Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Spendthrift Necromancer (45)

Mayhem (1)[(Breaking News) Super Rookie Park Siwoo finds the perfect nest! Debuts as the Spendthrift Guild's first member!][(Breaking News) Guild Master Kim Minwoo declares guild goal is small and elite! Only world-ranker-class talent accepted!][(Breaking News) Park Siwoo reveals ambition! Says his goal is to become Korea's second Sword Immortal…….][(Breaking News) Kim Minwoo makes a suggestive remark? ‘I'll show you something big soon.’]..

Articles poured out one after another.

Public opinion heated up as well.―Damn lolol A world-record breaker and the Sword Immortal's disciple lolol This guild lineup is already insane from the start lololol―Kim Minwoo on the left, Park Siwoo on the right. Solid as hell lololol―Since he openly said small and elite, sounds like he's only taking S-rank Achievement holders?―Isn't S-rank Achievement insanely hard? At least those two showed up and eased Korea's Awakened drought a little lately…….―Still hard lol The last one before them was seven years ago lol If they want more, they'll have to recruit established veterans instead of new faces.―Anyway, Korea finally has a guild that actually feels like a guild? Wonder if the guild rankings will change now.―Hard lol Rankings go up based on Gate-clear records lol They're probably stuck as small fry for a while.―Yeah. Starting from C-rank Gates, the required raid size jumps hard. Even if they're both super rookies, clearing with just two is a bit……?―Too soon to tell. With those two, once they level some more, they might try two-man clears.―True. Anyway, I'm looking forward to it lol Add Ilseong's funding to two super rookies…… maybe they could even aim for the world stage?―Nah. That's going too far. Even Korea's veteran top guilds are treated like 2.5-tier teams on the world stage lolPublic opinion was favorable.

Two super rookies had debuted after none had appeared for the past seven years. It was impossible not to feel anticipation.

Park Siwoo had also openly declared his ambition, building a positive image.

After successfully finishing the press conference like that. Siwoo, leaving the venue, asked curiously.

“Hyung, so what are we planning to do?”

“Nothing in particular? Why?”

“You said earlier you'd show everyone something big soon.”

“Oh, that? Just lip service.”

More precisely, he did have a plan, but Park Siwoo wasn't included in it. The structure of the plan made it impossible to include him.‘It's dangerous too.’He had to enter a freshly formed Gate. Bringing Siwoo into a Gate whose difficulty would spike sharply was too risky.‘The exact clear method isn't known.’Dorim Guild had revealed some details about the first clear, but there was no guarantee they'd revealed everything.

They would obviously have hidden anything important.

That was why he planned to go alone.

“Focus on leveling for a while.”

“Yes. I'll grind hard.”

“Good. And if you see some strange news, don't be too surprised.”

“……

Strange news?”

“Something like that. You'll find out when the time comes.”

He patted the puzzled Siwoo on the shoulder.* * *He climbed into a sleek sports car.‘Moving alone is convenient.’When he'd first arrived here, bodyguards had clung to him like leeches.

Their role had been to keep watch in case he caused trouble.

But things were different now.

He'd already proven several times that he was behaving himself, so they no longer forced security personnel onto him.

Of course, they'd still provide them if he asked.‘Don't need them today.’In fact, he needed there to be no bodyguards.‘I've secured all the High-Grade Elixirs too…….’While spending time crafting.

He had contacted Choi Yuna in advance and commissioned the elixirs.

This time, he'd even paid more than half upfront.

High-Grade Elixirs cost around three billion won each.800 of them meant 2.4 trillion won.

Making her shoulder that entire burden alone would've been too much. And he happened to have around two trillion won remaining.

Thanks to that, the elixirs were completed quickly. He paid the remaining 1.2 trillion using the money he had left and an advance he'd received by crafting equipment ahead of time and handing it over.

Once he entered this Gate, he might surpass Level 151.

That was why securing the elixirs had been his highest priority. He could make a +9 C-rank Skill Book after his level rose somewhat.‘This will probably be my last elixir deal with Choi Yuna.’High-Grade Elixirs usable from Level 151. After that, he couldn't commission Highest-Grade Elixirs from the Korean Alchemist Guild.‘They don't have the recipe.’There was exactly one craftsman in the entire world who possessed the recipe for Highest-Grade Elixirs.

Christine, known as the ‘Witch’ of America.

Apparently she'd obtained the recipe after clearing a Hidden Gate.‘That's going to be a pain to crack.’And price wasn't the only problem.

This was one of the goods whose distribution the United States controlled. You could call it a kind of restriction imposed for the national interest.

The reason was simple.

Other elixirs could increase each individual stat by 50 per tier, for a total of 200.

Highest-Grade Elixirs were different.‘They can raise each individual stat by 1

5

0. A total of 600.’If two people were the same level with similar skill sets, naturally the one with higher stats would win.600 was an enormous difference.‘Though those greedy bastards probably would've controlled them even if they only raised 200.’Korea also had one elixir whose distribution it controlled.

The Sword Shadow Pill was the prime example.‘But that's single-use.’It gave a large stat boost, but once you ate one, that was it.

You couldn't stack them.

Compared to Highest-Grade Elixirs, the effect was much weaker.

Anyway.

He'd heard France had even signed a secret agreement with America just to secure Highest-Grade Elixirs for Isabella.

That was how seriously the nations of Gate Hunter treated Awakened military power.‘It's a matter of competition and survival.’If a Gate remained uncleared for too long, it exploded and released monsters.

What if the power of Gates eventually exceeded the power of the Awakened?

Disaster began.

Of course, Gates didn't have only a dark side.

New otherworldly technologies, mana stones, treasures, new materials—there were endless opportunities too.

What if a country couldn't clear Gates?

It was like using a flip phone while everyone else had smartphones. No wonder nations were obsessed with Awakened power.

The car entered Gyeonggi Province.

His destination drew near.

An empty clearing by a mountain, without a single building nearby.‘We're here.’He got out of the car.

The sight of a Gate standing here was still vivid in his memory.‘The range was about here to here, wasn't it?’After roughly measuring the size he remembered, he positioned himself at the closest spot to where the entrance would appear.

He opened his phone gallery and showed one photograph.

“You remember this face, right? When this guy comes, do exactly what we practiced.”―Coo.

A cry came from empty air.

Soon, several vehicles arrived.[Gate Observation Department]

Government officials poured out of the vehicles.

They carried instruments for measuring Gate mana density.

“Isn't it here?”

“Yeah! Mana's gathering this way. At this level, it'll be at least B-rank.”

“Wait! There's someone over there!”

Soon, the officials approached.

“……

Mr. Kim Minwoo?”

“Hello.”

They exchanged greetings.

“I'm sorry, but could you leave this area? We believe a Gate will form here. If you stay, you may get caught in the aftermath.”

The official spoke politely.

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. It's dangerous. You should move farther away…….”

“Wow, perfect timing. I've always wanted to see a Gate form at least once.”

“Then please come this way. You can watch from over there…….”

“No, I'd like to see it up close.”

“It's dangerous! The Gate could form right on top of your head!”

Yeah, no.

Gate formation locations were fixed. He had confirmed that thousands of times while playing the game.

The Gate would definitely form directly in front of him. Close enough that one step would take him inside.

He couldn't exactly explain that.

“Sir.”

“Yes?”

“I've been really lucky lately, you know?”

“No, I'm telling you, there's no time! The Gate's about to form!”

Then.

Dozens of vehicles began flooding into the area. News crews and all kinds of guilds were mixed together in one massive jumble.

The moment Gate formation had been detected, the news must have spread everywhere.

At times like this, whoever was closest won.

He spotted several familiar faces.

Starting with Dorim's Guild Master, then the Satellite Guild, Hallim's Guild Master…….

Sword Phoenix Seo Yerim was also accompanied by people who appeared to be instructors from Sword Sea Pavilion.

“It's the Gate!”

Everyone's eyes gleamed.

A newly formed Gate.

Its interior was practically a pot of honey.

Whoever grabbed it first owned it.

The moment its rank was accurately determined, most of the people here would immediately declare their intention to clear it.

“Sir! Please get out of there!”

The official who had been trying to persuade him shouted while continuously backing away.

Then.

Whoooosh……!

Along with tremendous wind pressure.

Thoom!

The Gate formed.

Exactly as expected, with the entrance directly before him.‘See? I was right.’One step forward, and he could swallow this brand-new Gate whole.

His prediction had been exact.* * *Dorim Guild Master Lee Minjun's eyes gleamed. Being close to the formation point had been a stroke of incredible luck.

Naturally, the moment he saw the breaking news, he'd rushed over with his guild members at top speed.

But.

Some strange bastard was loitering near the place where the Gate was about to form.‘……

Is he insane?’If he got unlucky, the Gate could suddenly appear on top of him and kill him.

“Who the hell is that guy? He's not even listening to the officials.”

“That looks like…… Kim Minwoo?”

“What?”

“You know the Spendthrift Guild. He's their Guild Master.”

Huh?

Lee Minjun narrowed his eyes.

It really was him.‘What? Did he come here to clear it alone or something?’No, that couldn't be.

The rank of a freshly formed Gate was unknown.

The Observation Department had to inspect it before the exact rank became clear.

It was essentially an identification process.

Even so, you could roughly estimate the level from the flow of mana gathering around it.

Enough to think, Ah, this Gate's going to be pretty nasty. Naturally, the breaking news had already reported that it was expected to be at least B-rank.

So why was that guy here?

Alone, no less.‘Maybe he's just curious?’It wasn't impossible that he'd come to watch. Though no sane person watched from that close.

Then.

The Gate formed.

And it appeared so close that Kim Minwoo could enter merely by taking one step.‘No way he'll go in.’That would be suicide.

And if he simply went in without permission, he'd be cursed to hell and back.

Gate clearing wasn't children's play. Enormous interests were tied to it as well. The process for selecting which organization would attempt the clear was complicated.

In other words, there were rules governing entry.

Even the Sword Phoenix who had arrived couldn't enter without authorization.

Fortunately, Minwoo didn't seem genuinely insane, because he showed no sign of entering.

He merely wandered around the Gate entrance, looking intrigued.

“Escort Mr. Kim Minwoo away politely.”

They could just move him out of the area.

Lee Minjun gave the order.

There was one thing he hadn't anticipated.

Jo Pilwook, the guild's executive director and the chairman's son.

The fact that he harbored enormous resentment toward Kim Minwoo.

Jo Pilwook, breathing heavily with anger, charged forward faster than anyone.

His NewTube debut had already crashed and burned, earning him a storm of abuse from Chairman Jo.

All of it was because of that fucking bastard. How much humiliation had he suffered from constantly being compared to him? He'd even been warned that he'd never be allowed to participate in company business again. And now that hateful bastard was loitering around the entrance of the Gate they needed to clear. Of course his temper exploded.‘Fucking bastard!’Perfect.

He'd use his Level 300 grip strength to crush the guy's shoulder a little.

Jo Pilwook approached with a face resembling a murderous demon.

“Hey, you bastard! Get the fuck out of there!”

Jo Pilwook stormed forward and reached for Kim Minwoo's shoulder.

At that instant, something slammed hard into his own shoulder.

The unexpected impact pitched his body violently forward.

As a result.

Thud!

Kim Minwoo, knocked forward by the body blow, was sucked straight into the Gate.

“……

Huh?”

“……

Huh?”

“……

Huhhh?”

“……

Huuuh?”

“……

He pushed him?”

“Th-This is a scoop!”

“B-Breaking news! Kim Minwoo has just been sucked into the Gate that formed in Gyeonggi Province……!”