26 chapter - Gangwon-do Gate (1)
Early morning.
I was just getting back to the officetel after a light jog and stepping into the elevator when—
“Hold it!”
Recognizing the familiar voice, I tilted my head and hit the door-open button. And there she was—Lee Yuna, struggling to drag a massive suitcase down the hallway.
“What are you doing here?”
“Changshik oppa?”
She slipped into the elevator like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“I moved in.”
“You moved?”
“Yup. I was going to surprise you later, but I guess I got caught early… Where were you off to at this hour?”
“Just out for a quick run. Wait, moved in? What do you mean?”
“Well, where I used to live was far, and you were always driving me around. I felt bad for making you waste gas money.”
[Ding! Third floor.]
Yuna rolled her suitcase out of the elevator and kept talking.
“You said you were in Unit 302, right? I’m 301.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll invite you over once I finish unpacking!”
With that, she really did head straight into Unit 301.
She actually moved in next door? That wasn’t a joke?
I got the full story later that evening.
Once she finished unpacking, Yuna invited me over. I brought a housewarming gift—two 30-roll packs of toilet paper. They were doing a buy-one-get-one sale at the nearby mart.
“A gift? You didn’t have to bring anything.”
“Come on. Showing up empty-handed would be rude.”
The place had almost the same layout as mine—obviously, since it was the same officetel complex.
But Yuna’s apartment had a cozier feel. The furniture and plushies from her old studio apartment were all neatly arranged, giving the space a cute and homey vibe.
She was busy moving around in the kitchen.
“What’re you making?”
“Gambas. I wanted to treat you.”
“Gambas?”
I glanced over and saw shrimp defrosting and thinly sliced garlic laid out.
“Just have a seat. It’ll be done soon.”
“No rush. Take your time.”
There was no TV in the living room, just a small foldable table.
She must’ve brought all her furniture over from her old place—everything was small and adorable.
I chuckled and sat down at the table, opened YouTube, and clicked on a recommended video.
The title read: Tips from a B-Rank Hunter.
[Hey, my little honeybees. Today’s topic is orcs—the most common monsters found in C-Rank Gates. You all know orcs, right? Humanoid monsters with pig noses and huge muscles.]
If goblins were the mascot of F-Rank Gates, orcs were the same for C-Rank.
[All these pig-nosed freaks fall under the orc category, and they come in all kinds of varieties. But what you really need to watch out for is the fact that their combat strength varies wildly.]
Other monsters had power gaps too, but nothing this drastic.
Most of them had similar fighting styles and strength levels.
Orcs, though, were different.
[First of all, they use different weapons—spears are the most common, followed by swords and shields.]
Naturally, their fighting styles varied, and that meant their power levels could be all over the place.
[They even have their own language and communicate with each other. So when you're up against orcs, don’t think of it as a hunt—think of it as a war.]
The video shifted to wide footage of a plains battlefield.
Hunters and orcs stood in formation, facing off.
[Let’s get a little taste of how that looks.]
BANG!
A deafening gunshot signaled the start of combat.
The orc horde immediately roared into a frenzy.
[You’re probably wondering why there’s a gun going off inside a Gate. If you're curious, check out the video linked in the top right: ‘9 Reasons Why Hunters Use Guns Despite the Cost.’]
A thumbnail popped up: “Why Hunters Pay Millions Per Bullet: Top 9 Reasons.”
[Guns are pricey, but they get the job done. One shot is all it takes to piss these guys off.]
The orcs began to retaliate with volleys of arrows and thrown spears.
The camera zoomed in, showcasing the different types of orcs.
[Like I said earlier—there’s a huge power gap between individuals. See the ones with unique appearances?]
There was a monstrous orc leading the charge with a massive frame and explosive speed, another holding a fancy ornament that hinted at higher status.
You could tell at a glance—these ones weren’t ordinary.
The footage cut between the standout individuals one at a time.
Then—
Bang! Bang!
Each gunshot took down an orc.
[The weapon used here is the TAC-50. We’ve gone through 12 rounds so far, which means over 20 million won just went up in smoke. Yikes, right?]
Each bullet cost nearly two million won.
It was a supply-and-demand issue—high demand, low supply.
[So why use bullets that cost hundreds of thousands of won each to kill these guys?]
Just as the video panned to the surviving orcs—
“Oppa!”
“Huh?”
“It’s done!”
Dinner was ready.
I turned off my phone and helped set the table.
With the gambas and pasta placed on the table, plus the side plates, the small table was packed.
“Go ahead, try it.”
I grabbed one shrimp dripping in oil and popped it in my mouth.
The moment I bit down, I blinked in surprise.
“How is it?”
Yuna was staring at me intently, waiting for my verdict.
I gave her a thumbs up.
“This is legit. I’m shocked.”
“Really? Whew, thank god. Try the pasta too!”
The cream pasta tasted just as good as something you’d get at a restaurant.
“You could actually sell this.”
Yuna beamed with pride and grinned.
“Wait a sec.”
She disappeared into the kitchen and returned with two wine glasses and a bottle of red.
“Wine okay?”
“Hell yeah.”
The glasses clinked, releasing that crisp, signature ring of wine toasts.
I took a sip and paused, surprised.
“What wine is this? It’s totally my style.”
“I just grabbed a random one at the mart… I think it was a Pinot Noir?”
The pairing of gambas, pasta, and wine was absolutely perfect.
Yuna took a bite of shrimp and covered her mouth with a gasp.
“Why is this so good?”
“You made it. Why are you the one surprised?”
“It’s my first time making it!”
“For real? Doesn’t taste like it.”
“Hehe.”
We both dug in without talking for a while.
“Oh—here. Try dipping bread in the gambas oil. It’s supposed to be amazing.”
“Really?”
Just like she said, dipping garlic bread into the oil was a revelation.
“Damn.”
After that, I gave up on etiquette and started scooping up gambas straight from the pan with a spoon.
Before I knew it, the pan was spotless.
My lips were glistening with oil.
“It was that good?”
“…Sorry. I ate way too fast, didn’t I?”
“No, it’s fine. You enjoying it that much is the best compliment a cook can get.”
I twirled some pasta onto my fork and asked,
“Did you go to cooking school or something?”
“Nope. I’ve just been doing it since I was little.”
“Cooking?”
“Yeah.”
If she’d been cooking since she was a kid, odds were her home life hadn’t been great.
I quickly changed the subject.
“So… what made you move here?”
Yuna gave a soft smile.
“So I could see you more often, oppa.”
“…What?”
She flashed me a playful, teasing smile and added,
“Kidding. I just felt bad that you were always driving around because of me. Like just yesterday, you spent hours behind the wheel.”
Being next door definitely made things easier.
And this area has good Gate availability too.
Not many people lived out here.
With low population density came fewer competitors, meaning F-rank Gate access was easier to secure.
“What about school?”
“Oh please. Coming from the guy who raids Gates at random times on weekdays?”
“Huh? I thought weekday afternoons were fine for you?”
“Excuse me, mister. College isn’t just about attending classes, you know. There’s homework, studying, all that.”
…I had no idea.
Never went to college. How was I supposed to know?
“Yeah? Then I guess you won’t be able to raid with me as often…”
I made a show of frowning and pretending to be conflicted, and Yuna waved her hands frantically.
“W-what are you saying?! You’re not kicking me out of the party, right? You can’t! I already submitted my leave of absence!”
I was about to keep a straight face, but I couldn’t help it—I burst out laughing.
“I know. You told me before. I’m just messing with you.”
Yuna puffed up her cheeks and pouted.
“You’re so mean. I really thought you were abandoning me.”
“Abandon you? Why the hell would I do that? We made a promise, remember? To stick together all the way.”
Yuna smiled faintly and nodded.
“Of course we are. I can’t do anything without you now, remember?”
Right now, she could only use her Trait on me.
Just like she said—she was tethered to me, whether she liked it or not.
“Speaking of, when we go to Gangwon-do this time, let’s run some experiments.”
“Experiments? What kind?”
“About your Trait. Depends on what kind of monsters we run into, but if it’s something like gnolls, I’ll rotate the party members to protect you. Who knows? Maybe one of them will get registered as your ‘Knight.’”
If that worked, it’d be perfect.
We’d essentially have an official party healer.
But Yuna didn’t look too optimistic.
“…I don’t think it’ll work.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“…I just get that feeling.”
“We’ll try anyway. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”
“Okay.”
After we devoured the pasta, I stood up.
“Thanks for the meal. And congrats on the move.”
“You’re leaving already?”
I tilted my head.
“Why? You got more food or something?”
“Hold on.”
She rummaged through her kitchen and called out,
“I’ve got some mild Jin Ramen. Want me to cook it?”
That made me pause.
I’d eaten a lot—but only I had eaten a lot.
Yuna had only picked at a few shrimp like they were snacks.
Guess my appetite’s really gotten bigger lately.
And honestly, I wasn’t even full yet.
I was planning to cook some ramen when I got home anyway. This saved me the trouble.
“How many packs should I make?”
I sat back down and said,
“Three?”
“Okay! Won’t take long!”
Soon, the whole officetel was filled with the savory scent of ramen.
I was just debating whether to ask if she had any rice to mix in, when—
Ding!
A notification popped up.
[A D-Rank Gate has been assigned.]
Discovered: June 15, 11:45 AM
Location: Cheongil-myeon, Hoengseong County, Gangwon-do
It wasn’t even an F-rank—this was a D-rank Gate, assigned only a day after I applied.
Clearly, the Gangwon-do side was in urgent need of cleanup.
I snapped a screenshot and was about to send it to the group chat when—
Ding!
“Huh?”
Another notification.
[A D-Rank Gate has been assigned.]
Discovered: June 15, 12:21 PM
Location: Cheongil-myeon, Hoengseong County, Gangwon-do
“What the hell?”
Except for the discovery time being about 30 minutes later, everything was exactly the same.
Some kind of °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° bug?
I opened the assigned Gate menu to double-check.
Sure enough, our party had been assigned two D-rank Gates.
Two Gates, back-to-back.