Chapter 9
As my level increased, F-Rank Goblin Gates became a joke.
I started clearing them at high speed for my rank promotion.
To the goblins, I must’ve been an unstoppable disaster.
After finishing one Gate, I quickly changed into fresh clothes and moved to the next.
This time, it was a Large-Scale Goblin Gate.
Larger territory, more monsters.
More monsters, higher rank points.
A single Gate could host multiple parties at once—
or allow staggered entries.
But once inside, no one leaves until the job is done.
[Max Entry: 20 Hunters]
A standard Goblin Gate usually had a limit of 5.
“This one must be massive.”
I checked the details on my phone as the taxi approached.
At the entrance, I noticed three other Hunters waiting.
Two men.
One woman.
“Wait… I know her.”
The woman—a brown-haired beauty with cat-like eyes—held a wand.
She was famous in my past life.
Not for her magic.
For her murders.
Lured men into Gates.
Used paralysis poison.
Robbed them of gear & mana stones.
Then left them to die.
I remembered the news vividly.
The headline should’ve been about the victims.
Instead—everyone was obsessed with how pretty the killer was.
“So, you’re still alive in this timeline.”
A low-ranked villain—not on the same level as Baek Nayoung.
But still a threat.
Then—
She approached.
Her voice dripped with honey.
“Hey there~ Looking for a party~?”
She flashed a sweet smile.
A tight one-piece dress, her body language inviting.
To any normal guy, she’d be irresistible.
If I didn’t know her true nature, I might’ve been fooled too.
I clenched my fist.
For a moment—
I wanted to snap her neck on the spot.
But—
There was no proof.
And if I attacked first, I’d be the one arrested.
There was also a small chance the past had changed.
If I wanted to stop her—I had to catch her in the act.
Or…
Use her poison to boost my resistance skill.
Her past victims didn’t die immediately.
They suffered for hours before dying.
That meant—her poison wasn’t lethal.
“A perfect training opportunity.”
One of the men—a tank holding a shield and sword—cut in.
His face twisted in disgust.
“Mi-ran, a guy like that won’t be any help.”
He sneered at me.
I was unarmed, wearing a cheap training suit.
His jealousy was obvious.
He wanted to impress her.
Meanwhile—she didn’t even look at him.
“Oh, come on~” she pouted. “If he was going solo, he must be good~”
Her voice dripped with fake warmth.
I smiled.
“I’m a martial artist. I don’t need weapons.”
I accepted.
The tank’s face darkened.
“Tch.”
If only he knew—
I’d be saving his life tonight.
Mi-ran’s eyes gleamed.
“Great~”
Her fingers lightly brushed my arm.
A subtle, calculated move.
I suppressed a shudder.
“Fucking snake.”
“This Gate is huge, so we’ll need all the help we can get~”
She laughed.
But her eyes were cold.
Mi-ran twirled her wand.
“I’m Choi Mi-ran, a mage~”
I nodded.
“Lee Ji-seok, martial artist.”
A young man—honest-looking, kind—stepped forward.
“Yang Sang-heon. Swordsman.”
Lastly, the shield user.
His face was still screwed up in annoyance.
“Park Sang-jun.”
A half-assed greeting.
The scenery shifted.
Instead of a dark cave—
We entered a lush, green forest.
Immediately—
Sang-jun glued himself to Mi-ran’s side.
“Mi-ran, let’s grab a drink after this. I know a great wine bar.”
She giggled.
“Sounds fun~ But I don’t drink much~”
That fake-ass voice again.
We walked for a while.
Then—
A group of thirty goblins.
Everyone got serious.
Sang-jun—despite being a jealous idiot—was decent in battle.
His movements were fluid, shield-blocking attacks while countering efficiently.
Sang-heon used a light-infused blade, but it was more for show than actual damage.
I, of course, rushed in headfirst.
I had already leveled up to 5 from previous solo hunts.
Stats?
Strength – 19
Stamina – 20
Agility – 17
E-Rank combat power.
Goblins?
They were ants.
Mi-ran barely needed to fight.
A few goblins slipped past, targeting her—
She casually sniped them down with magic bullets.
Yeah.
No way someone that skilled needed help.
The fight ended quickly.
For eight hours, we fought and advanced.
Then—
Mi-ran made her move.
She pulled out a glass orb from her pouch.
I locked eyes with her.
She smirked.
Then—
She smashed the orb on the ground.
Green mist exploded outward.
I leaped back—
But the gas spread unnaturally fast.
“Shit—!”
I held my breath—
Didn’t matter.
The poison seeped through my skin.
My limbs went numb.
I collapsed.
Sang-jun hit the ground.
Mi-ran pressed her heel into his skull.
Her expression twisted in disgust.
“Ugh. You actually thought you had a chance?”
Her fake sweetness vanished.
Only pure contempt remained.
Meanwhile—
I felt my body fighting the poison.
[Poison Resistance is counteracting the effect.]
Slowly—
I regained control.
But I waited.
If she noticed, she’d attack again.
Instead, she rummaged through our belongings.
The moment my muscles unlocked—
I lunged.
“Wha—?!”
Mi-ran panicked.
She hurled another poison orb.
“Tch!”
The gas exploded between us.
This time—
The concentration was even higher.
My nerves screamed.
Even with Poison Resistance, the sheer dose was too much.
I had to retreat.
For now.
I clenched my jaw.
“You’re not getting away, bitch.”