NOVEL NEXT Chapter 48
Chapter 48: Evidence of Humanity
“Did you say there were signs of people?”
For the first time since Si-hyun began his recount, Team Leader Seo showed a surprised reaction. He had heard from a hunter who arrived a bit earlier that Si-hyun had defeated a giant monkey, but the explanation had been brief, so he hadn’t gotten the details. Thus, hearing for the first time about signs of people was surprising.
“Yes, how should I put this… it felt like an underdeveloped tribal village or something.”
“Signs, you say? That sounds a bit vague… Are you sure about this?”
Team Leader Seo asked, seeking confirmation.
“I’m sure. In fact, it’s almost an understatement to call it signs. There was a human corpse.”
“A corpse?”
“Yes, there was a human corpse placed on the altar in the center of the village. It was horrific; it seemed to be a human sacrifice. At first, I didn’t realize it, but later it struck me that it was likely offered to the giant monkey.”
At Si-hyun’s calm reply, Team Leader Seo’s expression turned serious. He cradled his head in one hand, a look of contemplation on his face. After a moment, he opened his mouth again.
“Well… this is certainly a very unusual case. You haven’t directly met or spoken with any of these people, have you?”
“That’s correct.”
“You understand that this is not a common occurrence, right, Hunter?”
The fact that there were not just monsters but also people in the Gate could indeed be a shocking reality.
A mysterious dimensional space filled with monsters threatening this world. That alone could summarize what the current Gate was about.
But humans being there?
This could shake the very foundations of what he had believed about Gates.
“Yes, in a way.”
Si-hyun nodded.
“Then you understand the necessity of keeping this a secret for now.”
If the public were to learn of this, it would undoubtedly cause significant chaos. The government would not want that. Team Leader Seo’s stance was understandable.
However.
“But doesn’t this need to be uncovered eventually?”
Given the gravity of the situation concerning Gates in modern society, this was too significant to just cover up.
“Not yet.”
“Has anything like this happened before?”
Si-hyun asked, his eyes thoughtful.
Team Leader Seo’s expression turned contemplative again. Originally, this level of information wasn’t something a low-tier hunter like Si-hyun should have access to.
Yet, he was the one who discovered the signs. He was no longer an unrelated party. To sought cooperation for confidentiality, it was necessary to share the facts and persuade him.
Thinking that, Team Leader Seo replied.
“Yes, this isn’t the first time. Are you aware of S-Class Gates?”
“Of course I know.”
“This is related to that.”
“….”
Si-hyun adjusted his posture.
Information regarding S-Class Gates, shrouded in the utmost secrecy. Considering his usual social standing, this was information he would never have access to.
To have an opportunity to hear such information…
Si-hyun focused intently, determined not to miss a single word.
“You know that S-Class Gates are significantly different from other Gates, right?”
“Yes, I’ve heard that.”
While Gates of A-Class and below had different interiors, the exterior was consistently a swirling circular pattern.
However, S-Class Gates could not be categorized in such a way. They could manifest as any type of dungeon in this world. It could be a gigantic castle, an endless forest, or an extensive swamp. Therefore, it was, in fact, a stretch to call it a gate.
Still, it was more convenient to group it under the umbrella of “gates.”
Regardless, that was the terrifying appearance of S-Class Gates. Even Si-hyun was familiar with this information through media and the internet.
But the interiors were unknown. When an S-Class Gate appeared, the government issued a red alert and evacuated all residents within a radius of dozens of kilometers for safety. Journalists were also denied access.
S-Class Gates were that dangerous. If there wasn’t a hunter capable of stopping a single monster emerging from such a place, it could cost the lives of thousands, if not tens of thousands.
Thus, if the hunters who participated in conquering the S-Class Gate remained silent, the outside world would have no idea of whatever occurred there. And the nations qualified to tackle S-Class Gates naturally controlled the information to the public.
Other nations could not even access S-Class Gates and were merely in a position to rely on aid from powerful countries. Naturally, those nations had no chance of knowing S-Class information.
That was the current situation.
“It used to be the case that only monsters emerged from S-Class Gates.”
Team Leader Seo continued his explanation.
“However… have you ever heard of the Winter Fortress?”
“The Winter Fortress? Hmm, I think I recall hearing about it. It’s the S-Class Gate that appeared in Norway or Finland, right?”
As Si-hyun rummaged through his memory, he responded.
The appearance of S-Class Gates was newsworthy enough to make global headlines, so Si-hyun retained some knowledge of it.
“You’re roughly correct. It’s the S-Class Gate that appeared in Finland. The official name is ‘Adenbar, the Unassailable Winter Fortress,’ but we just refer to it as the Winter Fortress.”
S-Class Gates had unique names.
This designations weren’t given from this world. The moment hunters entered the area of an S-Class Gate, the system would display its name.
“Now that you mention it, I definitely recall it.”
“I see. As you know, Finland lacks the capability to assault an S-Class Gate. Therefore, they sought assistance from the EU, and you might have heard that they dispatched a joint raid team to attack it.”
“Yes, I heard that.”
“And, they discovered people there.”
“People?”
Si-hyun had somewhat anticipated this already.
However, hearing it directly still sent a shock through him. All he had seen were human corpses within the Gate. Yet now, the confirmation of finding living people made it feel like speculation had become reality.
“That’s right. And not just one, but several.”
“So what happened? What were their identities?”
Unable to contain his curiosity, Si-hyun hurriedly pressed for answers.
“That’s… Just a sec.”
As Team Leader Seo continued to talk, he seemed to get parched and poured himself a cup of water from the dispenser. For Si-hyun, who was intensely curious, it felt like Seo was deliberately dragging it out.
After a moment, Team Leader Seo sat back down.
Si-hyun shot him a look urging him to hurry up with his tale.
“We were able to communicate with those individuals, thanks to a translation magic item.”
Team Leader Seo opened his mouth again, deliberately using an engaging narrative style as if he had personally experienced the event.
This pulled Si-hyun deeper into Seo’s story.
“So you actually had a conversation?”
“Yes.”
“Wow…”
Si-hyun gasped in astonishment.
To converse with a person that emerged from the Gate. He couldn’t have imagined such an event occurring.
“And those individuals…”
“Yes.”
“Are otherworlders?”
“Otherworlders? From the Reiter continent?”
That was the only otherworld Si-hyun was aware of.
“Yes, that’s correct. But it’s correct yet also a bit different.”
“Correct yet different? How so?”
Si-hyun’s face filled with confusion at this ambiguous statement.
“They are indeed people from the Reiter continent, but it seems they are from a time that differs quite a bit from those who are currently granting us awakening powers.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I mentioned the name of the original wielder of the awakening power they have, they told me it was someone from centuries ago.”
“Excuse me?”
Si-hyun’s eyes widened in shock. The narrative turned in a way he hadn’t anticipated. The idea of a time difference was surprising enough, but centuries? Was that even reasonable? No, considering Gates themselves defied the norm, that was a stretch.
But this was an even more astounding tale.
“And….”
However, the surprises didn’t end there.
Team Leader Seo continued.
“They mentioned that humans of that era were living lives akin to slaves of monsters.”
“What? Slaves to monsters?”
Si-hyun was astonished once more.
But this time, he wasn’t the only one surprised.
A notification window suddenly appeared.
[Po-ahim is now deeply confused by what he has just heard. He wishes you to find either the ‘Saintess of Silver’ or the ‘Great Sage of Two Eyes’ soon to learn more about this matter.]
It was the second time that name had popped up since the dinner with a PD.
“Um, let me just… get some water.”
Si-hyun interrupted the conversation for a moment. Approaching the dispenser, he struggled to organize his chaotic thoughts.
It was no wonder Po-ahim was confused. While this side of the story was about a different world, for Po-ahim, it was a sudden revelation that descendants had fallen into slavery to monsters. It was bound to be shocking.
He still couldn’t wrap his head around what was happening. Si-hyun sipped the cold water, trying to clear his mind. He returned to the sofa afterward.
“Slaves? Then are those people also…?”
“Yes, they were bound with chains and various restrictive tools. We conversed after killing the monsters.”
“I see. So what became of those people?”
He wondered if the EU was discreetly protecting them while gathering information.
“They died.”
“What? They died? Who killed them…?”
Si-hyun’s expression morphed into disbelief at the absurdity. They were undoubtedly extremely significant figures. Their existence could potentially unravel the mysteries of the Gate.
Unless the EU’s raid team turned out to be incompetent fools, they wouldn’t have been killed. So who could have possibly done it?
“…They self-destructed.”
Team Leader Seo replied solemnly.
“Self-destructed?”
“The moment we tried to remove their restrictive tools… their bodies exploded. They shattered into pieces. Several hunters lost their lives in that explosion.”
“What an insane situation… It couldn’t have been a bomb then, what was it?”
“It seems they had some form of magic on them that even they were unaware of. While the specifics of when it activates remain unknown, it’s certain that it explodes the very moment the restricting tools are removed.”
“….”
A heavy silence filled the air.
Otherworlders who had fallen into slavery.
The magic of self-destruction.
The dead hunters.
If he had encountered those people in the Gate, could he have ended up like them?
Si-hyun bit his lip, staring at the table. After a moment, he opened his mouth again.
“Then what about the next people?”
“There haven’t been any reports of further discoveries.”
Team Leader Seo shook his head. He continued speaking.
“Regardless, this is highly valuable information. Based on the data from the Winter Fortress, major intelligence agencies from various countries are busily conducting research.”
“I see.”
“Now do you understand why this must remain secret for the time being? Announcing the emergence of people from the Gate would only cause unwarranted turmoil before the myriad enigmas are resolved.”
“…I understand.”
Having heard the full story, Si-hyun nodded in agreement.
“Of course, this matter will be reported to major countries. However, since this time we didn’t actually meet and converse with the people, it further raises questions.”
“Yeah… my head is a bit tangled as well.”
“Should we take a break and continue later?”
“No, I’m okay. Let’s keep going.”
“Understood.”
Team Leader Seo continued his investigation.