Chapter 4: First Research: Goblin Gate (1)

I checked my protective suit before entering the Gate.

A gas mask, a protective suit, my weapon, and an excited Ming Ming. Ming Ming was probably just thrilled, thinking we were going out for a walk.

“Ming!”

It must be nice to be so simple.

The deployment team was already prepared at the site. They’d be waiting outside the Gate until I returned.

Preparations were complete.

From now on, it was time to enter that damned Gate.

“Mission type: Protection posture level 4 confirmed.”

“All ready. You may enter.”

Gate No. 1.

I gathered my things and walked toward the black sphere.

***

Most explorers of the Age of Enlightenment were also naturalists. The case of Homebolt, who explored the Americas, is a famous example.

Everything from arriving in a new world was science and research.

And starting today, the age of exploration had returned.

Whether I liked it or not.

I looked once more at the world beyond the Gate.

[You have entered the Gate.]

[Exploration Value +10.]

[20/100 until Enlightenment Level 1.]

Crossing the Gate after a long while made my stomach churn.

Standing in front of the black sphere, I looked down upon the otherworld beyond the Gate.

There were countless Monsters wandering about in that place.

It wasn’t my first time entering a Gate, but it was never something one could easily get used to.

And soon after, as if they sensed something strange, their gazes all swept toward me at once.

“You guys again.”

I locked eyes with a horde of Goblins who were watching the Gate.

Just as I’d thought.

The Monsters stared at me, then, perhaps a beat late in assessing the situation, began to move in confusion, preparing to attack.

But it was already too late.

Even if my own level had been reset, my Summoned Beast’s level hadn’t.

“Ming Ming. Kill them all.”

As soon as I activated my Summoner Trait, Ming Ming responded instantly, as if waiting for this moment.

The Hedgewing Dragon stood before me, spread its wings, and let out a roar.

At the end of its roar, its body began to swell, and the enormous wings obscured my view.

A dragon the size of a house.

Transformed into a proper dragon, Ming Ming radiated an intimidating presence.

Well, honestly, the size and shape weren’t what mattered.

What mattered was that my Summoned Beast dragon was an existence Goblins could never hope to contend with.

The difference in power was overwhelming, even from its aura alone.

The Monsters hesitated in front of Ming Ming, seeming to finally grasp the situation, but it was already too late.

In the next instant, the dragon’s fire poured down like rain over the horde of monsters.

The creatures tried to scatter in panic, but even those who tried to escape were caught and bitten down by Ming Ming.

Goblins might be dangerous Monsters, but as long as I returned with most of my Summoned Beast’s abilities intact, they posed no problem for me.

“It’s just like a hunting ground, to put it simply.”

In an instant, the corpses of dead Goblins piled up all around.

Just thinking that I could sell them, dissect them, or use them as research material filled me with a sense of abundance.

The battle soaked in. Ming Ming, shrinking back down in size, returned to my side and shook off the Monster blood like a puppy.

From a vantage point, I surveyed the situation again.

What I’d brought from the Research Institute was this.

A makeshift Mana Geiger Counter, created using about half a cup of dragon’s blood to detect magic.

And a Hunter Rifle, assembled to work by mixing dragon’s blood into the solvent instead of the usual electrolyte.

It was a firearm that accelerated bullets using magnetic force.

Though I’d hastily cobbled together this prototype for this operation, using my Seeker’s Trait, based on the experimental version I’d built in my past life, it should work for at least a few hours.

I tried activating my Seeker’s Trait again on my creation.

[Prototype Hunter Rifle]

[Grade: C]

[A prototype Gauss Rifle, enhanced with magic to provide magical defense.]

[* The user must imbue it with a certain amount of mana to operate.]

[Prototype Mana Geiger Counter]

[Modified from a Geiger counter to measure the concentration of mana in the surroundings.]

[* Note: Objects like magic stones may emit actual radiation, so caution is required.]

The Gremlin Effect is when machines break down for inexplicable reasons.

The Seeker’s Trait gave my creations the opposite effect. “Does this really work?”—that sort of feeling.

In the end, it’s all magical.

“Good thing I made it in my previous life.”

From here, the Gate was placed on a plateau in front of a giant pyramid-like structure.

That’s why I could look down and see the surroundings from there.

Around it, what looked like stone ruins were scattered.

The pyramid and the nearby stone buildings seemed at least several centuries old.

Some parts were covered in earth or vegetation.

It didn’t seem possible that the Goblins had built such a massive structure.

“There must have been something before the Goblins—the Ancient Civilization that built these ruins.”

There were still a few Goblins remaining in the area, but not enough to worry about.

Together with Ming Ming, I walked down toward the pyramid.

Around the pyramid, tropical jungle-like vegetation grew in tangled profusion.

In the distance, bizarre birds with four wings passed overhead, and many other unusual plants stood out.

Unfamiliar plants sprouted everywhere, especially massive ferns and creatures resembling mushrooms.

I didn’t want to venture into the forest lightly.

There could be Monsters, or other dangerous plants hiding there.

I remembered hearing stories, before my regression, of people being devoured by carnivorous plants in worlds beyond the Gate.

It was never safe.

I pulled a small specimen bottle from my bag and collected a handful of soil and grass from the ground.

All of this would become valuable samples. From soil acidity to native fauna or microbial colonies.

As I walked between the ruins, several brightly colored lizards scurried across the ancient stones.

Everything was different here.

Strange colors and alien shapes.

It wasn’t my first time seeing such sights, but for no particular reason, a chill ran through me.

Still, there was work to do; I had no time to dawdle.

“Let’s go.”

“Ming!”

The space beyond the Gate could be a military base for Monsters, a city, or, as in this case, the ruins of an Ancient Civilization.

Most of the time, it was something worth researching and exploring.

This time was no different.

This world seemed to be the home world of the Goblins, and these ruins were built by some unknown Ancient Civilization.

In my previous life, people often entered worlds beyond the Gate to mine resources, hunt for relics, Artifacts, or other valuable goods.

Some of these advances even developed human civilization, which more than proved their worth.

The Hunter Shop hadn’t appeared yet, but surely some of the items here could be sold for a hefty sum.

I wanted to inspect the ruins thoroughly.

In my last life, I hadn’t been able to examine things in such detail because the Government had blocked off the Gate.

More than anything.

“There might be something unique to find.”

Ming Ming looked around with curious eyes.

“Yeah, you should take a good look, too. There might be something useful.”

“Ming!”

Artifacts, or perhaps new Monsters worth isolating and researching. Or something particularly strange…

“Time to go collect some experience.”

If luck was on my side, I might even find a Goblin Lord beyond the Gate.

The one who led the invasion, commander of the Monster army that attacked us through the first Gate.

The Monster that made life in the research facility hell before my regression, the one I had to kill in this Gate.

***

Ming Ming was my oldest and strongest Summoned Beast. Right now, since I’d regressed, Ming Ming was all I had.

How many battles had I fought alongside Ming Ming?

Before my regression, I’d survived 1,500 days during the Gate crisis, and it was all thanks to Ming Ming.

It would probably be the same after regression.

“Ming!”

Ming Ming looked around like a dog out on a walk.

This was the space beyond the first Gate.

A world ruled by Goblins.

Currently, not a single Monster could be seen.

Perhaps those who fled figured out what happened and ran off? Goblins must have some means of communication.

The Monsters were probably preparing another assault.

The Gate’s influence would continue to expand for some time.

But—

“Too soon to let your guard down.”

Throughout the ruins, murals and statues were scattered everywhere.

From the engraved symbols, it seemed those who built these megalithic structures also worshipped the Gate.

“Gate worshippers, huh? Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?”

First, I organized what I needed to confirm in the space beyond the Gate in my mind, and began recording data with my equipment.

Background radiation was about twice the normal value.

Oxygen concentration was significantly higher than normal, and carbon dioxide was also much higher than average.

“Well, that’s not bad.”

Not ideal, but not dangerously high, either.

Just in case, I kept monitoring my blood oxygen saturation with my wrist device.

Currently, my oxygen saturation was 99%.

If the environment became difficult to breathe in, my oxygen levels would drop, but for now, it was normal.

In conclusion, this world was relatively mild in terms of environment.

I’d seen worlds where you couldn’t breathe without an oxygen tank, worlds tainted with radiation, even places completely unfit for humans to walk.

I looked at Ming Ming and said,

“Ming Ming. Here’s the plan. We recover Artifacts, search for higher-level Monsters, and eliminate anything dangerous.”

Especially the Goblin Lord I’d faced last time.

Ming Ming nodded, sniffed around, then suddenly darted off as if she’d found something.

I quickly chased after Ming Ming.

“Ming!”

“Did you find something?”

What Ming Ming discovered was…

A humanoid Monster made of stone and metal.

Behind it, a massive iron door loomed, as if it was guarding something.

My Mana Geiger Counter began emitting an eerie warning sound.

If there was magic, then it seemed we’d come to the right place.

Fortunately, I’d seen this Monster before my regression.

“A golem, huh.”

Relic Golem.

A Monster like a moving statue, tasked with guarding certain areas or gateways.

Sensing our presence, the Relic Golem turned its head toward us.

It was an elite Monster, but with a little effort, I should be able to handle it with my current abilities.

I gripped my weapon tightly, finishing my thoughts.

Time to use the Seeker’s Trait again.

[Relic Golem.]

[An immortal weapon created by an Ancient Civilization centuries ago to eternally guard their secrets.]

Soon, the sound of the golem’s heavy footsteps approached.

Relic Golems were threatening enemies, but their size meant there were plenty of targets, and they were too slow to fight a Hunter head-on.

“Its weak point is exposed, too.”

I hadn’t realized when I fought it in my previous life, but now I knew.

The golem uses a magic stone core as both its heart and eye. The large, bright core is an obvious weak point for the golem.

“If you just know that…”

Even if my level hadn’t been restored, I should be able to take it down fairly easily.