DEB 49

“Did we lose them?”

The demon baron, Cherban, who had hurriedly rushed to the scene after sensing a strong energy, slowed down as the suspicious presence vanished just before he could reach it. 

He scanned the graveyard, which now reeked of unpleasant energy. The area was in ruins, with the charred remains of demon sentinels scattered around, indicating a recent battle.

“I should have come sooner.”

Realizing he had missed the intruders by a narrow margin, Cherban descended from the sky. He knelt and traced his gloved hand over the ground, examining the footprints.

“Twelve people… And two among them possess particularly strong auras.”

One set of footprints emitted a strong flame aura, while the other had an indescribably complex and unpleasant, yet powerful, energy. It was the same disturbing energy Cherban had sensed earlier.

“Hmm…”

Cherban observed the footprints emitting white heatwaves, then swept his hand over them. Taking a deep breath, he detected a familiar scent that triggered a near-nightmarish memory. His shoulder twitched as he analyzed the scent, recalling a time of dread. 

With a shiver, Cherban exhaled and grasped the situation.

Twelve intruders had slipped in unnoticed, hunted down the search party, and then disappeared. Among them was someone with a familiar, unsettling scent.

“I must report this to the Lord.”

This was an unusual occurrence. Moreover, the holy aura lingering in the air was eerily reminiscent of the dragons’ energy, the same dragons that had nearly destroyed them in the first war. Cherban meticulously examined the battlefield, gathering a sample of bloodstained sand, before returning to his fortress.

Once all seven lords of the demon realm awoke, they would have a chance to avenge themselves. Until that time, it was imperative that everything remained quiet.

Until the demon realm regained its full power. 

Until the dormant lords successfully resurrected.

“We can’t afford to let even a single rat escape…”

Cherban’s slitted eyes gleamed menacingly as he considered the energy trails and decided to set a trap within the gate.

His eyes glinted wickedly.

***

[The system’s ‘Emergency Escape’ function has been successfully executed!]

[Anomalous gate phenomena detected. Gate clear rewards are being recalibrated.]

…Calculating…

Gate reward recalibration complete!

The upper-level gate, ‘Fragment of the Enraged Greed Lord,’ and ‘Demon Sentinels’ have been cleared!

Contribution Rankings: 1st place – Huiyun Mok, 2nd place – Juan Hong, 3rd place…

Huiyun and the Ash Guild members emerged from the gate to a noisy scene. The system’s constant notifications were irritating, but the clamor from the Ash Guild and the hunters dispatched by the management bureau was even more so.

“Any missing persons? No injuries?”

“All twelve are accounted for! No missing persons!”

“We have a severely injured hunter. Transport them to the hospital immediately!”

“These are from the mutated gate raid. Ensure they rest and are ready for debriefing!”

The hunters quickly and efficiently assisted Huiyun and the Ash Guild members, guiding them down the mountain. These were the people who had been present since Huiyun and Juan had been ejected from the gate.

“Hong Juan, are you alright? We came as soon as we heard. The gate’s rank suddenly changed after you entered….”

“When you entered, the gate’s color changed! This has never happened before, so we reported it to the management bureau immediately. Are you injured?”

A mutated gate.

Huiyun caught the unfamiliar term and grabbed a nearby management bureau hunter.

“What is a mutated gate?”

“…You cleared it without knowing? When a gate’s rank suddenly changes after entry, it’s called a mutated gate. It’s rare, and usually, if it happens, the rank drops. It’s unprecedented for a gate to jump up in rank.”

The hunter, though bewildered by the sudden question, responded dutifully.

No wonder things felt off.

From the moment the ground gave way, Huiyun knew something was wrong. Letting out a sigh, he released the hunter and looked up at the system notifications hovering in the air. 

Juan’s gaze was also fixed there.

Contribution Rankings: 1st place.

Maybe because of the dominance ability used against the demon sentinels in the demon realm, the gate clear details had been recalculated, changing the contribution rankings. This cleared the quest, but it was no time for celebration.

With a serious expression, Huiyun called out to the system, needing to understand why this had happened. Judging by Juan’s reaction to their fall into the demon realm, this had likely never occurred before. Something must have happened, either with the system or the demon realm, and the system’s nervous response suggested it didn’t have all the answers.

[Really, this was an unexpected anomaly that affected you, Mr. Huiyun. We’re trying to find the cause, but aside from interference from below, we don’t have much information. Pestering won’t get you any answers right now!]

The system’s trembling response seemed genuine. “Interference from below”. Knowing the system referred to the underworld, meaning the demon realm, Huiyun signaled to Juan. 

The chaotic environment wasn’t suitable for an in-depth discussion.

Sensing the signal, Juan wrapped his arm around Huiyun’s shoulders and waved to the hunters and guild members, clearing a path.

“We’ll have the management bureau’s investigation later. For now, we need to return to the guild to take care of some things.”

Times like these showcased the convenience of reputation and status. Though taken aback by Juan’s forcefulness, the management bureau hunters stepped aside, and the Ash Guild members, despite having many questions, followed their guild leader’s wishes.

“This is level 1 classified information, so if you value your lives, keep your mouths shut.”

Juan warned the management bureau hunters, shielding Huiyun from their curious and suspicious glances, which made them nod hastily.

Thanks to Juan handling everything, Huiyun managed to descend the mountain without any unwanted media attention and return to the Ash Guild without any undue spotlight.

“Everyone out.”

Storming in like a tyrant, Juan cleared the guild hall. He tossed out cards and told everyone to take the day off. Although confused, the guild members didn’t refuse the unexpected break.

Watching them leave without a word, Huiyun found it strange as he settled on the sofa in the guild master’s office.

“Gah…!”

The pain he had held back, not wanting to show weakness outside, surged as the tension eased, causing Huiyun to tremble and huddle in agony. As his limbs shook, Juan, concerned, knelt beside him, soothing Huiyun’s back.

“Yasha, are you okay?”

“…Huiyun.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. That’s what’s important right now. Fine, I’ll call you Huiyun. But answer me, are you okay? Why are you coughing up so much blood…”

Even though Huiyun had already fainted twice in front of him, Juan was still acting as if it was the first time he had seen Huiyun in such pain, fidgeting and biting his lip. 

Huiyun, pressing down on Juan’s furrowed brow to smooth it out, closed his eyes to endure the overwhelming pain. Despite having made room for himself, talking immediately seemed impossible.

“Huiyun…”

As Huiyun, now completely sprawled out on the sofa, panted heavily, Juan anxiously wondered if he was about to pass out again. Summoning the strength to speak, Huiyun requested a mana-suppressing potion from him.

I should have listened to my brother.

Not being a hunter, Huiyun didn’t have an inventory to carry the mana potion he needed, and now he was paying the price for his negligence. Despite everything, the necklace from the management chief was the only reason he hadn’t already collapsed from the backlash of using his abilities. 

Sweat pouring off him like rain, Huiyun’s request prompted Juan to hastily retrieve a mana-suppressing potion from his inventory.

“This stuff was only used for torture…”

Huiyun pretended not to hear Juan’s unnecessary muttering in the panic of the moment and took the potion. As the blue liquid trickled down his throat, the mana-suppressing power spread through his body. 

Bracing against the backlash, Huiyun curled into a ball and stifled his screams, taking a full ten minutes to regain some composure before collapsing, exhausted, onto the sofa.

Lying there, his hand hanging off the edge of the sofa, Huiyun stared at the ceiling while Juan wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel.

“Are you okay now?”

“…I can manage.”

Huiyun almost replied in a familiar tone but hesitated, adding a polite suffix, which made Juan look disappointed. Clearly, he wanted Huiyun to treat him as casually as he did when he was Yasha, but this wasn’t the time for that. Gathering his strength, Huiyun sat up straight on the sofa.

Having calmed down somewhat, it was time to discuss the recent events.

But first…

“Could you please call Kwon Jiwook and Nameless?”

Huiyun requested that Juan summon the other, prompting Juan to reluctantly pick up his phone. Just then, the door to the guild master’s office burst open without a knock, and familiar faces rushed in.

“You’re hurt…!”

“Yasha!”

They were all panting, clearly having run there, and their expressions showed they had heard about the mutated gate.

This speeds things up.

Pleased that there was no need to call them separately, Huiyun gestured for Jiwook and Nameless to take seats opposite him.