43 chapter - Uninvited Guest (2)

Hunters Fitness Private Room.

The barbell racked on the Smith machine I was using weighed exactly one ton—1,000 kilograms.

That was the maximum load allowed at Hunters Fitness.

“Hnngh.”

With the bar securely fixed across the back of my neck and shoulders, I slowly started squatting.

I finished one set without issue and racked the bar.

Clang!

“I’ve really become a monster.”

Squats and deadlifts—at this point, the weight I could lift was beyond measurable limits.

Even my bench press had clocked in at 880 kilograms. As for squats and deadlifts, I could now rep out with one-ton loads.

So, going by the numbers, my total for the big three lifts was 2,880 kilograms.

No exaggeration—I was a full-blown monster.

“If I’m using the power of monsters, I guess that makes me one too.”

Of course, no matter how many Traits I used, this kind of raw strength was impossible with my body alone.

The secret was orc blood.

It had been three weeks since I first discovered this strength in the Lizardman Gate.

Since then, I’d been clearing F-Rank Gates and rural D-Rank Gates in Gangwon-do, testing things out. Thanks to that, I’d mastered the conditions and effects of activation.

First, to activate the transformation, I had to inject my own blood into my right eye to awaken it, then put monster blood into my left eye.

That triggered the physical characteristics of that monster to manifest in my body.

I decided to call it simply: Monsterization.

With Goblins, the effect was negligible.

Maybe I moved a bit quicker, but not by much.

Lizardmen gave me a transparent nictitating membrane that worked like goggles underwater and let me hold my breath for extended periods.

Thin webbing also formed between my fingers and toes.

Orcs were even simpler.

My jaw squared off at a hard right angle, muscles swelled as if about to burst, and my physical power surged to its limit.

My current form, infused with orc blood, closely resembled that of an orc.

“The results vary slightly depending on how powerful the orc whose blood I use was.”

This time, I used blood from an Elite Orc.

A much stronger variant compared to regular ones.

“If I used the Orc Warlord’s blood, I’d probably get even stronger.”

The problem was storing monster blood.

Blood refrigerators were expensive as hell, and it wasn’t worth paying for one out of pocket.

Plus, collecting blood myself from monsters had its limits.

In the end, I had no choice but to explain the situation to Lee Yechan and ask for support.

The result? Better than expected.

“Next time we go in, I’ll make sure to bring the Orc Warlord’s blood.”

Lee Yechan installed a blood storage fridge worth 20 million won at the guild HQ.

He also issued orders to collect blood from monsters that appeared in C-Rank Gates or higher.

Thanks to that, the blood fridge was packed with blood from C-Rank monsters.

“It’s a shame the shelf life is only about five days, even when stored like that...”

Monsterization only worked with fresh blood.

I’d tried various methods like component breakdowns to extend the shelf life, but nothing had worked so far.

“Still, since the guild is handling procurement, supply won’t be an issue.”

I couldn’t help but feel grateful to Lee Yechan, who was supporting someone like me—a mere C-Rank Hunter—with this level of backing.

Crack.

“Guh.”

Once the skill’s duration expired, the bodily changes from Monsterization reverted.

The agony of returning to normal still hadn’t gotten any easier.

Wincing, I checked my condition, then cleaned up the private room and headed to the showers.

I finished my shower and stepped outside to head home—

“Mr. Choi Changshik!”

It was Han Donghun, the director of Hunters Fitness, waiting at the front desk.

“What’s going on?”

“Haha! If you have a moment, how about grabbing a quick coffee?”

He was the one who’d granted me three months of free access to the gym.

I’d been more than satisfied with the facilities.

I didn’t mind chatting for a little while.

“Sure.”

We walked into the café right next door to the gym.

“What would you like to drink?”

“I’ll have an iced Americano.”

“Got it!”

We sat down at a decent table and started talking.

“So, how’s the private room treating you?”

“I like it. I’m actually thinking of signing up for a year once the free period ends.”

“That’s a great idea! A one-year pass is only three million won. That’s a full 50% discount!”

“Yeah, well…”

I drank the iced Americano quickly—it was hot and I was parched from working out.

Crunching on some ice, I turned to Han Donghun.

“By the way, I’m not sure if ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) I’ve really helped you at all.”

“Helped me?”

“I mean in terms of promotion.”

“Ah! Of course you have. Word of mouth is already spreading—we’ve had lots of new members register!”

“That’s good to hear.”

“All thanks to you, Mr. Choi!”

From the first time we met, I could tell—this guy was a bundle of energy.

Then he asked:

“By the way, with your skill level, haven’t you gotten any scout offers from places like the Taeseong Guild?”

I gave him a sheepish smile and replied.

“I’ve had a few similar offers.”

“Similar, meaning…?”

“I’m currently with Mountain Guild.”

“Mountain—!”

Han Donghun gave a dramatic reaction and continued excitedly.

“Isn’t that the guild led by the Sword Saint?! I knew you were going places!”

He was genuinely thrilled, as if it were happening to him.

“Wow, that’s amazing! Seriously, congrats!”

Seeing a reaction like that made it hit me again—I’d really joined a major guild.

After chatting for about an hour, I headed home at a light jog.

♪♬♩♬~

My phone rang.

[Hong Yura]

She was the one who called me the most lately.

I’d never even given her my number—she’d found it on her own and started calling me all the time.

And it was always the same reason.

“Hey, noona.”

[Is Soo-ah with you right now?]

“I don’t know. I’m out at the moment.”

[Really? Then could you check if she’s at your place when you get home and shoot me a message?]

“Sure.”

All of Hong Yura’s calls were about Hong Soo-ah.

[Oh, right. What about that thing I asked you to talk to her about? Did you mention it?]

“I did, but… she’s pretty stubborn.”

[Sigh… I see. Just bring it up a few more times. She at least pretends to listen when it’s you.]

Right now, Soo-ah was planning to move out.

She wanted to move into the officetel where I lived, but there weren’t any vacant units.

“I’m telling you, it won’t do any good.”

[Still, please. Anyway, I’m busy—talk later.]

She always claimed to be busy, yet constantly tried to track her sister’s whereabouts. Was she really that busy?

“She might as well give up. Soo-ah’s already half-independent anyway…”

Instead of heading into my own place, I rang the doorbell for Unit 301.

A sleepy-eyed Lee Yuna answered the door.

“Mmm… oppa?”

“Soo-ah’s here, right?”

“Yeah, she is. I woke up and found her sleeping next to me. Must’ve come in this morning.”

“You remember we’ve got an F-Rank Gate this afternoon, right?”

“Yup.”

“Good. Go back to bed for a bit.”

“Okaaay~.”

At some point, Yuna and Soo-ah had gotten so close, they were sleeping in the same bed at least half the week.

[Soo-ah is sleeping over at Yuna’s. Don’t worry.]

I sent Yura a message, then went home, washed up quickly, and lay on my bed.

I thought about napping, but wasn’t sleepy. I fiddled with my phone instead.

YouTube had no shortage of content—from scholarly videos like “Correlation Between Gate Manifestations and Climate Change” to alarmist ones like “The Ocean Is Overrun With Monsters!”

It was a world overflowing with things to watch.

As I scrolled through the recommendations, a thumbnail caught my eye:

“Disappearing Gates, Missing Hunters”

Despite the clickbait title, it was from an official news channel.

I tapped it without much thought.

The video opened with a news anchor at a desk.

[Recently, there have been a series of incidents in the capital region where Gates disappeared while Hunters were mid-clear. Reporter Choi Yerim brings us the story.]

The screen changed to a reporter explaining the situation.

[Normally, when a Gate appears and someone reports it, the Management Bureau dispatches staff. Based on the rating, they assign Hunters who then enter the Gate to clear it.]

The reporter pointed to on-screen diagrams as she continued.

[Here’s where the problem occurs. Normally, the Gate disappears after the Hunters exit post-clear. But in these recent incidents, the Gate vanished with the Hunters still inside. So far, thirty Hunters have gone missing this way.]

After her segment, an older man with white hair appeared.

Adjusting his glasses, he began speaking.

[Ji Jeonghyeon, Professor at Korea National University / Lead Author, IPG Research Group 1]

[For a Gate to vanish like this, the Hunters would have to be dead, or disappear for some other reason. I believe this isn’t a Gate malfunction—it’s the work of an unregistered Hunter committing crimes. Someone sneaks in, kills the Hunters, and leaves unnoticed.]

The report wrapped up with a final comment from the reporter.

[So far, the incidents have centered on F-Rank Gates. The Management Bureau has announced plans to increase monitoring of all F-Rank Gates. This is Choi Yerim for KBS News.]

“Damn.”

Personally, I agreed with the professor.

If it were a Gate anomaly, there was no reason for it to only happen in one area.

This was clearly the work of humans.

“Most F-Rank Gates are handled by two D-Rank Hunters.”

Which meant the culprit could easily overpower two D-Ranks.

“But not every F-Rank Gate is cleared by D-Ranks alone. Plenty of C-Ranks do them too.”

With that many victims, there was a good chance some were C-Ranks.

“So at least C-Rank… maybe higher.”

Possibly even B-Rank.

“Their ability… maybe something like stealth?”

With stealth, they could enter and exit the Gate without being seen by Bureau staff. That would explain everything.

“If it’s happening in the capital, we need to be careful too.”

If the attacker really had a stealth ability, how could we counter it?

“Oh, right—there’s that thing in the guild-issued Premium D-Rank Kit…”

There was something useful in there.

“I’ll bring it just in case.”

After that, I had lunch with Yuna and Soo-ah, and we headed out to clear the F-Rank Gate.

**

A walking path running alongside a flowing river.

A Gate had opened at one end, turning the area into a restricted zone.

Nearby, a man and woman stood observing the Gate.

“Hey, Kang Juhui.”

“Yes—yes, Mr. Taehun.”

“Go put him under hypnosis.”

“Yes, sir!”

Kang Juhui approached the Bureau agent guarding the Gate.

He warned her off.

“Sorry, miss, you can’t come any closer.”

“U-uhm…”

Her eyes lit up, glowing bright red.

The Bureau agent stared at her blankly.

She spoke.

“From this moment on, you cannot see me or that man. Understood?”

“…Yes.”

“You won’t see us, and you won’t hear anything we say.”

“…Yes.”

Kang Juhui waved to Kim Taehun.

The two of them casually stepped into the Gate.

The Bureau agent simply continued to stare into empty space.