Chapter 51
“Die, Admin!”
“Yes?”
Admin (Doppelgänger) was ambushed by an unknown assailant’s blade in a life-threatening moment.
“Admin! Dodge!!!”
Timothy, reacting belatedly, found the situation spiraling into chaos.
“Ugh…! Who are you…?”
However, the assailant’s blade failed to cleave through Admin in the end.
Instead, the assailant was swiftly pinned beneath a woman’s feet.
The attacker couldn’t move a single finger, letting out nothing but groans of despair.
“So this is why everything was eerily quiet.”
“Aaaaargh!!!”
The woman pressed down with her toes, fracturing the ground into jagged cracks. The groans of the attacker had long since turned into screams.
The assailant thought to himself.
‘The strength to render a B-rank Awakened like me powerless…! Moving means death!’
“Ugh… Guess there’s no chance of leaving work on time today.”
A sigh-laced mutter escaped the woman’s lips.
The assailant barely managed to turn his head, confirming the woman’s identity.
“You’re… the Hunter Management Bureau’s elite agent…!”
“That’s right, you bastard.”
She answered while concentrating more power into her toes.
Crunch!
That marked the pitiful end of the attacker.
“Admin, are you okay?”
“Scared…”
“Admin, from now on, your safety is my responsibility.”
“Thank you~.”
This woman was Park Seo-yoon, known in the Hunter Gallery as [HunterYaKaeYo], and simultaneously an A-rank agent of the Management Bureau.
***
Before the summit led by the Handful Squad began, Park Seo-yoon received a single order from Director Lee Seung-cheol.
“Director, could you repeat that once more?”
“Certainly. Timothy said she would kill Admin if she deemed him to be an evil or uncontrollable being, regardless of the cost.”
“But Director, didn’t you agree to those conditions as well?”
Park Seo-yoon asked.
“Indeed. I agreed. If he were truly an evil being, it would contradict our purpose of maintaining order.”
“And…?”
“But!”
Director Lee Seung-cheol’s eyes gleamed sharply.
“That doesn’t mean we’re entrusting Admin’s safety entirely to the Handful Squad. There’s no guarantee that a third party won’t disrupt the summit, either.”
“I can guess the nature of my mission now.”
“Exactly. If things go awry, you’re to take full responsibility for Admin’s safety. Not Timothy.”
“Is this arrangement agreed upon with Timothy?”
“No, this is a personal mission I’m assigning to you.”
“Understood, Director.”
Protecting Admin under any circumstances was Park Seo-yoon’s mission.
From the current perspective, everyone except Park Seo-yoon could protect or potentially kill Admin!
“What is the meaning of this, Agent Park Seo-yoon?”
Timothy stood abruptly.
“That’s my question, Guildmaster.”
Park Seo-yoon’s sharp gaze now targeted Timothy.
“What are you insinuating?”
“There’s no guarantee that you aren’t the one trying to assassinate Admin.”
Park Seo-yoon’s retort made a vein bulge on Timothy’s temple.
“Did you not observe the atmosphere of the summit? We have no issues with Admin.”
“That’s not something we can determine at this moment, Guildmaster.”
“Your actions now make it seem like the Bureau wants to monopolize Admin’s connection. Aren’t we supposed to be allies?”
“Until just moments ago, I thought so as well.”
A fleeting silence.
“Considering Admin’s stature, it would be more convenient for you to eliminate him, perhaps by staging an assassination as a setup.”
It was Park Seo-yoon who broke the silence.
“Our Handful Squad would never stoop to such filthy methods. We might need to reevaluate our alliance.”
Timothy extended her hand. From the empty space, the form of a sword appeared.
“The Guildmaster of the Handful Squad summoned a sword…?”
“That’s one of the rare, purely farmed A-rank weapons!”
Murmurs spread among the Management Bureau agents.
“But Timothy’s opponent is the Bureau’s elite agent…!”
“The sheer presence of the agent is overwhelming… A clash of the strongest in this world… My heart is pounding…”
The Handful Squad Hunters buzzed with excitement.
A tangible tension enveloped the surroundings.
“Let’s discuss this with the Director later. First, we need to get Admin out of here.”
Park Seo-yoon’s eyes turned crimson.
“And how do you plan to do that, Agent?”
“If necessary, by defeating you. And then flying away.”
“Ha… really…”
Timothy’s response was followed by the sword beginning to glow with power.
“Tremble-ling…”
Park Seo-yoon gently embraced the frightened Admin. Seeing him tremble like this…
The rumored S-rank Hunter was likely just a gimmick. The hero persona was clearly a concept.
“So warm…”
Even amidst this, her warmth penetrated his defenses!
Regardless, she vowed to complete her mission.
She would protect Admin!
“Haha!!! This is rich!!! Mutual suspicion? What a disorderly situation…”
A sinister voice reverberated through the space.
It was a voice heard before—during the kidnapping of the D-rank Porter.
“It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t kill Admin directly… but it doesn’t matter.”
“Show yourself!”
Park Seo-yoon shouted.
“I’d love to face you directly, but there’s an easier way…”
Suddenly, an eerie incantation filled the air.
“Admin ends here… and so do the Handful Squad and the Bureau… This time, it’s truly ‘short’…”
Wait! The mana flow is strange. Could it be that no one else noticed this anomaly?
“Agent Park Seo-yoon. Hold on a moment…”
Even Timothy was sensing it.
“Guildmaster…! This is a Gate!!!”
Only then did Park Seo-yoon realize the truth behind the strange mana waves.
At that moment, the building began to collapse.
***
Meanwhile, at HuntaBucks, the real Admin stretched leisurely while waiting for the event.
“What the…? Why did the connection cut off?”
The connection with his doppelgänger (fake Admin) had suddenly been severed.
It ended right after the exchange with Timothy and the agent embracing him.
That chest… looked… good…! Such a fine figure!
As expected of my clone. Well done, doppelgänger, well done.
Although it seems it was implemented a bit foolishly. No, maybe a lot.
When extreme mana fluctuations occur, the connection gets severed. But what could cause such a surge in mana?
Or maybe I should check the gallery.
[Title]: Admin’s return delayed by another day.
┗ (Picture of a very rational ‘Mourning Goblin’. JPG)
The conclusion reached is that for every day I wait beyond today, I will hit myself harder, causing my mind to spiral into chaos.
If I can’t recognize my own waiting, then from my perspective, there was no waiting at all.
— Finally back to normal, lolol.
┗ Found reason again, lolol.
┗ Stop breaking your head, lolol.
┗ Self-harm isn’t covered by insurance, lolol.
┗ Humans who can’t live without Admin;;
┗ Totally brainwashed by Admin’s indoctrination;;
┗ Admin, when you arrive!! Dopamine!!!
┗ Dopamine Melona!!
— Go grind coins while you wait, lol.
┗ Totally feels like time is melting away like ‘Upjin Salma,’ lol.
┗ Ugh! Are you Hunters or Coin Traders, lol.
┗ Go hunt monsters, lolol.
┗ Go take some quests, lol!!!
┗ Save the citizens!!!
┗ Admin made us this way!!!
— This is dependent on coin price fluctuations, lol.
┗ It also changes how much you paid for equipment, you know~
┗ So, would you go all-in even if the coin crashes?
┗ Hmm… wouldn’t that require the heart of a beast…
┗ But ever since coins came out, the offline market has been doing well.
┗ Yeah, seriously, cash is flowing like crazy, lol.
┗ This change in cash flow is inevitable.
— Even real-world transactions have been revamped because of the gallery accounts, lol.
┗ Now there’s more room to carry other stuff where bundles of cash used to go, lol.
The remaining relevant buzz in the gallery was Admin Coins. The direction of the coin was flowing exactly as I intended.
So, is nothing out of the ordinary? Will Timothy and the Management Bureau shake hands and call it a truce?
Then an odd post caught my eye.
[Title]: Damn… A building suddenly collapsed;;
(A video of a collapsing building. MP4)
What’s going on?
— Is this new buzz?
┗ Is the coin buzz disappearing?
┗ No, but the video looks super serious.
┗ What’s happening there?
┗ Dunno.
— That hotel belongs to the Handful Squad’s Guildmaster.
┗ What.
┗ For real?
┗ Yeah, seriously.
┗ What happened;;
— Damn, the building is melting down like ice cream?
┗ Who’s that flying around in the sky?
┗ If they can fly, they must be A-rank, right?
┗ Looks like a Management Bureau agent’s suit.
┗ Yeah, that’s right.
┗ Wow, an A-rank agent is insane;;
┗ Look at how fast they’re flying;;
┗ That’s so cool.
— Isn’t that thing forming in the sky near the building a Gate?
┗ Oh!
┗ Damn, it is.
— Why did it open all of a sudden?
┗ Dunno, Gates open randomly.
┗ Random Gate Box;;
┗ This isn’t the time for jokes.
┗ Sorry;;
[Title]: Guys, it’s not just one Gate near the hotel…
(A video showing three Gates opening. MP4)
Three opened….
— What nonsense is this, damn, lol.
┗ Watch the video properly;;
┗ Three…?
┗ Three Gates opening at once?
┗ One in the sky.
┗ Two on the ground.
┗ This is unprecedented.
┗ Yeah, seriously;;
— Looking at these Gates for the first time…
┗ The size is huge too.
┗ Could it be an A-rank Gate…?
┗ Has anyone seen an A-rank Gate?
┗ Call Elsa over;;
┗ Summon the Guardian of Gangwon Province!
— Fwooosh!!!!
┗ Elsa!!! I’m loading a Cass image right now!!!!
┗ I’m uploading a Cass video!!!!
┗ [Elsa] Damn. (Stop messing around.)
┗ That’s an A-rank Gate, isn’t it?
┗ Surely not, lol.
┗ [Elsa] That’s nonsense. (This isn’t the time for jokes, lol.)
┗ Right?
┗ It’s not, is it?
— [Elsa] Huh?
┗ Whoa, whoa… Elsa, don’t drop the act;;
┗ Why did the parentheses disappear all of a sudden….
┗ Elsa, don’t mess around;;
┗ [Elsa] Where is that?
┗ It’s on the outskirts of Yongin;;
┗ [Elsa] Damn.
┗ Huh?
┗ ??
[Title]: No… damn… it really seems like an A-rank Gate???
(A photo of a massive Gate. JPG)
The building is still collapsing, so I can’t say for sure, but…
I’ve seen up to B-rank Gates before, you know?
But this is definitely my first time seeing something like this;;
— So, three A-rank Gates opened? Sh’t!
┗ And in Yongin of all places?
┗ Yongin is getting invaded like this?
┗ It’s not even monsters from Seoul moving south; it’s straight-up an invasion from Gates.
┗ I don’t know. I’m just gonna evacuate;;
— What’s happening all of a sudden?
┗ Exactly.
┗ Why did the Gates open all of a sudden?
┗ Is that what you’re saying?
┗ Don’t joke around, lol.
┗ Damn, I’m not joking!!!
┗ The Gates are resonating now, damn, damn.
┗ ?
┗ Seriously?
— Is the world ending?
┗ Right, lol.
┗ What are we supposed to do when three A-rank Gates open all at once…?
┗ There’s no Elsa in Yongin either!!!!
The gallery’s atmosphere suddenly turned grim.
“It’s not a faction’s conspiracy. It’s a Gate?”
I ran outside.
Boom!! Crash!
In the distance, I could vaguely make out the hotel still collapsing.
I could also see the circular portals opening around the building. They were gradually growing larger. There were three in total.
The air felt subtly different. The people wandering the streets fell silent.
Their silence created a stillness that returned as a nerve-wracking tension.
The Gates began to resonate now.
One, two, three vibrations, and finally, someone’s scream broke the silence, spreading fear.
“Why are Gates opening… in Yongin…!”
“At this distance, we’re in danger too!”
“Hey! Grab your stuff and get out of here!!!”
Nobody wanted this situation.
Right on cue, the Management Bureau’s evacuation order blared, something I’d never heard in person before.
My heartbeat raced along with it. It was a thrill I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Monsters are coming out of the Gates all at once!!!”
“Wait… I’ve never seen these monsters before!!”
“They’re definitely A-rank monsters…!”
Non-Awakened people began fleeing in the opposite direction of the Gates.
Meanwhile, a group of individuals silently walked toward the Gates instead.
“Get as far away as possible!”
“Non-Awakened civilians, evacuate in an orderly manner!”
“We’ll take care of this.”
They were Hunters, the noble heroes of today’s society.
“Hey, imagine closing an A-rank Gate and posting a verification post on the gallery. Wouldn’t that be epic? Agree?”
“Do you want to become Yongin’s Guardian like Elsa?”
“No? I’d go for a hero concept like Admin instead.”
“Idiot…”
The Hunters forced jokes, but they must’ve known deep down. They weren’t enough for this.
The sweat running down their cheeks proved it. Yet, they still walked toward the Gates.
“You there! If you’re non-Awakened, evacuate immediately!”
One of the Hunters pointed at me and shouted.
“This red-haired guy… doesn’t look like a Hunter, does he?”
“There’s no mana coming from him. Just a civilian.”
“I see…”
The Hunters seemed puzzled.
Then, a distant crash echoed.
I already knew well enough. Current Hunters couldn’t handle A-rank monsters.
If three A-rank Gates had truly opened, it would be a catastrophe unlike anything seen before, even during Elsa’s time.
“I’m not a Hunter, but I am Awakened. I’m staying here.”
I answered.
“Are you sure you want to stay here?”
“Yes. Did the Hunters buy all their equipment from the Treasure Shop of the Admin?”
“Uh? I couldn’t buy Admin Coins…”
“This time, I was a bit short on cash…”
“Here, take what I have.”
I handed over items to the Hunters.
“This is… C-rank equipment and a teleport scroll…?”
“And potions?”
They seemed visibly relieved.
“Are you really not evacuating…?”
“No. I need to witness this myself.”
I quietly answered as I began typing a new post.
“This time, I don’t want to see a single [User information not available].”
—
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