Second Life of a Dragon Raising Hunter

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Chapter 34: The Bright Morning

Morning dawned, and Claire was ready to head back. Of course, she had nothing to carry, just like when she arrived. For a superhuman who has ascended to the realm of the Sword Master, the Gate Field occupying eight-tenths of the land didn’t hold much significance. There was no need to bother with something that wasn’t frequently traversed.

“I’ll come down during summer break.”

“Of course, you should. And don’t forget to call if anything happens.”

“Yes, I won’t forget this time.”

As Claire stood at the school gate, Yeon-woo bowed slightly. Claire chuckled softly at the sight, gently patting his head.

“Yeon-woo, don’t push yourself too hard. You’re still young. I understand you want to rush because something’s on your mind, but it’s okay to rely on those around you a little more. Hunters and adventurers don’t do everything alone, you know?”

Unintentionally thinking to herself, “Sister, I’m twenty-five already…” Yeon-woo couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. Whether he was twenty-five, fifteen, or fifty-five, what would that matter to her? Even Yuri, who was over a hundred years old, was treated like a child.

Yeon-woo felt his worries ease. As Claire released her hand, still gazing at Yeon-woo with an odd expression, he said, “Well then, I’ll be going, Yeon-woo. I’ll come back again.”

“Haha, yes. Take care, Sister! Shar might sleep in and miss it, so I’ll pass along your message.”

“Yes, if you get a girlfriend, be sure to bring her too.”

“Wait, will I even bring her?”

Chuckling it off, Yeon-woo quietly watched as Claire walked away. If he thought about it calmly, these past few days had been quite shocking. Despite winning, he’d been scolded for his fighting style, and it turned out Claire was incredibly strong.

Of course, that didn’t change Yeon-woo’s perception of Claire at all.

After all, Yeon-woo had always thought of Claire as a mother. He wanted to repay her kindness someday and fulfill her dreams.

This was a story that hadn’t changed from his past life to now.

Before he knew it, the day of the Gate practice was drawing near.

This meant that the subjects he had been studying so broadly would now start moving in the direction related to the Gate exercises.

The practical subjects were no different. Until now, they had focused on sparring with humans to stimulate fighting spirit and enhance basic physical abilities, but now it would shift toward fighting monsters.

“Everyone, are you preparing well for the Gate practice?”

The professor with a gentle demeanor asked, and tired responses came from all over the room. The Gate practice was now just a day away. Those who had some experience were in a panic, and it was understandable for the inexperienced to feel nervous.

The foundational subject, “Ecology of Dungeons and Monsters.” In fact, Yeon-woo had absorbed the material to the point where he didn’t really need to attend, but since it was a basic subject, he had to.

The upside was that he would get good grades, while the downside was that he couldn’t dedicate time to other subjects. Opportunity costs arise, but at least having an A locked in was a joy.

“This time, there will be five types of Gates used in the practice. An additional Gate has been prepared in case any exceptional student manages to conquer one…”

Yeon-woo already knew this. The geographical themes were ‘Swamp,’ ‘Cave,’ ‘Plain,’ ‘Mountain Range,’ ‘Dungeon.’ The remaining were seasonal themes, one being ‘Winter’ and the monster theme being ‘Goblin Village’… he was aware of that. Given that it was an F-rank Gate, the monsters inside would likely be rather unremarkable.

“Yes, Swamp, Cave, Plain, Mountain Range, Dungeon. The five fundamental types. Most of you will enter one of the randomly assigned Gates.”

They didn’t explain the additional Gates. Well, they probably thought no one would manage to conquer them. Even with an F-rank Gate, the owner would likely be about two levels higher.

And whether you could simply defeat the owner or reach the boss room was another matter entirely. In Yeon-woo’s opinion, even considering that, there might be at least three who could clear it.

Having heard that, Yeon-woo focused on calming his consciousness. He wanted to check if Shar, who had fallen asleep since last night, was sleeping soundly. Anyway, with a Gate like that, he could recite what would appear and what to do with his eyes closed.

The familiar sight of the egg above his head was absent. It would be foolish to materialize during sleep, so Shar must be curled up somewhere in Yeon-woo. Thanks to that, he could hear Shar’s gentle breathing by concentrating. It sounded cute.

Our Shar is adorable even while sleeping…

‘I’ve felt something a bit off for a while now.’

He wondered if it was just that the hatching was close and her hormonal balance was off… but it didn’t seem like that. Was there something bothering her?

‘…She seems to be a bit shy now.’

When he first regressed, she would boldly approach him, but now she was being coy. Children being rambunctious were much cuter. While it was tough to have such conversations with her due to rigorous training with his master, he thought it would be fine to do that after hatching.

Once she had a physical form, he believed Shar would accept it a bit more naturally.

…That was something he had thought about.

When Yeon-woo reflected on the Gate practice, he felt like a festival had begun.

A festival? No, it wasn’t a funeral either, but it certainly wasn’t something to be happy about.

Well, as a student, he thought it was something to be joyful about. If you casually wandered in and out of Gates every other day, this was bound to happen. Only a very few could truly enjoy their work.

Five Gates, each with a different color, stood neatly in the auditorium. Gates arise with certain rules in a biased manner. Did this mean all five Gates had emerged within the building? Not quite.

‘What truly is the limit of this school’s resources?’

Phase Transition. Commonly referred to as teleporters, just bringing a person to a teleport point required a staggering amount of money. Thinking about how they neatly gathered the unstable openings of Gates in one place broke his mental calculator.

Thinking like that, the preliminary Gates were likely to be reasonably used without spending money nearby. Still, that wasn’t too illogical.

Beeep!

A sharp noise blared from the speakers. It was the perfect sound to focus everyone’s attention. Instantly, all gazes were drawn to the front.

– Ah, sounds great. I’m Kim Hyun-soo, in charge of the Gate practice. Everyone, are you nervous?

As Kim Hyun-soo spoke with a smile, the students responded with their own excitement in their hearts.

No! Yes! Can we attack it right away!! Just like frontline hunters! Wait, dude, just hold on!

When everyone gave such eager responses, laughter erupted.

– Haha, yes. If you get too nervous and can’t show your skills, that would be troublesome, but not being too tense is also an issue.

At his words, the commotion quieted somewhat. It was an unusually cold and detached voice for someone as warm and friendly as Kim Hyun-soo. There was an undeniable intensity.

Amid the atmosphere that felt like cold water had been splashed, Kim Hyun-soo continued calmly.

– A Gate is not a playground. We are fully prepared for any potential accidents, but there could be things that even the professors aren’t aware of within the Gates.

The students began to stir.

– Of course, I will do my utmost to ensure you all don’t lose your precious lives. However, you never know what could happen within a Gate. Let me say again: that’s not a playground, but a demon’s maw. Keep that in mind.

With that declaration from Kim Hyun-soo, the auditorium fell silent. Whether anyone would still think of it as mere scaring after hearing such words, if there were, that person must be extraordinarily bold.

‘…But, isn’t that too much intimidation?’

No, he understood wanting to keep everyone on their toes. But still, what to do about this atmosphere? Some students looked pale, their pupils shaking, and others were gripping their sheaths with trembling hands. It was unlikely they could handle this tension.

– …Was I too intimidating? Anyway, that’s it. If anything happens to you, I will come running, so don’t worry too much.

Having the ability to diffuse this atmosphere with such words was also a skill. The students’ expressions brightened at Kim Hyun-soo’s assurance of coming to their aid. With the relief of thinking there wouldn’t be serious issues, perhaps they were also happy that their respected senior would come to help.

Of course, there wouldn’t be any fools intentionally putting themselves in danger hoping Kim Hyun-soo would save them. While they respected him, most likely thought they could surpass him. It was the beginning of the semester, a time overflowing with unfounded confidence.

After that, explanations continued. This Gate practice is merely an extension of training. To put it metaphorically, it’s like wetting your body with water before entering cold water, getting accustomed to the atmosphere within the Gate slowly, so you can recall what you’ve learned no matter the situation.

It would start with everyone being alone, but students would be scattered throughout the Gates. Whether they would join up to make a party or go solo would be up to them. The dwelling places would be marked, so they should be careful. However, the attempt to conquer would be entirely up to each individual, and thus Kim Hyun-soo’s explanation came to an end.

Then, the drawing began. As each student lined up in front of the Gates, an indescribable tension settled over the auditorium when two hundred students stood before forty Gates.

For Yeon-woo, it was ‘Dungeon.’ Baek In-hwa was swamp, Namgung Seong was cave, and Je Gal Seong-ryong was mountain range. Namgung Seong wouldn’t be able to fly at all unless it was a boss room. Additionally, his dorm mate, Jung Yu-jin, was mountain range too.

“Then, please enter in order.”

And thus, the practice began.

(To be continued in the next episode)