The Genocide Within the Gate

A work holiday. It's like taking a fresh breath after drowning in a sea of boring tasks. No annoying boss, no know-it-all coworkers, just me and... poor monsters waiting to be slaughtered.

But before I could enjoy this day of 'relaxation,' I had to stop by the Hunter Association to pick up a permit. Yeah, even though I'm overpowered, procedures are still procedures.

I walked into the association building with a bored expression. I've been here countless times, and it always feels the same packed with hunters trying to look cool. One of them even gave me a glance, probably wondering why someone as average-looking as me had the nerve to enter this place.

"Whatever, stare all you want until your eyes cross," I muttered quietly and headed towards the registration desk.

"Good morning, sir. How can I assist you today?" asked the receptionist with a professional smile.

"I'd like to pick up a permit to enter a Rank B Gate. Solo."

She looked a bit surprised. "Solo? Rank B?"

I gave a slight smirk. "Yeah, solo. I like my privacy, not into big crowds. I'm actually an introvert."

Without further questions, she handed me the permit I needed. "Alright, happy hunting, sir. Be careful inside."

I nodded and turned to leave. It always felt strange being underestimated because of my ordinary appearance. But, well, that's for the best. If they knew just how overpowered I was, I'd probably be hounded by reporters or, worse, top-level hunters.

With the permit in hand, I headed straight for the Rank B Gate located in the mountains. After double-checking that all my equipment and supplies were complete, I stepped into the shimmering blue portal in front of me.

"Alright, let's start this bloodbath."

As soon as I passed through the portal, the atmosphere changed completely. A dark forest with a thin layer of mist greeted me. The air was cold and damp, and I could feel the eyes of monsters watching me from all directions. They seemed to be waiting for the right moment to attack.

"Look at that, they're even giving me a welcoming party," I said to myself, spreading my arms wide. "I feel like a celebrity... but the mass murderer version."

It didn't take long before they started to appear. Orcs, giant wolves, and a horde of goblins emerged from the forest, surrounding me like a pack of predators. Their red eyes gleamed, ready to strike.

I put on a satisfied smile, feeling the adrenaline start to kick in. "Ah, this must be the part where you think, 'we can take him.' Spoiler alert: you're dead wrong."

With a quick motion, I activated [Shadow Step] and vanished from their sight. In an instant, I appeared behind one of the massive orcs, delivering a hard punch straight to its skull. CRACK! The satisfying sound of a skull breaking echoed as its head exploded like a watermelon.

"Yikes, your head just popped. You'll need to toughen up if you want to last."

The goblins started swinging their blunt weapons at me, but before they could get close, I activated [Fire Burst]. A massive explosion of fire incinerated them into ash instantly. Their tiny bodies flew through the air, charred to a crisp in the last moments of their lives.

"Hmm, smells like barbecue. Too bad there's nothing edible here."

The giant wolves began circling me, their fangs bared. They growled angrily, trying to intimidate me, but I just chuckled. "Come on, attack if you dare. I miss smashing your bones."

With one slash of [Wind Blade], two of the giant wolves were sliced in half. Blood and internal organs spilled onto the ground, but I only laughed.

"Aww, poor things. Failed as guard dogs, huh?"

The monsters kept coming. But for me, this was just a fun training session. Every time one attacked, I countered with an even more brutal move. Any orc that dared get close got zapped by [Lightning Fist], burning their bodies to a crisp.

"Oops, looks like you're overcooked. Any special requests from the kitchen?"

Fighting against monsters with rapid regeneration was challenging, but it only made me more excited. I kept attacking relentlessly, smashing one after another, while they continued to regenerate.

"Come on, regenerate again, so I can chop you up one more time! It's like playing whack-a-mole, but bloodier."

After a while, their regeneration started to slow down. They were running out of energy, while I was still fresh, a sarcastic grin plastered on my face.

The forest grew quiet. All the monsters that had tried to fight were now lying around, some dead for good, others too exhausted to get back up. I looked around at the piles of bodies scattered around me, breathing heavily.

"Ahh... that felt good. It's like yoga... but with more slaughter and blood."

I kicked one of the motionless orcs. "Yeah, rest up. You tried hard enough."

After slaughtering all the regular monsters inside the gate, I could sense it wasn't over. Deep within this forest, the aura of the big boss was growing closer. Damn, I could even smell it.

"I bet the boss is bigger and stinkier than all of you combined. Good, I love a challenge."

I started walking leisurely, heading towards the darker, more ominous area at the far end of the gate. The terrain shifted, the atmosphere grew heavier.

"Alright, big boss, wait for me. We're gonna have some fun. I'll slice you into sashimi, and maybe throw a little wasabi on top."

With that, I continued my steps, moving deeper into the gate. In the distance, a roar echoed. The big boss was waiting for me... and I was ready for whatever was coming.

I walked slowly, going deeper into the increasingly narrow space. A sharp, cold wind blew, sending shivers down my spine. In front of me stood a giant figure, one that resembled but was clearly no one of those monsters from a famous anime about man-eating giants. I should've smiled, but instead, I felt irritated. This was getting ridiculous.

"Oh come on, another shameless knockoff monster? If people see this, they'll think I'm the one ripping off ideas!" I grumbled.

The monster was humanoid, towering as high as a three-story building. Its skin was fiery red, with massive veins pulsing on its surface, without a hint of flesh. It let out a thunderous roar, greeting my arrival with a glare full of rage.

"So you're the so-called Colossal Shaitan, huh?" I greeted casually, then patted my own shoulder. "Looks like I'll have to pull out some new tricks. Word has it you're tough. Alright, hit me first. C'mon, big boy!"

DUMMM!

His fist shot toward me in a flash. I dodged to the side, almost effortlessly.

"Seriously slow... It's like watching a buffering video. Can't you move any faster?!" I taunted, spinning as I drew my sword, ready to strike back.

"It's about time I show you something special," I muttered.

My sword gleamed. I prepared to use a technique I had only ever kept in my head for fear of being labeled a copycat. But hey, this is a new world, and I can do whatever I want.

"Breathing Style... Oops, I mean, Breathing Technique: Blazing Slash!" I yelled.

I swung my sword swiftly, sending a large wave of fire directly at the giant's body. The wave hit its skin, causing its muscles to tense.

BZZZSHHH!

But what happened next was unexpected. In mere seconds, its skin started to heal, as if my attack was nothing more than a scratch.

"Ah, regeneration, huh?" I nodded with a sarcastic smile. "Nice. Makes me have to get a bit more serious. Alright then, let's raise the level a bit."

Quickly, I put on the Ring of Cosplay, transforming into someone else. I knew this was probably over the top, but what's wrong with having a bit of fun?

"And now, I become... Ginza Takoshi!" I shouted dramatically.

Of course, this transformation only made me look like a lazy samurai from an anime that need not be mentioned.

"Alright, Shaitan, get ready for my Atomic Strike, err, I mean... I'm the Bazooka!"

I pointed my sword with both hands as if it were a missile launcher. With one deep breath, I unleashed a massive blast from my sword, charging straight toward the giant.

BOOOOOMMM!

The explosion shook the entire room, destroying most of the surrounding walls and pillars. As the smoke began to clear, the Colossal Shaitan staggered, its body covered in burn marks.

However, I could see its muscles beginning to heal again, though more slowly this time.

"Wow, you're really stubborn, huh? Alright, I'm starting to get a bit bored. So how about we end this with something truly ridiculous?"

I twirled my sword in the air, making slow, flashy movements. "And now, for the final move... Black Hole Void Cutter!"

With a single swing, my sword created a black rift that looked like a mini black hole. Gravitational waves began pulling the giant's body toward it, spinning it around like paper caught in a vacuum cleaner.

"Goodbye, you giant piece of steak! Don't forget the spine, will ya?"

In a matter of seconds, the monster was sucked into the makeshift black hole, and then...

ZRRRTTT!

Gone without a trace.

I smirked with satisfaction, surveying the now-empty battlefield.

"Well, that was fun. Thanks, author. I needed that."

Taking a deep breath, I sheathed my sword and gazed at the ruins left behind from the fight. "Alright, done. Time to gather the loot." I raised my hand and summoned the system window.

[Loot Gathering Mode: Active]

Every monster I had slaughtered began to emit a faint blue glow, indicating the items they dropped. I walked over to the massive body of the Colossal Shaitan that had just been sucked into the black hole. Among the scattered remains of flesh, several glowing items awaited collection.

"Wow, not bad. This boss actually dropped some cool stuff," I muttered as I grabbed the first item.

[Item Acquired: Colossal Heart (Rare)]

"A heart? Seriously? This should sell for a good price at the market."

I continued picking up a few more items, and soon enough, the epic items started to appear.

[Item Acquired: Bloodstone Ore (Epic)]

"Oh ho, high-tier crafting material. Maybe I can make an even cooler sword with this."

I moved around the arena, gathering the loot from the monsters I had slain. The system automatically collected all the coins and smaller resources from the weaker monsters I had cut down earlier.

[Miscellaneous Items Collected: Beast Fangs, Sharp Claws, Monster Cores]

"Alright, all done. Time to head out."

I opened a portal out of the gate and stepped back into the outside world. Bright light momentarily blinded my eyes before I appeared again in front of the Hunter Association building.

Casually, I strolled toward the reception desk. The atmosphere was the same as usual, with hunters walking around and staff busy behind the counters. The receptionist who was used to dealing with me greeted me with a small smile.

"Oh, Taemin-ssi, already finished with the Rank B gate?"

"Yeah, it's done." I nodded and handed over the gate entry permit. "Here's the result from inside."

She looked at me, slightly surprised. "That fast?"

I simply shrugged. "Sometimes I like to be quick when I'm in the mood."

She took the report and began typing into her computer. "Just a moment, I'll tally up the items you collected."

I leaned against the counter, glancing around. The association was always busy, hunters preoccupied with their affairs, whether applying for gate permits or reporting completed gate runs.

After a few minutes, the receptionist returned with the full report. "Okay, everything's tallied up. The total value of the items you collected is 32 million won."

I gave a small smile. "Not bad for a Rank B gate."

She added, "You also get a bonus for completing the gate so quickly."

[Bonus Acquired: Extra 5 Million Won for Speed Completion]

"Thanks, always nice to get a bonus!" I winked, making the receptionist blush slightly, then walked out of the association at a relaxed pace.

The sky had turned reddish by the time I stepped outside the association. It was getting late, but I felt immensely satisfied after slaughtering all the monsters inside the gate.

"I really needed that." I took a deep breath, feeling the stress I'd been carrying slowly lift. "Maybe I should do this sort of thing more often."

I glanced at my watch and realized it was getting pretty late. "Hmm, maybe before heading home, I can grab a drink, burn off some leftover energy."

I chuckled to myself, walking casually toward the nearest bar, reflecting on the days to come. The gate was cleared, and now I could enjoy life without a care for a little while.