Fwoosh—
In an instant, a blue light engulfed the area around Lee Si-woo.
It was the moment he passed through the gate.
"Hup!"
He tightened his lower abdomen and focused his mind.
Then—
Srrrk—
A tingling sensation spread through his body, followed by the unmistakable feeling of mana activating.
That familiar sensation he had come to recognize after passing through gates for more than ten days since February 6.
"Am I finally getting used to the gates?"
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
Swish—
The blue light faded, leaving behind a clear-headed sensation as a brand-new world unfolded before his eyes.
Shaang—
Si-woo drew his sword into a defensive stance, ready for a potential monster ambush.
Rumble—
Even in that tense moment, he could feel blood boiling within him—
It was the sign of mana assimilation occurring in his bloodstream.
Yet, Si-woo didn't lose focus.
That focus was something he had honed through years of training.
"No threats?"
Thankfully, no sudden attacks came.
So then—
"Mana Detection."
The moment the mana assimilation finished, Si-woo sharpened his senses and activated a Hunter skill.
He could feel mana spreading around him, and his perception heightened.
Mana Detection—a skill typically used by D-rank offensive Hunters to sense nearby lifeforms by detecting their mana.
"Nothing's showing up."
Relieved, he sensed no immediate danger nearby.
Still, he didn't drop his guard.
His skill's range was limited to just 20–30 meters at best—a restriction of a Level 1 skill.
At least for now, there were no threats in sight.
Swish—
He casually spun his sword in one hand, getting used to its light weight as he surveyed his surroundings.
"Oh?"
In the distance stood the ruins of a castle.
A crumbling watchtower, walls riddled with holes, and vines creeping like a wild beard—it was clear this place had been abandoned long ago.
It felt like he had stepped into a fantasy world.
"I've never seen a place like this in any Hunter records."
That could only mean one thing:
The gate opened by Do Min-jun led to a completely new type of planet—unlike any gate connected to Earth before.
And the presence of castle ruins?
"Does that mean there was civilization here?"
The idea made his heart pound.
No other gate on Earth had ever led to a place with traces of civilization.
"Could this be another alien civilization beyond Phantaureos?"
A flicker of excitement sparked in him.
But—
"No, focus."
Si-woo shook his head, clearing out unnecessary thoughts.
Now wasn't the time for daydreaming.
Click—
He raised his arm and spoke to his Amformation device.
"Timer check."
Beep—
The voice recognition activated, and—
Whirr—
The remaining time displayed:
[3 hours 23 minutes]
A function his old secondhand Amformation never supported.
"Money really does make a difference."
Satisfied, Si-woo gave another command.
"Show my basic status."
Beep—Whirr—
His status window appeared:
[Max Mana Capacity: 1,500]
[Current Mana: 1,345]
[Health: 95%]
[Max Physical Defense: 1,200–1,650]
[Current Physical Defense: 100–480]
[Max Magical Defense: 920–1,312]
[Current Magical Defense: 72–350]
Si-woo reviewed it quickly.
The device now displayed max defense potential, something his previous model lacked.
Max defense stats referred to when defensive techniques enhanced by mana were active. Current stats showed his present state.
"Nice!"
With these numbers, even an E-rank monster wouldn't be much of a threat.
"Time to boost defense."
He drew in mana—
"Full-body Defense!"
Visualizing a mana barrier coating both his body and Hunter suit.
Whooom—
A reassuring sensation enveloped him—his body felt sturdier.
"Let's check."
He glanced at the status update:
[Current Physical Defense: 1,200–1,650]
[Current Magical Defense: 920–1,312]
His current stats now matched his max—a successful buff.
Full-body Defense created a thin mana shield over his entire body and suit. But as long as it stayed up, his mana would gradually drain—like a battery.
Time was of the essence.
"Let's move."
He gave another command:
"Save gate location."
The Amformation logged his current coordinates.
Tap, tap—
With light footsteps, Si-woo moved forward.
Roughly ten minutes later—
Rustle—
From near the thick vegetation around the ruined castle, he heard something.
Shuffle—
Si-woo crept toward the sound as carefully as possible.
Then—
Ka-ruk!
He saw them.
Creatures with multiple legs—like spiders—feasting on a dead animal's carcass.
"Lysitins?"
Fast-moving E-rank monsters that required intense focus during battle.
They were about the size of medium dogs and leapt around unpredictably, making them difficult targets.
Still, their estimated physical attack power was only around 270–300, far below his own defense range of 1,200–1,650.
However, there were eight of them.
He had to be careful.
Stats alone didn't tell the full story.
"Alright."
Si-woo made a quick decision.
Eight enemies nearby—
Not a bad warm-up.
"Combat mode."
He whispered into the Amformation.
Beep—
(Combat mode voice assist activated. This voice is only audible to Lee Si-woo.)
With that, the device switched modes.
'Amformation's ready.'
Now—
"Weapon enhancement!"
He visualized mana coating his weapon.
Chrrrng—
The blade shimmered with a blue glow.
A basic offensive Hunter skill—he was fully prepped.
"Hoo…"
Si-woo exhaled slowly, calming his nerves.
It was his first real fight.
He had to suppress the trembling and keep his cool.
'Rely on my years of sword training. Just follow the flow!'
With firm resolve—
Fwoosh—
The world around him seemed to vanish.
Only the monsters remained in focus.
'Now!'
Thud—
He sprang forward, targeting the closest Lysitin.
Whoosh!
His long blade sliced through the air—
Crack!
A sickening crunch as the Lysitin's crab-like shell shattered.
"Got one!"
He had killed a Lysitin in a single strike.
But there was no time to celebrate—
Screee—! Screee—!
The others lunged at him.
"Hup!"
Si-woo twisted his sword to block.
Dark shapes pounced and struck from all directions.
"Haaah!"
He parried what he could, but—
Whack! Crack! Whack!
Their speed was overwhelming—he couldn't block every blow.
Clang! Smash! Thud!
They swarmed him, hammering his body.
"Ugh!"
It felt like being slammed by flying soccer balls on his gut, shoulders, and ribs.
And then—
(Beep—Warning: Rapid drop in health and mana.)
The Amformation alerted him.
'Did I underestimate them?'
The thought crossed his mind—but—
Grit!
He clenched his teeth.
No way could he defend against so many.
'Defense is useless now!'
Instead of blocking, he chose to destroy.
Whip—
He twisted his shoulders, dodging one attacker.
Slash!
And instantly cut down the one in front.
Clean cut!
The Lysitin split in two.
He turned to find another target—but—
Whoosh—Thud—Creak!
The rest closed in, ramming and biting him.
"Gahh!"
His full-body defense prevented wounds, but not pain.
"Nngh!"
The agony was real.
'You bastards…!'
Grip—
He tightened both hands on his sword.
No way he'd go down from this.
Swing!
Ignoring the pain, he slashed upward—
Shing—!
His blade whistled through the air—
Clang!
Another Lysitin, cleanly severed.
Three down.
'Pathetic things!'
His confidence surged.
'You're all dead!'
Forgetting his pain, Si-woo dove into the rest—
Slash! Clang! Smash!
One by one, the Lysitins fell.
Crash!
The last one exploded into pieces.
"Huff!"
Finally, he let out a deep breath.
"Agh!"
His whole body ached.
'Thought I'd be used to pain from getting beat up by Dad, but…'
This was on a whole other level.
Monster attacks were in a league of their own.
'Practice and real battle are totally different.'
Si-woo nodded, firm in his resolve to grow stronger.
Eight E-rank monsters—
"I hunted monsters… for the first time!"
A surge of pride welled up.
'Not bad at all.'
Without realizing it, his shoulders straightened.
But he couldn't waste time.
Tap, tap—
He quickly gathered the Lysitin corpses.
Before their mana cores cooled, he had to extract valuable materials.
Rustle—
It took about five minutes to gather all eight.
Slide—
He reached out toward the pile of blackened bodies.
Being an all-rounder meant he could hunt and harvest in one go.
Offensive and psychic Hunters could kill monsters—but only a gatherer could extract materials properly.
But Si-woo was different.
Focus—
He concentrated, preparing to extract the mana cores—
Rustle—
Something moved nearby.
"What…?"
Clang!
He grabbed his sword, eyes narrowing.
'Is something there…?'
He stared toward the sound, deadly serious.