As Siwoo stepped through the gate, a new world spread out before him. The instant he arrived, he snapped into combat stance. He knew that the moment of entry was when hunters were most vulnerable to ambush.
Mana surged through his body, completing its resonance, and he activated his defensive skill to prepare for anything unexpected. His senses sharpened as he scanned his surroundings. No sudden attack came, but he wasn't alone.
All around the gate lurked brutish, two-meter-tall creatures with matted fur and crude stone axes. Siwoo recognized them at once—Tryauns, E-rank monsters known for their violent nature and low intelligence. They were dangerous in groups, though individually they posed little threat.
Cautiously, he moved toward a massive rock mountain, storing the gate's coordinates in his amformation device. Unlike the official gates monitored by the WHA, Minjun's gates were untouched, leading to unexplored worlds. Even if Minjun scouted them, nothing was ever guaranteed. After all, Siwoo had seen stronger monsters than expected appear before.
This gate was nothing but endless stone. Ground, mountains, even plains—it was all rock. Yet strangely, plants grew here, roots digging into solid stone as if it were fertile soil. The sight was both unnatural and fascinating, but Siwoo quickly shook off distractions. His purpose here was combat training.
Spotting a lone Tryaun separated from the herd, he empowered his weapon. His blade gleamed blue as he invoked Weapon Enhancement, and without hesitation, he launched forward with Rapid Approach. His body blurred, closing the distance in an instant.
Before the monster could react, Siwoo's blade tore through its body in one swift diagonal strike. Blood sprayed violently, but he had already sidestepped the splash. The beast crumpled to the ground, split cleanly like butchered meat.
His heart raced—not from fear, but from the thrill of the hunt. This was the rush other hunters spoke of, the addictive euphoria of combat. Yet Siwoo forced himself to stay calm. It was just the first kill.
Another Tryaun charged, joined by more wielding axes. One barreled toward him from behind like a raging bull. Trapped on all sides, Siwoo made his move. His blade pierced the open maw of the closest beast, killing it instantly, even as axes crashed down on his shoulders. Pain seared, but he twisted away, letting the monster from behind overshoot him.
In one fluid motion, he retrieved his blade and countered with relentless strikes, severing limbs, carving flesh, and finally decapitating another. The battlefield filled with blood and broken bodies as he cut through wave after wave.
By the time his breathing grew heavy, five Tryauns lay dead at his feet. From their corpses, he extracted mana stones—seventy in total after hours of fighting. Not bad for a single hunt, though less than what a C-rank hunter might normally expect. Still, the experience was worth more than the profit.
The more he fought, the more natural battle inside the gate became. Lower-ranked monsters were starting to feel trivial. Perhaps it was time to challenge a D-rank gate.
Just as he gathered the last of the mana stones, the sword in his left hand flared with a sudden crimson glow. Not a hallucination—he had seen it once before during the fight with the Bear Tiger.
The blade pulsed with blood-red light, and Siwoo's heartbeat quickened. This was the phenomenon he had been waiting to confirm. With both hands gripping the weapon, he brought it up before his eyes, his gaze hardening as he stared at the blazing red sword.