Chapter 24: Red Gate (5)

Ever since the gate Choa entered transformed into a Red Gate, Cheon Hwi’s livestream from the scene turned into total chaos.

What is this even…

Holy shit.

How’s this gonna end?

Normally, Cheon Hwi’s broadcasts pulled in around 2,000 viewers on average.

But with the rare Red Gate incident being broadcast live?

Now the stream had nearly 7,000 viewers, flooded with people who heard the news from every corner of the internet.

That’s really a Red Gate?

Looks insanely deadly…

Can Choa actually survive this?

Just trust Seo Ye-rin. She’s in there with her.

Some were just there out of curiosity.

Others came for the drama.

There were fans worried sick about Choa getting caught up in a Red Gate.

And there were those putting their hopes in Seo Ye-rin’s skills.

All kinds of people filled the chat, making it a hectic mess.

And it wasn’t just the stream—online communities were blowing up too.

[Evande: Is this Red Gate thing for real?]

What are the odds of it happening—and in the gate Choa entered?

This is some serious bad luck.

[Comments]

This is actually insane.

It’s already made the news.

The stream chat is a disaster right now.

Even Chobanggall, the fan community that regularly posted about Choa and Cheon Hwi, exploded.

From the moment the Red Gate appeared, the entire board fell into a frenzy.

Some felt the fear of watching their favorite streamer potentially die.

Others clung to hope, trusting A-Rank Hunter Seo Ye-rin, who had entered the gate with her.

And as Cheon Hwi continued to stay calm, some viewers began to feel a glimmer of confidence sprouting in their hearts.

All those emotions collided, and countless posts poured in…

Cheon Hwi, who had been lying down and staring blankly at the gate the whole time, suddenly sat up and began to move.

– Dae-hyeop?

– Is the lying-down stream finally over?

– Are you… gonna do something now?

Anyone who’d ever watched one of Cheon Hwi’s streams knew—his skill was no joke.

So now that he was finally getting up, the chat flared up with eager anticipation.

“E-excuse me! You’re not allowed that close to the Red Gate!”

“I don’t care. You lot should be the ones backing off.”

The area around the Red Gate was already swarming with reporters and broadcasting crews.

Some Hunters from other guilds had shown up too, along with Association staff trying to manage the scene.

But Cheon Hwi? He just strolled right past them all like they weren’t even there.

He slinked through the crowd like a snake slipping through cracks and reached the gate.

There, he casually lifted one hand—and the natural energy around him stirred.

“Wh-whoa, we’re being pushed back!”

“Hey! What the heck are you doing?!”

“Watch your step! Don’t fall!”

The moment Cheon Hwi raised his hand, the whole crowd started getting pushed away, as if by an invisible force centered around him

Now standing completely alone in front of the Red Gate, he grinned as if everything was going just as he expected.

“Looks like Miss Choa’s taken down the boss.”

– Huh?

– How would he know that??

– You can’t see what’s going on inside a Red Gate, right?

– Heck, you can’t even see through a normal gate unless you’re inside!

With the gate still sealed shut, Cheon Hwi’s sudden declaration that the boss was dead made chat explode with question marks and confusion.

But he didn’t bother explaining himself.

He figured they’d find out soon enough with their own eyes.

“Wait, the gate—it’s opening!!”

Someone shouted as the Red Gate began to tremble.

The blood-red glow started to fade, like someone was rinsing blood off of glass.
Soon, the gate returned to its original shimmering blue hue.

Watching the transformation, Cheon Hwi stepped back with a calm smile.

“She should be coming out any second now. The venom of a Bloody Arachne is dangerous, but it doesn’t look like she was hurt.”

– Does he seriously have powers or something?

– Why does he talk like he’s got a livestream going inside the dungeon lol

– Did he send a clone in there to spy or what?

He had been lying down doing nothing this entire time.

But somehow, Cheon Hwi was talking as if he’d been watching everything from inside the dungeon.

That part was absurd.

And yet, somehow, it just felt right.

Even the viewers couldn’t help but go along with the strange, almost magical vibe surrounding Cheon Hwi as they spammed the chat in disbelief.

“A clone, huh… Well, I did attach something similar to Miss Choa.”

Cheon Hwi’s voice trailed off after reading one particular comment.

– Something similar?

– Wait, so he really did do something??

– Dae-hyeop, we never doubted you!!

He might not always explain things, but Cheon Hwi never said anything without reason.

His audience, who had learned this lesson over the course of a few streams, exploded with excitement at the idea that he’d actually prepared a backup plan.

And then, about 10 minutes after the Red Gate collapsed—

“They’re coming out!”

A reporter holding a mic suddenly shouted.

Two women emerged from the gate.

– WHOA!!!

– SHE’S ALIVE!!

– And not even barely alive—she looks totally fine?!

– Right?? Just like Dae-hyeop said, not a single scratch on her.

A collective shock fell over the crowd watching in person—and the viewers tuning in through the stream were stunned into silence.

This was a Red Gate, after all.

Just triggering one usually meant the whole entry team was dead.

Even if someone did survive, they were usually few and barely breathing by the time they escaped.

That was how it always went.

But today?

Choa and Seo Ye-rin walked out as if they’d just gone for a hike.

“Hunter Seo Ye-rin! How does it feel to have cleared a Red Gate?”

“Can you tell us what happened inside?”

“How is the Association planning to respond—?!”

Journalists began swarming Seo Ye-rin, throwing questions left and right.

But not one person spared a single question for the girl beside her.

– These damn reporters, I’m so mad rn

– Choa literally just came back from hell and y’all are ignoring her?

– And people wonder why public trust in journalism is trash

– Like, bare minimum empathy, please

The chat was fuming—but they all knew.

This was just how the world worked.

Not even an E-rank. Not even a D-rank. A full-blown C-rank dungeon.

For most people, that’s the kind of dungeon where a rookie like Choa would either die or be seriously injured if she fought directly.

But she walked out completely fine—just a bit dusty?

No one could help but assume Seo Ye-rin had led the entire raid.

She was, after all, not just a high-ranking hunter, but an A-rank, a full two tiers above the dungeon’s level.

Specialized in PvP or not, solo-clearing a C-rank gate would be a walk in the park for someone like her.

“Hunter Seo Ye-rin…!”

The press was buzzing.

What had actually happened inside the dungeon?

How had Seo Ye-rin cleared it, and how did she manage to protect Choa?

Everyone was dying to hear her answer.

And then.

“I’d like to correct something.”

Seo Ye-rin’s calm voice cut through the noise—her face was composed, but there was a trace of emotion beneath it.

“I wasn’t the one who cleared the dungeon.”

She said it plainly.

But she said it with absolute certainty.

Even if she hadn’t been there, the woman beside her—Choa—would’ve made it out safely.

More than that, she had taken down the boss alone, and walked out of a Red Gate as if it were just another day.

“W-what do you mean by that…?”

A hushed gasp rolled through the crowd.

Seo Ye-rin’s words were both impossible to believe and impossible to deny.

Because if she wasn’t the one who cleared it, then only one person could’ve.

The only other one who went in.

“Are you saying… streamer Choa cleared the dungeon?”

Every head turned.

A newly awakened hunter—no license, no formal field experience—had entered a mutated C-rank Red Gate, and came out not only alive… but victorious?

It sounded insane.

And yet… it came from Seo Ye-rin herself.

That made it fact.

– Wait what??

– She really did it?

– Didn’t Dae-hyeop say earlier that Choa killed the boss??

– HOLY—so he wasn’t joking?!

The chat exploded.

And at the scene, a wave of reporters suddenly surged forward, microphones and cameras aimed at Choa.

“Miss Choa! Could we get a quick interview?!”

“What are your thoughts on clearing a C-rank gate solo?!”

“We heard you stream online—do you plan to become a full-time hunter?!”

Caught off guard by the flood of attention, Choa’s eyes went wide in panic.

Internet streamer Choa was known for her bold, confident, and vibrant personality on screen—a real warrior woman, someone who seemed fearless and full of energy.

But in real life, Jung Da-hee, the woman behind the persona, was different.

Normally, she’d handle the spotlight with all the grace and skill of a seasoned professional.

But after everything that had happened, even Choa couldn’t quite keep up her usual act.

As she stood frozen under a barrage of questions, her eyes darted helplessly left and right, unable to get a single word out.

Watching her struggle, Cheonhui stepped forward with a faint smile and gently tapped his foot against the ground.

Thud.

A pressure swept through the area as if the sky itself had dropped onto the crowd.

An overwhelming aura settled over everyone nearby, crushing their voices and movements into stunned silence.

“That’s enough. Can’t you see she’s overwhelmed?”

The oppressive weight of Cheonhui’s presence made it impossible to move, let alone speak.

And yet, completely unfazed, he strolled toward Choa with a warm smile.

“Well done. It must have been confusing and scary, but you handled it beautifully.”

This was her first real achievement—not just any victory, but one that had played out before the eyes of countless onlookers.

He wouldn’t say she had surpassed him—his realm was too far beyond—but a teacher is always overjoyed to see their student shine.

Cheonhui clapped his hands together and beamed at her, proud and sincere.

And as if enchanted by the gesture, the once-frozen crowd joined in—applause erupted like a wave.

Tears welled up in Choa’s eyes.

– Let’s goooo

– Queen Choa

– Supreme Choa

– We found her: the true martial arts genius!!

– More like a dark arts genius, no?

– shut.

The moving scene was broadcast live, streamed straight to the viewers’ hearts.

Overwhelmed, fans flooded the chat with support, donations pouring in as the chat exploded with emotion.

And just when things seemed to be calming down… a new wave crashed over the scene.

“Excuse me… Are you Miss Choa’s teacher, by any chance…?”

“Hmm? Oh, yes. I’m the one who taught her martial arts.”

It was Seo Ye-rin, approaching hesitantly and slightly flustered.

“This is my card. If you ever feel interested—well, I mean, I’m not trying to pressure you or anything—but if the time ever comes… I hope you’ll consider reaching out.”

With just a single business card and a few awkward words, she set the internet ablaze all over again.