T7RFHE 31💸

Chapter 31

Three days later.
On the evening of the 117th day since the Trial of God began, Jang Su-nam led his party deep into a secluded forest.

“Final equipment check.”

“““Yes, sir!”””

At his words, Aria, the twin maids Rina and Risa, and Domael answered firmly as they inspected the massive packs they had prepared. Nearby, Ha-il was busy stuffing his giant pack—large enough to fit two people—with his mini-tsunami, while Jelly stood in her human form, that of a female hunter.

The reason she had abandoned her usual cat guise was simple.
Inside a Gate, no outside powers could be used.

Even Jang Su-nam’s infinite inventory was locked away here, forcing them to carry everything on their backs.

“You all know this, but let me remind you. Inside this Gate, the system’s power doesn’t work.”

That meant no hunter’s greatest advantage—three lives.
No NPC shops.
Nothing but the rules of this isolated world called a Gate.

“Some Gates are generous. Thanks to their unique rules, some participants get more than ten lives. But not here.”

This was Abyssal Defense—a nightmare of a Gate.
Only five people had ever cleared it in thirty years.
Su-nam himself had needed nine attempts across six regressions, succeeding only once, and even then he swore never to challenge it again.

‘And yet here I am again…’

He scanned his companions.

“Prepare yourselves. Some of us may die here.”

If he left it at that, morale would plummet. But he needed them ready to face death. So he added hope.

“But I promise you this—there exists a way to bring back the dead. Should any of you fall today, I will make sure you return.”

Relief softened the tension on their faces.
Aria, the only one who knew his secret, gave him a subtle nod. She understood what he meant—he wasn’t talking about a system resurrection, but his own power.

If they could obtain the Heavenly Fortune of Equivalent Exchange, an NPC-only item that appeared whenever a thousand lives were lost in a region, Su-nam could summon back the dead. It was invisible to hunters and expired after 1,000 hours, but its value was immeasurable—one thousand lives’ worth of fortune compressed into a single use.

‘That’s why I need to befriend NPCs.’

Even before the Trials, the world lost over 160,000 people a day. In Korea alone, about a thousand. With monsters rampaging now, that number was surely much higher. Which meant, somewhere in each region, one of those precious fortunes was likely created every single day.

‘If I can trade for it, then I’ll always have a way to summon back anyone… Or even—if there’s a brilliant villain, I could kill them first, then summon them to serve under me. Like Jelly.’

That was why Aria was crucial. As an NPC princess and guild master, the more famous she became, the more leverage they’d have to acquire such items.

“Everything’s in order, Su-nam.”
“We’ve got solid weapons too.”

With their final check complete, the party shouldered their packs and readied cheap but sturdy weapons. System skills and ranks were useless inside, so there was no need to waste coins on expensive gear.

“Good. Let’s move.”

They formed a line, each gripping the pack of the person ahead. That bond of contact marked them as a party, fulfilling the Gate’s entry condition.

“Don’t let go. Follow me.”

“““Yes, sir!”””

Su-nam stepped forward between two towering trees—and vanished. Without panic, the rest followed one by one, disappearing into the Gate.

Abyssal Defense Gate

This was the battlefield where Su-nam had bled through nine attempts, succeeding only once.

“We’re here.”

From the ridge, they looked down to see a massive bridge spanning the sea, its far end lost in thick fog. At its base stood an ancient, steadfast castle.

“That must be the fortress we’re meant to defend,” Aria said.

She turned, eyes widening at the colossal sinkhole opposite the castle—at least 200 meters wide.

‘So it begins again…’

The Gate’s rules were clear: defend the fortress from the invaders rising out of the abyssal sinkhole, stopping them from crossing the bridge.

“Let’s go to the castle.”

As Su-nam led the descent, he reminded himself of his true goal.

He had finally discovered the path to a happy ending after six failed regressions.
The world’s fate could be measured through the Fate Score—plunge into the negatives, and the world fell to a bad ending. Raise it to the positives, and salvation awaited.

But reality was never so simple.
The Seeds of the Evil God had dragged every cycle into despair, and the score had never climbed above zero.

‘This time will be different. I’ll force it into the positives.’

That was why they had come. Here lay the Liberation Ring, a relic that could lift the curse of petrification and raise the Fate Score.

Better yet, if Aria used the ring, the gratitude of the people would flow not just to her, but to the Linecys Guild as a whole. Guild prestige meant recruits, support, resources—power Su-nam could wield from behind the scenes.

‘Yes… Aria will be the hero. But I’ll reap the true profit.’

As they crossed the moat and reached the gates—

“Nya?! This smell… It’s saltwater!!”

Even in her evolved form, Jelly recoiled.
She might have conquered her weakness, but the fear of salt lingered.

“Hooh… Look at this wall. Seawater trickles down everywhere.”
Domael peered up at the fortress, noting the glistening salt streaks.

Then, from above, nervous eyes peered down at them.

“Hu-humans? Or demons?”

The companions tilted their heads at the odd question.
Su-nam stepped forward and pressed his hand to the salty wall.

“Ah! He touched it! He’s unharmed—it’s a human!”

At once, relief spread across the battlements, figures emerging. Some clutched bows, but their stances were awkward, untrained.

‘It begins now.’

Su-nam knew the moment he saw them—these were no soldiers. Just ordinary NPCs, born and bound within this Gate. The wheel of fate had begun to turn.

「KROOOOHHH─!!」

From the abyss came a monstrous roar, like the cry of a devil.

“Th-they’re coming again!”
“You there! Use the side gate, quickly!”

The fortress dwellers shouted in panic, fear in their eyes as they glanced toward the sinkhole.

And in that same instant—

““Kyaooohhh!!””

Grotesque abominations emerged from the abyss, hurling their spears across the moat toward Jang Su-nam and his party.