โBreaking news? Theyโre always breaking news.โ
Hunter news is like that.
Itโs mostly about Hunters or Gates, so new Gate appearances often hit as breaking news.
Iโd seen plenty, but this one I couldnโt ignore.
I knew because Iโd seen so many.
The reporterโs voice wasnโt the usual โitโs news, but not direโ toneโit was โthis is serious!โ
- Two days since a Gate opened at Hamak Mountainโs summit.
- Yet, the Gate remains unconquered.
โPfft, nothing big.โ
I got worked up for nothing.
Just a Gate unraided for two days, not even a week, and theyโre making a fuss?
With Gate occurrences up, real breaking news was common, so why this?
Grumbling, I reached for my hammer whenโ
- The issue is the toxic gas leaking from the Gate.
- Itโs already engulfed Hamak Mountain.
- Spreading unchecked, itโs reached nearby villages, triggering an emergency evacuation.
โToxic gas?โ
- The gas is lethal, instantly fatal to non-Awakened civilians.
- Even Awakened fare slightly better, but Rank 8 Hunter Kim Min-seok, the first to attempt the raid, is in a coma from poisoning.
- The Hunter Association stepped in, but most top-rankers are away on other Gatesโฆ
The news continued.
I figured other Hunters would handle it, but โHamak Mountainโ rang a bell.
Not a famous mountain, yet familiar.
I checked.
โItโs close!โ
Not that closeโover ten kilometers away on the map.
But, unlikely as it was, what if the Gate stayed unraided?
The news said the gas was spreading faster.
What were other Hunters doing?
- Hunters attempting the raid are stalled by the pervasive gas.
- To reach and conquer the Gate, massive antidotes or many purification-class Hunters are needed.
- However, realisticallyโฆ
The gas blocked entry.
Despite being Rank 6, the monsters werenโt that strong.
The problem was the poison.
If raided early, it wouldnโt have escalated.
โWhy didnโt they raid it sooner?โ
Trouble.
Real trouble.
If the gas reached my house, evacuation orders might come, but I couldnโt bear leaving.
Three options:
Hunters somehow conquer the Gate.
I install a gas defense system at home.
Orโ
โNam Bora.โ
- Yes, whatโs up?
โAny teams at headquarters?โ
My guild.
Others might not know, but Vulcanus Guild, raised as my bodyguards, could step up.
Nam Bora, checking something, replied.
- The Hamak Mountain Gate, right?
She knew my general location, the only one who did.
Bound by a system contract to never disclose my info, she was trustworthy.
She likely connected my location to the Gate.
- Team 1 is resting at headquarters.
โCan they handle it?โ
Vulcanus Guild was growing fast.
But they were still growing.
Barely tackling Rank 5 Gates, and Hamakโs was Rank 6.
Was I pushing them too hard?
Nam Bora thought differently.
- Hamakโs Gate is Rank 6 solely due to its potent poison.
- Without countermeasures, itโs among the tougher Rank 6 Gates, but with preparation, itโs different.
- With perfect measures, Team 1 can handle it.
โMeasures like gas masks?โ
- Exactly.
- Not just respiratory protectionโmonsters cause poisoning on contact, so protective gear is needed.
โWith those, they can succeed?โ
- I believe so.
- If it gets risky, gas protection lets them escape safely.
Gas masks and protective gear.
If they fully block the poison, Vulcanus Guild could do it.
I nodded.
A Rank 6 Gateโs poison, not Rank 5.
I hadnโt tested it, but I was confident.
I could make it.
โDeploy Team 1 immediately. Iโll start crafting. Have them prepare at the gasโs edge.โ
- Got it.
After hanging up, I checked my materials.
Rare fiber from Zone 2: Thread of Purification.
Perfect base.
[Using Production Skill.]
[Select the shape of the item to craft.]
โGas maskโฆ no, mask.โ
I initially thought of a real-world gas mask.
But in the Hunter world, items are more like game gear than reality.
A mask covering the mouth could suffice for anti-poison effects.
[Choose the material for the mask.]
I used pure Purification Fiber from disassembled Thread of Purification.
Then I searched the auction for more.
Purification Fiber boosts status resistance, but I needed poison-specific protection.
No suitable mask materials stood out.
Thenโ
โWill this work?โ
[โBlessed Antidoteโ purchased.]
I bought a high-grade antidote in bulk.
With my crafting experience, I knew.
In a game, using an antidote as a material is absurd.
But this world isnโt a game.
Itโs closer to a game than reality, but closer to reality than a game.
โLetโs try.โ
No hesitationโI added the antidote as a material.
Thankfully, the system didnโt reject it.
[Crafting begins.]
Clang!
Ten masks for Team 1โs ten members.
The gas wasnโt spreading fast, but quicker was better.
[Progress: 61%โฆ]
Hammering, the fiber wove into fabric.
The Blessed Antidote poured in, soaking the fibers.
As points broke, the antidote fused perfectly.
The Purification Fiberโs pure white gained Vulcanusโ emblem.
[Crafting complete.]
[โDetox Maskโ obtained.]
The item was done.
Fancy name.
But performance mattered.
It needed to fully resist up to Rank 6 poison.
Nervously, I checked.
[Detox Mask]
Type: Mask
Grade: S
Restriction: Level 40+
Description: Made solely to block poison, the ultimate gas mask.
Abilities:
- Anti-Poison โ Immune to respiratory poisons up to Rank 5. 50% resistance to Rank 6+ poisons.
- Blessing โ Increases poison resistance by 30% for all exposure types.
- Poison Defense โ Boosts defense and resistance against poison attacks.
โNice!โ
Perfect.
No utility beyond poison, but it excelled there.
It granted full immunity to respiratory poisons, though limited to breathing.
Other poison resistance was a bonus, but for Gate combat with poison monsters, Iโd need protective suits.
Butโ
โFirst, these!โ
Ten masks for ten members.
I couldnโt risk subpar quality, so I didnโt ask Crafter 1 for help.
โMy precious home, Iโll protect you!โ
For the first time in a while, I hammered with urgency.
โVulcanus Team 1, arrived. Standing by at the gasโs edge.โ
- Please wait there.
Team 1โs leader, Park Sang-hyun, reported.
He scanned the surroundings.
โDamn, this poisonโs intense.โ
โStay back! Itโs dangerous!โ
โWhenโs a top guild coming?โ
โDoes it matter? Most guilds canโt handle this. The poisonโs near Rank 5.โ
Chaos reigned.
High-rank Hunters stumbled like zombies, collapsing.
Hunters frantically healed or retreated.
Civilians clung to Hunters, refusing to abandon homes.
The poisonโs reach grew.
โTeam Leader, itโs a Rank 6 Gate. Can we handle it? Weโve only done low-end Rank 5s.โ
A team member cautiously asked.
Park Sang-hyun knew.
A Rank 6 Gate was beyond them.
But heโd heard enough.
โHamakโs Gate is focused solely on poison. With proper resistance, we can handle it.โ
โIf the resistance fails even slightlyโฆโ
โWe came this far trusting Masterโs gear, didnโt we?โ
With his words, items arrived via guild transfer.
Small masks appeared.
Simple, covering half the face, marked with Vulcanusโ emblem.
Hesitant to approach the gas, the team wavered.
โIโll go first.โ
Park Sang-hyun stepped forward.
Fully immersed in the gas, he closed his eyes and inhaled.
Even Rank 8 Hunters fell to this poison.
Barely Rank 7, or Rank 8 without gear, he risked death.
But he trusted.
Vulcanusโ gear.
Without it, heโd never have reached this point.
Inhale.
A deep breath.
Thenโ
Exhale.
Exhaling, Park Sang-hyun turned with confidence.
โI trust Masterโs gear completely.โ
Seeing him breathe naturally in the poison, Team 1 stepped into the gas.
The scene was broadcast live on Hunter News.
Love the story but up to this point i still have no idea if a rank 5 gate is harder than a rank 6 or not? sometimes its stated in way that its a descending system with presumably rank 1 being the hardest but then other times they insinuate the opposite. a rank 5 being below a rank 6 but then then the rank 8 hunters falling to the poison and the characters mentioned are rank 7-8? so are they above the gate level or is the gate supposed to be something like rank 4? that would make more sense