Finally relieved from the lingering headache, Lee Jiseong started the jeep smoothly, and they began to drive again.

Despite spending a long time clearing the snow, Rood, dissatisfied as the snow-covered road appeared again in less than five minutes, furrowed his brows. Then, an expression of puzzlement returned.

“This isn’t the way back to the base camp.”

“Well, it’s unlikely that we were brought here to clear snow for the real 1st rank. Now it’s about time it opens.”

“…What?”

“The gate you have to deal with this time.”

“Huh? You said we don’t handle gate matters here.”
According to Lee Jiseong’s explanation in the car, the War God’s role is not so much to subdue the gates as to play a role in ‘management,’ where they extract resources and mana stones and raise them until the gates regain their power. Hearing this, Rood became dubious.

“Well, the circumstances are a bit different this time. That’s why I called you.”

As winter quickly darkened and Lee Jiseong turned on the headlights, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Noticing the cooling atmosphere from Lee Jiseong, An Rood kept his mouth shut.

After the jeep rattled several times and passed several signs indicating that the gate was under the management of the War God and entry was prohibited, Lee Jiseong finally stopped the car.

Instead of the signs with various messages seen along the way, there were numerous red signs every 10 meters, indicating a ‘danger zone, absolutely do not enter.’

In the distance, there was a steel gate with a sign saying ‘no entry’ tied tightly with chains.

So far, the only dangerous signs seen were messages like ‘It’s a managed gate, so if you accidentally enter, endure for just a week. The War God has rescued 70% of those who entered!’ Rood looked out the car window at the gate.

“What’s that?”

“A Grade 4 Stage-type gate, ‘Labyrinth of Crete Island.'”

“Grade 4 Stage-type? But why call me? Isn’t it a problem you guys can handle among yourselves?”

“Once you enter, it transforms into Grade 2.”
At that remark, Rood turned to him sharply. Lee Jiseong, lowering his sunglasses, was peering into the inside of the gate.

Jumping from Grade 4 to Grade 2 when you enter.

It was similar to the gate in Migeum Station. Sensing Rood’s gaze fixed on him, Lee Jiseong squinted his eyes deliberately.

“Yeah, it’s the same as when you went in. That’s why I called you. Please take care of this.”

“Why me?”

If suddenly the gate’s grade was jumping to Grade 2, just like what happened before, it wouldn’t be a temporary phenomenon as mentioned in the press conference.

Rood recalled the white priest who came out of the gate. There was definitely something unclear.

Something strange was happening, and there was someone hiding it.

“You have experience, so I thought you might know more. The fewer people who know the secret, the better. So, I brought only you here to ask for help.”

“Why only me? Isn’t Kang Ihyun more reliable?”

“No, Kang Ihyun won’t do. He has too many people around him.”

Lee Jiseong opened his eyes slyly. Then he sighed heavily.

“There are a few private companies in this area that want to devour it, right? Kang Ihyun is the successor to the Holy Land. Of course, we’re not clean either, but the difference in electricity bills between us, a public company supplying energy, and the Holy Land providing and supplying energy, would be astronomical.”

“Kang Ihyun and the guild master are not those kinds of people!”
“I know Su-jin’s temperament. But still, your father, I mean, Grandpa Kang Ihyun, is a bit different. So, don’t let it get into your ears under any circumstances.”

‘Grandpa…?’

When an unfamiliar keyword suddenly popped up, Rood stared at Lee Jiseong, then shook his head.

More than that, there were still many questions to ask about the current situation.

“Isn’t this a national secret?!”

“That’s right.”

“You have Suho. What difference does it make if I dislike it? Why reveal the secret like this in advance?”

No matter how high-ranking he was, Rood was just a hunter in South Korea. There were S-rank hunters even in the Military God, and he was even a ‘Berserker’.

Still, despite all that, calling Rood to handle this gate.

Rood, with a suspicious thought, looked at Lee Jiseong. He continued to stare at the gate with a chilly expression.

“That’s unmanageable; extermination is the answer. Suho tried to exterminate it and got seriously injured. That’s why he hasn’t been able to go down for six years.”

Rood’s eyes widened. Lee Jiseong continued speaking calmly.

“…If you don’t agree, we were ready to kneel down. Help us. There’s no one else who can save South Korea but you.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘…….’

And in the Base Camp’s duty office. Kang Ihyun, checking the second vision, smiled with only his mouth, wearing a white gown.
‘Did they even drag that helpless old man into this? Are these guys gradually crossing the line?’

Although boiling anger surged within him, he couldn’t show it. Instead, he looked disdainfully at the guild member lying in front of him and pressed his ankle firmly again.

“Oh, your ligaments… are quite damaged.”

“Eek!”

The guild member, seeing Kang Ihyun’s dark blue eyes, trembled in shock on the bed.

“I’ll use it less!! I’ll use my ankle less! That’s better. Right? Can we skip the weird stuff?!”

“Unfortunately, ligaments can’t be naturally healed… Let’s treat it here and go.”

Seeing Kang Ihyun smiling like a mad doctor, the guild member shed a few tears.

It seemed like a strong determination to release the stress brought here, legally(?) through medical acts.

He took something resembling an ultrasound machine from his inventory and tapped it with his hand.

With a terrifying sound, the sacred fire seeped into it began to rotate rapidly.

As the drill-like noise started, the guild member’s mouth began to gape. Kang Ihyun’s final words, like a rural-style murder, followed.

“Starting today, shockwave therapy every day.”

“No-o-o, please save me!”

Kang Ihyun, who grabbed the guild member’s ankle, screamed, and completed the extracorporeal shock wave therapy, sighed heavily.
Treating people all day made Kang Ihyun’s shoulders stiff.

“But if we see just one more person, we’ll be done for today. I’m more worried about talking with Mr. Rude after work.”

Kang Ihyun chuckled, his forehead wrinkling.

The old fox, who had been silent for a hundred years, knew that after discovering Rude was surprisingly soft-hearted, there was no doubt that he would stimulate Rude’s sympathy by mumbling about the security of South Korea, national secrets, and Jungsuh’s injuries.

“Even if he’s ranked 6th, he’s S-rank. Can’t he handle that? It doesn’t make sense… Right now, Mr. Rude is doing everything to get him into that gate alone.”

As Kang Ihyun turned his shoulders and sighed, he signaled for the next person to come in.

Soon, with a creak, the door opened. Someone entered. Kang Ihyun turned his body and once again put on a calm smile.

“Hello! Where does it hurt…”

And he froze. It was the fault of the person standing in front of him. Silver hair, blue eyes, about 5 cm shorter than Kang Ihyun.

The S-rank Jungsuh of the War God.

He nodded and greeted with a bow.