air from the other world pouring through the Gate.

In my previous life, I realized this far too late, but this time, things were different, and I could turn the tables.

“There are quite a few Air Pollution Phenomena caused by the surrounding air.”

“Why is that necessary?”

“Well, we don’t know if air is coming out or going in through the Gate. And if air is coming out, we have no idea what could be mixed in.”

The Battalion Commander’s expression suddenly darkened.

They say the most primal fear for humans is fear of the unknown.

“…Thank you for your insight, Doctor Lee.”

The soldiers were quietly impressed.

The Battalion Commander was looking at me with a relieved expression.

Still, the enigmatic Black Sphere hovered above us, peering down like the pupil-less eye of some being.

Preparation was finished.

Night Island was now surrounded, with two machine gun nests pointed at the Black Sphere.

Ah, there was also a soldier with a Flamethrower.

I picked up the Binoculars and stared at the Black Sphere.

The Sphere was hovering just above the ground, barely moving.

“Uh, that thing’s moving?”

The moment I confirmed the Gate was twitching, I grabbed my weapon and rushed to the front of the scene, Ming Ming following after me.

When I put on my Gas Mask and looked at the Gate, the soldiers on site all hurriedly put on their Gas Masks as well.

The eerie vibration grew so loud it shook the ground, then stopped in an instant.

The droning that had rattled my brain for so long vanished.

And then, the shout of an inhuman army began to ring out.

Countless footsteps, a sharp wind, and then—the air around the Gate shimmered—

The Gate opened.

From beyond the opened Gate, monsters began pouring out.

The Gate spewed out countless monsters, but this time, we were ready.

“KIEEEEHK!”

With a hideous scream, a group of Goblins charged toward the human position, and soon a wave of monsters followed.

“Open fire!”

The soldiers started shooting.

They didn’t go down immediately, but with the humans’ overwhelming firepower, most of the Goblins fell in no time.

“Large Entity incoming!”

A large entity.

It could be a Boss Entity or a Terraforming Entity.

Amid the wave of monsters, several large monsters revealed themselves… and—

From beyond the Gate came a bellow.

A massive, green, humanoid monster, carrying what looked like a huge iron shield—an Orc—charged the front.

Too bad for them, our preparations were flawless.

The Flamethrower spewed fire at the large monster, and even the monsters who ignored bullets hesitated here.

A wall of fire blocked the monsters charging at us, and all who tried to cross burned to death.

All around, inhuman screams echoed as the flames engulfed the area.

“Spectacular.”

The brilliant glare of the flames made me squint.

The battle continued.

A one-sided massacre, powered by overwhelming firepower.

Plenty of monsters were still coming out of the Gate, but they were all helplessly mowed down.

“Ming Ming. Bite anything that gets close.”

A few managed to get near the position by luck, but before they could attack us, they were all bitten to death by Ming Ming.

“I…”

In my previous life, the military arrived late to the first Gate, and countless onlookers died, while Goblins hid throughout Seoul, starting the Terraforming.

“…changed the Future.”

This time, I made a proper plan, responded before the monsters crossed over, and blocked them from ever entering this world.

On Night Island, monster corpses began piling up.

An unpleasant, wailing noise kept echoing.

The monsters’ screams, and the marching song of inhuman beings.

The battlefield was a horrific sight, enough to make anyone squint.

But since we’d set up fortifications ahead of time, there hadn’t been a single human death or injury. At least, not so far.

“That’s a relief.”

[You have slain numerous monsters]

[Exploration Stat +10.]

[10/100 until reaching Enlightenment Stage 1.]

I squinted.

As I used the Seekers’ Trait Activation in the field, my experience rose.

‘Even with this much, my Exploration Stat increases quite a bit.’

At this rate, I could reach Stage 1 before the second Gate opened.

While I was organizing my thoughts, the Gate suddenly fell silent.

“Is it over?”

With current technology, there’s no way to be sure.

If we had more advanced electromagnetic detection equipment, or an Observation Robot on the other side of the Gate, it would be easy to predict.

I could also raise my Insight Skill level…

Either way, the timing of the end of the assault depended on the monsters and the Gate.

There was no sign the Gate would close yet.

“This wave seems to be over. We’ll have to cross to the other side of the Gate to confirm.”

I used the Seeker’s Trait Activation on the Gate.

[Danger Level: B]

[Multiple High-Grade Monsters.]

The details were simple.

I waved my hand and closed the Status Window in front of me.

Then I started counting the corpses piled around the Gate.

One, two, three… monsters burned to death.

There were too many Goblin corpses to count.

About ten relatively large Orcs had fallen, and I didn’t see any Terraforming Entities.

I intended to take the monster corpses back to the Research Laboratory for dissection.

It was a necessary step if I wanted to raise my Exploration Stat further.

It would be even better to check with my own eyes.

I approached Kim Lieutenant Colonel and began to explain.

“There are three broad categories of monsters. General Entities, High-Grade Entities that can’t be dealt with unless you have an awakened trait, and Terraforming Entities.”

“Hmm.”

Kim Lieutenant Colonel looked at the Black Sphere with the Binoculars.

***

The Black Sphere was still making its bizarre noise.

I let out a small sigh and continued.

“Terraforming Entities alter the environment to suit the monsters. In the case of the Goblins, it was a bit odd. Was it a Baobab Tree…”

“How do we isolate the Gate?”

“If there’s no reaction from the Gate side, I’ll cross over myself and check.”

That had been my plan from the start.

“That sounds dangerous.”

“It can’t be helped. If we want to secure the area around the Gate safely, someone has to observe the situation from the other side.”

“What if the Gate closes while someone is on the other side?”

At those words, I shook my head firmly.

“It won’t close.”

“The Gate won’t close if someone is inside?”

“Uh… at least, not just from someone being there.”

Kim Lieutenant Colonel looked deeply unsettled.

Even in my previous life, it was rare for a Gate to close with someone inside.

There were a few cases where people built barricades around the Gate, but even then, the Gate supposedly just broke right through them.

“Should we send soldiers across as well? It doesn’t seem safe. Maintaining the perimeter outside seems better.”

“This time, I’ll go myself.”

I didn’t say it outright, but the soldiers seemed relieved.

No one knew what was beyond the Gate, and in this situation, it was too much to send a regular person.

I’d go myself.

And maybe farm some more experience while I was at it.