After school, Asher didn't head straight home. Instead, he made his way to the nearest gate around the school. Upon arrival, he was surprised to find Gate F, which should have been swarming with goblins, surrounded by a large group of Hunters. Among them was Kim Ji-hoon, the Deputy Head of the Hunter Center.
"What's going on here?" Asher asked, his tone innocent, like an ordinary student who happened to wander by.
Kim Ji-hoon turned to him, face serious. "The monsters in this gate… they're unstable. They're exploding!"
Asher smirked to himself. He remembered giving the 'Summon Popcorn Monster' skill to the SSS-ranked Hunters, and he had suspected someone would use it in a regular gate just for fun.
"We're waiting for backup from the main center," Kim Ji-hoon continued. "These monsters explode into hot popcorn, seriously injuring any Hunter who enters."
Asher felt a surge of amusement. "And… what if I wanted to go inside and see for myself?"
"No! This isn't a joke!" Kim Ji-hoon shouted. "Go back!"
Asher ignored him, smiling as he casually walked past the perimeter and entered the gate. Kim Ji-hoon froze, nearly losing his breath, unable to follow him in time.
Inside, the gate was filled with the sound of popcorn explosions. Hundreds of popcorn monsters ran wildly in every direction. When a Hunter attacked one, it would instantly burst.
Asher observed the chaos with a grin. "I guess they still don't fully understand how this skill works."
He decided to demonstrate properly. Without using magic or physical attacks, he relied solely on the energy flowing from his own body.
Fwoosh!
The nearest popcorn monster exploded instantly, sending a massive cloud of popcorn flying throughout the gate. Asher chuckled softly and issued a command through his system.
"System… make all popcorn monsters in this gate explode."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Hundreds of popcorn monsters detonated simultaneously, creating a wave of white popcorn that poured out of the gate, leaving the onlookers outside in complete shock.
Kim Ji-hoon and the other Hunters stood agape, unable to believe their eyes. Popcorn surged from the gate like a tidal wave.
Asher walked out of the gate casually, his school uniform slightly dusted with popcorn.
"This is how the skill works," he explained. "Just a light touch, and they explode immediately."
Kim Ji-hoon stared at him, a multitude of questions in his eyes. "You… you're the one, aren't you? The one who destroyed the SS-rank gate?"
Asher didn't answer. He simply smiled and walked past them in silence.
Playing with this world… it's only just begun, he thought.