WOSCH 08

Chapter – 08

‘So this is a Gate….’

The first thought that came to me the moment I entered the Gate was—

It’s hot.

Just as its name, the Red Plains, suggested, the reddish ground was cracked here and there as though it had been suffering from an extreme drought.

Hot air resembling steam rose sharply through the cracks.

“Ugh, good thing I wore a short-sleeved shirt underneath.”

From what I had researched beforehand, every Gate had completely different climates and conditions.

Even experienced Hunters couldn’t predict the climate of a Gate they were entering for the first time.

I put all the outer clothes I had been wearing into my inventory.

“Ugh, it’s hotter than the fires of hell, nya.”

“…The fires of hell?”

“There’s such a thing, nya.”

Apparently, Ha-nyang wasn’t good with heat either, because she stuck her tongue out and panted.

Fortunately, I hadn’t seen any other living creatures inside the Gate so far.

‘It’s not as scary as I thought.’

The vague fear I had felt when I heard the word ‘Gate’ had settled down somewhat now that I was actually inside one.

I cautiously moved forward while looking around.

The sun and moon were both hanging in the gray sky.

‘Looking at something like that, this definitely isn’t Earth….’

I carefully placed Ha-nyang on the ground and began seriously searching for the material.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long before I found the Solsol Grass I had seen in the picture.

“Wow! This is it, right? It’s so distinctive that I spotted it immediately.”

The slender stem shone silver, as though illuminated by the evening moonlight, while the leaves were round and fluffy like clouds.

I carefully plucked the grass without damaging the leaves.

A notification window appeared.

Material Collection Status

• Solsol Grass (1/20)

“Oh! There’s another one over there. Looks like I’ll be finished pretty quickly!”

Fortunately, there weren’t many kinds of grass growing inside the Gate, so the silver-glowing Solsol Grass stood out particularly well.

Three already.

At this rate, I could leave in less than an hour.

“Ha-nyang, you come over here too and—”

Kueeeeeek!

At that moment, the roar of a monster came from behind me.

The sound was getting closer, as though it was running straight toward us.

I quickly grabbed Ha-nyang and threw myself behind a nearby rock.

Kuek, kweeek!

‘A centipede!’

Hiding behind the rock, I cautiously peeked my head out and looked behind me.

It had a gigantic body that seemed to be a little over two meters long, with dozens of legs attached to it.

And there were so many eyes.

Just looking at it made me feel as though I was developing trypophobia.

‘Ugh, disgusting.’

The centipede seemed to be searching for something and didn’t leave the area around the rock.

Slowly, it began approaching the place where I was hiding.

‘Wait! Why is it coming this way!?’

I held my breath and pressed myself tightly against the rock.

‘I-I’m going to get caught!’

The gigantic centipede’s face gradually came closer to me.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

My heart was pounding as though it were about to burst out of my chest.

Kweeeek….

Fortunately, the centipede moved its legs with a rustling motion and passed right by me.

As its enormous body slowly wriggled farther away, I finally released the breath I had been holding.

“Phew— I thought my heart was going to stop.”

“You’re really a scaredy-cat, nya.”

Ha-nyang, apparently not frightened in the slightest, casually groomed her front paws as she spoke.

Still, considering the centipede had come right up to me without noticing my presence, it seemed that the blessing really was working properly.

“All right. Let’s hurry up and finish collecting the materials and go home.”

I picked up Ha-nyang, who was practically melting from the heat, and quickened my pace.

The monsters were a problem, but the sweltering heat was another problem entirely.

As I repeatedly wiped away the sweat pouring down my face, I spotted silver-glowing grass in the distance.

‘Lucky! They’re all gathered over there.’

The Solsol Grass that had been scattered sparsely around the plains was growing in abundance there.

I hurried over and enthusiastically started gathering it.

8, 10, 13…

The collection count quickly rose.

“Wow! If I’m lucky, I can finish everything here!”

I was happily pulling up the grass when a gigantic shadow suddenly fell over my head.

“…What’s this now?”

At the sudden low voice, my shoulders stiffened.

I slowly turned my head.

Hunter Lee Hyun-woo was pointing a sword at me with a cold expression.

‘A-a-a real sword!?’

I could feel the chilling sharpness of the blade, as though it would mercilessly cut my neck if I moved even slightly.

I slowly raised my hands to show that I surrendered.

“P-please spare me! I’m a good person!”

“You can speak?”

Of course I can! I’m human!

Since I couldn’t move, I only rolled my eyes desperately, trying to convey a pleading look that begged him to spare me.

At that moment, Ha-nyang, who had been beside me, suddenly sprang forward.

“What are you saying, nya!? How dare you threaten our Haneul!”

Hunter Lee Hyun-woo flinched in surprise and redirected his sword toward Ha-nyang.

Wait!

Not Ha-nyang!

“AAAH! Hunter Lee Hyun-woo! Don’t you remember me!? The bungeoppang!”

I desperately grabbed onto Hunter Lee Hyun-woo’s pants.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at me.

“…The lobby?”

“That’s right! You remember!”

I nodded vigorously.

Before he could become suspicious, I rapidly explained when we had met, what I had been doing, and what he had said to me.

Finally, he clicked his tongue and slid the sword back into the scabbard at his waist with a cold metallic sound.

“How exactly did you get in here?”

“Well… um, as for how I got in…”

I briefly considered lying to get out of the situation.

But then I thought it would probably work better if I was honest with him.

I explained about the mission that had suddenly appeared after I awakened and how I had to enter a Gate in order to complete it.

“…A mission given by the system.”

Hunter Lee Hyun-woo crossed his arms and quietly stared at me.

How much time passed?

Eventually, he opened his mouth.

“Your physical reactions don’t indicate that you’re lying. I’ll believe you for now.”

“Wow! Th-thank you!”

“However, there are still suspicious things. Including that cat.”

Ha-nyang stuck her tongue out at Hunter Lee Hyun-woo.

“Bleeh.”

Don’t provoke him for no reason!

I hurriedly picked up the cat and smiled.

“You know how well-behaved our cat is? Haha….”

I grabbed her front paw and waved it while saying, “Hello~.”

His expression subtly cracked.

It seemed to mean, Stop doing useless things.

“Th-then… I’ll be going now.”

“Where are you going?”

“Huh? As I said, I need to find some materials….”

I tried to casually move away, but Hunter Lee Hyun-woo stepped in front of me.

“Let’s go together.”

“…What? Why?”

At my question, he frowned.

No, I had already proven that I wasn’t some suspicious creature, and I had explained exactly why I had entered.

What else was there to be suspicious about?

“There’s no telling what kind of danger could exist inside a Gate. Especially since your rank is so low….”

“I really just need to quietly collect the materials and leave.”

“Then it won’t take long.”

No matter what I said, I could tell he was determined to keep an eye on me.

The monsters didn’t even care about my presence, I wanted to complain, but I still nodded.

Having an S-rank Hunter accompany me was actually a good thing.

If something happened, he would protect me, right?

“By the way, Hunter Lee Hyun-woo, why are you here alone?”

“I sometimes clear low-rank Gates like this one alone.”

“Oh… I see. That’s amazing.”

And then silence.

This was really awkward.

Unable to endure the awkwardness, I tried asking him all sorts of questions, but I simply couldn’t turn any of them into a conversation.

“What do you do on weekends, Hunter?”

“I go to Gates.”

“Oh… Isn’t that tiring?”

“I don’t know.”

Hmm.

I see.

I couldn’t tell whether he simply didn’t want to talk to me or if this was just his personality.

I smiled awkwardly and checked the system window.

I only needed to collect three more.

‘Whew, it’s really hot….’

The plains stretched out without a single patch of shade, and heat was rising from the ground.

Unable to endure it any longer, I took some water out of my inventory and gulped it down.

Come to think of it, Hunter Lee Hyun-woo was wearing combat gear.

Wasn’t he hot too?

“Aren’t you hot? Would you like some water?”

“I’m fine. I’m wearing an item that regulates my body temperature.”

“Oh….”

Hunter Lee Hyun-woo looked me up and down.

His gaze somehow seemed to say, You don’t have something like this, do you?

I felt strangely upset.

I should buy one of those myself once I saved up enough money….

“It’s surprising to see someone entering a Gate wearing ordinary clothes.”

“…I just entered unexpectedly, so I didn’t know.”

Hunter Lee Hyun-woo let out a small sigh.

Feeling self-conscious, I fidgeted with my fingers.

Then suddenly, a shadow swept over my head.

“Put this on.”

He took off the outer garment he had been wearing and draped it over me.

Isn’t this an item?

Was it really okay for him to give it to me like this?

Perhaps he understood the look in my eyes, because he lightly nodded.

“I’m an S-rank. Even without an item, I can regulate my body temperature naturally.”

“If that’s the case, then I won’t refuse… Thank you.”

I would be finished collecting the materials soon anyway, so I could return it to him then.

The moment I put it on, my overheated body temperature began to drop.

The temperature regulation was incredibly effective.

Even Ha-nyang, who had been melting from the heat, purred contentedly when I picked her up and held her in my arms, apparently enjoying the coolness.

‘This is strangely peaceful….’

Even though I was inside a Gate, I felt strangely at peace.

And so, my short journey alongside Hunter Lee Hyun-woo began.