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Chapter 19
In the past, gates were a source of fear for humanity.
Gates that could not be predicted even an inch ahead, and destructive monsters.
If survival issues like gate reflux, or items and magic stones weren’t worth risking one’s life, the profession of “Hunter” would never have arisen in this world.
The fear of gates that persisted until the mid-20th century was completely overturned by the appearance of one person.
The Archmage, Jamal Popper.
― “Just as knowing a spell allows one to counter magic.”
― “Knowing the coordinates allows one to counter a gate.”
The introduction of the “Popper Observer,” which tracked coordinates and observed gate labyrinths.
From that day on, humanity began to conquer gates.
The Guild War League became the symbol of that conquest.
― From the GM’s setting book
________________________________________
Twinkle, twinkle.
Lee Shin’s eyes sparkled.
“C-crazy…!!”
Seventy-five centimeters around. This glass orb, flawless and radiant, was the starting point of the GM story and the foundation of the Guild War League…!!
“Popper Observer!!”
To see something he had only seen in illustrations actually in real life!
His whole body trembled with overwhelming emotion, his heart pounding wildly.
The female PD laughed softly, perhaps finding the reaction unusually fresh.
“Yes, that’s right. This is the latest Popper Observer we just brought in.”
“Damn, the latest model! How thrilling!”
“Hoho. The resolution’s upgraded and the cameras have increased to twelve. Now there are more screens to observe the inside of the gate, so you can capture even better shots.”
“Oh, gods…”
On the much-anticipated raid day, Lee Shin appeared unexpectedly in front of the raid team, who were leaving early for adaptation training, handing out warm coffee and wishing everyone luck.
His demeanor, gentle unlike the rough image they remembered, made the team question if he was the same person.
However, Chae Dong-ha, watching Lee Shin with cold, calculating eyes, knew.
‘There’s no way that person would nurture such lukewarm feelings.’
Concern for the raid team? Not a chance.
The reason Lee Shin climbed here at the crack of dawn was the Popper Observer, he looked at with eyes full of love.
‘What did he say? That if you don’t see this, you’re disqualified as a veteran.’
He sprawled out like a child demanding a toy, whining “Pweee!!” with all his might, and Chae Dong-ha almost seriously considered taking him to a nearby psychiatrist.
Whether Lee Shin knew Chae Dong-ha’s thoughts or not, he continued circling excitedly around the observer.
“What’s this wire? That magic stone? Where does this screen come from? Can editing be done here too?”
“Hoho, one question at a time. Let’s start with this wire—it connects the observer and the equipment. Each device is connected like this.”
“Oh…!”
“The magic stone I mentioned is necessary for the magic circle. Ah! Don’t touch it. It’s already positioned. It must stay like this. From here, the magic is drawn and connected to the gate through the observer.”
“Oh-oh…!!”
“Once connected, you can observe the inside of the gate on this monitor. Adjust the screen? Of course. See this stick? You can use it to control the screen.”
“Oh-oh-oh!!”
Lee Shin’s reactions to each word from the PD were intense.
How cute…
“Want to take a look?”
“Did I say I love it…?”
“Hoho, follow me.”
Given the early-morning shoot and the sensitive nature of gate broadcasting, her kindness was highly unusual. But Lee Shin, waving and shouting “Me! Me!” like a student desperate to go first, was so cute that the PD wanted to grant him a special request. It was just the right time.
Clapping, the PD gathered everyone.
“Alright, everyone, let’s start.”
Flawlessly and neatly, each member moved to their position!
At her command, the broadcast team moved in perfect unison.
“Check magic stone capacity.”
“Confirmed!”
“Spare magic stones?”
“Confirmed!”
“Video transmitter and audio system?”
“Confirmed, senior.”
“Let’s do a final check on the placement.”
“Confirmed!”
“Good.”
The PD, hand on the lever, glanced to the side at the hot gaze she felt.
Lee Shin, heart racing, eyes sparkling, and stamping his feet impatiently, received a gentle smile.
Then, the lever was pulled!
Beep───!!
Simultaneously, the magic stones lit up all at once.
A milky glow drove away the darkness of the early-morning forest.
From the center outward, the light grew in intensity, sucked into the transformer. Two streams, four streams, splitting and spreading in all directions, forming a denser pattern.
Circles, stars, letters drawn.
In the blink of an eye, three magical symbols were completed.
“The magic circle from the loading screen!!”
Lee Shin cried out, covering his mouth.
That’s right. As Lee Shin said, it was the magic circle shown on the GM’s raid loading screen, officially called the Popper Observation Circle.
It was the core system for gate observation.
Thus, the completed circle’s destination was there:
The blue oval magic barrier floating above the ground. The gate—right there!
Wuuuooong―!!
As the extending magic touched the gate, the previously calm gate rippled.
Like a sudden downpour on a tranquil lake, concentric waves formed and the gate shook violently.
Soon, as if by magic, the agitated gate stabilized.
Observation complete.
Dozens of monitor screens lit up simultaneously.
“PD, the video’s up.”
“One, two, three…twelve. No errors, every angle captured~!”
“Team 1, secure full shots. Team 2, combat shots. Team 3, focus on key figures. Got it?”
“Uh, but PD…”
“What? What is it?”
It was then.
A junior AD from Team 2, responsible for combat shots, tilted their head.
“The combat…seems to be happening. Right now.”
“??!!”
Already?! How long have they even been in?
The startled broadcast team swarmed in front of Team 2’s monitors. On screen appeared:
A smoking village and a group of unpleasant green-skinned dwarves—goblins.
A goblin in rags raised a crude weapon and charged at the raid team.
And the Mir raid team ran to meet them.
“Our elder looks good on screen.”
“…?!”
“…?!”
“Who wants popcorn?”
Lee Shin, stealthily seated, was focused on the screen, munching popcorn he’d brought from who knows where.
A live broadcast hunt, not an edited version—he couldn’t resist.
Watching the scattered raid team on screen, Lee Shin nibbled his popcorn.
________________________________________
Goblins are small.
Goblins are simple.
Goblins are weak.
This was the ‘prejudice’ known to the public about the weakest monster, the goblin, and so many people are mistaken about how cunning and cruel that tiny creature really is.
Bang―! Bang―!!
“……You bastards, using your own kind as bombs…!”
“Idiot! It’s poison gas, shut up!”
Goblins suddenly fly and explode in midair.
At the moment of hesitation at their cruelty of using their own kind as bombs, and the double shock when realizing the explosions are poison gas steps falter and shields twist.
A momentary crack appears in the once-solid tank line, and the allies hurriedly try to patch it but it’s already too late.
Goblins relentlessly charge through the gap created by sacrificing their own kind.
“Damn it!! Are you kidding me!”
“S… Sorry!”
“Shut up and block it!!”
Swinging a mace at the head of a goblin squeezing in desperately. The sword flashes, and the neck is gone.
The body is bisected but the goblins did not stop.
Individual combat power is incomparable.
A frontal fight against a well-defended raid party means certain death. For them, this tiny gap is the only path to victory.
The goblins threw their whole bodies into the attack.
At this point, their superiority became evident.
They had sheer numbers.
Even if their heads are blown off, even if their waists are cut, they push endlessly.
They sacrifice their own kind to pile up walls of corpses and when one finally regains composure.
Plunge!
A rusty dagger sticks into the side.
Looking down at the burning pain, a goblin sneers with eyes glinting with mania, giggling.
The formation is already broken.
Goblins are small. So their speed is underestimated.
Goblins are simple. So their persistence is ignored.
Goblins are weak. So their cruelty is overlooked.
And this is the result.
The collapse of the defense, the isolation of the frontline tanks.
The second-line dealers rush in, but instead of helping, they get tangled with the goblins, making the formation even more chaotic.
Eventually, even the third line, which should have been the safest, allows goblins to penetrate, and the battlefield is swept into a wave of goblins, leaving the allies adrift.
At this point, even winning would not feel like a victory.
They underestimated goblins, thinking, “It’s just goblins,” imagining victory would be elegantly claimed.
Look at this mess—it’s a muddy fight.
‘Ugly.’
It was a disgrace too shameful to watch, and Kim Jong-pil, observing from one step back, could only shake his head.
“Tsk tsk, it’s far worse than I expected.”
He had let them go unchecked, confident in their momentum.
They followed training well, but he wondered how they’d fare in actual combat, giving them a chance with a little expectation… but the result was utterly hopeless.
The only thing he could salvage from this disgrace was:
“At least I verified this manual.”
The stack of papers in Kim Jong-pil’s hands, this manual given by Lee Shin was accurate.
No, it was astonishing.
Everything was correct.
Within three minutes of battle, all bad habits and flaws revealed themselves, and nothing was wrong; not a single word wasted.
He wanted to immediately hold Lee Shin and discuss for days how such precise data was obtained.
But the battlefield was already too chaotic for Kim Jong-pil to leisurely enjoy.
If he wanted to salvage any pride, now was the time to step in.
Kim Jong-pil tapped his butt and stood.
In that brief moment, his brilliant mind visualized dozens of ways to overturn the battlefield.
If he employed the bombardment of his spirit legion or the aid of his close friend, the top-tier tree spirit ‘Vita,’ the battlefield could be cleared in the blink of an eye.
But having declared he would not step into the front, Kim Jong-pil simply stretched lightly.
“Ah, ah, can everyone hear me? I’ve confirmed your skills. If it was fun, it was fun; if it was surprising, it was surprising.”
To assess coldly, in terms of specs, combat power, and all aspects, the raid party and goblin group are incomparable.
Extremely speaking, even if the goblin group were tripled, the raid party should handle it without difficulty; that was the difference in combat power.
Yet reality: they were panicking, floundering, a muddy fight.
When Plan A fails, Plan B, Plan C should be deployed, but as soon as they step off the predetermined rail, they lose their way.
Why?
No need to ask. Lee Shin had already taught them the answer.
They are tools that absolutely lack independent thought.
His tone is gentle, but the content is not.
-Flinch.
Raid members shiver in shame. Their disgrace proves they are tools, unable to respond.
“At this point, you’ve surely realized it yourselves, so I won’t mention it further.”
However,
“From now on, you will follow my instructions without question.”
First, to clean up the chaotic battlefield.
The wind flutters, transforming him into a hawk, and his bleached eyes share his vision.
The battlefield is fully visible, and the isolated tank line comes into view.
Those must retreat first.
So he chooses:
“From now on, third-line supporters will advance assisting the second-line dealers.”
“……?!”
Ordinarily, one thinks retreat means the isolated tanks step back, but Kim Jong-pil instead lifts the second and third lines to reset the formation.
Retreat seems easy but is actually extremely tricky.
Casualties are highest when retreating on a battlefield for a reason.
Proper retreat requires coordination with allies, sensing, assessing enemy formation and morale.
But they lack judgment.
The evidence: they can’t retreat or hold the line, repeating disastrous mistakes.
So, a somewhat brute method—pull everyone up, push the goblins back, reset the formation—is easier.
“Stop area magic. Apply shields. Close-range dealers advance slowly.”
His vision is not ahead, but at his feet. Right foot first, core engaged, matching steps with nearby allies.
“Ranged dealers, spread wings to the flanks.”
The ranged dealers dash to the flanks.
Hit and retreat. No need to overextend.
Rather than dealing damage, they divert attention, dispersing attacks on the main force.
“Third line, merge with close-range dealers. Equip auxiliary shields and synchronize support.”
He gave instructions from start to finish, like a mother teaching a child to use chopsticks.
After some time, the chaotic battlefield is miraculously organized and the isolated tanks have joined the main force.
“Now, let’s start over from the beginning.”
