WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Ceaseless
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Became the Gate Summoner Hunters Obsess Over ◈
Chapter 34: Hears the Truth. Joins the Strategy Team.
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Gapyeong Ocean Park.
A theme park located a little over an hour from Seoul by car.
It had once been a popular weekend destination, being so close to Seoul...
But after supernatural phenomena emerged, its visitors dwindled by the day.
Then, to make matters worse, its owner was caught up in a supernatural phenomenon and disappeared. The unfortunate theme park was ultimately neglected until it shut down.
And now.
“A new supernatural phenomenon has arisen targeting this water park. The Management Bureau currently believes it to be an erosion-type and rule-type Gate.”
A new supernatural phenomenon had appeared after eroding the abandoned water park.
Having joined them midway and listened to Team Leader Myo’s briefing, Kang Yul asked for the information to be shared, just as it had been with the Commuter Express Train.
He wanted to obtain new information based on what had been found so far, then share it through the archive.
However.
“Hunter Kang Yul. No information on this operation has been shared.”
Team Leader Myo’s answer was somewhat unexpected.
“Nor do we intend to share related information through the archive.”
“You aren’t sharing it?”
“That is correct.”
At first, Kang Yul wondered, Why would they do that...?
Before long, though, he also thought, Is there some reason for it?
This was the Management Bureau, which was thoroughly accustomed to saving people. There had to be some reason that a rookie Hunter like Kang Yul did not know.
Accepting that, Kang Yul obediently nodded.
A moment later.
“Hunter Kang Yul. The information I am about to provide is Level Two classified. It must not be disclosed to outsiders.”
With her usual blank expression, Team Leader Myo began the real briefing for this operation.
Of course.
“Then shouldn’t I hear it either?”
He had no intention of listening to information that sounded likely to inflict him with a knowledge curse just by hearing it.
Though he knew it was rude, he interrupted her to cut that possibility off at the source.
But Team Leader Myo said, “I have approved it under my authority,” followed by, “Hunter Kang Yul can be trusted.”
So he had no choice but to listen.
And the contents of the Level Two classified information he was made to hear were...
“There is currently an opinion within the Management Bureau that this supernatural phenomenon may have been deliberately created by someone using Midsummer Pool as its basis.”
...Something truly worthy of being called classified.
“That’s possible?”
“The information was censored and never released to the public, but there have occasionally been cases of new supernatural phenomena being created using existing ones.”
“What are the chances it happened by accident...?”
“None. Even knowing how does not mean one can simply reproduce it. Since it generally requires offering people as sacrifices, the most likely conclusion at present is that someone did this intentionally.”
“...”
Kang Yul was speechless.
The claim that someone could deliberately create a supernatural phenomenon was not something he would have readily believed under ordinary circumstances.
But when he recalled the notification window he had seen earlier...
※ It newly opened after numerous rounds of trial and error with the existing supernatural phenomenon, [Midsummer Pool].
...Was this the knowledge curse?
The part he had casually skimmed over now seemed to match Team Leader Myo’s classified information.
And that was not all.
“Furthermore, the method used to abruptly increase the number of victims by taking control of mass media also differs somewhat from ordinary supernatural phenomena. The Management Bureau’s investigation has confirmed that broadcasting staff and several civilians coordinated in advance and spread prepared material all at once.”
They had even secured irrefutable physical evidence, so Kang Yul decided not to deny it any longer.
Instead, he asked the question that had been circling through his mind.
“Why did they do it?”
It was a simple question.
What reason could they possibly have had for doing something like that?
What kind of incredible reward had been promised to make them go through with it?
But the answer he received was...
“None.”
There was no such reward.
No, more precisely.
“Our investigation found that they were a New Humanity worship group that fell for the temptation that helping with this would allow them to awaken as Hunters.”
It was the hard trolling of a group of lunatics who could not distinguish dreams from reality.
And hundreds of innocent people had disappeared as the price of their stupidity.
“My head already hurts just hearing that...”
“That is usually how it is when cult groups are involved.”
As Kang Yul held his throbbing head after learning the truth behind the incident, Team Leader Myo, who had been watching him with an odd look in her eyes, continued in a blunt voice.
“Hunter Kang Yul. This operation is being treated not as a supernatural ‘natural disaster,’ but as ‘terrorism’ by a cult group.”
“What’s the difference...?”
“There is a substantial difference. When a supernatural phenomenon occurs naturally, we generally prioritize ‘clearing’ it because the ‘rules’ governing that world are considered too powerful for us to resist.”
Kang Yul knew that much.
The power called a “rule,” which changed a Gate’s laws, was not something an individual could handle.
There were occasional cases like Team Leader Oh’s last time, where someone crushed it through sheer force.
But that was an exceptional case that only a Representative Hunter who had been a veteran for an extremely long time could barely accomplish while prepared to die.
Even then, the limit was around C-rank.
However.
“Artificially created supernatural phenomena are different.”
If it was not an unknown something beyond human comprehension, in other words, not a “supernatural phenomenon,” but something created by humans, then the Gate’s “rules” lost their compulsory force.
In such cases, no matter how high the rank, Hunters with sufficient strength could ignore the rules and physically “destroy” it.
Which meant...
“So this operation is one of those cases.”
“Correct. This operation is to physically break through the supernatural phenomenon that has eroded reality, then rescue the people inside.”
“And the reason no information was shared?”
“Every Hunter deployed is a Representative Hunter from their respective Autonomous District. We determined that it would be most efficient for everyone to act at their own discretion. The members entering from Nowon District are Team Leader Oh, Hunter Kang Yul, and myself.”
“...I see.”
With that explanation that this Gate exploration operation would be a physical clear, the briefing ended.
Afterward, only the quiet sound of the car traveling down the road could be heard within the awkward silence.
And amid that silence, Kang Yul thought.
‘We’ll break in by force and save people. I understand that... but why am I being taken along...?’
Kang Yul’s only physical means was his staff, physically speaking.
Was this not an extremely poor choice of personnel?
He was about to ask whether they should bring someone else instead, but unfortunately.
“We have arrived.”
They reached Gapyeong Ocean Park before he could speak.
In the end, Kang Yul could only head for the Ocean Park entrance, where the strategy team had gathered, while wondering, Is this really right...?
######
Given the severity of the situation, the area around Gapyeong Ocean Park was filled with people in suits who appeared to be Management Bureau employees.
“We brought every warding talisman we could find!”
“Hey, you there! The guardian totems must be installed as a pair, Great General Under Heaven and Female General Under Earth!”
“We have extra sacred straw ropes here! Take some if you need them! We also have charcoal, red peppers, and pine needles!”
They looked exactly like low-ranking employees, running around in suits and sweating profusely in the middle of summer.
Honestly, Kang Yul envied them.
If he could, he would have liked to be assigned to the low-ranking workers doing miscellaneous tasks like that.
Of course.
“This way.”
It was already too late for that.
Now that he had heard classified information that outsiders were not allowed to know, there was no way Kang Yul could sit out this operation.
So Kang Yul followed Team Leader Myo toward the entrance of Ocean Park.
As befitted veteran Hunters, the key figures of this operation sensed their approach and turned toward them. Kang Yul met their eyes.
“The rookie’s here?”
Team Leader Oh was among those key figures, having arrived ahead of them.
“It’s been a while, Team Leader Oh.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while, Rookie. Have you been doing well?”
“Ahaha... I’ve been doing all right.”
Team Leader Oh greeted Kang Yul with a bright smile the moment she spotted him, and they exchanged conventional greetings.
As he continued the usual small talk in full professional-socializing mode...
“That’s the rookie Crow mentioned... His aura is just as unusual as I heard.”
“Mmm... Still... he looks... more ordinary... than I expected... He might... be... my type...?”
He heard the voices of other Hunters studying him curiously.
There were two Hunters he noticed.
“Crow. Are you sure we can trust him? No matter how I look at it, this feels like crossing a line.”
“Chicken. I guarantee it, the moment you enter the Gate, you’ll trust the rookie. No, you won’t have any choice but to trust him.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’ll see.”
One was a woman with an eyepatch and a somewhat fierce-looking face.
It might have been a little rude to say so, but she gave off the strong impression that she could collect any unpaid debt.
“? Ah, sorry. It was rude to talk while the person in question was standing right here. Nice to meet you. I’m Team Leader Yu, and I operate in Mapo District.”
“I’m Kang Yul, Team Leader Myo’s Direct Subordinate Hunter. It’s nice to meet you, Team Leader Yu.”
“Yeah, nice to meet... Huh? Team Leader Myo’s direct subordinate? Not Team Leader Oh’s?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes. That’s right.”
“It’s surprising that fussy cat took on a direct subordinate. Well, anyway, we’ll be working together, so I look forward to it.”
After speaking with her, his first impression vanished completely.
She was unexpectedly easygoing and friendly. It reminded him that people really should not be judged by appearances.
Anyway, after exchanging the usual greetings with Team Leader Yu as well...
“Mmm... Nice... to meet you... I’m Team Leader Mi... from Mapo District... Mmm...”
The woman with sheep horns, who had been dozing beside them, began falling asleep in the middle of introducing herself.
Kang Yul looked between Team Leader Oh and Team Leader Yu with an expression that asked, Is this really okay?
“It’s fine, Rookie. Her class is related to sleep, so she’s always drowsy.”
“When she judges her life to be in danger, she wakes up and moves on her own. You need not worry.”
“Understood.”
Kang Yul decided to let it go for now, thinking, There are classes like that too?
They said there were as many different classes as there were Hunters.
If he continued working as a Hunter, he would likely meet unusual Hunters like this from time to time.
Anyway.
As he greeted the Representative Hunters active in other districts...
“We will now begin preparations to enter the Gate.”
Team Leader Myo, who had been preparing something, stepped forward and began briefing them on the operation.
At that point, Kang Yul swallowed.
Gulp!
He watched while thinking, What kind of operation do veteran Hunters carry out?
But unexpectedly...
“Team Leader Oh will take complete command of combat. I will assess the situation, support Team Leader Oh, and rescue civilians. Team Leaders Yu and Mi, please focus solely on rescuing civilians.”
“Good! I can finally put the new corpse I brought along to use!”
“Reasonable assignments. Understood.”
“Mmm... Understood...”
It ended in a manner that was truly simple and concise.
Honestly, Kang Yul was a little disappointed.
These were people in positions everyone acknowledged, Representative Hunters.
He had expected at least a little clash between their oversized egos.
But reality was reality. Since they all knew one another through mutual connections, the veteran Hunters quickly decided to finish things and go home.
But only for a moment.
“There is also one matter you must keep in mind.”
Team Leader Myo’s next words fulfilled Kang Yul’s expectations.
Of course... not in the way he had expected.
“Should Hunter Kang Yul issue separate instructions after we enter the Gate, set everything else aside and follow them first. I will guarantee every judgment made by Hunter Kang Yul.”
“Exactly. If our rookie says something, we should listen even in our sleep.”
“What...? Have you all gone insane? What could possibly make you trust what a rookie says?”
“Mmm...? What... do you mean...?”
“I will not take questions until we enter the Gate.”
“Ah, you’ll understand once we go in! Just go in first!”
At Team Leader Myo’s words, the atmosphere immediately turned icy.
A fierce battle of wills began between the Nowon District Hunters and the Mapo District Hunters.
Caught between them and receiving glares from both sides, Kang Yul thought.
‘Ah, I want to go home and see the Worm.’
He did not know or care about any of that.
He just wanted to go home, shovel dirt into his mouth with the Worm, and sleep.
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