They searched every corner of the barracks and found all sorts of things.
“Bro, why would something like this be here?”
“It’s the army.”
A bloodstained dog tag.
Some kind of bone of unknown origin.
And all sorts of other miscellaneous items.
They put them in the sink beside the room, opened a canteen, and poured in the mana potion.
“Huh?!”
“Wait.”
As the objects in the sink absorbed the mana potion, their colors slowly began to change.
“Bro! This is insane!”
[Congratulations.]
[You have created a potion that does not exist in this world.]
[Under the influence of your Trait, the potion transcends its limits.]
[Highest-grade Dark Mana Potion][Rare]
===================================
Promotes the recovery of dark mana and restores a certain amount of mana.
※ Slight increase in dark mana
※ Effect applies simply by possessing it
===================================
An incredible item had appeared. The system congratulated him as well and bestowed a gift.
[Proficiency in the skill Potion Crafting has increased.]
[Dark Mana Potion has been added to the list of craftable items.]
Curious to see how much his proficiency had risen, Shinhyeok called up his skill window.
[Owned Skills]
===================================
Potion Crafting (LV.3)
Mana Mapping (LV.1)
===================================
‘Level 3, huh. Pretty modest.’
Shinhyeok poured the deep blue-black liquid into the canteen. Seeing that, Hong Ichan asked worriedly.
“Bro, you won’t die if you drink that, right?”
“Who knows. I’m not the one drinking it.”
“……….”
Hong Ichan swallowed hard as he looked at the canteen Shinhyeok handed him.
“Bro? Can’t I try it next time? Looking at this, it says it works just by carrying it……”
“No, you should properly taste-test it. Hurry up and drink.”
“Ha, ha, ha.”
Hong Ichan laughed awkwardly and tried to run away. Shinhyeok laughed too and simply poured it into him.
“Mmph!?”
Ichan’s expression soon brightened and relaxed. A faint dark mana flowed from his entire body.
In short, it was an energy that seemed to reveal the reverse side of an object, like a shadow.
“Bro. My dark mana is full.”
“Then that’s good. Hurry up and try that necromancy or whatever.”
At those words, Ichan smiled and held out his hand.
“Defy death and manifest before me. Slaves of death.”
Along with a voice that seemed to touch the abyss, specters burst out from Ichan’s two pupils.
‘Why is something like that coming out of there?’
Shinhyeok watched with a puzzled look, while Ichan looked satisfied.
“B-Bro! It worked!”
“Yeah, good for you.”
Ichan high-fived Shinhyeok.
“We can submit it right away, then.”
The two immediately pressed the button to complete the quest.
[Have you completed it?]
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
At that moment, from another room, they faintly heard something answer.
‘Yes?’
Shinhyeok’s head naturally turned toward the direction of the sound.
“Bro, what’s wrong?”
“No. It sounded like someone completed it.”
“Come on, we’re overwhelmingly ahead right now. Who could finish this quickly?”
[You have completed the quest.]
[You have fulfilled the conditions for a hidden quest to occur.]
[Condition 1. Complete within 1 hour of the quest’s occurrence.]
[Condition 2. Three people have completed it.]
[Condition 3. Three people complete it simultaneously.]
“What?!”
Shinhyeok shouted in disbelief, but it had already happened.
[When clearing the Gate, each person will be provided with an appropriate item.]
“Damn it!”
The energy around them surged and was sucked away.
‘A Gate is forming?!’
He soon grasped what phenomenon it was.
It was what happened when a Gate appeared.
“Hey! Run, now!”
Whoooosh.
But it had already begun. The two of them were sucked in at the same time.
And one more person was added to them.
* * *
Another room.
Baek Arin had just completed the quest. Breathing hard as she caught her breath, she pressed the completion button.
[Have you completed it?]
“Yes.”
‘Easy.’
At that moment, she heard a faint “Yes” from far away.
‘No way. Surely someone else didn’t already finish too.’
[You have completed the quest.]
[You have fulfilled the conditions for a hidden quest to occur.]
[Condition 1. Complete within 1 hour of the quest’s occurrence.]
[Condition 2. Three people have completed it.]
[Condition 3. Three people complete it simultaneously.]
“What?”
Her spirits suddenly rose at the appearance of a hidden quest.
“Well, that’s fine. So what is—”
Suddenly, suction force formed around her.
[A Gate will occur due to the hidden quest.]
“What?!”
Startled, she tried to run, but it was too late.
* * *
After being pulled inside, Shinhyeok found himself in the middle of a vast maze with the top sealed off.
‘I don’t see any living beings.’
He drew in a deep breath through his nose and waited for a reaction. With his keen senses, he observed the changes in the mana inside his body.
‘Nothing strange in the air.’
[Welcome to the Minotaur’s Gate.]
[The conditions for completing the quest are as follows.]
[Clear this Gate.]
[Equipment will be provided to aid in clearing the Gate.]
Shinhyeok let out a hollow laugh.
“What the hell is this?”
A familiar K2 rifle dropped from midair. He quickly picked it up and inspected it.
“Damn it.”
Since he had fallen here, he first checked his surroundings.
‘Quiet.’
He was alone at the moment.
Shinhyeok shouldered the K2 and slowly kept watch around him.
He lightly touched the floor with his foot, checking for traps as well.
‘At least this area is safe.’
‘I should find Hong Ichan first. And the other person too.’
He lowered the rifle and closed his eyes to concentrate.
‘Hoo, it’s been a while since I did this properly.’
He took a canteen out of his subspace.
Just as he was about to quietly open the cap, he flinched.
‘Doesn’t this have dark mana in it right now?’
He wondered if he should put it back, but the effect was applied immediately.
‘Too late?’
As mana opposite to his usual kind entered his body, it reacted far more violently than normal.
[Resentful dark mana dwells within your body.]
[The coagulated mana inside your body reacts violently.]
[The mana shatters and is forcibly expelled.]
Crumb-like fragments of mana flowed out from his entire body. He gathered the mana and shot it out.
[Mana Mapping begins.]
[A crystalline probe for mapping is launched.]
A single hardened crystal of mana connected to Shinhyeok’s energy sense and swept through the surroundings.
It slowly searched in every direction.
‘According to the system, there’s one more person besides us.’
Keeping that in mind, he searched the area.
‘Where are you, brat?’
He froze.
The crystal stopped. A faint sound reached him. Shinhyeok opened his eyes and charged forward.
“Aaaaaaah!”
Hong Ichan was running toward him in a panic.
Behind him was a minotaur spilling thick black mana.
“A demon race?!”
A sentient and rather powerful race.
Its danger level was at least B-rank.
“Broooooo?!”
“Graaaagh!”
Shinhyeok pulled the rifle to the side and removed the magazine.
“B-Bro, what are you doing?! Shoot! Shoot!”
“Quiet!”
He hurriedly took a bullet out of the removed magazine.
‘Mana, mana……!’
Ssssh.
He roughly waved his hand around and gathered a tiny amount of mana.
When he coated the bullet tip with the mana faintly gathered at his fingertip, it immediately seeped in.
“Done.”
He immediately put it back in and loaded the magazine.
[You have created a new type of bullet.]
[This item will be added to the list of craftable items. Please name it.]
Shinhyeok answered roughly, shouldered the rifle, and took aim.
“Call it a Magic Bullet!”
[Magic Bullet has been added.]
“Graah!”
The minotaur, its mouth wide open, had stretched out both hands and was just about to grab Hong Ichan.
Hong Ichan tripped over a stone and fell.
As he fell, Hong Ichan squeezed his eyes shut at the monster lunging down over him.
Bang!
A bullet imbued with blue light drew a blue line as it aimed for the monster’s eye.
“Kaaagh!”
“Ichan!”
Hearing the monster’s scream, Hong Ichan quickly got up and threw himself into Shinhyeok’s arms, his face streaked with tears.
“Bro!”
“Hey, how old are you?”
Grrr.
The minotaur, still not dead, let out a harsh breath. Startled, Ichan hid behind Shinhyeok.
“Bro?!”
Shinhyeok took out one more bullet and filled it with mana.
[One Magic Bullet has been crafted.]
He loaded it again and aimed for the remaining eye. Blood poured from the monster’s left eye.
“Grrr.”
A thick killing intent rode the monster’s aura and burst out.
‘It’s weaker than I thought. And it has no intelligence.’
Then its danger level went down.
At most, C-rank.
Aiming the rifle at the monster, Shinhyeok spoke threateningly.
“Want me to decorate your other eye too?”
Bang!
A single bullet flew toward its right eye.
The minotaur lowered its head and deflected the bullet with its horn.
Clang!
“Ichan, run.”
Matching the timing as it lowered its head, Shinhyeok ran.
“Huh?”
Grabbing Ichan by the scruff of the neck, Shinhyeok bolted. As he ran, he searched the surroundings again.
[Mana Mapping begins.]
‘Somewhere to hide!’
He hurriedly looked around and spotted a place to take cover off to the side. He immediately fled there with Ichan.
“Urk?! Hurry!”
Fortunately, the two avoided the bull and survived. Ichan let out a sigh of relief.
“Bro, what did you used to do?”
“Someone who used to do this.”
Recognizing that the opponent was stronger than expected, Shinhyeok converted every bullet he had into Magic Bullets.
“Didn’t you get any equipment?”
At Shinhyeok’s question, Ichan hurriedly pulled out the pistol he had received.
“This. It suddenly gave me this.”
“Hey, hand it over. I’ll at least enhance it for you.”
He took the pistol magazine from Ichan and turned its bullets into Magic Bullets.
Hong Ichan received the pistol loaded with Magic Bullets from Shinhyeok.
Ichan looked at Shinhyeok with bewildered eyes.
“Bro, you look different.”
At those words, Shinhyeok’s hand clenched tightly.
“Why, you little.”
Ichan flinched reflexively.
“Just wait for now. Let’s move after we find the other person too.”
He pulled the rifle back and changed the direction of the roaming crystal.
‘Where are you?’
As he swept through the maze, he discovered a monster chasing someone.
“Hey, hey, found them. Run!”
Shinhyeok immediately took Ichan and ran there.
“W-Wait for me!”
They quickly headed to where the monster was, and found a girl running with a sword in hand.
“That rude brat?”
The rude brat, Baek Arin, saw Shinhyeok and Ichan opposite her and frowned.
“What?!”
“That little—”
He aimed the rifle at her, who had said “What?” the instant she saw him.
“Move, you bastard.”
The moment she saw the muzzle of the rifle, she dropped flat. In that moment, the rifle roared.
Bang!
The gunshot rang out, and the bullet lodged itself in the minotaur’s crotch.
Graaaaagh!
At the enraged roar, Shinhyeok shouted urgently.
“Dodge to the side!”
At Shinhyeok’s shout, she twisted her body aside and escaped.
In that opening, Shinhyeok closed in and fired mercilessly.
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
As the bullets pressed it, the minotaur hunched over and gradually retreated.
The moment the gunfire died down, the monster guessed their position by the sound and snapped its gaze forward.
“I gave you that opening on purpose, you bastard.”
With practiced ease, Shinhyeok aimed for the remaining eye.
Bang, bang, bang!
He fired repeatedly at the eye. Two bullets sank into its body, and one lodged itself, as intended, in its only intact right eye.
“Graaaagh!”
Crash!
The monster, having lost its sight, went berserk and smashed wildly in every direction with its axe.
Baek Arin, who had been lying flat, skillfully slipped through the gap and ran.
“Mister, where’s the portal?”
“Back there. For now, run.”
The three ran at the same time. As they ran, Ichan looked at the monster chasing them despite having lost its sight and asked.
“Bro?! Is it okay if we don’t kill that thing?!”
“It’s fine! As long as the core is intact, it can’t get out!”
The “core” referred to the foundation of the world called a Gate, and could be seen as the power that maintained both the Gate and Earth.
If it was damaged or destroyed, the Gate would collapse.
However, when it collapsed, the things inside could leak outside.
That was why one had to be especially careful.
For that reason, most Gate searches and destructions were handled by the military, while civilian Awakened usually only took care of internal extermination and resource gathering.