He had expected it, but facing a hostile figure inside the gate still made him tense up.
If this were a battle on Earth, it might be a different story. But here, inside the gate, things operated under a different set of rules. This was a world where those with more mana held the upper hand.
Lee Si-woo locked eyes with Jang Dong-pil, his gaze sharp and unwavering.
Jang Dong-pil was a D-rank gathering hunter. Given how long he had been in the business, he was undoubtedly a maxed-out D-rank hunter, with his mana reserves fully charged.
That meant he had a significant advantage in mana compared to Si-woo.
Si-woo's maximum mana capacity was a mere 320.
Meanwhile, a D-rank hunter's mana capacity ranged from 1,000 to 4,999.
It was highly likely that Jang Dong-pil's mana was somewhere in the 4,900s.
Si-woo tightened his grip around the wooden staff in his hand.
'Still, that doesn't mean I'm guaranteed to lose.'
He was an all-rounder.
A hunter who, even at a basic level, had trained in both combat techniques and magic.
He was ready to fight.
But then—
Rustle—
"Damn it. This is why I hate P-type planets."
A second figure emerged from the dense foliage.
The moment Si-woo saw the man, he immediately thought of a rat.
And sure enough—
"Oh, you country rat! Do you have to slink around like that? It's disgusting."
Jang Dong-pil scowled at the newcomer, his expression contorting in irritation.
"Ah, my bad, my bad."
The so-called 'country rat' shuffled forward awkwardly, his movements sloppy and unrefined.
They looked like a bunch of fools, but Si-woo didn't let his guard down.
Jang Dong-pil had entered the gate with someone else.
And that someone was carrying a weapon.
'He's a combat hunter.'
Just from the weapon, Si-woo could make an educated guess about his opponent's class.
An E-rank combat hunter.
Which meant—
"What's this, Jang Dong-pil? You got business with me?"
Si-woo asked, keeping his voice steady.
Jang Dong-pil sneered.
"Damn right, I do. I, the great Jang Dong-pil, have graced you with my presence to teach an arrogant brat a lesson."
"A lesson? What the hell are you talking about?"
"You seriously don't know? You still haven't given up on sniffing around someone else's girl, huh?"
"What?"
"Oh? Look at this guy playing dumb. Unbelievable. The filthiest bastards are always the most shameless."
What the hell is he even saying?
Si-woo narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Jang Dong-pil carefully.
Then, Jang Dong-pil's expression twisted.
"You, you little bastard. I heard you asked Seol-hee to take you back?"
"Me? Seol-hee?"
"Ha! This is hilarious. Look at him pretending not to know. Acting all proper and decent on the outside, but scheming behind everyone's backs?"
Si-woo opened his mouth to speak but decided against it.
He finally understood what was happening.
Moon Seol-hee.
A woman who, if she couldn't have something, would rather destroy it.
Jang Dong-pil had completely fallen for her manipulations.
'Birds of a feather.'
There was no point in explaining himself.
Jang Dong-pil had already decided to use violence.
Si-woo adjusted his grip on the wooden staff with both hands, making his intent clear.
If they wanted a fight, he would give them one.
That was when—
"Hah! Look at this guy. He actually thinks he can fight back? This is getting interesting. Hey, country rat, you see this? Brats like him only understand a beating."
"Alright, got it."
Seo Kwang-seok stepped forward.
Shiiing—
A blue light flickered up from his black baton.
Weapon enhancement, one of the basic techniques of a hunter.
'Enhance!'
Si-woo wasted no time infusing his own weapon with mana.
Seo Kwang-seok scoffed as if amused by Si-woo's efforts.
Then—
Boom!
He launched forward at an inhuman speed.
If this were Earth, it would be unimaginable.
But Si-woo wasn't about to stand still and take the hit.
'Not a chance!'
He shifted his weight, moving just in time.
Whoosh—
The black baton sliced through the air, narrowly missing him.
'That was close.'
Si-woo quickly backed away, steadying his breathing.
Theory and practice were two very different things.
'This isn't Earth. I can't afford to think like it is.'
If not for his years of kendo training, he would have been caught off guard by the rat-faced man's baton.
And Si-woo wasn't the only one who noticed.
"Hey, Seo Kwang-seok! What the hell was that? You failed to land a hit on a rookie?"
Jang Dong-pil's voice was full of disbelief.
"Tch! Damn it!"
Seo Kwang-seok's face turned red with humiliation, his teeth grinding audibly.
He was furious.
Si-woo took a slow breath.
There was no time to overthink. This was his first real encounter with a combat hunter.
'Alright. This time, I won't miss.'
He raised his staff above his head, shifting into an offensive stance.
"Hah! You've at least learned a thing or two, huh?"
Angered, Seo Kwang-seok charged at him again, like a speeding truck.
The pressure was immense.
'I won't back down!'
Si-woo's eyes widened as he tried to track Seo Kwang-seok's movements.
But then—
Thud!
A heavy impact struck his side.
"Guh!"
It was Seo Kwang-seok's baton.
'That fast?'
It meant he had used deception and a movement technique to close the distance.
Experience couldn't be ignored.
"You cocky little shit!"
Crack!
Pain erupted from his back.
Seo Kwang-seok, sensing an advantage, unleashed a flurry of strikes.
"Guh…!"
Si-woo clenched his teeth.
He couldn't just stand there and take it.
Tightening his grip, he released one hand and spun his body like a top, aiming for an opening.
"What the—?!"
His staff barely missed Seo Kwang-seok's face.
Startled, Seo Kwang-seok staggered back, his hands trembling slightly.
'He's not as bold as he looks.'
Si-woo had read his opponent's character in that brief moment.
'No wonder he's playing second fiddle to Jang Dong-pil.'
Pain radiated from his side and back, but there was no time to focus on it.
And then—
Beep— Beep—
His interface emitted a warning.
His mana was nearly depleted.
'Damn it!'
His available time inside the gate had already dropped from an hour to thirty minutes.
Jang Dong-pil and Seo Kwang-seok were closing in again.
And escape wasn't an option.
Then—
A sudden surge of energy shot through his body.
The same pain he had felt when he first passed through the gate.
But this time, something was different.
A bright light erupted around him.
And then—
The world shifted.