The F-Class Gate (1)

After leaving the Tower, Gi-Gyu headed toward the Player Association's Seoul office to get paid. A massive crimson sword would've caught the eyes of all onlookers; strangely, no one gave Gi-Gyu an extra glance.

-Master! Master!

'What is it?'

-It's so nice to be outside!

Currently, Lou was in an accessory form because it was tired of the Tower and its sword form. It adorned Gi-Gyu's index finger in the shape of a snake-shaped ring. This was the first time he used Lou's accessory function, and he was happy with it.

'Nice design too.'

Thanks to this ability, it was easy for him to hide and carry Lou outside the Tower. He could quickly transform it back to its red sword form whenever he needed it.

-Hehe…

Gi-Gyu stroked the ring as Lou giggled.

'When he acts insolent, I want to beat the crap out of him. But when he acts like this, he's quite adorable.'

-Master! I can hear you!

They bickered until he reached the payment office. There, Gi-Gyu dumped the bagful of crystals on the counter.

"Wow! Even today, your haul is as bountiful as ever," the office cashier commented in surprise. Gi-Gyu and the cashier could be considered acquaintances since he saw her almost daily. She asked, "What happened? You used to bring a single crystal; now this?"

Gi-Gyu didn't answer her question. The cashier didn't mind and quickly handed him the receipt. But when he saw it, he asked her with surprise, "Huh? The amount here—"

"The market quote for crystals has plummeted recently. After the Angela Guild ascended to the 75th floor, we received an overabundant number of crystals."

Demand and supply: Everything, in a way, depended on it. The amount Gi-Gyu earned today wasn't small, but that didn't mean he had to be happy with the pay. Getting paid less for the same amount of work was no one's sweet spot.

'Now that I think about it, I haven't watched Player News in a while.'

Every night, for five years, he watched the player channel, but that changed last month. Last month, his priorities changed a bit. Gi-Gyu requested, "Please deposit the full amount to my account in the player's bank."

"Of course," the cashier replied.

Holding the receipt, Gi-Gyu turned around.

'Gotta find out what happened in the outside world while I was under my rock.'

With a purpose in mind, Gi-Gyu headed toward Tae-Shik's office.

***

"Huh?" When Gi-Gyu arrived, he saw that the guide department office had been turned into a storage room. The sofa he used to sit on was still there, but the rest of the place was filled with boxes. He couldn't find any traces of Tae-Shik or the other players.

"Kim Gi-Gyu?" someone said his name.

"Huh? Ah, Tae-Oh." When Gi-Gyu turned around, he saw Tae-Oh standing behind him. Tae-Oh asked, "Haven't you heard? The guide department was disbanded while you were busy leveling up."

"Really? Oh! I guess I've been too busy recently," Gi-Gyu replied. For the last few days, he had been treating the Tower's tutorial levels as his home, only leaving to stock up and sell crystals. He had been so busy that he didn't get to visit Tae-Shik; consequently, he never got the news about the guide department.

Gi-Gyu muttered, "So I guess it's finally gone."

"It happened about two weeks ago. You're here to see Team Leader Oh Tae-Shik—no! I should be calling him General Manager now," Tae-Oh said.

"General Manager?"

"After the guide department was disbanded, Oh Tae-Shik was reassigned as the gate maintenance department's general manager," Tae-Oh explained. Gi-Gyu always knew Tae-Shik was too good to be stuck in the guide department, but he didn't expect this kind of a promotion. General manager? It seemed Tae-Shik was more talented than Gi-Gyu thought.

Tae-Oh offered, "I was on my way to the gate maintenance department, so I can take you there if you want."

"Okay," Gi-Gyu answered and followed Tae-Oh. On the way, it became quite apparent that Tae-Oh had heard all the rumors regarding Gi-Gyu, the guy whom no one saw recently. To Gi-Gyu's surprise, Tae-Oh chatted nonstop about what he had heard.

'Has Tae-Oh always been this chatty?'

Gi-Gyu always thought Tae-Oh was a quiet guy; for some reason, it seemed Tae-Oh's general mood had lightened.

'I guess this is a good thing.'

Gi-Gyu decided to chalk it up as some recent headway in Tae-Oh's life. Suddenly, he heard Tae-Oh calling his name, "Gi-Gyu?"

"Oh, sorry. I was thinking about something else," Gi-Gyu apologized.

"I'm joining a guild soon," Tae-Oh announced.

"A guild?" Gi-Gyu asked.

"Yeah. It's not a really famous one, but it's a pretty decent guild," Tae-Oh explained. Perhaps this was why he had lightened up since the last time Gi-Gyu saw him. Tae-Oh continued, "It's a medium-sized guild called the Caravan Guild. They had been trying really hard to recruit me and even offered some unbelievable perks."

"Congrats, Tae-Oh."

"I think it's you who should be congratulated. Congratulations on leveling up! So what happened exactly?" Tae-Oh asked with curiosity.

"Oh, well…" Gi-Gyu hesitated for a moment while he organized his thoughts. He then explained, "It just happened after I passed the fifth-floor test."

"Really? I guess you never know what might happen in the Tower! I mean, the fact that you couldn't level up was bizarre, to begin with, right? Anyway, congratulations, Tutorial Slayer," Tae-Oh congratulated him teasingly.

"Tutorial Slayer?" Gi-Gyu had never heard this term before, so he asked in confusion.

"What? You don't even know your own nickname? After seeing the one-sided massacre you've been bringing down on the tutorial monsters, everyone just agreed to call you that. Many newbies even consider you their idol. They said you look so amazing when you round up the monsters and kill them all at once," Tae-Oh explained.

"Really?" A slight blush appeared on Gi-Gyu's face. It was such a corny nickname, but this was the first time he had gotten one. Gi-Gyu had to admit that he wasn't unhappy about it.

Tae-Oh added, "Yeah. So keep up the good work. I know your life has been tough, so I'm sure more good things will happen to you."

"Thanks."

The duo soon arrived at the maintenance department's entrance. Tae-Oh left after a quick farewell, and Gi-Gyu was greeted by someone else.

"Hey! There's our Tutorial Slayer!" Standing against a wall and holding a mug, Tae-Shik waved at Gi-Gyu.

"S-stop that!" Gi-Gyu shushed him in embarrassment. The nickname itself wasn't the problem; where it was being said was. The maintenance office was huge and filled with people. So, when Tae-Shik yelled out his greeting and waved, everyone there stared at Gi-Gyu.

"That guy is the Tutorial Slayer?" one office worker whispered.

"Yeah. He used to be the longest standing guide here, but I heard he began to climb the Tower recently," another worker explained.

"Huh? So he didn't ascend to the higher floors before?"

"I've heard he couldn't because he couldn't level up," someone else chimed in.

Like an animal in the zoo, Gi-Gyu could hear and feel everyone talking about him.

'So I guess people here have heard about me.'

Gi-Gyu lowered his head to hide his burning face and walked up to Tae-Shik.

"Have you lost your mind?" Gi-Gyu argued.

"Hahaha, isn't it funny? You used to be the eternal Level 1 guide; now, you've gotten strong enough to get a nickname! Enjoy your fame, dude," Tae-Shik teased Gi-Gyu.

"Gosh…" Gi-Gyu sighed.

It had been almost a month since they last saw each other. Tae-Shik seemed happy to see Gi-Gyu since his wide smile never became just a smile. With a playful smile, Tae-Shik offered, "Let's go to my office for now. There is so much to talk about."

***

"Have a seat, Gi-Gyu," Tae-Shik offered.

"Guess you got a promotion," Gi-Gyu commented. Tae-Shik's private office wasn't overly big, but it looked luxurious. It certainly couldn't compare to the dingy office Tae-Shik used to have in the guide department.

Tae-Shik asked, "How have you been?"

"Fine. I've been so busy hunting that I never got a chance to visit you. I'm sorry," Gi-Gyu apologized.

"Don't worry. I understand," Tae-Shik replied.

After a short mundane chat, Gi-Gyu finally asked, "So I guess the guide department is really gone, huh?"

"Yes, the association decided to dump it," Tae-Shik explained.

"But I still feel disappointed. I worked there for so long…"

"Maybe you'll create your own guild someday," Tae-Shik teased. They both chuckled before Tae-Shik asked with a sober face, "I suppose you haven't been keeping up with the news about the players?"

"Yes."

"Well, everything went bananas, Gi-Gyu."

"What happened?" Gi-Gyu asked. This was why he came to visit Tae-Shik, so he listened intently as Tae-Shik explained, "Angela succeeded in ascending to the 75th floor. There were some casualties, but it was definitely worth it."

"That's good."

"But the problem is…" Tae-Shik hesitated, unable to hide how sad he was. Gi-Gyu waited quietly, and Tae-Shik continued, "It's about that gate in the US."

"What about it?" Gi-Gyu asked. He remembered it was an S-Class Gate, but the US surely had enough resources to close it. However, to Gi-Gyu's shock, Tae-Shik said, "Over four high rankers have died."

"Pardon?" Gi-Gyu gasped, unable to believe what he had just heard.

Four high rankers. The death of four high rankers was a burdensome revelation. Tae-Shik continued, "This wasn't your average S-Class Gate. In the end, the US added more rankers, and the gate was successfully closed, but even those players didn't get out without a scratch."

"Oh my god… How?" Gi-Gyu gasped in shock as Tae-Shik added, "There is an even bigger problem now. A kind of exceptional gate has been appearing in other countries as well."

"An exceptional gate?"

"That's right. For example, it would seem like an F-Class, but it would turn out to be a C-Class Gate once a player enters it. Some even have an impossible structure inside. All in all, these new Gates have exceptional and unexpected qualities; thus, the name," Tae-Shik explained. Meanwhile, Gi-Gyu couldn't hide his confusion. Since the Tower and the Gates appeared 23 years ago, the world has experienced consistency. So why were all of these sudden changes occurring now?

Tae-Shik warned, "So you shouldn't enter any gates for a while, Gi-Gyu. You need to be patient."

"Hmm…"

"I'm not saying you can't enter forever. As a player, you'll have to enter a gate at some point, but I think it would be best to avoid it during such a difficult time," Tae-Shik implored.

"That's true." When Gi-Gyu agreed, Tae-Shik nodded in relief. Gi-Gyu felt a little guilty because he had indeed been considering entering a gate. There were a few advantages to closing a gate. The crystals found inside the gates were finer, making them worth much more. In addition, the player responsible for closing a gate was given a special reward. There were even rumors that some special gates gave items that could increase a player's abilities.

Lastly, one couldn't ignore the prize money that came with it. The amount varied depending on the class; sometimes, the player could even get a bonus. These perks were why the players, who valued their lives, were willing to enter the dangerous gates.

Gi-Gyu replied, "Alright. I'll think about it."

"Good. Now, do you want to have lunch with me?" Tae-Shik asked as he checked his watch. It was already lunchtime. It has been so long since he spent time with Tae-Shik that Gi-Gyu wanted to say yes; unfortunately, he had to shake his head.

Gi-Gyu explained, "I need to go home. I haven't seen Yoo-Jung and Mother for about a month now."

"Of course. Yoo-Jung has been really worried about you," Tae-Shik replied and nodded in understanding.

"Then, I'll see you later."

"Alright, Gi-Gyu."

***

"Oppa! Here is your coffee," Yoo-Jung offered.

"Thanks," Gi-Gyu replied gratefully. He returned straight home after he met Tae-Shik. He was filthy after his month-long stay in the Tower, but Yoo-Jung still hugged him tightly when he arrived. After greeting his mother and eating lunch, Gi-Gyu stared at his phone.

"Hmm... Not this one," he murmured. Gi-Gyu was searching the internet for a gate he could enter and hunt.

'It might be dangerous, but I still have to hunt inside to pay off our family's debt quickly. The interest rate on it has been killing me.'

According to Tae-Shik, the Gates were becoming increasingly dangerous lately, but the chance of Gi-Gyu ending up in one of those exceptional Gates had to be slim. And besides, if he felt it was too dangerous to go alone, he could find a group to join. This was precisely why he was looking through the website that posted available hunting groups.

"This gate sounds too dangerous," Gi-Gyu muttered. So far, he hadn't been able to find a group that planned on entering a gate that sounded safe. Gi-Gyu couldn't level up in the past, but that didn't mean he couldn't learn. He knew a few criteria that made a gate perfect for a first-timer based on what he had learned. He was looking for a gate that satisfied these conditions, but there seemed to be none that sounded acceptable.

"The number of available hunting groups definitely decreased," Gi-Gyu murmured.

Back when he was a guide, he used to look through this site for fun. He remembered seeing so many more hunting groups needing new members back then. But now, there seemed to be only three pages of them on the website.

'I'm sure it won't be that dangerous.'

Then suddenly, one of the posts stood out to Gi-Gyu.

-Planning on hunting inside the F-Class Gate in Guri City. Dealers are welcome.

010-XXX-XXXX

Gi-Gyu exclaimed, "Found one!" This gate wasn't too far from his home, and it was an F-Class. This particular gate was a sustainable type, and Gi-Gyu was also happy with the group members. He quickly called the number listed on the ad.

"Hello? Yes, okay. See you soon. Yoo-Jung, I'm going out!" Gi-Gyu yelled.

"Huh? Where are you going?!" Yoo-Jung asked in surprise.

"Gangnam!" Gi-Gyu answered, put on his jacket, and left home quickly.

***

"Hello," Gi-Gyu greeted the man in the cafe who seemed to be the leader of the hunting group. The man replied, "Nice to meet you. My name is Ha Song-Su."

"Oh, I see," Gi-Gyu replied. They sat down and began to talk about the dungeons. Ha Song-Su asked, "Do you have any experience in hunting inside a gate?"

"No, this will be my first time. But I'm familiar with attack strategies and other patterns," Gi-Gyu answered. There were two types of gates: single-shot and sustainable. A single-shot gate was special because it offered many rewards, but it disappeared once cleared. On the other hand, a sustained gate didn't disappear even after being cleared. In fact, after a certain amount of time, it regenerated and allowed the same hunt to be carried out repeatedly. Since the master plan for sustained gates was often well known, hunting in these gates was much less dangerous. However, the reward was accordingly less attractive.

'But my share of crystals and the experience points should be worth it.'

The gate this hunting group was interested in was a sustained type. Song-Su asked, "I've heard you only passed the first test recently. Is that true?"

"Yes," Gi-Gyu replied.

"Then shall we draw up a contract?" Song-Su asked.

"Oh, of course," Gi-Gyu nodded without hesitation. Only groups with a long history or those that belonged to a guild skipped this legality. For all the rest, a contract was necessary in case of a dispute over the rewards. It wasn't uncommon for the members to fight among themselves, especially if a reward included an equipment item.

Gi-Gyu read over the papers Song-Su offered.

'It seems pretty standard.'

It was definitely a simple contract. All the rewards were to be divided equally among the players, and a deposit was requested in case of absenteeism or unexpected behavior. And in the case of an equipment item, the member who draws the highest number from a dice was to take it.

Gi-Gyu commented, "It all sounds very standard."

"Will you sign it then?' Song-Su asked.

"Yes," Gi-Gyu answered. When they completed the contract, Ha Song-Su stood up and explained, "We'll all meet at Guri Station the day after tomorrow at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Please don't be late."

"Okay."

A sustained gate usually belonged to a guild or the association. A reservation was necessary to hunt in these gates, which meant that the group couldn't be late. After agreeing on the particularities, Ha Song-Su left the cafe first, and Gi-Gyu left soon after.

It was now time for Gi-Gyu to prepare for his first hunt inside a gate.