The interior of the Gate appeared unremarkable.
By “unremarkable,” I meant it resembled the typical dungeon often depicted in hunter-themed stories.
It was what was commonly known as a dungeon-type Gate, though countless other varieties existed, which wasn’t particularly relevant at the moment.
For reference, a Gate’s color indicated its rank.
The one Kim Dong-min and I had entered was a green Gate, easily accessible even for novices.
While an expert could easily dominate (TL Note: ‘yanghak’ refers to a powerful player effortlessly defeating weaker ones, often in PvP games), the internet claimed that “kicking away the ladder” – preventing new hunters from gaining experience – was a sure path to ruin in the hunter industry.
However, in the case of a Quick Gate like this one, there was no choice but to enter upon discovery; failure to do so constituted dereliction of duty.
My reason for entering the Gate without hesitation was simple: not going in would be a dereliction of duty.
Although there might not be other immediate penalties, the Constellations certainly wouldn’t look favorably upon it.
Stepping inside the Gate, I found myself considerably more nervous than I’d anticipated.
My hands were genuinely trembling, not just for show.
Being hit by a truck had been excruciatingly painful, and dying here would mean being beaten by monsters until my last breath.
I detested pain.
Nevertheless, I was here not only because of the aforementioned dereliction of duty but also because it was a Gate I would have to enter eventually anyway.
‘Even if I hadn’t entered in the first place, the Gate would have gone rampant and spewed out monsters.’
Having crossed into this world and become a hunter, I had to do what was required of me.
“It’s cleaner inside than I expected,” Kim Dong-min remarked.
Seemingly oblivious to my internal turmoil, Kim Dong-min calmly surveyed the interior.
“Oh, you should turn on your broadcast now that you’re in the Gate.”
“It’s already on.”
“Alright then.”
I’d noticed it before, but there was something peculiar about his way of speaking.
It was subtly irritating, almost as if he lacked basic courtesy in his words.
He seemed to value efficiency, yet at the same time, his own feelings appeared to take precedence.
I decided to check if the broadcast was indeed running properly.
[PlantLoveSquad: What, you went into the Gate?]
[NoCursingPlease: Looked like a Quick Gate earlier.]
[MomLooksLikeAWoman: Who’s the guy next to you? Your boyfriend?]
[FeelGoodPotion: Virgin… no?]
[WhyMyHometown: Jealousjealousjealousjealous]
“He’s not my boyfriend.
He’s a hunter from the Eclipse Guild.
We went to look at a house together in place of Hanna Mi.”
[MomLooksLikeAWoman: You went to look at a newlywed home?]
[FeelGoodPotion: Not a virgin?]
“Ugh, goddammit.
Both of you, get out.”
[MomLooksLikeAWoman has been banned.]
[FeelGoodPotion has been banned.]
Just because they subscribed, they think they can get away with anything.
[IDontCare: LOL I knew that would happen]
[MercilessDumplingSlayer: Isn’t this your first Gate? Wonder if you’ll do well.]
[WheelchairBestDriver: Kinda worried you don’t have armor.]
Oh, right.
Armor.
“Now that you mention it, I don’t have any armor.”
I’d tried for armor with a random box last time but failed.
[WheelchairBestDriver: Buy the trade function.
I’ll give you armor.]
“Oh, really?”
[WheelchairBestDriver: Yeah.
I’d be incredibly frustrated if you died without armor.]
[Broadcast Feature – Trade]
[Description: Adds a trade function between Constellations and Streamers (first use free, subsequent uses incur tiered fees).]
[Price: 500 Coins]
While I didn’t know who WheelchairBestDriver was, it wasn’t common for a Constellation to give out armor.
I bought it immediately.
[WheelchairBestDriver has proposed a trade!]
[Accept/Decline]
Upon clicking “Accept,” a new screen appeared.
‘This is that thing.’
It looked similar to the trade screen from that famous Maple Leaf game.
I used to enjoy that game when I was younger.
I distinctly recalled being scammed by another user and, in my childish heartbreak, quitting the game in tears.
‘I wonder if that bastard is doing well.’
I hoped they weren’t.
I truly wished they’d suffer from ingrown toenails, then stub their toe on a threshold and cry.
While I was lost in a moment of nostalgia, a new chat message popped up.
[WheelchairBestDriver: Wear this.
And do me a favor later.]
WheelchairBestDriver handed over the armor.
I checked its performance.
[Legendary Item – Armor (Top & Bottom) crafted by WheelchairBestDriver]
[Description: Armor crafted by Constellation WheelchairBestDriver, imbued with their personal taste.]
[Shaped like everyday clothing, its defensive power is low, but its light weight and minimal bulk ensure no hindrance to movement.]
[Though unable to reach Mythic-grade due to material limitations, it boasts exceptional performance.]
[Effects: Absorbs 50% of all damage, Pollution Immunity, Auto-Repair, Purification, Immunity to Fire and Cold, 50% chance to absorb all damage when struck by piercing or slashing attacks, emits a pleasant fragrance.]
[Legendary Item – Armor (Socks, Shoes) crafted by WheelchairBestDriver]
[Description: Armor crafted by Constellation WheelchairBestDriver, imbued with their personal taste.]
[Shaped like everyday clothing, its defensive power is low, but its light weight and minimal bulk ensure no hindrance to movement.]
[Though unable to reach Mythic-grade due to material limitations, it boasts exceptional performance.]
[Effects: Absorbs 50% of impact, Pollution Immunity, Auto-Repair, Purification, Immunity to Fire and Cold, reduced stamina consumption while moving, emits a pleasant fragrance.]
This was ridiculously overpowered armor.
The clothes and shoes looked similar to what I was currently wearing.
Only the details differed; from a distance, one might easily mistake them for the same outfit.
In fact, this set was even prettier.
It exuded an aura of luxury, like a high-end brand.
With auto-repair, pollution immunity, and purification functions, it could even be worn as everyday attire.
And it even emitted a pleasant fragrance.
‘…Why would they include a function like that?’
Well, good was good, so I decided not to dwell on it.
This kind of armor, given for free, just for fulfilling one condition.
While it wasn’t truly “free” if I had to fulfill a condition, I was prepared to agree to anything, provided it wasn’t utterly unreasonable.
…Though the uncertainty of what bizarre condition they might impose left me feeling uneasy.
As I pondered what the worst possible condition could be, WheelchairBestDriver’s chat message appeared.
[WheelchairBestDriver: Promote me a lot.
I’ll tell you my true name later.]
“That’s easy.
I’ll promote you a lot.”
Right.
So this was product placement.
Just as idols advertised by wearing luxury clothes, I would advertise by wearing WheelchairBestDriver’s attire.
If someone asked, “Where did you get these clothes?”, I would simply reply, “WheelchairBestDriver.”
I often did this during my internet broadcasts, so there was no problem.
“In that case, I’ll gratefully accept.”
[Trade completed!]
As the trade concluded, the clothes and shoes materialized before my eyes.
“…What is this?”
Kim Dong-min, who had been watching me, asked.
“Oh, a Constellation sent me some clothes.”
Come to think of it, I’d have to change in front of him, wouldn’t I?
Even if I was originally a man, changing clothes in front of another man felt embarrassing.
Just as I wondered if I should ask him to turn away for a moment—
“Seriously, those Constellations over there even give clothes, but why do ours…”
What the hell is with this guy?
I was flustered.
Aren’t people usually extremely respectful to Constellations?
Why is this jerk so similar to me?
“No, why are you talking like that?
I adore the Constellations!”
He seemed to be muttering, looking towards where a chat window might be, as if he’d just been scolded by a Constellation.
[WheelchairBestDriver: Why aren’t you changing?
Hurry up and change, let’s clear the Gate GO GO]
[IDontCare: Time to start clearing the Gate.]
[MomLooksLikeAWoman: Agreed, let’s go now.]
But these bastards.
“I’m going to tell him to go somewhere else, turn off the screen, and change, okay?
You really want to watch me change…”
[IDontCare: ?]
[MomLooksLikeAWoman: ?]
[FeelGoodPotion: ?]
[WheelchairBestDriver: No, you just put it in your inventory and press ‘Equip’;]
Oh.
That kind of function existed?
I hadn’t known.
****
Kim Dong-min and I began our assault on the Gate.
“Assault” was merely a figure of speech; it was more like exploring a labyrinthine dungeon while dispatching any monsters that appeared.
There were generally two main strategies for clearing such Gates.
Either defeat the boss monster, or locate and destroy the hidden core somewhere within the dungeon.
Regardless of the method, traversing the dungeon was essential.
Having completed our preparations, we began to move through the dungeon.
“You said you told me fifteen times not to just block straight-on attacks but to deflect them?
Why not sixteen times then?”
Those weren’t my words.
They were the words of Kim Dong-min of the Eclipse Guild.
[CantLiftMjolnir: Wow, his broadcast is weird too LOL]
[WhyMyHometown: Oh, so that’s *him* LOL]
[PulledOutAMountain: What kind of guy is he?]
[WhyMyHometown: She once mentioned having a hunter friend who subtly got on her nerves and she really wanted to beat him up, yeah.]
He wasn’t speaking rudely to the Constellations.
His words were always polite.
It was just that his choice of words and tone felt somewhat lacking in basic courtesy.
[WhyMyHometown: She said it’s not that he intentionally tries to annoy, but that’s just how he talks, which makes it even more infuriating, yeah.]
Indeed, otherwise, he wouldn’t be so impolite to someone he’d just met.
[WhyMyHometown: When asked if he intended to change, he replied he hadn’t experienced much inconvenience in his life so far, so he wouldn’t.]
Ah, so that wasn’t him intentionally trying to provoke me?
*That* wasn’t?
“Who’s the person next to me?
A hunter, of course.
What?
You asked how I knew them?
Well, why didn’t you just ask that then?”
‘…That’s seriously not an act?’
“No, it’s not worth getting *that* angry over, is it?
That much is… *Gyagagak!*”
While talking with the Constellations, Kim Dong-min suddenly twisted his body.
“…? Are you alright?”
“No.
I’m not alright.”
I wasn’t asking if he was *actually* fine.
I was asking what caused him to do that.
‘Damn it.’
Did I make a mistake coming into this Gate with this guy?
“Oh, *that’s* what you were asking?
Just a moment.”
I was slowly starting to guess what kind of conversation he was having with the Constellations.
“The Constellations kept wanting to inflict divine punishment, so I arranged for them to send me a shock instead of punishment if they sponsored me! It! Reaches! Me!”
That jerk, he just got hit with another shock.
“Shocks won’t come through during combat, but normally, my reactions might be a bit strange like this.”
“…I see.”
“Yes.
Let’s continue moving.”
The Gate clearing with Kim Dong-min proceeded smoothly.
I’d strike once with my club, and Kim Dong-min would finish it with his sword.
We systematically eliminated monsters with seamless teamwork.
“There’s a group of monsters ahead.”
“I can see them too.”
Damn it, of course he could see them.
If someone stronger than me couldn’t see that, *that* would be a problem in itself.
Then why did I even say anything?
Because I was broadcasting, obviously.
[MillionaireByOneSeason: LOLOLOLOLOLOL]
[GoParalympicsMaster: LOL that guy’s truly insane.]
Nevertheless, the chat was filled with laughter, seemingly amused by the conversation with Kim Dong-min.
“This time, if I strike first, please finish them off.”
“Understood.”
We then approached the group of monsters.
The monsters were Dog-Moles.
As the name suggested, they looked like a hybrid of a dog and a mole.
With powerful jaws and sharp claws on their forelegs, they were monsters requiring considerable caution.
Moreover, they charged in a straight line with surprising speed and could burrow into walls to launch surprise attacks.
*Crunch!*
“Kee-hee-hing!”
Of course, no matter how formidable they were, they were still helpless once struck by the club.
We simply needed to take them down slowly, one by one.
*Crunch! Slice!*
As I smashed a Dog-Mole’s head, Kim Dong-min would sever its neck with his sword.
Just as we were steadily clearing the dungeon with this simple yet effective hunting method.
*CRUMBLE-CRUMBLE-CRACK—*
An ominous sound emanated from the wall.
“Sohee, look out…!”
Before Kim Dong-min could even finish his warning, a Dog-Mole burst from the wall beside me and lunged.
“Kuh-heo-eong!”
“Kyaaaah!”
Its sharp claws aimed for my abdomen.
*Clang!*
Astonishingly, nothing happened.
*Crunch!*
