DEB 46

Pitch-black darkness engulfed the cave. 

“We’re finally inside.”

Despite various twists and turns along the way, Huiyun and the guild members managed to enter the gate. Huiyun reached out, trying to feel the shape of the space around him. His hands touched cold walls, indicating that it wasn’t an open area. Just then, a blue notification window appeared, welcoming the hunters into the gate.

[You have entered the high-level gate, ‘Shard of the Enraged Greed Lord.’]

[High-Level Gate: Shard of the Enraged Greed Lord]

Description: The souls of high-ranking demons who suffered a crushing defeat in an ancient war are slowly awakening. The first to show signs is the Lord of Greed. Conquer the Shard of the Greed Lord gate to delay their resurrection.

Ash Guild members were taken aback by the gate’s description. 

“What is this? The gate description seems a bit strange.” 

“Have you ever heard of the Lord of Greed?” 

“I don’t think so.” 

“Then this must be….” 

“New, new information! Record and log this!” 

“Guild Master!”

Even the members of the nation’s top guild, Ash Guild, were unsettled by this unfamiliar notification. Juan, who had been staring intently at the notification, suddenly let out a cold, sneering laugh, quite unlike his usual kind demeanor.

Fwoosh!

A bright red flame erupted from Juan’s hand, illuminating the darkness. 

“Yes, it’s about time for them to awaken.”

In this group, only Huiyun and Juan could fully understand the implications of the gate description provided by the system. Huiyun, aware of the looming threat that Juan was displaying animosity towards, realized that the signs of the war he dreaded were emerging sooner than expected. He gathered a white aura in his palm.

“This is a gate we absolutely must conquer.”

“We know that. If they awaken, they’ll be a huge problem.”

“What do you mean by that? Guild Master, do you know something about the Lord of Greed…”

– Screeeech!

Before the guild member could finish, a sharp, malevolent scream echoed from deeper within the gate. Juan raised a finger to his lips and narrowed his eyes.

“The darker the environment, the better the creatures’ night vision and hearing. In a pitch-black gate like this, the first things to be cautious of are movement and sound.”

Despite his usual demeanor, Juan appeared like a seasoned awakener, giving cautious advice to the less experienced hunters. Huiyun agreed with Juan’s advice and heightened Yasha’s abilities. Extending his sensitivity, he expanded his detection range, revealing the layout of the gate and the positions of the monsters as if viewing from above.

“Five monsters, then twelve, and three more about a hundred meters away.”

“When will the first five arrive?”

“At their current speed, in about 30 seconds.”

With his eyes closed, Huiyun smoothly relayed the information, earning astonished murmurs from the guild members, remarking on the unusual nature of his detection abilities. They were ignored as Huiyun focused entirely on his task.

Tadadat!

The monsters, seemingly aware of their presence, began charging faster.

“They’re coming.”

“Time to prepare for our guests.”

Juan, having scolded the distracted guild members with a small burst of flame, now lit both his hands fully.

“It’s a shard, so the Lord of Greed won’t be here directly. We’re likely dealing with guardians of his soul fragments.”

“That’s probably correct.”

“Then these approaching creatures are likely servants of the guardians or monsters drawn by the Lord’s power.”

Analyzing the situation quickly, Juan tossed a fireball down the dark corridor.

Fwoosh!

The flame ate up the darkness, illuminating the path ahead. Soon, the light revealed purple wolf-like monsters charging towards them.

Boom!

The flame collided with them and exploded, shaking the gate.

The Ash Guild members, used to such situations, calmly watched the front.

“Did we get them?”

“No, they’re still coming.”

Spotting the enemies with keen eyes, Juan drew his sword and charged forward.

“Follow my lead!”

“Yes!”

Three guild members quickly followed, drawing their weapons without hesitation.

Screech!

Grrrr!

Kyaaaah!

The sounds of battle, slashing, and explosions echoed. Juan’s fire lit up the gate intermittently, but it wasn’t enough. Realizing this, Huiyun opened his eyes and scattered the light he had gathered in his hand into the air.

Thousands of tiny white lights clung to the ceiling, glowing like fireflies. Though small, their combined light illuminated the space significantly.

“Visibility secured!”

“Support team, provide backup!”

By then, Juan and the three guild members had already taken down five purple wolves and were facing twelve red kobolds. The remaining guild members shouted their readiness to assist. Meanwhile, Huiyun detected new monsters entering his sensing range.

The atmosphere was thick and oppressive.

In the schematic-like view of the gate’s interior, Huiyun saw two particularly strong and dark energy sources. Realizing that these two were far stronger than the dozens of monsters already encountered, Huiyun started running down the path Juan had cleared.

Guild members who were supporting from a distance with buffs, arrows, and bullets were taken aback by Huiyun’s sudden movement and quickly followed suit.

Fast.

Huiyun noticed that the powerful presences he sensed were also moving quickly toward the corridor. He conjured three spears in the air. 

Ahead, Juan was visible at the edge of his sight.

“Juan! Two more are coming! They’re stronger, probably on par with mid-level gate bosses!”

Shouting, Huiyun threw one of the spears. The white spear flew rapidly, passing over Juan’s head and illuminating the darkness further down the corridor. Understanding Huiyun’s intent, Juan broke off from the melee and sprinted toward the spear.

Grrrrk!

The monsters that had been attacking Juan tried to pursue him, but were swiftly decapitated by swords and whips.

Slash!

One of the guild members wiped blood from his cheek and shouted, 

“We’ll handle the rest here!”

“Huiyun! Please follow the Guild Master!” 

“Yeah, if you’re staying because you’re worried about us, don’t be!”

It wasn’t really because he was worried.

To expand his detection range and see the layout in detail, Huiyun had to exert considerable mental energy. He had stayed at the rear to focus, not out of concern for the others. Despite wanting to correct their misconceptions, he didn’t have the luxury to do so at the moment.

Ultimately, Huiyun ran forward, spurred on by their misguided encouragement.

Pushing off the ground forcefully, he quickly closed the gap between himself and Juan.

“Juan, they’re coming now!”

The gate’s layout, resembling an ant nest with many branching and twisting paths, made them vulnerable to surprise attacks. Alerting Juan to the approaching monsters, Huiyun saw Juan grin and ignite his sword with flames.

Slash!

The crude sound of flesh and bone being sliced filled the air, accompanied by a spray of blood. The head of the monster that had lunged at Juan fell to the ground.

‘There’s still one more!’

Though Juan had dispatched the first monster quickly, as expected of Ash, Huiyun remained vigilant. He sensed the remaining creature digging into the ground, preparing to ambush from the wall. As Huiyun’s gaze fixed on the trembling wall, the two spears hovering in the air glinted sharply.

Just a little bit more… now!

Timing it precisely, Huiyun clenched his fist, sending the white spears hurtling toward the wall.

– Grrrrr!

A large two-headed dog burst through the wall, its teeth dripping with flesh. As it bared its fangs at Huiyun, the thrown spears pierced through its necks, pinning it to the wall. The once-menacing creature now hung lifelessly.

“I was about to help, but you were quick.”

Juan, shaking the blood off his sword, muttered in disappointment. Ignoring his unnecessary comment, Huiyun resumed his detection. Although there were more tunnels with monsters, Ash Guild’s members should have finished dealing with the smaller ones by now. It was more efficient for them to handle the lesser threats while Huiyun and Juan went after the leaders.

“Let’s go straight for the guardians.”

“Not a bad idea.”

“Wait a moment. This place is easy to get lost in. I’ll draw a map first.”

Before proceeding, Huiyun marked the floor with white light to create a path for the guild members. He then conjured three new spears and floated them above his head.

“Siho, hold on tight.”

Advising the silver fox clinging to his shoulder, Huiyun felt Siho’s small tail swish in acknowledgment.

Hearing the guild members approaching, Huiyun illuminated the path to the guardian with energy imbued in the ground.

“Follow the light.”

With preparations complete, it was time to confront the gate’s boss.

“This really is convenient.”

Juan whistled in admiration of Huiyun’s abilities before moving forward with satisfaction.

The dark and twisting corridors of the gate were illuminated by the light trails Huiyun had left, guiding them deeper into the treacherous territory. 

The oppressive atmosphere grew thicker with each step, but the guild members, now guided with clear path, moved with confidence and purpose.