#058
After passing through a long stretch of swampland, the document stated that a harsh mountainous area would appear immediately after. There was also a brief note mentioning that the dense trees would make it difficult to wield weapons.
“This is an orc, and this is an ogre. That’s what we call them among ourselves. Goblins are annoying because they come in hordes, orc groups are annoying because they’re somewhat intelligent, and ogres are annoying because their skin is tough and they’re so huge,” Ji Taeuk explained.
Eunseok nodded and moved on to the next part.
After passing through the rugged mountainous area, a volcanic terrain with not a single blade of grass appears. At its peak is the boss, Dr…
“Ah, was it a dragon?” Ji Taeuk, who seemed to be reading the same part, quickly said.
Dragon?
Eunseok let out a laugh of disbelief.
“With all this, it’s understandable why the raid time would be long and why Sehwa Guild failed,” Han Cheolyong said in a somber voice.
Eunseok, still lacking experience, thought that this gate might not be easy even for White Tiger Guild’s 1st Combat Team after hearing Han Cheolyong’s words. After all, even Sehwa Guild had failed despite raiding with their A-rank hunters, so it really wouldn’t be an easy place.
“How long do you think it will take?” Moon Bora asked Han Cheolyong.
“Since Sehwa has already provided us with a general overview, we should be faster than them, but…” Han Cheolyong trailed off, furrowing his brow as he looked at the document.
“Considering Sehwa Guild raided for nearly a day before failing due to casualties, we should probably allocate at least twenty hours. Of course… it depends on how much the Guild Master helps.”
“The key is to manage our stamina well until we reach the boss. As for our conditions, we don’t need to worry with our Eunseok here,” Moon Bora said, glancing at Eunseok.
A forced march lasting nearly twenty hours.
But Eunseok wasn’t worried at all. He had a body that could climb up and down rough mountains in full military gear without sleeping for three days and nights. It would be tough, of course, but not impossible.
“The problem is how quickly Sehwa admits defeat and comes out. The longer Sehwa holds out, the higher the chance of a gate break,” Han Cheolyong said gravely. The expressions of the other team members all became serious.
“Is it impossible to know exactly how much time is left until the break?” Eunseok, who was completely ignorant about this aspect, asked.
“A-rank gates typically last about a week according to statistics, but it’s not fixed. The fastest can be three days, while the slowest can be a bit longer than a week,” Han Cheolyong answered with a stiff face. Moon Bora continued:
“Sehwa took two days for preparation, one day for the raid, another day for second raid preparation, and now about 10 hours since they went in again…”
“Even if they come out now, it’s been 5 days,” Eunseok calculated roughly.
Moon Bora nodded.
It was already the 5th day of an A-rank gate that statistically lasts about a week. Sehwa was on their second raid attempt, so they wouldn’t give up easily. If they failed and came out today or tomorrow, there would be roughly one day left until the break, cutting it very close.
“If we go in, we’ll need to move as quickly as possible to shorten the time,” Eunseok said.
“That’s right. The gate could break while we’re raiding, or in the worst case, it could break before we even enter,” Moon Bora replied.
The conversation paused briefly. After a moment, Han Cheolyong spoke up, breaking the heavy atmosphere:
“Given the situation, I think the Guild Master will actively participate. That would significantly reduce our time, and we shouldn’t have much problem taking down the boss.”
Eunseok thought of Choi Hanseo, who wasn’t present at the meeting. Apart from showing off to impress Eunseok, he hadn’t helped with gate raids. But as Han Cheolyong said, given the situation, he would have no choice but to actively participate this time.
Honestly, Eunseok felt a sense of urgency about the tight timeframe if it was just the 1st Combat Team. But considering Choi Hanseo’s involvement, that thought changed completely. Of course, whether he would fully participate or not was entirely his choice.
“This is all the information Sehwa has provided anyway. I think it’s best to prepare right now and wait in front of the gate, in case Sehwa fails, gives up, or the gate breaks. What do you all think?” Han Cheolyong asked, looking around at the team members.
“Agreed,” Moon Bora said first, raising her hand, and all other team members followed suit. Eunseok was no exception.
Having made their decision, the team members immediately left the meeting room. Eunseok also returned to his quarters to change clothes and gather his equipment.
The A-rank gate where Sehwa was conducting their second raid had appeared near a detached housing complex in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do. There was an amusement park, high school, and university not far away, all of which had already been evacuated. However, it was clear that some of the monstrous creatures that would spread out if the gate broke would escape the encirclement and cause casualties. The only solution was to complete the raid before the break occurred.
30 minutes after leaving the meeting room.
All team members gathered in front of the main entrance. The limousine van they always used for transportation was waiting.
As they boarded the van, unlike usual, a news screen was displayed on the front screen.
In the departing van, only the voice of the news anchor echoed. The news was discussing the current A-rank gate in Yongin. Even Eunseok, who rarely watched visual media, couldn’t help but pay close attention to the news.
[It’s been almost 11 hours since Sehwa Guild, one of the top three guilds in Korea, entered their second raid attempt on the A-rank gate in Yongin. Residents in the surrounding area have all evacuated in preparation for a potential break and are watching the situation. With about two days left until a potential gate break, the entire nation is focused on whether Sehwa Guild’s second raid attempt will end in success or failure.]
[Looking at Sehwa Guild’s first failed raid attempt, it took almost a day. Given that it took this long and still ended in failure, is it possible that the gate’s rank was measured incorrectly?]
[Such questions are indeed being raised. In response, the Ability Management Bureau has repeatedly measured the gate’s rank and confirmed that it is indeed A-rank.]
[Then, could it be that Sehwa Guild’s strength was insufficient to raid an A-rank gate?]
[That doesn’t seem to be the case. Above all, Sehwa Guild is known for being a small but solid guild. All the hunters who participated in the first raid attempt were A-rank as well. Gates are unpredictable places that you can’t truly understand until you experience them. Even among A-rank gates, the difficulty can vary greatly, requiring flexibility to adapt to each situation.]
[Ah. We’ve just received news. White Tiger Guild’s 1st Combat Team has departed for the Yongin gate. It seems they plan to enter immediately if Sehwa Guild gives up and exits. With little time left until a potential break, this seems like a good decision. What do you think? Can White Tiger Guild succeed?]
[White Tiger Guild’s 1st Combat Team has never abandoned or failed a raid attempt. I believe they will certainly succeed. Above all, doesn’t White Tiger Guild’s 1st Combat Team move with an S-rank guide? With all team members able to maintain stable conditions while raiding the gate, their chances of success are bound to be significantly higher.]
[As everyone knows, White Tiger Guild’s S-rank guide, Lee Eunseok, is a former special forces member who is already famous for directly participating in gate raids with the 1st Combat Team.]
[That’s right. Moreover, Lee Eunseok has already successfully raided an A-rank gate with White Tiger Guild’s 1st Combat Team.]
[I see. So even if Sehwa Guild fails, we can place our hopes on White Tiger Guild, right?]
[That’s correct. However, the problem is that there isn’t much time left. The question is whether White Tiger Guild can successfully complete the gate raid before it breaks…]
Eunseok stopped paying attention to the news at this point. There was no information beyond what he had heard during the meeting.
